The Sword and Laser discussion

I created a new thread for 2017. What comics will you guys be enjoying this year?

I just finished Attack on Titan, Vol. 21, and really enjoyed it. I haven't written my review yet though.

I've got a load of comics in my backlist, but I'm currently focused on finishing Claymore. I'm on Vol. 18: The Ashes of Lautrec.

I finally read Locke & Key last month, really freaking good. I'll continue reading Doctor Strange this year, though the beginning of the run was better with the tech guys trying to destroy the magic in the world, last one I read was Doctor Strange (2015-) #14 I think, it feels like in between arcs right now.

I waxed philosphic about the main Flashpoint comic and I stand by that. I especially loved the treatment of Batman.

Hoopla has the side comics so I've read a bunch of them. They are almost uniformly awful. The only "high" points were the middling decent treatment of Kid Flash and the Batman standalone. Even that one went places I didn't like.

If anything, read the main one, then immediately off to something else!

I have a bunch teed up: Manifest Destiny, Vol. 4: Sasquatch just arrived, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous has been on my nightstand for months, as has the Locke & Key collection, X-23: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 and I have Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus coming in February. Oh, and Astro City, Vol. 13: Honor Guard in a few days.

I am waiting patiently (or not) for the new volumes of Saga and Wayward to come out this spring - I believe both are scheduled for March.

Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening was excellent; now I'm trying to decide between Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out of Time or some of the recent Star Wars collections.

I'm currently reading Astonishing-Ant man by Nick Spencer, Lumberjanes, Hip-Hop family tree Vol 4 and rereading Lazarus by Greg Rucka.

Want to finish Y: The Last Man this year

Darren wrote: "Want to finish Y: The Last Man this year"

Are you one of the Daughters of the Amazon?

;-)

I got The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 4: Rising Action for Christmas so that's what I'm reading now.

Dara wrote: "I got The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 4: Rising Action for Christmas so that's what I'm reading now."

I recommend that after you read Vol. 4 go back and reread the first three volumes!

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 6: Civil War II by G. Willow Wilson. Another great entry in this series. Really surprised by what's happening with one of the relationships.

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon. I found this randomly in the library, some kind of tie-in to the web show. Just snippets of stories about Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible, Moist, Penny, and the Evil League of Evil. It was only OK.

David wrote: "I found this randomly in the library, some kind of tie-in to the web show."

You should also look if your library has these two as well- The Guild, The Guild: Knights of Good.

Louie wrote: "You should also look if your library has these two as well- The Guild, The Guild: Knights of Good."

I read those ages ago! The Guild is one of my wife & my favorite shows. The only problem I seem to have, though, is The Guild: Fawkes, which is apparently a single issue that hasn't been collected anywhere. I know I could probably get that single issue, but I hate dealing with issues... I'm trade-collection all the way.

Far Arden by Kevin Cannon. This was OK. The ending was a downer.

Starstruck Deluxe Edition by Elaine Lee. I read the entire story, and got pretty much nothing out of it. Cool visuals? Yes. A narrative that I could follow? Not really. I had to use Wikipedia to find out some details. Very frustrating.

A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. This is Tatsumi's autobiography from 1945 to 1960. This was a very interesting book from a Japanese cultural history perspective. The window into the world before weekly manga magazines became a thing is bizarre, as well as the early manga artists. This paired really nicely with my readthrough last year of Bakuman, Volume 1: Dreams and Reality, about modern manga artists. I highly recommend reading both.

I'm reading The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius. I love the European ligne Claire style of illustration, and there is an incredible amount of detail in each panel. I am taking WAY WAY longer with this one than I usually do with comics and that's because every single frame is gorgeous

On my queue next: Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli.

Anand wrote: "I am taking WAY WAY longer with this one than I usually do with comics and that's because every single frame is gorgeous"

I wish I could have taken my time with The Incal, but I got it through my library, so due dates.

I recently read Blacksad for my comic shop book group and am working my way through the Invincible collections (Robert Kirkman).
The new Slapstick (Marvel) series is fun. Finally back to the fun character. He never seems like himself when he's added to another series.

Aaron wrote: "working my way through the Invincible collections (Robert Kirkman)."

Same. Although, I have stalled since there is no third Compendium. Stuck on Vol. 18. I bet Compendium Three will wait til it's all over with later this year. :/

Started The Michael Moorcock Library - Elric Vol. 4: The Weird of the White Wolf -- at some point, I really have to go back and reread the original books.

Louie wrote: "Same. Although, I have stalled since there is no third Compendium. Stuck on Vol. 18. I bet Compendium Three will wait til it's all over with later this year. :/"

I've been getting the Ultimate Collections from the library. There are at least 10 of those. They might compile further than the Compendiums you are reading.

Downloaded from the Digital Comic Museum the six issues of Alarming Tales. Some great stories by Kirby and Simon, Matt Baker, Fred Kida, Al Williamson, John Severin and others. Some very fun reading in this run.

The Woods, Fables, Runaways, Justice League and Blankets.

^Is that the Fables collections? My library had some of the bigger sized collections and the artwork is even more awesome. I read to the end of storyline on regular trades but would read again if they had the full run in big size.

I read the first volume of Valerian and Laureline, The City of Shifting Waters. While I enjoyed it, I don't know if I can continue reading the series 48 pages at a time. I really wish they would release an omnibus edition.

I am also continuing on with a couple of Image titles, Descender, Volume Three: Singularities and Black Science, Vol. 5: True Atonement.

