Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Vertigo Title Review (R.I.P.)

I plan to pick it up Sunday! You guys have got me craving it even more than usual now!

LOVED the latest issue of Fables!

Which was a huge relief as I had *HATED* last month's issue SO much that, even though its been one of my top 5 books ever since it began, I was totally about to drop this series. I am so against the unlawful entrapment and then murder of an obviously emotionally/mentally damaged Ichabod Crane by Bigby and Cinderella *for a crime he never even actually comitted* that I'm just going to pretend that that issue never happened!

Anyway, thank God this issue is good. The plot has seriously thickened hasn't it!

*SPOILERS*

- Gepetto obviously has something to do with it now, doesn't he? Or is it the Blue Fairy? Someone with a connection to Pinnochio anyway. I think Gepetto has been enslaved by, or maybe just voluntarily joined up with, the Adversary and is making wooden soldiers such as Hugh, Drew and Lou for him. I don't see him actually being the Adversary. He just doesn't have that air of menace and threat that I'm expecting the Adversary to have.

- Red Riding Hood. Who is she really? Some type of witch obviously. But which one? Have we seen Hansel and Gretel's witch yet? (Come to think of it have we even seen them yet?) I'm guessing she's that one anyway.

- Beauty and the Beast. I don't know why but these two are possibly my two favourite characters in the comic. (Why is it my curse to always favour the characters that occupy the fringes of a series? RIP Gim Allon!) Looks like they might be getting some good face-time coming up though. I really hope, and fully expect, that Snow White and Bigby *do* lose their jobs to them. Bill Willingham has never been afraid to shake up the status quo on this series and it makes for great reading!

So much going on here. Can't wait for the next issue!

Is it just me or is Vertigo doing some really good stuff at the moment?

- Fables I love!
- Y The Last Man, I'd also love to get into but finding early back-issues that aren't too expensive is impossible and I've never been a TPB person.
- The Losers
&
- Human Target, I just bought yesterday nearly full runs of both these series (missing #s 2 and 3 of The Losers) and all 4 issues of the preceding Human Target mini-series. Both look great and can't wait to start reading them.

And then there's the new Swamp Thing series coming out! At a time when I should be cutting back on my comics its just getting harder and harder to do it. Maybe I'll just start weaning myself off the regular DCU stuff. I find I'm getting more and more dissatisfied with the decisions being made there lately anyway. Changing Firestorm and re-booting the Doom Patrol being the two latest examples.

I read most DCU comics because they have a shared universe and therefore by necessity need to have a fairly strict continuity. But the way some fans and editors seem to have turned that into a dirty word, its probably going to be better for my blood pressure if I just let them go and concentrate on Vertigo where most of the worlds are self-contained.

I read The Losers Monthly. It's like an action flick on paper. Fun stuff.

I will be reading Swamp Thing, at least for a while to see where it goes.

I read Fables as trades, but may switch to monthly if finances allow it...but it's hard to give up on the 1/2 price trades at my local B&N.

I've read Y: The Last Man through issue 17. Will be getting that in trades as soon as the finances clear a little.

I read the Human Target mini (got all four issues for a dollar at a con) and am thinking about checking out the first trade when it hits.

Nah, I think it's the great and powerful wizard of Oz myself.

After all, didn't the Adversery's conquest begin at the Emerald City? And in the books, the Wizard wasn't above manipulating people to get what he wants.

Wish I could find the article I read earlier this week that talked about who the Adversary really was. It seems that DC has agreed to who the Adversary really is based on the script 'bible' being used to prepare a feature film.

The rumor was the Adversary, prior to this agreement, was going to be revealed as being Peter Pan. Now it probably won't be but the article did say we will find out who he/she/it is within, IIRC, the next year's worth of books.

Recent issues:

Fables: Great issue. Things are really picking up now, and it appears that all the above theories about Gepeto are partially correct. Pinnochio is indeed some kind of prince among the wooden guys, although he believes Gepeto to be nothing more than a slave of the adversary. Things are really picking up now, and it's good to see a wider variety of Fables getting some screen time.

My Faith in Frankie: I was sad to see this end, it was such a good little mini-series. Funny and whimsical, I can't reccomend this enough. Just a very refreshing Vertigo book!

