Comments on: What I’m reading – mental_floss, old Marvel trades

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:02:19 +0000

I’m just over halfway through ‘Optical Allusions’ by Jay Hosler (author of the excellent ‘Clan Apis’ and ‘The Sandwalk Chronicles’) and oddly enough I’m enjoying the non-fiction prose parts of the book more than the illustrated parts. I already know most of the science about genetics, evolution, cell reproduction, etc. but it’s presented in a very clear, straightforward way.

By: C. Adams

C. Adams — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:15:46 +0000

Meltdown is, to this day, the only x-man related comic my wife not only picked out of my collection and read, but also talks about when she is talking about comic books.

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:43:46 +0000

I thought Fell was still ongoing…

Just HUGE pauses between issues…

By: Glen Newman

Glen Newman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:15:51 +0000

Crime,

You should definitely seek out Fell by Warren Ellis & Ben Templesmith. It only lasted about 10 issues but it was pure gold. There’s definitely one trade out.

Also, maybe take a look at Darwyn Cooke’s Spirit. It’s lighter in tone (although not always) than the books you mentioned but it may sate your crime fix. You should definitely pick up Cooke’s upcoming Parker graphic novel in the summer

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:09:09 +0000

sgt. pepper and Jeff: That’s odd that you’re both reading Geek Love. I love that novel – it was completely not what I expected, and that was a good thing.

By: Michael Rodriguez

Michael Rodriguez — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:38:13 +0000

Books i’m currently reading are :

Leaf By Niggle containing tolkien’s essay regarding the nature of true Fantasy stories.

Morgoth’s Ring

Windswept hOuse

Zombie survival Guide by Max Brooks

By: Michael Rodriguez

Michael Rodriguez — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Writer I currently hate : Neil Gaiman

I found Detective Comics # 853 part 2 of “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” story arc distateful. I found Gaiman’s halfbaked approach towards Batman’s disembodied state utterly displeasing. A batman who doesn’t have an established predisposition of an Afterlife is simply unacceptable. Crap like he’s bullshit allegorical sandman series.

By: For Crime Out Loud

For Crime Out Loud — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:52:17 +0000

I’d love to be reading more but 100 Bullets ended, Young Liars is no more, Criminal is on hiatus, and the Vertigo Crime line is only just gearing up. Sure, Scalped is still going strong and Daredevil — and Daredevil Noir — are good for a quick fix but where else to turn for great reads in the crime comic genre? Any advice?

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:36:09 +0000

There was a lovely nod to Wolverine’ s Meltdown Hairdo in an issue of Uncanny X-men that came out a few months after the EPIC mini finished…

I think it was the Boys Night issue (Outback X-men era) but I’m not sure as the last time I read them was when they actually came out…

He’s standing in front of the mirror, gelling his hair right out, when Storm walks past and asks what he’s up to…

I think he says something like “Nothing, just messing around…”

By: Jeff Holland

Jeff Holland — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:09:34 +0000

“Iron Man: Armor Wars,” an old-ass trade I found at the library. Really impressive how well the 90′s cartoon condensed the story while retaining the emotional core (and of course, trimming a lot of unnecessary dialogue). Also “Empire,” which is more disturbing than I remember.

Real Book: Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn, as per the AV Club’s upcoming book club feature. (www.avclub.com)

By: sgt pepper

sgt pepper — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:31:35 +0000

I’m about a hundred pages into Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love which I found out about through the AVClub’s book club (it’s about the kind of geek that bites chickens’ heads off). I’m enjoying it–the first chapter is truly masterful and the second chapter turned everything I thought the book would be about on its head (and contains a jaw-dropping strip club scene).

I tried to read Hitchhiker’s Guide straight through a few years ago and couldn’t do it. I find that if I read them at a pace of about one per year, I really love them and laugh a lot. There are more good jokes per page than anything else I’ve read (except perhaps Gaiman’s novels, which are obviously strongly influenced by Adams).

By: Chris Simpson

Chris Simpson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:26 +0000

Just finished the latest Daredevil trade “Lady Bullseye” which I enjoyed and began “Operation Rebirth” by Waid & Garney trade last night.

Then it’s onto Book 3 of the Assassin’s Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Highly recommended. Keeps me busy especially as I read quite slowly!

