What comic books/graphic novels are you reading at the moment?

[Pedro Del Mar]

Finished The Dark Knight Returns.

Starting Daredevil, The Man Without Fear (HB Premiere Edition - thankfully in English as originally bought it in Spanish by accident!)

 

[Perpetual Man]

Starting Daredevil, The Man Without Fear (HB Premiere Edition - thankfully in English as originally bought it in Spanish by accident!)

You never know it might have been fun...

Is this the Frank Miller/John Romita Jr GN?

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

You never know it might have been fun...

Is this the Frank Miller/John Romita Jr GN?

Yes, that's the one, read the first part last night and it's excellent

 

[Perpetual Man]

I seem to recall enjoying it - I read it in original comic format, and think I have a graphic novel somewhere, might be worth digging it out.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Just finished Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. What a read! Wow! Really enjoyed this. Set the scene for so much more. Who is Stick? Who is Stick's boss? Where's Elektra gone? Kingpin - plotting his revenge?

Where do I go next? Anyone any advice? I have Daredevil: Born Again, which I was going to start tonight, is this the right place to pick Daredevil's story up? Or will I be missing parts of his story?

 

[Perpetual Man]

Like anything with such a long run, there are always going to be places that are better than other to start with.

Born Again, is in my opinion the best Daredevil story. It's the first DD story I ever read and although the end might be bit big for the character, it is still a cracking read, but it deals with events that have happened in previous issues but it is easy to pick up and understand.

I'd consider Daredevil Yellow worth a look, it's pretty much set in the early years of DD, when he was still wearing his yellow costume.

Then most of the modern stuff, starting with the Kevin Smith/Joe Quesada Guardian Devil

Of course there is some truly wonderful stuff before that, Frank Miller's run is legendary and collected (I think) in the huge Masterwork books, and I was always very partial to Ann Nocenti's run.

 

[thatollie]

Accidentally buying a GN in another language is easy to do. I once bought The Killing Joke by Alan Moore in German.

Read The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman last week.

Going to read this soon.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1593073976/?tag=brite-21

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Started Daredevil:Born Again, it's gripping. A very dark tale indeed so far.

Anyone know where I find the answers to who is Stick?

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Read The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman last week.

What did you think of it?

 

[Perpetual Man]

Started Daredevil:Born Again, it's gripping. A very dark tale indeed so far.

Anyone know where I find the answers to who is Stick?

I'm not sure if there is any definitive answer to the question, but his first appearance was in Daredevil 176, which was part of the original Frank Miller run.

Without reading the comics: Stick

 

[Perpetual Man]

Having just finished the last book in my immediate to read pile, I'm taking a break on the novel front to take a crack at eroding the comic GN mountain that exists in my home.

First up: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker, The Boys companion/spinoff title.

 

[Jeffbert]

I am about to start BUDDHA vol. 4; I have been looking for common themes in Tezuka's stories for quite some time, & have found several.

 

[DarkYami]

Just got done with Superman Earth One Volume 2, it was ok i liked Volume One bit more. I'm getting a few Graphic Novels for Christmas though i forget which ones

 

[Perpetual Man]

Finished Butcher, Baker Candlestick maker. Garth Ennis continues his deconstruction of the superhero with the boys spinoff that delves into the backstory of the leader of The Boys.

Joined by his original co-creator on the story, Darrick Robertson, he turns in a slightly more order story than the chaos of the regular title, as we learn the reason for Butchers hatred of the heroes.

It is a hard story, but a touching story and one that will elicit an emotional response. If you are easily offended by bad language and harsh events stay away, but for a different, adult look at superhero activity this is what you would expect from Ennis: well written, strong story and excellent characters.

Next up The Boys itself as I run in to the grand finale.

 

[Connavar]

The Boys is interesting and great characters but not near the best writing he is capable of, today i bought and started reading:

Fury Max: My War Gone by Ennis & Parlove volume 1.

This is the best Ennis writing in years since the best Battlefields mini. A cold war,serious take on Nick Fury that is much more interesting than the last Fury mini.

Im so glad to be Ennis fan again with this and the current Battlefields. I dont want to read The Boys and Crossed compared the more mature Ennis works.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I agree that Ennis seems to have two sides to his work. His love for the classic war stories is something that really lends itself,and shines through when he is working on any of his own war related material. In many ways it is like he is too different writers.

That being said his work on Preacher will remain to be the benchmark to which everything else he has done will have to be compared.

