I Read Comic Books discussion
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2019 Recommended Reading Challenge - Master Thread
This looks like an awesome selection, I can't wait to get started!
I wonder where I can get TBD from? It seems popular as right now 3 people chose it :)
This looks like a super fun list. Gonna be diving in!
Mod
Do you happen to know which are available digitally and which are not?
Mod
Do you have access to Hoopla through your library? I'm going to be researching how to access all these titles soon and can get back to you with what I find out, although the first place I check is always Hoopla.
I have heard of Hoopla but never looked into it. Thanks for the suggestion. I am just trying to limit the footprint of my inventory as all the comics I have purchased have been digital mainly for that reason.
Tom wrote: "I have heard of Hoopla but never looked into it. Thanks for the suggestion. I am just trying to limit the footprint of my inventory as all the comics I have purchased have been digital mainly for t..."Hoopla allows you to rent comics digitally through your library.
It seems all of them are available in digital except for I Am A Hero (which of course was the first one I looked at). Comixology has the original French version of Alone (Tout Seul) but since I don't trust my French skills that much I will pick up the paperback English translation.
I'm getting off to a good start, I've downloaded Lone Wolf and Club, The Massive and Gem and the Hollograms from my Library online service, and I've reserved a hard copy of Judge Dredd : America. Unfortunately there is not a very comprehensive selection of stock comic book wise in my library in the part of Scotland I live in, but it's a good start.
Finished Tetris and thought it was amazing! Off to a great start here!
Tom wrote: "Finished Tetris and thought it was amazing! Off to a great start here!"I saw this and initially thought "Why is Tom bragging about playing Tetris?" Then it dawned on me that you were talking about the graphic novel.
Chad wrote: "Tom wrote: "Finished Tetris and thought it was amazing! Off to a great start here!"I saw this and initially thought "Why is Tom bragging about playing Tetris?" Then it dawned on me that you were ..."
Yes, sorry - super abbreviated the title in the rush to post.
Tom wrote: "Yes, sorry - super abbreviated the title in the rush to post. "No reason to apologize. I just thought that my first reaction was funny.
Just finished reading The Massive, what an amazing concept, I thoroughly enjoyed volume 1, and I'm going to keep reading, as I can get up to volume 4 from my library. I also read Lone Wolf and Cub, which was interesting, but not really my sort of thing.
I finished Tetris: The Games People Play in one sitting yesterday. Wow! I loved everything about this. I enjoy history, technology, and the history of technology so this was right up my alley. The very limited color palette fit just right and let me focus on the story and the people involved. I loved the rambling aside in the early pages about why we play games. Excellent work all around. An excellent pick from Mike.
Mod
Thanks! I'm very pleased to hear you liked it! This is one of those comics I can't stop thinking about nor recommending to people. It's such a fascinating story. Paul originally got me hooked on Box Brown's work and since I read Andre the Giant: Life and Legend, I've picked up every comic by Brown that I can get my hands on.
Francis wrote: "Just finished reading The Massive, what an amazing concept, I thoroughly enjoyed volume 1, and I'm going to keep reading, as I can get up to volume 4 from my library. I also read Lone Wolf and Cub,..."I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed my addition to the challenge! Mike first recommended the series to me after I told him I'd really enjoyed Brian Wood's "Rebels" and "Briggs Land." It really hits that sweet spot of depicting a future that feels impossible and yet very possible, in equal parts. Of course, getting Garry Brown art and Jean Paul Leon covers is a real treat, too.
Let me know what you think about subsequent volumes!
Mod
Finally getting credit where credit's due here. ;)
A few people have mentioned this, but I dont think that I Am A Hero is available digitally. I did get my MI library to buy it so hopefully some of you can get that copy! Sorry peeps
Finished Kill or be Killed Vol. I. I liked it a lot - it's mainly set up for the ensuing three volumes. I'm glad I picked up the other three on sale because I'm interested to see where the story goes from here.
