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Comics!
Topic Started: Feb 16 2016, 10:20 PM (308 Views)
Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

I'm surprised we don't have an active comics thread! I have mentioned I don't like superhero comics many times, but I am a big fan of that particular form of visual media. There's so many amazing stories and characters that are packed into such a small amount of text and art. My favorite publisher is Image, and not only for the variety of comics they publish. Image is unique in that all the content they publish is creator-owned, so the copyrights for the stories and characters remains in the hands of the artists rather than going to Image. I'm also a fan of Vertigo, which is owned by DC and does a lot of more mature, non-superhero related stuff. If you've always wanted to get in to comics but don't have a comic store or don't want to bother with having a bunch of paper copies I highly recommend using ComicRack, which is a digital comic reader that works amazingly, is totally free, and can read a variety of digital comic formats including CRZ, CBZ, and even ZIP and 7z files! There are a lot of places you can get digital copies of comics, but the best in my opinion is Comixology, which is a digital comics vendor created by Amazon.

Here's a list of comics I personally enjoy and highly recommend:


  • Transmetropolitan: Chronicles the adventures of gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem in a quasi-dystopian, cyberpunk future as he attempts to uncover the corruption in two US presidents. Explores topics of political corruption, social and moral decay, transhumanism, the effect of technology on society, and the effect of fame on both individuals and society at large. This one is by far my all time comic series and I highly recommend it. Published by DC under Helix and later Vertigo.
  • Planetary: This is an interesting series that borders my limits for superheroes. The main cast are not superheroes per se, but are superhuman and do exist in a version of the DC universe. It follows the adventures of the Planetary organization who are "archaeologists of the impossible" seeking to uncover the world's "secret history." It's got a sort of X-Files thing going on with a scenario-of-the-week setup leading to an overall story arc. This one is neat because it explores the superhero genre as opposed to superheroes themselves. Published by DC under Wildstorm. (Kam you would like this one)
  • Scalped: This particular series follows the lives of various Native Americans (Oglala Lakota) living on a reservation in what was at the time a modern (late 90's) South Dakota. It explores corruption, organized crime, poverty, racism, addiction, depression, and self-identity as well as preservation of cultural identity. It's widely considered one of the greatest comic series of all time and is critically acclaimed. I highly recommend it. Published by DC under Vertigo.
  • The Manhattan Projects: This one is... Bizarre to say the least. This one also has "superhero universe" tones but no superheroes or villains per se, just mad scientists. It starts with an alternate ending to the Second World War in which the Manhattan Project was a cover for a more broad series of R&D programs relating to many science fiction elements. The main cast is made up of well known historical figures such as Einstein, Feynman, Oppenheimer, Westmoreland, Fermi, etc. Most of them are scientists and are cast in a very different, fictional light in which they join the Manhattan Projects (or its Soviet counterpart, Star City) and engage in "aggressive science" in order to achieve various, sometimes nefarious goals. It can be hard to follow at times but I think it's worth a look. Published by Image and will be relaunched in March.
  • The Age of Reptiles: I consider this was the quintessential series for SE. These have no cohesive plot or dialogue, but instead follow parts of the lives of various dinosaurs throughout different time periods. I will warn you that because this is made by artists and not scientists not all depictions of dinosaurs may be 100% accurate, and sometimes species that did not exist at the same time are in the same story for dramatic effect and familiarity. To my knowledge it has never gone full on Jurassic Park though, just try to suspend your disbelief a bit and enjoy the ride. Published by Dark Horse and is on going.
  • Southern Bastards: I enjoy this one a lot. It follows the inhabitants of a small town in Alabama and the organized crime that grips it. It explores themes of corruption, organized crime, poverty, rural life in the modern age, addiction, and revenge. Large portions of it deal with football because one of the main characters, who is the leader of the organized crime, is a football coach at the local high school. Published by Image and is ongoing.
  • Invisible Republic: I just started reading this one recently, but I already love it. This series follows a journalist seeking a story on a distant moon colonized by humans nearly 200 years ago via generational ship. For the last thirty years the moon was ruled by a totalitarian regime which recently fell. Two stories are told simultaneously: the story of the rise of Arthur McBride (the dictator) as chronicled by his cousin in a memoir she wrote during her imprisonment, and the aftermath of the fall of the regime experienced by the Earthling journalist who found the memoirs. I can't say what exactly the themes of the series are so far since there are only eight issues out, but it definitely seems to be about the lives of common folk during and after extreme political and cultural shifts. Published by Image and is ongoing.
  • We Stand on Guard: Another one I just started reading recently. It only has six issues out right now but it's a fun read. It's about a resistance cell fighting giant robots in a future American-occupied Canada. Very Canada-wank. Pretty much porn for Canadians, really. Published by Image and is ongoing.
  • Citizen Jack: Yet another one I just started reading. It only has three issues out. Citizen Jack follows the presidental campaign of a Donald Trump-esque bigoted, corrupt idiot from Montana (or Minnesota? one of those wastelands anyways). He does so well because he has help from a demon. That's basically all I got from it so far. Published by Image and is ongoing.
  • Saga: By far the coolest one on this list. It's a science fiction/fantasy story about two races at war and follows a Romeo-and-Juliet couple from each side of the war and their secret hybrid love child... Trust me, just read this one. It's been dubbed "Star Wars meets Game of Thrones" and while that description hypes it up far more than necessary it isn't entirely inaccurate. I like to think it's far more light-hearted than either of those series but at times it can be a little dark. Published by Image and is ongoing.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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corrupt idiot from Montana (or Minnesota? one of those wastelands anyways).

