Summer Reading Plan 2012 (or What's in your suitcase?)

"Vacation -- All I ever wanted.  Vacation -- Had to get away." Go-Gos

Well, if all goes as planned I'll be heading west today with my family for our annual 5000 mile round-trip driving excursion.  Actually, the first leg will just be me and the six kids as my wife is staying behind the first week to put our rental house up for sale. So as always happens this time of year, I'm left with the daunting task of deciding what reading material to pack (not to mention the daunting task of driving 9+ hours and 500+ miles by myself for the first two days). 

Sure, I've got TONS of things that I need to catch up on, but those Omniboos aren't really designed for travel.  I don't even want to take any Masterworks either (and I'm suspending my successful Avengers Reading Inititive for the time being -- up to 20+ issues in each group so far! [more on that another time]).  Anyway, this year I determined to pare things down and not overpack.  I'm pretty sure I failed in that regard, but judge for yourself, since I'm going to show you what I selected.  Y'all can be my accountablity parnters on whether I actually read any of this stuff.

Blame it on Lee (and a nice segway from yesterday), but first up is the original 12-issues of the Micronauts. Technically, I'm bringing the 5-issue Baxter reprint series, but I wanted to show off my favorite Micro cover. (Yes, I was too lazy to take some of these out of their bags to scan...)

6 more after the break (I always wanted to say that -- not really)

Question of the Week

I am starting a new feature. It's the Question of the week. Kind of an either/or situation that requires a brief explanation. Usual rules apply (mostly to Matthew)... 3-5 sentences. No more than 7. The objective is clear and concise. Responses by Monday please.

Question of the week: There have been comic book tie ins to toys for as long as Jim can remember. It's a great marketing tool for toy companies and sometimes we readers even get great stories. But, sometimes publishers lose the license and suddenly something that was once fantastic cannot be reprinted. This week, which toy inspired comic deserves to be reprinted more: Micronauts or Rom?

Lee: It has to be Micronauts. Both were poorly written so the deciding factor has got to be art. Rom had the very workmanlike Sal Buscema for the majority of the run until some inspired work by Ditko at the series end. But Micronauts, oh la la the Micronauts. It starts with a masterful 11 issues run by Mike Golden which is just stunning! Then it gets Ditko, Chaykin, Kane, and early Butch Guice. For that reason alone, Micronauts needs reprinting.

Jim: Lee has a point, but I actually thought Rom's story was decent. Plus, if memory serves it actually had an ending. Micronauts wins art, but at times I remember it being muddy, Maybe if done today it would look better, but I'm still voting Rom, story over art.

Matthew: I've only ever managed to get a handful of Rom comics, but I liked the ones I've read and hope to one day get the whole series (the first Annual is really good). But, Lee is way off base about the Micronauts being "poorly written" -- SACRILEGE, I SAY!!! -- as it is one of my all time favorite comic stories (and it did have a definitive end, actually two of them). The first TWELVE (not eleven) issues of Micronauts may be the best Bronze Age story of all time with great character dynamics: Rann and Mari; Biotron and Microtron; Bug and Acroyear; Acroyear and Shaitan; Ray and Steve Coffin; Force Commander and Baron Karza (the greatest villain this side of Darkseid); even Slug and Lady Belladonna. He also forgot to mention the best artist to come after Golden and that's Pat Broderick (Chaykin's work was RUINED with poor inking)! Two omnibuses should do it for Micronauts (forget about the second series), which definitely should be reprinted first (I'd buy an IDW Artist Edition). However, both should be collected by Marvel, since they crossed over with the regular Marvel Universe often. Now, please apologize for that disparaging remark concerning Sal Buscema's wonderful art!
There. I counted seven...creative...sentences.
 
Thomm: Need is far too strong a word for either series.  Neither needs to be reprinted.  I read most, if not all, of Rom, which was not good, in either art or writing, final ending notwithstanding.  Micronauts definitely looked better in the few issues I read and appeared to have more variety in its character development.  Rom was all knight errant and genocidal slaughter.  I vote for not republishing either of them, though. Lee, you’re just making Matthew into a master of the run on sentence.
 
Matthew: Gwen can just donate some of her leftover sentences to me.
 
 

Indies Previews for August Part 3 of 3

Sterling Publishing
Princess of Mars Illustrated Classics GN by (w) Ian Edginton (a/c) I. N. J. Culbard
I was filled with a terrible, single purpose ... to survive! First serialized a century ago as Under the Moons of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs's planetary romance is recognized today as a genre-bending pulp-fiction classic, more influential even than the Tarzan stories that earned its author fortune and fame. Perhaps the founding text of modern sci-fi, its doomed love story (between the heroic explorer John Carter and Dejah Thoris, The Princess of Mars) was the first to imagine the green men of the Red Planet! 136 pgs. $15.95.  Visit the artist here.
Lee: There have been more comics about John Carter in the last year than you can shake a stick at. It’s been ridiculous. So why would I pick this one? I think this will be closer to a true adaption than the others. And I believe this won’t be a book filled with gratuitous t-n-a. I love the Mars books and Edginton is an excellent, established writer whom I think will do the books justice.  Let's not forget that the art is by Culbard, currently the New Deadwardians artist so that will be good too!
Gwen: Doomed love story?? Maybe they only read the first book... I'm pretty sure I have the artist's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles and I remember liking it. From what I can find online it does seem to be a faithful adaptation which is good. I'll end up with a copy since I have almost every version of this book out there (since A Princess of Mars is the best book ever written). Seriously, I have a shelf just for Princess of Mars. Okay, maybe only part of a shelf for this book specifically as the other books in the series take up some room too. Also, this is already out, you can buy it from Amazon.

