The last issue of Irredeemable was of course the one I was most excited to get this week, and I can't help but feel a tad disappointed in the wrap-up, even if the ending itself was pretty well done and moving. I think Waid was actually referencing an issue of Action Comics from the early 80s (I'll avoid spoilers for those who haven't read it yet), and it was a nice finish, but there was so much stuff left unresolved and unanswered that I don't know if it justified the whole serial format. Especially when so much of the middle of the run was a such a slog with Tony stuck on the prison planet and basically doing nothing to advance the story. It was still an awesome series, but I can't help but feel a little bit of Lost syndrome from the finale, with expectations that were probably ridiculously high and a story that was just really good to wrap it all up.
I'll definitely miss it and I might go back and start again from the beginning now that we've got the whole story, though.
Comic thread, so appropriate place to bring this up: with all the hoopla over Northstar getting married, apparently DC is going to have one of their major characters come out next month.
ReplyDeleteIf it's Batman, then that's just wrong for obvious historical reasons
An unrelated comics question in my quest to become more well-read in the comics world: after biting the bullet and finally reading Watchmen, I became minorly obsessed. Besides the Watchmen prequels that are forthcoming, where should I go next? Should I dig deeper into Alan Moore's catalog? Or is there something else that feels thematically similar to Watchmen? I don't necessarily want to start digging into too much of the big superhero stuff, but if there's one collected graphic novel that tells a great story, I'd like to check it out. For reference, I'll likely be doing any comics reading on a Kindle Fire, so I'm probably limited to whatever they have released.
ReplyDeleteIt's not batman. No matter what that idiot hack grant Morrison says.
ReplyDeleteGonna have to be either Wally West or maybe the new Shazam.
ReplyDeleteThe theory I've read that makes the most sense is for it to be the Earth-2 Alan Scott. Since "iconic" is usually code for "old," that way they can squirm around it not being somebody being more commonly known.
ReplyDeleteThere's the "DC Universe: Alan Moore" TPB that collects all his DC superhero stuff, and it's pretty spectacular. That gives you For The Man Who Has Everything, The Killing Joke, some Swamp Thing, Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow and a few rarities like Vigilante and Green Arrow stories by Moore.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/DC-Universe-Stories-Alan-Moore/dp/1401209270/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
That's the version I bought years ago that's out of print now, but there's a few other printings floating around Amazon that have the same content but different titles, like "Across the Universe" and "DCU Alan Moore". Long as you get the Superman annual, the last Superman story and Killing Joke it's well worth your money no matter which cover it's got.
I'd also say V For Vendetta is a good next stop, or if you're into the "twilight of the superheroes" type of thing, then go with Mark Waid's Kingdom Come.
If you want to stick with Alan Moore stuff, I'd also recommend his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books - especially the first two volumes. If you saw the movie, wipe it from your mind. The actual comics are so much better than the drivel they put on the screen.
ReplyDeleteI second the recommendation of V For Vendetta and Kingdom Come. But if you're looking to expand any more, DC's Vertigo line is a great place for some awesome non-super hero comics. Sandman, Fables and Transmetropolitan are some of my favorites.
I'm going to stop now, because otherwise I'll just start recommending everything.
Haven't read the final issue yet, since I haven't had time to read my comics for the week yet. But after an initial great start, Irredeemable really did start to feel like a bit of a chore. For such a young book (just over three years) it really seemed to quickly get bogged down in its own continuity. It's sister title, Incorruptible, seemed like a much better read for a while, but lately I feel the same thing happened over there.
ReplyDeleteI'll likely get around to reading Irredeemable today. Once I do, I'll come back and post some thoughts.
One unrelated question: Since the new iPad came out, I've been using Comixology to buy my books. It's so much easier than getting out to a comic shop. So, I was wondering how any of the other comic readers on the blog were reading things: physical copy, iPad, Kindle or something else?