The General Comic Discussion Thread - Part 2

[Gee]

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022

DC received the most nominations with 15 followed by Image with 14. Nightwing has five nominations and Tom King has two: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Best Limited Series) and The Human Target (Best New Series).

 

[Babillygunn]

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022

DC received the most nominations with 15 followed by Image with 14. Nightwing has five nominations and Tom King has two: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Best Limited Series) and The Human Target (Best New Series).

Those three are very well deserved. Nightwing cleaned up. I’m also glad to see Bruno Redondo get nominated for Nightwing. That art really fits that book and creates a total package of joy.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022

DC received the most nominations with 15 followed by Image with 14. Nightwing has five nominations and Tom King has two: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Best Limited Series) and The Human Target (Best New Series).

Go DC!

 

[Mani-Man]

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022

DC received the most nominations with 15 followed by Image with 14. Nightwing has five nominations and Tom King has two: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Best Limited Series) and The Human Target (Best New Series).

Really happy for DC and especially Nightwing for the Eisner Awards Nominations.
Nightwing deserves them for sure.

Comics Week

Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest #3

Such a good book.
I love the writing, the interaction of the charactes and the characters themselves…on point.
The Art is great too…the hype definitely was deserved.

Batman: The Knight #5

The Issue got quite some hype on social media, claiming it would finally make Bisexual Bruce Wayne canon…well that didn’t happen…cowards.
But still, the issue was fantastic, The Knight is rising in my ranks and I have a lot of fun with it.

The Flash #782

A bit weaker than the previous issue I feel, but still incredible fantastic.
The whole Vibe of this run is so lovely, it makes you just smile.

Nightwing #92

If anybody wonders why Nightwing is nominated as often as it is…read this issue.
God damn it, never thought Nightwing would ever have my heart this much.
I expected the run to be good, but not “My number 1” good.
But it is by a long shot.
This is what you get when you find the sweet spot, a team that elevates each others work and cares about the characters.
One negative is always when im reminded that Alfred is dead…died because a writers shallow plans he just spit on the ground.
I just want Alfred back, don’t hurt me with flashbacks and stuff…bring the man back fully.

Wonder Woman Evolution #7

Sadly the story lost me by now, when it has just 1 issue left after this.
It started out decently strong but the momentum was going down with every issue.
This issue was a bit better, but I doubt the final issue will be strong enough to keep this Story in my mind for long.
Too bad because its another example of why I feel Wonder Woman has the short end of the stick currently a bit.

It was a really good week.

 

[Babillygunn]

Nightwing #92

If anybody wonders why Nightwing is nominated as often as it is…read this issue.
God damn it, never thought Nightwing would ever have my heart this much.
I expected the run to be good, but not “My number 1” good.
But it is by a long shot.
This is what you get when you find the sweet spot, a team that elevates each others work and cares about the characters.
One negative is always when im reminded that Alfred is dead…died because a writers shallow plans he just spit on the ground.
I just want Alfred back, don’t hurt me with flashbacks and stuff…bring the man back fully.

I too loved this issue. I keep expecting some let down because I don’t see how this quality can be maintained, but Taylor keeps outdoing himself with each issue. Nightwing is not Batman-lite anymore. He’s his own man, and (wild as it is to say) he’s basically a superior hero to Bruce.

***and I won’t touch your Tom King hate.
I’ll just say that I’m ready for Alfred to return as well.

 

[gohei_]

We Only Find Them When They're Dead vol 1, This is a really cool series. It takes place 200 years in the future where for some reason these giant corpses starts to appear out in deep space, and people have started making a living out of harvesting the flesh and organs of these beings and selling the material. Really interesting, can't wait to pick up the second volume that's coming shortly. Cool art as well, very flashy and dynamic and a lot of bright colors.

Today I started reading Hickmans run on the Fantastic Four. I have seen nothing but praise about his FF/Avengers/Secret Wars run and so far I am all in. Probably 6 or 7 issues in so far but yeah, it's really good.

