New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Colin YNWA]

Well lets get the terrible out the way. Lake of Fire 4 is so far from terrible its untrue. Its bloody brilliant, which is what makes my realisation that this ends with issue 5, next issue, all the more hideous. I thought this was ongoing. So gutted as its a bllody fantastic comic.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 13 is a bit of a stutter in this up to now magnificent series, just felt so flat compared to what's gone before. Which is such a shame given it seems to be pushing for new readers with the start of the new arc. Still the fact that we have an issue 13 given the apparent sales on this title must be saluted. Likewise Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes 3 sees this series' first misstep. After magnificent work setting up the scenario how can apes and Tarzan fighting dinosaurs feel so pedestrian? Does somehow. Lucky Kong of Skull Island 5 shows us how its done (minus Tarzan).

Two finishes this week and both so crazy they good. Wacky Raceland 6 has a bonkers end to this bonkers series, as lets be honest is Judge Dredd 12, looking forward to seeing where this very different take on ol' Joe goes next with the surprise news the story is continuing. Had it not this would have been a great ending.

Sex 33 give this series one of its occasion steady episodes, which I feel will work perfectly when the story is read back, which one day I very much look forward to doing. Cinema Purgatorio 7 gives great anthology - even has the one strip I don't like, which all good anthologies should of course!

Any of the remaining three could be read of the haul. The Goddamned ends its sluttering first arc, not sluttering in terms of quality, just coming out. Still this end proves its well worth the wait and my god does R.M. Guera deliver one majestically ugly book! Black Hammer 5 should probably get the title with this mind bending examination of Randall Weird, but it always gets books of the haul and so even though this gives another glorious juxtaposition to the small town framing of this series I'm give the honour to Kill or be Killed 4 instead cos oits super bloody good and has fantastic insight into the world of superheroes without being a superhero book in the slightest! Brilliant.

So yeah pretty bloody good comics all in all... actually if I hadn't had to start with Lake of Fire 4 that could have been book of the haul too.

so come on you lot what are you all reading?

[Link Prime]

Cinema Purgatorio 7 gives great anthology - even has the one strip I don't like, which all good anthologies should of course!

Just put this down a few minutes ago as it happens, and it had one strip I didn't like either- a misprint of last months full episode of The Vast!
A howler in this day and age, and I'd be more forgiving if it didn't cost €7 an issue.
Still, Moore & O'Neill are delivering some cracking one-offs in this series.

[Fungus]

Goddamned 5 is one I'll have to pick up by hand (tomorrow, as it goes, very happy it's finally appeared). A fantastic series with top-notch 'European' art. It's beautiful.

In a perfect world I'd go back and read all 5 issues. But the unread comics pile and Rebellion stuff and everything else pile up and frankly that isn't going to happen. Bloody comics/life!

[Colin YNWA]

In a perfect world I'd go back and read all 5 issues. But the unread comics pile and Rebellion stuff and everything else pile up and frankly that isn't going to happen. Bloody comics/life!

With you there. When I say I plan to re-read it means its goes to the bottom of the read list and waits over two years (literally) to get read! Only exceptions tend to be when I'm thinking of cancelling something and want to make sure before I do.

[Theblazeuk]

Good Grud above, does anyone read BPRD?

It finished in a spectacular fashion. I've wondered how they could cap off a truly apocalyptic tale in any kind of satisfying fashion (particularly given the Death of Hellboy and the wanderings of Abe Sapien) but they managed it. For a horror book, it has become supremely superheroic with world shaking cataclysms actually having the depth and impact they should rather than swept under the carpet just in time for the next one. And the stubborn fight to save the world gets summed up perfectly by [spoiler] Johann with the beautiful bit of dialogue: "All life or a single life. If I delay death countless years or just one second - it's worth it."[/spoiler] and that little ghostly grin.

[The Adventurer]

BPRD is over too? Damn.

[Theblazeuk]

I didn't know it was until it did, but yeah - that and Abe Sapien have ended their arcs for now. And hopefully, fingers crossed, they'll be back together again soon. Not sure what's left of the BPRD though.

[Hawkmumbler]

You know, its tough to admit, but i've fallen waaaay behind on my pull list. By like a months and a half. That never happens, but what with the new job, university, driving lessons and so on i've had sparce time to read my favourite funny books. Thats gonna change come sunday though, a whole glorious day of fuck all to do and a mountain of comics to catch up on.

[Colin YNWA]

Arh those were the day. A whole day to roll in sticky comics goo. I miss those days!

[Fungus]

Loved A.D. After Death #1, from the initial shock of the mag-sized dimensions (and perhaps therefore inevitable 60-odd page-count for this bigger format). Ordered online (it is Snyder & Lemire..., so a no-brainer), I had no idea. Nice matt cover too.

