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!

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

The first part of the latest Hellblazer TPB, The Roots Of Coincidence. Hellblazer is a true serial: I was reminded of that as the story picked up where it left off at the last collection, which I read six months ago. Not enough to prompt me to go back to reading it monthly, but I did pull out the previous volume and refresh my memory. And the first half of De:TALES (Stories From Urban Brazil) by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba. These are little slice of life stories, but they typically have a surreal, dreamlike quality, which the opening story spells out explicitly. Interesting to see the brothers creating the whole show, and of course the B&W art is great.

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

Finished both of these. Diggle really finished his Hellblazer run with a bang. It's amazing that he found a way to use an event at the end of Delano's original run that has been almost completely ignored until now. The Moon & Ba stories are cool, but they're very low key. Any of the individual stories would work well in an alt-comics anthology.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I've read World of New Krypton #3, Action Comics #878, Brave and the Bold #24 (Static and Black Lightning), and just now, Gotham City Sirens #1. They were pretty much a mixed bag, but I really did like WoNK#3.

I also bought today Batman: The Black Casebook, and read the introduction by Grant Morrison. Great fun! I'm definitely going to read this soon and then reread Batman RIP. I may just have to reread all of Morrison's Batman stuff, but I was planning to do that anyway.

[Figserello]

I read a half a chapter of GL: Rebirth this morning.

Geoff Johns isn't really my bag, but I thought I should make the effort since everyone makes a big deal about this series, and the good old library supplies them virtually free.

The earnestness is getting to me. Look at the cover of the hardback. This guy flying through space with his glowing lantern. He's so serious about it and its drawn in a very pseudo-realist way. To me there's something comical in the ... lack of acknowledgement that its a goofball concept and a goofball image.

As for the idea that Batman dislikes Hal because he doesn't know fear, ... tttsk! Batman isn't that small, even the strung out psycho-Batman leading up to IC. Batman is probably thinking more of the thousands (millions?) of people Hal killed while on his rampage. The world's finest detective mind tends to hold on to little details like that.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Figserello said:

I read a half a chapter of GL: Rebirth this morning.

Geoff Johns isn't really my bag, but I thought I should make the effort since everyone makes a big deal about this series, and the good old library supplies them virtually free.

The earnestness is getting to me. Look at the cover of the hardback. This guy flying through space with his glowing lantern. He's so serious about it and its drawn in a very pseudo-realist way. To me there's something comical in the ... lack of acknowledgement that its a goofball concept and a goofball image.

As for the idea that Batman dislikes Hal because he doesn't know fear, ... tttsk! Batman isn't that small, even the strung out psycho-Batman leading up to IC. Batman is probably thinking more of the thousands (millions?) of people Hal killed while on his rampage. The world's finest detective mind tends to hold on to little details like that.

Yeah...I was OK with the collections until The Sinestro War vol. 1...I just couldn't finish it. I think Johns is great with plotting, but his characters are all a bit too macho for me...both the men and women. If the plotting of Johns and the character work of Bendis could be squished into one creator...man, then we'd really have something.

[Figserello]

Both lay on the 'macho' a bit much for me. It's like they are compensating or something!

But they are both barking up the same tree. Johns' characters wear leotards, look serious and act macho whereas Bendis' has Luke Cage wear that stupid beanie. They are both pushing similar ideas of what a modern superhero is.

But you are right about Bendis' plotting. I read The Trust a short while ago. Thank God I didn't pay for that! They just sat around chatting and occasionally watching the Mighty Avengers actually combat evil aggressors on TV!

I'm surprised that you dropped it with the Sinestro War. One of the reasons I'm starting with the Johns GL is that everyone raves about that arc and I thought I'd work up to it.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Figserello said:

Both lay on the 'macho' a bit much for me. It's like they are compensating or something!

But they are both barking up the same tree. Johns' characters wear leotards, look serious and act macho whereas Bendis' has Luke Cage wear that stupid beanie. They are both pushing similar ideas of what a modern superhero is.

But you are right about Bendis' plotting. I read The Trust a short while ago. Thank God I didn't pay for that! They just sat around chatting and occasionally watching the Mighty Avengers actually combat evil aggressors on TV!

I'm surprised that you dropped it with the Sinestro War. One of the reasons I'm starting with the Johns GL is that everyone raves about that arc and I thought I'd work up to it.

There weren't enough quiet moments to humanize the characters prior to the Sinestro War...so when it happened, I couldn't care less about those dying or being betrayed...they were just chess pieces being moved and removed from the board. That and I still dislike the fact that Superboy, Alex Luthor, Lois, and Superman came back in Infinite Crisis...the psycho Superboy of Earth-prime was a big mistake in my eyes. Oh...and I've never thought the Anti-Monitor was a great villain...or cyborg Superman...gee, is it any wonder Sinestro War ain't my thing... ;)

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Did anyone else buy or read Gotham City Sirens? I know at least one person on this board did besides me. A few things took me completely out of the story. The biggest, though, was the homeless animal shelter or whatever it was called--it was at least SIX STORIES HIGH! I don't care that it's in Gotham City. It makes no difference. That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen, I'm sorry.

Other than that, it wasn't bad. There was kind of an eye-rolling scene involving Zatanna, but whatever. I figure this book is probably a few guest-artists away from being canceled in two years, but I could be wrong.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

JeffCarter said:

Did anyone else buy or read Gotham City Sirens? I know at least one person on this board did besides me. A few things took me completely out of the story. The biggest, though, was the homeless animal shelter or whatever it was called--it was at least SIX STORIES HIGH! I don't care that it's in Gotham City. It makes no difference. That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen, I'm sorry.

Other than that, it wasn't bad. There was kind of an eye-rolling scene involving Zatanna, but whatever. I figure this book is probably a few guest-artists away from being canceled in two years, but I could be wrong.

If the Humane Society on the north side of Indy wasn't so spread out...it would probably be six stories, at least. And c'mon, there is a HUGE animal hotel in Fishers fer heaven's sake!

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

Doc Beechler said:

That and I still dislike the fact that Superboy, Alex Luthor, Lois, and Superman came back in Infinite Crisis...the psycho Superboy of Earth-prime was a big mistake in my eyes. Oh...and I've never thought the Anti-Monitor was a great villain...or cyborg Superman...gee, is it any wonder Sinestro War ain't my thing... ;)

I would agree with all of that. Except, I have read the first Sinestro War trade and I liked that. The rest, I am totally on board with. I may not have the bullseye smiley but I will use te code we had :bullseye: