Getting into comics/graphic novels

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

How does reading them on your iPad work? Legally? Is there an app for that? How much are they?

Just curious.

I know for sure that Marvel has an app.

[MrMastodonFarm]

[Cecil Terwilliger]

YB that is pretty cool. Probably would need an ipad because I think my touch would be too small for me to properly enjoy it but that is insanely cool.

He mentions that some back issues are only $1.99. That is a pretty good price. I wonder what the price for TPBs are. As long as they are cheap enough compared to the physical copies it definitely interests me.

[KTrain]

Most everything I've seen is $1.99. If you're not interested in the brand new stuff it's pretty good. The digital comics are usually a few years old but they are starting to toy with the new stuff being released at the same time.

There is a Marvel, DC and Comixology app (which has most of Image and Dark Horse stuff covered). The Walking Dead trades are 8.99 and 9.99 for the first two respectively.

If you're just interested in the stories and not collecting then digital is a good way to go.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I took 5 minutes and downloaded the Marvel App and read some of Wolverine Origins #17.

Just as I thought I think I'd need an iPad to really enjoy it. However, if I'm ever stuck in a situation where I can't bring physical comics with me it might do in a pinch on my touch.

Plus, by the time ipad type devices are the norm I think Marvel will have considerably more comics in the database for the app.

For $2 it might be good way to scope out an issue from a particular series to see if I like it and then I can go out and buy the actual physical TPB.

[Rathji]

A friend showed me Walking Dead on his iPhone and I think those apps could be a way for me to finally be able to read comic books. Since it shows it one panel at a time I don't get distracted by all the other things happening on the page. Reading a physical, or even an digital adobe media format comic book is pretty much impossible for me due to the distraction from the surrounding panels.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Rathji

A friend showed me Walking Dead on his iPhone and I think those apps could be a way for me to finally be able to read comic books. Since it shows it one panel at a time I don't get distracted by all the other things happening on the page. Reading a physical, or even an digital adobe media format comic book is pretty much impossible for me due to the distraction from the surrounding panels.

It is really funny you say that because one of the biggest drawbacks for me is that the screen on the touch is so much smaller than an iPad and thus would require me to go panel by panel.

Ideally with an iPad I could read the entire page at once. Something about going panel by panel just doesn't work for me. I'd guess it is because I'm a creature of habit and I'm used to being able to see the entire page at once.

I'm sure if I get into going panel by panel I could get used to it but in the comic I just read on my touch I found myself frustrated I can't just go page to page without having to go panel to panel.

[bugsy]

Don't read as much as I used to but theres some great suggestions here already.

I'm a big fan of Mignola's Hellboy stuff

Also Miller's Ronin.

And The Goon, by Eric Powell.

I like the less serious stuff (Ronin aside maybe).

[KTrain]

You guys might want to give Starman a try too. It's 75 issues plus annuals and specials. It's about the lineage of the superhero, Starman. It takes place in the main DC universe so there are many cameos from the main DC characters and many lesser characters but you don't have to read any other books to follow along.

It ended a few years ago but is easily one of the best comic series of the past 20+ years.

[Bertuzzied]

Fables. This may be the best comic of all time.

I really hope they make this into a tv series but i can't imagine all the copyright stuff they will have to go through. Especially from Disney.

[jeremywilhelm]

Is no one said Sandman, then this thread is not complete.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Is no one said Sandman, then this thread is not complete.

I hear good things about Sandman, can you post which ones? I don't know whick is what.

[getbak]

I really liked the Death mini-series that Neil Gaiman did that were a spin-off of the Sandman series.

The main character of the Sandman series is Morpheus the God of Sleep and his siblings are various other gods (the Endless).

One of his sisters is Death, who appears as a young goth-looking girl. In the first mini-series, The High Cost of Living, she comes to Earth to live among humans for one day. The other mini-series is called The Time of Your Life.

They're both only 3 issues long, and have been collected into trade paperbacks. They'd probably be a good starting point into the Sandman universe, which is a little odd compared to other comic books.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

I hear good things about Sandman, can you post which ones? I don't know whick is what.

Start at the beginning and read man. It'll encompass a couple weeks but you will have a great time. The character and stories are fantastic. There is a reason it has a cult following. It is a comic book masterpiece.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by getbak

I really liked the Death mini-series that Neil Gaiman did that were a spin-off of the Sandman series.

The main character of the Sandman series is Morpheus the God of Sleep and his siblings are various other gods (the Endless).

One of his sisters is Death, who appears as a young goth-looking girl. In the first mini-series, The High Cost of Living, she comes to Earth to live among humans for one day. The other mini-series is called The Time of Your Life.

They're both only 3 issues long, and have been collected into trade paperbacks. They'd probably be a good starting point into the Sandman universe, which is a little odd compared to other comic books.

The whole series encompasses like, 13 different stories arcs. I think about 80-100 comics in all.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Simply put Neil Gaiman is a genius whether the medium is books, film or comics. Coraline, Stardust, American Gods, Beowolf, Sandman etc.

Funny story with Gaiman. He collaborated with Todd McFarlane, whose work I love but the guy is admittedly kind of a dick, on Spawn and created several key Spawn characters. Angela, Cogliostro and a couple others.

Thing is the very next issue with Cerebrus creator Dave Sim was all about how comic creators have sold their souls throughout comic history and how the major publishers (Marvel and DC) are explicitly alluded to as basically raping the creators for their ideas.

Anyhoo, McFarlane ended up using the characters at length and they became key characters in the Spawn universe. When it came time for McFarlane to pay royalties to Gaiman for his contributions Todd basically just refused. Pretty much spitting in the face of everything he stood for previously regarding creator owned characters and not letting the big guy push around the lowly creators.

Luckily Todd lost his case to Gaiman and had to pay off Gaiman for characters that Gaiman created and essentially owned. Something Todd had previously fully endorsed.

Maybe Todd needed to cash because he needed some cash money to pay for all his ridiculous baseball purchases.

That and McFarlane toys used to be THE standard in toys, including his McFarlane NHL figures. Anyone who has followed the downfall of the quality of those figures knows what I'm talking about. Now it is nothing but a bunch of lame repaints of a small number of molds.


Random six degrees of separation type deal: NIN frontman Trent Reznor was once linked to Tori Amos who is good friends with Neil Gaiman!

[jeremywilhelm]

Todd Macfarlane is and always was a hack.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Todd Macfarlane is and always was a hack.

Whoa, hey, let's not say things we can't take back.

Todd's art on Spider-man was nothing short of revolutionary. I have all 4 volumes of his work on ASM and then his short run on the title created specifically for him Spider-Man.

He also did some great work for KoRn, Pearl Jam and Disturbed. He also revolutionized the quality and beauty of action figures. From making movie, music, comic and sports figures Todd did some great things.

Problem is he pretty much turned into everything he hated about the comic book industry and let Spawn go from an amazing comic for the first 50-100 or so issues and then just let the story drag on into oblivion.

For most of the 90s Spawn consistently was a top 5 selling book and slowly went into relative obscurity because the quality of the book and storytelling went down the toilet. Just checked and Spawn isn't even in the top 300 hundred comics anymore. That means it is getting outsold by pretty much everything, including Archie.

Plus, he was part owner of the Oilers and designed this beauty of a logo:

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Death Note
Claymore
One Piece

[ResAlien]

Yeah Cecil I missed you suggesting Preacher. Link to view issue #1. Probably a tad NSFW.

http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/graphic_novels/?gn=1645