Books and Comics

After finishing a novel of 957 pages, I craved some shorties. Thus, started the Valancourt anthology of horror stories. And, if that is not enough, a collection of Thomas Ligotti. Got the first creeps on the first story. Strong flavour!

Batman: Haunted Gotham. A private comic shop (still around) got it back in stock. I don't know how, since it's not kept in print. I'm a sucker for all stuff Jones, so that's easy. And it's crazy enough to be my jam. But-but CONTINUITY!!

I Am Legend. By Richard Matheson. Man, that dog chapter, huh? And I am not even what you would call a dog person! For its age (1954) it's a pleasant enough read. I Am No Egghead, and yet I think the "science" in it is more than a bit wacky. Explaining folklore and superstition in scientific terms is a farce. The action pieces are slick, though every apocalypse survival type of movie or book payed tribute to it, I feel.

Rant? Maybe? Warning? You're welcome?

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season One: I don't mean to overstate the significance of the original '90s tie-in comics to the cartoon show. They were and still are simple fun in the style of the animation. It's alright in both the art and narrative departments. Those pages didn't hurt the show.
(get a line in to devide the former and the current)
Now. The Continuation. Has all the marks of some cheap pamphlet stuffed together to accompany your new, shiny, plastic action man toy. Some call them collectables. With art and narrative so flat, I was relieved there is no actual cartoon show to get hog-tied-in with. It introduces such heavies as Deathstroke the Terminator and the Jason Todd Red Hood into this and inflates all beyond any fun. There is a short IT (the horror film) ref that is maybe the only fun I had with this, because they didn't overdid it. That's one panel. The rest is so thick with insecurity in quality itself that it's almost teenage angst in print. No breather, bearded reader, we just slap you silly with half-baked plots and cameos CAMEOS CAMEOS. Remember those? They do nothing at all, but get you in that warm self-indulgent mood. If you are immune to it like me, you might slap your forehead. Like a whole lot. Where you in a fight? Oh, no. I just read a current comic book. It's THAT good!
I got just informed in the Metro Dread topic, it's all one can expect in 2021 from an continued series: Yeah, it's really mediocre and often stupid, but you should see THE OTHER STUFF THEY PUT OUT!!

No, thanks. I don't bat that way. Mediocrity doesn't drive me out seeking worse examples. It's fun stuff that get's me off and wanting more of it.
I'm no school like that.

Berserk had one last chapter in it. Not much change from where we would have left off from before. Griffith is just more of a bitch. A pity. Apparently Miura was ready to have them go at it again, too. His heart going out like that...I just don't trust talk of stress. Wouldn't surprise me if the fake vax did him in with one of its many "rare" side effects as with so many others.

>fake vax
Our govt just made it mandatory for health, disability and education sectors. So I can't work if I don't get it by October 30th.

I'm not anti-vax, but all we have is Pfizer and even though rare the side effects freak me out. I've been following Novavax since the beginning and it sounds much safer and happy to take but NZ hasn't approved it yet.

On topic, got back into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

>can't work on X fields
Quite the bother to sue with all their red tape (even before more recent protections).  Would need the money.  Also, new work.  Troublesome, indeed.  Exemption should be possible given what was obviously true even with a real vax (if you want to work religion).  Of course, they would still seek termination with more fear in the government than you if you're not backed by the state, at the very least (then again, you're not in the US, so I have no idea what nonsense you're up against in this regard).  Might want to consider looking into how to fake it (I feel it safe to assume you're not of the class able to just put on a funny hat and have it squirt over your shoulder) or limit the damage you're potentially going to endure so it at least doesn't cripple (or kill) you.

>anti-vax
Irrelevant.  It isn't a vax by definition.  Or at least, by the previous definition prior to a change made to allow for it.  Previously, something had to give immunity (not merely working up an immune response) and contain the virus in some fashion (not some experimental gene therapy garbage with mRNA) to qualify.  Amended this year.  What better play is there than to alter a word to suit your needs?  You can just borrow the stigma of that which was noted in the subject line.  It just works.

