Cinebooks

[Colin YNWA]

Well couldn't decide which of the various Cinebooks threads to pop this into so decided to start a none series specific thread for all Cinebooks conversations and see if that suits.

The reason, well I've just finished Leo's Aldebaran collections and just wanted to add to the chorus of praise over various other threads for this wonderful story. As has been mentioned it does have some pretty clunky dialogue at times, then so did the Scorpion series and it didn't stop me loving that either. At times it reminded me of the dialogue in various 80s kids cartoons that had been translated also, Cities of Gold and Dogtanian spring to mind. More than likely due to difficulties in translation. whatever, that aside an absolute delight.

So far series from Cinebooks have been two for two and I've heard good things about the other stuff I have creeping up my read pile from them. Anyway since I'm not going to a convention for a wee bit I'm off to Amazon to get Leo's sequel to Aldebaran, Belelgeuse lined up...

[Tombo]

The Worlds of Aldebaran series is excellent, I picked up the latest book - Antares, episode one - the other week and am now waiting impatiently for Cinebook to hurry up and translate the next one.  The art is fantastic and the alien creatures are both truly alien and at the same same totally believable.  Leo has done a cracking job of creating alien environments.

I've also got the four volumes of Orbital which is a good read, just hope there's more to come otherwise the series has a seriously downer ending and leaves more questions unanswered than it does answered. 

I first started reading them when the local Forbidden Planet got a rather fancy carousel filled with a load of their titles at rather attractive prices (£6-8 a book), and I planned to work through a few series buying one or two books a month.  Sadly the lazy buggers at FP haven't bothered to re-order any stock and the carousel is now slowly filling up with various Marvel and DC titles    Fortunately Amazon seems to stock most of the range and if all else fails I'm thinking of buying straight from the Cinebook website.

Anyone got any suggestions of what I should go for next, XIII looks interesting as does the Chimpanzee Complex.

[Richmond Clements]

I picked up the latest book - Antares, episode one - the other week

That's been sitting by the bed with Lady S for about a month or so. Can't wait to get the time to read it.

Anyone got any suggestions of what I should go for next, XIII looks interesting as does the Chimpanzee Complex.

Both good calls. CC is only three volumes, so might be the easiest one to start with. XIII is generally very good too.

As mentioned elsewhere, Long John Silver is astounding, probably the best comic I have read in the last five years.
Western is worth picking up too.
And Orbital.

[Colin YNWA]

Well any excuse to talk about the wonderful Cinebook. CSBG have run an article reviewing a load of them and since I always complain about how inward looking the big America comics sites are I guess I should give credit there too (even if he did have to be given the books for nowt!).

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/08/26/review-time-with-a-bunch-of-cinebook-comics/

Worth checking out I'd say.

[SmallBlueThing]

Yep, ANY opportunity to mention Cinebook should be grabbed with both hands. And let me take this opportunity to publically thank MR KERRIN, who sent me the latter two thirds of long john silver and all of scorpion- and then i very rudely havent spoken to him since! They are magnificent, and i love them, and will be posting them back to mr kerrin as soon aim paid, as well as buying my own copies.

My favourite book remains The Chimpanzee Complex though- just a quality piece of comics storytelling, which i would urge anyone to pick up.

SBT

[Bolt-01]

Hmm, looks like I'll be getting Chimpanzee complex at Thought Bubble then.

Cinebooks are a superb publisher and I'm very pleased to say that I've yet to read anything from them that I've not enjoyed. Especially Long John Silver.

Another shout for western, too- a great single volume story.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

ALSO.

If you're an artist and do a sketch for you (in my case A TERRIBLE sketch) they'll give you money off - I got all Orbitals for hypercheap

Yes I've been wondering where to go next - as a consequence of being such fine and wonderful volumes they take a while for the next ones to appear so to keep my crack cinebooks addiction going. I heard the Scorpion is awesome.

[Colin YNWA]

I heard the Scorpion is awesome.

It is, its a wonderful adventure romp and I love it and can't recommend it highly enough.

[SmallBlueThing]

Me neither- fantastic comics, in a kind of nikolai dante mode. Anyone devastated at the end of dante in the prog would be advised to pick up scorpion. It's not the same, but it fills a gap.

SBT

[Richmond Clements]

Yup- the Scorpion is awesome.
Bolt - I've got all three volumes of CC. You can have 'em.

[Proudhuff]

another vote for Long John Silver and Western, two crackers. Cinebooks are so far from the Double Gusset Brigade that you'd think Butcher was in charge of editing.

If you want some indepth reviews before you buy, Rich's Hi-Ex Blog does just that! I'm surprised he hasn't said 

[Professor Bear]

Be warned that there's some atrocious binding issues with a lot of Cinebooks to the point people on Amazon were marking them down to one star based on that alone - and it was when Chimpanzee Complex #3 fell apart in my hands that I called it a day with Cinebooks.  You can tell they were aware of this because of how prominently the pages are numbered so you can stick the books back together with sellotape - oh how I wish I was joking!

I would also proffer caution that their translations are just that - literal translations with no concessions to localisation and some shocking proof reading in places.  My impulse is to dismiss it as pandering to the same comics snobs who turned manga from an accessible breakout cultural phenomenon to a shrinking niche interest by insisting "it must be as true to the original text as possible or I shan't glance upon it!" but it's really just low-cost and low quality production dictating the end form.  The last volume of Chimpanzee Complex suffers especially when it becomes an extended scene from the film version of Lost In Space, with the script making no attempt to make events coherent and relying on "isn't this freaky?" - it isn't.  It was old hat as a plot when Lost In Space did it.
I would pay no more than what Amazon are asking for these - 3-4 quid, and would get them in your hands first - if possible - to check if they're the falling-apart ones or not.

The art on CC is gorgeous, though, and I stand by my description of "Greg Land gone right."  It's great - shame about the script.

[Albion]

I too have had a couple of their books fall apart, on the very first read.

One was Aldebaran 1. I got this from their stand at Hi-Ex and emailed them about the problem and they were very quick to send me a replacement. They said they were aware that a batch of those had been bound wrong.

But.......it happened again with a Chimpanzee Complex book. I got this one from Amazon and it was also replaced very quickly.

I have enjoyed the books I have, including Long John Silver and the excellent Western, but I'm not sure about how many more I will buy but I will get the next Long John Silver book. Two problems out of nine books purchased is a bit off putting.

[Bolt-01]

RAC- Woo hoo! Bring 'em with you and we'll sort that.

[Proudhuff]

I would also proffer caution that their translations are just that - literal translations with no concessions to localisation

Agreed, I gave up on the otherwise great Blake & Mortimer series because of this: Long speaches which should have been blue penciled describing what you could see going on in the panel, other text that dragged on for half a panel slowing the story flow right down that could have easily been edited down to a couple of sentences without losting the meaning,  A British Officer/toff in London during the 1950's saying 'the sidewalk', strange talking patterns especially from Policemen that obviously worked in the original langauge/culture but translated as stilted and awkward.
Which was a shame as the stories were fine, the art great but the text became too much of a bind for me. I'd happily offer my services to edit these free of charge just to see these books lifted to where they should be!

Having said that no such probs with either LJS or Western, and I'm never had a problem with unglued spines