Whats everyone reading?

[Colin YNWA]

I got into the new series of Copra from Image - well from Michael Fiffe via Image - due to some comments on this very board and it did look interesting.

The main problem with the Image series was it dropped you straight in and I felt a little lost as we landed mid story with fully developed characters doing their thing and just exploding all over the place. Yet it grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and just dragged me along with it and eventually I'd caught up, or at least enough to not care about any details I'd missed.

Anyway to my current reading I'd got the earlier issues of Copra in some digital sale or other (or a couple actually) and having read the new series was really looking forward to filling the in the blanks and understanding what was what. The thing is with the old series was it dropped you straight in and I felt a little lost as we landed full throttle, with fully devloped characters doing their thing and just exploding all over the place. Yet it grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and just dragged me along with it and eventually I'd caught up, or at least enough to care about any details I'd missed, or would look back and re-engage.

See its incredible its not that the new series dropped me in its that Michael Fiffe just delievers story at such exilerating pace and with such energy it can be a little bewildering. In the best possible way. It grips you though and you are absolutely pulled along. Even the 'quieter' more reflective episodes or scenes have an almost manic momentum to them. Its utterly superb, compelling and entirely engrossing.

12 issues in I'm reminded so much of Martin Eden's O Men in that it wears its influences so very, very on its sleaves. With O Men it was X-Men with Copra its Suicide Squad. They are unashamed on how much they draw on their source material. Yet each is utterly fresh and original in how it takes that source material and while lovingly paying tribute taking their story in completely new ways, with completely fresh ways of delivering and expanding on the characters in ways the originals just couldn't.

Both also have art that is far from typical and immediate. They are both drawn with styles so raw that it certainly won't be for all and definately not for the more conservates (small 'c') fans of Tharg who struggle with some of his more experimental art selections - see recent Faciebook groups exploding in their rage at D'Israel's art on Dredd ( I mean its fine not to like it - I don't agree but no biggie, but really do you need to so proactive in not liking it... sorry I got distracted by a hobby horse there...) but once I'd settle into it and allowed my eye to adjust I really really began to appreciate and see the genius that underpinned it - just as with Martin Eden on O Men.

So yeah much more to go - another 20ish issues and I suspect I'll be back to blather on at some length about the rest all too soon.

[Colin YNWA]

Just a little addition to what I said before. Just read Copra 14 - for those that know the series the one with WIR taking a break back home and WOW that was fantastic!

[Colin YNWA]

And in summary Copra is just superb. Read all 31 issues of the series up the Image series and it remains excellent. Just as spralling and epic, yet close and intregate as it starts out. Almost wish I'd done this before reading the 'new' series but gives me an excuse to read the 5 issues of the Image series again with my new context in place.

Highest recommentation.

[Hawkmumbler]

Nice one indeed Colin! This forums very own Adventurer alongside his Fincast pals got me onto Copra many years ago when Fiffe was still self publishing. It really is a super bit of comic bookery and i'm so glad it's got a long and successful publication ahead of it, one of my favorites of the last decade.

One of us, one of us!

[Colin YNWA]

Nice one indeed Colin! This forums very own Adventurer alongside his Fincast pals got me onto Copra many years ago when Fiffe was still self publishing. It really is a super bit of comic bookery and i'm so glad it's got a long and successful publication ahead of it, one of my favorites of the last decade.

One of us, one of us!

I'm pretty sure its was you (and a couple of others) talking about this comic turned me onto it Zac. I remember seeing it in some Image sale or other, thiking it looked very interesting but also knowing in the back of my mind that folks spoke well of it on these here boards.

So a big thank you for that!

[PsychoGoatee]

Another fin-addict over here, Copra is on my to-read list for sure.

I'm reading the ol' Claremont X-Men, on issue 150! I have never read further than this in his run, so I look forward to getting to more space stuff, wild stuff, Australian stuff, all that.

[Tjm86]

I'm reading the ol' Claremont X-Men, on issue 150! I have never read further than this in his run, so I look forward to getting to more space stuff, wild stuff, Australian stuff, all that.

I would say that the next 70 issues are probably the best.  The 2nd Phoenix storyline, the Brood, Mutant Massacre ...  Artwork by Smith and John Romita Jr, but far more importantly Barry Windsor Smith's Wolverine episode ...

After the Mutant Massacre marvel really started to get silly with their crossovers.  Each one becoming progressively poorer.  There are some nice standalone issues towards the end of Claremont's time and some cracking artwork from Silvestri, Leonardi and others but it does tend to be a little more hodge-podge.

