Hosive

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

i’ve been re-reading my alan moore run of the swamp thing…something that i’ve done every few years…and what surprises me is how powerful, how multi-layered the stories are even after a 5th or 6th reading. each time i read them, each era i’ve read them…from the 80’s when i was a teenager to college to my 20’s and 30’s and now about to reach 40…these are soul searing stories. these are the rare stories that yield more as you age. the stories read you.

on one level, its a reboot of a third rate character. c’mon…swamp thing? but it shreds genres as it functions as a psychotic post modern super hero story, a horror comic, middle age romance, science fiction, environmental philosophical meditation…so many things are going on, it blows my mind. is this even a comic book anymore?

the swamp thing is rated by many as one of the most literary comics ever. written by the same guy who did watchmen. speaking of which, i think this run is even more unfilmable than the watchmen.

it has also been described as one of the true frightening comics of all time. not gore and blood…but terror. gives me real quills/chills!!!

the story starts off with a new beginning with the character discovering that he is more than he thought and at the same time, not who he thought.  it leads him to a journey to hell…literally. after defeating monsters of multiple lineages, he discovers love before exploring the nature of the universe. another comic where you don’t need to do drugs to get trippy…drugs are done for you. probably literally.

an amazing breatheless ride. definitely on my read over and over again list.

one of the casualties post zoe has been this column on my blog…i haven’t talked about comics in a long, long time. here’s to the new year and a new start…..

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

my absolute favorite comic(that sounds so junior high)right now is sweet tooth.  it is a post apocalyptic story featuring both innocent, fantastic characters like gus, the deer boy and hardened predators, like the ones trying to capture, kill or dissect gus.

i love that jeff lemire does not explain everything…in fact, so much is a mystery. we do not know the nature of the apocalypse or how gus came to be an amalgam of human and animal…just that they are related.  we do not know the true motivations of all the characters. nothing seems sure or cliche.

the pacing is light, breezy and fearsome all at once. the melding of words and art are a near perfect dance. as good as any comic i’ve ever read.  and the magic happens….i am transported somewhere else with each issue.

my eyes expand when i see it on the rack and i am disappointed when that month’s installment is over. and i have to wait another for the next issue. these are very good signs.

the story has just gotten started with a trade to be released and a new story arc that is only one issue in. there is still time to get in on what will be looked back upon with great fondness. this is why we read comics.

one of the casualties post zoe has been this column on my blog…i haven’t talked about comics in a long, long time. here’s to the new year and a new start…..

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

my mom let me read anything and everything when i was a kid. and with nearly weekly visits to forbidden planet on the weekends, i picked up all sorts of titles that became my “friends” during the summers; part of the comic reader childhood experience where imagination, superheroes and pulp literature intersected with long evenings during june, july and august.

and some of those friends in the 80’s were the earth 2/justice society/all star squadron characters. many of these guys are the original versions of familiar characters before the newer modern versions  came; making this batch the senior citizen characters of the universe…old fogies kept alive by writers and readers who are nostalgic for the old days.

but who else would care?

dc would try anyway and there were enough old farts like me buying the stuff to keep the  lines afloat. the trick is bringing in a new audience….the next generations to care.

the dc universe prides itself on being founded on legacies….characters with lineage and histories…with each generation building on the past and adding their own mark.  one of the best at that is current superstar geoff johns who seems to be writing everything and revitalizing all corners of dc:  from the future with the legion of superheroes…to the past with this cast.  his contribution was to develop the future generations of the jsa.

the downside is that geoff johns has left the book and the two books in its place are pretty standard superhero generics. barely memorable stories which is a shame since the two guys on the books have done well elsewhere.

i gave the overall vibe half a year to develop and the pattern has been the same: underwhelming. i’ve had my share of average superhero tales. maybe these really are books for the next generation who haven’t read these stories with these characters.

i need something more….something other. irredeemable for example. starman, an even better example. or sweet tooth which i will discuss next.

