tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post503580313955010757..comments2023-09-05T09:06:09.136-05:00Comments on Atop the Fourth Wall: Comic RecommendationsLewis Lovhaughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724769374732321363noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-57462635265195084132014-06-09T01:51:38.031-05:002014-06-09T01:51:38.031-05:00"So is the blue beetle n52 any good compared ..."So is the blue beetle n52 any good compared to the original and in general?"<br /><br />In my humble opinion, no. I feel it misses the point and spirit of the original greatly and is considerably less optimistic and fulfilling as a story.Lewis Lovhaughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724769374732321363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-85973478403925803722014-06-08T11:21:55.954-05:002014-06-08T11:21:55.954-05:00So is the blue beetle n52 any good compared to the...So is the blue beetle n52 any good compared to the original and in general?girlymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14163640874657463227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-11200907781757757752014-03-01T06:54:16.366-06:002014-03-01T06:54:16.366-06:00I'd like to add Mad Love to the list.I'd like to add Mad Love to the list.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17367131726149903711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-17262822505116212322011-04-30T01:58:59.112-05:002011-04-30T01:58:59.112-05:00Whedon's Astonishing X-Men would NOT be a good...Whedon's Astonishing X-Men would NOT be a good jumping-on point for the X-Men books unless that was all you read of the X-Men. Ever. At the time it was published, it gave no sense at all of the state of the franchise as a whole, and certainly wouldn't be a good place to start at this point. The irrelevence of the book just continued into Warren Ellis's run, as well. There's no way to just jump from Astonishing to the other books without recommending heaps of other X-Men or making someone Wikipedia everything. It's practically in its own contunity half the time. It was considered the "flagship" X-Men book at the time Whedon was at the helm, but it really didn't feel that way based on the relative unimportance of the stories being told there.<br /><br />Plus, I think Whedon's run sucked. Ellis's was bizarre -- sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a not-so-good-way -- and, as I said, pointless, but Whedon's was just ridiculously awful on top of it. I don't know one person who actually liked his run who wasn't already a fan of his because of Buffy or something, but to those of us who weren't Whedonites going into it, it's pretty apparent that Astonishing is just not a very good representation of the franchise or the few characters from it that Whedon chose to focus on, especially in the context of trying to introduce it to a newbie. It reads as if he were writing it like, "What if the Buffy characters were X-Men?" The characterization is bad, the stories are mind-numbing and riddled with plot holes.<br /><br />From a life-long X-Men fan who can find some good in almost every writer's tenure, I can't recommend Whedon's run.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-22593325270332410972011-04-14T22:06:10.434-05:002011-04-14T22:06:10.434-05:00Nice list, Mr. Lovhaug, and I'm curious; ever ...Nice list, Mr. Lovhaug, and I'm curious; ever read "Kraven's Last Hunt"? Much like your feeling about the Titans GN, "Kraven's Last Hunt" is my all-time favorite superhero GN.<br /><br />As someone who is also a fan of the MJ and Spidey dynamic, this book does a really good job at showing how important these two people are to each other.<br /><br />Besides that, Kraven's descent into madness and his scheme against Spider-Man are brilliantly portrayed. I sometimes feel that comics don't do a good job of making the villain seem like a legitimate and deadly threat to the hero, but this comic has that in spades. You genuinely wonder how Spidey is gonna get out of this scenario.<br /><br />Anyway, I realize that you're more of a DC National than a Marvel Zombie, but give that one a try. If you regret it I'll... uh... eat your hat? No, that doesn't work...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06922439702279171457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-53339268013356805532011-04-14T09:07:41.145-05:002011-04-14T09:07:41.145-05:00The first superhero comic book I remember reading ...The first superhero comic book I remember reading was the trade paperback of " the Death of Superman" that my dad had, and it's still one of my favorites. I was about 2 when the event happened, and about 5 when I first read the book, and despite not knowing who a lot of the characters were, I found it to be a good read (and Doomsday has been my favorite supervillain since then).