>Pfizer
You should probably consider looking into the FDA's talk on the matter recently at the very least.  VAERS made it difficult to report problems yet is still a 2:1 ration of killed v. 'saved' by it (among other problems).  Other measuring means are not so kind.  What was that figure they gave?  x71 for heart issues compared to 'other vaccines'?  I can't say if they meant stuff for Rona (literally no vaccines among them as this type of virus doesn't play that game to begin with) or just in general.  Should you take J&J?  The employees sure lack confidence.  Their history with getting sued for toxic products doesn't inspire confidence.  Really, ALL your options are like this from the big names.

>Novavax
Can't speak on this one.  Can't be as bad as Sinovac or whatever they've got in CCP Land.  I will again recommend looking into ways to neutralize that which you're taking into your body as best you can IF you have no recourse (and choosing that which is least likely to destroy you).

>not approved yet
Typical.  Sort of like no approval being given in many 'developed' (read: controlled) countries for non-fake vax options.  They go out of their way to defame them (and act like their own websites and community *rogues among them anyway* don't sing their praises).  Even now a pill is being made as a variant to something cheap that already exists (that has been censored to high Hell).  Just not profitable and too effective.  Cure you?  Immunize you?  Not at all the interest of these fellows, I'm afraid.  But what can you do where you are?  I wish you luck.

>rare
A meme choice of words from them.  No, I don't get the impression these problems are anything of the sort.  You're right to be wary.  It isn't fun to hear, but the recommended reading (or listening as it were) would be on this matter that looms.  You've got less than two weeks apparently.  A plan of action is for the best.  Maybe save Jojo for a reward for having dodged a bullet (or at least not died instantly from it).

NOTE: I was particularly amused watching that nurse have a 'rare' reaction.  I forget which one it was.  Pfizer, probably.  They had a lookalike pose as her before her social media went dark.  Never seen since.  While one might try to explain away the hairline, eye color, etc., there is no modifying the distance between the eyes (as detected by facial recognition software).  Tiff?  Dead.  Amber?  Acted the part.  There is a lot of fuckery here, friend.  I haven't really spoken here about it as it is very probably not what Royboy would want.  If you're looking down the barrel of the gun, it is probably worth going over a bit (though perhaps with a move of topic *or even PM*).

>Quite the bother to sue with all their red tape
Impossible. Once the govt mandates something the courts will throw your case out. They've written it into a health response act that gives themselves unlimited power.

By doing this, the employer is not accountable. Because the govt is the one making the rules. So there can't be any employment disputes within companies. You'll be taking the govt itself to court. Someone already tried and failed.

It's legal discrimination now.
I'm looking into other work I've done before not in the health sector and there are some promising leads.

Novavax isn't mRNA. And trials haven't indicated any serious side effects. But it doesn't have much in the way of real world data yet. Being based on traditional vaccine tech makes me feel safe about it. A lot of people I know took Pfizer and seem fine though. I must just be a bit more paranoid than most.

>impossible
For the average person with a normal lawyer, yes. Of course, if you were 'somebody' you wouldn't be getting forced to begin with.

>unlimited power
Doesn't sound representative, does it? Like that all over. Just brazen with this matter (and getting worse all the time).

>take gov to court
Doable in the states up to a point. Points like you getting assassinated among other punishments. The former is more for trying to make a move against the elite desire to bed kids. Don't even think of coming between them and their supply of children to massacre if you value your life.

>not in the health sector
What is there that isn't being muscled into place? Construction? Organized Crime? Jests aside, not a lot comes to mind. A topic of research all by itself. My eldest sister just bends the knee and chooses to believe (at the expense of her children *doomed like all the pets she killed up to this point*). I'll be sure to hold it against her should something happen to the eldest in particular. Another sibling went into the field, but isn't disclosing his status. Almost a certainty he went along with what the corporation would want. My god parents retired and were business owners, so this isn't their direct concern. As for their children, however...I'm unsure if my best friend (military contracts) will be able to duck it while doing that work or not. I (like him) don't especially care about his sisters, but both of them are ass out on this matter. My eldest aunt will be dead owed to some odd condition within a few more years. Her time enduring the travesty that is working with fellow VA nurses is over, so she was spared all this. Still made the mistake of believing them without looking into it. I've not been fortunate enough for the virus, pill, jab, etc. to kill my father just yet. These cunts can't do anything right by me, it seems.

