The Independent/"Adult" Comics Thread

[IAmBatman]

Anybody else read the graphic novel Blankets by Craig Thompson? I just spent the past three and a half hours devouring it (despite being 581 pages, it's a really fast read, due to being mostly visual). Man, what an emotional tour de force! It struck a lot of cords for me and felt really close to home in a lot of ways - whether the first love stuff or the religious stuff ... I'm still reeling from it. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good graphic novel experience outside the usual action/adventure range.

edit: Due to what appears to be demand here and the turn the conversation has taken, I've changed the title from being just about Blankets, to being an independent comics thread.

[soberman]

You know, I've been wanting to read that for quite some time now. I actually saw a very good copy at a local Half-Price Books store, but I was unemployed at the time. :evil: I guess i was shopping to torture myself. :? Nah. You can get great deals there. I have the entire Prince Valiant animated series on hold from there, for about $15 total.

I would strongly suggest Chester Brown's "I Never Liked You", a Yummy Fur graphic novel. It deals with the same types of themes, and has trememdous emotional impact. I was really upset when I put it down...

On the flipside, did you ever check out the graphic novel Ghost World by Daniel Clownes, another coming of age story, though faith is totally absent. For me, at least, it had an unexpected, and likely unintentional effect of demonstrating just how much people need Christ, even though they don't realize it.
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[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

IAmBatman, I've not read Blankets yet. If it's at the Public, I may check it out to read.
It's a massive book and should make for good reading, huh!Really enjoy his style and own a few of his xerox-styled booklets.
What else do you enjoy outside of the superhero stuff and what made you read Blankets?

You know, I've been wanting to read that for quite some time now. I actually saw a very good copy at a local Half-Price Books store, but I was unemployed at the time. :evil: I guess i was shopping to torture myself. :? Nah. You can get great deals there. I have the entire Prince Valiant animated series on hold from there, for about $15 total.

I would strongly suggest Chester Brown's "I Never Liked You", a Yummy Fur graphic novel. It deals with the same types of themes, and has trememdous emotional impact. I was really upset when I put it down...

On the flipside, did you ever check out the graphic novel Ghost World by Daniel Clownes, another coming of age story, though faith is totally absent. For me, at least, it had an unexpected, and likely unintentional effect of demonstrating just how much people need Christ, even though they don't realize it.
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now playing: Cat Power THE GREATEST

Soberman, didn't know you were a comics fan! We should start up an independent comics thread here. There's a lot of good stuff that needs to be exposed!

Yeah, I Never Liked You is a classic! If I find it for cheap on Amazon, I'm going to pick up Chester Brown's Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography. Apparently, it's really good too.
And speaking of Brown, I'll recommend Seth's It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken. Really good read.

Ghost Story was is my public library and I checked it out about 4-5 years ago. There are a lot of laugh out loud moments. The movie was kinda 'eh'.

...There's a Prince Valiant animated series???

Oh, one more graphic novel recommendation -
Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth.
Single-handely the greatest comic being produced right now is Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library. This collection is all the Jimmy Corrigan tale in one massive, beautiful volume.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6142Z55SZDL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

[atmospro]

Bravo Bruce, Blankets is an excellent graphic novel. Now were talking grownup comics.

Here are some other works you should look up:
Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker
Exit and Lost Girl By Nabiel Kanan
Halo, an Angel's Story by Chris Knowles
The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot.
The Barefoot Serpent by Scott Morse
Berlin by Jason Lutes
Breakfast After Noon by Andi Watson
The Black Order Brigade by Pierre Christian and Enki Bilal
Clockwork Angel and Cathedral Child by Lea Hernandez
Will Eisner has many great graphic novel try A Contract with GOD, Dropsie Avenue and New York:The Big City

all HEH recommendation are excellent, too. He just beat me to them.
Okay I got carried away but this stuff beets superdupers any day of the week. These are all stories of human emotion and understanding the human condition.

[wdgrant]

I am a huge fan of comics, and of Craig Thompson. Check out his Goodbye Chunky Rice for another read not quite as good as Blankets. I met him at Chicago ComicCon a couple times and he is always very nice. He also wrote and drew a travelogue which I recommend.

I would love an independent comics thread. I do read a few superhero books, but mostly love any good comic, and there are too many bad ones out there. For those who like a monthly fix and are looking for current books, try Criminal or The Walking Dead. Both are very solid.

I've also seen some people mention Ghost World by Dan Clowes. You should also try his other stuff from Eightball. I especially have a place in my heart for David Boring.

For those who do like great superhero stuff, check out James Robinson's Starman series. It was my favorite book while it was still going, and that is saying alot since Preacher and Stray Bullets were both going strong at the time.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the just recently concluded Y The Last Man. I won't include any spoilers, but I am sad to see it go, and I can only say that it had a fantastic ending. I'm sure I'll chime in with some of my other favorites later, because I have way too many to list in one post. (I will second the fact the Jimmy Corrigan is great, as well as Eisner's books and Talbot's Tale of One Bad Rat, which never gets enough love.)

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

(I will second the fact the Jimmy Corrigan is great,
The latest volume of the Acme Novelty Library is 18.
Chris Ware has paused the Rusty Brown/Chalky White storyline and focused on a one-legged college girl.

I'm really impressed with this latest story arc. The Rusty/Chalky storyline felt overly forceful in depicting awkward, dorky young boys.
The switch to the female character is nice and the story is interesting.

I'm tempted to scan a bunch of ANL pages and put them up in a thread all of its own.
Each page is a truly AMAZING individual comic masterpieces as I'm sure you know.

I don't think we seen the likes of such a grand, amazing, cartoonist like Ware since Windsor McCay.

I'm proud and feel privileged to live in a day and age of Heroscape and Chris Ware.

[soberman]

Hex_Enduction_Hour wrote:

Soberman didn't know you were a comics fan!

And I didn't realize what your December avatar was until watching some Christmas DVDs! Pretty slick. :wink: Anyhow, since you didn't know that about me, I'm assuming you missed this:

(Page 22)
http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=10275&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=315

and this:

(Page 6)
http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=9263&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75

BTW, you owe me $1 for that stoopid flickering tealight I bought that couldn't light a hive unless I wanted to play under cover of total darkness!

atmospro wrote:

Berlin by Jason Lutes

I tried to follow it. I really like Jar of Fools, but this series is published too sporadically, and, sadly, I've given up on it.

Breakfast After Noon by Andi Watson

I have it on my shelf. I never got to it as I was attempting to wade through the early volumes of Skeleton Key. My friend promised me it would get better, but I was losing patience with it. I'll have to skip them and read this, which he bought me.

Will Eisner has many great graphic novel try A Contract with GOD, Dropsie Avenue and New York:The Big City

Boy, that is so totally on my "to buy" list, and has been for years. Sadly, the closest I've come to Eisner is reading remakes of the Spirit- the Dark Horse (?) series from years back and the current Darwyn Cooke series, but never the originals. :(

wdgrant wrote:

For those who do like great superhero stuff, check out James Robinson's Starman series. It was my favorite book while it was still going, and that is saying alot since Preacher and Stray Bullets were both going strong at the time.

I loves me some Stray Bullets! I haven't tried the others, though my friend goes nuts over Robinson's stuff, as well as Y The Last Man and The Walking Dead. Preacher concerned me, being informed about the personality of Garth Ennis AND catholic, so I avoided it. Can't be as asinine as Battle Pope, though.

For Vertigo, I was onboard in the early days, with Books of Magic, Black Orchid, Kid Eternity, Moonshadow, Seekers: Into the Mystery and The Last One. These last 3 are from J.M DeMatteis, who wasn't afraid to put his new age spirituality front and center in his comics. The Last One, about a fallen angel trapped on earth, is one of the single best things I've ever read. These days, however, I think Vertigo comics try too hard to be weird, so I avoid them. I probably would like Fables, though.

