Now eventually you are going to have a Comic Book thread on this Comic Book forum, right?

[ZacWilliam1]

Finally got to the Comic Store again for the first time in like three weeks yesterday evening. Had to content myself with what they had left but got some good stuff:

Defenders #2 - This book remains great. Really good art with very creative layouts, Classic Marvel stories, a Great Silver Surfer moment and a surprising and very cool roster change. Definitely looking forward to #3.

Eternals: Thanos Rises #1 - Was originally iffy on buying this because I feel like Thanos is majorly over exposed since the MCU made him famous. But I've been Loving the regular Eternals book by the same writer so I figured I'd at least give this a shot. Glad I did. The regular book has been working hard to retcon the Neil Gaiman reboot from a few years back and the classic Kirby stuff and everything inbetween. Basically this issue extends that to the other branch of Eternals, the ones most of previous retcons ignored, the ones that birthed Thanos. Gillen does a good job of taking all that contradictory stuff and molding on into something more cohesive and understandable.

Star Wars: The High Rebublic #5 - Way behind on this but it's still solid and interesting and since I'm all in on the books this is a cool addition. If they'd had 6 too I would have bought through 8, but they did not.

Fantastic Four #35 - The big 60th Anniversary issue. Expensive at $10 but also huge enough that I felt like I got my money's worth. Great big classic multipart story by Slot and Romita Jr, I could see where it was going be cause it's absolutely a classic type of FF story but it was well done enough that I did not mind. The Kang stuff was a lot of fun.


-ZacWilliam, sadly that's it. It's frustrating the stores I've been stopping at never have Busiek's current Marvels book. Loved the first two issues but no place here has had 3 or 4 for me to keep up.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

Managed to run in a Newberry store I hadn't been to in a while and they'd changed their shelves all a way that didn't thrill me and made it feel like they were carrying less actual comics than before, which I was not a big fan of. But I was able to grab two books I wanted and there were a bunch I want to go back for later so maybe I'm being too picky.

Anyway I got:

Defenders 3 - Still loving the concept of this book. Magically enforced hero road trip through past versions of the Marvel U with the characters each taking a role based on a Tarot card. The art remains great and surprisingly trippy at times if not quite so much as the first two. It's a focus issue on Betty Banner/Harpy which as a long time hulk fan I'm totally up for. Weird issue though, in a version of the Marvel Cosmos based only on magic. Judging by the end next issue is gonna be MUCH weirder/trippier in a way that I'm not sure about but curious how it turns out...

Marvels #4 - forgot I gave up finding 3 and read it digitally. This remains exactly what I want from a Kurt Busiek story and a Marvel comic. It uses the whole universe, the big parts and the obscure (Cord Co is mentioned) to tell a great classic Busiek style super hero story. There should be more hype about this book. It's like if his Legendary Avengers run involved the whole MCU.


-ZacWilliam, hope to have a chance to get some more books next weekend...

 

[Maruten]

Yeah, the current Defenders book is great.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

Got to the store this weekend. They didn't have anything I was actively looking for but I was able grab a couple books that are like 2nd Tier for me: I like them enough to buy them when I see them but don't make any special effort to grab them if I don't.

Fantastic Four - I wanted the Halloween trick or treat issue but it had sold out. Hadn't realized I had missed one before it so I got that. Mostly a focus on Johnny's current plot (stuck super flame-oned) and concluding his previous plot (getting dumped by his alien "soulmate" because he's an ass who cheated on her.) I like Slot in general so it was decent.

Star Wars: High Republic 7 and 8 - The Marvel one. I liked the cast of the IDW book better but the writing in this one was working for me more. It remains good enough that I'm keeping up with it when I can, but not quite strong enough that I'd recommend it to anyone not already into the High Republic novels.

The last book I got was Death of Dr Strange 2. I didn't buy one but I heard a detailed review full of a lot of praise for it on a podcast and it made me want to jump on. Sadly the store was out of issue 1. On the plus side the review was detailed enough I didn't have any trouble jumping in on 2. The characterization and dialogue are all great and fun. Half of this issue is kinda taken up battling some new magic baddies and making them look tough by having them trounce the Avengers. That wasn't as cool as the people talking stuff and I honestly could have stood a shorter fight and more folks discussing the situation. But in the end the book was definitely good enough that I will buy 3.


