Board 8 > Board 8 Comic Book Club #1

(+) Yeah! (+)

Something that really is bothering me is multiple issues end due to a convenient plot device that we are told of rather than seeing.

For example, issue 9 wasn't a bad issue. The replacement Superman were interesting. I am not a huge fan of there being two more Kryptonians, but i can set that aside

But then they start to lose their powers because, Superman explains, they flew through something in space that turned their blood to Krypronite.

What

Or in issue 2, Superman explains to Lois she was being paranoid because one of his robots was doing an experiment and the fumes affected her mind.

What
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And done.

I can say i liked some of the middle issues, at least.
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Keep reading
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I also thought issue 9 had a pretty rushed resolution on a reread. It's a great concept, but man, I could have sworn it was more fleshed out. Maybe the animated movie did that?

I think it's intentional as a callback to the sillier pulpier Superman stories out there that do that sort of thing. #9 was the only one where it felt super jarring to me, because that whole issue is very condensed.

I guess it wasnt as perfect as I remembered, but god damn, so many top Superman moments are from this book.
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Unrelated to the topic at hand, but tonight I read a bunch of issues of Warlock and the Infinity Watch and I really enjoy that series. If i recall correctly you are a big Adam Warlock fan, right Scarlet?
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I am. Adam Warlock is probably my favorite cosmic Marvel character aside from the Surfer.
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Should we read some Cosmic Marvel?
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I've only ever read Annihilation, and would definitely be open to reading more! I thought Nova was pretty cool.
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I'll add it to the list of upcoming topics.
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I should get a bunch of reading time in over the next two days.
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Through the first 3 issues now. I wouldn't say #2 and #3 were as bad as I expected them to be based on what MI was saying, but it seems weird that these would be considered the best Lois Lane stories.

Admittedly, I haven't read that much Lois Lane, but her characterization here seems kind of...off? That's the best way I would explain it. I don't know if I've ever seen her as paranoid about Superman as she was in that second issue, and I find it kind of annoying that she still questions the Clark Kent thing two issues into her being told.

I'm enjoying the issues, though. Like I said, it just seems off.
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Issue #5 was fantastic. Morrison has written my favourite rendition of Clark Kent yet.
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That was definitely my favorite issue. I loved him acting like a bumbling idiot while saving lives.
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Should get the next set up sometime late afternoon.
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I wasn't initially a fan of the exaggerated, bumbling Kent, just because in my mind I prefer Clark Kent to be closer to the "true" version of the character. But on subsequent reads it's easier to catch the self-awareness of the character under the surface, and it really does consistently lead to incredible moments. Supes always has to put on a bit of a show for the people at his job, and can only be himself around people he trusts. I think that's pretty real, even if taken to 11.

davidponte posted...

Admittedly, I haven't read that much Lois Lane, but her characterization here seems kind of...off? That's the best way I would explain it. I don't know if I've ever seen her as paranoid about Superman as she was in that second issue, and I find it kind of annoying that she still questions the Clark Kent thing two issues into her being told.

She feels off in the second issue because of paranoia plot decice, but other than that I think it's pretty true to her character as a skeptic. Modern Lois has been in on it for years, but for a Lois who spent years failing to prove it and just found it, it be more strange if she did just immediately accept it.
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Those first few issues were iffy, but as things went on I thought it got exponentially better, and finished overall pretty strong. This is probably the best Superman story I've ever read? It might be recency bias, and I'd need to go back and look over the stuff we read for Superman week, but it's definitely at the very top of an admittedly small list as most of the Superman I've read has been through this topic.

I feel like it wouldn't be a Grant Morrison story if we didn't have something that was mentioned briefly in one moment become extremely important or prevalent in another. I really like how he calls back to small things he mentions earlier in the arc, making nearly every single piece of dialog or exposition incredibly important for the story.

As I've already mentioned, this is also my favourite Clark Kent. He's the literal opposite of Superman (as Lex explains), and I feel like that works so much better than other renditions of the character where he is seemingly Superman in a suit with glasses on.

Also, I'm not sure how much times passes between issues, but I'm assuming it's a decent amount considering we had two issues of Lois questioning Superman's identity then it's essentially never brought up again.
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Going to have to post this tomorrow. Sorry! Just got slammed today.
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bump
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All right, sorry for the delay. This week we're going to read one more non-DC/Marvel Multiverse title before diving back into the quagmire of continuity. We're going to check out one of the lesser recognized works of one Alan Moore, famous for Watchmen, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Swamp Thing and two of the most famous Superman stories to ever exist. Alan Moore is definitely one of the most celebrated comic writers of all time, and his works from V for Vendetta to From Hell have left an indelible mark on the industry of comic books. He's controversial and certainly curmudgeonly, but Moore is also a very unique mind in the world of sequential art.

This week, we're reading Top 10, a 12-issue maxi-series he wrote for his own DC-published imprint, America's Best Comics. Top 10 is a police procedural series in a city where everyone is a superhero. The story mainly follows Toybox, a rookie cop, in her first months on the job as she partners with the stoic superhero-amongst-superheroes Smax. I hope you guys love Top 10; it's weird and wonderful and it's a totally different tone than most of Alan Moore's work.

