Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community
Old 11-14-2017, 09:07 AM   #281
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MattyC View Post
Thanks I'll check it out.

If you're interested, Grant Morrison's book Supergods is a great chronicle of comic history. And The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has a great setting at the outset of the birth of comic books and the legal and personal battles those people went through with censorship and accusations of homosexuality, etc.... Also it's a brilliant, Pulitzer Prize winning novel so there's that haha.
Thanks for the suggestions! I really want to read Morrison's book I heard its really good, and never heard of the 2nd book but I want to check it out now!
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 03:07 PM   #282
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

Action Comics is nearing issue #1,000 what big plans do you have to celebrate? What do you think DC will do to celebrate? I don't think Superman is a top draw for kids anymore he may be more of an older persons hero's but damn it the JL movie proved he's still the greatest. I have loved the latest take on Superman, the character will continue to endure, in the world we live in today Superman is more relevant than ever before. I hope young kids connect to the character like I did as a child. Lately, it feels like DC only cares about Batman so will be nice to show some love for the big blue boy scout.
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 03:15 PM   #283
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov View Post
Well you wanted a better topic for Kirkman's show. This would be it. One of my friends who is a big collector and has over 50,000 books just told me this. Comic books is going the way of stamp collecting and coin collecting. It's for old people. No one under 30 buys physical comics.
Of course they don't. They buy collections and original works at bookstores or online or digitally. And they're buying them in droves.

The direct market of comic books distribution is going through an upheaval. But comic books are doing fine.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Finger Cookin For This Useful Post:
Old 11-22-2017, 03:24 PM   #284
Cecil Terwilliger
That Crazy Guy at the Bus Stop
 
Cecil Terwilliger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Springfield Penitentiary
Exp:
Default

I'll move this over here:

Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall View Post
The big issue, as a longtime reader, for me is that I don't even recognize many of the characters anymore. Marvel was clearly trying to appeal to a younger and wider audience, but do younger audiences even read print material? DC tried to be edgy with the "New 52", but that was just bad storytelling. The total retconing of the previous material just made it feel like I had put a bunch of meaningless work into the old storylines.

I left the issue thing for a while, and when I tried to get back into it, the comics just didn't appeal to me. I continue to read comics, but choose instead to just read well reviewed and classic collected editions and graphic novels. The character arcs have gotten so derivative and weird that there's not any appeal for me to follow them on a month to month basis.
I'm a believer that Marvel and DC refusing the abandon the month to month and permanently serialized stories is what is driving sales downwards.

I think all books should be released with the intention of it being a 3-12 issue arc. I will never buy anything other than a collected edition ever again. No story could ever be compelling enough to get me to buy month to month. Marvel and DC don't seem to realize that. They want to keep going back to the well on a small group of hardcore readers who will buy 6 different variants and skew the sales numbers to appear like there is interest in their comics.

It sucks that we'd lose those amazing one off issues that can sometimes be favorites but I don't see any other way to do it that makes sense.

I also think Marvel and DC have both done a piss poor job of helping readers keep track of the books/volumes/characters/timelines in their respective universes. Has anyone actually tried to collect a major character in the last 20 years? Jesus Christ it is impossible. You need an advanced excel spreadsheet with multiple tabs to track which series lead into the new series, when a series resets, which books run concurrently but are set in different timelines or universes, which run concurrently but are in the same universe, which books restart numbering but are actually part of an old numbering series.

Wolverine is an easy example and far from the worst offender at Marvel. They restarted numbering about 5 times in the last 10 years. At one point the "official" Wolverine book, which maintained the continuous issue numbering (which is important for people like me who wanted to own every issue), was actually Daken or Dark Wolverine or some stupid bull#### and at the same time they concurrently published a different Wolverine book, which was the only book actually featuring Wolverine, but didn't officially count in the continuous numbering of Wolverine. So do I buy Wolvereine Not Wolverine so I can complete my collection? Or do I buy the book called Wolverine that actually features Wolverine but isn't officially part of the series numbering. Like WTF Marvel? And that's not even the most confusing one.

