Other people's ideas

Over on the always updated and always enjoyable to read Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin, he's got a bit of a thought experiment going on about what would happen if the big companies limited their characters to being in one core title only, and one team book. It's a neat little idea, and has given us the concept of Wolverine: The Roaring '20s #1 (guest-starring the Great Gatsby), which sounds like the best idea for a Wolverine comic since the Agent of Shield stuff.

It's got me thinking a little bit about the industry side of comics again, and while I'm not about to make a blanket statement about something I know next to nothing about, I will say that what he's thinking about is kind of how I'm feeling about the whole thing for a while now. I don't buy monthly books anymore, which is just my choice more than anything. Personal finances, not working right next door to a comic shop any longer and well, just wanting to know I'll be getting quality material has lead to this.

I don't want to take a dig at any company but when I'm trying to be better with my finances it just doesn't make sense to have a monthly obligation. There's a lot of good comics out there for good value, the trick is to know what's good. So that means waiting for the new stuff to pass muster from the other reviewers or buying older stuff in collected formats. Sure I think people should collect whatever they like, it's just not really for me, and particularly not at this time. I'm only now reading Alan Moore's Swamp Thing for the first time, which to me feels better than having delayed books on Hero X with too many unknowns about quality. I call it discerning customer taste, you might call it cheap, in the end it's still how I'm reading comics - out of fun and desire to, not out of a sense of obligation.

Oh for the love...

I just found out that my manager is away on an all day "advance." It's called an advance because some genius didn't want to use the word retreat. If I find out who did this I may not be held responsible for punching them right in the fucking throat.

Essex County

Well, my Red Hulk prediction didn't pan out I suppose, but I think it would have been way awesome!

On the flip side of comics, guess who just won an autographed copy of Jeff Lemire's Essex County?

I really loved the first two volumes of this work and will find the time soon to read volume 3. I really think that what's been created here is some of the strongest material to argue for comics as literature. Engaging stories, elegant construction of narrative and subtle questioning of the reader's assumptions are found in what I've read.

REBORN!

From a completely uninformed position: Could it be possible that the Red Hulk is Steve Rogers having an adverse reaction to the super-soldier serum and multiple bullet wounds?