Comic Book Resources

You don't recognize a wake when you see one, Greg?

"And what exactly are the cockles of your heart?"

It's another word for ventricle, because they're sort of shaped like cockle mollusks.

Man, Ramona Flowers looks pissed. And I wouldn't worry about lacking a soul, Greg. I think you had to have played a lot of 8-bit games to really "get" the Scott Pilgrim books.

I played a lot of 8-bit games, and I don't get them. Mostly because there's not much to get. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If Scott Pilgrim were a webcomic instead of a print project from Oni, the vast majority of its reader-base wouldn't touch it with a fifty-foot pole.

There are positive ring colors; blue is hope, indigo is compassion, and purple is love. Of course, Star Sapphire shows that love isn't always a perfectly positive emotion, but people tend to see it as a good thing (and as a person who's in love, I do too. )

I'll admit, I see the emotional spectrum as a bit silly, just because it seems to be a bottomless pit of fanwank just waiting to happen. "I'm a cyan ring-wielder, and I tap into the emotion of thinking you maybe just want one more piece of pie, but you're really full..." "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm a magenta ring-wielder, and I tap into the emotion of not being quite sure if you left the lights on, but you're already just a bit too far away from home to drive back and check!" "Well, I'm a pink ring-wielder, and I tap into the emotion of..." Et cetera, ad nauseum. Still, it'd be totally worth it to have a scene where Superman gets ahold of a blue ring and absolutely spanks the whole Sinestro Corps, because if there's one character that embodies hope, it's Superman.

I dunno Michael, I'm pretty sure that given the massive followings of internet shitfests like Questionable Content, ctrl+alt+del and Megatokyo, Scott Pilgrim's fanbase would probably be 10 times larger than it currently is if it was a webcomic.

Michael: No, I've never been to a wake. I guess because we know Batman's not dead, I didn't think of it. And I know it's symbolic, but I wondered why the villains would care.

Boy, it's amazing how little I care about anything DC is doing these days. My feelings about the fanboy-darling Rainbow Lantern stuff mirrors that of this thread's seeming disdain for Scott Pilgrim. (By the by - do the Green Lanterns still symbolize willpower? Is that an emotion? Why am I even bothering to think about this nonsense?) Although, apparently I am a cyan ring-wielder and never knew it. The one more piece of pie emotion is strong in me.

I can't wait to sit down with 100 issues of glorious Eduardo Risso art - my enthusiasm for his and Azzarello's masterpiece has not waned, and getting that kind of run out of two creators who seemingly never wavered in their vision should be celebrated, no matter what you think of it.

Rouleau's Metal Men was gorgeous and I wouldn't so much say that it went off the rails as it was off-roading from page 1. I think (and hope) that he can really make a story sing when he doesn't have to try to make it a DC superhero story.

Is Codeflesh recommended for people who have only really liked Casey's G0dland? And on a somewhat related note, do we really need more Kirby homage/updates (I'm looking at you, Jersey Gods)?

I'm sure I could google this and get an answer, but who's the creative team on the Black Panther reboot? That cover doesn't look promising, unless Greg's wish comes true...

If the price for singles goes up to $3.99, will the standard trade price go up to $20 - $25? Just curious, as I'm shifting back to wait-for-trade on a lot of stuff. And I'm cynical enough to predict that Agents of Atlas won't last 25 issues as ongoing with or without my support. Looking forward to more adventures of Jimmy and crew regardless.

Will Models, Inc be like Greg Land's version of Glamourpuss? Just page after page of tracings of porn stars with different costumes colored onto them in Photoshop, with process commentary by Land about how to shop for lightboxes, which magazines pose their models the best, etc? Because it seems to me that would be the perfect solution for Marvel - give his fans a book they can masturbate to, er, I mean, enjoy, and take him out of the mix on Fraction's Uncanny so that I can buy it without having blood come out of my eyes.

Is Codeflesh recommended for people who have only really liked Casey’s G0dland?

I guess it depends on why you like Godland, really. If you're a fan of the interpersonal relationships, then, sure, why not? If you're a fan of the kooky cosmic adventures and insane (in the best way) villains, then probably not.

