Comments on: Some random thoughts about this week's comics in lieu of actual reviews

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:16:09 +0000

I've read scattered issues of Stray Bullets, and it often felt like a characters story had come to a close, and then a few issues later, there they are again and that conclusion was just the closing of one chapter.

I've got to give it to him, this is the first series in years that has me wanting to switch to singles instead of trades so I can get a monthly fix.
It's so good.

By: Chad Nevett

Chad Nevett — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:31:40 +0000

I didn't get the "wrapping things up" feeling, mostly because the book is so unpredictable and Lapham loves to throw curveballs that this latest surprise just seems like the latest surprise that will lead on to new things like all of the previous ones. Or it won't be mentioned again really like a few other surprises. Who knows?

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:12:12 +0000

His reviewing books… Who wants to read reviews from someone who loves everything?
--------------

Almost everyone wants to see reviews from someone who loves THEIR books. Just sayin'.

And I don't think you should be disappointed with Vertigo if YL is cancelled. Vertigo does a much better job at advertising than DC does, and I think they've tried with YL. Now, I don't know if YL is close to cancellation, so this might be a worthless point.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:58:42 +0000

I just reread the solicitations for Young Liars up to #13, and they do seem to indicate the possibility of a massive swerve for the storyline in those next two issues, with nothing mentioning it nearing a conclusion, so there is that to consider. It's fully possible that Lapham intended the series to read this way from the beginning and we're only witnessing the beginning of how crazed Danny and Sadie's story is going to get.

It's just that given some of Danny's narration and how most of the supporting cast was handled in this issue, it reminded me a lot of how the last few issues of Outlaw Nation played out when Delano had to bring all the plot threads together and end the series prematurely.

Hopefully the next issue will surprise me again and give me a better feel for what the future holds.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:06:37 +0000

I didn't even think about the possibility of Young Liars ending but after reading this thread it does seem like a conclusion is in the works. It gonna be a sad day for me if it ends. I started reading it not knowing a thing about it and it has surprised me and blown me away more than any book I've read in quite some time.

By: arc18

arc18 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:55:00 +0000

FC 6 SPOILER

Batman in this scene said he made a "very solemn vow about firearms," not a vow against about picking up a gun or a vow against using guns in general. I took this to mean that he was referring to a vow that he would never use a gun to kill, which (I assume) he just did to Darkseid (his "once-in-a-lifetime exception").

I remember reading a Batman comic back in the 90s that suggested that even though he would never use a gun to kill, he still practiced with them and so forth as part of his regular training. Ya know ... just in case, I suppose.

Regardless, Greg is right: Very cool scene, indeed.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:56:35 +0000

Dave: I agree that it feels like Lapham is wrapping things up. I hope we're both wrong.

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:35:49 +0000

Don't forget, "once in a lifetime" doesn't need to be taken literally...

It's a standard phrase like "once in a blue moon" that just means something that occurs only rarely...

Besides, think about Bats for a minute... It's easy to say he's lived more than one life, right?

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:35:50 +0000

If Young Liars concludes with the next issue, I am going to be so fucking disappointed with Vertigo. This is one of the most consistently imaginative and unpredictable books I've ever read, and it seems criminal to wrap it up this early.

Not that I've seen anything indicating one way or the other that the series is cancelled, but barring a radical shift in the direction of the storyline, it feels like Lapham is drawing all the plotlines together for a premature conclusion along the lines of what Jamie Delano had to do with Outlaw Nation or Mike Carey with Crossing Midnight.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:18:01 +0000

Nothing less fun than a cynical comic book reader.

His reviewing books... Who wants to read reviews from someone who loves everything?

By: ted_tedson

ted_tedson — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:18:04 +0000

Maybe Cornell better than Morrison? I mean, MI:13 it’s clearly both more epic and more dramatic, and just a very little bit less weird and visionary than final crisis. And the characters? Don’t let me start on how much more alive they feel.
"

Let's not go overboard here. Cornell's latest arc was kinda draggy. And Dracula? Cornball.

By: Chris Jones

Chris Jones — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:34:28 +0000

It was KIND of towards you, but it was mostly just a general statement. Also, I thought you were talking about the SOMETHING ELSE that happens in the issue, so actually never mind.

You know what I mean. Fans seem to be flipping a shit over that...THING...but I thought it was totally masterful and I had a total ball with the entire issue.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:17:22 +0000

Chris: You're not speaking of me, are you? I LOVED Captain Britain, Fables, I Kill Giants, Wasteland, and Young Liars. I really dug The Cleaners and Final Crisis. Pointing out that Manhunter didn't end particularly well isn't cynical, I don't think. As for Final Crisis - Batman specifically says using a gun is "once-in-a-lifetime." It's obviously not once in a lifetime, and Morrison, who wants to integrate every single Batman appearance into his current continuity, shouldn't write that. It was still a cool moment, though. If you're not speaking of me, never mind. Carry on.

By: Chris Jones

Chris Jones — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:47:14 +0000

Nothing less fun than a cynical comic book reader.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:11:11 +0000

Way to rep Wasteland. Sits next to the walking dead every month yet the latter is/was the critical/commercial darling despite being less intelligent. Heck, I love both... I just wish Wasteland could garner the love that WD gets. Maybe they should put zombies on the cover.

By: dudelebowski

dudelebowski — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:14:44 +0000

I was being provocative. I know he hadn't done things like ASS or WE3, on the other end final crisis is very ambitious and hyped up to the sky and still I feel it sort of flat from a narrative point of view. On the other hand MI:13 was truly brillinat a fulfilling.

Oh, and I put Ellis too in the same cathegory as Morrison and Moore.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:54:14 +0000

Tom: I LOVE Young Liars. But it's full of WTF moments.

Cornell's not better than Morrison, but Captain Britain and MI 13 is a fantastic book.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:20:40 +0000

Cornell's a good writer, and MI13 is a good comic, but he's not better than Morrison, and it's not better than, oh, All-Star Superman. (I'm waiting for the inevitable hardcover on Final Crisis.)

By: Tom Fitzpatrick

Tom Fitzpatrick — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:57:45 +0000

If you don't like Lapham, do what I do: don't read his books. Simple
There is only one (or two) people that's better than the God of All Comics: that is Gaiman and Moore.

By: Chad Nevett

Chad Nevett — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:55:40 +0000

Yeah, I had the same reaction to the end of Young Liars. Although I was more speechless and found myself holding the comic with my mouth open for a minute. Literally.