Whats everyone reading?

[Apestrife]

Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Rizzo, Patricia Mulvihill and Dave "Devilpig" Johnson's 100Bullets - Brother Lono



In short: A modern day western/noir about a man who makes one of the most dangerous places in Mexico (therefor the world) looking rough. That man/MONSTER is Lono. He shows up in a Catholic mission after starting to believe that his way of doing (mostly killing) things have started to have consequences, and that God has something to do with it. So Lono tries to better himself by caging the monstrous voice inside with the mystery of Christ. And to his help he has the mission's Padre Manny, whom seems to believe Lono to be the Devil himself.

And I must say straight away that I really like this book. There are things in it that really hits hard where it needs to, the characters are outstanding and the pay off of the story almost feels as big as the ending itself. And that ending... It's not for the faint of heart.

But it isn't without some problems. The flow of story isn't perfect at times (when compared to the near perfect first issue) but luckily picks up immediately afterwards each time (of the few times) it happens. The same goes with the art, that are some of the best I'v seen from Risso but also got a panel or two that looks a little sloppy in comparison.

And for those wondering. While having read 100Bullets before reading Brother Lono gives an edge here and there, it's actually not needed at all. The book gives the reader enough of an idea that Lono's nature is pure evil which he tries to put down with nurture of good, what he hopes to be God. The little 100Bullets gives away about Lono's past is also present in Brother Lono.

So I totally recommend this. While very very violent, it serves the story. One that works as good in the 100Bullets universe as it does on it's own!

A strong 4 out of 5.

[Hawkmumbler]

I'm slowly but surely falling in love with James Stokoe. After Godzilla Half Century War I added Wonton Soup, Sullivans Sluggers and Orc Stain to my pull lost. Just started on the latter and the art is utterly sumptuous.

[Mabs]

Judge Dredd Case File 22 - Probably the poorest Case File I've read so far...(let me think....), no, it definitely is the poorest one I've read. Not even John Wagner can rescue this from the Millar & Morrison mediocrity. Which is a shame as some of the artwork on display is rather good. I was quite surprised how similar Dermot Powers' art is to Simon Bisley's. In fact, I was certain it was by Bisley, but pleasantly surprised that it wasn't! I remember reading somewhere that Bisley wasn't too happy with some of the artists copying his style, and apparently there were quite a few artists at the time who were hugely influenced by him.

[Mardroid]

I recently read Superior Spiderman vol. 1 (which I picked up cheap at recent Comixology sale). Rather good, I thought.  Amusing to read the letters included by enraged fanboys.[spoiler] Did they really think this was going to be permanent? Or maybe it's just [/spoiler]  I can understand their anger though. Peter Parker is no longer the main character in his book [spoiler](although he sort of still is[/spoiler]) but I found it rather refreshing.

I'm currently reading the first Wild Cards short story collection. It's about how an alien germ bomb that is set of over New York just after world war 2 killing many people and mutating others in random ways. Some end up with beneficial powers (Aces) others deformed (jokers). Good stuff so far. These short stories are all by different authors but occur in the same universe. Editted and (I thing) part authored by George R R Martin (he of the A Song of Fire And Ice books).

[Hotshot101]

Although I have finished the serious the Gone books are my all time favourite books. Other Michael Grant books are also good etc. Bzrk, Adam and Eve.

[Theblazeuk]

I like Superior Spiderman but the issue where [spoiler]Peter[/spoiler] dies was horrific. And I hate when all it would take is for one person to listen to him for 5 seconds for it all to come undone.

[GordyM]

The new She-hulk series is fantastic so far. I'm describing it as "the new Hawkeye" - i.e. a clever, off-centre take on a B-list hero that's a joy to read.

[PreacherCain]

The new She-hulk series is fantastic so far. I'm describing it as "the new Hawkeye" - i.e. a clever, off-centre take on a B-list hero that's a joy to read.

Seconded. Also the new Ms. Marvel is great fun. I've also checked out The Punisher, Black Widow and Ghost Rider, all of which are of varying ok quality but are, at the very least, interesting. Nice to see that one of the "Big" Two are not afraid of switching things up and going a little left of centre. You can see Alonso's editorial hand much clearer at Marvel these days.

[I, Cosh]

 Currently reading The Rest Is Noise by Alex Ross (probably not that one), an interesting and illuminating study of classical music or composition in the 20th century. I've only got as far as the thirties but, so far, it's particularly strong on the changing dynamic between classical and popular forms and their influences on each other.

For all that I listen to music all the time, I have very little understanding of how it actually works. Ross obviously does know and is able to comment on this without become bogged down in technical detail. More importantly, he has a knack for interspersing this with wonderfully evocative descriptions which have you itching to listen to the piece in question: "violins and soprano begin to sing a new melody in the vicinity of B-flat—a sustained note followed by a quickly shaking figure, which moves like a bird in flight... Another theme surfaces, this one coursing down the octave ... the melodies merge, and the opera ends in a tonal sunburst"

Also been on a bit of an Al Ewing jag recently. I got The Fictional Man after seeing it recommended on here and it more than lived up to the hype. An interestingly daft premise followed down a series of different paths, some expected and some not. The usual Ewing wit and a serious subtext about how we construct our own self image balances the meta "what it is to be a writer" stuff which would sometimes get on my nerves but here is done well enough not to.

Really good stuff.

[The Adventurer]

Read IDW's Godzilla: The Half-Century War by James Stokoe to get hyped about Godzilla. It was a phenomenal mini-series, and I'm shocked I let it go so long without checking it out. If you like Godzilla, and all the Toho monsters, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Onsale on ComiXology until the end of today. Best $5 you'll spend today.

[Hawkmumbler]

As much as I love Matt Frank drawing Kaiju now one, repeat NO ONE, has ever dran the big G better than Stokoe. A master of giant monsters and no mistake.

[James Stacey]

Just finished reading High Rise by JG Ballard. An interesting take on the pressures of living in an arcology. I'm not sure if it made more logical sense in the 70s but to my mind the idea of the whole populace of the building effectively suffering future shock was a bit far fetched but it's still an interesting read. Seeing as it was published a year or so before 2000ad started its clearly tapping into the same Zeitgeist that formed MC1 although the concept of inter-block aggression probably sits better with Dredd 2012 than the block wars we see in the comic.

[mogzilla]

just finished amazing spiderman#2  ...electro's in it (nothing to do with the film I'm sure and pete's still trying to get his head around all that went before especially [spoiler]his relationship with anna with her being pregnant [/spoiler] and all!  [spoiler]not really she says that to get rid of sajani but it had me fooled for a sec![/spoiler]

[Ancient Otter]

Just finished reading High Rise by JG Ballard. An interesting take on the pressures of living in an arcology. I'm not sure if it made more logical sense in the 70s but to my mind the idea of the whole populace of the building effectively suffering future shock was a bit far fetched but it's still an interesting read. Seeing as it was published a year or so before 2000ad started its clearly tapping into the same Zeitgeist that formed MC1 although the concept of inter-block aggression probably sits better with Dredd 2012 than the block wars we see in the comic.

I think they are starting shooting of this film in June, Ben Wheatley as director.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Ben Wheatley as director.

Oh now HE is good.