-ZacWilliam, it's nice to have some solid books you can fall back on and read when the store doesn't have what you really wanted.

 

[Maruten]

I'd been wondering whether I should check out Death of Doctor Strange. Might give it a shot.

I've loved a lot of Slott's previous work, and I was really excited when they announced his FF run because in the right hands the Fantastic Four is just an unbeatable book. It rarely seems to be in the right hands though, and I've tried Slott's run a couple of times but it just hasn't held my interest yet.

My favourite Marvel book right now is Zdarsky's Daredevil. I've never been remotely interested in Daredevil before, I've read bits and pieces but it never really appealed to me. And Elektra is one of those characters where I just think... I'm not sure anything they've done with you since your death decades ago has been worthwhile. But I just caught up on the current run and it's made me fall in love with both of them, it's just a really great book. It's the first time I've found the Kingpin interesting too. I would kill for a Marvel Legends figure of Elektra in her Daredevil outfit.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Well, Free Comic Book Day is next Saturday. Seems as good a time as any to make another post here. You can check out the comics being offered below:

Free Comic Book Day Catalog

freecomicbookday.com

While I'm here, I might as well as talk about some of the comics I've been reading.

X-Men and Eternals:

Spoiler

Hickman's gone and I'm eyeing the door. But, part of me kind of wants to know how they're going to burn down Krakoa to get back to the status quo. Probably won't be for a while, but I'm still slightly curious. Moira becoming human was a odd plot twist in Inferno...and it just got weirder.

X Lives and X Deaths of Wolverine was...not as good as House and Powers of X. It did give us Moira wearing Banshee's skin as a suit to sneak into Krakoa and then eventually joining the Phalanx, I guess? So...that seems like a pretty big character assassination. Yeah, this plot might have jumped the shark.

And, it looks like it's just going to keep getting weirder, with the X-Men being declared as Deviants and being hunted down by the Eternals. This is...actually slightly clever, since I think the idea of mutants being deviants has been around since Universe X (like a LOT of things in the Marvel Universe). I have been enjoying the Eternals book, so I'll probably stick around for that crossover. Oh, and the Avengers will be there too, for some reason ($$$).

The Eternals book has actually been surprisingly good. Thanos is now in charge of the Eternals and just met his "grandfather" Uranos and...I'm actually really looking forward to the Eternals side of this next event.

DC's Justice League Incarnate and Flashpoint Beyond and Dark Crisis:

Spoiler

THE JUSTICE LEAGUE IS ALL DEEEEEAAAAADDDD!

...Yeah, I'm sorry, Williamson's series of event comics just keeps coming across like a extended toy commercial, somehow. It doesn't help that most of the Dark Army are just acting like mindless grunts with NO personality whatsoever. And we all know the Justice League is coming back, c'mon.

And making Darkseid the left hand of the Great Darkness is....it feels WRONG. Just wrong.

And Geoff Johns is doing ANOTHER event comic right beside the "main" one again, just like with Doomsday Clock and Death Metal or Three Jokers and Joker War. I really don't know why he feels the need to do this. Flashpoint Beyond has been...eh. I get the feeling that Thomas Wayne treating this universe like it "doesn't matter" is going to be important, since this probably is a "real" Earth in the multiverse, now. I just don't know if this will tie in with Dark Crisis or if it'll just end up being another side thing again.

I want to be hyped for this, but I'm still not feeling it.

Avengers and Spider Gwen Gwenverse:

Spoiler

On the other hand, I've actually found this multiversal story more fun than not. It's all nonsense, but light and fun nonsense for the most part. I think it's the art. I think I just like the art more.

And Thor-Gwen bragging about her butt is just fun comics. I don't care who says otherwise!

