From DC to Marvel, Image to Dark Horse and Acrhie to IDW, comic books have been around a while now. Many have inspired the superhero movies that we see a lot of in this day and age.
Some comics are based on existing properties (which makes up a good chunk of the ones I've read, really), like those old Nintendo comics. I'd like to see WarioWare join that list some day, but this is for a general comic discussion.
Anyways, I'll just start with what I've read. Due to worries of pay, I can't keep up all the time, but I do try. Man, I should consider a subscription to these series. I do prefer graphic novels, though.
I'll start with a Marvel comic, since they're probably the most well-known. Ironically, it's one that wasn't very famous until earlier this year. What is this one?
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy. Mostly keeping up with the graphic novels, since I missed out on the 2008 run the first time around, and missed out on quite a bit of the 2013 run, though it's still going now, and I have the first graphic novels of the respective runs.
It's mostly the modern series, because it's the one with the team from the movie (admittedly, I loved that film), though I did get a graphic novel from the original series (though it's the second volume, due to a mistake), and I plan on getting more. What I've read, while not as good as the movie, has been a blast so far, and I sincerely want to read more. The storytellin, while a bit iffy at times, is pretty solid stuff, and the art, an important aspect of comics, tends to be pretty good for the most part.
Next up, Archie Comics. Surely a few of you have heard of them, but ironically, I rarely read their main series. Instead, I mostly read their licensed output. So far?
Yes, I enjoy the Sonic comics, warts and all. You either like this one, or you don't. Anyways, I enjoy it for the action, and the storytelling post-issue 160 (it was all over the place before then). The art can be all over the place, though it's been more consistently good post-160, mostly due to a more consisten style.. However, circumstances beyond Archie's control (which I prefer not to get into here) led to a reboot, thus forcing a lot of plot points to end without a proper conclusion, though Ian Flynn, the current writer, will release his old plans through what he calls the "Lost Hedgehog Tales."
Fans of the original were split on whether or not this was a good thing. I do admit the circumstance behind it weren't the greatest, but personally, I don't mind the reboot itself. The writing remains fairly solid, and while still not without liberties (for instance, the current arc is a loose Sonic Unleashed adaptation with many differences), it brings it closer to the games. The art also remains good, though issue 254 has some pretty wonky art there.
Next Archie Comic series?
I started reading this mostly because I liked Ian Flynn's work on Sonic, so I figured why not. Thing is, I wasn't too familiar with Mega Man prior to this. Afterward, however, I started playing the games, and they've been very fun. But this is for comics, so I'll just talk about the comics.
I like how they tell the story here. As someone who read the comics before playing the games, I can say that you don't need to have played the games to enjoy the comics, since the storytelling is pretty solid here as well, and the art is quite good most of the time. If you have, however, then it can make you appreciate the series even more, since it's a pretty faithful adaptation, and it makes many nods to the franchise. Not to mention they're adapting the spinoffs, not just the main series, the first of these being, surprisingly enough, Super Adventure Rockman, a Japan-only game. That adaptation takes the most liberties so far, but I liked it, and quite frankly, the fact that they adapted it at all shows how dedicated to the material they are.
Both Sonic and Mega Man had a crossover at one point.
Same statements as above, though on Sonic's end, it led to the reboot. Funny thing is, this was before Super Smash Bros. put these two characters in a game. A second crossover will be released next year. I can't wait.
Now, for IDW.
I've been a TMNT fan a long time, but until recently, I never really had a TMNT comic to read. Fortunately, IDW came to the rescue to make a new series, as well as making reprints of the older stuff more common.
IDW's own series takes many elements of past TMNT incarnations and puts them in one place, before the Nick show did something similar. It takes the tone of the originals, the characters from two previous cartoons, and puts some of its own stuff into it as well. The artwork illustrated the characters well most of the time, and the stories tend to be pretty good. Not to mention that Kevin Eastman is involved with the writing, and since he's one of the original creators, that's a plus by default.
I also read some reprints of the originals, and while the storytelling can be pretty haphazard, at least it's the kind of haphazard that makes you entertained regardless. It's pretty obvious Eastman and Laird were making stuff up as they went along, but I still had fun. Besides, the art still fit the tone well.
As for comic news, you may have heard that Darkwing Duck is getting a new comic in 2015, courtesy of Joe Books. If not, it's true, and altered reprints of the previous comic series will accompany it as the start of a new one. The comparison images were made by a user on another forum, but I think it sets the tone for what to expect from the newer versions, set to be released in January 21st. I think the newer version is an improvement from what I'm seeing.
