1000 books in 2018

[Mr`Orange]

update:

Young Avengers Omni (15) - I loved Gillen's JiM and wanted to love this, but it was just alright. It seems the purpose of this run was pretty much just to age-up Loki, so they threw a story together, and as a result lot of the relationship stuff felt forced to me. This run also reminded me more of Gillen's creator-owned stuff more so than his previous work at marvel. Tbf, Loki did have some good moments in there, as well as Kate and that America girl. Not too familiar with her though.

What did you think of the original Allan Heinberg series? I loved the original one and Young Crusade was okay too but I haven;t read the Gillen book and it is on my "maybe" list.

[Mr`Orange]

Latest:

Complete Luther Strode18
This is the textbook example of art elevating the story. It is a decent story but Moore's art gives it real life. I can understand if someone doesn't like his style but his craft is just amazing, all the action is super kinetic and detailed. Also hyper violent. Loved every page!

Lucifer 79
I was a bit hesitant getting this series because I'm kind of fed up with christian mythology, it's just way too overused and I needed a couple of issues to get into the series but when it kicked in I was absolutely hooked. Just burned through all 5 book, couldn't put it down. Great characters, drama, humour, magic, end of the world, everything thrown in and then the kitchen sink!
Absolutely brilliant series, it is not just a great companion to Sandman but I would dare to risk it and say this is just as good as Sandman was. Depends on your personal taste it might be even better. I've enjoyed how focused it was while Sandman took lots of detours to tell side stories that didn't always effect the main plot (which is not a bad thing at all I just prefer more focused long form stories).

If you liked Sandman please go and get this series!

That's: 97 issues
Total: 431

Best of the batch: Lucifer

Luther Strode was a lot of fun, nothing cerebral but entertaining. Lucifer does seem interesting but I am so far behind with my reading I'm not sure I'll ever get to this.

[Mr`Orange]

update:

Road to NML v1 TP (16) - I've come to the conclusion this era of Batman is just not very good. I'm forcing my way (slowly) towards NML, and while there is the occasional story or two that may stand out, it's a lot of crap to sift through. I feel like these collections are only for the completist, and I have a hard time believing that editorial spent SO much time spinning their wheels with "aftermath". I mean, we get it. There was a catastrophe and things are bleak, but it's probably been at least 6 months (of publication time, with another volume to go) where they are telling the same kind of examination stories (across all bat-books it seems) without really moving the narrative forward at all. I hope NML is worth it, because this is beginning to get painful.

NML was one of the first Batman books I read and one of the first trade series I bought. The four volume set that came back when. It wasn't all of the issues but it was enjoyable. What aren't you liking about it?

[Mr`Orange]

End of April update:


Chew: The Omnivore Edition Book 1 OHC (10)

- Fabulous. I enjoyed this book so much. It was funny, it was creative, it was stylish, it was just superb. The art and writing go hand-in-hand, and I really love the construction of the actual hardcover itself. I’ll be powering through the next few Omnivores as this series has got me hooked.

Monthly Total: 37 books
Yearly Total: 249 books

I'll be interested to know what you think of the series once you have read it all. I thought the opening was very strong, great characters, writing and art.

[Balakin]

Luther Strode was a lot of fun, nothing cerebral but entertaining. Lucifer does seem interesting but I am so far behind with my reading I'm not sure I'll ever get to this.

bump Lucifer up on your reading list I would say. One of the most engaging reads I had in a good long while.

[awayne83]

NML was one of the first Batman books I read and one of the first trade series I bought. The four volume set that came back when. It wasn't all of the issues but it was enjoyable. What aren't you liking about it?

Up to this point I've only really read Cataclysm and some of the books leading up to NML, not NML proper. I'm still holding out hope it improves, but my biggest gripe is just the recycling of the drama. It feels like the story has been stuck in place since the earthquake. In fairness, I do think that is a byproduct of collecting ALL the different titles, as you get stories from everyone's point of view, but it really feels redundant at this point with little progression.

What did you think of the original Allan Heinberg series? I loved the original one and Young Crusade was okay too but I haven;t read the Gillen book and it is on my "maybe" list.

Never read this run

[awayne83]

update:

Absolute Superman/Batman v1 (13) - Pretty good team-up fun with some solid McGuinness and Turner art. Reading this in preparation for the Supergirl (2005) trades i bought since it (re?)introduces her. Also, i had some issues with the binding of this book, so if you haven't, you may want to check your copies. Idk if it's random or part of a larger issue (i.e. Final Crisis)

Sherlock Frankenstein TP (5) - LOVE everything Black Hammer related. This mini basically gives some extended background to both the developments in BH v2 and the BH universe in general.

I Hate Fairyland TP v3 (5) - This story continues to be just ok, but my son enjoys it. Can't say enough about the art though, so full of emotion and energy. Really is stellar

The Coldest City GN (8) - This is the GN the Atomic Blonde movie was based on. Pretty solid espionage tale, and there were enough differences from the movie to make it unique


661 + 31 = 692 FTY

[Mr`Orange]

bump Lucifer up on your reading list I would say. One of the most engaging reads I had in a good long while.

What formats is it available in?

[Mr`Orange]

Up to this point I've only really read Cataclysm and some of the books leading up to NML, not NML proper. I'm still holding out hope it improves, but my biggest gripe is just the recycling of the drama. It feels like the story has been stuck in place since the earthquake. In fairness, I do think that is a byproduct of collecting ALL the different titles, as you get stories from everyone's point of view, but it really feels redundant at this point with little progression.



