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Post by DaPonte04 on Jan 25, 2014 1:38:25 GMT -5
I miss Steve's segment from the podcast as it was dedicated to showcasing books that were outside of the Big Two, and that people were probably not aware of. The segment more or less merged with the "Books of the Week" segment as it progressed.
This can be a place where people can post their hidden gems that they have discovered. I don't think that the Big Two's books should be excluded from being posted here, but I think it would be better suited to the topic if it was something released at least 10+ years ago. I know that our resident beloved curmudgeon "Uncle Bob" has his "Bob's Your Uncle" section to chat comics, but with his wealth of comic knowledge I would love to see some OtBP suggestions.
To get things started, although this is more of a request, does anyone (or Stephanie) recall the title something along the lines of a league of Canadian Superheroes? Thanks to her recommendations I've already bought Adventures of Superhero Girl and Bandette and can't wait to jump right in.
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Post by xtjmac510x on Jan 25, 2014 4:56:58 GMT -5
I miss Steve's segment from the podcast as it was dedicated to showcasing books that were outside of the Big Two, and that people were probably not aware of. The segment more or less merged with the "Books of the Week" segment as it progressed. This can be a place where people can post their hidden gems that they have discovered. I don't think that the Big Two's books should be excluded from being posted here, but I think it would be better suited to the topic if it was something released at least 10+ years ago. I know that our resident beloved curmudgeon "Uncle Bob" has his "Bob's Your Uncle" section to chat comics, but with his wealth of comic knowledge I would love to see some OtBP suggestions. To get things started, although this is more of a request, does anyone (or Stephanie) recall the title something along the lines of a league of Canadian Superheroes? Thanks to her recommendations I've already bought Adventures of Superhero Girl and Bandette and can't wait to jump right in. I agree. I think this would be a great place to recommend some unknown, lesser known, or otherwise non-Big 2 titles that people are reading and enjoying. As to your question, I know there is a League of Canadian Superheroes in the comic Spinnerette but you're probably thinking of something else. As for lesser known titles, I've been reading a lot of Periscope lately. They have a plethora of titles to choose from but Underground by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber is a highlight. Also the works of Jonathan Case a la "Dear Creature," "The Creep," and "Green River Killer." And Stumptown by Greg Rucka. That's a book everyone needs to read. |
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Post by Bob Reyer on Jan 25, 2014 9:38:36 GMT -5
Hey guys!
I miss Steve's weekly "Off the Beaten Path" segments, too! His passion for those under-the-radar titles was infectious--so much so that the rest of us wanted in! Just as "D" points out, as our "Book of the Week" grew like kudzu to become "Books...", we were each selecting titles that would have been naturals for "OtBP", and without meaning to, the segment was absorbed into the main "BotW".
Steve, Stephanie, and Bobby are always finding smaller titles to chat about, and of late, due to some suggestions from these parts, I've tried to bring up some smaller titles like Honey West, or older books such as last week's Gemma Bovery from 1999, so as a group we are probably mentioning more "OtBP" comics than ever; without a dedicated spot in the show however, might they be getting lost a bit?
What say you? Should we petition Steve to keep one of his gems for a spotlight moment on a semi- or regular basis?
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Post by wjohnson22 on Jan 25, 2014 15:24:39 GMT -5
Great idea for a thread and would definitely welcome back this segment of the podcast, at least every now and then.
You might be sick of reading me write about it, but I'll plug again Paul Chadwick's Concrete series from Dark Horse. Aften an initial sci-fi setup about a guy, Ron Lithgow, who has his consciousness involuntarily transferred into a giant 1,500 pound The Thing-like body, the story focuses on Ron trying to maintain his humanity. Many of the stories are pretty uplifting, although often with notes of melancholy due to Concrete's challenge in forming relationships where people aren't trying to use him for their own benefit. Plus, Chadwick's inking work is impressive and very consistent.
I also really enjoyed March: Book One drawn by Nate Powell and written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. It's the graphic novel autobiography about John Lewis' life as a civil rights leader. Powell's artwork really shines and has some flourishes similar to Craig Thompson as far as using innovative panel layouts and in how he uses negative space. It's an inspiring story about an incredible life.
Ok, stepping down for now, carry on with your day!
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Post by tundra on Jan 25, 2014 17:14:08 GMT -5
Great idea for a thread. Myself I'm quite happy hearing about under the radar books during the books of the week, but a thread for recommendations is a good idea.
I would definitely second the mention of Concrete, which is outstanding for both writing and art.
