I decided to scrap the original intent of this thread and just make it a thread about indie and creator-owned comics. At this point, that's essentially what it's evolved into anyway. So let's do this thing.
This thread is for discussing all things creator owned and independent. Post stuff you like, pimp books that are coming, talk about business models and stuff, talk up your favorite creators doing their own thing. Big 2 and licensed properties should be avoided like the Rage virus.
Oh, I forgot to mention that you should be purchasing the most recent issue of whatever title you choose.
CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS - JULY 2009
SINGLE ISSUE
wwtMask (Drafted: 100 Days One Shot)
ONGOING
wwtMask (The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time)
PREVIOUS CHALLENGES
JUNE 2009
SINGLE ISSUE
wwtMask (Drafted: 100 Days One Shot)
Interpreter (Dead Run, Rotten)
ONGOING
wwtMask (Barack the Barbarian, The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time
Interpreter (Fables, Jack of Fables, The Literals, Air, Madame Xanadu, The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, The Unknown, Locke&Key, Proof, The Sword, Ignition City, Anna Mercury, Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, Ninja High School)
sportzboytjw (Irredeemable)
Interpreter (Chew)
For romantic comics, I would recommend Twelve Reasons Why I Love Her, but it's pretty hard to find. Blue Pills is a nice little romance comic; a little dour at times due to the subject matter, but overall an optimistic, uplifting little story. I also can't recommend the Boneyard series enough. It's funny, gorgeously illustrated in black and white, and pretty self aware. It gets a little overwrought here or there, but quickly recovers each time and gets back to the romantic comedy that really drives the series.
I think next month I'm going to try either Air, Glamourpuss, or Young Liars. The others on deck for me are I Hate Gallant Girl, Elephantmen, and Northlanders.
EDIT: Also, though I really do appreciate the suggestions for trades, I was hoping to focus on new monthlies. It's a little easier to part with $3 for a book you're not sure about.
That's a good place to start, yeah - it's the first 15 or 20 years of Maggie & Hopey stories, though there's plenty more besides. Since wwt specifically talked about issues in the OP, I confined myself to books that are still ongoing, which L&R is (albeit occasionally). If we're going the graphic novel route I would also recommend Strangers in Paradise.
I will take this challenge, although I have no idea what I should go get. Maybe I'll just pick up something I've never even heard of.
wwMask -- I picked up the Northlanders vol. 1 tpb last week on a whim. It's not bad, and the end of this book didn't go in the direction I expected at all. No idea where the current issues are in relation to this story, though. And the art is rock-solid, so hey!
I don't even know what to get, because I only really read superhero comics, and a large part of what makes me interested is how the parade of writers and artists over the years have changed iconic superheroes with the times. Every once in a while I flip through something from Image or Dark Horse, but what's the point in reading about superheroes whose titles aren't even older than I am?
Hmm. Someone tell me what to get. I like those Flight anthologies and things like that. Comics which seem like an author wallowing in self-pity over his ex-girlfriend and/or feeling sorry for himself because he's misunderstood are out. I keep trying to get myself to buy Scott Pilgrim because smart people everywhere like it, but then I open an issue and it looks like weeaboo nonsense merged with talking-about-relationship comics. Should I just buy it and stop being a big baby?
I put my fate in your hands, GV.
p.s. If at any point a character wears a t-shirt of or makes reference to a band the author likes, I cannot read it.
I think next month I'm going to try either Air, Glamourpuss, or Young Liars. The others on deck for me are I Hate Gallant Girl, Elephantmen, and Northlanders.
EDIT: Also, though I really do appreciate the suggestions for trades, I was hoping to focus on new monthlies. It's a little easier to part with $3 for a book you're not sure about.
Personally, I do almost all my indie reading through trades. At about $10 a pop for 6 issues, it's a much better deal than the $20 or so I'd normally spend to get the 'complete story' for most trade arcs. I also get to bea little more choosy with trades sicne the book has survived a few issues without getting cancelled and I can check out some general impressions from people who've read it.
With super hero books, I find I usually get what I expected going in regardless of what the book ends up being about, so can gamble on newer books/concepts. With many indie books, it could be something way out there I wasn't even interested in reading and I feel like I blew money, even if it was only $3. With a trade, if I didn't enjoy it, I at least got that 'full story' feeling with the purchase. That's just my train of thought on indie purchases though.
Personally, I have The Nightly News from Jonathan Hickman (he did it before his current Secret Warriors and DR: Fantastic Four work at Marvel) on the way in trade form for my next big indie purchase. Should get it sometime next week.