>isn't mRNA
If that is so and it is at least posing as a proper vax (containing the virus and offering immunity), that would be swell. As before, I haven't looked deeply into that one.

>feel safe about it
Safer, anyway. Issues existed even in the real thing (that weren't completely experimental using live people in the trial period).

>seem fine
How nice for them. For now. It isn't one shot. Not even two. It is indefinite. No end to re-ups. Just piling on chances while rolling the dice repeatedly (boosters and more pills in the works).

>paranoid
Not always a bad thing (not like you're given a reason to trust the situation what with being pressured into it). Powerful people (including Pfizer's CEO) won't get it and are protecting themselves from being forced? Curious. Enormous profits? Certainly no motivation to keep that going (and growing). Protected from their shit being terrible? Seems legit (to be fair, in the US, this was done for regular vax, too *under Reagan*). FDA top dog joins Pfizer as they get approval. Neat. NIH does their testing. Ran by Fauci's wife. Fauci who used to run them (and is invested in one of the pills and helped make this problem *his emails were fun to read*). No need to drone on about Pfizer at all, really (not their past nor their present). Preaching to the choir. Really, I can say the same for all the alternatives (ignoring Nova for a moment). Still have a year plus for 'trials' to finish.

At present, I'm not given the impression NovaVax offers sterilizing immunity (which means that it is also not a vaccine, but at least it shouldn't cause the same sorts of nonsense via the mRNA antics or the crap JJ pulls). At best it isn't going to fuck you up (while creating variants through you). That would be a 'win' given our situation. Low bar, but if it just makes more Rona while otherwise not jacking you up, swell. Roner ain't exactly the problem to deal with. Just that if it isn't giving immunity, then it is just suppressing symptoms should they arise (one would hope you're not getting sabotaged in silence as such with some of the funnier things attributed to SARS2.0). Should it even be held against them for failing to be a 'vax' when the 'flu' (fellow of the same family) continues to make a mockery of this approach to begin with? I wouldn't even care without all the ridiculous measures in response to their baby.

I'd like to think it won't be among those that trigger ADE (among other problems). You're not a pregnant woman, so you won't have to fret over this spike protein business (can't speak for your heart so much) with how it relates to your non-existent placenta, so that's a relief. Issues relating to spike proteins all over the place aside, there is this business with seemingly having gp120 (something of a problem by itself *don't fancy the sound of "HIV dementia"*). When asked, essentially the response is 'we will get back to you about that'. Really, the best bet in a case like yours should you lack a means to duck it completely would be that which you resign yourself to while taking counter-measures about probable issues resulting from it. One should hope that suffices with this gift from Bill (who wants to get the world's population way down via viruses in his own words, which is a curious thing to say). I'm guessing acquiring IVM is out of the question even forms marketed for animals. That how it is in your neck of the woods?

NOTE: NZ got internment camps like AU? Never bothered to check. US is still working on theirs.

>What is there that isn't being muscled into place?
Only health and education are being forced at the moment.

I used to work with plants in a glasshouse so I'm looking into stuff like that.

> I'm guessing acquiring IVM is out of the question
Don't know much about it other than they say it's untested or just doesn't work. Our govt just signed for those new pills (from the same company I believe) but they're still pending approval.

>NZ got internment camps like AU?
Not yet. Vaccine passports coming in November I hear. Supposed to only be used for big events but I assume they'll make them mandatory for supermarkets eventually.

>only health and education presently
Amusing.

>work with planets
In what fashion?

>untested or doesn't work
Not so much the latter, but certainly the former (in most 'respectable' circles *that is more to say the powers that be*).  But "they" do say a lot of both is the case in certain circles, yes.  Being cheap doesn't make it super appealing.  The only way it could be more reviled is if it were a magic cure preventing any future issues (versus being a good treatment option).  Something you might want to look into more.  Just as Pfizer is (though, that is Avermectin *make their own expensive rip-off of Ivermectin to go along with their pretend vax*).  I forget who was looking into nasal shit.  Might have been them, too.

