The Bullshiting About Comics Thread w/ Justin & Friends

[.]

I wanna talk a bit about lesser-tier villains that you feel could have standalone graphic novels/series of comics for them. For instance i feel that Deadshot could definitely be featured in at least one without the Suicide Squad and he could be good. Anyone else have any ideas like that?

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I just finished reading Penguin: Pain & Prejudice which is a five book arc that obviously focuses on Cobblepot which I really enjoyed. Does this count?

 

[.]

It would yes. Is it good? Cobblepot is another villain who has interested me.
EDIT: Have they focused much on James Gordon since the Black Mirror? That guy scares the crap out of me.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

It would yes. Is it good? Cobblepot is another villain who has interested me.

Very good and highly recommended. I wasn't very familiar with Penguin but really enjoyed how he... conducts business.

EDIT: Have they focused much on James Gordon since the Black Mirror? That guy scares the crap out of me.

Negative. Not that I have seen at least.

 

[justinsayne]

James Gordon has not been mentioned at all since the New 52 relaunch. I know Scott Snyder is getting ready to do a mini-series based around the Court Of Owls, which is the main protagonist Batman has been facing since Snyder took over Batman at the launch of the New 52.

Kinda surprised Deadshot has not gotten his own limited series, or OGN. Deadshot has been featured in Kevin Smith's first Batman mini-series, Cacophony, & when Smith has hired to write a script for a Superman, he included Deadshot in that as well. He was suppose to be a leader of a group of mercenaries who end up fighting Superman at the beginning of the film after Supes foils their assassination attempt on a senator.

Some villians that have always caught my eye, & that I wouldn't mind seeing a series or OGN written about are...

-Omega Red
-Riddler
-Scarecrow (I would love to see what Snyder could do with this, using his experience as a horror writer)
-Harley Quinn
-Vandel Savage
-Bane
-Reverse Flash
-Apocalypse

It should also be noted that Marvel released a series telling the entire origin story of Red Skull which started with his childhood on up, it's available as a tpb now beleive. This is pretty much the reason I didn't included Red Skull on my list.

 

[.]

Scarecrow + Snyder would be terrifying. I've never really been a fan of scarecrow ever being a Bizzare wacky character as he is sometimes portrayed(like in the long Halloween).

As for bane, an origina story would be pretty neat.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Scarecrow is such a varied character. You can take him one way or another and he can still be fucking insane. During Knightfall, there's a creepy as hell story featuring him trying to become the God of Fear. He's an intriguing character for sure.

 

[justinsayne]

Where to Start for Justice League & Superman

Justice League: Where Do I Start?
by Chris Arrant

Although they may have not been the first super-hero team-up, DC’s Justice League is its most iconic. Not withstanding what the Marvel bullpen across town have done with the Avengers, the Justice League are the original super-hero super-group, even when they’re something less than the “Big 7.” Spawned out of the earlier super-team the Justice Society of America, the Justice League have eclipsed the JSA and become the flagship team book of the DCU since early on its history.

Over the years the Justice League has evolved, expanded, and on a couple occasions even been defunct for a time. With all those stories to go through, it’s a daunting task to find where to start without getting lost — or worse yet — disenfranchised. With Where Do I Start?, we come in and pinpoint the big 6 of the DC’s Big 7. Keep in mind we’re not counting various related teams like Justice Society of America or Justice League International — those deserve their own entry later on this year.

JLA: Year One: Taking a cue from the seminal Batman: Year One, this 12-issue series shows Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn and Barry Kitson barreling into the founding year’s of DC’s resident super-hero team. This isn’t the JLA’s first origin (or its last, if you’re reading Johns & Lee’s Justice League), but JLA: Year One has been the one to beat since it was first published. Waid & Augustyn really show how the team is as much about the personal dynamics between the group as the universe-sized threats they faced. The one glaring flaw is the omission of Wonder Woman from the group, but the expert approach to this makes me almost forget about her.

