No, I don't mean Marvel NOW, but feel free to include them. Go nuts and shill out any comic you find underrated or selling poorly; encourage pick up. NOW.
Scarlet Spider: consistently well-written and drawn, VERY different spiderfolk with Kaine from the Clone Saga (but done well), distinctive and enjoyable supporting cast established very well early on, has both one-shot stories, ongoing arcs, and series-encompassing arcs. Buy. NOW.
Demon Knights: typically below even the #100 mark, for no reason I can fathom. FANTASTIC fantasy comic with a great mix of old and new fantasy DC characters, well-done with both creative teams thus far, completely different from anything else in the 52, engaging adventure and interesting characters, it must be bought. NOW.
The Legend of Oz - The Wicked West: fun, and an actually distinct way to play around with the classics, and does delve into Oz lore beyond what's pop-culturally known, albeit only into the second volume. Despite the cheesecake incentive covers, definitely worth everyone's time. Including...NOW.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Scarlet Spider: consistently well-written and drawn, VERY different spiderfolk with Kaine from the Clone Saga (but done well), distinctive and enjoyable supporting cast established very well early on, has both one-shot stories, ongoing arcs, and series-encompassing arcs. Buy. NOW.
Agreed - this is one of my favorite titles right now.
A little (okay more than a little) backstory:
Crazy, degenerating clone Kaine died to save Peter Parker during the 'Grim Hunt Story' he was revived by the Jackal (the original creator of the clones) and turned into a spider monstrosity and used as the template for the mutations in 'Spider-Island'. Kaine was exposed to the cure and healed back into a normal clone, free of the insanity and degeneration that plagued the character before. He teams up with Spider-man to save the day, and disappears wearing one of Spider-man's new high-tech suits, at the advice of Madame Web. He now also has 'the Other' powers (including wrist stingers), having died and come back to life. He ends up in Houston and the story goes from there.
One of my favorite titles currently is Hawkeye. Like Iron Fist before it, I was a little turned off by the side character and the art style, but I've since grown to love it, and it has definitely made Hawkeye into much more entertaining character for me. After all, he's basically just a guy who can aim really well on a team with gods.
I don't think Invincible or The Walking Dead need playing up at this point, but they've both consistently been my favorite books since I first started reading them seven(ish) years ago.
AI don't think Invincible or The Walking Dead need playing up at this point, but they've both consistently been my favorite books since I first started reading them seven(ish) years ago.
Nope, but Invincible as being "written by that walking dead guy" is a great way to introduce non-comic fans to comics.
Nope, but Invincible as being "written by that walking dead guy" is a great way to introduce non-comic fans to comics.
Haha, it's funny because for me it was the opposite. I was looking for a single ongoing that I didn't need to buy a ton of back issues for, and people recommended it. The black and white art of the Walking Dead turned me off at first - but that's because I'm stupid.
Check out Private Eye by Brian K Vaughan and Marcos Martin. It's pay what you want, digital only, and available on panelsyndicate.com. It's a colorful cyberpunk, detective tale and it's pretty awesome. I like it as much as BKV's Saga.
Superior Spider-Man - It's actually AMAZING (heh)! The series has blown me away with its plot and sense of humor. I have never wanted to find out what happens at the end of an issue as badly as I did for SSM #9. This series represents the full spectrum of the classic Marvel comics manner of action, adventure, character development, wit, and mystery. HIGHLY recommended.
Avenging Spider-Man - Generally a good, fun read. It recognizes the events that happen in SSM, but is an entirely separate book focusing on Spider-Man's team-ups and fights against (usually) odd characters like Hypno-Hustler and Devil Dinosaur. Like I said, it is fun. Recommended for Spidey fans. Worth a read for a good laugh and off-the-wall story for everyone else.
Daredevil - The first couple years were exceptional. The series won a number of awards for good reason. The writing is excellent, funny, emotional, and it makes you believe that the characters could be real people, rather than just heroes in tights. The art has really impressed me in the ways that it conveys Daredevil's blindness. The last few issues I read didn't seem to be as good as all the ones that came before, but I am about 2 or 3 issues behind. Hopefully the series isn't going to fall apart. Still highly recommended.
