IDW Publishing Forums

[hawkedup]

I figure we all have at least one thing in common—we should have a thread where we can tell each other what else we like, or ask for recommendations. About books, movies, comics, TV shows, even music and art. So start recommending!

(This is my way of asking while also trying to start up a thread that will benefit us all.)

[Sophie]

Here's a few:

Comics:

"Watchmen" by Alan Moore: Read it. Seriously. Saying this is brilliant is, I think, the comic book equivalent of saying to a literature crowd that you saw this really great play called "Hamlet."

"The Sword" by the Luna Brothers: Picked up the TPB of issues 1-5 on a whim. Took me a bit to adjust to the art, but I liked it. Kinda plot centered, but I liked the characters and it was fun.


Books:

"Black Swan Green" by Allen Mitchell. A year or so in the life of a misfit teenage boy from a small English town, set during the late 1970s, early 1980s. Great characters and great voice, just really loved this book. "Cloud Atlas," by the same author, is fantastic as well.

"The Amazing Adventures of Kaliver & Clay" by Michael Chabon: Awesome, awesome book, set during the early years of super-hero comics. Follows two creators, an artist and a writer, through their careers and personal struggles.

So that's a few...

[hawkedup]

Loved the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay! Sam Clay has to be one of the greatest modern tragic heroes of our literary time.

Have you read A Confederacy of Dunces by John Toole? If you haven't, I HIGHLY recommend it. It may be the best novel ever written.

As for Watchmen, I started it a while ago, but I'm taking a literature class this summer and had to put off almost all (still reading one book, of course, can't go without reading at least one) exta recreational reading for about a month. But after reading Paradise Lost this weekend, I'll be able to get back to it. From what I read, I really liked.

I absolutely loved V for Vendetta. I really wish I hadn't seen the movie first. In fact, I wish I hadn't seen the movie at all.

What I'm reading now is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. It's transforming my life in more ways than I could list here!

As for TV, I have to recommend Stargate SG-1 and then Stargate Atlantis. If you guys aren't fans, you should be. Unfortunately I refused to watch it because "it wasn't my thing" for 10 years and only after SG-1 ended did I pick up the DVDs and now I really regret being so closed minded about it.


Your other two recommendations have been added to the list, Sophie! Thanks. Once again, you rock out with your smock out.

[pshand05]

TELEVISION
+ Veronica Mars: It's the best show ever, aside from Buffy or Angel. Seriously, it's nearly as good as them, and is way more consistent. The highs aren't as high... but they are damn close. Damn close.
+ Lost: If you're talking current television, as in still airing and no-freakin-way gonna be cancelled, your best bet is lost.
+ Six Feet Under: It's by Alan Ball, writer behind American Beauty. Sad, poignant, hilarious, and one of my favorite shows.

COMICS
+ Anything by Brian K. Vaughan. Seriously. Dude is a force of nature.
+ The Great and Secret Show: It's a comic adaptation of Clive Barker's crazy epic novel, and it's scripted by Chris Ryall. The ending isn't really as solid as the beginning, but the art and sentiment is beautiful throughout. It's definitely a book you need to get if you love IDW.
+ Fables: Only read the first two volumes so far, but it's very original and quite impressive.

BOOKS
+ Harry Potter: I mean, honestly, you just can't go wrong.
+ Elsewhere: Beautiful story with the most original take on the afterlife I've seen, but it's not really a fantasy story, it's just.... gah. It's achingly beautiful.
+ Gilda Joyce: She's the mystery version of Buffy, but quirkier. Best continuing YA series currently being published. It might seem like I put a lot of YA here, but as that's my field when I'm writing prose, it's what is on my mind most. For "adult" writers, the best bets are Stephen King, Jim Butcher, and AVOID LAURELL K. HAMILTON AT ALL COSTS.

MOVIES (on DVD)
+ Donnie Darko: Only the best movie ever. Ya rly.
+ American Beauty: Alan Ball is one of the best screen writers in the game, so when I tell you that the visuals are as intricate as the script... yeah. Great.
+ Shaun of the Dead: Lovely, silly, great. Imagine the campiest episode of Buffy but two hours long and not bad.
+ Ah, forgot. The last two are quite harshly pwned by JUNO.

