7 Days of Stack Week – Part 1: The Stack of Greatest Revisitation

It's that time of year again. In what's become an annual tradition here at iFanboy we have our version of Shark Week on Discovery. 

It's STACK WEEK! 

What exactly is STACK WEEK?  Well my lucky friend, it's the time of year where we take stock of the stack of books in our "To Read" pile and highlight some of the delightful comics that lie ahead for us in upcoming days, weeks, months and for some, years. 

Josh will be kicking things off this week and you'll be hearing from just about all the iFanboy writers each day throughout the whole week.  It's guaranteed fun!  So let's get on with it, why don't we?



I must be getting nostalgic in my old age. I’m a doddering old father now, only content with that which I know, finding comfort in familiarity. Either that, or suffering under the glut of constant NEW NEW NEW, I do desire to go back and see what it was that made me love comics so much in the first place.

We also happen to live in a time where publishers are frequently going back to their archives to figure out how to eke out just one more penny from the properties they have to bolster their sagging monthly sales. That has resulted in a win for us, the readers, and even the much drained and oft-targeted collectors, who just can’t help themselves. Subsequently there is a great deal of excellent material that has been reformatted, reproduced, and reprinted in various pleasing incarnations. When I look over the real meat of my stack of books purchased, yet unread, I see that I’ve been spending most of my recreational comic budget (odd concept, yes) on stuff I’ve already read. But it clearly made an impact on me, because I want it on my shelf, and not relegated to the purgatory that is the stack of comic book boxes that I do not care, nor think, about.

Here’s what’s mocking my lack of free time these days, as the sun sets magnificently behind my stack!
 


1. Blacksad Volume 1 – I bought this a while back and just haven’t had time to read it. It’s a  reprint of a foreign comic, and as people say, it is gorgeous. It’s about the best way to do anthropomorphic animal characters, and it’s also a heck of a noir book. The pages just begged to be looked at over and over, from the characters and figures to the lush backgrounds to the masterful colors. It’s a wonder, and yes, I will finish it, and then sit on the next volume for a year or so after it comes out.

2. Swamp Thing Books 2, 3, and 4 – I have these in trade paperback, and even read them once. But I stopped buying them at a certain point because I didn’t know when the Alan Moore issues started, and I knew I didn’t want the stuff after him. The thing was, I wasn’t going to buy these, but I got one of the new hardcovers as a preview copy, so then I had to go get Volume 1. I read that, and got a few issues into volume 2, but, and I probably shouldn’t say this, but I don’t love it. So why did I buy 3 and 4? I heard they were great. And I want to give them another chance. And I probably could have just read the trades I have, but I didn’t, and here we are. It certainly is gorgeous to look at, but I would have liked some nice paper. I guess it’s better than what it was originally printed on.

3. Johnny Red: Falcon’s First Flight Vol. 1 – This is from Titan Books, and has a forward by Garth Ennis. It’s a classic series of British war comics, and dammit if that doesn’t sound fascinating. But I’m guessing this will take me a long time to get to.

4. King, A Comics Biography The Special Edition – This one was a gift from Conor, who knows me very well. I started it, and was even thinking about making it a Book of the Month, but the thing is dense. I’m told the extra material in this special edition is pretty sweet, so I’m looking forward to getting there. In the meantime, it’s offering a view of the great civil rights leader that I’ve never seen before. No idea how based on reality it is, but it’s good. The art is not what you’d expect either, but I’m really enjoying it. Almost to the point where I’ll keep reading it.

5. The Starman Omnibus Volume 6 – I came so far, and here I am, stuck on the last one. It’s a honker! They shoved all the last books into it, and now I’ve got to find time to read it. It shouldn’t be hard once I start, because they’re page turners, and the last arc, Sons of the Father really touched me the last time I read it. I’m half looking forward to it, and half putting it off, because I want to savor it again. Go buy now.

6. Preview galley of a book I can’t talk about because not out until July. Looks pretty sweet though.

7. Ex Machina Deluxe Edition Volume 2 – I think I got this as a preview copy as well, so again, I got volume 1 and read it again, and was surprised at home much I still liked it. This one is still wrapped in plastic, but I’ll definitely finish out the series. What an original concept in the comic book world, and one that would never see print today. It makes me miss Wildstorm. It’s also really cool to see a Tony Harris who got better since his Starman work. Excited to read it, when I get to it.

8. Chew The Omnivore Edition – Of the more recent series in my life, this is one that I really want to indulge in one more time. I have a feeling that I’ll see a lot more when I go back in, and I can really see what Layman and Guillory had in mind from the get go. Plus it’s a really nice reprint. Get your hands on it if you can.

9. Powers The Definite Hardcover Collection Volume 3 – Powers was probably my favorite series of the 2000’s, and reading the first 2 of these hardcovers showed me a much more raw Brian Bendis, but still all the charm that let him get to the top of the heap at Marvel. The Oeming pages are just open and huge, and you can burn through this book in minutes once you hit speed. These are books I love having on my permanent bookshelf.