Saga:

Spoiler

After a FOUR YEAR hiatus, this comic is back. Brian Vaughn is still one of the best character writers in comics...and one of the worst plotters. Seriously, every story he writes is about someone being on the run. But...he is SO very good with the characters. I honestly wonder how much longer this book will last, since I can only assume sales took a hit from a hiatus this long. Still, it's a good book, if you're willing to catch up.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog:

Spoiler

I'm putting these two together because...I dunno...are they gearing up for a ending, too?

TMNT has the Armageddon Game coming up. Which certainly FEELS like it could be a series-ending event.

And Sonic...there's been a few lines in some of the issues that just make me wonder. "Let's just burn it ALL down". "I was stupid to think I could make a difference".

I don't know. I'm probably being paranoid because of IDW losing Transformers. But...it feels like they're preparing to wrap things up.

And both of these books have been pretty good. This latest arc of TMNT has taken a DRAMATIC turn, with a horror theme, and it's made things a LOT more interesting to me. Mutant Town has kind of overstayed it's welcome to me, but this is more like it. It finally feels like there's some stakes again.

And I'm looking forward to Surge and Kit wrecking some havoc over in Sonic.

Rogue Sun:

Spoiler

This has been a fun book. It's about a kid who inherits a superpowered suit from his absentee father. It's technically part of the Radiant Black extended universe, but you can read it on it's own since it's not REALLY connected to Radiant Black. I just think the art and writing's been slightly above average. It clicks with me, for some reason.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price:

Spoiler

This was just a fun romp. If you have any love for either (or hopefully BOTH) of these people, this was a fun time. And it even references a real-life unmade movie of Vincent Price's (...sorta)

Crossover:

Spoiler

This just got SO META. It was a crossover that always surprised me. If you're a little jaded by crossovers, you might give this one a chance. It might surprise you too. Maybe you ought to go in with as few spoilers as possible, though.

Once and Future:

Spoiler

So, they just brought back Robin Hood to fight multiple evil King Arthurs...this book deserves more love. I'm pretty sure it's ending soon, though.

Punderworld:

Spoiler

A Sejic book that ISN'T lewd?! Inconceivable.

Seriously, though, this is just a sweet and stylish retelling of Hades meeting Persephone. It's just a cute romance story with some great art. I liked it.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Ugh, Saga. It's fun enough but I can't wait for it to end. Vaughn just kills people off, even my favorite dead character in the book. Boo!

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Yeah, he does get a little death-happy, too, especially around "season finales". But he WILL make you care about the characters dying, at least.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

Got to go to the store on my Birthday today and get a couple books:

1) Eternals 12 - Final issue of a series I've been loving. It managed to tie up the storylines from the previous 12 issues and set up the big summer crossover E vs A vs X really nicely. I was wondering if they'd be able to tie up the Avengers/Eternals fight, the Thanos leading the Eternals subplot and set up the crossover without it seeming rushed and they largely pulled that off with some surprise twists. We get another revelation about the groups origin and both real and manipulated reasons for them to clash with the Xmen and Avengers

2) Savage Avengers #1 - No one is quite sure what's happening with this book because of Marvel loosing the Conan rights but right now it seems that it gets to keep using him regaurdless (no one seems quite sure why). I picked it up largely because it features the Dane Whitman Black Knight and Weapon H, the former of which is an all time fave and the later someone whose solo book I was surprised to enjoy. It was very solid. It introduces a very large cast in a fairly decent way while telling a solid story, using an old time Marvel super weapon and not feeling nearly as rushed as it might have. It was a solid read with a big weird cast and I look forward to seeing what happens to them all next issue.


-ZacWilliam, only two books, but two I've been waiting for.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Huh, I actually hadn't heard that Marvel lost the Conan rights. I guess they still have them until the end of the King Conan comic in July. It was only a matter of time, since it was just a licensed property that Disney doesn't own. Still, it was kind of a fun ride while it lasted. Conan meeting Deadpool was kind of a odd highlight for me, personally.