 

[NDX]

Today I started reading Hickmans run on the Fantastic Four. I have seen nothing but praise about his FF/Avengers/Secret Wars run and so far I am all in. Probably 6 or 7 issues in so far but yeah, it's really good.

Been doing the same. Halfway through omni 2, still as good as the first read ac decade ago. Shame I found his Avengers so damn boring.

 

[signalman]

From Mani-Man Post:

"Nightwing #92

If anybody wonders why Nightwing is nominated as often as it is…read this issue.
God damn it, never thought Nightwing would ever have my heart this much.
I expected the run to be good, but not “My number 1” good.
But it is by a long shot.
This is what you get when you find the sweet spot, a team that elevates each others work and cares about the characters.
One negative is always when im reminded that Alfred is dead…died because a writers shallow plans he just spit on the ground.
I just want Alfred back, don’t hurt me with flashbacks and stuff…bring the man back fully."

I haven't read NW #92 But on another message board someone posted this image of Dick waving to George Perez.
Made me teary eyed.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

@signalman That's a nice pic. The guy sitting down is Marv Wolfman, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Babillygunn]

I haven't read NW #92 But on another message board someone posted this image of Dick waving to George Perez.
Made me teary eyed.

Holy cow! I missed that. That’s awesome. Makes a great issue even more special.

 

[CrimsonMist]

My shop got the shaft with their order for World's Finest so I didn't get a copy and won't until next week so I didn't get to read it yet.

Nightwing continues to a very good book, and it's wonderful that it received 5 Eisner noms, but this issue kind of annoyed me. This is the second or third time in this series that Taylor has framed an issue with a character's speech at the beginning and then at the end. I wanna say he did it over in Superman, too. It just feels lazy and tiresome already, kind of like Scott Snyder's "When I was a boy..." openings. Still a wonderful book, but some of Taylor's quirks are beginning to reveal themselves.

Gonna once again push back on @Mani-Man 's Tom King bashing. I think Alfred should stay dead. King's issue when Bruce finds his body is still one of my favorite issues of his run, and should have been the thesis for how to treat Bruce & family going forward. No longer should they fall back on Alfred to assist them. Alfred raised the Bat family to be self-sufficient and while we see of that happening in Nightwing, other writers really should have used that moment to snap Bruce into shape as a responsible father. Making Superman a dad worked wonders for the character. Bruce realizing that he now needs to step up in Alfred's absence is what Tynion and others should have done. Maybe Zdarsky and V will take that ball and run with it.

Action Comics #1044. I have a feeling that the Warworld Saga is running until #1050 and I am 100% here for it! This issue sees the first back-up feature to tie directly into the main story, telling the story of the very first Mongul and the origin of Warworld, and it is cosmically bleak and nihilistic. This issue, we begin to see that maybe some of Clark's decisions up to this point might come back to bite him as he struggles to stay focussed on who he is and who he loves. We also get some info regarding the writings Clark has discovered written in the Necropolis below Warworld that feel a little more blasphemous than it should: these writings are the beginnings of the legends that permeate throughout cultures: the legend of King Arthur and the story of Orpheus descending into Hades to recover Eurydice. The third story is that of Moses (which bears more than a passing familiarity with our title hero) which seems to be the most relevant to the purpose of this story: a child sent to safety by his people now returned to rescue them from oppression. The stakes get higher. The drama intensifies. The scope is ever expanding. Apparently Johnson is going to introduce some concepts related to The New Gods and I am very eager to see how that plays out.

It may be obvious, but after reading this story, Philip Kennedy Johnson should be given a fair shot at re-organizing and re-establishing The Fourth World. He's got the chops to pull it off in a grand way.

Swamp Thing #13. This book is really flying under the radar here. The last issue blew me away, and this issue doubles down on it. The Parliament of Gears, with an avatar of Industry and ideas? A parliament that latches onto the ideas of industry now abandoned and begins to produce no aim or goal other than to simply produce? Man, this is the most bonkers, intelligent Swamp Thing since Vol. 2 was cancelled in the mid-90s. I love the casual integration into the rest of the DCU proper, and the appearance of Hal Jordan (as Green Lantern, but introducing himself as Hal) at the end, with a nod to the fact that Batman's dealt with Swamp Thing before, just really made this issue sing for me. Ram V continues to be a writer to keep an eye on. He's something special. DC needs to foster that talent big time.