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

my mom let me read anything and everything when i was a kid. and with nearly weekly visits to forbidden planet on the weekends, i picked up all sorts of titles that became my “friends” during the summers; part of the comic reader childhood experience where imagination, superheroes and pulp literature intersected with long evenings during june, july and august.

many of the comics from my youth were thrown out or lost along the way. close to 10 years ago, i came across a comic liquidation…and they were selling two of my most beloved titles. arak, son of thunder…a conan the barbarian fantasy series that was way too adult and should have been way intense for me as a 10 year old but ok’d by my mom with her limited english skills; and mazing man…a quirky comic about a delusional wanna be super hero living in queens. i also unearthed and picked up another fantasy series called amethyst that i had minimal exposure but always wanted to try.

they had the entire runs of each of these comics including the specials, mini-series and annuals.  my scholar training from my master’s days always encouraged me to buy books even if i did not get to them right away because one day i might. i doubt my profs thought i would apply this principle to comics but i bought them all with that hope.

during my paternity leave, i’ve had time to dig up these comics, bag and board them and prepare them to be read. the first few weeks of baby life is close to the rhythms of war…long periods of waiting(or napping)and then brief moments of intense action. during my waiting times, i’ve decided to restore these comics to their current state. i’ll report on the actual content in the future. excited to be reunited with friends from nearly 30 years ago???

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

after my last post on comics where i gave a thumbs up on the new series irredemable, i received a surprising comment.

i don’t blog to accrue comments. i would be suicidal by now if that was my motivation.  i do this just for fun.

as i wrote in my reply to my singular comment leaving reader: “i think that i only know in theory that the internet is world wide. somehow, i only expect my friends to be reading my nerd musings…so when the artist of a comic i’m reading leaves a comment, i’m shocked. in fact, most of my readers/friends don’t even read comics regularly…this column is a way to expose them to this world.”

i went from confusion to recognition to shock when i saw this…..”peter krause? i don’t know any peter krause-s….do i? i know one peter krause, he’s the artist on…no way”

this is what it looked like on my dashboard. so an exciting geek-week for me making connections in my comic’s and u2 worlds!

off to pick up the new issue before its sold out!

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog. i haven’t done one of these in a long time so you might want to go back to earlier posts to read what this is all about. you can use the nifty select category button on the right if you are on the agapeshack.com site. sorry, facebook.

i may have to rename this column roger’s time machine chronicles. more about that in a second.

i’m a bit burned out on mainstream comics. having limited funds, i have decided to focus on the dc universe…the line and history that i grew up with; i’m lucky that my wife allows me to get any comics at all. with the marvel line, i only pay attention to daredevil…even though he shares the same universe with spidey and the xmen, there has always been an independent streak to daredevil. dd was a third rate character until frank miller; anything was possible in his comic because not many people were paying attention. in most mainstream titles, there are properties and profits to protect so there are limits to what can happen. no line on the horizon with daredevil….and other indie books and that’s why comic fans gravitate to them.

with many of my favorite mainstream titles and characters saddled with yawn storylines and writers i have been burned by, i decided to collect a few independent minded comics; much like i did in the early 90’s and came away with starman, bone, madman and strangers in paradise…beloved titles in my heart.

i picked warlord, a rebooted series from my childhood in the 70’s! and irredeemable from boom studios.

i thought i was going to pick these comics up and report quickly to you. but instead, i found that irredeemable(#2)was sold out. everywhere. across the city. and even across the country. so let me tell you about the warlord. its a fantasy series that has a cult following in the same way, soon to be released land of the lost has. pilot travis morgan stumbles upon a sword and sorcery culture in the center of the earth as the original series chronicled his adventures there. the new series finds surface landers/outsiders encroaching in on the warlord’s world…posing a threat on their home.

this is a nostalgic romp for me. much like the new star trek movie, any star trek movie…this is like a family reunion…doesn’t matter what happens….you show up regardless. i am enjoying my time but i don’t see new readers warming up to this. there’s too much back story to catch up on. also, the creator mike grell used to write and illustrate this comic…and part of the draw was his art. perhaps kids today would find it outdated but grell’s art was and is still magical. he’s a living legend! trying to reach a new generation, they maybe robbing the series of its soul. luckily, the covers are done by grell!

as for irredeemable by mark waid from kingdom come fame and upstart boom studios….i got issue #1 easily. even with the john cassidy cover! but i guess people caught onto the series and it became a sold out phenomenon….its rare for this to happen as often these days, as comics are over printed. i went to a few comic shops including regular shop and the old school forbidden planet….i called a few more shops…all sold out. when i checked websites, inflated prices everywhere!

