The Nerd's Top 5 Current Comic Series

A lot of my comic reviewing is for previously released or already finished runs of comics. I've tapered off with my Pull List Reviews due to a reduction in my Pull List and a general unhappiness with current offerings. For now, though, I'd like to touch base on five of my favorite comic series that are still running today. I've written about most (if not all) of these before, but they are still going strong (though I may not be current). I'll try and give these some semblance of order, which is unusual for me, but here goes:

5. The Superior Spider-Man

Alright, spot five is only taken by SSM because I haven't been reading too many current series. There are plenty I'd love to start reading (East of West, Lazarus, Wolverine and the X-Men, etc...), but I've been taking it slow. That being said, Superior Spider-Man has been surprisingly strong. I didn't enjoy the Superior-Venom stint, but Goblin Nation, which has been building up all year, has started interestingly and promises to send of Otto with a bang.

Arc was boring, but didn't hate the design.

And, while I hate the spoilers our media is saturated with today, I am happy to know that Peter Parker will be making a comeback. I'm not particularly enjoying his part in the comics right now, but I would LOVE to see some changes to Peter when The Amazing Spider-Man relaunches, or at least a shakeup with the cast.

Rating: 7.5/10 -- Saying "Superior Spider-Man" every issue wasn't that funny to begin with, and Otto losing it as much as he has lately seems to contrast to harshly with where he was going.

4. Thor: God of Thunder

Very much looking forward to this fight.

Another series where I didn't much care about the most recent run (which involved Malekith, in time for the film), overall this series has had some tremendous writing and I really do enjoy the shots we get of Thor from the past, present, and future. Each one is the same character and yet substantially different, and each one is interesting for their own reason. If it seemed forced, it wouldn't work as well (which we kind of see with Young Thor), but the recently started "Last Days of Midgard" promises to be another arc to solidly follow up the amazing "God Butcher" saga.

The art on this book, aside from one past-Thor issue I didn't care for, has been continuously phenomenal.

Rating: 8/10 -- Even with story lines I don't terribly care about, I find something to love.

3. Fables

Note: I am NOT caught up! I'm only on issue 84 or so.

Fables takes characters you recognize and puts them in the real world. They've been here for centuries, so have both history that can be pulled from their own homeworlds and from their time spent among us. At this point, they've made some pretty dramatic changes to their status as rogue outcasts from a crushing empire, yet are still finding Big-Bad trouble to overcome. I'm in the Fables Crossover trade, which crosses over Fables, Jack of Fables, and introduces The Literals. It's not my favorite trade so far, but everything before now has been solid and interesting and seen so many character changes that I really look forward to see what comes next.

Not the brightest moment, but no awful.

I feel the series must drop off eventually and miss a step in its stride -- it may have already happened. But I'm happy to get there with the classic characters that have been giving a new (and, above all, interesting) spin.

Rating: 9/10 -- I don't love some of the artists, and the trade I'm on currently is flagging a bit, and I truly have no idea where the series can go, but I've enjoyed it so far and actively look forward to catching up.

2. Hawkeye

Surprisingly loving Kate Bishop.

The art for this series alone makes it one of the best comics I'm reading. Add in the down-to-earth stories of a superhero who seems to actively be dealing with depression and a lack of understanding/accepting the world as it is, and you've got a really interesting set of stories about a character that has never interested me before. Add in Kate Bishop (a character I didn't even know of before), and we have a young woman trying to find her way (as a P.I., no less) across the country, yet having trouble shrugging the repercussions of her superhero-ing.

While it is set in the Marvel universe, and definitely pays homage to that with some visiting cast, this series is about two characters trying to live lives outside the masks, and it is such a poignant  contrast between their exciting, heroic lives to trying to make heroic ideals work in a world that, really, doesn't want or support them.

Also, the writing is strong and can range from touching to hilarious, sometimes at the same time.

Rating: 10/10 -- Love everything about this series. Still don't care for Hawkeye anywhere else, but as long as this team keeps up on this book, I'm a fan.

1. Saga

Screw everything I just said above. If there is one comic you really NEED to follow, it is Saga. It is published fairly slowly due to the desire to keep the creative team together, without needing to farm out for talent during time crunches, but it is completely worth it.

We are constantly introduced to vibrant characters in an unusual sci-fi world. Around every corner, there is something strange and new. Also, around every corner, there is some sort of heart break. It's almost Game of Thrones level of sex and death (though I would argue that it is better written, though that's opinion all over the place).

So what if my favorite character is a cat?

This book has the characters, the writing, and the art to make it a complete knockout. Will follow this book until the bitter end, may it never come.

Rating: 11/10 -- I don't call myself the Arbitrary Nerd for nothing!

