Your Favorite Things of the Year! (Est. 2017)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

In previous years, this was a memory box so we didn't miss any good nominations for the Cappies. With the Cappies hypertimed away, that doesn't mean we have to discontinue these threads. I've always liked going back at the end of the year and seeing the books and stories and moments that people really champion -- including plenty of stuff that I've forgotten about come Christmastime. 

So have at it, Legionnaires! It's a bold new year! What in 2017 has knocked you out?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Two wonderful comic strip collections shipped today:

Prince Valiant v16

Steve Canyon v8

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I'm going to start on those Steve Canyon strips eventually -- I loved those Terry & the Pirates collections so much!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

HOUSE OF SECRETS: BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS: I was never a big follower of DC's '70s-era mystery line, but I pre-ordered this to take advantage of a bigger discount and I'm really glad I did. I had a treasur edition of Ghosts, and several years ago I bought a "Showcase Edition" of House of Mystery, which I read one year in October for Hallowe'en. Just flipping through this volume I know I'm going to enjoy it... I just need to find a space to slot in in to my reading schedule.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

BATMAN and the OUTSIDERS Vol. 2 shipped this week. For some reason, DC changed the paperstock from Vol. 1. (That kind of bugs me.) I won't be reading volumes one or two, however, until I finish reading three volumes of Jim Aparo Batman.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

MASTER OF KUNG FU – EPIC COLLECTION:

This is one of those “legendary” series I have always heard about how good it is but have never read. Back in the ‘90s, it was one of three series I bought from a dealer who advertised in CBG he was selling entire runs of several series cheap. (For the record, the other two were Tomb of Dracula and Warlord.) I started reading it at one point, but never got more than a couple of issues in (before the “good stuff” starts, by all accounts). Nothing will make me more likely to read something, though, than reprinting a “satisfying chunk” of issues, on high quality paper and in color, between two covers. Reading this may even inspire to read the rest of those issues I bought 20 years ago. I just have to find some time to slot it in.

Shipped yesterday.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

WE SPOKE OUT COMIC BOOKS & THE HOLOCAUST:

This HC collection of comics published from the early ‘50s through the early ‘90s shipped yesterday and is wonderful historical document. It has an introduction and afterword by Stan Lee, as well as essays by Neal Adams, Craig Yoe and others. Each comic book presented within has a text introduction putting it into historical perspective. So far I’ve read all of the textual material (excluding the chapter introductions) and will start reading the comics themselves tonight. The comics may vary somewhat in terms of production values, etc., the point of this collection is not to present a “best of,” but rather to show what comic books were doing to spread the story in decades when other entertainment media were largely silent. This would be a worthy addition to anyone’s library, certainly mine.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

LEGEND OF AQUAMAN (tpb): I bought this last week on a whim. It contains the Legend of Aquaman one-shot as well as the first five-issue limited series, both from 1989, both with art by Curt Swan. I really liked these back in the day, especially the five-issue series. Because my first three DC comic books featured Batman, Aquaman and Superman (respectively), I have always numbered Aquaman among my favorite characters. Many people subscribe to the theory that “the golden age is 12” so, back in 1989, I decided to try a little experiment. My good friend’s son was just about that age at the time and was expressing an interest in comic books. Popular characters of the day were then (as now) Batman, wolverine and the like. Because Aquaman had made such a strong impression on me at an early age, I decided to give him the then-new Aquaman limited series just to see what would happen. Unfortunately, we drifted apart after that and I really don’t know. Oh, well.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Reefer Madness

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I just got a copy of that too -- it's a really well-done collection. If anyone is in NYC next Wednesday night, there's a book launch event with Adams, Yoe, and Holocaust scholar Rafael Medoff at the American Jewish Historical Society. 
 
Jeff of Earth-J said:

WE SPOKE OUT COMIC BOOKS & THE HOLOCAUST:

This HC collection of comics published from the early ‘50s through the early ‘90s shipped yesterday and is wonderful historical document. It has an introduction and afterword by Stan Lee, as well as essays by Neal Adams, Craig Yoe and others. Each comic book presented within has a text introduction putting it into historical perspective. So far I’ve read all of the textual material (excluding the chapter introductions) and will start reading the comics themselves tonight. The comics may vary somewhat in terms of production values, etc., the point of this collection is not to present a “best of,” but rather to show what comic books were doing to spread the story in decades when other entertainment media were largely silent. This would be a worthy addition to anyone’s library, certainly mine.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

JIM STARLIN: A LIFE IN WORDS AND PICTURES: This shipped last week, but I hadn’t pre-ordered it because I simply tend not to read art books; these days I concentrate my purchases on collections of actual comic book stories. I buy all of the Marvel Masterworks, for example, even though I might not read them right away. I do read the introductions, though, usually written by the writer, artist or editor involved in the initial release.

I saw the Starlin book on the shelf this week, though, and flipped through it. It wasn’t too text heavy, and from what I read was written in the same behind-the-scenes informative style as the MMW introductions. Plus it is profusely illustrated. Starlin wrote it himself, and it provides a comprehensive chronological look at his career with many things I did not know.

Highly recommended for fans of Jim Starlin.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Larry Marder's Beanworld omibus ships this week.

Makes me think of Dagwan. :(

[Richard Mantle]

Did you get the Prisoner by Kirby & Kane book eventually Jeff?

What do you think?

Jeff of Earth-J said:

JIM STARLIN: A LIFE IN WORDS AND PICTURES: This shipped last week, but I hadn’t pre-ordered it because I simply tend not to read art books; these days I concentrate my purchases on collections of actual comic book stories. I buy all of the Marvel Masterworks, for example, even though I might not read them right away. I do read the introductions, though, usually written by the writer, artist or editor involved in the initial release.

I saw the Starlin book on the shelf this week, though, and flipped through it. It wasn’t too text heavy, and from what I read was written in the same behind-the-scenes informative style as the MMW introductions. Plus it is profusely illustrated. Starlin wrote it himself, and it provides a comprehensive chronological look at his career with many things I did not know.

Highly recommended for fans of Jim Starlin.