Codeflesh is gritty, brutal, honest, and brilliant, but it's closer to Wildcats, vol. 2, or Nixon's Pals than any of Casey's current Image work.

Every comics fan should read at least the last chapter of the book, though, which Chad Nevett aptly described as a music video on paper. It's a fantastic piece of juxtaposition, proving just how versatile the comics form can be.

Also: Yeah, Metal Men was never "on the rails" to begin with. But, I enjoyed the hell out of it anyway. So, I'm definitely gonna give The Great Unknown a look. I need to pick up The Nightmarist, too.

Agents of Atlas is another book that's automatically going on my pull list, even if it's not drawn by Leonard Kirk.

I, too, am tempted to pick up Models, Inc. Remember when everyone speculated that the secret Millar/Hitch project was going to feature Millie the Model? I'm so glad that didn't happen.

Radical Publishing's website seems to have no info on Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead. What's the premise? And, is Pugh painting the interiors?

I'm 37, was never really a gamer, and I'm not a fan of manga. I love the Scott Pilgrim books because I think they're really entertainingly written, and the art just clicks for me. When people say the fight at the end of volume one came out of nowhere I'm baffled. This is a book where he meets the girl of his dreams because she's rollerskating through his head. Literally. So a goofy dance fight at the end didn't seem out of place to me at all.

And before you ask, I also love Questionable Content, pretty much for the same reasons. When they reference metal I get it, but when they reference emo or goth or indie music I usually have no idea what they're talking about. And that's cool - it's not why I read it. I think Jeph Jacques is one of the better webcomic artists out there, and I also really like the writing.

Both of these works are definitely set in a certain "scene" (Pilgrim: gamers, QC: indie kids). I'm not part of either one of those scenes, but I do like these comics.

By the way, I'm not trying to talk anyone into liking them - I just wanted to throw a little balance into this thread.

I'm done, we can go back to talking about the Rainbow Lantern Corps again.

Yeah, Dave, but it would not be the glorious indie comics orgasm farm it is now, is my point. Hell, I'm the guy who still reads Sluggy Freelance; I'm certainly not picking on people who like webcomics.

Oh man, is Sluggy still running? Jesus, I used to read that back in middle school, I haven't even thought about it for years. I used to be pretty hardcore into webcomics up through college, but since graduating I'm pretty much down to Achewood, Penny Arcade and Bodyworld at this point, and even then I mostly read the first two out of habit more than anything else.

Yeah, I do get your point, though. I mean, as popular as some webcomics can get (publishing deals, Penny Arcade videogame, etc.) it's not like any of them have got a movie deal yet. Achewood getting named Time's graphic novel of the year would probably be comparable, though, but that's an incredibly rare exception.

You don't get the appeal of the warriors?

Were you EVER a teenage boy?

Chris: Ha! When The Warriors came out, I was 8, and by the time I might have appreciated it, it was hard to find (this was before the proliferation of renting movies). By the time it was more available, I just wasn't interested in it. I don't care if others dig it, because I certainly have irrational love for goofy stuff!

Ian: The solicitation text for Hotwire reads thusly: "In the near future, the living and the dead share the same space. Most of the "Blue Lights" are harmless, witless drones as lost in death as they were in life. But some want revenge. Some want power. Some even want company to join them in the ranks of the dead. Enter Alice Hotwire, Detective Exorcist. She's the best there is at keeping the peace on the Blue Line beat and her fellow officers hate her for it. It's a job she doesn't want, in a world she doesn't understand. When a break-in at the Maximum Security Necropolis sets off a surge of violent, brutal hauntings, Alice Hotwire knows she's the only one who can pull the city back from the brink of chaos and insanity!" Pugh writes it and draws it, but I don't know if it's painted or not.

s1rude: According to Marvel, Hudlin is still writing Black Panther, while Ken Lashley draws issue #1, at least. And, weirdly enough, that Models, Inc. cover is NOT by Greg Land - according to Previews, it's Scott Clark. Codeflesh, as Ian says, is unlike Godland for the most part. They're both Casey, but Codeflesh is much more grounded.

"As much as I want to buy the Agents of Atlas ongoing (page 13), I wonder if Marvel is going to sneak a $3.99 price onto it with the “giant-sized” first issue at 4 bucks and then “regular-sized” issues at the same price. They wouldn’t be that sneaky, would they?"