Does anyone like Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve? I just love the little slice of life stories with open-endness that allows you to imagine what happens next. I also like Greg Rucka's stuff for Oni Press, Whiteout and Queen and Country. (His superhero work is great as well.) Kabuki by David Mack and Shi by Bill Tucci are good reads that feature butt-kicking Asian girls. 'Nuff said.

Which reminds me, I think manga needs to be brought into the discussion, so I'll name a few. AKIRA and Domu by Katsuhiro Otomo, mainly because nobody is as adept as Otomo is at filling page after page with things blowing-up while still telling an intelligent story. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind by anime director extraordinare Hayao Miyazaki is a small-scale epic on the order of Tolkien, if he used illustrations. 2001 Nights by Yokinobu Hoshino is the best short science fiction comic book series I've ever seen. Monster by Naoki Urasawa is a sprawling thriller that is currently being printed. Tomie by Junji Ito is a horror comic that resonates with any guy who has dated a pathological narcissist. Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike is a wonderful fuedal-era period piece. Finally, anything by Japan's "God of Comics", Osamu Tezuka, is worth checking into. I found his Adolf series to be a simply stunning character study about 3 men named Adolf during WWII, one a Jewish boy living in Germany, another his best friend who becomes part of the Hitler youth, and the other, naturally, Hitler himself.

See ya in the funny pages!
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now playing: Worldwide Hits (best of Adam Again)

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

And I didn't realize what your December avatar was until watching some Christmas DVDs! Pretty slick. :wink:
....

BTW, you owe me $1 for that stoopid flickering tealight I bought that couldn't light a hive unless I wanted to play under cover of total darkness!


Millions of grains of sand in the word
Why such a lonely beach?

....

and that flickering tealight thing? What, you don't play in the dark?!?
Seriously, it wasn't bright enough for you hive to make a difference?

[soberman]

Millions of grains of sand in the word
Why such a lonely beach?...

Okay, I'm thick, 'cuz I don't get it.

and that flickering tealight thing? What, you don't play in the dark?!?
Seriously, it wasn't bright enough for you hive to make a difference?

I play in the dark sometimes, if ya know what I mean. :wink: Seriously, no. We here in Pennsylvania must have the ghettoest of ghetto dollar stores. :roll:

[atmospro]

To start with and as HEH already knows I was a creator in the comic industry some years ago.

I have it on my shelf. I never got to it as I was attempting to wade through the early volumes of Skeleton Key. My friend promised me it would get better, but I was losing patience with it. I'll have to skip them and read this, which he bought me.

I love he more intricate difficult to read stuff. I liked Skeleton Key much. I'm one of the few who followed The Adventures of Luther Arkwright though from beginning to end same for Thriller.

Boy, that is so totally on my "to buy" list, and has been for years. Sadly, the closest I've come to Eisner is reading remakes of the Spirit- the Dark Horse (?) series from years back and the current Darwyn Cooke series, but never the originals.

Get thee to a comic shop at once. Thou can not proclaim to know the graphic novel with out reading the master.
In all seriousness Will Eisner was the absolute best and the originator of indy comics and the graphic novel his work are second to none.

Does anyone like Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve? I just love the little slice of life stories with open-endness that allows you to imagine what happens next. I also like Greg Rucka's stuff for Oni Press, Whiteout and Queen and Country. (His superhero work is great as well.) Kabuki by David Mack and Shi by Bill Tucci are good reads that feature butt-kicking Asian girls. 'Nuff said.

Optic Nerve is fantastic. I'm also fan Greg Rucka work. Whiteout is far superior to Queen and Country though. Kabuki is decent and Shi is not good at all.

One thing that has not been brought up as of yet is the work of the Hernandez brothers. Love and Rockets along with the now lengthy stand a lone books is a great body of work.

