General omnibus & hardcover discussion vol. II

[John Pannozzi]

The Usagi Yojimbo Saga omnibuses each contain 3 regular trades' worth of content, so I recommend those.

[Dayle88]

I took a risk with the first Usagi Saga book because it was so cheap for the page count but I was a bit worried because of the art. It didn't take lone to realise Stan Sakai is a genius. The art is cartoony but the art itself dictates everything. If you see one google image you might see Usagi with a completely plain face but in the context of the story it's representative of him being content. When he is angry or tense lines appear on his face and you know exactly what he is thinking. Sometimes backgrounds are plain, sometimes there's so many lines it looks like Moebius designed the panel. It all depends on what is needed at the time.

You could say the stories are serious but really they are mostly (mythology and some mystical beasts aside) extremely realistic. There's joy and laughter and pain and terror but it's through the characters that you experience these things.

[awayne83]

Yeah I think it's one of the clearance books this year so you probably should get it now if you want it.
I've read 100 bullets years ago and wasn't the biggest fan of it but want to buy the new trades now. But, it's not a bad book there was just something about the writing style that bugged me but I'm pretty sure I will be a big fan this time (or at least hope so).
Risso's art is awesome and the book maintains a constant quality IIRC.

On the other hand, while I've never read DMZ I heard from several sources that it takes a nose dive after the first or second story arc. That always put me off buying it.

I think "nose dives" is a bit harsh lol. The first arc is definitely the strongest so there is a dip in quality from that perspective. I think the real issue is the story kind of meanders during the 3rd and 4th volumes. The last volume does pick up again, but woods character work is strong as usual throughout. Its worth a read just in the fact there are not that many long running series that are just sort of grounded in reality so to speak, without capes or magic or whatever.

[drd]

I think "nose dives" is a bit harsh lol. The first arc is definitely the strongest so there is a dip in quality from that perspective. I think the real issue is the story kind of meanders during the 3rd and 4th volumes. The last volume does pick up again, but woods character work is strong as usual throughout. Its worth a read just in the fact there are not that many long running series that are just sort of grounded in reality so to speak, without capes or magic or
whatever.

The stories in that first DMZ deluxe are so god damnd good that if woods had kept up that quality through the whole run we'd be talking about DMZ as one of the best things to happen to comics in decades. Even if you don't want to pick up the rest of DMZ I'd encourage everyone to read that first volume, "Body of a Journalist" is one of those stories that has to be read.

[awayne83]

The stories in that first DMZ deluxe are so god damnd good that if woods had kept up that quality through the whole run we'd be talking about DMZ as one of the best things to happen to comics in decades. Even if you don't want to pick up the rest of DMZ I'd encourage everyone to read that first volume, "Body of a Journalist" is one of those stories that has to be read.

True story

[TomSlick]

Now there seems to be a very expensive fantagraph slipcase, and then it gets picked up by Dark Horse, so questions, is it good? Or do you have to have a love for old, highbrow comics? As the only thing that I could class as highbrow which I have read was cerebus, which I enjoyed up until just after church and state when I thought it disappeared up it's own arse.

And how do you collect it? Are the DH books LE sized? And do you need the fantagraph slipcase or has DH reprinted it?

The Fantagraph slipcase (soft cover version) was a blind buy for me after listening to the praise here. As I was half way through the first book, I ordered the DH Saga Vol. 1. Half way thru the second Fantagraph book I already had DH Sage 2 and 3 on the way. It's just a fun, fun read.

The stories in that first DMZ deluxe are so god damnd good that if woods had kept up that quality through the whole run we'd be talking about DMZ as one of the best things to happen to comics in decades. Even if you don't want to pick up the rest of DMZ I'd encourage everyone to read that first volume, "Body of a Journalist" is one of those stories that has to be read.

Agreed. Body of a Journalist is amazing. Heck the second volume kicks ass as well. The series dipped in middle but Woods came back strong in the end.

[Hellboydce]

Fantagraphics own the rights to the first seven volumes the expensive hardcover slipcase you talk about has been reprinted recently in a paperback slipcase http://www.amazon.co.uk/Usagi-Yojimb...dp/1606998870/

After that point it all falls under the dark horse label, all the Dark Horse volumes, both the paperback and the limited (and now very expensive for volume one) hardcover (other than the Artist Edition) are standard sized.