<br /><br />On that note, I recently picked up JLA #55 and Superman/Batman Annual #5 (both from this month), both of which are part of the "Reign of Doomsday" storyline, and <i>holy crap</i> did I enjoy those (and I not normally someone who reads comics, these are the first I've bought in years). While "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen" are essentially reading (especially the latter), I haven't read "Reign of the Supermen" but I've still enjoyed the story so far. If that isn't a good description, then this could be: <br />JLA #55: Doomsday vs Alpha Lantern Boodikka, Blue Lantern Saint Walker, Supergirl, and Starman<br />Superman/Batman Annual #5: Batman and Supergirl vs Doomsday vs Cyborg Superman merged with the JLA satellite. This issue is AWESOME.AndroidARnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-71154471682501024582011-04-12T01:58:33.720-05:002011-04-12T01:58:33.720-05:00Fantazmo call on Power Girl. I've been to terr...Fantazmo call on Power Girl. I've been to terrified to pick up the post Amanda/Jimmy stuff, but I'll be sure to give it a go now that it's made the Linkara list. I'll show this list to a friend who assumes that PG is nothing but cheescake. Maybe then he'll give the series a try and fall in love with it like everyone else who reads it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-9645381802930094472011-04-12T00:39:13.521-05:002011-04-12T00:39:13.521-05:00One comic I really love is Marvel 1602 by Neil Gai...One comic I really love is Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman. Like has been stated by some other commenters anything he writes is really good, but 1602 really manages to be both for new readers and old. In fact it was the comic got me back into reading comics again a few years ago, and the trade is still in print as far as I've seen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-29637146531883024322011-04-11T18:33:03.263-05:002011-04-11T18:33:03.263-05:00A comics recommendation list that leaves out Gold ...A comics recommendation list that leaves out Gold Digger is blasphemous!<br /><br />Hm? Comics to START with? Yes, this counts, since you can just go to the Antarctic Press website and buy GD-ROM to get literally everything from the first comic through issue 100 of the current series. And you can still get 101 up to the current issue(128) through the website, too.<br /><br />GD starts out with some problems - the artwork's not that great and some things aren't well explained, but as the comic run goes on it simply gets better and better. Helps that it's the same guy working out what he wants to do and he literally remembers EVERYTHING he's already done. By the end of the original black and white series(50 issues) it's already worked itself into a well-written, well-drawn, well-told series that is sure to have an awesome outcome whenever the series reaches it's ultimate climax.<br /><br />And if you don't want to trust some random commenter on an internet post(even one who donated a copy of GD-ROM to our friendly neighborhood Linkara a while back), check out the Last Angry Geek's review of Women of Gold Digger over on TGWTG.<br /><br />My crusade to promote Gold Digger shall never end. It will outlast the series itself, I'm sure.Formula Foxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-89729906329880074372011-04-11T17:36:43.093-05:002011-04-11T17:36:43.093-05:00Well, as long as everyone is listing comics:
Luci...Well, as long as everyone is listing comics:<br /><br />Lucifer- you should only read this after reading the aforemention chapter of Sandman. This series starts off where it ends, and feels right at home in the Sandman mythos.<br /><br />100 Bullets- It starts out like the movie "The Box": Random people are offered a chance at revenge on those that wronged them. It evolves into one of the most intriguing stories of the decade.<br /><br />Infinity Gauntlet- This is not only the best crossover event Marvel has made, but one of their best comics ever. <br /><br />Animal Man- Grant Morrison + previously obscure superhero = best comic ever!<br /><br />Shattered Glass- for Transformers fans, a What-If story set in an alternate universe where Autobots are evil while Decepticons are good. It's worth it for transfans just to see previously established characters undergo complete 180 personality changes.<br /><br />Peter David's X-Factor- I've got nothing to say here. it's just so.... wow.