10. Absolute DC: The New Frontier –  OK, I didn’t really buy this one recently, but years ago, and it’s been bugging me lately that I haven’t read it again, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m considering this a new purchase, and reading it. Actually, I’ve never read this copy, because I read Conor’s copy before I got this. So technically, it’s always been on my stack. I know it causes a gasp every time I crack it open and glance at the art, both by Darwyn Cooke and Dave Stewart, who compliments him so damn well.

11. Identity Crisis (not pictured) – I pulled these issues out of some box in the past few months, and they’ve been sitting on my nightstand, since it was the series that really got me reading DC again. I read about half the first issue over the past few days, and it’s very interesting. No one writes like Brad Meltzer, and it’s a good book. I love the paper and printing they did on books like this at the time. It’s glossier now. Since this will be an Absolute soon (and it should be) I wanted to be up on things. I bet there could even be a video show about this. Maybe?

And that's the state of it. I'm taking a week off from iFanboy to do, well, something else for a little while, and maybe in the meantime, read some of this stuff. Have fun with all the other stacks and your stacks.

Comments

  1. Some awesome stuff in that stack.

    Bums me out that you weren’t digging on Swamp Thing much. Hope you read some more.

    Enjoy vacation.

  2. I’m in the middle of Swamp Thing vol. 2. it started out a little slower than the first vol but it’s growing on me, no pun intended

  3. Knowing my taste in comics, I am pretty sure I would/have/will love all of them.

    Just finished Astonishing X-men Omnibus and I think I might read Blacksad next myself.

  4. I have three trades waiting to be read: the last two volumes of the walking dead (i can’t find #12 and until i do i can’t read #13) and Nosferatu from Viper Comics that a friend got me for Christmas. I want to add Absolute All Star Superman to this stack, but it’s expensive.

    And @Josh, what would you say to get someone to read Starman. I’ve seen covers but have no idea what it’s really about, and know if i wiki it i will ruin it for me.  

  5. The Swamp Thing Annual in Book 2 is one of the greatest comics of all-time. Really looking forward to getting Book 3 and 4.

  6. The Chew and Powers deluxe hardcovers are beautiful books that I’m very proud to have on my shelf. Lately I’ve been reading the Pluto trades after hearing you guys talk about it, and so far I’m loving it.

  7. mmm, Stack.

    Actually this reminds me that I’ve got my own stack I’ve been meaning to get through. Also I should really pick up Blacksad, sounds right up my alley.

  8. Really interested in reading Blacksad, looks like I’d love it.

    I find it ridiculous that the pape quality of the glossy Swamp Thing hardbacks is really poor, so offputting. I mean I would MUCH MUCH prefer a tpb with good paper to them. I’ll get around to volume 3+ sometime.

  9. Ok a few wordso f encouragement about  Johnny Red: Falcon’s First Flight Vol. 1,

    It was written in the late 1970’s for weekly UK comic ‘Battle’. The main draw is the art – Joe Colquhoun was the stand-out genius artist of the time. Its really, really beautiful stuff.

    He went on to draw THE war strip of the era – Charleys War –  a WW1 story written by Pat Mills (Marshal Law) that blows Jacques Tardi out of the water.

    Anyway, Johnny Red comes highly recomended – and the best bit is, becuase it was written as a 3 or 4 page weekly serial for boys, you only have to read the fiest 11-12 pages to get hooked and know you are going to love it 🙂

  10. Moore’s Swamp Thing run is maybe my fav ever. I ebayed off my TPBs and have been buying and re-reading in HC (haven’t go to #4 yet). I don’t know why, I really don’t mind the paper, though I get the complaint. That Blacksad is one I keep circling for purchase…Overall, my Stack is pretty reasonable, only 5 or 6 deep going into the week.

  11. I’ve been meaning to go back and read all my Swamp Thing trades and New Frontier. I finally bought Blacksad so I guess im going to start with that.

  12. I think to commemorate stack week we should all do our own stack columns on our own blogs because it seems like a lot of us have a stack we’d like to get through

  13. I’ve got about 50 trades in my stack. Maybe more. And about one full longbox of unread stuff. Good thing I’ve cut my spending recently.

  14. Josh’s to read stack is pretty envious indeed. Really nice stack of titles. I personally have a few dozen trades and showcases that i’d love to get to, albeit most of those were things that were bought for me for research for a work related project a while back, so i don’t feel as bad. Most pressing…need to catch up on the Hellboy and Classic GI Joe trades that have been starring at me. 

    There is just so much good stuff out there in collected format, there is almost no logical reason to keep buying new stuff. 

  15. Looks like you’ve got a lot of fun reading ahead of you.  I’ve got Chew Vol. 3, 6th Gun, Daytripper, and the Evolution book Ryan suggested a few weeks ago.  Should be fun.

  16. I’m at around 40 books at the moment. Work has been crazy over the last 6 weeks so the pile has just been getting bigger and bigger.

