Anyone here fan of Comic books/graphic novels?
We had a topic for animation so why not for the comic books? I mean surely enough Sam and Max as well as Bone are based on comics or if you want a better term for it "graphic novels". I think it would be best for a topic on graphic novels. So what are your favorite graphic novels? Also you can talk about comic book to film adaptions(like Spider-man, the xmen movies, etc) including the animated adaptions(like the DC direct to video movies).
Bone was one of the first graphic novels I've read, I've always loved it since i first read it. Great characters, as well as a great story. Too bad the film of it isnt 2D animated, it would have been better than that motion crapture treatment its getting.
Aside from the Bone series I happen to be a fan of Frank Miller's Sin City. I've always enjoyed stories regarding on private eyes through the hard times as well as city based locations. The film of Sin City is fantastic, and is one of the few movies that is based on a comic that I have enjoyed other than Scott pilgrim. I also enjoy Scott Pilgrim(there are two monkey island references in it if anyone hasn't read it, but I get the feeling some people on here have read it). Also I am a fan of The spirit. But i HATE Millers take on it. Brad Bird would have done a whole lot better compared to what Frank miller did. Same goes for Howard the Duck and Tank girl. I like the comics, but the movies are terrible.
Bone was one of the first graphic novels I've read, I've always loved it since i first read it. Great characters, as well as a great story. Too bad the film of it isnt 2D animated, it would have been better than that motion crapture treatment its getting.
Aside from the Bone series I happen to be a fan of Frank Miller's Sin City. I've always enjoyed stories regarding on private eyes through the hard times as well as city based locations. The film of Sin City is fantastic, and is one of the few movies that is based on a comic that I have enjoyed other than Scott pilgrim. I also enjoy Scott Pilgrim(there are two monkey island references in it if anyone hasn't read it, but I get the feeling some people on here have read it). Also I am a fan of The spirit. But i HATE Millers take on it. Brad Bird would have done a whole lot better compared to what Frank miller did. Same goes for Howard the Duck and Tank girl. I like the comics, but the movies are terrible.
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I have a passing interest in comics. I don't have a huge range (just the Essential Spider-Man collections and the first few Ultimate Spider-Man graphic novels), but my Dad gets the Teen Titan and Moon Knight graphic novels and I always enjoy reading those.
I prefer to read proper novels based on well-known franchises (Indiana Jones and James Bond, primarily, but once they're read I'm sure I'll move onto something else), but I do enjoy the comic form. The novelization of The Death of Superman (y'know, this one) was quite good, if you like that sort of thing.
But yeah. Comics are good, but hard to find in the UK. And expensive. Always seem too expensive to me. But then, everything does. I'm just old fashioned like that. (I'm 26. What's wrong with me?)
I think my favourites would be 'Arkham Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth' (how could you not love something with a subtitle like that? :P) by Grant Morrison, 'The Killing Joke' by Alan Moore and also 'Watchmen' by Alan Moore (also one of my favourite films, but when I ordered the comic it came in German, GERMAN! o_O).
I've always wanted to read the Sin City graphic novels but never got around to it, also The Spirit - I didn't really get the film, but I could the general feeling that it would work well as a graphic novel, it just had the sort of feel to it, if I'm making the slightest bit of sense? :P
Also do online comics count? I always liked Bleedman's 'Grim Tales.'
And of course Sam & Max
The character continues to evolve, and just when you think it's getting tiresome, a famous DC character makes an awesome cameo and changes everything. The series goes in a direction you never could have imagined, and continues to surprise you up to the end of Moore's run. His run is collected in I believe six volumes, starting with Saga of the Swamp Thing. If you get bored towards the middle of the series, stick with it - trust me.
The philosophical issues that it gets you to think about are fascinating.