To that I'll add another from Dark Horse (at least, they publish it in English). Blacksad is, essentially, Philip Marlowe played by a hard bitten black cat. The art is spectacular with a fantastic noir feel to it.
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Post by IncredibleD on Jan 26, 2014 7:59:18 GMT -5
Only one i can think of right now is Masks and Mobsters from Monkeybrain, it could be that a lot of people know this book but i don't hear a lot of talk about it so i thought i'd mention it. Its written by Josh Williamson, and as the title says its superheroes versus the mob which is pretty awesome.And i like the art which is all done in black and white. Other Monkeybrain titles i like are Bandette, Captain Ultimate and Edison Rex.
Oh and that Concrete series sounds like something i would like, it doesn't cost a whole lot on the Dark Horse app so i'm gonna try it some time. |
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Post by Don Garvey on Jan 26, 2014 8:45:15 GMT -5
Great recommendation with Concrete wjohnson22! Another great from that era is Mage by Matt Wagner. Vol 1 of this series seems to be a requirement for hardcover discount boxes and it can be had pretty cheap online from second-hand resellers - you can also grab the individual comics on ComiXology. I'm still a big fan of the original Eastman and Laird TMNT, even if only for curiosity purposes, I recommend everyone go back and read these - the raw energy and punk rock production values of this series inspire me to this day. |
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Post by othersummersbrother on Jan 31, 2014 11:21:12 GMT -5
There was a Top-Shelf Comixology sale at the end of last year. One of my purchases was a book titled "Any Empire." Black and white coming of age story I recommend. About as far off the beaten path I can come up with. I will have some more in the future, but great topic.
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Post by lissapunch on Jan 31, 2014 12:49:19 GMT -5
Considering pretty everything I read is considered indie or creator owned, this is my kind of hang out. Although, I always have trouble choosing what's really "off the beaten path" or "lesser known", since it's relative to what you're normally exposed to. I've never been able to get into the stories of super heroes, so the big 2 rarely publish books that appeal to me.
Two exceptions to my anti-hero policy are Planetary and Nextwave.
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michaelk
Fearless Defender
So many comics, so little time.
Posts: 41 
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Post by michaelk on Feb 9, 2014 23:26:59 GMT -5
First Second Books has released a few remarkable books lately. You might have heard of something called Battling Boy from them by the great Paul Pope, but a few other titles to try from them are Sailor Twain, about a mermaid and a steam ship on the Hudson River, by Mark Siegel; and Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol, which is about a young girl from an immigrant family trying to fit in at school, who 'befriends' a ghost who is more than she seems. Both are legitimately scary, and marvelous, and unique. Highly recommended.
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Post by xtjmac510x on Feb 11, 2014 19:57:52 GMT -5
Big Dog Ink has a pretty cool line-up of comics, especially Ursa Major which I really enjoyed reading.
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Post by TealProductions on Feb 20, 2014 12:12:05 GMT -5
I would recommend a perusal of Idea and Design WOrks Publishing (IDW) offerings. SInce Locke and Key finished up you don't really hear them mentioned as often. Ghostbusters, X-Files, GI Joe, Samurai Jack, My Little Pony (yeah I'm a Bronie) are just a few of the titles there that I don't think get talked about as much as they desreve.
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Post by hellocookie on Feb 22, 2014 16:02:09 GMT -5
I miss Steve's segment from the podcast as it was dedicated to showcasing books that were outside of the Big Two, and that people were probably not aware of. The segment more or less merged with the "Books of the Week" segment as it progressed. This can be a place where people can post their hidden gems that they have discovered. I don't think that the Big Two's books should be excluded from being posted here, but I think it would be better suited to the topic if it was something released at least 10+ years ago. I know that our resident beloved curmudgeon "Uncle Bob" has his "Bob's Your Uncle" section to chat comics, but with his wealth of comic knowledge I would love to see some OtBP suggestions. To get things started, although this is more of a request, does anyone (or Stephanie) recall the title something along the lines of a league of Canadian Superheroes? Thanks to her recommendations I've already bought Adventures of Superhero Girl and Bandette and can't wait to jump right in. Heya! Adventures of Superhero Girl is so amazing... I can't get enough of that book and I totally horde copies of it to give out to friends as presents. Hark, A Vagrant! has tons of Canadianisms in it too. True Patriot has a story by Faith Erin Hicks with the League of Canadian Supervillains (I believe that's what they're called) and it's an anthology with a bunch of fantastic little stories in it. I know I'm late to this thread, so your forgiveness, please!  |
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