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Cinebooks

Started by Colin YNWA, 28 January, 2012, 09:23:58 PM

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Professor Bear

It was the stuffy, unrealistic and often childish dialogue in Chimpanzee Complex that derailed the story completely for me, especially as it was a story where the sci-fi element was of secondary concern to the writer compared to the family melodrama playing out with the main character and her estranged daughter, and that is fine as sci-fi works best as a means of delivery for stories about human concerns - but what should have been a humanistic fable about the enduring bonds between individuals in societies overriding the territorial concerns we have as a species is instead a story about some cunts in a spaceship.

As for the unglued spines, of the six Aldebaran/Betelgeuse books I've bought, four have fallen to bits the first time I've opened them.  They're just low-quality books, I'm afraid, and you only have to look at the censorship to see the lack of thought and effort involved: someone gets impaled, their hand chopped off or their head squashed like a ripe melon between the jaws of a space dinosaur and we see it in full, uncensored technicolor, but matter-of-fact nudity is clumsily censored even though it's directly referenced in the text of the story several times by the characters.  The "editors" couldn't even be bothered to edit the text when it draws attention to something they've removed from the books entirely...

All of which is a shame, as Orbital seems pretty great high-concept sci-fi - I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the first volume an impressive mix of Mike Zeck-style characters in a Kev Walker-designed version of the Foundation, with a hefty chunk of TOS Trek thrown in.

Mabs

#16
Quote from: Professah Byah on 28 August, 2012, 01:02:36 PM
It was the stuffy, unrealistic and often childish dialogue in Chimpanzee Complex that derailed the story completely for me, especially as it was a story where the sci-fi element was of secondary concern to the writer compared to the family melodrama playing out with the main character and her estranged daughter, and that is fine as sci-fi works best as a means of delivery for stories about human concerns - but what should have been a humanistic fable about the enduring bonds between individuals in societies overriding the territorial concerns we have as a species is instead a story about some cunts in a spaceship.

As for the unglued spines, of the six Aldebaran/Betelgeuse books I've bought, four have fallen to bits the first time I've opened them.  They're just low-quality books, I'm afraid, and you only have to look at the censorship to see the lack of thought and effort involved: someone gets impaled, their hand chopped off or their head squashed like a ripe melon between the jaws of a space dinosaur and we see it in full, uncensored technicolor, but matter-of-fact nudity is clumsily censored even though it's directly referenced in the text of the story several times by the characters.  The "editors" couldn't even be bothered to edit the text when it draws attention to something they've removed from the books entirely...

All of which is a shame, as Orbital seems pretty great high-concept sci-fi - I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the first volume an impressive mix of Mike Zeck-style characters in a Kev Walker-designed version of the Foundation, with a hefty chunk of TOS Trek thrown in.


Wow! Great to see fellow Cinebook fan's and a Cinebook thread here! I'm an avid fan of Cinebook, in particular the Aldebaran Saga and Orbital. I read one of the volumes of Aldebaran, which I borrowed from my library and instantly fell in love with it!  I then proceeded to order the whole lot from Amazon and The Book Depository! I've read Antares Episode 2 last and loved it. It ends on a big cliffhanger, and I cannot wait for the next episode to come out. It really is an awesome series. Theres a really 60's/ 70's feel about the comic and the artwork and story has a dreamy feel to it.

Orbital was another series I loved, the artwork is absolutely brilliant. Sort of like a cross between Moebius and Masamune Shirow.  But one, actually two problems I had with Cinebook and which you guys have mentioned too, is the censorship and the really piss poor binding. Other than that its been a joy reading these stories.

I  still haven't read Western, and Scorpio and will definitely check them out in the future. : )
My Blog: http://nexuswookie.wordpress.com/

My Twitter @nexuswookie

Spicy Biscuit

Was only made aware of Cinebooks after looking around for any and all english publishers for the french comic "XIII".
Found a copy of the first volume in my local library and was thoroughly pleased with it. My only complaints were the use of very bold use for emphasizing. Still, being the only english publisher of the series I have to take what I can get and be grateful at that.

Albion

What is it with me and Cinebooks?! 

In the past I had two fall apart and now I've started reading the books I got at Thought Bubble I have another faulty book.  >:(

I read Thorgal Book 1 last night and had a flick through Book 2 and found eight blank pages. They aren't random blank pages, which I could have put up with, they are actually eight pages of missing content as the page numbers don't add up.

I've got fifteen books from them this year and three have been faulty. I was a bit wary of buying from them again this time and now this happens.  :(

Time to email them again then.
Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

Richmond Clements

Quote from: Albion on 26 November, 2012, 07:41:14 AM
What is it with me and Cinebooks?! 

In the past I had two fall apart and now I've started reading the books I got at Thought Bubble I have another faulty book.  >:(

I read Thorgal Book 1 last night and had a flick through Book 2 and found eight blank pages. They aren't random blank pages, which I could have put up with, they are actually eight pages of missing content as the page numbers don't add up.

I've got fifteen books from them this year and three have been faulty. I was a bit wary of buying from them again this time and now this happens.  :(

Time to email them again then.
I hear this sort of complaint a lot, but I have honestly never had a book from them that's fallen apart or had a printing problem.
Maybe it *is* just you..? ;-)

Albion

Bizarre ain't it? I know of a few people who buy their stuff and have had no problems.
Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

Colin YNWA

It is very strange I also have never had a problem, but you hear time and again of other folk have repeated issues with the binding in particular. Never heard of blank pages before.

Really hope these are just freak happenings as its a great product they have and it'd be a shame if their production values affected their business... though judging by the number of books they have oit it can't be too bigger an issue?

Albion

An hour after emailing them about my faulty book I get a reply saying they will send a replacement.

I must say their customer service is good though (as it was last time).They are quick to respond and replace.  :)

Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

Mabs

Quote from: Albion on 26 November, 2012, 09:22:20 AM
An hour after emailing them about my faulty book I get a reply saying they will send a replacement.

I must say their customer service is good though (as it was last time).They are quick to respond and replace.  :)

Thats great to hear. I also had a few problems: my Aldebaran book 1 started falling apart before my bewildered eyes! Like Colin says they have great products on show but they need to sort out the binding.
My Blog: http://nexuswookie.wordpress.com/

My Twitter @nexuswookie

Albion

They also said that their supplier in Spain now uses a different printer so maybe there will be less problems now.
Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

michael kennedy

WTF!!!

if i had knew about cinebooks five years ago i wouldn't have to have waited for a family holiday to france to get some books, or learn french.

but from what iv'e read of these problems itthink some BD straight from the original publisher would do me alright.

angouleme is the place to be



www.mdkennedyia.wordpress.com

Albion

Replacement book arrived this morning and looks fine. I must say that Cinebooks are great at dealing with these problems.

I look forward to reading it tonight and drawing my own version on the blank pages of the faulty book.  :D
Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

CrazyFoxMachine

Quote from: Albion on 28 November, 2012, 09:51:55 AM
I look forward to reading it tonight and drawing my own version on the blank pages of the faulty book.  :D

That should be a whole new marketing thing - DRAW YOUR OWN AMAZING FRENCH COMIC.

Professor Bear

You can draw the nudity back into the books.

Or give the book to a school library and wait three weeks and someone will do it for you.

Ancient Otter

So anyone else pick up Crusade or S.P.O.O.K.S? Have read the latter yet, I like the eeriness of the former.