Comic Book Thread

[Professor S]

I don't think my page spoiled anything. If anything, it is the world's most awesome teaser.

[incredibledave]

Alright guys, here comes some review (would have been earlier but Ive been busy with work and with drinking)

Daytripper #7: Fantastic work as always, and this still makes me sad every time I read it. No way are you going to guess exactly how this ends.

Unwritten #14: Everything is still pushing toward an enormous confrontation. Some crazy developments and I cant wait to see what happens when this all blows up in their faces.

SHIELD #2: The art is amazing, no doubt about that, my problem is with the story, or lack there of. Hickman isnt exactly generous about plot points in this, and tries to keep a lot of whats going on shrouded in mystery. This may be a title better suited to trade.

JL:GL #3: Im reading this because of a challenge I have with Earl. Its fairly standard superhero stuff but it is nice to see Jaime and Booster and their voices seem about right. Gave this to a none comic reading friend and he loved it even without having read earlier issues, so I guess there is that.

Batman #700: This is a bit of a tricky title to review. Straight off the bat (haha) I'll say that this wasnt as good as I hoped it was, but it was exactly bad. It had a plot that made me want to go back and read it a few more times to see if I understood the mystery. It also had delicious Frank Quietly art, so I cant really complain.
My biggest problem was the other artists involved. Although I liked Tony Daniel on RIP his work in that was much darker than this. Entirely too many colourful costumes to really make it work (check out the last page of his part which is mostly black and red, looks heaps better).
I'm not a Kubert fan so I didnt really take to his Damian section, so that could just be personal taste.
Scott Kolins finished off Quietly's story and its incredibly jarring how different their styles are.
Lastly, Finch had 4 spotlight pages on the various Batmen of the future, and his style was only really suited to the DKR page.
Also, the characterization of the Joker in the first part is just off, no otherway about it.
So all in all, its a very good Batman issue, just maybe not the masterpiece you'd expect an anniversary issue by Morrison to be.

PICK OF THE WEEK: Daytripper #7. As much as I loved the Quietly pages in Batman#700 the guys on Daytripper are consistently putting out quality issues that can be read on their own, pack emotional punch, have amazing art and are coming out on time. More like this please

STUFF FROM LAST WEEK
Nemesis: The Impostors #4: What has been a good mini series end of a cliffhanger with no big explanation for what was happening, bad form DC comics, very bad form.

Demo v2 #5: Nice emotional black and white indie comic that involves minor use of superpowers. Some clever ideas, excellent characterization. This is everything you'd expect it to be. And thats good

Bulletproof Coffin #1: The concept in this is probably more entertaining than the execution, but its a 6 issue mini series so this could still do some interesting stuff. Recommendation... find a summary of #1 and then get #2.

[incredibledave]

AN interesting post I found

http://fraggmented.blogspot.com/2006...manifesto.html

[incredibledave]

To celebrate the new relaunch of the Avenger's titles, Marvel seems to be giving each of those titles a "Blank Variant", that is a special promotional cover that retailers can order if they order enough of the ordinary cover which is entirely blank except for a few things like some type saying "I am an Avenger!" or something. These extra formats are very similar to those used in earlier promotional material (cept those had pictures of guys who were actually Avengers)


Does this seem kinda hilarious to anyone else?
It kinda like the one of those perfect example to bring up if you want to bitch about what the current state of the comics industry has become.
"Variant covers are purely for obsessive collectors, noone is paying that much for the art, just look at the Marvel blank variant covers!"
"Silver Age comics knew how to sell you a story, now-a-days you only get a boring pin-up cos people have already decided if they're going to buy it, just look at those Marvel blank variant covers!"

I can be the only one who thinks this.

[BreakABone]

Ahh this does look bad for you, but I merged your other two comic book threads, partially because they won't get much replies, and don't need 4 comic book threads on the front page.

