Comic Books

Megalopolis, the new movie from Francis Ford Coppola, is getting dragged pretty heavily. There's lots of drama surrounding it and the trailer that dropped yesterday has been pulled because it uses some made up negative critic quotes about The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Dracula.

Archive of the trailer here:

https://youtu.be/KKP6y7FNOTw

What I find stunning is you could tell me it's an adaptation of the comic book "Mister X" and I would totally believe you!

Mister X is pretty obscure now, but it was a popular indie book back in the 80s, originally illustrated by Jaime Hernandez of Love and Rockets fame.

The basic premise is an architect was hired to design a city using the premise of "psychetecture". Architecture designed to promote mental health and well being. Sort of the polar opposite of Lovecraftian architecture.

Naturally, business interests interfered, altered his designs, and now the city is driving people mad. Mister X takes it on himself to correct the problems his city is causing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_X_(Vortex)

"Mister X's influence can be seen and was acknowledged in films like Terry Gilliam's Brazil,[6] Tim Burton's Batman,[7] and Alex Proyas' Dark City.[8]"

The author, Dean Motter, followed Mister X with related books "Electropolis" from Image comics and "Terminal City" from Vertigo, all worth reading.

So if you catch the trailer for Megalopolis and go "Well that looks interesting..." or are a fan of Brazil, Batman or Dark City, here's some reading material for you:

Mister X - The Archives:
https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3000-129/Mister-X-The-Archives-TPB

Electropolis:
https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/16-341/Electropolis-TPB

Terminal City:
https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/terminal-city-1996/terminal-city

Terminal City: Aerial Graffiti
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Terminal_City:_Aerial_Graffiti_Vol_1_1

There is a "Complete Terminal City" graphic novel, but it's hard to find.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/40107300

The fifth standalone comic for Avatar: The Last Airbender arrives in stores today!

Focussing on fan-favourite Iroh and June, the synopsis reads:

When his tea supply suddenly and mysteriously dries up, Iroh goes in search of answers and finds himself captured by a familiar face—bounty hunter June! Iroh must confront a part of his past while June considers her future, but however things go…someone’s got to free the tea!

In mass market stores Aug 20, comic book shops Aug 21.

Amazon – Barnes and Noble – AbeBooks

Almost 40 years after he first appeared in the pages of Swamp Thing, John Constantine's early years are getting reprinted in a deluxe hardcover compendium. This massive first volume collects Constantine's solo adventures, and it's currently priced at $139.50 (normally $150) on Amazon ahead of its October 15 release. At almost 1,600 pages in length, this is a gigantic tour across the seedy supernatural underbelly of London, and it comes with a ton of extra content as well.

This particular run was written by Jamie Delano, who helped establish Constantine and his world through dozens of comic book issues, creating a complex and captivating character. There are some terrific tales here, like The Fear Machine and The Family Man, and the art from John Ridgway, Richard Piers Rayner, Stephen R. Bissette, and other illustrators helped define a dark style of storytelling that became a trademark of Hellblazer comics. Here's the full list of what you're getting inside of this compendium:

• Hellblazer #1-22
• John Constantine: Hellblazer Annual #1
• Swamp Thing (Vol. 2) #65-77 *The Sandman #3

Additionally, there's a brand-new foreword by Garth Ennis--another famous Hellblazer writer--a brand-new introduction by Delano, the never-before-seen proposal for the Hellblazer series, the full script for issue #2, and more content around the production of the series that has never been seen before.

Fresh list is up! Looks like a short one for me this week but that's ok!

My Bad Escape From Peculiar Island #4 - This one is stupid and weird and I've been digging it, Thomas Jefferson vs some guy lmao.

Epitaphs From The Abyss #2 - This one I was so excited for the first issue but instead of having good stories it felt like it was just preaching to me sponsored by the DNC. It doesn't matter if I agree with many of the "lessons" they were trying to "teach me" either, it felt very condescending in a "hello fellow kids" way like some kind of food pyramid comic from the 90s. And the icing on the cake is the goddamn "weird fantasy" reboot Cruel Universe had "scarier" stories than this "horror" reboot! I'm going to give it another issue or two but this might get dropped pretty fast.

Standstill #1 - Not gonna lie I'm only slightly interested in this but since there's not much else for me this week I may check it out. Guy steals a time stopping device and commits crimes, the inventor has to stop him. Could be good though, we'll see!

That's it for me, what's on your lists this week?

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16337581

The father of cosmic horror that gave readers such monsters as Cthulhu was writer H.P. Lovecraft, whose most famous tale "The Call of Cthulhu," is a short story written in 1926 published in Weird Tales, a pulp magazine in February 1928.

Inspired by his grandfather's Gothic stories and Edgar Allen Poe, among others, Lovecraft's stories tell stories of men unlocking forbidden and indescribable knowledge, fate, civilizations in decline, and other dark themes. Many comic creators have followed in Lovecraft's steps with their own takes on this genre, writing stories in the same vein, adding the visual component to the written word.