Never read this run

Ah, I never read the pre books, only the four trades.

[Balakin]

What formats is it available in?

5 chunky trades collect the whole series (around 400 pages each).

[Mister Mets]

Haven't updated in a while.

Deadpool #65-69: Fun arc by Gail Simone that combines serious challenges, and the warped sense of humor.

Hulk #1-24/ 600/ King-Sized Hulk/ Fall of the Hulks Gamma: The Red Hulk saga benefits from some nice art, though I think saving the revelations about who he was until the end was a misfire. It led to a lot of padding early on.

New Warriors #1-4: Decent, but generic 90s superhero stuff.

Black Panther (Kirby) #1-12: It's a weird pairing after Mcgregor, Graham, Buckler and company, though it's an excuse for Kirby to do his thing.

The Sentry Volume 2 #1-8: The Jenkins/ Romita follow-up to the first mini has some nice art and sequences, but is largely unnecessary, built on some revelations that seem kind of obvious.

The Omega Men #1-12: Excellent sci-fi parable for modern conflicts, with quite well-realized alien civilizations, and challenges for the cast, a mix of new heroes and one iconic former Green Lantern. May be the best thing Tom King has done in the DCU.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters Volume 1: I'll say this graphic novel is equivalent to about 15 issues. It has a great sense of design imitating the style of the narrator's sketchbook, although it might be about too many things (the lead is a girl in the 1960s who imagines herself as a werewolf detective while trying to uncover mysteries adults are hiding from her; the secrets of a dead neighbor who was a child prostitute in Weimar Germany seem to be a different story.)

Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1-9, 12-17: After reading this, I can definitely see why an editor would hire Spencer for Amazing Spider-Man with the pitch of making Peter Parker and Boomerang roommates. It's a fun series about B-list supervillains screwing one another over, and getting caught in a gang war that isn't out of place in the Marvel Universe.

Web of Spider-Man #84-89: Mackie's first Spider-Man story has some big ideas (Peter Parker is targeted by criminals due to a compromising photo attributed to him) but fails in the mystery, while telling a story (Kingpin starts as one of the big villains but then he's overthrown offscreen in Daredevil; it's set around the same time as The Child Within so Spider-Man is looking for Harry meaning it's not that exciting to see a less interesting Goblin.

It made a spiderfan list of the worst stories, and it's not a bad decision. This does highlight some of what we'll see in Mackie's run (generic 1990s thugs with their own superhero identities; multiple efforts to provide the Hobgoblin a new identity; a TPB length story with an unsatisfying conclusion.)

http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/revi...n_web/084.html

Marvel Fanfare #6: Nice art in a generic Spider-Man in a fantasy setting story.

Spider-Man/ Dr Strange: Way to Dusty Death This team-up has some inappropriate artistic decisions (a suicidal woman is presented as an object of desire) and uses graphic novel length to imitate a storyline that was done in earlier one-off stories. There's some interesting parts where he deals with his mortality but that's been done better elsewhere. Conway has a solid take on the hero, but doesn't do much with it. I'll say it's worth about three issues.

There's a decent review of these stories, as well as the Lee/ Ditko annual and the Marvel Team-Up issue that set up the larger saga on the website Adventures In Poor Taste.

http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...-death-review/

Superior Foes of Spider-Man #10-11: Fill-in work by James Asmos, Tom Peyer and company that shows the flexibility of the series with other creative voices. Not on the level of Spencer and Lieber, but fun.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #1-20: Very quick read, but generally charming take on the Spider-Man story through someone else's eyes.

Total So Far: 490 Issues, Six from the Golden Age, Five from the 1950s, 34 from the 1960s, 38 from the 1970s, 13from the 1980s, 22 from the 1990s, 100 from the 2000s complete, 100 from the 2010s complete

Best of the batch: The Omega Men

[JPAR]

January: 149
February: 108
March: 69
April: 111
May:

Descender deluxe 1 (16)
Ninjak deluxe 2 (16)
TMNT IDW collection 6 (15)
Nailbiter deluxe 1 & 2 (20)
Joe the Barbarian (8)

Total 2018: 511

[Mr`Orange]

5 chunky trades collect the whole series (around 400 pages each).

Sweet! I'll add them now.

[Mr`Orange]

Haven't updated in a while.
Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1-9, 12-17: After reading this, I can definitely see why an editor would hire Spencer for Amazing Spider-Man with the pitch of making Peter Parker and Boomerang roommates. It's a fun series about B-list supervillains screwing one another over, and getting caught in a gang war that isn't out of place in the Marvel Universe.
Superior Foes of Spider-Man #10-11: Fill-in work by James Asmos, Tom Peyer and company that shows the flexibility of the series with other creative voices. Not on the level of Spencer and Lieber, but fun.

This series is really high on my list. I wish the OHC was back in print.

[OldManBrian]

This series is really high on my list. I wish the OHC was back in print.

Superior Foes is still available everywhere including discounted at IST and CGN. I think it was out of stock for a while, but stock was replenished. Either way, I highly recommend it before it does go out of print. If you've got a funny bone at all and everything you read doesn't have to be super serious, it's excellent. One of my favorite books to come out of Marvel in the last several years along with Vision, which is the polar opposite of Foes and super serious.