 

[Babillygunn]

Alfred raised the Bat family to be self-sufficient and while we see of that happening in Nightwing, other writers really should have used that moment to snap Bruce into shape as a responsible father. Making Superman a dad worked wonders for the character. Bruce realizing that he now needs to step up in Alfred's absence is what Tynion and others should have done. Maybe Zdarsky and V will take that ball and run with it.

And then making him and his wife neglectful enough that they basically left their son unsupervised with a noted madman which resulted in them not being there for their son throughout his teenage years likewise destroyed all of the amazing super-dad work that Tomasi had created. Superman is a reckless, deadbeat parent who wasn’t there for his son during the years that he most needed guidance.

Thanks Brian Michael Bendis.

 

[Mani-Man]

Gonna once again push back on @Mani-Man 's Tom King bashing. I think Alfred should stay dead. King's issue when Bruce finds his body is still one of my favorite issues of his run, and should have been the thesis for how to treat Bruce & family going forward. No longer should they fall back on Alfred to assist them. Alfred raised the Bat family to be self-sufficient and while we see of that happening in Nightwing, other writers really should have used that moment to snap Bruce into shape as a responsible father. Making Superman a dad worked wonders for the character. Bruce realizing that he now needs to step up in Alfred's absence is what Tynion and others should have done. Maybe Zdarsky and V will take that ball and run with it.

We had this before Kings run, Bruce moving to embrace his family and realizing he needs to do better.
Thats my problem with Kings decisions.
We were on our way, then King for no real reason decided that this is not what is supposed to happen.
He then had Bruce shove this family aside for Selina, just to return in the end to that exact point while also Killing Alfred without really being interested in dealing with such an dramatic change.

Of course Tynion etc should have done something with that to make it matter, Taylor here and there sprinkle in is not enough for me.
We are talking about Alfred here...he deserves better.

For years the fans scream for better Batfamily content, are tired of the same old "Bruce the general" etc, We got snyder who was more interested in adding a few of his own characters to the family and Tom King who wanted Selina to be Bruces core family while the rest should just be second class to bruce.

If Zdarsky can deliver on that, i will not ask for Alfred back, then his death served a good purpose...but so far it was absolutely pointless in the greater scheme imo.

 

[Babillygunn]

We had this before Kings run, Bruce moving to embrace his family and realizing he needs to do better.
Thats my problem with Kings decisions.
We were on our way, then King for no real reason decided that this is not what is supposed to happen.
He then had Bruce shove this family aside for Selina, just to return in the end to that exact point while also Killing Alfred without really being interested in dealing with such an dramatic change.

Of course Tynion etc should have done something with that to make it matter, Taylor here and there sprinkle in is not enough for me.
We are talking about Alfred here...he deserves better.

For years the fans scream for better Batfamily content, are tired of the same old "Bruce the general" etc, We got snyder who was more interested in adding a few of his own characters to the family and Tom King who wanted Selina to be Bruces core family while the rest should just be second class to bruce.

If Zdarsky can deliver on that, i will not ask for Alfred back, then his death served a good purpose...but so far it was absolutely pointless in the greater scheme imo.

I am certainly in the category or people who want greater Bat Family content, which is one of the reasons that I loved Tynion’s Detective run as much as I did. However, I never saw Bruce as shoving away his family in favor of Selina in King’s run. I saw it more as him integrating her into his life. King still had some great family moments sprinkled in such as Bruce and the Robins eating at Bat Burger and some genuinely good interactions with Dick. Rules of Engagement also had some good family moments.

That said, I can see where you are coming from in this criticism. And I can see where if you don’t like Selina that you wouldn’t like Kings decisions, as Selina (as the Bat wife in the family) is going to have a more prominent place in the family. I just never saw the family being completely disregarded as you do.

