Rolling thread for asking if comics that may not deserve their own thread are any good...

...or The Curse of the Inelegant Title.

I would like to know if Usagi Yojimbo is any good.

Usagi Yojimbo is not just good, but outstanding. And essential. I actually think it is still getting better, which you can't say about much 25 years in.

I'm curious about that series too, but when it's been going for that long it's sort of overwhelming, wouldn't even know where to start. My library actually has a bunch of random books, any recommendations?

You can actually start absolutely ANYWHERE with Usagi, including the current issue or the first trade. It's a large part of the appeal!

I dunno if you can just start anywhere; there are many standalone stories, yeah, but at least in the volumes I've read there's a lot of continuity too. I guess you can start in the middle without getting too confused, but it makes a richer reading if you try to read the volumes in order.

Anyway, whatever you do, definitely read it. For such a long-running title it's kept quality up incredibly long.

I would agree you can start anywhere - yes there is backstory and continuity but it won't get in the way of the story at hand, nor make you confused like a X-Men comic or something. However, understand that wherever you start you're going to want to read the whole thing. I missed a huge chunk between "Lone Goat & Kid" and "Grasscutter" when they were published, but after picking up a used copy of "Grasshopper" I quickly went back to fill in the gaps.

"Grasscutter" is a good place to start, in my opinion; epic story, and some of the things introduced then still resonate through (at least recently) current issues.

They also throw the thing into space occasionally and it doesn't really affect it in the slightest.

The Space Usagi stuff is completely outside the main continuity. Doesn't mean it's not cool.

Is Faker (that Mike Carey / Jock miniseries) any good? Read the synopsis and I like some work from each of them.

Promising start, incoherent conclusion. It's set in St. Cloud, and I'm tempted to ask the people at the comic shop there what they think of such an odd claim to "fame."

The currently ongoing Air from Vertigo; my friend has offered to loan me the first tpb, but I struggled to make it through the first issue when it came out. The story was mildly intriguing, but the art actively repulsed. Is the story good enough that I should just grit my teeth and give it a go?

Oh yeah, I'm interested in Air as well.

I wouldn't give up on Air because to the first issue; it's kinda messy, but the series gets better as it goes along. The art is of acquired taste, admittedly. I like how guy's layouts, but the way he draws the characters makes them look pretty weird.

"I like the guy's layouts"

I read the first trade of Air - it's ok, but pretty clunky.

Read the first trade of Air; the artist really, really annoys me and the writer isn't doing anything to help him. The story is interesting, but I have no idea why it needs to be told in graphic form. Would be better as prose. Will not be reading more.

I read a couple of issues of Air, but eventually decided that the art was the best thing about it and the story was one of those rambling make-it-up-as-you-go-along things, only not even as good as that makes it sound.

Has anyone read "Little Fluffy Gigolo", by some Japanese guy? I stumbled across it in a shop, and it's a real "OMG WTF" thing about some fluffy alien who comes to earth and becomes a gigolo, all drawn in this weirdo psych-manga style.

Having taken a paycut since I moved back to the UK -- I miss you, middlingly economically stable Canada -- I've more-or-less quit buying monthlies, or even downloading them for lawks. It's gotten to the point now where I don't read any non-Grant Morrison monthlies (except for Joe the Barbarian, where I'm waiting for the trade).

Anyway, is there anything I'm missing out on? I quit Criminal and Iron Man after one too many reboots, should I try again? What about Stumptown? There's been a dearth of ILC snark about Brightest Day -- does that mean it's actually good?

Stumptown is entertaining, but it comes out so infrequently that every issue I find myself going "who are these people again?".

For me the best things at the moment are Bulletproof Coffin and Sweet Tooth. The Unwritten is interesting, for all that it hovers on the brink of me stopping buying it.

I also still like Criminal, when it comes out.

Oh and Neonomicon! I wuv that too.

Haven't read Sweet Tooth but I very much second Bulletproof Coffin. Lotsa Image actually: King City remains swell, should you be attuned to its rhythm, and I'm pretty sure there is, or will be, a collection of the first three issues of Orc Stain out, which is kinda like a four-track HEAVY METAL strip - ridiculous, but true.

this looks bonkers

WANT

looks like corben!

more

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