Next week, we're going Marvel in Space with a couple stories that I think everyone enjoys.
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I've never heard of it before, but it sounds pretty cool!
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I think you'll like it a lot, david.
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First issue got my attention. It reminds me of Astro City in a way where there are all these background details and characters mentioned and you can tell a lot of effort went into building the world. It was less fun / more serious than Astro City though.

I think my favorite aspect is background details. There was an ad for phone booths in the subway, because in this Superhero world they need places to change. The dirty grafitti on the side of the building. Interesting little details.

I desperately hope Large Marge is in more issues I am in love with her.
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There are definitely a TON of Easter egg details. It's such a slow read because I always went to pour over every panel and catch everything. Glad you enjoy it so far! I feel like this group is really taking a liking so far to non-traditional supes stories.
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Through issue 4. I was worried when you described this as a procedural but there is a lot of ongoing stories which I am quite enjoying.

I don't really care much for either of the main characters, but I like every other person at the precinct and most of the other side characters.
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Good to see you're enjoying it!
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Through 9. I feel the series is becoming more episodic as the series progresses which is disappointing, but i at least care about the characters by this point. Or maybe there's just been a few storylines i don't care for (the jumper accident, gladiators in a different reality) that make the episodic stories mean less to me.

The Gods Bar (issue 7?) was probably my favorite.

I'm sure i am missing so many Marvel and DC references, but the ones i am getting are just great.
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I read the first issue and thought it was solid, but with this being a very busy two weeks because of my placement, I'm not sure I'll have the time to sit through twelve meaty issues. This seems like the kind of story that deserves to be read slowly with focus on what's going on in the background, which is the exact opposite kind of story that I have the time to read right now!

It's definitely something that I will eventually get around to, but I'm probably going to have to skip it for now.

If next week is lighter (not necessarily in page count), I'll be sure to read it. I think it's better to skip a week than to fall weeks behind.
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Issue 10 was superb.

I kind of wish Joe was in more than just the last two. He is phenominal.
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And done! I feel like there were a few plot threads that were dropped throughout the series - the goose (last seen as a chair in the station?) and Robyn's father both kind of just disappeared. Sure, Smax was caring for her father at the end but that still didn't seem to go anywhere.

Still a good series. I think I preferred the more light hearted Astro City to this as a personal preference, but still good!
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It was actually supposed to continue past this point. It never actually is picked up by Moore except in a flashback volume and a mini-series about Smax. Top 10 Season 1 is still a great little series though.
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Keep reading
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I've got to say I love all the things going on in the background in this series, there should be some sort of 'wheres waldo' checklist for every funny sign or character cameo.

As for the story, I initially was lukewarm on it because I am sick as hell of CSI/police procedurals, but the world itself won me over with its goofy charm, which is the last thing I was expecting from Alan Moore.
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Ha! I know, right? Alan Moore is usually the deconstructionist hater of all things pure and noble, and here he is definitely following up on the Astro City reconstructionist motif and laying thick into the silver age charm in his own Moore-ish way.

Should have a new packet this evening of some Marvel Cosmic.
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Sorry I'm reeling from revelations. I'll post tomorrow.
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hope everything is okay!
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I was playing some ACO and things got heated.
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did anyone kill anybody with infinity gems
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My net is too slow at work today, so the packet should be ready when I get home! But it's close. Two relatively quick reads.
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All right, this week is Marvel Cosmic week.

I'm keeping it simple.

Did you like Infinity War? Cool. We're reading the even better Infinity Gauntlet this week.

Did you like Rise of the Silver Surfer? Of course not. We're reading the infinitely Silver Surfer: Parable this week. It's a graphic novel written by Stan Lee and art from Moebius. It's good stuff.

Enjoy!
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I've read Infinity Gauntlet! Will be fun to reread.
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How does Infinity Gauntlet relate to the MCU stuff? Is this the story they're drawing from, or is this a completely unrelated story that also features the Infinity stones and gauntlet?
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This is the entire inspiration for Infinity War.

Also, be forewarned, this story might actually be similar to how Endgame ends.
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Damn, this is probably going to be a better story than what the MCU does but I don't know if I want to know the ending to a story that I've spent the last ten years watching unfold mere months before I get to see the resolution.

I might just read the Silver Surfer story this week.
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I mean, the odds are that only one singular plot beat MIGHT be used. The rest of the story can't remotely come to fruition. Too many Marvel characters that don't even exist in the MCU. So you would maybe get 1 minute of the movie spoiler for you, and I have no reason to believe that they go anywhere close to the plot beat I'm thinking of.
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That doesn't sound too bad, then. I care less about how the heroes "win" and more about the fate of the characters themselves, and that seems like something that'll vastly differ in the movies.
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Yeah none of that will be related to the comic at this point and all based on contracts!
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Contracts were the real villain all along.
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I thought contracts were the friends we made along the way.
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It's both.

The friends you made along the way were also the real villains.
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The real villain is bad 500 posts.
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