#she was on the last page of every volume of that shitty shitty manga posting with her rifle in stockings. I hope shes doing good

[pattymelterqp]

GuP /ak/ translator tgirl... I miss you

[keyofjetwolf]

Jet Wolf Summarizes Act 45

The manga and I kind of hate each other. This is unfortunate, but still, I’m determined to come out of this with something. Rather than spend energy on a liveblog that’s increasingly negative, I’m reading each manga act (mostly) silently, and then writing up summaries at the end. I won’t pull my punches. There’s going to be criticism and snark about the manga, either wholesale or in details. If that isn’t a thing you feel like reading, please skip this post!

It’s not that I’m disappointed by how surprised I’m not by anything that happened here. It’s more like the resigned haze of going through a vaguely unpleasant experience. Like going to the dentist. You’ll never be happy to go, but you take a deep breath every six months and sit in the chair and get on with it.

Only this is weekly. And I can’t put it off for three years. ALSO I DON’T GET A LITTLE PLASTIC TOY AT THE END WHERE IS MY LITTLE PLASTIC TOY GOD DAMMIT

Anyway, I hate myself, SO IT’S MANGA TIME.

A brand new volume brings the same old shit, as we open with the Inners incapacitated and helpless. Remember how furious I was back in Crystal that I spent several hours combing through the fucking thing to calculate how much collective time the Inner Senshi spent knocked out or otherwise unable to fight? LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT WOULD BE THE MOST ACCURATE FUCKING PART OF THE WHOLE SERIES.

So the Outers burst in, all eyeless and mysterious. But not so mysterious that Haruka can’t be a fucking asshole to Michiru, who is also there. They transform in full view of the Quartet, which in no way seems contradictory to their vows to keep everyone safe. They free the Inners, who spend the next twenty pages or so simply saying the Outers’ names and otherwise doing nothing. Or so you’d think. Off-panel, the girls stand at their portable mini-bar and talk about their job search while CPR dummies in cheap store-bought Senshi costumes seamlessly replace them. After about fifteen minutes, Michiru has joined them. She didn’t bother with a stand-in. Nobody on-panel notices.

Artemis is a cat again. Minako picks up the vodka, pours a shot, and then drinks directly from the bottle.

At Usagi’s house, she’s suffering from Black Rose Syndrome. They still manage to work in Mamoru.

Back in the fight with the Quartet, Pluto lays down the most absurd fucking shit that I actually yelled when I read it.

THIS DOESN’T MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE

"We can’t avoid our destiny, which is protecting Usagi (and Mamoru too for no fucking good reason I guess), so we’ll do all we can to do the thing we are destined to do to overcome that destiny in order to make a new one which will be identical in all respects to the old one for the next thousand years, minimum.”

SAYING “FATE” AND “DESTINY” A LOT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING TO AFFECT IT PLUTO AND YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD GET THAT

This entire part makes me so fucking angry. If the manga has reinforced anything, it’s the idea of its characters having exactly no will or control over anything that happens do them. Their personalities are paper thin and their devotion never justified, so literally all that’s left is “because reasons”. And if you want that as a central point of your story, by all means. But you don’t ALSO then get to wave your hand and try to claim this dramatic push toward freedom and choices. IT’S NOT AN “IT’S COMPLICATED” RELATIONSHIP STATUS HERE YOU’VE NOT PUT IN THE WORK TO EARN THAT AND I RESENT YOU TRYING

Or put another way:

Anyway, through all of this, the Inners have been trying to reach Usagi, but she caught mono from Mamoru and it’s not working. So the Outers try, and THAT Usagi picks up. Off panel, Rei drains the last of her whiskey, throws the bottle into the wall, and storms out.

Usagi’s wide awake now and reduced to tears that the Outers showed back up again. I know I always feel the same level of emotion when thinking of a reunion with a small group of people I had five conversations with, only one of which was not directly threatening in some way. IT IS THE STUFF FEELINGS ARE MADE OF

Michiru’s mirror reappears, acknowledging her existence and thereby proving itself unique in all the Sailor Moon mangaverse.

Usagi runs outside, only to see Mamoru running to her. He heard her voice calling out to him. I can’t help but think that things would be a lot more bearable if earbuds had been invented.

