Board 8 > Board 8 Comic Book Club #1

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scarletspeed7
10/16/18 2:46:08 PM
#1:


This is the third time I'm posting this topic. Some uniquely gifted mod thought that I was going to mail self-printed copies of comics to the readers. I am not. I don't have an industrial strength printer, nor am I spending more money on the ink than it costs to buy comics and send them. I run a comic store and I can eat the cost of mailing back issue reprints to ten people who participate in this group. Mods, if you have some sort of issue with me using my own resources running a comic shop to do that, please PM me instead of assuming the worst.

Firstly, hello. Welcome.

Secondly, this is the first thread (of hopefully many) for Board 8 Comic Book Club! You're welcome to come up with a better name as we go. Anyways, I'm thankful that so many of you were willing to participate in this little communal read-off. There's something to be said for a great comic book tale. It's like reading a fantastic, big-budget, popcorn in hand, eyes bulging out of the skull from a glut of beautiful special effects movie in written form. Especially in an age when we're inundated with superheroes in every other medium, comics are more relevant than ever.

This being the first week of our little weekly installation of comics goodness, I wanted to start with the basics. That's why we're starting week one with Batman Week.

If you need copies of the comics in order to read them, contact me on the Board 8 Discord, and I will mail them to you. It is legal for me to mail my own physical comics, mods.

https://discord.gg/R5TQC6

If you don't like Discord, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information on how to obtain legal physical copies (which is a word that means issues or editions, you unread non-comic mods) of the comics.

This week, we're going to be reading three stories, all of them pretty brief, and I'd prefer everyone read these stories in the order listed.

The first story is a 2008 one-issue Christmas story about the Joker entitled, "Slayride". Why does it matter? Outside of the most absolutely famous Batman stories featuring the Joker, Slayride is considered probably the fourth or fifth best Joker story. Written by Paul Dini, the architect of Batman: The Animated Series and Arkham Asylum and City, this is a story from a master craftsman in Dark Knight storytelling. It's also the perfect way to introduce how to read comics, so let's talk about that one first. (Detective Comics #826)

The second story is probably the best place to start with Batman himself. Batman: Year One is written by the phenomenal Frank Miller, an author with credits that include Daredevil, 300, Sin City and The Dark Knight Returns (among other fantastic works). In 1986, Miller was tasked with rewriting Batman's history, and this story was inspiration for the Dark Knight series as well as the source material for the animated Batman: Year One film. It's a must-read for any new comics reader. (Batman #404-407)

The final story for the week, Trinity, is a three-issue mini-series from 2003 the focuses on the relationships between DC's three biggest icons: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Written by Matt Wagner (a well-regarded writer who also worked on series such as Sandman and Grendel), it's more of a character study on each character rather than a simple knockdown drag-out beat-'em-up action flick. (Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity #1-3)

We'll discuss these stories through Monday, so feel free to share your thoughts and opinions as we go. No need to finish every story before chiming in.

Let me know if you have any questions!
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Anagram
10/16/18 2:56:13 PM
#2:


Tag again
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Eddv
10/16/18 2:56:25 PM
#3:


Stay frosty hilariously awful mods.
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dilateDChemist
10/16/18 2:59:22 PM
#4:


tagg
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Corrik
10/16/18 3:00:53 PM
#5:


Eddv posted...
Stay frosty hilariously awful mods.

Probably that antifa ryosenkari moderator. Not surprised.

Anywho. Batman week fun.
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HeroDelTiempo17
10/16/18 3:42:13 PM
#6:


Here we go again
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profDEADPOOL
10/16/18 3:47:43 PM
#7:


tag
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Shaduln
10/16/18 4:09:42 PM
#8:


Wow
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scarletspeed7
10/16/18 4:16:02 PM
#9:


Seriously. The mod thought I was going to literally print comics with a computer printer.
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davidponte
10/16/18 4:16:56 PM
#10:


Wow I leave the board for 4 hours and miss two separate deletions.

Tag again!
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Lopen
10/16/18 4:47:48 PM
#11:


Tag. Will probably read them tonight or Thursday
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Lopen
10/16/18 5:17:59 PM
#12:


Related I just realized your fixing the comic book movies purged. You gonna pick that back up or are we done with that one due to it not being as fun as thought?
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Cody11533
10/16/18 5:21:32 PM
#13:


Tag.
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Maniac64
10/16/18 5:54:48 PM
#14:


I'd you will help with getting legal copies then I'm cool with this. Otherwise I'm limited to what is at the public library
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Anagram
10/16/18 6:06:21 PM
#15:


Finished with half so far.
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scarletspeed7
10/16/18 7:04:26 PM
#16:


Maniac64 posted...
I'd you will help with getting legal copies then I'm cool with this. Otherwise I'm limited to what is at the public library

The comics are also available, if you don't have the ability to do mail, to get at the DC Universe streaming service which just launched.
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PrinceKaro
10/16/18 7:38:51 PM
#17:


I really like the portrayal of the Joker in Slayride, though what he is doing is horrible it still makes me laugh. He's like a real life internet troll here.
This is what he should be - a lone chaotic evil lunatic, not some big crime boss with insane clown posse henchmen. Nobody (except for maybe Harley Quinn) would work with someone who might decide to push them off a cliff randomly for the funsies.

