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  1. #1
    Spectacular Member PoorStudent's Avatar
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    Question Anyone reading Stray Bullets? Thoughts? Recommendations?

    I looked for earlier threads, but they were from a long time ago and generally not focused on just the series, so I thought I'd start a new one.

    I read the original series when they came out and was excited when the series came over to image and I tried a few issues when they were originally being published, but I haven't really kept up on it. I tried sunshine and roses and the killers, but the killers I had no idea what was going on and with sunshine and roses it just kept going and going and I just lost interest. I think the art is still great and the writing is good and love the tone of the series, but the story just lost me and haven't really had an interest in going back. It looks like the series is still in the sunshine and roses, so I guess if that finishes I might try after that.

    I dunno, anyone reading it and have different opinions? I'd like to be wrong and go pick up some issues that others recommend. I'm also of the opinion that I thought the series was at it's strongest in the first 3 arcs when it focused on orson, beth and virginia.

    I'm also surprised that Lapham doesn't get the acclaim that other crime writers like Brubaker, Miller and Azzarello seem to receive. The way the story transitions from time period and characters and that the violence always feels shocking is really well done. I also just feel like the crime is more real in this series then the others. Like with Criminal I can tell Brubaker likes 70's crime movies, but Lapham feels like he uses actual criminals as research. Like I feel like there is someone like Spanish Scott in the real world, where Tracy from Criminal is a movie character that doesn't exist.

    (Mod not: accidentally posted this thread in independent forum)

  2. #2
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    Sunshine and Roses is ending soon, possibly in the next issue (42). The new series will be called Virginia, so it looks like you'll be getting your wish there.

    I somewhat agree that S&R has begun to lose a little steam, but perhaps the delays to the later issues have impacted my perception. I felt it was cruising along quite nicely until somewhere around issues 25-30. I also feel the tone has taken a darker turn to its detriment. Stray Bullets has always had a nihilistic quality (hence the title of vol. 1), but that has usually been coloured in a darkly humorous fashion. Even when shocking, it has always been fun.

    It's still an amazing series and I think the original volumes will benefit even more from you reading collected editions of S&R prior, in part to the timeline continuity, before catching up with Virginia again when she returns.

    Cheers.

  3. #3
    small press afficionado matt levin's Avatar
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    Oh my god yes! Since issue one, and I can't stress enough that if you've liked what you've read, you should try to get all of it you can (which I think are all available). THE most scary comic book out there! It does seem like it's all beginning to tie together.
    Age/Bronze, Age/Reptiles, Alex&Ada, Anne Bonnie, Astro City, Bone, Briggs Land, Cerebus, Criminal, Courtney Crumrin, Eleanor & the Egret, Fables, Fatale, Fell, Grass Kings, Green Valley, Goon, Gotham Midnight, Groo, Hellboy, Hillbilly, Incognegro, Jack Staff, JL8, Jonah Hex, Kane, Lazarus, Little Nemo, Lone Wolf, Next Wave, Popeye, Powers, Princess Ugg, Resident Alien, SiP, Squirrel Girl, Stray Bullets, 10G, Thief of Thieves, Tuki, Uncle Scrooge, Usagi, Velvet

  4. #4
    insulin4all CaptCleghorn's Avatar
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    Just gonna put this in from the independent forum thread:

    The relatively low-level stuff in Stray Bullets does add to the realism. No one's a superman. Obviously some characters are better at what they do than others, but no one is anyone who can't imagine really existing, even if we'd rather not meet them.

    My love for the book is in the overall arc that manages to make every issue have some sort of story and a concluding point. I can read an issue and be sure I'm getting something.

    It is slower than ****, though. What's the antonym for "cool beans"?

  5. #5
    insulin4all CaptCleghorn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr_Faustus View Post
    Sunshine and Roses is ending soon, possibly in the next issue (42). The new series will be called Virginia, so it looks like you'll be getting your wish there.

    I somewhat agree that S&R has begun to lose a little steam, but perhaps the delays to the later issues have impacted my perception. I felt it was cruising along quite nicely until somewhere around issues 25-30. I also feel the tone has taken a darker turn to its detriment. Stray Bullets has always had a nihilistic quality (hence the title of vol. 1), but that has usually been coloured in a darkly humorous fashion. Even when shocking, it has always been fun.

    It's still an amazing series and I think the original volumes will benefit even more from you reading collected editions of S&R prior, in part to the timeline continuity, before catching up with Virginia again when she returns.

    Cheers.
    Currently suffering through a Bullets gap. I am curious as to the news about the new title. Any references we can look at?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaptCleghorn View Post
    Currently suffering through a Bullets gap. I am curious as to the news about the new title. Any references we can look at?
    I was trying to remember where I saw it and I think I tracked it down, although I could have seen it in an interview also... Taken directly from David Lapham's twitter... Not much to go on, but it's something...

    https://twitter.com/DavidALapham/sta...35181865832448

    Cheers

  7. #7
    insulin4all CaptCleghorn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr_Faustus View Post
    I was trying to remember where I saw it and I think I tracked it down, although I could have seen it in an interview also... Taken directly from David Lapham's twitter... Not much to go on, but it's something...

    https://twitter.com/DavidALapham/sta...35181865832448

    Cheers
    Certainly seems legit. Thank you for the follow-up.

  8. #8
    Incredible Member cgh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PoorStudent View Post
    I looked for earlier threads, but they were from a long time ago and generally not focused on just the series, so I thought I'd start a new one.

    I read the original series when they came out and was excited when the series came over to image and I tried a few issues when they were originally being published, but I haven't really kept up on it. I tried sunshine and roses and the killers, but the killers I had no idea what was going on and with sunshine and roses it just kept going and going and I just lost interest. I think the art is still great and the writing is good and love the tone of the series, but the story just lost me and haven't really had an interest in going back. It looks like the series is still in the sunshine and roses, so I guess if that finishes I might try after that.

    I dunno, anyone reading it and have different opinions? I'd like to be wrong and go pick up some issues that others recommend. I'm also of the opinion that I thought the series was at it's strongest in the first 3 arcs when it focused on orson, beth and virginia.

    I'm also surprised that Lapham doesn't get the acclaim that other crime writers like Brubaker, Miller and Azzarello seem to receive. The way the story transitions from time period and characters and that the violence always feels shocking is really well done. I also just feel like the crime is more real in this series then the others. Like with Criminal I can tell Brubaker likes 70's crime movies, but Lapham feels like he uses actual criminals as research. Like I feel like there is someone like Spanish Scott in the real world, where Tracy from Criminal is a movie character that doesn't exist.

    (Mod not: accidentally posted this thread in independent forum)
    My recommendation is to finish the original 41 issue series, as it doesn't sound like you have. Then read Killers, which deepens Virginia's story. After that, you might be more interested in Sunshine and Roses because it sort of fills in some gaps in the original story. There is a wiki somewhere with a mostly complete timeline, although last I checked it wasn't up to date with the latest issues of S&R.

    As for getting recognition, I fully agree. The Laphams (apparently he co-plots/writes with his wife) are up there with Brubaker/Phillips and Azzarello/Risso in my mind, with a more grounded take. I think they lack name recognition because they didn't do any Big Two work before launching their own stuff. Instead, they've been going at it independently for decades(!) It's just really impressive.

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