The General Comic Discussion Thread - Part 2

[Mani-Man]

Surprise, there is a comics week from me.
Been a long time and all that, but i thought especially because its Ram Vs last Detective comics...i should do one.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17

Lets start with that because it had a really neat Batman story.

Its about Calendar Man holding hostages.
Its fun written because i liked how it shows Batman methodically working in the shadows and all that.
The whole vibe of that story was really cool and its something i always could see work in a Batman tv show or so.
A bank or so full of hostages, while the GCPD is on the outside trying to figure out what to do, batman is inside and slowly takes out on criminal after the other, plans his strategy etc...always thought this could be a fun episode of a Batman show.

The Question story was neat too.
Cover as usual for this is cool.

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #1

Kind of surprised the Book is already starting, I was expecting it October…but got no problem with that.
A fun start to this and I have high hopes for it.
The Art needs a bit to get used to, its not Tim Sale so seeing a long Halloween book without his Art style, is something you need to get used to.
Lets see where this goes with writing and art…im interested and the first issue was really good.
Hooked me in right from the start.

Eduardo Rissos cover has something, but you gotta got with the late great Tim Sale on this.

Detective Comics #1089

Here we are, after two incredible years we reach the end of Ram Vs Detective Comics run.
A fitting end to this with again absolutely strong writing.
The Art stumbles at times, but when it is supposed to hit…it hits very well.
It was an experience to read, a story with so much depth and layers that flowed so well from start to finish. A story that really fits the Term “Gothic Opera”.
I cant praise this run enough, the way Ram V managed to tell his story was something you wont find easily.
I already cant wait to pick this run up in the near future and read it without having to wait 2 or so weeks between issues.
If he manages to make the single issues flow so well, I can only imagine how well this all works when reading the run without those breaks…it will be incredible.

Im currently not sure if im sad to see it end or not.
Part of me wants to see more Ram V Batman, but at the same time Im so satisfied with his Run and happy to see someone else take a different approach.
But I would absolutely love to see him Return to Batman one day and write another epic Story like this.

As usual the Regular Cover is the best to go with, it fits the whole vibe just perfect and is a incredible visual to end this run on.

Lot of Batman goodness this week, that is never a bad thing.
I cant wait for the Absolute Power event to end, It feels kind of weird missing out on some of my weekly comics.
But this week delivered with good batman stuff, so that’s nice.

 

[Babillygunn]

Surprise, there is a comics week from me.
Been a long time and all that, but i thought especially because its Ram Vs last Detective comics...i should do one.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17

Lets start with that because it had a really neat Batman story.

Its about Calendar Man holding hostages.
Its fun written because i liked how it shows Batman methodically working in the shadows and all that.
The whole vibe of that story was really cool and its something i always could see work in a Batman tv show or so.
A bank or so full of hostages, while the GCPD is on the outside trying to figure out what to do, batman is inside and slowly takes out on criminal after the other, plans his strategy etc...always thought this could be a fun episode of a Batman show.

The Question story was neat too.
Cover as usual for this is cool.

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #1

Kind of surprised the Book is already starting, I was expecting it October…but got no problem with that.
A fun start to this and I have high hopes for it.
The Art needs a bit to get used to, its not Tim Sale so seeing a long Halloween book without his Art style, is something you need to get used to.
Lets see where this goes with writing and art…im interested and the first issue was really good.
Hooked me in right from the start.

Eduardo Rissos cover has something, but you gotta got with the late great Tim Sale on this.

Detective Comics #1089

Here we are, after two incredible years we reach the end of Ram Vs Detective Comics run.
A fitting end to this with again absolutely strong writing.
The Art stumbles at times, but when it is supposed to hit…it hits very well.
It was an experience to read, a story with so much depth and layers that flowed so well from start to finish. A story that really fits the Term “Gothic Opera”.
I cant praise this run enough, the way Ram V managed to tell his story was something you wont find easily.
I already cant wait to pick this run up in the near future and read it without having to wait 2 or so weeks between issues.
If he manages to make the single issues flow so well, I can only imagine how well this all works when reading the run without those breaks…it will be incredible.