Marvel Allows to Let Conan the Barbarian Publishing Rights Lapse

Marvel allows the publishing rights to the Conan the Barbarian character to lapse, meaning the character will soon depart from the Marvel Universe.

www.cbr.com

And, yeah, the last issue of Eternals was pretty good. With Kieron Gillen writing the main miniseries for Judgment Day, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if we get a Season 2 for the Eternals comic after the event is over, and whatever the new status quo for the Eternals becomes. Or maybe they'll all get killed off again, it's had to say with the Eternals, sometimes.

In other news...Marvel licensed...Stan Lee.

Marvel Buys License To "Stan Lee" For Twenty Years

The company Stan Lee Universe, LLC, controlled by Genius Brands International with POW! Entertainment, has signed a 20-year deal to license the name and

bleedingcool.com

Marvel has the right to use Stan Lee's likeness and voice in movies, TV, theme parks and (I assume, it's not stated in the article) comics for the next twenty years. I...this...man, this is a little morbid. It's nice that his legacy will live on...but keeping a dead guy around so they can use him as a puppet to make more money is...kinda dark.

(I guess we know why Marvel needed to drop that Conan license...I'm not even sure if I'm joking or not.)

 

[LiamA]

Think IDW could pick up the Conan license?

 

[AgentOrange]

Think IDW could pick up the Conan license?

No.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Actually, Ablaze (I know, no one's heard of them) has already been publishing some decent-ish adaptations of some of the Conan stories, under "The Cimmerian". They even reprint the original Howard stories along with every issue. If you're really wanting some more Conan, I'd check those out, if you haven't already. I think the Conan books are in the public domain outside of the US, which is how they're able to do that.

SERIES: CIMMERIAN HC

CIMMERIAN HC

www.previewsworld.com

As for who will get the Conan license...well, Dark Horse just got the Star Wars books back. I could see them trying to get Conan back too. And the Dark Horse Conan run was probably the best Conan run, in my opinion. It kind of lost momentum at the end, but I could see Dark Horse being tempted to bring one of their old favorites back.

Image is apparently going for some licenses, if the rumors about Transformers and GI Joe is correct. Conan could fit with them alright.

Dynamite has Red Sonja, and it would be nice to have Conan and Red Sonja back together again. But, they do mostly female lead books...because they know their audience.

I'm not sure about Boom, they haven't been grabbing up as many licenses as they used to.

DC is the least likely place. Not impossible, but I don't see it happening. (I just jinxed it, didn't I?)

As for IDW, I don't know if they're looking for more licensed books right now. I think they REALLY WANT to have more creator-owned and original stories under their belt. If they actually succeed in doing that, we'll see. Also...yeah...they might not be doing so hot financially, and that might be part of why they're dropping licenses.

 

[AgentOrange]

Actually, Ablaze (I know, no one's heard of them) has already been publishing some decent-ish adaptations of some of the Conan stories, under "The Cimmerian". They even reprint the original Howard stories along with every issue. If you're really wanting some more Conan, I'd check those out, if you haven't already. I think the Conan books are in the public domain outside of the US, which is how they're able to do that.

SERIES: CIMMERIAN HC

CIMMERIAN HC

www.previewsworld.com

As for who will get the Conan license...well, Dark Horse just got the Star Wars books back. I could see them trying to get Conan back too. And the Dark Horse Conan run was probably the best Conan run, in my opinion. It kind of lost momentum at the end, but I could see Dark Horse being tempted to bring one of their old favorites back.

Image is apparently going for some licenses, if the rumors about Transformers and GI Joe is correct. Conan could fit with them alright.

I'm not sure about Boom, they haven't been grabbing up as many licenses as they used to.

DC is the least likely place. Not impossible, but I don't see it happening. (I just jinxed it, didn't I?)

As for IDW, I don't know if they're looking for more licensed books right now. I think they REALLY WANT to have more creator-owned and original stories under their belt. If they actually succeed in doing that, we'll see. Also...yeah...they might not be doing so hot financially, and that might be part of why they're dropping licenses.