Aside from that, obvious things to help with immune (though I forget what all would help with ADE that isn't silly like taking up smoking to drop your immune response *a curious approach*).  Tough to say what heart options will best safeguard you.  Harder still with the HIV dementia talk.  Never heard of it.  A strange thing to be a darling of the WHO, FDA, etc. and even worthy of a Nobel Prize only to have the record re-written to talk mad shit about it.  But, if you're looking more to just avoid the mandate outright, none of that matters too much (until they come for you more directly, I suppose).

>not yet
They still building them or not started yet?  Your neighbors were all over this one.  Guess we had been too fat and lazy with our old camps from WW2 to have them ready for a future use.

>eventually
Perhaps by next year?  Maybe just in time for your Winter?  That would be swell of them.

>In what fashion?
Greenhouse stuff.
Planting, maintaining, harvesting.

>Your neighbors were all over this one.
Only heard they're having huge protests. My friend lives there and said it's only a few western states I think. But some heavy duty stuff has been deployed by authorities. Mandates all over.

>planting, maintaining, harvesting
Working more on your own, then?

>huge protests
With good reason. They got CAMP'd harder and faster than anyone NOT in China best I can tell. Making the UK proud (they learned that trick while doing the bidding of what would become Israel *against the Boers of South Africa*).

>certain areas
Of course. Particular coastal cities with a reputation even before all this. Hardly surprising that it would be them (if any in the lands of highly flammable trees, PSN build specialists, Abbos, etc.).

>Working more on your own, then?
At my previous job there were only a few people. It was a very small company.

Most others have way more workers. Wouldn't be shoulder to shoulder or anything. Unless you're packing I suppose. Varies with the company.

>very small
Sounds nice.

NOTE: Checked on it. IVM helps with Rona, but is entirely irrelevant to all the fake vaxes. Pity.

You two mind taking the real talk elsewhere? You are bumming me out. There is an appropriate topic just for that. And please take all of your insights with you. That I should have to tell a Mod how to do it is comic, indeed.

My bad on not checking in on this topic for a while, but yeah there's a Corona topic here: https://stinger.actieforum.com/t549-that-rona-apocoalypse-thread

I generally don't mind off topic posting that much, but this is pretty darn specific.

Zen: >bumming me out
HA! HA! The evils of our world are really quite something. If you don't laugh, you'll cry.

>topic for it
There would be, wouldn't there? But the matter is pretty well covered at present. His choice made. Still, if something new were to come up, I might consider it.

Royboy: >generally don't mind
I figured this would prove an exception. There are certainly worse things I could be talking about at length, but this one is fairly 'charged' (among other things).

>That I should have to tell a Mod how to do it is comic, indeed.
You'll survive.

>I generally don't mind off topic posting that much
Happens all the time here and isn't long before it goes back on topic. No difference here.

Back on topic so no one cries, Jojo is as weird as always. Though a recent character seems to be really similar to one from Stone Ocean. Wonder if the author has forgotten. He has admitted forgetting a lot of details in the past since the series has been going so long.

> Back on topic so no one cries
I don't mind off-topic posting in the more general threads, but turning a thread that's specifically about comics into one about 'rona, while there's a perfectly good one there, it ain't hard man. No need to be so sensative about it. It's a perfectly resonable request.

> topic
Reading Lord of the Rings, finally. Pretty darn good (obviously) but also surprised just how different the films are. Calling them a 'interpretation' is a stretch at this point, might as well just be 'inspired by' at this point. Really enjoying the read I have to say.

>but turning a thread that's specifically about comics into one about 'rona,
Which is not hugely different from going off topic on games different from what's being discussed in a specific thread. It happens.

>No need to be so sensative about it. It's a perfectly resonable request.
If the 'request' is going to be snarky you'll get it in return from me. Don't like it and you can piss off to Gamefaqs or Reddit where that shit belongs.

There's a difference between going off-topic about games in a forum about games and going off-topic about some pretty heavy subject materials like vaccinations, politics, 'internment camps', anti-vax and that sort of stuff. Regardless of my stance on those matters. If you'd have started talking about the values of Chaos Legion in the comics-board, I really don't give a rats ass. It's a gaming forum. I don't mind that discussion in the 'rona topic, or just keep it in PMs.

