The Watchtower - A thread for all comics

[SeanR]

oh man Deaths Head.....those were the days.

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Deaths Head vs Dragons Claws: FIGHT!

[Andy_Why]

Call me a fan boy loser jerk, who is reading exactly the kind of shit thats ruining the industry, but I'm really enjoying Young Avengers. Every aspect of it shouldn't of worked for me- I've never been an Avengers fan, its written by a guy who writes the OC and its one of those case's where a series that has been built around the title. I mean, thats just wrong, and its a pathetic attempt by Marvel to have something that can compete with Teen Titans.

But against all odds, its quite enjoyable. The art is fantastic, and the storytelling is markedly different from standard fair. You can tell this guy doesn't come from a comic writing backgroud, but he certainly has a love for the medium. Worth picking up.

[Tofu]

oh l been watching Teen Titans and that show is sooo cool. l agree Young Avengers being a Teen Titans rip off, l also remember Marvel doing an Identity Disc special event just when DC was launching its Identity Crisis storyline which l thought was dirty, luckily Identity Disc is crap.

[picto]

Everyone should pick up DC's Coundown To Infinite Crisis. A mere 75p for 80 pages of possibly the best comic I've bought this year. Revolving around the Blue Beetle's attempts to uncover a conspiracy with the JLA not respecting him enough togive a crap or help. Even if the rest of Infinite Crisis turns out to be shit, Countdown was a real "wow!" moment for me.

[picto]

Finally got Ultimates2 Issue 4. Very cool Thor art. Hmm. . some spoiler discussion: Loki - have a look in Ultimates2 Issue 1 second or third page from the end. A guy in a green suit, smirking. Just reading a post from Millar over on his message board and he's even saying have a look back at Volume 1 Issue 4 at the campfire with Banner waving a file about. Haven't got mine with me so can't check but that's forward thinking.

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Well, I decided to look back through old issues of Ultimates. The camp fire bit, I can't find anything interesting. However, the resturant bit deffinately has the green suited in it. When cap confronts him in the club there is a guy with the same hair and a similar face, no green suit so it may be a coincidence there. Of most interest though, in vol 2 issue 4, the spanish protest and subsequent police brutality. Bottom left corner of the page, green suited scientist, right there clear as day.

Well that was a huge waste of time.

But Aquaman, you can't marry a woman without gills. You're from too completly different worlds...I've wasted my life.

[Rev]

Everyone should pick up DC's Coundown To Infinite Crisis. A mere 75p for 80 pages of possibly the best comic I've bought this year. Revolving around the Blue Beetle's attempts to uncover a conspiracy with the JLA not respecting him enough togive a crap or help. Even if the rest of Infinite Crisis turns out to be shit, Countdown was a real "wow!" moment for me.

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I own it, not got around to reading it yet. First good review I've heard of it though that. Plus I paid 50p, not 75p.

I DC at the moment. My weekly comic purchases seems to now include Green Arrow, Flash, Wonder Woman, The Outsiders and Identity/Infinite Crisis stuff.

Blame .cbr files for my current love of The Outsiders and Wonder Woman - great way of testing out a new comic that. Anyone else read comics on their pc? It's great, highly recommended. I've been reading Walking Dead on my PC, and I picked up 16 the other day and it just didnt look as nice in the book. Odd, but true.

Oh and on the Marvel side currently buying Ultimate Spiderman, Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic 4, Ultimate Iron Man and Ultimate Secret. And Secret War.

Speaking of which, Secret War 4 has been literally the worst comic I have read in quite a will. Waiting 3 months for that? What a waste. Awful book. Utter pap. Think I'm going to really cut back on the Marvel side - apart from Ultimates the rest of the line is slowly going down hill. Can't remember the last time I actually sat up and took notice of what was happening in Ultimate Spidey, even if there haven't been anything particularly bad.

Hmm.

Insert Aquaman comic book guy quote here too.

[Don Rosco]

Blame .cbr files for my current love of The Outsiders and Wonder Woman - great way of testing out a new comic that. Anyone else read comics on their pc? It's great, highly recommended. I've been reading Walking Dead on my PC, and I picked up 16 the other day and it just didnt look as nice in the book. Odd, but true.

