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Books about Superheroes or Comic Books?
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#6
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Posted: January 17, 2013 | 12:37 PM
No trouble at all!
None of these books really tell any stories, they are sort of about comics and the characters but don’t really tell much in the way of stories about them.
The science-based books: (Science of Superheroes, Science of Supervillians, the Physics of Superheroes)
For the three of these if you aren’t into science, or you simply want to read the comics without thinking about it, these books are probably not worth your while. If you really enjoy science and comics then they go together pretty well. Some of it debunks what certain heroes/villains can do and show how it is completely off the mark, other parts show how it is completely plausible. For example, it shows how Ant-Man would retain his strength even at smaller levels. The science used is pretty easy to understand, and I found it a fun read (since I like comic and teach science it’s a nice mix for me). The Physics of Superheroes is more specialized in that it really only deals with the physics side of things, whereas the other two deal with other branches of science as well.
Was Superman a Spy and Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant are basically fun facts and trivia, things going on behind the scenes. Discussing things like the original take on Wolverine, and other oddities that surround some of the stories and characters in comics. Lots of fun little facts, though I put ‘Was Superman a Spy’ ahead of the Batman one. There’s crossover between them but on the whole I enjoyed the Superman one more than the Batman one. (Note: Both books are about more than Superman and Batman!!)
Comic Book Nation is a really interesting read since it talks about how comics were influenced and influenced, pop culture. It discussed troubles the comic industry faced throughout the years and talked about how big events impacted the comic industry. I wanted to pick it up after I watched a documentary called ‘Superheroes Unmasked’ (2003) where they writer discusses some of these ideas.
If you are looking for an actual storyline and comic characters and that, it really depends on your taste. What kind of heroes do you like?
Thanks for all the generous information you shared.
My thinking on (science) in comics, is that it really doesn't matter to me, anyway.
I read comics, not for how they agree with science or the real world but to be completely entertained by a wonderfully told story. Anyone who wants their (comic-book) to be based on reality shouldn't pick them up to begin with. IMO. Who in real life can transform into a powerful green monster or leap a tall building in a single bound??
It's called entertainment. Sometimes it is truly written well and captivates the imagination and at other times, I can't believe I spent my money on something that could be such a let down.
The only thing I wish would be consistent is a characters presentation. In one showing they could destroy a whole lineup of the best superheroes around and in the next something so ridiculous takes them out, or they forget about their (powers or abilities.) Those things drive me nuts. And I do understand about the infamous plots,
even so, I believe they could be handled better within the confines of...oh, I don't know...creative writing?
I of course enjoy Superman, The Hulk, Spiderman, and have given the (new) Venom stories a try. I honestly prefer the way Venom was before. I'm hopeful about the direction the Hulk seems to be heading in - but won't hold my breath on it - as they seem to have a knack for dropping the ball just before the touchdown.
The Thor series could be a great comic if it were actually written better. To me. His stories aren't usually all that interesting so I can't (cling) to his character. Not that they haven't (ever) written a good Thor story - they just seem even more far and in between than the rest.
If you are looking for Thor written well I would say the Walt Simonson trades are the best. I agree though getting Thor right seems hard to capture by most writers.
(I don't think that I have read his Thor writings but will take a look - thanks.
Bill mantlos hulk was great and they have reprinted some of those but I don't think they will be able to do his best issues leading up to issue 300 as Rom is in one and marvel I don't think can reprint any comic with Rom in. Is too bad that was a great series as well.
(I'll have to look those up - somewhere along the line there has been a (disconnect) for me from the writings of my favorite titles. In some ways - I wonder if it's the fact that we were (Kids) when we first started to read these books and it really didn't matter to us back then if it were truly a (good) story or not, as long as there was a (good) fight and our favorites won the fight in the end?? And now, we expect more. Hmm. Could be.
Though I tend to think the writers back then got it right more times then not and supplied us with an awesome fight to boot. These new writer....go figure.
For good characterisation old amazing spiderman when stan lee wrote it or the early ultimate spiderman were done well. Lee when he wrote kept a lot of the characters power levels fairly consistent as he saw them. Lees early FF were good as well. Not sure if you have read any of these though?
(You are correct - they were very well written/ hope we can get some work of that caliber done on some of the newer issues.
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#5
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Posted: January 17, 2013 | 11:18 AM
No trouble at all!
None of these books really tell any stories, they are sort of about comics and the characters but don’t really tell much in the way of stories about them.
