2019 is only a day away now and, I have to admit, I am terribly looking forward to getting there and putting 2018 behind me.
I remember last year posting a ramble like this, wherein I said goodbye and good riddance to 2017 and welcoming 2018 with a lot of enthusiasm. Well, what a difference a year makes as I find myself remembering 2017 rather fondly in comparison to its successor.
2018 has been rather a hellish year from my perspective and that can be summed up in one word; Depression. Since April or May (I can't remember which, the month's do kind of bleed into one), my degraded mental health caused much of my comics world to take a back seat as I tried to get my head back on straight. No blogging, no reviewing and none of the plans which I had this time last year.
However, as the last few weeks and months have proven, I feel more myself and am ready to return to the world. Moreover, I've reached the end of this year with some big plans I'd like to put into effect for 2019.
Now, in a general sense, I have a lot of 'New Years Resolution' I'd like to fulfil for this new year. However, of those, ten such 'resolutions' list relate to comic books in someway, be it new methods of reading, returns to form for past works or ideas for future projects.
1. Less new comics - The first on my list is a bit of sombre note, and completely in defiance of the 'big plans' I've just spoke of. However, my wife recently lost her job and, with another mouth to feed just around the corner, it's inopportune timing to attempt to seek alternative employment. This means belt tightening on all other places including (sadly) my comics. Therefore, my pull list has been reduced to two titles; Fantastic Four, a monthly title, and Lazarus, a (supposedly) quarterly title. Black Science still hangs on due to it's upcoming conclusion but, otherwise, the number of comics I pick up on a monthly basis is minimal to the point of non-existent. Hopefully, this is only a temporary measure and, after a year (if not less), more money will be brought in to allow for the purse strings to loosen. That said, when one door closes another door opens and with this necessity I do find a couple of other doors I can look through.
2. Back issue/Backlog reading - In the last couple of years I've become rather lax with my reading quantity, as I've found that I continually buy more and more comics (particularly from Comixology sales) which then just get placed to one side and largely ignored. However, with an overall inability to pick up anything new, I find that I have an opportunity to read most (if not all) of this immense backlog and maybe even some of the series I haven't read in a good long time. I do find this rather exciting because, as I've re-read much of my collection in the last couple of years to determine what's worth keeping and what isn't, the titles which were ignored were the ones I consider truly great titles I love. Therefore, reading them again now will more than a pleasure. Meanwhile, titles like Lemire and Sorrentino's Green Arrow run, Rucka's Wonder Woman run, Dini's Zatanna and Cornell's Saucer Country are all waiting to be opened, giving me plenty of content to burn through. Of course, I have a contingency in place should I run out of material in this way.....
3. More Comichaus - I've had a subscription for Comichaus for the entire year but, I have to be honest, despite the large selection of comics available there, I've found myself uninterested to go and look. A lot of this stems from the use of the app itself which doesn't really run well on my rather ancient iPad 2. However, I've been plugging away a few pounds here and there over the year in order to accommodate the second year subscription and, with the loss of any new purchases as well as seemingly smoother use of the app itself, I figured it's worth taking another crack at it. This is especially tempting given that a number of small press books, such as 32 Kills and Close, really interest me and are available through the app. It annoys me that it's taken me so long to make a real effort with but hopefully the lack of purchasing power allows me to see the app what it's truly worth.
4. Better note taking about comics - Now, this is something I want to get better at across the board. Whether it be for blogging, reviewing or just generally pondering on whether a comic is worth my time, my note taking on what I read is rather poor. I tend to base my thoughts/posts/reviews on memory which, as I get older (not that that's an excuse) tends to be a little more unreliable. Therefore, I want to start taking better notes for all these comics I hope to read.
5. Regular blog posting - So, despite a lack of funds, I will still (hopefully) have plenty of reading material to keep me going. This mean that I have no excuses to not have anything to write about. Therefore, while I've some degree of excuse for the lengthy hiatus during the middle of the year, I would like to return to a degree of consistency by writing on my blog on an average of twice a month, written up on Friday in order to post on the following Monday (which, ironically, I've done here despite writing as if it is Monday). Last year I had planned to post every week and a part of me feels that this may have caused me to burnout and suffer the way I did. This way, while not set in stone, I hope to maintain a consistent output without overdoing it. Besides, I'm hoping my free time will be focused elsewhere.
6. Return to reviewing - The biggest loss to my life last year was the decision to give up my comic reviewing duties at Pipedream Comics. In hindsight, it was still the best decision I could make as I needed to devote all my time on the things which were most important to me (i.e. myself and my family). However, I've missed the joy of reading incredible new comics and finding awesome new creators who (in my opinion anyway) could more than match anything the big boys can churn out. Therefore, starting with my recent review of Tales of Fractured Worlds, I'm hoping to return to form in 2019 and review on a twice monthly basis (to start with at least). I want to do this not only for the additional comics I would get to read but also to help me refine my writing skills which have, admittedly, gone rusty during my downtime. The truth is, I could use all the writing practice I can get for some of my bigger plans for the year.
7. Publishing an anthology - Back in 2017, I was challenged by Matt Garvey to take part in a contest he had put together which resulted in me writing a four page comic script. This happened and I also found an artist wanting to take part to get it drawn. We didn't win. However, when the artist in question, Ayoade Adobarin, came back to me in 2018 asking if I fancied doing something else, I didn't see why not.
Now, nearly 8 story scripts later, I want the ideas I've put together to actually become something. Therefore, in 2019, I hope to find a way to publish an anthology of sorts containing these numerous ideas which I've had. In fact, I'm currently pondering on the best method of delivery and how I can feasibly get it made (because, as previously stated, I'm struggling for funds to buy comics let alone make them.
That said, I'm confident that I can find a way to make this happen and even if it isn't very good, at least I can say I've done it.
Of course, that's not all...
8. Scripting some one-shots - The ideas I've had are not contained to the eight I mentioned above. In truth, I've been scribbling down these little musings for quite a number of years. However, with spending much of 2018 scripting multiple short stories, I want to try my hand at making something a little more complex.
Therefore, in 2019, I'm going to have a go at scripting three separate one shots. I already know what the stories are (as does Andy Bloor, who I actually describe one of them too nearly THREE years ago!!) but the key will be to make them into something a bit more solid/real. Again, this might end up not amounting to anything but at least I can say that I've tried.
That said, these are the reason I plan to hold back on reviewing and blogging, so I can focus all my time on them, and so I do hope I can follow through on getting them all written up.
9. More positivity - This is a rather small entry, but by no means any less important as every day these days I feel as if I should be saying more about the comics I am reading and liking. In fact, I've been feeling very down on the comics I have been reading and don't like that I've been in that frame of mind. Therefore, for 2019, I want to make more of an effort to spell out the good things and what I like about the comics I read as well reduce the amount of criticisms. Of course, this won't be entirely 100% successful because I will be spending much time reviewing (which requires critiquing as part of the job). But if I can make my every comment feel more constructive then I like to think that I'll be happy enough.
10. A Comic a Day.... - My final resolution is, again, a small entry but I think could be the most important one of all. For 2019, I want to read at least one comic (that's the equivalent of a single issue) every day. This is because in 2018 (and possibly the couple of years before), it felt as if I was never allowed the time to read and so got frustrated by the number of comics I had to wait on before looking at. However, with the average comic taking me 15 minutes to read, I think this isn't right and so I want to set myself the goal of 1 comic every day. I think one comic is an easily achievable goal and if it isn't, I may need to reassess how I use my free time in a day.
And I'm done! This are the 10 New Year's resolutions I have regarding comics (I have a lot more when it comes to real life). Thinking back over this list, I'm actually confident that it might be a little too much and that I won't be able to follow through on most of them. However, these are things I want to do in my life and I think it's worth writing them down and admitting them in open so that you don't just ignore them.
Besides, it'll be interesting in a year to look back and see how many I've broken.
Friday 28 December 2018
Monday 24 December 2018
Batman: White Knight
It's been nearly two months since I last posted anything on here and this is due to no other reason that a lack of free time, as new addition preparation, Christmas shopping and some dedicated work on another project I currently have in the pipeline have effectively chewed up every spare minute I've had.
However, I've decided that I want to get back into a bit of a groove regarding a lot of things in 2019, including writing on here. I also figured that, with my birthday just a couple of weeks prior and a nice little haul of graphic novels received as a result, it would be a good idea to get some practice to achieving said groove as 2018 winds down, with a quick ramble of thoughts on one of these new titles.
That title was Sean Gordon Murphy's Batman: White Knight.
Now, this was a series which had developed a lot of goodwill in my mind over the course of it's release. Everywhere I read and everything I listened, I would constantly hear positive words used in respect to this book. Couple this with the fact that I have a tremendous love for Murphy's prior series, Punk Rock Jesus, and what you realise that this book was never going to be a 'if I bought it' but rather when.
Well, when arrived at 35 years and, I've got to say, the good vibes were not exaggerating (well, much anyway).
A basic breakdown of the story goes like this: After years of battling it out across the Gotham landscape, the War between Batman and the Joker comes to an unexpected end when, after being chased and beaten by the Dark Knight, the Clown Prince of Crime discovers a cure to being the Joker. Now back to being 'Jack Napier', the former super-criminal turns over a new leaf to help Gotham city; by ridding it of the increasingly dangerous Batman.
Going into this I really didn't know what to expect, apart from the obvious spoiler that Joker would be the hero and Batman the villain. However, I found this series to be incredibly enjoyable and, while not as fast or as action-packed as I'd expect from a Batman comic, it came with a lot of deep, thought provoking moments about the dynamic its two leads.
A lot of the things which were weaved into this really spoke as I read through this, such as how this was written from the perspective of a failed relationship as Joker pointed out how much Batman needed him, something which would become more apparent as the series progress, as well as how Batman is actually an incredibly ludicrous and dangerous concept when you look at him without an equally maddening opposite to bounce off of.
Throughout this read I found myself struggling to align myself completely with either character as both characters, despite reasons to like them, continued to delve in questionable actions ask seek to finally defeat the other. I enjoyed this writing as a result, as it left the story ambiguous with no clear distinction as to was right and who was wrong, making it all the more compelling.
I think it's this, along with the stance against corruption by Jack, makes this very much a spiritual successor to Punk Rock Jesus, which I had (coincidentally) read just a few days prior to starting this.
Speaking of Punk Rock Jesus, I really love the art in that series and, although rough on a couple of panels, is a real highpoint to that book. I say this because in White Knight, Murphy brings me the same glorious style, but with much cleaner and smoother lines. The art is fantastic, how Joker doesn't look like Jack, despite them practically identical (and I really scanned his face throughout to be sure), the Gotham Landscape, the villains, everything. This is only cemented by Matt Hollingsworth colours, which despite being mostly muted tones, rapidly change from scene to scene along with the bold, wacky colours some of the villains sport (Two Face's bold red stands out).
There are a few other things I loved about this series, but fear saying them here would spoiler it for any who haven't read it. There are also a couple of things which feel pointless and shoehorned in to this story for the sake of it (again, can't say without spoilers), but in the grand scheme of things I think they are easy to forgive and let go of.
This is because, all in all, I really, REALLY loved Batman: White Knight as not only a story but also a commentary on so many aspects of life which constantly come to my mind..
So, with that in mind, I've really got to thank my cousin for getting this for me. I have already, but it was too good a read not to go and drive home that fact!
However, I've decided that I want to get back into a bit of a groove regarding a lot of things in 2019, including writing on here. I also figured that, with my birthday just a couple of weeks prior and a nice little haul of graphic novels received as a result, it would be a good idea to get some practice to achieving said groove as 2018 winds down, with a quick ramble of thoughts on one of these new titles.
 |
| Batman: White Knight TPB |
Now, this was a series which had developed a lot of goodwill in my mind over the course of it's release. Everywhere I read and everything I listened, I would constantly hear positive words used in respect to this book. Couple this with the fact that I have a tremendous love for Murphy's prior series, Punk Rock Jesus, and what you realise that this book was never going to be a 'if I bought it' but rather when.
Well, when arrived at 35 years and, I've got to say, the good vibes were not exaggerating (well, much anyway).
A basic breakdown of the story goes like this: After years of battling it out across the Gotham landscape, the War between Batman and the Joker comes to an unexpected end when, after being chased and beaten by the Dark Knight, the Clown Prince of Crime discovers a cure to being the Joker. Now back to being 'Jack Napier', the former super-criminal turns over a new leaf to help Gotham city; by ridding it of the increasingly dangerous Batman.
Going into this I really didn't know what to expect, apart from the obvious spoiler that Joker would be the hero and Batman the villain. However, I found this series to be incredibly enjoyable and, while not as fast or as action-packed as I'd expect from a Batman comic, it came with a lot of deep, thought provoking moments about the dynamic its two leads.
A lot of the things which were weaved into this really spoke as I read through this, such as how this was written from the perspective of a failed relationship as Joker pointed out how much Batman needed him, something which would become more apparent as the series progress, as well as how Batman is actually an incredibly ludicrous and dangerous concept when you look at him without an equally maddening opposite to bounce off of.
