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#1

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Jim_Campbell - Today at 11:25:18 AM

The Absolute editions somewhat controversially recolour the run IIRC, I've not seen it for comparison myself.

I'm not a fan of what I've seen of the new colouring. I mean, I understand that just slapping the old newsprint colours onto high quality paper is a non-starter, but I've seen a number of pro colourists say that the new colours could certainly be a lot closer to Tatjana Wood's original work by using them as a guide and desaturating them to avoid the My-God-my-EYES! effect that's certainly present in the colour Titan reprint I have from decades back.

(It's worth tracking down an original copy of #56, just to see Wood's colouring on 'My Blue Heaven' — I think the total colour palette for comics of this era ran 124 total combinations of cyan, magenta and yellow... and Wood colours the whole thing using only the blue-ish subset of those combinations... maybe 16-20 colours total.)

#2

Books & Comics / Re: Recommended Comic shops th...

Last post by IndigoPrime - Today at 11:15:32 AM

Depending on age of your daughter, she may like both stores. Mini-IP enjoys FP's upstairs for all the toys and tat, but she loves Gosh's extensive children's section (from younglings to YA). We always come home with at least one new thing for her to read.

#3

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Le Fink - Today at 10:30:39 AM

As someone relatively unread in comics, but trying to catch up (despite being beset by long delays due to renovations taking an insufferably and inordinately long time to get finished), and who has read almost all the Moore Swamp Thing now, from cold, without having read anything from before or after that run, and the only exposure to Swamp Thing before that being the 80s movie, I have to say I don't really recognise what I have read of it from these descriptions all that much!

Maybe it's because I've read so little of comics (compared to you vets), or because I approached it without any particular reverence for Moore. I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've read so far, but didn't think the incidental characters were neglected, unlikeable, or irritating. I also it doesn't really feel much like a superhero story, despite some of those old trouts turning up.

Perhaps I should also say that I'm reading the Absolute editions, and I'm not forcing myself to keep reading when I get tired - I just pick it up again later. I'll definitely be re-reading them, too, at some point.

Pretty much how I came to it, apart from the edition, and how I responded to it too. I've given it a couple of re-reads since, but the first read was the most enjoyable for me. The Absolute editions somewhat controversially recolour the run IIRC, I've not seen it for comparison myself.

#4

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Colin YNWA - Today at 10:03:41 AM

Interesting read this. Swamp Thing is something I've often thought about checking out. I've only ever read a single issue - a girl gave it to me as a gift and given I'm not hugely into superhero stuff I didn't want to taint it by reading around it and finding I didn't care for the series, if that makes sense - I rather like it in isolation.

Interesting what issue if I may be so bold. When I've been asked in the past I've always recommended issue 43. Not that its representative of the run as a whole - as I've said that would be hard to do - just cos its my fav!

Issue 55 is the issue in question....
Because I've not read any more of the run, I've literally no idea if it is representative or not. Read in isolation its quite trippy and beautiful.

Oh interesting that's one of the issues with very little actual Swamp Thing in that focus on the supporting cast as Swampie is cast into the cosmos.

Perhaps I should also say that I'm reading the Absolute editions, and I'm not forcing myself to keep reading when I get tired - I just pick it up again later. I'll definitely be re-reading them, too, at some point.

Oh nice - they are lovely editions and one of the many formats I've has some of the stories in - having picked up Vol.2 when it was in an Amazon glitch that meant you could pick it up for bobbins. I do thing these are a lovely way to read the series but think they are getting hard to get hold of now.

Good to hear someone coming in fresh is really enjoying the series.

#5

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Fortnight - Today at 09:53:46 AM

As someone relatively unread in comics, but trying to catch up (despite being beset by long delays due to renovations taking an insufferably and inordinately long time to get finished), and who has read almost all the Moore Swamp Thing now, from cold, without having read anything from before or after that run, and the only exposure to Swamp Thing before that being the 80s movie, I have to say I don't really recognise what I have read of it from these descriptions all that much!