<br /><br />The Dark Tower - A supplement to the Stephen King novel series, yet good enough to stand on its own. One of the few series i've been compelled to buy the paperback issues from; they contain exclusive writings by King himself.Kesslernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-85972901869006857762011-04-11T16:24:30.806-05:002011-04-11T16:24:30.806-05:00Thank you for taking the time to compile this list...Thank you for taking the time to compile this list and explain what makes these comics great! I enjoy reading your writing just as much as I enjoy watching your videos, and appreciate your well articulated style. <br /><br />On your recommendation I picked up Simone's run on Wonder Woman, and yes, it's entertaining as hell. After I'm done tackling Fables and Excalibur Classic I'll look into Secret Six. (Because I love villains so very, very much!) <br /><br />I agree that Deadpool's at his best as a foil to a serious character like Cable. Simone wrote a very enjoyable few issues for Cable & Deadpool, too! <br /><br />Thanks for the effort and love you put into your work. It really does show though and is inspiring to see.BoredLizziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04718065044246566804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-60353719823673604912011-04-11T14:33:52.578-05:002011-04-11T14:33:52.578-05:00Thanks for the recommendations, Linkara! I've...Thanks for the recommendations, Linkara! I've been thinking about picking up Nextwave ever since you mentioned it in your "Comics I'll Never Review" video, because it sounds glorious.<br /><br />What do you think about Empowered? I like it but, given your past opinions, I could see how you might have a problem with some of the elements of it.Nick Coyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10627002885658909147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-91648863066166477402011-04-11T13:30:24.398-05:002011-04-11T13:30:24.398-05:00A reccomendation:
Iron Man - Start with Extremis ...A reccomendation:<br /><br />Iron Man - Start with Extremis and go from there. The science is kinda sketch in Extremis, but it's one of the best story arcs, imo, and it goes in depth into Tony Stark's character and motivations.<br /><br />A bit of a non-sequitur, but while I'm on the subject; I honestly think that Iron Man really gets way too much flak from comic book fans. :(Gaethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02763709471622832689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-88397239401541727362011-04-11T08:07:41.405-05:002011-04-11T08:07:41.405-05:00"The thing is: The vocal minority about Spide..."The thing is: The vocal minority about Spider-Man that claims that OMD (which WAS bad, don't get me wrong) ruined both the book and the character is also very vocal about one other thing: THAT THEY DON'T READ THE BOOK. That they boycott it because of OMD. That they'll never touch a Spider-Man book again until OMD gets undone."<br /><br />Actually, in all fairness I did read a couple of post OMD Spider-Man comics and thought they were either meh or bad. They did introduce some interesting elements (Anti-Venom for one) but the stories themselves just really aren't all that good.<br /><br />I can only think of two Spider-Man comics I've read in recent memory that made me want to keep picking them up and I'm not even sure if they count as Spider-Man books but just Spidey-related: The new Carnage miniseries and the first issue of the new Venom series.Falcovsleon20noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-80030081541527740942011-04-11T06:34:19.770-05:002011-04-11T06:34:19.770-05:00"Um, well, I don't want to dismiss anyone..."Um, well, I don't want to dismiss anyone's personal likes and dislikes outright, but I'm just going to give new readers a heads up that [liking Amazing Spider-Man post OMD]is a very, very, VERY rare opinion."<br /><br />Not at all. Just four days ago, Diamond Comics released the Top 100 for February, and in that month alone, Amazing Spider-Man had four issues in the Top 15. Now I know that sales don't equal quality. But it shows that my opinion can't be THAT rare, especially if you factor in people with subscriptions.<br /><br />The thing is: The vocal minority about Spider-Man that claims that OMD (which WAS bad, don't get me wrong) ruined both the book and the character is also very vocal about one other thing: THAT THEY DON'T READ THE BOOK. That they boycott it because of OMD. That they'll never touch a Spider-Man book again until OMD gets undone.