Sandman is a standard top 3 recommendation, and of course it's good, but in my mind Alan Moore's Promethea explores many similar elements (story, myth, philosophy, etc.) in a much more interesting and intelligent way. Not necessarily a great place to start with comics (I would recommend Sandman first actually), but really pushes and explores the limits of the medium once you get your bearings. Incidentally, there is also a brief cameo in Promethea from an old fairy tale character who turns out to be a total badass. I guess Moore does cameos well.
Watchmen by the way is also not a great place to start. You're supposed to be somewhat familiar with comics and the superhero genre first.
I almost thought you were joking. But as I googled it, I was not only surprised but dumbfounded by a poor choice by the executives. You can read about it here.
http://www.justpressplay.net/movies/movie-news/4450-brad-birds-qthe-spiritqwhat-couldve-been.html
Webcomics? I read only xkcd, VGCats, Penny Arcade, and Strange Candy. Considering Strange Candy is only once weekly, and VGCats is "whenever Scott makes a comic", it's not much. I consider Looking For Group in the former category only because I only have read the hardcover collections, despite it being a webcomic.
I started reading comics and graphic novels when I started study at college. Among my favorites are The Unwritten, V For Vendetta, Persepolis, Batman: The Long Halloween an Kingdome Come
It's awesome
Also worth mentioning: Kingdom Come, a 1996 Elseworlds graphic novel by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. Waid does a really fantastic job creating an interesting narrative along with some great genuine conflicts and Alex Ross' art style is a gorgeous thing to behold. It's definitely one of the best Elseworlds comics out there. Of course I like the obscure Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (Steampunk Batman), so my tastes aren't exactly standard.
As for comics, I'd of course second Calvin & Hobbes and Foxtrot.
Now for the graphic novel. The Blacksad series by Juanjo Guarnido have incredible visuals.
Blankets, an autobiographic 600-page comic by Craig Thomson, was impressive to say the least.
The novels by good ol' Will Eisner are released in anthologies nowadays, grab a copy of Life on Dropsie Avenue to experience an early pinnacle of the art form that has lost nothing of its appeal.
And who could live without Maus, the Pulitzer-winning graphic novel retelling the life of author Art Spiegelman's father in Poland under Nazi rule?
Marjane Satrapi's comic autobiography Persepolis is shocking and amusing at the same time, and she really achieves what she wanted to: the reader's understanding of the Iranian people.
Recently, Alex Alice's Siegfried has taken some interesting, dark fantasy paths towards a very old story. As far as I know, there's no English translation yet.
The by far most impressive release in recent years, however, was Shaun Tan's "The Arrival". Not one written word, and all so clear. So incredibly recognisable, and still all new and strange. And the art quality surpassed my wildest dreams throughout the book. (Edit: Just found out that the author is actually nominated for an Oscar this year. WOW.)
I love the Sam & Max comics. I've been a big fan of since I read them in The Adventurer. I bought Hit the Road because of the Adventurer comics.
I also really like the Bone comics. I became of fan of them because of the Telltale Bone games. I read the rest of the Bone comics after Telltale lost the license, and became hooked after I read Eyes of the Storm, which is where it starts to get really good.
Other than that, I read the Futurama comics from time to time as they are usually pretty funny and faithful to the show.
Oddly, I'm really a big fan of the DC Animated Universe and the DC Universe animated movies, but I haven't read any superhero comics. I'm really interested in The Dark Knight Returns. That's on my to-read list next time I get the chance.
Thanks divisionten and Vainamoinen, I didn't even think about comic strips when I was writing this. I really liked the Garfield: His 9 Lives book where they had several interpretations of the characters. I really wish I still had that. I also like Peanuts (I used to have a compilation book of these too that I wish I still had), Calvin & Hobbes, Foxtrot, The Wizard of Id, and B.C..
Sam & Max is just awesome full stop. And Lackadaisy is on a whole different level, I've just never read a comic with so much detail and wit and it's just a joy to read. However, I will admit it is mainly manga I have read, and Sailor Moon is just visually gorgeous, hence it's my favourite. And Fruits Basket was brilliant too for the time I read it... which was long ago... XD
I've recently gotten into Spirou & Fantasio and am awaiting the New York album in the post. I've read snippets online of Petit Spirou too and they were hilarious!
