Trevor

Doing this on another forum, and figured it might work here. It’s for everyone to share one thing each week, not just me.

Trevor

Week 1 of 52, ending 1/7/24
Swamp Thing (1972) issues 1-4

I’m (again) starting a quest this year to read all of Swamp Thing in chronological order, one issue per day. All the various series, guest appearances, even the three prototype appearances before the Wein/Wrightson series. So backtracking a few days to last week, the best thing I read was the beginning of this amazingly beautiful Absolute edition.

I’ve read this early issues a couple dozen times over the years, but this is the best presentation yet. I haven’t compared the coloring to the originals or the myriad other versions, but perhaps my love for a slightly oversized version would be too string to sway me away from this in any case. I get a little hard every night that I hold this thing, spiritually at least.

Heck, this book might be the favorite thing in my possession, ever. My collecting roots are in Swamp Thing, no pun intended, but ha!

Trevor

Week 2 of 52, ending 1/14/24
Where the Body Was

Probably could have picked more early Swamp Thing, but let’s go with this Brubaker/Phillips joint.

I hate to admit this, but it’s probably the first thing of their’s that I’ve read to completion. I started Criminal and saw that it was perfect comics, so as I so often do, moved on to reading other stuff to find more perfect comics to stockpile. My save-the-best-for-last piles have won a thousand Eisners.

But am vowing to change that modus operandi and read the greatness on my shelves, and to also read more current stuff. Wow, went into this thinking it might just be a simple murder mystery, but it’s not really just a mystery, at least a murder one, and obviously not simple at all. He writes characters so well, you end up caring for everyone at least a bit. And the whole thing ends up being more about keeping secrets and other facets of the human condition all told in such a relatable way. Looking forward to reading more of their collaborations soon.

Trevor

Week 3 of 52, ending 1/21/24
Wonder Woman (2023) issues 1-5

Bit behind on the last year or so of DC, but rather than try to catch up chronologically like usual, decided to dive right in to a couple of the new titles.

Yeah, pretty much everything that Jason said a couple days ago (on another forum). Love the the dual storylines, and the super kids backups are a hoot. Beautiful art and I’m hopeful that the story turns out as well as it’s shaping up to be so far.

Spiderbite

What if I only read one comic? I guess that would be the best since it is the only thing or should that not count?

I need to read more comics!

Trevor

Week 4 of 52, ending 1/28/24
Rachel Rising (2011-2016) issues 23-42

I read most of the series, one issue per day, back in my October 100 issues of horror marathon, but then real life deaths starting happening and reading much of anything just didn’t happen for a couple months.

Back tracked a bit and read basically the second half of the series last week. An amazing ride, glad I didn’t have to wait for this month by month, because it’s a page turner. Almost every issue had a nice reveal or cliffhanger ending, and I guess it’d be called a decompressed style because each issue is a very quick read.

Normally, that would bother me, but Terry Moore combines such beautiful art with storytelling that just draws you in and takes you on an emotional roller coaster. There isn’t a ton of dialogue, but the words he chooses and the facial expressions and body language convey true depth. I think I welled or choked up a bit at least twenty times as I read the series, you really care about these characters, even the minor ones and antagonists.

Went in almost completely blind, just knew it was horror from the SiP guy. Don’t want to spoil it, but I’d recommend this series to anyone.

TheBang

Interestingly, I just finished this last week. Brubaker and Phillips are an amazing creative team. I've been reading their stuff since Sleeper (based on a recommendation on this forum, I'm pretty sure). I think you should start reading their catalog. Although "Where the Body Was" was good and interesting and different, I'd probably put it in the bottom tier of stuff they've done.

Criminal is good, of course. Kill of Be Killed was really good. Fatale was really good too. I think Reckless is really, really good, and they really took advantage of the long-form storytelling to really make the characters shine and portray the sun-bleached L.A. 80's setting. If you want their take on super-heroes/villains, try Incognito.

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 5 of 52, ending 2/4/2024
All-Star Western (2011-2012) issues 1-6

Didn’t read much last week, just this and my daily Swamp Thing issue, so this is a little bit of a best by default, but still an excellent read.

I only read a bit of the 2006+ Gray and Palmiotti run on Jonah Hex, but enough to love it and buy it all. Need to go back and read it from the beginning someday.

This book was an anthology, and that’s my jam, bringing my back to my collecting roots where it seemed like most of DCs output was anthology books, or at least main features with a backup.

The main Jonah Hex story was fun, integrating him into old Gotham, with nods to the modern via ancestors of Cobblebot and Arkham and Wayne. The writing is well done obviously, and I’m really digging the art from Moritat. I like the storytelling device of us seeing Arkham’s journal and also his psychoanalyzing Hex, introducing new or lapsed readers into what is going on and who Hex is. The backups were good too, with I believe to be a new character, The Ghost, and re-introducing El Diablo. I forget if I bought this series in its entirety back in the day, but I’ll have to read it all after that 2006-2011 run.

davidh777

I didn’t think Micronauts would ever be reprinted, but now we’re getting the omnibus, and I found the facsimile first issue at my LCS. Great to revisit it.

Trevor

Yeah, I never thought we’d see Rom and Micronauts reprinted. Anxiously awaiting all the omnibi.

ytrez

Only thing I've read this week. Just got to chapter 4.

PhantomStranger

What exactly is this? A history of rap's biggest characters?