Morbius - Personally I'm loving the direction Marvel has taken with Morbius. It's so easy to write this character wrong or boring. In this series, he starts out as a homeless man on the run from the law. He finds himself in a bad neighborhood overrun with gang violence, stands up to the bad guys, and is thrust into the role of city protector. Things are heating up as a classic villain was recently revealed to be behind the crime in the city. The series has a good, but subtle sense of humor. Thankfully, Morbius is not portrayed as a whiney vampire. Instead, he's like a cross between Spider-Man and the Punisher. He tries not to kill people, but when push comes to shove, blood will be spilled.
Savage Wolverine - Frank Cho is an excellent writer and an extremely talented artist. I don't really understand the point of this series, but it seems to be a standalone title like Avenging Spider-Man. The first arc was action packed and hilarious, but had a highly confusing cliffhanger ending that made the storyline feel entirely incomplete. The second arc is by Zeb Wells and apparently won't be connected to the previous arc, so I don't know what is going on. Read for fun, but not for a satisfying ending (yet?).
to
Captain Marvel - I love, love, love her new outfit. It looks great - especially the face mask - on its own, but I also appreciate that it is waaaay less sexist than her Ms. Marvel swimsuit uniform. The writing is good, but I don't feel a strong connection to any of the characters. I didn't care too much for the first storyline involving time travel, but it wasn't terrible. Unfortunately, I don't particularly like the current Avengers crossover storyline of Captain Marvel having a brain lesion either. The art also took a turn for the very bad in my opinion. I'm dropping the series after this arc is over.
Thanos Rising - This is grimdark. I honestly thought they were going to portray Thanos as some sort of sympathetic character. They haven't. At all. He is a monster through and through. I couldn't read much of this stuff, but at 6 issues, I'm going to stick with it. Not sure I'd recommend this one. I think it will depend on whether the ending is worth the darkness getting there.
:rate0:?
Captain America - More grimdark. I hated this series so bad I returned my issues for partial store credit. What should be pure comic book gold has been turned into a tale of spousal abuse and a Captain America so distraught that he considered suicide and asked a child to perform a mercy killing if things got too bad. Where is the swashbuckling symbol of liberty and hope of ye olden days? This isn't Sin City, Marvel. Also, I hate how John Romita, Jr. draws children. I wish I'd never even read this comic and I hope you don't have to either.
Okay, seriously people, pick up Swamp Thing already! Charles Soule's run is 4 issues in, and is VERY good thus far, and the entirety of Scott Snyder's run beforehand is great...yet I find it's very, very low on the sales charts. DC is cancel-happy this year folks; get on the bandwagon. NOW.
Speaking of low in the charts, why oh why is Captain Marvel [Marvel NOW] so damn low?! Carol Danvers has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe, she has stories that are very good to read through, there's a lot of depth hinted at and brought to the forefront that compels you, you love Carol's interactions with her supporting cast and her fellow Avengers...yet it's not even ranking at 20k physical copies right now. WHY?
Quick rapid-fire of the underrated: Vibe! The Movement! The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires! (yes, I know, I know) Bravest Warriors! All-Star Western! The Legend of Oz! Aquaman!
Thanos Rising - This is grimdark. I honestly thought they were going to portray Thanos as some sort of sympathetic character. They haven't. At all. He is a monster through and through. I couldn't read much of this stuff, but at 6 issues, I'm going to stick with it. Not sure I'd recommend this one. I think it will depend on whether the ending is worth the darkness getting there.
:rate0:?
Captain America - More grimdark. I hated this series so bad I returned my issues for partial store credit. What should be pure comic book gold has been turned into a tale of spousal abuse and a Captain America so distraught that he considered suicide and asked a child to perform a mercy killing if things got too bad. Where is the swashbuckling symbol of liberty and hope of ye olden days? This isn't Sin City, Marvel. Also, I hate how John Romita, Jr. draws children. I wish I'd never even read this comic and I hope you don't have to either.
