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General Comics and Graphic Novels

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Posted

I recently borrowed the first volume of Saga, and it was wonderful. The characters and setting are interesting, the dialogue is natural in an vulgar, street-level kind of way, the main characters have good chemistry, and the art is great while still being super unpolished by the standards of most comics I've read. Oh, and it's a science-fantasy space opera with romance and vengeance and all sorts of delicious things on top. I haven't read a ton of it but I still highly recommend.

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Posted

Started reading Akira last night. Still on volume 1, which is the same story as the movie except its still really different. Not only lots of extra scenes, but things happen in different orders and stuff. More characters too. like, Kaneda's girl friend is different than the movie. In the movie she was just some girl in a few scenes who hung out with him, but in the comic she's like the school nurse's assistant? She supplies them with drugs and stuff. Although, the way Kaneda acts to the 2 girls is virtually the same. The comic gf stated she might be pregnant and Kaneda just did not give a puppy at all.

 

I read it right before bed and had the weirdest dreams. 

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Posted

I've started Akira as well actually

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Posted

Akira does some things better and some things worse than the movie. Each of them do some things better and worse than each other. I like the ending of the movie more though. I'm trying to make that statement as spoiler free as possible.

Anyways, Skyler didn't you say the movie akira was made before the manga was finished, and that's why the manga is longer and covers more events than the movie? Or something to that affect?

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Posted

yeah the comic continued for some years after the movie was made. Im guessing the movie was just a single arc or so of the entire story. 

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Posted

Im reading that stuff now. It's really great social commentary, though, aside from the one you posted and a Wizard of Oz one, they have so far been pretty general and non disney related. Still a great read.

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Posted

So I don't know if any of you know about this (you probably don't but it would be cool if you did), but one of my old teachers is a comics guy. He recently published the first issue of his thing "Dark Comics," Written by Ryan Burton and drawn by John Bivens (my guy). I actually still go to him for comics advice. Like recently, I was doing a traditional page in my art thread, but I got caught up in a mistake I made early on and I never finished the page. I'm not used to using nonphoto blue, and I didn't like using it on smooth bristol right before I put down ink and markers; too waxy. He gave me the advice to just draw my blue in photoshop and print it on the paper I want to use, then draw with traditional methods and scan that. No Wax! Of course, nowadays since mangastudio has been so upgraded he finds it easier to just work entirely digitally, which I'm pretty sure is what's happened with Dark Engine.

I'm actually not sure how long this first issue is? But here's a few sample pages, and it will be on sale on comixology starting tomorrow.

2SzGRxJ.jpg

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Posted

Thats really cool. As the digital medium becomes more and more viable its cool to see more stuff 

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Posted

tumblr_napx6gFNpm1qft31ko1_1280.jpg

I'm puppying loving "The Wicked + The Divine." The writing is simple, but hilarious. It's not too deep but it's speaks volumes. Kieron Gillen is fantastic at voicing young characters without being patronizing to the audience. But I already knew this from "Young Avengers." Can't wait to check out "Phonogram" which is drawn by the same artist as this and "Young Avengers." I puppying love this writer/artist duo. <3

 

this is from page 6 of issue 2. Issue 3 came out this week and I'm so hyped to read it in a moment!!

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Posted

Have you read any works by Junji Ito? He's a manga artist of the horror genre. Very Lovecraftian. I've recently become interested in the *weird* genre. Stuff that's strange, horrific, and occasionally humorous but in a very *dark* way. I read one of his most famous comics, "Uzumaki" years ago, but never finished it, so I'm going back to it, starting from the beginning. I just reread chapters 1 and 2, and even though it played out exactly as I remembered it, it was still somewhat of a shocking, suspenseful read. I wouldn't suggest the live-action movie adaptation of it though, I *tried* watching it years ago, but it was so boring and poorly done. I don't believe "Uzumaki" can be adapted into live-action, nor would I want to see an animated version. I imagine it would lose something in the art transition from still, black and white panels to an animated, potentially colored work.

 

Anyways, it's a story about a young girl and her boyfriend living in a town that is slowly becoming obsessed with spirals. Yes, spirals. It's really creepy, and even more so when you realize that spirals are literally everywhere. In nature, art, mathematics, everywhere! I'd say almost certainly that it's the most common recurring pattern in our universe. The series is very episodic, but features a few recurring characters, turning it into a larger story. It's also only 20 chapters long, so even more of a reason to check it out! Viz also released a hardcover omnibus edition of the 3 volumes into one book. You can find it on Amazon for under 20$, which sounds really nice, especially considering it's hardcover. But I'm reading it online right now, so that's an option too!

02.jpg

 

 

Iv'e also been casually reading Scott McCloud's very popular "Understanding Comics:The Invisible Art" as suggested by LL forever ago. It's been collecting dust on my shelf until recently. For those of you comic fans who have been living under a rock, here is the part of the Wikipedia page on it. 

 

 


Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a 1993 non-fiction work of comics by American cartoonist Scott McCloud. It explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used. It expounds theoretical ideas about comics as an artform and medium of communication.

 

It's a must read for anyone who would like to pursue a career in comics, or even a hobby. And the whole book is a comic in itself! Very meta. <3

Understanding-Comics-Cover-660x996.jpg

Has anyone here read this? I'm particularly interested in what Pheo thinks about this book, but yeah, anyone?

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Posted

I've read Gyo, and I'm currently reading Uzamaki. Also read Understanding Comics for a class about comic books. Very enlightening read.

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Posted (edited)

Oh cool, dude. I bought Uzamaki a while ago. I mostly bought it because the cover was cool. I haven't read any of it yet. Edit: I asked if it was good because I didn't see Phanta was the one who brought it up.

Understanding comics is really eye-opening. His book Making Comics is even better. It helped me better understand and appreciate movies and literature and narratives in general.

@phanta: I want you to read the Frank comics if you like weird stuff

Edited by L.L. Bean's Menswear (see edit history)
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Posted

I'll look for a Frank torrent now!

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