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Old 01-15-2021, 05:36 PM   #441
Cecil Terwilliger
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Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four is ridiculously good. Almost done complete collection vol 1 and I can’t wait to get vol 2.


Save for one massive and distracting detail. His 3 year old daughter, who is drawn like a 6-8 year old, speaks better than I do and is the smartest person in the world (literally, it’s a plot point, she’s smarter than reed). It wasn’t an issue when her age was ambiguous, I just assumed she was older. But then they made a point to repeatedly mention her age and it zaps me right out of the story. It’s so stupid it makes me hate her character, normally not an issue for a minor side character but so far she’s had more screen time than Sue. A lot more. She’s a main character in this book.

Edit:
Instead of quadruple posting I’ll just update this one. If anyone cares.

I rarely talk about the art. Mostly just the writing. What stood out to me about Secret Invasion, Hickman’s FF and my current read, X-Men AoA revival from 2015 trade called warzones (part of secret wars) is how good all the art is.

Lenil Yu on secret invasion was phenomenal. He legit has a few panels that wowed me on my iPad, which is rare. His work used to be perfect for Wolverine but felt too unrefined, too gritty for a mainstream superhero event book. But he was phenomenal on Secret Invasion. Clearly matured a lot in the last 20 years or so.

Same with the artists on FF, especially Dark Reign. I was very impressed.

Then on Age of Apocalypse it was some guy I didn’t know. Something Sandoval. Total throwback to Joe Mad and the original AoA. Got a real 90s feel to it and it works so well with these characters. No need to reinvent the wheel or redesign what ain’t broke. And the writer was Fabian Neciza (sp?) who I normally associate with crappily written mid 90s xbooks. However the storytelling was great. I was so happy getting to see all these characters again in a bit of an offshoot/retelling of the AoA storyline, except very different from the original.

In fact all three books I mentioned clearly have great chemistry between writer and artist. Clear storytelling, good panel layout, easy to follow action.

Anyways, just a thought I had on a lazy Sat morning while I’m reading.

Last edited by Cecil Terwilliger; 01-16-2021 at 09:29 AM.
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Old 01-20-2021, 09:24 AM   #442
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DC is relaunching their DC Universe app as DC Universe Infinite. They're dropping the TV and Movies and moving them to HBO Max and the app will become similar to Marvel Unlimited. Hopefully that clears up the licensing issues and Canadians get access to it sooner.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/19/2...ption-relaunch

Last edited by KTrain; 01-21-2021 at 07:52 AM.
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Old 01-20-2021, 09:30 AM   #443
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I've never used any of those apps but when I look at how much I've spent on digital, it is probably a good idea.

Also, I am almost done the X-23 Complete Collection Vol1. I have both 1 and 2. It is really good so far. Once again the art is phenomenal. Mike Choi is an amazing artist.

I also read Secret Wars, the new one, and it was pretty good but at times really damn confusing.
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Old 01-20-2021, 09:52 AM   #444
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I used Marvel Unlimited for a few years and it's great. I only stopped because I wanted them to stock up again so I could binge. When I had it I would read 300-400 comics a year.

DC intrigues me because they'll have all the Vertigo stuff in there as well and I prefer to read self-contained storylines, rather than the constant "events" that break up series in the main series of Marvel and DC.
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Old 02-10-2021, 07:18 PM   #445
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My binge continues!

I’ll spare you all the mediocre stuff. Just recommend some good stuff.

Venom (2018) by Cates and Stegman. I only read the first 6 issue arc. 9/10 for sure. My god this was good. And the way Cates linked it back to a random issue of Thor: God of Thunder (also worth reading) by Jason Aaron from 5 years prior was genius, even better since I just read that Thor run a month ago.

I rarely say must read but this redefines the venom character (the symbiote) and also gives us a view of Brock that’s in line with the Venom movie and it works so well. I read the symbiote voice in the same voice from the movie lol. I love it.

I’m buying the rest of this run ASAP.


Planet Hulk. Did I already review this? It’s awesome. 8/10. It’s so similar to Ragnarok but so different. Totally different because no Thor but similar because many characters and the premise for savage hulk and the battle with banner persists.

I was gonna buy World War hulk run too but I heard it’s sucked so I stopped there.


Dr Strange (2015?) Jason Aaron. Only the first volume which doesn’t even finish the first arc, at least not really, so I’ll be getting vol 2 for sure.

Normally not a Chris Bachalo fan but his wacky art works so well for his title.


Thor (2015?) the one where a woman picks up mjolnir and Odinson no longer worthy. It’s presented as a bit of a mystery even though her identity is well known by now.

Read first two volumes. Good not great but I’d still give it a recommend. It involves a bit amount of backstory that I needed to brush up on but wasn’t overly confusing.