From what little I've read of Atomic Robo, it's fantastic. If I were to start being a regular reader of comics, that would be the one I'd actually start with.
I think next month I'm going to try either Air, Glamourpuss, or Young Liars. The others on deck for me are I Hate Gallant Girl, Elephantmen, and Northlanders.
EDIT: Also, though I really do appreciate the suggestions for trades, I was hoping to focus on new monthlies. It's a little easier to part with $3 for a book you're not sure about.
Young Liars is very different. I went out on a limb for that one because I heard it was so fucked. I read the first trade, and it was really a hard book to pin. I think I liked it just because I was so offended and sickened by it.
HadjiQuest and desc, see my earlier post, where I listed about 6 titles that I was thinking about trying in the future. You could also try searching an online retailer like HeavyInk.
I'm trying out some of the issues from "Ape"
Superhuman Resources
Athena Voltare
And I know how much you all love when I plug CONTRACT but we are doing a Free Comic Book Day issue so that's a great time to try my or any other of those Indy titles out there.
I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir.
Added the new challenge participants. Please post your title once you know what it is.
Also, I'm adding a recommendation: The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury. It had a great first issue and I believe it's relaunching later this year (it was in limbo because ASP had some financial troubles).
I picked up a ton of Strangers in Paradise issues at the local used bookshop the other day. Also got around to getting the latest Hate Annual. I was going to start delving into the issues 8+ of Berlin but the second collected volume finally came out so hooray, but I suppose that doesn't count.
I've been loving Incognito and Atomic Robo has hel my interest for 2 volumes. Y'all should check out Rotten from Moonstone next month and Strongman at SLG. It came out about a month ago and was really cool. Like a Robert Rodriguez flick about Luchadors.
I would join this, but I am already reading Fear Agent, Incognito, No Hero and... I thought there was something else indy-ish. Maybe not. I much prefer to buy indy type things in trades when I can. I buy a lot of indie stuff in trades, I was buying one or two a month for a while there. I think my next purchase will be Robotikia.
I would join this, but I am already reading Fear Agent, Incognito, No Hero and... I thought there was something else indy-ish. Maybe not. I much prefer to buy indy type things in trades when I can. I buy a lot of indie stuff in trades, I was buying one or two a month for a while there. I think my next purchase will be Robotikia.
I read Robotika a while back. The art's really nice, and the characters, while kind of derivative, are still interesting enough. I honestly don't remember much of the story, but the whole thing had a nice post-apocalyptic feel that I found really enjoyable.
This is a reminder to the participants who haven't told me their indie titles to get post them. Also, if you've already gotten your indie book for the month, feel free to post your thoughts/reviews, and I'll link to them in the info post.
For May, I think we'll go with a singles challenge and a TPB challenge. Anyone who wants to participate in either challenge should post their acceptance and the title(s) they plan to get. Again, we're trying to get good coverage, so let's each choose a different book, and let us each not choose a book we've already entered in the challenge.
I'm also thinking of a "reading club" type challenge, where we all choose a single title to read and discuss every month. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me know and I'll start a separate challenge or a new thread.
I grabbed Scott Pilgrim #1, as mentioned, and my thoughts/reviews are that it's a well-done weeaboo+fighting+relationships comic, but that I'm probably not an indie rock enough person for it. I'm on the fence about getting further issues.
Actually, speaking of indie comics: if anyone is still looking for suggestions, see if your local shop carries Mouse Guard.
The art style? I guess it's more on the border of modern stylized-2d animation which draws from Japanese tropes than overtly "weeaboo." The issues printed in manga size and the characters, visually, remind me of the cartoon drawings in Japanese girl fashion magazines. I meant it as an off-hand reduction of his style; it's not actually a bad thing.
There are a lot of indie comics that involve people going to shows, people in bands, characters who wear real/pretend band t-shirts, and so on. I stick Scott Pilgrim in the same mental longbox as things like Jeff Brown's Little Things, where you see him talking about people he knows, going to rock band shows, and so on. This says more about me as a reader than the books themselves, as the books have very different goals.
I may grab issue 2 this week, just not sure. I do think the "ex-girlfriends meet Street Fighter 2" premise is clever and I'm not surprised that so many people read it.
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sportzboytjwsqueeeeeezzeeeesome more tax breaks outRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
I got Irredeemable today. I'm not sure if it's good or merely another "a good guy goes bad" story. We'll see though. Solid setup so far, just nothing spectacular.
