Recommend the latest Comic or TPB you have read

[supahman]

I couldn't finish the movie, but i love the book and have read it multiple times. Highly recommended.

[Babytoxie]

Originally Posted by supahman

I couldn't finish the movie, but i love the book and have read it multiple times. Highly recommended.

[Babytoxie]

Over the last 5 years or so, my opinion of Alan Moore has dropped considerably. This is due primarily to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, one of his greatest achievements, becoming a self-indulgent mess. With NEMO: HEART OF ICE, Moore seems to be heading back towards what made the first two volumes of LoEG so enjoyable, but it still has its problems.

First, the good: NEMO: HEART OF ICE returns to the direct storytelling style of the earlier stories. The characterizations are stronger, and the plot is more focused. While the literary references are numerous, I always find the required research to be part of the fun (special thanks to Jess Nevins). Moore includes quite a few characters from American literature and film, but it appears that some can't be referenced directly due to existing trademarks. At this point in time (1925), the original Captain Nemo, Prince Dakkar, has died, with his legacy having passed to his daughter, Janni. The story begins with Janni and the crew of the Nautilus running afoul of American publisher Charles Foster Kane and the living goddess Ayesha. The Nautilus then heads to Antarctica to conclude some unfinished business of Janni's father, with three technological geniuses hired by Kane in pursuit. Reaching the Mountains of Madness, they all encounter an ancient civilization from another solar system... or perhaps another dimension.

The biggest problem for this book is the price: $14.95 for a 56-page hardcover is ridiculous. Granted, plenty of other publishers are doing this, but as Top Shelf had already released three 80-page softcovers of Century for $7.99 each, I'd assumed that they'd stick with that format. When I learned of how much this book would cost, I wrote it off, only giving in when I found a copy for half-off at the local used bookstore; however, that leads into the second problem - regardless of price, the story should have been longer. As presented, it's very abbreviated, but there are numerous ideas here that would warrant HEART OF ICE being expanded into a 6-issue miniseries. Of note are the references to polar exploration (in a literary sense), bringing together the concepts of Lovecraft, Verne, Poe, and others. In the limited space, Moore handles them well, weaving a complex mythology for Antarctica; however, with some additional pages, it could have been so much more. Another interesting angle was the Victorian/Edwardian-era science heroes (or "Edisonades") of American literature: Tom Swift, Jack Wright, and Frank Reade, Jr. Researching these characters, I consider it a shame that Moore used them solely as one-off foils for Janni and her crew.

Regular LoEG artist Kevin O'Neill provides some stunning designs and layouts, as well as truly bizarre depictions of Lovecraftian creatures and architecture. Some of his action sequences do get confusing, especially the parallel threads of Nemo's crew and the science heroes in certain sections - as everyone is wearing similar polar gear, it's difficult to tell who is who. Additionally, there's a point in the story where time begins to fluctuate, with the panels of several pages presented out of order. It became clearer with a second reading, but the first time through was a mess.

NEMO: HEART OF ICE is a refreshing change of pace for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It's certainly no Black Dossier or Century, and that's a good thing; however, it could have been much more.

[marvelboi77]

I just got the Earth 2 TPB 1 and 2. I read the first two issues, and it's excellent.

[Babytoxie]

Complete Multiple Warheads tpb

Wow, this was interesting...

I really like Brandon Graham's work on Prophet for Image Comics, but this creator-owned work was quite unexpected. What I didn't know when I bought it was that Graham has produced some porn comics in his career, and he dips into that genre here. Buyer beware!

[Matches Malone]

Daredevil 34 was another solid DD adventure from Mark Waid. There is only a couple more issues left in his run so the inevitable TPB's or omnibus offerings will be a great read for those that haven't grabbed it as of yet.

[PureInvasion]

Originally Posted by Matches Malone

Daredevil 34 was another solid DD adventure from Mark Waid. There is only a couple more issues left in his run so the inevitable TPB's or omnibus offerings will be a great read for those that haven't grabbed it as of yet.

34 was a good turnaround. I didn't really enjoy 32 or 33 so it was a nice return to form. Can't wait to see how he wraps it up and what makes Daredevil move to San Francisco in the relaunch

[protector2814]

Originally Posted by PureInvasion

34 was a good turnaround. I didn't really enjoy 32 or 33 so it was a nice return to form. Can't wait to see how he wraps it up and what makes Daredevil move to San Francisco in the relaunch

Wow! I hadn't heard about this. San Francisco was where so many of the classic DD/Black Widow story-lines & team-ups took place. Matt lived there in the book's 70's run for a while. It's where he had his cool seeing-eye dog, Deuce. This move could be really cool!

[PureInvasion]

Manifest Destiny (Image) is one of my better reads lately. A fun "what if?" story featuring Lewis and Clark on their expedition. Three issues into it (yet to read the 4th) and I can already tell this one will be quite the ride

[lordrycon]

I've been reading Fables from the beginning. Really enjoying it