Random Comic Grabbing

nigma

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a new thing i've started doing is just randomly grabbing a comic without knowing anything about it. just based on the cover or title. if you do this join me.

and this week i picked The book of Lost Souls by J Michael Straczynski on the Icon imprint (this guy has has a huge carrer, writing Babylon 5, and other stufff and he also writes Supreme Power i didn't know that before i decided to see who this guy was)

reason for grabbing: it had a cool looking cover with a guy floating above the water holding huge book

they just released 1st issue a little bit ago on the Icon Imprint, a branch of Marvel.

the link
superherohype said:
The Book of Lost Souls, a monthly series with artist Colleen Doran (Orbiter, A Distant Soil). J. Michael Straczynski is an admitted "long term fan of her work", and this collaboration between these two industry stars is bound to be something. Not much has been revealed as to what the series is about so far, so we asked Mr. Straczynski for the low down.

"One of the recurring themes in my work, almost but not quite to the point of being tedious about it, is the degree to which we have been kind of desensitized to each other as humans," Straczynski said. "Politically, ethnically, economically, we've been marginalized and factionalized and tribalized to within an inch of our lives. That was one of the underlying themes, perhaps the dominant theme, of Midnight Nation...the lost and the dispossessed, the run-aways and the thrown-aways of society. And the thing is, you can have a home, and a family, and a job, but be as utterly lost as some guy living under a bridge.

"When I was working in Vancouver on the TV show Jeremiah, I used to hang out a lot downtown, because it's a beautiful city," Straczynski explained. "On a long stretch of Granville and other streets, you see kids -- teens into twenties -- runaways, thrownaways, living on the streets, dozens at a time, every few blocks. Sometimes, I'd see a few of them wander into the comics store there, and look around...and walk out empty handed, having found nothing that related to the lives they were leading, lives of quite desperation, where hope is something you gave up long ago. I wanted to write a story for them, and for others out there on the razor's edge between light and dark. Because sometimes having all the money in the world won't move you one inch closer to what you really want out of life."

"So we're three issues into this book, which follows a fellow named Jonathan, who committed suicide by drowning -- or tried to do so -- over a hundred years ago, and resurfaces (literally) in the present (when the red sox won), with a big book of names and a mission, to be the force that tilts the balance in people's lives one way or another, " Straczynski said. "It's kind of a dark book, but with a certain hopefulness in it. He also has a talking cat named Mystery, who is perhaps more than he appears. "
 
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nigma said:
a new thing i've started doing is just randomly grabbing a comic without knowing anything about it. just based on the cover or title. if you do this join me.

Not a bad idea. I didn't pick up Book of Lost Souls however, and I like JMS a lot. It just didn't interest me at all.

I picked up Silent Dragon this way. Sadly, Silent Dragon is boring. Leinil Yu is great though.
 
Bass said:
Not a bad idea. I didn't pick up Book of Lost Souls however, and I like JMS a lot. It just didn't interest me at all.

I picked up Silent Dragon this way. Sadly, Silent Dragon is boring. Leinil Yu is great though.

its not the best start but i'll get the entier 1st arc and see if its good. this is also how i picked up a title by Alias Ent. but i can't remember the title.
 
this week i grabbed Ultra by the Luna Brothers. well it wasn't random, i liked there 'girls' so i picked this up in trade:

Buzzscope said:
What exactly is this book: a super hero book, a romance book, a satire of popular culture, a caustic look at being a celebrity, a tome on today's modern woman? Well it's all of that wrapped up in a thoroughly enjoyable package and brought to us by the hereto unknown Luna Brothers. This book can be read on many levels and as such new treasures can be unearthed on subsequent readings. Pearl, the Ultra in the title, is the best new female character in comics since Jessica Jones, although she's her polar opposite. The concept of an agency of super heroes like a talent or modeling agency is a good one whose potential is barely tapped here. I don't know what Image or the Luna Brothers have planned but I'd sure like to see this continue well beyond the eight issues initially planned.

if you havn't read there stuff, you are missing out on alot. visit http://www.lunabrothers.com/index2.htm for more info.

From Publishers Weekly said:
In the not-so-distant future, or maybe a parallel today, there exists a world where superheroes walk—and sometimes fly—among ordinary citizens. Although Ultra is the star of the tale, it follow three heroines who all work for the same superhero management company—Ultra (down-to-earth Latina Pearl Penalosa), Aphrodite (model-turned-superhero Olivia Arancina), and Cowgirl (trust-fund baby Jennifer Janus). One night, the trio drop in on a fortune teller for a little harmless fun and receive fortunes that will come true in the next seven days. Aphrodite and Cowgirl quickly see results, but Ultra doubts she'll find true love within a week. She's momentarily convinced she's wrong after hooking up with a charming civilian, but when Ultra discovers he was just after her for the money he could get by selling her photos to the tabloids, she's back to her cynical self. Meanwhile, Cowgirl and Aphrodite are busy figuring out who they really are. With elegantly casual art that conveys a sense of place with an economy of line, and a wicked ear for contemporary dialogue, the Luna brothers have created a vivid, vibrant world and a charming story.

theres also a very good issue review on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582404836/?tag=tcbcom-20
 
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Book Of Lost Souls has been on my wish list since I heard about it, and it's a great book, with thoughtful dialogue, gorgeous art, and interesting characters.
 