And for soberman because everyone seem to love superhero book some that I think are worth reading

MiracleMan – 1982 version by Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman and art by Alan Davis , Chuck Beckum, Rick Veitch, John Totleben, Barry Windsor-Smith and Mark Buckingham, the list of creators is astounding and all the way from the UK. This is the way the ultra Superman types should be portrayed.

Power and Glory -Howard Chaykin's mini series turned graphic novel, a very different look at who(i)s (what makes) a hero.

Mage: The Hero Discovered by Matt Wagner (of Grendel fame) is Story of Kevin Matchstick a modern day King Arthur well maybe.

Heroes – This indy by John Nordland maybe hard to find its by Blackbird Comics and its for all you X-men fans, mutant as they should be done nuff said. Oh its B&W multi tone penciled artwork, beautifully render.

Madman - Mike Allred’s strange and unique three-stooge style jab to the eye superhero is one of a kind.

“X” – By Steven Grant a vigilante hero unlike any you have seen before or since

Nexus – Mike Baron and Steven Rude - Judge, Jury, and intergalactic Executioner, hero/villain, savior/terrorist tiring to cope with the gift/lot that has been bestowed on him.

Marshall Law created by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill.

Northguard co-created by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette is one of the most sophisticated depictions ever of a national superhero. Issued by Matrix comics here in Canada, Northguard and Fleur-de-Lys (major supporting character) were depicted on national stamps.

MoonKnight – created by Doug Moench and Doug Perlin is the most p.s.y.cologically complex superhero Marvel has ever produced (even beyond Jim Starlin’s Adam Warlock). The original series run is a sight to behold with Bill Sienkiewicz on the art chores and deep brooding stories of a tortured soul with multiple personality disorder. This book was one of a very few direct sales only Marvel books at the time.

The Death of Captain Marvel – Powerful story in GN format, by Jim Starlin as a way to work though his own fathers death, that happened month before starting work. This work returned Jim to comics after a long absence.

When I start talking comic it hard to stop.

[soberman]

Optic Nerve is fantastic. I'm also fan Greg Rucka work. Whiteout is far superior to Queen and Country though. Kabuki is decent and Shi is not good at all.

I liked "Heaven and Earth". That was good Shi. Yes, it quickly fell apart after that...but the whole internal conflict of christian vs killer was wonderful.

Madman - Mike Allred’s strange and unique three-stooge style jab to the eye superhero is one of a kind.

Nexus – Mike Baron and Steven Rude - Judge, Jury, and intergalactic Executioner, hero/villain, savior/terrorist tiring to cope with the gift/lot that has been bestowed on him.


I loves me some Madman and Nexus!

[IAmBatman]

IAmBatman, I've not read Blankets yet. If it's at the Public, I may check it out to read.
It's a massive book and should make for good reading, huh!Really enjoy his style and own a few of his xerox-styled booklets.
What else do you enjoy outside of the superhero stuff and what made you read Blankets?

I actually, quite shamefully, haven't explored many graphic novels outside of superhero stuff - though I've come to find that graphic literature is my favorite form of storytelling.
I read Blankets as part of a great Graphic Novel class I'm taking in graduate school right now. We've been reading a lot of other stuff, but none moved me quite so much as this one so far.
Though Lynda Barry's "The Freddie Stories" was a twisted, fun little masterpiece all its own.

[soberman]

IamBatman, in that case may I suggest "Love Fights" by the aforementioned Andi Watson. It's an indie comic (Oni Press) that deals with a superhero's romantic life.

Also, I forgot to mention EAGLE: The Making of an Asian American President by Kaiji Kawaguchi in my manga selections. A deft weaving of 80% political thriller with 20% soap opera thrown in for an element of human interest and plot advancement. The most political comic ever.
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now playing Concrete Blonde on http://www.wyep.org

[IAmBatman]

Cool. Lots of interesting looking recommendations on here that I'll have to check out as time and money allow!

