This weeks readings....

This weeks readings where a lot of fun!
I love starman, or at least Jack knight as starman. its great because it takes the reluctant hero to a whole new level! I haven't read through all of it yet, (though i plan on it) but what i've read so far it super cool! I really like how Jack Admits he's a coward and runs way quite a bit in the beginning only to run back. And how he doesn't have this superhero thing down at all, its all elbows and knees with him just plain awkward.
Bone was super cute, i really liked the story telling and artwork was so simple yet very detailed at the same time. and poor Fone Bone! he keeps getting the short end of the stick!
I couldn't find Sandman on the shelf, though hopefully it will be back their tomorrow, But i have read all of Sandman before, And its great work! i never muched liked how they switched artists for every issue, but the story telling and artwork in general was amazing. That and i just love Morpheus's character! he's such as Ass in the beginning! and kind is till the end too... i also really love Daniel, but i wont spoil any more if you guys haven't read all of it!
The best crime stories was interesting, i didn't really see what the whole point of the story was... the artwork was amazing though...
The only thing i have to say about the War stories is this. "War's a Bitch..." "Roger.."

Week 10 Readinggggggg

I love Cerebus. Really, I know that Dave Sim ended up a nutzo woman hating jerk, but most Cerebus is just so well done. Somehow, every time I pick up any of the Cerebus books, Sim does something that I've never seen done in comics, and it works! Its just not right...
The way that he solves the problem of conveying an echo in this story just freaks me out because its so simple of an idea but so effective and confident. Sim seems like he can just will something cool (that most people would struggle with)  into existence and its no big deal. Its all so well paced and the writing and characters are so fluid, I hate it. It drives me crazy. The pages are designed really well, but dont feel gimmicky, it just adds a really cool element to the story.
*sigh
Moving on...
Talking about Vignettes will make me feel better. Jim Valentino of Image Comic land. First off, I was bothered by how, in a couple of comics toward the beginning of the book, people only have 4 fingers. I dont know... it just freaked me out. Other than that, most of the stories were really fun to read. I found myself thinking about how I can relate to a lot of moments. You can see Valentino grow and progress as an artist. When thinking about personal comics, I tend to think of comics that are a little more depressed feelings and dont really look at all of the ridiculousness that Valentino shows.
Swamp Thing: Um, yeah, Alan Moore and Steve Bissette (who a friend of mine in Vermont knows). Um yeah, this is awesome. The way that Moore tells a story is so rich and complicated. The way that he uses the end of the story to start it, and then extends the story from that spot, very cool. The art of Bissette really compliments the story too. Moore writes kind of spooky and "out there", which is what Bissett's art kind of looks like anyway. I thought that the way that Moore explains and revitalizes Swamp Thing, makes the character interesting.
The Batman comic was good because of the epilogue. I just feel like all of the other comics that we read felt more dynamic and interesting. Although, I did like the addition with some science fiction (or string theory, or whatever) added in with the extra dimensions. I just thought that how Batman and Robin traveled was really hokey and easy. It was all worth it to find out that Bruce would end up as Batman even if his parents were saved.

Readings

Honestly, I think that the Jim Valentino book was one of, if not the best thing we've read this year. It's pretty hard to get me to laugh at things like movies or books, but Vignettes did. Also, you could tell what mood he was in during each of the comics he drew. When he did the strip about his divorce, and the one about the death of his grandmother, the tone was much darker and he drew things much more realistically. I sat down for 2 1/2 hours straight and read through it. I really couldn't put it down.

I think I would have enjoyed Swamp thing more if I had read some of it before hand. I felt like I got thrown into the middle of the series and was kind of lost as to who was who and who did what. It was well written and drawn beautifully, but I just think I don't know enough about the series to have enjoyed it.

The Batman story where he went back in time to stop his parents murder in another dimension was hokey to say the least. not much going for it. I mean, he got Gordon to not arrest him because he asked him to search his feelings and that they had met in another time. Seems like that would have guaranteed him getting the cuffs slapped on him.

Cerberus was nothing special to me. Like I said with swamp thing, I felt like I had no clue what was going on. We were kind of just thrown into the middle of the story.

What Are Our Suggested Readings?

So, I'm supposed to email our list for required readings... and I don't know what they are. SO, if you could, figure out which books you want to suggest and post it up here, that would be swell.
I have a list:
Milt Gross
Scribbly
Art Out of Time
Legion Of Charles
&
Cerebus
What do ya think?

Week 8

First off, the Legion of Charlie creeped me out. The audience was definately not my generation, but I could still get the message for the most part. The art was very creepy and gross. Very much my style. With the Batman story, at first I wasnt looking forward to reading it, as it is set up like an actual book. When I started to read it, it turned out to be very good. It told the narrative in a way you couldnt get with a comic in my opinion. It was a sort of fresh look into Batman's head.

STARMAN!

I wish that was assigned...
anyway-
The reading for this week were, interesting...
The Batman issue was cool in that it was more like reading prose with pictures every once in while. I liked that, and how it wasn't over explanatory and detailed. it gave you just enough to know that He's the damn Batman and that alone in enough of an explanation. The story was really cool to. i like to think that they didn't give you a lot of pictures because it was about a blind man....
The War Comics Legion of Charlie was kind of a WTF moment for me. the story was funny But REALLY wierd, and very CHARLIE....
I also really liked the best of Creepy comics too. the artwork was amazing, and the story was interesting in the fact that what the main character did is something that alot of people do and will do for money. its kind of an everyday thing now, taking advantage of others and getting all the credit. and the fact that he died in just an outlandish never going to happen in real life-way added to the ending note of what he did was something you should never do.

I loved the MAD archives readings. I loved how the symbols on Superduperman's chest kept changing to really stupid stuff, like 100% cotton. Also, the part with Batboy where they he's getting shot at point blank range and isnt getting hit because, as he says, super heroes never get shot.

The greatest batman stories were as fun as usual. I thought it was really weird how much Batman relied on Robin to save him. He was yelling his name in his sleep, which creeped me out a lot. This week, i read all of The Dark Knight Returns, and going from that to the classic Batman was an interesting look on how things change with how the characters are treated and to whom they are targeting their material to. From my perspective, comics now are being directed at the people who grew up reading the older ones, so the material matures along with the audience.

BAMF's reading were cute, and I wish I had more time to read more Melvin the Monster.

It was a sort of classic cheezy cartoon, but it drew me in and I didnt want to put it down. The jokes were really simple, with Melvin's mom being a mummy, and he calls her mummy, or how since he's a monster, he should want to go to school and is a disappointment to his dad for wanting to get an education.

I liked the story with the fat kid who was a superhero in the Art out of Time book. He was like Superman, except he was clark kent twenty-four seven. It was kinda weird that it was ok to publish a kid's comic where the dad wants to beat the shit out of his kid. I would hands down recommend Melvin the Monster out of the two BAMF had to read.

Reading Challengers of the Unknown is kind of like hitting my head against a brick wall still. I can appreaciate the art. It's Jack Kirby for god's sake. I dont see how a tiny, easily destroyable weather machine could threaten humanity, but ok, ill buy it. I love the weird logic to their plan of putting themselves into a force field ball to throw at the monster, pretty much knowing all of them out. I saw no reason for them to be in it in the first place, they could have kicked it at him or something. With the midieval mirage story, i thought it was weird they automatically jumped to the conclusion that they were in an alternate demension, and not just hallucinating. Gotta love it for the hoakiness though.