Yes, they probably would. I think they are doing the same thing with Dark Avengers with the first issue being bigger for $4 and the second issue being normal size for $4.

Plus if based on sales on the Agent Of Atlas miniseries, the ongoing is hardly going to sell tons so the higher price point will most likely be used to take as much money from those lower sales.

I like how you can see thirteen stripes on Sarah Palin's flag, even though you don't see the top of it. How many stripes does that whole flag have?

I have no idea if The Mighty (page 81; 4 February) is any good or not, but does the world really need another “bold new super hero epic”? Really?

That's a rather odd statment for a guy who loves superhero comics to make...

It’s somewhat stunning that Marvel is publishing a book called Models, Inc. (page 51). First, because it’s obvious that they’re trying to evoke the awesome television show by that name that we all hold dear in our hearts, but more because it’s just … weird. So weird I’m tempted to buy it!

It's probably because they are making fun of the same source, but all I can think of when I look at that cover is Dave Sim's Glamourpuss.
Can the comic book market handle two satirical takes on the world of fashion?

’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If Scott Pilgrim were a webcomic instead of a print project from Oni, the vast majority of its reader-base wouldn’t touch it with a fifty-foot pole.

And if X-men were printed on napkins at a bar, it would never have taken off....

I can't believe you seem to be using the fact that it's actually published as some sort of slam on the book and/or it's readers.

Perhaps this just shows that people like a big chunk of something rather than small doses updated whenever, or something.

I'm still not even sure what that comment is supposed to be saying.

FGJ: Yeah, I like superhero comics, but do we really need another one?

Models, Inc, from the solicitation, sounds like a straight-up story that happens to star several of Marvel's models. I doubt if it will be as satirical as Glamourpuss.

FGJ: Yeah, I like superhero comics, but do we really need another one?

Blue Beetle and She-Hulk just got canceled, and I know you aren't reading any Secret Invasion, so it's not like you don't have room for one more...

Models, Inc, from the solicitation, sounds like a straight-up story that happens to star several of Marvel’s models.

This I don't get - who the hell was clamouring for the return of Millie the Model?

Or any of Marvel's models....

Has Marvel really had any models for the past two decades?

There were those girls on the covers of Trouble, but they were pretty low end, and really just a bad sales gimmick I felt like bringing up because remembering Trouble always makes me laugh - for awhile it seemed like the moment Marvel almost realised they couldn't just put out any old shit and expect it to sell... until they rediscovered crossovers...

re: "Dabel Brothers Publishing brings us something on page 250 we’ve all been yearning for: The Warriors Official Movie Adaptation!!!!!! What better way to celebrate a 30-year-old movie?!?!?!? I never saw the appeal of The Warriors, to be honest. But at least the comic is here!"

Just to see Lynn Thigpen's well-lipsticked mouth and her saying "Let's get down to it, boppers". Uncredited cameo of Lily Tailor where she's, like, 15. The whole retread of the Greek myth. "Warriors, come out to play." Walter Hill, so you can at least count on a well-told story.

Movie definitely -- who knows about the "official" movie adaptation. (Wasn't there a video game released, like within the last two years? Potentially a more saleable commodity? Or the reason to do the adaptation? Dunno...

Hey, I'm excited about the Warriors adaption. I love that film, but then again, I first saw it when I saw a teenage boy, so maybe the earlier poster was on to something...

And laugh or not, but that Turok collection caught my eye. I didn't pre-order it through my comic shop, but if I ever see it cheap online somewhere, I may buy it. I have no idea if it's any good or not, but Turok comics from the 70's were some of my first reading experiences, so it might be a nice trip down memory lane.

Wasn’t there a video game released, like within the last two years?

The game was awesome.

Made seeing the movie a total letdown.

"Alice Hotwire"? .....sheeesh. That sounds like a Warren Ellis parody.

It occurs to me that that Ambush Bug/Action Comics cover may be the first 'Trinity' cover, and may actually predate For The Man Who Has Everything for first trinity-as-trinity story...(I'm too lazy by far to check the dates on that last, though.)

Totally relevant trivia of the day: There is an actual bar in Las Vegas called the "Dew Drop Inn."