Day 22ish: Spoilerific Opinions on Fables

Alright, I've talked a bit about Fables here and there as I've been reading, but there have finally been enough events that I've read that I'd like to address a couple points. I've finished Fables Volume 10: The Good Prince (up to issue #69 in singles).

WARNING! MANY (if not all) OF THESE POINTS WILL BE SPOILERS. At least one of them will be huge enough that I STRONGLY suggest you skip this post if you plan to read the series in order.

Otherwise, let me know how you felt about the items below, or offer blind opinions on 'em if you've chosen to spoil it even with my warning above.

Spoilers below Bigby!

You'll notice things too, if you go below this picture!!

Alrighty. These topics are in no particular order, beyond what popped into my head first.

And don't forget, Ghost is invisible...

1. The Kids. When Bigby knocked up Snow White, I was surprised. When she carried to term, I was even more surprised (especially with how quickly it was done). Add to that a LITTER of kids, ok, uber-level shocked here. Admittedly Bigby and Snow have been taken out of the limelight, which is a bit of a bummer for me, but the kids have been done well. They're interesting cross breeds with unique personalities without having too much attention paid to them (they're neo-Fables, after all). The one odd kid, Ghost, is a living zephyr, or gust of wind. That's strange and has been a bit underutilized, if not forgotten. Not sure where the direction with the family and each individual kid is going, but I've come to appreciate that most with the boundary pushing Fables series.

2. The Adversary. Admittedly, it's pretty obvious WHO the Adversary is before the official reveal, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it for some time after. Gepetto being the big bad just seemed so... anti-climactic. He hasn't been hugely developed even after the reveal, but you catch enough glimpses of him to see that his mind is definitely in the right place for being the despicable strings behind the puppet (heh) Emperor. The Good Prince storyline in particular shows Gepetto explaining why wholesale slaughter was all in a good regime's work.

3. The answer is magic, duh. There are several moments/items/people that skew the view of the Fables world(s). Boy Blue launches a single-man campaign, simply due to having two magical items -- the Witching Cloak and the Vorpal Sword. He tears through the worlds of the Empire, defeats the puppet Emperor (for a moment) and is able to uncover who the true Adversary is, all without ever getting a scratch. A bit overpower, no?

God Mode cheat enabled.

Well, take a look at Prince Ambrose, able to use Lancelot's armor and Excalibur to fantastic results. It made for an interesting read and it was refreshing to see a good character win and win completely compared to most fantasy pieces (looking at you, Game of Thrones), but if he could do something like this, and Boy Blue could become a dashing hero with a pinch of magic, why did the Adversary succeed in taking the Homelands over in the first place? Overwhelming might works as an excuse for a bit, except when the Kingdom of Haven proves that even that isn't always the key.

What I'm hoping comes very soon is some serious badassery from the villains. I don't want them to win, of course -- I love too many of the characters, but I want to see a reason for the Fables' exile in the first place.

4. The characters. Wow. There are so many diverse characters and side stories. And there isn't a single one I dislike following on a tangent. Even characters that were introduced to hate, as with Prince Charming, a fondness has grown with the terrific storytelling and character development. And even Fables being introduced in later issues are dropped in skillfully. I look forward to eventually branching out to Jack of Fables (arguably the only character I still DON'T enjoy in the series) and Fairest down the line.

5. Breakneck speed. I'm used to comics where time progresses very slowly, if at all. How old is Peter Parker, again? Admittedly, these characters live forever and have a bit of a boon over those that should probably have passed away by now, but the actual feeling of time progression is palpable and done very well. Stories don't drag and anything you miss in skipped months seems decent fodder for side-stories, if nothing else. Snow giving birth and raising the kids, Prince Charming becoming Mayor, Flycatcher's transformation, all of these got the appropriate build up and there hasn't been a single moment of me feeling a story was rushed.

Glad to be so bad.

6. Knowing the Big Bad. A lot of stories today keep the final/biggest villain either in the shadows or out of reach for the entire piece of work, until the climax, which is generally fairly short. Fables took its time introducing the Adversary's true face, but since then they haven't been afraid to punch it on the nose and run away to live another day. And we're taken inside the enemy's camp to see, in a limited sense, their side of things. These aren't faceless villains! I don't necessarily think they're everything they could be/I want them to be, but the fact that they are given appropriate detail and their own side-stories is crucial for me in respecting them as an enemy.

I think that's it for now. There's a lot to love with this series, and I am still a 100% fan. Looking forward to one day actually catching up, though I hope it never has to end.

