Whats everyone reading?

[J.Smith]

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

Weird timing, as I was going to finish the book tonight and express my enjoyment of it here! As Colin said, it's essential reading for anyone who has a broader interest in the medium, not least because it's an easy and fun read as well as it is informative (it's done completely as a comic instead of in prose, which means that McCloud shows what he means as he tells if that makes sense). On the latter in particular: believe me, if you think you know all there is to know, then I reckon you're in for a treat. If you don't learn anything new, then you will at the very least see your thoughts put into words (and pictures!).

It's actually one of the best books I've read this year if I'm being perfectly honest, which has been a great surprise. Although I'd heard it about frequently, I ignored it for quite a while. The reason for that, and I doubt I'm the only one who has come across this at some point, is that such books are usually complete bullshit. This can be okay - see Stephen King's On Writing - but on the other hand, the author of the book explaining the ways of a medium or what they personally do in one can come across as incredibly pretentious when, in fact, they're explaining very little and not very well either. On the contrary, McCloud is as an entertaining writer as well as he is a great artist, gets his points across incredibly well, and is constantly - I don't want to say encouraging, because it's not a how-to book, so I suppose amicable will do. All that means is that he's not a dick and stresses that many of his opinions are his own and that readers are free to take another point of view.

So yeah, big thumbs up from me. Gonna have to pick up the Eisner books when I'm done with this tonight, I think, and maybe another of McCloud's books.

[Colin YNWA]

... I think, and maybe another of McCloud's books.

I'm guessing that you mean either Making Comics or Reinventing Comics both of which are great but may I recommend Zot! Just cos its one of my all time favourite comics and 'The Complete Black and White' is an absolute steal. Nothing to do with his theory books but an absolutely brilliant bit of comic book storytelling.

[Max Headroom]

Just wondered if anyone has read Mike Carey's 'Lucifer' and could they recommend it? I have read his run on 'Hellblazer' (probably my favorite ever comic) and quite liked it, but was curious if they are at all similar? Is it horror or more fantasy?

Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

[Hawkmumbler]

Guess i'll be picking them up after christmass then.

[Dandontdare]

Just wondered if anyone has read Mike Carey's 'Lucifer' and could they recommend it? I have read his run on 'Hellblazer' (probably my favorite ever comic) and quite liked it, but was curious if they are at all similar? Is it horror or more fantasy?

Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

I'd say more fantasy than horror, much closer in tone and scope to Sandman than Hellblazer. It takes up from the events of Sandman - Lucifer has abandoned his duties in Hell and is running a piano bar in LA along with his mute servant demoness Mazikeen. It's got grand theological plotlines, angels, demons, ghosts, living tarot cards, the works -yeah, I enjoyed Lucifer. I started buying the trades but stopped after the first four, I did felt it did go on a bit (and I had other comics to spend my money on!), but I caught up with the other 7 (?) books from the library and may still get them eventually (add them to the looong list *sob*).

[Darren Stephens]

Just tucking into the Royals trade, by Rob Williams and Simon Coleby. Superb!

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I'm reading BATMAN '66

It's bat-tastic. Every Bat-panel, every Bat-caption is Bat-crammed Bat-full of Bat-fun. It also completely captures the cruel, cryptic compulsiveness of those corrupt, criminal, cop dodgers with their crazy capers.

[Zarjazzer]

Marvel -Revolutionary War that Santa brought cos I'm so good. Really enjoying seeing the Marvel UK heroes again.

[Theblazeuk]

Just wondered if anyone has read Mike Carey's 'Lucifer' and could they recommend it? I have read his run on 'Hellblazer' (probably my favorite ever comic) and quite liked it, but was curious if they are at all similar? Is it horror or more fantasy?

Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

Really rather good, all wraps up in the end too which is v.nice. More fantasy than horror but dark, dark fantasy. The protagonist is the devil after all and your human morality is...quaint. To say the least.