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Walkerdog on MTGO
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
I grabbed Scott Pilgrim #1, as mentioned, and my thoughts/reviews are that it's a well-done weeaboo+fighting+relationships comic, but that I'm probably not an indie rock enough person for it. I'm on the fence about getting further issues.
Yeah, those are the same reasons that I'm reluctant to read it after read what scans have been posted online.
If I can't find something this week or next, then my pick by default will be the Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Rockets.
...maybe.
It's really hard to find anything in singles that's slice of life or romance. Even personal/historical type stuff would be cool. Possibilities are endless for trades, but I am cash-strapped.
I grabbed Scott Pilgrim #1, as mentioned, and my thoughts/reviews are that it's a well-done weeaboo+fighting+relationships comic, but that I'm probably not an indie rock enough person for it. I'm on the fence about getting further issues.
Yeah, those are the same reasons that I'm reluctant to read it after read what scans have been posted online.
Do you guys live near a large-ish bookstore? You should read it in the store. If you like volume 1, buy it. The whole thing improves with every volume.
FYI, these are some comics that have begun in the last few months whose first issue you should be able to find without too much trouble. I know I have trouble jumping into a story in the middle, so you might want to give these a spin.
I Hate Gallant Girl
Viking
Overlook
Lillim
Ignition City
Zombies of Mass Destruction
Johnny Monster
Soul Kiss
The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft
Killer of Demons
Jersey Gods
Bad Dog
The Great Unknown
Posts
Oh, I forgot to mention that you should be purchasing the most recent issue of whatever title you choose.
CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS - JULY 2009
SINGLE ISSUE
wwtMask (Drafted: 100 Days One Shot)
ONGOING
wwtMask (The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time)
PREVIOUS CHALLENGES
JUNE 2009
wwtMask (Drafted: 100 Days One Shot)
Interpreter (Dead Run, Rotten)
ONGOING
wwtMask (Barack the Barbarian, The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time
Interpreter (Fables, Jack of Fables, The Literals, Air, Madame Xanadu, The Unwritten, Incognito, Irredeemable, The Unknown, Locke&Key, Proof, The Sword, Ignition City, Anna Mercury, Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, Ninja High School)
sportzboytjw (Irredeemable)
Interpreter (Chew)
MAY 2009
wwtMask (Viking #1)
TPB, GRAPHIC NOVEL, MANGA
wwtMask (Air vol. 1)
DouglasDanger (Robotika, Popgun vol 1, Scalped vol 4, Gyakushu vol 2)
April 2009
wwtMask (Atomic Robo Shadow From Beyond Time #1)
Anjin-san (Incognito)
HadjiQuest
desc
sportzboytjw (Irredeemable)
MAD! (Superhuman Resources, Athena Voltaire)
Lucascraft
SUGGESTED TITLES (Trades)
Local
Scott Pilgrim
Love and Rockets
Finder
Twelve Reasons Why I Love Her
Blue Pills
Boneyard
I'll finally pick up Incognito by Brubaker and Philips.
I'm in. I'll try to pick up an issue or a trade of something more down to earth or slice of life-y when I go to the shop on Wednesday.
I've been wanting to read something more romantic myself.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
My default answer here would be to check out the Locas stories from Love and Rockets.
edit: also, Finder does some good romantic stuff as well, although it varies from serial to serial
Tumblr Twitter
This?
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
EDIT: Also, though I really do appreciate the suggestions for trades, I was hoping to focus on new monthlies. It's a little easier to part with $3 for a book you're not sure about.
That's a good place to start, yeah - it's the first 15 or 20 years of Maggie & Hopey stories, though there's plenty more besides. Since wwt specifically talked about issues in the OP, I confined myself to books that are still ongoing, which L&R is (albeit occasionally). If we're going the graphic novel route I would also recommend Strangers in Paradise.
wwMask -- I picked up the Northlanders vol. 1 tpb last week on a whim. It's not bad, and the end of this book didn't go in the direction I expected at all. No idea where the current issues are in relation to this story, though. And the art is rock-solid, so hey!
I don't even know what to get, because I only really read superhero comics, and a large part of what makes me interested is how the parade of writers and artists over the years have changed iconic superheroes with the times. Every once in a while I flip through something from Image or Dark Horse, but what's the point in reading about superheroes whose titles aren't even older than I am?
