A week ago I bought four trade paperbacks:
Human Target Book 1: Chance Meetings
Transmetropolitan Book 1: Back on the Street
Fables Book 1: Legends in Exile
Ex Machina Book 4: March to War
Although the Ex Machina book was the fourth in that series, since I've been reading it, the other three books were the first collections of other series I had heard great things about. Since I knew I'd like Ex Machina, and speculated that I'd like Transmetropolitan because I had enjoyed Warren Ellis' work on The Authority, I decided to read the other two first, in case they didn't turn out to meet my expectations. I started with Human Target, which had been turned into a FOX TV series that ran for two seasons, though it changed some substantial elements from the series.
Overall.....meh.
The first issue was off to a strong start. In fact, I should mention that I bought the book on the basis of a reprint of issue #1, which I had read last year.
But overall, I didn't care much for the story. I thought the dialogue in the opening scene of issue #2 was color-by-numbers, It was confusing at times keeping track of who was real and who was merely Christopher Chance or Tom McFadden in disguise, and I found Tom in particular to be an annoyingly pathetic character, in particular his suggestion that he reunite with his wife while being someone else. In general, the four-issues that comprised the first part of the trade didn't blow me away, and I didn't even bother finishing the rest of it, which was a reprint of Human Target: Final Cut. I also thought the lettering was applied to thickly, making the letters difficult to read at times. Even the way letterer Robert Solanovic rendered the letter "u" seemed odd at times, and I can't remember ever having to complain about lettering in a comic.
I thought the artwork by Edvin Biuković was really good, mind you. It did a good job of depicting both everyday and exotic settings, and emphasized shadows over arbitrary cross-hatching, giving weight and solidity to objects that evoked Alan Davis and Tony Harris, even if the line seemed a bit thick.
Let's hope Fables and Transmetropolitan is better than this.
Personally, I thought the first Fables book was pretty good. I'd like to get the rest of the series. What I've read of Fables, it seems like an interesting take on the old nursery rhymes and fairy tales we grew up on.
"Excelsior!"
Benn:"Excelsior!"
Sorry, Benn--wrong company!!!!!
Well, Stan Lee has done some for DC.
More importantly, DC does not have an equivalent catch-phrase.
I thought DC's catchphrase was "Reboot!" ;-)
I liked the Human Target when he was just a master of disguise style detective whose adventures usually ran in the back of Detective Comics.
I found the TV pilot annoying as they felt the need to add ridiculous elements (IIRC a computer generated mask maker & somekinda psychological nonsense causing him to become lost in his character).
What I've heard of the version of the character in the later comic book series just annoyed me.
As for Fables I haven't been impressed by what I've read, but then I've never found Willingham to be that great a writer either.
Reboot Fever... Catch It!"
Wasn't there a Human Target TV series on, some years back?
Yea
Two actually.
The Rick Springfield version in 1992. One season.
The Mark Valley version in 2010-2011. Two seasons.
Never knew the 1992 version existed.