Whats everyone reading?

[Dandontdare]

Just bought the new Grandville book by Bryan Talbot. As soon as I get home it'll be eyes down for a good read.

ooh is that Noel? I've had that on pre-order for what seems like years, so I hope it'll actually come soon

[Daveycandlish]

It is. And it looks an absolute cracker. Got plenty in Travelling Man Newcastle so I'm sure Amazon won't be far behind if that's who you used.

[Dandontdare]

Yay! Mine was on the mat when I got home. I've only read the first half dozen pages, but it looks fabulous so far.

[Ancient Otter]

Grandville: Noel [spoiler]was feeling a small bit short but then the Kaizer Soze trick and the set-up for the next volume was good.[/spoiler]

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished Doug Wildey's Rio. Now I know I have a love of western comics, but I can honestly say this is just plain glorious comics that happen to be a western. Okay so at times this finished painted art seems to wipe away the stunning work he does, Wildey it would seem is a much better pen and ink artist than painter, but its still stunning stuff. The stories are refreshingly grounded too, for a western melodrama.

The real treat here though is - size aside (its over-sized but I suspect not as big as the original art) - this is pretty much like IDW's artists editions, which I've long lusted after. All but 10 of the pages are reprinted direct from the original artwork. With simply stunning reproduction you get such a glorious insight into the production of Wildey's beautiful artwork. This is none more so than in the final novella which was not completed so you have work that's penciled, some inked (by far the stage at which Wildey is at his best) some painted, across even one page. It would seem that he flittered from page to page, panel to panel completing whatever he saw fit, when it suited. Leaving quite a brilliant insight into his creative process. Luckily everything is roughed out at least, with draft lettering so a couple of panels aside, where the letters are too smudged to make out, you get the whole story. Incomparable inside view into a great artist's process.

So this a 280 page art book, a great story book and so you'd expect to pay through the nose. Nope you can pick this up still for less than £30 in hardcover it would seem (had this a while and I paid £20 for it, one of my best buys ever). So get this book if:

1) You've always wanted one of those superb IDW Artist Editions but couldn't stump up the £100 for one.

2) Like great western's.

3) Just plain like good comics

Can't lose here folks, seriously one of my favourite comic possessions.

[Mardroid]

I recently read Phase 1 of Zenith.

The original run in the comic was way before my time so this was my first encounter with Zenith and buying the hard-back was a bit of a chance.

A chance worth taking, it turned out.  I liked that a lot.

[Hawkmumbler]

Just finished a big Cinebooks binge after my haul at TB, so here's my two pence.

SPOOKS El Santero and The 46th State continues to be an enjoyable run around the super natural western genre, this time taking place in Cuba during the revolution. Art is superb in this series, and depite sticking to many of the tropes of te genre Dorrison pull's off a great script with some nicely well rounded supporting characters. Looking forward to the next two books in 2016.

Lament of the Lost Moors Siobhàn and Blackmore are an odd pair of books. High fantasy of the typica ilk, involving a mad king who lives inside a dark castle, a traitorous uncle turned father in law and a plcky young lass determined to prove herself as heir to the throne. All very unoriginal stuff but what elivates it is the art. Rosinski is a treasure and he draws high fantasy better than most, highlight being [spoiler]a swarm of black flies that manifest as a Dragon, smiting soldiers effortlessly with it's beak.[/spoiler]. A self contained series, I believe the next two volumes are not directly linked to this one, but i'll have to pick them up in 2016 to find out.

And then their is Aldebaran. I mentioned in Cnebooks thread that it was taking me by storm and after ten volumes i'm thoroughly filled up but still left craving for all six volumes of Antares, which are on the top of my list for next year. Such an enjoyable tale of intruige with a wide cast of characters covering the firat two cycles, and a truely intruiging tease into the next volume. I seriously want to talk more about it but I would rather not spoil it for others. All I can do is add to the already voluminous praise for the series. It's a bit good ain't it?

