The best comic books I'm currently reading

[Viking Bastard]

Bendis will be back on DD in a couple of issues. The Echo storyline is just
a fill-in, while he finishes his Ultimate X-Men story (which is a fill-in until IIRC
David Mack takes over) and works on the upcoming Ultimate FF.

 

[NeuroZombie]

My current list is:

Arrowsmith
1602
Teen Titans (finally a TT comic that feels like the old Wolfman/Perez run)
Oustsiders
Avengers
Formerly known as Justice League (better make this an ongoing....)
The Legion (again, the best legion stories since the 80's)

I am also picking up the Ultimate Fantastic Four when it comes out and it looks great from the previews

 

[Viking Bastard]

Formerly known as Justice League (better make this an ongoing....)

It's currently being planned as a series of mini-series.

The second series, 'I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League' is already in the works.

 

[Piratecat]

Tell me about "Formerly known as Justice League."

Also, can someone give me the scoop on normal Spiderman continuity as to what happened to J. Jonah Jameson's son? He just got mentioned in Ultimate Spiderman (killed in a Space Shuttle accident), and I can't remember if this is canon or not.

 

[Richards]

I'm not sure if he's still alive in the normal Marvel Universe, but J. Jonah Jameson's son was an astronaut who (I'm getting fuzzy on the origin now) I think found a moon rock which adhered itself to his chest and turned him into the Man-Wolf, basically a wolf-headed humanoid werewolf. Spider-Man's fought him a couple of times.

Oh, and "Formerly Known as the Justice League" is a miniseries written by the same team (Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis) that used to write "Justice League" back when it was a quirky little title (Booster Gold and Blue Beetle were prominent members, and that dog-humanoid Green Lantern - Gnorf? something like that - was a player now and again). I haven't been reading it, sadly - the "comic book allowance" only goes so far.

Johnathan

 

[Taren Seeker]

Sorry if this is somewhat OT, but if you're looking for good stuff to read...I also stopped collecting years ago, but I've been going through my old collection and rereading lately. Stuff that stood out for me:

Walt Simonson run of Thor, 337-383. This defined Thor to me and many others. It suffered a bit when Walt stopped drawing, but still had a lot of gems.

Planetary...I only have the first 11 issues, but man o man is it special.

Tom Strong: Only have 1-3 but there is a sense of wonder in those books.

Warren Ellis' run of Stormwatch #37-50. Tom Raney art. The second SW series, while good, just can't top this. Ellis & Raney took a much-maligned generic team book and built it into a gritty, thrilling and sometimes horrific run that laid the foundation for...

The Authority 1-12: Mark Millar's run (past 12) just didn't click with me. Ellis' first 12 are cinematic storytelling at it's best.

Captain America # 444-454: Mark Waid and Ron Garney's 1st, greatest run. Cap never looked or sounded better. Turning the book over to Rob Leifeld for the Heroes Reborn crap may have been one of the biggest tragedies in comics. Even when Waid and Garney came back the energy just wasn't there, and replacing Garney with Kubert killed it. Waid himself has commented that he never should have gone back.

Wildcats by Alan Moore and Travis Charest: Great Storytelling, beautiful art and can probably buy them for a dollar each. James Robinson did a short run before Moore that is also worth reading. IIRC look for #14 to around 28. The end of the run ended weakly but that was due to interference from this huge Wildstorm "Fire From Heaven" crossover project.

Preacher: Just grab Trades of this stuff, esp up to the teens since it would probably cost an arm and a leg to get the issues. Not for kids or those easily offended.

Everybody knows about Astro City already

And finally, if you can dig it out of a bargain bin somewhere...WildStorm Spotlight # 1: Majestic by Alan Moore and Carlos D'Anda(sp). It's the best "End of the Universe" type story I've seen.

Like I said, just a few works that popped out at me. A number of those can probably be found for pretty cheap in bargain bins...get hunting!

 

[Taren Seeker]

I'm not sure if he's still alive in the normal Marvel Universe, but J. Jonah Jameson's son was an astronaut who (I'm getting fuzzy on the origin now) I think found a moon rock which adhered itself to his chest and turned him into the Man-Wolf, basically a wolf-headed humanoid werewolf. Spider-Man's fought him a couple of times.

Johnathan

That sounds about right. IIRC he sacrificed himself to save Spidey and his Dad...and of course according to JJJ it was that lousy webslinger's fault!

Amazing the contortions Marvel went through in the 70's and 80's to blame Spiderman for stuff.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Tell me about "Formerly known as Justice League."

As Richard said, it's the return of the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire
story/scripted/pencilled Justice League International of the late
80s (the cast though the run was J'onn J'onnz as the team leader
and Batman as the guy really in command (used to be a recurring
joke), Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Green Lanterns Guy Gardner and
G'nort, Oberion, Scott Free and Big Barda, Rocket Red, Captain
Marvel and Mary Marvel, Dr. Fate, Green Flame and Ice Maiden,
Black Canary and Maxwell Lord, who was the brain behind the
whole team).

It was really great. Was both insanely imaginative and really funny,
and it didn't take itself too seriously. Then Dan Jurgens took over
and ruined it (damn him!).

Formerly Known as the Justice League has Maxwell Lord gathering
all the 'forgotten' heroes of that JL incarnation (the ones that aren't
in any other teams right now or aren't dead) and created his own
'rival' Justice League, 'The Superbuddies' (actually, originally meant
to be 'Superfriends' but DC wouldn't allow it). It's fun bit of nostalgia
(this is the Justice League I grew up with).

 

[Endur]

When I first read this strip of Captain America stories, I was seriously upset. Mark Waid was re-inventing my hero, and I was pissed. Garney had his ups and downs as an artist, but I liked his rendering of Sharon. Then of course, Rob Liefield took over and it went in a completely different direction.

I suppose this is what happens to comic series. The previous author Mark Gruenwald? had been writing/editing Cap for something like 150+ issues. There was a major change when he left, and the comic book title became rudderless.

On another topic, I have never liked Mark Waid's writing (Flash, Cap, etc), but he did very well with Kingdom Come.

Captain America # 444-454: Mark Waid and Ron Garney's 1st, greatest run. Cap never looked or sounded better. Turning the book over to Rob Leifeld for the Heroes Reborn crap may have been one of the biggest tragedies in comics. Even when Waid and Garney came back the energy just wasn't there, and replacing Garney with Kubert killed it. Waid himself has commented that he never should have gone back.

 

[KidCthulhu]

The only other comic I get is Knights of the Dinner Table, which isn't a comic, per se, but is also a must read,

I still enjoy KoDT, but I liked it so much better when it was a comic. Now it's about 1/3 comic, and 2/3 fluff pieces about Hackmaster and game reviews. Just don't need it. I'd much prefer they sell the comic at a reduced price, and the Hackmaster stuff seperately. Of course, my continued willingness to pay for Hackmaster fluff just so I can get my KoDT is exactly why the configure the magazine as they do.