Obligatory reminder that the major publishers aren’t to be trusted. And that, while continuing to buy individual comics they put out isn’t imo a failure of character (unless an actual organized boycott became a thing), actual support of creators comes from supporting their independent work. Oh and while I’m talking about comics people being bad: this also sucks!
I’ve done a little comics reading the past month or so. I read the first 6(?) or so issues of Supergirl. Real fun stuff. Im also utilizing my local library more, and so I am working my way through Wicked + Divine. It’s a fun book, which is true of the entire Gillen/McKelvie catalogue. But I can’t say it’s really been emotionally engaging. I’m gonna stick with Gillen and catch up on DIE next, since I recall enjoying the first few issues of that book. And then Spectograph by Tynion IV and Chris Ward.
Just read Cheetah and Cheshire all in one sitting (even tho I've been picking it up monthly). It's a fantastic run, immensely entertaining, full of fun twists and neat little cameos. But holy forking shirt balls what a great ending. I didn't expect them to go that route with that character, it's actually a pretty exciting development going forward Oh, almost forgot to mention, another character was just confirmed trans. Fucking awesome
Minky Woodcock: The Girl Called Cthulhu (Mis)adventures of a private detective who constantly finds herself in the presence of influential historical figures. historical fiction with a dash of bondage pin-up. Cute, sexy, funny, charming. Maybe a bit less supernatural than what I was hoping/expecting but that's okay. Would love to find the other two stories of this character The Lot A newly named CEO of a studio finds a mysterious lot that's been unused for half a century, awakening an old curse in the process. Demonic rituals, corrupt Hollywood, grisly deaths. The black and white art style is hard to get used to at first but the writing is stellar throughout. Really satisfying final issue.
I only recently started hitting the LCS on the reg when Fraction took over Batman, has me buying monthly books like Scott Snyder's new 52 - but one thing I can recommend for any star wars fans is Charles Soule's Legacy of Vader. Amazing storytellig and seems to be what was going to set up the Hunt for Ben Solo movie. Last issue hits Wednesday, I'm stoked
My son has been reading through all my Hawkeye comics. That's been really fun to hear him excited about. He's currently flying through the Kelly Thompson stuff.
oh, this volume is 31-37 but the ongoing is only at 40? i can get the last three most recent single issues and then keep up with the series while i wait for the next HC. i already have a small collection of my fav Frison covers from the series. I still need to get the latest volume of Monstress (i still need to read up to that point...) but it looks like that collects all currently available issues; i can keep up with that as well once it comes back from hiatus
google ai gave me an outline for a whole ass essay anyway, yeah, question for the thread, what are your thoughts on these characters (or others like them) and which runs would you recommend if i wanted to look into it further?
lol not google ai. For Vampirella, my heart belongs to (what I’ve read of) the old 70s comics that Warren published. Which, later publishers (now Dynamite) have reprinted in collections. The stuff drawn by José González is so beautiful and spooky, perfect for fans of classic horror vibes. (He started very early, though the first few stories were drawn by other people and more cartoony.) For Red Sonja, most people point to the Gail Simone run, and fair enough; it is good stuff. But, that’s such a popular answer that you’d get elsewhere (and, yeah, enjoy a lot) that… I’d rather shout out the recent run by Torun Grønbekk, who’s now writing Catwoman. I loved her voice for the character and approach to narration. For Witchblade, I’d personally recommend starting from the beginning. The first issue is kinda rough, but Michael Turner hits his stride fairly quickly. And Christina Z comes in as cowriter with issue 2 or 3. The mix between Turner’s 90s “bad girl” art and Z’s romance-y scripting is pretty special imo, with some great vibes. Very happy to own this issue of Witchblade signed by Turner, who passed away many years ago: (There’s also a current Witchblade series, a reboot in a new continuity written by Marguerite Bennett, whose work you may have read before. I forget the artist, but the colors are by Arif Prianto, who also works on Poison Ivy. I didn’t read more than a couple issues because I’m too attached to the classic stuff to click with the new version, but maybe it’ll work better for you.)
It's definitely not reliable whereas at least Wikipedia is written and peer reviewed by actual people, but it can give good links that are otherwise buried in the Google search results. My question wasn't exactly a simple one. I'm not... defending ai. I'm just saying. We've gotten too used to efficiency.
Gail Simone and Marguerite Bennet, huh? I do like familiar names. If I do check out these characters it'll probably be these writers
Red Sonja has actually had a decent amount of women writers over the years. Gail Simone, Torun Grønbekk, Amy Chu, a little bit by Marguerite Bennett, some Mirka Andolfo. Even the classic Marvel stuff (which was mostly by men) had some writing at one point by Louise Simonson. Lots of men have worked on her, too, but like, that’s not a bad track record overall. I believe Gail Simone wrote a Red Sonja novel, too, if a prose fantasy novel is your thing. And, I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, but there was a low budget Red Sonja film last year directed by MJ Bassett, a trans woman; it looks bad, but like, in a fun schlock kinda way.