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 6 of 52, ending 2/11/2024
Why Don’t You Love Me? by Paul B Rainey

As everyone probably knows, the less you know about this going into it the better. Ordered it months ago, probably when it was first mentioned on the podcast, but moved it to the top of the stack the other day.

Have always been pretty empathetic, and this one really moved me, to tears at that last panel. Having a wife and daughter diagnosed with depression certainly ’helped’ in that regard.

Loved how Rainey played with the art form here, using the Sunday strip format to write the novel. It gets a little difficult to read and samesy feeling the first half, but stick with it. I didn’t read a lot of OGNs from the last several years, but this may be the best one (so far).

Books like this is why I’m still a consumer and collector of the medium after all these decades.

ytrez

It's a history of the development of hip hop as a genre and a culture. It certainly highlights many of rap's characters like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, other early DJs and MCs, and behind-the-scenes characters like Russell Simmons, Sylvia Robinson, and Rick Rubin. I have eclectic musical tastes but wouldn't call myself a big hip hop fan; but I'm enjoying this as I'm old enough to have been exposed to this music/these artists in the early 80s. Plus I enjoy history as a genre. If you have any interest in hip hop at all, I'd recommend this.

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 7 of 52, ending 2/18/2024
Kick-Ass issues 1-8 and The Magic Order volumes 1 and 2

Feel like I’m always talking about how I’ve never read or at least finished comics, so much so that you all probably think I don’t read many comics at all. I really do, just end up reading a lot of the average stuff as I put aside the stuff I know I’ll like for a rainy day that rarely comes as i keep reading new stuff all the time. So anyway, not sure if I’d ever read anything by Mark Millar, at least to completion. A lot of it has been in my piles to get to, and decided to take the plunge last week.

Fun stuff, particularly enjoyed The Magic Order but I’ll read more Kick-Ass too. Guess I’ll keep going with Millar stuff, have The Night Club sitting here, and then read The Big Game.

PhantomStranger

Too much of Millar's stuff for me reads like a transparent pitch for a Hollywood screenplay. He comes up with a few neat ideas but rarely explores them beyond the surface level. I still check his stuff out if reviews are good but I am always thinking "these comics could be better if they were more fleshed out."

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 8 of 52, ending 2/25/2024
yeah, a bit behind, but today’s post is in the works
Saint Cole by Noah Van Sciver

Have only read a couple short stories by Noah before this, but he might become a favorite. Almost turned me off early on as it appeared to possibly be a book about a slacker, something that generally turns me off. But there’s an honesty in Joe’s depravity and recklessness. The story is gritty and funny and heartbreaking and shocking at least a couple times.

The utter hopelessness of his situation and the harsh economic inequity of this country shines thru and almost makes us forgive him. And maybe the crazy ending gives him one more chance to get his life together? Still not sure if I feel a bit sorry for Joe, or don’t at all respect people that make choices like his. But I’m still thinking about this novella a week later, and am anxious to read more of his work. I’ll be spending some of my Fantabucks on more work from the decent Van Sciver brother.

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 9 of 52, ending 3/3/2024
World’s Finest issues 1-12

Per my norm, read the first couple of issues and loved it, so put it aside for later. As expected, I agree with the majority of comic readers and have found every issue just flat out fantastic. Pretty sure I’ll keep binging until I get current.

Have always enjoyed Waid, not that I’ve read all that much of his voluminous output truthfully. I think I’ve only seen Mora in Klaus, but wow. While the fill-in issues have looked great so far, it’s easy to see why Mora won artist of the year.

Can’t really add much to all the praise this book has been getting for over two years now, but this is great super-hero comics. Excited to hear that this team is doing the next DC event.

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 10 of 52, ending 3/10/2024
Peacemaker Tries Hard issues 1-6

Got behind in this weekly goal, but I’m going to catch up and keep it going darn it!

I didn’t read much this particular week, so this choice might not be the winner on a heavier reading week, but darn if it wasn’t a lot of fun. Kyle Starks has been writing some good horror lately, but returns to his comedy roots on this I guess obvious attempt to cash in on the popularity of the TV show. But it works, as I imagine anything with these talents will work. The writing feels like another couple episodes of the TV show, with the dialogue and mannerisms closely matching Cena. A couple deep dives into DC continuity made this lifelong DC nerd smile, and I’m in for more if they so choose.

Pugh’s art is always fun, and a perfect fit for this story.

Trevor

The Best Thing I Read This Week
Week 11 of 52, ending 3/17/2024
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

I’ve enjoyed the little of Backderf’s previous work that I’ve seen, but this is a freaking masterpiece.

He squeezes a lot into these 280 pages, perhaps too much, but the details and backstory are important. So sad to see the story so relevant still, with half of our society seemingly ok with authoritarianism. I was sadly uninformed of most of the details, being only 4 when the murders happened, and then, I’m ashamed to admit, ok with right wing strong-arming much of my adult life. One of the most emotionally evocative books I’ve ever read.

This is a comic book to show people who think comics are just for kids or the superhero obsessed. Hopefully my wife will read this.

This was a library copy, but I’ll be buying a copy soon.

Bronkster

^ That looks interesting. I'm gonna hunt down a copy. Thanks for the tip!

davidh777

Title is a spoiler

lwhy?

I just discovered this thread. I'm interested in checking out Rachel Rising, but it's out of print. The Magic Order looks good too. I'll probably pick it and some other titles up when Target has another multi-buy sale on books.

Trevor

welcome aboard!

The point of this thread is for everyone to share what they’ve been reading. What’s the best thing you’ve read recently?