Go find Darwyn Cooke's run on The Spirit from a few years back - THAT was true to the originals.
Doug Tennapel - I really enjoyed Creature Tech and of course Earthworm Jim, but for some reason his other works never really resonated with me much. It's good, don't get me wrong, and being born and raise 30 mins south of Modesto, CA definitely made me appreciate Earthboy Jacobus and Iron West (Enough for me to pick them up and keep reading them at least), but I just....never really got into his work much. I really enjoy surreal stories, so it's always been this odd case of someone who, by rights, I should really like but just don't find myself all that into.
Jhonen Vasquez - I love the dark, cynical and slightly sociopathic bent of his work A LOT. It's twisted fun and glories in the sort of dead baby comedy I adore. However, his art style...doesn't always work for me. I think his aesthetic works best (in my mind) animated in some fashion, so while I loved Invader Zim and his work on MSI's Shut Me Up music video, I find myself less drawn to his comic works. I have read a bit of I Feel Sick and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and the humor is exactly what I love Vasquez for, but just something about his art in a paneled format just...I don't know, it's wierd. To be fair, I have the same problem with Sandman and a few other 'unique' graphic novel art styles. I can recognize the work is quite good on it's own it's just something about the style in comic form gets me hung up.
I'm not actually familiar with Álvarez's work, so I can't really comment on him though and...wow, this was longer than I intended, I'm sorry.
Bone: I came because of the Telltale Games, and stayed because of the compelling story, funny dialogue, and wonderful characters. Thanks for introducing me, Telltale!
Scott Pilgrim: I watched the movie, and it was awesome. When I found out that it was based off of a comic series, I went and picked it up to get a good idea of the original story. I was blown away.
Sam and Max: A friend of mine (ted12) introduced me to the game in an email. I redirected to Telltale, but I got distracted by the other games that were coming out. Once I found the demos, I got hooked on the series and bought the first two seasons in a Christmas sale. I played them through, and I loved them. When I found out about the comics, I picked up the book. I had to bite my thumb to keep myself from laughing so much.
Maus: I had to do a project on a historical book for Social Studies one summer, and when I found this book on the list, I checked it out to see how good it was. I absolutely loved it.
Watchmen: My dad actually bought this comic for me. Once I started reading it, I was intrigued. When I finally finished it, it actually left me feeling satisfied, which is not an easy task. Alan Moore, you are a genius. Zack Snyder, on the other hand, can go to hell for not doing a better job with the movie.
Say...
(checks watch)
It's Miller time!
I'm becoming a very big fan of Conies. It has a very entertaining plotline, and I like how the author set in in a place outside of time, in both it's setting and style. It feels like it's from the early 20th century, and a lot of the fashion is taken from there too, but there's modern fashion as well as modern slang and references too.
Anyways this thread is meant to serve as a hub for ALL comics. Nothing is discriminated against. Super Hero, Indie, Alternative, Manga, Golden Age, Webcomics, whatever your into. I would love for this to turn out like the animation thread, a great place to talk about comics and receive recommendations.
So, what have you been reading lately? What's your favorite series? Where do you buy your comics? As long as it's related to comics talk about it here.
I'll be sure to post later with some of my recommendations and my thoughts on each.
I like Silver Age Superman because he was likely among the top 3 most powerful comic creations of all time. Only Superman One Million was probably stronger, but that's because Superman One Million was pretty much a god. I'm currently mourning the impending end of Smallville.
I stopped buying comics for a long time, but have once again begun to purchase them now that I have an iPad to read them on.
How is that one?
http://www.shinyshelf.com/2010/11/19/mountains-madness-graphic/
(As a kid I watched cartoons more, but I LOVED the 90s X-Men, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Fantastic 4)
But of the comics I have read, I loved 3 different series.