I am a huge King fan, and while it isn’t my favorite example of his work, I find his Batman run to be pretty solid, if flawed. It definitely has its highs. But I do agree that one of my criticisms would be that Selina seems overpowered (she bested Talia for goodness sake, and held her own with Bane) while the family is underpowered. (I’m sorry but Cassandra would be able to take out Thomas Wayne by herself. It was stupid to have Thomas beat the entire family, sans Dick, all at once.)

 

[Mani-Man]

I am certainly in the category or people who want greater Bat Family content, which is one of the reasons that I loved Tynion’s Detective run as much as I did. However, I never saw Bruce as shoving away his family in favor of Selina in King’s run. I saw it more as him integrating her into his life. King still had some great family moments sprinkled in such as Bruce and the Robins eating at Bat Burger and some genuinely good interactions with Dick. Rules of Engagement also had some good family moments.

That said, I can see where you are coming from in this criticism. And I can see where if you don’t like Selina that you wouldn’t like Kings decisions, as Selina (as the Bat wife in the family) is going to have a more prominent place in the family. I just never saw the family being completely disregarded as you do.

I am a huge King fan, and while it isn’t my favorite or his work, I find his Batman run to be pretty solid, if flawed. Thanks t definitely has its highs. But I do agree that one of my criticisms would be that Selina seems overpowered (she bested Talia for goodness sake, and held her own with Bane) while the family is underpowered. (I’m sorry but Cassandra would be able to take out Thomas Wayne by herself. It was stupid to have Thomas beat the entire family, sans Dick, all at once.)

I may be wrong there and please correct me, but most of the interactions he had were involving some kind of search for approval for his relationship with Selina, and very little about the family itself.
Mainly it was about Selina.
And i understand where you are coming from and maybe thats were i have the wrong angle, maybe it was really just about making Selina part of the family instead of replacing the family with her.
But does the family afterwards play a bigger role in Batman/Catwoman comic? That would give me a better feeling that he cared about the family on a profounder level.

Yeah, the overpowering Selina while later on the family looked incredible weak against Thomas, these are things that make me feel like he didnt care for the Batfamily.

 

[Babillygunn]

I may be wrong there and please correct me, but most of the interactions he had were involving some kind of search for approval for his relationship with Selina, and very little about the family itself.
Mainly it was about Selina.
And i understand where you are coming from and maybe thats were i have the wrong angle, maybe it was really just about making Selina part of the family instead of replacing the family with her.
But does the family afterwards play a bigger role in Batman/Catwoman comic? That would give me a better feeling that he cared about the family on a profounder level.

Yeah, the overpowering Selina while later on the family looked incredible weak against Thomas, these are things that make me feel like he didnt care for the Batfamily.

I see your point. I did think that Bruce had the typical “stand down, Bane is too dangerous” discussion with the Robins and that wasn’t Selina-centric. Plus there were some solid Bruce/Dick interactions in the aftermath of the wedding fallout. When Selina left Bruce at the altar, Dick was the one there for him. He took over as Batman during the Cold Days issues while Bruce was on jury duty, and he and Dick were working as a pair doing detective work until Dick was shot by KGBeast. I took it that Bane orchestrated Dick being shot because he recognized Dick’s importance and that Bruce would never be broken if his son/best friend was still in the picture.

All that said, I agree that one of my major frustrations with King’s run is that there does seem to be a tendency to show the Bat Family as incompetent. I felt like Snyder did this as well, though, especially with Death of the Family. So it’s nothing new.

 

[Mani-Man]

Overall we can say we NEED more wholesome batfamily content.

We reach the final week of May…half of the comic year is almost over…wow

Action Comics #1043

The usual on that front, im loving the arc.
The Warworld saga is continuing strong. the art once again is fantastic, Superman’s gladiatorial armour is a noteworthy cool aesthetic. I enjoyed the short story about Mongul’s origins, that along with his plan to invade another planet makes him come off as a true menacing force of nature.