James wrote: "A few people have mentioned this, but I dont think that I Am A Hero is available digitally. I did get my MI library to buy it so hopefully some of you can get that copy! Sorry peeps"I think I Am A Hero and Alone are the ones that are not available digitally. However, if you speak French, you can pick up Tout Seul from comixology.
Hey Nick! The later volumes of The Massive continued to get better and better, and your right, the artwork is awesome. I found the intrigue about Mary's origins was a great addition to what was already a captivating concept. I particularly enjoyed vol. 4 Sahara, and the way it leads into what I think is the concluding volume. Hopefully I can get my hands on Volume 5, and the Ninth Wave spin off soon. I'm so glad you recommended it, well done to you (and Mike :))
I just read the OGN written and illustrated by Ezra Clayton Daniels titled "Upgrade Soul" this past weekend and omg... You guys HAVE to read this book. It's the most touching/unique/creepy/thought provoking sci fi graphic novel I have ever read. I read it over the course of 2 sittings and have been thinking about it ever since finishing. Please do yourself a favor and just order this on Amazon I got it for under $14 and it's worth every penny.
The teaser for Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 stated: "Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club!" I was thinking Chuck Palahniuk. I was wrong.
Hermit wrote: "The teaser for Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 stated: "Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club!" I was thinking Chuck Palahniuk. I was wrong."You're not alone.
Hermit wrote: "The teaser for Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 stated: "Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club!" I was thinking Chuck Palahniuk. I was wrong."Yeah personally i don't expect a work to be a certain thing when going into it. Makes off for less disappointments, no offense though
Another one that finished Tetris and it was quite a delightful ride! An amazing reading, with A LOT of gaming history that I did not expect!Although I still wonder why they chose this off-putting yellow template. It was the basic reason I never gave it a chance until the recommendation.
Mod
Mike wrote: "Kara's book has been updated!!"Ugh, it doesn't come out until July.
Just finished reading Jem and the Holograms Vol. 1: Showtime, I'm so glad Stephanie picked it! It's a book I'd heard about but never got around to reading, I don't remember the cartoon that it's based on, so I had no pre perception of it, but it was great fun, and I thought Sophie Campbell's artwork was superb. I was particularly impressed by her attention to detail when illustrating each characters hair, Kimber's in particular really caught my attention. I intend to read more of this title.
On a slightly tangential note, I had to read this story in the form of the individual issues, I did it digitally through my public library, and although it was available as a collected edition as well as in monthly issue format there was a problem downloading the collected edition, and so I had to settle for the individual issues. I curious does anyone else find themselves reading the books on this list in this way? Is there potentially anything important missing from the experience either way?
I know from my own personal experience that the letters pages in Sex Criminals where vital to my enjoyment of the story within Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick, and that they are absent from the collection. On the other hand, when I read the collected edition of The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific, there was a forward, which added some context to the story, which I imagine was absent from the monthly issues.
Does anyone else worry about these things? Any advice on preferred reading formats for the titles on the list?
I just started Megahex and got to the "Fetch me your finest cheese-grater" scene. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Hermit wrote: "I just started Megahex and got to the "Fetch me your finest cheese-grater" scene. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."That's one of those "Oh no..." moments you'll not soon forget.
Finished Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 1: Power and Responsibility today and loved it. I'm happy that the Spider-Man I knew as a kid (being of a certain age myself) is recognizable in this incarnation. Plus, even knowing the story, it was told/paneled in such a way to still be surprising with a couple of big reveals. Perhaps the best I can say though is I had that "Wait, what? That's the end? More please!" feeling when it ended altogether too soon.
Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man is fantastic. I recommend the entire run. It's so much fun.
Chad wrote: "Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man is fantastic. I recommend the entire run. It's so much fun."Started Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road and it seems to me like Zatoichi in graphic novel form.
Started Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road and it seems to me like ..."I tore through this series without stop once I picked it up. It's really is an incredible journey and this creative team wowed me. I love this title/run.
Megahex: Some of the funniest shit I've ever read. Some of the most depressing shit I've ever read. I am going to be thinking about this one for a long damn time.
Out of the books I've read, only have read 5, Tetris: The Games People Play has been my favorite, read it all in one sitting. WOW, I should not be surprised.