You know, something I’ve had to deal with hearing a lot since starting this rewatch project is how the characters are so much smarter in the manga.

The time period between all the Inner Senshi entering that tend and the Outers arriving was, at absolute best, about ten minutes. The Inners were going to the exact same circus show every single day for like two weeks, and the bad guys were laying their global conquest plan WITH THEM RIGHT THERE, so effectively that they could spring it in less time than it takes to watch the average Steven Universe episode, and they still didn’t know what the fuck was going on until someone else told them. I’m not saying the anime had everyone operating at peak observational performance here, I’m just saying I don’t want to hear shit about comparative intelligence again. THE NARRATIVE MAKES CONVENIENT FOOLS OF ALL

Chibs runs through town, noticing how dark it’s getting and how generally shitty Juuban is. Usagi and Mamoru catch up to her, just in time to unite with the other Senshi for ~drama~. Zirconia and Nehellenia appear with my new favourite phrase.

USE IT AT YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE AND ENJOY THE REPERCUSSIONS

Immediately, Usagi coughs up blood and collapses. HARUKA IS ALARMED

Michiru finishes her wine and moves to the brandy.

Lots of things GLOW and Pegasus answers the call of “could this possibly be less interesting”. He appears out of nowhere and utilizes what is without question the creepiest fucking “good guy” power I have ever seen.

THE POWER TO MAKE PEOPLE EIGHT YEAR OLDS

GOD I AM SO UNSETTLED RIGHT NOW THAT PEGASUS CAN JUST DO THIS AT WILL

What purpose does this de-aging serve, you ask? WHO THE FUCK KNOWS THE STORY DOESN’T FEEL YOU NEED AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION

Then Pegasus fades, and so do Usagi and Mamoru, and the Senshi freak out as they realize that means they have to carry the story on their own. But the issue realizes what a terrible idea that is too, and it shifts to Chibs and Hotaru, who have run off alone to pursue Nehellenia. Why just them? FUCK YOU THAT’S WHY

They encounter the Quartet, and Hotaru spends a not inconsiderable amount of time trying to convince them that they’re really good. I would like to point out how this is the first time literally anyone in this story hasn’t killed a mini-boss on sight, and how nonsensical and contrived it feels because of that. ONCE AGAIN THIS WAS SO FUCKING EASY TO AVOID

Then shit kind of happens I guess, it’s hard to tell. There are orbs and mirrors and people sucked into both. Then I think they go to Nehellenia, or maybe she’s at a rummage sale and delighted by all the savings.

Next time:

MAMORU’S LONE DISTRESSING NIPPLE

[studentsofshield]

2015 Comics Holiday Gift Guide Part 1 - For the Movie Fans

By Vincent Faust

(This was originally published on December 14, 2015)

Happy holidays! Whether you’re a Catholic, Jew, an observant of Kwanzaa or simply a standard slave to consumerist culture, you’ll be giving gifts to those you love. Is your father a boomer who will tell you how he used to love Thor growing up, but hasn’t picked up a four color page in decades? Is there an obnoxious young cousin in your life that could use some action packed stuff to shut her up? Maybe you treat yourself to some things too – courtesy of Santa perhaps? Well, as this club’s self-professed lord of all things comics, I’ve thrown together a handy holiday gift guide.

If you skip to the end, I have a basic list of all my recommendations if you want to bypass all my fluff. I include Amazon links throughout, but most of these books should also be available at your local comic shop (which you can find here) or run of the mill book store. I also recommend instocktrades.com for saving some money (free shipping on orders over $50).

Are you a newcomer to the superhero subculture? Maybe you found yourself among us because of Robert Downey Jr.’s undeniable wit, Chris Hemsworth’s luscious locks or Christopher Nolan’s masterful trilogy? The CW is doing some great things with Arrow, Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Netflix can apparently only hit home runs, with Daredevil and Jessica Jones so far. Maybe you know that the world will be pummeled with over two dozen more superhero flicks by 2020, and you feel that you may as well willingly submit to your new geek overlords before you’re forced to do so. Here are some selections to prepare you for upcoming blockbusters or to delve deeper into some recent gems.