Throughout this read I found myself struggling to align myself completely with either character as both characters, despite reasons to like them, continued to delve in questionable actions ask seek to finally defeat the other. I enjoyed this writing as a result, as it left the story ambiguous with no clear distinction as to was right and who was wrong, making it all the more compelling.
 |
| This is just glorious art. The black and white feel but mixed with a splash of colour. |
Speaking of Punk Rock Jesus, I really love the art in that series and, although rough on a couple of panels, is a real highpoint to that book. I say this because in White Knight, Murphy brings me the same glorious style, but with much cleaner and smoother lines. The art is fantastic, how Joker doesn't look like Jack, despite them practically identical (and I really scanned his face throughout to be sure), the Gotham Landscape, the villains, everything. This is only cemented by Matt Hollingsworth colours, which despite being mostly muted tones, rapidly change from scene to scene along with the bold, wacky colours some of the villains sport (Two Face's bold red stands out).
There are a few other things I loved about this series, but fear saying them here would spoiler it for any who haven't read it. There are also a couple of things which feel pointless and shoehorned in to this story for the sake of it (again, can't say without spoilers), but in the grand scheme of things I think they are easy to forgive and let go of.
This is because, all in all, I really, REALLY loved Batman: White Knight as not only a story but also a commentary on so many aspects of life which constantly come to my mind..
So, with that in mind, I've really got to thank my cousin for getting this for me. I have already, but it was too good a read not to go and drive home that fact!
Tuesday 23 October 2018
Could Luke Cage Season 2 start the road to another Defenders series?
So, this has been an idea which I've had in my head for a good few months. Ever since watching Luke Cage season 2 (which I feel is far superior to season 1, much like everyone else), I've found myself thinking about where the show and it's sister shows of the Marvel Netflix universe could go, even going so far as to chew my co-worker's ears off about my ideas.
Now, I have been putting off writing up this idea I'd had because I really wanted to make it something in depth. However, now that the terribly sad news that both Iron Fist and Luke Cage have been cancelled, I felt that there was little point standing on ceremony and just get on with describing how I think that Luke Cage season 2 could have been the beginning of the road to the Defenders season 2.
Beware!!! Spoilers may occur for Luke Cage season 2, Iron Fist season 2, Jessica Jones season 2, Daredevil season 3, the Immortal Iron Fist #1-27, Daredevil #1(1998)-121, #500-512 and Shadowland #1-5!!!!
You have been warned!!!!
The story so far...
So, the Defenders have all come to the forefront and, subsequently, joined forces to vanquish a common (rather dull) foe before going their separate ways again. Of those Jessica Jones has gotten involved with some conspiracy regarding the people who gave her powers (in truth, I really didn't get into this series and have yet to complete) and then came Luke Cage's second season.
In season 2, Luke Cage has been continuing his life as the hero of Harlem, seemingly relishing in the celebrity that his heroics seem to entail him. However, with the introduction of Bushmaster, this celebrity status appears to wane and Harlem sees him in a more antagonistic light. This, along with the seeming impotence that Luke feels in being unable to adequately protect Harlem, he chooses to forgo the title of Hero in exchange for becoming the 'King', a role which is validated when he's bequeathed the figurative throne in Harlem's Paradise by series villain 'Black' Mariah Stokes-Dillard.
However, this is implied as something of a poisoned chalice as the series draws to a close. Indeed, as she writes her will, Mariah explicitly reveals her motivations for handing over her livelihood to Cage, as she believes that while he will attempt to use it as a force for good, power will inherently corrupt and he would end up becoming the villain.
The Defenders - Season 2!!!
So, that is where things essentially ended, With Luke Cage taking a more powerful role within Harlem, although the question is, at what cost?
Iron Fist season 2 continued this question as it ended, with Misty Knight (having guested throughout most of the series) informing her partner in crime Colleen Wing of the change in Luke and how her newly acquired power (of the Iron Fist, which she took from Davos, who took from Danny. It makes sense if you watched the series) might be the only weapon available to take him down.
And it's this which I think would've been an awesome storyline for a second series of Defenders, to see Luke Cage corrupted by the power he now wields and his former allies of Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing joining together to stop him and/or bring him to his senses. Now, there are a lot of plot holes in this, namely that only Colleen and Jessica could, theoretically, be a match for him, but I'm sure when thought about it could be a really great idea. This series would possibly culminate in Luke coming to his senses and the destruction of Harlem's Paradise to signify his saving from the Dark Side.
Essentially, it would be an adaption of the Andy Diggle Daredevil event; Shadowland.
What is Shadowland?
So, for those who never read it, the Shadowland took place from #500 and saw Daredevil gain control of his enemies, the Hand. Intending to use this newfound power as a force for good, Daredevil was ultimately corrupted by this power and the Shadowland event began after his senseless killing of Bullseye. However, by the end, with all of the Marvel street level heroes joining forces to stop him, it was revealed that Daredevil had been possessed by the Hand's deity, the Beast.
Now, Shadowland is not widely regarded as a high tier Daredevil story. In truth, I didn't mind it personally but felt it the man without fear's 'possession' was ham fisted and ruined a good story about power corrupting. Also, I didn't think that the lead up to this was a bit short and could have done with an extra arc or two to really cement the turn to villainy.
That said, regardless of the shortcomings, it was an idea which (in my opinion) had some merit and the parallels between where the story started and where Luke Cage season 2 ended just look too similar to pass up loosely adapting the concept to work with Cage as the lead instead of Daredevil.
The road to Defenders.
So, how would we have gotten there? Well, if we had been lucky and nothing was cancelled then I think we'd have probably gotten another series of the four core characters under our belt to feed us to the big battle. Each of these series would have essentially been a series long 'vs' battle for each of the characters on a deeply personal level.
First up there would obviously have been Daredevil season 3 (which I'm about half way through at this point). Having watch half, I've already gotten some theories on how it will end. First of all, Matt Murdock (who I realised has had quite the emotional journey, going from a vigilante to a symbol to wanting to be just Murdock and now just Daredevil) would find the balance he has always craved between his two lives. He would send Fisk back to Prison and defeat Bullseye (although I'd suspect Karen would have died as she did in the Guardian Devil run (#1-6 by Kevin Smith) and bury the Hatchet with Foggy, who would win to become District Attorney.
Meanwhile, Agent Nadeem, the financially insecure FBI agent, having had his reputation tarnished by putting his faith in Fisk would have learned that Murdock is Daredevil and, in order to make some money, would sell this information to the New York Bulletin. I can imagine the final scene of the series would be Foggy picking up a paper to reveal the headline 'Matt Murdock is Daredevil.'
And so, that would set up series four, which would cover much of the Bendis 'Out' storyline (between Guardian Devil and Shadowland) and would essentially by Nelson vs Murdock and D.A Nelson would be torn between upholding the law and protecting his friend while Murdock would have to figure out how to be Daredevil under a greater level of scrutiny.
Meanwhile, across town it would be Jessica Jones series 3, which would in a sense be Jessica Jones vs the World. Now, while I'm not clued into where series 2 ended I do know that she gains some sense of normality. Now I believe that this normality would be threaten by the likes of Hogarth and Trish, both of whom sought out IGH previously and she would have to come back into her life to put an ended to her creator's legacy once and for all.
In Iron Fist, I would have like to have seen series 3 focus on the Brubaker/Fraction and beyond run of the Immortal Iron Fist. This would have seen adaptations of the last Iron Fist story and the Mortal Iron Fist as Danny and Ward would seek out Orson Randall in an Iron Fist vs Iron Fist story, a prior Iron Fist who went into hiding to escape a killer of Iron Fists, hoping to use Davos' plan in the prior series to create a scapegoat of sorts for this killer to follow instead.
This would lead to a notion which Ed Brisson's recent Iron Fist run introduced whereby Danny would absorb the chi and Iron Fist power from Orson and Colleen, who would spend the series realising she doesn't need the power to be a hero, in order to become powerful enough to defeat this killer. The end of this series would then hint at the seven cities of Heaven story as well as the eighth city for a future series.
And finally, Luke Cage season 3 would be Luke battling himself as he straddles the line between continuing his life as the Hero for Harlem and becoming the crime boss Harlem's Paradise creates in him. As stated, this would be a loose parable of Shadowland as Luke finds himself making more and more questionable decisions which should, towards the end of the series, bring Colleen over for a guest fight between the two. By the end, Luke should become truly villainous, thus leading us into a second series of Defenders.
Of course, all these thoughts by me are a little bit moot now, with the cancellation of both Iron Fist and Luke Cage (and probably the rest if my cynicism is to be believed) but I did like the depth at which I seemed to go on this idea and, therefore, I figured it would be worth sharing.
Besides, it might all still be salvageable and Marvel/Netflix may continue to go on.
And if it does, do let them know that I'm for hire!!
Now, I have been putting off writing up this idea I'd had because I really wanted to make it something in depth. However, now that the terribly sad news that both Iron Fist and Luke Cage have been cancelled, I felt that there was little point standing on ceremony and just get on with describing how I think that Luke Cage season 2 could have been the beginning of the road to the Defenders season 2.
Beware!!! Spoilers may occur for Luke Cage season 2, Iron Fist season 2, Jessica Jones season 2, Daredevil season 3, the Immortal Iron Fist #1-27, Daredevil #1(1998)-121, #500-512 and Shadowland #1-5!!!!
You have been warned!!!!
The story so far...
So, the Defenders have all come to the forefront and, subsequently, joined forces to vanquish a common (rather dull) foe before going their separate ways again. Of those Jessica Jones has gotten involved with some conspiracy regarding the people who gave her powers (in truth, I really didn't get into this series and have yet to complete) and then came Luke Cage's second season.
In season 2, Luke Cage has been continuing his life as the hero of Harlem, seemingly relishing in the celebrity that his heroics seem to entail him. However, with the introduction of Bushmaster, this celebrity status appears to wane and Harlem sees him in a more antagonistic light. This, along with the seeming impotence that Luke feels in being unable to adequately protect Harlem, he chooses to forgo the title of Hero in exchange for becoming the 'King', a role which is validated when he's bequeathed the figurative throne in Harlem's Paradise by series villain 'Black' Mariah Stokes-Dillard.
However, this is implied as something of a poisoned chalice as the series draws to a close. Indeed, as she writes her will, Mariah explicitly reveals her motivations for handing over her livelihood to Cage, as she believes that while he will attempt to use it as a force for good, power will inherently corrupt and he would end up becoming the villain.
The Defenders - Season 2!!!
So, that is where things essentially ended, With Luke Cage taking a more powerful role within Harlem, although the question is, at what cost?
Iron Fist season 2 continued this question as it ended, with Misty Knight (having guested throughout most of the series) informing her partner in crime Colleen Wing of the change in Luke and how her newly acquired power (of the Iron Fist, which she took from Davos, who took from Danny. It makes sense if you watched the series) might be the only weapon available to take him down.
And it's this which I think would've been an awesome storyline for a second series of Defenders, to see Luke Cage corrupted by the power he now wields and his former allies of Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing joining together to stop him and/or bring him to his senses. Now, there are a lot of plot holes in this, namely that only Colleen and Jessica could, theoretically, be a match for him, but I'm sure when thought about it could be a really great idea. This series would possibly culminate in Luke coming to his senses and the destruction of Harlem's Paradise to signify his saving from the Dark Side.
Essentially, it would be an adaption of the Andy Diggle Daredevil event; Shadowland.
What is Shadowland?
So, for those who never read it, the Shadowland took place from #500 and saw Daredevil gain control of his enemies, the Hand. Intending to use this newfound power as a force for good, Daredevil was ultimately corrupted by this power and the Shadowland event began after his senseless killing of Bullseye. However, by the end, with all of the Marvel street level heroes joining forces to stop him, it was revealed that Daredevil had been possessed by the Hand's deity, the Beast.
Now, Shadowland is not widely regarded as a high tier Daredevil story. In truth, I didn't mind it personally but felt it the man without fear's 'possession' was ham fisted and ruined a good story about power corrupting. Also, I didn't think that the lead up to this was a bit short and could have done with an extra arc or two to really cement the turn to villainy.
That said, regardless of the shortcomings, it was an idea which (in my opinion) had some merit and the parallels between where the story started and where Luke Cage season 2 ended just look too similar to pass up loosely adapting the concept to work with Cage as the lead instead of Daredevil.
The road to Defenders.
So, how would we have gotten there? Well, if we had been lucky and nothing was cancelled then I think we'd have probably gotten another series of the four core characters under our belt to feed us to the big battle. Each of these series would have essentially been a series long 'vs' battle for each of the characters on a deeply personal level.
First up there would obviously have been Daredevil season 3 (which I'm about half way through at this point). Having watch half, I've already gotten some theories on how it will end. First of all, Matt Murdock (who I realised has had quite the emotional journey, going from a vigilante to a symbol to wanting to be just Murdock and now just Daredevil) would find the balance he has always craved between his two lives. He would send Fisk back to Prison and defeat Bullseye (although I'd suspect Karen would have died as she did in the Guardian Devil run (#1-6 by Kevin Smith) and bury the Hatchet with Foggy, who would win to become District Attorney.
