What Comic Books Have You Read Today?

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Report what comic books you have read today--and tell us a little something about it while you're here!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

JOE KUBERT’S VIKING PRINCE: After reading two issues of Joe Kubert Presents and wishing for more of the same, I decided to read the complete collection of “Viking Prince” stories. About midway through, the decision was made to grant Jon the cover spot and start a “Twelve Labors of Thor” serial to win back his throne. The volume concludes with a two-part Sgt. Rock crossover. I like the early “done in one” stories best.

TERRY & THE PIRATES: Took some time off, but I’m pluggin’ away again now. The strip is now firmly in wartime footing, with Terry a cadet in Chinese flight training school. I’m not quite up to the point I’ve never read before, but I will be soon.

TUROK: Just finished volume one of the Dell material from Dark Horse. It’s better than you might think. There’s much more story-to-story continuity than I expected.

[The Baron]

The Amazing Spider-Man #700.

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

The first volume of Journey into Mystery which was better than I thought it would be.

The Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele. Which was really good. While reading it I thought it would make a good movie, look on the front and says, "Now a major motion picture." I don't know anything about the movie, but I will likely check it out.

Also, the Will Eisner Color Treasury which is mostly just art pieces, but there were two Spirit stories. Just terrific.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I read the first section of BPRD: Plague of Frogs Vol 3 this morning ("The Universal Machine"). It was a terrific story, focusing on Kate (with some background on the rest of the crew), and a really touching goodbye to Roger. (Who, I imagine, is really gone.)

It's a hell of a series, and I'm glad I'm finally making some time for it again. Looking forward to more!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I think The Surrogates had Bruce Willis in it, Trav. Came out a few years ago, now.

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

Okay, cool. Thanks, Rob.

Rob Staeger said:

I think The Surrogates had Bruce Willis in it, Trav. Came out a few years ago, now.

[ClarkKent_DC]

A long while back I got the first three volumes of a manga title called Tramps Like Us.  More recently (although several months ago), I got nearly all 14 volumes at a Friends of the Library sale (yay, Friends of the Library!) save for Volume 6, which I couldn't find anywhere for less than twenty bucks! As the most I've ever paid for a back issue was $7, I blanched at the price ... but I got so deep into this series, I willingly paid.

Tramps Like Us (I don't understand what that title has to do with anything that transpires within), tells the story of Sumire Awaya, a young journalist for a major media conglomerate in Tokyo. As our tale begins, she faces a pair of humiliating experiences. Her fiance breaks up with her because he got his other girlfriend pregnant. Soon after that, she responds to the lecherous advances of an executive by punching him out hard enough for him to lose a tooth or two ... which action leads to a career-stalling transfer.

Sumire is tall, beautiful, driven, but rather lonely and far too tightly wound. She is only able to relax and let go of her cares and worries in the company of the pet dog, Momo, she had when she was a little girl. She always played with Momo, fed her, would relax by washing her hair, took her for walks, let her sleep on her lap, hugged her when she was happy and hugged her and cried when she was sad. Without Momo, Sumire's perfectionistic tendencies and general shyness make her seem both imperious and aloof to others. 

One day she comes home and finds a large cardboard box on the sidewalk outside her home ... and a young twentysomething runaway inside. She takes him in, bandages his damaged wrist and learns a little -- very little -- of his story. Then, on a whim, she offers him a deal: She'll give him a place to stay -- as a pet. And she'll call him Momo.

He accepts.

Thus begins a rather offbeat relationship. The guy acts like a pet; he brings the cardboard box into her condo and puts it in her loft, he hangs out all day playing video games and waits for her to come home so she can feed him and pet him and walk him and let him sleep on her lap and such. No sex, however. No, no, no, no. He's a pet. 

Soon, Sumire begins to like having a pet. She looks forward to coming home from work so she can cook for him. She worries about what he'll do with himself when she's away, and especially when she's gone overnight on a business trip or something. But she gets jealous if she sees any sign that he can take care of himself or is able to live without her, even though she isn't curious about who he is. She doesn't even bother to learn his true name from him; she finds out accidentally because he's featured in an article that ran in her newspaper.

The guy is Takeshi Gouda, and he's an up-and-coming star in the world of modern dance. He's kind of short, which automatically precludes him from consideration for the best parts, despite his evident natural talent. He's kind of happy-go-lucky and mostly content to drift through life, because he'd rather not follow the destiny his parents expect of him -- running the family business, as the only male child of five. He begins to develop feelings for Sumire, but she keeps him at arms length; he's a pet.

Instead, she becomes the girlfriend of one Hasumi Senpai, a guy she had a crush on back in college who now is also a journalist for the same newspaper. And he's a real catch. He's handsome, charming, courtly, polite and quite noble, although his tendency to want to rescue women gets him into trouble later on in the saga. Also, Hasumi has, as they say in Japan (so we are told), the three highs: high education, high income, and high height.

This is important to Sumire, who doesn't want to be with a guy without those things, in part because the fiance who dumped her because he got his other girlfriend pregnant felt intimidated by her because he didn't have the three highs but she does (Tokyo University and Harvard grad, big salary at the paper, and she's 5' 6"). 