By: JackKing

JackKing — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:32:20 +0000

I thought I had posted last week. Guess not. Anyhoo, this week I’m reading Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche. Also I have some more Love & Rockets to read.

By: Graham Vingoe

Graham Vingoe — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:24:44 +0000

Ben Raab is a name I never thought I’d hear again in serious discussion. I never thought he was a particularly good or bad writer but I found his run on Excalibur extremely boring, although initially I was more interested in buying it for Salvador Larocca’s art. Raab did handle Pete Wisdom reasonably well though – he’s the sort of character(like John Constantine), who to me works best when handled by British writers. No offense being meant , I hasten to add.
anyway currently reading Essential Fantastic Four Volume 7, a battered almost unreadable copy of Dark Horse Heroes Omnibus vol 1, and Classic era of American comics by Nicky Wright- a history of comics from the Golden age through to Seduction of the Innocent in the mid 50s

By: johng

johng — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:04:02 +0000

Your comment is interesting. Other than Ben Raab, though, who else do you consider a poor writer? Would it be easier to name the better writers?

By: Michael Rodriguez

Michael Rodriguez — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:02:32 +0000

Reading :
( Old series stuff)
1.Justice League International Vol. 1 to 4 because I grew up with the series in the 80s and Loved the unique action, intrigue and buddy style atmosphere Giffen framed around it .

3.Power of Shazam, Countdown Vol. 1 to 4, “I can’t believe its not the Justice league” and ” Formerly Known as The Justice league” series mainly bacuse I I AM SIMPLY MADLY TRULY IN LOVE AND OBSESSED WITH MARY MARVEL (I see Jaimie Alexander as Mary Marvel in real life)

2.Grant Morrison’s entire run on JLA, andJack Kirby’s entire 4th world books from New Gods to Mister Mircacle because Grant Morrison and Jack Kirby are gods.

4.Prince of Persia The Graphic Novel because I love the games trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within and Two Thrones) its based on.

5. Secret Invasion: Avengers The initiative # 14-19 for the skrull butchery courtesy of The Skrull Kill Krew

Current Stuff:

1. JSA,Simon Dark, Flash Rebirth, Battle for the Cowl (JASON TODD WILL BE BATMAN), THOR, IRON MAN, Astonishing X-MEN, Guardians of The Galaxy, War of Kings, Thunderbolts, Deadpool (only for magnum opus arc. He’s actually my favourite character but the current series writer sucks ass), Dark Avengers and Secret Warrirors.

By: Da Fug

Da Fug — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:25:27 +0000

Just got done with Fables: War and Pieces. Man, what a disappointment. So Fables has pretty much lost all sense of urgency by way of a story that didn’t have any either. What a letdown. I am no longer convinced that the series will ever have a satisfying ending. Too many Happily Ever Afters = boring.

Also just finished Blue Pills which I enjoyed. In the non-comics department, I’m reading Blank Spots on the Map that’s about the geography of government black projects. Pretty good so far. Haven’t cracked a bunch of other stuff.

I subscribe to the metal_floss blog feed and sample the posts and quizzes quite frequently.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:19:02 +0000

Rohan: Raab isn’t a horrible writer, he just seems to write boring stories. He wrote the Excalibur mini-series where Brian Braddock took Roma’s job, which was dull. I’m not sure if he has a “bad rep,” so to speak, but I, personally, don’t think he’s all that good.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:06:12 +0000

I didn’t post anything last week because I’m still reading 2666 (I’m about a third of the way through part 5, only 200 pages to go!), but it’s due at the library tomorrow, so if they don’t let me renew it, I’ll probably have to move onto another book soon.

Havok & Wolverine – Meltdown is definitely one of my favorite X-Men stories from the 80′s, mostly due to the gorgeous artwork. I got the fourth issue as a present from a family friend during high school and managed to get the rest of the issues for around $1.50 or less each at various conventions. I remember seeing an original hardcover trade for it (before it was repackaged as a Wolverine trade) in a used bookstore a few years ago, but it was something like $60, which I was understandably reluctant to pay.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:04:30 +0000

I just reread The Infinity Gauntlet, mostly because my wife got me Hulk Visionaries: Peter David vol. 6, and TIG takes place immediately after. Hey, there’s a lot of “Cool Moments” in that story which would hope would make the “Year of…” list someday.