Meanwhile, Agent Nadeem, the financially insecure FBI agent, having had his reputation tarnished by putting his faith in Fisk would have learned that Murdock is Daredevil and, in order to make some money, would sell this information to the New York Bulletin. I can imagine the final scene of the series would be Foggy picking up a paper to reveal the headline 'Matt Murdock is Daredevil.'
And so, that would set up series four, which would cover much of the Bendis 'Out' storyline (between Guardian Devil and Shadowland) and would essentially by Nelson vs Murdock and D.A Nelson would be torn between upholding the law and protecting his friend while Murdock would have to figure out how to be Daredevil under a greater level of scrutiny.
Meanwhile, across town it would be Jessica Jones series 3, which would in a sense be Jessica Jones vs the World. Now, while I'm not clued into where series 2 ended I do know that she gains some sense of normality. Now I believe that this normality would be threaten by the likes of Hogarth and Trish, both of whom sought out IGH previously and she would have to come back into her life to put an ended to her creator's legacy once and for all.
In Iron Fist, I would have like to have seen series 3 focus on the Brubaker/Fraction and beyond run of the Immortal Iron Fist. This would have seen adaptations of the last Iron Fist story and the Mortal Iron Fist as Danny and Ward would seek out Orson Randall in an Iron Fist vs Iron Fist story, a prior Iron Fist who went into hiding to escape a killer of Iron Fists, hoping to use Davos' plan in the prior series to create a scapegoat of sorts for this killer to follow instead.
This would lead to a notion which Ed Brisson's recent Iron Fist run introduced whereby Danny would absorb the chi and Iron Fist power from Orson and Colleen, who would spend the series realising she doesn't need the power to be a hero, in order to become powerful enough to defeat this killer. The end of this series would then hint at the seven cities of Heaven story as well as the eighth city for a future series.
And finally, Luke Cage season 3 would be Luke battling himself as he straddles the line between continuing his life as the Hero for Harlem and becoming the crime boss Harlem's Paradise creates in him. As stated, this would be a loose parable of Shadowland as Luke finds himself making more and more questionable decisions which should, towards the end of the series, bring Colleen over for a guest fight between the two. By the end, Luke should become truly villainous, thus leading us into a second series of Defenders.
Of course, all these thoughts by me are a little bit moot now, with the cancellation of both Iron Fist and Luke Cage (and probably the rest if my cynicism is to be believed) but I did like the depth at which I seemed to go on this idea and, therefore, I figured it would be worth sharing.
Besides, it might all still be salvageable and Marvel/Netflix may continue to go on.
And if it does, do let them know that I'm for hire!!
Tuesday 16 October 2018
The Boycott Dilemma.
I hadn't planned to post anything here this, instead deciding to focus on other things I am currently working on. However, recent news and revelations have gotten me thinking a little bit on this dilemma and so I figured why not.
So, I was reading this morning about Chuck Wendig and the recent news (from the last two days) that he had been fired by Marvel from his work on a Star Wars book because his Twitter Feed was too negative. Now, I've looked around and read up a bit on it and found that while Wendig might actually be this way naturally, it's more than likely a reaction to critics and haters being directly negative against him for certain reasons.
(But what do I know?)
Now, my opinion on this. Assuming that this was done to curb any negative backlash by those critics against Marvel, I think this is below the pale and a pretty shitty move by Marvel to fire a man for circumstances which are beyond his control. Also, even if it was Wendig that caused it with his 'political' views, why should he be punished for voicing his views (as long as they aren't hateful towards others of course).
Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
I've been pondering on this subject for much of the last day or so now upon finding and reading about this story. If a publisher does something despicable or not in line with your own personal beliefs, should you boycott that publisher's comics?
Take the soon to be released Red Dead Redemption 2 as an example (yes, not a comic book but bare with me). I've been reading over the internet that RDR2's creative studio, Rockstar, have been forcing their workers to partake in 100 hour weeks. Now, that I find sickening as, being someone whose mental health has suffered over the years, know what seriously long working days can do to you. Therefore, I would probably give RDR2 a miss as despite it being a gorgeous looking game, my money wouldn't go direct to these creators who sacrificed their lives but to the shareholders and that doesn't sit well. However, on the other hand, if everyone was like me and no one bought it, the company may go under and all those overworked people may end up with no work at all.
(I probably won't buy it because I don't have time to run through a 60 hour campaign, making this moot, but it works as an example.)
The same, I feel, applies in comics. Over the last few months, I've seen/heard stories about publishers effectively 'screwing over' their talent in various ways or supporting creators whose views I find seriously upsetting. From placing restrictions on general creative submissions to giving Alt-Right individuals platforms and (as stated) dismissing talent on the basis of standing up for themselves, I feel that some publishers are either showing their true colours or simply not willing to use their influence to protect the less protected.
So, this brings me to the thought which is rattling around in my head; do I boycott these publishers and their works to make a point with my dollar, the only thing they understand? Or, by doing this, am I taking my 'ethical superiority' (for want of a better description) out on the creators of those books I boycott?
I find this something of a dilemma because the books I pick up I enjoy and don't really want to give them up. However, if I punished publishers for their jackassery then I end up losing everything. An example of this (though without any names) is there is one small publisher who has released an good number of really interesting series, all created by really cool creators. However, this publisher has done some questionable things in the last few months and were I to boycott their titles in response then those creators would lose money from a story they have out their heart and soul into and doesn't make them a high wage in the first place.
I found things a little easier when I was thinking of titles as when the Divided States of Hysteria by Howard Chaykin was released, I thought it a somewhat interesting title to try. However, upon learning online of it's contents I couldn't, in good conscience, bring myself to give money to something like this. Now, maybe I should have judged it for myself and maybe it was not as bad as the internet claimed, but I don't regret my decision and if anyone thought I'd made a mistake... well, that's just how it'll have to be.
However, it's murkier waters when it comes to a cool looking book being sold by a suspect publisher. An example of this is Super Sons, which I really wanted to pick up back when Rebirth started. However, the editor on that title was one Eddie Berganza (who is famous for his own reasons) and, because of his 'supposed past', I felt uncomfortable picking this up as it seemed like I'd be condoning his actions. However, because of this, I felt bad that I didn't support the work of the writer/artist/Inker/Colorist/Letterer who gave their all on this book.
The same applies here with these new ponderings, as I find myself unsure whether to avoid titles in some sort of 'protest' or to continue to buy what I want on the condition that if the creator shows themselves to be against what I consider 'appropriate' then I will most likely give their title a miss.
In the end, I've been told by my wife that I 'talk a good talk', which means I will probably just let things slide and keep doing what I do. In the end though, maybe I'm just a little disappointed in myself that I can't/don't do more to follow up on what I think is right in my little corner of the world.
That said, maybe I'm more disappointed that these companies who products I enjoy reading can't grow more of a spine to have the backs of those who create said products.
So, I was reading this morning about Chuck Wendig and the recent news (from the last two days) that he had been fired by Marvel from his work on a Star Wars book because his Twitter Feed was too negative. Now, I've looked around and read up a bit on it and found that while Wendig might actually be this way naturally, it's more than likely a reaction to critics and haters being directly negative against him for certain reasons.
(But what do I know?)
Now, my opinion on this. Assuming that this was done to curb any negative backlash by those critics against Marvel, I think this is below the pale and a pretty shitty move by Marvel to fire a man for circumstances which are beyond his control. Also, even if it was Wendig that caused it with his 'political' views, why should he be punished for voicing his views (as long as they aren't hateful towards others of course).
Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
I've been pondering on this subject for much of the last day or so now upon finding and reading about this story. If a publisher does something despicable or not in line with your own personal beliefs, should you boycott that publisher's comics?
Take the soon to be released Red Dead Redemption 2 as an example (yes, not a comic book but bare with me). I've been reading over the internet that RDR2's creative studio, Rockstar, have been forcing their workers to partake in 100 hour weeks. Now, that I find sickening as, being someone whose mental health has suffered over the years, know what seriously long working days can do to you. Therefore, I would probably give RDR2 a miss as despite it being a gorgeous looking game, my money wouldn't go direct to these creators who sacrificed their lives but to the shareholders and that doesn't sit well. However, on the other hand, if everyone was like me and no one bought it, the company may go under and all those overworked people may end up with no work at all.
(I probably won't buy it because I don't have time to run through a 60 hour campaign, making this moot, but it works as an example.)
The same, I feel, applies in comics. Over the last few months, I've seen/heard stories about publishers effectively 'screwing over' their talent in various ways or supporting creators whose views I find seriously upsetting. From placing restrictions on general creative submissions to giving Alt-Right individuals platforms and (as stated) dismissing talent on the basis of standing up for themselves, I feel that some publishers are either showing their true colours or simply not willing to use their influence to protect the less protected.
So, this brings me to the thought which is rattling around in my head; do I boycott these publishers and their works to make a point with my dollar, the only thing they understand? Or, by doing this, am I taking my 'ethical superiority' (for want of a better description) out on the creators of those books I boycott?
I find this something of a dilemma because the books I pick up I enjoy and don't really want to give them up. However, if I punished publishers for their jackassery then I end up losing everything. An example of this (though without any names) is there is one small publisher who has released an good number of really interesting series, all created by really cool creators. However, this publisher has done some questionable things in the last few months and were I to boycott their titles in response then those creators would lose money from a story they have out their heart and soul into and doesn't make them a high wage in the first place.
I found things a little easier when I was thinking of titles as when the Divided States of Hysteria by Howard Chaykin was released, I thought it a somewhat interesting title to try. However, upon learning online of it's contents I couldn't, in good conscience, bring myself to give money to something like this. Now, maybe I should have judged it for myself and maybe it was not as bad as the internet claimed, but I don't regret my decision and if anyone thought I'd made a mistake... well, that's just how it'll have to be.
However, it's murkier waters when it comes to a cool looking book being sold by a suspect publisher. An example of this is Super Sons, which I really wanted to pick up back when Rebirth started. However, the editor on that title was one Eddie Berganza (who is famous for his own reasons) and, because of his 'supposed past', I felt uncomfortable picking this up as it seemed like I'd be condoning his actions. However, because of this, I felt bad that I didn't support the work of the writer/artist/Inker/Colorist/Letterer who gave their all on this book.
The same applies here with these new ponderings, as I find myself unsure whether to avoid titles in some sort of 'protest' or to continue to buy what I want on the condition that if the creator shows themselves to be against what I consider 'appropriate' then I will most likely give their title a miss.
In the end, I've been told by my wife that I 'talk a good talk', which means I will probably just let things slide and keep doing what I do. In the end though, maybe I'm just a little disappointed in myself that I can't/don't do more to follow up on what I think is right in my little corner of the world.
That said, maybe I'm more disappointed that these companies who products I enjoy reading can't grow more of a spine to have the backs of those who create said products.
Tuesday 9 October 2018
The death of the single issue?
This is the last of my 'Big 3' blog posts, following on from the culling of my collection and rose tinted glasses, this was another though which popped into my head of late.
Now, when I say the death of the single issue, I don't actually mean the death of the concept within the comic book medium. In fact, what I mean is that I wonder if the single issue comic book has reached it's end within my life, my reading and my collecting.
I've been collecting single issues of comics for what must be going on 11 years now, originally starting with Marvel/Panini reprints from the local newsagents before moving on to original single issues when my first local comic book shop opened with my opening comic being Fantastic Four #551. Since then, my collection has grown away from trades and more into the single issues of varying numbers over the years.
Recently, however, my circumstances have changed which have me questioning whether the purchasing of single issues is really the best way forward when it comes to my comic reading.
There are three factors in particular which have me pondering on this and the first of these is space. The reason for this is because (as stated previously), my second child is due early next year and, due to a lack of space, the spare room where my comics are held is required as a nursery. However, I have no where else that I can place these long boxes (well, the attic but I'm fearful of what the conditions would do to the comics) meaning that even 'if' I find a home for what I have, where would I place new comics).
As a consequence, I find myself leaning more towards trades and digital because, with the latter, I can store as many comics as I like onto a tablet or, with the former, I can collect a single book collecting 6 issues which, when you take into account bagging and boarding, would take up more space when I get the 6 single issues.
Then, there is the financial aspect of buying single issues, which I am always conscious of (being an accountant). This is because, with a single issue of a print comic, I am spending $3.99/£3.60 (per my LCS), which isn't exactly an insignificant amount. However, I recently purchased God Country as a trade which cost me £14.99 for 6 issues, whereas I'd have been spent £21.60 on those issues individually.
In fact, even buying the singles is cheaper digitally as comixology would have sold them for £2.49. Both of these options make for a more appealing option than print singles, especially given that I'd be unlikely to sell them on for the same in the future.
Finally, upon my mission to re-read much of my collection, I've discovered something rather disconcerting about single issues; they are a real nuisance to re-read as a story arc if you bag and board them. This is because of the time it takes to unseal the bag, remove the book, read it, place it back in the bag and seal it up again before repeating, all the while ensuring that dogs and kids with messy hands don't mess them up.
When I think about the alternatives, whereby a trade gets me six issues in one without all the collectorisms or digitally means the next issue is a button press away, this option of buying singles becomes less and less enticing.