Best scene: the Joker running over another pedestrian while dialing in his own hit-and-run.
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scarletspeed7
10/16/18 7:49:14 PM
#18:


Wow, first thoughts already!

I want to point out that I think you're right on the money. It's the Joker voice - it's Paul Dini writing it, and when you remember that he created the Mark Hamill voice, it all kind of points to why this particular iteration is so on the money.
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HeroDelTiempo17
10/16/18 8:18:14 PM
#19:


Yeah I think mob boss Joker has his moments, but I'd be hard pressed to point to a better portrayal of Joker in the comics. The Killing Joke is more iconic, and I have a soft spot for Morrison's Joker(s), but Dini's just has such a wonderful tone.
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Snake5555555555
10/16/18 9:46:03 PM
#20:


Let us never forget Batman wets his pants during the famous Year One feast scene.
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HeroDelTiempo17
10/16/18 10:13:00 PM
#21:


I was gonna wait until more people read it to drop that knowledge. Too late!

Thanks, Kevin Smith!
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Snake5555555555
10/16/18 10:19:32 PM
#22:


Man I love Slayride! Cover is a nice callback to Death in the Family and yet the b&w style invokes some old, cozy Christmas movie. Good clashing of tones there.

Everything about the initial set-up is classic comics, from the crime bust gone wrong to the in-media-res street chase between the goons and Robin, and things only get worse.

It cannot be stressed enough how much this single issue nails Joker perfectly. That damn creepy smile, no remorse or regret in his actions, how he can switch from jolly and joyous to raging anger in a mere moment. Joker really embraces the clown and comedian part of his persona here, and it's dark humor at its finest. And of course, it could not have ended any other way, with the Joker just disappearing at the end, truly like some undefinable force of nature.

I also really like Robin's portrayal. Staying calm under pressure, thinking on the fly, like a true Batman, but he's also able to separate himself from his master by using personal experience to gain the upper hand over Joker through the sheer act of conversing and actually finding some common ground with the Clown Prince of Crime. It's a small but deep way of better characterizing Tim and making him his own hero.
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FBike1
10/16/18 10:43:50 PM
#23:


...wow, it got taken down again. LOL.

Anyway, I own precisely zero of this week's comics. Thankfully, I know someone who does (at least for the latter two) so it's not a problem.
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SwiftyDC
10/16/18 10:50:19 PM
#24:


Read the first four comics.

I'm waiting for Batman to realize that with prep time he can do literally anything.
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WickIebee
10/16/18 11:00:08 PM
#25:


Read Slayride.

Oh god, when Joker was reporting the hit and run, and then changed the location after he hit another person. Fantastic. I don't normally like Joker, but that was a fun ride.
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CoolCly
10/16/18 11:46:23 PM
#26:


I could hear Mark Hamill during Slayride, especially when he started arguing about the line
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HeroDelTiempo17
10/17/18 12:38:51 AM
#27:


Finished Trinity.

I think I hyped it up a little in my mind and was a little let down, but it's a solid comic. Racer Cool and especially his #1 are characters that I'm rarely disappointed to see and they hold up pretty well here. But the real strength is in the character interactions between the Trinity. I especially love the dynamic between Bats and Supes where they're starting to trust each other but aren't quite there yet, and Clark is able to see through a lot of Bruce's bullshit but just lets it slide.

If I have a complaint, it's that Wonder Woman honestly feels a bit like a third wheel. She's good when bouncing off the other two but I think lacks the solo characterization Bruce and Clark get. Her role in the plot also feels mostly tacked on. It's a little unfortunate when it feels like one of the Trinity doesn't share as much as the spotlight. Also, watching her get utterly trashed by Bizarro was just a total bummer. Though I'm speaking with the perspective of seeing Diana's big power boost she received in recent years.
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BetrayedTangy
10/17/18 5:10:27 AM
#28:


Ugh was going to read some of these on the DC Universe app, but it only has the first issue of Year One. I didnt expect it to be on the level of Marvel Unlimited yet, but this is pretty sad.