Mod
I LOVE Megahex, those characters live and breath, and the comic pacing is perfect, along with unexpected moments of tenderness, very happy to see it on this list!.
Started I Am A Hero - and was promptly confused. Better now that I'm 5 issues in. lol
Just finished Fence, Volume 1 and wow, what a perfect summer read. It reminded me of the anime Ouran High School Host Club. It's fun and silly and wonderful. (Tom - Fence uses a lot of anime tropes and yes queerness is definitely part of it, its TV tropes page does a great job summarizing.)On the other end I also got through Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 and even though on paper it sounded like everything I'd want in a comic it didn't land for me. It was like I never got a reason to be invested in the characters and had trouble rooting for them, and also found the group's "secret" unconvincing.
Lenny wrote: "Just finished Fence, Volume 1 and wow, what a perfect summer read. It reminded me of the anime Ouran High School Host Club. It's fun and silly and wonderful. (Tom - Fence uses a lot..."Thanks. That tropes page was very helpful. This challenge is my first time reading these sorts of Japanese animation books. (Manga? Anime?), so I am unfamiliar with the tropes. One thing that seemed very Japanese was the inclusion of technical information about fencing - how the sword should be held etc.
Can anyone advise where to get Alone by Christophe Chabouté? It's a bit too expensive for me to buy on Amazon :(
Inga wrote: "Can anyone advise where to get Alone by Christophe Chabouté? It's a bit too expensive for me to buy on Amazon :("I'm seeing the paperback listed for $10.56 on Amazon US. There are used copies available for less than that.
I could have sworn when I looked up information on this book, it was only available in physical editions, but there is now a Kindle edition (which is more expensive than the physical copy - grrrrr).
Tom wrote: I'm seeing the paperback listed for $10.56 on Amazon US. There are us..."Thanks! The shipping to Europe is gonna cost me as much as the book itself :c Although I've just checked Abe Books, and I can get one for around 16 dollars shipping included, which is already an improvement and the German Amazon can give me one for €15.22. It's still above my budget, but I might save up :D My local library has a copy in German, but my German is very basic xD
I Read Comic Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1: Riot on the Radio (other topics)Mech Cadet Yu, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Fence, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Heathen, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Judas (other topics)
More...
Those who finish the challenge by December 31st, 2019 will get a personal shout-out on the podcast, and will get to pick our January 2020 Book of the Month!
ALSO SEE:
Progress Thread: for tracking your progress
Official Tracking Widget
RULES:
- You can join in at any point
- Books you have already read count towards the challenge
MASTER LIST:
IRCB Podcast Team Recommendations:
[ ] Mike - Tetris: The Games People Play
[ ] Brian - Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1
[ ] Tia - Megahex by Simon Hanselmann
[ ] Kara - Hellboy, Vol. 3: The Chained Coffin and Others
[ ] Nick - The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific
[ ] Paul - All The Answers by Michael Kupperman
[ ] Rene - Dr.STONE 1 by Riichiro Inagaki
[ ] Kait - A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories
[ ] Kate - Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars
[ ] Zander - Fence Vol. 1
Goodread Folks Picks:
[ ] Robert - Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick
[ ] Erin - Heathen Volume 1
[ ] Danny - Mech Cadet Yu, Vol. 1
[ ] Devon - Last Sons of America by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
[ ] Aaron - A Walk Through Hell Volume 1 by Garth Ennis
[ ] 47Time - Kill or be Killed, Vol. 1
[ ] Francis - Judge Dredd: America
[ ] Geoff - Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road
[ ] Jakub - Alone by Christophe Chabouté
[ ] Oneirosophos -Clara by Christophe Lemoine & Cécile
[ ] Stephanie - Jem and the Holograms Vol. 1: Showtime
[ ] Philip - Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 1: Power and Responsibility
[ ] Craig - Judas by Jeff Loveness
[ ] James - I Am a Hero Omnibus, Volume 1
[ ] Brittney - Rachel Rising, Volume 1: The Shadow of Death