Yeah, I got a few, I actually found the first 7 or 8 Ultimate Spidermans on your recommendation, very good they are too. I have a few others but haven't got round to reading them yet, I still have a backlog of real world comics to get through, post January Sales!!

[Uncle Mike]

Ultimate Spiderman 12 is a big book of nothing. I hope the next one picks it up again, because otherwise they've been brilliant.

Also brilliant: Fables.

[Tofu]

cbr files are good, however, holding and reading it in your own hands is miles better.

As for Infinite Crisis, l don't get it. l mean it totally wrecks everything great Giffen has done with JLA, and it was painfully obvious who was going to die and l guess become the next Spectre. l mean it seemed like an ad as someone suggested to buy the rest of the other issues, so l guess the $1 wouldn't seem too cheap in the long run once you buy every title to figure what is happening.

So is this yet another reboot thing for DC, since its the 25th anniversary of Infinite Crisis on Earth. Expect Marvel to cash in with something similar but very much crap.

Also for Ultimate Spiderman....bleh, l dislike Bendis so much and he's so overrated it makes me laugh sometimes. His Ultimate Carnage, Gwen Stacy and Venom is surely a sign that he needs time off, its almost mbarssing to read sometimes how clumsy his storylines are becoming. The next future John Bryne...hahaha

[DLNY]

Anyone reading Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers? Manhatten Guardian was great Silver Age-esq stuff.

On the Marvel side Ultimate Iron Man #1 showed a lot of promise so I'm definitely in for #2 - the cover art for that looks ace too.

[Sabreman]

Klaus Jansen CAN'T fucking draw!

Look at his T2 adaption, or that flashback he did in Knightfall.

THE COLOURIST saved him in both DKR (Lynn Varley) and the Legends of the Dark Night story(#6-#10) Gothic (Steve Buccellato)...

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Janson just inked DKR though, Miller drew it.

And then in a chucklesome turn of events Varley's atrocious photoshop beginner's colouring of DK2 only added mightily to it's shitness.

[Andy_Why]

Anyone reading Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers? Manhatten Guardian was great Silver Age-esq stuff.

On the Marvel side Ultimate Iron Man #1 showed a lot of promise so I'm definitely in for #2 - the cover art for that looks ace too.

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Yep, and I'm enjoying what I've read so far. Can't wait to see what Morrison is doing with this

[Djx]

Ultimate Spiderman 12 is a big book of nothing. I hope the next one picks it up again, because otherwise they've been brilliant.

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Bendis has a style which seems to be four issues talking, one issue action.

IDW are a decent company but they need to hire some artists who can draw properly. '30 Days Of Night', 'Silent Hill' and 'Metal Gear Solid' all have this wispy style of art which is out of place and obscures the on-page action.

[Rowan Morrison]

Anyone reading Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers? Manhatten Guardian was great Silver Age-esq stuff.

I don't know how all that's going to turn out. Shining Knight I think I enjoyed most, or at least had the most promise, and I thought that was going to be the worst (judging by the cover). Zatanna was good... well, they were all good, but whether they'll end up being great I don't know. They don't seem as enjoyable as Seaguy or Vimanarama, which I guess are GM's comparable recent works. The #0 special didn't have a great deal going for it - well written but fairly straightforward... Over the course of the various series he could turn around an blow our minds, of course. Fingers crossed, but they have an air of fluff about them at the moment. It's good fluff, though, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Frankenstein I'm certainly looking forward to.

[Rev]

Anyone got a recommendation for an online store for recent back issues? Last month stuff I missed while finishing my project. A few places seem to do flat-rate postage, which is a bitch. As is picking them up individually on ebay.

I just need Ultimate Nightmare 5 (4 crap issues and I miss the one Vision appears in!) Deadshot 5 and maybe Young Avengers as I've been hearing good things about it.

In other news I'm going to be sorting out my .cbr stash in the next few days, I believe I've got about 7gb of them that I'm going to name up neatly and burn to DVD's. And actually read them too, since the digital pile is seriously out of hand. My real-life pile is completely up to date now.