DC: The New Frontier: Taking the Justice League back to the 60s in which it was spawned to tell this super-hero period piece was a stroke of genius by cartoonist Darwyn Cooke. Unlike other heroes that seem perpetually trying to stay away from their early origins, DC: A New Frontier shows how coming of age in the 60s really showcases the diverse origins and impact these characters can have. Green Lantern Hal Jordan is firmly in focus here, but my vote for best characterization is Wonder Woman.

JLA: Rock of Ages: Although Grant Morrison came onto JLA in a flash, it wasn’t until later arcs that he really began to settle in and deliver breakout work. The “Rock of Ages” arc is the first real intersection of Morrison’s wilder fringe work like The Invinsibles with his unabashed love for super-hero comics, mixing Lex Luthor, Metron, baby universes and the Philosopher’s Stone. Despite being labored by a cast that includes variants of famous heroes (Electric Superman!), the book stands on its own as a epic in JLA history.

Kingdom Come: Although billed as a universe-spanning story, Waid & Alex Ross are actually did an encompassing JLA epic with the blockbuster Kingdom Come series. Set 20 years in the future where the original JLA have largely passed the baton to a new generation of heroes, rising turmoil and unrest bring grey-haired Superman, an aged Batman and others to get the band back together and do what they do best. This series really revives the majesty of DC’s heroes, one of the things that sets them apart from Marvel and other hero universes.

Justice League of America: The Greatest Stories Ever Told: Early Justice League stories have a varied track record of quality, but this streamlined collection hits upon most of the early highpoints and is a steal for under $20. Featured in it is the team breaking up, betrayal from the inside, and the inspiration behind the mind-bending Identity Crisis from a few years back. It also includes Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMattieus & Kevin Maguire’s comedy-tinged relaunch of the title from the mid 80s that became so popular it split off into its own title that echoes to this day. This book is a good book to have if you want to get a taste of the JLA’s early years.

JLA/Avengers: How can a seminal JLA book be the same one in which they’re sharing space with their cross-company rivals the Avengers? By showing just how different they are. Kurt Busiek and George Perez team up to deliver what has become one of the pinnacles of their career — and of both teams — with a universe-jumping crossover that still has time for intimate character moments.

Superman: Where Do I Start?
by Chris Arrant

Ask anyone who Superman is and they'll tell you. From your mailman to the dear old lady lived down the street from you as a child. They've learned it from movies, television shows, and yes, comics. But do they really know the Man of Steel?

Superman has been featured in at least one comic each month going all the way back to his debut in 1938. There's more stories in print featuring him than perhaps any other in history — inside comics and out. But with all that material, it becomes hard to pick the definitive texts that best represent the character.

But iFanboy is here to help.

As part of our weekly series "Where Do I Start", we're delving into the the best of the big blue boy scout. This is a list for a hardcore comics fan who's looking for a better appreciation of the character, and it's also a cheat sheet for someone new to comics wanting a list to start with.

Superman For All Seasons: Superman's origin has been told and retold more than anyone else in comics. But this tome by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale recounts the seminal moments of the super-heroes early years through a new lens — not looking at the landmarks of time but more on how they shaped the hero he was to become.

Superman: Birthright: This modernized retelling of Superman's origin puts the classic chain of events that took an alien orphan and turned him into an American hero into a 21st century context. Writer Mark Waid knows Superman like the back of his hand, but he's not afraid to question and recontextualize some moments in a modern light. Artist Leinil Yu, who went on later to illustrate Marvel's Secret Invasion, brings a roughly honed illustrative style to the piece that gives it a modern impactful energy without sacrificing the emotions at play in Waid's story.

Superman: Secret Origin: Written by DC's head writer and Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, this approach to Superman's origin focuses not on his birth but more on his awkward teen years. Johns takes from the scraps of teenage Superman stories from years past and weaves it into a cohesive narrative that highlights moments that most other origin stories overlooked. Of particular interest is Superman's recruitment into the Legion of Super-Heroes from the far-flung future.

DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore: Although he's only written a handful of stories, Moore's primary two stories have stood the test of time and are collected in this volume. "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and "For The Man Who Has Everything" are both seminal tales — for the character, and for comics in general.

