David Sparks and Casey Liss join John and I to talk about getting into comics as an adult. It's a brisk listen, despite the runtime. This is yet another new sub-thread of show types, where we help people on the show off the top of our heads.
You have no idea how sweet, sensitive, and smart a comic book called Sex Criminals can be.
Read MoreComics pro Antony Johnston returns to Giant Size and joins Drobo CEO Geoff Barrall to properly school me in the various worlds and characters of the UK's 2000AD , with a particular focus on one-man judge/jury/executioner Judge Dredd. One of my favorite bits of this episode is listening to the two of them enthuse about their childhood discoveries of various stories through 2000AD's ultra-violent (and thoroughly satirical) lens.
This week's interview with colorist extraordinaire Elizabeth Breitweiser begins at the 01:44:52 mark. Pick up Velvet #1 (written by Ed Brubaker, penciled by Steve Epting, and colored by Elizabeth) and add it to your pull list.
1800+ weekly issues strong, 2000AD has never shied away from political subject matter and the topical since its inception in 1977. What follows is a US-focused reading list of how to get your hands on the biggest, most iconic and interesting stories we discussed in this week's show.
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #02 (progs 61-115)
includes "The Cursed Earth" and "The Day the Law Died" and more
$15 TPB or $10 Kindle Edition
Dredd goes over land from Mega City One (east coast) to Mega City Two (west coast), with a life-saving vaccine and a convict in tow. Immediately spilling out of that, one of his biggest early nemeses arises and gives him hell.
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #05 (progs 208-270)
includes "Block Mania" and "The Apocalypse War" and more
$16 TPB or $10 Kindle Edition
The most iconic, go-to classic Dredd story sees major, lasting implications for the planet and world of Dredd, replete with Cold War imagery.
The above three collections, for a remarkably reasonable price, collect some of the most definitive early Dredd stories. If you grab #03, you'll get the first appearances of both Judge Death and Judge Anderson, and a bunch of self-contained stories.
The US has only seen six print volumes of the "Complete Case Files" released, whereas they've released 21 of them in the UK. The good news is that they are all available in the 2000AD Newsstand app for iOS. Alternately, you could import the UK editions from Amazon UK.
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #07 (progs 322-375)Antony was very into some of these weirder, horror-tinged stories. How can you resist a story that starts with a cover showing Dredd turning into a werewolf?
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files #08 (progs 376-423)Time travel finds its way into Dredd stories here, where Dredd and Judge Anderson travel to the future. The story serves as a continuation of "The Judge Child", so make sure you read that one first. For the record, it precedes Chris Claremont's "Days of Future Past" by four years.
Unfortunately, many of the other characters we discussed either haven't been reprinted in the US (like Sam Slade Robo-Hunter), or they're out of print (Strontium Dog).
Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu Earth 1 ($16)
Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu Earth 2 ($15)
A genetically-engineered soldier on his own against an endless war, the good people at IDW recently announced a new ongoing Rogue Trooper series. These collections are similar in style to the Dredd Complete Case Files.
The Complete Nemesis the Warlock, Volume 1
Put by Kieron Gillen to Matt Fraction as something along the lines of "this is how messed up what we grew up on is", I'm chomping at the bit to devour Kevin O'Neill art that I've never seen.
Sláine : The Horned God ($18 HC)
Sláine: Warriors Dawn ($14 TPB)
Sláine: Book of Invasions Volume 1 ($16)
Described as a Celtic Conan the Barbarian, he was controversial as an addition to what was considered a sic-fi-only publication. He's proven to stay immensely popular in retrospect. I've no context for the above collections, but they're all that's available in the US.
The Ballad of Halo Jones ($15 TPB)
A rare female main character, Alan Moore's work here has eluded me thus far, but now I have little excuse. I'm especially ashamed to have not read this, considering how highly acclaimed it is.
The Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks ($15 TPB)
Including Abelard Snazz and all of Moore's other short stories aside from the bigger scale of both Halo Jones and D.R. and Quinch.
The Complete D.R. and Quinch ($15 TPB)
Dredd goes across the Cursed Earth and eventually off into space to find a prophesized savior for Mega City One. We spoil a twist about this one during the show. includes , , and and more or $14 on iOS Newsstandincludes and moreAlan Moore's pair of ne'er-do-well college troublemakers is all collected in one neat little trade.
Harry 20 on the High Rock ( $13)
A wrongly accused man ends up on an orbital prison, and he's forced to survive against the odds.
I'm amazed I got this show recorded and this all written. I'm sick as a dog…a Strontium Dog.
The following Reading List post encompasses both "Unraveling Craziness" and "Heavy Metal Album Cover", which make up a full look at the entire Marvel NOW! line, which is half a year into its life. These episodes also feature interviews with artists Phil Noto and Jim Cheung (in his first-ever interview, according to him). Recommendations for their respective work can be found at the tail end of this post.