Try and find any official Marvel or DC source that shows you what collected editions or graphic novels to buy if you want to collect a series from beginning to end. It's ####ing impossible. The only way to do it is to find fan sites that help list the TPBs you need to buy to get all the issues.

DC is the worst because they used to constantly have lead and backup stories. So sometimes parts 1-6 of a story would be in issues 55-61 but those same six issues would only have parts 4-7 of one backup and then parts 1-2 of a different backup story. But then they'd all be collected in different TPBs.

And don't even get me started on how ####ed up crossovers make everything.

Last edited by Cecil Terwilliger; 11-22-2017 at 03:30 PM.
Cecil Terwilliger is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Cecil Terwilliger For This Useful Post:
Old 11-22-2017, 03:29 PM   #285
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

There's a huge swath of buyers and readers who are pulling away from reading monthly serialized releases. I don't know how long publishers will continue to publish comics this way, but I could see it coming to a stop sometime in my lifetime. It will be a seismic shift in the industry when it does happen - from how stories are pitched, to how they're paced, to how creators are paid for them, for how publishers schedule releases, everything. I have no idea how it will sort out, but I imagine it's going to be rather messy while it does so.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 03:31 PM   #286
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

In less "sky is falling" kind of observations, the premiere of Doomsday Clock was...OK? Pretty good, actually. It didn't hook me like reading the first issue of Watchmen did way back when, but that's pretty high bar to aim for. There were neat little tidbits sprinkled around in the issue, but the actual story didn't do much to get under way. It set the stage though.

If anyone's interested I can post more spoiler-y observations and thoughts behind tags.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 03:33 PM   #287
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Finger Cookin View Post
In less "sky is falling" kind of observations, the premiere of Doomsday Clock was...OK? Pretty good, actually. It didn't hook me like reading the first issue of Watchmen did way back when, but that's pretty high bar to aim for. There were neat little tidbits sprinkled around in the issue, but the actual story didn't do much to get under way. It set the stage though.

If anyone's interested I can post more spoiler-y observations and thoughts behind tags.
Going to pick up my issue right now, so excited! Decided to go with the Superman/Dr. Manhattan cover.
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Nadal Fan For This Useful Post:
Old 11-22-2017, 03:47 PM   #288
blankall
Ate 100 Treadmills
 
blankall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Exp:
Default

Does anyone remember the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight comics? Also several Dark Horse publications like the Aliens, Terminator, and Predator comics all ran in the kind of contained storylines you guys are talking about. I really enjoyed that format, but not sure how profitable it was for the companies.

The contained stories are actually closer to many of the original roots of many comics. For example, Detective Comics started off as a series of "Detective" themed comics that featured different characters every month. It wasn't until later that it became a Batman only comic.

it's interesting that things have really come full circle again, with contained story arcs being the most in demand. Obviously it's more profitable for the companies if the readers are subscribing to multiple titles a month and guaranteed customers. They may have to accept that model isn't a reality anymore. The biggest casualty in this may be the retail comic book store. That's too bad as hanging out with comic store owners and chatting while I buy was always a big plus. It seems like the only stores that survive now are the ones that are also hosting Pokemon and MTG nights. Comics alone don't really make for a profitable business model. Especially when Amazon is selling collected editions and graphic novels at reduced prices.

Another major issue I have with the current format is the price. It seems like comics cost a lot more but are a very quick read, having fewer actual words in them. Obviously the quality of the printing and paper stock has gone up, but that doesn't really add all that much value to me.
blankall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 04:07 PM   #289
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

I do recall reading some Legends of the Dark Knight that a friend lent me back in the day, they were mostly pretty good (even though Batman has admittedly never been my thing.)

Other publishers still release books based on licenses like those you listed - IDW and Dynamite in particular. In fact, one of the best new releases I read today was a James Bond one shot. Self contained story, one and done, and a very classic Bond feel to it.