With all due respect, I want to focus on the GOOD ones. In particular, stuff that more people should read, not stuff like Superior Spider-Man which consistently shows up in the top ten. Last month, it showed up TWICE. It doesn't need more attention.
Sorry you don't like Captain Marvel right now. Still don't think it should be dropped if you're already reading that few comics. If you DO drop it and want to stick with Marvel specifically, pick up Scarlet Spider or adjectiveless Wolverine.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
As Necro mentioned, Captain Marvel is really quite fantastic, and I am not sure how you could stop reading the book after the last issue's conclusion, but to each their own. In addition some of the best stuff I am reading is:
Hawkeye: I am a bit shocked that it has not been mentioned yet, but this is going to be one of those titles that people look back on ten years from now and and talk about as enormously influential. Matt Fraction's writing is stellar as usual, and the visual style takes a sparse indi style and cleans it up really nicely. The book's premise is pretty simple, it is about what Hawkeye does when he is not busy being Hawkeye. It is funny, sad, surprisingly exciting, and wildly inventive. With the exception of a couple of books each issue is entirely self contained too, so it is really easy to jump in at any point.
Saga: Brian K. Vaughan has done it again. This epic space drama somehow takes the familiar and overdone story of Romeo and Juliet and makes it one of the most inventive books out there. The art is pretty amazing, and is really for mature audiences. This is another book, like Y The Last Man and Watchmen, that is a must read for anyone even remotely into comics.
Locke and Key: This book is about to wrap up, and it will be seriously missed. It is a strange suspense story with horror tones about a house and the keys found within that have weird "powers". The story has great characters and such fantastic pacing that you find yourself gasping as if you were watching a film. It is genuinely scary at times, though not gory and rarely violent.
Gambit: Okay, I really just love Gambit, but this has been a fun series so far. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and is a fun adventure story with lots of cheeky dialog. The art is not really my cup of tea, but it is not offputting enough to not read.
Dial H: Weird story about a schlubby youth who finds a magical telephone dial that turns him into some of the strangest "superheroes" you have seen since The Tick. The protagonists are very honest and believable, and the story is playing out quite nicely.
X-Factor: Sadly they are about to end this series, and it will be a dark X-day in the X-iverse. This has been one of my favorite X-titles for quite a while, even though I tend to like most of them, and has had some of the best stories. In case you don't know, X-Factor is a detective agency created by mutants after they grew tired of the flashy X-Men style crime fighting. It is noire enough to be noticeable, but is not overly trope heavy.
Suicide Squad: I am not a huge DC guy, but boy have I liked Harley Quinn since back in the days of Batman: the Animated Series in the '90s. She has recieved a bit of a make-over which has it's detractors, but I think she looks pretty great still. She is part of a hush-hush crew of criminals forced to do not-strictly-legal jobs of Maria Hill turn for time knocked off their sentences. These are some dark and violent people that are constantly tugging at their leashes. Good fun!
X-Men: This title just started and it is looking like it will be a lot of fun. It is an all female cast of favorites (Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke, Rachel Grey and Jubilee), and they are pulling no punches.
Deadpool: Because Deadpool is awesome. Honestly you either love him or hate him, and if you love him you will probably read anything he is in (I know I will). He is like Spider Man but with 200% more killing, bullets, and plot twists. I find Spider Man to be cheesy and his humor to be predictable, whereas DP makes me laugh out loud at least once in every issue.
Uncanny Avengers: I am hit or miss on Avengers books, but this one has been really interesting with the "NOW" issues. Lots of tension, though I could do with a bit less speechifying. Never the less, it has Rogue in it and one of my least favorite X-Men (Cyclops) is the bad guy, so it really has a lot of appeal for me.
There are sooooo many more that I like and am reading right now, and I am spending far too much on books every week, but I really think some of the best books in years are being published right now.
READ IMAGINE AGENTS FROM BOOM STUDIOS. PRONTO. IT'S MIB-TYPES POLICING IMAGINARY FRIENDS. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED???
