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? It is identifying that lurking sense of dread in your own home. You have invited a sinister element into your home and it isn't leaving anytime soon. Books…made of pictures.
I'm not sure any of you realize just how difficult it is to be the last stack week post during stack week, and yet every year, I seem to draw this position (I think Conor has it in for me). [PAUL NOTE: Actually, I'm last this year. Tune in tomorrow.] Everyone here at iFanboy has had some wonderful insight into their own personal interests within their stacks and honestly, I found myself jotting down notes of books I want to check out as I read all the posts. And then there was Tom. How do you follow Tom Katers' already legendary Stack Week piece? You can't. So I'm not going to try. All I can do is sit here and share with you the books that I'm excited to read.
Now to be honest, this is just a sampling of my "to read" stack. My current actual stack is a pile about 4 feet tall of books that I've been meaning to read (as you can see in my post last year). Sadly, I'm a pathetic failure when it comes to tackling this stack of books. I already read an average of about 20 issues a week, which is a lot of comics! In addition to that, I've been attempting to actually read books, like without pictures, when I'm not reading comics. But I still try to make time to read a trade paperback or graphic novel a week. But my real problem is that I accumulate books faster than I can read them! A first world problem I suppose.
It's important to note that my stack is often filled with non-super hero books. While I enjoy super hero comics (obviously), these past few years my issue reading has been so wide that there has been very little in terms of trades that I've picked up to catch up on things. For the super hero comics that I'm interested in, I buy them in issues. Every now and then an archive title will get released and I'll add that to my stack, but my stack has become a bit of a haven from super hero comics of late, as you'll see in the list below.
I really need to read American Vampire.
@stuclach –me too. I just got a sweet deal on a used HC of Vol 1 last night so i can’t wait. I’m kinda bummed about missing the boat on Duncan the Wonderdog as well (now that is a book cover!). Fingers crossed for a second printing.
I hope that Trademark payment is in the mail Richards.
depite how it may appear, i have some serious standards when it comes to “vampire stuff.” i’m drawn to the genre and i give most of it a shot, but there’s a threshold of quality that something must meet for me to keep reading. There’s another, very high, threshold that it must reach before i decide that it’s great.
I’m reading the singles of American Vampires, and after 6 issues, it just might be the best vampire stuff i’ve ever read (disclaimer: i’m only 1/5 of the way through The Passage so this may be subject to immanent change).
they’re creepy and evil and gross and sometimes sexy and always awesome and the writers don’t “cheat” the standard lore without justifyable reasons and i heart it to death. the story is great. the art is even greater.
I’m going to get my stack out of the cupboard when I go home on Monday and recount it. At last count there were 57 trades/hardcovers on it…
In regards to Ron’s – Judge Dredd is always a lot of fun, being British, I grew up with it, and it’s almost desensitised me when it comes to violence; American Vampire is one of the best series I read right now, too.
I need to get into american vampire and start Judge Dredd… though I’ll have to admit I did like the Stallone movie – so I’m sure the comics will wow me
I ordered Duncan the Wonder Dog months ago. . . still waiting!
As far as Dredd goes, I know I can’t be the only one who hears that Anthrax song whenever his name comes up. Unless I am the only 37+ year old guy here who grew up on metal, and I highly doubt that.
It took me a minute to place that Around Comics reference. That takes me way back.
American Vampire Vol 1 is pretty special. Stephen King doubles up on each chapter, and the art is fantastic. It’s not complex art, with busy scenes or anything, just very VERY good use of lines and color.