Main Menu

Whats everyone reading?

Started by Paul faplad Finch, 30 March, 2009, 10:04:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Paul faplad Finch

Either of you know who the Adversary is yet?  [spoiler]good old Gepetto[/spoiler]

This was a massive let down to me.  One of the earlier books seemed to make this clear [spoiler](march of the wooden soldiers with the, well, wooden soldiers, and them all calling pinnochio 'brother' and not being supposed to hurt him.) [/spoiler] but then the series was written as though it was still a big secret so I figured I'd read to much into the earlier stuff. Then it turns out I was right all along.

The assumption all the characters made, [spoiler]that Geppetto was a slave to the Adversary,[/spoiler] made them seem like idiots. It certainly wasn't my frst thought. 
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read

Roger Godpleton

Clearly you haven't read the most recent issues where the real Adversary turns out to be [spoiler]your mom.[/spoiler]
He's only trying to be what following how his dreams make you wanna be, man!

Paul faplad Finch

Ah, didst I judge to harshly to quickly? Is it all much more complicated than I thought? Should I have had more faith?

Or did that spoiler tag hide a typically rapier like piece of wit from Mr Godpleton?

This is some kind of twisted psycological torture.
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read

Mike Gloady

How are you enjoying Fables, Usher? I really enjoyed the first three (as far as i've gotten at the moment). My recent decision to plough through Hellblazer again from the beginning has seen me just complete the Paul Jenkins era. Three plus years and it's better than i remembered. Sean Phillips is, with Leonard Manco, my favourite artist on that book. Shame mood of it will ever be collected.
New in town?  Follow this link for a guide to the Greatest Threads Ever

Paul faplad Finch

 I'm currently reading The Fear Machine, having recently read Original Sins and The Devil You Know. Now, without wanting to piss on anyones chips or whatever but I'm having a hard time of it with this series.

Now, I thoroughly enjoyed Moore/Veitch eras Swamp Thing and consider Sandman one of my all time favourite comics. Lucifer is fantastic (though I've not finished it yet) and I'm enjoying what little I've read so far of The Books Of Magic. What I'm saying is that I 'get' the whole Vertigo vibe in most cases.

Hellblazer though, for sme reason, just isn't doing it for me. Although I'll admit that Fear Machine is something of an improvement over the other two it still isn't 'up there'. What am I missing? Delano just seems to be trying too hard. Is he, and this initial run of Hellblazer, held in particularly high regard? Or are subsequent writers more credited with the titles longevity?

Not that it matters though because I'm about to give it up for the time being. Unfortunately, funds mean my GN purchasing is being slashed and since I know that this series is a bit of a headache to collect in the trades it's first on the block.


Oh, and I'm reading Hamlet.  :-\
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read

Mike Gloady

For me Jamie Delano was ok, although it's often it's hard to find the stories he DID pretty much nail down major aspects of the character and his world that everyone after has exploited.

Garth Ennis doesn't quite do it for me either.  If Delano was too cerebral and plodding, Ennis seems to think Constantine's an action hero which is far from the truth. But again, moments of brilliance and more excellent ideas that were built upon by subsequent writers.

Paul Jenkins' era is not (and probably will never be) collected in trade paperbacks.  He addressed various contradictions, had a few cracking ideas but funstered it all up at the end by "resetting" his entire run which was a shame.

Garth Ennis' return for the five part "Son of Man" exmempliies the best of is run and is up there with Dangerous Habits for me.  Cracking stuff.

Warren Ellis' run was essentially a six-parter called "Haunted" which is very good and a few nice one offs collected in "Setting Sun" - all pretty good.  Maybe a little to similar to Ennis' stuff but with a bit mre quality. 

Brian Azarello's run starts with Constantine in an American prison for murder and the rest of the run continues in the US.  I thought this was a bit lazy of the American writer at the tie and detracted from the feel.  But now I resalise it's one of the best periods.

Mike Carey's stuff is amazing.  I won't spoil any more than that.  So is Andy Diggle's.  Denise Mina's .... isn't.  Not BAD, just not great.  And a little too over the top in places (what I mean is obvious if you read it).

Hellblazer isn't ONE series.  It's acollection of series.  Each writer's take being almost a separate animal from the last.  If you're finding Delano a trial, grab Haunted, Son of Man, Dangerous Habits, All His Engines or Diggle's whole run for a clue as to what the big deal is.  This is what libraries are for my friend.  Request a book forms are a lifesaver.
New in town?  Follow this link for a guide to the Greatest Threads Ever

Mike Gloady

Just realised, if you liked Lucifer, get Carey's six tpbs and All His Engines, a cracking OGN by Carey and Manco.  They're REASONABLY self-contained.  You've got a grounding in the character and as for those questions/niggles that crop up when reading something you've ot read from the beginning - that's what THIS place is for, mate.
New in town?  Follow this link for a guide to the Greatest Threads Ever

HdE

I've been burning through Y: The Last Man.