Im currently not sure if im sad to see it end or not.
Part of me wants to see more Ram V Batman, but at the same time Im so satisfied with his Run and happy to see someone else take a different approach.
But I would absolutely love to see him Return to Batman one day and write another epic Story like this.

As usual the Regular Cover is the best to go with, it fits the whole vibe just perfect and is a incredible visual to end this run on.

Lot of Batman goodness this week, that is never a bad thing.
I cant wait for the Absolute Power event to end, It feels kind of weird missing out on some of my weekly comics.
But this week delivered with good batman stuff, so that’s nice.

I’m glad to see you and some others enjoyed Ram V’s Detective run.
But I’m more glad that it’s over and I can read one of my favorite titles again. 😉

 

[blueharvest]

‘Absolute Wonder Woman’: Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman on reimagining an icon

The creators reimagine Diana in a dark, apocalyptic world while preserving her core values.

aiptcomics.com

 

[J.Drangal]

I really like the art style and don't mind the gigantic silhouette and bold logo at all, but since after the initial first look, everything from Absolute Batman just feels a bit "dudebro's Batman" to me... I don't know.
I think I'll pass for now... At least when it comes to collecting issues...

On the other hand, The Last Halloween, Batman & Robin: Year One et Batman : Dark Patterns are right up my alley.
Happy to dive back into the universe of the first (and even though I don't appreciate Risso as much as Sale, he's one of the best and the perfect guy for it), super eager to finally read a Chris Samnee drawn comic for the second and this latest series sounds like classic, standalone Batman stories, reminiscent of the original LOTDK run and I'm all for it!

 

[blueharvest]

I’m glad to see you and some others enjoyed Ram V’s Detective run.
But I’m more glad that it’s over and I can read one of my favorite titles again. 😉

I kind of feel the same way. I didn't dislike Ram V's run in any way, but on the other hand, I'm glad someone else is going to be taking over writing duties.

 

[Karelia]

Green Lantern #15 was so good! Jeremy Adams knows how to write Hal Jordan. Just a fun issue. Loved seeing Hal use a prototype Batplane and how it all played out was so perfect lol!

I still got my stack to go through. Picked up Lobo Cancellation Special #1 & the latest Action Comics for my DC books this week.

Curious, is anyone reading Nightwing? This id Tom Taylor's final arc for awhile. Is it living up to you guys expectations?

 

[blueharvest]

Green Lantern #15 was so good! Jeremy Adams knows how to write Hal Jordan. Just a fun issue. Loved seeing Hal use a prototype Batplane and how it all played out was so perfect lol!

I still got my stack to go through. Picked up Lobo Cancellation Special #1 & the latest Action Comics for my DC books this week.

Curious, is anyone reading Nightwing? This id Tom Taylor's final arc for awhile. Is it living up to you guys expectations?

To add to that list, have you started reading John Constantine: Hellblazer: Dead in America yet? It's only 9 issues long thus far, but it's one of the best books I've read in a while.

 

[Karelia]

To add to that list, have you started reading John Constantine: Hellblazer: Dead in America yet? It's only 9 issues long thus far, but it's one of the best books I've read in a while.

Man, I got too many books I'm picking up! Especially with the Absolute line coming out next month. I may have to wait for TPB on that one.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Hellblazer: Dead in America has been great through and through. Probably one of the top 5 best books of the year for me. I'm hoping we get a Swamp Thing title to spin out of it.

The first major arc of Spurrier's Flash run concluded. I'd be lying if I said I understood what happened, but I enjoyed the writing. It's poetic and rather beautiful. In reflecting, I guess it's similar in idea to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Wally faces a character based more on logic than human emotions. I can certainly see why most traditionalists wouldn't like it, but I'm still in for the ride. Best issue, we get an appearance by The Warlord, which is exciting.