The thing is, while this is more a statement regarding my life than it is the world in general, I do feel that this way of thinking by me is very much a microcosm for the comic book industry in general.
That said, it's more conjecture than fact and hopefully it isn't true.
Except for me because, come the end of my current series, I think I'm otherwise done with the floppies for at least the foreseeable future, if not for good.
Now, when I say the death of the single issue, I don't actually mean the death of the concept within the comic book medium. In fact, what I mean is that I wonder if the single issue comic book has reached it's end within my life, my reading and my collecting.
I've been collecting single issues of comics for what must be going on 11 years now, originally starting with Marvel/Panini reprints from the local newsagents before moving on to original single issues when my first local comic book shop opened with my opening comic being Fantastic Four #551. Since then, my collection has grown away from trades and more into the single issues of varying numbers over the years.
Recently, however, my circumstances have changed which have me questioning whether the purchasing of single issues is really the best way forward when it comes to my comic reading.
There are three factors in particular which have me pondering on this and the first of these is space. The reason for this is because (as stated previously), my second child is due early next year and, due to a lack of space, the spare room where my comics are held is required as a nursery. However, I have no where else that I can place these long boxes (well, the attic but I'm fearful of what the conditions would do to the comics) meaning that even 'if' I find a home for what I have, where would I place new comics).
As a consequence, I find myself leaning more towards trades and digital because, with the latter, I can store as many comics as I like onto a tablet or, with the former, I can collect a single book collecting 6 issues which, when you take into account bagging and boarding, would take up more space when I get the 6 single issues.
Then, there is the financial aspect of buying single issues, which I am always conscious of (being an accountant). This is because, with a single issue of a print comic, I am spending $3.99/£3.60 (per my LCS), which isn't exactly an insignificant amount. However, I recently purchased God Country as a trade which cost me £14.99 for 6 issues, whereas I'd have been spent £21.60 on those issues individually.
In fact, even buying the singles is cheaper digitally as comixology would have sold them for £2.49. Both of these options make for a more appealing option than print singles, especially given that I'd be unlikely to sell them on for the same in the future.
Finally, upon my mission to re-read much of my collection, I've discovered something rather disconcerting about single issues; they are a real nuisance to re-read as a story arc if you bag and board them. This is because of the time it takes to unseal the bag, remove the book, read it, place it back in the bag and seal it up again before repeating, all the while ensuring that dogs and kids with messy hands don't mess them up.
When I think about the alternatives, whereby a trade gets me six issues in one without all the collectorisms or digitally means the next issue is a button press away, this option of buying singles becomes less and less enticing.
The thing is, while this is more a statement regarding my life than it is the world in general, I do feel that this way of thinking by me is very much a microcosm for the comic book industry in general.
That said, it's more conjecture than fact and hopefully it isn't true.
Except for me because, come the end of my current series, I think I'm otherwise done with the floppies for at least the foreseeable future, if not for good.
Monday 1 October 2018
Rose tinted glasses.
Last week, I wrote about the fact that, due to having another child on the way, I was engaging in a mass clear out of my comic books in order to make space.
This week, I thought I'd talk in a little more detail what how much of a pain the arse I'm finding that process.
The reason I'm finding it such a hardship comes down to one simple dilemma; is the comic series I'm considering for keeping actually worth my time and space?
Here's the funny thing, in the last six to nine months since I began the process of reading through my entire collection, I've discovered that many of the comic runs and series which I believed were a shoo in for keeping are actually below the standard I deem acceptable for saving.
As such, this has gotten me thinking, do we as comic readers wear rose tinted glasses when it comes to older runs and series which we haven't read in a while?
A case in point. I used to own Gail Simone's Birds of Prey run which exploded out of Brightest Day (and led into Flashpoint) seven years ago. Now, Brightest Day was a highlight of my DC reading at the time as I collected the Brightest Day main series, Justice League Generation Lost, Green Arrow, the Flash and, of course, Birds of Prey (I have an Atom one-shot too, but I'm not counting that).
Now, as I was doing my initial scan through my collection, deciding what series I should consider going, I came across all of these runs and made my decision based on how I remember enjoying them. Therefore, Green Arrow was a guaranteed sale (it was an awful run in my opinion), Flash and Brightest Day were on the fence (I recall Flash starting well but falling short while Brightest Day had good parts but not as a whole) while Justice League Generation Lost and Birds of Prey I recalled being stellar series that I was going to keep for sure.
However, when I got to reading Birds of Prey, I discovered/realised that it actually wasn't as impressive as I had initially remembered. The opening couple of story arcs were interesting enough and the covers by Artgerm were absolutely gorgeous (I especially love the issue 11 Catman/Huntress cover). However, by the end of this re-read I had reached a point where these issues just weren't grabbing me like I thought they did.
So, was this a case of 'rose tinted glasses', was I simply remembering these comics with a fondness because they were a part of the past; similar to how people look back at the 70's and 80's as a great time (although in reality it probably wasn't all that great when you lived through it)?
In fairness, it does have me wondering if maybe it's less about reminiscing kindly about the past as it is my ever changing tastes, like Ted (from How I Met Your Mother) finding a shirt he once hated now looked good on him. So maybe Birds of Prey was great when I read it then but, due to my change in tastes, it's good qualities are now wasted on me?
In the end, I'm not sure how classifying the reasons for such changes in opinions ultimately helps me, simply because it makes me doubt my opinion of literally every comic book I own and means that I will have no choice but to read every single one to determine what of my collection can stay and what can go.
And I thought my time was at a premium before just from reading the new stuff.
This week, I thought I'd talk in a little more detail what how much of a pain the arse I'm finding that process.
The reason I'm finding it such a hardship comes down to one simple dilemma; is the comic series I'm considering for keeping actually worth my time and space?
Here's the funny thing, in the last six to nine months since I began the process of reading through my entire collection, I've discovered that many of the comic runs and series which I believed were a shoo in for keeping are actually below the standard I deem acceptable for saving.
As such, this has gotten me thinking, do we as comic readers wear rose tinted glasses when it comes to older runs and series which we haven't read in a while?
A case in point. I used to own Gail Simone's Birds of Prey run which exploded out of Brightest Day (and led into Flashpoint) seven years ago. Now, Brightest Day was a highlight of my DC reading at the time as I collected the Brightest Day main series, Justice League Generation Lost, Green Arrow, the Flash and, of course, Birds of Prey (I have an Atom one-shot too, but I'm not counting that).
Now, as I was doing my initial scan through my collection, deciding what series I should consider going, I came across all of these runs and made my decision based on how I remember enjoying them. Therefore, Green Arrow was a guaranteed sale (it was an awful run in my opinion), Flash and Brightest Day were on the fence (I recall Flash starting well but falling short while Brightest Day had good parts but not as a whole) while Justice League Generation Lost and Birds of Prey I recalled being stellar series that I was going to keep for sure.
However, when I got to reading Birds of Prey, I discovered/realised that it actually wasn't as impressive as I had initially remembered. The opening couple of story arcs were interesting enough and the covers by Artgerm were absolutely gorgeous (I especially love the issue 11 Catman/Huntress cover). However, by the end of this re-read I had reached a point where these issues just weren't grabbing me like I thought they did.
So, was this a case of 'rose tinted glasses', was I simply remembering these comics with a fondness because they were a part of the past; similar to how people look back at the 70's and 80's as a great time (although in reality it probably wasn't all that great when you lived through it)?
In fairness, it does have me wondering if maybe it's less about reminiscing kindly about the past as it is my ever changing tastes, like Ted (from How I Met Your Mother) finding a shirt he once hated now looked good on him. So maybe Birds of Prey was great when I read it then but, due to my change in tastes, it's good qualities are now wasted on me?
In the end, I'm not sure how classifying the reasons for such changes in opinions ultimately helps me, simply because it makes me doubt my opinion of literally every comic book I own and means that I will have no choice but to read every single one to determine what of my collection can stay and what can go.
And I thought my time was at a premium before just from reading the new stuff.
Monday 24 September 2018
A MAJOR culling of my collection.
Since getting back into my groove, this is something which I have wanted to talk about here. I'm pretty sure that I've written about this previously and, if I did (I've scanned back and can't find anything myself), it was most likely not on the scale it is now.
However, I didn't have the same incentive as I do now.
This is because I (to the extent that it's actually 'my wife') is expecting our second child!!!
Unfortunately, in this world of dulled expectations, I am now bringing a second mouth to feed into a world where I'm paid less than I need and live in a house which only contains three bedrooms.
The third of which houses my comics.
This is why, several months ago I had started the arduous/fun? task of re-reading my entire collection in order to determine what comics within my collection would stay and what comics would have to go. The thing is, as I've read through series after series of Marvel, DC, Image and the rest, I've had two realisations:
1. The number of comics I could conceivably keep is far less than I first believed.
2. The number of series I can't bear to part myself from is considerably more than the number I can actually keep.
As such, I'm finding that I'm having to seriously brutal in the critique of these comics in order what stays and what goes. For example, Some comics I am finding to be truly epic, or engrossing or enjoyable and so these titles are on my 'keep' list. Meanwhile, series which I dropped part way through or which I re-read and find not to be as enjoyable as I remember them (something I'll get into in greater detail another time) are placed on the 'go' list.
However, I've found that this method has not been without it's problems as no comic series (well, at least very few) are consistently enjoyable and has me questioning how far I need to go to follow the above mandate.
For example; I recently re-read Uncanny X-Force for the first time since it finished six years ago. I found the first 18 issues of this run from Remender, Opena and Ribic to be absolutely gorgeous and fantastic and many other words I'm can't really recite. However, the second half of the run I found to be lacklustre in comparison (although it picked up from issue 24 until the end) and no comparison with it's first half.
Meanwhile, I also re-read Demon Knights by Cornell, Venditti and Neves which, while not as truly epic and mesmerising as X-Force (in my opinion) was more consistently enjoyable over it's 23 issue run.
So, how do I decide what should go here if the choice came down to it? The series which peaked high but fell often, or the series which, while not epic, kept steady throughout?
It only gets more difficult the more I think about it as I could always just sell parts of the series which I didn't get on with. Therefore, with Uncanny I could keep 1-18, sell 19 onwards and keep 24 until the end if I wished. But then, what happens if that missing segment, while not a great read, contains some important bit of narrative which informs the rest of the story. Like ripping the middle 10 pages of a book.
A suggestion which has been made to me (by that fountain of knowledge Matt Garvey) is that, as the comics are already bagged and boarded, they should be protected enough to have them stored in the attic. Now, this is a pretty good suggestion, ruined only by my own concern for my clumsiness. This is because, I'm remarkably clumsy and my attic has no floor. Therefore, I can easily envision my foot going through the ceiling and that is a situation I cannot afford. But also, I love comics too much to place them in the attic where they might (I stress 'might') be destroyed by the elements, especially if they get forgotten about. This then makes me wonder, if I did place them up there then would I ever see them again or would my son find them while cleaning the house after my death and say 'I didn't know Dad had these?'
In the end, I thinking selling them to other people is the best choice (albeit I don't sell them for much) out of all other options as it allows others to give them a good home and enjoy a story I am done with.
But what of the titles I truly enjoy? In truth, I've discovered in these last six months that re-reading a single issue series in full is a rather laborious task and so it does make me wonder whether moving them to trades might be a good plan (another conversation for another time) or possibly even moving fully to digital (again more on that later). This might be the way forward for me, although I would like to find some middle ground so I'm still supporting print.
That said, I've still got six months to decide. More importantly though, I've got to get back to clearing that new nursery.
However, I didn't have the same incentive as I do now.
This is because I (to the extent that it's actually 'my wife') is expecting our second child!!!
Unfortunately, in this world of dulled expectations, I am now bringing a second mouth to feed into a world where I'm paid less than I need and live in a house which only contains three bedrooms.
The third of which houses my comics.
This is why, several months ago I had started the arduous/fun? task of re-reading my entire collection in order to determine what comics within my collection would stay and what comics would have to go. The thing is, as I've read through series after series of Marvel, DC, Image and the rest, I've had two realisations:
1. The number of comics I could conceivably keep is far less than I first believed.
2. The number of series I can't bear to part myself from is considerably more than the number I can actually keep.
As such, I'm finding that I'm having to seriously brutal in the critique of these comics in order what stays and what goes. For example, Some comics I am finding to be truly epic, or engrossing or enjoyable and so these titles are on my 'keep' list. Meanwhile, series which I dropped part way through or which I re-read and find not to be as enjoyable as I remember them (something I'll get into in greater detail another time) are placed on the 'go' list.
However, I've found that this method has not been without it's problems as no comic series (well, at least very few) are consistently enjoyable and has me questioning how far I need to go to follow the above mandate.
For example; I recently re-read Uncanny X-Force for the first time since it finished six years ago. I found the first 18 issues of this run from Remender, Opena and Ribic to be absolutely gorgeous and fantastic and many other words I'm can't really recite. However, the second half of the run I found to be lacklustre in comparison (although it picked up from issue 24 until the end) and no comparison with it's first half.
