The Not New Comics Thread!

[JewishHobbit]

Oh, and since I'm talking about my bindings, I'm a little excited about the project I'm going to include those in. I'm doing a volume of stuff branching from Kraven's Last Hunt. I'll be including that story followed by Torment (Spider-Man 1-5) and then the Child Within story. Then I'll follow the Harry story until his death and the Amazing Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man issues following Lizard and Calysto (or whatever her name was) and that'll lead into Lifetheft and Peter's parent's death, which was orchestrated by Harry and done by Chameleon due to Kraven's death. I'll end it with Spider-Man Legacy (ending the Green Goblin legacy) and if I can find a reprint or something in normal comic size, Soul of the Hunter.

All the issues together makes one clear continuous read of darker stories that will begin with Kraven and flow organically into other threats from Vermin, to Calysto to Lizard to Harry Osborn to the Chameleon, also including Shocker, Rhino, and Vulture in smaller roles, and all of it rounding out with Spider-Man making peace with the two biggest threats that drives the rest, Harry and Kraven. It'll be about 3 volumes and I'm real excited to eventually have it done. It won't be any time soon but it'll be fun.

 

[SpideyInATree]

It's one of my all time favorite stories so it bugs me that I just can't seem to get good copies. I sold my originals during a financial troubling time and later rebought them (along with almost all my comics) and eventually bound them into hardback volumes. Then my kids spilled water and waterlogged the volume those issues were in. I sold it and am redoing my binding but 3 times now I've bought them and they've been waterlogged. It's like I'm cursed.

I don't know how comfortable you are with ordering back issues online but mycomicshop.com has all those issues and they have Very Good condition on most of them for like 90 cents to a $1.00 and they have # 183 in Near Mint for $2.10. That's pretty sweet if you ask me.

I've gotten many older Amazing Spider-Man issues from that website and they ship their comics VERY well with the books in bags and boards for you. Like I said I don't know if you're comfortable with that but if you are looking for non-water logged books and have been burned a few times...this may be the best way to go.

I also checked Midtown Comics and they don't have all the issues and they are just a little more expensive on mycomicshop. Or maybe if you search around at other sites you may find something cheaper but I would highly suggest doing it that way so that way you don't get burned again.

 

[Themanofbat]

I've ordered from mycomicshop.com before and the package arrived in great shape...

 

[JewishHobbit]

I should try other places. I've only ever ordered from Milehighcomics.com and they're usually decent. They give great deals if you sign up for their newsletter so that's what I usually do. Wait for a good deal (everything 40-60% off) and then buy up back issues.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I used to like Mile High Comics; but, there prices really went through the roof. Even with their discount, it isn't that great of a deal. Instead, I primarily use mycomicshop.com. They have a better selection, and their prices are much cheaper. (Plus, they have a code to; but, it doesn't give you the drastic price reduction of Mile High ... only because Mile High prices regular stuff too high as it is.)

 

[SpideyInATree]

Definitely agree. Mile High really sets their prices way too high. Plus the books I want they never have in stock. You shoot over to mycomicshop and they have pretty much everything that I want.

 

[Drz]

My Blog post on Flex Mentallo:

Flex Mentallo is a Grant Morrison creation that was created as a parody of Charles Atlas, the strongman bodybuilder, the hero of the beach with a strong vibe of 1930s pulp heroism attached to him. This oversized hardcover is the first reprinted re-collection of a 1996 mini-series done by Morrison & Frank Quitely, with brand new coloring by Peter Doherty.

The book can be read as an autobiographic of Morrison because it touches a lot of things he utterly beliefs at, while his shamanistic symbolism and sigils is also there, his childhood fear of atom bombs and the concept idea of superheroes being able to save lives and leap forward to become something real and existing amongst us. It’s a tribute from Morrison to all the things he loves about comics, while inserting a huge chunk of his own personality into it. This is further evident if you’ve read the book Supergods or seen the movie Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods.


The story follows Wally Sage, a young adult who is about to commit suicide and is talking to a mystery man on the phone to discuss his childhood and most importantly his love to comic books, such as his favorite hero Flex Mentallo, who was brought alive by a child’s wish and again if I start delving into the story further, it’s not only spoiling but me reciting what Grant Morrison utterly believes, so I don’t wish to comment further on the story.


The brand new coloring removes the “Silver Age” vibe the book had going, but with its wacky concepts and more modern look, I’d simply call this a “Neo Silver Age” book akin to what Grant Morrison has been writing for the past few years, dark, while still carrying an hopeful message with high sci-fi concepts.
concepts. Frank Quitely’s art is absolutely gorgeous, if you’ve read We3, Batman & Robin or All Star Superman, that’s the sort of art you’re in ready for, with obvious modern coloring & inking. Flex’s over the top muscle massed body is larger than life giving this very Herculean look around him, the expressions are clear and the environmental settings can be larger than life.


