1000 Books in 2024 3 3

[Cat]

Skybound Transformers #1-6. With the whole first arc out now I got to read it as it's meant to be read, as one story. It's magnificent, containing it all: thrills, spills, love, pathos, loss, the full gamut of human emotions... by robot cars that talk? Luckily it all works well and the story is wonderful, with killer art, both by Daniel Warren Johnson. And hey, even better, bonus in #6, I had a letter printed. Something I've never tried to do to a publication of any sort before, but I tried for 3 issues of Transformers, and they picked my 2nd letter for issue 6. To say I was excited was an understatement. Does anyone know when I collect my Eisner?

Green Lantern by Geoff Johns omnibus volume 3:-Okay, so, we're off to a weak start here, with a story about the entities that just didn't resonate with me. I was starting to think I was right to drop the book after Blackest Night all those years ago. But then it improved, and overall Iiked the book as a whole, just had a weak start. Though reading it now, Simon Baz and his origin etc just doesn't come across well. Too cartoonist to be taken seriously, and it is a VERY serious matter. Funny how things are. I enjoyed Volthoom, and the revelation about the Indigo Tribe's members and who and what they really are shocked me. Well played there, Mr Johns. 

So overall an enjoyable experience. On to- Green Lantern: Circle Of Fire tpb, for some old fashioned Kyle Rayner goodness, then either Green Lantern Corps omnibus volume 1 or Aquaman omnibus by Geoff Johns. Haven't decided yet. I may be all Lanterned out for a bit. 

I'm now at 635 books for the year. 

Hope everyone else is having fun and going hard! 

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/20/2024 at 4:26 PM, Cat said:

I may be all Lanterned out for a bit

I always like mixing it up.  

[srezvan]

82 comics so far this year.

Dawn of X is still a mixed bag. Overall enjoyable but I'm glad that Excalibur and Fallen Angels are done, at least for now.

Gold Key Mysteries was a bit of a disappointment. This was from their Kickstarter. There were some odd formatting errors in the upfront material. The stories were of mixed quality and overall I didn't enjoy the artwork.

[Ken Aldred]

Daredevil 158 to 191, What If? 28 and 35

All read in Masterworks format.

One of my favourite runs from when I was a teen. I followed it from 158 onwards, as I’ve always enjoyed seeing how up-and-coming artists evolve, and even from the first issue Miller’s clearly very talented. The first full volume, 159 to 172, is quite readable, though, of course, gets elevated with Miller gradually improving artistically and taking over writing from Roger McKenzie, reaching the peak of his storytelling ability and use of his Kane / Eisner / Krigstein influences; brilliant page / panel layout, design and pacing, impressive choice of camera angles and close-up or remote distancing, fluid figure work, amazing fight choreography, and more and more engaging stories. The second volume, 173 to 181, is the rock-solid classic period. Once the title goes monthly, perhaps there’s a slightly noticeable, heavier reliance on Janson’s inking, but it’s still peak Bronze Age material. It’s really the third volume, 182 up, where I start to lose interest a little.  The stories are still readable, though for me the extended Hand / ninja arc is the weakest and drags a bit.  Miller’s visual storytelling ability and page / panel layout is still exceptional and evident in his breakdowns, but it’s really more and more Klaus Janson’s art and Miller’s input becomes minimal, and the overall effect suffers considerably.  Of course, the run finishes strongly with Miller’s return on the classic “Roulette” issue.

36 issues in total

2024 total = 202

Edited March 26 by Ken Aldred

[F For Fake]

Strikeforce Morituri 1-31

This series was a favorite as a kid, but I never finished it up, and was curious about what I'd think of it nearly 40 years after the fact. So, I picked up the full run on eBay, as it's much cheaper than trying to buy (if you can find them) the three out of print trade collections. And really, I'm glad I read it this way, as it is SO much more nostalgic, smelling the newsprint, seeing all of the ads that were burned into my brain as a kid. That era, from 86-89 or so, is the nostalgia sweet spot for me, and this really took me back.