The science-based books: (Science of Superheroes, Science of Supervillians, the Physics of Superheroes)
For the three of these if you aren’t into science, or you simply want to read the comics without thinking about it, these books are probably not worth your while. If you really enjoy science and comics then they go together pretty well. Some of it debunks what certain heroes/villains can do and show how it is completely off the mark, other parts show how it is completely plausible. For example, it shows how Ant-Man would retain his strength even at smaller levels. The science used is pretty easy to understand, and I found it a fun read (since I like comic and teach science it’s a nice mix for me). The Physics of Superheroes is more specialized in that it really only deals with the physics side of things, whereas the other two deal with other branches of science as well.
Was Superman a Spy and Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant are basically fun facts and trivia, things going on behind the scenes. Discussing things like the original take on Wolverine, and other oddities that surround some of the stories and characters in comics. Lots of fun little facts, though I put ‘Was Superman a Spy’ ahead of the Batman one. There’s crossover between them but on the whole I enjoyed the Superman one more than the Batman one. (Note: Both books are about more than Superman and Batman!!)
Comic Book Nation is a really interesting read since it talks about how comics were influenced and influenced, pop culture. It discussed troubles the comic industry faced throughout the years and talked about how big events impacted the comic industry. I wanted to pick it up after I watched a documentary called ‘Superheroes Unmasked’ (2003) where they writer discusses some of these ideas.
If you are looking for an actual storyline and comic characters and that, it really depends on your taste. What kind of heroes do you like?
Thanks for all the generous information you shared.
My thinking on (science) in comics, is that it really doesn't matter to me, anyway.
I read comics, not for how they agree with science or the real world but to be completely entertained by a wonderfully told story. Anyone who wants their (comic-book) to be based on reality shouldn't pick them up to begin with. IMO. Who in real life can transform into a powerful green monster or leap a tall building in a single bound??
It's called entertainment. Sometimes it is truly written well and captivates the imagination and at other times, I can't believe I spent my money on something that could be such a let down.
The only thing I wish would be consistent is a characters presentation. In one showing they could destroy a whole lineup of the best superheroes around and in the next something so ridiculous takes them out, or they forget about their (powers or abilities.) Those things drive me nuts. And I do understand about the infamous plots,
even so, I believe they could be handled better within the confines of...oh, I don't know...creative writing?
I of course enjoy Superman, The Hulk, Spiderman, and have given the (new) Venom stories a try. I honestly prefer the way Venom was before. I'm hopeful about the direction the Hulk seems to be heading in - but won't hold my breath on it - as they seem to have a knack for dropping the ball just before the touchdown.
The Thor series could be a great comic if it were actually written better. To me. His stories aren't usually all that interesting so I can't (cling) to his character. Not that they haven't (ever) written a good Thor story - they just seem even more far and in between than the rest.
If you are looking for Thor written well I would say the Walt Simonson trades are the best. I agree though getting Thor right seems hard to capture by most writers.
Bill mantlos hulk was great and they have reprinted some of those but I don't think they will be able to do his best issues leading up to issue 300 as Rom is in one and marvel I don't think can reprint any comic with Rom in. Is too bad that was a great series as well. For good characterisation old amazing spiderman when stan lee wrote it or the early ultimate spiderman were done well. Lee when he wrote kept a lot of the characters power levels fairly consistent as he saw them. Lees early FF were good as well. Not sure if you have read any of these though?
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#4
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Posted: January 17, 2013 | 10:03 AM
No trouble at all!
None of these books really tell any stories, they are sort of about comics and the characters but don’t really tell much in the way of stories about them.
The science-based books: (Science of Superheroes, Science of Supervillians, the Physics of Superheroes)
For the three of these if you aren’t into science, or you simply want to read the comics without thinking about it, these books are probably not worth your while. If you really enjoy science and comics then they go together pretty well. Some of it debunks what certain heroes/villains can do and show how it is completely off the mark, other parts show how it is completely plausible. For example, it shows how Ant-Man would retain his strength even at smaller levels. The science used is pretty easy to understand, and I found it a fun read (since I like comic and teach science it’s a nice mix for me). The Physics of Superheroes is more specialized in that it really only deals with the physics side of things, whereas the other two deal with other branches of science as well.
Was Superman a Spy and Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant are basically fun facts and trivia, things going on behind the scenes. Discussing things like the original take on Wolverine, and other oddities that surround some of the stories and characters in comics. Lots of fun little facts, though I put ‘Was Superman a Spy’ ahead of the Batman one. There’s crossover between them but on the whole I enjoyed the Superman one more than the Batman one. (Note: Both books are about more than Superman and Batman!!)
Comic Book Nation is a really interesting read since it talks about how comics were influenced and influenced, pop culture. It discussed troubles the comic industry faced throughout the years and talked about how big events impacted the comic industry. I wanted to pick it up after I watched a documentary called ‘Superheroes Unmasked’ (2003) where they writer discusses some of these ideas.