The Conan the Barbarian universe has been firing on all cylinders lately. Savage Sword #5 rolls out the Black Stone event that gets picked up in Battle for the Black Stone #1. The writing in both books is so great. Everyone understood the assignment. My excitement couldn't be higher for this series. Conan the Barbarian #15 continues a prequel/retelling of The Frost Giant's Daughter, which at this point is beginning to feel like a rite of passage story for anyone doing Conan comics, this being the fifth time the story has been interpreted.

I have Animal Pound #5 on my desk but haven't read it yet. I did see the little advisory on the inside cover in regards for July 13th 2024 which gives me a pretty good idea, based on the previous issues, of how this one is going to play out. Can't wait to read it!

Get Fury #5. It's hard to believe this book ends in a week. That's not necessarily a good thing. The only time I read Marvel is primarily when Garth Ennis comes to write a Punisher or a Nick Fury book. We get the best of both worlds with Get Fury, wherein Frank Castle is employed by the CIA to terminate a POW Fury in Vietnam lest he reveal secrets to the Viet Cong. Naturally Castle has no inclination towards killing Fury, opting to rescue him instead while the CIA deduces the same and sents in a death squad to kill them both. Unfortunately, this story feels like it needed to be much longer. Issue 5 finally sees the rescue and I can't see how this ties together and concludes smoothly in one issue. I've been wrong before. Let's hope I'm wrong again.

Anyone else reading the new Jenny Sparks book that Tom King is writing? I'm having a hard time with this one. Despite a passing familiarity with Jenny Sparks and the Authority, I have no idea when this book takes place. There were some overt references to 9/11 in issue 2 to make it seem like the book takes place in the early 2000s but issue 1 felt like it took place today. Frankly, I have no idea what the hell is going on which is surprising because King has never been this obtuse in his writing before.

Ram V's Detective Comics run concludes, and while I should be happy (I wasn't enjoying his run for some time now), that happiness is undercut by Tom Taylor taking over and I couldn't be *less* interested. V's run was thoughtful and intelligent, but perhaps too much for its own good. It just became too heavy and too nebulous to keep a steady rhythm and pace. I appreciate the experiment, and I absolutely adore just about every creative who has a hand in the making of that book. The artistic talent alone, all working together on one book, is insane. But Ram V takes over New Gods, and I feel like his writing will lend a better hand to those concepts than Batman. I'm very excited for that.

I may check out Absolute Superman and now Absolute Wonder Woman. Batman, I still have no interest in

No one wants to talk about Al Ewing and Steve Lieber doing a Metamorpho book in December? Sign me the hell up! And Christopher Cantwell doing a Challengers of the Unknown series? It's like DC saw me having that conversation saying I had to cut back my pull list and decided to make sure that I didn't. I'm all in on those books. End of 2024/beginning of 2025 is shaping up to be a good time for DC. I hope they maintain it!

 

[blueharvest]

 

[Babillygunn]

The first major arc of Spurrier's Flash run concluded. I'd be lying if I said I understood what happened, but I enjoyed the writing. It's poetic and rather beautiful. In reflecting, I guess it's similar in idea to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Wally faces a character based more on logic than human emotions. I can certainly see why most traditionalists wouldn't like it, but I'm still in for the ride. Best issue, we get an appearance by The Warlord, which is exciting.

The switch in tone and writing style from Jeremy Adams to Spurrier has been extremely jarring. And I really struggle to know what is happening in the comic. Plus there is the aspect that Spurrier tends to rely heavily on prose in the storytelling. I don’t hate it, but I also don’t love it. A Wally West book should be much more fun than this.

I have Animal Pound #5 on my desk but haven't read it yet. I did see the little advisory on the inside cover in regards for July 13th 2024 which gives me a pretty good idea, based on the previous issues, of how this one is going to play out. Can't wait to read it!

Tom King was a little too “on the nose” with Animal Pound. Trump tends to be a caricature himself, so making a caricature of the caricature just didn’t land for me. I’m more interested in seeing the how of how someone like Trump gets into power. I thought that Animal Pound failed in that way. In all, it never made it past “ok.” But I had much higher expectations for this mini.

