American comics

[Frank]

i recommend www.fantagraphics.com

you'll find lots of interesting comics there, from the dirty to the surreal to the just plain hysterical. my favorite "realist" comics are probably "Palookaville" by Chester Brown, "American Splendor" by Harvey Pekar, and "Optic Nerve" by Adrian Tomine. Though lots of other artists on this label are fantastic too, if not as realist. Check it out!

though not American, you may or may not be aware of shoujo (womens') comics from Japan. sadly, like here, most japanese males have no patience for creativity and relevance, so good comics get this name. goo ones that have been imported (translated) are "Yotsubato!" by Kiyohiko Azuma, "Secret Comics Japan" (compilation), and "Flower" by Keiko Nishi. slim pickins, but unparalelled in many ways.

Thanks for the list, that looks more interesting. I'll have a look at those.

 

[jvd]

I thought Kilowog was killed by Hal. Same with Guy (he has such a dumbass haircut).

Hmm, I think I'll try and stop by a comic shop soon and see what I can find.

Finished reading the hardcover version of Supreme Power. A most excellent story and art. Story by Straczynski, he of Amazing Spiderman and Babylon 5 fame. Highly recommended by me for its adult content (story, not boobies though there is that as well).

Yea they brought him back so hal wouldn't be a murderer . I'm telling u its really really bad right now . I'm thinking of dropping dc all together

 

[jvd]

In those superhero comics, the limbs, heads and intestines are flying around, skeletons are everywhere, weapons have to be many, bigger and better, and forces have to be as destructive that they at least could destroy the whole Earth. And they are mostly about being all-powerful, to better be able to cut the bad people to pieces, in graphic detail. Doesn't that get boring and gives teenagers strange ideas about values and entertainment and such? Most parents around here would forbid their sons to read those superhero comics when they take a look and see what's inside.

I dunno what american comics your reading but your crazy. Sure the comics have volience . Thats part of life . It mostly consists of a guy flying around with heat vision blowing stuff up . Very few comic heros die and Only one has remained dead (barry allen the silver age flash )

 

[Zaphod]

I'm not so much against fantasy or sci-fi, but the reoccuring theme of all-powerful, morally black and white icons beating each other up all the time and destroying whole cities while doing so gets boring fast. And I don't like the very graphic violence very much.

Mayble you'll like something like Gaiman's The High Cost of Living.

 

[Frank]

I dunno what american comics your reading but your crazy. Sure the comics have volience . Thats part of life .

Well, probably a much bigger part in the US than around here, it seems.

It mostly consists of a guy flying around with heat vision blowing stuff up . Very few comic heros die and Only one has remained dead (barry allen the silver age flash )

But they destroy parts of cities and even whole planets and everyone on them all the time!!! Is that just "collateral damage" and "civilian casualties", that aren't important for the bigger picture?

And there are plenty of limbs chopped off, decapitations, skeletons partly visible and all that. Or did I read different comics than you did?

 

[RussSchultz]

Or did I read different comics than you did?

BINGO!

 

[Ty]

I also recommend finding the Trade Paper Back (TPB) of The Books of Magic.

It's the story about a boy who will grow up to be the next great mage (like Merlin). But everytime such a kid is born, a council of 3 good and 3 bad mages convene to try and 'teach' the kid about his power and how he should use them (i.e. kinda tempt him).

 

[LeGreg]

So, almost all American teenager comics feature superheroes and lots of gruesome violence? I wasn't sure about that, but it is strange. European comics (or at least the ones here in the Netherlands) are totally different.

I remember one issue of PC Gamer (I think) where the editor had to explain to its readers that european comics don't always feature superheroes..

I had to laugh on this one.

 

[jvd]

But they destroy parts of cities and even whole planets and everyone on them all the time!!! Is that just "collateral damage" and "civilian casualties", that aren't important for the bigger picture?

Actually in dc comics they allways talk about the heros coming around and rebuilding . Superman , flash and others will go and rebuild things at super speed.

Many issues they will go out of thier way to save civilians and get pounded

 

[Blade]

Isn't The Books of Magic supposedly the inspiration for Harry Potter.. or at least coincidentally?

They're extremely similar, although different enough for Neil not to pull out a lawsuit.

If I recall correctly, The Matrix is a dead-on ripoff of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles. Give some credit, Wachowskis!

 

[Ty]

Isn't The Books of Magic supposedly the inspiration for Harry Potter.. or at least coincidentally?

They're extremely similar, although different enough for Neil not to pull out a lawsuit.

If I recall correctly, The Matrix is a dead-on ripoff of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles. Give some credit, Wachowskis!

I've also always thought Harry Potter was quite similar to The Books of Magic - heck, even the appearance of the main characters. /shrug.

I'll have to check out the Invisibles, Grant Morrison is quite good. I just read Batman Gotham and quite enjoyed it.

 

[poopypoo]

Thanks for the list, that looks more interesting. I'll have a look at those.

my pleasure the american comics scene, at least in the 90s (i read very few these days due to time and distance), was pretty amazing. it's just that (as with all media) the writers that are both creative and relevant almost always get overlooked for the sexy "artists". i'm also a fan of a handful of euros -- Moebius being my favorite.

Just for the sake of topic: Captain Britain.

hells yes! one of the last superhero comics i read. so brilliantly humorous. in this vein i also enjoyed the mark waid (iirc?) JLA and moore's Watchmen.

 

[holsty101]

here are some of favourite comics at the moment...

strangers in paradise (you must Must MUST check this out)
stray bullets
bone
y the last man
berlin
anything by warren ellis (he's a brit tho...) (planetary, global frequency, transmetropolitan to name a few)
kabuki
concrete

a few superhero titles...
astro city

tom strong
promethia
(both by alan moore i'm afraid...)

most of my comics are boxed up at the mo, i'm sure there's loads of decent things i'm forgeting...

sorry for the bring list format and lack of detail, i'm of to work soon

 

[Blade]

Watchmen was a little of everything IMO, Poopypoo.

It made fun of superheroes, it redefined superheroes, and among other things it stands as probably the single greatest (and easily most detailed) "masked adventurer" story ever told. Captain Britain isn't quite that good..

The writing just blows me away though. Moore says in the TPB foreword that it was his first big job and it was unbelievably disorganized.. almost hacked together script-wise. I would have never known, because it really kicks ass.

His newer ABC stuff is good, especially Top Ten, LXG, and Promethea.. but back when he was still earning his "untouchable" status and had a head full of ideas.. he was a lot better. A lot more serious; given his writing ability, that's a very good thing.