[jaques]

Here's a funny short story by Alex Robinson. (http://www.comicbookalex.com/HungUp.html)

I highly recommend Alex's Box Office Poison (http://members.aol.com/bopalex/) and Tricked (http://www.comicbookalex.com/Tricked.html).

Box Office Poison in particular is a must-read for anyone who likes slice-of-life comics and has a nostalgia for the old days of super-hero comics.

[Ted_Danson]

I just Read Kick-A$$ by Mark Millar and John Romita JR.

AWESOME! So I figured I'd stop by here, read some of the titles on this topic, and add a few of my own.

Wanted
Soon to be a major motion picture that is nothing like the comic, this book is full of crime wickedness and insanity. Also written by Mark Millar. He really has a gift. I read a ton of his Marvel books, and they never cease to amaze me. His best run to date, not including Kick-Ass, was his Marvel Knights run on Wolverine: Enemy of the State. 12 action packed issues that hold a great story about Wolvie being turned into a bad guy.

The Invisibles
Grant Morrison really broke the mold with this insane "team" book. It is the source material for the Matrix movies, only completely different, and 3,000,000 times better. If you want to feel like you are taking drugs without ever having to do so, these 7 Graphic Novels will take you there and back. The only let down was the last book, being the last book, it didn't really carry the feel of the entire series to a nice complete stop.

Fables
If you like fairy tales, but wish all of the characters lived in the same continuity, in New York, and were filled with sex and murder, then this is the book for you. The Big Bad Wolf is a private detective!

I read a ton of comics, but it is titles like the ones I have mentioned, along with tons that have been mentioned on here so far, that maintain my wife's hate for my weekly addiction. I hop title to title, begging to be blown away, and more often than not, I totally am.

Read comics forever! I'm already training my 2 year old how to handle comics, and buying him 2 or 3 a month.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

I checked out Pride of Baghdad from my local public library.
Got around to reading it last night.
Pride is a decent read. Loved the concept and the events that were the inspiration for the story.

Book Description
In the award-winning series Y: THE LAST MAN and EX MACHINA (one of Entertainment Weeklys 2005 Ten Best Fiction titles), writer Brian K. Vaughan demonstrates an understanding of the cost of survival and the political nuances of the modern world. In this provocative, acclaimed graphic novelavailable for the first time in trade paperbackVaughan examines life on the streets of war-torn Iraq.In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid.Lost and confused, hungry but free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle to survive.In documenting the plight of the lions, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD raises questions about the true meaning of liberationcan it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice?And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?Based on a true story, Vaughan and artist Niko Henrichon open a unique and heartbreaking window on the nature of life during wartime, illuminating this struggle as only the graphic novel can.



Up to par artwork by Niko Henrichon.
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/prideframe1.jpg

Well worth checking this book out!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nEBlsSokL._SL500_BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Baghdad-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1401203159/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207605963&sr=8-1)

[DarkBladeCB]

So... I just read through this really fast and nobody mentioned BLACK HOLE yet. It's Charles Burns' classic that I think Neil Gaiman is scripting the film for. Go read it before it becomes popular and you, too, can be pretentious and tell your friends to read the graphic novel that they've never heard of!

[ewabbie]

I just reserved Blankets at the library. Looking forward to reading it.

[netherspirit]

Not a graphic novel, but I read the first mini-series of The Damned by Cullen Dunn and Brian Hurtt today. It's really good.

During the prohibition era, gangsters grew rich on vices of the people, and rivalries between criminal organizations resulted in open war. But unknown to the masses, a more sinister power controlled the crime cartels, using greed, gluttony, lust, and other sins to fuel a much more lucrative trade: mortal souls. Three demon families—the Aligheris, the Roarkes, and the Verlochin—control soul-trafficking within the city, capitalizing on “the rackets” to lead unfortunates into their grasp and poor Eddie is caught in the middle…A graphic novel that I just read is called Borrowed Time by Neal Shaffer and Joe Infurnari. Its pretty interesting too, I'm looking forward to the next one coming out as its going to be 6 books.