Anyone else reading the new Jenny Sparks book that Tom King is writing? I'm having a hard time with this one. Despite a passing familiarity with Jenny Sparks and the Authority, I have no idea when this book takes place. There were some overt references to 9/11 in issue 2 to make it seem like the book takes place in the early 2000s but issue 1 felt like it took place today. Frankly, I have no idea what the hell is going on which is surprising because King has never been this obtuse in his writing before.

Maybe I’m losing some of my excitement for the Tom King recipe of making great comics out of more obscure characters. I’ve only read the first issue, but thus far this doesn’t get past just being “edgy”. It lacks the intelligence of Human Target, Omega Men, or Danger Street. I’m afraid that this one might join Gotham City Year One or Batman Killing Time as one of Tom Kimg’s more forgettable works.

 

[Karelia]

I can't wait for the Green Lantern/Green Arrow Special

 

[Babillygunn]

I can't wait for the Green Lantern/Green Arrow Special

I’d love to see a comic where Ollie calls Carol Ferris a war profiteer.

 

[CrimsonMist]

@Babillygunn

The switch in tone and writing style from Jeremy Adams to Spurrier has been extremely jarring. And I really struggle to know what is happening in the comic. Plus there is the aspect that Spurrier tends to rely heavily on prose in the storytelling. I don’t hate it, but I also don’t love it. A Wally West book should be much more fun than this.

I didn't so much mind the shift in tone. I think The Flash lends themselves pretty well to these more "outre" stories. I just wish I could make sense of it. The next few issues sound pretty cool though so I'm sticking with it. I've heard rumblings that Spurrier is only signed on for 2 years, which means we're now in the final half of his run if that's the case.

Maybe I’m losing some of my excitement for the Tom King recipe of making great comics out of more obscure characters. I’ve only read the first issue, but thus far this doesn’t get past just being “edgy”. It lacks the intelligence of Human Target, Omega Men, or Danger Street. I’m afraid that this one might join Gotham City Year One or Batman Killing Time as one of Tom Kimg’s more forgettable works.

I feel like I might be with you here. I'm worried that King may have finally succumbed to the loudest of his obnoxious critics. I miss the thoughtful subversion and humanist approach King would take with his characters. His generic "cool" books often feel just as superficial and forgettable as every other book on the stands. But I truly have no idea what's even going on here with Jenny Sparks. King has his Black Canary book that starts in November. Intriguing premise but feels more like the same of his worst books.

 

[Babillygunn]

Curious, is anyone reading Nightwing? This id Tom Taylor's final arc for awhile. Is it living up to you guys expectations?

I have absolutely loved Tom Taylor’s entire Nightwing run. It had a few “filler” issues, and it does represent an (imo) annoying trend in modern comics to tell huge over-arching arcs that span 75 issues as opposed to a series of nice, tight stories, which I prefer, but overall Taylor’s run has been a love letter to the character and the final arc has been no exception. Plus, you had an appearance from Deadman, which is always welcome in any DC comic.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Absolute Power is OVERRRRRRR

 

[blueharvest]

Absolute Power is OVERRRRRRR

Finally.

 

[Mani-Man]

Thank the heavens, we go back to our regular schedule finally.

 

[blueharvest]

Tom Taylor, Mikel Janín talk ‘Detective Comics debut, “Mercy of the Father”

The pait debut with 'Detective Comics' #1,090 in October.

aiptcomics.com

 

[Mani-Man]

I have to chuckle because i feel like when it comes to Batman and Detective Comics, there is a Deja Vu.
I might be wrong but i could swear we had this same situation before where new teams started on those around the same time and those also had a "secrets of the waynes" kind of story where it hinted at the Waynes maybe being a bit shady.
While the other Book started with some Rich guy trying to merge or buy Wayne Enterprise.

I feel like we had these plotlines now a few times and especially when new creative teams start their run.

 

[blueharvest]