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.

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.

 

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.
 

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.

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.