So, Strikeforce Morituri was an odd duck back in the day, as it wasn't tied into the Marvel universe (except for a couple of tangential connections down the line), was borderline mature readers, and featured a crazy sci-fi concept: Earth has been invaded by an alien Horde, and in response, humanity creates their own superheroes. However, the Morituri process that gives them their powers also shortens their lives, meaning they will explode spectacularly in a year or less.

It's a simply but very effective hook, and over all, this series feels much more in line with what Epic was doing at the time, than a regular Marvel comic.

I'm happy to say that the Peter Gillis run, issues 1-20, held up much better than expected. It's a pretty great comics series. It's a mid-80's superhero comic, so there's plenty of that post-Claremont melodrama and soap opera writing, but the concept is a winner, and the stories are suitably grim. You truly never know who is going to die and when, and you grow to care about the characters for the short time you spend with them. The aliens are baffling and amusing, with their scrotal neck-sacks and penchant for adorning themselves with American pop-culture items. The whole thing enterprise is idiosyncratic enough to make it stand out from the pack.

And of course, there's Brent Anderson on art (except for a couple of fill-ins by the likes of Whilce Portacio), many years before his seminal run on Astro City. He's still finding his sea legs here, but the work is still pretty fantastic. Well composed, naturalistic, great use of shading and dimension. Gillis and Anderson together really make this book sing.

So, yes, I highly enjoyed, and very highly recommend the first 20 issues of Strikeforce Morituri.

Unforunately, the series continued for another 11 issues.

Ugh.

Written by James Hudnall, with art chores by a rotating cast of bland nobodies (though a young Mark Bagley does some credible work in the run), it doesn't take long for the book to be completely stripped of all of its charm and intricacy. This is some truly abysmal writing. The nuance and depth are completely jettisoned, as are most of the major plot-points. The alien Horde are dismissed casually in favor of some sort of story about assassins and a shadow government. You can practically feel the writer's eagerness to jettison everything that came before, to make way for the story he actually wants to tell. It makes no sense given what we'd read up to the point. Characterization is as flat as the bio on a baseball card. This is bad, bad stuff. Do not engage.

Still not sure if I'll ever get around to the five issue miniseries follow up, Electric Undertow, as Hudnall is the writer on that one as well. Feels like I should for the sake of completeness, but...eh.

Anyway, Strikeforce Morituri 1-20, if you haven't read them since they were published, or have never heard of them at all, give them a chance, and find a series that was way outside of the norm of what Marvel was publishing at the time. This is a sad superhero alien invasion soap opera, written ably and illustrated lovingly. Good times. 

Avoid 21-31 at all costs.

My total is now up to 56 for the year. Yeesh, and it's almost April. Not looking good! Meanwhile, I keep buying hardcover comics like they're running out of paper. I have an illness.

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/26/2024 at 4:36 PM, F For Fake said:

Strikeforce Morituri 1-31

This series was a favorite as a kid, but I never finished it up, and was curious about what I'd think of it nearly 40 years after the fact. So, I picked up the full run on eBay, as it's much cheaper than trying to buy (if you can find them) the three out of print trade collections. And really, I'm glad I read it this way, as it is SO much more nostalgic, smelling the newsprint, seeing all of the ads that were burned into my brain as a kid. That era, from 86-89 or so, is the nostalgia sweet spot for me, and this really took me back.

So, Strikeforce Morituri was an odd duck back in the day, as it wasn't tied into the Marvel universe (except for a couple of tangential connections down the line), was borderline mature readers, and featured a crazy sci-fi concept: Earth has been invaded by an alien Horde, and in response, humanity creates their own superheroes. However, the Morituri process that gives them their powers also shortens their lives, meaning they will explode spectacularly in a year or less.

It's a simply but very effective hook, and over all, this series feels much more in line with what Epic was doing at the time, than a regular Marvel comic.

I'm happy to say that the Peter Gillis run, issues 1-20, held up much better than expected. It's a pretty great comics series. It's a mid-80's superhero comic, so there's plenty of that post-Claremont melodrama and soap opera writing, but the concept is a winner, and the stories are suitably grim. You truly never know who is going to die and when, and you grow to care about the characters for the short time you spend with them. The aliens are baffling and amusing, with their scrotal neck-sacks and penchant for adorning themselves with American pop-culture items. The whole thing enterprise is idiosyncratic enough to make it stand out from the pack.