Hmm. Someone tell me what to get. I like those Flight anthologies and things like that. Comics which seem like an author wallowing in self-pity over his ex-girlfriend and/or feeling sorry for himself because he's misunderstood are out. I keep trying to get myself to buy Scott Pilgrim because smart people everywhere like it, but then I open an issue and it looks like weeaboo nonsense merged with talking-about-relationship comics. Should I just buy it and stop being a big baby?
I put my fate in your hands, GV.
p.s. If at any point a character wears a t-shirt of or makes reference to a band the author likes, I cannot read it.
mask, that comic is called phonogram.
Personally, I do almost all my indie reading through trades. At about $10 a pop for 6 issues, it's a much better deal than the $20 or so I'd normally spend to get the 'complete story' for most trade arcs. I also get to bea little more choosy with trades sicne the book has survived a few issues without getting cancelled and I can check out some general impressions from people who've read it.
With super hero books, I find I usually get what I expected going in regardless of what the book ends up being about, so can gamble on newer books/concepts. With many indie books, it could be something way out there I wasn't even interested in reading and I feel like I blew money, even if it was only $3. With a trade, if I didn't enjoy it, I at least got that 'full story' feeling with the purchase. That's just my train of thought on indie purchases though.
Personally, I have The Nightly News from Jonathan Hickman (he did it before his current Secret Warriors and DR: Fantastic Four work at Marvel) on the way in trade form for my next big indie purchase. Should get it sometime next week.
Young Liars is very different. I went out on a limb for that one because I heard it was so fucked. I read the first trade, and it was really a hard book to pin. I think I liked it just because I was so offended and sickened by it.
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
Superhuman Resources
Athena Voltare
And I know how much you all love when I plug CONTRACT but we are doing a Free Comic Book Day issue so that's a great time to try my or any other of those Indy titles out there.
I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir.
WEBCOMICS: UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY!!!
Also, I'm adding a recommendation: The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury. It had a great first issue and I believe it's relaunching later this year (it was in limbo because ASP had some financial troubles).
with a series like that you have to start at the beginning, though. So you made the right choice.
XBL |Steam | PSN | last.fm
And check out my book!
VISIT THE CONDO!
I would join this, but I am already reading Fear Agent, Incognito, No Hero and... I thought there was something else indy-ish. Maybe not. I much prefer to buy indy type things in trades when I can. I buy a lot of indie stuff in trades, I was buying one or two a month for a while there. I think my next purchase will be Robotikia.
And yes--you should start Scott Pilgrim with issue one. I do love that book.
I read Robotika a while back. The art's really nice, and the characters, while kind of derivative, are still interesting enough. I honestly don't remember much of the story, but the whole thing had a nice post-apocalyptic feel that I found really enjoyable.
Tumblr Twitter
For May, I think we'll go with a singles challenge and a TPB challenge. Anyone who wants to participate in either challenge should post their acceptance and the title(s) they plan to get. Again, we're trying to get good coverage, so let's each choose a different book, and let us each not choose a book we've already entered in the challenge.
I'm also thinking of a "reading club" type challenge, where we all choose a single title to read and discuss every month. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me know and I'll start a separate challenge or a new thread.
Actually, speaking of indie comics: if anyone is still looking for suggestions, see if your local shop carries Mouse Guard.
I'm not really that into any kind of music, and that never hampered my enjoyment of SP. It gets noticeably better with each volume too.
There are a lot of indie comics that involve people going to shows, people in bands, characters who wear real/pretend band t-shirts, and so on. I stick Scott Pilgrim in the same mental longbox as things like Jeff Brown's Little Things, where you see him talking about people he knows, going to rock band shows, and so on. This says more about me as a reader than the books themselves, as the books have very different goals.
I may grab issue 2 this week, just not sure. I do think the "ex-girlfriends meet Street Fighter 2" premise is clever and I'm not surprised that so many people read it.
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
Yeah, those are the same reasons that I'm reluctant to read it after read what scans have been posted online.
...maybe.
It's really hard to find anything in singles that's slice of life or romance. Even personal/historical type stuff would be cool. Possibilities are endless for trades, but I am cash-strapped.
Do you guys live near a large-ish bookstore? You should read it in the store. If you like volume 1, buy it. The whole thing improves with every volume.
I Hate Gallant Girl
Viking
Overlook
Lillim
Ignition City
Zombies of Mass Destruction
Johnny Monster
Soul Kiss
The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft
Killer of Demons
Jersey Gods
Bad Dog
The Great Unknown
Coming Soon:
Chew
The Unwritten