The final 6 below the break

Indies Previews for August Part 2 of 3

Fulcrum Publishing
District Comics: Unconventional History of Washington DC GN by (w) Scott O. Brown (a) Various
District Comics is a graphic anthology featuring lesser-known stories about Washington, DC, from its earliest days as a rustic settlement along the swampy banks of the Potomac to the modern-day metropolis. Spanning 1794-2009, District Comics stops along the way for a duel, a drink in the Senate's speakeasy, a look into the punk scene, and much more. 256 pgs, $24.95 Read the Amazon hype here, but buy the book from your local LCS!
Lee: I hate using Amazon to hype a book but there’s a better list of artists/writers and their accomplishments there. This is full of talented people and since I live relatively close to DC I think it will be fun. DC really is an interesting city and I can’t pass up a chance to learn more about it.
Gwen:I wonder if they'll talk about how the first attempt sunk into the swamp. Anyway Lee, what's wrong with Amazon hype? I love Amazon, the customer reviews can be really helpful if you know what types of pros and cons you're looking for.

6 more below the break

Indies Previews for August Part 1 of 3

Lee: Everytime I think it's gonna be a light month, I seem to find a ton of books to talk about.  I could limit myself but why...
Gwen: Another 3 parter. Let's dive right in!

Abrams Comicarts
Economix: How & Why Our Economy Works & Doesn't Work GN by (w) Michael Goodwin (a/c) Dan Burr
Stimulus plans: good or bad? Free markets: How free are they? Jobs: Can we afford them? Occupy Wall Street... worldwide! Everybody's talking about the economy, but how can we, the people, understand what Wall Street or Washington knows - or say they know? With clear, witty writing and quirky, accessible art, this important and timely graphic novel transforms the dismal science of economics into a fun, fact-filled story about human nature and our attempts to make the most of what we've got. It's the essential, accessible guide to understanding the economy and economic practices. 304 pgs. $19.95
Lee: The market has been flooded with these ‘explanation’ books lately. Between philosophy, history of comics, and now this I think I am just about done with them. That said, this one certainly looks interesting and in this day and age, anything that can simplify world economics for the masses has got to be a good thing. AND, the art is really good too! Burr was the artist on an early, super-amazing gn, Kings in Disguise.
Gwen: I'm a fan of putting topics like this into comic book form. I loved Action Philosophers not only because it was fun but it was also educational. Let's face it, there are a lot of people interested in a variety of topics but not everyone wants to pick up any old dry book on something like economics. Having a comic book alternative is a great way to get such info out to the public. 

Another Week in Review – Starring BW The Comedian, Saga, Mars Attacks and Dark Avengers

So I cannot possibly tell you how much the cape and cowl set is boring me to tears. I have dropped Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and FF. Marvel has jacked many prices to $4 which made it even easier to drop. I keep knocking DC books off my list also as the mainstream stuff has lost any charm. To be fair it has taken 50 years of reading comics to finally hit this point, but the new DCU killed my love for those characters like the way One More Day killed it for Spider-Man. The common thread is that the company decides they want to make up brand new continuity without starting the character over. So they throw away what they want and don’t care about what is and what is not canon for the character. The idea is to just wash away any issues, keep the characters younger and tell good stories. Which is fine and they are welcome to do it. For me it just means what I have invested in the characters is gone. It is freeing in a sense as my once massive list of close to 125 books is more manageable and now I find that I’m actually enjoying what I do read a lot more.

 

Saga #4 – Written by Brian K. Vaughan and Art by Fiona Staples – Publisher Image Comics – Price $2.99. This book seems to be a critical favorite and will probably climb up the sales charts as time goes by. I’m enjoying this book, but Vaughan stuff has never had any staying power for me. I dropped off “Y” the Last Man and fell off his Ex Machina, so Saga has to prove itself. The story is simple at this point two star crossed lovers are running from everyone in the galaxy and being chased by a die hard mercenary killer. Of course it has a cast of characters that are out of a drug induced haze that would make Grant Morrison jealous. The supporting cast includes a talking dog sized cat, a chopped in half ghost, a TV headed royalty. In this issue Will, the bounty hunter, visits Sextillion and we get to see copulating angels, fat whores and a six year old waif who is a whore. The story becomes more expansive every issue and at this point I’m enjoying this space opera that seems half Star Wars, half Romeo and Juliet and half whatever nightmare I had last night. It is both familiar and odd and right now I’m in for the ride, I just hope Vaughn can make this story into something that will hold my interest for the long term.

Comic Covers Sunday: My First Comic

This week something different.  Our first covers!  I asked everyone what was the first comic book they remembered buying, or being bought for them.  I was interested to see how different our collective reading experiences were.
For me,

Marvel 2-in-1 #28, June 1977.
We at at the local grocery store back when grocery stores still carried comics, I whined, Mom caved, and I got it. Boy oh boy did I ever get it because my punishment for whining.... having to read it out loud with Mom. I loved the book but I really just wanted her to read it to me.