My Top 10 FANTASY COMICS - Part One!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- More honorable mentions! More eliminations and disqualifications! More chitchat on genre, subgenre and listmaking! Twists and turns abound in the first part of our second video on fantasy comics that will eventually result in some sort of a Top 10, but not in this video.
Videos I mention in this one:
(Almost) My Top 10 Fantasy Comics: • (Almost) My Top 10 FAN...
The Castle Waiting playlist: • Castle Waiting, by Lin...
Sharing the Sandman (With My Wife!): • Sharing THE SANDMAN (w...
My Top 10 GATEWAY COMICS • Top 10 GATEWAY COMICS ...
My Best Comics for YOUNG READERS • The Five Best Comics f...
The Sandman playlist: • The Sandman, by Neil G...
NEW - We are on Twitter! @ftlocomics
You make the some of the most perfect comic lists I’ve ever seen. You’ve given me so much more comic material to read. Thanks.
That's so kind of you to say and I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying my little videos - long may that continue! I keep polling viewers from time to time on the community page here on TH-cam on which Top 10 to do next, so keep an eye out there to vote! 😀
th-cam.com/channels/HWewIR09S61SA5egCaa7Iw.htmlcommunity?view_as=subscriber
Waiting to see this before making my next big buy
I hope to deliver exactly what you are looking for - a wide range of excellent reads. Part 1 and 2 together should whet your appetite, I feel 😁
I don't know how many comics I've picked up now due to this channel. Keep up the great work mate! It's always a good day when you've put up a new video👍
And it's always a great day when I hear something like that 😁! Cheers!
Great video and great recommendations really enjoyed you going in detail and you going to your proses . You usually don’t see that but I really enjoyed it
Thank you! I hope you like the 'concluding chapter too', hopefully up soon!
you definitely understand to build up some tension with your rules and exceptions to them :) really looking forward to part two
btw: I'm through Vol1.-3 of Berserk and maybe the only one in comicland who enjoyed Vol.1more than 2 and 3 ... well, at least I like the over-the-topness of some pages... but was really disappointed by Vol.2 and 3 ... for a lot of reasons actually, I'll try again - maybe it clicks better in a second read (without too high expectations this time).
My favourite comic TH-camrs collide!
Thanks so much! Building tension is the way I experience making lists so that seems fitting, eh? And I am relieved to have your opinion on Berserk on the record - As I said, I did enjoy the first volume, for exactly the over-the-top nature you highlight, but the pressure created by the universal adoration is something I thought I was immune to. Now I'm worried what kind of an idiot I am if I don't enjoy the subsequent volumes!
@@peterlinfield He's one of the people whose work really inspired me to try a TH-cam channel by showing me what was possible.
@@ftloc thank you very much.... "yeah yeah, I'm great" (Harlan Ellison) :)
@@earlgrey862 Haha! Or even 'Shut up baby, I know it!' (Bender the Robot)?
Quite fun, glad I was able to catch it "live". Forgive my prattling! Looking forward to the sequel.
Thanks for joining us - I may not be completely sold on the 'live' format, but I do like the chat! 😀
This was the first video I watched of you. I'm jus starting to take comics seriously and wow, you're the place to start! 🙌🔥
Thank you so much and welcome! Here's an older video (but I still stand by the list!) in which I offer up 10 great gateway comics, see what you think!
th-cam.com/video/dYe4MG-OrO8/w-d-xo.html
Love these top 10 lists from you. You can always to do a ‘top 20’ and such if you don’t have enough space- just more recommendations for us :)
Hahaha, I just say Top 10 because that sounds more traditional - as you can see they are usually 20 or more titles being listed. In this case more than 30! 😁
Great video and recommendations. I'm looking forward the next one. You could do one top for surrealism as well.
Ah darn it, I knew that would happen! Now I have to read more surreal comics to warrant a top 10! 😁
@@ftloc What delightful It would be, read amazing surrealism titles
Lovely to see you uploading new videos this soon after your query on how to proceed 😊 Looking forward to the next part of this! Very curious as to what finally made it into your list in the end.
It's a fluke, it won't happen again! 😁.
