I wish Sleeper would get a new series. That was such a great run.
The story was complete as it stood. One thing that's always bugged me about comics is the incessant rehashing and resurrecting of stories that were done. Sleeper is perfect as it is: to add or subtract from it would screw it up.
Anyone hear about this book Viking yet? It's been on my radar for a couple weeks, and every now and then I read an interview or a little article about it and find myself intrigued. If nothing else, I love the high concept and tagline.
Here's an interview with writer Ivan Brandon (NYC Mech, Kobra) and here's one with series artist Nic Klein, whose personal site can be seen here.
NRAMA: Brian Wood has been playing in the Norse sandbox recently with Northlanders. Are you treading on similar ground in Viking?
IB: There aren’t any similarities that are intentional... though we’re obviously hitting the market after Northlanders, Viking’s been in the works for about as long and the first 2 arcs of Viking have been plotted for years at this point.
And to hopefully sidestep any potential drama the internet might seek out, Vertigo’s been aware of the book from the very beginning... Brian Wood, editor Will Dennis and I have all talked and shared beer and Chinese food and I think it’s a great time in comics when you can find more than one Viking book on the shelf.
By the end of the third trade of Scalped, I could understand Red Crow. Maybe not "like" him, but understand him. I have a feeling Aaron fleshes out all of the characters this way, and am really excited to read more. All of the characters I encountered in the first three books were neat-- Dash, Red Crow, Falls Down, Diesel Engine, and Catcher...
From the looks of this blog post , he might even do the same thing with Nitz!
Dash is a huge asshole. Poor guy can never catch a break though. He's a jerk, but I care about him and stuff. It helps that he is a badass who gets his ass stomped once in a while.
Scalped might very well be the best crime fiction I have ever read. I think it might even be in my top 10 comics ever list.
I have only read the first three trades, so please keep spoilers in tags and label them.
Not to conflate the two, but I think I'll try this Viking business out, having decided to drop Northlanders this week. I've heard some say this was just a weak arc, but there was something that just didn't quite kick it into high gear for me. I'm interested to check out something different set in that era, so hopefully this title works out well.
Also, Incognito: Awesome or no? I thought it was a really good first issue, say what you will about preferring them to continue putting Criminal out.
JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
edited February 2009
I've always been fond of
The book has been on 'hiatus' for like a decade now, but it was tops when it was coming out, and there are something like three trades out and they're really, really good. Grist has this style that somehow straddles both the line between realism and cartoony, and the other line between cleanliness and grit. It's minimalist, but affecting.
Two of my favorite Brubaker books are his earlier stabs into crime, THE FALL and SCENE OF THE CRIME:
With Jason Lutes (Berlin), this is a low-key story of a convenience store clerk who solves an old murder. It's completely believable at every single step.
I think this miniseries was a pilot project for an ongoing that never happened, unfortunately. It's a neat mystery with an interesting twist on the PI formula - the hero is a crime photographer. Great art that really sells the characters and locations. Everything in this book feels completely anchored and real.
Here's an oldie but a goodie:
About a mercenary who doubles as a childrens' book illustrator. It sort of straddles the line between crime and action - the stories range from really low-key urban mysteries to big shootouts against the KGB - but an incredible amount of research went into the writing and art to keep it as scrupulously realistic as possible. You'll come out knowing more than you ever wanted to learn about guns and ammo and urban tracking and god knows what else.
All of these pale, of course, before the greatest, grittiest, most bloodthirsty crime comic of all time:
No, seriously. "The Poisoned Beans" is one of my favorite stories in any comic, anywhere, ever.
an incredible amount of research went into the writing and art to keep it as scrupulously realistic as possible. You'll come out knowing more than you ever wanted to learn about guns and ammo and urban tracking and god knows what else.
incidentally, I believe it. a year or two ago at the local comicon, I met mike grell (mike grell being the writer and artist of jon sable), and both myself and the gentleman in front of me were having the longbow hunters (which actually also kind of belongs in this thread, a little. it's gritty, anyway) signed by him, and he started talking to the guy in front of me (I was sort of standing there listening because, y'know, hey mike grell's talkin', and I was in line anyway) all about how he did all sorts of research on longbows and took up shooting before and during writing it and apparently really got to enjoy it.