Y: the Last Man- after the craziness of the last three issues, we're on to a new story, although we don't really see much here. This book does move along slow sometimes, but there is good dialogue and a bit of characterization for the three main characters. I enjoy the series nonetheless, but hopefully it'll pick up a bit next issue.

Swamp Thing #1 (late review)- nicely written, beautifully drawn, and I'm interested. I'm not as gung-ho about Swamp Thing as others, but if this is done right, I'll be there for the whole thing. Still too early to really comment though.

Just got the new Fables TPB, Storybook Love, and I have to say its a great read as well! Unlike the previous 2 TPs where there's a long story running through it, this one had nice 2-3 parters that moved the story along nicely.

I caught on to Fables quite late so I've decided to collect it in TPB.

Off-thread: I hope someone starts a Wildstorm topic like this. I read Sleeper and I think it's something a lot of people should be picking up but are not. Such an underrated, great book!

I don't read much Wildstorm Igee, but you should start a thread for it!

Although I loathe the way that Marvel and other companies pad their stories to fit TPB, I truly love the way the Vertigo books are set up, and how the come out in TPB. I read the entire Preacher run in TPB, along with Books of Magic and the last segements of Sandman, and find that a good comic (like Fables) in a TPB is perfect for spending a solid night enjoying a story.

I think "Storybook Love" might be my favorite arc in Fables yet, Igee.

I'm highly anticipating the next issue of Human Target!

Issue #2 of Swamp Thing was very good. I'm really liking the artist on this series, and Andy Diggle is keeping me interested. Sargon showing up is interesting, and I'm curious to see where this goes. I'm not too familiar with Sargon's appearances since he died during Moore's Swamp Thing run, has he appeared since then (not including his appearance in the first four issues of Books of Magic)?

Y: the Last Man continues to be good, and the lastest story is another eerie beginning. I agree with some others that the book just moves too slow sometimes (maybe Vaughn has become Marvel-fied?), but the characters still really interest me.

Fables and Human Target are still the two best, and definately two of the best books on the market right now, so anyone not getting them should try an issue!

I believe he showed up in another arc in Swamp Thing, possibly Mark Millar's.

I count Fables and Lucifer among my favorite titles. Y: The Last Man is a great read (sometimes too slow, I agree, but wow! that last mindf*ck storyline!) and My Faith in Frankie was unexpectedly delightful. I have been generally impressed by the Swamp Thing (moreso the the 1st issue and less so the last), and I am looking forward to trying the new Books of Magic series and the Witches-thing coming out. Overall, I believe Vertigo is on a great run lately.

I have never, however, read the Human Target. Perhaps it has been hiding in my comic shop disguised as another title.

I'm finding Human Target a bit 'hit and miss'. When its good, its very VERY good. But when its bad, it downright SUCKS!

The cliche priest/pedaophile story was one such example and unfortunately the latest arc was too. Way too many unbelievable plot-holes and I really didn't engage enough with any of the characters to care about what happened to them. And that 'twist' ending really didn't do it for me.

Hopefully the next arc will be another winner like the baseball and 9/11 stories.

Fables on the other hand continues to impress. LOVED the latest issue! One of those 'calm before the storm' issues but a master-class in how to do it right. Perfect amount of humour, characterisation and suspense to entertain and keep us looking forward to the next issue. Loved all the little moments between characters we don't see too often like Beauty and the Beast, Grimble (so he's a troll! I've been wondering what Fable he was for ages), Rose Red, Jack and the Three Bears. Though now that we've checked in with them I'm beginning to worry that some of these folks might be on the chopping-block next issue. I hope Beauty and the Beast survive at least!

Willingham has not hesitated to knock off good characters when he's felt like it. I thought Bluebeard, for one, would have lasted a lot longer.

You could be right to worry.

I agree about Fables, we should be worried about characters dying. Blue Beard dying caught me totally by surprise, which is partly why I think it was done so well.

Besides Bigby, Snow and Prince Charming, there is really no one that is safe. I think my favorite non-main character right now is Sleeping Beauty, although I like all of them enough to be worried. This only makes me enjoy the series more!

Blacula, although I like the Human Target consistently, I agree that some stories are better than others. The priest pedaphile story was just too obvious to not see coming. I'm confident though that the best arcs are still to come.