Meanwhile, I also re-read Demon Knights by Cornell, Venditti and Neves which, while not as truly epic and mesmerising as X-Force (in my opinion) was more consistently enjoyable over it's 23 issue run.
So, how do I decide what should go here if the choice came down to it? The series which peaked high but fell often, or the series which, while not epic, kept steady throughout?
It only gets more difficult the more I think about it as I could always just sell parts of the series which I didn't get on with. Therefore, with Uncanny I could keep 1-18, sell 19 onwards and keep 24 until the end if I wished. But then, what happens if that missing segment, while not a great read, contains some important bit of narrative which informs the rest of the story. Like ripping the middle 10 pages of a book.
A suggestion which has been made to me (by that fountain of knowledge Matt Garvey) is that, as the comics are already bagged and boarded, they should be protected enough to have them stored in the attic. Now, this is a pretty good suggestion, ruined only by my own concern for my clumsiness. This is because, I'm remarkably clumsy and my attic has no floor. Therefore, I can easily envision my foot going through the ceiling and that is a situation I cannot afford. But also, I love comics too much to place them in the attic where they might (I stress 'might') be destroyed by the elements, especially if they get forgotten about. This then makes me wonder, if I did place them up there then would I ever see them again or would my son find them while cleaning the house after my death and say 'I didn't know Dad had these?'
In the end, I thinking selling them to other people is the best choice (albeit I don't sell them for much) out of all other options as it allows others to give them a good home and enjoy a story I am done with.
But what of the titles I truly enjoy? In truth, I've discovered in these last six months that re-reading a single issue series in full is a rather laborious task and so it does make me wonder whether moving them to trades might be a good plan (another conversation for another time) or possibly even moving fully to digital (again more on that later). This might be the way forward for me, although I would like to find some middle ground so I'm still supporting print.
That said, I've still got six months to decide. More importantly though, I've got to get back to clearing that new nursery.
Thursday 20 September 2018
Holiday reading part 3.
So hear we are. Part 3!! I really didn't expect to spend as much time on this as I have. I guess I really had a lot to say.
However, there are other things I want to be doing with my time (I have a few other things I wanna blog about as well as I want time to script some story ideas I've being thinking up recently) and so this will be the last part (God willing).
Anyway, back to what I'm talking about.
So, after spending some time in the Valiant Universe, I decided to switch lanes at that point and moved towards a graphic novel I'd read previously. Star Trek Volume 1 retells two classic Original Series episodes from the perspective of the Kelvin Timeline crew as in Where No Man has Gone Before, which sees Kirk's friend Lt Mitchell acquire godhood at the edge of the galaxy while, in the Galileo Seven, Kirk, Scotty, Bones and a small crew become stranded on a primitive world.
I had previously read this title a couple of years back and enjoyed it immensely but, upon re-reading it in a similar fashion to Werewolves of Montepellier earlier, I found the impressiveness it imbued on me had subsided somewhat.
Of course, that's not to say that it wasn't a good, enjoyable read this time around, far from it. However, upon revisiting it I struggled to get as invested. Not that I found anything wrong with it as Mike Johnson wrote two competent stories and Stephen Molnar offered solid art.
However, I think that the thing which got me about them was that both stories were not only based on original episodes but I thought they were also almost scene for scene identical to those episodes (which I hadn't watched until after first reading this title).
Of course, as I've been saying, there was nothing wrong with this book, it only didn't appeal to me and gives me little incentive to keep reading this series.
After my little jaunt into Trek, I decided to return to the Marvel Universe with my final two reads and started off with Black Bolt Volume 1, which saw the King of the Inhumans star in his own book as he found himself trapped in a prison from which no one could escape and his immense vocal powers subdued to allow him to speak for the first time (that I know of anyway).
Despite, having seen (and received) recommendations for this book, I was unsure what to expect. However, much like with Ninjak and X-O Manowar, I was really glad I took the dive and give this title a shot. I've always liked Black Bolt and thought of him as an intriguing character, but to here him say what he thinks for a first time really helped to make him a much more interesting character. Saladin Ahmed really put together an awesome story which not only did I enjoy but also made me think and ask questions about some of my beliefs, particularly parenthood.
I think what really made this stand out also the supporting cast, Absorbing Man in particular, who felt like they bounced off of Black Bolt and each other to make some really great dynamics. In fact, possibly my favourite scene was the conversation between Absorbing Man and Black Bolt as they sit chained up with death creeping up on them.
Then, there is Christian Ward's artwork which, although I found a little unusual to look at to start with, won me around as I read on. I think this is because while it gave the entire world the characters were presently inhabiting a very alien look to it, he maintained their very human look, even going so far as to make them look sympathetic in my eyes. Of course, when it then called for going for the nines with the alien looks then he more than succeeded, as evidence with the great look where the Absorbing Man absorbed an alien weapon.
I really loved this book in the end and as such, the second volume was added to my pull list immediately after reading.
And so, that reached us to my final read of my holiday, which was Luke Cage Volume 1 by David F. Walker and Nelson Blake II. This saw Luke summoned to New Orleans after learning that the man who gave his powers, Dr Noah Burnstein, was dead. However, upon arriving for the funeral Luke discoveries that he is not the only recipient of Burnstein's legacy, although this 'brothers' may not be quite as calm as he is.
I had decided to pick up this after recently reading (and enjoying) Power Man and Iron Fist. Given that both titles were written by Walker, I figured that I would also get on well here. However, I didn't find this to be as I struggled to maintain enjoyment of this title as I read it. Of course, there again didn't appear to be anything particularly wrong with either the writing or the art. Indeed, Walker seemed quite adept at capturing Luke's voice as he sounded exactly like he would in my head while Blake gave us some solidly gorgeous work which reminded me of somewhere between Jamie McKelvie and Jonathan Luna.
Unfortunately, for some reason, I just couldn't get engaged with this story, making me think that unless he's on tv (I really did love the Netflix series) or teaming up with Iron Fist, maybe Luke Cage isn't my kind of character.
And there you have it! All seven of my comic book reads from my holiday last week and the thoughts to go with them. Admittedly, it wasn't all great reads from my perspective, but I'm glad I got to try them because (and to put a positive spin on it) you have to read a little of everything because you'll never know what you will enjoy.
However, there are other things I want to be doing with my time (I have a few other things I wanna blog about as well as I want time to script some story ideas I've being thinking up recently) and so this will be the last part (God willing).
Anyway, back to what I'm talking about.
So, after spending some time in the Valiant Universe, I decided to switch lanes at that point and moved towards a graphic novel I'd read previously. Star Trek Volume 1 retells two classic Original Series episodes from the perspective of the Kelvin Timeline crew as in Where No Man has Gone Before, which sees Kirk's friend Lt Mitchell acquire godhood at the edge of the galaxy while, in the Galileo Seven, Kirk, Scotty, Bones and a small crew become stranded on a primitive world.I had previously read this title a couple of years back and enjoyed it immensely but, upon re-reading it in a similar fashion to Werewolves of Montepellier earlier, I found the impressiveness it imbued on me had subsided somewhat.
Of course, that's not to say that it wasn't a good, enjoyable read this time around, far from it. However, upon revisiting it I struggled to get as invested. Not that I found anything wrong with it as Mike Johnson wrote two competent stories and Stephen Molnar offered solid art.
However, I think that the thing which got me about them was that both stories were not only based on original episodes but I thought they were also almost scene for scene identical to those episodes (which I hadn't watched until after first reading this title).
Of course, as I've been saying, there was nothing wrong with this book, it only didn't appeal to me and gives me little incentive to keep reading this series.
After my little jaunt into Trek, I decided to return to the Marvel Universe with my final two reads and started off with Black Bolt Volume 1, which saw the King of the Inhumans star in his own book as he found himself trapped in a prison from which no one could escape and his immense vocal powers subdued to allow him to speak for the first time (that I know of anyway).Despite, having seen (and received) recommendations for this book, I was unsure what to expect. However, much like with Ninjak and X-O Manowar, I was really glad I took the dive and give this title a shot. I've always liked Black Bolt and thought of him as an intriguing character, but to here him say what he thinks for a first time really helped to make him a much more interesting character. Saladin Ahmed really put together an awesome story which not only did I enjoy but also made me think and ask questions about some of my beliefs, particularly parenthood.
I think what really made this stand out also the supporting cast, Absorbing Man in particular, who felt like they bounced off of Black Bolt and each other to make some really great dynamics. In fact, possibly my favourite scene was the conversation between Absorbing Man and Black Bolt as they sit chained up with death creeping up on them.
Then, there is Christian Ward's artwork which, although I found a little unusual to look at to start with, won me around as I read on. I think this is because while it gave the entire world the characters were presently inhabiting a very alien look to it, he maintained their very human look, even going so far as to make them look sympathetic in my eyes. Of course, when it then called for going for the nines with the alien looks then he more than succeeded, as evidence with the great look where the Absorbing Man absorbed an alien weapon.
I really loved this book in the end and as such, the second volume was added to my pull list immediately after reading.
And so, that reached us to my final read of my holiday, which was Luke Cage Volume 1 by David F. Walker and Nelson Blake II. This saw Luke summoned to New Orleans after learning that the man who gave his powers, Dr Noah Burnstein, was dead. However, upon arriving for the funeral Luke discoveries that he is not the only recipient of Burnstein's legacy, although this 'brothers' may not be quite as calm as he is.I had decided to pick up this after recently reading (and enjoying) Power Man and Iron Fist. Given that both titles were written by Walker, I figured that I would also get on well here. However, I didn't find this to be as I struggled to maintain enjoyment of this title as I read it. Of course, there again didn't appear to be anything particularly wrong with either the writing or the art. Indeed, Walker seemed quite adept at capturing Luke's voice as he sounded exactly like he would in my head while Blake gave us some solidly gorgeous work which reminded me of somewhere between Jamie McKelvie and Jonathan Luna.
Unfortunately, for some reason, I just couldn't get engaged with this story, making me think that unless he's on tv (I really did love the Netflix series) or teaming up with Iron Fist, maybe Luke Cage isn't my kind of character.
And there you have it! All seven of my comic book reads from my holiday last week and the thoughts to go with them. Admittedly, it wasn't all great reads from my perspective, but I'm glad I got to try them because (and to put a positive spin on it) you have to read a little of everything because you'll never know what you will enjoy.
Holiday Reading part 2.
As previously mentioned, last week I had gone on holiday, where I read a whole load of comic book arcs. Unfortunately, I read so many that I ran out of time in my lunch hour to talk about them all. Therefore, I've decided to make a part two for my holiday reading, where I hope I can say all I want to about all the other titles I read. However, given that I still have a lot to say, I'm not holding out hope that I can avoid a part three.
Let's get back to it.
So, after Night of the Living Deadpool and Werewolves of Montpellier, I decided to embark on a slightly more epic read with X-O Manowar volume 1 & 2 back to back, which began the new Valiant universe all those years ago by following Visigoth prince Aric of Dacia who, after being abducted by a race of aliens, acquired an otherworldly armour before returning to Earth, only to discover that 1600 years had passed.
Let's get back to it.
So, after Night of the Living Deadpool and Werewolves of Montpellier, I decided to embark on a slightly more epic read with X-O Manowar volume 1 & 2 back to back, which began the new Valiant universe all those years ago by following Visigoth prince Aric of Dacia who, after being abducted by a race of aliens, acquired an otherworldly armour before returning to Earth, only to discover that 1600 years had passed.
I've been meaning to read X-O Manowar for quite some time now, having purchased volume 2 during a comixology sale about a year ago, and so decided to force myself to go through it now and I'm sure glad that I did. I really enjoyed X-O Manowar from start to finish as Robert Vendetti conjured a story which I found deeply engrossing and feeling really superhero-esque, all the while feeling much more grounded and realistic than other similar books from more established names.
Meanwhile, Cary Nord's art has this really classical look which, in my opinion, fits nicely for the historic scenes while also working well for the present day and sci-fi bits, meshing rather nicely with each other. This series only improves in the second volume when Vendetti and Nord find their groove and when they add Ninjak to the mix, allowing for a nice dynamic between Aric and Colin which only helped enhance my enjoyment.
In fact, if there is one downside to this series, it's the regret I feel that I didn't check it out sooner. X-O Manowar feels like such a breath of fresh air, with such captivating storytelling and an engrossing world, compared to the stagnation I've recently felt for the big two that I wonder if this is what people felt back when the Fantastic Four first debut.
And so, after X-O Manowar, I decided to remain in the Valiant universe and read Ninjak Volume 1, which followed MI-6 spy Colin King as he and his alter-ego 'Ninjak' embark on aa mission to infiltrate and bring down a shady weapons manufacturer which may just have ties to his own past.
Now, while I loved X-O Manowar, I believe that Ninjak is something else entirely. I loved Ninjak immensely from beginning to end as it came across to me as some of the most refreshing reading material I feel I've had in a good while. I've not read much of Matt Kindt's work (if any) but after reading this I feel as though I should make more of an effort as he wrote a story which felt incredibly immersive and almost unputdownable (I don't think that's a word).