Unlike typical Reading Lists, these recommendations are predominantly one-line summaries of what each title is, including spoiler-free teases of the twists given to many iconic characters. The list proceeds chronologically alongside the flow of both episodes' conversation.
A significant amount of time and work goes into collecting links and compiling these posts. Even though referral revenue from the Amazon links help support the show and these posts, I always encourage you to support local comic shops, who can (generally) help you find everything you could want, including back issue special orders.
Read MoreI'm amazed that I found a good pair of shots that feature both Iron Man and Superman.
The following represent a small sampling of Iron Man and Superman comic reading recommendations for new/returning/lapsed fans of either character who have enjoyed (or will soon enjoy) either (but more probably both) of them in this summer's big ol' movies full of explosions.
Always check with your Friendly Local Comic Shop first (if possible) to see if they can get you trade paperbacks, Omnibus hardcovers, or even the original single issues. Support local businesses so that we don't have to live in a dystopian future.
The following were all recommended during episode 28 of The Comic Shack, "Men of Iron and Steel".
My guest for the most recent Giant Size (titled "Mahnke Mentoring", and soon to post in the feed) is artist Tom Nguyen, best known for his inking work for DC Comics.
I've listed a few collections that include what I consider great examples of his work. It's all Green Lantern, so consider this a mini-GL crash course. If you're getting into GL for the first time, you should start with Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis' Green Lantern: Secret Origin, which retells the origin of Hal Jordan and is designed to let you jump into the world of GL. As always, I recommend preferring and supporting your Friendly Local Comic Shop to Amazon or ComiXology if possible, but it's all a matter of choice. Choose where you shop wisely.
Original inked art of first-ever Muslim GL Simon Baz in Green Lantern.
My podcast pal Merlin (whom I address that way due to having never met him in person) asked me how to get into Doctor Strange. That's a longer conversation than just a pithy post can cover (expect an upcoming Comic Shack to cover this). What I can do is recommend Marvel's recent Matt Fraction-written The Defenders series, which is all now available in trade paperback: Volume 1 runs about $15, and Volume 2 goes for $18. They total 12 issues worth of self-contained story, and it's a hum-dinger.
Why do I recommend this as the way into Doctor Strange at the moment? Issue 4 is one of the best one-and-done Strange stories I've read in a long time, for starters.
More importantly, it's become apparent that there are a lot of timey-wimey things going on in the Marvel Multiverse right now (Age of Ultron, All-New X-Men, the upcoming Battle of the Atom crossover, the arrival of Spider-Man 2099 in the present day's Superior Spider-Man this fall, maybe even the upcoming Infinity event...the list might keep going on and on forever. From Comic Book Resources' Q&A with Superior Spider-Man writer Dan Slott at C2E2 last weekend:
Can you talk at all about Miguel's state of mind or motives when he arrives in the present day? And at what point in the classic "Spider-Man 2099" run does his time travel trip take place?
Slott: If you're paying close attention to the Marvel Universe, there are a lot of time anomalies and time travel stories that all seem to be happening during Marvel NOW!. We have the younger selves of the original five X-Men now in the present, the "Age of Ultron," plus, there are a couple of other surprises on the horizon. And now there's this. Something seems to be happening to Time in the Marvel U., which makes it the perfect time for someone from the future to come to the present.
If a brand-new comics reader, you may initially get lost wondering where this Red She-Hulk came from, or why this Atlantean dude Namor is such an egotistical jerkface, or who the hell "Iron Fist" is, but in the space of 12 issues, you actually get a nice little introduction to who everyone is as a person, in a general sense. Silver Surfer, Black Cat, Ant Man, and Nick Fury bits all gel nicely as well.
The story spins out of a crossover called Fear Itself, which is absolutely not required reading, since we find out rather quickly what's going on. That is to say that this group of heroes get together to try to prevent reality from breaking apart when a machine that can change existence itself goes haywire.
I have a feeling that this series was planned to run exactly these 12 issues and no more, as sorry as I am to see it gone.
In a more just world, there would be a Defenders movie franchise, too.
On this week's Comic Shack, my pal John Gholson (of Gutters and Panels and Movies.com) did our first pass on diving into the canon of Batman, and how new and lapsed readers can make sure they don't start with The Dark Knight Returns.
Prices listed by edition are as of this writing.
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On The Comic Shack, we talk about jumping-on points for characters, creators, and whatever makes sense given the topic. This is a new thing I'll be doing as a companion to that show so that you have one article you can Instapaper/Pocket/Readability/bookmark/self-email as a single reference point of all the recommendations we make in the order they were recommended.
Prices by edition are as of this writing. I'll update this as I find more digital options, so check back.
