Tag: graphic novel

So much has changed

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I can’t believe how long it has been since I posted a blog. Yet, I’m grateful to have kept this domain and account. I hope to get back to posting about things I love to collect. Recently, I’ve been toying with idea of selling a large portion of my comic book collection. I’m not looking for quick buck but rather looking to downsize. The immediate problem I see is that during this tough economic time, everyone seems to be selling their things to make ends meet. For me, I think that spells “saturated” market. I don’t know with certainly but it’s what I’m thinking.

My comic cave is in chaos from neglect, feels overwhelming.
Chatting with some friends on Discord, triggered me to gather my MTG Bundle collection.
I stopped collecting MTG for a while but then the Final Fantasy Set came out and I was sucked right back in.

Somewhere in one of my last posts, I talked about eldercare. Well that horror has stretched on to almost 5 years now and I know that I am not the same person. I wish that I could be. These days eldercare is all encompassing emotionally, physically and now financially. My selfish in laws have care needs that exceed their income. My spouse does all the overnights but during the day, while they sleep and I work (full time) we pay caregivers through an agency. It is expensive. My in laws are clueless and did not prepare for their health needs as they age. They both have said, they didn’t think they would get old and they dont want to die. I can’t imagine having this mentality. I try not to dwell but it’s difficult not to be angry as they take more and more from us so that they can live.

I really like collecting all this paper!
When Lorwyn Eclipsed was announced, I knew I was going to buy it. The art is phenomenal.
I really need to clean my space.

I recently had a medical wake up call that has me centering my energy on me. I stopped exercising about 2 years into this 4 year care giving experience and was stress eating. I also was not sleeping properly. I did a daily shift with my in laws from 1pm to 4, 5 or 6pm depending. My father in law is the heavy lift when it comes to care because he is bed ridden and require adult diaper changes and feeding. He has dementia and Parkinson’s in addition to being violent and exit seeking (this means he tries to climb out of the bed constantly) so he has to be monitored. He is at his worst at night after he has sun downed. He fights diaper changes, punches, bites and spits if he can. I would help with night time diaper changes sometimes staying awake until 1 or 2am. This resulted in poor sleeping habits for me. To stay awake sometimes at night, I would snack. I ended up in the hospital for about 4 days because of high sugar. Like a I said a wake up call.

If I see this title in any form on the shelf, I buy it. Gotham by Gaslight is my “catcher in the rye”. If you’ve seen Conspiracy Theory, you get the reference.
I like/love Scott Snyder/Nick Dragotta so I picked up the first to trades of Absolute Batman. I’m sure I will love it.

What I’ve decided? Focus on me and cut back on eldercare. This has made a difference for me, a month in my sugar is under control and I’m off high doses of insulin. I workout every morning and walk after each meal. It’s helped a lot and I’ve lost some weight. For my mental health, I am resurrecting this blog. I enjoyed writing about comics I was reading and sharing my likes of pop culture. While I don’t collect comics every week (I really did stop back during covid lock down); I do love visiting comic shops and buying things I find unique. I hope to visit comic shops to help me with content for the blog. New shops help motivate me so hopefully, more to come.

21 Comics that are better than DJT or How I spent inauguration day 2017

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Rather than give the media any of my time this day, I chose instead, to spend my time in the comic cave reading some of my favorite comics. Some of the comics held a special political meaning for me while others were just plain fun to read. In any case, here’s my list:

img_58221. Wolverine vol. 3 “Old Man Logan” Issues 66-72
Mark Millar can have my money; I will throw it at him if he keeps writing great stories such as this. The premise: Logan has long since given up the Wolverine mantle and lives life on a post-apocalyptic frontier as a pacifist farmer. Enter Hawkeye with the promise of adventure, mayhem and some much-needed cash. img_5823

2. The Killer vol. 1
An assassin with no moral compass is available to the highest bidder in this tale of espionage and murder. Matz and Luc Jacamon provide an in-depth look at a man who operates in the shadows of the underworld, who kills without mercy and never asks questions.

img_58163. Granville vol. 1
Scotland Yard, chief inspectors and world domination on steampunk steroids. Granville is s tale of conspiracy and government covers up shown through the lens of anthropomorphic splendor by the talented Bryan Talbot. img_5819

4. Wild’s End
The country side of England is quiet, peaceful and full of fire from the sky. An unassuming retired community is terrorized by an invader from out of space. Afternoon tea will never be the same thanks to Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard.

