Matt 'the other' Wagner

[The Adventurer]

How'd Matt Wagner's The Spirit Returns run end up? Worth a read?

[Colin YNWA]

How'd Matt Wagner's The Spirit Returns run end up? Worth a read?

It was absolutely spot on and is available as part of the Eisner Kirby Wonder Humble Bundle currently available. Like a few items there makes that Bundle worth it on its todd.

[Colin YNWA]

I hadn't been dripping my sticky Wagner love into its own thread last time I read Matt Wagner's Trinity but just finished a quick re-read this evening and heavens to Betsy its magnificent. I find his two Bats minis (Monster Men and Mad Monk) a little pedestrian for this titan of comics but Trinity is quite sublime.

I checked back on what I said when I first read it and it all holds true (except me not checking out Grendal which I've well and truly put right) so I'll just be lazy and copy that here.

Just finished 'Trinity' by Matt Wagner this morning. Now I love me some Matt Wagner (why oh why I haven't checked out Grendal yet I'll never know) but this is something else again. Seriously if you were looking for the definitive Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman story this is it. For reasons that escape me it seems lost in the shadows of such books from around the time (ish) of its release as 'Kingdom Come'  and 'New Frontier' (which is excellent don't get me wrong) but it really should be outshining them.

To take such iconic characters about whom so many stories have been written and make them seem fresh and new is truly a feat to behold.

Glorious comics.

[Smith]

Recently finished his Spirit.Good series.

[Tiplodocus]

Just picked up Trinity today at Killie Comic Con on the strength of this recommendation. Fingers crossed.

[Colin YNWA]

Just picked up Trinity today at Killie Comic Con on the strength of this recommendation. Fingers crossed.

Gulp having waxed so lyrical about it I really hope you enjoy it as much as me...

... meanwhile as I have whittered on the glory that is the Mega Comicbook Day thread, Mage - Hero Denied continues to be sublime.

[Tiplodocus]

Well it won me over with the first six pages where Clark Kent fails to catch a train and then Superman HAS to catch a train. Simple but genius at the same time.

[Tiplodocus]

I did enjoy that. Love the art style... plays right into my love of Batman animated series.

The ending was slightly disappointing what with all the meticulous set up of the Metropolis and Gotham parts (I know they weren't  really but that was the splash that started the issues) and I couldn't help but laugh at Racer Cool literally driving a double cock and balls at Themyscyra.

I was never a big fan of the Lazarus pit (unless It's a thematic or metaphorical one)... But it's hard to do a Rhas story without one. And there was the odd clunky bit of basil used when addressing plot holes ("How did X know Y was there?).

Only other misfire for me was Bats being smitten by paradise but I suppose that does actually give him the possibility of a happy ending in some future.

But yeah, great stuff.

[Colin YNWA]

That's good to hear. As you say I'm not sure I've ever seen a Ra Za story without Da (Gravel) Pit ... see what I did there I made a very tenuous Wu Tang joke...

... it was so worth it.

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished a re-read of Matt Wagner's Zorro run and it really is superb. It has some really nice smart moments and does some nice playful things with the way it tells its story. I'm particularly fond of the final arc from the original 20 issue run (issues 15-20). The end did feel a little rushed, Zorro Returns feels like it did quite get to explore the themes it wanted to as fully as it might. After the death of Zorro's father I think there was an extra arc about how this affected Zorro waiting in the wings and never told. It would have fleshed out the final arc so much more.

Mind in dewelling on that it would have lost sight of one of the things that it remembers so well. That being that Zorro is about fun and enjoy, swashbuckling and adventure at its heart and this is a joy to read.

Well aided by two great artists in Francesco Francivilla and John K Synder III in the final arc (the art around these two isn't so good) really raise this all up a notch too.

So yeah if you fancy some high adventure comics these can't come recommended highly enough.

[Colin YNWA]

Well this isn't really Matt Wagner but you'll get why I'm putting this here I'm sure. I pretty much have stuck to Wagner Grendel and not bothered with Grendel Tales written by others. The character is so entrenched with the writer in my mind and frankly there's quite enough Hunter Rose by him for me not to need any more.

The thing is of course one of the great bits of genius behind Grendel is the way Wagner expanded the world far beyond Hunter Rose - and this stuff is my favourite of it all. And 'Grendel Tales The Devil in our Midst' this more than supports others having time and place to explore. I stumbled across this simply as I love Paul Grist's art (off Bolt maybe??) and I'm very glad I did.

Set in the far future long after Hunter Rose in a time when Grendel has become an order, a way of life, a controlling force not just a man. A Grendel finds himself slap bang in the middle of The Thing (well kinda) death and mystery in the isolation of an Artic Base (or is it Antartic?). Its tense, exciting stuff and well worth checking it.

Its also left me with a question as I know there are other Grendel fans in these parts. Is any of the other none Wagner Grendel stuff worth reading? Any other recommendations?

[Bolt-01]

Hi Colin- Yeah I read the run of Grendel tales as it came out (they are in the attic now- must get round to a re-read) and from what I remember they are pretty hit & miss. There were some really good strips but overall it felt like Dark horse were trying for a 'Legends of the Batman' series.

From memory, the last of the regular runs was drawn by Peter Doherty.

I've even got a Grendel sketched by Paul Grist!

[Colin YNWA]

... from what I remember they are pretty hit & miss. There were some really good strips but overall it felt like Dark horse were trying for a 'Legends of the Batman' series.

From memory, the last of the regular runs was drawn by Peter Doherty.

I've even got a Grendel sketched by Paul Grist!

Had a feelign that would be the case which is why I've always avoided them - I think there's an omnibus out now but might have a nosey at creative line-ups and cherry pick rather than wade through stuff that won't work for me. That Pete Doherty arcs sounds like a must though.

As for a sketch by Paul Grist that is very cool. I've got a Mudman (oh where oh where is Mudman?) but much as I love Jack Staff if I saw him now I'd get a Grendel too!

[Fungus]

Grendel Tales was perhaps mimicking Legends of the Batman, it's too long ago to remember. I remember enjoying it a lot. While Wagner was scripting I seem to remember it got very political and to my amazement, just got better and better.

From memory, War Child was pretty good too. Don't pick holes in this if I'm dismembering. It's ancient history now :-)

[Colin YNWA]

Well what better news could we have to cheer us up after Mage finishing (and what an ending!) why

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/03/14/matt-wagner-takes-grendel-on-a-devils-odyssey-at-dark-horse/

more Matt Wagner Grendel that's what!