Of course, this wasn't how I'd planned for my week to go. What I had wanted was to go through the entirety of Chip Zdarsky and the Terry Dodson's X-Men/Fantastic Four mini-series after picking up the final issue a week ago last Thursday. Alas, fate did not allow it to be so.
As a result, I find myself thinking about the differing benefits of digital against print for the umpteenth time. This is because X4 was a series where I had decided to purchase as physical copies. Unfortunately, especially since lockdown began in March, I have been finding it more difficult to carve out the time to just sit down and read with a comic in my hand (in this case an hour because 4 comics take 15 minutes each) due to work and familial familial responsibilities.
Reading digitally, however, has been quite an easier experience because even when I've had my hands full with other work, all I need to do is a simple swipe of my ipad screen and the will move to the next panel or page.
So, why do I find reading print comics more difficult? Well, this is down to the fact that, while I'm not a collector who's looking to get my comics slabbed or anything, I like to ensure that my physical comics are in a well kept condition (which is something I'm just not sure that is possible when small children or housework are involved). Therefore, carving out the time to safely (from the comics perspective) read an issue or two seems to be a more difficult task.
However, on the flip side (just to be annoying), I've been discovering as I've gotten older just how much I prefer having an actual, physical book in my hands. The immersion, the feel of the pages, the smell of a newly opened book, all of these things have made me realise how much superior reading in print is, although I wont lie that digital reading isn't something i avoid.
Therefore, when it comes to X4 and the choice of print vs digital, it's the print copies I want to read because they are there and I paid extra for the privilege. However, given that I can't find the time makes it all the more annoying.
In the end, I dont have some major point to make, this is just me rambling on for a change. When all is said and done, I didnt read anything from my pile and 'this' is the reason why (if I really need one).
Oh, and before I forget ...
Of course, while I haven't done any reading this week, I've still done a little bit of comic-related work. First of all is my Pipedream comic related posts which hit the world wide web at the tail end of last week.
The first article for the new look Pipedream Comics which I supplied, I thought I'd stretch my wings a little when I was given a fantastic opportunity to interview creator David Pepose (the writer for Spencer & Locke as well as Going to the Chapel) about his new Kickstarter Project, the O.Z.
I'll be honest, I've yet to read either of Mr Pepose's current titles (that damn funding issue again) but both are what I consider high priorities for my buy list. However, after having this great conversation about O.Z., I'm nigh on close to drooling for this title due to both the concept as well as the incredibly gorgeous art by Ruben Rojas and colourist Whitney Cogar. As such, I am now trying to find a way to circumvent my ever present funding issues and pledge (although I could say that about a great many kickstarters).
Please check out the interview (if you want) and, most definitely, take a look at the kickstarter (and maybe even make a pledge) as it seems like one of those things that doesn't deserve to fail.
Then, following the interview with David Pepose, I also had the chance to review Bete Noir #1 for Pipedream Comicxs. Now, the main crux of my thoughts you can find over in the review itself but, to summarise it, I enjoyed Bete Noir immensely, despite not initially expecting to. Though I wrote it off pretty quickly, I found the twists that Andrew Clemson included regarding the possible identity change quite engrossing. I'm of the theory that (spoiler alert) all of these characters are the same one and that with each 'death' an aspect of his personality dies (kind of like Hank Pym and his many costume changes). I also think that explains the title because Bete Noir is french for (person/thing you dislike), therefore, this guy is obviously a character who dislikes himself (both of these things I haven't included in the review because 'spoilers').
The art also struggled to impress me to begin with either but, much like the writing, it won me around by the end. I thought that the gritty, cold and dull colours really lended a credence to the idea that these are burned out characters living in a harsh world far removed from superheroes' worlds as we know them (or, more accurately, Batman 66).
Like I said, there's far more meat from this bone in the review proper but, on a personal note, it is probably an understatement that I really liked this comic and I have to say I look forward to the next instalment (whenever that may be).
So, in the end, that's been my week in a nutshell. The only other thing of note is that I've gone back to working on a project of my own again, early stages but something I'm hyped to try and make happen.
But beyond that, that's it. Hopefully, I'll have something more analytical and less waffle next week, but I guess that's dependent on whether I can finally crack open those X4 comics.
In the meantime though, if I don't then it gives me another chance to improve on this kind of format a little.
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