1. Jessica Jones

After Fredric Wertham nearly destroyed the medium with faulty science, the Comics Code Authority was created in 1954 as a self regulatory agency for the comics industry. Marvel remained an adherent of the censorship club until 2001. 

Jessica Jones was introduced in the series Alias, which served as the flagship title for Marvel’s Max imprint. Max was about leaving creators free to use mature/explicit themes as they saw fit. 

Alias also served as another early stepping stone in the explosive career of Brian Michael Bendis. He had already started his legendary run of Ultimate Spider-Man and was just a few months into his classic Daredevil tale. In 2015, Bendis is a multiple award winning writer and the primary architect of the Marvel Universe. 

For fans of the Netflix show, the Purple Man/Killgrave isn’t really brought up until the last five issues of the 28 issue run. It’s a slow burn character study and less of a “big bad of the week” kind of feel. Besides Bendis’ quick, natural dialogue and intriguing plotting, Alias is graced by Michael Gaydos’ noirish pencils (uplifted by Matt Hollingsworth’s colors) and David Mack’s iconic painted/collage covers. Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator Mark Bagley also does wonders on occasional flashback sequences.

Alias is collected across four trade paperbacks titled Jessica Jones: Alias. Volume 1 is here. The entire series can be grabbed together in a hardcover omnibus edition, with the added bonus of oversized pages. Here it is. 

To continue Jessica’s story, the next step is The Pulse. Still penned by Bendis, but with a more diversified art cast, the series covers Jessica’s new job at the Daily Bugle and her continuing relationship with Luke Cage. This trade paperback collects the whole series and includes the pair’s adorable wedding as a bonus.

2. Civil War

Whose side are you on? Every Marvel fan will have to make that decision on May 6, 2016 when Captain America: Civil War kicks off Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by splitting the Avengers down the middle over philosophical and legal quandaries. 

The anticipated film will be loosely based on Mark Millar’s 2006 mega hit miniseries. For better or worse, Civil War was a huge success for Marvel and would kick off their current summer event strategy that continues to this day. Nearly every single ongoing series being published got drawn into the overall tale, several miniseries popped up to run alongside it, and even series with no connection had no choice but to acknowledge it. 

I’ll spoil it a bit and say that you will probably hate Tony Stark after reading the series. Civil War is incredibly divisive to this day, but at its core is a fun action romp with some barely noticeable post-9/11 philosophical questions brewing under the surface.

The seven issue mini is collected in an affordable trade. It can work as a purely standalone work.

If you want to flesh out the broader story more, check out the next entry on this list as well as looking into the Iron Man, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four tie in issues. Unfortunately, some of these trades are out of print and harder to find today; but Marvel is literally reprinting everything in time for the movie. 

If money flows through your veins, you could even splooge for this $500 MSRP box set collecting almost everything remotely relevant to Civil War.

3. The Winter Soldier

Before Steve Rogers was an anti-authoritarian leader in the monolithic Civil War, his long lost best friend and sidekick Bucky Barnes popped back up on the superhero scene. Ed Brubaker was tasked with making Captain America into a hit again after some rocky years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Right off the bat, Brubaker took a huge gamble by breaking a major rule in comics. People joke about death in superhero comics. It doesn’t matter anymore. Jean Grey has died a dozen times (which granted, is the point of the character). Doomsday killed Superman and he was back in less than a year. Despite all these meaningless deaths, many a comic fan used to claim, “no one stays dead except Bucky, Jason Todd and Uncle Ben.” In 2005,  those first two were made moot. Bucky was retconned from being the creepy Robin-like child sidekick to a badass soldier in his own right. The Soviets saved him from death and turned him into a Cold War killing machine. Captain America: Winter Soldier covered the basics pretty faithfully. The original comic story is one of the greatest stories told in the medium though, and knocks the film out of the water.

Brubaker’s very long Captain America saga is collected across several books. The highlights of the run are all at the beginning though. The Winter Soldier arc is conveniently collected in a thick trade. After the major shakeup with Bucky’s return, Brubaker focuses back on Steve for a while in Red Menace, with Crossbones and Sharon Carter making strong appearances. Then Civil War starts its rumblings and something spoilery happens to Steve directly following its finale. It was heavily promoted and reported on by the New York Times, so you should know by now. The third fat collection of Brubaker’s series collects the seminal death of Steve Rogers and the beginnings of Bucky’s time as Captain America. With those three books, you get a whopping 43 issues of stellar comic storytelling. They also work as perfect bookends to Civil War.