In fact, EVERYONE read at least one title from Boom Studios! They make so much good stuff with so many impassioned creators on hand! Support this company, ASAP, even if it's just the Garfield ongoing or something!
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Spawn: Godslayer
It has only the faintest of ties to the original Spawn, man goes to war, man dies and sells his soul to see the woman he loves one last time. Everything else is fresh and original. The world is a rich fantasy land with twists and turns on each page. The main character makes a deal with an eldricht horror, and in return must go out and kill the gods of the land.
The first book is a oneshot that takes place when the godslayer is setting out to kill his first major pantheon god, a twist of fate has him come face to face with his former love as well. Absolutely beautiful art throughout.
After the one shot it was picked up as a monthly title unfortunately the Spawn title probably hurt more than it helped. It should have stood on its own merits, not be bogged down by preconceived notions. It lasted for 8 or 9 issues, with the last issue at least spoilling some of the plot threads that were in motion (god they were so good too!).
Check it out if you like fantasy, and I'll remind you your on a MTG forum so everyone should look into it.
READ IMAGINE AGENTS FROM BOOM STUDIOS. PRONTO. IT'S MIB-TYPES POLICING IMAGINARY FRIENDS. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED???
I thought the first issue was pretty good, though a little on the cute side. I have the second but have not read it yet.
In fact, EVERYONE read at least one title from Boom Studios! They make so much good stuff with so many impassioned creators on hand! Support this company, ASAP, even if it's just the Garfield ongoing or something!
Yea? I have not been hugely impressed with Boom, the books sometimes feel like knock-offs of larger titles. That said, there may be Boom books that I have read an not known it because often I do not pay attention to publishers.
I have been reading the latest series of Astro City books, and I would back this recommendation up wholeheartedly. I have not read the first series, but heard great things. This series has had some very original stories set in a world that is lousy with supers, though the stories focus on otherwise peripheral elements in a way that is quite compelling. The books tend to be one-shots or short stories with entirely new characters, at least so far, which at first seemed like something I wouldn't get into since I like big interconnected plots. Astro City makes it work though, by having great writing very genuine takes characters in an otherwise almost absurdist world.
Rat Queens by Kurtis Wiebe (Peter Panzerfaust)- Imagine the Rat Queens, a quartet of adventuring heroines [Hannah, elven mage; Dee, atheist cleric; Violet, dwarven fighter; and Betty, a hobbit(?) thief] have run amok, unintentionally (lots of bar brawls), through a town that now wants them- and the other teams of advanures- out. What happens?
Trolls and assassins, is what.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
SELVAXRI! King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers "Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can." 375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev) Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.
Rat Queens by Kurtis Wiebe (Peter Panzerfaust)- Imagine the Rat Queens, a quartet of adventuring heroines [Hannah, elven mage; Dee, atheist cleric; Violet, dwarven fighter; and Betty, a hobbit(?) thief] have run amok, unintentionally (lots of bar brawls), through a town that now wants them- and the other teams of advanures- out. What happens?
Trolls and assassins, is what.
Huh, something we can agree on. Indeed everyone, follow the story of the Rat Queens. And Pathfinder, while you're at it. NOW.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
If y'all are not reading Sex Criminals (Matt Fraction) and Pretty Deadly (Kelly Sue Deconnick) you are missing out. Their kid is going to be a comic writing genius if DNA has anything to say about it.
Another that I stumbled on is called Buzzkill: It is the story of a guy with really massive super powers, but only when he is drinking alcohol, which results in him being an addict. The story begins with the main character trying to get sober, but the world trying to get him to be a superhero. It is a pretty clever and brutal story.
I started reading Fables recently. Great series. It's definitely what Once Upon a Time wanted to be.
See, I don't think it is at all. Get past the basic "faerie-tale crossover!" premise, and they're doing diametrically opposite things. Fables pulls faerie tale characters into a gritty reality full of moral compromises and banal evils; Once Upon A Time pushes real-world characters into a magical narrative-driven fantasy where true love conquers all. The former is deconstructive, the latter is reconstructive. (And for what it's worth, Fables may be far better written, but this reconstructive project of Once Upon a Time is fundamentally a better idea. When you have Bigby Wolf as a cop dealing with domestic abuse and drunk-and-disorderlies and other real-world problems... is he really the Big Bad Wolf, or just a guy with the same name?)