[incredibledave]

Already guys, I know your probably tired of my posts but someone has to fill this thread up with meandering comments :P

Check out this solicit for September
BATMAN AND ROBIN #16
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by CAMERON STEWART
Cover by FRANK QUITELY
1:25 variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Don’t miss this fantastic finale as BATMAN AND ROBIN’s storyline connects with THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE! The climactic showdown between Batman and the Black Glove is finally here. It’s payback time for The Dark Knight as Batman and Robin face the ultimate evil. Will Damian betray his father’s legacy? Will Bruce Wayne return just in time to see Dick Grayson die? Plus, The Joker and Professor Pyg!
This is only the beginning of a startling new status quo for the Batman...
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale SEPTEMBER 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Morrison writing and Cameron Stewart drawing Bruce, Dick, Damian, Joker, Prof. Pyg and Dr. Hurt!? Holy shit!! This is going to rock!

[BreakABone]

I really wish comic books didn't try to shake up the "status quo" so often since usually, its an event to shake up the status quo and then an event to restore the status quo.

Aye yi yi

[incredibledave]

I dont have a problem with writers trying to shake up the status quo in theory.

Hell, REBELS seems to change its status quo every 7 or so issues and Fear Agent seem to be one gigantic middle finger to the concept of a status quo at all.

Its just annoying when writers try to use it as a way to drum up interest like its something that matters. The reason people are interested in Return of Bruce Wayne is not because its going to change the daily goings on of the bat family, but because its probably going to a be a quirky, well written, well drawn mini series. At least I hope thats the case :/

[BreakABone]

Well that wasn't my point exactly.

We had Batman RIP which was set to change the Batman "Status quo"
Then Final Crisis did, then Battle for the Cowl, which saw Dick take over as Batman and Damien as Robin.
Now we have the Return of Bruce Wayne, which sooner or later will return us to where we were before Batman RIP

[incredibledave]

I get ya now, truth be told I would have preferred 2 - 3 years of Dick and Damian just doing their thing but instead we only got 6 months before it all became about Bruce again (trying to resurrect him in B&R#7)

Oh well

[BreakABone]

I didn't hate Brightest Day 4!

That has to be a victory!

[BreakABone]

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/06...al-publishing/

Looks like DC finally steps into the modern age, offering digital comics on the iPad, iPhone, PSN, PSP and of course computers.

[Teuthida]

Wow that sucks. Up to the full price of a physical copy for a digital download? And I thought Marvel's was bad at $2 an issue. I had such high hopes for digital comics to expand the market to nonreaders. Both companies haven't gave any reasons why one should stop downloading comics for free. The only nonreaders I see buying these comics are rich lazy folk...but I guess that's most of the population who own ipads/iphones.

Oh nm. Just checked out comiXology.com $.99 comics from the smaller publishers. Screw DC and Marvel.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Teuthida

Wow that sucks. Up to the full price of a physical copy for a digital download? And I thought Marvel's was bad at $2 an issue. I had such high hopes for digital comics to expand the market to nonreaders. Both companies haven't gave any reasons why one should stop downloading comics for free. The only nonreaders I see buying these comics are rich lazy folk.

Actually, most of the comics knock a price off the retail issue.

And they do provide SOME free issues and previews.

But I guess agree with you, but to be fair, they still need to pay the artists and writers for the books so cna't go giving it all away.

[Teuthida]

Of course I agree with you paying the artists being one myself. But the high price of comics these days are due to nothing much than the greed of Marvel and DC. Artists aren't making any more money than they did when comics were cheaper. In fact they're making a lot less because so few issues are being sold. For the big two it isn't the printing cost, it's seeing just how much they can charge per issue.

Now for the smaller companies the less issues a company prints, the harder it is to make a profit without upping the price. Isn't it better for all if they could sell a lot more for less? Especially now that Diamond has put stricter restrictions on how many books a series needs to be printed at just makes things harder. The industry changes according to whatever the big two do though which screws the little guys.

Which is why I don't get the digital comics pricing. There is no money being lost on printing. It's just greed. Marvel and DC pay their artists by page rate so it they're not getting any more money from the high prices on the digital comics. Only the company is making more money...and with the recent shuffle of management...probably the top writers from each.