4. Batman vs. Superman

This club is called the Students of S.H.I.E.L.D; but it would be naive to think that many of us aren’t huge fans of DC’s characters and stories. It’s also naive to put your fanboy stake in the dirt and not open yourself up to these fantastic tales. 

Personally, I love the Marvel Universe just slightly more than the DCU. However, I think that DC has most of the greatest standalone stories in their stable. Also, Batman. 

With the divisive Man of Steel, Zach Snyder at the helm, an overcrowded cast of cameos, Doomsday showing up for some reason, so on, who knows how Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice will turn out (update - it was terrible). 

If you want to lower your expectations even more, or see where the story can be done right, you should look to comics. Frank Miller revolutionized Batman in 1986/7 by putting out two stories that have since become definitive masterpieces. Batman: Year One showed us Bruce’s fledgling start as the Bat, as well as some juicy Jim Gordon and Selina Kyle backstory. The Dark Knight Returns, on the other hand, was Miller’s stark take on the “end” of Bruce’s life as Batman. The former is blessed by the beautiful art of David Mazzucchelli, while Miller uses his own rough manga/film noir style in DKR. 

Every single Batman story since has drawn on the influence of this indomitable pair. Both books are absolute must haves for anyone who considers themselves a fan of Batman or the comics medium. I am going to highlight DKR, as it includes a famous showdown with Superman. It also inspired Batfleck’s armored suit.

Dark Knight Returns, along with Watchmen, is a major cash cow for DC and can be found literally everywhere. If you want to flex your comic book critic mind, I hesitantly recommend trying out The Dark Knight Strikes Again, the incredibly controversial sequel from 2001. Unlike certain other seminal works, DC at least let Miller do the sequel himself (see: Before Watchmen). 

The thing is, Miller’s work had always had slightly misogynist, racist, xenophobic undertones. But 9/11 happened in the middle of him doing the series, and it noticeably affected the story and his psyche from that point forward. Most comic fans would tell you to completely avoid DK2 and anything he’s done since. Miller’s art is either hideous or esoteric, depending on who you ask. His ex-wife and longtime colorist, Lynn Varley, was also experimenting with digital coloring for the first time. Just like his pencils, some people argue her basic, flat colors are intentional and deconstructionist, whereas others say she did a shitty job. 

If you want to go balls deep, there is an oversized hardcover collecting both series together. DK3: The Master Race is currently being published. Miller allegedly has minimal involvement in it. As of writing this, there is one issue out and reaction has been mixed.

5. The Fantastic Four Aren’t Terrible?

Fox’s most recent mess of a Fantastic Four movie, or “Fan4stic” as people love to call it, may have tarnished the IP for mainstream moviegoers for the indefinite future. 

However, the first family of comics has a storied history in the medium they helped to bring back from the dead. Fantastic Four Vol 1 #1 from November, 1961 may be the most important comic of all time. Spider-Man, Thor, Tony Stark, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Ant-Man wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Susan and Johnny Storm. 

It would be easy to thank the family for their influence and then dismiss them as archaic and irrelevant. But, that would be a major mistake. Some of the greatest Marvel stories have come from the F4. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s mind blowing 102 issue run literally built the Marvel Universe from planet to planet. John Byrne really built up Sue and brought She-Hulk into the extended family. Even Jake’s fabled Walter Simonson did some great stuff on the book. I’m going to focus on two pretty different takes.

Jonathan Hickman wrote Fantastic Four for three years. Hickman is known for his slow burning, epic storylines that build off one another. In 2015, Hickman is infamous for the insane Secret Wars, which is the closest thing Marvel has ever had to a reboot. Secret Wars features Dr. Doom as a godlike figure and ostensibly features Reed Richards as the main character. Longtime Hickman readers will notice developments in the series introduced all the way back in his F4 run. Hickman introduced the FF, or Future Foundation, to the world of Fantastic Four, so the reading order can be a little confusing. 