<br /><br />While "vote with your wallet" is indeed a valid approach, it also means that the people following that approach a) deprive themselves of good stories like Keemia's Castle or Shed, just because they hold a grudge against a four-part story created over three years ago by writers, artists and editors that are no longer working on the book. An understandable grudge. But a grudge against a past story, not against the present ones. <br /><br />To put things in perspective: I hated Green Lantern Rebirth. With a passion. I hated the unnecessary and contradictory retcons. <br />I hated that it brought back Hal Jordan, a boring character who couldn't hold his own title a decade earlier. <br />I hated that it destroyed the character development that Hal went through in the years in-between. <br />I hated that it heavily diminished the panel time of Kyle Rayner, my favorite DC hero. <br />I hated how lazy the miniseries just ticked off a list of things the creators wanted to undo without a satisfying explanation, like Guy's loss of his Vuldarian genes or the resurrection of Sinestro.<br /><br />And I stopped reading Green Lantern. Until a year or two later, when I heard good things about the book and decided to give it another try. And the book was great. Was Green Lantern: Rebirth necessary? Debatable. But it didn't ruin Green Lantern as a book, just like OMD didn't ruin Amazing Spider-Man.<br /><br />Now if you do read current issues of Amazing Spider-Man and don't like them, that's another thing altogether. Different tastes and all. Fair enough. But too many people that claim that the book is ruined don't read it and therefore cannot judge it properly. And too many people enjoy those issues for my opinion to be the random fluke you make it out to be.Michael Heidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06681828051904902975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-9195039439594802612011-04-11T00:43:16.567-05:002011-04-11T00:43:16.567-05:00I was wondering if you had any good way to track d...I was wondering if you had any good way to track down comics starring a particular character, I'm just getting into comics, but so far my favorite has very few trades to her name, and most lists i've found don't seem to differentiate between playing a large role or a brief cameo.<br /><br />or failing that, any comics featuring black widow you could recommend.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14788195780467172313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-42244747386174001582011-04-10T21:50:28.238-05:002011-04-10T21:50:28.238-05:00Some like him and some hate him but he is my favor...Some like him and some hate him but he is my favorite writer because I like all things twisted and fucked up. <br />But I will tell everyone that should read The Boys by Garth Ennis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-92101070863285178872011-04-10T15:20:03.075-05:002011-04-10T15:20:03.075-05:00I agree with almost all of your suggestions wholeh...I agree with almost all of your suggestions wholeheartedly! You're the reason I started reading the Blue Beetle comics, and I cannot thank you enough! Anyway, a couple more recommendations:<br /><br />Superman: The "Grounded" Arc. While this series is not for everyone, if you're a big fan of Kal-El, it does explore his character nicely.<br />Justice League: Generation Lost. This series is just about over now, but DAMN, I enjoyed the ride. Hit and miss at times, but overall a great story, with ties to the DC universe as a whole while still being (mostly) self contained.<br />Chew. A nice piece of humor. I've only read the first 2 trades, but what I did read was awesome.<br />Black Panther, the Man Without Fear. Basically, T'Challa's character in Daredevil's shoes. Not the best ongoing series right now, but still enjoyable.<br />X Men, Manifest Destiny (Wolverine's stuff). Wolverine's adventure in Chinatown seems a bit rushed, but it's a fun little look at another part of Logan's past.BoosterGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-15111009012869044002011-04-10T06:17:46.765-05:002011-04-10T06:17:46.765-05:00Speaking of Ellis and Carey. They both did runs on...Speaking of Ellis and Carey. They both did runs on Hellblazer.I believe every comic reader worth their salt should have at least a passing knowledge of John Constantine. <br />Carey's work was converted into trade paperback and shouldn't be too much of a problem to find. Ellis actually posted his work for free on the tubes.SheriffBartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-90580714267984263172011-04-09T12:41:20.598-05:002011-04-09T12:41:20.598-05:00hey you forgot to put down a good frank miller com...hey you forgot to put down a good frank miller comic, like daredevil visionaries volumes 2, 3 because those have one of franks best arc in daredevil and also his creation of electra.