> telling users with a request to piss off
There's a line and you're crossing it. This is my forum, if you don't like that, piss off yourself.

Like I said it just happens. I totally agree that it shouldn't. It just happens.

>telling users
I wasn't actually aiming that comment at you if that's what you thought. But if people want to make their snarky requests I'll respond in kind. If I'm not allowed to do that then yeah, maybe I should piss off.

Say, Raeng, did you read Morrison's Earth-1 WW? I know only the first volume and was surprised that Vol.3 was released this year.
Re-reading The Multiversity, I am delighted to detect no old man grump (he's over 60 now) in his stories about youth. The Just is fun because, yes, these a fun-lovin' and bored and jaded young'uns, but it doesn't come off as mean. This is the comic-book world that was handed to them, so, like, deal with it? Whatevs. Very humorous I feel. And then The Pax, right? Regarding what he wrote in Supergods he is not reverend of Watchmen, even when it came out then, I can't help but find it hilarious to write a story where the templates on which Moore's and Gibbons's charecters are based on are used to tell a infinite tale that in itself is a prison. That's quite a comment, with touching on common elements. It's the punk-rock cover to an ostensiably classic piece.

Does Superman and The Authority tickle you enough to read it?

Only read the first volume IIRC, which was a pretty fun comic (not sure if I bought and read Vol.2, which should say enough). That said I felt - like most of the Earth-1 series outside of GL - it didn't use the setting to its fullest. It feels like a very safe reimagining (more of a retelling) of her origin, even New52 had more balls in terms of trying new things.

That said, it's a great read since his dialogue is always on point and the storytelling is great, as well as with some good artwork. Yannick isn't for everyone (his art is pretty static), but it works great here.

But the Earth-One series seems like an idea they had but sort of dropped, especially in terms of marketing.

> Superman and Auth
I've quit reading Morrison in pulls, I'm waiting for trades. I tried and follow his GL-run but I'm waiting for them all to hit TPB before making the commit. I recently re-read The Filth which may or may not be my favourite of him now. You read that one? I can't remember.
Did you read Auth yet?

> PAX
Absolutely stunning issue, I like the idea of freedom within it despite being a prison. You can read this comic in any page/panel-order and it..works. Very inspiring and almost mandatory reading for inspiration to new aspiring comic-writers and artists imo in how it pushes the envelope.

Royta/Raeng wrote: I recently re-read The Filth which may or may not be my favourite of him now. You read that one? I can't remember.

Yes. Read it twice now. Felt stronger the second time over. It's weird in an excellent way. With Morrison, I dig that he writes for the medium, and not for a movie option. I mean, The Filth, as a movie/series? It would blow people's minds out. And then you would need a special unit like The Filth to clean up.

Royta/Raeng wrote:Did you read Auth yet?

The original Ellis/Hitch? Yes. It's very blockbuster movie in terms of spectacle, yet it's fun. The Doctor is surprisingly my fave of the bunch, dunno why. Read Vol. 2, too. Quietly on art. The first two arcs are very fun, but after that it seems editorial decided that Millar was indulging himself a little too much and it goes down from there. Until it needs to be taken behind the shed...

Earth-1ers I read are WW Vol.1 and the Bat Vol.1&2 which I like despite or because they read like tales that are not some 80 years in the making. True, some could dismiss them as not-realised movie scripts. Yet I like much of it, like the Dent twins or that Wayne is part Arkham. Getting Vol.3 soon. Oh, and the other WWs. The Multiversity shows me that GM still got it.

I can't get into a lawman like GL. A space cop opera. Even with Morrison writing. It's the yessir authority of the characters and settings. Some corner of space needs policing. Uh, no. Same with Superman (All-Star the exception, how I swoon about the Bizzaro world issues ). If the E1 are somehow different, maybe. But a set of Kentucky-bred Dad-knows-best morals I cannot abide. I like fiction-people that are beyond good and evil. At least on a comic scale.

Yeah the Filth is really, really good on the second read through imo, better than the first when you're still orientating just what's going on.