MOVIES (in theaters)
+ The Dark Knight: I feel bandwagony saying this, but seriously, the hype ain't hype. An easy top-five-of-all-timer.
+ Wall-E: Would it be a stretch if I said this also probably breaks into my top five of all time? Get read to cheer and probably cry grown-man/woman tears, because wooooow.
+ Hard acts to follow, buuuuutttt.... yeah, I'd say it's a toss-up between HANCOCK and the second half of HELLBOY II (lol), but that's honestly because of all the craploads of movies I've seen that are currently out, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS isn't one of them. When I see that, it'll probably pwn those two.

[Deborahmm]

TV: The Wire. Nothing else comes close to it.

Comics: Anything by Alan Moore, particularly Watchmen, V for Vendetta and Promethea.

The Sword by the Luna Bros is great too. The first issue in particular is superb. It introduces you to a cast of wonderful characters, makes you care about them and then... but that would be spoilery.
_________________
Aargh! 'Shippers! There goes the neighbourhood.

[Sophie]

[Buffyversefantic]

Current Movies

The Dark Knight

Iron Man

T.V.

Bones

Smallville(I'm a Superman lover)

Still love The Simpsons

Comics

Geoff Johns current run on Action Comics and Green Lantern

The current Captain America storyline by Ed Brubaker

[hawkedup]

Just a few of my own opinions on suggestions already made:

Veronica Mars: I loved it. I still love it. Plus, Kristen Bell is just about the most awesome woman ever, and not just cos she is super hot and a great actress. She's a total geek and seems just as smart and witty as Veronica herself. I'm still upset that the network a) ruined the format with the 3rd season and b) STILL cancelled it.

Lost: I loved the first season and liked the second season (even bought the DVDs) but the third season was so bad. What's funny is that the only argument even die hard Lost fans have is that there was a good season finale. I'm sorry, but a good season finale does NOT make up for a horrible season. Not even in the slightest.

Brian K. Vaughan: Loved Y: The Last Man. I bought the first two volumes of Ex Machina. Good but not really keeping me buying (though I do plan on continuing to read the series).

Fables: I read the first two issues and wasn't really sucked in. Does it get better as you go along?

Harry Potter: Loved it. Read the last book within 24 hours of its release date. My favorite character is definately Luna, who should have been the star of her own book, if you ask me.


pshand05, who writes Elsewhere so I can list it?

Sophie, you should DEFINATELY read A Confederacy of Dunces. I've tried explaining to people why they should read it, but I can never find the words. It's simply, in my opinion, the best single novel ever written in almost if not every way.

Deborahmm, I don't think I've heard of The Wire before, but I'll definately check it out. Has it already been released on DVD? I have Blockbuster online--that's usually where I get my movies and TV on DVD from when I'm too broke to buy.

And I don't see it mentioned here, but what about Heroes? I, of course, loved the first season. The finale fell short--but we all knew that. The second season was a step down, but that could just be cos the writer's strike. What do you guys think of it?

[pshand05]

Gabrielle Zevin wrote Elsewhere. She's an awesome writer, and I think her books are pretty much universally enjoyable, which is a rare thing.

[hawkedup]

I'll definately be checking her out soon. I think after Ayn Rand, I'll be reading the final book in the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb.

There's something to recommend to you all. The Farseer trilogy.

So far I've read the first two books...

Assassin's Apprentice (book 1)

&

Royal Assassin (book 2)

... and they are really amazing.

[Duo Maxwell]

[Congo Jack]

Recent comic books that I have been enjoying are IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Matt Fraction and David Aja - their run on the book has now ended but it is to be reprinted in three hardcovers and TPB collections. That and Dan Slott's issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is the best stuff coming from Marvel within the last few years.

On movies, I seen DARK KNIGHT on the opening day and was blown away by what I now consider the definitive version of the story of Batman.

I'm also currently reading KEEPER by Greg Rucka. I'm at chapter fourteen and at this stage I wouldn't really recommend it, but it has been a decent read.

[Shin]

I'll post some more later, but for TV. Everyone's GOTTA watch Arrested Development it's seriously the best sit-com around.

[hawkedup]

[Congo Jack]

Totally agree on Arrested Development, that's the single funniest TV show I've ever seen. Let's hope the movie gets made!