A quick google search can help you out. The trades you would need would be this one, this one, this one, this one, then this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and finally this one. 

If this seems intimidating, it is. I can say with complete confidence that it is worth it though, especially if you dig crazy science fiction. You can also get it all in one fell swoop across two omnibus volumes here and here. That first one is out of print though and may be an arm and a leg in the secondary market. Good thing I got it while it was available, muahaha. If you come across it at a store though, you’ll score a gem (or an investment to flip on eBay).

So…that Jonathan Hickman guy sounds kind of scary. If you were looking for some Fantastic Four stories with a little bit less emphasis on saving the multiverse, there’s something for you too. Mark Waid wrote the book for a while in the early 2000s. Waid is known for the classic Kingdom Come, as well as classic runs on Captain America, Daredevil, Hulk, Justice League, the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Flash. 

He brought one of his Flash collaborators, Mike Wieringo with him to work on the first family. Wieringo was known for his cartoony, manga inspired style that made everything he drew fun. Waid and Wieringo truly captured the family dynamic of the team. Jack Kirby shows up as a representation of God. Doom does some truly devilish shit. It’s all wonderful. 

You can get it across four trades. Tragically, the industry lost Mike Wieringo at a young age. His work will continue to inspire readers and creators for years though and show that, first and foremost, superheroes should be fun.

6. The Flash

The Flash is probably the hottest superhero property on Television (neatly excluding Daredevil and Jessica Jones since they aren’t technically on TV). The CW hit a home run with Arrow and they’ve since birthed a little universe replete with spinoffs and crossovers. When you think about it, The CW’s shows are the closest parallel to the format of comics. The shows are also going places that a multi-million dollar blockbuster wouldn’t dare, with parallel universes and such. 

Along with showrunners Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, another major player in The Flash is Geoff Johns. Johns is currently the Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics. Starting as an intern for Richard Donner (of The Goonies, Superman 1 and 2 fame), Geoff shifted over to the comics industry and had a meteoric rise. Though he wrote The Avengers for twenty issues, he is most associated with DC’s stable. He’s done character defining work on the Teen Titans, Aquaman, Superman, Booster Gold, Hawkman and the Justice Society. He presently has been writing Justice League since the start of the New 52. 

Among his prolific bibliography, Green Lantern and the Flash stick out the most. Johns brought Hal Jordan back from the grave and turned the Lantern books into DC’s biggest sellers for several years, with smash hits like The Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night. He also resurrected Barry Allen (after a legendary 23 year absence) during a second stint writing the franchise. 

It’s his early work with Wally West that really stands out though. After Mark Waid built up the Speed Force and the legacy aspect of the characters in the 1990s, Johns brought a smile-inducing optimism to the book and fleshed out the infamous Rogues. Despite featuring a different lead character, much of the show’s characterization and tone is lifted directly from Johns’ Flash.

Johns’ first Flash run was originally collected across a buttload of slim trade paperbacks. Most of those are out of print. Then DC collected the whole thing across three big omnibus volumes. These are also out of print, but they had crappy tight binding anyway. 

Starting this year, the material is being recollected again in meaty trades. Here is the first volume that just came out. The second doesn’t come out until May, but will start collecting some of the truly legendary arcs. There will probably be about four of them total. 

If you absolutely need some Barry Allen in your life, you may as well go to Johns’ rebirth of the hero. He followed it up with a short second run that lead right into Flashpoint, the harbinger of the New 52 for better or worse. 

The New 52 is controversial for longtime DC fans, and hit The Flash particularly hard by wiping out the prominent elements of family and history from the title. Barry has never been married to Iris. He never sacrificed himself in Crisis. Wally and Bart are bastardized versions of themselves. Max Mercury and Johnny Quick simply don’t exist. The first 25 issues of the title are worthwhile though, if only for the absolutely beautiful art of Francis Manapul. Those issues are split across the first four trades. Here’s the first one.

7. Doctor Strange

After the destined smash hit Captain America: Civil War, the next piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe puzzle is Doctor Strange. Sherlock fans should be hype for Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme. 