> he writes for the medium
And loves and embraces it. You also saw this in his run on Batman. While most writers want to turn the character away from his goofy origins, Morrison embedded them all within and made it work. From the classic outfits, to the bizarre adventures against a rainbow-swamp monster and a purple/yellow Batman.

> Earth 1
Green Lantern took me by surprise, personally I'd recommend it the most out of the bunch. It's a very cool tale and a good twist on the formula, which is what Earth 1 lends itself for. I agree that 'space lawman who fights jesus' didn't appeal to me either.

> Superman Earth 1
Honestly, it's a pretty fun one though doesn't push the formula. It plays a bit more on the whole "Clark trying to fit in", giving him a goth gf of all things is pretty hilarious. Him not finding a place, since he's too good and perfect at everything was a nice twist. Vol.1 is the best imo, vol.2 has some weird moments and vol.3...I honestly cannot even recall. I know they swapped artists for that one.

> superman in general
Superman for All Seasons is a must read imo, fantastic. By the team of Long Halloween/Dark Victory. Other Superman stories fall flat for me too like you said, also because a lot of writers don't get what makes him interesting imo.

This video is pretty good on what makes him interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDMQ3tXNKgM

Aaah, just remembered that Far Sector from Young Animal will soon be in trade. Following the line I guess this is where I will first rub against a Lantern story. As long as it is as fresh as the rest, I won't mind.
Sigh, oh Young Animal...

Did you get into Mack's Kabuki yet? Should they ever get out a TV series about it and dazzle every "And-I-thought-comics-are-for-kids" crowd, I will only watch it if it's excellent. Not WB Arrow tier.

Finished the Alan Moore Swamp Thing in trade. Enjoyed it far more than I would have thought going in.
Starting, I was looking for Moore-isms, and found them.

Favorite: Swamp Thing encounters the villain.

Swamp Thing: MATT...?

???: MATTHEW CABLE NO LONGER EXISTS.
???: GUESS AGAIN.

Swamp Thing: ARCANE.

Arcane: ARCAAAANE!

All stories, those connected or single, are fairly fun with just the right tilt to not pass as moral tales. The artists change or tag-team, but all is positively cohesive in style. To the point I could relax and be on the ride, not dreading a Götterdämmerung like Watchmen. Horror and human stupidity mesh quite well in this, so maybe this is one point that makes it enduring. As an extra treat, the introductions of the trades served me well to get deeper into the makings of this stuff. Friends and collaborators of Moore shed some light on the process of developing the ideas and motivations behind it, since it's highly unlikely to get it from the author's mouth. In doling out credit some appreciation is made for people who are easily side-tracked by the ostensibly OH MY GENIUS of a name alone. Very pleased to have made the plunge into this particular bayou.

Finished Far Sector. Liked it fine, despite not having the hots for science fantasy. Not just some flashy entertainment, the narrative holds up the funhouse mirror to, what else but, Earth society and the conflicts in societies. I found it to be eloquently done, that is to say not in a preacher manner or without any realism about power and how to abuse it. The art is stunning and the "trick" how it all picks up some relevance, not just blowing up sweet nothings. Action is done tight, with a sense of manga. The hairdos, though, that this GL sports are wild. Makes me think if anyone would bother much with anything depicted in it if it would take place on Earth or if it is the key to make up some fantasy so people would not pass it up. Not to say that it is social engineering, yet we take out of a story what we want. Or was it what we need? I forget.

Zenyn, I'm so sorry for blowing up at you a while back in this thread.
What you said was correct. I haven't been well but that's no excuse. You didn't deserve such a shitty response.

On topic, started reading Dr Stone because I liked the character design. Didn't get far as haven't been in the mood.
Read Alice In Borderland after watching the show. It was OK I guess.

Just finished The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti. You might have heard about it. Not presented as a sermon or from a bleeding heart, I have no objections against any terms that are its contents. And I thought I wasn't a pessimist ( nor a optimist either ) about life existence. Well. I imagine it to be shocking only to peeps with a lot of wool over their eyes. Confirmed to be relatable to parts of Buddhism, without the perceived "lucky accident" that is called enlightenment. Just say NO to procreation.