Kingdom Come: This ensemble piece posits a future where Superman, Batman and others have passed the torch — or had it taken from them — by a new group of heroes that are more vigilantes than protectors.With greying hair and a more resigned nature, Superman is pulled back into duty one last time.

Luthor: Originally published as a miniseries titled Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, this book takes a look at super-hero from one of the most unusual vantage points — his arch nemesis Lex Luthor. Told from the viewpoint of Luthor himself, it paints the Kryptonian in a harsh light but still reveals new insights into the character. They say heroes are made by the quality of their villains — this one proves that to an unexpected degree.

Absolute All Star Superman: The most recent comic in our list, but arguably the most timeless. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's twelve-issue series doesn't seek to retell the character's origin, but moreso tell his ultimate fate. All Star Superman charts a trajectory that pushes it outside of known territory into a new realm of stories while revisiting the classic tropes of the character's 70+ year history.

Kingdom Come is recommended on both these list & for good reason it's an amazing book, with beautiful artwork. I think Kingdom Come could easily be considered as must read material for any comic fan, new or old.

 

[justinsayne]

Is there a where to start for Hawkeye?

When you first asked this question, Arrant had not written a "Where Do I Start" for Hawkeye, so I hit him up on twitter & asked if he could do one, he said it's a great idea, & would add Hawkeye to his list, well today he just posted his "Hawkeye: Where Do I Start". Enjoy.

Hawkeye: Where Do I Start?
by Chris Arrant

In a team full of super-soldiers, mythological gods, mutants and technological wonders, Hawkeye is stand on his own in the Avengers with only his archery prowess to guide him. This summer he’s set to reach new heights in his career with his starring role in The Avengers played by Jeremy Renner, and they have a long and rich history to draw from to show how Clint Barton can stand apart. Not quite the patriot that Captain America is or the playboy of Iron Man, Hawkeye is known as someone unafraid to speak up, even against his team-mates. His approach has rang true over the years, and parlayed him into being one of Marvel’s most popular heroes and a in-demand member for various teams over the years.

Launched in the pages of Tales of Suspense #57 by Stan Lee and Don Heck as a reluctant bad guy under the wiles of then-villain Black Widow, Hawkeye stood toe-to-toe with Iron Man despite only having his skills and a few trick arrows against Tony Stark’s billion-dollar armor. Just one year later, Hawkeye was drafted into the Avengers by Captain America during the group’s first recruitment drive and insinuated himself into being one of the perennial heroes in Marvel’s flagship team. Over the years he’s moonlighted in other guises such as Goliath and Ronin, but he’ll forever be known as the bow-wielding warrior with a penchant for purple called Hawkeye.

You would thing for being an expert marksman it would easy to find his essential stories, but it’s not. That’s where we come in.

Avengers: Hawkeye: This hardcover collection is close to perfect when it comes to getting to know Marvel’s resident marksman. It includes everything from his villainous debut opposite Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #57 to several standalone stories from various Marvel anthologies that flesh out Hawkeye’s relationship with Mockingbird. But the big draw to this series is undoubtedly the 1983 Hawkeye series written and drawn by Mark Gruenwald. Gruenwald really understood Clint Barton, and narrows in on his inferiority complex and how that makes him compete to be a better here

Avengers: Hawkeye: Earth’s Mightiest Marksman: Working as a de facto sequel to the Avengers: Hawkeye collection, this tome collects Barton’s 1994 miniseries by Chuck Dixon and a young Scott Kolins, a rare late 90s one-shot and a story out of Marvel Comics Presents. The Dixon/Kolins series is the draw for this one, partnering Hawkeye with a werewolf to take on the Secret Empire (who recently popped up in Secret Avengers).

West Coast Avengers: Assemble: Largely considered an afterthought these days, in its time West Coast Avengers (or Avengers West Coast as it later became) was a unique series showing a different side of the Avengers franchise akin to the present day with New Avengers and Secret Avengers. This has Hawkeye and his new bride Mockingbird setting up stakes in California for their own branch of the Avengers, and seeing Hawkeye in a command position is a thing to behold. The series really plays up its second-tier status to the Avengers and has fun with that, fighting some odd villains like Spider-Man foe the Blank and Maelstrom.