Wolverine Origin II. Not without its worts but I’d give it a passing grade and had a neat little twist towards the end.

Last edited by Cecil Terwilliger; 02-10-2021 at 09:17 PM.
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Old 02-11-2021, 01:19 PM   #446
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Started reading Venom (2018) on your recommendation last night and I’m loving it!
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Old 02-13-2021, 08:38 AM   #447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger View Post
Thor (2015?) the one where a woman picks up mjolnir and Odinson no longer worthy. It’s presented as a bit of a mystery even though her identity is well known by now.

Read first two volumes. Good not great but I’d still give it a recommend. It involves a bit amount of backstory that I needed to brush up on but wasn’t overly confusing.
Jason Aaron's entire run on Thor is excellent. The volume changes and #1s can make the order confusing, but it's well worth it.
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Old 02-13-2021, 08:54 AM   #448
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I’ve read the first two arcs each of God of Thunder and (lady) Thor.

Just need another Thor sale on ComiXology and I’ll buy the rest.
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Old 04-29-2021, 03:25 PM   #449
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Comxiology keeps having great sales so I keep buying more stuff. I should have just signed up for unlimited. But then I'd lose the ambition to keep reading. When I own stuff I feel compelled to read it and I'm on a mission to read everything I own. I've literally read like 300 trades since September. At one point I was reading like 20 issues a day. That has since slowed but still averaging about 1 trade per week. Just the other day I bought the rest of the lady Thor books I referenced in the above post for like 60% off. I used to hate digital but it has allowed me to buy more stuff and read more stuff that I ever thought possible. Especially while I'm a nomad and all my physical books are in storage.

BTW, all Star Wars Legends (EU) is on sale for like $1USD each, $2 max, on comixology right now. I picked up the Thrawn trilogy, Dark Empire, some Clone Wars, Rogue Squadron, KOTOR, Legacy, Tag and Blink, Crimson Empire...all of it for like $20. Amazing. Even the new stuff is on sale for cheap.

Black Panther by Ta Nehisi Coates - his first run is good, not amazing. His second run, the one that finishes May 12th w/ issue 25 (unless it gets pushed back again) is pretty much the greatest thing I've ever read. Wow. I'm actually not done. I got half way thru and stopped because I found out the last issue wasn't out yet, so I'm waiting for it to be released to keep going.

The whole Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda label on the books is legit. This is Star Wars meets Black Panther. I'd recommend you read the whole run but I think just the most recent 25 issues would work. The original run of 18 issues or whatever it was from 2016 gives some more depth to the story I think. I'm not joking, this might be the best ongoing run I've ever read.


Top 10 - Alan Moore's take on Hill Street Blues on a world where everyone has superpowers. Police procedural. Very funny, tons of easter eggs and jokes in the art by Gene Ha. The Ultra Mice that invade that police officer's moms apartment is the funniest #### I've ever read. I haven't laughed out loud like that since the first time I read Preacher. Alan Moore uses the series to satirize mainstream comic books in so many ways and, while it is a bit cynical, I loved it so much. You could spend hours just analyzing the jokes in the art in each panel. "Career defining Bats" lol. Only 12 issues but there are some prequel/sequel spin offs that were later published. Highly recommended.


Avengers by Jonathan Hickman. I read his entire run. Avengers and New Avengers from the beginning, including Infinity, plus Secret Wars tacked on to the end. This is like Grant Morrison on crack. He's got some seriously heady stuff going on here. Not for the faint of heart and don't skip an issue or you'll be even more confused. I'd give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 just for how goddamn ambitious it was.

Ex Machina - Only read volume 1 and have the rest of the series ready to go. Highly recommended. Brian K Vaughan might be my new favorite author.

Speaking of Vaughan - Saga. I'm not quite done vol 1 but this is awesome so far. Too bad it is on hiatus and has been for 3 years. I'm worried he may never finish the remaining 54 issues.

Mister Miracle by Tom King. Another excellent read. A bit confusing, especially if you aren't familiar with Jack Kirby's New Gods. This is not your conventional super hero story. This deals with happiness, insanity, family, marriage, depression and does not have a cookie cutter ending. I'd almost recommend reading about it first and getting the plot spoiled a bit. That way you won't be as confused as I was at times. Strong recommend and a bunch of Tom King written books has been added to my wishlist.

Silver Surfer by Dan Slott. I loved his run, although I'm not quite done. I read the first 3 volumes but haven't read the second part after it got renumbered from issue 1 again. Issue 11 of the first run is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious and creative single issue comic books ever published and IMO rightfully so. But DON'T read it digitally!!! You need a physical copy for Slott's design to work.

Did I mention Usagi Yojimbo last time? Read this. Any of it. All of it. I love Stan Sakai. They are slowly releasing them in colour now too! But only just started. I think there's one volume out there.