Oh apart from the 5 2000AD hardback's I picked up at three quid a pop from Music Zone. Rats.

OK - My US comic pile is non-existant at the moment.

It's a hard life.

[Tofu]

Why?

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Vision only appears for a couple of scenes, nothing really special.

Young Avengers...meh Teen Titans rip off no matter how hard they try to hide it.

[TheShend]

Just helped myself (ta student loan) to the recent installment of Samurai Executioner, Vol.3.

Here's a synopsis from darkhorse.com

Readers of Lone Wolf & Cub came to know a samurai of such high honor that he was not only able to perform but enjoyed and, in fact, learned from basic daily tasks. Cutting wood, cooking food. That wasn't something a samurai did back in feudal Japan. These same human elements are apparent in Kubikiri Asa, the main character in Samurai Executioner. He's a man of the people, though his job is to separate many of those same people from their heads.

In this volume, however, we're treated to three fantastic stories of amazing weapons skill, both on the part of Asa and those around him. Witness, for the first time in this series, a duel between two great samurai, in the slow, contemplative tradition. Observe Asa's extremely precise sword stroke. And read a charming story of a young peace officer who practices the use of his specialized weaponry to the point of utilitarian, life-saving perfection. It's more classic samurai stories in our third volume of Samurai Executioner.

FOR MATURE READERS

They have a preview up as well so you can take in first few pages. And here's another link for the rest, released and awaiting release.

Cover Art.

Sample page.

I'm about 3/4 into it and this issue has much more going on compared to the last book which was a little slower and contemplative (sp?). The tests of skill on show are imaginative and engrossing. As always, adore the art and cinema of it all.

I'm going to keep bangin on about this story and manga until folk cave in and idulge as well. You won't be disappointed, HONEST!

Other news sees me getting From Hell from Forbidden Planet for the ol' birthday, really looking forwad to this.

[Andy_Why]

Vision only appears for a couple of scenes, nothing really special.

Young Avengers...meh Teen Titans rip off no matter how hard they try to hide it.

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I don't think they tried to hide it to be honest. Its been widely publicised that this was a title that first started as just a name. Not a good start. However the decision to hire Allan Heinberg (the writer from OC, fact fans) has certainly paid off and I think their is a real chance for this to go off in interesting directions. Especially considering that none of these characters have years of back story, an unusual setup for any Marvel book.

[Rowan Morrison]

Samurai Executioner is nuts. It's like Lone Wolf and Cub go scat, there's piss and shit everywhere. And the main characters just tends to turn up at the end and stab someone. It's ace, though. At the moment (first three books) the stories are largely self-contained, no ongoing arcs have really emerged. It's well worth it, and you can add it to the end of your Lone Wolf collection on the cute book shelf.

You can't argue with From Hell, either.

[Tofu]

I don't think they tried to hide it to be honest. Its been widely publicised that this was a title that first started as just a name. Not a good start. However the decision to hire Allan Heinberg (the writer from OC, fact fans) has certainly paid off and I think their is a real chance for this to go off in interesting directions. Especially considering that none of these characters have years of back story, an unusual setup for any Marvel book.

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Besides from Astonishing and the Ultimates,Marvel's output is really shit, copy whether DC is doing and hope it sells. Oh wait lets throw Wolverine in to boost some sales.

Well thats what l imagine, at least DC has the balls to come up with decent storys and push the envelope so to speak.

[TheShend]

Samurai Executioner is nuts. It's like Lone Wolf and Cub go scat, there's piss and shit everywhere. And the main characters just tends to turn up at the end and stab someone. It's ace, though. At the moment (first three books) the stories are largely self-contained, no ongoing arcs have really emerged. It's well worth it, and you can add it to the end of your Lone Wolf collection on the cute book shelf.

You can't argue with From Hell, either.