img_58155. Mind MGMT
Matt Kindt takes us on a journey of mind control, secret societies, political espionage  and world domination. We are all being controlled, convinced that what we see isn’t really happening and what’s happening is beyond imagination. So, what’s to stop an investigative reporter from blowing the lid off the whole thing? img_5820

6. Just a Pilgrim
The world burned and took mankind with it. Staying alive is a daily goal, eating a decent meal is a distance second. Still, the Pilgrim isn’t phased, for he had a purpose and a guide through the good book. Will anything shake is faith? From the brilliant mind of Garth Ennis, prepare for the end is nigh.

img_58177. Proof vol 1 “Goatsucker” Issues 1-5
The government has a secret program used to address unnatural phenomena where ever it occurs. In this world created by Alex Grecian and Riley Rossmo, Big Foot has a name, wears a suit and fears nothing as he protects mankind.screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-8-39-24-pm

8. Superman: King of the World
Superman takes over the world in a power grab to protect the innocent and thwart evil. Karl Kesel shows us what can happen when the man of steel takes over as ruler of Earth.

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-8-42-02-pm9. Y the Last Man
Brian K. Vaughan is no stranger to a well written saga (see what I did there?). In Y, we learn that a disease has wiped out all species with the y chromosome. Well except Yorick Brown, who wakes up and finds he is the last man on earth. How will the survivors, all women receive him?screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-19-26-pm

10. Rotten
It’s the wild west; guns, horses, cowboys, hold-ups and zombies? This comic was written back when a non popular vote president took office during the 2000s. Mark Rahner and Robert Horton pull no punches with political satire and familiar zombie faces.

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-22-01-pm11. Mystery Society
When Nick and Anastasia win the lottery, they pursue their dreams. They chase down conspiracy rumors, thwart the government and break into Area 51. What fun! Nick and Anastasia’s antics are beautifully illustrated by the fabulous Fiona Staples and wonderfully penned by Steve Niles. screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-25-45-pm

12. The Cape
What happens when a loser learns his childhood blanket posses super powers? He turns his life around, rights wrongs and fights for justice right? No that’s not how Eric does things. Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella take us on a dark ride of vengeance led by a man with super strength and the ability to fly.

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-26-44-pm13.  Astonishing X-men vol. 3 “Gifted” Issues 1-6
Cyclops forms a new team of X-men to watch over mutant youth. The team’s first assignment, stop an alien holding human hostages. Oh and a mad scientist has come up with a cure for the mutant gene. Joss Whedon writes the return of Kitty Pryde with style and flair.screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-18-22-pm

14. Rachel Rising
Go out for a night on the town and wake up in a shallow grave with a noose still tired around your neck; thus the beginning of Rachel Rising by the illustrious Terry Moore. Its a murder mystery and so much more as Rachel tries to find her killer while fighting the likes of Lilith and Malus.

img_582115. Superman: Red Son
In 2003, Mark Millar penned an elseworld story that imagined a baby Kal-El landing in the Ukraine during the age of Stalin. Comrade Superman is an easy pawn for a communist regime. screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-30-05-pm

16. All Star Superman
There’s nothing like a Superman comic written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quietly. Clark/Superman is oh so human, so compassionate, he shows his vulnerabilities, offers his powers to Lois and makes the ultimate sacrifice for a stranger.

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-30-42-pm17. Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft
A tragedy in their home forces a family to relocate to an estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. Soon it’s discovered there are forces in play that manipulate everyone associated with Key House. It’s the ultimate fight between good and evil, thanks to Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-33-50-pm

18. Stuff of Legend
Into the Dark to rescue the Boy, a group of toys and his pet dog venture to fight The Booegyman. Mike Racist, Brian Smith and Charles P Wilson compose a melancholy tale of courage and betrayal.

screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-37-19-pm19. 30 Days of Night
It’s a vampire’s dream, a remote town full of warm blood and no sunlight in sight. All that’s needed is to cut off all communication inside and out and let the feeding begin. A master of horror tales Steve Niles hones a vampire narrative for the modern age; Ben Templesmith aptly provides the images.screen-shot-2017-01-20-at-9-36-51-pm

20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 “Long Way Home” Issues 1-4
Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty bring us the eighth season of everyone’s favorite vampire slayer. Buffy is operating in a world full of other slayers yet the threat of world annihilation has not lessened. This comic picks up where the television show left off.

img_581821. RASL
On the surface, Jeff Smith introduces a character that appears to be a raging alcoholic art thief who has the means to travel between dimensions of earth. Who is RASL and how did he come upon The Drift?