I guess my point is that he seemed like a man who liked to know what he was writing about.
Servo on
0
JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
edited February 2009
The Longbow Hunters is a great book. I need to reread it, I think the issues are buried in my garage somewhere.
A couple other books that had that really heavily-researched vibe were Steven Grant's Punisher, which was really interesting to see an avowed liberal writing super-detailed gun-porn, and oddly enough Larry Hama's GI Joe. You couldn't open GI Joe to a random page without learning some useful bit of wilderness survival ("drink that whole canteen, soldier - or the enemy will hear it sloshing a mile away!") or an interesting fact about sonar or whatever.
Jacobkosh on
0
JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
Just the premise alone is putting it on my pull list. I think I'm gonna have to trim my list to make room.
On one hand, I hate that comics have basically become an idea farm for potential movies, with the comic being more of a marketing tool than an entity unto itself. On the other hand, Remender's a very good writer, the premise is intriguing, and the art looks top notch.
With each issue of X-Men Noir, I find myself caring less and less. I think its the writing style of the books, because I just can't stay focused on the story. On the other hand, Spider-Man Noir has been brilliant.
Just the premise alone is putting it on my pull list. I think I'm gonna have to trim my list to make room.
On one hand, I hate that comics have basically become an idea farm for potential movies, with the comic being more of a marketing tool than an entity unto itself. On the other hand, Remender's a very good writer, the premise is intriguing, and the art looks top notch.
Not to conflate the two, but I think I'll try this Viking business out, having decided to drop Northlanders this week. I've heard some say this was just a weak arc, but there was something that just didn't quite kick it into high gear for me. I'm interested to check out something different set in that era, so hopefully this title works out well.
Also, Incognito: Awesome or no? I thought it was a really good first issue, say what you will about preferring them to continue putting Criminal out.
nothlanders art is awesome and its a very fun read, but it can be terminally stupid sometimes.
Also - INCOGNITO wrapped up this week, and it was awesome. Haven't read it yet? GO BUY IT.
So was that it for Incognito? I didn't follow Criminal, so do these 6 issue arcs come out every so often? Or is Incognito just done for the foreseeable future?
So was that it for Incognito? I didn't follow Criminal, so do these 6 issue arcs come out every so often? Or is Incognito just done for the foreseeable future?
In the little text blurb at the end, Brubaker alludes to continued stories in the world of Incognito. Given how well it sold, I'd guarantee that he'll return to it after a few more arcs of Criminal.
Speaking of Criminal, The Sinners looks excellent, but I hate the idea of breaking up my collection of Criminal TPBs with singles, so I think I'll wait on it.
I believe the plan is for Brubaker/Phillips to alternate between an arc of CRIMINAL and an arc of INCOGNITO/Something-Else-That-Hasn't-Been-Named. At this point, I trust that I'll enjoy anything the two of them collaborate on.
Posts
The story was complete as it stood. One thing that's always bugged me about comics is the incessant rehashing and resurrecting of stories that were done. Sleeper is perfect as it is: to add or subtract from it would screw it up.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
what? no, espionage isn't the same genre as crime, you're crazy
Anyone hear about this book Viking yet? It's been on my radar for a couple weeks, and every now and then I read an interview or a little article about it and find myself intrigued. If nothing else, I love the high concept and tagline.
Here's an interview with writer Ivan Brandon (NYC Mech, Kobra) and here's one with series artist Nic Klein, whose personal site can be seen here.
Tumblr Twitter
Tumblr Twitter
i just sort of jumped to conclusions
From the looks of this blog post , he might even do the same thing with Nitz!
Dash is a huge asshole. Poor guy can never catch a break though. He's a jerk, but I care about him and stuff. It helps that he is a badass who gets his ass stomped once in a while.