[Tiplodocus]

I'm working my way through a Robert E Howard Conan Omnibus that I got for my birthday.

I haven't read any Conan for probably close on 32 years.

Blimey, it's good stuff.

Howard can fair rattle off a tale; his sense of kinetic energy in propelling a story forward is remarkable but what I wasn't expecting is that he also takes a little time to stop and take a loot at that character over there in the corner (OK, mainly the villains of the piece).

Just finished The Slithering Shadow (aka Xuthal of the Dusk) which is monkey-spankingly good and I can see why the teenage incarnation of this aged Sauropod enjoyed it so.

[von Boom]

I agree Tips. I've read Conan many times, along with Soloman Kane and Bran Mak Morn. Howard was a very lean and exciting writer. I rate Howard just as highly as Tolkein, but for different reasons.

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished a re-read of all 40 Boom! Planet of the Apes comics. What an absolute delight. I've whined at lenght about the fact that these books never really found an audience and whatever Boom! started never really got finished properly. The first series by Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno (what a great name) set in the far past (in Ape terms about 1,000 years prior to the first movie) was simply stunning. A lovely epic that stirred far enough away from the movies to have plenty of freedom to do big things, yet at the same time held the tone of the original world brilliantly.

The second 20 issues by Corinna Sara Bechko and Gabriel Hardman with various artists was a fractured series of 4 mini series (even when it became an ongoing) set in the recent past in Ape terms and really chronicled Dr Zaius from young hero to movie villian. A wonderful cast was built around him and while this series was tightly boiund to the movie tales it still cleverly fiund room to flex and do some pretty big stuff.

What amounts to two seperate 20 part stories were some of the best comics around at the time they were out and fun as the current movies are were the best apes stories since the original movie.

If you get the chance check um out.

[Karl Stephan]

Remember that Marshall Law collection a few got to buy off amazon for £10? Finally gotten round to reading it. Sad sad sad state of affairs.

[Professor Bear]

Just finished a re-read of all 40 Boom! Planet of the Apes comics.

There was a series about an albino ape general or something that I never finished, but Cataclysm was really good, even if I think it might be the absolute definition of fan-wank, seeing as it is based upon holes in the original movie's internal logic (particularly how astronauts don't seem to realise they're back on Earth just from looking at constellations/the Moon), though there are plenty of Easter eggs for fans of the sequels and tv series, too.

[Hawkmumbler]

Can anyone recommend the Scott McCloud 'U derstanding Comics' series?

[Theblazeuk]

Last of Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman. Bit of a fizzle after 35 issues of what has, towards the end, seemed a bit of an endless story though on reflection it was a bloody good one for most of it. Would love to see more of this Orion and his blind, rambling buddy. Loved all the mythology running throughout and probably the best WW story I've ever read. However immediately after this big story finishes, a change of writers brings an immediate drop in quality (and in the art as well, but the script isn't challenging them to deliver anything particularly interesting anyway). Random cameo appearances and fights, Wonder Woman acting like an angry teenager and attacking Swamp Thing; just after 30 issues showing she was the Goddess of War, the daughter of Zeus and the champion of peace, only able to stand tall because she refused to sacrifice her principles - she goes straight into being a nu52 uberjerk.

On the other side of the coin, Aquaman continues to be surprisingly great and although (perhaps because) everything takes place in the off-to-the-side setting of Atlantis, feels the most grounded and fleshed out of all DC's current continuity; certainly the only one with any new stories to tell. Barring a crowbarred-in crossover with Wonder Woman in the annual it was fun, adventurous superhero stories with a cast of characters I was actually interested in.

Still - overall - DC. It's still a sad state of affairs.

[Colin YNWA]

Can anyone recommend the Scott McCloud 'U derstanding Comics' series?

Yes, whole heartedly.

Wonderfully informative and thought provocking reads and about as essential as the Eisner books for anyone interested in getting to grips with the comic form.