STANDARD ATTRITION

joe.distort · Moderator Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: phx!

Week of September 17th…
Well, this week I finally did it: I dropped a bunch of books from my pull list. It was difficult, for I am a giant nerd and Wednesdays are what I look forward to every week, but it had to be done. The casualties were many, and some were surprising, but its for the best. And one book that I didn’t drop is now getting the axe after reading yesterdays new issue….

…and that would be WAR HEROES. The writing is sharp and funny, but when I read the last page I realized something: I just don’t give a shit about this book. The military is something that usually disgusts me, and this is reading a little too much like right wing propaganda for me (not blatant mind you, more institutional, like the TV show COPS). its just not working, sorry. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: the completely unexpected male frontal nudity was absolutely hilarious, in that generic mark-millar-being-shocking-just-because-he-can kinda way. My girlfriend didn’t believe me when I exclaimed “holy shit, hahahaha”.

The SWORD is sticking around, but I did feel like I got ripped off on this all-fight issue. It didn’t really display any of the smart writing and characterization that I am used to from the luna bros, and I finished reading it in about three minutes… that last page was a fucking doozy though. Their cliffhangers seriously get better and better.

In the “things I have said before” department for this week, here is AMAZING SPIDERMAN. I don’t care about spidey, I just have no reverence for the character and the universe he is wrapped up in- never have. I am a DC fanboy nerd through and through. ASM has snuck under my radar and I now find myself looking forward to this book (well, the slott issues and hopefully waid’s as well) the way I look forward to GREEN LANTERN. Its seriously good right now- the one flaw is that the revolving writers means that its not consistent, so I just don’t buy arcs by gale, wells or guggenheim. the next issue is double sized as well! Cant wait for the conclusion of this story.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN’s conclusion is a victim of my own expectations- I was hoping for some genre bending headfuck that just didn’t happen. It’s a very good ending that leaves things open in a way that doesn’t feel like you got screwed, but it wasn’t what I was wanting. When I re-read the whole run together at once, im sure it will resonate more, but for now, goddamn im gonna miss this book.

The fist issue of AIR last month was a good start, but wow, the second issue is MUCH better. It just feels meatier, as if we are being told more of what the real story is. If im wrong, I would be surprised, but the way this is going seems much more exciting after this one. One thing, am I the only one that thinks the heads of the characters sometimes sit oddly on the characters, like mismatched or sized wrong? Besides that, this book looks to be ramping up from here on out.

TANGENT: SUPERMANS REIGN is my guilty pleasure of the week- I love the tangent universe ( I actually have acquired a full set of the old one shots over the course of the past two years [don’t worry I paid a quarter for most of them]) and its super geeky fun to see characters moving between the two worlds. The back up appears to be a waste of space though- get to it already!

What did everybody read? And more importantly, what did you think? If theres one thing ive learned from ellis, its that the thoughts are more interesting than just having a shopping list.
_________________
"all that time i was dreaming about what i SHOULD be doing, i was already doing what i REALLY wanted to."
-homer simpson, genius scholar

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Erik Missio · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 163 Location: Toronto

I missed last week, so I'm not sure if all these came out yesterday, but I walked home with:

(a) Young Liars #7 (Holy crap. I'm glad I didn't read the SA thread on this issue and spoil it. Though I'm wondering if maybe, just maybe, we're looking at something fairly literal rather than an imagined story. [Of course--they're all imagined stories.])

(b) Echo #6 (Terry Moore's semi-superhero epic. Story's unfolding faster now, with oodles [oodles!] of new mysteries, and probably some of the best, consistently, wonderfully, beautifully, detailed art in any ongoing title.)

(c) Flash # ??? (It's not bad, but I'm not feeling how DC's effectively decided to tread water until Barry's return. That said, I'd rather have Wally powerless and raising a family happily in retired obscurity than dying in some sort of marketing event. It'd be nice if someone other than Jack Knight got a happy ending. [And... yeah. Totally being premature in speculations, but my first 'regular' comic book purchase was Flash #1 so I've become protective of a corporate-owned intellectual property.)

(d) Berlin: City of Smoke (Volume two of Jason Lutes' D&Q series. Only a dozen or so pages in, but this series continues to be one of the best I've ever read. [I know... I trade-waited. It's a rarity and I'm sorry.] )

joe.distort · Moderator Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: phx!

Reuben · Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 2408 Location: England

Joe I'm getting that De- ja-vu thing here....

Come on, I'm more interested in what you've dropped comics wise. Please spill.

Erik has reminded me that Berlin 16 is in my unread pile...

By the way, is this 'the comics I've bought this week and read' thread or 'the comics I've bought and put into the pile to read at a later date' thread?