If you are NOT reading Fables, you are doing it wrong. Swing on by and I'll lend you some! I can't seem to find my 2nd Volume, but I feel strongly enough that, once exposed, this is a series that will hook you.

Day 14: Now Reading

A personal favorite I suggest for all Fiction fans.

Been awhile since I updated on what I was actually reading:

The Anubis Gates

I've almost finished re-reading this book by Tim Powers. It involves time travel, an interesting view of magic, and all the antics that come from combining the two. Brendan Doyle is from the present (well, the 1980s) and winds up in 1810 due to a completely logical foray into the past by a wealthy and intellectual man. From there, nothing goes quite right and the story is an interesting view on alternate history, destiny, and keeping readers on their toes. Even when you think you've got a handle on it, it adds a new twist and turn.

I'll be drawing on this book a lot for inspiration with my Steampunk-Detective novel that I'd like to work on after I finish my current project. That, the Cthulhu mythos, and the movie Chinatown. For starters.

Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt Part II: Exile

I like fantasy. I like older fantasy, and D&D stories, and the like. I've never really gotten into Forgotten Realms, though. I finished the first Drizzt book awhile back and found the second one at a used book shop, so have been paging through it. To be completely honest, it holds almost no interest to me other than the later (MUCH LATER) stories seem as if they're so interesting, I just can't imagine skipping so far ahead.

It'd be like reading current Dragonlance without ever reading about the War of the Lance! Blasphemy!

Fables: Sons of Empire

Solid entry, though not especially plot heavy.

I've just finished the 9th TPB of Fables. Without fail, the series is still going strong at this point, and this had a nice juxtaposition of what's going on in the Homelands with the Adversary and his gang as well as some of the less severe adventures of the Fables on Earth. This issue is notable for finally bringing Bigby together with his pops, though it is by no means climactic.

The Pull List

Yeah, so, folks may have noticed I haven't followed up on this lately. The reason is that my Pull List was reduced dramatically after moving back to MA, and I find reading 2-3 single issues a week fairly frustrating. I'm keeping current on my favorites, namely Saga, but otherwise am waiting until I have a few issues lined up to sustain a lengthier reading cycle. For now, Pull List Reviews will be put on hold and I'll do some "state of affairs" posts for the series that I'm enjoying down the line. Until then, however, I'm always happy to take suggestions -- as long as you know I won't jump in the middle of a series, I've got to start at the beginning.

I'm also trying to hunt down some Cthulhu related comics but have been unsuccessful at this time.

... That's about it. I am adding liberal amounts of Lovecraft since I've been in the mood lately, but I'm eyeing some other Mythos related authors more so. Just gotta find 'em.

Day 2: Time Travel, Different Dimensions, and Free Love

Tonight (running a bit late but if I don't go to sleep, I'm counting it as the same day) I wanted to pop by and mention what I've been reading.

Working out of Boston gives me a bit of train time for reading, and I've been focused on getting through Robert Heinlein's works. For those who are unfamiliar with Heinlein, he's a speculative fiction author who frequently pushes the bounds of understanding with his glib pseudo-science rooted in actual science. He passes off time travel and dimensional travel almost as if they were a common commodity to the characters that could otherwise be based in current times (well, current for Heinlein, anyway, who wrote the last entry in 1987). I've focused on his books featuring Lazarus Long, know as his "Future History" series:

I might have started calling my cat "Pixel"

Time Enough for Love: Technically I read this years ago, but it was my introduction to the series and was a solid introduction to Lazarus long and the peculiar future in which one man is the ancestor to most of the wayward human race across time and space.

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A fast paced book that doesn't care if you understand what's going on as the characters are pushed or pulled from one direction to another. It's been compared to The Hitchhiker's Guide but I think that's rubbish. Maybe if you made the Guide a touch more serious with hyper-intelligent characters, humorous wordplay, and an excessive amount of *ahem* free love, maybe I could see it. But it's not quirky so much as intense.

To Sail Beyond the Sunset: In which we learn about Lazarus' immoral mother and her extensive back-story (most of which is spent in a timeline slightly different than our own but set in a similar time frame that includes World War I and II. It's Heinlein's last published work but makes a very solid introduction to his writing -- it spends a lot more time explaining how all of the characters become so hyper-intelligent and accepting of things such as incest and open (loving) infidelity. Also, the writing is just a touch more polished than other entries in the series, which could be beneficial to someone trying to get a handle on Heinlein's writing style. Also references some short stories of Heinlein's that can be found in his book Expanded Universe, which was a nice touch.