And of course, there's Brent Anderson on art (except for a couple of fill-ins by the likes of Whilce Portacio), many years before his seminal run on Astro City. He's still finding his sea legs here, but the work is still pretty fantastic. Well composed, naturalistic, great use of shading and dimension. Gillis and Anderson together really make this book sing.

So, yes, I highly enjoyed, and very highly recommend the first 20 issues of Strikeforce Morituri.

Unforunately, the series continued for another 11 issues.

Ugh.

Written by James Hudnall, with art chores by a rotating cast of bland nobodies (though a young Mark Bagley does some credible work in the run), it doesn't take long for the book to be completely stripped of all of its charm and intricacy. This is some truly abysmal writing. The nuance and depth are completely jettisoned, as are most of the major plot-points. The alien Horde are dismissed casually in favor of some sort of story about assassins and a shadow government. You can practically feel the writer's eagerness to jettison everything that came before, to make way for the story he actually wants to tell. It makes no sense given what we'd read up to the point. Characterization is as flat as the bio on a baseball card. This is bad, bad stuff. Do not engage.

Still not sure if I'll ever get around to the five issue miniseries follow up, Electric Undertow, as Hudnall is the writer on that one as well. Feels like I should for the sake of completeness, but...eh.

Anyway, Strikeforce Morituri 1-20, if you haven't read them since they were published, or have never heard of them at all, give them a chance, and find a series that was way outside of the norm of what Marvel was publishing at the time. This is a sad superhero alien invasion soap opera, written ably and illustrated lovingly. Good times. 

Avoid 21-31 at all costs.

My total is now up to 56 for the year. Yeesh, and it's almost April. Not looking good! Meanwhile, I keep buying hardcover comics like they're running out of paper. I have an illness.

Good bargain box read.

Edited March 26 by Ken Aldred

[mrlatko]

55-59: Batman and The Mad Monk 2-6 (DC Limited '06)

60-72: The Twelve 1/2-12 (Marvel Limited '08)

73-78: Moon Knight 10-15 (Marvel '80)

I'm underperforming.  Got to pick up the pace!

Batman and the Mad Monk was solid.  True detective story with Batman a mere mortal relying on his wits.  Creepy vampire cult are the bad guys.

Picked the Twelve from a recommendation in this thread.  Started with issue 1/2 that I thought was a prequel introducing the new characters.  For the whole book I was thinking "Great job creating a modern book that looks and feels exactly like a golden age comic from the 40s!". Well, that's because I'm an insufficiently_thoughtful_person and these were actual Timely reprints with heroes I had never heard of before that Marvel was reviving to appear in The Twelve.  Doh!  The 12 issue series was really enjoyable.  Straczynski weaves a fun tale about 12 GA heroes who are put into suspended animation by the Nazis and wake up in 2008 to resume their crime fighting careers for the government. A poor man's Watchmen.  The art by Weston was quite good.  Like Secret Wars last month, I wanted more here.  This could have been an ongoing series for years and I would have supported it.

Moon Knight is now fully confused about who he is and where his power comes from.  Moench has embraced this aspect of Marc Spector's personalities in a big way.  Finally we have the first hero guest star in an issue with Daredevil.  Other than that, the first 15 issues have been Moon Knight against the freak of the month club.  No established super villains.  Issue 15 jumps from 50 cents to 75 with no ads.  This was a direct sales only title going forward.

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/30/2024 at 3:36 AM, mrlatko said:

Picked the Twelve from a recommendation in this thread.  Started with issue 1/2 that I thought was a prequel introducing the new characters.  For the whole book I was thinking "Great job creating a modern book that looks and feels exactly like a golden age comic from the 40s!". Well, that's because I'm an insufficiently_thoughtful_person and these were actual Timely reprints with heroes I had never heard of before that Marvel was reviving to appear in The Twelve.  Doh!  The 12 issue series was really enjoyable.  Straczynski weaves a fun tale about 12 GA heroes who are put into suspended animation by the Nazis and wake up in 2008 to resume their crime fighting careers for the government. A poor man's Watchmen.  The art by Weston was quite good.  Like Secret Wars last month, I wanted more here.  This could have been an ongoing series for years and I would have supported it.