So, you've pretty much got it all. A great girlfriend, a nice apartment, a job you love that sends you all over the world. Life doesn't get much better. Taylor Devlin thought as much. But when this journalist returns home from an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle, he discovers his old life isn't there anymore and the world has changed rather dramatically.
That's the basic premise of "Borrowed Time," a series of six graphic novels by writer Neal Shaffer and artist Joe Infunari, the first of which saw publication last year from Oni Press.

Just thought I would add some of the ongoing series that I am reading:

The Sword
Invincible
Dynamo 5
Fear Agent
Astounding Wolf-Man
The Walking Dead
Ex-Machina
Star Wars Legacy
Star Wars Dark Times

[ninthdoc]

I'd highly recommend almost anything that Red 5 Comics puts out. They are a fairly new company being headed by Paul Enns (the guy behind TheForce.net). Their titles are as follows:

Atomic Robo - Very much like Hellboy, but with a more innocent main character.

Neozoic - An alternate history for Earth finds that dinosaurs never went extinct and humans have to find a way to co-exist with them.

Afterburn - An asteroid causes the Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth to become a radioactive wasteland. Mercenaries are conscripted to travel to these parts of the Earth to collect the treasures left there. Meanwhile the Mercs find the mutations and radiation sickened populace there.

Abyss - A parody of all things in the comic book world. I'm not much of a humor reader, but this is very well written.

The only one of their titles that I don't care for is called MidKnight. It reminded me very much of The Incredibles, but The Incredibles did not suck and MidKnight does. I just didn't like it at all.

When it comes to quality, Red 5 Comics does not screw around. Their comics are printed on heavier paper and with stunning colors. The books themselves are better quality than both Marvel and DC and they cost the exact same amount.

If you can find Red 5 comics, buy them up. They are 110% pure awesome.

[Fallen Templar]

I don't know if this is the right place to talk about this comic specifically but I've really gotten into the DMZ Comic Series from Vertigo imprints. I've read the first 4 Trade Paperback Volumes{On the Ground, Body of a Journalist, Public Works, and Friendly Fire) I'm hooked and impatiently waiting for Volume 5: The Hidden War. I'm really ticked I missed this series when they were publishing them. This is one of the best comics I've ever read

http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/135/DMZCv6.jpg

[netherspirit]

I don't know if this is the right place to talk about this comic specifically but I've really gotten into the DMZ Comic Series from Vertigo imprints. I've read the first 4 Trade Paperback Volumes{On the Ground, Body of a Journalist, Public Works, and Friendly Fire) I'm hooked and impatiently waiting for Volume 5: The Hidden War. I'm really ticked I missed this series when they were publishing them. This is one of the best comics I've ever read

http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/135/DMZCv6.jpg

I've been meaning to get around to reading those. Maybe I'll move them to the top of my reading list now.

[ewabbie]

Just finished Blankets and loved it. This was my first graphic novel to read and must thank Heroscapers with getting me interested in reading it from all of your reviews.

You may want to check out Craig Thompson's blog page (http://blog.dootdootgarden.com/2008/03/), it has some good rough drawings from the book and others.

[JediNate]

As some of you have already said I really like DMZ and the Preacher series was an interesting ride. Whiteout by Oni press was also a good read. I am curious however, have any of you read The Red Star Series? The story is something along the lines that the Russians combined magic with technology and exist in a reality where the outcome of the Cold War was different. My local comic store has the TPB of them and they have some really distinct artwork in them.

[wdgrant]

Just wanted to revive this thread a little.

Anybody read the conclusion to SCUD? I started that series on about issue 5 and was super pissed when Schrab quite on it. I think he did a good job with the last four issues. Made me wish there were more to come.