Rating: 96/100 – As a Morrison/Quitely fan I was more than pleased, but I would feel the writing could come across more evident on what Morrison wants to aim, because as a longtime Morrison fan I’ve read his interviews, watched the documentary movie and read Supergods, so I already have a strong sense of what he aims, believes and how he has made the comic fan community seen him as. So for a non-Morrison fan some of the concepts might seem outrageous or flat out weird. Still it’s a wonderful oversized hardcover for your book shelves.

As a review i think i should just rewrite it, but at the end of the day i kinda like it as my thoughts. I liked the book because it's Morrison's tribute to all the things he loves about comics, but at the end of the day would a new reader get confused? Or isn't the whole selling point here that it's Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely doing what they do.

Secret Avengers: Run the Mission, Don’t Get Seen, Save the World by Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis writes espionage one-shot stories with six different artists: Jamie McKelvie, Kev Walker, David Aja, Michael Lark, Alex Maleev & Stuart Immonen. Each story packs a well-paced 20-page story with a stunning double page spreader to kick up the action or blow the reader’s mind with its scenery.

The Secret Avengers led by the Super soldier Steve Rogers are: Super-spy Natalia Romanova; martial artist Shang-Chi; Asgardian Warrior Valkyrie; the mutant with brains and brawn, Henry McCoy; possible borderline psychotic Moon Knight and the one-man army James Rhodes, codename: War Machine.

The stories are your typical spy work, the Secret Avengers are mainly set against the Shadow Council who either tries to rule the world with Doctor Doom’s old machinery or completely annihilate by it with transmitted bad continuum. Alongside the dirty secrets of British Government’s MI: 13, Super soldier drug markets and biological weapons of mass destruction. All these threats while remaining unseen from the public eye. All these stories also show the whole new pressure Rogers has to carry on his shoulders, as these events aren’t your ordinary caped super heroics as his Captain America days are.

I really enjoyed the setting Ellis puts these characters on, how non cape comic he treats the series with Rogers operating like a proper director would, especially the threat level here as no one of this can be revealed to the public or it would cause so much panic and terror everywhere. All the characters are portrayed as proper spies with only Marc Spector being referred as his codename Moon Knight, as his identity is secret to them, everyone else is referred by either their first or last name, no “silly” superhero names are being thrown.

Rating: 87/100 – For such a cheap premiere Hardcover you get more than you bargained for. 6 standalone stories each illustrated by a different artists bringing his A-game, clever writing from the story settings to the characterizations, especially Henry, Steve, Valkyrie & Natalia. It’s a fun book that shows how spy thrillers are done in a comic book universe, with its crazy comic book science and bio-monsters.

 

[Drz]

Thoughts & Rambles on: Avengers - Kree/Skrull War!

The infamous 70s Avengers story by Roy Thomas, drawn by Sal Buscema, John Buscema and the legendary Neal Adams himself, has been collected in an oversized hardcover, with over 10 pages of extra material with Neal Adams’ original art as an special treat, with an introduction from Roy Thomas and an ending note from Neal Adams, Avengers fans both new and old might find this quite the treat, but how does the story hold on today’s standards? Is it more than simple nostalgia towards its era?
I would say that the writing is dated, especially the 1st half of the story, but towards its middle ground and ending, with Neal Adams art added, the story matures within its writing, now I’m not saying the book isn’t childish, not at all, but you can see the writing is intended for very little children. The heroes exposition explain everything, the villains also explain everything from their malicious devices to their evil plans, while also always introducing themselves properly, so at the very least, you at least will know who’s who.
Now as far as plot details go, I will say this exactly isn’t a flat out war you might expect with huge sci-fi proportions and explosions, if anything I’d say this is more of a high black-ops mission where both the Kree and the Skrull have their plans on how to utilize Earth and it’s meta-human population on their own ends with the everlasting war the two species have had, so the Avengers, which in this book consist of: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Goliath (Clint Barton, yes Hawkeye!), Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and the android Vision. Both Rick Jones & Captain Mar-Vell play an important part to the and readers will also see the classic Avengers Hank Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet Van Dyne (Wasp) make an appearance, alongside the Fantastic Four.
Seeing Neal Adams illustrate Hank Pym adventuring inside the Vision to cure him off some virus was pulp adventure sci-fi mash-up at its finest, not to mention just seeing him illustrate the trinity of Avengers was wonderful, I also love how Thomas utilized Thor’s Mjölnir with him opening warp portals that the Avengers could utilize, too many writers these days just think Thro is all about lightning, thunders and hammer time. The dialogue, when not exposition-filled, is true to the characters and each Avenger has his/her own voice to speak for, however I will note that there is a lot of exposition, which can drag down the reading experience as today’s readers will find that dull and boring, but I’m not saying it ruins the book, as I felt the story gets really interesting on its midway.
However I will note that as the story gets it higher stakes, the conclusion is satisfying, but on a small nitpick a subplot of a certain Avenger never gets resolved in this book, which I felt was a rather cop-out, I guess his subplot continued on a bigger story arc, but it makes this story slightly less self-contained.
Rating: 80/100 - Solid story with legendary Marvel creative teams showcasing their talent, it’s an entertaining Avengers story, simple as that. It also has very nice callbacks to the very first Marvel comics by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, which I thought was rather neat.