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-88423983404987237882011-04-09T10:13:56.582-05:002011-04-09T10:13:56.582-05:00"But that doesn't mean that the stories f..."But that doesn't mean that the stories following OMD were bad. Amazing Spider-Man after OMD, especially the issues by Dan Slott, Mark Waid, Fred Van Lente and Zeb Wells, were great Spidey tales. Peter Parker works as an unmarried character, and why wouldn't he, he was unmarried for decades before they married him to MJ.<br /><br />Was it necessary to unmarry the character? Debatable. But it definitely didn't ruin the character, nor the book."<br /><br />......................*blue screen of death*<br /><br />......................*reboot*<br /><br />Um, well, I don't want to dismiss anyone's personal likes and dislikes outright, but I'm just going to give new readers a heads up that this is a very, very, VERY rare opinion.Frankienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-80898818968191713022011-04-09T03:51:12.183-05:002011-04-09T03:51:12.183-05:00A lot of great comic books have been named in the ...A lot of great comic books have been named in the article and in the comments. So instead of repeating those I agree with, I thought it would be better to add another book. One that hasn't been listed yet.<br /><br />Amazing Spider-Man, post-OMD.<br /><br />There's no denying it: One More Day was bad. The editors were faced with the impossible task of unmarrying Pete and MJ, and after a lot of behind-the-scenes struggling and rewriting (while the first issue was already on the stands, no less), the end result just isn't that good. Neither is the follow-up, OMIT.<br /><br />But that doesn't mean that the stories <i>following</i> OMD were bad. Amazing Spider-Man after OMD, especially the issues by Dan Slott, Mark Waid, Fred Van Lente and Zeb Wells, were great Spidey tales. Peter Parker works as an unmarried character, and why wouldn't he, he was unmarried for decades before they married him to MJ.<br /><br />Was it necessary to unmarry the character? Debatable. But it definitely didn't ruin the character, nor the book.<br /><br />And let's face it. As bad as OMD was, it was not worse than Cry for Justice.Michael Heidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06681828051904902975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-83269612543269737712011-04-08T23:11:27.302-05:002011-04-08T23:11:27.302-05:00Anything by Neil Gaiman is going to be excellent. ...Anything by Neil Gaiman is going to be excellent. His novels, "Neverwhere", "Anansi Boys" and "American Gods" are very good,too. <br />The Walking Dead may be the best ongoing comic out there. It's a story of a group of people trying to hold onto their humanity during the zombie apocalypse.<br />Preacher is highly recommended for more adventurous readers. <br />Mike Carey's Lucifer is so well written it makes me angry.<br />Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan has already been mentioned. Check out Fell and Desolation Jones as well. He's also doing a weekly webcomic over at www.freakangles.com<br />If you really want to read something with tights and capes The Infinity Gauntlet was pretty good.SheriffBartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-91552185471200699532011-04-08T22:09:02.796-05:002011-04-08T22:09:02.796-05:00Wow. I was gonna say you could just link anyone wh...Wow. I was gonna say you could just link anyone who asks to the christmas recommendations list but this has a lot more on it!<br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to put this together :DSukidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02035352689542701886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809126056034906096.post-41684097930823535882011-04-08T22:00:23.863-05:002011-04-08T22:00:23.863-05:00Hey, Linkara, I really want to read 52, but I was ...Hey, Linkara, I really want to read 52, but I was wondering if there's anything I should read before reading that series to help me with continuity? Also, I know that there were "One Year Later" arcs for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in the regular titles — should I read those after, before, or during 52? I'm well-versed in DC characters, but I'm not really up to speed on any big storylines that have been published since a year or so before Infinite Crisis except for the big spoilers I've heard from other people. (I've just in the past couple of months decided to jump back into comics thanks to you, actually!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com