Solo Avengers: Created in the 80s, this was another Avengers spin-off title that worked as a great spot to show solo stories with Avengers who couldn’t carry thier own series. Tom DeFalco and M.D. Brigh show up ready to work with the first arc, entitled ” The Way Of The Arrow,” it delves into the previously glossed over origin of Clint Barton and his archery ways under the tutelage of a man known as Trickshot.

Hawkeye: Blind Spot: The most recent book in our list today, this miniseries by Jim McCann and Paco Diaz puts Hawkeye in the most precarious position of his life: losing his eyesight.Weaving in moments from Barton’s past, Hawkeye is on the path of his mentor’s murderer. What he finds along the way are family secrets, another person vying for his name, and an unexpected tie-in to Hawkeye’s days with the Thunderbolts.

 

[justinsayne]

In Memoriam: Jean Giraud, the Man Known as Moebius (1938-2012)
by Paul Montgomery

We each have our own idenpendent imagination, a capacity to dream and create. But there is, perhaps, a collective imagination. A repository for the impossible, furnished by the artists we label as visionaries.

Jean Giraud, the man known as Moebius, was responsible for expanding that collective imagination, broadening our concept of fantasy exponentially as a frontiersman and trailblazer.

Jean Giraud (1938-2012)

We are sad to relay the news that Jean Giraud has died at 74.

He leaves in his wake a legacy of negative space conquered and whole worlds illustrated to glorious life. Heroes, adventures and realms we won’t soon forget. Comics and film. Blueberry. The Silver Surfer. The Incal. Arzach. Métal Hurlant in general. Alien. The Fifth Element.

Moebius is gone, but so many of our dreams will continue to piggyback upon his, untold visions riding atop the shoulders of a giant.

Let’s take this day and remember the wondrous world-building of a true master:

[youtube]HSgq2XaqC8Q[/youtube]

As Kevin Smith would say, Huge bucket of win, he will most certainty be missed.

 

[Mr. HD]

Anybody a fan of these guys:

I think this a very underrated Marvel Comic series. A group of kids whose Parents were super villains, use their newly found powers to take them down. I'm halfway through the second series, but I ran out of money to buy it.

But nonetheless, how do you guys feel about this series?

 

[justinsayne]

I was going to post this a few days ago. I tshould be noted this was orignally written in 2009, however it what it covers still works now.

Your New-to-Comics Glossary
by Jim Mroczkowski

Dear relatively normal friend,

Thank you again for your well-meaning, three-quarters-hearted attempt to take an interest in what I do out here on the internet. For months now, every time we run into each other, you say, “I miss your blog updates. You should totally write more. Why don’t you write more?” and then I reply, “I write all the time. I write every week. Remember? iFanboy.com? I’ve mentioned it to you twelve times? Even forwarded you a couple of the articles? Printed some out, left them on your windshield? The domain name over your house in skywriting that time, remember?” and then you reply, “Oh! Oh, sure. Eye fan boy, with the comic strips. I totally need to check that out,” and then you quickly turn your head in a vain attempt to keep me from noticing as you roll and roll and roll your eyes until you start to look a little like Cookie Monster.

I dig where you are coming from, old friend. You have tried to venture onto the comics internet a couple of times, only to scuttle back to Yahoo filled with confusion and agita. You’re even someone who’s a little interested in comics– you always have so many detailed, almost-not-even-patronizing questions for me every time an X-Men movie comes out– yet the things you find when you try to search for more information online always leave you puzzled and frustrated. After spending a little time on Newsarama, you start to feel like a child lost in the streets of a foreign country; what are all these people saying, and why do they sound so mad? Never mind actual comics: even conversations about reading comics have their own continuity, jargon, and inscrutable inside jokes that are a barrier to entry strong enough to keep out the Huns.

That is why I thought I would prepare something to greet you the next time you dip a toe into these roiling, piranha-filled waters. Since I know those of us who spend $40 a week on comics use a language that only we understand without even realizing that we’re doing it, I have prepared for you this small but helpful glossary of terms. Enjoy!:

Trade: short for “trade paperback,” which is in turn long for “TPB.”

A trade is the collected edition of the individual chapters of a comic, which were originally published as periodicals one month at a time. (These individual chapters are also occasionally called “floppies” by no one I have ever met in my life, probably because “comic book” is already the perfectly good name of those things.) If you have ever purchased a comic only to find yourself frustrated that it seemed to end abruptly and that reading it took less time than paying for it in the store did, then “waiting for the trade” is for you. Publishers use the term often, despite the fact that 80% of the population has no idea what it means; often the abbreviation “TPB” will be included in the book’s listed title, such as “Spider-Man: New Ways to Die TPB,” which in context might as well stand for “Try to Prevent Buying.” “TPB” tells the 1,200 guys left on earth who always buy this stuff that the book isn’t a hardcover, but to the other 250 million prospective buyers it might as well be a hieroglyph of an angry bird. Outside of comic collector circles, trades are better known by their more common name, “books.”

Jumping-on Point: the point at which I finally jump on someone for asking this question about readability for the millionth time.

Longtime comic enthusiasts have become increasingly obsessed with the fear that they might buy the wrong issue of a given comic only to discover that they have no way to figure out what is going on, as if the first issue of a story arc contains a decoder ring without which all the subsequent chapters are in Flemish. Every one of these same people began reading comics by buying issue #271 of something at random with no “recap page” in the front twenty years before the existence of Wikipedia, and based on what they read went on to spend $71,000 on comics. This would suggest that the mythical, Nessie-like Jumping-on Point can actually be virtually anywhere if the writing is compelling enough. The legend of the Jumping-on Point also fails to acknowledge that the Jumping-Offramp can be stuck smackdab in the middle of any page of any arc. You can start at issue #1 and understand everything for half a year when the author decides, “Now we’re going to go ahead and explain what the real deal with Xorn was, followed by a three-part lecture series on the nature of the Speed Force which we will hold in a big, featureless red cloud.” Wanting to start at the beginning is noble, but these aren’t DVDs. Season one was in 1962. Life is short; buy an issue and go with it.

Fan: someone who hates something so much it’s all he can talk about.

If you’re a new reader who’s interested enough in something to seek out its every error, problem, and flaw, fan sites and their message boards are an excellent place to look. How does the most recent issue fail to live up to expectations set in 1978? A fan knows. How much should Wolverine be shorter? A fan will tell you. In 2009, truly hardcore fans are enough to make you cut your DSL line and switch to building ships in bottles.

Event: as the name suggests, Events are comics in which something happens. Fans love Events. Typically, Events happen roughly once a year and are approximately two years long. The period when an Event is ongoing is known in the fan community as a “fatigue”; the month between Events is known as a “slump.”

Name: a writer or artist who can do terrifying things to your favorite character without anyone trying to stop him.

For example, Mark Millar is a Name Writer. Over the years, I have liked any number of Mark Millar books set in worlds other than the Marvel Comics universe. He is an extremely talented writer, currently working (?) on the last chapter of one of my favorite Wolverine comics possibly ever. The other day, I read that Mark Millar was pondering revamping the X-Men in the coming years and I began trembling uncontrollably. “Oh, no! What is he going to do to my paper friends??” Mark Millar will blow up the entire nation of Latveria like it’s a G.I. Joe tied to a bottle rocket, then he will just hand it off for the next guy to deal with. Every time I hear about him mulling over a new Marvel Universe project, I feel like the waiter watching Galactus look over the menu. (Galactus will be explained in a later appendix to the glossary.)

Big Two: The towering titans of the comic book industry, these are the two companies that dominate 90% of the market share for comic books. Their best-selling titles in a given month draw 1/40th of the audience of a summer Friday episode of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Neither sells their comics digitally in 2009 A.D. but both are actively developing comics for 8-track tape. The sky’s the limit!