Pricing seems harder and harder to justify with all of the digital sales on Amazon and Comixology. It's hard to justify reading dozens of monthly releases at $4, $5, or $6 USD a pop when, with a little patience, you can pick up digital collections that bundle 5 or 6 of these release into a single volume that can be bought on sale for as little as $2 or $3 CAD. Or that you can read any Marvel title you want with a six month delay for as little as $8-$10 CAD per month on Marvel Unlimited.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2017, 07:40 PM   #290
WCW Nitro
Scoring Winger
 
WCW Nitro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall View Post

Another major issue I have with the current format is the price. It seems like comics cost a lot more but are a very quick read, having fewer actual words in them. Obviously the quality of the printing and paper stock has gone up, but that doesn't really add all that much value to me.
This to me is the major issue as opposed to month-to-month. I read a Batman comic recently that had 2 pages just showing a desert to emphasize its vastness lol.

By the way, if anyone is interested in a different story that is interesting, I would recommend the currently ongoing Gotham City Garage.
WCW Nitro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 10:27 AM   #291
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

Im looking to get into Marvel by picking up just 1 book. Has anyone read Black Panther or Punisher? Is there another book you would recommend? I feel like I would enjoy those books because I like the heros but haven't heard anything about them lol.
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 01:35 PM   #292
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

I tried reading the first arc of Coates' Black Panther but I found it to be too slow of a burn for my liking. It's well regarded though. And I'm not really familiar with the Punisher at all, sorry.

What kind of stories are you looking for? What kind of tone? I might be able to recommend some other titles.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 01:53 PM   #293
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Finger Cookin View Post
I tried reading the first arc of Coates' Black Panther but I found it to be too slow of a burn for my liking. It's well regarded though. And I'm not really familiar with the Punisher at all, sorry.

What kind of stories are you looking for? What kind of tone? I might be able to recommend some other titles.
Thanks for the insights! My current pull list consists of JL, Action Comics, Batman, Aquaman, Doomsday Clock & Wonder Woman (kinda DC heavy lol). I really just want to read 1 book a month at Marvel and I tried Avengers Hickman run but there were soooo many tie-ins I had to drop it. Thought it would be cool to pick 1 character and read up on them, I really like Captain America but I saw online people hated his book so I stayed away. I was also thinking Iron-Man but I don't know if Tony Start is still Iron Man? I enjoy Marvel Characters like Ghost Rider , Blade or Dr. Strange just looking for cool art with self contained stories and no need for tie-ins!
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 02:07 PM   #294
blankall
Ate 100 Treadmills
 
blankall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nadal Fan View Post
Thanks for the insights! My current pull list consists of JL, Action Comics, Batman, Aquaman, Doomsday Clock & Wonder Woman (kinda DC heavy lol). I really just want to read 1 book a month at Marvel and I tried Avengers Hickman run but there were soooo many tie-ins I had to drop it. Thought it would be cool to pick 1 character and read up on them, I really like Captain America but I saw online people hated his book so I stayed away. I was also thinking Iron-Man but I don't know if Tony Start is still Iron Man? I enjoy Marvel Characters like Ghost Rider , Blade or Dr. Strange just looking for cool art with self contained stories and no need for tie-ins!
If you're looking to avoid tie-ins, I'd avoid the major team based comics. X-Men, Avengers, etc....the problem is that they have so many characters that it's difficult to fit everything in one title. On top of that many of the individual characters have their own stories too, and then you end up with splinter groups. Smaller groups like the Fantastic Four may be alright.

It sounds like you are into lighter fare. I'm hearing great things about Moon Knight, although that's supposed to be quite dark and heavy, so may not be for you. Of all the more mainstream Marvel title, I see the Thor on a lot of best reviewed lists. Honestly, it sounds like you may just have to try a bunch of comics to find what tone you like best. I would start with Spiderman, Thor, and Ironman. I'm also hearing good things about Ironman's current run with Dr. Doom as Ironman. Spiderman is always just a classic. He's generally pretty self-contained but you'll typically get about 3-4 separate Spiderman comics out at any given time.