The Boys started as something different, seemingly to be a darkly, foul-mouthed and humorous look at the superhero genre, something that Ennis has always said he does not like and has no interest in.

But in between the lines and as it has progressed it has becoming a fascinating deconstruction of the superhero genre. In many ways the hero style has not changed in years, it is a formula that works and it does not seem to be challenged or changed.

Ennis has done that. When men and women are blessed with great power, raised to a level of celebrity that is unsurpassed the temptation for corruption and to set yourself above humanity would be immense.

That there would be a group to try and keep things in check would be almost inevitable, but that he group would be corrupted and flawed in its own right is taking the game to another level.

Add a dash of politics and corporate powerplay is just the icing on the cake.

Yes it is still harsh language and some over the top displays of sex and violence but it has turned into a totally different animal.

Obviously it is not going to be to everyone's taste, but for me this could come to challenge Preacher as Ennis' best work.

 

[Connavar]

I like his violent,dark humor stories,over the top stories too. I think Hitman,Hellblazer of his is great. I just think The Boys is not his best of this kind.

I like The Preacher alot but its was his first famous series and i have seen many fans who find not his best work today, it was very young Ennis. Max Punisher is hailed as the best Punisher ever, Hitman is his most loved DC work it seems among Ennis fans. Have you read Hitman? It won even best issue Eisner award.

I rate his works highly often but The Boys i just couldnt follow his dislike for superhero makes it a hard read for me. I dont even like superhero much.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I can understand that Con, a lot of it is very disturbing, and a lesser writer would probably not get away with it, but I can fully appreciate it not being to everyone's taste!

I read as much of Ennis' stuff I can get my hands on, and have read Hitman. Although as a whole I loved it, I thought there were a few times it dipped in quality. I think the end is one of the best endings in comics, and I will always have the memory of Zombie penguins in my head.

Agree about his Punisher stuff, but have loved most of his independent stuff, Wormwood being another that sticks in my head.

Forgot about his run on Hellblazer - that was a superb run.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Finished The Boys:

72 issues, three six issue limited series and Garth Ennis’ deconstruction of superheroes comes to an end. Well written, strong characters, funny and in so many ways vulgar Ennis has something to his longer completed series, Preacher and Hitman.

In a world where superheroes exist, but are unlike any we might know, yet somehow seem to be achingly familiar there needs to exist a small unit to keep them in check. And that would be The Boys.

Like so much of his stuff the humour defuses much of the swearing, sex and stuff that you never thought you would see in a comic book and it disguises the fact that the series is quite multlayed with numerous plotlines running together, that the hedonistic behaviour of the heroes overshadows. With a lack of moral fibre in the superheroes, to corporate schemes, to the heroes wanting to rule the world, to the Boys trying to stop them, with touching relationships and epic stories, through to heroes becoming villains, it is a universe in its own right.

Perhaps the most stunning thing is the fact that all the ludity is dropped for the last 13 issues and you get a conclusion that is probably one of the best Ennis has offered in a long time. Better still is the feeling that it is not over, that the world continues, that although the big problems have been dealt with some of the issues still exist and that is the way it should be.

One of the high points has to be the Butcher limited series, if ever there was something that could make a monster human, elicit sympathy and then make sense of why Butcher would become what he becomes, this is it. And the Herogasm limited series, because you cannot believe that a comic could be published containing that kind of material.

The ending is a gripping as any thriller, and pays off well.

Its not going to be everyone’s taste, but it is a series that stands out as something that has attempted to do something different and stretch the boundaries of what superhero comics are, to look at them in a different light.


Next up Buffy Season 9 (or the second major storyline)

 

[Connavar]

I can understand that Con, a lot of it is very disturbing, and a lesser writer would probably not get away with it, but I can fully appreciate it not being to everyone's taste!

I read as much of Ennis' stuff I can get my hands on, and have read Hitman. Although as a whole I loved it, I thought there were a few times it dipped in quality. I think the end is one of the best endings in comics, and I will always have the memory of Zombie penguins in my head.

Agree about his Punisher stuff, but have loved most of his independent stuff, Wormwood being another that sticks in my head.

Forgot about his run on Hellblazer - that was a superb run.

Heh didnt know you were as big Ennis fan as i who have read most of his works. I have bought so much Ennis from local comic shop that the owner has made a shelf of only Ennis series. I bought Bloody Mary collection last month just because its Ennis and his fav artist in Carlos Esquerra.