All in all it was a day well spent.

Bone the Great Adventure

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img_5590

I’ve been reading some really good comics lately and it has helped as I recover from my depression. I have been tweeting about some of the stories but for the most part I want to mention them here. My current loves are: Clean Room, Giant Days, Postal, Saga, Mae, Black Hammer, Harrow County and Dept. H. I tried some new comics recently, “Spell on Wheels” and “Seven to Eternity”. So far I have been quite pleased with both. I imagine as I heal and am more myself, there will be more books added to my list. For now, this is good I think. img_5583

In between playing Pokémon Go (yes I still play though Niantic keeps updating the fun right out of it), I have been reading some olimg_5587d stuff and some new stuff. I revisited Bone, a truly wondrous tale by the great Jeff Smith.

At one point I had 4 copies of the one volume edition, I gave one away (to encourage more fans), yet still have three. One is a reader copy, the one read through most recently and man did I finger those pages (haha). One is a limited edition leather volume with lovely gold foil.  My last copy is part of a limited edition box set that I never opened. I adore the thing too much to take the plastic off.

What starts off as a fun-filled silly adventure morphs into a ‘Lord of the Rings’ rival. It’s entertaining, full of drama and imaginative. Still re-reading Bone got me excited to finally read my copy of Bone: CODA. img_5589I love that it picked up right where the original tale left off. As a fan of this story and its creator, what a great way to start a new chapter.

Leaving Megalopolis

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IMG_2452Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Writers: Gail Simone
Artist: J. Calafiore

Super heroes no longer fight crime, protect the public or seek justice. Instead, all the super-beings in this world have been infected with a virus. A virus that turns them against the people they once protected, and whom they now hunt for sport. Carnage and death ensue.IMG_2453

The story starts with a lone police officer walking cautiously down a deserted city street, chaos and destruction is all around her. What follows sets the tone for the story: a human body falls from the sky and splatters on the ground in the officer’s vicinity. Leaving Megalopolis is a tale of survival in modern America. A small band of people attempt escape the city limits while being dogged, if not herded, by murderous capes and tights.

Leaving Megalopolis focuses the human mind and how it behaves under extreme duress, and that is exactly what you get in this dark tale written by the illustrious Gail Simone. IMG_2456The story is jammed packed with all kinds of delicious details. All the action takes place within the city limits, and there’s a hidden twist at the end. (No spoilers!) Plus, we learn about human will, self-sacrifice, personal loss, treachery and redemption.

Cool Factor:
Can you speak, move, or breath quietly enough so as not to attract the attention of a killer with super-hearing?IMG_2455

Format:
Hardcover, Trade paperback

Gotham by Gaslight: A Tale of Batman

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IMG_1526Gotham by Gaslight: A Tale of Batman

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Brian Augustyn

Artist: Michael Mignola

What would happen if the great detective went up against one of London’s most famous serial killers? In 1989 DC Comics tried something a little different with one of their main characters; they allowed Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola to pen a one-shot Batman tale outside of Batman’s continuum. Gotham By Gaslight is set in Gotham during the 1800s, where a woman has been murdered a`la Jack the Ripper style. Thus begins a dark and suspenseful tale of Batman versus Jack the Ripper. Who is the killer? How did he come to be in Gotham? Is Jack the Ripper really Bruce Wayne? The story has a great period drama feel to it, with all the assumed pomp and circumstance. In Gaslight, as in the original series, Bruce’s parents are killed by a robber, which–in turn–sets Bruce on a quest for vengeance. Yet, in this story, he spends some time in London, learning detectives skills from Scotland Yard. Bruce happens to be in living during the time of the Ripper murders.

IMG_1520This version of Batman looks every bit the part of a highwayman and, of course, this is to strike fear in his enemies. Though Batman’s important utility belt is still present, it is full of anti-crime deterrents such as: rope, knives, and smoke pellets. The story was so successful that DC Direct created a Gotham by Gaslight Batman action figure in 2007. The detail was exceptional, and closely resembled the character concept of the graphic novel.

Currently there is a live-action version of Gaslight in the works by James Campbell, it is called Ripper. You can watch the teaser trailer here. Also feel free to visit the Facebook page for Ripper, as it has come very cool concept art to boot.

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Cool Factor: Gotham by Gaslight is the very first Elseworld title from DC and is one of the few with a standalone sequel.

Format: Trade paperback