Good work, A.Gammy, on experiencing the Brubaker Catwoman.
Next up, you gotta get Gotham Central. That series is the truth. Definitely in the top 5 of all-time Batman spinoffs. If you enjoyed Catwoman even a little, Gotham Central is for you because it’s the Bru and Rucka unleashed. (Painy, you get a chance to look at them yet?)
I am not too sure about any Riddler series. I don’t know if he ever had his own miniseries or anything like that. I’m guessing he didn’t. Or if he did, it was probably weak, and that’s why no one remembers it. Unless it was so good that it flew completely under the radar. Which is possible, but highly doubtful because I have extreme confidence in my intense comic book knowledge. Except for the stuff that I am not completely 100% sure of. Such as Riddler comics. So, in conclusion, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah, read Gotham Central.
I just read all of Planetary and the first nine issues of All Star Superman.
Who wishes to discuss them with me?
All Star Superman is the best comic I’ve read since Fables. Morrison basically took the essence of the character and is presenting it at its most pure and entertaining form. It also makes me wonder if all comics took a “No Continuity” approach and just did whatever the fuck they wanted. ( How entertaining would that be? For just one year, c’mon DC or Marvel, someone’s gotta have the balls to do it )
So yeah, it’s a spectacular series, I need to read the rest. I love how Quietly and Morrison present Clark, they are actually doing superman correctly and it’s so damn good.
Planetary is also great. It really needs to finish/continue. It was quite funny when the art took a giant leap forward when there was like a 2 year break between two issues. You start out with early Cassady, and then POW get nailed with current badass amazing Cassady.
Loved every comic/literature reference in there.
Now I have to read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I still have a hard-on for the first three pages of All-Star #1. Greatest three pages in Superman history as far as I am concerned.
So I just finished reading all of the late '80s and early '90s Mister Miracle series (28 issues). I enjoyed it. DeMatteis and Ian Gibson (Halo Jones, baby) launched the series and its tone was very similar to that of the JLI/JLE books at the time. After DeMatteis, Len Wein wrote a few issues, which weren’t too bad, and then Doug Moench wrote the rest. (There were also a couple of fill-ins written by Giffen.)
Overall, I think it was a good series. It had some lousy traits, like unnecessary exposition at times, but I guess that was just typical of its era, and there wasn’t as much of that as there could have been. Also, it was a light-hearted, super heroic, sci-fi, pulpy comic with some drama and plenty of humor. They just don’t really make comics like this these days. (Other than Hero Squared, which is by DeMatteis/Giffen.) The Doug Moench issues really impressed me, too. His Mister Miracle is, by far, the best work of his I ever read. I wasn’t really into his '90s Batman and I thought Batman: Hong Kong was terrible. (Sorry, Sano! Heh.)
Most of the art was by this dude named Joe Phillips. It was really outstanding work. His figures had really delicate lines and looks really sharp but still had an appropriate level of Kirbyishness to suit the characters. I’d never heard of the dude before and he doesn’t seem to be active in comics today. But when I googled him, I found him. Guess nowadays he specializes in homoerotic man-love art. I don’t think I am too interested in Adventures of a Joe Boy.
Finally, V.Slashy, finally you read it. Just wait until you read The Black Dossier. There is no other experience like it. It’s like… Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill whacking off on the floor and somehow creating the history of Western imagination. Filthy, disgusting, but very impressive. It’s like The Handbook to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, only the tedium is broken up by an actual story. (Most of which flew straight over my head, and I was an English major in college.)
Picking up the Hardcover Sinestro Corps event this Thursday, I want to read it so bad and get caught up with the current GL events, I need a subscription or something damn. They even do that anymore? Lol
It’s not bad at all. Anyone who said it was bad must’ve been either a typical comic book reader or an uncultured dumbass too lazy to read something that has extensive prose written in a variety of styles. The Black Dossier is probably like the one comic that you have to read in your hands - I’m afraid downloaded scans won’t cut it for this bad boy. The paper texture changes to fit the different eras, and then there’s that whole 3-D section that actually enhances the story (as opposed to just being a lousy gimmick like '80s comics). Too bad DC pussied out and elected not to include the vinyl LP with the normal edition. I just don’t have the cash to buy the Absolute Edition.
It’s like Alan Moore himself boasted… The Black Dossier isn’t the greatest comic book ever. It’s just the greatest thing ever.
Also, in case you didn’t know, there are annotations about all the LoEG books written by this dude, J. Nevins. Like with the first two books, you don’t really need to know everything about all the literary allusions to “get” the story in The Black Dossier. Some people just find that stuff adds to the enjoyment.
Lots of it I skimmed over or just skipped, that was some heavy “prose” as you said. They went to 3D world and then everything just went crazy.
I guess Nemo took a dip in the immortality water too, I am sad he didn’t show up in the present storyline. Orlando’s story and the account of Mina visiting Nemo were my two favorite parts of the book. I also enjoyed the section on the other leagues. That would have been very entertaining in comic book form. Lupin the 1st!!! Dooo DOOO DOOOOOO.
Also “I think she knows Judo or something”. lol
And yes, I read the scanned version, I am a terrible thief. ( which reminded me to remark about Lupin above )
And here’s an insightful interview with Moore. There’s some spoilers for LoEG volume 3 regarding Nemo. I don’t think he found the fountain of youth. He had a falling out with Quartermain and Mina.
It took me a good long time to read that book, but I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth. The only part I skimmed fast was the Jack Kerouac section. I can’t read that stream of consciousness stuff.
Also, I knew your cheap ass would be reading the scanned version. You better edit your post before Sano reports you to the authorities.
I thought since Nemo was in one of the panels riding with Quartermain and Mina and then at the end they were like “Nemo is working on the Nautilus” then he had gotten in the fountain, but that spoiler makes sense, his legacy will continue on!
And yeah, I skimmed/skimmed A LOT of stuff, I like reading, but reading a book like that scanned, that isn’t easily done. I had to keep backtracking to find my place on the parts I did actually read.
I like how in that interview ( which I also skimmed, I am a product of the 21st century, I am sorry, I have zero attention span ) Alan Moore was basically like “fuck everyone, I did what I wanted”, okay I just read it, and that is what he said. Fucking DC with their stupid solicits and dumbassery.
I can’t wait for Volume three. I love the art, it’s great in an old Mad Magazine sense of appeal.
Ye gods at the immense about of research Moore had to do to write all of this. There are so many references and characters from everything.