See, I don't think it is at all. Get past the basic "faerie-tale crossover!" premise, and they're doing diametrically opposite things. Fables pulls faerie tale characters into a gritty reality full of moral compromises and banal evils; Once Upon A Time pushes real-world characters into a magical narrative-driven fantasy where true love conquers all. The former is deconstructive, the latter is reconstructive. (And for what it's worth, Fables may be far better written, but this reconstructive project of Once Upon a Time is fundamentally a better idea. When you have Bigby Wolf as a cop dealing with domestic abuse and drunk-and-disorderlies and other real-world problems... is he really the Big Bad Wolf, or just a guy with the same name?)
The story that I pieced together from sources (and I could be wrong here) is that ABC (or whomever produced Once Upon a Time) purchased the rights for a TV or Movie based on the IP. At the time they that was the direction they thought they wanted to go, but as it was developed they decided to take a different direction than the comic. At the time that Once Upon a Time debuted on TV they still owned the rights to produce fables on TV, but the IP owners and ABC both said that the series was not based on the comics.
The comic clearly inspired a program like OUaT to be made, but it is not really based on Fables.
Huh, something we can agree on. Indeed everyone, follow the story of the Rat Queens. And Pathfinder, while you're at it. NOW.
Skull*Kickers by the writer of Pathfinder, Jim Zub, is also another great fantasy comic.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
SELVAXRI! King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers "Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can." 375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev) Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.
See, I don't think it is at all. Get past the basic "faerie-tale crossover!" premise, and they're doing diametrically opposite things. Fables pulls faerie tale characters into a gritty reality full of moral compromises and banal evils; Once Upon A Time pushes real-world characters into a magical narrative-driven fantasy where true love conquers all. The former is deconstructive, the latter is reconstructive. (And for what it's worth, Fables may be far better written, but this reconstructive project of Once Upon a Time is fundamentally a better idea. When you have Bigby Wolf as a cop dealing with domestic abuse and drunk-and-disorderlies and other real-world problems... is he really the Big Bad Wolf, or just a guy with the same name?)
Hmm, I should be clear that I like both. Once Upon a Time is just more of a guilty pleasure with my wife.
I guess what I was trying to say is that from a narrative perspective, Fables accomplishes so much more than Once Upon a Time does. I guess it can't be helped since it's kind of ABC's Desperate Housewives replacement. They try for good overarching narratives, but tend towards being tropey and relying on Deus Ex Machine (Mr. Gold just happens to have the vital thing in his shop for most crises).
And as far as Bigby Wolf... yeah, he's most definitely the Big Bad Wolf I think they actually do a great job of capturing who the character is, despite just where or when they're located.
The funny thing about both is - the fairy tales they're based on are so much darker, by and large, than they convey.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Scarlet Spider: consistently well-written and drawn, VERY different spiderfolk with Kaine from the Clone Saga (but done well), distinctive and enjoyable supporting cast established very well early on, has both one-shot stories, ongoing arcs, and series-encompassing arcs. Buy. NOW.
Demon Knights: typically below even the #100 mark, for no reason I can fathom. FANTASTIC fantasy comic with a great mix of old and new fantasy DC characters, well-done with both creative teams thus far, completely different from anything else in the 52, engaging adventure and interesting characters, it must be bought. NOW.
The Legend of Oz - The Wicked West: fun, and an actually distinct way to play around with the classics, and does delve into Oz lore beyond what's pop-culturally known, albeit only into the second volume. Despite the cheesecake incentive covers, definitely worth everyone's time. Including...NOW.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Agreed - this is one of my favorite titles right now.
