Freezasaurus
Member
It does astound me that some people have this vision of comic fans where we're all current with every storyline of every book being published.
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COMICS! |OT| December 2014. Alas, reading this thread backwards simply doesn't work.
- Thread starter Spike Spiegel
- Start date
- Status
Serpentine
Banned
we were in IRC last night for a bit and man you shoulda seen some of the things he was sayin
it was just unbelievable
Rrongfield
Member
As most have said, stress over continuity only if you really enjoy stressing about it. Just have fun. That IS the reason most of us read for (at least I hope).
But talking about that specific problem, there is an Avengers/New Avengers/Infinity reading order if you really want to sort things out. An important thing is that the vague timelines in both DC and Marvel are never (or not necessarily) based upon release date. Each series is responsible of their own storyline and continuity which sort of fits into the greater picture.
Only fret if you are eager to fret.
You mean Rrongfield?
whatsinaname
Member
I am putting comics on the backburner for a few days too, a non pictures book from my library queue arrived!
Rrongfield
Member
The main thing is the assumption that comics are like one thing. It's not even a genre, its a medium. Being a "comics fan" is as vague as a "movie fan". Well, not as vague when you consider it is a much smaller medium.
That cleared things up but also made things slightly more confusing. It's nice to know that there is an expected reading order, and I'll refer to that chart as I continue. Thank you. However, if reading order and release date don't correlate then how the hell do people who buy comics every week keep track of it all? Why do comics get released before related comics that they chronologically take place after? Is it just that reading two concurrent series slightly out of sync really doesn't matter all that much?
^^ agreed! though I kinda dug the arc that closed out the book outside of the hilariously rushed last issue
I didn't read either book for very long but I believe Hickman was purposely playing with what you're confused about. The chronology should make more sense as you go along but the short of it is those first few issues of New Avengers take place before Avengers.
I didn't read either book for very long but I believe Hickman was purposely playing with what you're confused about. The chronology should make more sense as you go along but the short of it is those first few issues of New Avengers take place before Avengers.
Rrongfield
Member
In general I just focus in the specific book or storyline. Almost always, the story in the specific book is what you should be looking for rather than the bigger picture. It's generally gonna be much more rewarding.
In Hickman's Avengers specifically, I just worry about order after an arc ends. If the story is well built, as this one is, the grander picture should show itself as the story unfolds by itself. Just remember to enjoy it.
Traitor.
I bet it has to do with more showing up. At one point it was going for $10k+ and now it's settled somewhere around $1k.
When Saga #1 hits $5k+ cash the fuck out right then and there.
Freezasaurus
Member
I would bet it has to do with the TV series, too. There was probably a surge in interest when people discovered the comics via the television series, but interest has probably waned since then since the last couple seasons have sucked some major balls.
Doesn't the show still do silly numbers?
Freezasaurus
Member
Probably. But it's terrible. Can't keep me interested. Comic is still great, tho.
I've read the first 3 Hardcovers, really enjoying it. Actually maybe ill get the next one this week.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
It doesn't really matter. You can tell by circumstance. "Oh, X is Y so this must have happened before Z."
Freezasaurus
Member
Last Wednesday of the year. Usually a dead week anyway.
I'm actually looking forward to this. I have so much catching up to do from last week. Between the holidays, work, and being sick the few days, this will be my first chance to read outside of the daily S.I.P stuff.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
I'm gonna use tomorrow to plow through some books too. Next week has Deadly Class and Casanova volume 2!
Ahhh, when you said books i thought you meant actual books and not the ones with pictures.
It feels too late saying that but i'm not deleting it, i'll take the shame of not being funny.
Also, finished watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, fairly good but maybe too humany to make me want to buy it. At least they got the ratio of human to ape right for the most part and didn't try to Transformers their way through it.
Freezasaurus
Member
You've been sick too? I've been better the last couple days, but Saturday and Sunday I was totally out of it. Friday night into Saturday I slept for 18 hours. I always get sick this time of year, but I'm fine for the rest of the year.