No one is getting the license. Seriously did none of you bother to actually read the article? Heroic Signatures CEO Fred Malmberg said. "Conan has more than 50 years of comic book publishing. We took the decision to pick up the baton ourselves, not only for Conan but all the other wonderful characters and IP that we control. The publishing program will commence next year but exact details are not final yet." The rights holders will be publishing themselves

 

[ZakuConvoy]

I'll admit, I just skimmed it. I was just looking for information on WHEN Marvel was losing the rights, exactly.

But, honestly, that feels more like corporate-speak than anything else. Them trying to spin Marvel turning down the license renewal into a positive for their company. "No, no, Conan comics can be profitable...we'll do it ourselves...next year...promise." Especially after all the OTHER characters Marvel licensed for a mini or two probably flopped other than Conan, like Solomon Kane and Dark Agnes.

And...I have a feeling we won't see much beyond maybe some reprints? It's just that getting into comics is fairly difficult for ANYONE, and I just have a feeling that they THINK they can do this...but they'll probably find out it isn't cost-effective to do it themselves. These other companies have pools of artists and writers they can call up to see if they're interested on working on a book like this, and I'm not sure if Heroic has those kind of connections themselves in this industry. Not to mention finding a place to actually PRINT the comics.

Plus, someone might make them a offer between now and next year which might change their plans. This news just broke, I'm betting some companies would be willing to float a offer or two. It doesn't hurt to speculate.

 

[Daith]

As for who will get the Conan license...well, Dark Horse just got the Star Wars books back.

And as far as Dark Horse getting Star Wars back, it sounds more like they just got the all ages deal that IDW had. Essentially they get to relaunch the Adventures series as Hyperspace Stories and the yearly Halloween books and Marvel still has the main lines going as they have been. Made it sound like they got the entire thing back, though to be honest I would like to see them back in Dark Horses hands. Marvel isn't doing horrible with the liscense but nothing has been really grabbing me outside of the High Republic lately.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Yeah, I suppose I should have been more specific about Dark Horse only having the "all ages" Star Wars comics. Still, I feel like they're probably glad to have ANY version of Star Wars back, since lately it feels like they have Hellboy and...very little else. (Let's see...BOTH Avatars, Shaolin Cowboy, Stranger Things, Witcher, Overwatch and ElfQuest. That's actually not a bad line up, really.)

And, yeah, I miss the peak of Dark Horse Star Wars, too. It felt like they just had more variety in terms of eras and even tones. Dawn of the Jedi, Knights of the Old Republic, New Jedi Order, Clone Wars, Tag and Bink, The Quinlan Vos Saga, Tales, Legacy...with Marvel it's been almost ALL Original Trilogy all the time, with a few Sequel Trilogy minis here and there. When they threw out the original EU it feels like they lost so much.

For Marvel...I think just about anything with Darth Vader's name on it gets a *little* bit extra care put into it. Either because the creators actually like the character more or because it's just more interesting seeing things from a villain's POV.

Doctor Aphra is divisive, but I like her. She has a unique niche, as a treasure-hunting archaeologist on the run from EVERYONE.

The Bounty Hunters book is kind of interesting, but also a little slow. Valance is kind of a interesting character, even if he's from the original Marvel run from the 70s.

And...well, spoilers, but over in Han Solo and Chewbacca they just met a potentially interesting character...depending on if he is who he says he is.

Spoiler

Han Solo's Father.

But, the main Star Wars book feels dull, more often than not. And that's kind of a big problem. Having to work around the movies just makes things a little too predictable, I think.

And that kind of goes for this Crimson Reign event, too. In theory, a huge conspiracy to take down the Emperor SHOULD be interesting. But, the characters in the conspiracy are all forgettable no-names, so it's a wash.

For High Republic, I haven't read the novels, so my experience has been...muted, probably. It's okay. But, I was expecting something...MORE from it somehow. It feels pretty close to the Prequel Era, really, and I feel like it should have...something different to it, so it feels more "ancient". And it is REALLY stretching out it's plot points, like who the Nihil Pirates are and what was killing the Jedi. But, it's a multi-media project, so the focus probably SHOULD be on the main novels.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

I stopped checking Free Comic Book Day. I didn't know there was an Avatar the Last Airbender comic. What else was out that's good?