Strange is an interesting character in the Marvel Universe. He dates back to the early days of silver age Marvel in the 1960s. He’s always been a cult favorite B-level hero throughout the years. He started out sharing the title Strange Tales with Nick Fury. The book was the ultimate treat for art nerd comic fans. Fury benefited from both Jack Kirby and Jim Steranko and had a brilliant mix of sleek James Bond style and 60s pop art sensibilities. 

Strange, on the other hand, was one of only a handful of books to get the Steve Ditko treatment. Ditko is the elusive, objectivist, visionary creator of not just Strange, but the Amazing Spider-Man himself. Whereas Peter’s scrawny, dorky physique and his creepy movement were the marks of Steve’s style on Spidey, he used Strange to go completely out there with psychedelia. The ultra conservative Ditko ironically grew to be a major inspiration to a generation of hippies. Strange has always kept that otherworldly edge in the years since.

A Lee/Ditko Dr. Strange omnibus is coming out at some point to tie into the movie. However, there are two fantastic titles that have come out closer to our own lifetimes. The most approachable and mainstream book is The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan. Vaughan is a big name in comics for writing the classic Y: The Last Man. He also has acclaim from Marvel heads for creating the cult teenage book Runaways. He is currently the number one indie darling (outside of maybe the mainstay Kirkman) with his and Fiona Staples’ Saga. Many consider The Oath to be the defining story for Stephen.

The other standout in the sparse Doctor Strange collection library is 1989’s Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph & Torment. Written by Roger Stern, who had extensive experience with the character, and drawn by Mike Mignola, this is a true gem. Mignola is most known for founding the Hellboy/BPRD empire of independent comics over at Dark Horse. His early work at Marvel and DC is not quite as stylized and focused as Hellboy, but still features stunning art from a master of the medium. Doom goes to Stephen for help in freeing his mother’s soul from Hell. The story truly encapsulates why Strange will always be the Sorcerer Supreme at the end of the day, even if Brother Voodoo, Wanda Maximoff or Viktor seem like threats to the title. It’s also one of the best Doom tales.

8. Star Wars

Before the industry revolutionizing Star Wars came out in May, 1977, George Lucas went to Marvel Comics to try and shop a comic licensing deal. Stan Lee infamously turned him away before Roy Thomas convinced him otherwise (having previously seen success with the Conan the Barbarian license). 

Marvel went on to produce 107 issues and change over ten years. They were experiencing some financial and creative trouble in the late 1970s and early 80s, with many of their star artists gone and franchises flailing. Some critics attribute the success of the Star Wars comic (among other licenses like GI Joe and Transformers) to saving the company. 

Marvel stopped publishing the book years before the next big wave of Star Wars interest peaked in the 1990s. By this time, the license had moved to Dark Horse, where huge swaths of the now-killed Expanded Universe were built. In the 2010s, the license has returned to the house of ideas in the wake of Disney gobbling up every entertainment corporation in sight. Both LucasFilm and Marvel are now under the house of mouse. 

Marvel has since started pumping out Star Wars comics like it’s all they do. It seems to be paying off so far. Star Wars #1 was the best selling comic in twenty years, reaching over a million copies sold (yes, this is a tiny industry). The Star Wars line is basically paying for any weird experiments Marvel wants to try in the MU. If only DC could get a cash cow like this (besides Batman). An important note is that every Star Wars issue published by Marvel since January 2014 is completely canon.

Besides the fact that people would probably buy them anyway, Marvel’s Star Wars books are actually pretty great. The key to this success is putting top tier talent on the book, instead of the obscure D-listers and science fiction authors that Dark Horse used (no disrespect to those stories, which are great). 

The main title, Star Wars, is written by Jason Aaron. Aaron is one of the hottest writers of the era, with a long running indie hit (Scalped), an ongoing indie gem (Southern Bastards) and time put into Marvel on Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Punisher and several X-Men titles. He also has a instant classic under his belt (Thor: God of Thunder). 

Aaron’s Star Wars has a revolving door of all-star artists that switch out each arc. So far, John Cassaday and Stuart Immonen have done their time on the book. 

Darth Vader features the talent of Kieron Gillen (Wicked and the Divine, Phonogram, Young Avengers) and the photo realistic Salvador Larroca. Lots of comics peeps prefer Vader as the true standout in the line. 