I'm heading to the comic store tomorrow anyway for my issues, I'll probably see if they have them, if not I dont mind dropping a few bucks on digital comics so I can help Scarlet save on postage lol
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scarletspeed7
10/17/18 11:08:09 AM
#29:


A few things about Slayride I wanted to mention:

-Tim Drake is so great as Robin in this story. So many people dislike Tim nowadays, they kind of forget that Tim was, for a while, the heir apparent to the Batman mantle. And honestly, most of us were looking forward to that eventuality.

-I love this combination of panels so much:
08Hb8ll

Even though Tim and Dick are talking about the Joker, Dick's final comment in the first panel clearly also applies directly to Bruce in the second panel. A different type of scarred creature. It's just really great subtle writing. The lack of dialogue in that second panel really speaks volumes, and the final line of the previous panel linger over Bruce in the second.

hWLk53w
I freaking love how, even in a frown, Don Kramer draws the Joker's cheeks and muscles contorting into a smile on the sides of his mouth. It eerily calls attention to the lack of control Joker really has. The confusion of emotions within every decision the Joker makes is palpable. I also love the very audible phone closing - it just highlights how irked Joker is in that moment. It's a great little detail.

hEwMuS1
Great juxtaposition of panels here. Very slapstick, which makes it perfectly in keeping with the twisted but classic nature of the comedy in this story. I also love the use of colors in this story. This is something I think can only be done in comics. The sudden change of Joker's face really can only be captured in a sequence of images. I love when someone just takes full advantage of the medium.

Also, Joker's pupils throughout the story are just so beady and dilated - it's a great, unsettling detail.

Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying this little Christmas story!
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TotallyNotMI
10/17/18 1:57:18 PM
#30:


Read Slayride. Posting thoughts via mobile so they may be a bit disjointed.

Who was in the flashback bit with Tim and Bruce? I assume Dick?

I have read a lot of holiday one shots that are fillery and cringeworthy. Nice to read one that is a really good story with good character development as well.

This is the Joker I like. Has a level of insanity but can see the calculation behind his actions as well, as with putting the toy car under the seat to give Tim some false hope. As opposed to gangster Joker or just flat out insane Joker. I know any character around as long as Joker will have different taker on their personality but i feel like Joker has some really vastly different ones.

This might be my first comic exposure to Tim Drake Robin? I like him!
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BetrayedTangy
10/17/18 1:57:55 PM
#31:


Slayride was great. Always ready for some Batman: TAS Joker. The hit and run was hilarious and that whole drive thru sequence was brutal. It shows how absolutely deranged he is.
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TotallyNotMI
10/17/18 1:58:56 PM
#32:


scarletspeed7 posted...
Even though Tim and Dick are talking about the Joker, Dick's final comment in the first panel clearly also applies directly to Bruce in the second panel. A different type of scarred creature. It's just really great subtle writing. The lack of dialogue in that second panel really speaks volumes, and the final line of the previous panel linger over Bruce in the second.

I honestly stared at that transition for a while knowing i missed something there. I like it!
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scarletspeed7
10/17/18 2:16:37 PM
#33:


TotallyNotMI posted...
This might be my first comic exposure to Tim Drake Robin? I like him!

This project is yielding good results already!

I'm glad you brought up other holiday specials. I think this really stands out in most mediums as an example of a holiday special done extremely, extremely well.
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BetrayedTangy
10/17/18 2:25:20 PM
#34:


Read the first issue of Year One, wow my appreciation for Gordon just skyrocketed. I've always liked him well enough, but this is probably the first time I've seen him as incredibly cool
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davidponte
10/17/18 2:34:45 PM
#35:


The plan for me is to read through everything on Friday during my commute.
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CoolCly
10/17/18 2:46:28 PM
#36:


BetrayedTangy posted...
Ugh was going to read some of these on the DC Universe app, but it only has the first issue of Year One. I didnt expect it to be on the level of Marvel Unlimited yet, but this is pretty sad.

I'm heading to the comic store tomorrow anyway for my issues, I'll probably see if they have them, if not I dont mind dropping a few bucks on digital comics so I can help Scarlet save on postage lol


lol

i'm sure if you hit scarlet up on the board 8 discord you guys can work something out
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BetrayedTangy
10/17/18 2:49:22 PM
#37:


CoolCly posted...
BetrayedTangy posted...
Ugh was going to read some of these on the DC Universe app, but it only has the first issue of Year One. I didnt expect it to be on the level of Marvel Unlimited yet, but this is pretty sad.

