Whats everyone reading?

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Lazarus Churchyard - The Final Cut

I was 13 when Lazarus Churchyard was reprinted in the Judge Dredd Megazine. I was far too young for it - it made no sense to me and was as brutal as it was bewildering. It spoke of a cavernously confusing future - of deep and terrible apathy - but I thought it looked cool as fuck. D'Israeli became my artgod - and his ruined and nasty characters and environments I longed to replicate. Reading it now 13 years later in a handsome Image volume (printed earlier in 2001 actually) given to me as a birthday gift by my oldest friend Robbo - I find it's not as dense after all. The stories, whilst slightly "it's the 90s and this is a dark adult comic fuck all you guys" gratuitous, is still brilliantly inventive and compelling - and D'Israeli's art - although not as polished as it is now is still startlingly unique. He even manages to sneak Fishpaste in. Which I get. There's still an evil mystery to this distant future - these hidden edges make Lazarus's character shine through and it makes me yearn to dive into the hideously off future of Ellis' Transmetropolitan which shamefully I've read very little of. Very happy to own this. I think I now have everything D'Israeli's done in trade form. ...soon I will build a half-man, half-graphic novel homunculus AND WE WILL TAKE OVER THE GLOBE.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Ahem. Me again - just thundering through my reading pile.

God Hates Astronauts (Ryan Browne)

How exactly I fell into Ryan Browne's fabulously silly world I don't remember - but this was the first Kickstarter project I ever funded. I'm a sucker for those that offer affordable physical copies as rewards and are (shock horror) wholly finished and just want money for printin'. The campaign was a huge success and severals weeks later this handsome hardback volume found its way to me across the seas - packed with additional stretch-rewards, a bookmark - a sticker, some hilariously placed glossy bits on the cover. GHA started as a webcomic and is a shamelessly open love letter to the freedom of comics. The story is stream-of-conciousness, the characters ridiculous, the horde of nonsense literal SFX is magical ("De-FENESTRATE" as a character flies from a window) - it is liberated from the choking continuity cake and posturing melodrama of mainstream comics. What makes it even more compelling is Browne's skill - he's a ridiculously good colourist and a solid sequential artist which lends everything a bizarre weight and legitimacy despite the surreal madness. In the back of the volume are eighteen or so two-page origin stories for the main cast, as well as a similar number of random pin-ups - all from an enviably diverse roster of some of the hottest and most individualistic artistic talents in modern American comics. Tradd Moore, Cody Shibi and Kyle Strahm particularly are art kings. There's a potted GHA history (basically: blame Darick Robertson), two brilliant 24 hour comics (the former birthed GHA) and a nice reference guide.

The only issue (and it isn't one really) is that the subtitle "completely complete edition" has been rendered invalid by Browne being snapped up by Image for a new on-going GHA series. The infectious popularity of the world is a testament to its undeniable freshness - lovingly made yet it clearly doesn't give a fuck and damn that's fun.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Jodorowsky's METABARONS with sumptuous art by Juan Gimenez.

Gripping stuff.

[Zarjazzer]

Dr Who Classics-omnibus. A hefty tome of joy. Dave Gibbons, Paul Neary, John Ridgeway, Bryan Hitch art with stories by Mills and Wagner whoever they are  , Grant Morrison, Steve Moore, Steve Parkhouse . Only about halfway through so far. The fabulous "meep" should have his own series. Published by IDW it seems good quality paper but the art is in a more American style format size. The  cover art series in the back made me want to buy it.

[Ancient Otter]

Jodorowsky's METABARONS with sumptuous art by Juan Gimenez.

Gripping stuff.

Did you get the Ultimate collection? Humanoids UK are releasing Metabarons: Genesis with art by Spanish artist Das Pastoras in June and another Juan Gimenez book Leo Roa in June also.

[The Legendary Shark]

"Rendezvous With Rama" by Arthur C. Clark.
.
I tried ACC's books when I was a teenager and hated them because they were boring. In many ways this book is also boring - no gunfights or monsters or scrapping and nothing much gets explained. In the end it's a most unsatisfying tale of man's first encounter with an alien spacecraft as it hurtles through the Solar System. The teenage me would not have enjoyed this at all but now, in my late 40s, I really enjoyed it and shared in the confusion, wonder and frustration of the characters in the book. Marvellous!
.
Now, inspired to give ACC another chance, I'm on with 2001 and, hopefully, its sequels.