It'll be quite a personal list, of course, but I think most people will find at least one book on there to love, which is fine by me! Thank you so much, and I'll hopefully up that next video up soon!
@@ftloc You already sold me on Mouse Guard, actually you did that in a previous video a while back. I ended up sitting with a notepad and taking down all the interesting titles you were mentioning and by the end I had about 30 books on the list. My wallet has developed a much earned fear of you, friend.
Thats the kind of dear I'm ok with! 😀
That first image you used for "Surrealism" is from a series i remember fondly from Heavy Metal back in the day
So you need to do Top Ten Surrealist, Magical Realism, ....
Fascinating to see you wade through choices/dilemmas to go on these journeys. Critical analysis and then implementing the same are the basics of "how to think" and I see so less of that these days.
And plus I love all the recommendations I'm plucking out of your discarded choices. Wins all around ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you sir, that's very flattering and I am glad to know of the additions to your list. I'm hoping the final episode doubles down on that for you! 😁
Nice setup for part 2! I really appreciate the attention around your disqualifications and honorable mentions and am always impressed by your attention to detail in your list’s parameter construction. As much as a top 10 list might be a ‘destination’, I find your route there to be a very clever and satisfying lead in. Well done!
A few thoughts on some books mentioned - I’ve been intrigued by Mouse Guard for a little bit now and the related art that you included here is really persuading me to dive right in.. problem is I haven’t done enough research to know quite which book to start with or what editions are available. Sounds like this might be something you have planned for the future? In any case, any advice is welcome. I’ve also been working my way through Bone together with my son as a bedtime read. It’s been a great shared adventure for us, though the biggest thing that has slowed us down so far is that my throat always ends up hurting afterwards as I’ve committed to reading in distinct voices for each character, and my Phoney Bone is decidedly harsh and raspy. Lastly, Castle Waiting is now officially on my Radar, so thank you.
Thank you so much! You're absolutely right about listmaking being a journey, and that exactly what I attempt. There's no way any qualitative Top 10 actually thinks it's definitive and absolute, is there? So why even spend energy presenting it as such when one can instead wander around a library together? 😁
With Mouse Guard start with Fall 1152 followed by Winter 1152. Then you can either read The Black Axe or the first volume of Legends. The first is a prequel and the second an anthology series. Then the Legends volumes in numbered order (although, being anthologies, it doesn't matter)
Reading in voices is tough, and for such a long series in particular. How do you remember where you put the Irish accent and whatnot? 😀 My kudos!
And you will never regret reading Castle Waiting, guaranteed!
Cheers!
For the Love of Comics Well said - and the tour through your library is so very awesome indeed!
Thank you for the Mouse Guard cheat sheet, and the strong recommendation for Castle Waiting - these are now wedged into my upcoming reads queue!
As for my Bone predicament, I have to admit, the decision was totally careless and I painted myself into a corner before I even knew what I had done. 😂 As much as I want to go rogue on this and finish it solo, I can’t bring myself to go on without him. And the Irish accent cue is usually revealed by letters ‘droppin’ of the end words iirc, but once I’ve got the feel of the main characters, they are so distinct it becomes natural (all very imperfect at best). This probably sounds a bit corny, but since he loves it, I go All-in. 😊
@@kidofcrash703 sounds like a great time. I do voices whenever I read to my nephew, but I always lose track of which choice I made where, especially for the colourful supporting characters!
I love how you take comics seriously, because even if I read it for entertainment, I had the same mindset about comics in general. Subscribed and looking forward for future contents. Good day.
Thank you so very much! Welcome to the channel and I hope you find plenty to enjoy here!
@@ftloc you're welcome. Sure!
I love your new videos on fantasy comics. I hope that you will also create something similar for other genres .
Thank you!
In case you haven't seen these, here is a playlist of the handful of 'list' videos I've made so far: th-cam.com/users/playlistlist=PLf2B7UoR9NKVthCbMtOGfKlz_4vbJ4IVA
This contains:
The Top 10 Gateway Comics,
Top 10 Best Comics for Kids,
and two videos on my Top 10 Sc-Fi Comics.
Hope you like them!
