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#1

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by BadlyDrawnKano - Today at 02:59:30 PM

...And I've very conflicting feelings about Black Hammer, though partially that's because I loved how it began, but then it ended in a manner I didn't gel with, except that wasn't the ending, and what I've read of it since then has left me unsure of the direction it's going in. I've yet to finish it currently, and I don't even know if the most recent ending is the final ending, and given that I'm not sure I've the inclination to find out...

Oh man I have mixed feeling about Black Hammer - The End. I'd pretty much loved all of Black Hammer to that point, the odd exception aside and think I've got pretty much it all. Then 'The End' kinda read like the very thing it was paying tribute to as an inspiration. Just a great big event comic tyoe feel. Now that doesn't feel like it should have been a bad thing, but it strangely was on first reading.

Black Hammer has its place on my countdown and that set now BUT I had such mixed feeling about the end I've got that final (I believe) series out to re-read before I write it up as it may well change my entry (if not postion) as it might become about how sticking the landing can be so important!

We'll see I have a suspision I'll enjoy it more on re-read so I'm trying to reserve judgement!

Ah, that's disappointing to hear, and I think I'll probably relegate this to picking up the trades in charity shops or cheap ebay sales, at least for the time being as my comics backlog is so huge in general.

I was ten or eleven years old when I first stumbled across Warrior and V For Vendetta, every year my parents insisted on going to the same holiday camp in Hayling Island and it was a pretty dull place, but the camp shop did used to have a pretty great selection of comics that weren't stocked by my local newsagents. It's where I first discovered DC and Marvel along with less mainstream comics like Warrior, and I have to confess that the majority of the issue I bought there went right over my head, and some of it I found quite disturbing, but I do remember V For Vendetta having a huge effect on me. I'd dabbled with dystopian futures in the past (eg I watched and liked Blake's 7!) but this was something very different, and it came at just the right time as I was beginning to learn that maybe the UK wasn't the always wonderful place my parents painted it as.

It wasn't until the DC reprints that I read the rest of the series, but it's been a firm favourite ever since, and I'd say it's in my Moore Top 3. And I'd echo your comments about the lack of a black and white release, I did own a complete set of Warrior about ten years ago and it was a real delight to read all of the stories in that format, but alas a period out of work led me to selling them.

#2

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Jim_Campbell - Today at 01:57:22 PM

Arh yeah good point I wonder if its just not available in black white form to reproduce from with the quality to justify it.

I'm slightly baffled by this... the colour was added after the linework was completed as a separate process. I would have thought scans/films of the original B&W must exist.

It's actually considered extremely bad practice for a professional colourist, particularly one working over someone else's line work, to use any black in the black in the colour mix — all colours are supposed to be percentages of cyan, magenta and yellow so, in theory, one could simply print only the black plate to get the original, uncoloured artwork...

#3

Help! / Re: Rebellion and Rights to Ea...

Last post by Barrington Boots - Today at 01:42:03 PM

This much is true.

#4

Help! / Re: Rebellion and Rights to Ea...

Last post by Colin YNWA - Today at 01:17:21 PM

Thanks!

I can't for the life of me remember where I heard it, might have been other strips - have a vague memory of someone who later became famous being a bit embarrassed about their photostrip work

Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet?  Appeared in a My Guy photostrip - presumably before being lead singer of the band.

Now this is a very VERY good fact!

#5

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Colin YNWA - Today at 01:16:06 PM

Really good writeup and analysis there Colin. I've not read this for a long, long time - it's a book that at it's core has a heart of stone and as I've become older I've looked for a more comfortable read, I admit. I must revisit it, and soon.

Its defo one I think will grow with you. Certainly I love it for very different reasons now than I did when it first came out. Interestingly though maybe not any more (by which I mean I love it the same quantity, say 12 loves out of 14 hearts - ahem - but for very different reason. Which in itself is very impressive!

The movie adapts a couple of the book's key moments quite faithfully and kind of has its heart in the right place — I like it, but as an 'interesting failure'. There's a lot to like in it, but I don't think it quite works, either as an adaptation or a successful film in its own right.

I'd be kinder to the film as I like it as a film in its own right but for me doesn't get close to how good the comic is. Though to be fair that is normally the case with adaptions, particularly movies adapting comics, movies just can't get the depth that reading a comic does... or at least are very rarely able to do so.

This, and his run on Swamp Thing, are probably my favourite (long form) bits of Moore's work from his 'mainstream' phase.

Arh just wait until Monday - you'll pity me even more!

It looks like I will have to get my hands on this then

Yep! One of those one I feel very self recommending to just about anyone.

I also echo that I'd much prefer a B+W version of the book, but I suspect that's either impossible (in the sense no B+W art survives) or DC just isn't interested (perhaps due to the mess that was created when it took on the series, which has subsequently denied Moore the rights to his work back).

Arh yeah good point I wonder if its just not available in black white form to reproduce from with the quality to justify it.

I think one key reason why I like V for Vendetta mroe than Watchmen is that it fels VERY British. Not just because the story is set in Britain, mostly because the comics style it uses is very British - you can tell it was written in short chunks, and that the creators put effort into making each small chunk feel like a satisfying mini-story.

Yeah its pacing and structure do feel very British. Which is of course doubled down on with the way its so Leopard of Lime Street compared to Watchmen's Spider-man!

#6

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by Colin YNWA - Today at 01:07:32 PM

...Essex County (which is by a margin Lemires best work imho).

Black Hammer I loved also until Dean Ormiston stopped on art duties (I have the first 2 OHC), then not so much and I dropped off.

There's a couple of Jeff Lemire stories still to come on the list, so therefore that I think I prefer BUT I do wonder when I next read Essex County with where my reading is at these days that will get to the head of the list. its another one that the act of writing about it made me readly appreciate it more than my memory had it!

#7

Help! / Re: Rebellion and Rights to Ea...

Last post by sheridan - Today at 01:05:00 PM

Thanks!

I can't for the life of me remember where I heard it, might have been other strips - have a vague memory of someone who later became famous being a bit embarrassed about their photostrip work

Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet?  Appeared in a My Guy photostrip - presumably before being lead singer of the band.

#8

Books & Comics / Re: Completely Self-absorbed T...

Last post by AlexF - Today at 11:54:37 AM

I think one key reason why I like V for Vendetta mroe than Watchmen is that it fels VERY British. Not just because the story is set in Britain, mostly because the comics style it uses is very British - you can tell it was written in short chunks, and that the creators put effort into making each small chunk feel like a satisfying mini-story. This does make it pretty dense when read in collection (which is the only way I've read it, mind), but it's definitely one to savour, not one to binge. Occasionally Moore's showing off with how much V/5/Evey wordplay he can get into the text gets a bit much biut dammit he's just so clever, isn't he.

The film is almost excellent.

#9

Prog / Re: Prog 2382: Beware Iron Tee...

Last post by norton canes - Today at 11:20:57 AM

I like the idea of ending on a deliberate high note

Absolutely, and also that we didn't have lengthy waits between chapters. The light which burns twice as bright...

#10

General / Re: Top 3 single episode Dredd...

Last post by pauljholden - Today at 10:59:38 AM

Blobs has definitely stayed with me. I can picture the Ron Smith art. Crazed brilliance.

Indeed. Horrible, haunting eyes.

The dude with the glasses looks like it might be based on Alan Grant.