Maybe it's because I've read so little of comics (compared to you vets), or because I approached it without any particular reverence for Moore. I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've read so far, but didn't think the incidental characters were neglected, unlikeable, or irritating. I also it doesn't really feel much like a superhero story, despite some of those old trouts turning up.

Perhaps I should also say that I'm reading the Absolute editions, and I'm not forcing myself to keep reading when I get tired - I just pick it up again later. I'll definitely be re-reading them, too, at some point.

#6

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Barrington Boots - Today at 09:48:09 AM

Interesting read this. Swamp Thing is something I've often thought about checking out. I've only ever read a single issue - a girl gave it to me as a gift and given I'm not hugely into superhero stuff I didn't want to taint it by reading around it and finding I didn't care for the series, if that makes sense - I rather like it in isolation.

Interesting what issue if I may be so bold. When I've been asked in the past I've always recommended issue 43. Not that its representative of the run as a whole - as I've said that would be hard to do - just cos its my fav!

Issue 55 is the issue in question....
Because I've not read any more of the run, I've literally no idea if it is representative or not. Read in isolation its quite trippy and beautiful.

#7

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Colin YNWA - Today at 08:05:05 AM

Interesting read this. Swamp Thing is something I've often thought about checking out. I've only ever read a single issue - a girl gave it to me as a gift and given I'm not hugely into superhero stuff I didn't want to taint it by reading around it and finding I didn't care for the series, if that makes sense - I rather like it in isolation.

Interesting what issue if I may be so bold. When I've been asked in the past I've always recommended issue 43. Not that its representative of the run as a whole - as I've said that would be hard to do - just cos its my fav!

A read a Swamp Thing comics when it came out but it was nothing that sticked for me. Again this might be a case of my younger days certain things I just did not find appealing enough. Not sure if I want to add another item to my ever-growing backlog jam.

Oh boy my backlog (or reading list as I call it) is just stupid. It can seriously take something 4 years to get from purchase to being read which is ridiculous (that list is half re-read I should note).

That said, I can also imagine that sinply reading any one single issue in isolation, per B.Boots' experience, is going to be nicely rewarding. Maybe that's the trick - just read one comics from this run and have done with it! Wonder if that's true of Watchmen as well.

Could you imagine with Watchmen... well I actually can I got 2 random issues at my first UKCAC I think it was before I bought the trade when I was maybe 17... its amazing I got the trade at all!

The weirdest thing for me is that is still find Alan Moore's prog work superior than his American work. His Future Shocks were some of the best (if not the best) short stories ever published. Dr & Quinch still put a smile to my mouth when I revisited it. Halo Jones I still rate as his best work ever. So British Moore beats American Moore everyday of the week.

Well you'll approve of some of what's coming later in this list then!

I rarely found myself caring for the characters that much, at least not in the way I normally do with Moore's work.

Now, that's strange, because one of things I like most about Moore's run on ST is his obvious affection for the supporting cast, with several issues where the Big Guy barely even has a walk-on part and a couple of issues before the 'Lost in Space' arc kicks off where he's completely absent and Abby and Chester carry the book.

I can kinda relate to what BadlydrawnKano says while the supporting cast are super important and prominent in the run I'm not sure I engage with them as much as I do some other Uncle A's other characters. I do wonder what a re-read would do to that persepction but as I say above that might be some time off yet!

#8

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Jim_Campbell - Today at 07:39:55 AM

I rarely found myself caring for the characters that much, at least not in the way I normally do with Moore's work.

Now, that's strange, because one of things I like most about Moore's run on ST is his obvious affection for the supporting cast, with several issues where the Big Guy barely even has a walk-on part and a couple of issues before the 'Lost in Space' arc kicks off where he's completely absent and Abby and Chester carry the book.

#9

Off Topic / Re: Boys Adventure comic blog

Last post by Richard S. - Today at 06:45:13 AM

More progress on my covers gallery for Marvel UK's 'Beep! Beep!' comic (1989/90) - whaddya mean you've never heard of it?

https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2024/05/updated-beep-beep-marvel-uk-198990.html

#10

Film & TV / Re: Rogue Trooper News…!

Last post by Funt Solo - Today at 01:30:02 AM

Phwoooaarrr! Eh? Eh?