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Martin Eden's - The O-Men

Started by Colin YNWA, 23 August, 2012, 08:43:16 AM

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Colin YNWA

Has anybody else read any of this?

http://theomencomic.wordpress.com/

I got the first collection available from the above website and its bloomin' great. There's a few times in the early issues when the dialogue made me wince and it does wear its influences very much on its sleeve, AND one of the characters I found cliché (and another a little bit, the rest mind are very refreshing and well developed) that said that's all the negatives out the way. Its a well constructed, well plotted story with great characters. The 'action' sequences are pretty lo-fi but all the more exciting and enjoyable for that.

For many people (and I include myself here) at first look the art is very rough, rudimentary and simple, but as you read the book you realise quite how strong it is. Okay there are a few storytelling issues as Martin Eden learns his trade, but they are few and far between and while the art is basic there's some wonderful character moments and all the characters genuinely look different and are recognisable which is something a lot of professional arts can't claim. Its stripped to its essence but in doing that the essence of what the art wants to achieve really shines through.

Its bloomin' great stuff and I'd heartily recommend it. Volume 2 is being released at Thought Balloon which I'm hoping to get to and really looking forward to picking it up.

Daveycandlish

I've got all the original editions and I would echo those comments. The art isn't great but the story is brilliant. It's one of the first small press comics I read (along with Bulldog - go hunt that one down too) and inspired me to do my own. Mart - it's all your fault!
An old-school, no-bullshit, boys-own action/adventure comic reminiscent of the 2000ads and Eagles and Warlords and Battles and other glorious black-and-white comics that were so, so cool in the 70's and 80's - Buy the hardback Christmas Annual!

jabish

I have to agree and I couldn't recommend this highly enough. I read all the original issues and they are really brilliant. I just got the first book of the collections myself and its really worth the money (and not much money at that). The art gets better its true, but I really do like even the early stuff. Great writing, great characters and an epic storyline. Fair play to Martin Eden. One of the best small press books you can get. So go on treat yourself:

http://theomencomic.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/the-o-men-book-one-is-out/

Be cool

JB

starscape

It's extremely good, although I actually prefer Martin's stablemate, Grant Springford.  Grant did Pest Control and is now onto The Abnormals - a bit like Sapphire & Steel meets Doom Patrol.
http://www.theabnormals.co.uk/

Colin YNWA

Nerco-but I don't care-post.

Just to let you all know (as I'm sure you were dying to find out!) I've just finished Book 3 and it is truly superb. Right up there with the best of the epic superhero yarns. O-Men is basically Chris Claremont's X-Men, updated, with better more intricate plotting and you don't have to wade through the his terrible dialogue and overwrought scripting to get to the good stuff. Its really is one of the best superhero comics I've read.

The art remains at first glance rough and very basic. It does however carry the story and the characters quite fantastically. Far more 'technically gifted' artists would do well to look at how Martin Eden's art gives you distinct individuals, whose emotions are easy to read and whose actions are precise and clear.

All three of the books currently available are worth getting but Book 3 is a ten part story that ties everything together in wonderfully epic fashion.

Each of the books is only £7 or £9 for over 200 pages of brilliance. Seriously can't recommend them highly enough.

https://theomencomic.wordpress.com/ordering-info/

Hawkmumbler

Well thats a lot of comics for my money. Consider me sold!

Famous Mortimer

Bloody hell, I was one of his readers right at the very beginning and just assumed he'd gone the way of so many other small press people (without, admittedly, ever trying too hard to find out). Fantastic news, I'll be buying these as soon as I can afford to.

Famous Mortimer

Even though I can't really afford it, I just bought book one of The O Men. Hurrah! I highly recommend it to anyone currently on the fence.

Bolt-01

Never read this, so I'm very, very tempted.

Daveycandlish

You should. You really, REALLY should.

One of the top 5 small press I've ever read.
An old-school, no-bullshit, boys-own action/adventure comic reminiscent of the 2000ads and Eagles and Warlords and Battles and other glorious black-and-white comics that were so, so cool in the 70's and 80's - Buy the hardback Christmas Annual!