 

[ZakuConvoy]

For this year's Free Comic Book Day or just comics in general? Honestly, this years FCBD offerings were...maybe a little weaker than some years.

Here's a list of all the FCBD titles this year (minus DC's offerings):

Free Comic Book Day Catalog

freecomicbookday.com

For FCBD:
Carriers/Beorn/Dragon Whisperer: This was the surprise hit for me this year. Carriers is basically the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles only as pigeons. Beorn comes across like Calvin and Hobbes if Calvin was a actual viking. And Dragon Whisperer is...the weakest of the three, but still about a dragon being sold into slavery.

Clementine/Machineboy/Sea Dragon's Heir: This is probably the beefiest FCBD title, by pure page count. You get a full issue of a Walking Dead spinoff (which...I think has been a part of FCBD in past years). Machineboy is basically Astro Boy. And Sea Dragon's Heir is about a girl who's part sea serpent.

Primos: This one was alright. It's most notable for including both a English and Spanish version of the story in the same issue. A teenager finds out he's the reincarnated leader of the Space Mayans.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Always a solid choice. Half of the issue is a new adventure with Knuckles and the other half is a recap of the entire comic series so far.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Let's say this is a twist on the very first issue of TMNT. It's interesting, but probably only if you're reading the main book.

Avatar/Korra: This one's okay. But half the book is just a preview for a chibi graphic novel. The other story is the Korra cast in a beach episode, though.

Donald Duck, Red Sonja: These are reprints. But, if you've never tried some of the older stuff, they can be a fun time.

Street Fighters Masters Blanka: This is a silent comic with no dialogue. So, you'll finish it in a minute, but it does have Udon's quality art behind it.

DC's Dark Crisis, Spider-Man/Venom, Avengers/X-Men: These are all good. But, they're all setting up future events more so than being satisfying stories in their own right. Of these three, I'd say the Avengers/X-Men book is the best one.

2000 AD: I actually didn't get a chance to grab this one. But, this is usually a really strong FCBD book.




For Comics in general, other than the ones I mentioned just a little bit above:

Do A Powerbomb: A wrestler challenges demons in the underworld to save her mother's soul! From the team that brought us Murder Falcon, about a failed rocker's imaginary friend teaming up with him to fight demons.

Eight Billion Genies: Everyone in the world gets ONE wish, and a bar owner chooses to not be affected by anyone else's wishes while inside of his bar, meanwhile chaos ensues outside.

Jim Henson's Storyteller: If you like mythology, this is a fun book with usually really nice artwork. It's all adaptations of fairy tales and myths from around the world. The latest volume was about Shapeshifters.

The Wrong Earth: Imagine Adam West's Batman and Christian Bale's Batman switching worlds. 'Nuff said!

Albatross Exploding Funnybooks: Basically, a anthology version of all of the Goon and Eric Powell-universe books. It's just a rip-snorting fun time. The dialogue, my goodness. "You know what? I'm glad I burned your mother! GLAD, you hear me!"

By the Horns: A woman is hunting down unicorns to get revenge for a stampede of unicorns killing her husband. From the same team that brought you Voracious, about a chef who inherits a time machine, uses it to go back to dinosaur times, and serves up dinosaurs to his customers to save his restaurant.

Monstress: This is beautifully illustrated. And the story is VERY complex, with a lot of political maneuvers between different factions and races in this fantasy world. It get's REALLY talky though, and goes into a LOT of fictional world politics. Not for everyone.

Dark Crisis: This one actually seems to have a metaphor. Also, this is going oddly slow. I have to wonder if this event will just lead into another event, but so far this is the deepest chapter in Williamson's story.

Again, stuff like Eternals, X-Men, Power Rangers, Rogue Sun, Sonic, TMNT, Usagi Yojimbo, and Once & Future are all solid reads. And, of course, Transformers Last Bot Standing.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Blanka has a comic and it was free?!? Gosh dang, I'm going to have to see if it's available somehow.

Also awesome that Sonic still has a free comic every year.