Speaking of Catwoman, I've only read Joelle Jones and Ram V. have you liked Tini Howard and Torunn Grønbekk? i think one day i'd like to catch up on Catwoman (2018-) and Harley Quinn (2021-), i've only gotten the first few trades of each so far
Whatever happened to Ales Kot? I loved their Secret Avengers. Do they have other stuff worth checking out?
I haven’t read Howard’s Catwoman, but I think she’s a cool writer and have heard some good things about that run. Grønbekk was the run where I decided to start reading Catwoman monthly (for the first time since Genevieve Valentine’s run back in late New 52), and I’ve been liking it a lot. Her approach to scripting really works for me. Cool storyline that’s been international for most of it, with a lot of intrigue and whatnot. And, the coloring and lettering makes it have a distinct, attractive aesthetic, even when the line art gets uneven.
I'm reading Supergirl 2005-2011. i only have vols. 3-5 so far, tho Kelley Puckett - Ghosts of Krypton was mostly about Kara trying to save a boy with cancer, and in failing to do so, learning some hard lessons about mortality. it's a bit of a mess with appearances from a lot of minor characters but i think the heart of it was in the right place. interspersed there's some somber bits of her mourning the loss of Krypton. she's a bit more naive and angry in this part of the run, she still has a lot of growing up to do. that being said, i notice ppl found her characterization in earlier issues to be outright annoying. i might pick up vols. 1-2 if i come across them, but i initially only planned to get the books by Gates/Igle bc i heard good things; i just happened to come across vol. 3 a couple days ago. Sterling Gates - Daughter of New Krypton was indeed really good. it starts out a bit shaky bc a lot of stuff was happening between issues (the collection only included Supergirl and not any of the connective tissue from, i'm assuming, Superman/Action Comics titles). she gets her mother and father back, then loses her father just as suddenly, then she and her mother deal with that loss in their own different ways, all the while a new "Kryptonian hero" calling herself Superwoman wreaks havoc on Earth. it turns out it's actually Lucy Lane, and while fighting her Kara accidentally gets her killed, so she has to deal with the fact that she had a hand in the death of her cousin's sister-in-law. her relationship with her mother grew tense in the wake of her father's passing but it seems they're in the process of repairing it now, which is good. Lois is also really going through it. she just learned that her sister died while posing as a Kryptonian, she doesn't even know yet that her father is still alive, let alone that he was the one pulling the strings. and through all this, i think Kara's biggest rival has been Cat Grant, what a menace. i got one book left, the title of which suggests that it'll be mostly about Kara finding her father's killer and finally bringing him to justice. huh, aside from the current ongoing, i don't think i've read any other mainline runs. I've only read Mariko Tamaki's Being Super and Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow. i have a few from Rebirth i haven't started. i'll see if i can get New 52 as well eventually.
I would consider Woman of Tomorrow mainline Supergirl. And, I’m not sure how much I would recommend the beginning of the 2005 run. I got the first handful of issues out of curiosity last year and read them with low expectations, and they were still shockingly awful. Not that I have a high opinion of Jeph Loeb in general, lol, but. The Superman/Batman arc with Michael Turner that reintroduced her is a big nostalgia book for me, in spite of its flaws. That first arc of ‘05 Supergirl spinning out of it? Sincerely worthless. Anyways. I read some Silver Age Supergirl comics today out of the DC Finest Girl of Steel collection. Some reread and some that I hadn’t gotten to. And, it’s so charming and imaginative and silly. Otto Binder & Jim Mooney, what legends.
TIL Charles M. Schulz Agreed to Create Franklin, the First Black 'Peanuts' Character, After Receiving Unexpected Letter from a Teacher
Currently in the middle of reading the vol 1 collections of all the DC Absolute series. Got Batman, Superman, Green Lantern knocked out. Just started Lemire's Absolute Flash. I think Absolute Superman may be the least interesting so far, and I usually like Jason Aaron's work. Really really love the reinvention of the Green Lantern concept.
Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter? Those are the ones that I still need to get to. I have no idea. I just did Superman and Batman first and then went random lol
I’m not currently keeping up with any of the Absolutes monthly (set a hard limit on how many Big 2 titles I’ll have on my pull at a time & figured they don’t need my “help,” lol). But when I was, Absolute Wonder Woman was easily the best. Stunning art, and really engaging remix of the character that captures the “recognizable but fresh” thing that cape comics are always chasing. Absolute Martian Manhunter is solid on a story level, but elevated by being drawn by Javier Rodríguez, the best artist working in direct market comics today. I’ve read very little Absolute Batman, but my general take is that it has incredible art (especially Dragotta, the real reason anyone cares about the book, but also most of the guests have been super cool). But Snyder’s writing isn’t normally my thing. Have read none of the rest: not really interested in that Superman take; Flash seems like the most nothing-burger of the line. I love Al Ewing enough to try GL eventually, though the art seems like an acquired taste.