Batman Beyond the White Knight #3

It doesn’t disappoint at all and keeps rising in quality.
I really like the whole “Jack inside Bruces head” thing because it opens the door for a lot of character work when Bruce can not just silence and brood things away.
It gives the story a different vibe and I like that.
But in General, murphys world is so interesting in all aspects…I cant get enough of it.

Detective Comics #1060

One thing I really love above all else is that the arc also in its second issue feels like it has a good length.
I don’t know what exactly it is, but the pacing feels like I read 2-3 issue at once there.
Really enjoy that, doesn’t feel rushed or like they try to stretch it out to a certain issue number.
And the Arc so far is pretty neat too, the art delivers some panels that tickle a batman fans bones.
Panels you want to see and always make you go “Yup, that’s batman”.

Harley Quinn #15

Same as usual there too.
Really lovely written and “quirky” drawn, the combination of this works.
The twist you saw coming from far away, but that is not bothering me too much.
It makes things interesting on how this all will play out.

Robin #14

What a weird twist in terms of character reveal…I was expecting more.
I mean I like bringing out more “obscure” characters, but I was expecting more…especially from the shadow war arc.
Im sorry but im just not feeling this arc at all.
I should be because of all the crazy stuff going on, but im just not feeling it.
There was just far more possible with such an idea, but so far nothing really hits for me.

Again a good week, I think I never had something of a bad week so far.
A medicore week maybe, but again…I don’t see what some peoples problems are with the current DC run.
Im having so much fun with 90% of the books.

 

[Gee]

Joe Quesada leaves Marvel.

 

[Babillygunn]

So this was me this week after I saw the latest Batman Annual had come out, only to see that it was Ghostmaker focused:

 

[Mani-Man]

First things first, Congrats to @Babillygunn for winning Comics Poster of the Year...you definitly deserved it.

I missed last weeks comic week mainly because I only had two books and that wasn’t something to talk about.
I mean it got Batman Annual which featured Ghostmaker and was mainly to build up Batman Inc new…I liked it and it definitely built interest in the upcoming Batman Inc comic, but it wasn’t something super huge.

The other one was the final of the Shadow war and eh…it ended on a weak note imo.
Sure Damian and Bruce are on good terms again, but overall shadow war was disappointing to me.

Anway, onto comics week

Aquaman: Andromeda #1

That was a damn good issue, especially on the visual part.
I like the vibe an overall start so far, really good stuff.

Batman #124

Abyss finale…yeah it was okay but nothing more.
One final “filler” story so to speak before we move on to a new creative team and a new style etc.
It worked, but it didn’t blew me away.

Batman Killing Time #4

Puh, at times this was really hard because of the constant jumps, and we got a weird amount of cursing dialogue that due to its censoring felt a bit strange.
Still a good series, the art is so good and I do love the overall vibe.

Dark Crisis #1

Well that was a good start that absolutely makes me interested to see where this goes.
The Art is great too and it built a few good things that have me interested in seeing.

Monkey Prince #5

Same as usual, same as usual…nothing to complain there.
I really like it and have a great deal of fun with it being super comicy.

Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #1

More Nubia and Amazons is always good so count me in on that.
First issue was super good, Im absolutely into this.

Poison Ivy #1

Boy that was a surprise, that one is really good.
The Art is so good, the fungus etc stuff looks so creepy and scary, the overall visual design is very nice to look at and gives the world depth.
And most of all, the writing keeps you hooked where Ivys Journey goes.
That could be one of THE stories to read when it comes to Ivy.

Then the big one…DC Pride 2022

That Kevin Conroy story really grabbed my heart, such a strong message that probably will stay with me for longer…I will remember this story for a long time.
The rest of the Stories were good too, very likeable and positive…most you could feel the heart being put in.
But boy the first one sucked ass.
And that was the one with the Prides main big shot…Superman, Son of Kal el.
Such a tonedeaf story on several levels…mainly the way Damian was written imo.

But overall a fantastic read.

It was a rather huge week and a fun week too.
A lot of good stuff, new series that did good in their first issues, a strong Pride comic…so im quite happy overall with the comics week.

