1000 books in 2023 2 2

[Ken Aldred]

Silver Surfer 2014 series 1 to 15

Silver Surfer 2016 series 1 to 14

The complete run by Dan Slott and Mike Allred.

Well, what can I say? The reading surprise of the year for me.  This is a brilliant series, with the best work I’ve seen from these two creators. A story that’s inventive, absorbing, grounded, surreal, funny, sad and poignant; effortlessly switching in mood and from indie slice-of-life scenes in a New England guest house to cosmic level depictions.  The range on show is incredible. Allred’s a perfect match here, and his Surfer often looks fantastic.

Not just my favourite story read this year, but one of the best I’ve read in over 4 decades.

Ending the year on a very, very high note.

Final 2023 total = 627

Edited December 23, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[Ken Aldred]

So, I’ve basically made it quite clear there as to what’s my favourite out of all of 2023’s reading material.

Maybe, in a few days, to bring this year’s thread to a close, the other participants might post their highlight as well?

[Ken Aldred]

On 12/13/2023 at 1:33 PM, F For Fake said:

I was just thinking about this book, as I just read the Tom King series, and I was trying to remember if it was any good ha I remember it being sort of tied in to all of the pre-52 stuff going on with DC at the time, Final Crisis or whatever, and I couldn't recall if it lined up at all. I will have to track this one down and give it a re-read.

It’s not Starlin’s best, but a good read.  But, made a bit irrelevant because it wasn’t too long before they were brought back. 

[Djedi]

This is the first Spider-Gwen comic I've read. I really enjoyed it. All of the Gwen variants represent an aspect of Gwen. For example, Wolvergwen is her short temper and CapGwen is her idealistic or noble self. This makes the variants feel meaningful. The story explores Gwen in a way that makes her more three dimensional, and more likable and relatable because of it. It's lighthearted enough to not feel too heavy while also having a great character arc. While George Stacy isn't featured too prominently, the positive father daughter relationship was another highlight. If the goal was to enhance my appreciation for Gwen, this series accomplished that.

[Cat]

Just finished a reread of Invincible (yep, already) and that takes me up to 1261 books read since I started tracking, which was May 19th. I'd love to hit 1300 before the year is over, but I'm not quite sure I'll make it. The pressure is on! 

[Norrin_Radd]

Read The Red Sea Sharks (1958) for the first time.

Wow, a lot of reoccurring character appearances in this story - General Alcazar, Abdullah, Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab, Doctor Müller, Oliveira da Figueira, Jolyon Wagg, Bianca Castafiore, and the reappearance of villains Rastapopoulos and ship captain Allan Thompson.

A fun adventure with many perilous situations but, as usual, with a satisfactory ending.  Although the villain Rastapopoulos does escape in spectacular fashion.

[Raze]

194-210

This has been an odd year. Back in March/Apirl, I dropped all new ( Modren ) comics. I couldn't justify the money anymore. The only 3 books I miss are Department of truth and Ram V's Detective Comics and anything Batman related from Sean Gordon Murphy. I will probably just buy those in TPB formats.

Then August came and my buying off ebay or the boards stopped, I only bought 4-5 books total since then at local shows. And I haven't read a comic since Sept.

I dont think Im done with comics, but maybe a little break. Ive bought some books that Ive wanted to read early this year but never got to them. Im sure Ill be reading again next year. Here the last of  what I read this year...

Star Spangled War Stories 99 ( I bough this because of the cover and it was a fun read.

Batman 219 and 250

Xmen 35 1st series I dont collect Xmen but there are 2 Men books I regret selling 35 and 40...maybe next year Ill get a 40

Xmen 248 1st series Found this in a $1 bin

Iron Man Noir 1-4 I like Scott Snyder and all 4 were $4

Superman 179 1st series I like this fun story 

Flash 159, 161 and 172 Ive only read a few Flash books so I thought...Cheap SA Flash why not

Adventure Comics 338 I only own this book because of the date stamp...Its my birthday 13 years before I was born haha

Batman 400 1st Man bat and Neal Adams

All American Men of War 59 I bought this for the cover and it was a good read

Jet Powers 2 Again bought this for the cover...not a fun read unfortunately 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2023 by Raze
These are the only pics that will load

[Cat]

I just finished the Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 1, which contains issue 1-13 plus Annual 1. I've got to say, this one really didn't do much for me. I've had it for years and never got around to reading it. I was expecting a really good read since it won at least one Eisner (maybe multiple?), but it just left me a bit cold. I won't be continuing the series. 