A little (okay more than a little) backstory:
One of my favorite titles currently is Hawkeye. Like Iron Fist before it, I was a little turned off by the side character and the art style, but I've since grown to love it, and it has definitely made Hawkeye into much more entertaining character for me. After all, he's basically just a guy who can aim really well on a team with gods.
I don't think Invincible or The Walking Dead need playing up at this point, but they've both consistently been my favorite books since I first started reading them seven(ish) years ago.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
Nope, but Invincible as being "written by that walking dead guy" is a great way to introduce non-comic fans to comics.
Haha, it's funny because for me it was the opposite. I was looking for a single ongoing that I didn't need to buy a ton of back issues for, and people recommended it. The black and white art of the Walking Dead turned me off at first - but that's because I'm stupid.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
Superior Spider-Man - It's actually AMAZING (heh)! The series has blown me away with its plot and sense of humor. I have never wanted to find out what happens at the end of an issue as badly as I did for SSM #9. This series represents the full spectrum of the classic Marvel comics manner of action, adventure, character development, wit, and mystery. HIGHLY recommended.
Avenging Spider-Man - Generally a good, fun read. It recognizes the events that happen in SSM, but is an entirely separate book focusing on Spider-Man's team-ups and fights against (usually) odd characters like Hypno-Hustler and Devil Dinosaur. Like I said, it is fun. Recommended for Spidey fans. Worth a read for a good laugh and off-the-wall story for everyone else.
Daredevil - The first couple years were exceptional. The series won a number of awards for good reason. The writing is excellent, funny, emotional, and it makes you believe that the characters could be real people, rather than just heroes in tights. The art has really impressed me in the ways that it conveys Daredevil's blindness. The last few issues I read didn't seem to be as good as all the ones that came before, but I am about 2 or 3 issues behind. Hopefully the series isn't going to fall apart. Still highly recommended.
Morbius - Personally I'm loving the direction Marvel has taken with Morbius. It's so easy to write this character wrong or boring. In this series, he starts out as a homeless man on the run from the law. He finds himself in a bad neighborhood overrun with gang violence, stands up to the bad guys, and is thrust into the role of city protector. Things are heating up as a classic villain was recently revealed to be behind the crime in the city. The series has a good, but subtle sense of humor. Thankfully, Morbius is not portrayed as a whiney vampire. Instead, he's like a cross between Spider-Man and the Punisher. He tries not to kill people, but when push comes to shove, blood will be spilled.
Savage Wolverine - Frank Cho is an excellent writer and an extremely talented artist. I don't really understand the point of this series, but it seems to be a standalone title like Avenging Spider-Man. The first arc was action packed and hilarious, but had a highly confusing cliffhanger ending that made the storyline feel entirely incomplete. The second arc is by Zeb Wells and apparently won't be connected to the previous arc, so I don't know what is going on. Read for fun, but not for a satisfying ending (yet?).
to
Captain Marvel - I love, love, love her new outfit. It looks great - especially the face mask - on its own, but I also appreciate that it is waaaay less sexist than her Ms. Marvel
swimsuituniform. The writing is good, but I don't feel a strong connection to any of the characters. I didn't care too much for the first storyline involving time travel, but it wasn't terrible. Unfortunately, I don't particularly like the current Avengers crossover storyline of Captain Marvel having a brain lesion either. The art also took a turn for the very bad in my opinion. I'm dropping the series after this arc is over.Thanos Rising - This is grimdark. I honestly thought they were going to portray Thanos as some sort of sympathetic character. They haven't. At all. He is a monster through and through. I couldn't read much of this stuff, but at 6 issues, I'm going to stick with it. Not sure I'd recommend this one. I think it will depend on whether the ending is worth the darkness getting there.
:rate0:?
Captain America - More grimdark. I hated this series so bad I returned my issues for partial store credit. What should be pure comic book gold has been turned into a tale of spousal abuse and a Captain America so distraught that he considered suicide and asked a child to perform a mercy killing if things got too bad. Where is the swashbuckling symbol of liberty and hope of ye olden days? This isn't Sin City, Marvel. Also, I hate how John Romita, Jr. draws children. I wish I'd never even read this comic and I hope you don't have to either.
