Comments on: What I bought – 23 April 2008

By: Seth

Seth — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:54:23 +0000

I read on the way home too! at red lights. Can’t help it.

I’m Glad I found this blog; people here seem to be unusually positive for internet comic fans.

Favorite this week had to be X-Men First Class. It contains an intelligent wackiness I’d give a lot to see more of from Marvel.

By: ZZZ

ZZZ — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:52:39 +0000

Da Fug said: “I never understood how people could read the reverse way. If the comics were getting less and less good, Iâ€™d have much less of a desire to read the succeeding ones.”

You make a good point, but I usually read the other way and I can shed a little light on why: For one thing, on a good week, there’ll be at least one book I’m really looking forward to reading – sometimes so much that I start reading it while wating at red lights on the way home from the store – so it seems wrong to read something I’m less interested in first when I get home. More important than that, though (and to be sure, there isn’t a book I’m that excited about every week) I usually read late into the night and rarely finish all my books on Wednesday – in fact, I prefer to have something left to read later in the week – so I put the books I’m most interested in on top. That way, if I haven’t finished the pile by the time I need to get to sleep, it’s the books I care about the least that I haven’t read yet.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:20:54 +0000

My library system needs to get me some Morrison Batman (and some Miller ASB&R for that matter). Iâ€™m so curious.

DC needs to release a second Morrison Batman trade!
What’s the damn hold up?

By: SweetVampireBuddha

SweetVampireBuddha — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:06:49 +0000

Greg, I read my comics in the same way. I always put the “fluff” on the top and my favorites close to the bottom. I it love when one of the weaker comics catches me off guard!

By: Da Fug

Da Fug — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:33:34 +0000

“I put the one I think will be the best on the bottom, and the one I think will be the â€œworstâ€ at the top (â€worstâ€ because I like pretty much everything I buy, so I canâ€™t really say theyâ€™re bad).”

HAHA! I used to read my stack the same way. I never understood how people could read the reverse way. If the comics were getting less and less good, I’d have much less of a desire to read the succeeding ones

My library system needs to get me some Morrison Batman (and some Miller ASB&R for that matter). I’m so curious.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:30:01 +0000

What is it with Morrison doing runs on ‘big’ comics without a stand out regular artist – or at least good fill ins?

I was flipping through New X-Men last night, and I just couldn’t figure out what the editor thought they were doing… If you bring Morrison on you’ve got a good chance for a big hit – why screw with the sales by not having good and timely art?
It just makes no sense to me.

By: brian

brian — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:22:19 +0000

It seems pretty clear that Bruce is becoming paranoid. But I agree that it seems this should have been built over more issues.
Basically Batman doesn’t start thinking that someone is out to get him until the last issue when he confronts the Third Batman and starts putting the pieces together.
But still, for him to suddenly lose control and “blow” his cover in front of Jezebel seems odd. I mean, he went to so much trouble in the last issue “staging” his fall into the dumpster only to suddenly lose it when the two are attacked at dinner?
And again I go back to the fact that Morrison hasn’t done enough with Jezebel as a character to really make readers care about her or about their budding relationship.
And Morrison CAN do wonders with character – look at Animal Man. Look at his Doom Patrol run. These books really struck me emotionally. But so far I just feel like I’m reading an above-average superhero book, not a MORRISON superhero book.

By: Ian Astheimer

Ian Astheimer — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:24:02 +0000

3. Iboga, the dude with planets in his beard, fights the Tyranny Fates, who ride in on a black sun sled.

I totally misread that as “Tranny Fates, who ride on a black sun sled.”

I’ve been seriously contemplating dropping GÃ¸dland for a while now. I’m not sure what to make of it (possibly) ending with #37. Do I bail early or stick it through? I’m really only reading it for Nicklehead.

By: Slaz

Slaz — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:57:46 +0000

“I get what Morrison is doing, I just donâ€™t think heâ€™s done it well enough.”

That’s fair. At least it remains interesting. And I agree there has been some unfortunate artwork in the series…

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:13:07 +0000

I did mention that, because it’s obvious that Morrison wants us to think Bruce has gone ’round the bend, but it seems that it’s being done in a fairly shallow manner. I hate to compare it to Bane snapping his spine, but that was built up over several issues, far more than in this run (although the time frame was probably shorter, because it crossed over into Detective), and we got a true sense of Bruce being beaten down by the relentless fighting. Here, it’s been hit-or-miss. I get what Morrison is doing, I just don’t think he’s done it well enough.

By: Slaz

Slaz — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:12:29 +0000

“He didnâ€™t put in the conversation between Dick and Tim (about Bruce being affected by his Nanda Parbat experience) for no reason.” Thanks for pointing that out; I haven’t gotten the new issue yet…

Here’s a quote from the recent CBR interview with Grant: “And the approach with â€˜Batmanâ€™ was to explore every single event that has happened to him…. In my own head, I imagine all the adventures happen to these guys and if you sat down and interviewed them, theyâ€™d be able to tell you about them. Batman would talk about when he fought the Monk, and when he fought Hush and it would all have happened in the same life.”