 

Glad you liked it.

[Norrin_Radd]

Read Usagi Volume 15 "Grasscutter II: Journey to Atsuta Shrine" (174 pages).

A harrowing adventure and many epic battles with competing ninja clans that leads to a successful conclusion.

This is as far as I've read in Usagi Yojimbo.  Interested to see what happens next. 

[srezvan]

89 comics so far this year.

 

I'm still working through Dawn of X. Still of mixed quality. 

 

I'm a big REH fan, but this comic was a big ol' mess.

[mrlatko]

79-84: Green Lantern: Rebirth 1-6 (DC Limited '04')

This was entertaining all around.  Story revolves around Hal Jordan and how he deals with being intertwined with the Spectre, and some old enemies that come calling.  Mysterious badness starts happening to his super-friends on earth, and all heck soon breaks loose.  All Hal's earth-based Lantern buddies get involved and lend a hand.  We also get to see the JLA and JSA.  Couldn't ask for much more in a DC mini.  The writing and art are both excellent.

Going to keep this power ring charged and read the Sinestro Corps War next!

[Ken Aldred]

On 4/1/2024 at 3:16 AM, mrlatko said:

79-84: Green Lantern: Rebirth 1-6 (DC Limited '04')

This was entertaining all around.  Story revolves around Hal Jordan and how he deals with being intertwined with the Spectre, and some old enemies that come calling.  Mysterious badness starts happening to his super-friends on earth, and all heck soon breaks loose.  All Hal's earth-based Lantern buddies get involved and lend a hand.  We also get to see the JLA and JSA.  Couldn't ask for much more in a DC mini.  The writing and art are both excellent.

Going to keep this power ring charged and read the Sinestro Corps War next!

The start of Geoff Johns’ long, extremely consistent, and classic run.

[Ken Aldred]

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 1 to 8 (2006 series)

Well known for being political, but with certain aspects still relevant today.

Actually quite a good, retro, team book story. 

2024 total = 210

[Cat]

On 4/1/2024 at 12:16 PM, mrlatko said:

79-84: Green Lantern: Rebirth 1-6 (DC Limited '04')

This was entertaining all around.  Story revolves around Hal Jordan and how he deals with being intertwined with the Spectre, and some old enemies that come calling.  Mysterious badness starts happening to his super-friends on earth, and all heck soon breaks loose.  All Hal's earth-based Lantern buddies get involved and lend a hand.  We also get to see the JLA and JSA.  Couldn't ask for much more in a DC mini.  The writing and art are both excellent.

Going to keep this power ring charged and read the Sinestro Corps War next!

There's quite a bit of material in between the 2 events you might want to read, especially if you haven't before. It's all very good stuff. It's only about 16 issues or so, too. 

[Cat]

Green Lantern: Circle Of Fire tpb - some classic Kyle. A bit of a odd conceit, but just go with it and you'll have a good time. I gave a mate my old copy in favour of the new, which has added issues, always a good thing. They didn't do much for the main story, but it's always nice being able to add to that rain. I enjoyed it, but can't really recommend it. 

Watchmen Deluxe Edition - what is there to say about this one? Again, I ditched my old tpb to this same friend (he scored quite well from me that day) in favour of the hardcover Deluxe Edition. I'm glad I did. This is the edition I've been waiting for. It's beautiful, and just the right size to be a comfortsble read, with the same colouring as the Absolute. Great story, love that pirate comics took off, and that we get to see one, and such a great one. Pity we never saw a complete issue of Tales Of The Black Freighter, in print. Highly recommended. 

Green Lantern Emerald Allies tpb - Kyle Rayner and Connor Hawke go on some road trips, just like their forebears did, bonding along the way. This pair work really well together, and they're impossible not to like. Only thing I don't like about this tpb is it gives no closure about Kyle's father. Oh well. Still a nice journey. A fun comic, that you don't really see much of anymore. 