    One thing I miss is re-reading older collections I own. I can barely keep up with new stuff so adding an old run to the stack just doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.

  17. @NawidA  ok I’ll bite, How in the WORLD do you accumulate 50 Trades and 1 long box? Out of the country for some time? Tell me it’s more than 1 years worth of purchases/gifts! 
    3 day weekends are great for digging into your stacks!!!
    All this talk about Identity Crisis made me dig up my issues and reread this series! I discovered, like josh, how great the presentation, coloring, paper was! LOVED how behind the panels the page was BLACK!! Cinematic feel definitely!

  18. I remember reading Johnny Red in Battle when I was a kid and I loved it. Seeing it here might mean a wee surf over to Amazon.

    I mostly manage to read books soon after buying them. Just read the fourth Swamp Thing hardcover and it was very good with a nice Crisis cross-over. The fifth volume of JLI, brought the bwahaha flooding back (why did they change the nice hardcovers for trades? Grrrrrrrrrrrr).

    Due to a complete run of Legion of Superheroes from the mid 60s to the present that I’m wading through, I do have a few books stacking up. 

    Starman Omnibus 5 & 6
    Mouse Guard: Winter 1152
    The Sandman: The Dream Hunters

    (Please don’t tell my girlfriend I have un-read books, or she’ll make me do the radical thing of reading them before I’m allowed anywhere near a comic shop again.)

  19. It hearts my heart you didn’t love Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing is my favorite character of all time.

    Regardless, I love to know other people out there have a huge stack of things they want to read. I’m not the only one who buys more comics, knowing full well I have plenty to read at home already.

    Here is my current stack:

    1. Daytripper: I have no idea what this is about but it looks awesome. I love Ba (which one?) in The Umbrella Academy.
    2. Planetary Lost Worlds: Love the planetary series and thought I’d give this little morsel a try.
    3. The New Avengers Sentry: I read everything but the information on all the villains. I can’t say I’ve finished the book unless I have read EVERTHING in it.
    4. Best American Comics 2010
    5. Swamp Thing Book 4
    6. Arkham Asylum: No, I haven’t read this yet. I just got into comics last year. Gimme a break. 🙂
    7. Sandman Dream Hunters
    8. Ghost in the Shell Vol 1-3: Masamune is a crazy genius. I don’t usually like manga but this is intense and I love the show.
    9. The Complete Persepolis: First graphic novel I ever read. Got this for free from Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
    10. A bunch of other really shitty stuff that I have to read becauase I got it for free.

  20. @einstein399  If it’s any consolation I sent Josh an IM or text or something raving about Swamp Thing Vols. 3-5. I really think he’s going to like those.

  21. I really need to pick up the Alan Moore Swamp Thing HCs.

  22. Stack Week!!!   I love this every year. I think mostly because so many people actually get UPSET about people having, well, a stack. I personally revel in all the great stories I have in front of me.

    That said my current priorites are:

    1. Powers HC Vol 2 and 3
    2. X-Men Inferno Omnibus
    3. Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus: Vol 1-4 (just got them on eBay)
    4. B.P.R.D. HC Vol 1.
    5. And of course Connor’s longbox, that I won from iFanboy, which should be here soon!!!

  23. I read all of Moorse Swamp Thing in trades. The only part I didn’t care for is the one that gets caught up in whatever event is happening at the time in DC (I want to say its CRISIS but I feel like it had to be one that was more recent.) Everything else was exceptional in that series.

  24. @TimmyWood It was Crisis on Infinite Earths.

  25. I always wanted to read Powers and Swamp Thing, I think i’ll finally pick those up next week. Though my stack may collaspe if I put any more books on it.

  26. I have a problem buying more books (novels, autobiographies, etc.) before I even finish reading my current ones. Buying a really good book with the intention of reading it, and looking awesome for having it on your bookshelf, is a lot easier than actually reading the books.

    My current stack: The Prestige, The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, Lamb, and the His Dark Materials series. I’m currently in the middle of Was Superman a Spy?, The Greatest Show on Earth: the History of Evolution, and The Return of the Dapper Men. It seems we both have some work to do.

  27. Yes!!  I love stack week.  Oh the shame that it causes.  There’s some good stuff in your stack there Josh.  I’m curious about the preview book that you got….

  28. We’re trying to sell our home, so from time to time our realtor sends people over to see the place and we can’t be there. This Saturday we had to be gone for four hours with only two hours of errands so we hit the library for the balance. Now I’ve got my Stack™ of books for the week.

    1) A Study in Scarlet – adapted by Ian Edginton and I. N. J. Culbard
    2) Incognito – by Brubaker and Phillips
    3) Stagger Lee – by Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix
    4) Jinx: The Definitive Collection – by Bendis

    I’d better get crackin’!

  29. Absolute DC The New Frontier is one of the most gorgeous books I have on my shelf. The series was tailor made for the larger format Absolute Editions. The annotations at the end of the series is a lot of fun to read and a nice bonus feature.