You don't need the fantagraphics books to appreciate the Dark Horse ones the vast majority of the stories are independant of each other, at a very basic level all you need to know is that Usagi is a Ronin, his master is dead and he now wanders the countryside selling his service and getting into adventures. I'll probably get shouted down for this comparison but it kind of reminds me of the Asterix books I grew up on as a kid you could pick those up in absolutely any order all you needed to know was Asterix is a Gaul and he hates the Romans and you can dive right in. The stories are quite serious in tone and they touch on a lot of both real japenese history and the mythology and folklore. I'd recommend getting your hands on one of the cheap Dark Horse paperbacks and see how it takes you.

The Usagi Yojimbo Saga omnibuses each contain 3 regular trades' worth of content, so I recommend those.

I took a risk with the first Usagi Saga book because it was so cheap for the page count but I was a bit worried because of the art. It didn't take lone to realise Stan Sakai is a genius. The art is cartoony but the art itself dictates everything. If you see one google image you might see Usagi with a completely plain face but in the context of the story it's representative of him being content. When he is angry or tense lines appear on his face and you know exactly what he is thinking. Sometimes backgrounds are plain, sometimes there's so many lines it looks like Moebius designed the panel. It all depends on what is needed at the time.

You could say the stories are serious but really they are mostly (mythology and some mystical beasts aside) extremely realistic. There's joy and laughter and pain and terror but it's through the characters that you experience these things.

The Fantagraph slipcase (soft cover version) was a blind buy for me after listening to the praise here. As I was half way through the first book, I ordered the DH Saga Vol. 1. Half way thru the second Fantagraph book I already had DH Sage 2 and 3 on the way. It's just a fun, fun read.
.

Thanks for all the detailed info and advice, have decided to give it a whirl, so ordered the special edition slipcase off The Wordery for £35y

Edit. Although I have now just seen it on speedyhen for £31 d'oh

[Balakin]

Thanks for all the detailed info and advice, have decided to give it a whirl, so ordered the special edition slipcase off The Wordery for £35y

Edit. Although I have now just seen it on speedyhen for £31 d'oh

add something for £19-20 and you get £5 off.

[Balakin]

you guys gonna make me buy DMZ, damn you all! (I'm not that hard to convince with Vertigo stuff though).

[missingmarch]

I definitely really enjoyed DMZ, from beginning to end. It starts of strong and then is a little less strong and then ends pretty strong.

I feel like the essential vertigo ongoings (that are collected in trade in their entirety) are:

Sandman
Preacher
100 Bullets
The Invisibles
Lucifer
Scalped
Transmetropolitan
Y: The Last Man

and if you like the adult take on super heroes thing,

Moore's Swamp Thing
Morrison's Doom Patrol
Milligan's Human Target
Morrison's Animal Man

are all definitely top notch.

It's hard to say that anything they published was ever bad, though. The quality over there was pretty fantastic until the Hellblazer-to-DCU shark jumping. A second tier of titles, more niche but still fantastic at what they are, would include things like Hellblazer, The Unwritten, Northlanders, The Exterminators, and, well, everything else.

Fortunately, there's Image, the spiritual successor to the glory days of Vertigo. I love that the guys who inspired Doom Force are now all that we have.

[Balakin]

^^^^
read most of these and loved them, although I still have to get some of them on my shelves but working on it. Currently reading and loving Hellblazer.
Never gonna read Exterminators, god damn bugs!!!!!
Waiting for some chunky collection for the Unwritten.

[Hellboydce]

add something for £19-20 and you get £5 off.

After a bit of a shuffle, added nextwave, absolute ronin and Aliens 30th anniversary and got a tenner off

[Balakin]

After a bit of a shuffle, added nextwave, absolute ronin and Aliens 30th anniversary and got a tenner off

oh the speedyhen tetris game

[Balakin]

^^^^
read most of these and loved them, although I still have to get some of them on my shelves but working on it. Currently reading and loving Hellblazer.
Never gonna read Exterminators, god damn bugs!!!!!
Waiting for some chunky collection for the Unwritten.

adding to the vertigo converstaion: House of secrets? I'm eyeing the omni for ages, donno why I didn't pull the trigger yet. Although IZombie is tempting as well.

[Hellboydce]

adding to the vertigo converstaion: House of secrets? I'm eyeing the omni for ages, donno why I didn't pull the trigger yet. Although IZombie is tempting as well.

Our tastes mesh at some points but I found house of secrets to be a bit tedious and ended up selling it after the old 'will I ever read this again' clear out, as for izombie, I have it but haven't read it yet but artwork looks fantastic