In the midst of The Crow: Special Edition by James O'Barr. Not sure if it is a trope, but the clad-in-black-man on his bloody-revenge-with-automatic-weapons tale is heavy here. Am I allowed to laugh about it? Sure, who keeps me? Interesting style, which reminds me of early GUNNM by Kishiro Yukito. Something about the faces and eyes.

Anybody familiar with Sandman by Neil Gaiman? I don't wan't to read "Dark Fantasy", so I'm not sure if I should start. Needing an edge, as in horror. It's so much material, I don't want to wake up having a mild dream about nothing much. Oof. Maybe I just read the ones with Kelley Jones on art? Who can tell me?

I've tried way, way too many times to read Sandman but never could get into it. The first issue has had a ton of re-releases but I never could get further than that. There's a few stand-alone tales that are interesting, but it starts to bleed into the larger DC-universe later and Sandman even appears in Justice League at one point. It's really loved, so it's obviously got some qualities, but just hasn't aligned with me in that way.

Alright. Thank you.

The JL? 'nuff said.

Yeah, it comes off as the one comic book that convinced the media at the time that not all are silly-nilly. And the rest is silence. That it is sooo much is really a detractor for me. If I read it maybe just the Jones ones. As stand-alone stories I could get off even with it. Say, what is the overall fixation on Death as a goth punk? It's bleeding obvious, isn't it. *smirk*

Anyone into Ito Junji manga? I finally plunged after some consideration of the extreme weirdness of his art. Ordered Shiver. Excited to read it.
I got a feeling it's all I will ever appretiate. Not Save for Dream

What do you think of Berserk coming back?

HotPocketHPE wrote:"Finished" House of Leaves. Experimental, inscrutable, and brilliant.

Makes you feel if only you knew a little more, picked up on a single thing you missed, looked at a certain passage in a new way, then you would understand. But it never quite comes, at least not completely.

Reading that now. Under 100 pages in, I dropped it. Didn't feel enough with the houseing situation, maybe annoyed by the intruding Johnny commentary. Picked some other, stronger stuff over the summer (HPL and Peter Straub's Ghost Story). Now I am back at it again. Glad that I did, because it builds up. Even has tongue-in-cheek with prominent creators like Steve King or Kubrick "commenting" on excerpts of the phenomena in a very close voice. I give experimental style of telling tales more leeway, since some stories and especially the way the're told are way to save. This does it not save, it's unheimlich in the literal sense. Half-round trough the labyrinth of pages, not to lose the way. This is why reading is fun.

Reading the Pokemon manga.

Way different from the anime I watched in the early 2000s back when it was still 150 pokemon.

It's weird. The pokemon and trainers both fight. They direct their pokemon at the trainers with intent to kill, battle in groups, use combined attacks.

Anyone read Discworld?

It's on my backlog, it seems to be really fun and good. I still want to read that and classic Conan.

I read discworld and yes it had humorous touch to classical fantasy settings and very fun to read. In korea, (If my memory is correct) the only the first title was published and I enjoyed it. If you liked "Good Omens", then you def like this one, too.

Currently reading M.R James' ghost stories. They're good, though it's not exactly my cup of tea.

There is a comic book named "Tai arideshita(対ありでした)" which means "It was pleasure to fighting with you", it functions like "GG" in Japan Fighting game fandoms. So, The story line is very typical sports manga, like this :

The heroine "Mitsuki Aya" was into the game "π2" when she was young, but her female friends won`t play the fighting game so she abondonded it. And later, she gets into high-society high school and wants  to be like a "classy lady" for her sake. But she mets another heroine, "Yorue mio", who secretly played "π5" online match in the dome. When "Aya" see her play, Her desire for fighting games was ressurected...

And so, the game "π2" or "π5" is obviously "Street Fighter 2" and 5. And this manga is really into fighting games, so When vol5 got out, many readres didn`t understand what is going on. and this is why.




I don`t know that there is other language version, but this manga also helps me to try Street Fighter, lol.
oh, and there is a web drama adaptation, which used actual "SF5" footages.

I ain't really reading any new shit. Just the usual. For "comics", I look to Jobber and Goons mostly. Let him give me the fun tidbits, takes, etc. Scalers are goofy. Great for a laugh.

