We're always talking about finding current comics worth reading around here, and Steven Grant has a list of ten of them over at CBR. Of the titles he names, I'm currently reading Criminal by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips, and All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. Criminal isn't going to set the world on fire, but it's good, solid storytelling with strong characters--both of the sort that we're seeing in comics less and less these days. Brubaker and Phillips are working in 5-issue arcs, and so far there's one collected edition. The fifth part of the second arc was released yesterday, so you can get it in pieces or wait a little while for the collection. All-Star Superman, of course, is Morrison and Quitely playing in Mort Weisinger's sandbox. Morrison can sometimes get heavy-handed, but this is him with the lightest of touches and is good fun all the way around.
Steven Grant also mentions Gilbert Hernandez's Speak of the Devil, which I think I'm picking up but haven't actually read yet (that's right, far too many of my comics purchases these days are by rote), and Bryan Talbot's Alice in Sunderland, which I also haven't read but which Jason enthused about a few months ago. I must admit that it's never once occurred to me that I should be reading World War Hulk by Greg Pak & John S. Romita, but I guess that's what makes a horse race. Who can respond to the rest of Grant's list?
Posted by Doug at November 8, 2007 2:30 PM
Haven't read any of 'em. Although I wonder why the Dreadstar #5 cover is there, when it's not mentioned in the text...do they just use random cover art as decoration on that site?
The illustrations are explained near the bottom of the column. All the covers each week contribute to some sort of secret theme. The first person who identifies the theme gets a link to the site of their choice in next week's column.
I currently get Criminal and Age of Bronze. I haven't read a single issue of this last arc of Criminal, though they're all on the stack. I believe that I'm going to switch to the trades...
I could switch to trades on Age of Bronze, because I actually prefer reading it in chunks. Still, that whole goofy quasi-TeamComics idea of supporting the single issues holds strong in this case. It's all that Grant says, and more.
I bought the first issue of Speak of the Devil, but I haven't bought the second yet. I flipped through it in the store this week, and I still don't know. It's more than a little spare, though it could come together by the end and be worthy of a pick-up in the trade.
I haven't been buying All-Star Superman, though I did read the first HC (and Alice in Sunderland) via the library. Both were quite good.
World War Hulk. I just have no interest.
I know of Arf! from Yoe's website. I've never seen it in stores, but I'll keep an eye peeled. I don't believe I'm familiar with the others, but considering that one is a book from Larry Young, I'm not sure quite how that's possible.
Alice in Sunderland is superb -- highly recommended.
(Otherwise I've only read the Morrison/Quitely Superman...)
SF
I'll speak up for World War Hulk, though I think it would be better without the crossovers. Not that the crossovers are bad--even with the glitch about Black Bolt, WWH: X-Men was rather fun--but because the amount of story in WWH isn't well-served by lots of distracting sidelights. WWH should have been five triple-sized issues of Incredible Hulk and that's all.
Basically, its virtues are what S. Grant said: It's superhero comics with the volume turned up REALLY LOUD so the bass line rattles your teeth. Sometimes, that's a good thing. But it's smarter than that description would make it seem.
Oh, did World War hulk actually start showing Hulk beating up on people? Because I dropped it after they had a whole issue devoted to proving he never actually hurt anyone...
Immortal Iron Fist has gotten me reading a Marvel comic for the first time since the Bendis Avengers started. Great art, interesting story, and new characters. For the first time since I have read Iron Fist stories, I actually get the sense that a character mythos is being created here.
Highly recommended.