Colin YNWA

I'm surprised you've not come across Martin at a show Bolt (though maybe you have and just not bought owt). Anyway give in to that temptation, I doubt you'll regret it.

Colin YNWA

#11
I just won't let this thread crawl quietly into a corner and die will I.

See the more of Martin Eden's stuff I read the more impressed I am with the fella. Just finished reading my 'Spandex Pack', which is basically the complete Spandex with all sorts of little treats slipped into all the tight places. While its not exactly a massive divergence from O-Men, it maintains many similar plot devices and twistly turnies, all the gloriously realised characters, more stuff like O-Men can only be a very, very good thing.

What does make Spandex stand out from its sibling is a neat little concept, well pretty big concept thinking about it (which I won't spoil) that ties it all together into a neat  fulfilling package. A tight lean story that works incredibly well. What makes it a work of genius is, it uses that premise, to build a much bigger story around the story we get. The story we get stands alone absolutely fine, but within it Martin teases the rest of the bigger story, one we'll never have. He hints and give us the clues we need, to see where this would all go if he was able to produce the 3783 issues it'd apparently take to get us to the end.

So for everyone whose read Spandex there is their own complete Spandex story. I know I'll be day dreaming of the stories we might have. Martin doesn't need to tell us, he's a confident creator of worlds, a brilliant enough presenter of character to allow his readers to create their own story.

For that reason, amongst the many others that Martin Eden gives me in every story of his I've read, I'm really beginning to think Martin is the comics world least appreciated genius.

Just get his stuff.

jabish

I can only concur. The guy's a genius! Has he released a collection of all of Spandex now rather than just the the 3 issue titan collection?

Colin YNWA

I don't believe so. I reckon he'll wait for a second Titan volume, though I don't know. I do know you can get it digtially.

I got mine as a pack, all the issues of Spandex, including the special and all the mini-comics all bundled together. Don't know if he still does these?

Colin YNWA

After reading Spandex I checked back on Martin's website

https://spandexcomic.wordpress.com

and was delighted to discover that O-Men volume 4 was out. A quick impulse buy and very short wait later and it was here. As was my holidays and so enthralled am I with this series the book came with me, bypassing my normal 2 year waiting time (as did Corto Maltese - Beyond the Windy Island, which gives you some idea of the illustious company you need to keep to do this).

There was no regret, nor disappointment. Its as brilliant as ever. In many ways its as you were. On the surface it appears very familiar in tone, theme and plot to what Martin does. No insult there, as he's the best he as at what he does (someone should use that in a comic). Martin builds a team and situation in order to get you engaged and involved with the characters, just in time to start to pull it down and throw whomever is left, into a seemingly impossible situation. Character's apparent motivations and loyalties seem to twist and turn and there is no surprise that surprises are just around the corner. The surprise comes from the fact that surprises still surprisingly have the ability to surprise. He's a twistly one that Martin.

So yeah as you where really, which is no bad thing. Here though below the surprise you notice that this is a much tighter piece. More focused and almost selfware. Its as though Martin has learnt all he needs to about perfecting creating the comics he wanted and is almost playing with that power. With great power, comes great responsibility (that should also surely be used by some one as well) and Martin does this. He playfully uses his own tropes. A team of O-Men are gleefully destroyed before you know it. He untwists his own twists, using a twist of course. All the while doing this he introduces some glorious characters and they remain as fleshed out and solid as ever. Everything just feels a little tighter, leaner as Martin has perfected his craft.

Further still, while this builds the big story.While this uses (and abuses) Martin's own tropes, when you get to the end you realise this is actually a wonderful character piece. While all the rest is built wonderfully, its all used to reflect upon one character. Quite superb.

Oh and that ending, wow that ending. If you read the rest of the O-Men and read this, you will like me be hankering after 2016's return to this world and the conclusion of the story. I've rarely been so excited about a comic, or work of fiction in any media come to that, coming out.

Martin I salute you.