[Theblazeuk]

To Kill A Mockingbird and the first few chapters of Scout's complete dissatisfaction with the standardised education system imposed on her by the government may provide a hint to why Michael Gove doesn't like it. Well probably not but it did seem serendipitous.

http://www.stephencollinsillustration.com/gallery/gove.jpg

Arthur C Clarke is great. Childhoods End is a favourite of mine (not sure  about the sequels to 2000AD to be honest).

[von Boom]

"Rendezvous With Rama" by Arthur C. Clark.
.
I tried ACC's books when I was a teenager and hated them because they were boring. In many ways this book is also boring - no gunfights or monsters or scrapping and nothing much gets explained. In the end it's a most unsatisfying tale of man's first encounter with an alien spacecraft as it hurtles through the Solar System. The teenage me would not have enjoyed this at all but now, in my late 40s, I really enjoyed it and shared in the confusion, wonder and frustration of the characters in the book. Marvellous!
.
Now, inspired to give ACC another chance, I'm on with 2001 and, hopefully, its sequels.

Check BBC4 extra now and again for the radio drama. It's a great adaptation.

[The Legendary Shark]

Cool - thanks for that, I will. :-)

[Hawkmumbler]

Spooks: The Fall of Babylon is a pretty good, despite some dated race politics (or have Chinese Opeum dens and 19th century depictions of the devil as a smocking black man in white become so common that it's passed into parody material by this point?). Anyway, despite those jarring moments, the characters where fun if not given enough time to fully develop (it concludes on a cliffhanger so I assume all four books are a flowing narrative) and I enjoyed it none the less. At about £3 each on marketplace, i'm not gonna complain.

Starting on Cerebus The Aardvark now, as SBT was very kind enough to pass on the first two phonebooks to me.

[Colin YNWA]

Starting on Cerebus The Aardvark now, as SBT was very kind enough to pass on the first two phonebooks to me.

Don't forget be patient with that first phonebook. Its very much an artist learning his craft. Mind by High Society he's fair flying.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Just finished The Eye of the World, book 1 of the Wheel of Time.

I devoured the thing. So what if it shamelessly rips off Lord of the Rings (right down to the Mines of Moria)? It's what-it-says-on-the-tin escapist nonsense; Barbara Cartland for Geeks. I suspect it may drag on across the next 14 books, but I'm happy to find out.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Sentient Zombie Space Pigs (Disconnected Press)

The subject of one of the finest Kickstarter campaigns I've ever seen - with a gloriously simple brief and a refreshingly tiny target - Sentient Zombie Space Pigs does what it says on the tin and delivers on the glorious promise of that long-ago campaign. The story by Lizzie Boyle is suitably dark - crammed as it is with Whitesnake lyrics and rambling rednecks - although whether it would have been more satisfying as a single self-contained tale is a matter of debate - although I'm perfectly happy to see this tale continue on. Conor Boyle's shadowy art is utterly brilliant throughout and his porcine portrayals are perfect - he even handles the lettering with no small skill. This porky volume from the Disconnected Press duo is a startlingly good small press KS success story - and I've only just heard that the second issue (of a proposed four) will be out this August! OINK!

[Spikes]

I came across the art of Terry Moore while ago, and have taken quite a fancy to it, but I'd never bought owt by him, until now.

Checking his website out, I've just snagged a Ltd Ed. reprint of Strangers in Paradise #1, so that should be wingng its way to me in a week or two.

So, is anyone more familiar with his stuff, and any thoughts on the matter?


Cheers.

[TordelBack]

Terry Moore is a funny one.  I unreservedly love his art, and I think he writes very entertaining characters, but there is an unpleasant tension in his Strangers in Paradise writing where his quirky everyday relationship tales regularly get overwhelmed by quite disturbing violence and over-arching global organised crime/demonic possession plots.  Sometimes I wish he would separate the two threads, because for me at least they do not sit well together (the lower-key crime/police procedural angles work fine), and have a tendency to end up with the whole thing written into a corner eventually requiring an unlikely reversal.  He seems to be working this out of his system with Rachel Rising, which is unreservedly in the latter camp, and better for it.

He's certainly worth your time - I really enjoyed the early SiP, and have quite enjoyed what I've read of Rachel Rising.