What is THE SWORD?

Do you realise how annoying it is that you lot get your comics on wednesday and I have to wait until saturday?

joe.distort · Moderator Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: phx!

well, the biggest one to me is that after reading INVINCIBLE from the beginning (cory walker knew someone who knew my friends, plus battle pope was awesome) i just cant take it anymore after last months issue. i just didnt see any void it was filling in my reading habits, so YOINK- gone. theres more, but ill have to string you along. (hint: the rest were pretty much all corporate books that werent holding my attention anymore cough cough green lantern corps)

and this should ideally be a bought/thought thread, rather than bought/will read soon thread.

the SWORD is an amzing modern fairytale (of sorts) written/drawn by the Luna brothers who did ULTRA and GIRLS. its high quality stuff, almost vertigo-esque in execution. i think the first issue is floating around the web for free...but it doesnt get really good to about 4 or 5 in my opinion.
_________________
"all that time i was dreaming about what i SHOULD be doing, i was already doing what i REALLY wanted to."
-homer simpson, genius scholar

www.twitter.com/joedistort

lwc_2001 · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 832 Location: Columbus, OH

I don't know if I was trying to set a speed record or if this just a "light week" as in a ton of action, little text and it took me like 2 hours to read 10 books. I'd have to say I felt a little cheated by the time it was over.

Amazing Spider-Man #572 C- (Story is eh, and I'm really disliking Romita JR's phoned in art)
Ghost Rider #27 C+
Mighty Avengers #18 D
Secret Invasion Thor #2 D
Scalped #21 A+
Sword #11 B (Awesome, but way too fast. I think it literally took me 4 minutes to "read")
Terry Moores Echo #6 A (One of the best books on store shelves right now)
Uncanny X-Men #502 B-
Walking Dead #52 B (Kind of a filler issue to progress the story, but some of the reveals should have more of an emotional impact... I hope my interest in TWD didn't die with (almost) all the main characters in issue 48 )
War Heroes #2 C- (About to drop. It keeps reminding me how much better Ellis's No Hero is)

Secret Invasion is wearing on me. Apparently the Invasion took a long time, but the war is like two days... 5 years worth of development it really like nothing is happening... also... if you are shape shifting spy unit... why are you fighting in open fields braveheart style in your skrull form? Wouldn't you at least attempt to blend in and cause confusion?

Grade Scale:
A - Loved
B - Liked
C - Indifferent
D - Disliked
F- Appalled

Erik Missio · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 163 Location: Toronto

This is not an attempt to be snarky... I'm generally curious.

Why do you buy books that are below a B+ or A-? (Unless of course it just happened to be an 'off' issue.) Aside from Flash, I can honestly say the small handful of monthlies/bimonthlies I still get are equally killer in their own unique ways--I can't remember the last time I found anything remotely sub-par or was disappointed to plunk down cash. (Y'hear that, Lapham? You better not screw up Young Liars!)

Sometimes with trades and OGNs, I've guessed incorrectly when assuming I'd dig something. However, anything I didn't lovelovelove got traded away on SequentialSwap.com for something else. That way, a nice TPB or graphic novel that just didn't click with me finds a better home and I get the chance to try something new. I once swapped for the first volume of Human Target and liked it so much I went out the next week and bought the next tpb.

Actually, while strangely pitching someone else's site, Sequential Swap also allowed me to get a hardcover Murder Me Dead and the first Flash Archives for two books that just didn't do anything for me. (And hell, while I'm at it, if anyone wants my Kingdom Come tpb, I'm pretty much open to the possibility of switching it for anything that's not corporate-owned.)

lwc_2001 · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 832 Location: Columbus, OH

I would say things were generally off this week.

But, I will buy a book based off of interest... whether that is interest in the writer (ghost rider), the current storyline (ASM), or event/character (SI Thor... which is written by Matt Fraction, so I thought it had promise).

Obviously, I wouldn't buy a book if I thought it was going to be terrible and a waste of money. At the same time, isn't it understandable that when you pick up a stack of 10-15 books a week that you will hit a few issues that you didn't care for? Have you ever watched a favorite TV show and said "that episode kind of sucked... I'll never watch that again!" Maybe you have, but I haven't.

So, as long as a title maintains my interest and I have the finances... I will take a risk time and again.

RedBeard · Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 127

Action Comics #869...meh...might not be reading this much longer...I love Superman but...well it's been kinda meh...

All Star Superman #12...was great, but I was hoping for something crazy...

Conan #3...my guilty pleasure...this is really a well done comic though...so maybe I shouldn't feel so guilty...

The Spirit #21...another guilty pleasure...