I stopped buying Ultra in single issues halfway through -- #3 or #4, I think --because the pacing of the main story was too slow, adn the Sex & The City-esque character dynamics were not enough to hold my interest.

Might give it another shot in TPB format. Are we allowed to post Ultra spoilers in this thread? Or do we need to start a separate one?

In any case, somebody please let me know if
the guy Pearl was dating is actually the Arsonist
 
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compound said:
I stopped buying Ultra in single issues halfway through -- #3 or #4, I think --because the pacing of the main story was too slow, adn the Sex & The City-esque character dynamics were not enough to hold my interest.

Might give it another shot in TPB format. Are we allowed to post Ultra spoilers in this thread? Or do we need to start a separate one?

In any case, somebody please let me know if
the guy Pearl was dating is actually the Arsonist

well just put them in spoilers:

its not, thats what i thought to, but there all blond hair, blue eyed white kids. and the arsonist was a highschool kid
 
Fuzzy Birds said:
Book Of Lost Souls has been on my wish list since I heard about it, and it's a great book, with thoughtful dialogue, gorgeous art, and interesting characters.

didn't mean to ignore you fuzzy, i got caught up in Ultra.....does that mean you've picked up the title or that your going to pick up the title? but i don't like cats, i mean i REALLLY DON'T LIKE CATS...cuz there too small but this one can talk so it makes all the difference ;)
 
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nigma said:
this week i grabbed Ultra by the Luna Brothers. well it wasn't random, i liked there 'girls' so i picked this up in trade:
I read GIRLS in scans. I can't tell whether it's beautiful or terrible.
 
nigma said:
its not, thats what i thought to, but there all blond hair, blue eyed white kids. and the arsonist was a highschool kid

*WARNING: Spoilers for Ex Machina vol. 1 and Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl? *

That's actually becoming a trend in mainstream comics writing. It's a lazy, cop-out ending for the mystery villain to be some deranged teenager who manages to stay one step ahead of the cops. Grrr. The two titles I mentioned above are perfect examples of this.
 
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compound said:
*WARNING: Spoilers for Ex Machina vol. 1 and Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl? *

That's actually becoming a trend in mainstream comics writing. It's a lazy, cop-out ending for the mystery villain to be some deranged teenager who manages to stay one step ahead of the cops. Grrr. The two titles I mentioned above are perfect examples of this.

i havn't read those titles i really don't know, but they way they had it played was...werid and cool. if you can its the very next issue, number...5 i think
 
ourchair said:
I read GIRLS in scans. I can't tell whether it's beautiful or terrible.

what part? the arts....pretty good, but the writings decent. the last page on 5? (the last one that came out) was really good)
 
See now I'd do this if my LCS stocked a varity of diffrent titles for me to do so with. This is why I have gone to the internet.
 
book of lost souls #2

since i don't really want to start a thread for the book of lost souls...i'll just post it here, if the mods want to slipt it, you can.

it was dissapointing, in my opinion it sucked. it started out about a women who has an abusive husband, the women lives most of her time in her make belive land. what sucked is that it went back and forth. what was funny was that she walked in on her husband having sex with another women, the husband got mad, and made her watch and she stood there and sobbed her eyes out, and then it ended with her pulling a fake gun her husband while he at work.
 
Random Comic Thread

We all have those random comics that we read/collect....but know that no one else is reading them. Or to another extent...do even deserve their own REAL thread. Nothing really dedicated to them.

So this is my homage to them. Post your random comics that you read and why you love 'em.

Hysteria: One Man Gang - Done in all black and white....this comic isn't worth the purchase price. BUT....it is entertaining. No real dialogue.....just over the top kung-fu action in each panel. Only 2 issues in.....it's not hard to follow. I don't recommend buying it....but if you can steal a quick 2 minutes---you can read thru an entire issue.


Street Fighter - Probably my favorite. Sticks very close to the feel of the game. It all centers on Ryu and his search to become the greatest fighter. There are side plots with Chun-Li, Ken and all the gang....but the main charcter is still Ryu. The art is great. Anyone who loves the look to the Alpha versions of the characters will love this. Plus it's fun to see the fights play out and the artist like to throw in the signature moves like they were just natural.


Freshmen - Odd. Funny. The 2 best words to describe this. It's all about a group of new college kids who get caught in the fallout of some accident while doing random things on a Saturday night and develop super powers. One girl wishes she could get in other people's heads to find out what they are thinking...what makes them tick. Accident happens and now she can enter others' body's and control them. One guy was staring at a squirrell when the accident happened and now all he can think about is storing/hiding nuts. The list goes on. Pretty funny stuff. It's from the creator of Family Guy so take it for what you will.
 
Baxter said:
It's written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (a writer and supervising producer for lost) and has art by Les McClaine
So I guess it's just me on The Middle Man, huh?
 

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