That's 1275 for the year. 

[BA773]

Ok guys, here we are, im now going to read the first Superman comics of my life! Review in few hours

[Cat]

Another one finished for the night (well, morning now). JSA Strange Adventures. A 6 issue miniseries from the mid 2000's, starring the Golden Age team. It's a solid read, 7/10 material, but I have a lot of affection for it. This is my hospital book. Whenever I have to go into hospital, I always make sure this gets brought in with me. It's like my good luck charm, my comfort blanket. As long as I've got this tpb with me while I'm in, I know I'm going to be okay.

It started because I'd bought it new that day, and ended up in hospital for a week and half that night, so naturally took it with me to read. Things had the potential to go really wrong, but didn't, and the book somehow comforted me, as silly as that sounds. So it's been that way ever since. I always make sure it accompanies me on my hospital stays. It's a decent read, inoffensive, fun. & a good classic GA JSA tale. No heavy themes, just a breezy read. Just what you want  to take your mind off your unpleasant situation. 

That takes me up to 1281.

[Norrin_Radd]

Read Tintin in Tibet (1960) for the first time.

Tintin has a premonition of his friend Chang (whom he befriended in The Blue Lotus adventure) then learns his plane crashed in the Himalayas in Tibet.  He is determined to go and search for his friend and has a perilous journey, but against all odds is successful - his friend being saved and guarded by a yeti.

[BA773]

On 12/25/2023 at 9:27 PM, Norrin_Radd said:

Read Tintin in Tibet (1960) for the first time.

Tintin has a premonition of his friend Chang (whom he befriended in The Blue Lotus adventure) then learns his plane crashed in the Himalayas in Tibet.  He is determined to go and search for his friend and has a perilous journey, but against all odds is successful - his friend being saved and guarded by a yeti.

Wonderful to realize that as this year i discovered the american comic books, the American also discovered the books from my culture, i remember had read all these tintin hundred and hundred of times when i was a kid

[BA773]

On 12/21/2023 at 12:42 PM, Norrin_Radd said:

Read The Calculus Affair (1956).

A fun Tintin tale of espionage with lots of cool cars and chases.

Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy succeed in solving the mystery and rescuing Professor Calculus.

Im surprised that the name of Mr Tournesol is traducted here, it not really make sens because its a surname and not a word

[paperheart]

#474-494

American Vampire 1976 #1-10

Nowhere Men #1-11

[chromium]

Final month for this year...

Grand total 1305 comics read in 2023

 

December 105 comics
Abbot 1979 2
Alice Never After 2-4
Alien 1
Almost Dead 1
Antartica 5
Arcade Kings 4-5 ( 4 comics)
Avengers 7
Big Game 5
Black Hammer - The End 4
Blade 5
Captain Marvel Dark tempest 5
Charm City 1
Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda (6comics)
Damn them All 9-10
Daredevil Black Armor 1
Daredevil 3
Dark Spaces - Good Deeds 6
Dust 1
Dutch 0
Fantastic Four 13
G.O.D.S 2
Geiger Ground Zero 1
Giant Robot Hellboy 2
Granite State Punk 1
Guardians of the Galaxy 8
Gun Honey Heat Seeker 1-3
Invincible Iron Man 12
Marvel Super heroes Secret Wars Battleworld 1
Moon Knight - City of the Dead 05
Mortal Terror 1
Nemesis Reloaded (6 comics)
On the Way (8 comics)
Once Upon a Time at the End of the World 10
Panya - The Mummy's Curse 04
Petrol Head 1
Phantom Road 6
Project Riese 4
Punisher 1
Red Light 1
Scarlet Witch 10
Slow Burn 1
Something Epic 7
Star Trek 14
Star Wars - Darth Vader 40
Star Wars - Obi-Wan Kenobi 03
Star Wars - Tales from the Deathstar 1
Star Wars - The Mandalorian Season 2 06
Starsigns 6
Star Wars 40
Swan Songs 4-5
Thanos 1
The Deviant 1
The Devil that wears my face 2
The Joker the man who stopped laughing 12
The Left-hand Path 1
The Madness 2-4
The Midnite Show 2
The Nasty 4
The Ministry of Compliance 1
The Name of the Rose book 1 ( 4 comics)
The Penguin 3
The Rocketeer in the Den of thieves 4
The Space Between 1
The Vigil 6
The Walking Dead Deluxe 76-77
The Wild Cosmos 1
Totem (7 comics)
Unnatural Order 1
Van Helsing the Syndicate 1
Victory 5
Wesley Dodds - The Sandman 1-2
What IF? Dark the Tomb of Dracula 1

