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

[Ignited Moth]

I glanced at a copy of Rat Queens a while back and wasn't impressed by the title or the cover.

But I just went on Wikipedia and read through the premise and it actually sounds pretty fun. I might just buy the first volume now. Thanks for mentioning it Ignited Moth.

Oh, cool! I hope you wind up enjoying it just as much as I did.

 

[Overread]

Rat Queens is certainly going to be one of those comics where if you get the humour you'll love it for what it is; but if you don't get the humour it will pass right over you.

Aliens: Dead Orbit #1 - Comics by comiXology: Web UK
In other news a new Aliens comic series has started, Aliens Dead Orbit. I have to say if it continues on the same artistic style as this first issue then its going to be a must read just for the artwork alone. One of the few comics where the cover art is the same as the interior art. High detail, with a muddy "classic era" style that I feel really captures that dark muddy/hazy view that one can feel in the original films.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...232d3fbe96c78fc7ef41582._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg

 

[Matteo]

Well the Kirby/Ditko Machine Man collection was a lot more fun than The Filth. A little bit cheesy (and had more of a 60's feel to me than the late 70's when it was published) but great fun.

The on-going Doctor Strange, and Sorcerers Supreme titles were good - I like the way these titles are going (though perhaps they could cut down on the humour a bit).

Also just read the Miller/Janson Daredevil omnibus (nos. 158-191) which had hardly a duff issue in the entire run. I'd been put off buying a copy for several years because of the price - those omnibus issues, especially when they go out of print, can be pricey - but recently found a copy for a more reasonable amount.

Have just started the Alpha Flight omnibus which is bringing back some memories and have Shield, Spider-Man (Stern), Avengers vol.2 and Werewolf by Night omnibuses on my to be read pile (got those for just €35 each).

 

[Toby Frost]

I've just read The Black Monday Murders, volume 1, written by Jonathan Hickman, drawn by Tomm Coker and published by Image Comics. This is a literate and slow tale of a group of financiers who have made a deal with a sinister god, Mammon, which periodically demands blood sacrifices. The action takes place in 2016, but flashes back to the Wall Street Crash. It's certainly a story for our time: a group of corrupt millionaires who literally worship greed join forces with the Russian government/mafia, with bloody consequences.

The artwork is very detailed and precise. The conventional panels are broken up with weird pages of what seem to be poorly photocopied occult documents and redacted transcripts of conversations. It's just this side of pretentious and works well, I think.

I also like the way that that Cthulhu isn't involved - he's fast becoming the standard explanation for everything, and has lost a lot of his sinister power. The Old Testament image of Mammon is less cartoony and (weirdly) harder to understand than Cthulhu. However, I'm slightly uncomfortable with the use of real-world names, especially Rothschild, for some of the conspirators and financiers. That's a conspiracy theory too far.

This book only covers the first part of the story, but I shall certainly look for the next volume.

 

[HareBrain]

Last week I read Monstress volume 1, Awakening, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. Beautifully drawn and imagined fantasy, with a 90%-plus female cast (including the rulers) and which despite the presence of cute multi-tailed talking cats, doesn't stint on the violence and horror. Very much recommended, and surprisingly cheap (£8.99 in UK for a lot of pages and high production values).

Found volume 2 a couple of days ago, and just finished it. I'd highly recommend this series. I'm not sure I completely understand what's going on in it, but it's so gorgeous to look at, a re-read won't be any hardship at all. (Shame it was £14.99 though, when the first was barely above half that.)

 

[Overread]

I read through a few early issues of Monstress and loved the artwork and style; but I put it on hold because the story was getting to a point where I didn't want to wait months/weeks between the releases. Now that Volume 2 is out I really must catch up and do a binge of reading

 

[Jeffbert]

Has anyone been reading the one about WWII tanks? I forgot its title, but was a bit interested in it.

 

[dask]

Wouldn't be G.I. Combat, would it?