New Casanova hardcover? Yesssssssss. Unless it gets delayed again.
But I'll have nothing to do on New Year's Eve ;_;
I read my comics during my lunch/break times at work
BuddyJoeHooker
Member
Damn I'm like an arc behind on EoW but this teaser is getting me hyped for next year.
Just read Captain Marvel 1-4 (that's what it's up to on MU), I liked it. I was always a fan of Carol as Ms. Mravel, and the character continues to be fun. MU linked me to a previous Captain Marvel run which seems to be 19 issues, is that where she transitioned from Ms. to Captain, or was that before?
Also I thought she didn't use the ugly mask/helm thing anymore but obviously I was mistaken
Edit: read the first issue of the 2012 run, really like the art.
Also I thought she didn't use the ugly mask/helm thing anymore but obviously I was mistaken
Edit: read the first issue of the 2012 run, really like the art.
Freezasaurus
Member
I kinda wanna get back into it, too. I think I only missed a couple issues. But the plot moved super-slow. I also feel the need to say that one chick from that one issue (the one seen on the Kingdom cover there, forget what issue she appeared in) is one of the most beautifully drawn black women I've ever seen in a comic. Whoever drew her got the curves just right and everything.
Freezasaurus
Member
I'm up to issue 9 in Astonishing X-Men and I'm really enjoying it. The story has been interesting and I'm liking Cassaday's art much better.
Nearly done with the first Fables deluxe book and liking it so far. It's quite a bit different than I was expecting since I figured it would start off closer to Wolf Among Us. Still really good though.
Nearly done with the first Fables deluxe book and liking it so far. It's quite a bit different than I was expecting since I figured it would start off closer to Wolf Among Us. Still really good though.
Finished Arkham Manor #1, it read like it was speeding through an introduction paragraph so it could get to the good part, which isn't in this issue.A rough first issue that still has potential. When i saw Duggan's name attached i expected something similar to Deadpool because that's the only book i read of his previously, but that's not the case, not a lot of arkham hijinx here. Random 5/10.
KoruptData
Member
Black Science was so good this month.
GrandHarrier
Member
Adding to the discussion: Continuity is best when you're able to make connections. When you, as the reader, realize that the writer is referencing something that happened before and oh wow it's all the cooler because you realize that there is this through line that you can trace, from A to B to C. It's like when an episodic television series would talk about something from before; You don't expect it, you didn't exactly need it, but it's really awesome that they are acknowledging that these characters have done things before and that they matter.
You'll also come to realize that certain books take continuity more or less serious. A book like Harley Quinn, for example, doesn't ignore Harley's backstory or that certain things happened to her, but it's probably never going to reference her activities in the current Suicide Squad, nor is any other book likely to deal with the crazy ass shit she has been doing in her solo series. You learn to tell these sort of things from the tone of the book.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
That Valiant article Birdie posted was a really good read. It's also gotten me interested in their books, what would be a good entry point for Valiant? I know they just launched The Valiant and I was curious as to whether or not that be a good place to start. Also interested in Quantum and Woody since I know Steve Lieber is going to be the artist on that soon.
I do have the first issue of Doctor Mirage since it was free earlier in the month, I'll give that a shot tomorrow.
I do have the first issue of Doctor Mirage since it was free earlier in the month, I'll give that a shot tomorrow.
GrandHarrier
Member
Arkham Manor just sounds so dumb. I'm reading Eternal and their mentioning of it is just so duuumb. I can't wait to see how they delete that concept from ever having happened.
The book is fun doe, great art too.
GrandHarrier
Member
Oh I realize it could actually be great. But the mention of it in Eternal #35 was just so goofy. It's just so illogical (lol comic books, doe, right?) But I'm really digging Eternal. Don't know why I let a small backlog build up. Seeing Barbara show up with her hipster outfit was kind of hilarious. At least Red Hood made a snarky comment. Damnit girl, put on some armor plz.