 

[Pennywise]

Bruce Campbell to Make DC Comics Debut With Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead

 

[CrimsonMist]

Small week, but first:

Big congratulations to @Babillygunn for winning Comics Poster of the Year! Thanks for making these forums a lively place for good conversation!

That Bruce Campbell Sgt Rock comic sounds awesome! Hope this means Sgt Rock is back on the table for people to use. Apparently Tom King wants to do a Sgt Rock comic but was stymied by some other creator who eventually plans to do something with the character. But this book sounds just wonderful. Eduardo Risso on art duties? Francesco Francavilla’s variant covers? Sign me up!

Aquaman: Andromeda #1. Daaaaamn. This was so great. I love the way that Ram V portrays Arthur as this truly mythological, weighty character. The nautical, weird cosmic horror is also incredibly unsettling, getting under the skin before you knew it was even there. Christian Ward’s art is trippy and atmospheric and very cinematic. I dare say that I would LOVE to see an Aquaman ongoing that’s written and drawn like this. I also see shades of Sub-Mariner: The Depths by Peter Milligan and Esad Ribic, one of my all time favorite comics (if you liked this Aquaman comic or just want some damn fine comics to read, check that one out. It doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves).

Batman: Killing Time #4. This book is unadulterated Tom King on speed. It’s genuinely funny and absurd and I’m totally in for the ride. I’m genuinely interested to see where the ancient Greek mythology ties into the story. Its a metaphor of some sort, but i hope the narrative payoff is a good one. Thus far, this story has been pure crime pulp and i love it.

Speaking of pulp, I snagged a couple of the Pulp Heroes annuals that DC released in 1997. They have some gorgeous covers by the likes of Gary Gianni and Glen Orbik. I found the annuals for Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman, Superman, Action Comics, Flash, Impulse, and JLA. The LOTDK book by James Robinson was my favorite. It tangentially ties into Starman by way of Steve Savage, son of Scalphunter Brian Savage and has awesome art by Russ Heath. The Impulse annual is in the style of a western with some cool artwork and a pretty cool Max Mercury story as a back-up. The covers in most cases are better than the books themselves, but they are very much worth reading and worth tracking down!

 

[Babillygunn]

Thanks @Mani-Man and @CrimsonMist. I’m humbled, especially given how valuable you two in particular are to the comics forums.

I agree on Aquaman: Andromeda. It definitely has a James Cameron Alien/Abyss vibe to it. I’m enjoying it thus far, even though it felt like they threw in one instance of cursing just to give it an “edge.” That seemed a little silly to me. (I know that’s a nitpick, but it bugged me.) I respect writers who can make comics have a cinematic feel to them, and Ram V has always been solidly in that camp. I feel that this and Future State Catwoman both showcase his skills in that regard very well.

 

[Mani-Man]

Thanks @Mani-Man and @CrimsonMist. I’m humbled, especially given how valuable you two in particular are to the comics forums.

I agree on Aquaman: Andromeda. It definitely has a James Cameron Alien/Abyss vibe to it. I’m enjoying it thus far, even though it felt like they threw in one instance of cursing just to give it an “edge.” That seemed a little silly to me. (I know that’s a nitpick, but it bugged me.) I respect writers who can make comics have a cinematic feel to them, and Ram V has always been solidly in that camp. I feel that this and Future State Catwoman both showcase his skills in that regard very well.

Oh yeah, Abyss vibe is definitly a good comparison.
I get your point about the cursing, at times it feels so unnecessary to me, like it is just there to make dialogue sound tougher...which is weird considering they censor the curse words and take away its effect therefore.
I love my comics to feel comicy for sure and i dont want to dimish those comics and teams, but yeah...when you come across artists and writers that make a comic feel bigger than that...it is something else.

 

[NDX]

I haven't read much DC as of late. I'm also very behind on Swamp Thing. How's the newest series, and do I need to read older series to get into it?

Also I kinda regret finally ordering from IST because... I can't seem to stop. But those discounts. I think I picked up more omnis in the last few months than the last few years.

Help.