If you are looking for an actual storyline and comic characters and that, it really depends on your taste. What kind of heroes do you like?
Thanks for all the generous information you shared. My thinking on (science) in comics, is that it really doesn't matter to me, anyway. I read comics, not for how they agree with science or the real world but to be completely entertained by a wonderfully told story. Anyone who wants their (comic-book) to be based on reality shouldn't pick them up to begin with. IMO. Who in real life can transform into a powerful green monster or leap a tall building in a single bound?? It's called entertainment. Sometimes it is truly written well and captivates the imagination and at other times, I can't believe I spent my money on something that could be such a let down. The only thing I wish would be consistent is a characters presentation. In one showing they could destroy a whole lineup of the best superheroes around and in the next something so ridiculous takes them out, or they forget about their (powers or abilities.) Those things drive me nuts. And I do understand about the infamous plots, even so, I believe they could be handled better within the confines of...oh, I don't know...creative writing? I of course enjoy Superman, The Hulk, Spiderman, and have given the (new) Venom stories a try. I honestly prefer the way Venom was before. I'm hopeful about the direction the Hulk seems to be heading in - but won't hold my breath on it - as they seem to have a knack for dropping the ball just before the touchdown. The Thor series could be a great comic if it were actually written better. To me. His stories aren't usually all that interesting so I can't (cling) to his character. Not that they haven't (ever) written a good Thor story - they just seem even more far and in between than the rest.
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#3
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Posted: January 17, 2013 | 7:52 AM
No trouble at all! None of these books really tell any stories, they are sort of about comics and the characters but don’t really tell much in the way of stories about them. The science-based books: (Science of Superheroes, Science of Supervillians, the Physics of Superheroes) For the three of these if you aren’t into science, or you simply want to read the comics without thinking about it, these books are probably not worth your while. If you really enjoy science and comics then they go together pretty well. Some of it debunks what certain heroes/villains can do and show how it is completely off the mark, other parts show how it is completely plausible. For example, it shows how Ant-Man would retain his strength even at smaller levels. The science used is pretty easy to understand, and I found it a fun read (since I like comic and teach science it’s a nice mix for me). The Physics of Superheroes is more specialized in that it really only deals with the physics side of things, whereas the other two deal with other branches of science as well. Was Superman a Spy and Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant are basically fun facts and trivia, things going on behind the scenes. Discussing things like the original take on Wolverine, and other oddities that surround some of the stories and characters in comics. Lots of fun little facts, though I put ‘Was Superman a Spy’ ahead of the Batman one. There’s crossover between them but on the whole I enjoyed the Superman one more than the Batman one. (Note: Both books are about more than Superman and Batman!!) Comic Book Nation is a really interesting read since it talks about how comics were influenced and influenced, pop culture. It discussed troubles the comic industry faced throughout the years and talked about how big events impacted the comic industry. I wanted to pick it up after I watched a documentary called ‘Superheroes Unmasked’ (2003) where they writer discusses some of these ideas. If you are looking for an actual storyline and comic characters and that, it really depends on your taste. What kind of heroes do you like?
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#2
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Posted: January 16, 2013 | 8:29 PM
Just wondering if anyone had any recommendations for books about comics or about superheroes. I've read a few and enjoyed them, I know there are some listed to buy, but wondering if anyone has actually read any to offer more than what it reads on the book jacket.
To date I've read:
The Science of Superheroes
The Science of Supervillians
The Physical of Superheroes
What Superman a Spy
Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant
Comic Book Nation
Any other suggestions would be appreciated!
Could I trouble you for your take on those titles: what you liked about them / and if you thought they were worth buying? Me. I like well written stories that / make sense. I know that (comics) don't have to make sense - but it can't really be enjoyed as much...IMO - if it doesn't. I love the Justice League animated series - I think it's one of the best written. It's like a Smallville caliber/ series. Very well, written. If you know of any graphic novels like that please fill me in/ anyone else as well. The graphic novels I've read of late have been more along the lines of nonsensical/ splashed with fight scenes that go on forever, over ???? Something that I really could care less about. If it's not that type of book - it's the really way out kinds of the Alan Moore types / that leave you feeling like you need your head examined for not being able to follow anything he tries to convey. Where's the happy - medium?
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#1
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Posted: January 13, 2013 | 6:43 PM
Just wondering if anyone had any recommendations for books about comics or about superheroes. I've read a few and enjoyed them, I know there are some listed to buy, but wondering if anyone has actually read any to offer more than what it reads on the book jacket.
To date I've read:
The Science of Superheroes
The Science of Supervillians
The Physical of Superheroes
What Superman a Spy
Why does Batman carry Shark Repellant
Comic Book Nation
Any other suggestions would be appreciated!
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