The Official Recommendations Thread

[iloveclones]

True--plus the guy with the black semen was enough to make me go "What the f**k?! I must read this!"

You had me at "Dmitri, a deadly communist monkey assassin"

 

[OtepApe]

Can anyone tell me what the Books of Magic ongoing was like???

The Gaiman stuff was fantastic and am looking to check out the ongoing, but want to know if it's any good.

 

[Anubis]

Has anybody read the sequal to Understanding comics, "Reinventing Comics : How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form"?

 

[Killgore]

BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS
by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke

This fantastic sequel to Batman: Year One was largely ignored during its release last year due no doubt to the plethora of Batman books that flooded the market attempting to capitalize on the movie’s release.

Although this is a great setup to the quintessential Killing Joke, Brubaker’s approach is in many ways the atheists of Moore’s theme of Batman and Joker traversing the well-trodden circular path of destruction. The story picks up right after the end of Year One and tells of Batman's first encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime in a realistic and gruesome fashion. Both characters are stripped of their iconic status and exude a fresh, figuring-out-things-as-they-go aura. The steps each take at this critical juncture defines that path they are destined to stick on. And in doing so, Brubaker introduces a few surprising twists on the onset of their inevitable journey.

 

[The Hero]

I believe that's already been recommended.Nice write-up,though.I've got to pick that up someday.

 

[Not Jake]

me too, I just can never find it

 

[Killgore]

I believe that's already been recommended.Nice write-up,though.I've got to pick that up someday.

Really? I didn't see it on the first page. And yes it was a b'tch to find.

Has anyone written about Winter Soldier yet? I haven't seen one.

 

[Elijya]

no, I don't think The Man who Laughs has been written up

KG, sorry I didn't see you at the con on Saturday

 

[The Hero]

I couldn't find it in the index either,but I swear someone already did a write-up.He posted a could of pages and an interview with Brubaker with it.

 

[Killgore]

Chosen
by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

To say too much about this book would ruin the experience of reading it for the first time. Suffice it to say, Chosen is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jodie who discovers that he is the returning Jesus Christ, miracles and pop culture references included. But remember, this was written by Mark Millar, not Mitch Albom. Basically, Chosen makes Preacher look like the Watchtower and Awake.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

the hardcover collects the first three softcovers and is cheaper than they are put together

and yes, some sild **** happens next

I read the next two at my comic shop yesterday, and holy s**t you were right.

Spoiler

That bastard Omni-Man! Has he come back yet? Because I seriously want to see him get his ass kicked by Mark.

 

[Da Docta]

Which issues do you mean?

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Which issues do you mean?

You were talking to me? Basically, after the "Perfect Strangers" arc.

 

[Da Docta]

Ahh, ok. I bought issues 28 and 29 and he seems to have changed his ways.

 

[The Hero]

Chosen
by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

To say too much about this book would ruin the experience of reading it for the first time. Suffice it to say, Chosen is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jodie who discovers that he is the returning Jesus Christ, miracles and pop culture references included. But remember, this was written by Mark Millar, not Mitch Albom. Basically, Chosen makes Preacher look like the Watchtower and Awake.

That cover made me laugh my ass off.

I'm going to hell.

 

[yahman]

Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom Triumph and Torment

Cheers .... Just spent the last hour looking at your Recomendations thread. Some great stuff in there, and i can't wait to go out read some of the stuff i've never heard of b4.

 

[Elijya]

hey, I'm just happy to hear it's appreciated

what interested you?

 

[Themanofbat]

Chosen
by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

To say too much about this book would ruin the experience of reading it for the first time. Suffice it to say, Chosen is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jodie who discovers that he is the returning Jesus Christ, miracles and pop culture references included. But remember, this was written by Mark Millar, not Mitch Albom. Basically, Chosen makes Preacher look like the Watchtower and Awake.

I rather preferred Millar's original 6 issue run of Savior released in 1989 as oppposed to his "remake" with Chosen.

 

[Themanofbat]

I rather preferred Millar's original 6 issue run of Savior released in 1989 as oppposed to his "remake" with Chosen.

Errr... anyone ever hear about Savior???

I think it might have been Millar's first works... Great stuff!!!

Far superior and more dark than The Chosen.... in my opinion.

I think it was from Trident Comics.

 

[Ben Urich]

Chosen is about the only Millar thing I can read. Everything else just reminds me of Howard Stern: all done for shock value.

 

[Darthphere]

Chosen is about the only Millar thing I can read. Everything else just reminds me of Howard Stern: all done for shock value.

I hate to admit this, but late at night when everyone is asleep I sit in the corner with the lights off and a flashlight and read Vol.1 of the Ultimates.

 

[Mr. Green]

Chosen is about the only Millar thing I can read. Everything else just reminds me of Howard Stern: all done for shock value.

Uh... I guess you haven't read Ultimates 1 or 2, or Civil War?

Because really, those are awesome.

 

[Not Jake]

They're not awesome but they're all pretty good. Well, Ultimates moreso than Civil War, but I still think Civil War is enjoyable enough

 

[Ben Urich]

Uh... I guess you haven't read Ultimates 1 or 2, or Civil War?

Because really, those are awesome.

I have the tpbs of the first "season" of Ultimates and they're okay. Turning everyone into unlikeable pricks seemed to make most readers happy, but I was just... underwhelmed.
I've read the first two issues of Civil War, and it's okay... too soon to make any real judgement.
On the whole, I think Millar is one of the most overrated men in the business, along with Jim Lee, Mark Bagley, etc.

 

[Themanofbat]

Here's a bit from Wikepedia... which seems accurate enough...
Cover to the Saviour trade paperback published in 1990.Saviour is the title of a comic book written by Mark Millar and drawn by Daniel Vallely and Nigel Kitching. It was published by Trident Comics from 1989 to 1990 and ran for six issues and a trade paperback collection of the first five issues.It was also the first professionally published work of Mark Millar.

Synopsis
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The story revolved around the second coming of Jesus Christ as a superhero who looked like popular British television personality Jonathan Ross. This superhero, called The Saviour, has set out to change the world for the better. However we find out The Saviour is actually the antichrist and plans to take over the world with the aid of a satanic cult devoted to him. The only thing which could stop him is the presence of the real Son of God and much of the story involves The Saviour's attempts to track his foe down. Eventually it is discovered that the Son of God is actually an angel and not the real Jesus Christ. The Saviour kills him thinking he has won, but there is another super powered being on Earth and is unknown to The Saviour.

It is at this point that the series was cancelled when Trident went bankrupt.

Spoilers end here.

Reaction and controversy
Saviour was Trident Comics second ongoing title and instantly proved to be one of their most controversial. The depiction of Jesus Christ as a yuppie superhero was controversial, as was the violence, something Millar would be criticised for for the rest of his career. Millar's portrayal of the Catholic church was also criticised, as was his use of a character who was clearly meant to be James Anderton. However Jonathon Ross never had a problem with his likeness being used. Ross is a well known comic fan and is said to have liked the story.

However these criticisms aside, Millar found himself being praised for Saviour's different way of dealing with the superhero genre. Millar explored the late 1980s culture in ways not seen in comics and Saviour can be seen as a comment on those times.

Millar reworked the concept in 2004 as the three issue mini series, Chosen for Dark Horse Comics.

I remember buying this stuff back in 1989 and it was pretty heavy duty stuff at that time... even by todays darker standards.

I was even buying the Trident Anthology book, which featured some early works from Eddie Campbell, Neil Gaimen, Grant Morrison, Paul Grists, Mark Millar...