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Robert Kirkman tropes

Started by IndigoPrime, 29 September, 2016, 10:15:52 AM

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IndigoPrime

In some Humble Bundle or other, I got hold of the first Invincible compendium. It's a comic I'd always been interested in (I got a few free issues a long time ago) but I'd been put off by Walking Dead. Although I enjoy the Walking Dead TV show (well, enjoy might be a stretch much of the time, but it's generally compelling), I found the comic leaden, tiresome, and full of minutiae, over-long unnatural dialogue, and a weird obsession with teenage romance.

Invincible, though, starts really well. It's a breath of fresh air that at once feels rather subversive, but that's also extremely accessible. It's superheroes done right. At least at first. At about the halfway point of the compendium, I notice the same problems I found in Walking Dead appear. We get pages of rambling dialogue, loads of screen time given over to dull relationship wrangling with the depth and insight of a 14-year-old. Some of the plots are still decent as I approach the end, but it's strange that yet I find I'm initially really interested in a Kirkman book, before figuring I might not even continue reading.

Looking at the timelines, it does feel a bit like he suddenly lacked time when juggling both. The thing the latter issues in the compendium lack is refinement. It feels like there's no editing going on – no-one there saying "you know, less can be more".

So are the mid-30s and 40s in Invincible 'it' for how the writing continues, or does it freshen up again? Perhaps I just don't gel with Kirkman's writing style!


Professor Bear

No, that's it.  Occasionally, he throws in some OTT gore and violence to shock you, and Kirkman does circle the odd good idea, but the framework to explore those ideas just isn't there and sooner or later it all reverts back to superhero dynasty soap opera and "what if the bad guy is right?" musings.

Theblazeuk

I guess I like the world of Invincible more than I ultimately enjoyed where the series went. Brit, Guardians of the Globe, all that.

IndigoPrime

I'm up to issue 43 now. I think it's to the point that should more Invisible show up in a Humble Bundle, I'd continue reading, but I can't imagine I'll splash out on digital (or paper) tomes. I like the world, too, but too much of the time it feels like stream of consciousness writing from someone penning teen romance. It's really weird, and needs a strong editor's hand. But like I said, Walking Dead was the same in that first compendium, so I'm not sure why I didn't realise it'd happen here.

Colin YNWA

See I find this interesting. I got the Invincible collection from the Humble Bundle and I'm looking forward to it winging its way up my read list as I quite enjoyed the Walking Dead compendium. As I've discussed elsewhere it far from good comics. In fact the writing is quite poor, except its like an airport novel, its a thrilling page turner and pretty compelling. It has absolutely no depth and I worry that I think it thinks it does. At the end of the day though it looked great and had me hooked.

I imagine Robert Kirkman is comics equivalent of Dan Brown (based on my wifes commentry on a couple of Dan Brown books she read, she found the whole thing hilarious and was constantly reading me particularly poorly written bits BUT she couldn't put them down... I therefore choose not to even bother to pick them up) you know its trash but by heck its fun trash.

So I'm looking forward to indugling myself with Invincible as everything else I've read by Kirkham as been a similar guilty pleasure.

PsychoGoatee

#5
Personally I love Invincible and it's still great, I look forward to the concluding 12 parter coming up soon.

I'd say the series continues to evolve, the 30s and 40s in particular aren't indicative of what it's like overall. I like the big arc that happens later on "The -blank- War" (probably not a big spoiler but blanked anyway), "The Death of Everyone" (intentionally over-the-top event title name) around issue 100, etc.

It's still one of my top favs. If it's a guilty pleasure, most comics must be really really guilty, I consider this a cut above most others. But everybody digs different stuff.

Don't miss Science Dog! It's only two issues long, maybe you've read some of the short ones, I think they showed up every 25 issues for a bit. They collected them in one comic, then made an original second comic finishing it up. Really fun little time travel sci-fi story.

Colin YNWA

Knew there was a thread discussing Invincible. Just started working my way through the first compendium, over two years after saying it was on the way, sigh my 'To read' list is WAY too long. Anyway about half way through (issue 26ish) and its everything I predicted.

Its is The Walking Dead of superhero comics. Its a rip snorting page turner. Yes its full characters that are interesting to read about and engaging but ultimately cliche. Yes it creates some apparently fascinatating scenarios, but they don't really hold to scrutiny. I'm a big fan of superhero comics, but of late I'm increasingly don't feel I need to read any more than I already own and this isn't anything anything really new to the host of caped comics I have in my collection and love and will return to...

... yet I find it hard to believe I'll be putting it down anytime soon and will almost certainly be picking up when I next see it on sale. What a fascinating thing it is... or is it me. Unlike Psychogoatee (and others around here) I don't think its anything like great BUT unlike IndigoPrime I clearly do get on with Robert Kirkman's writing, even if I'm fully aware its not as good as folks think it is???

The Adventurer

Invincible was a favorite title of mine for its entire run, I eventually dropped Walking Dead but stiuck with Invincible until the end. I always felt that series really excellelled at taking classic super-hero tropes and either turning them on their ear or turning them up to 11. Yes it could be wordy and some characters rang hollow, but every time you turned the page you had no idea what might happen next. I did think it started to suffer in its last few years, it felt like Kirkman didn't have time for it any more and rushed an ending.

If you're a fan of Invincible, you should check out Savage a Dragon, since it's what Kirkman drew upon the most when creating Invicible.

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Colin YNWA

Quote from: The Adventurer on 03 June, 2019, 10:14:04 PM
If you're a fan of Invincible, you should check out Savage a Dragon, since it's what Kirkman drew upon the most when creating Invicible.

I've been long intrigued by Savage Dragon but haven't got around to picking it up (see comments on the amount I have already on my to read list!). I always liked the idea of a superhero comic by the same person for about ... is it 300 issues yet?

One day I'll get ot it.

The Adventurer

244 and still counting. Spawn is hitting 300 soon,  but Spawn isn't by one person.

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Proudhuff

Hmmmmm, RIP TWD,did you see that coming?  ;)
DDT did a job on me

Hawkmumbler

Quote from: The Adventurer on 04 June, 2019, 02:55:31 PM
244 and still counting. Spawn is hitting 300 soon,  but Spawn isn't by one person.
Colin, I jumped on the Savage Dragon train about 4 years ago and haven't looked back, one of my favorite comics on the stands and if you're a fan of Kirby, then Larsen is his living prodigy. Love it so much I even appeared on the dedicated Savage Fincast a few times (shameless plug for my friends).

Mattofthespurs

Quote from: Proudhuff on 04 July, 2019, 09:21:56 PM
Hmmmmm, RIP TWD,did you see that coming?  ;)

I didn't until I saw your post.

Still waiting to get my issue of 193.

Cheers.