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I'm very interested to see how he 'falls from grace', so to speak and ends up the way his is in Lone Wolf.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

As for Infinite Crisis, l don't get it. l mean it totally wrecks everything great Giffen has done with JLA, and it was painfully obvious who was going to die and l guess become the next Spectre. l mean it seemed like an ad as someone suggested to buy the rest of the other issues, so l guess the $1 wouldn't seem too cheap in the long run once you buy every title to figure what is happening.

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My ever so-slightly less than mature attitude to the situation can be summed up by 'Lalalalalala, not listening, it's not happened FUCK YOU DC' and sitting there enjoying the latest adventurers of the Super Buddies.

Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire Forever! The only regular DCU stuff ever worth reading.

[Rowan Morrison]

I'm very interested to see how he 'falls from grace', so to speak and ends up the way his is in Lone Wolf.

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I bet it involves a roomful of shit in some way.

[Tofu]

My ever so-slightly less than mature attitude to the situation can be summed up by 'Lalalalalala, not listening, it's not happened FUCK YOU DC' and sitting there enjoying the latest adventurers of the Super Buddies.

Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire Forever! The only regular DCU stuff ever worth reading.

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hahaha

You're right.

[Andy_Why]

Their's no argument that Marvels output is shit for the most part, but they still have some decent titles. The Punisher is still great at the minute, for instance. The company that is doing the most for me these days is Image. They really have started publishing a lot of great titles recently and I'm really looking forward to The Athiest. John McCrea back on a decent title! Hitman for life, yo!

Oh and did everyone know that Steve Dillon is now doing the art chores for Ultimate X-Men? Its strange seeing his artwork in the pages of an ultimate book, but I like it.

[Tofu]

Their's no argument that Marvels output is shit for the most part, but they still have some decent titles. The Punisher is still great at the minute, for instance. The company that is doing the most for me these days is Image. They really have started publishing a lot of great titles recently and I'm really looking forward to The Athiest. John McCrea back on a decent title! Hitman for life, yo!

Oh and did everyone know that Steve Dillon is now doing the art chores for Ultimate X-Men? Its strange seeing his artwork in the pages of an ultimate book, but I like it.

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Wasn't Dillion just a guest artist?

[Vemsie]

Their's no argument that Marvels output is shit for the most part, but they still have some decent titles.

I keep reading rave reviews for Dan Slott's She-Hulk. Never read nything from the man but he's a fantastic writer apparently.

More on the man and his works

BTW, the new Punisher story (#19)

[aidey6]

after reading through this thread and hearing from Tofu amongst others, I've bought issues 7-12 of Walking Dead..

I won the issues 1-10 on ebay, so I'm holding off until they arrive so I can read them chronologically...

just need issues 13-15 now..

[DLNY]

Oh and did everyone know that Steve Dillon is now doing the art chores for Ultimate X-Men? Its strange seeing his artwork in the pages of an ultimate book, but I like it.

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I thought he was a guest for an issue or so too. I can't quite imagine Cyclops as drawn by Steve Dillon but I'm looking forward to it.

I'd have to agree that Marvel's output at the moment isn't particularly great - there's only a few gems and their amount of X-books (90% rubbish) and Wolverine appearances are worrying. Still, Supreme Power HC out this week!

I'm not exactly enthused about DC's stuff either. I didn't like Identity Crisis at all and their 'stick Jim Lee on a title and let's see a sales spike" tendency is just desperate. I think all I've got from them (outside Vertigo) is Flash and the new Green Lantern. This 'Red Hood' storyline in Batman has my interest a little (my first trade was 'A Death In The Family') but that could be a trade.

[Tofu]

I wouldn't get hot and bothered if it wasn't for the fact that Marvel are pushing out so much crap that it overshadows the really good stuff they have, which is little. However, what annoys me most besides the arrogance of Bendis is the fact they jump on every sodding backwagon DC and other small indie have made popular in recent months and years.

A typical example was Identity Crisis by DC which Marvel then followed along the same month with Identity Disc, recently Young Avengers aka Teen Titans. Their Max range has gotten better but its pretty shit still compared to the beauty of Vertigo, simply given them the excuse to say fuck and show some tits instead of developing characters.

Also finally in my defence, Marvel gave us the Clone saga....nuff said.