Any comics, or any news to discuss?
Some comics are based on existing properties (which makes up a good chunk of the ones I've read, really), like those old Nintendo comics. I'd like to see WarioWare join that list some day, but this is for a general comic discussion.
Anyways, I'll just start with what I've read. Due to worries of pay, I can't keep up all the time, but I do try. Man, I should consider a subscription to these series. I do prefer graphic novels, though.
I'll start with a Marvel comic, since they're probably the most well-known. Ironically, it's one that wasn't very famous until earlier this year. What is this one?
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy. Mostly keeping up with the graphic novels, since I missed out on the 2008 run the first time around, and missed out on quite a bit of the 2013 run, though it's still going now, and I have the first graphic novels of the respective runs.
It's mostly the modern series, because it's the one with the team from the movie (admittedly, I loved that film), though I did get a graphic novel from the original series (though it's the second volume, due to a mistake), and I plan on getting more. What I've read, while not as good as the movie, has been a blast so far, and I sincerely want to read more. The storytellin, while a bit iffy at times, is pretty solid stuff, and the art, an important aspect of comics, tends to be pretty good for the most part.
Next up, Archie Comics. Surely a few of you have heard of them, but ironically, I rarely read their main series. Instead, I mostly read their licensed output. So far?
Yes, I enjoy the Sonic comics, warts and all. You either like this one, or you don't. Anyways, I enjoy it for the action, and the storytelling post-issue 160 (it was all over the place before then). The art can be all over the place, though it's been more consistently good post-160, mostly due to a more consisten style.. However, circumstances beyond Archie's control (which I prefer not to get into here) led to a reboot, thus forcing a lot of plot points to end without a proper conclusion, though Ian Flynn, the current writer, will release his old plans through what he calls the "Lost Hedgehog Tales."
Fans of the original were split on whether or not this was a good thing. I do admit the circumstance behind it weren't the greatest, but personally, I don't mind the reboot itself. The writing remains fairly solid, and while still not without liberties (for instance, the current arc is a loose Sonic Unleashed adaptation with many differences), it brings it closer to the games. The art also remains good, though issue 254 has some pretty wonky art there.
Next Archie Comic series?
I started reading this mostly because I liked Ian Flynn's work on Sonic, so I figured why not. Thing is, I wasn't too familiar with Mega Man prior to this. Afterward, however, I started playing the games, and they've been very fun. But this is for comics, so I'll just talk about the comics.
I like how they tell the story here. As someone who read the comics before playing the games, I can say that you don't need to have played the games to enjoy the comics, since the storytelling is pretty solid here as well, and the art is quite good most of the time. If you have, however, then it can make you appreciate the series even more, since it's a pretty faithful adaptation, and it makes many nods to the franchise. Not to mention they're adapting the spinoffs, not just the main series, the first of these being, surprisingly enough, Super Adventure Rockman, a Japan-only game. That adaptation takes the most liberties so far, but I liked it, and quite frankly, the fact that they adapted it at all shows how dedicated to the material they are.
Both Sonic and Mega Man had a crossover at one point.
Same statements as above, though on Sonic's end, it led to the reboot. Funny thing is, this was before Super Smash Bros. put these two characters in a game. A second crossover will be released next year. I can't wait.
Now, for IDW.
I've been a TMNT fan a long time, but until recently, I never really had a TMNT comic to read. Fortunately, IDW came to the rescue to make a new series, as well as making reprints of the older stuff more common.
IDW's own series takes many elements of past TMNT incarnations and puts them in one place, before the Nick show did something similar. It takes the tone of the originals, the characters from two previous cartoons, and puts some of its own stuff into it as well. The artwork illustrated the characters well most of the time, and the stories tend to be pretty good. Not to mention that Kevin Eastman is involved with the writing, and since he's one of the original creators, that's a plus by default.
I also read some reprints of the originals, and while the storytelling can be pretty haphazard, at least it's the kind of haphazard that makes you entertained regardless. It's pretty obvious Eastman and Laird were making stuff up as they went along, but I still had fun. Besides, the art still fit the tone well.
As for comic news, you may have heard that Darkwing Duck is getting a new comic in 2015, courtesy of Joe Books. If not, it's true, and altered reprints of the previous comic series will accompany it as the start of a new one. The comparison images were made by a user on another forum, but I think it sets the tone for what to expect from the newer versions, set to be released in January 21st. I think the newer version is an improvement from what I'm seeing.
Any comics, or any news to discuss?
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