Fat Pants February 2007
Alright, we’ve got a new feature here on Comic Pants. We figured we would mention some of the graphic novels and trades to come out in the past month that we feel are worth your attention, but we couldn’t figure out whether to call it “Waiting for the Trade” or “Fat Pants.” The former is obvious, and the latter denotes the larger size of trades compared to single issues. Our indecisiveness led us to leave the decision up to you, the reader! Anyways, here’s what we feel to be the trades/graphic novels most worth your time in February 2007 and maybe a few honorable mentions.
Annihilation: Book One Oversized Hardcover
Nick: Utter Crap. Then why am I mentioning it, you ask? Because I am in fact lying. In reality, this is one of the best hardcovers to come out this month. I mean, come on, space-based superhero action. What’s cooler than seeing Nova take out some of Annihilus’ warships with his head?
D3: So it’s like really good cosmic crap?
Nick: Yes, cosmic crap is always really good. Don’t you remember Infinity War? That was freakin’ awesome!
D3: In actuality, Annihilation is really good. I’ve never really read any Marvel cosmic stuff before, but the richness of the cosmic scene really came through on this series and hooked me. The first book collects the Drax mini, the prologue issue and the Nova mini. Marvel’s swanky oversized format is almost enough to sell me on a book by itself, but these stories probably would have made the list in normal sized softcovers. Good, old-school cosmic action.
Nick: The richness of the cosmic scene leads to another thing I liked about this book: Characters. I love seeing all these people that I remember reading as a kid. But were there too many characters, D3? Easy to get confused?
D3: Actually, It wasn’t that confusing for me. I’m sure there were details that a seasoned Marvel vet would have been able to pick up on that I missed, but the “Nova File” bios at the end of most of the issues cleared things up for me really well. My only real complaint about this hardcover would be that I would have preferred the “Nova Files” all together at the end.
Nick: I’ll second the complaint, as it was a little annoying to be interrupted in the middle of the story, but it in no way made the hardcover less interesting or enjoyable. And the art is actually quite strong. Scott Kolins, Mitch Breitweiser and Kev Walker all do great work and do Nova, Drax and Thanos justice.
Batman: Year One
D3: It’s a classic, we’ve all heard of it, and most of us have read it at least once…
Nick: Translation: If you don’t already own this, you should be ashamed and go buy it immediately. I mean it. Right now.
D3: Well that’s pretty much the reason it makes the list this month. It’s a classic; everybody should have a copy, and it just got cheaper and easier to do so. When a classic gets a new printing and becomes more accessible, it’s always notable. But why is it a classic?
Nick: It falls into the classic category, right alongside Dark Knight Returns, because Frank Miller establishes key elements to the Batman mythos. You get Batman at his start, Gordon when he’s just getting to Gotham and you’re introduced to Gotham City itself. And let’s not forget David Mazzucchelli’s beautiful artwork. Best James Gordon EVER.
D3: Actually, that was something I intended to mention. While it’s a great Batman story, it’s actually a better James Gordon story. It’s also worth mentioning that despite the softcover’s scaled back price tag, the great extras don’t get truncated. A whole quarter of the volume is extras!
DMZ Volume 2: Body of a Journalist
Nick: Two words. Brian Wood. It’s not too far off the mark to say that anything he touches turns to gold but with DMZ he really has outdone himself. And while the first trade, On the Ground, was good, this trade is infinitely better.
D3: Wood really has been on fire of late. For me, what makes DMZ so great is that it covers almost all the bases when it comes to eliciting a reaction in the reader. It’s personal, scary, relevant, and heartbreaking; it has action, betrayal, and humor all at once. DMZ also pulls off being a politically charged book without being a preachy book. It really isn’t just an action book in a dystopian future.
Nick: Word. Also, why this trade hit the homerun it did for me was that there was a better sense of cohesion in it than the first one had. It had a bunch of little stories that were all good. This one has actual plot progression in it and it keeps you turning the page.
D3: Not to mention the art from Riccardo Burchielli, Kristian Donaldson, and Wood himself in this volume.
Nick: Yeah, all three of them do a phenomenal job. Kristian’s issue, The Secret Origin of Zee, is a standout, but Riccardo Burchielli is a master of the inconspicuous detail. By that, I mean he can draw the hell out of just about anything and the level of detail that he puts into his work is astounding.
Beyond Oversized Hardcover
Nick: Great fucking read! I mean it, this is a miniseries that really hearkens back to the weird and fun books of old. You get a harrowing adventure, odd characters and exciting action. What more is there that you need?
D3: Apparently an oversized hardcover, Nick. Beyond really is a great book; the prevalent heroism and sacrifice makes me want to both pump my fist in the air and cry all at the same time, and after reading McDuffie’s Deathlok, his appearance in this book is just flat out awesome. Dwayne McDuffie is top tier talent that deserves top tier sales. Unfortunately, that is where the love fest ends for me. Scott Kolins is an extremely talented artist that almost completely turns me off of a story. I can look at his work objectively and know that it’s good, but it just isn’t pleasing to my eye. I just can’t get into his stuff.