I just want to bring to everyone's attention one other thing that makes Fables the fantastic buy that it is - THOSE ABSOFRICKINLUTELY AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL COVERS!

Bar none, every single issue of this comic has had a cover worthy of being a painting on my wall. James Jean is such an incredible artist. In fact it was the covers that made me start buying this series. After deciding to skip this title when it first came out I just kept getting drawn to the covers on the comic shelves every month until finally I thought 'I have to have those pictures, even if the story is bad.' The story of course isn't but even so those covers are worth the price alone!

I love how he takes such standard comic markers like the logo and issue number and date and stuff and really makes them a part of the picture, rather than just having them sitting jarringly on top of it like on most comic covers. And he's got a crazily original design and colour sense too. Just look at the Fables covers on his website - jamesjean.com - each one is completely different to the other but still incredibly beautiful.

... and speaking of the covers - look at the pictures on #'s 26 and 27! Looks like bad things are in store for Fabletown! And who are in those body bags?

Updates with Spoilers:

-Fables: the latest issues have been excellent. The war was very nicely done and Bigby, Prince Charming and Snow were great. The best part was definately the emphasis on the other fables, and a bunch of them shined. The mystery of the Adversary continues, and I hope we continue to get info in the upcoming issues.

The best part of the fight for me was the battle between the witches Baba Yaga and the old witch. I take it the old witch (forget her name now) is the same one from Hansel and Grettal and a few other stories? She seems very intense and may be the scarriest fable yet!

Y: The Last Man: the latest issue was excellent, and Yorrick is finally succumbing to being the last man. However, the previous three were a bit boring for me. It seems that Vaughn's Marvel tenure is making him pad his stories too much and move too slow--I only hope that people don't continue to drop the series, since it shows signs of being very good at times.

Human Target: did this series end? I thought it was one of the best on the market in it's first four or five issues, but then the stories got a bit slower and the book felt lost. I wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled.

Swamp Thing: haven't read the last two issues yet, although they're sitting in the pile of comics by my desk.

and updated reviews.

Anyone still reading these? SLK? Far and Lucien still reading Lucifer and Hellblazer? Blacula? Rokk Steady, OM? Petey C.?

Quick opinions:

-Fables has been AWESOME the last two issues. Although we didn't learn the identity of the Adversary, the storyline wrapped up and some changes were felt. But the last two issues (Bigby in WWII) were just plain awesome. Frankenstein's monster, Nazi's, secret agents, and a damn good story.

-The Human Target remains good, but it doesn't have the same dramatic feel as the first five or so issues to me. I'm not sure why exactly, but it feels like it's slipping.

-Swamp Thing was good too, although I'm still unsure on how much I like it. I haven't read #7 yet.

-Y: the Last Man has been very good lately. A good story with the flight attendent girl, and another good story dealing with Yorrick's sister Hero. The latter one was especially good, and really put her in another light. Now I'm curious to see where she'll go from here...come through strong in the end or be Yorrick's ruin?

Oh, and I reread Preacher's first three trades a month ago...I absolutely love them and can't get enough. I've got to buy the rest to reread those. Ennis cracks me up...

Well, I'm a huge Vertigo fanboy so I'm happy to find this thread. Some thoughts:

Human Target: Oh, this is an amazing book, tho I did hate that pedofile priest issue for being so blooming obvious. None of it compares to the original series but this is still a strong title.

Fables: I was kinda mixed on the flashback tale, I guess I just didn't see it as much more as padding the wait until we find out how Snow's announcement at the end of the war story arc turned out. I've been a fan of Willingham since I discovered elementals and his storytelling skills have sharpened.

The Witching: Anyone checking this out? It's a cute title with the stereotypic Vertigo trappings (sex, drugs, swearing, strong women). I'm enjoying this one, so far.

Swamp Thing: I'm liking this one tho it hasn't totally grabbed me yet. Supposedly the new writer is really strong, so I'm eager to see it. I've enjoyed it month-to-month but in hindsight I'm underwhelmed.

Hellblazer: Mike Carey comes up with spooky stuff that actually scares me for the first time since I picked up a Hellblazer comic.