[Apestrife]

I recently read Grant Morrison's n52 Action comics run. Insane to say the least, and quite confusing at times. But all and all I really liked it. And even more the second time around.  I think I even like Action comics better than Morrison's Bat-god-man. Which is quite something, since I'm usually not a fan of Superman, but Morrison's cosmic hippie spin on the character is ace. Makes him very inspiring, same thing with his Batman.

[NapalmKev]

Mazeworld! I purchased the Complete Edition as I'd never read part 3 (it came out during my "Long Walk"). It's a really good tale with very impressive Artwork, although I was a bit surprised at how the story actually ended; not because I hadn't read it before, I just felt that the story was going in a different direction.

The Complete Bad Company! This is mostly very good, but again it went off in a direction I wasn't sure of, namely: The Krool Heart. I enjoyed it as a story, but didn't feel it was a worthy Follow-up to the Epic first series. On the other hand the Series about Kano (which I had read previously in the Prog, and didn't think much of at the time) reads better as a collection.


I also managed to pick up a few 2000AD Winter/Action specials from my LCS.

Winter 1988. Not much going on here I'm afraid. The Zenith and Kirby tales are ok; both are set-ups for what was at the time 'Future-Stories'. Rogue Trooper and Strontium Dog are Standalone Stories, with Rogues' adding a little bit of Backstory - [spoiler]Prototype G.I[/spoiler]
Highlights for me were 'Dredd - Confessions of an Anarchist Flea'; a bit of a crazy one about a man who [spoiler]Tries to incite Anarchy while dressed as a Giant Flea.[/spoiler] And an Anderson tale about 'Alien Possesion' which was quite good.


Cheers

[SmallBlueThing]

Bit of a backlog here,at the SmallBlueHouse,  as I keep getting ridiculous late shifts followed by earlies,  and so have been too knackered to do much reading. Nevertheless the postman keeps bringing me comics as if someone is ordering them when I'm asleep.

Current pile consists of,  in no particular order:

Hellblazer #146-150
Chas: The Knowledge trade paperback
Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham #2-3
Conan: Ravagers out of Time
Conan: The Horn of Azoth
Aquaman #39-56
2000AD progs 2015, 1912
Anderson #4
Deja Thoris and the White Apes of Mars trade paperback
Red Sonja: Atlantis Rises tp
Red Sonja vs Thulsa Doom tp
Batman: Haunted Gotham #1-4 reread
Saint of Killers #1-4 reread
Spider-Man's Tangled Web #14-22
Superior Foes of Spider-Man #12-17
Howard The Duck Marvel Graphic Novel Collection 80
Man Thing #7-8 (in the post)

Plus the following novels:

Proxima by Stephen Baxter
Spider-Man: Carnage in New York by David Michelinie & Dean Wesley Smith

and:

The Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels by Andy Schmidt

Oh and the latest DWM.

Sigh...

SBT

[TordelBack]

Reading a pile of stuff at the moment, but the one that stands out is Dave Eggers' The Circle (appropriately picked up at the recycling centre).  While the writing is workmanlike, the plot is too predictable, and the characters generally unlikeable, this is still a really great read - which gives you some indication of just how compelling its premise is.  Cover blurb announces 'A Brave New World for our brave new world' and that's pretty much on the money.  There were numerous points where I physically cringed at the echoes of things I or friends had done, and the stark plausibility of the future Eggers projects. Read it and I promise you'll never ask for a 'like' button on this forum again. 

[ThryllSeekyr]

Damn I dropped one of my copies of The Hobbit on the blade of my axe.....

t's now two books!

Nah, it's really just got a small gash in the cover, damn damn damn damn!

It s this typical of the rivalry between J.R.R. Tolkien and 2000AD/Rebellion and Pat Mills....

[TordelBack]

Damn I dropped one of my copies of The Hobbit on the blade of my axe.....

Careful you don't end up with The Bobbit,