 

[JewishHobbit]

So I just read the entire All New Exiles that was a part of the Malibu/Ultraverse universe staring Juggernaut and others as well as all tie-ins and some of the Ultraforce comic that a lot of the characters continued into. I've had them for years because I read the first 2 or so issues and LOVED it when I was younger and so I eventually got the rest without ever actually having read them.

Well, I still love a lot of the characters, especially 'Strike (formerly Warstrike previous to Marvel owning the company), but there are just WAY too many 90's cliches. I enjoyed maybe the first 5 issues then it was just tedious. First off, Juggy only stayed on for 5 issues and then went back to the 616 in time for Onslaught. There was the rediculously dark, sharp-fingered Hellblade (with "Hell" in his name), which was just way over the top "DARK IS COOL!" in true 90's Image fashion. And then add the scenerio of big breasted women with clothes strategically torn off and overly muscled men and it was all just a bit bleh. Then I noticed that in 11 issues there were something along the lines of 7 different writers. The conclusion of the big mystery of the series, the Exiles destroying New York, isn't even resulved in the actual title but in the Ultraforce series after Exiles ends.

It was just a very bleh series. The characters were cool. As I said, I liked Juggy and 'Strike. I've always liked Reaper and Siena Blaze. Shuriken was interesting (whose personal story about her son was never resolved) but I felt Amber Hunt was all over the place. Oh, and some of the art really sucked.

But if you like the 90's cliches then you might enjoy the title. It wasn't necessarilly bad storyline wise, there was just too many other things that distracted me from it. Maybe if I go back and read them knowing what I know and expecting it I might enjoy the title more but we'll see.

Personally, I liked 'Strike a lot. The rest of the title was just a let down.

One of these days I'll read Ultraforce itself as well as Sludge, which for some reason has always interested me. I used to have two issues where he was facing Lord Pumpkin and I really liked them. One day I might finish the series. It wasn't around for long.

 

[Harlekin]

Didn't Black Knight and Sersi also show up at one point in that?

 

[runawayboulder]

Didn't Black Knight and Sersi also show up at one point in that?

You're thinking of Malibu comics Ultraforce.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Yeah. The two teams worked together in the Phoenix Resurrection 2 part mini and again in the story that ended All New Exiles that crossed over from All New Exiles 11, Ultraforce 12, and Ultraverse Unlimited 2. Ultraverse Unlimited 2 was also the issue where Black Knight and Sersi, as well as Reaper and Siena Blaze, left the Ultraverse/Malibu Universe for the 616 (though Black Knight and Sersi took a slight detour along the way in the Black Knight: Exodus one-shot).

 

[JewishHobbit]

Resurrecting this old thread.

I was at Half Priced Books yesterday and picked up the first 10 issues of Remender's Punisher run, as well as the Annual and the List oneshot. Those all read together as one plot before the drastic shift to Frankencastle, which they also had. I read the first two or three issues when the series first came out but dropped it due to finances and never came back to it.

Well, after reading Rememder's Uncanny X-Force and The End League, and having liked what I read of his Venom and Secret Avengers, I thought I'd give it another shot. At $1.50 an issue, it was worth it.

The series ended up being very good. I'm not really a Punisher fan but I was sucked into that run like mad. I've always liked the Hood as a villain, so that was nice, and seeing cameos by Sentry and Daken was also fun. I have to say, we all know how messed up the List ended up being... but the real finale to the story, Punisher 10, was by far WAY more messed up. It almost made me sick that Frank would do what he did there.

So yeah, this was a seriously enjoyable run. Opena drew the first 5 issues, which looked great, and Huat drew the last 5, which weren't as good but still decent. I'm glad I picked these up and I might eventually continue with the series.

One thing I did keep thinking throughout the later half of the run: Henry should join the Runaways!