They are:

1. Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter
2. Gideon Falls
3. Dynamite Comics' Re-Animator
4. Dr. Herbert West & Astounding Tales in Medical Malpractice
5. Revival
6. Nameless
7. Harrow County
8. The Courtyard/Neonomicon/ Providence
9. The Wake
10. Locke & Key

List is up! Come amd get it!

From The World Of Minor Threats Barfly #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Evan Dorkin) - Our protagonist Shiteater is back in issue #2! And I love Evan Dorkin.

Into The Unbeing Part One #3 - This has been weird, I like weird.

Batman Gotham By Gaslight The Kryptonian Age #3 - Some decent Batman so far. Idk what elseworlds is actually, but this is that.

From The DC Vault Death In The Family Robin Lives #2 (Of 4) -Great old Batman! Need more classic rereleases like this, I've missed all of them.

Falling In Love On The Path To Hell #3 - This book is fucking cool. No two ways about it. So cool in fact it's now billed as "Your new favorite ongoing" by Image, looks like it has been extended, and I'm here for it! Issue #5's teaser says "This series is stabby, shooty, and horny, and you know you need it," and that's a pretty good summary lol.

Geiger #5 - Super Fallout Man vs The Cannibals in a quest to save his dog. Let's go! Get your dog back buddy!

Precious Metal #3 (Little Bird Series) - Issue #1 was actually my intro to the Little Birdiverse, but I now have all the back issues. I think I'm going yo finish out Precious Metal since iirc it is a prequel, and then start on Little Bird.

Dick Tracy #4 - Been digging this one.

That's it for me this week, what's on your list?

Note: I have finished the main series first.

Like sell digital full sized comics? It seems like most creators choose web comics or normal comics and rarely do both.

I’ll start first: I’ve read the following physically:

1. Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1
2. Marvel Penguin Classics - Spider-Man
3. Marvel Penguin Classics - Captain America

And lastly, I’ve read this one comic digitally:

4. Hellboy Omnibus Vol. 4 - Hellboy in Hell

EDIT: I have just finished Hellboy on Hoopla.

List is up! Short one for me, but that's all good!

Lester Of The Lesser Gods #3 - Last one of the series, this one is truly stupid, but it gets at least one good laugh out of me every issue so far

Ain't No Grave #4 - This series is great, dying cowboy lady on the way to kill death.

Space Ghost #4 - Space Ghost rules! I wish there was a fake funny letters column in the style of Space Ghost Coast to Coast but can't win em all.

EC Cruel Universe #1 - It's here. I was actually pretty disappointed by the first Epitaphs of the Abyss, I'm gonna give them both a few issues, but I hope it gets a bit better. As for Epitaphs if it stays the same I'll just stick to Creepshow (which is amazing and getting a Vol 3 this fall!) so no love lost!

That's it for me, what's on your lists?

This 1989 comic is the earliest issue of the War Journel series I have.

It introduces the villain Bushwacker. A former priest who was experimented on by the CIA, which gave him cybernetic arms, covered in a synthetic fake skin, which contain a variety of guns. He then went rogue and began working as a freelancer killer for hire.

The comics opens with an actual kind of interesting structure where on the left side of the pages Bushwacker carries out a hit, and on the right side the Punisher takes out drug dealers at a dock.

Bushwhacker is taking out a high end artist, and he gets some absolutely hammy one liners.

I really think the framing of the shadow of Bushwacker against a bloody victim is really well done.

While Bushwacker is busy with that, Frank is doing Frank things and taking out organized criminals. I really liked the detail of him switching to gas rather than high explosives when he wasn't sure if the area was clear of bystanders. Frank is crazy, but he's still notionally a hero.

Bushwhacker is in a rut, but is offered a big score. He is going to take out The Punisher.

Frank and Bushwacker showdown on motorcycles.

After both bikes crash they have a brief firefight leading into a game of cat and mouse in a building where the issue ends.

In book ads:

This comic is something of a fluff issue that feels like an excuse to draw Rogue in a bathing suit, although it also sets up some plot threads of note.

Credits:

It starts off with a sour Wolverine trying to piece together missing pieces of his past. He is interrupted by Scott and Jubilee. Proof positive that the book was written in the 90s:

Logan and Professor-X do have some actual heart to heart dialog throughout the issue.

While Logan simmers, Bishop is being officially accepted to the X-Men.

Bishop doesn't trust Gambit based on snippets of information he has from the future that make him suspect Gambit is a traitor. Everyone sticks up for Gambit, especially Rogue.

Then, for reasons, the whole team goes to the lake on the estate to wear swimwear and flirt.

Bishop shows up to continue his fight with Gambit. The stakes are low, though. To the point where Gambit throws a charged up pie at Bishop, misses and hits Rogue, and both Gambit and Bushop stop their fight to have a laugh.

Eventually a mysterious woman shows up for Gambit.

She is revealed to be Gambit's wife, who is married to him as part of an arrangement between thieves and assassins down in the bayou. The peace created by their marriage has been broken, and Gambit (and members of the X-Men tagging along) prepare to head out in the final pages.

In one last post script page, for some reason, Ghost Rider shows up.

In book ads: