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[Dav]

I just had a library card and i want to get more familiar with american comic books.....
To these days, 'im mostly familiar with Marvel comics, i used to read them a lot when i was a kid, then i got hooked on japanese comics a lot.....
Last week i read torso and goldfish by Michael Bendis, i liked both, the stories where very good, i also rent a couple of volumes from the sin city saga.
I don't really knows any drawers or scenarists apart from the most popular ones and i wonder if you guys can give me tips about it.
I saw Swamp thing by Frank Miller but only volume 3 was available, i hope the first volume will be there next time i go there....did anyone read it ? Is it good ? I don't know about the story but the drawings seem great.
Right now i'm reading watchmen, by Miller and Gibbons, i read the 50 first pages and it's terrific ! I never read a super hero story like this one....and i'm only at the begining....only one thing disturb me, the character named "the comedian" is called "le comedien" in french, the words are pretty close but "comedien" means actor in french, it have nothing to do with being funny, just acting.

Anyway, it can be great if some of you can drop names of comics, scenarist or drawers that you like. It will help me make choice instead of choosing by just looking at the covers

Thank you
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[Will Oldham]

Great idea, my seletion of graphic novels is pretty small but I did get watchmen a few years back and loved it, in fact thinking about it makes me want to read it again some of the later scenes really got me thinking at the time I seem to recall
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[jefflewis]

You must be mixing up Frank Miller with Alan Moore - Moore wrote Watchmen and Swamp Thing (and V for Vendetta, among many other great projects). Frank Miller on the other hand is currently most famous for Sin City but his best work was in the 80s, The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil:Born Again, Elektra: Assassin. These books are fantastic. Moore is really the best though!!! Watchmen, V For Vendetta, Miracle Man, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, Swamp Thing, all are truly excellent. You should also read all of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics. For modern stuff, the past ten years, the best is Eightball by Daniel Clowes (you can find full book collections of his stories like Characature, Ghost World, Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, etc), also Peepshow by Joe Matt, Ed The Happy Clown by Chester Brown, and anything by Chris Ware.
jeff
PS - I wrote a short book exploring the ideas of Watchmen, someday I'll print it!

[Dav]

Thank you for those advices...

I first heard of Alan Moore when From Hell was adapted as a movie, i liked the film, maybe cos i haven't read the book.
I've read some Moore interviews at the time and his work seemed very interesting, his comics look like they're very political and dark.
I definitly got to check more of his work.
I discovered Miller the same way, by seeing Sin City.
I was aware that he worked on Daredevil and that he created the Elektra character, i also have to check those out !
I've never heard of Neil Gaiman, Daniel Clowes, Joe Matt, Chester Brown or Chris Ware, but i'll look after them too.
Now i know what 'im gonna read the next couple of month.

Are you interested by Japanese comic culture Jeff ?
There's a lot of talented authors there too.
Kastuhiro Otomo might be the more popular one overseas, and that's pretty fair cos his work is truely amazing.
One of my favorite "mangaka" is Kentaro Miura, his current saga is called "Berserk" and it's mind blowing, if you have a chance to find it you definitly have to read it.

The funny stuff about american comics is that different artists work on the same serie, it's something we don't really have in France, neither in Japan.

About this short book you wrote about Watchmen, 'im really curious about it.
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[jefflewis]

I've read the Akira comic, but it really just goes on and on and on, the movie is much better I think! I really love some of the Fist of the North Star comics I have, though again it gets a bit repetitive after a while. I never got much into the Japanese stuff, I've seen a number of the films and read a handful of the different comic series but the only thing I really thought was great was the Akira movie, nothing else really came close.
If you thought the From Hell movie was good, the comic book will blow your mind!! It is approximately ten million times beter than the movie. But It is not Moore's best... I think "V For Vendetta" MIGHT be his best comic book .

[Will Oldham]

is the film worth seeing ? I saw a review on film 2006 and Jonathan Ross (who is a comic fan himself - I saw him in forbidden planet once and he was scanning the shelves for ages and bought a good handful of comix) absolutely slated it
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[Dav]

[numberdan]

I just read my first Graphic Novel a couple of months back, so am completely inexpert about the genre.

It was "Maus" by Art Speigelman (parts one and two). I certainly (although with very limited authority!) would recommend it.

It gives great incite into the horrific events of WWII and the possible effects it has on a father-son relationship, 50 years later. Despite its heavy weight subject matter, it is very readable.

[Will Oldham]

sounds intresting, I'll keep an eye out for it
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[Kieron]

I think the Akira comic is ace! I saw the film first, and my brother is a comic nut. I read his copies of Akira, and they were buzzing with life. I don't read comics very often, but I was mesmerized by Akira!

[Dav]

I've just finished reading The Watchmen and i liked it a lot, the story is really great and deep.
It makes me wonder about humanity, about wars obviously, about science.....and on lighter levels, i really enjoyed the questionnings about super heros, are they fascists ? Are they good or bad ? Do they go too far ? Are they sane or insane ?
I guess they're just humans who dare acting about their beliefs and feelings.
Dr Manhattan is such a great character, reminds me of some of Philip K Dick stories, like Ubik.
Now i can say that 'im really curious about the short book Jeff wrote about The Watchmen.

"who is watching the watchmen ?"
That really is a good question !

I'll borrow V for Vandetta next week.
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[Will Oldham]

Yes, Id like to read more about thoughts and themes behind the story
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[Dav]

I read "peepshow" and it was very funny, reminds me a bit of Jeffrey's work from time to time.....you guys should give it a try, it's very funny !
Joe Matt have so many problems with girls, his and others, he likes to walk a lot and also masturbate a lot, i wonder if he had other comics released....That makes me wonder if Jeffrey had problems with people he inclued in some of his work as Joe Matt.....
thanks for the tip again Jeffrey, now i'm about to begin Swamp Thing volume 1 !

here is page one from Peepshow if some of you are curious about it :

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[numberdan]

Blimey!

....I just finished reading From Hell. Basically spent the whole weekend in my room reading it. Is that a bit sad for 26 year old?

I can at least be buoyed by the knowledge that it is very good. The atmosphere of the black and white pictures really draws you in; you do start to feel like your living in grubby Victorian London. So again, it's recommended reading.

Having said that, it did raise slight moral concerns in me about the exploitation of an horrific historical event to tell a story which is perhaps a conspiracy theory. Any thoughts, anyone who's read it......?

The part where Gull explains to Netley about the religous and architectural history of London reminded me of the bit in Guff/Fuff 1 when Jeff's told about the alignment of the church towers with ancient fault lines (or something like that).

Fuff 4 in a matter of days! Wo hooo!

[Dav]

héhé i plan to borrow From Hell asap, i'm reading swamp thing these days, it's very good too
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