LIFESPAN: COMICS
07.02.04

Here's the deal, each and every week, new comics enter my home (in a variety of forms, from a variety of sources) and make their way onto my reading pile (which is detailed below). Some stay on the pile longer than others, and the purpose here is to track them through to their ultimate end. It's an experiment and you're a part of it! Lucky you...

Here's the stack as it stands today (and bear with me as I figure out how this is going to work every week; also note I'm a "stream-of-consciousness/print-the-first-draft" kind of writer/guy):

Stranger Than Fiction (Chuck Palahniuk): I'm trying to work through my backlog of non-comics (just finished the new Sedaris - good, but I like his old stuff better, just like John Byrne ;) This will be put back into the marketplace when I finish it; not a keeper as of this writing.

Exterminator 17 (Bilal/Dionnet)/ Gods in Chaos (Bilal): These have been on the pile for quite a while, you have to be in the mood for European scifi, and I haven't been in that mood recently (these are the Catalan Editions).

The Incal 1, 2 (Moebius/Jodorwsky): These are the Epic Editions, and I've read through the Humanoids stuff and wanted to compare; haven't done so yet; see above regarding mood.

Found (Rothbart): A collection of the excellent Found Magazine. This will stay on the pile for quite a bit, as it's not something I would ever choose to read straight through. Great stuff, though.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 1,2,3,4 (Miyazaki): These are the new editions from Viz, and I'm working up to them; my kid loves his films.

Chronicles of Conan 2, 3,4 (Thomas/Windsor-Smith/Kane/Buscema): I don't like the re-coloring, that's for sure (same deal with the DC/Adams/Batman Hardcovers), and that's not keeping me from slogging through these, but incredible apathy sure is. Maybe I should just pick up a bunch of Howard's paperbacks?

Vampirella: Crimson Chronicles 1 (Various): Looking forward to this, actually, as it's all the old Warren Vampi stuff, and I like 60s/70s B&W Horror (last year, I picked up a ton of Eerie's and Creepy's and read them straight through; loved every minute of it)

Sword of Dracula 1-4 (Henderson/Scott/Belk): Just curious...

1963 #'s 1, 2, 4,5 (Moore/Various): Haven't read these in awhile, and picked them up (again, I know I have copies in a box in the basement somewhere); sucks that I don't have #3 in this stack, but I'm pretty sure I'll live.

The Moth #2,3 (Rude/Martin): I want to like this, or at least tolerate it, but reading the special and skimming #1 doesn't appear that's going to become reality.

X-Statix #24 (Milligan/Allred): I've been skimming these, I lost interest quite a ways back, and it's almost all done anyway.

Sleeper Season Two #1 (Brubaker/Phillips): Liked the previous "season" and see no reason why I won't like this.

Human Target #11 (Milligan/Chiang): This lost its way for me; I picked it up last night and thought "that's a whole lot of reading I'm not in the mood for."

Lucifer #51 (Carey/Gross): Ditto.

Seaguy #2 (Morrison/Stewart): We'll see at the end of #3, but it's not looking good (actually, it looks great, but overall, I'm not enthused by Mr. Morrison's mad ideas anymore).

Infiltration #22: A zine about being in places you're not supposed to be; I've lived this.

Here's what's leaving the stack this week, and where it's going:

Bannock, Beans and Black Rice: Just finished this; quick, good read, wonderful illustrations/design and heading to the bookshelf with my other Seth stuff (It's a Good Life... is one of my favorite comics ever).

FF Visionaries: John Byrne 1 and 2 (duh!): I received 2 recently, and took them both with me this week to re-read. I did a lot of skimming, and set them back on the self upon my return. Make of that what you will

Neal Adam's Batman Hardcover 2 (duh!!): This went straight to the shelf, and it's one of those things I'm not sure why I have as I'm not sure when I'll ever sit down with it (more on this in future installments); I hate the re-coloring; these could be on newsprint (with the ads!) and I'd be much happier and more likely to re-read).

Here's what needs to go on the stack, but then the stack would be perilously tall:

Lone Wolf and Cub (Koike/Kojima): I'm committed to reading the whole thing at some point this summer; haven't started yet)

Palomar (Hernandez): This will be a second reading of the material, but the size isn't conducive to travel, and as you see from the current stack, there's lots of other (admittedly lesser) material hogging my time.

Joseph Rybandt has been working "professionally" in the comics "business" for close to 14 years. He lives in the mountains of Northern PA with his wife, daughter and companion Cosmo. His thoughts and opinions are, mercifully, his own.