Entry tags:
(no subject)
I FINISHED MY NOVEL EDITS. This calls for a glass of wine and some relaxation. (I think I'll give it a final pass before sending it in the morning, but I am done, done, DONE! \o/)
And I keep meaning to make more posts about the comics I am reading lately, so I guess I will do a quick roundup on that topic. Some of what I've read in the last few weeks:
Black Widow #1-6 and #8 - Really great, with absolutely gorgeous art! Ever since reading![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sage's theory that Natasha's emotional distance in this series is because of her mindwipe, I can't not read it that way, especially some of the bits like the issue where she talks about not having a home (which contrasts beautifully with the pages from the Winter Soldier comic that have been reblogged all over Tumblr in which Bucky talks about Natasha being his home). I mean, the whole series really makes more sense that way than not. Which means it's possible that the mindwipe might actually be undone at some point in the future. The fact that Marvel's apparently sending Bucky into outer space is another tentative tick in the positive column, because it'd keep them apart for reasons other than Natasha not remembering him. (Having Natasha recover her memories of Bucky while he's starting a new life elsewhere is just EXACTLY the sort of thing they'd do. DAMN YOU MARVEL.)
I really like the series, though. It's very grounded and believable spy stuff, quite intriguing with the long-arc hints -- what the heck is up with Isaiah? -- and I absolutely love the art. (The artist can be followed on tumblr at![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
philnoto.)
Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #1-5 - Not precisely good (especially the art, ugh) but a lot more fun than I was expecting, except for that WTF trainwreck of an ending. Since it's set in the 1960s, I was expecting the Winter Soldier to be straightforwardly the antagonist, so it was a delightful surprise to get so much of James as well as the Soldier! And I liked Ran and Mila too. And then the ending. SERIOUSLY WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING. It was a foregone conclusion that Bucky/James has to go back to being the Soldier, because of the era in which the book is set, but Mila's death was just stupid, and Bucky surviving the explosion doesn't make a bit of sense in the comicsverse where he's (debatably) not supersoldier-enhanced. It was SO bad that now I want to write an AU in which Bucky and Mila meet up with Ran afterwards and they all run around hunting bad guys together.
Young Avengers vols 1-3 (the Gillen run) - I am SO glad that various people on my flist turned me onto this, because it's great and I love it! I have fallen HARD for America Chavez, and I really like the rest of the cast as well. (Okay, I can take or leave Noh-Varr, but I like everyone else.) I did feel as if the Mother storyline dragged on too long, but I liked the idea of an enemy only the kids could recognize, thus making it impossible for the more experienced superheroes to come to their rescue. And Gillen obviously still loves writing Loki, and does a fantastic job with him. I've been curious and nervous about how Loki would develop after the death of (the real) Kid Loki, and I think Gillen is doing a good job of keeping Loki a manipulative bastard while still making him sympathetic enough to be enjoyable, with just that tiny edge of guilt/regret that dangles a perpetual thin thread of hope he might be redeemable after all.
New Invaders #1-5 - Not entirely my cup of tea, but not bad. This is definitely in the category of "books I picked up because Bucky is in it", and there's a lot more fighting than character development, not really my kinda thing. However, there are some good Bucky parts and team interaction (okay, I am always gonna be easy for any book that has Bucky and Steve together again, if only temporarily), and I also found myself really liking Jim Hammond, the Human Torch, a character I have never had ANY feelings about whatsoever. Also, apparently future issues will have more female characters. (Admittedly ANY female characters will be more than they have now.) The preview of #7 looks interesting; the flashbacks switch from WWII Europe to the Pacific theatre, and there are some Japanese-American superheroes.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers - Meh. I picked this up mostly to get to know the characters in advance of the movie, but it didn't really engage me much. I hope the movie is better. On the bright side, it has mini-origin stories for each character, so it does make a pretty good introduction for someone (like me) who has no familiarity with them at all. And Tony is in it. So there's that.
Lumberjanes #1-2 - It's a good comic but not really for me. I wanted to read it because it's drawn by Gingerhaze, of Nimona (if you are not reading Nimona you should check it out; it's great!), and is all about girls at summer camp having adventures. I think this would be a great comic to give to a kid in the grade-school-to-young-teen age range, and it has a lovely diverse array of female features and body types. But it didn't really engage me enough to keep reading it.
Comics I plan to try next: Saga (which I would actually have bought on my last comic-shop run, except they'd just sold out of volume 1), She-Hulk, and maybe the next volume of Daredevil.
I also appear to have tripped and ordered the Winter Soldier movie art book on Amazon as a birthday present to myself. Oops.