I don`t know why, but recently something relit my love for batman, and I ended up to "The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing" and "Batman Beyond : Neo Year".

"The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing" is a little spin-off. Starting the simple idea, "What if is there an imposter of Joker, but who has the very same mind? What would happen?". And it delivers its idea well enough. Not surprsingly great, but it entertained me.

What surprsingly great was "Batman Beyond : Neo Year". I can not pick exact reasons why I like it, but it clicked me immediately. It starts with a bold promise. Bruce wayne is dead, murdered by A.I. Now, Terry is alone and He have to learn what is "Beyond" Batman. It`s not even a spoiler, becasue these are in first few pages of the first issue.

Cyber-punk setting(high-tech, low-life) matches well with gotham, And the enemy of this series is not "funny"(she is A.I., what can be expected?) but makes terry more complex, and mostly amplies what "Beyond Batman" means.

And I liked that Terry is not Bruce, but he succeed to Bruce`s legacy yet. In this story, He is struggling between himself and the "Bruce version" of Batman, in the methods and in the identity. I enjoyed scenes from recent movie "The batman"(plz, industry, make a sub-title plz) where batman makes mistakes but learns from it, So does this series.

I immediattely pick up Neo-Gotham. As far, I liked it too.

>comics
Perhaps I'll burst through "Invincible" at some point.  I humored "Irreversible" and "Incorruptible" (more evil Supes) at one point, so why not?  Think it is a finished series, so I could just get to the finish.  Would need to check first.

As for manga, Berserk still shambles on as a zombie (putrefying, violated, etc.).  Real horror show.  OPM isn't doing too much better in its bastardized adaptation (with very rare canon updates *webcomic*).  Super is still rehashing Super Hero (so AT doesn't have to do much).  Got a few more months of that (then probably a break).  Goblin Slayer is all over the place (past and present, main cast and side stories).  Like 'Raildex', it feels like progress has halted in the future sense.

Perhaps there are some books (as with the articles I've been reading) to consider, but I'm a bit busy writing evaluations for such an undertaking presently.  The last 'longer' chat I had was just a good presentation of why AoT's ending was dogshit (clearly interfered with and treated like a gag finish by the author to perfectly invert his intended ending being set-up *as it would not be allowed from top-down*).  After that will probably be a big exchange with SBK (when he's ready in a week or so).

Still have a lot to go through DB's manga for (let alone the anime).  Non-canon material aplenty.  No shortage (especially with Daima adding to the maggot pile with fresh shit).  Also, I wish to finally properly read the manga for YYH.  Presently I'm only just getting out of the woods with the 'Ghost Hunter' parts (mostly cut from the anime).  I peaked ahead to find the author really did phone things in to a huge degree in terms of storytelling, art and such by the finish (very obviously wanted to be done *maybe throwing more of a fit than Toriyama*).

NOTE: I'll also be busy slapping around 'defenders' of SnK's finish when I've time enough for that (outside teaching GoW proper).  Just need the openings to do so (and the energy).  Let us not forget "correction" for Carrot Cultists (they always need their REMINDERS).

I found that this one`s title in English is "Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games", and it is already published from vol.1 to vol.6 in March 5th. Vol.6 is the end of "exjp" Arc, which is parody of "EVO japan". And the recent volume of Japanese is vol.7, you would not miss many things. So if you are interested, Now is perfect timing.  

nepu47 wrote:There is a comic book named "Tai arideshita(対ありでした)"

I read "Born a crime" written by Trevor noah, the comedian from South Africa.  He has his humor in this book, but it is not about how he become a comedian story. It is about his young life experience, in South Africa, After apartheid fell down, being a mixed race.

I usually don`t be impressed with essay, but his writing is very fun to read, and he wrote political issues in a grounded view and many shady/gray sides with humor, but carefully. Also, his mother has very interesting personality. Even you don`t like him you, You would found more about his mother than himself in this book. The woman who is very clever to crack the system, and being rebellious, and decided to have a baby with a white man but not marry with him.

I recommend this for ones who liked district 9, this will give you more context.