The key success I found to this series was the depiction of Ninjak himself as Colin King comes across as a very complex character whose essence seems to straddle the line between being Batman and James Bond. In fact, I think he is very much an positive amalgamation of the two given that there are some very compelling character traits of both (he has a butler who raised him for instance) and the opening page gadget/personality profile of each issue on helps sell the intrigue.
Meanwhile, I thought Clay Mann's art in this book was beyond fantastic. I loved Mann's work in Action 1000 a few months back but here he just goes all out and it pays off. I found the art in this trade to be so vibrant and truly gorgeous thanks to Mann's pencils, Seth Mann's inks and Ulises Arreola's colours.
All in all, this had to be one of the highlights of my week for, while X-O Manowar was really good, Ninjak (I felt) was infinitely better and may hint to my changing tastes towards spy comics (as my enjoyment of Dynamite's James Bond might testify to.
So, once again, I've managed to use up yet another hour to write all of this so if you fancied reading my thoughts on Star Trek Volume 1, Black Bolt Volume 1 and/or Luke Cage Volume 1, that'll be in part 3.
Meanwhile, Cary Nord's art has this really classical look which, in my opinion, fits nicely for the historic scenes while also working well for the present day and sci-fi bits, meshing rather nicely with each other. This series only improves in the second volume when Vendetti and Nord find their groove and when they add Ninjak to the mix, allowing for a nice dynamic between Aric and Colin which only helped enhance my enjoyment.
In fact, if there is one downside to this series, it's the regret I feel that I didn't check it out sooner. X-O Manowar feels like such a breath of fresh air, with such captivating storytelling and an engrossing world, compared to the stagnation I've recently felt for the big two that I wonder if this is what people felt back when the Fantastic Four first debut.
And so, after X-O Manowar, I decided to remain in the Valiant universe and read Ninjak Volume 1, which followed MI-6 spy Colin King as he and his alter-ego 'Ninjak' embark on aa mission to infiltrate and bring down a shady weapons manufacturer which may just have ties to his own past.Now, while I loved X-O Manowar, I believe that Ninjak is something else entirely. I loved Ninjak immensely from beginning to end as it came across to me as some of the most refreshing reading material I feel I've had in a good while. I've not read much of Matt Kindt's work (if any) but after reading this I feel as though I should make more of an effort as he wrote a story which felt incredibly immersive and almost unputdownable (I don't think that's a word).
The key success I found to this series was the depiction of Ninjak himself as Colin King comes across as a very complex character whose essence seems to straddle the line between being Batman and James Bond. In fact, I think he is very much an positive amalgamation of the two given that there are some very compelling character traits of both (he has a butler who raised him for instance) and the opening page gadget/personality profile of each issue on helps sell the intrigue.
Meanwhile, I thought Clay Mann's art in this book was beyond fantastic. I loved Mann's work in Action 1000 a few months back but here he just goes all out and it pays off. I found the art in this trade to be so vibrant and truly gorgeous thanks to Mann's pencils, Seth Mann's inks and Ulises Arreola's colours.
All in all, this had to be one of the highlights of my week for, while X-O Manowar was really good, Ninjak (I felt) was infinitely better and may hint to my changing tastes towards spy comics (as my enjoyment of Dynamite's James Bond might testify to.
So, once again, I've managed to use up yet another hour to write all of this so if you fancied reading my thoughts on Star Trek Volume 1, Black Bolt Volume 1 and/or Luke Cage Volume 1, that'll be in part 3.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
Holiday reading part 1.
I had planned to write about....well, something, last week but with a planned family holiday coming along half way through, I instead figured well why not just write about the backlog of comics I read during that trip (I have quite a few) and vent my feelings towards those four titles.
(Well, with a change in living conditions, it ended up being seven titles instead of four but what's talking about three more comics).
So, let's begin.
(Well, with a change in living conditions, it ended up being seven titles instead of four but what's talking about three more comics).
So, let's begin.
First up was Night of the Living Deadpool, a four issue series which saw the Merc with a Mouth wake up from a food coma to find that the entire world had succumbed to a zombie plague, leaving Deadpool to attempt to survive and save others as the last surviving superhero in the world.Now, I'm not normally a big fan of Deadpool. Yeah, I enjoyed his film and I liked the dynamic he brought to Uncanny X-Force, but otherwise I was never able to get on board with the character. However, having picked up the first issue of this series previously, I felt that Cullen Bunn wrote a really interesting story which deconstructed/satirised the zombie genre in a way I'd not really seen before.
However, while the first half of the series certainly kept with this tone, the final two issues felt like it had such a major tonal shift that I found it pretty jarring and a struggle to maintain my enjoyment. Of course, it wasn't a total jump off the cliff and Bunn continued with a similar humour to earlier, but for me it just didn't keep me engaged after the midway point.
Of course, Ramon Rosanas' black and white art did make up for this, giving the story a real genre feel, and I loved how Deadpool was set against this in colour, enhancing the fact he is different to the rest of the world (and possibly eluding to how the story ends). In the end though, while it was a fun read and I'm glad I gave it a chance, I'm grateful it was only 4 issues as I might have regretted reading further.
My next read was Fantographic's Werewolves of Montpellier, a short story by Jason which followed Anamorphic Singleton Sven, a recent arrival to the city of Montepellier who discovers a way to enhance his career as a burglar by dressing up as a Werewolf to feed off of his new hometowns myth and buy himself a precious few more seconds should he be caught. However, all does not go to plan when his antics are brought to the attention of a real life group of Werewolves existing in Montepellier.Now, this title I recall having previously read a few years back. However, a recent decision to re-read all my comics (and I am talking ALL, digital is nearly done and print is mid-way through), I figured I would take a look at this again. Thankfully, I'm glad I did for, while I don't recall much of this comic prior, reading it with fresh eyes showed me a really fantastic book.
Despite it's title, an some more thriller-esque aspects of the plot, Werewolves of Montepellier is very much a slice of life book as we get to see Sven struggle through life as an artist as well as his ongoing romantic problems. Surprisingly (to me. I think I've read too many superhero comics), I just loved following Sven go through his life with a certain quiet reflection and silently pine for someone unobtainable. It makes me feel that Jason had literally lived through this, the level of genuineness that is included.
Meanwhile, his art is equally fitting for the story and was the icing on the cake for me along with the perfect marriage of the slice of life story with the more fantastical 'Werewolf' B-Story, which was equally a joyous read. In the end, I was kind of sad that it was only a single issue, but glad that I gave it a second chance and look forward to reading it again some day soon.
Shockingly, just talking about these two comics has taken me an hour to do (in fairness though, I'm at work and I have a habit of being asked questions). Therefore, I've just decided that I'm going to do a another post later in the week for the remainder of my reads.
Therefore, if you wanna hear me ramble about; X-O Manowar volume 1 & 2, Ninjak Volume 1, Star Trek Volume 1, Black Bolt Volume 1 or Luke Cage Volume 1 that'll be next time.
Wednesday 5 September 2018
Opportunity Costs.
This is a topic I've been thinking about for a while now because it seems to constantly applies to my life, specifically that part of it involving comics.
However, given that there's a tonne of sales going on at Comixology of late, it seems fitting to talk about it now.
I'm an accountant. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that but when I'm not spouting about comics that is what I do. I've been in that line of work since I was 18 because, simply put, I'm very good with numbers. While training in this line of work (and something which, surprising has stuck) was a business concept known as opportunity costs.
Opportunity costs are basically the costs gained or loss due to the timing involved in making a decision (I'm sure google can explain it far more eloquently). In layman's terms, it is the cost of doing something now as opposed to the cost of doing something later (or vice versa).
For example: I chose to buy DC Rebirth #1 as a digital comic. Because of this I gained, say, $1 worth of savings. On the flip side, I do not have a physical copy which "may" be worth something one day. Therefore, while I've saved a dollar in the short term, I could have cost myself much money in the long run.
Of course, that's just an example.
Anyway, this notion is something I'm finding myself dwelling on more and more in the last few days and weeks, especially when it comes to comic buying/reading. The main reason for this revolves around my digital pull list, which at the moment consists primarily of Black Science. Black Science is a monthly release which appears on Comixology for £2.49. It is also a fantastic, exciting read which I need more of immediately. It is also a title which, after 1 month (approximately), Comixology reduces the price of from £2.49 to £1.49.
Therefore, the question is do I buy immediately and lose myself an extra pound or do I suffer through a month of waiting knowing it's there to save money I can spend on other comics?
Same applies for these current sales. I have a wishlist consisting of (presently) 181 separate comic titles. Comixology. However, beyond my pull list budget (which covers my single issues, my Comichaus subscription and one trade every six months), it is a struggle to find additional funds to justify buying more. Therefore, when a great book ends up on sale as a digital book, I find myself with some new dilemmas: do I use money I may not have to get these book or wait for a later date when I'm guaranteed funds and hope there'll be back on sale.
As a result, I'm backing and forthing on multiple titles I really want to buy. However, I have questions rolling around in my head; can I justify the spend? Do I not already have enough in my to read pile (about 30 trades worth at present)? Do I really want to read it?
In the end, while it might be a cut and dried decision, it's these questions which will have dither until the very end because, for me, I have to finely balance my comic addiction with bills and all that real life stuff.
But then, I know that this won't be the last time that I will dwell on such a thing because, there'll always be more reductions and sales and I love comics too much.
However, given that there's a tonne of sales going on at Comixology of late, it seems fitting to talk about it now.
I'm an accountant. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that but when I'm not spouting about comics that is what I do. I've been in that line of work since I was 18 because, simply put, I'm very good with numbers. While training in this line of work (and something which, surprising has stuck) was a business concept known as opportunity costs.
Opportunity costs are basically the costs gained or loss due to the timing involved in making a decision (I'm sure google can explain it far more eloquently). In layman's terms, it is the cost of doing something now as opposed to the cost of doing something later (or vice versa).
For example: I chose to buy DC Rebirth #1 as a digital comic. Because of this I gained, say, $1 worth of savings. On the flip side, I do not have a physical copy which "may" be worth something one day. Therefore, while I've saved a dollar in the short term, I could have cost myself much money in the long run.
Of course, that's just an example.
Anyway, this notion is something I'm finding myself dwelling on more and more in the last few days and weeks, especially when it comes to comic buying/reading. The main reason for this revolves around my digital pull list, which at the moment consists primarily of Black Science. Black Science is a monthly release which appears on Comixology for £2.49. It is also a fantastic, exciting read which I need more of immediately. It is also a title which, after 1 month (approximately), Comixology reduces the price of from £2.49 to £1.49.
Therefore, the question is do I buy immediately and lose myself an extra pound or do I suffer through a month of waiting knowing it's there to save money I can spend on other comics?
Same applies for these current sales. I have a wishlist consisting of (presently) 181 separate comic titles. Comixology. However, beyond my pull list budget (which covers my single issues, my Comichaus subscription and one trade every six months), it is a struggle to find additional funds to justify buying more. Therefore, when a great book ends up on sale as a digital book, I find myself with some new dilemmas: do I use money I may not have to get these book or wait for a later date when I'm guaranteed funds and hope there'll be back on sale.
As a result, I'm backing and forthing on multiple titles I really want to buy. However, I have questions rolling around in my head; can I justify the spend? Do I not already have enough in my to read pile (about 30 trades worth at present)? Do I really want to read it?
In the end, while it might be a cut and dried decision, it's these questions which will have dither until the very end because, for me, I have to finely balance my comic addiction with bills and all that real life stuff.
But then, I know that this won't be the last time that I will dwell on such a thing because, there'll always be more reductions and sales and I love comics too much.
Monday 3 September 2018
Back from my Break.
It's been nearly four months since I've written anything here (or anywhere for that matter), allowing me something of a welcome break to (essentially) re-focus and recharge.
However, rather than come back and write, pretending that nothing has happened, I've decided that I would like to just vent to explain where I've been and why I've come back. Doing this might give some clarity but, if for no other reason, it's mostly for the purpose that it gets it all out of my own head.
So, I'd be remiss to not mention that all of this started long before May itself, as the stress of many things all at once (including comics) has given me the feeling of really chipping away at my soul. This came to a head at the beginning of May as my work and home life reached a point of no return and lead me back to Doctors where I realised that my depression had returned. Now, depression isn't really something which comes and goes in my opinion, it being something which is always with you. However, it's the management and control of it which is the key and, at the time, I had neither.
Anyway, Four months later, I've gotten my head back in better shape than I was thanks to getting the right support. However, this wasn't without sacrifice on my part as I decided that I could not continue to split my focus amongst so many things in my life, as that kind of stress would not help me. Therefore, I decided to pull away from comics, quitting my review work for Pipedream Comics, cease blogging, put the dream of writing on hold and give all my attention to my job, my family, and my recovery.
Of course, I'm still a comic book addict and so the thought of no comics at all is rather ludicrous. That said, rather than read them for the purpose of critiquing, I used this time to read comics for the reason they were made: to be enjoyed. This was doubly important because, during my last remission, it was comics have always helped me step away from this dark place I'd found myself in (Comics should totally be available on the NHS). And so, I've read used every spare moment I can muster to read as much as I can and it has been quite a list so far:
Now though, I am in a better frame of mind and am ready to move back to more of what I used to do and be more me, even if it is only gradually. Therefore, while I probably won't try for the frequency I had once planned, I'm going to try and write on here more,instead focusing on the thoughts, ideas and general ramblings about comics which are in my head.