And I keep meaning to make more posts about the comics I am reading lately, so I guess I will do a quick roundup on that topic. Some of what I've read in the last few weeks:
Black Widow #1-6 and #8 - Really great, with absolutely gorgeous art! Ever since reading
sage's theory that Natasha's emotional distance in this series is because of her mindwipe, I can't not read it that way, especially some of the bits like the issue where she talks about not having a home (which contrasts beautifully with the pages from the Winter Soldier comic that have been reblogged all over Tumblr in which Bucky talks about Natasha being his home). I mean, the whole series really makes more sense that way than not. Which means it's possible that the mindwipe might actually be undone at some point in the future. The fact that Marvel's apparently sending Bucky into outer space is another tentative tick in the positive column, because it'd keep them apart for reasons other than Natasha not remembering him. (Having Natasha recover her memories of Bucky while he's starting a new life elsewhere is just EXACTLY the sort of thing they'd do. DAMN YOU MARVEL.)I really like the series, though. It's very grounded and believable spy stuff, quite intriguing with the long-arc hints -- what the heck is up with Isaiah? -- and I absolutely love the art. (The artist can be followed on tumblr at
Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #1-5 - Not precisely good (especially the art, ugh) but a lot more fun than I was expecting, except for that WTF trainwreck of an ending. Since it's set in the 1960s, I was expecting the Winter Soldier to be straightforwardly the antagonist, so it was a delightful surprise to get so much of James as well as the Soldier! And I liked Ran and Mila too. And then the ending. SERIOUSLY WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING. It was a foregone conclusion that Bucky/James has to go back to being the Soldier, because of the era in which the book is set, but Mila's death was just stupid, and Bucky surviving the explosion doesn't make a bit of sense in the comicsverse where he's (debatably) not supersoldier-enhanced. It was SO bad that now I want to write an AU in which Bucky and Mila meet up with Ran afterwards and they all run around hunting bad guys together.
Young Avengers vols 1-3 (the Gillen run) - I am SO glad that various people on my flist turned me onto this, because it's great and I love it! I have fallen HARD for America Chavez, and I really like the rest of the cast as well. (Okay, I can take or leave Noh-Varr, but I like everyone else.) I did feel as if the Mother storyline dragged on too long, but I liked the idea of an enemy only the kids could recognize, thus making it impossible for the more experienced superheroes to come to their rescue. And Gillen obviously still loves writing Loki, and does a fantastic job with him. I've been curious and nervous about how Loki would develop after the death of (the real) Kid Loki, and I think Gillen is doing a good job of keeping Loki a manipulative bastard while still making him sympathetic enough to be enjoyable, with just that tiny edge of guilt/regret that dangles a perpetual thin thread of hope he might be redeemable after all.
New Invaders #1-5 - Not entirely my cup of tea, but not bad. This is definitely in the category of "books I picked up because Bucky is in it", and there's a lot more fighting than character development, not really my kinda thing. However, there are some good Bucky parts and team interaction (okay, I am always gonna be easy for any book that has Bucky and Steve together again, if only temporarily), and I also found myself really liking Jim Hammond, the Human Torch, a character I have never had ANY feelings about whatsoever. Also, apparently future issues will have more female characters. (Admittedly ANY female characters will be more than they have now.) The preview of #7 looks interesting; the flashbacks switch from WWII Europe to the Pacific theatre, and there are some Japanese-American superheroes.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers - Meh. I picked this up mostly to get to know the characters in advance of the movie, but it didn't really engage me much. I hope the movie is better. On the bright side, it has mini-origin stories for each character, so it does make a pretty good introduction for someone (like me) who has no familiarity with them at all. And Tony is in it. So there's that.
Lumberjanes #1-2 - It's a good comic but not really for me. I wanted to read it because it's drawn by Gingerhaze, of Nimona (if you are not reading Nimona you should check it out; it's great!), and is all about girls at summer camp having adventures. I think this would be a great comic to give to a kid in the grade-school-to-young-teen age range, and it has a lovely diverse array of female features and body types. But it didn't really engage me enough to keep reading it.
Comics I plan to try next: Saga (which I would actually have bought on my last comic-shop run, except they'd just sold out of volume 1), She-Hulk, and maybe the next volume of Daredevil.
I also appear to have tripped and ordered the Winter Soldier movie art book on Amazon as a birthday present to myself. Oops.
no subject
no subject
no subject
The thing I wonder about Lumberjanes, is if it might not read better as a trade. Not that that would make you like it! Or that I'm trying to make you like it! It's just they're are a couple of titles I'm reading now that I feel are being hampered by the whole bite-sized release thing, and Lumberjanes is one of them.
I'm loving She-Hulk, even if they just changed to an art style I loath beyond measure. But I think the regular artist should be back eventually. *crosses fingers*
Seriously, I have this whole post I've been meaning to write about how comics buying is simultaneously a joyful activity, and one that fills me with guilt and anxiety. (But, you know, getting the mail fills me with anxiety. No exaggeration.)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
And now you have me wanting to read some Black Widow - because I need more comic books in my life ;p
no subject
And Black Widow is really good! It has some of the best art I've seen in a superhero comic, at least for my particular tastes.
no subject
I keep meaning to read Black Widow, but haven't got around to it yet.
And by reading I don't necessarily mean buying, which for some reason I feel guiltier about than with TV shows or movies. But I'm buying some of them! Mostly trades (is that the correct term?) that I already know I like.
Young Avengers! Yes, kid Loki was a lot of fun. And America! The strangest thing about her imo, now that we know her origin story, are her extremely patriotic clothes - did that start as a joke or something?
The earlier YA books are also very good, among other things they have more Tommy. They also have Eli Bradley, who's fantastic and I'm so disappointed that he wasn't in Gillen's run and is apparently currently missing, and Cassie Lang. (And Jonas. Sorry, Jonas, I never really cared about you.)
no subject
I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books; they look good!
no subject
I love seeing what other people are reading, too, so this is a great post even though I'm not a comics reader.
no subject