The Number of the Beast: I tried reading this one some time ago but couldn't get past the absurd speed in which the characters approached things such as marriage or other things I'd never seen done so brazenly. Entire novels could be spent around the moral dilemmas Heinlein's characters analyze and overcome in seconds. Not to mention they're all able to get fabulously wealthy and have expansive back stories before we ever meet them. This book delves a bit more into the dimensional and time travel, however, and doesn't hold back in regards to the idea of "the world as myth." The characters may or may not visit Oz. Yeah. Yellow Brick Road and all.

Don't mind the ship's name...

There are a couple more I haven't gotten to, but I'll get to them eventually. For those interested in the series, start with Time Enough for Love. It introduces Lazarus the best and, once you've accepted him and his tales, everything is a bit easier to take. Just remember, if you're left in the dust with the facts and sciences being thrown at you, roll with the punches!

In comics, I have been focusing all of my intention on Fables, which I am not up the 9th trade paper back. That's a bit more than fifty single issues. Most series I've collected for this long tend to fluctuate in quality or general interest (ie, Star Wars: Legacy or Knights of the Old Republic). Fables has, if anything, gotten better with every set of stories. They've even leapt the hurdle of revealing the big bad known as the Adversary and STILL keeping the Homeland plot interesting. If this were a TV show, they'd have to kill him off or defeat him seriously in the first season. With Fables, appropriate time is being taken to really appreciate the villains of this story, while still building individual lives for the Fable-folk set in modern day New York City.

Loving this series more and more.

The series also has my favorite romance in a comic series. I've never wanted two characters to come together quite as badly as I've wanted to see Bigby and Snow White hit it off. And Fables does it while still spanning years in mere issues.

I'm very pleased with the series and look forward to someday catching up.

Only other comic news to report, then, is that Saga still proves to be awesome, it's just coming out too damn slow for my preference.

The Wolf Among Us

Some time ago, I mentioned reading a bit into the Fables comic book series. I have been very impressed and, while I've only finished the first three trades, I am certain this is a series that will remain in my favorite-series-ever list that I am very happy to announce that I've recently just finished the first chapter of the video game prequel, The Wolf Among Us.

Remember those guys who brought you the very interesting The Walking Dead point-and-click game that was a refreshing take on interactive storytelling? Well, they've done it again with the Fables series. This time, the medium is even more effective because the source material is normally found in a image/literature hybrid as comic books. Adding some really incredible animation and player interaction, and you've got an amazing comic book experience.

Being a prequel, you do NOT need to know anything about the Fables universe to enjoy this game. It gives you what you need to get by pretty darn well. I'm definitely enjoying it more because I've read about these characters already, but I'm sure someone who has read the entire series is probably getting different levels of enjoyment as well. This doesn't stop a newcomer from appreciating the game, it just means that there are, potentially, many ways of interpreting the characters your meeting. I can't wait to play through the whole game again (once all of the five chapters are release, of course) AFTER I've finally caught up with the comic series.

The game does a good job of introducing you to important members early.

There's a point there I've glossed over a bit -- the game releases in chunks, broken up by chapters. Similar to waiting for issues to release, we can only play the parts of the game that are released -- at this time, only one chapter (Faith) is out. However, you can already see many possible branches where the choices you make will dramatically change how the story unfolds for you. The good news is, you can have multiple saves, so there's no need to worry about messing up your "good run" to see how other choices would have changed things.

The story itself is a murder mystery and you're playing Detective Bigby, who was the Big Bad Wolf before the Fables came to New York, as he tries to uncover who is killing off other Fables (the name of the magical folk), all the while trying to redeem himself in the eyes of the others or dealing with the bad history he has with some of them.

Bigsby and the Woodsman (from Little Red Riding Hood). Not the best of friends...

Gameplay is point-and-click, mostly selecting from a series of choices, though there are crime scene investigations a la LA Noire, and there are quick-time action sequences that actually get pretty damn intense. I'm playing on PC, but the game is also out on 360, PS3, and (I just found out and wish I had got it for) PS Vita. Unfortunately, no PS4 action, which would have been my preference (maybe I'll do my views on the new console, but I'm sure it's mostly been said by now).

I don't normally mention sound in games because... Well, I just don't care. But the menu music, effects, and voice acting is all spot on. I was a touch worried at the prospect of having voiced characters conflict with how I imagined the comic book characters, but so far I've loved each and every cast member (which is rare -- kind of like the Harry Potter movies stomping all over the books for me).

If you like the comic series, GET THIS GAME. If you are interested in the comic series, GET THIS GAME. If you liked the Walking Dead game, GET THIS GAME. If you enjoy taking candy from children but hate the taste of strawberries, GET THIS GAME.

Seriously, get the game already. It's awesome, cheap enough for a season pass ($20, I think), and has a lot of room for replay-ability (imagine if the Mass Effect series had been done right!).