The issue is going to get a re-read, not out of necessity but to enjoy the beauty of the writing. Metaphors that stopped me in my tracks, and plotting that will reward another run through to fully appreciate, I'm sure. It's just one of those books.

I'm a sucker for typewriter text (has this got a 'name'?) and single-page illustrations, and by the end I realised it reminded me of Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children. So nostalgia for a favourite comics of years past while those sections described the lead character's childhood memories. Such a nice way to split the sections of the story.

A dystopian cracker of a comic.

[Colin YNWA]

Okay I'll call Snyder here.

I really enjoyed Black Mirror and the beginning of his Batman run, but then reading through other work of his I started to really find his work a bit of a grind... then Batman started to bug me and I realised he's so one note. He does his thing and he's very good at it BUT once you've read his story he doesn't seem to offer anything else. I ended up keeping Black Mirror as its the story I first read, looks glorious and feels fresh. The rest I've got rid of.

I know full well I'm in a minority on this and I've not read too much of his recent work but do have Wytches on my 'pile' but yeah for me he's not the writer others thing he is. Also see Bendis and anything after his Daredevil run.

[Smith]

Well,Bendis just got lazy and started phoning it in.At this point hes smoke-signaling it.

[Fungus]

I'm glad Snyder left Batman (main title), that's for sure. And All-Star Batman doesn't work for me (so far). American Vampire has lost its bite too... so he flatters. Fair enough.
Early American Vampire and Wytches are among my favourites so I'm a fan. Black Mirror I promise I'll read soon 
Long-term I wonder if he'll be doing comics in a few years  (an observation only, that's not a real criticism).

[Smith]

Just to mention it,Marvel has the first 3 issues of Miracleman Silver Age solicited for next year.

[Hawkmumbler]

Well it's been a while, and though this be by no means the entirety of the comics I absolutely did NOT sit up all night and read due to a caffeine overdose just to get me through 14 hours of straight work...I digress, due to a number of titles either being dropped in the intervening months and a few picked up, i'll just give a bruef summary of all the best stuff i've just read.

Kicking off with the manga stuff, Weekly Shonen Jump #47-#51 is a demonstration period of how much the magazine has shifted this year. After 8 years of weekly serialization, Toriko concludes on a high note, jetting off into the universe with me decidedly happy to return to the book time and again for it's special brand of batshit loopyness. Love Rush! on the other hand concludes after just 3 months and thank fuck it's gone, a series contender for the worst comic i'll have (tried) to read this year, sadly we also see the early departure for Red Sprite a series that by no means breaking new grounds this last few months was none the less a lot of fun and utterly harmless, even having enough potential to bloom into something wonderful. Meanwhile the rest of the series keep up their usual high standards, with My Hero Acdemia, One Piece and Black Clover blazing trails right now and worth the price of admittance on their own merits each.

Elsewhere, the saga of Jojos Bizarre Adventure continues in Stardust Crusaders vol.1. Delighted to finally own this series in all its uncensored, barmy, hyper violent glory. Tole on the next issue! Next was Assassination Classroom vol.13, which is really starting to see the series bring all the pieces together for what looks to be an earth shattering finale, and good lord am I looking forward to that! An esspecially excellent manga right now is ULTRAMAN vol.6, part alien invasion, part police procedure, part Doctor Who and Gerry Anderson. Ultraman is shaping up to be a fine sequal to the original TV series it was based off and one of the best cape comics on the stands right now.

Doom Patrol #3 is awesome. Why this book, after aoem initial press, has since sunk into obscurity I have no idea. It's one of the most delightfully mad books on the stands right now. Trippy, silly, wonderful art and certainly building up to something huge in the DCU, i'm thoroughly hooked on it. The same extends somewhat to Shade the Changing Girl #2. It's barmey, yes, psychedelic as can be but i'm not certain yet if it clicks with me. I think I need another couple of issues before I decide where I stand on it.

Now listen, I hear some of you STILL aren't reading Unfollow. Well let me tell you this, #14 is one of the best comics Rob Williams has ever put his name to. Get out there, add the series to your long box, buy back issues, pick up the trade, do ANYTHING to keep this series afloat because by jove it's all a bit special. Speaking of special, Slam #1-#2 is a new rollerskating derby series by the creaters of Rik and Morty. It has every right to be as good as it is, and I thoroughly recomend folk go and check it out. Final recomendation for this paragraph at least is Black Hammer #5. Jesus wept if this isnt the best cape comic this month I dont know what is....

....actuall BH is the second best cape comic I read this month. The best would be COPRA Round 4 by Michelle Fiffe, and with each new story line I find this series getting better and better. It's a modern day Kirby, it's Moore and Morrison at there bests, it's Tezuka and Moebius rolled into one. It's mother fucking COPRA. Over and out!

Back with a few more titles soon!