Speaking of low in the charts, why oh why is Captain Marvel [Marvel NOW] so damn low?! Carol Danvers has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe, she has stories that are very good to read through, there's a lot of depth hinted at and brought to the forefront that compels you, you love Carol's interactions with her supporting cast and her fellow Avengers...yet it's not even ranking at 20k physical copies right now. WHY?
Quick rapid-fire of the underrated: Vibe! The Movement! The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires! (yes, I know, I know) Bravest Warriors! All-Star Western! The Legend of Oz! Aquaman!
With all due respect, I want to focus on the GOOD ones. In particular, stuff that more people should read, not stuff like Superior Spider-Man which consistently shows up in the top ten. Last month, it showed up TWICE. It doesn't need more attention.
Sorry you don't like Captain Marvel right now. Still don't think it should be dropped if you're already reading that few comics. If you DO drop it and want to stick with Marvel specifically, pick up Scarlet Spider or adjectiveless Wolverine.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Hawkeye: I am a bit shocked that it has not been mentioned yet, but this is going to be one of those titles that people look back on ten years from now and and talk about as enormously influential. Matt Fraction's writing is stellar as usual, and the visual style takes a sparse indi style and cleans it up really nicely. The book's premise is pretty simple, it is about what Hawkeye does when he is not busy being Hawkeye. It is funny, sad, surprisingly exciting, and wildly inventive. With the exception of a couple of books each issue is entirely self contained too, so it is really easy to jump in at any point.
Saga: Brian K. Vaughan has done it again. This epic space drama somehow takes the familiar and overdone story of Romeo and Juliet and makes it one of the most inventive books out there. The art is pretty amazing, and is really for mature audiences. This is another book, like Y The Last Man and Watchmen, that is a must read for anyone even remotely into comics.
Locke and Key: This book is about to wrap up, and it will be seriously missed. It is a strange suspense story with horror tones about a house and the keys found within that have weird "powers". The story has great characters and such fantastic pacing that you find yourself gasping as if you were watching a film. It is genuinely scary at times, though not gory and rarely violent.
Gambit: Okay, I really just love Gambit, but this has been a fun series so far. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and is a fun adventure story with lots of cheeky dialog. The art is not really my cup of tea, but it is not offputting enough to not read.
Dial H: Weird story about a schlubby youth who finds a magical telephone dial that turns him into some of the strangest "superheroes" you have seen since The Tick. The protagonists are very honest and believable, and the story is playing out quite nicely.
X-Factor: Sadly they are about to end this series, and it will be a dark X-day in the X-iverse. This has been one of my favorite X-titles for quite a while, even though I tend to like most of them, and has had some of the best stories. In case you don't know, X-Factor is a detective agency created by mutants after they grew tired of the flashy X-Men style crime fighting. It is noire enough to be noticeable, but is not overly trope heavy.
Suicide Squad: I am not a huge DC guy, but boy have I liked Harley Quinn since back in the days of Batman: the Animated Series in the '90s. She has recieved a bit of a make-over which has it's detractors, but I think she looks pretty great still. She is part of a hush-hush crew of criminals forced to do not-strictly-legal jobs of Maria Hill turn for time knocked off their sentences. These are some dark and violent people that are constantly tugging at their leashes. Good fun!
X-Men: This title just started and it is looking like it will be a lot of fun. It is an all female cast of favorites (Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke, Rachel Grey and Jubilee), and they are pulling no punches.
Deadpool: Because Deadpool is awesome. Honestly you either love him or hate him, and if you love him you will probably read anything he is in (I know I will). He is like Spider Man but with 200% more killing, bullets, and plot twists. I find Spider Man to be cheesy and his humor to be predictable, whereas DP makes me laugh out loud at least once in every issue.
Uncanny Avengers: I am hit or miss on Avengers books, but this one has been really interesting with the "NOW" issues. Lots of tension, though I could do with a bit less speechifying. Never the less, it has Rogue in it and one of my least favorite X-Men (Cyclops) is the bad guy, so it really has a lot of appeal for me.