Mind you, its nothing compared to Casey's run!

[Colin YNWA]

The art on Claremonts X-Men was superb and hold up until Jim Lee for me (I find now I just don't get on with Jim Lee's work, though of course its incredibly popular0 but alas goes down hill quite quickly after that.

The trouble is I just can't get on with the story any more. Even during the peak of my (relatively recent) superhero love when I tried to re-read his X-Men I found it an absolute chore to read. The plotting is excellent, if he does scatter lose ends like confettee, and no-one gives superhero combat that feels challenging and engaging like Claremont. I just find the dialogue so utterly terrible. I had the same issue with Wolfman and Perez's New Teen Titans a comparible contemporary. Its teen meladrama at its worst - though that is what its trying to be, well Teen meladrama at least.

The thing is I want to like it so much. I watched a documentary about his run on Prime the other day - called Chris Claremont's X-Men, does what it says on the tin that one! And its pretty good fun. A nice insight, with all the right folks, about the coming and goings at Marvel during his first run. I'd highy recommend it. Anyway that made me really want to try it again despite myself and today on Facebook I saw someone selling Essential Uncanny Volume 4 - which contains the Paul Smith stuff - I was soooo tempted to give it a go, I loved it so much back in the day. Just don't think I'd enjoy it.

Reckon next time I see this all on some digital sale I'll break and try it again - and very possibly regret it!

Anyway only came to point you in the direction the documentry if you have Prime as its a good companion piece.

[TordelBack]

Must... resist... trip... to... attic (it's the best there is at what it does, but what it does is keep my 80s comics away from me).

Thanks for the documentry tip, Colin!

And Tjm, hard agree.

[PsychoGoatee]

Right on, gotta love 80s comics. And that doc is cool for sure, I also enjoy Chris Claremont's interviews on podcasts and whatnot. Seems like a cool guy.

[Dandontdare]

I'm reading through my Ultimate Marvel books start to finish - the tone shifts quite a lot and there are some bad continuity glitches along the way, but I loved this series. The original Ultimates books by Bendis are great, and Ultimate Human (Hulk/Iron Man) by Warren Ellis is superb. Ultimate Iron Man by Orson Scott Card is a great piece of sci-fi, even though everything it established about Tony Stark is instantly forgotten in the other books. I've just gotten past the death of Spiderman so far (I'm not crying, you're crying *sniff*) I also liked the way that the ending of the series was tied into the ending of the whole Marvel multiverse.

[MacabreMagpie]

Hooked on the 'Expanse' books at the minute after getting the first one for my birthday in January. Tried watching the series after finishing that but found it didn't live up to what was in my head so abandoned it for now and went on to reading the second one, which I'm storming through. They're so good!

[pictsy]

I finished His Dark Materials last night.  I read it once around 15 years ago or so and remembered enjoying it.

Northern Lights is certainly the best of the bunch for me.  Clear plot with clear goals and a clear direction.  It is a very good adventure book with a very interesting setting.  I have been finding I enjoy a good adventure book after reading the original trilogy of Han Solo books and the Icewind Dale trilogy recently.
The Subtle Knife is a lot more muddled and Lyra's character is kinda subservient to that books main character Will to the point that she read like a different character.  There was less of a clear direction or goal and felt so much more like an effort to get from A to B.
The Amber Spyglass felt a little more epic.  I enjoyed it, but I found it was the book that really highlighted the contrivances in the setting.  The melancholic ending did a good job in bumming me out, as well.

The trilogy has flaws.  A lot of flaws.  Thankfully, they don't detract greatly from the overall adventure.

[TordelBack]

The prequel to HDM,  La Belle Sauvage, is worth a look, Pictsy.  Goes positively mental in the third quarter,  but it works a lot better than you might imagine the Adventures of Baby Lyra would!  I believe the follow-up is set after Amber Spyglass, but I was still searching for a cheap paperback edition when the Apocalypse intervened.

[pictsy]

I'll keep it in mind, then.  I did see a synopsis for it before I started getting into HDM again and it did look more interesting than Lyra's Oxford (which I never bothered reading).  I won't be revisiting Lyra's world just yet as the ending of HDM was kinda gut wrenching.

As of today I have started William Gibson's Bridge Trilogy, which has been on my bookshelf unread for too many years now.  I liked the Sprawl trilogy when I read that years ago.