I'm heading to the comic store tomorrow anyway for my issues, I'll probably see if they have them, if not I dont mind dropping a few bucks on digital comics so I can help Scarlet save on postage lol


lol

i'm sure if you hit scarlet up on the board 8 discord you guys can work something out

I'm not worried about it, I drop a fair amount on comics a week anyway. This helps give me some focus when it comes to spending.
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scarletspeed7
10/17/18 3:35:14 PM
#38:


BetrayedTangy posted...
Read the first issue of Year One, wow my appreciation for Gordon just skyrocketed. I've always liked him well enough, but this is probably the first time I've seen him as incredibly cool

Don't forget that this was the story where Frank Miller was tasked with rebooting the entirety of Batman post-Crisis on Infinite Earths, and he chose to put the primary focus on Gordon. Pretty ballsy.
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TotallyNotMI
10/17/18 7:31:29 PM
#39:


Finished first issue of Year One.

I didn't love it.

I really liked the Gordon pieces. I liked seeing the bad parts of Gotham through prostitution and adult entertainment which is a side I am not used to seeing.

I didn't like the art style. I hated the font for Bruce's narration. I REALLY didn't like Selina's weird role of being okay with underage prostitution. Her defending the girl from Bruce felt right. But I also felt like she should have saved the girl way before then. I am not super well versed in DC lore so maybe this issue is more my preconceived ideas of her.

The parralel of Gordon and Bruce arriving in Gotham was nice.
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scarletspeed7
10/17/18 9:23:31 PM
#40:


To enjoy this comic, you have to be okay with the notion that this Gotham City Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon are entering is a Gotham City that is entirely corrupt and morally dead. It's why, when you see Ra's al Ghul say, "I'm wiping this city off of the map, it's completely bereft of any value," you take pause. Gotham is both Sodom and Gomorrah rolled into one, at least for the template of early in Batman's career. Slowly, if we read other Batman titles in the future, you'll see that as time passes, Gotham begins to clean up, but the institutional criminal organizations are supplanted by the mass murdering super-villains.

The point is, Selina is a product of her upbringing. When she sees opportunity for things to change, she tries to make that change happen. But she has spent years in the hopeless assumption that this is how Gotham is, and this is the only way for her to get by. She legitimately believes that it's better to ward away a crazy outsider than to immediately protect Holly because, if you follow her line of logic, the pimps have Gotham bought and paid for. Institutionally, Holly and Selina and the entire cottage industry of this neighborhood might fare worse if a john becomes disgruntled. I mean, just look at how completely immoral the Commissioner is in that issue.

Oh, and that underage prostitute actually is still a fixture in the Catwoman world. She even becomes Catwoman temporarily in 2006ish.
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Anagram
10/17/18 9:27:12 PM
#41:


Finished half of it. I enjoyed the Jim Gordon stuff. Sadly I dont have much else to add besides that!
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scarletspeed7
10/17/18 9:31:05 PM
#42:


Oh, and if people hate the art, let me know because I planned to do the seminal Daredevil story Born Again at some point, and it's the same artist.
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Snake5555555555
10/17/18 9:56:56 PM
#43:


Batman Year One art is honestly the artwork I think of first when I think of Batman.
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Corrik
10/18/18 1:27:07 AM
#44:


Jim Gordon is a pig.
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HeroDelTiempo17
10/18/18 1:28:57 AM
#45:


Hot take
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Corrik
10/18/18 1:41:53 AM
#46:


Read year one and slayride so far. Gonna read the other tomorrow.
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Anagram
10/18/18 9:41:58 AM
#47:


That reminds me of something I thought was a little weird: Gordons backstory. I guess he could be ex-military and a huge badass, but I never really imagined him that way. I always envisioned him as just a cop who got worn down over time.
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TotallyNotMI
10/18/18 9:48:10 AM
#48:


I can deal with art. Hate is a strong word for my opinion on it. I thought it purposefully looked like an older style art due to the flashback nature of the story but i guess i was mistaken.
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HanOfTheNekos
10/18/18 10:18:26 AM
#49:


I want to participate
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scarletspeed7
10/18/18 11:03:45 AM
#50:


Just thought I would highlight the stuff that really stuck out to me this time.

A lot of longtime readers will remember this scene as one of the really iconic ones:
YFrd3zm
FvUFvGU

Frank Miller almost has a soft touch with Batman here. The things left unshown make this so intimidating and, like a bad omen, Batman's presence really lingers. The use of food captures the idea of greed, wealth and gluttony so well. I just really appreciate every detail that goes into this sequence.

s7jYJbU

This is my favorite sequence of the entire storyline. It reminds me of Hitchcock - everything is once again left unsaid and unshown. The unknown allows the reader to dive into the horrors that await this drug dealer in a way that explicitly showing them never really could. It's just great stuff. The fear that Batman strikes into the superstitious and cowardly lot is probably best captured in this moment.
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