Also, Harper swooning for Tim amused me. Tim gets all the girls. All of them.
doniewhalberg
Member
Read some pretty great stuff the last few days Random thoughts in no specific order:
Locke & Key vol. 6: I really do think Locke & Key is one of the best modern comic books to have been published, and would have been satisfied with the journey regardless how well they stuck the landing. The end is pretty great, not mindblowing, but most of the characters see a satisfying conclusion to the themes that drove their characters through each volume.
There is one plot point that bothered me a little.
For the bait and switch, the way they did it didn't feel quite "ooooh" enough nor clear enough on page enough to be worth acting as if it would go the other way. Technically, it works fine within the ruleset they laid out, but it just didn't get me the way I think it was supposed to. I'd rathered they had just not bothered
.
That said, it is a fairly minor niggle and they managed to surprise me with the plot in other ways so that the only thing that did bother me wasn't a dealbreaker (and I think the fact it was the second last scene of the book ever that did manage to bug me was unfortunately placed too).
were both really good subversions of how you might assume it was all going to play out. Easy to tear things down though, but the series as a whole is a massive accomplishment from both Hill and Rodriguez. I enjoy Hill's novels but I think he really has the touch with comic book, I can't wait to see what his next *major* thing is.
The Witcher volume 1: I really liked this. First thing I've read by Tobin, and I thought he did his job admirably. There's only so much you can do with a character who is so firmly wedged between novels and video games etc., but I think he managed to put in a great tale along the lines of the cool sidestories Hellboy has had over the years. I'd love to see more *recurring adventures* type stories from him about Geralt. My only criticism is I'm not sure it needed six issues but Querio really made it worth the probably bloated page count. He rendered the world of the witcher great while also really channelling a mignola vibe, great stuff again for fans of Hellboy, BPRD etc. Oh and as an aside, the Mignola cover on the volume is great, the book doesn't feature as nice a trade dress as a hellboy or BPRD book, but the cover is fantastic.
Trillium: And last, but not least, I read Trillium. As with most of Lemire's works, Trillium is really focused on introspective character drama & relationships, only really going deeply into two of the cast in this case. Everyone else in the plot and the plot itself are fine, and the whole mystery of Trillium is cool, but they don't really matter much in the end. This is a book about two people who have very little time together and who barely know each other, falling completely in love and doing as much as they can about that love in the given circumstances. Whether you can buy into love at first sight, or how the scifi mystery/threat drama maybe doesn't quite hold up, is going to depend on your sensibilities as a reader, and probably decide how much you like it as a whole. I definitely enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't say it's his strongest, and I imagine this is kind of a divisive read for most fans. So not an out and out recommendation but it is a well written book, the art is great, and there is definitely room for a second reading due to the
at the end, which definitely could change my thoughts on the depth of the actual plot etc, something I will have to do.
Still got a whole bunch to get through, I think I'll read Southern Bastards today, while I continue blasting through The Green Mile, which is taking up a lot of my reading time right now too. Hope everyone else is enjoying their holiday (if you're still on holiday that is), this really is the best time of year for me, a huge stack of comics and plenty of time to read em. My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and most of the series I used to buy her have dried up by now, so I thought I'd try her on some new stuff. Have bought Coffin Hill, The Wicked + The Divine & Sex Criminals, so I'll probably get a look at those in a few weeks myself too.
Locke & Key vol. 6: I really do think Locke & Key is one of the best modern comic books to have been published, and would have been satisfied with the journey regardless how well they stuck the landing. The end is pretty great, not mindblowing, but most of the characters see a satisfying conclusion to the themes that drove their characters through each volume.
There is one plot point that bothered me a little.