Best of all, Hasumi is totally into Sumire, and glad to kindle a real, full relationship after what was a brief dalliance in college. He's so into Sumire, he's oblivious when a man-stealing hussy sets her sights on him, but (said man-stealing hussy doesn't give up so easy ...) 

So what's the problem? It's that Sumire is so tightly wound and so perfectionistic, she can't relax and be herself with him. For example, at one point, she joins Hasumi and his brother for lunch, and they are so formal with each other that, after she leaves, the brother says, "I thought you were going to introduce me to your girlfriend." 

For another, the company imposes a no-smoking rule in the building, and Hasumi -- and everyone else -- says, "Oh, Ms. Iwaya, you're so strong and determined, it'll be easy for you to quit!" Except she can't, and spends the rest of the series hiding her smoking from Hasumi. Not to mention Momo.

Sunire can't give Momo up; she just feels better around him -- soothed, calmed, at peace. She tells Hasumi she has a pet, and he assumes it's a dog. He's patient, even though she often cuts short dates and weekend getaways to go home and feed her pet, because she's anxious wondering what Takeshi is doing without her. And, for that matter, Takeshi has friends and a girl who's crushing on him who can't understand this arrangement. 

There's more -- much more -- shenanigans and hijinks and such, as the course of true love most definitely does not run smooth. Sumire has to let the battle of her heart vs. her head play out, and Momo is very patient waiting for her to come around, although he has some growing up to do, too.

I'm up to volume #14, but I'm in no hurry to read it, because then it'll be over!

[The Baron]

Tramps Like Us (I don't understand what that title has to do with anything that transpires within),

-
-

This is often the case with manga titles. I've read 52 (or is it 53?) volumes of the manga Bleach, and still have no idea why it's called that.

-
-
-

Instead, she becomes the girlfriend of one Hasumi Senpai, a guy she had a crush on back in college who now is also a journalist for the same newspaper.

-
-

You may already know this, but senpai (sometimes also "sempai", Japanese doesn't always transliterate exacty to English) is not part of a name so much as it is an honorific. From what I've read, it means something like "senior", and typically applies to people who are one or more of the following:

-

1)People who are older than you
-
2)People who are higher in rank than you (either a superior in a work situation or an upperclassman in a school situation)
-
3)People who have been with the company longer than you

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Sounds about right. At my dojo, it's anyone who is an adult black belt, but isn't a sensei. I know this is just a localized use of a pre-existing word, because I know at other places it can mean not only the things you listed, but also any adult who does karate, it can be an honorific title bestowed on you by the head sensei, etc.

The Baron said:

1)People who are older than you

-
2)People who are higher in rank than you (either a superior in a work situation or an upperclassman in a school situation)
-
3)People who have been with the company longer than you

[ClarkKent_DC]

The Baron said:

Tramps Like Us (I don't understand what that title has to do with anything that transpires within),

-
-

This is often the case with manga titles. I've read 52 (or is it 53?) volumes of the manga Bleach, and still have no idea why it's called that.

 

A bit of further research shows the book had an alternate title, Kimi wa Pet, which I am informed translates as "You Are a Pet." I still don't understand where Tramps Like Us comes from.

 

The Baron said:

Instead, she becomes the girlfriend of one Hasumi Senpai, a guy she had a crush on back in college who now is also a journalist for the same newspaper.

-
-

You may already know this, but senpai (sometimes also "sempai", Japanese doesn't always transliterate exacty to English) is not part of a name so much as it is an honorific. From what I've read, it means something like "senior", and typically applies to people who are one or more of the following:

-

1)People who are older than you
-
2)People who are higher in rank than you (either a superior in a work situation or an upperclassman in a school situation)
-
3)People who have been with the company longer than you

 

No, I did not know that, or, if I did, I had forgotten. But that shows the nature of their relationship. I misidentified the boyfriend; his name is Shigehito Hasumi. But she regularly calls him "Hasumi Senpai" and he calls her "Ms. Iwaya." After that episode where his brother was dumbfounded that Hasumi had been dating Sumire for a year and they don't call each other by casual names, Hasumi proposed doing just that ... and Sumire was a nervous wreck.

The thing is, Hasumi is a great guy. He is unfailingly considerate, polite, and cares about Sumire and her feelings. He has no problem with her being a working woman. He doesn't complain when she runs out on him to take care of her pet -- he doesn't understand, but he doesn't complain. 

Of course, Sumire hasn't told him she keeps a guy around as a pet. Not after Hasumi mentions he read an article about such a phenomenon (she nearly choked on her food) and he said he couldn't respect a man who would put himself in that position. So, Hasumi hasn't seen the dog she doesn't have; Sumire always tells him that the dog is at the vets, or with one of her sisters.

However, he does meet Momo -- after all, it was Hasumi who shows Sumire the newspaper article that tells her that "Momo" is Takeshi Gouda, the dancer -- and they become good friends. (Hasumi is told Takeshi is Sumire's cousin.) Oddly, at different points in the story, each man helps the other win Sumire over, even though Takeshi is sorta-kinda a rival (but he's very patient), and Hasumi doesn't know Momo's her pet.

