Sunday Recommendations: Enjoying the Simple Things!

Martinex1: Sundays we take it a little easier around here, but these are a few things that I find enjoyable so I thought I would share.  They may not be typical BitBA fare (and others may be right in our wheelhouse).  I hope you may like these offerings also.  Share your thoughts and recommendations.

1) The Thunderbolts: Arriving after the Bronze Age, this team book's early years written by Kurt Busiek and penciled by Mark Bagley were excellent.  If you haven't explored this series, I believe most here would enjoy it.  Lots of twists, turns, character developments, and a nostalgic feel in the mighty Marvel manner.

1A) Citizen V:  Coming out of the Thunderbolts is a character that I think is intriguing.  And I find his elaborate costume design rather interesting as well.

2) The Pretenders: This band really had something going on, particularly in the early days before the deaths of James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon.  Chrissie Hynde carried on, but the first couple of albums were classics.

3) Egg Foo Young:  This classic dish, if done right, is delicious.  Add some spice and pepper for an update to the traditional.

4) John Byrne's version of the Doom Patrol: Not always considered a popular run for the team, Byrne stripped away some of the group's strange modern history and went back to basics.  I liked it. And his art was the strongest it had been for a while.

4A) Negative Man: Coming out of the Doom Patrol, I would like to see more of the Negative Man.  Here is a long running character that should get more of the spotlight.

5) Extreme Pumpkin Carving:  It is that time of year, and I am amazed by the creativity of these jack-o-lanterns.  They are a far cry from the triangle eyes and noses of past Halloween gourds.  So much fun, yet so fleeting.  Cheers all!

Chew the Fat: The Super-Villain Book - What Makes It and What Breaks It?

Martinex1: I've always been fascinated by the Super-Villain comics and am tempted to purchase them whenever I see them.   But inevitably the book falls flat; perhaps it is too difficult to maintain empathy for a "bad-guy."   But some books work better than others.   Dr. Doom has headlined numerous runs, but rarely makes a long go of it.   On the other hand, some team books like The Thunderbolts had nice series.  And the more recent version of The Secret Six was actually written and drawn quite well and even though it starred some third tier characters was quite entertaining.

And what about the anti-heroes?   Namor, the Punisher, and the Suicide Squad?  Where is the line separating heroics and villainy?  How do you define that?  Have traditional heroes also crossed that line?

Today let's talk about all aspects about the villainous comic books.  When the antagonist becomes the protagonist, what works and what doesn't? 

So that's the broad topic... chew the fat!