My Subscription Standings, or Why I Don’t Read More Superheroes
- Posted by Johanna on November 12, 2008 at 7:37 pm
- Category: Superhero Reviews
KC and I have been revisiting our monthly comic reading. It’s dropping drastically. On my end, it’s because the books I like keep getting cancelled. The latest victim is Blue Beetle, which Dan Didio confirmed has been cancelled. Since X-Men: First Class ended, that leaves me reading Marvel’s maxiseries The Twelve… and nothing else.
I used to like Booster Gold, Green Arrow/Black Canary, and The Brave and the Bold, but the books changed when the creative teams did, and not for the better.
I wouldn’t mind reading a couple more good titles, but they seem to be leaving me behind. And I don’t see anything coming up I’m excited by.
19 Responses to “My Subscription Standings, or Why I Don’t Read More Superheroes”
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November 12, 2008 at 7:56 PM
I guess I feel like Booster Gold is pretty much the same as it was under Johns & Katz. I’m still enjoying it.
You’re not reading Nova or Guardians of the Galaxy? I love both those books. Even the tie-in issues are good or good+.
I recently decided to add the main Green Lantern title. I was unimpressed with the first 6 issues and dropped it then, but decided to come back after looking through some of the later stuff.
November 12, 2008 at 8:13 PM
Similar boat here. This morning I made a list of titles I’m reading, and realized that more than half of them are either being canceled or were miniseries to start with.
November 12, 2008 at 8:14 PM
I felt that the mood of the Booster Gold comic changed, from playful to grim and important, continuity-wise.
I don’t care for Abnett & Lanning’s writing or cosmic titles, unfortunately. But I’m glad you’re enjoying them.
November 12, 2008 at 8:30 PM
What? They cancelled Blue Beetle? Aww, phooey. I don’t read many comics (make that almost none) but I try to keep up with what’s going on/popular so I can buy for my teen and juvenile section…I hold you responsible, I read Blue Beetle on your recommendation and really liked it, and now there’s no mooooore.
November 12, 2008 at 8:30 PM
I’m hoping that once Dan Jurgens takes over writing chores, that Booster will pick back up.
Marvel, I’m still enjoying Captain America when the trades come out.
Uhm… not much else jumps out. I was going to try Tomasi’s Nightwing in a trade, but with it canceled I don’t see the point now.
November 12, 2008 at 8:40 PM
It’s true, it’s my fault. I like and recommend a superhero, it’s like the kiss of death.
November 12, 2008 at 8:57 PM
Well, if you liked X-Men First Class, I imagine you’d like Jeff Parker’s similar light-hearted Marvel superhero comics, like Marvel Adventures Avengers (all the MA titles are usually pretty decent, but the Avengers is certainly the top of the heap) and Age of the Sentry (a miniseries, but a great one).
Wolverine First Class is also pretty similar to X-Men First Class (#2 was one of my most favorite-est super-comics of the year; the last two issues were a little more superhero-y than the previous ones, though; I’d start with #2 or the sleepover issue if I were you).
I can’t really think of anything close to Blue Beetle and/or Booster Gold tonally. Maybe Incredible Hercules…? (Teenage protagonist, semi-humorous hero, as much emphasis on comedy and character as on punching).
November 12, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Oh, I’d been reading Parker’s Adventures books, but he’s off of them now, isn’t he?
Oh, that’s right, I liked the Wolverine First Class with the girls chasing after Colossus. Thanks for the reminder.
I was tempted to try the book by the Hercules panels I saw with him giving the thumbs up, but that character’s never really meant much to me.
November 12, 2008 at 9:56 PM
I was going to recommend W:FC after reading your intro, since it’s thematically similar to X:FC. Tangentially, I think Van Lente and Tobin do as good a job on their various Marvel Adventures books as Parker does.
I would also recommend Captain Britain, written by sometime-DR WHO writer Paul Cornell (whose FF mini just finished, the one sort of like the Thursday Next novels).
November 12, 2008 at 10:15 PM
Like James Schee, I’m hoping when Dan Jurgens takes over the writing position on Booster Gold (in December?) that it goes back to a lot of fun. Fingers crossed.
And you should totally check out the latest storyline on Incredible Hercules. Really funny and fun, and as an added bonus the best sound effects in a comic. The last issue included, among others:
* Kasploooom!
* Skrrakkkabadooom!
* Crakkajamma!
* Sploingbrraahhhm
* Shrakwash!
* Skrim! Skraam!
* Shakaaam!
* Schmackooom!
* Gwap!
* Frmrrrl
* Aqwooooommm
* Splurrrgoi
* Lqwwwrrrggh
* Kakkakkraakk
* Obrrrrg!
* Unlrrqq!
Need I say more?
November 12, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Those are funny, but what’s the story about?
November 13, 2008 at 2:08 AM
You absolutely don’t want to read “Incredible Herc”, Johanna. The adventures of a big ol’ loveable goofball stumbling through the Marvel Universe with a smile on his face and a song in his heart is just totally the opposite of fun. Not to mention that Amadeus Cho’s constant success through brain power and snark would just insult your intelligence. I say this as a friend and because I care about you, you want to stay as far away from this book as you can.
Now Jeph Loeb’s “Hulk”, there is a book that I can say is 100% deserving of your attentions. In fact, I don’t think you can recomend it strongly enough. Or fast enough.
November 13, 2008 at 4:54 AM
At the moment, my favorite superhero comic is Wonderwoman. While it is a very serious book, it does have a playful side as well.
I am a big Simone fan, so I’m probably a bit biased.
I’d recommend Spidergirl as well, although that has been canceled too.
Other than that, my current favorites list includes Zorro. His book is a lot of fun.
On the grim side, I like Green Lantern and Captain America.
Jim
P.S. I’ve been having problems with your RSS feed. Has something changed recently?
November 13, 2008 at 7:11 AM
David, I see what you did there. I’ll see if we have copies of Herc around here.
Jim, no, not that I’ve done. What’s the problem? Please email so we can get this resolved.
November 13, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Right now, I’d heartily recommend Justice Society of America and WonderWoman.
I just dropped Booster Gold this week, and we seem to have similar tastes.
November 13, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Johanna — Incredible Herc is a buddy comedy/adventure story, as the slightly dimwitted but goodnatured (and meaning well) Hercules is teamed up with the ultra-intelligent teenager Amadeus Cho (and at times slightly manipulative, although his time with Herc is making him a beter person).
It’s a mixture of superheroes and mythic inspired adventures; their big “Secret Invasion” tie-in story had to do with gods from different pantheons uniting to try and defeat the arrival of the Skrull’s god, which was a pretty clever twist on the whole shenanigans.
Right now Herc, Amadeus, and Namora are tangling with a renegade group of Amazons, with Namor, the Lemurians, and a medusa thrown in for good measure. Very silly and really fun.
November 13, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Thanks, everybody, for your suggestions — I’m trying out a couple of them soon.
Jamie, I had no idea that Jerry Ordway was drawing Earth-2 Infinity Inc. characters in JSA!
November 25, 2008 at 9:56 PM
[...] on a reader recommendation, I tried Captain Britain and MI: 13. Even though it was a Secret Invasion tie-in, and I [...]
November 27, 2008 at 6:56 PM
[...] on reader recommendation, I tried The Incredible Hercules, and I’m glad I did. Now I have a superhero title I can [...]