For the Rebels fans out there, Kanan is another book. That book has no names on it though, but if you look on the bright side, they’re rising stars being given a chance to shine. 

Besides those three current ongoings, Marvel utilizes a miniseries format to tell one-and-done stories. Princess Leia herself got one by Mark Waid and Terry Dodson (another top tier team). Greg Rucka and Marco Chechetto did Journey to Force Awakens, which serves as a prequel to the film. Marvel will literally keep printing these books until the world ends I think. Chewbacca and Lando minis have wrapped up, with collections down the line. For the deranged prequel fans out there, an Obi-Wan and Anakin book is coming. 

If you want a taste of Marvel’s 1970s output, there is a nice hardcover of the first six issues, which served as a New Hope adaptation. Their old adaptations of the rest of the trilogy are available as well. If you want to read the whole series, there are three omnibuses collecting it all. An omnibus of Marvel’s dubious Ewok and droids spinoffs is coming out too. They also have the distribution rights to the Dark Horse material and are reprinting it in Epic Collection volumes. STAR WARS IS TAKING OVER!

9. Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is one of the hottest shows on television. I think it and its new spinoff actually get ratings up there with Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory, only below football programming of course. For the first few seasons, it was the “cool” thing to know that it is based on a comic book. Kind of like people boasting about knowing the plot of Game of Thrones ahead of time due to reading Martin’s novels. Everyone knows The Walking Dead is a comic by now. However, if you enjoy the show and still haven’t tried the book, you need to fix that ASAP. 

The book is written by Robert Kirkman, a major sentinel of creator’s rights. Kirkman is the poster child of the late 2000s mentality that creators don’t need to toil away at Marvel and DC for name recognition before doing their own thing. He and Brian Michael Bendis had a great debate about creator-owned comics that is worth watching for people interested in how money works in this industry. Kirkman is the only partner of Image Comics who is not a founder of the company. TWD remains the only indie comic to rank in the top twenty selling monthly books with consistency. Fun fact: his son is named Peter Parker Kirkman.

Along with his staunch views on creator rights, Kirkman is a big fan of format diversity. The Walking Dead comes in all shapes and sizes. Of course, you can buy the monthly single issues that come out monthly. Those are up to the monolithic #150 though (still trailing Savage Dragon #210 and Spawn #259 though). So, even if you are down to hop on the Wednesdays train, you have some catching up to do. The most simple way to read the book is through the trade paperbacks, which are up to volume 24 at this point. The most cost efficient method is the fat paperback compendiums. There are three so far, and they encompass eight trade paperbacks each (48 issues). 

If you are looking for something sexy to put on your shelf, you have even more options. There are hardcovers that collect twelve issues each with a trim size of 7.5 x 11 inches (compared to 6.8 x 10.2 paperbacks). Going even bigger, for maximum art appreciation, are the omnibus editions which are 8.2 x 12 and collect 24 issues each. All of the various formats collect up to issue 144 so far. If you intend to continue following the series, another thing to keep in mind is how often your format comes out.

I highly recommend www.instocktrades.com. They will offer almost all of these books cheaper than Amazon or brick and mortar stores will. Some of them might not be in stock on Amazon, or more obscure and harder to find in stores, and IST will also be more likely to have them available. Over fifty bucks, free shipping.

1. Jessica Jones – Alias Volume 1, 2, 3, 4 / Omnibus, The Pulse 2. Civil War, Mega Expensive Box Set 3. The Winter Soldier – Brubaker Captain America Vol 1, 2, 3 4. Batman v. Superman – DKR, DKSA / Deluxe HC 5. Fantastic Four – Hickman Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, FF Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, Waid Vol 1, 2, 3, 4 6. The Flash – Geoff Johns Vol 1, Rebirth, Flashpoint, N52 Vol 1 7. Doctor Strange – The Oath, Triumph & Torment 8. Star Wars – Star Wars Vol 1, Darth Vader Vol 1, Kanan Vol 1, Leia, Journey to Force Awakens, A New Hope 9. Walking Dead – TPB Vol 1 / Compendium Vol 1 / HC Vol 1 / Omnibus Vol 1