I've also come to enjoy Oeming's (of Powers fame) Mice Templar. Me and my son were reading Mouse Guard, and I couldn't resist another anthropomorphic medieval story. Both solid, and surprisingly very different.

Finally, I'll put a plug in for Jason Lutes' Berlin. Someone mentioned that he couldn't follow it due to a very sporadic schedule, which is completely true, but he has put out about 5 issues this year. Looks like he is rededicating and I hope people jump on board.

[DarkBladeCB]

I don't know if this is the right place to talk about this comic specifically but I've really gotten into the DMZ Comic Series from Vertigo imprints. I've read the first 4 Trade Paperback Volumes{On the Ground, Body of a Journalist, Public Works, and Friendly Fire) I'm hooked and impatiently waiting for Volume 5: The Hidden War. I'm really ticked I missed this series when they were publishing them. This is one of the best comics I've ever read

http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/135/DMZCv6.jpg

I've personally much preferred Woods' work on DEMO and LOCAL than his work on DMZ. They just re-released DEMO in it's original size, and I'm pretty excited about that. I know that the first six issues of Northlanders have come out, so I'm going to be picking that up when it gets collected.

I dunno if anybody else does the quirky high school dramedy genre, but Blue Monday (Oni Press) is something to look at, too.

[wdgrant]

I've personally much preferred Woods' work on DEMO and LOCAL than his work on DMZ. They just re-released DEMO in it's original size, and I'm pretty excited about that. I know that the first six issues of Northlanders have come out, so I'm going to be picking that up when it gets collected.

DMZ was very strong to begin, but I feel like it lost some momentum in the teen issues. I have enjoyed the most recent storyline, so I hope that bodes well for the future.

As for Northlanders, I have enjoyed it very much. The first trade will likely be 8 issues, because that is the length of the first storyline. I think issue 8 was in my pull group last week, so hopefully the trade will be close behind for you.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Just wanted to revive this thread a little.

Anybody read the conclusion to SCUD? I started that series on about issue 5 and was super pissed when Schrab quite on it. I think he did a good job with the last four issues. Made me wish there were more to come.

I've also come to enjoy Oeming's (of Powers fame) Mice Templar. Me and my son were reading Mouse Guard, and I couldn't resist another anthropomorphic medieval story. Both solid, and surprisingly very different.

Finally, I'll put a plug in for Jason Lutes' Berlin. Someone mentioned that he couldn't follow it due to a very sporadic schedule, which is completely true, but he has put out about 5 issues this year. Looks like he is rededicating and I hope people jump on board.



I always wanted to read SCUD!
It was featured in some music magazine I happened to be browsing.
It was the scene where SCUD is battling some weird octopus thing.
Looked really cool.

Never read Berlin, but would like to.
I have the MouseGuard issues on my computer, but have not had a chance to read them.


~

Anyone enjoy Vaughn Bode's work?
I pulled out all my Bode collection. I'm blown away every time I read his stuff. It blows my mind how unique his stuff was - the dialogue, lettering, panels, the cartoony, but incredibly cool weapons, machinery, robots, and vehicles.
The characters are wonderful and the colors - !
He was just amazing.

While on vacation and utilizing IMovie, I made a slideshow of images culled from a AWOL Bode fan site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGH1QRA6eZU

There are three clips of Bode sketching and talking at a Toronto comic con. Here's the first if anyone's interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZZhTUCV7I&feature=related
A rare and valuable primary source. I'm happy someone uploaded this footage!

[Roland]

I went ahead and got Pride and the visuals were stunning, the story was amazing, and the giraffe scene shocked me to speechlessness followed by an exclamatory.

[IAmBatman]

I just realized that the "Adult" in the title of this thread could misconstrue the topic as being about X-Rated comics or something, which of course was not my intent...

[Disposable Hero]

Try something by Garth Ennis. He wrote Punisher, Preacher, and The Boys. However, these have VERY heavy subject matter, so be forewarned.