Speaking of Stan Sakai, his version of 47 Ronin was awesome.


Don't read Multiversity by Grant Morrison. it is utter nonsense. I hated it. This is my feeling about a lot of Grant Morrison stuff. Why do I keep buying his books?!?!?

Flash by Geoff Johns. This is late 90s/early 00's stuff and I liked it but didn't love it. There's like 5 volumes I think.

Shazam Origins
by Johns. This is basically word for word the movie. But better. Highly recommended.

Shazam/Superman: First Thunder. Loved it. "First" meeting between Supes and Shazam. Yes they call him Shazam now, not Captain Marvel, but I'm sure anyone reading this thread already knows that.

Trials of Shazam - meh.

Shazam Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith (Bones) - meh

The original TMNT by Eastmen and Laird. I'm glad i read it for completion sake and nostalgia but was not good enough for me to consider buying more.

I finished Sandman. It is great but Neil Gaiman is too smart for me. Reading Sandman makes me feel dumb.

Batman Under the Red Hood. I'd recommend reading Hush first, by Loeb and Lee, and then reading this. Not amazing but a strong recommend from me.

I also read a bunch of crappy stuff but I'm not going to bother listing it all. Except to say the BP storyline Doomwar was just the absolute worst. Terrible.


I still have like 200 books, almost all of them trades, in my unread list so expect more of these updates. Mix of digital and physical. Digitally I still have to read: Planetary, The Authority, James Bond, Transmetropolitan all by Warren Ellis, Venom (the rest of it by Donny Cates, I loved Vol 1), Ex Machina volumes 2-5, Saga (entire series), FF by Hickman, Promethea (entire series), From Hell, the rest of Usagi Yojimbo (I have almost every volume ever!), Lazarus by Greg Rucka (vols 1-3), Doomsday Clock by Johns (Watchmen gets introduced to the DC universe) plus all that SW stuff I listed above.

Then when I get back to Calgary, I have the entire Batman by Scott Snyder waiting, plus Garth Ennis's entire Punisher Max Run, plus Ed Brubaker's entire Cap America Run, plus Chris Priest's entire BP run, plus about two dozen other trades I've never read because I buy way too many goddamn comic books and don't read them fast enough.

Last edited by Cecil Terwilliger; 04-29-2021 at 04:04 PM.
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Old 04-29-2021, 06:03 PM   #450
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I'm late to the party on this one but I picked up the first trade of Gotham Central for $5 and it's the best $5 I've spent in a long time. What a great first 10 issues. I've always loved Brubaker's stuff (Winter Soldier, Daredevil, Criminal, all his pulp stuff) but this is such a great take on the world of Gotham city.

If you're looking for an excellent, self-contained 40 issues of something in the DC, you won't go wrong with this.

This is what we were supposed to get with Gotham but Warner wanted to add kid Bruce Wayne and neutered the whole project.
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Old 07-10-2021, 02:02 PM   #451
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Hey all - Comic newbie here. Just learned about Marvel Unlimited yesterday. My question is; Are there guides within the app (or online somewhere) to read specific character/story arcs from the classic comics through to current? I was thinking as I was watching Black Widow last night, that it would be cool to know where some of these characters come from in the original Comic world. Im happy to do some groundwork with this, just need a little nudge in the right direction.

Also, is Marvel Unlimited decent? So far, from the reviews I've skimmed it seems to be?

Thanks!
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Old 07-10-2021, 02:21 PM   #452
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Marvel Unlimited may lack some books but for the most part is quite robust in terms of selection. You should be able to find all but the newest series I think.

Sites like the below have extensive reading orders. They even specifically recommend books for MU subscribers.

https://www.comicbookherald.com/blac...reading-order/


Since that’s pretty long and will include a lot of filler, I would recommend this volume:
https://comixology.com/Marvel-Knight...l-comic/703774

And this one:
https://www.comixology.com/Black-Wid...RlZEVkaXRpb25z

And some Daredevil/Black Widow action:
https://www.comixology.com/Daredevil...RlZEVkaXRpb25z

You may find some of the collected volumes are missing in MU, so you may have to look up the issues individually.

From time to time when I’m trying to figure out what to read I’ll just google “must read black widow stories Reddit” and it produces decent results.

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Old 07-10-2021, 03:15 PM   #453
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I'm not on Marvel Unlimited right now but I was for a long time (i'm waiting for a new backlog to resubscribe). When I was on it, they would put together lists of essential reads when new movies came out so you could get further backstory to the characters from the movies or TV shows.