Scalped might very well be the best crime fiction I have ever read. I think it might even be in my top 10 comics ever list.
I have only read the first three trades, so please keep spoilers in tags and label them.
Also, Incognito: Awesome or no? I thought it was a really good first issue, say what you will about preferring them to continue putting Criminal out.
Am I right in assuming that I should hold off on that until I get a chance to read the first two?
The book has been on 'hiatus' for like a decade now, but it was tops when it was coming out, and there are something like three trades out and they're really, really good. Grist has this style that somehow straddles both the line between realism and cartoony, and the other line between cleanliness and grit. It's minimalist, but affecting.
Two of my favorite Brubaker books are his earlier stabs into crime, THE FALL and SCENE OF THE CRIME:
With Jason Lutes (Berlin), this is a low-key story of a convenience store clerk who solves an old murder. It's completely believable at every single step.
I think this miniseries was a pilot project for an ongoing that never happened, unfortunately. It's a neat mystery with an interesting twist on the PI formula - the hero is a crime photographer. Great art that really sells the characters and locations. Everything in this book feels completely anchored and real.
Here's an oldie but a goodie:
About a mercenary who doubles as a childrens' book illustrator. It sort of straddles the line between crime and action - the stories range from really low-key urban mysteries to big shootouts against the KGB - but an incredible amount of research went into the writing and art to keep it as scrupulously realistic as possible. You'll come out knowing more than you ever wanted to learn about guns and ammo and urban tracking and god knows what else.
All of these pale, of course, before the greatest, grittiest, most bloodthirsty crime comic of all time:
No, seriously. "The Poisoned Beans" is one of my favorite stories in any comic, anywhere, ever.
incidentally, I believe it. a year or two ago at the local comicon, I met mike grell (mike grell being the writer and artist of jon sable), and both myself and the gentleman in front of me were having the longbow hunters (which actually also kind of belongs in this thread, a little. it's gritty, anyway) signed by him, and he started talking to the guy in front of me (I was sort of standing there listening because, y'know, hey mike grell's talkin', and I was in line anyway) all about how he did all sorts of research on longbows and took up shooting before and during writing it and apparently really got to enjoy it.
I guess my point is that he seemed like a man who liked to know what he was writing about.
He has the best taste.
A couple other books that had that really heavily-researched vibe were Steven Grant's Punisher, which was really interesting to see an avowed liberal writing super-detailed gun-porn, and oddly enough Larry Hama's GI Joe. You couldn't open GI Joe to a random page without learning some useful bit of wilderness survival ("drink that whole canteen, soldier - or the enemy will hear it sloshing a mile away!") or an interesting fact about sonar or whatever.
ennis, eat your heart out
Looks interesting.
Tumblr Twitter
Just the premise alone is putting it on my pull list. I think I'm gonna have to trim my list to make room.
Servo correct this injustice immediately
On one hand, I hate that comics have basically become an idea farm for potential movies, with the comic being more of a marketing tool than an entity unto itself. On the other hand, Remender's a very good writer, the premise is intriguing, and the art looks top notch.
Tumblr Twitter
Yeah that sounds pretty great
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22814
5 page preview [spoilered for size/spoilers]
Also - INCOGNITO wrapped up this week, and it was awesome. Haven't read it yet? GO BUY IT.
nothlanders art is awesome and its a very fun read, but it can be terminally stupid sometimes.
So was that it for Incognito? I didn't follow Criminal, so do these 6 issue arcs come out every so often? Or is Incognito just done for the foreseeable future?
In the little text blurb at the end, Brubaker alludes to continued stories in the world of Incognito. Given how well it sold, I'd guarantee that he'll return to it after a few more arcs of Criminal.
Speaking of Criminal, The Sinners looks excellent, but I hate the idea of breaking up my collection of Criminal TPBs with singles, so I think I'll wait on it.
Tumblr Twitter
And, yeah, The Sinners looks/sounds boss as Hell.