Nick: So, in other words D3, you despise everything about Scott Kolins?
D3: Nope. Just the slutification of Uatu.
Nick: I see. Well, I on the other hand really enjoy Kolins’ work. The energy in it is jaw dropping, especially the whole Dragon Man portion of the story. I also will agree with ya, D3, that McDuffie is top tier talent and deserves a much higher profile. His work on Justice League Unlimited was great and with Beyond, the craft of his writing is just as good, if not better.
D3: It really is good; go buy it.
Jack of Fables Volume 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
D3: I initially had mixed feelings about this title. Fables is a great ensemble book, and Jack may be the most one-dimensional character of that ensemble. After finishing the first arc, I’m glad to report my misgivings were unfounded. Jack of Fables holds nearly, if not exactly, as high of a quality level as its parent title. Jack’s penchant for getting in and out of trouble is a tried and true method used by storytellers for eons, and that is exactly what makes it work. Willingham and Sturges aren’t so much reinventing the wheel as they are merely updating the look and style of the wheel. Jack of Fables is rollin’ on twenty inch chrome dubs with spinners rather than wagon wheels.
Nick: Huh, how does one follow a sentence like that last one? I know…You don’t. The book’s that good and this trade, packed with a Tony Akins’ sketchbook is most certainly worth picking up.
D3: Oh yeah, the art’s good too.
A few of the books that almost made the list were X-Factor vol 1: The Longest Night, Nextwave Agents of Hate vol 1: This is What They Want, She-Hulk vol 4: Laws of Attraction, Fallen Angel vol 2: Down to Earth, and Xtnct
As always, we welcome your feedback, and don’t forget to help us decide the eternal question, “Waiting for the Trade” or “Fat Pants”
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Must. Be. Fatpants.
And, I think you guys put me over the top on Beyond. I was on the fence, but now I wants it I does.
25 Feb 2007 at 6:42 pm
QuoteWaiting for the Trade
(I’m a boring guy, but Fat Pants…I dunno…it doesn’t seem as catchy as your other ones. But I have a sneaking suspicion it will win).
25 Feb 2007 at 6:49 pm
QuoteWhy choose? Make it the Reese’s cups of blog feature titles.
“Fat Pants: Waiting for the Trade”
Oh, and Marvel should have an exchange program where for every issue of Civil War you return to the store you get a buck off of Annihilation or Beyond, like those inner-city gun programs. C’mon, kids! Help keep Civil War off of our streets.
25 Feb 2007 at 7:53 pm
QuoteI’m staying out of the voting, obviously, but do yourself a favor and check out Xtinct. It’s a funky little story reprinted from the Judge Dredd Megazine that has nothing to do with Judge Dredd, but everything to do with intelligent dinosaurs hunting down the last humans on Earth after the Apocalypse. Kinda like We3, crossed with the movie The Omega Man, but more fun. Definitely fun. Paul Cornell and D’Israeli have some crazy cool ideas.
25 Feb 2007 at 7:53 pm
QuotePlease have my babies.
25 Feb 2007 at 7:54 pm
QuoteWaiting for the Fat Pants!! No? Nevermind…
25 Feb 2007 at 7:55 pm
QuoteWaiting for the trade.
25 Feb 2007 at 10:57 pm
QuoteFat Pants. “Waiting for the Trade” is SO circa 2000 Warren Ellis, guys.
25 Feb 2007 at 11:26 pm
QuoteWell, while I like Fat Pants, it is a little cryptic, so I’ll vote Waiting for the Trade
26 Feb 2007 at 12:08 am
QuoteI gotta go with the hybrid suggestion. Fat Pants: Waiting For The Trade wins for me. That’s right! No riding the fence here.
I’ll add that while I haven’t seen the trade of it to see what extras there may be, X-Factor has, and continues to be, one of the best reads out there. Peter David rarely disappoints me. If I could get my hands on some Fallen Angel, I’d probably add a vote for that as well, but I’m still working on that.
26 Feb 2007 at 3:41 am
QuoteThat’s got my vote. “Waiting for the Trade” is just boring, and “Fat Pants” wouldn’t be clear enough to new readers. But put ‘em together, and you’ve got something.
26 Feb 2007 at 4:05 am
QuoteOh, and Kolin’s Uatu looked cool!
26 Feb 2007 at 4:05 am
QuoteFat Pants: Waiting for the Trade gets my vote as well.
26 Feb 2007 at 4:40 am
QuoteTradespotting.
26 Feb 2007 at 8:49 am
QuoteHow about: “Blouse Those Trousers!”