…

These are just a few of the terms you need to know to navigate the choppy seas of comic fandom. I am sure others will think of many more to add below. If you still have any questions about comics not related to Dr. Manhattan’s manbits, we can talk about them at our next awkward grocery store encounter. Until then!

 

[Shotaro]

I laughed at the jumping on point thing. I had a friend who decided to read the X-men comics, thinking he would start at the beginning. He didn't ask when to pick up from (I would recommend he got the trades from House of M onwards, mostly because House of M was awesome IMO and it sits proudly as one of only two Marvel Trades on a whole massive shelf of them) He literally asked me where he could find the first issue. I just asked him if he had $100,000 and gave him my House of M book to read.

 

[justinsayne]

Has anyone ever read Earth X from Marvel? My cousin loaned me his tpb of it, I'm just curious if I should expect good things from this or not?

 

[GI Cake]

Yesterday I picked up the first issue of Avengers vs X-Men. And they're making the overall buildup great. Only thing I can complain about is that the first issue makes it seem that the Avengers are going to stomp over the X-Men, just because the Avengers have bigger numbers.

Team Avengers:
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Hawkeye
Ms.Marvel
Spider-Man
Protector
Black Widow
Vision
War Machine
Captain Britain
Valkyire
Doctor Strange
Spider-Woman
Red Hulk
Luke Cage
Mockingbird
Daredevil
Thing
Giant-Man
Iron Fist
Black Panther

Team X-Men:
Cyclops
Hope
Emma Frost
Magneto
Colossus
Namor

Wolverine and Beast are on the fence as of right now. But even if you add those two to X-Men, it looks like a squash.

 

[.]

The more i think about it the more i realize that Black Mask & Hush would be the perfect duo in Batman, specifically the Nolan-verse.

 

[Shadowmancer]

James Gordon has turned up in the latest Batgirl.

Am I the only one looking forward to the Court of Owls story being fully played out

 

[JGlass]

Yesterday I picked up the first issue of Avengers vs X-Men. And they're making the overall buildup great. Only thing I can complain about is that the first issue makes it seem that the Avengers are going to stomp over the X-Men, just because the Avengers have bigger numbers.

Team Avengers:
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Hawkeye
Ms.Marvel
Spider-Man
Protector
Black Widow
Vision
War Machine
Captain Britain
Valkyire
Doctor Strange
Spider-Woman
Red Hulk
Luke Cage
Mockingbird
Daredevil
Thing
Giant-Man
Iron Fist
Black Panther

Team X-Men:
Cyclops
Hope
Emma Frost
Magneto
Colossus
Namor

Wolverine and Beast are on the fence as of right now. But even if you add those two to X-Men, it looks like a squash.

I'm pretty sure Cyclops has the X-Men at his disposal. You know, that group of mutants that he likes to party with? Rogue, Gambit, Storm... those cats.

Not to mention Cable is back, and more badass than ever.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

James Gordon has turned up in the latest Batgirl.

Am I the only one looking forward to the Court of Owls story being fully played out

I walked in here to mention how anyone who was a fan of The Black Mirror arc in Batman should look into Batgirl as it has a heavy focus on the Gordan Family, which James Gordon just returning.

I was clearly beat by the better man.

And I'm loving the Court of Owls .

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I walked in here to mention how anyone who was a fan of The Black Mirror arc in Batman should look into Batgirl as it has a heavy focus on the Gordan Family, which James Gordon just returning.

I was clearly beat by the better man.

And I'm loving the Court of Owls .

Just finished Black Mirror like two days ago. Very awesome stuff. I'm waiting for the TPB of the first Batman arc since the reboot and might do the same with Batgirl if it's much like Black Mirror.

 

[justinsayne]

I'm far more excited for Night of the Owls than I am for AvX or really anything Marvel is putting out. Snyder is possibly the best writer in comics right now, between Batman & American Vampire I just can't get enough of this guy, I hear he's doing an amazing job with Swamp Thing as well.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I'm only up to issue six with Swamp Thing but he is nailing it there as well.