I love the What if? comics. Its cool to see classic stories have an interesting twist applied to them.
(Its a shame videogames don't do this more often!!)
The Exiles series (ignoring the second run, that didn't get off the ground), was a brilliant read really.
Again its mostly due to that What if? factor, and the fact that Morph is awesome!
Earth X, Universe X and Paradise X are a great spin on comic lore as well.
I'd reccomend it, (though it gets a bit weird and loses a bit of steam later on).
Apart from that, I normally prefer short-run comics. Tend to be better quality.
When something runs for a long time (like the Thunderbolts comics which started off great, but got so silly to the point it got off-putting (You can blame Civil War for that!)), sometimes the Quality diminishes if it is left unchecked.
This is especially the case when multiple writers and artists get involved.
I love Deadpool as well, but I don't have many of those comics sadly...
(its not exactly easy to get comic books here in the UK these days (probably need to go to specialist stores I guess (don't help with the prices either...))).
The Goon:
I recently ordered The first two volumes of the Goon from my library (Vol 0: Rough Stuff and Vol 1: Nothing but Misery) and I can't recomend them highly enough. The Goon is influenced by everything from Hellboy and Sam and Max, to old E.C Horror comics and Noir movies. The Goon follows the adventures of the titular character and his best friend Frankie as they run errands for the Mafia and keep the city's zombie population in check. The Goon is a truly awesome series with a great sense of humor and Fantastic art and writing by Eric Powell. If you like Sam and Max you will LOVE The Goon.
CHEW:
I have already said much about CHEW in my other thread "Telltale should take on CHEW", but basically its about a cop who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. What I love about CHEW is it starts at WTF and then gets crazier from there. Every issue is completely utterly ridiculous but it manages to tell a very cohesive and compelling story. The series is still in it's infancy (only 18 issues) so seriously go pick up the trades and get caught up. It's awesome.
Preacher:
I was expecting to hate this book, but after reading the first hardcover, I'm eating my own crow. Preacher is equal parts Pulp Fiction, The Davinci Code, and True grit. Preacher follows the story of Jesse Custer, a minister who along with his ex-girlfriend Tulip and Irish Vampire friend Cassidy, set out to find god after he abandoned humanity. Preacher is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. Peoples faces are torn off and fastened on upside down, dead dogs are nailed to fences, and one character attempts to follow in the steps of Kurt Cobain and commit suicide with a shot gun, permanently disfiguring his face. Preacher is a great read if you can stand all the profanity and stomach a few of the gorier scenes.
I've also been reading Fables, Walking Dead, and Sandman recently. My library is ordering the first hardcover of Y! The Last Man sometime this week so I'm looking forward to that.
Walking Dead, Fables and Sandman are all others I appreciate as well. Y! The Last Man... just never could get my interest.
Another comic I forgot to mention that I have been reading a lot lately is Axe Cop. It's a web comic written by a 7 year old (Malachai Nicolle) and illustrated by his 30 year old brother (Ethan Nicolle). It's a lot of fun even if the plot is near impossible to understand at this point. In addition to the web comic Dark Horse is currently in the middle of publishing the 3 part mini series Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth.
http://axecop.com/
and then of course who could forget
for webcomics, these are the 3 that I still occasionally check out:
http://www.sluggy.com/
http://www.sinfest.net/
http://leasticoulddo.com/
I started watching The Walking Dead series, but stopped after two episodes to read the comics first at the suggestion of fans from these forums.
I've just begun reading them, but they're very good so far.
But I am a fan of Linkara.
This is my favorite comic book.
Also I didn't know there was a Yojimbo comic.
I like BlackOp, TWD, Chew and Y! aswell as the Slam Dunk and Hikaru no Go manga.
And masses of french bande dessinée.
But then I found out he was actually making a cameo appearance and had his own comic series (and video game!).
I should really get round to reading those....