I have a few issues with it - I really hate the overly strong language, for one thing. But this story is absolute gold! Really clever, quite believable stuff.

I'm up to volume 6 so far. It's probably the best comic I've read since I zipped through Akira earlier this year.
Check out my DA page! Point! Laugh!
http://hde2009.deviantart.com/

fresno bob

Looking forward to Victorian Undead.
You know why the Professor never got laid on the island, don't you?

TordelBack

#609
Re:  Hellblazer.  Thing to remember about Delano's Hellblazer is that this was pretty much the only book of its type in production at the time.   He was stepping into Alan Moore's (!) shoes on the character at the launch of the whole Vertigo line, Sandman was still almost a year away, and he had 22 pages a month to fill with a spivvy London (or so it seemed) con artist in a blue suit.  It's remarkable that he found the direction that he did, and managed to build Moore's utterly brilliant thumbnail sketch into a rich and deeply screwed-up character.  Much of the early Hellblazer does feel awkward and as faplad says often seems to be trying to hard, but it was a real achievement for its time.  The Ennis stuff that follows is much lighter in some ways, and definitely more fun, helped by Dillon's crisp clear storytelling.  Some of the situations are cracking though.

I haven't read much of the Jenkins and Ellis stuff yet, and I notice that Mike omits Eddie Campbell's aborted run, but FWIW I agree with him entirely about Carey and Diggle - both are quite brilliant, Diggle's run in particular being a delight.   The less said about Denise Mina's misguided stab the better.

Mike Gloady

Eddie Campbell's 3-4 issues are a pure joy but what else would you expect from him? The man's a comics genius, and i don't throw that word lightly.

Another highlight of Hellblazer for me is Delano's one off story detailing what the deal is with Chas's debt to constantine. Issue 84 i think, called "in another part of hell" and, i think, collected in the otherwise mostly forgettable "Rare Cuts".
New in town?  Follow this link for a guide to the Greatest Threads Ever

Roger Godpleton

Has anyone else read the Chas miniseries? I thought it was glaringly inept. Carey is the bestest Blazer.
He's only trying to be what following how his dreams make you wanna be, man!

House of Usher

Quote from: Mike Gloady on 24 October, 2009, 06:30:35 AM
How are you enjoying Fables, Usher?

Brilliant. It's my favourite escapism at the moment. My mind is currently boggling about Cinderella and Prince Charming still being married circa 1810 when their story was written about 1697, and there apparently being characters from the stories of Kenneth Grahame, Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carrol at the farm, when no fable has escaped from the Homelands for about 200 years.

But, as I say, brilliant, brilliant escapist fun. I'm on book 4 right now.

I started reading all the Hellblazer I could get from the library (gloomy stuff!) but I'm busy with Fables at the minute. Also looking forward to reading Y - The Last Man. It's great reading comics this way, whipping through them at speed and not having to squeeze £2.40's worth of entertainment out of every 22 pages!
STRIKE !!!

Mike Gloady

Good news. When next i buy American comics, i have to decide whether it's Y - The Last Man, DMZ and Fables. Enjoying all three at the moment. When you don't like superheroes or zombies there's not huge selection (and i hardly need it, my reading for the foreseeable future is mapped out already).
New in town?  Follow this link for a guide to the Greatest Threads Ever

Paul faplad Finch

Well, since I'm attempting to read the series from the beginning and in as complete a form as possible I've only read early Delano so far. As well as Moores Swamp Thing stuff with the character of course. I can appreciate the point that Delano was very much out on his own at the time and may therefore be due some slack. It's sometimes difficult to keep that kind of thing in perspective when you're coming to all this stuff after the fact. I try to keep it straight best I can - not reading Hellblazer until after the Swamp Thing arc that introduced him and putting off Lucifer until reading the Sandman arc where he abandoned Hell etc - but it isn't always easy.

I have to say though that reading the very early Hellblazer stuff was my first experience of reading a Vertigo book and immediately thinking of Garth Ennis' pisstake of Vertigo cliches in the Preacher introduction.

Not surprised to hear that Carey is so well thought of, because between Lucifer, The Furies and Felix Castor the guy has yet to fail to impress me.
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read