Wouldn’t that start to drive you crazy if you stopped to think about it? In any case, we’re not giving up on the God of All Comics yet, right?

By: Doug Atkinson

Doug Atkinson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:40:51 +0000

“Isnâ€™t there a chance that Bruce/Batmanâ€™s behavior will make sense further on in the storyline?”

Morrison implied as much in this very issue. He didn’t put in the conversation between Dick and Tim (about Bruce being affected by his Nanda Parbat experience) for no reason.

By: Slaz

Slaz — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:25:33 +0000

Isn’t there a chance that Bruce/Batman’s behavior will make sense further on in the storyline?

By: Stephen

Stephen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:06:01 +0000

It’s funny how Morrison tried to make Bruce less of a grim character with 52, only now to have him turn into something worse than he even was during Rucka’s tenure when he was manipulating Vesper’s affections just to be a jerk. And even then, Rucka at least allowed some humanity on Bruce’s part to show through when dealing with his feelings for Vesper and then Sasha. This is basically the equivalent of Morrison’s JLA take on Batman, only we never really saw that bleed through into the Bruce Wayne side of the character. It’s not very flattering.

(Oh, well, at least Dini’s still kicking ass on ‘Tec. He got more out of that one Zatanna / Bruce conversation than Morrison’s gotten out of everything he’s featured Jet in.)

One point on Fables: are the page borders expanding or is it just me? It seems as though we’re getting close to a full third of the page being the character-specific borders, which I suppose is fine if it means the book ships as regularly as it does but it nevertheless feels like a bit of a cop-out.

By: Matt D

Matt D — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:52:57 +0000

I think this was the first really good Brubaker issue of X-Men.

By: brian

brian — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:44:37 +0000

With you on your Batman review. Despite the fact that we are just about to begin Batman RIP and despite the fact that I pretty much have more faith in Morrison than in any other comic book creator (even Waid and Robinson) I’m verrrrrrrrrry close to dropping this title and seeing if I can get a little store credit for trading in the run so far.
The art WAS horrible and the book might have been redeemed if someone else was doing the drawing.
But I agree that there has been little real development between Bruce and Jezebel to make me care all that much about their relationship.
This book truly has been touch and go. And I’m kind of nervous about the idea behind Batman RIP only because I LOVED the idea that DC and Morrison used 52 to “reboot” Batman and get him out of his “grim n gritty/paranoid” characterization. Kind of wish we could have stayed there for a while longer without putting the character through the ringer again.
Also for me this book starts as a tough sell because I’ve never really been much of a Bat-fan, although I’ve enjoyed him when used in the JLA.
I wasn’t a fan of Animal Man either, but Morrison took that book to a brilliant place so I didn’t mind reading it.
This doesn’t feel the same. It’s still above average because of Morrison’s involvement, but I have so many other good back issues to read (I’m rediscovering Steve Gerber) that I feel less inclined to stick around for this.

By: Philip Ayres

Philip Ayres — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:01:25 +0000

Are there any Uncanny X-Men497 with the correct flesh tone colour used on Cyclops on the cover ?

By: Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:08:01 +0000

Haven’t had a chance yet to read the dozen-plus* comics (including everything pictured above except for Northlanders, Fables & Fallen Angel**) I bought Wednesday, with the exception of X-Men First Class #11. I would be shocked senseless, though, if it turns out not to be the best comic of the week by miles & miles. It’s just that good.

Anyone who doesn’t buy, read & love this ish is not a comics fan. Period. End of story.

*Including, for probably the first time since Nixon was president, Batman (because the LCS owner told me it would make a worthy financial investment) … &, for probably the first time since Carter was president, a mainline X-Men title (purely because of that ’60s-ariffic cover). Well, except for that New X-Men (I think it’s called, though I think it’s been renamed in the meantime) a few months back with the neat Norman Rockwell waiting room homage cover.

**Which I’ll probably start buying soon, having just procured & read the two DC TPBs & been deeply, deeply impressed.

By: Tomer S

Tomer S — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:03:15 +0000

I totally agree with you about the Scott and Emma relationship in this issue, Greg. I said it myself on some forum: few are the writers who does the couple justice and shows that there are real emotions and connection between the two, and Brubaker did it well. Same goes for the Scott/Jean relationship, but that’s for another time.

Joins the compliments to Choi’s art.

By: will_butler

will_butler — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:50:06 +0000

I absolutely loved Fallen Angel when it was published by DC and had that great Lopez art, and so I was really psyched that it was resurrected at IDW. Unfortunately, though, something didn’t seem the same. It really meandered, and I just didn’t enjoy it as much. I actually bought the first 18 issues of the IDW series, but that crossover with Shi just seemed so pointless that I finally dropped it. From what I understand, though, it got way better after I left. Ah, well.

Also, I’ve not been reading Checkmate, but I’ve heard great things. I think I might have avoided it because my ignorance of chess (I know how the pieces move, and that’s about it) shames be a bit.

Will