Y:TLM: I'm so hooked to this series, Vaughn is great at cliffhangers and it's working for me month-to-month.

Lucifer: I've liked this one but I ended up dropping it because I'd get lost month-to-month. Once the trades catch up, I'm planning to pick the title up again that way.

Did you check out Midnight Mass? It was a fun couple of series, nice bit of horror adventure.

There's a new title that was announced at SD this year, I don't remember much but the creator was a storyboard artist on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the comic is inspired by images he didn't use in the movie but couldn't get out of his head. What he had to show the panel was pretty amazing.

I've stuck to the trades for Lucifer too, although I'm waaaay behind. I wonder how it's fans are liking it now, since I think it should be continually moving to it's conclusion. Far? Bevis?

I haven't checked out Midnight Mass, but I might give it a shot on your reccomendation if I have a little extra cash.

Fables, Y:LM and Human Target are all still top notch and highly reccomended to all!

And I hope everyone gives reviews of their fave Vertigo comics as they come out each week! LyleLyle, Blacula and the rest: jump right in!

So, what's new with your Vertigo reading these days? I admit that about two years ago, Vertigo was *thee* place to be in comics for me--the only 'company' (if you look at it that way) that was consistently impressive each month. These days, I've culled my Vertigo reading a bit...

Fables
Still an excellent read. Its been a bit slow for my tastes for six issues or so, but I'm hoping a renewed focus on Bigby and Snow will pump me back up. Still, its never a let down.

Y: the Last Man
I have to say that while I gave it much more of a chance than most on LW, its kind of fizzled on me. It just takes a long time for anything to happen, and now I'm wonder if I should even be buying it...

Swamp Thing
Recently cancelled, but I cancelled it around issue #7 personally. It appears that its very difficult these days for writers to really 'get' Swamp Thing or make the character their own.

What else is everyone reading in regards to Vertigo?

READ DMZ

For that matter, read anything written by Brian Wood. Local or Supermarket are also out recently. But I digress.

DMZ is a lost in New York type story where several states (including New Jersey) have seceded from the United States. US army is in Westchester and the Free States army is in Jersey. Manhattan is the DMZ between them.

Though its obvious theres a lot of political societal commentary on the real world in there the characters and the landscape of destroyed Manhattan are really interesting. Oh we're following the story of Matt, a Jimmy Olsen type rookie reporter who's stranded in NYC in the first issue.

I think its up to issue 5 right now and a Vol 1 trade should be coming within the next month.

Fables keeps knockin' my socks off, but Y has gotten kinda slow. I'll stick with Y though, b/c I really do like the characters. I decided to try Denise Mina on Hellblazer, and its been nice so far... a base hit: not a home run, but not a strike-out either.

With respect to the new crop of titles:

1. DMZ: Did NOT grab me during the first few issues. But the most recent storyline caught my attention in a big way, and I am enjoying it. Maybe the first arc was too much set-up for me, but it seems to be cookin' now.

2. American Virgin: 3 issues in, and I have no idea where it is going, and I mean that in a good way. And I love Cloonan's art. I am excited by this series.

3. Testament: Started out strong, but has lost me the past couple of issues. Too many gods in the background, although I enjoy reading about the 'real world' characters.

4. Exterminators: Thought this started out badly, lotsa profanity, not enough of an idea of what the series is supposed to be about. With Issue 5, however, something kicked into high gear (it really might be about the protagnists dealing with a mutant strain of roaches, which wasn't at all clear to me at the beginning of the series), and - as of last ish - I am very interested to see where it is heading.

Just reread the entire Sandman Mystery Theatre series from the earlier days of Vertigo...one of the best series ever.

I highly recommend picking up the trades that are available.

So I picked up ‘Our Army @ Love’ the other day. It was…weird. But it seemed pretty good with some very crude satire and insight. I’m not sure if its *too much* for me to sex up the War in Iraq this much, even if it has a strong message underneath (which is assuredly does). Just might not be my cup of tea.

Anyone see this or have thoughts?

This is condemnation without reading, but I find the idea of book sort of distasteful, maybe because I read the preview pages after reading some articles about sexual abuse in the forces. Maybe if they had set it in a fictitious war? - but we'd naturally draw the parallels with the current conflicts.