Regarding Bode's resurrection.
either that his body really was gone and his spirit had went on to protect keyhouse or something, or just not cremating his body in the first place. I think leaving him as a spirit maybe would have went some of the way to solving the issue of a little boy seeing so many horrors in such a time, rather than just rolling it off his shoulders too
That said, it is a fairly minor niggle and they managed to surprise me with the plot in other ways so that the only thing that did bother me wasn't a dealbreaker (and I think the fact it was the second last scene of the book ever that did manage to bug me was unfortunately placed too).
Dodge not actually wanting an army at all, and the alpha key not really working
The Witcher volume 1: I really liked this. First thing I've read by Tobin, and I thought he did his job admirably. There's only so much you can do with a character who is so firmly wedged between novels and video games etc., but I think he managed to put in a great tale along the lines of the cool sidestories Hellboy has had over the years. I'd love to see more *recurring adventures* type stories from him about Geralt. My only criticism is I'm not sure it needed six issues but Querio really made it worth the probably bloated page count. He rendered the world of the witcher great while also really channelling a mignola vibe, great stuff again for fans of Hellboy, BPRD etc. Oh and as an aside, the Mignola cover on the volume is great, the book doesn't feature as nice a trade dress as a hellboy or BPRD book, but the cover is fantastic.
Trillium: And last, but not least, I read Trillium. As with most of Lemire's works, Trillium is really focused on introspective character drama & relationships, only really going deeply into two of the cast in this case. Everyone else in the plot and the plot itself are fine, and the whole mystery of Trillium is cool, but they don't really matter much in the end. This is a book about two people who have very little time together and who barely know each other, falling completely in love and doing as much as they can about that love in the given circumstances. Whether you can buy into love at first sight, or how the scifi mystery/threat drama maybe doesn't quite hold up, is going to depend on your sensibilities as a reader, and probably decide how much you like it as a whole. I definitely enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't say it's his strongest, and I imagine this is kind of a divisive read for most fans. So not an out and out recommendation but it is a well written book, the art is great, and there is definitely room for a second reading due to the
language key
Still got a whole bunch to get through, I think I'll read Southern Bastards today, while I continue blasting through The Green Mile, which is taking up a lot of my reading time right now too. Hope everyone else is enjoying their holiday (if you're still on holiday that is), this really is the best time of year for me, a huge stack of comics and plenty of time to read em. My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and most of the series I used to buy her have dried up by now, so I thought I'd try her on some new stuff. Have bought Coffin Hill, The Wicked + The Divine & Sex Criminals, so I'll probably get a look at those in a few weeks myself too.
GrandHarrier
Member
Which is?
MetalGuardian
Banned
Over the past few days, I received a tablet and a Marvel Unlimited subscription. Other than random offshoot TPBs, this is my first time ever having access to a large number of comics and it's awesome.
I'm very interested in reading the Cosmic Marvel stories...
... but the Marvel website is incredibly slow when it comes to searches, and manually scouting out each issue would take forever. Does anyone just happen to know if all of these are included? I don't want to start the task of reading all of this only to later find out that some are missing.
It's also a shame Punisher Max isn't on MU, but there's still more than enough good stuff to keep me busy until I die (now alone)!
I'm very interested in reading the Cosmic Marvel stories...
... but the Marvel website is incredibly slow when it comes to searches, and manually scouting out each issue would take forever. Does anyone just happen to know if all of these are included? I don't want to start the task of reading all of this only to later find out that some are missing.
It's also a shame Punisher Max isn't on MU, but there's still more than enough good stuff to keep me busy until I die (now alone)!
whatsinaname
Member
I read through this on Marvel Unlimited. Everything should be on there. In the app, if you look in the Browse section, there should be a tab for Comic Events. All four events are listed there with a fairly good reading order. That should cover 90%+ of this suggested reading order. If you want the rest, you can search under the Series tab.
TetraxShards
Member
Archer & Armstrong (it's the second coming of Incredible Hercules) and Quantum & Woody are my favourites. I've liked pretty much everything since the relaunch except for Shadowman, was just a bit boring. Everything else ranges from good to great.
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