Sumire, for her part loves (and sleeps with) Hasumi, but she's always overthinking everything, and just cannot relax and be herself with him. Hasumi senses this, but doesn't push her, either. Still, she panics when Hasumi proposes because it would necessarily mean giving up Momo ... 

 

 

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

After getting up and shoveling my driveway and then my neighbor's driveway (they're out of town), I thought I'd come in, sit down, and have a comics reading fest. Here's what I read today: 

1. Detective Comics #15: This was a great issue, dealing with Poison Ivy and Clayface having a thing between them. This was my first issue of the comic since the New 52, so I was fooled into thinking it was real--hey, it made sense--but alas, it was just Ivy up to her old tricks. I also liked the back-up with art by Andy Clarke, which is always welcome in my book. Poor Clayface. No matter which incarnation, you're always somewhat sympathetic.
2. Captain America #2: This was another solid issue, but not quite as cool as the first one. The only thing that really took me out of the story here is "young Steve Rogers", and the way the kid mentioned the "Street Code", which was clearly written right after Remender read the "Street Code" story by Jack Kirby in the book about him called The King of Comics. The thing about Kirby's story is that I got the idea that the street code was completely unspoken, and that it was just understood amongst street gangs. It felt like if John Wayne said, "Since we're cowboys, we have to walk like this..." and then moseying through the streets. It doesn't work like that if it's supposed to be authentic. But that's just one page in an otherwise good, if somewhat depressing, comic.
3. Django Unchained #1: Man, I can't wait to see this movie. I was happy to read in the back that Quentin Tarantino wrote it himself. Sold me.
4. Avengers #2: This picked up the left-out stuff from the previous issue. It really fleshed out some of the decisions made and told who some of the characters are that I didn't know. Jerome Opena is one of my top ten favorite artists working today.
5. Doctor Manhattan #2-3: Man, it's great to see that Adam Hughes still has it in him to do interior work from time to time. This stuff is beautiful. I will admit that when I first heard about the Watchmen prequels, I scoffed, not because they shouldn't be done, but because there was no way they would be worthy. I can't imagine any way they could be any better than they've turned out. JMS writes well here. This is fun stuff, and I have to say that I thought I had a good grasp on Schrodinger's Cat before, but it turns out that I didn't.
6. Rorschach #3: Brian Azzarello always delivers. I love his word play. I know it rubs some people the wrong way, but it's clear that he enjoys writing. He lulled me into hoping that poor Rorschach would have some luck at a love life in this issue, but what was I thinking? I know how this ends. That's some good writing right there. Lee Bermejo's art is perfect here.
7. Minutemen #3-5: Darwyn Cooke delivers on every level here. Come to think of it, this is his expertise. Taking an old property, and breathing new life into it. Look at how many times he's done it so wonderfully: New Frontier, The Spirit, the Parker books, Catwoman... It should be no surprise, but this turned out incredibly well. It made the Comedian into a sympathetic character. Not an easy task, but he makes it look easy here. Can't speak highly enough about this series.
8. Silk Spectre #3-4: This is my favorite out of all of them. Darwyn (yes, him again) and Amanda Conner have made Laurie into one of my favorite characters of 2012. The scene with the boot and the bus was just gross and awesome at the same time. Made me fall in love a little bit.
9. Fantastic Four #2: Hmmm, well, at least now maybe they're going to get on with it. Matt Fraction writes here, and it's alright. They've spent the last two issues deciding to go on a cross-dimensional time trip and then preparing to go. Let's hope there's a big payoff sometime in the NEAR future, because more set-up is going to get old quicker than it did with one issue.
10. Thor God of Thunder #2: This is a manly-man book. An axe-wielding, testosterone-fueled blood-fest of madness that held up against its amazing first issue.
11. Nite-Owl #3-4: Interesting seeing Nite-Owl and Ms. Twilight (?) going against the baddies here. One thing that the Before Watchmen series has done has fleshed out all of the different characters and their previous relationships and partnerships from before. You get a real sense of the injustice of the world here. It's interesting to look back on 1985 as a time of turmoil, even if it is fictional. It was very real at the time, only I didn't feel it. It's very strange to look on what was once the present (when Watchmen was coming out) from the historical perspective now, and seeing these things come out now from that perspective.
12. Comedian #3-4: As much as he was made sympathetic in Minutemen, he's done perhaps even more so here. The title character is every bit as complex as any of the others. This is a great series, and J.G. Jones pulls off here what he was unable to do on Final Crisis years ago, even though the series isn't complete yet. Have I mentioned how much I love Brian Azzarello's writing?
13. Moloch #1: Doggone it, Moloch. I feel so bad for you. At least your book was drawn by Eduardo Risso. You've got that going for you, you deformed little man.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

This morning I read Filthy Rich, a Vertigo OGN by Brian Azzarello and Victor Santos. The writing was great, even if the story was predictable. Awful people doing awful things to each other.

Then I read Moloch #2 and Ozymandias #2. Moloch was depressing, but man, it had some pretty art. As for Ozzy, I like stories like this one--reminds me of a hyper-Batman or Midnighter, the way he took out that warehouse full of drug dealers.