I object to your consideration of Minnesota as a wasteland. We're very nice up here, no wastelands at all. Although my research does show that the dude is from Minnesota. He must be from outstate.
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Saga: By far the coolest one on this list. It's a science fiction/fantasy story about two races at war and follows a Romeo-and-Juliet couple from each side of the war and their secret hybrid love child... Trust me, just read this one. It's been dubbed "Star Wars meets Game of Thrones" and while that description hypes it up far more than necessary it isn't entirely inaccurate. I like to think it's far more light-hearted than either of those series but at times it can be a little dark. Published by Image and is ongoing.


Parasky, I really wanna know what your definition of light-hearted is, because this comic has gotten pretty damn dark/depressing at times.
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Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

I consider anything that can't be mistaken for Russian literature to be light hearted.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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Parasky
Feb 16 2016, 10:20 PM
Planetary: This is an interesting series that borders my limits for superheroes. The main cast are not superheroes per se, but are superhuman and do exist in a version of the DC universe. It follows the adventures of the Planetary organization who are "archaeologists of the impossible" seeking to uncover the world's "secret history." It's got a sort of X-Files thing going on with a scenario-of-the-week setup leading to an overall story arc. This one is neat because it explores the superhero genre as opposed to superheroes themselves. Published by DC under Wildstorm. (Kam you would like this one)
I hate the X-Files.
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Ànraich
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Kamineigh
Feb 16 2016, 11:53 PM
Parasky
Feb 16 2016, 10:20 PM
Planetary: This is an interesting series that borders my limits for superheroes. The main cast are not superheroes per se, but are superhuman and do exist in a version of the DC universe. It follows the adventures of the Planetary organization who are "archaeologists of the impossible" seeking to uncover the world's "secret history." It's got a sort of X-Files thing going on with a scenario-of-the-week setup leading to an overall story arc. This one is neat because it explores the superhero genre as opposed to superheroes themselves. Published by DC under Wildstorm. (Kam you would like this one)
I hate the X-Files.
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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I'm not really a comic guy. It' not a medium I really experience properly, I tend to read all the text and skim the pictures, which is kind of backwards.

I'm also terrible with webcomics. Stand Still. Stay Silent, Sister Claire and Spinnerette have all done stints as tabs that I plan to read but never get much beyond the first few chapters.

I do better with physical, got all the Avatar comics and looking forward to the Korra ones. I also have Lumberjanes and Bitch Planet, which are quite good.
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