There are sooooo many more that I like and am reading right now, and I am spending far too much on books every week, but I really think some of the best books in years are being published right now.
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In fact, EVERYONE read at least one title from Boom Studios! They make so much good stuff with so many impassioned creators on hand! Support this company, ASAP, even if it's just the Garfield ongoing or something!
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
It upsets me that very few seem to have read this comic. As a one-shot, it is amazing (as is Batman: Joker's Apprentice).
Spawn: Godslayer
It has only the faintest of ties to the original Spawn, man goes to war, man dies and sells his soul to see the woman he loves one last time. Everything else is fresh and original. The world is a rich fantasy land with twists and turns on each page. The main character makes a deal with an eldricht horror, and in return must go out and kill the gods of the land.
The first book is a oneshot that takes place when the godslayer is setting out to kill his first major pantheon god, a twist of fate has him come face to face with his former love as well. Absolutely beautiful art throughout.
After the one shot it was picked up as a monthly title unfortunately the Spawn title probably hurt more than it helped. It should have stood on its own merits, not be bogged down by preconceived notions. It lasted for 8 or 9 issues, with the last issue at least spoilling some of the plot threads that were in motion (god they were so good too!).
Check it out if you like fantasy, and I'll remind you your on a MTG forum so everyone should look into it.
Yea? I have not been hugely impressed with Boom, the books sometimes feel like knock-offs of larger titles. That said, there may be Boom books that I have read an not known it because often I do not pay attention to publishers.
I have been reading the latest series of Astro City books, and I would back this recommendation up wholeheartedly. I have not read the first series, but heard great things. This series has had some very original stories set in a world that is lousy with supers, though the stories focus on otherwise peripheral elements in a way that is quite compelling. The books tend to be one-shots or short stories with entirely new characters, at least so far, which at first seemed like something I wouldn't get into since I like big interconnected plots. Astro City makes it work though, by having great writing very genuine takes characters in an otherwise almost absurdist world.
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Trolls and assassins, is what.
King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers
"Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can."
375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.
Huh, something we can agree on. Indeed everyone, follow the story of the Rat Queens. And Pathfinder, while you're at it. NOW.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Another that I stumbled on is called Buzzkill: It is the story of a guy with really massive super powers, but only when he is drinking alcohol, which results in him being an addict. The story begins with the main character trying to get sober, but the world trying to get him to be a superhero. It is a pretty clever and brutal story.
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TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
See, I don't think it is at all. Get past the basic "faerie-tale crossover!" premise, and they're doing diametrically opposite things. Fables pulls faerie tale characters into a gritty reality full of moral compromises and banal evils; Once Upon A Time pushes real-world characters into a magical narrative-driven fantasy where true love conquers all. The former is deconstructive, the latter is reconstructive. (And for what it's worth, Fables may be far better written, but this reconstructive project of Once Upon a Time is fundamentally a better idea. When you have Bigby Wolf as a cop dealing with domestic abuse and drunk-and-disorderlies and other real-world problems... is he really the Big Bad Wolf, or just a guy with the same name?)
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
The comic clearly inspired a program like OUaT to be made, but it is not really based on Fables.
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Skull*Kickers by the writer of Pathfinder, Jim Zub, is also another great fantasy comic.
King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers
"Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can."
375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.
Hmm, I should be clear that I like both. Once Upon a Time is just more of a guilty pleasure with my wife.
I guess what I was trying to say is that from a narrative perspective, Fables accomplishes so much more than Once Upon a Time does. I guess it can't be helped since it's kind of ABC's Desperate Housewives replacement. They try for good overarching narratives, but tend towards being tropey and relying on Deus Ex Machine (Mr. Gold just happens to have the vital thing in his shop for most crises).
And as far as Bigby Wolf... yeah, he's most definitely the Big Bad Wolf I think they actually do a great job of capturing who the character is, despite just where or when they're located.
The funny thing about both is - the fairy tales they're based on are so much darker, by and large, than they convey.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
BUY IT.
NOW!
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Exiles
Runaways