Meanwhile, I also hope to return to Pipedream Comics (if they'll have me) and get back into the reviewing of some great comics, although maybe not to the 1 review a week level I was previously at. Instead, I've had some ideas brewing in my head that I would like use more of my time to try and turn them into something a bit more substantial, if for nothing other reason than to quell Matt Garvey's constant nagging that I can do it!!
However, all of this may be WAY in the future (well a few months). For now, I just want to get back into the swing of comics and, if nothing else, use this blog as a platform to just ramble about what's in my head in lieu of someone to actually talk to.
A part of me does wish I'd fought through and kept writing but I'm glad I didn't as, looking back, I realised I'd taken too much on. I don't plan on making this mistake again but I'm not sure I can spend anymore time not talking about comics and the thoughts they bring me. Therefore, now that I've vented and gotten this all out of my system, I'm ready to move on and start talking about comics again!
However, rather than come back and write, pretending that nothing has happened, I've decided that I would like to just vent to explain where I've been and why I've come back. Doing this might give some clarity but, if for no other reason, it's mostly for the purpose that it gets it all out of my own head.
So, I'd be remiss to not mention that all of this started long before May itself, as the stress of many things all at once (including comics) has given me the feeling of really chipping away at my soul. This came to a head at the beginning of May as my work and home life reached a point of no return and lead me back to Doctors where I realised that my depression had returned. Now, depression isn't really something which comes and goes in my opinion, it being something which is always with you. However, it's the management and control of it which is the key and, at the time, I had neither.
Anyway, Four months later, I've gotten my head back in better shape than I was thanks to getting the right support. However, this wasn't without sacrifice on my part as I decided that I could not continue to split my focus amongst so many things in my life, as that kind of stress would not help me. Therefore, I decided to pull away from comics, quitting my review work for Pipedream Comics, cease blogging, put the dream of writing on hold and give all my attention to my job, my family, and my recovery.
Of course, I'm still a comic book addict and so the thought of no comics at all is rather ludicrous. That said, rather than read them for the purpose of critiquing, I used this time to read comics for the reason they were made: to be enjoyed. This was doubly important because, during my last remission, it was comics have always helped me step away from this dark place I'd found myself in (Comics should totally be available on the NHS). And so, I've read used every spare moment I can muster to read as much as I can and it has been quite a list so far:
- Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol's 3 & 4 (Kieron Gillen run)
- Star Wars: Darth Maul
- Star Wars: Captain Phasma
- Kingpin
- Iron Fist Vol. 1
- Fantastic Four: Island of Death
- Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 (Charles Soule run)
- Trespasser
- Mother Russia
- Slots
- Daredevil #595-600
- Black Science #35-37
- Secret Wars
- Marvel 2-in-1 Vol. 1
- Harvest
- Point of Impact
- Snapshot
- Demon Knights
- Black Panther: Man Without Fear
- The Massive
- Secret Warriors
- Brightest Day - Justice League: Generation Lost
- Brightest Day - Birds of Prey
- Brightest Day - The Flash
Now though, I am in a better frame of mind and am ready to move back to more of what I used to do and be more me, even if it is only gradually. Therefore, while I probably won't try for the frequency I had once planned, I'm going to try and write on here more,instead focusing on the thoughts, ideas and general ramblings about comics which are in my head.
Meanwhile, I also hope to return to Pipedream Comics (if they'll have me) and get back into the reviewing of some great comics, although maybe not to the 1 review a week level I was previously at. Instead, I've had some ideas brewing in my head that I would like use more of my time to try and turn them into something a bit more substantial, if for nothing other reason than to quell Matt Garvey's constant nagging that I can do it!!
However, all of this may be WAY in the future (well a few months). For now, I just want to get back into the swing of comics and, if nothing else, use this blog as a platform to just ramble about what's in my head in lieu of someone to actually talk to.
A part of me does wish I'd fought through and kept writing but I'm glad I didn't as, looking back, I realised I'd taken too much on. I don't plan on making this mistake again but I'm not sure I can spend anymore time not talking about comics and the thoughts they bring me. Therefore, now that I've vented and gotten this all out of my system, I'm ready to move on and start talking about comics again!
Friday 4 May 2018
May's Pull List: Black Science #35
So the May month has begun and this month I have nine issues on my pull list coming out, a much larger number than what April had (maybe this is a good sign).
Of course, five of these issues are for the new Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the mirror series, which is being released weekly. Those issues I've decided to put to one side to be read as a single story.
But, for now, that still leaves me with four other comics to write about (if I so choose). Therefore, I've decided to start off on a positive and note down my thoughts about one of those other four.
So I've started with Black Science #35, which jumped ahead in time from the prior arc to find Grant and Sarah McKay having been summoned from their dimension jumping efforts to locate their universe, and with it their children, to meet with someone wanting them to do one simple thing: accept their children are gone.
In honesty, I don't have much more to say about the plot of this issue (not without spoiling it anyway) as, compared to the previous arc, issue 35 is a very quiet issue, one which focuses on the reflection by both Grant and Sarah on their lives and past mistakes. This issue is very much lacking on action compared to much of the series before it but I did enjoy reading it as, once again, it was nice to see Grant attempt to figure himself out while also learning infinitely more about how he has become the character we now have. This I enjoyed given my own talent as a screw up (although maybe not on Grant's level) because it ultimately shows that who Grant isn't so much obnoxious or arrogant but instead is just very badly damaged.
Of course, Sarah has her own story arc here as she is sent to another world to see how her life could have turned out differently. However, maybe because of her limit appearances in the series compared to her ex-husband, this part of the issue just didn't resonate with me, although it was enjoyable in a more passive sense.
Overall though, despite the quiet vibe, Remender still knocks this book out of the park with his writing (and a couple of 'whoa' revelations and cliffhangers to boot) and Scalara continues to give me the most gorgeous artwork. I really love Black Science, as much (if not more) now as I did when I first picked up an issue those three or four years ago (has it really been that long?).
That said, there is one problem with this issue which totally kills me and it's the note in the letters page where Remender claims the story ends in 7 issues time. This, for me, is heartbreaking given what I just said about this book and makes me hope that he means for the arc and not the title as a whole (although, if it is I did figure they'd last until issue 45 so they could hammer out three 15 issue omnibuses).
Regardless of this though, Black Science is still a fantastic comic series and I'm now really looking forward to seeing how this all ends. The next issue can't come soon enough.
But, in the meantime, I have May's other comics to read.
Of course, five of these issues are for the new Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the mirror series, which is being released weekly. Those issues I've decided to put to one side to be read as a single story.
But, for now, that still leaves me with four other comics to write about (if I so choose). Therefore, I've decided to start off on a positive and note down my thoughts about one of those other four.
 |
| Black Science #35. Photo taken from Comixology. |
In honesty, I don't have much more to say about the plot of this issue (not without spoiling it anyway) as, compared to the previous arc, issue 35 is a very quiet issue, one which focuses on the reflection by both Grant and Sarah on their lives and past mistakes. This issue is very much lacking on action compared to much of the series before it but I did enjoy reading it as, once again, it was nice to see Grant attempt to figure himself out while also learning infinitely more about how he has become the character we now have. This I enjoyed given my own talent as a screw up (although maybe not on Grant's level) because it ultimately shows that who Grant isn't so much obnoxious or arrogant but instead is just very badly damaged.
Of course, Sarah has her own story arc here as she is sent to another world to see how her life could have turned out differently. However, maybe because of her limit appearances in the series compared to her ex-husband, this part of the issue just didn't resonate with me, although it was enjoyable in a more passive sense.
Overall though, despite the quiet vibe, Remender still knocks this book out of the park with his writing (and a couple of 'whoa' revelations and cliffhangers to boot) and Scalara continues to give me the most gorgeous artwork. I really love Black Science, as much (if not more) now as I did when I first picked up an issue those three or four years ago (has it really been that long?).
That said, there is one problem with this issue which totally kills me and it's the note in the letters page where Remender claims the story ends in 7 issues time. This, for me, is heartbreaking given what I just said about this book and makes me hope that he means for the arc and not the title as a whole (although, if it is I did figure they'd last until issue 45 so they could hammer out three 15 issue omnibuses).
Regardless of this though, Black Science is still a fantastic comic series and I'm now really looking forward to seeing how this all ends. The next issue can't come soon enough.
But, in the meantime, I have May's other comics to read.
Thursday 3 May 2018
April's Pull List - The Terrifics #3
I've just finished a review for Cognition #3 for Pipedream and, with twenty minutes left before my lunch break ends, I figured I'd write about something else (use my time efficiently).
In truth, I'd hoped for more time to write about The Terrifics #3 because, mainly this is an important issue for it. This third issue of this Fantastic Four homage/copy is (as I've said before) D-Day for the title. Either it's going to leave my pull list or stay.
Of course, this would be a little more finite if I'd actually planned ahead so I wouldn't have to pick up the next two months worth. But I didn't so I'll have two more issues at least.
But anyway, I digress.
So, the Terrifics #3 continued where issue 2 left off, with Mr Terrific crashing (literally) back down to Earth with a bump when he realised that he, Plastic Man, Metamorpho and Phantom Girl are now mysteriously bonded thanks to their trip to the Dark Multiverse. Now they must figure out how to separate themselves from each, while not being too far from each to cause the explosive consequences.
In truth, I'd hoped for more time to write about The Terrifics #3 because, mainly this is an important issue for it. This third issue of this Fantastic Four homage/copy is (as I've said before) D-Day for the title. Either it's going to leave my pull list or stay.
Of course, this would be a little more finite if I'd actually planned ahead so I wouldn't have to pick up the next two months worth. But I didn't so I'll have two more issues at least.
But anyway, I digress.
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| The Terrifics #3. Photo taken from Comixology. |
As I wrote that last paragraph and re-read it, all I could think is 'was that all that happened?' and, honestly, it was for the most part. However, there was also an attack by a War Wheel (literally a tank built into a wheel) as well as some kind of Metamorpho-related event in a small town elsewhere (I can't remember where) so some action happened, but otherwise I thought this issue was rather quiet.
Unfortunately, I just struggled getting on board with this issue and while I have no problem with a quiet issue, this issue did nothing to dissuade me from the concerns I had during the prior two issues about this series. The Terrifics, for all the greatness of its name, isn't really all that terrific.
I have to confess, the problem I had with the issue was the characters. Metamorpho, whether written that way or not, continued to sound like Ben Grimm in my head, even after watching the Metamorpho Justice League episode to try and change that for me. Meanwhile, Phantom Girl just felt flat and lacking any real depth or personality (hopefully, this'll be something which changes in the future. Only Plastic Man has, for the most bit, grown on me a little bit and so I can't complain too much on him.
However, any problems of those three pales in comparison to the 'team leader'. The Mr Terrific of this issue I really struggled to connect with as he comes across as rude, obnoxious, uncaring, all at different times to a different supposed 'teammate. This is surprising given the way I've always assumed the character is and I do feel like the writing team (who I noticed this time was not solely Jeff Lemire) were trying to make him more of a Mr Fantastic-esque character, who is quite (famously) self absorbed . However, instead of getting the self-absorbed aspect, they ended up making Holt out to be just a real dick.
Unfortunately, I just struggled getting on board with this issue and while I have no problem with a quiet issue, this issue did nothing to dissuade me from the concerns I had during the prior two issues about this series. The Terrifics, for all the greatness of its name, isn't really all that terrific.
I have to confess, the problem I had with the issue was the characters. Metamorpho, whether written that way or not, continued to sound like Ben Grimm in my head, even after watching the Metamorpho Justice League episode to try and change that for me. Meanwhile, Phantom Girl just felt flat and lacking any real depth or personality (hopefully, this'll be something which changes in the future. Only Plastic Man has, for the most bit, grown on me a little bit and so I can't complain too much on him.
However, any problems of those three pales in comparison to the 'team leader'. The Mr Terrific of this issue I really struggled to connect with as he comes across as rude, obnoxious, uncaring, all at different times to a different supposed 'teammate. This is surprising given the way I've always assumed the character is and I do feel like the writing team (who I noticed this time was not solely Jeff Lemire) were trying to make him more of a Mr Fantastic-esque character, who is quite (famously) self absorbed . However, instead of getting the self-absorbed aspect, they ended up making Holt out to be just a real dick.
... Deep breathe....
Now, I feel I've been WAY too negative at this point and this is unfair because I've made it sound like a terrible comic when the Terrifics #3 does have some good points. First of all, I realised from this issue that the series gives off a real silver age vibe (albeit with a modern twist), something which I thought gave the comic a nice touch and made me feel silly or not noticing it sooner. Meanwhile, the art continued to be solid and so consistent with the prior issues that I didn't even realise that it was not by Ivan Reis (and I have to wonder if issue two was the same).
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I struggled to find this comic overly compelling thanks to the characterisation of the leads as well as its 'meh' storyline. I think it's an ok title but, and maybe I'm being too picky, I thought that about the Terrifics for the first two issues and I don't really wanna spend my limited budget on something that's just 'ok'.