Fat Trousers
Fat Slacks
Pantaloons
Left Panting
Pant the Trade Red (biggest stretch…and speaking of that…)
Stretch Pants (!)
I give up.
26 Feb 2007 at 10:15 am
QuoteDefinitely Fat Pants. I don’t see how it’s more cryptic than Hot Pants, Bell Bottom Pick or Short Pants. Besides, you always explain the heading at the start of every entry anyway.
And since I’m a Wait For the Trade kinda guy, I’m all over this topic.
Big thumbs up on the Battle to the Death picture. I love it.
26 Feb 2007 at 10:39 am
QuoteI’m with Guido (maybe I should make a Civil War banner out it?) here. By the way, that picture of the warring pants is just awesome.
26 Feb 2007 at 11:41 am
QuoteFat Pants gets my vote. Waiting for Trades doesn’t work well for graphic novels.
I know where I can find this information, but do you think you could list issues included in these trades? I am one of those people who likes to try series as floppies and then stops when I see it getting collected. So I gotta match up my first trade purchase with where I stopped with the floppies.
26 Feb 2007 at 12:47 pm
QuoteI’m sure that we could do that in the future. As it stands for this episode:
Annihilation: Drax Earthfall Mini #1-4
Annihilation Prologue
Annihilation: Nova Mini #1-4
Batman Year One: Stand Alone Mini
DMZ Body of a Journalist: Issues #6-12
Beyond: Stand Alone 6 issue mini
Jack of Fables The (Nearly) Great Escape: #1-5
26 Feb 2007 at 12:58 pm
QuoteGents,
FAT PANTS all the way! While “Waiting For The Trade” terminology is definitely in the zeitgiest, it’s a bit dated as someone pointed out.
You guys need to be pacing, not chasing. In other words, lead the zeitgeist (FAT PANTS!), don’t chase it with dated lingo. Not to mention, there’s something cool about the consistency it adds with the name of the site and some of the other column titles.
My .02 cents,
Justin
26 Feb 2007 at 1:11 pm
QuoteDo you have any idea how hard it is in New York State to adopt winged monkeys or a silver-age Superman robot?
26 Feb 2007 at 1:32 pm
QuoteHas to be Fat Pants: Waiting For Trade. Not really a fan of either title (Sorry!) but it’s a great idea to have a trade review column.
26 Feb 2007 at 1:38 pm
QuoteI actually like this one quite a bit, but it appears that only makes two of us.
26 Feb 2007 at 1:48 pm
QuoteI’d have to go with Fat Pants. Though like almost everybody I’m sure I thought up of an alternative..”Lord of the Pants”..since alot more people are moving toward the trade and hardcover route as opposed to reading on a monthly basis.
Batman:Year One is hands down my favorite Batman story every.
Jack of Fables has turned out to be one of my favorite books out there and is just whole lot of fun to read.
26 Feb 2007 at 3:36 pm
QuoteActualy, Nick, that’s a common misconception, but it was originally published as Batman #404-407. It was an early example of a limited series within a series. Doesn’t help the confusion that DC says it collects Batman; Year One 1-4 in the indicia, a mini-series which doesn’t actually exist.
26 Feb 2007 at 4:01 pm
QuoteI don’t really like either name. How about Long Pants instead.
26 Feb 2007 at 5:01 pm
Quotei vote “fat pants”. just read DMZ vol 2, and absolutely loved it. defintely a big step up from the (already great) first volume. this is probably the earliest i’ve jumped on board a vertigo series, so i’m proud to be in on the ground floor, but it’s a bitch waiting for each trade to come out.
26 Feb 2007 at 7:46 pm
Quotehttp://bp1.blogger.com/_pypmmjDYtKc/ReObGuT2YnI/AAAAAAAAAAM/4M_Gz7TJT90/s1600-h/Civil+War+banner.bmp
I love Year One and like Beyond (although I liked Scott Kolins’ work on The Flash better). I bought DMZ #1 and thought it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t grab enough to pick up subsequent issues. If I buy the second trade, will I be lost at all?
26 Feb 2007 at 8:57 pm
QuoteChalk me up for Tradespotting as well. Very clever.
27 Feb 2007 at 12:47 pm
QuoteJust finished Annihilation 1. At first I was pissed I paid so much money for only 9 issues, then I read them and got over it. It’s great to see Nova grow up. After the way Justice was treated in the pages of the Avengers and what just happened to Speedball it’s nice to see people pick up New Warrior’s characters where the excellent Volume 1 left off (can you tell what book got me into comics during my formative years). Not usually a big fan of the cosmic stuff, especially at marvel, but this was definitely fantastic.
27 Feb 2007 at 8:07 pm
QuoteIt appears that Fat Pants is the victor.
http://comicpants.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/untitled-4.jpg
28 Feb 2007 at 12:18 pm
QuoteMUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Er… great debate, guys!
01 Mar 2007 at 2:23 pm
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