Main Menu

Brian Wood - Rebels / Starve

Started by Proudhuff, 19 July, 2015, 11:38:13 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Colin YNWA

As well as other stuff I've been reading of late over the last couple of weeks I've done a read of Brian Woods The Massive and have to say read as a whole it holds together really rather excellently. And while I enjoyed it a whole heap when getting the singles, it reads far better when read as one.

It serves as a creation myth, an examination of mass extinction events as a humanised story, and a retelling of Noah's Ark focusing on the evils man did before the great flood. Its both mythical and pseudo religious, while being agnostic and godless. Its both small and personal in scale, while also being... well if you'll excuse me Massive.

The bigger stuff, as exemplified by Mary and her earth mother (or daughter) presence is actually nicely played out and slowly and well introduced as the 30 issue series plays out and while it wasn't what I wanted the series to become when reading in real time it worked really, really well on re-read.

Most importantly and tellingly its smart and flexible enough to allow people to fit their own beliefs into the same story. It gives enough but trusts its reader to add what they want to find their own interruption. As such it does what the very best comics and indeed any imaginative literature does, it leaves you immediately looking forward to the next time you read it. Knowing full well when you do you'll draw more out and find a new way to explore it and new meaning in it.

Top stuff, if you haven't already check it out.

Proudhuff

Quote from: Molch-R on 19 July, 2015, 10:56:09 PM
Northlanders remains one of my all-time favourite comic books ever.
You may want to check out The Black Road, its Northlanders under another banner  :D
DDT did a job on me

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Proudhuff on 22 April, 2016, 01:35:43 PM
Quote from: Molch-R on 19 July, 2015, 10:56:09 PM
Northlanders remains one of my all-time favourite comic books ever.
You may want to check out The Black Road, its Northlanders under another banner  :D

Its in my bag as I type really looking forward to checking it out. Garry Brown seems like a perfect arts for type of comic... more in a bit...

Apestrife

Did you give DMZ a read?

I really like it, and it's definitely my fav. of Woods. Big what if-war book with some really cool stories.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Apestrife on 22 April, 2016, 07:17:40 PM
Did you give DMZ a read?

I really like it, and it's definitely my fav. of Woods. Big what if-war book with some really cool stories.

Alas no - I didn't get to it in time.

I have however read Black Road and... its pretty good. Not quite as good as I'd hoped but that making it a little a victim of my expectations than anything else. It as definately a good book BUT feels it needs a little more too it, which just now it doesn't have, but there is enough left hanging to make me suspect it will develop well.

Garry Brown's work felt a little like Dan McDaid as it goes - which is fine, but for some reason didn't quite work as well as the art I've been seeing him doing in The Massive.

One to watch and I'm certainly looking forward to next issue still so we're all good.

Apestrife

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 22 April, 2016, 08:59:50 PM
Quote from: Apestrife on 22 April, 2016, 07:17:40 PM
Did you give DMZ a read?

I really like it, and it's definitely my fav. of Woods. Big what if-war book with some really cool stories.

Alas no - I didn't get to it in time.

Have you considered getting the dlx bks 1-5? They're 18 euros each on comixology. Each one collecting 12 issue, + some really nice extras. Write ups from the creators and such. IMO they're a steal.

Colin YNWA

Just read Brian's 20 issue 'Star Wars' run that revitalised Dark Horse's Star Wars* line just as it was coming to a end. Its pretty good. Set just after the end of Start Wars the movies its interesting that a lot of the ideas touched on by the title have also be used in Marvel's titles (the little I've read). So stuff like Leia actually dealing (or not) with the destruction of Aldaraan, Darth seeking redemption and Luke being a mixed up teen from a back water thrust into the role if super star solider. There may well be more.

Anyway is fun stuff and rips along at a fair old pace. Its not exactly sutly ploted and some stuff is suprisingly telegraphed. Particularly the last major arch which had one character that might was well have been called General Nastysnakeinthegrass. But hey ho these are good fun kids comics and I enjoyed them.

Not Mr Woods normal fare but all the more interesting bacause of that.

Proudhuff



Northlanders Book One: The Anglo-Saxon Saga
The British Isles were a tempting target to the Vikings, who craved lush land to farm and rich monasteries to plunder, and the fractured Saxon kingdoms were barely able to resist.  But as time progressed and the centuries-old pagan belief in nature, the fates, and a raucous warrior afterlife were gradually replaced by the rigid traditions of Christianity, a dark ages culture war took shape.



'Lush' as the godess that is Whittle would say  :D
DDT did a job on me

Apestrife

That's one good cover.

Haven't read it. It any good?

Proudhuff

Working my way through it as its a hefty tome, very good IMHO, colours can be a  muted but apart from that excellent.
 
DDT did a job on me

Ancient Otter

Am I really wrong on my Irish history or was Clontarf really Irish verus Vikings  as depicted in Northlanders? I always viewed Clontarf as an Irish civil as Vikings fought on both sides.

Proudhuff

Quote from: Ancient Otter on 15 August, 2016, 09:25:56 PM
Am I really wrong on my Irish history or was Clontarf really Irish verus Vikings  as depicted in Northlanders? I always viewed Clontarf as an Irish civil as Vikings fought on both sides.

One for TB I think....
DDT did a job on me

Link Prime

Quote from: Proudhuff on 16 August, 2016, 06:17:18 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 15 August, 2016, 09:25:56 PM
Am I really wrong on my Irish history or was Clontarf really Irish verus Vikings  as depicted in Northlanders? I always viewed Clontarf as an Irish civil as Vikings fought on both sides.

One for TB I think....

The truth can be found in the 2000AD annual 1985.

Proudhuff






"Briggs Land" follow the story of a crime drama set within a rural secessionist community. According to Wood, "It's the culmination of everything I've done in my twenty years as a comics creator, bringing socially conscious and politically charged themes to the page, putting some of the more unsettling elements of American culture under scrutiny."


Anyone else grab this?  excellent! Its like every decent HBO series rolled into one  :thumbsup:
DDT did a job on me

Hawkmumbler

Wowowow hold up a second there, a Viking comic?! I'll be having some of that, hopefully it'll fill the hole in my heart left by Vinland Saga constantly going on hiatus every two volumes.