What Collected Edition are you reading now?

[Foxy]

Finished the Charles Soule Darth Vader run and it was super fun!

Will start on X-Men Bishop's Crossing tonight.

[Foxy]

About 5 or 6 issues into X-Men: Bishop's Crossing (basically Uncanny X-Men 281 and onwards) and the story is quite interesting. Not sure how I feel about the art though. It is SO busy. It's almost as if Portacio decided to cram as much visual information into each page as possible. And this is early 90s, so not the old-school 4 colour scheme anymore but also not yet realistic (and restrained) digital colouring. This is something in between and it is bright and full-on. All.the.time.

Sometimes it also seems that cool looks (or what they thought were cool looks at the time, e.g. boobs like balloons on every woman or muscles that are so bulky they have their own muscles) prevailed above everything, including logical layouts of panelling. Many times I've found myself reading panels in the "normal" order only to realise that it wasn't the right order. The panel order can also randomly change mid-page by the way, as long as there is room to fit in another explosion. So while there was technical proficiency in the pencils, they do not so far succeed in guiding this reader's eyes through the page in an effortless way.

I hope this doesn't persist through all X-Men titles throughout the entire decade because it's actually quite tiresome after a while. And a lot of the character designs are over the top and not in a good way. I'm already dreading the X-Force omnibus after this (pouch-a-geddon)

[newparisian]

The Woods yearbook editions 1-3 by Tynion.
Pretty good. Not as hardcore as the tv show the 100. But still good teen survival drama.

[jb681131]

I'd like an omnibus for

• Mouse Guard

[Hive]

About 5 or 6 issues into X-Men: Bishop's Crossing (basically Uncanny X-Men 281 and onwards) and the story is quite interesting. Not sure how I feel about the art though. It is SO busy. It's almost as if Portacio decided to cram as much visual information into each page as possible. And this is early 90s, so not the old-school 4 colour scheme anymore but also not yet realistic (and restrained) digital colouring. This is something in between and it is bright and full-on. All.the.time.

Sometimes it also seems that cool looks (or what they thought were cool looks at the time, e.g. boobs like balloons on every woman or muscles that are so bulky they have their own muscles) prevailed above everything, including logical layouts of panelling. Many times I've found myself reading panels in the "normal" order only to realise that it wasn't the right order. The panel order can also randomly change mid-page by the way, as long as there is room to fit in another explosion. So while there was technical proficiency in the pencils, they do not so far succeed in guiding this reader's eyes through the page in an effortless way.

I hope this doesn't persist through all X-Men titles throughout the entire decade because it's actually quite tiresome after a while. And a lot of the character designs are over the top and not in a good way. I'm already dreading the X-Force omnibus after this (pouch-a-geddon)

Having recently read it myself, I get where you're coming from. I must warn you, though: Liefeld's X-Force is pretty much more in the same vain, art-wise. But once guys like Portacio and Liefeld leave for Image, the art style across the X-books will improve (with the exception of losing Jim Lee, a huge loss). X-Cutioner's Song, starting after Bishop's Crossing, is much better and really coherent in style (for the most part), in spite of being a crossover. Though if I recall correctly, the panel stuff was pretty standard for the time...

[Foxy]

Having recently read it myself, I get where you're coming from. I must warn you, though: Liefeld's X-Force is pretty much more in the same vain, art-wise. But once guys like Portacio and Liefeld leave for Image, the art style across the X-books will improve (with the exception of losing Jim Lee, a huge loss). X-Cutioner's Song, starting after Bishop's Crossing, is much better and really coherent in style (for the most part), in spite of being a crossover. Though if I recall correctly, the panel stuff was pretty standard for the time...

Thanks, that is somewhat reassuring

Guess I will have to power through the X-FOrce omnibus. At the end of the day, the story is more important so I hope that's ok. I actually like the story of Bishopo's Crossing, but the art style makes it quite an effort to read

[Hive]

I actually like the story of Bishopo's Crossing, but the art style makes it quite an effort to read

The main storyline with Bishop is quite interesting, yes. Not being a huge fan of Portactio's art myself, it did impact my enjoyment - but I liked how they introduced Bishop and put a lot of emphasis on showing how different his world was compared to the one he had now travelled to, and how that had affected him and his actions. They did a good job at laying the seeds for a big future betrayal (which, in my opinion, they later wasted a bit) and his interactions with Gambit were intrigueing.

The B-story, if you will, with Mikhail was a bit of a letdown, though. I won't go into details for those who doesn't know it, but it started out pretty interesting - but quickly deteriorated and ended very, very poorly.

[Foxy]

The main storyline with Bishop is quite interesting, yes. Not being a huge fan of Portactio's art myself, it did impact my enjoyment - but I liked how they introduced Bishop and put a lot of emphasis on showing how different his world was compared to the one he had now travelled to, and how that had affected him and his actions. They did a good job at laying the seeds for a big future betrayal (which, in my opinion, they later wasted a bit) and his interactions with Gambit were intrigueing.

The B-story, if you will, with Mikhail was a bit of a letdown, though. I won't go into details for those who doesn't know it, but it started out pretty interesting - but quickly deteriorated and ended very, very poorly.

Finished it in the meantime and agree with everything you say. I still wonder what Bishop's encounter (in his future) with Gambit means (if that was Gambit in that chair with the women around him). Is that part of that Mutant Massacre ret-con I heard about where Gambit led certain people into a certain location?

Anyway, I will power through X-Force first I guess, as there are some issues in there that come before those in X-Cutioner's Song. But first I need something else. Started reading Paradiso by Ram V. Maybe I'll give X-Force a try after that.

[Hive]

Finished it in the meantime and agree with everything you say. I still wonder what Bishop's encounter (in his future) with Gambit means (if that was Gambit in that chair with the women around him). Is that part of that Mutant Massacre ret-con I heard about where Gambit led certain people into a certain location?

To be honest, I'm not sure that ever got resolved. But yeah, that was Gambit as an old, skinny man.

The ret-con you're referring to is something else entirely.

[FluffySheep]

I'm currently reading Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir.

[Foxy]

To be honest, I'm not sure that ever got resolved. But yeah, that was Gambit as an old, skinny man.

The ret-con you're referring to is something else entirely.

Ok thanks guess I have to keep on reading

[csmith25]

Just finished up The New Teen Titans Vol. 4 TPB (Wolfman/Perez). Teen Titans in the 80's is what really hooked me into comics, so I really enjoyed it. Plus the first 4 TPB Volumes were just before any floppies I bought as a kid and have stashed away.

Now I'm reading the Daredevil : End of Days (Bendis). Is it me, or does it seem like every writer in comics has at least one real good Batman and Daredevil story in them? I have forgotten how much I thoroughly enjoy DD as a character.

[seusilva]

Now I'm reading the Daredevil : End of Days (Bendis). Is it me, or does it seem like every writer in comics has at least one real good Batman and Daredevil story in them? I have forgotten how much I thoroughly enjoy DD as a character.

Bendis had some years of good Daredevil tales! haha I liked End of Days too, pretty cool artists helping him!

[Foxy]

Took East of West Year One Deluxe out of the shrinkwrap yesterday. So far only managed to flick through and have a look at the art. Looks interesting and I like Hickman's writing.

So let's see what that is all about.

[JPAR]

Took East of West Year One Deluxe out of the shrinkwrap yesterday. So far only managed to flick through and have a look at the art. Looks interesting and I like Hickman's writing.

So let's see what that is all about.

You're in for a blast. Year three is due for november. So, maybe wait and binge it then?