Air #2...was great...still in it's infancy and I'm hooked...

Greatest Hits #1...I liked it I guess...kinda tired of the "subversive view" put to super heroes...but Fabry is always great...

Scalped #21...this and Criminal are my 2 favorite books out right now...

Hellblazer #5000...or whatever number it's on...this was truly weird...I loved it...

Ghost Rider #27...more fun and the reveal of Zadkiel...

And I got a cheap copy of the Silverfish hard cover...this one blew my socks off...loved it a lot...

was a great week of comics for me...next week looks a little bleaker...but Captain America comes out...and Northlanders so won't be a total wash...

Reuben · Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 2408 Location: England

I don't buy as many comics as I use to, mainly due to lack of storage space, the cost and I honestly don't think I could find 10 or so new comics to buy every week.
I'm more heading over to trades these days as they work out cheaper, no ads, you don't miss any issues and you get to read a big chunk of story in one go. Oh, and some give you extra features like sketchbooks.

Joe D admitted on a recent thread that he enjoys a beer with his comics. He's not the only one, although this week it was dark rum and coke. This has led me to create my own useless nonsensical rating system...

THE SPIRIT 21
There is nothing guilty about this pleasure. But I did prefer it when Darwyn Cooke was driving this book. These days it is charmingly breezy self contained stories each month. Sadly the art isn't a patch on Paul Smith's but the whole package is fun. Still it's got to be better than the forthcoming film...
BEER SUITABILITY ENJOYMENT RATING: excellent, but only in a cute and fluffy kind of way.

GREATEST HITS 1
Having followed Glenn Fabry since his stunning debut on Slaine it was inevitable I was going to pick this up. It's Ok. If you haven't read any comics for the past 20 years, in fact since Grant Morrison's Zenith appeared. I reckon Joe D and the other posters on The Lamest Villain thread could have cobbled together something more original than this and probably a lot funnier too. Will probably give the 2nd issue a go though...
BSER:entertaining, but you may not feel the same way about it in the morning.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN 12
I found it a bit boring to be honest. I suspect the lengthy gaps between issues hasn't helped, all 12 issues need to be read in one sitting really, to gain that sense of urgency.
BSER:sadly beer doesn't make this look any more attractive no matter how much you drink.

JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE 276
The highlight of this title for me is the text features. The strips are of a reasonable standard too. The added bonus book is a reprint of Andy Diggle and Andy Clarke's Snow/Tiger. The biggest surprise for me is that I'm actually enjoying the return of Tank Girl (even though it isn't drawn by Jaime Hewlett). I've always wondered this but why isn't Judge Dredd bigger in America?
BSER: good solid and dependable. The text pieces are best read sober though.

joe.distort · Moderator Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: phx!

the BSER is a great idea. i like. no beers with my wednesday but i had a becks dark with my copy of GHOST RIDER (my store sold out, so i had to wait until i got to another store). this book is taking cues from the recent IRON FIST revamp, but doing it in adifferent way. i tried to avoid the hype building on this (like i need another book to add to my stacks, grrrr...)but it iIS as good as youve heard. and despite me not wanting to take the easy way out to agree with assesments i have read elsewhere, it really does have the feel of the older proto-vertigo books. good stuff.
_________________
"all that time i was dreaming about what i SHOULD be doing, i was already doing what i REALLY wanted to."
-homer simpson, genius scholar

www.twitter.com/joedistort

Reuben · Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 2408 Location: England

Whooops! missed one...

WAR HEROES 2
My major problems with this book is the artwork (everything looks very plastic) and the bland colouring. While there is no reader relationship built with any of the characters, I'm still intrigued enough to get the next issue.
BEER ENJOYMENT ENHANCING RATING: it helps to perk up what is a fairly throw away title so far.

dina · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

I read wayyyy too much to include all my thoughts in here, but I remember being measurably mad when I finished that issue of Sword. I saved it for third-to-last in my pile which means that I was extremely excited about it, only to blow through the entire thing in the length of a commercial break!

I couldn't believe that there wasn't any more content there, definitely bothered me.

Also, did anyone here read Astonishing Wolf-Man? Anyone? My first ever ever ever letter was printed in it!

Cool

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joe.distort · Moderator Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: phx!

i was reading wolfman, but the sporadic schedule kinda made me forget about it.
_________________
"all that time i was dreaming about what i SHOULD be doing, i was already doing what i REALLY wanted to."
-homer simpson, genius scholar

www.twitter.com/joedistort

dina · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:26 pm Post subject:

Well, maybe you should start buying it again. Because not only is he getting back on track, but he printed my letter where basically all I do is berate him.

Yay!
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I lied. It's not back.