Other than that, I am still catching up on several Marvel titles. Namely, Mockingbird, Vol. 1: I Can Explain, Web Warriors of the Spider-Verse Vol. 2: Spiders Vs., Extraordinary X-Men Vol. 2: Apocalypse Wars, and trying out Groot by Jeff Loveness.

I recently discovered that Brandon Sanderson has a graphic novel so I picked that up at my local library: White Sand Volume 1

It is set in his Cosmere (which I need to read more books of to fully understand what is going on).

I finally got around to Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out of Time - ★★★★☆ - My Review

John (Taloni) wrote: "^Is that the Fables collections? My library had some of the bigger sized collections and the artwork is even more awesome. I read to the end of storyline on regular trades but would read again if t..."

This particular one is Fables Volume 4 - I came late to the Fables game so I'm going back and reading them all (in the collected volumes).

Amazing in every sense of the word. I love the story and the pacing and the art. The best thing about them is the paper - it's the paper they used to use back in the 80's and 90's - not the crap high gloss paper they use today. It just feels like a comic should, like you should be giving it to friends and handing it out.

Good stuff.

FYI- ComiXology is having a Valerian sale! Ends JAN 30th

https://www.comixology.com/Valerian-S...

Reading all the original Suicide Squad stories in trade. Just found out that Vol. 6 doesn't come out until May. Rats!

Anyway, highly recommended.
Suicide Squad, Volume 1: Trial By Fire

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Complete Collection, Volume 1
by Dan Abnett

I reread Revival, Vol. 1: You're Among Friends before going through Revival, Vol. 2: Live Like You Mean It.
Also just finished the concluding volume of Stjepan Šejić's Sunstone Sunstone, Vol. 5.

I received the massive brick that is Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus today. When I get back from my trip this weekend I'm going to start this behemoth. I mean, look at this sucker:

Oh, that is PRETTY. I read them as they came out but lost them ages ago.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Oh, that is PRETTY. I read them as they came out but lost them ages ago."

I'm always torn by those massive bricks -- it's nice to have the collections, and they're very well put-together (I have the Simonson Thor and the two Byrne Fantastic Fours), but they're kind of ... unwieldy. But on the other hand, it's Alpha Flight ...

I started Vader Down and I'm enjoying it, but the problem I have with the Star Wars comics is the problem I've also had in the past with some of the books and the Clone War TV series, etc. -- everybody just keeps running into each other all too often (in the case of Luke & Vader in this case, kind of literally).

Speaking of, I just read Kanan - The Last Padawan, which I liked quite a lot. It's solid in the same way Star Wars: Rebels is, with a nice straightforward story and excellent art.

Read The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes last week and picked up The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House to continue.

^If you love Sandman like I do, there is a companion volume that is good to read while doing a second runthrough of the entire series.

With the news that Joss Whedon is set to write/direct/produce Batgirl one thing keeps popping into my mind; "His writing style would match up perfect for Stephanie Brown." I know it will never happen, It has to be Babs, but man what an opportunity that would be. Granted Bryan Q. Miller wrote Steph like a Whedon character to begin with, but he still did a heck of a job with it. Oh, well I'm still looking forward to this. Hopefully DC/ Warner can stay fairly hands off on this, and let Whedon go to town.

Oh, and if you have not read BQM's run, Batgirl n.1: Rinatait's worth checking out, really good story telling.

I'm reading Hellboy for the first time with Hellboy, Vol. 3: The Chained Coffin and Others . The artwork is incredible.

After a discussion of The Last Unicorn in S&L I went and put it on hold at the library. It came in recently and I was initially disappointed to see I had accidentally gotten the comics adaptation.

Then I started reading. It's freaking fantastic! Six issue limited series. I'm two issues in and taking it slow. No need to burn through it.

I read The Walking Dead, Vol. 27: The Whisperer War. Liked it a lot.

I've got to read 504 pages of East of West: The Apocalypse, Year Two tonight as it is due back at the library

I just started reading The Hedge Knight, one of the prequels to the Game of Thrones and am really enjoying it!

I recently finished The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel and it held up pretty well to the novel. Still very real and still really sad. Though a little less "adult" than what I remembered from the novel.

I went back to Fantastic Four, by John Byrne: Omnibus, Volume 1 and I'm now into the 240s, which is where Nova becomes Galactus' herald and which is just before the point where I started buying actual single issues lo these many, many years ago.

Remember, this Saturday (May 6) is Free Comic Book Day.

Just read the G. Willow Wilson Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, which is one of around twenty Marvel titles available this month for free borrowing as ebooks for folks who subscribe to Amazon Prime. You are limited to a maximum of ten volumes at any one time, though. They also have volume one of the Alias series with Jessica Jones.

Think I'll get my youngest granddaughter, who's fourteen, the Ms. Marvel Volume One, then check back with her to see if there's enough interest in continuing the series.

Walter wrote: "Just read the G. Willow Wilson Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal ... if there's enough interest in continuing the series."

Ms. Marvel by Wilson is one of the few Marvel series that I have stuck with and have thoroughly enjoyed, before AND after the Secret Wars event. Especially the art by Adrian Alphona. He really loves to add little details in the background of panels (i.e., a pair of pigeons getting into mischief and shenanigans).

My current TBR pile.
-I fell behind on Marvel titles last summer, and have not been able to catch up (still reading Civil War II tie-ins).
-The Valiant train continues on.
-The Marvel Star Wars books continue to impress (looking forward to the new Vader book, and starting Doctor Aphra).
-Now, I am clearly more of a Marvel reader, but I still wanted to give the DC Rebirth Volume 1's a try. So far, I've only read Wonder Woman and Nightwing. Not sure if I will go any further than that, though.
-Having read the final volume of Nailbiter, I really want to go back and read them all together.