the guy at forbidden planet recommended a shop that i had not heard of before….roger’s time machine. it felt like a time machine that traveled to a time when your comics are available! this is what old school shops like forbidden planet used to be like. whatever you’re looking for, they have it. i got 2! sold out comics there including irredeemable #2. when i asked about daredevil 116, the guy squinted. then covered his eyes trying to recall where he had last seen that issue…checked 2-3 different place as i followed him around the shop. then an aha moment as he walked over to a final box and pulled out a copy. no where else in the city did these comics exist! they even gave me bags and boards with my purchase! and gave me a discount! on sold out books??? will have to go back when my graphic novel(collected editions) fast is over.

as for the series, irredeemable features a superman archetype gone bad. not as simple as going evil like pro-wrestlers changing allegiances but ruined…corrupted…rotting….from kind hearted hero to dark hearted monster. a story that could not be told with superman or any of the mainstream guys. the first issue went through the motions of setting up the series but the second issue takes off with the first hints of betrayal that slowly change the hero’s soul. anticipating the next issue greatly! if i can get it!

just from the post title….nuff said…the new york times started a new best seller category this week…..the new york times!!!!……ok, just read on:

Introducing The New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller Lists

Comics have finally joined the mainstream. Anticipation for the live-action film version of “Watchmen,” the dark and violent superhero opus that saw its birth in comic books and arrives in theaters on Friday, has built to a nationwide boil. And today The Times introduces three separate lists of the best-selling graphic books in the country: hardcover, softcover, and manga. We’ll update those lists weekly in this space, and offer a few observations along the way.

Here’s the first: Notwithstanding Terry & the Pirates, Green Lantern, and a trippy ecological romance called “Beanworld,” there is going to be a lot of Alan Moore on these lists for the first couple of months. Moore is the author of the “Watchmen” series, first published in 1986 (and collected into a 12-issue edition that is No. 3 on our hardcover list). On the softcover side, he is comfortably seated at No. 1 for “Watchmen” and No. 7 for “The Courtyard,” about an F.B.I. agent investigating gruesome murders.

The complete lists appear after the jump, as does an explanation of how they were assembled. See you next week!

Graphic Books Best Seller List (Hardcover)

1. Starman Omnibus, Vol. 2 by James Robinson and Tony Harris. (DC Comics, $49.99.) Jack Knight, the son of the 1940’s Starman, meets his disco era namesake and his father’s colleague, the golden age Sandman.

2. Eerie Archives, Vol. 1 by various. (Dark Horse, $49.95.) The gruesome magazine, following in the steps of its cousin Creepy, gets the hardcover collection treatment.

3. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. (DC Comics, $39.99, $75.) This epic tale from 1986 signaled a new maturity in comic books.

4. Batman: R.I.P. by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. (DC Comics, $24.99.) Thomas Wayne, the father of the caped crusader, is cast in a sinister light.

5. Walking Dead, Vol. 4 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. (Image Comics, $29.99.) The gripping story of the human survivors in a world overrun by zombies continues.

6. Beanworld, Book 1 by Larry Marder. (Dark Horse, $19.95.) The fantasy series, about a world of bean characters, gets the deluxe reprint treatment.

7. Mighty Avengers Assemble by Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho. (Marvel Comics, $34.99.) The first adventures of a new team of heroes gets an oversized collection.

8. Incredible Hercules: Love and War by Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry. (Marvel Comics, $19.99.) The demigod finds himself in Atlantis – just in time for a war.

9. Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. (DC Comics, $17.99.) This critically acclaimed story from 1988 offers a possible origin for the Joker.

10. Complete Terry and the Pirates: Volume 6 by Milton Caniff. (IDW Publishing, $49.99.) The final volume of the series collects strips from 1945 and 1946.

Graphic Books Best Seller List (Softcover)

1. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. (DC Comics, $19.99.) This epic tale from 1986 signaled a new maturity in comic books.

2. Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers by Christopher Yost and Takeshi Miyazawa. (Marvel Comics, $12.99.) The two teams combat the shapeshifting Skrulls.

3. Secret Invasion: Black Panther by Jason Aaron and Jefte Palo. (Marvel Comics, $12.99.) The Skrulls attack the hero’s homeland of Wakanda and come to regret it.

4. Captain America, Vol. 3 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. (Marvel Comics, $14.99.) Bucky Barnes, former sidekick to the Captain, tries to fill his patriotic boots.

5. Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, Vol. 1 by various. (DC Comics, $19.99.) Get to know Green Lantern’s interstellar brotherhood in this collection of stories.

6. Showcase: Superman Family, Vol. 3 by various. (DC Comics, $16.99.) Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane cause a lot of mischief in this black and white collection of stories.

7. The Courtyard by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows. (Avatar Press, $7.99.) An F.B.I. agent investigates seemingly unconnected murders.

8. X-Men: Legacy – Sins of the Father by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. (Marvel Comics, $14.99.) Charles Xavier, the founder of the X-Men, looks back at his past.

9. Uncanny X-Men: End of History, Vol. 1 by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis. (Marvel Comics, $12.99.) The mutant heroes fight the Fury, an enemy of Captain Britain.

10. Superman: Camelot Falls, Vol. 2 by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. (DC Comics, $12.99.) Is the man of steel doing humanity more harm than good?

Graphic Books Best Seller List (Manga)

1. Naruto, Vol. 38 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) The continuing adventures of the Naruto Uzumaki, young ninja in training.

2. Naruto, Vol. 40 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

3. Naruto, Vol. 39 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

4. Naruto, Vol. 41 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

5. MPD-Psycho, Vol. 8 by Eiji Otsuka (Dark Horse, $12.95.) A police detective suffering from multiple personality disorder tracks down a serial killer.

6. Naruto, Vol. 37 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

7. Naruto, Vol. 35 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

8. Naruto, Vol. 36 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

9. Naruto, Vol. 34 by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $7.95.) Oh, Naruto, will you ever learn?

10. Eden, Vol. 11 by Hiroki Endo. (Dark Horse, $12.95.) Elijah lives in a not too distant future where humanity is threatened by a virus.

Rankings reflect sales of graphic novels, for the week ending February 28, at many thousands of venues where a wide range of books are sold nationwide. These include hundreds of independent book retailers (statistically weighted to represent all such outlets); national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket, discount department stores and newsstands. In addition, these rankings also include unit sales reported by retailers nationwide that specialize in graphic novels and comic books.

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

after a few of the epics in the dc universe wrapped up, i haven’t been reading as much. i’ve also given up buying new graphic novels for lent plus an extended period of time….into early 2010. seemingly in response, dc/wildstorm is releasing the ultimate collector’s edition of promethea…an older comic written by alan moore of watchman fame. this release is probably trying to cash in on his good name.

promethea is one of the few comic runs i did bring with me to nyc. the majority of my collection still reside in maryland under the stairs of one of my groomsman’s home.

it is one of the most experimental, literary and beautiful comics i’ve ever read. what’s it about? like cerebus, its hard to say. its one of these stories that starts off as a superhero action story but then goes into meditation on writing, art, beauty, friendship and life. its about everything.

one of the real cool things about the series is that the artist, jh williams iii takes it upon himself to transform the medium with his layouts and unconventional, innovative covers(and interiors). no two covers were alike in style or branding. since part of the story was about art, the art embodied the story….pushing the boundaries of life imitating art imitating life.

the first few issues introduces the mythos of the character. promethea is a hero who has had many incarnations over time including the outgoing one, an aging overweight heroine and the new one, a young student in training. both are part of the first adventure where evil forces seek to target the entire legacy of the character. the new promethea, sophie bangs also meets previous prometheas as they fill her in on the mantle that she is carrying on.  i’ll chronicle the series as i work through the other issues.

it’ll also give me an excuse to post the various covers…a big part of the series.

its great when the art of a series has equal billing, importance and status…not always a given. more promethea soon!

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

been reading a few graphic novels in addition finishing three epics in the dc universe. the epics being final crisis, new krypton and the kingdom come sequel in the jsa. here are the graphic novels:

camelot 3000 is a groundbreaking series that i read as a kid: 1984 kidom! it was one of the first maxi-series in the us…a comic with a storyline that had a definite start and ending. miniseries were common running about 4 issues. but the maxi-series aimed to twelve issues or a whole year in length. unheard of! most comics had indefinite runs….until nobody cared and purchased the books. its like tv….there are shows go on forever or until the ratings decline. then there are miniseries that run a few nights or for a week. but the maxi-series concept has finally arrived to the small screen…a story with a predetermined ending…..not surprisingly produced by folks with comic influences: lost and battlestar galactica.