[chromium]

Very hard to pick a favorite, but here are the ones I enjoyed the most :

Blast TPB 1-4. For mature audiences only (and then some...). It's a very hard-hitting but deeply sad story. Probably the issues that stayed with me the longest this year.

from Wikipedia ; 

Quote

Blast is a 2012 comic by French indie cartoonist Manu Larcenet. The story follows the doomed journey of Polza Mancini, a homeless drifter and former writer who's being held in police custody for unspecified crimes. At the behest of the detectives questioning him, Polza begins to recount his life story to them.

 

Miracleman The Silver Age. I loved the original Miracleman series (and all the spin-offs) and had to wait over 30 years for a follow up to the first 2 issues. I really loved the first 4 issues, but do feel each issue is getting weaker and weaker. It's still a good read, but doesn't reach the dizzy heights of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. But then again, could it have?

 

And the best of the rest :

 

Nemesis Reloaded https://www.goodreads.com/series/366182-nemesis-reloaded

Dogs of London  https://www.worldsendcomics.com/NL/producten/trade-paperbacks/1837408/dogs-of-london-tp

Traveling to Mars  https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP221234

Godfell   https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Godfell/Chris-Sebela/9781638492016

The Seasons have Teeth  https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/boom-studios/the-seasons-have-teeth-(2023)/1https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/boom-studios/the-seasons-have-teeth-(2023)/1

 

I've been doing this "1000 comics in...." since 2011, so that's 13 straight years (and about 20.000 comics read) and I've noticed a few things about my changing taste in comics....

• Where it used to be all Marvel...now I hardly read Marvel at all any more.
• Same with super-hero themed comics, almost none left that I read monthly
• I'm reading more and more comics which one could describe as "bleak" or "dark" but still really enjoy the totally over the top stuff like "Nemesis" and anything Mignola is attached to.

 

This was fun, let's do it again next year.

 

[Cat]

He-Man And The Masters Of The Multiverse tpb. This was terrible. You're expected to know every continuity, with no explanation or hints, everything from the '87 movie to the New Adventures, to the Filmation and MYP (I knew those 2) and something that seemed like a mobile game? I dunno. The story was boring, with little happening, and it ended with a literal deus ex machina. Very disappointing after the excellent work DC did on all the work contained in the He-Man omnibus, but this one just didn't land. 

Good news for me is that it is my 1300th issue for the year, so I did hit that milestone! Just a shame it wasn't on a better book. 

[Cat]

Something I haven't reread in well over a decade, and thanks to my poor memory thanks to brain fog, a symptom of my fibromyalgia, I couldn't remember much of it, now was the perfect time for a reread. I'm talking Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier. I read the Deluxe Edition from circa 2015/2016, and what can I say that hasn't already been said about this material? It's a near flawless comic book story, with art that is simply gorgeous, and does nothing but make you jealous of the talent that went into each and every page. Such a great tale. I cannot recommend it enough. If you've never read it, do yourself a favour, and buy it now! It's hardly aged a day. 

That brings me up to 1307 for the year, starting May 19th. 

[Ken Aldred]

On 12/29/2023 at 5:24 AM, Cat said:

Something I haven't reread in well over a decade, and thanks to my poor memory thanks to brain fog, a symptom of my fibromyalgia, I couldn't remember much of it, now was the perfect time for a reread. I'm talking Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier. I read the Deluxe Edition from circa 2015/2016, and what can I say that hasn't already been said about this material? It's a near flawless comic book story, with art that is simply gorgeous, and does nothing but make you jealous of the talent that went into each and every page. Such a great tale. I cannot recommend it enough. If you've never read it, do yourself a favour, and buy it now! It's hardly aged a day. 

 

Yup.  Seconded. Cooke was an incredibly talented writer / artist.  Capturing the feel of the Silver Age period superbly, with perfectly-matched artwork.

[Cat]

Another one I can't remember reading, it's been so long; Hellboy Seed Of Destruction. Not a bad start for the franchise, but far from the best. Verging on a 6.5-7/10. John Byrne's dialogue was not recognisable as John Byrne's dialogue, a massive plus.

That's 1311 for the year starting May 19th.