 

[Old_Man_Steve2016]

I've been reading Gods of Life by Shining Otaku comics.
It's an interesting story, little confusing between the One-shot and Chapter 1.
But it updates frequently, so as I read through it, it'll make more sense.
Shining Manga

 

[Perpetual Man]

As I claw my way through pile of comics that have taken over the space by the side of my bed, there are a couple that have stood out.

I've mentioned Dynamite Comics James Bond titles. They have been coming out as limited series and they have been universally superb, catching the books more than the films. There is now an ongoing series on the shelves and a Felix Leiter spin-off that has been equally superb, featuring Tiger Tanaka from You Only Live Twice.

If you like your bond any of the titles are worth a look at (or graphic novels as the earliest ones have been collected)

 

[Perpetual Man]

The other series that has really caught me by surprise and is really worth a look - it is also very adult so not for the under 18's I'm afraid, is The Assignment published by Titan comics under their Hard Case imprint. Originally written as a film script by Walter Hill, it is written by Matz who managed to keep the pages turning, but the true star of the show is the art by Jef, stunningly painted it is worth getting just to look at the paintings.

Fortunately the story does not let it down, but I can't say too much without giving the story away.

Frank is a killer for higher, one of the best. But when this is what you do with your life you are bound to make enemies and sooner or later they are going to come gunning for you.

When described like that, this could be just one of many hard boiled tales, and even giving it stunning art would only just raise it above the norm. However there is a twist at the end of the first issue that really screws the story into an unexpected and different direction. there are twists in later issues, but nothing matches the last few panels of the first issue (or chapter if you are reading the graphic novel.)

 

[HareBrain]

a re-read won't be any hardship at all

And thus it proved. Re-read the first volume of Monstress today, and enjoyed it even more.

 

[Jeffbert]

Wouldn't be G.I. Combat, would it?

No. That title seems to be republished from decades ago. The one I am thinking about is altogether new. Thanks, anyway, dask.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Has anyone been reading the one about WWII tanks? I forgot its title, but was a bit interested in it.

Not World of Tanks by Garth Ennis?

 

[Jeffbert]

I think that is it, based upon the sites I have just viewed. I subscribe to DHorse emails, & that must be where I learned of it. Have you read any of these, Perpetual Man?

 

[Perpetual Man]

Garth Ennis is one of the top writers in comics today, his output is very... um adult, quite often pushing the boundaries to see what he can get away with!

He does have another side though, a deep interest in modern warfare and classic war comics. He has an on going series called Garth Ennis' War Stories, normally 3 or 4 issue arcs telling fictional tales based on real events/squads etc.

He has used this series to tell a couple of tank related stories, but the one that has been at the fore recently is The World of Tanks. I believe this is based on a computer game, and unfortunately this weakening a bit, almost as though the writer has his hands tied by restrictions placed upon him by the original format.

That does not mean it is bad, just not as free as some of his other stuff.

 

[Jeffbert]

Thanks. So, you do not read it. I had a question, but, never mind.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks. So, you do not read it. I had a question, but, never mind.

Sorry, should have said, I have read it. It is not as good as most of Ennis' other work, but that does not make it bad!

 

[Jeffbert]

O.K., THE QUESTION: Does it depict the action inside the tanks during combat? I ask, because I have read that the German tanks orders were that the loader loads x-type, the gunner targets this then that, but the commander does not tell him when to fire, contrary to what was depicted in movies. I do not know about the US tanks' routines, though.

edit: the German tanks stopped to fire, while the US tanks main guns were gyro-stabilized, so, they could fire while moving; though with a lower chance of a hit.

 

[Perpetual Man]

You know, he said slightly embarrassed, I can't actually remember. Ennis is very good with his research, so I would not be surprised to find that his accuracy is good, but he might have been slightly constrained by what he was writing in order for it to fit in with the game it tied into. (If they did something in the game that was wrong he would to tie it to the game to keep it consistent.)