Whats everyone reading?

[TordelBack]

Bronze Summer, Stephen Baxter.  The second of his very enjoyable alternate prehistory series, and a darned good read.  This was clever and involving, and I really cared for the quasi-utopia he presents us with at the start. 

Unfortunately for my blood-pressure it features Baxter's new favourite cliche: sexually abused character becomes (usually gay) nutjob who ruins everything.  I've seen 'em in generation ships, I've seen 'em in drowned worlds, I've seen 'em in the Stone Age, now I've seen 'em in the Bronze Age.  Enough, Stephen, rape is not the sole driver of human history.  Or if it is, I'm about done reading about it. 

Other current Baxter tropes of note:
- bloody coup or terrible accident removes competent well-liked leader and replaces them with weak scheming menace.  Who turns out to do a much better job.
- all Earthbound journeys, no matter how long, are quick and largely uneventful until just before arrival.

[sheldipez]

I think either A) TM was exagerating for comedic effect or B) he read a very different manga. 

<cancels amazon order>

[Professor Bear]

sexually abused character becomes (usually gay) nutjob who ruins everything.  I've seen 'em in generation ships, I've seen 'em in drowned worlds,

Stop reading Orson Scott Card.  It won't completely stop you running into this cliche, but in general people should stop reading Orson Scott Card.

I think either A) TM was exagerating for comedic effect or B) he read a very different manga. 

I was making a point about the vast majority of manga being trash devoid of artistic merit, and that taking steps to preserve "artistic integrity" that isn't even there in the first place would thus be redundant.
I chose to make this point by talking about boobs and regret nothing.

[Hawkmumbler]

I'd say there is indeed WAY to much manga out there that's just pure trash...but I like my trash cinema, so i'm guilty of liking SOME mainstream titles. Bleach, DBZ, One Piece, Claymore, Soul Eater, Black Butler et al. They all employ alot of fanservice which boils my piss...but for the most part there all EXTREMELY enjoyable. Bah, split faith syndrome! Occationaly I do come across a cracking manga, Akira, Death Note, Shojo Kakumai Utena, 20th Century Boys, Barefoot Gen etc that really raise the bar in terms of quality. Then there's the eternal D.Gray-Man and Fullmetal Alchemist. 2 series I think SHOULD be considered classic but have a few of the stereotypical trope's the drag them down (though both have a serious lack of Fan service, thank god).

[Professor Bear]

I consider most manga to be good enough for scanlation sites - especially now that tablets are dirt cheap - but paying for a print copy of something comes with an implied understanding that it be of better quality than something free on the internet translated by a 12 year old.  A good rule of thumb is that if Dark Horse printed it, it's probably worth your time.

[Hawkmumbler]

Indeed. There 3-in-1 Rayearth (another Shojo I quite enjoy, god whats happening to me? That makes 2!) are a great example of how to present manga to the west.

[TordelBack]

Stop reading Orson Scott Card.  It won't completely stop you running into this cliche, but in general people should stop reading Orson Scott Card.

'Sa shame about Card.  Maps in a Mirror is one of the great short-story anthologies.

[Mabs]

I'm just reading ABC Warrors: Shadow Warriors right now and boy is it one hell of a fun read! Carlos Ezquerra and Henry Flint's black and white artwork is simply exquisite. It looks so much better in black and white, the level of detail and work in the panels can be appreciated more. Henry Flint's artwork in particular reminded me of Manga maestro Masamune Shirow's work - its so jam packed full of awesomeness. And as i said, loving the story aswell...

[Ancient Otter]

A good rule of thumb is that if Dark Horse printed it, it's probably worth your time.

I find them to be a heartbreaker of a manga publisher. Two of my all time favourite manga titles, Eden: It's A Endless World! and Satsuma Gishiden are left unfinished because Dark Horse cancelled them due to low sales. I was reading MPD-Psycho from them too and that's left hanging.

[Basilisk]

As of now, i've took of the dust to quite a few comics and tomes. Just now i'm re-reading The Losers Omnibus, the spanish edition of the Vertigo comic by Andy Diggle and Jock, that's, basically, all the issues+covers+some articles in a big, nice hardcover omnibus. I enjoyed it a lot the first time and now i', enjoying it again. Great stuff. The movie doesn't make justice to the original material.

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished the latest Johnny Red Volume 3 'Angels over Stalingrad'. I'd hope by this stage that I shouldn't have to say how earth shakingly good this is but just in-case someone hasn't been paying attention its earth shakingly good. Just hope the series continues beyond this as volume so we get to the John Cooper art. May not quite be Joe Colquhoun good but its was pretty bloody good.

[Basilisk]

I have to get at least one Johny Red volume, and see it for myself. I like Garth Ennis and good War comics in general. Soon i will get the last manga tome released here made by Motofumi Kobayashi, "The Black Knight", the author of Apocalypse Meow. I have every spanish released tome. I hope they release more stuff, specially the next Omega 7 volumes.

[Basilisk]

While continuing with The Losers Omnibus(Diggle+Jock), i've just received the first Trade of the new Prophet series... and rode it complete... well... the sensation is... and  and then 

Peculiar or strange is saying little about this work. 

Definatelly not for everyone's taste.

Woops!... double post, sorry.

[Mardroid]

I've been reading Judge Dredd Case Files 8 (okay so far) and Brandon Sanderson's Elantris on my Kobo. An interesting premise.

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished (well I will on the train home, last issue to go) a re-read of Tom Peyer and Rags Morales' wonderful 'Hourman' series. Its one of those cancelled too soon series (well it made 25 issues), that's unlikely to ever get a reprint, never gets a write up in those 100 runs lists or the like and will slowly, over time get more and more shrouded in the mists of time AND WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT.

Written between 1999 and 2001 it must have been such a breathe of fresh air. I was out of comics at the time, but those I've read from this period are all too often so earnest or hard-boiled, so bound by being grim and gritty, or realistic, that the quirky oh so human ground covered in this series would really have seemed bold and innovative. You can pick it up for bobbins (I did a few years ago when somehow I got pointed in its direction, can't for the life of me thing how) and its a blast.