Marvels Busiek and Ross - I've had this for years, I checked the year of publication of this edition, 2008, and I've never read it. So after 16 years I figured it was time. You could tell it was an earlier Ross, not as confident in his figure work, nor as detailed as he'd later get, but where he lacked Busiek's writing held him up, making them a perfect pairing. Really well done, and I especially enjoyed seeing how the beer was made in the special edition contents for this book. Really opened my eyes. Definitely one you've got to read at least once. 

All in all, that takes me up to 684 books read, and next up is Green Lantern Corps omnibus volume 1, a book I know I enjoy, so this is going to be a pleasant read. See you all in the funny pages! 

 

[srezvan]

99 comics so far this year.

D&D Stranger Things was a nice companion to the series. My daughter and I enjoyed it.

 

Dawn of X Vol. 9 - getting good again. Still not sold on the Cable series, but the rest were good.

[Ken Aldred]

The Wake 1 to 10

Some interesting ideas about flood myths and sea serpents and why they’re so common in many cultures, the first half is quite good, the second drags and for me has a so-so ending. Not one of Scott Snyder’s best.

Always like Sean Murphy’s art, one of my favourite modern creators.

2024 total = 220

Edited April 8 by Ken Aldred

[Djedi]

Kiss: Phantom Obsession

I found the first two issues of this with the Seeley covers. The covers are great even if they are sort of misleading. Marilyn Monroe isn't in this. However, it is a lot about robots and nods to iconic things. In five issues you have multiple kaijus, horror experiments, and more. It's an example of a fast-paced comic that works well. I think because it doesn't take itself too seriously. I won't spoil how Kiss gets powers, but its fun seeing the band fight a wide variety of enemies. This is an easy one to recommend if you want something simple but entertaining. Hoping to get the Seeley covers for 3-5.

James Bond: Vargr

This is the most violent Bond I've seen. He's really a one-man army, both clever and vicious. About a third of the comic is action with little to no dialogue. The action was great. Because it's stylized, the gore didn't seem too extreme. Bond smiles and banters so that helped balance the intensity of the action. The other characters are somewhat memorable, like the tragic villain couple. It's the best Bond comic I've read so far. I did read some of Eidolon, the sequel, but wasn't feeling it as much.

Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: No Tomorrow

This is the beginning of the character Keres. She goes on to be the mascot for the Tales of Terror series. The premise is a man named Patrick is immune to Keres, goddess of death. While she can't kill him, she can kill everyone around him. I ended up liking this a lot. A lot of Zenescope horror is about bad people getting their just deserts. Patrick and his family being sincerely good people was a nice change of pace. I also thought the way it blended in mythology was very well done. It's one of my favorite Zenescope stories so far.

Grimm Tales of Terror Quarterly: Game Night

Other issues of Tales of Terror Quarterly I've read are anthologies. This is one story. A guy who was bullied becomes rich and invites the people who bullied him to a game night, where they can win money. It's a party game with a sort of urban legend vibe. This is definitely a bad people getting just deserts plot, which has some satisfying moments. I thought the fancy hotel was a good setting and the party game aspect felt unique. However, it can get somewhat convoluted with the rules. The villains could have been used better too. It's not one of the best TOT Quarterly IMO, but you may like it more than me.

[AlexH]

On 1/28/2024 at 9:42 PM, AlexH said:

The Eternals (2006) #1-7

Big Girl #1

Total 69

Beneath the Trees Where nobody sees #1-4 (Got a lot of Dexter but with animals feeling about this one)

Hulk #1-6 (2008)

Punisher #1 (2023)

Annihilation #1 (2006)

Spiderman Reign #1 (2006)

Edge of Spider-verse #1 (2023)

Marvel Zombies; Black Red and Blood #1 (2023)

Civil War #1-7

Timeless #1 (2023)

X-23 Target X #1-6

X-Men Messiah Complex #1

Total 99

[Ken Aldred]

Vampirella Vol 1 : Forbidden Fruit

2017 series, issues 0 to 5

Entertaining if bizarre story from Paul Cornell, nice art by Jimmy Broxton, a style which wouldn’t look out of place in an original Vampirella Warren magazine.

2024 total = 226