Unlimited is a great services and I read hundreds or more comics on it. Only reason I quit was because I binge and ran out of stories and characters I wanted to read. I find month to month reading tougher for me and prefer to read a few issues at a time.
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Old 08-13-2021, 10:30 AM   #454
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Just a heads up that this Saturday is F.C.B.D. or Free Comic Book Day! There are some great free books that will be available at your local comic shop and I've highlighted a few below but first I wanted to plug an event happening at my favorite shop. Saddle City Comics (#7 6143 4th Street SE) is having the grand opening of their new location on this Saturday which is also Free comic Book Day. It's going to be a great event with cake, entertainment, give-aways, and prizes throughout the day (maybe even some Slabbed comics). They will also have a huge selection of back-issues and slabbed comics available.

The coolest part is a special signing by Canadian artist, Shane Connery Volk who's big series is the Mad Cave Studio's book "Nottingham". He will be offering 3 free signatures with remarks, sketches, and commissions also available for a small fee. There will also be witnesses with CGC at the event giving you the ability to immediately send your signed book to CGC to receive the yellow "Signature Series" label for a cost of $80, which is a great deal! They will also have copies of reprints of Nottingham available to purchase on-site. Here's issue #1:

Spoiler!


For FCBD I'm looking forward to grabbing a copy of Enter the House of Slaughter. Issue #1 will be coming out in September and it's a spin-off series from the Boom Studio's book Something is Killing the Children, which if you haven't read is a really great read. I think trades are hard to come by but there will be a hardcover collecting the first 15 issues coming out in October.

Spoiler!


The next one would be Stray Dogs. I just wrapped up reading this one and it was really solid. If I had to describe it I would say it's like a horror series set in the universe of All Dogs Go To Heaven.

Spoiler!


Last one is Amazing Spider-man. My son's really looking forward to grabbing some new Venom content while he waits for the new series with Al Ewing (The Immortal Hulk) and Ram V (Swamp Thing) and artist Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates) to start up this October.

Spoiler!


So that's it and I'd say even if you can't make it to Saddle City be sure to take your kids out to your local shop to check out their stores and grab some free books!
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Old 10-12-2021, 10:32 AM   #455
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Superman’s son is bisexual.



I don’t stay current on the happenings but this seems like a fairly big step.
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Old 10-12-2021, 11:34 AM   #456
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I saw that trending on Twitter the last few days but didn't click to find out more. I'm sure the neckbeards are throwing a fit. I love comics but the fanbase can be a cesspool.
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Old 10-12-2021, 12:31 PM   #457
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger View Post
Black Panther by Ta Nehisi Coates - his first run is good, not amazing. His second run, the one that finishes May 12th w/ issue 25 (unless it gets pushed back again) is pretty much the greatest thing I've ever read. Wow. I'm actually not done. I got half way thru and stopped because I found out the last issue wasn't out yet, so I'm waiting for it to be released to keep going.

The whole Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda label on the books is legit. This is Star Wars meets Black Panther. I'd recommend you read the whole run but I think just the most recent 25 issues would work. The original run of 18 issues or whatever it was from 2016 gives some more depth to the story I think. I'm not joking, this might be the best ongoing run I've ever read.

Black Panther has a new writer - I think new series is delayed until the New Year.

Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and artist Juann Cabal launch T’Challa’s next revolutionary chapter

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...by-john-ridley
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Old 10-12-2021, 06:36 PM   #458
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Juann Cabal should be a superstar. Phenomenal artist.
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Old 10-13-2021, 11:47 AM   #459
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Dean Cain is throwing a fit in the media about the new sexuality of Superman's son. He also appears in a bunch of conservative religious films if I remember correctly.

That said, I don't care about this development and I don't care what someone's agenda is. The point is if it suits the story, if it creates good narratives, does it empower the character or is it simply being put there as a token gesture or to stir up controversy?
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Old 10-22-2021, 07:36 AM   #460
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Quote:
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Dean Cain is throwing a fit in the media about the new sexuality of Superman's son. He also appears in a bunch of conservative religious films if I remember correctly.

That said, I don't care about this development and I don't care what someone's agenda is. The point is if it suits the story, if it creates good narratives, does it empower the character or is it simply being put there as a token gesture or to stir up controversy?

I don't think it is a token gesture to stir up controversy, nor to boost sales. I think a "Diversity" mandate has been given and the two recent comings out of Red Robin & Jon Kent (new Superboy) are the token A-list heroes on the list.

Interesting that DC wouldn't go all the way, calling them bisexual instead of gay. DC does have gay characters, but they are all c-list level (Batwoman, Bunker), or their sexuality has been ambiguous (Connor Hawke, Artimis).



The colorist on that series (Superman: Son of Kal-El) has announced that he is finishing his contract and then will not work with DC again. One of his beefs is that DC has changed the iconic superman tag line, It is now "Truth, Justice, and a Better World!". He sees it as a slight to American values and to all those Americans who died in various wars (specifically WW II), and to new Americans as well.



No big loss as a new colorist has been announced for this particular issue and the series going forward.
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