 

[justinsayne]

It's been awhile since I posted on of these, but here's a "Where Do I Start?" for Blade.

Blade: Where Do I Start?
by Chris Arrant

He’s black, he’s a vampire, and he doesn’t wear a cape, cowl or costume. That’s made it hard for Blade to blend in with the superheroic world of the Marvel U, but it’s also been his biggest asset. Born of a mother bitten by a vampire, he’s been gifted (and sometimes cursed) with the powers of the vampire and also the blood-thirst to kill the creatures that took his family from him.

Created in the early 70s by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan for an issue of Tomb of Dracula, Blade wasn’t a vampire at first but a human vampire hunter with a resistance to being turned. He had abilities from a vampire, but he was in effect a vampire/human hybrid. At first part of an ensemble cast fighting the titular character in Tomb of Dracula, he went on to star in his own stories in various 70s Marvel anthologies at the time. It wasn’t until twenty years later that he got his first series of his own, although that and the two subsequent ongoing series were short-lived. Marvel recently put the character in the mix of a vampire vs. mutant face-off, and he also had a short-lived stint in Captain Britain & The MI:13. Blade sits in the amophous purgatory of comic characters that have significant mainstream recognition (like his flaming friend Ghost Rider), but that’s never been able to translate into a healthy solo series of his own.

For this challenging edition of iFanboy’s Where Do I Start?, I discovered that this comic character’s best and most essential story is one that isn’t even in comics, but in his first feature film. That’s joined in my list by several notable collections of stories from the character’s near 40 year history, but even then it seems like Blade’s best stories are still waiting to be told.

Blade: Although born in comics, I reluctantly admit that the best take on the character has been in the movies. 1998′s Blade film by director Stephen Norrington and veteran comic-to-film screenwriter David S. Goyer succinctly pulls the character’s origin over to film and adds some neat elaborations that were quickly pulled back into comics. In many ways this is an “Ultimate” version of Blade to borrow Marvel’s comic line format, and Wesley Snipes really gives the character a concrete personality and drive. The film has its detractors, but I think it best sums up the character and what he could be. And Marvel’s comics publishing has been trying ever since to copy that.

Blade MAX (Vol. 2): A real rarity, but worth tracking down in the back issue bins. This 2004 miniseries by Christopher Hinz and Animal Man artist Steve Pugh shows the Daywalker facing off facing off against mutant vampires and a secret society out to kill all vampires, including vampire-killing-vampires like Blade. This doesn’t add much to Blade’s overall mythos, but it’s a fun little story and for Blade that’s , well, hard to find.

Blade: Undead Again: If there’s one artist I’d never imagine drawing Blade it’d be Howard Chaykin, but Marvel did it back in 2006 with a twelve issue series written by Marc Guggenheim. This story takes a second look at Blade’s origin not to dissimilarly than Wolverine’s Origin, giving some new revelations like some Latverian roots and the truth about Blade’s father. While this collection is relatively low on the action quotient you’d expect from a vampire-stabbing action hero, it covers some new ground and gives you some surprising face-offs. Blade vs. Doctor Doom? Blade vs. Spider-Man? Blade vs. Santa Claus?

Blade: Black & White TPB: Blade is a hard man to track down, especially in his early appearances, but this collection does the best job so far with stories pulled from a variety of ’70s Marvel anthologies that housed the character’s first solo stories.The main story is a 3-parter showing Blade going after a vampire cult in jolly old England, but the real gem of this is the forgotten one-shot story “Into The Tomb” by James Felder and Jose Ladronn which takes Blade to Transylvania on the hunt for his mother’s kidnapped corpse.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Avengers is an awesome comic book movie

 

[justinsayne]

Avengers is an awesome comic book movie

One more week. One more loooooooong ass week.

Pretty cool though, I'll go seethe late show of Avengers on Fri. & then Sat. morning is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!!

I'll be making a post regarding Free Comic Book Day, & the free comics they're giving away this year a little later (might break it up into a few posts actually).