[IAmBatman]

I can get into heavy. Just so long as the characters have depth and come off as interesting human beings, I can get into it.

[Disposable Hero]

I can get into heavy. Just so long as the characters have depth and come off as interesting human beings, I can get into it.
Watchmen, then. But, if you're prepared, read one of those. But Preacher is pretty controversial.

[IAmBatman]

I've got Watchmen. Best super hero graphic novel I've ever read.

[SuperflyTNT]

/sign

[wdgrant]

I can get into heavy. Just so long as the characters have depth and come off as interesting human beings, I can get into it.
Watchmen, then. But, if you're prepared, read one of those. But Preacher is pretty controversial.

I love Ennis, and Preacher is great. Heavy isn't really the only warning. There are many cringeworthy moments in all his books. Don't read them if you are easily offended.

With that warning, Preacher is the book of his with the most depth for the characters. His other books have people who can be very caricature-like. That doesn't mean they aren't worth reading. Preacher is in my top three series of all time; Starman (by James Robinson) and Sandman round out the three. By series, I mean ongoing book at one point. Watchmen, Dark Knight, etc. fall outside of this category to me.

[IAmBatman]

My top series of all time is Invincible. Hard to say beyond that - I love Batman but the sheer volume of his various series has tended to dilute the overall quality a bit.

[wdgrant]

My top series of all time is Invincible. Hard to say beyond that - I love Batman but the sheer volume of his various series has tended to dilute the overall quality a bit.

I have the first two or three trades of Invincible, but it never quite grabbed me. I do love Kirkman's The Walking Dead. It may be my current favorite series (or a close second to Criminal).

I also am a Batman fan. I assume you have read Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. Those are two of my favorite Batman stories.

[IAmBatman]

Year One is great. I find DKR a bit uneven for my tastes, honestly. It's definitely an Elseworlds version of Batman. Though the fight with Superman is definitely worth the cost of admission.

[Disposable Hero]

Has anyone read Maxwell Strangewell? It's the weirdest comic I've ever read. It's about this photographer girl whho finds an amnesiac alien who can only communicate through empathetic telepathy and supposedly he's a source of ultimate power. It gets weirder: The supporting cast is two space pirates, two Tibetan monks, a foulmouthed alien the size of an action figure, the photog girl's father (who's a doctor), an FBI agent whose partner turns out to be an evil alien, and a guy who lives on the moon and looks like Moses until he enters the Earth's atmosphere (by jumping) and burns all his skin off. The villains are a race of evil accountants who have a third eye that pops out of their heads and another race called the Dragul who are led by the vicious General Bloodsow. Yes, Bloodsow.

[IAmBatman]

I haven't read it ... but now I want to!

[wdgrant]

I just read Alison Bechdel's Fun Home. I know this is a couple years old and has garnered much praise, but I will add my admiration for this as well. Autobiographical comics have increased over the years, and very few live up to the greats like Pekar and Crumb, but this book is fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone.

[IAmBatman]

I'll echo that recommendation. I also very much enjoyed "Fun Home."

[SamRI]

It doesn't fall into the category of things I usually read, and just seeing the cover without knowing anything about it, you'd assume it was manga, but I've fallen in love with "Scott Pilgrim." It's great for the 20's-30's age group.

[Disposable Hero]

There's a really interesting mangta called Bizenghast out there/. It's printed like an American comic, and it's all about ghosts and spirits and such.

[wdgrant]

It doesn't fall into the category of things I usually read, and just seeing the cover without knowing anything about it, you'd assume it was manga, but I've fallen in love with "Scott Pilgrim." It's great for the 20's-30's age group.

I haven't read the last book or two of this, but I agree. The three I have read are fun, fast paced and highly enjoyable.

Man, I need to become independently wealthy so I have time and money for all the comics and games that need read and played. Anyone have any suggestions?