Edit: Spiderman looks to only have "The Amazing Spiderman" and the "Spectacular Spiderman" with mainstream continuity Spiderman.

Last edited by blankall; 11-28-2017 at 02:10 PM.
blankall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 02:42 PM   #295
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

Thor is actually a really good suggestion, Jason Aaron has been writing Thor uninterrupted for about 5 years now. If you want to go back and check his run out from where it started, you can try reading Thor: God of Thunder (2012). That series leads into Thor (2014), which features Jane Foster as Thor but still heavily features Odinson and the usual Thor cast. From there you go to The Mighty Thor (2016), with a pit stop in the limited series The Unworthy Thor (2016). If you don't want to read all of that background and are just looking to dive in, Thor #700 was recently released and is a jumping on point as part of Marvel's Legacy initiative/advertising/whatever it is.

If Doctor Strange is more along the lines of what you want to sample, start with Doctor Strange (2015) by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo. It's been a well received series, and while Aaron hasn't written all of it he's been succeeded by Dennis Hopeless and most recently by Donny Cates.

As for tie-ins, you can generally skip the large events even if the series you read is side-tracked by it. Thor and Dr. Strange may have tie-ins to Civil War II or Secret Empire, I can't say for certain - but you definitely don't need to read those events to keep up with your series of choice.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 03:14 PM   #296
KTrain
ALL ABOARD!
 
KTrain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Exp:
Default

Dr. Strange and Daredevil would be pretty solid if you want more self-contained stories.
KTrain is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to KTrain For This Useful Post:
Old 11-29-2017, 12:35 PM   #297
Nadal Fan
Franchise Player
 
Nadal Fan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Exp:
Default

New comic book day! I decided to give Batman White Knight a try sounded interesting. For those who dont know the premise basically Joker becomes the hero in Gotham and Batman is the villain so sounds interesting. Also this is a pretty crazy story that I assume will become bigger news https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/11...akira-yoshida/
Nadal Fan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2017, 11:08 AM   #298
Finger Cookin
Franchise Player
 
Finger Cookin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Exp:
Default

Just in time for April's New Mutants movie...



Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvel.com
When supernatural threats loom over the Marvel Universe, a new team of mutants emerges to stand on the front lines.

Beginning in March, writer Matt Rosenberg and artist Adam Gorham unite for NEW MUTANTS: DEAD SOULS, a six-issue limited series that has friends old and new coming together to contend with the paranormal.

...

Each installment of NEW MUTANTS: DEAD SOULS features a standalone story with the offbeat group butting up against things that go bump in the night. Karma summons New Mutants alums Magik, Wolfsbane, Rictor, and Boom Boom along with X-Factor veteran Strong Guy–but does the mind-controlling mutant have more in mind than simply protecting the innocent from the forces of darkness?
It's refreshing to see Marvel actually announce Limited Series as being just that.
Finger Cookin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2017, 07:46 PM   #299
GreenLantern
One of the Nine
 
GreenLantern's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Space Sector 2814
Exp:
Default

I was thinking of getting marvel unlimited to read the Star Wars comics. They are canon right? Anyone read them? Seems like there are a few different story lines.
__________________
"In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
GreenLantern is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2017, 07:50 PM   #300
KTrain
ALL ABOARD!
 
KTrain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern View Post
I was thinking of getting marvel unlimited to read the Star Wars comics. They are canon right? Anyone read them? Seems like there are a few different story lines.
Yeah, they're cannon and they're good. I've been reading Darth Vader and Princess Leia on Marvel Unlimited. They have a bunch of series going right now and they take place at different time periods so it's easy to just read one or two series without them crossing over (like DC and Marvel superheroes).
KTrain is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to KTrain For This Useful Post:
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:54 AM.

Calgary Flames
2023-24




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright Calgarypuck 2021