Now, I feel I've been WAY too negative at this point and this is unfair because I've made it sound like a terrible comic when the Terrifics #3 does have some good points. First of all, I realised from this issue that the series gives off a real silver age vibe (albeit with a modern twist), something which I thought gave the comic a nice touch and made me feel silly or not noticing it sooner. Meanwhile, the art continued to be solid and so consistent with the prior issues that I didn't even realise that it was not by Ivan Reis (and I have to wonder if issue two was the same).
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I struggled to find this comic overly compelling thanks to the characterisation of the leads as well as its 'meh' storyline. I think it's an ok title but, and maybe I'm being too picky, I thought that about the Terrifics for the first two issues and I don't really wanna spend my limited budget on something that's just 'ok'.
So, with that, the Terrifics will be leaving my pull list as of this coming Monday. Maybe the last couple of issues I'm obliged to pick up will change my mind but, if they don't I'm not sure I'll lose sleep over it if they don't.
Especially given that the Fantastic Four are returning to fill the team book void in my life!
Monday 23 April 2018
April's Pull list - Action Comics #1000
So, my plan had been to write a single blog post about all four comics which I picked up over April and jot down my thoughts about each.
Then I wrote a near essay about Lazarus #27.
As a result, rather than write the other three together, I figured I'd split them all up and write my thoughts individually.
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| Action Comics #1000. What an awesome cover. Photo from Comixology. |
Full disclosure time, I had initially planned to read this first. However, after struggling through the first story late at night (so presumably due to tiredness), I gave up and decided to move on to Lazarus and come back after. Well, I'm glad I did this because, upon returning to Action Comics #1000, I loved all eighty pages of this issue as every single story was a fantastic read and incredibly relevant to Superman as each portrayed him in the way I certainly feel the character is (and, based on Twitter, I think others do too).
Of course, while I enjoyed every story offered here, there were some tales which resonated with me more than others. Chief among them had to be 'Faster than a Speeding Bullet', which saw Superman putting his all into reaching a woman before he is shot, despite knowing he won't make it. I absolutely Loved this story as Brad Meltzer not only nailed the idea that, despite knowing he'd fail, Superman never gives up but also that his influence appears to rub off as the victim doesn't appear to either. This story telling, coupled with Cassaday's gorgeous art just made this a joy for me to read.
And I noticed that, despite all other difference, the theme all these stories share is that Superman isn't just a crime fighter, he's someone who inspires people to be better. The Car, by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner and Oliver Coipel (whose usually glorious art looks truly fantastic here) is another great example as, after stopping a crook in his car, Superman appeals to the crook's better nature. I loved this story just as much as 'speeding bullet.'
The same occurred in the Fifth Season written by Scott Synder and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, where Superman confronts Lex Luthor regarding a new evil scheme. Again, much like in 'the Car', despite the animosity between the two characters, Superman still manages to bring the best out of his nemesis by the end. This goes on and on throughout the issue; from the City that has Everything, Actionland, and Enemy Within, all of these stories continue the idea that Superman's very presence and existence makes everyone, heroes, villains, regular bystanders, better.
The, there was Tom King and Clay Mann's 'Of Tomorrow' and Louise Simonson and Jerry Ordway's 'Five Minutes', both of which I absolutely adored (probably Five Minutes a bit more than Of Tomorrow) because I think they gave some greater insight into what makes Superman tick and how he came to be the man we all know. His doing everything at once in a five minute interval wall really enjoyable and truly felt like Superman's life on an average day (you know, when he's not battling Kryptonian armies or giant robots or whatever). Meanwhile, Superman's bidding farewell to his parents in 'Of Tomorrow' just brought a tear to my eye.
The, there was Tom King and Clay Mann's 'Of Tomorrow' and Louise Simonson and Jerry Ordway's 'Five Minutes', both of which I absolutely adored (probably Five Minutes a bit more than Of Tomorrow) because I think they gave some greater insight into what makes Superman tick and how he came to be the man we all know. His doing everything at once in a five minute interval wall really enjoyable and truly felt like Superman's life on an average day (you know, when he's not battling Kryptonian armies or giant robots or whatever). Meanwhile, Superman's bidding farewell to his parents in 'Of Tomorrow' just brought a tear to my eye.
In truth I could gush about this issue forever and a day. While I thought it would be good (because when you have A-class talent you have on this book, you are NOT buying an unknown quantity of writing and/or art), the fact is that Action Comics #1000 is a phenomenal, providing me with stories of the Superman I know and love, depicting him how he should be.
Which leads me into the final story, Truth, by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Lee, which appears to be set up for the Man of Steel mini due out over June. While I was in two minds about what Bendis would with character when his run finally started, this 'preview' has me fully on board, so well written was the story and characters (the dialogue between the two women in the café were quite the highlight for me). In fact, I'm now seriously torn on whether to buy that mini-series, mainly due to the fact it would exceed my budget (first world comic buying problems).
All I can hope from this issues is that a lot were like me and bought it because it's the 1000th issue and, again like me, they now want to jump on board both Action and Superman (and any other comic for those new to the hobby). Superman deserves more attention and recognition than I ultimately think he gets and now we've been given absolute proof that creators at DC understand how the character ticks, maybe comic fans will be shown more often.
Because Superman is a great character and (in my opinion) far more relatable to Batman.
And this issue proves it!
All I can hope from this issues is that a lot were like me and bought it because it's the 1000th issue and, again like me, they now want to jump on board both Action and Superman (and any other comic for those new to the hobby). Superman deserves more attention and recognition than I ultimately think he gets and now we've been given absolute proof that creators at DC understand how the character ticks, maybe comic fans will be shown more often.
Because Superman is a great character and (in my opinion) far more relatable to Batman.
And this issue proves it!
April's Pull list - Lazarus #27
April is a big month for me, comic wise, this year. Not only has is it big because it's the month with the most comics I've picked up so far in 2018, but also because of what those comics are. This month sees Lazarus return from (what feels like) a long break, the Terrifics reach its D-Day with me as their first arc concludes and, of course, Action Comics reaches its landmark milestone with a massive 80 page issue 1000. Those are pretty big in my book.
There's also Marvel Rising issue 0, but I'm not sure it compares in scope to the others.
So, let's get started.
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| Lazarus #27. Photo from Comixology. |
Now, I've tried a couple of times to try and write my thoughts on this issue in some clever way. However, when all is said and done, the simple truth is that I really enjoyed this issue and thought that it was one of the strongest of the entire series (and there's been a good number of strong ones). The thing is that, while there are a good number of reasons why it's so great, it's not because of the title's consistent action or political aspects.
In regards to the story, for me this issue succeeds because of its simplicity. Rucka has completely about turned from how the books usually written and, instead of being dark and cynical, has written an issue wish shows us some more positive views of humanity; acts of kindness, compassionate and love. What made this better for me was that the central character was Jonah as, not only have I been intrigued about where he ended up (I did almost expect him to just 'reappear' in Forever's door at some point), but he comes off as so humble, caring and likeable compared to his initial appearance that I feel badly for thinking badly for him at that time.
And then, of course, there is Michael Lark. From reading this series along with the X-66 mini, as well as from Twitter, it is pretty common knowledge that Lark has struggled with injury and maintaining his work schedule. However, this issue is further proof that I'm glad they opted against acquiring a fill in and waiting on his return. Every single panel in this issue, from the trawler working out at sea, through to the tear in Jonah's eye is absolutely gorgeous. I can do nothing but look at it in awe it's so beautiful. I wish I was smart enough to have more to say but that no other words are necessary. The art is flawless as always and even if the story completely crumbled I think the art might still be worth the price of this book.
I really do love Lazarus, it's a testament to its quality that it is still on my pull list when so many other titles have gone (what can I say, I'm a fussy guy), but this issue is something really special. I am now afraid for the future of this title because It is going to be a quarterly title meaning waiting three months between installment (and they'll be bigger and so, presumably more expensive). However, what concerns me more is that the world of Lazarus is not a happy place and, given this is a two part story, I fear that Jonah's new found contentment may be incredibly short-lived.
Either way, I'm looking forward to next month to find out.
Anyway, onto the next comic.
Friday 20 April 2018
Re-reading.... the Activity
So, a thing I'm trying to do more of this year is re-read old series within my comic book collection. This is primarily so that I can trim down my comic book collection, determine what I still enjoy and what I don't and make moves to dispose of the latter while keeping the former.
I've already done it with a number of series since the end of November, with series like the Flash Brightest Day and Hellboy: The Wild Hunt gone while Abnett and Lanning's Heroes for Hire staying.
A few weeks ago, while riding the bus to work (which I said I'd stop doing and swap for my bike, but the blasted British weather), I finished reading Nathan Edmondshon and Mitch Gerads' the Activity, a sixteen issue military series which was released through Image starting mid-2012 and finishing late 2014 (and yes, based on that math, there were some big delays during the last few issues).
The Activity follows the exploits of the Intelligence Support Activity, a top secret black ops unit of the American Military who take on the missions which require a level of problem solving no one else can do (in a very A-Team fashion). This series follows the exploits of the ISA's primary 5-man unit, Team Omaha, as they partake in hostage rescues, enemy captures, traitor's executions and beyond in the (secret) service of their country.
I remember when I first bought this series it was due, in large part, to Nathan Edmondshon's name being on the cover. With the (then) recent conclusion of Who is Jake Ellis? and that series impressing me greatly, the fact that he almost immediately followed it with this ongoing series with a beautifully compelling cover just made the Activity too much of a must buy. This, to my recollection, made the purchase of this series something I didn't regret, despite some long delays between the later issues, it turned out to be a very pleasant read.
Jump to the present and I'm happy to say that the same still rings true, despite some more obvious problems cropping up (possibly because now I'm a more cynical individual).
Unlike my past memory, the Activity doesn't have the best start to its run with the stories contained in its first couple of issues feeling a bit clunky and lack in its ability to draw me in. This is possibly down to the writers attempt to get comfortable with this new world while simultaneously trying to give the reader all the pertinent information. Unfortunately, for me, while it succeeds in telling about all the players, it struggles to capture like it did all those years ago.
Fortunately, from issue 3 this changes. The writing seems to find its footing and the self enclosed stories with the bare minimum of ongoing plot thread feels a lot more fluid and engaging. Even after the concept changes and a more overall 'big bad' villain appears in the latter half of the series, I found Edmondshon's writing remained very compelling with some great, detailed characters who all share the spotlight with no single main character (which I think is a rarity in comics these days), one of whom I'm kinda sad to see go midway through.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the done-in-one format that remains predominant through the run, as it feels like a breathe of fresh air compared to other books, being a better example of being able to pick up any issue and enjoying it without missing too much information. That said, this line of thinking isn't across the board as there are two flashback issues (ironically drawn by covering artist Marc Laming) which I really struggled to get behind, as they seem to lack the more compelling state of the current day issues. However, I don't think this is do with the art, but simply a change from the writing style employed which just didn't sit right with me and isn't actually from a lack of talent, merely a personal preference.
Speaking of the art, I absolutely love the artwork provided in this series. Mitch Gerads, whom I hadn't ever heard of prior to this series, offers an incredible gorgeous and realistic take on this military world which looks incredibly fitting as well as it seems to give an (presumably) accurate portrayal of the military while still making the visuals compelling. What gives it an edge though is Gerads' use of computer-like location boxes to really sell the hi-tech notion of the series. While I had never heard of him until this series, seeing this art again is a reminder of how he's gone on to bigger and better things like Mr Miracle.
Meanwhile, Marc Laming does an equally stellar job at filling in the gaps left by Gerads with a style not dissimilar to the main artists work. Again, I've seen little of Laming's work prior to this point (and, admittedly, I've seen little after) but I've heard a lot of praise from others for his work and the rationale behind it shows. It's a shame that I couldn't get into the stories on his issues, but my poor reception of those has little to do with the art and makes me wonder why Laming isn't on more high profile books (though, maybe he is and I don't see them).
Sadly, I found that what is a good series is brutally let down by its final issue. I recall upon issue 16's release, after many months delay, I enjoyed the issue possibly due to the issue finally arriving and the series finally resolving. However, on this occasion I got to read the series back to back and unfortunately, compared to the rest of the series, this issue just doesn't stand up. The problem I found was that it felt like both creators simply wanted to get the series finished, with the story feeling badly written and the art looking a bit rough compared to the prior issues. This led me to not get as engrossed in the issue as I had done with many of the other issues which, given it was the finale, left me on a bit of a downer. That said, on a positive note, the issue did provide a poignant send off for one of the cast which seemed slightly obvious when reading the series in its entirety though no less effective. Despite this however, the final issue left a lot to be desired as it see,ed like only a shell of the other issues in the series.
Nonetheless, the Activity does (for the most part) hold up after all these years, especially in light of the chaotic political landscape we currently see in the news. I do wish that its final issue had ended things on a high compared to what it did do but this series still kept me immersed and entertained and has me planning to keep it around (at least for now) in my collection.
And that's what these re-reads are all about.
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