camelot 3000 was a sci fi, sword and sorcery and literary scramble with king arthur and the knights of the round table reincarnated in the year 3000 as the earth faces alien invasion. this is not for little kids…but perhaps for mid teens and above as it deals with issues of war, sexuality, politics, betrayal and destiny. not sure if kids would be interested! but i was…at age 13! and not just the sexuality parts! it was great reminiscing…so many deep memories. amazing how much i recalled…and some stuff i forgot. i must have read this over and over as a kid.

bottomless belly button is definitely not for kids as it deals with a slice of life as a family faces the impending divorce of their elderly parents. dash shaw has won much praise and attention for this massive depiction of the interaction, relationships and lives of this family. its a bit of a slow burn as you just watch them live their lives with the end in sight but its executed in a way where the climax is just silently heartbreaking. very real and very painful.

in the superhero genre, i reread kevin smith’s sound of violence…green arrow’s first adventure post resurrection. he faces a character that smith created and recently brought back in a batman mini series: Onomatopoeia. i think smith is the only person allowed to use the character.

i forgot how sophomoric and dirty smith is. but how can i forget? double entendres are everywhere! but it may fit the liberal, crusty old oliver queen. then again, this is how kevin smith writes nearly everything. however,  his run on green arrow, along with mike grell’s nuanced and realistic run are amongst the best in terms of characterization and story crafting.

finally, because of the end of the kingdom come sequel, i’m starting to re-read the original. will update next time!

i love the concept of a weekly comic….a massive, epic storyline that is grown week to week but in the us, only dc has attempted to produce weekly comics.  rival marvel has critiqued dc’s efforts…asked when they will try one they responded-”we don’t do comics weekly….we do them strongly”.  and i would have to admit that the dc efforts have left me bored. the first massive 52 week series called 52 was ok with lots of high minded story threads but ultimately not compelling enough. the second attempt, countdown is widely seen as a disaster. i gave up on this year’s offering, trinity, after 3 issues because of fears of mediocrity…and i would rather spend my money on writers i know i will like and that i trust. which leads us to….

…the current superman line written primarily by two of my favorite writers, geoff johns and james robinson. i’m a batman guy….not a superman guy but if these guys are writing, it matters very little what the subject is. overflowing with ideas, they have gone weekly with the storyline….new krypton…about a lost city of krypton replanted on earth with 100,000 kryptonians now inhabiting the planet but without any of the humanity of superman.

this is the focus of the mythos of superman….is superman super or man? what makes him superman? this storyline will explore kin who only have super but lack the soul instilled in clark kent by his adoptive parents…they have the powers but not the accompanying heart. what difference will that make?

this series inadvertently poses the obvious question….why do weekly comics have to be a year in length?….this story line will take place roughly over three months and be done. so perhaps they can tell great weekly stories without the insane, contrived format of dragging the plot over 52 issues.

the weekly episodes are also getting some great art by mega-artist alex ross who’s painted superhero work commands thousands and mind boggling tens of thousands. his work gracing the covers shows the commitment to pull out all the stops to make these issues memorable. i hate it when creators only go through the motions and slap things together.

alex ross is also involved in the other weekly storyline flowing out of both the justice society of america and the classic kingdom come series. when the original kingdom come series ended, alex ross and co-creator mark waid had more ideas about the futuristic universe but time limited them from pursuing the projects together so the company followed other ideas to capitalize on the money making moment. but alex still had his ideas….so together with geoff johns, they plucked the kingdom come superman and brought him into the mainstream dc universe to see what would happen. the series puts on display alex’s ideas that have never seen print until now.

alex ross even writes and pencils a full issue of superman as well as providing covers for the event. the superman special is breath taking….almost anything alex draws is magical.

i’ve always loved the heroes of the justice society….these are not the cool heroes but the washed up old heroes….these are my father’s father’s superheroes…and the trick is writing these old heads in a way that’s relevant. they play on the themes of nostalgia and legacy…having the older characters mentor the next generation of heroes.

the roster of characters is extensive as geoff johns keeps creating and revamping characters….each with a history and a storyline….proving that great writers can take “old” characters and do something great with them. there are no bad characters, only bad writers. i have collected stories with these characters since the 80’s and they have a special place in my heart so i am glad that dc is giving them the attention. however, as i go to print, geoff johns has announced that he is leaving the title. we’ll see who replaces him.

meanwhile, i hope geoff johns and alex ross do more weekly comics strongly.