Wow... 2 videos down and we haven't gotten to the list yet. But I've already added a bunch of books to my wishlist!
haha, then mission accomplished! What piques your curiosity the most, if I may ask?
Your channel is a hidden gem for me
btw did you ever read taiyo matsumoto works?
I absolutely LOVED Sunny, which I talked about briefly in one of my 'Recent Reads and New Arrivals' videos. I also enjoyed his story in the Tipping Point anthology. Unfortunately, I've been unable to get my hands on anything else by him since them. I'm particularly interested in the Louvre book he did (I loved the one Taniguchi did) and I've heard good things about Go Go Monster. Fingers crossed that one day more books will come my way?
Thanks so much for the kind words!
@@ftloc Oh cool, i'm glad that you enjoyed reading sunny.
Unfortunately Go Go Monster is so hard to find in a good/reasonable price, but you won't ever get disappointed by it, it's my favorite fantasy so far and it has one of the best ends ever, Tekkonkinkreet and Ping Pong are great too
Howdy! I've just discovered your channel and I really like your take on things. I love how you steer away from comics from the big two. Even though there are great comics they make, I like your take on everything else. I've seen your Fantasy and Sci-Fi lists. My 2 favorite comic genres (if you want to call it that) is Crime/Noir (mostly the comics of Ed Brubaker) and slice of life (especially Optic Nerve, Love & Rockets and American Splendor). Could you make a list of those types of comics? Thanks for your work, it's great!
A very warm welcome to the channel and so glad you hear you're enjoying it thus far!
I'm definitely going to attempt a list on crime comics at some point, I just feel I need to read way more than I have read for it to be a fair attempt. As for the slice-of-life stories, those I have the opposite problem with - I seem to have so many to choose from that I may need to make subdivisions within them! I'm thinking nonfiction, autobiography, news/reportage etc to allow for a proper spotlight on so many great comics. What do you think?
@@ftloc It would be so great to see lists like that. I'd be particularly interested in the autobiographical comics. Since I'm a Cleveland kid, my favorite is American Splendor but I'm interested in seeing some other books like that. I'd also like to see you do a "none of the above" list for slice of life comics. This is because Love & Rockets and Optic Nerve wouldn't fit in any of those subgenres. Love & Rockets definitely starts out more as a fantasy/sci-fi comic that becomes more realistic as time goes on. Optic Nerve is somewhat autobiographical, but has many narrative stories about made up characters. I really like these titles (can you tell?) and I'd love to see your take on them
@@joelgreenlee9421 I love American Splendor, Love and Rockets and the comics of Adrian Tomine as well! I've been trying to figure out the best way to approach them in videos, but 2021 will see at least one of them get spotlighted for sure, maybe more?
Can you do a list of the weirdest comics/graphic novels please. That's all right you're already done it, "The Frank Book", I'm a Zippy the Pinhead & Little Nemo fan.
Do you know of "The Anglerre Series" from Starblazer comics?
What do you think of Thorgal?
Yes, i think a WTF Comics list is definitely something i should attempt! 😁
I've read the first volume of Thorgal and really enjoyed it, but have been stymied in my quest for the rest (at reasonable prices)
Well to be honest I don't read That much comics but movies inspired from comics are really insane for me
For example
Tintin : The secret of the unicorn was made to a film.
I quite enjoyed the Tintin movie, but yes, on this channel I focus on comics as a medium, because I love the unique power they have, and because movies/TV and even prose books get a lot more attention and don't need my meager contributions 😁
Anyone has any news whether imports would be blocked as it may affect some OHC and Omnibus
Nothing blocked yet, but I suppose it's only a matter of time 😣
Been getting into comics again, read the 2015 Darth Vader series and Doctor Aphra, discovered Saga (loving it) and just finished Ronin Island but I need more comics. This rules, definitely going to be checking out your videos whenever I need something to read!!
"I need more comics" is exactly what I love to hear! 😁
I hope you find plenty to enjoy on this channel, and do check out all our our playlists ( th-cam.com/users/FortheLoveofComicsplaylists ) for some helpful groupings by title/creator as well as type of video, and let me know if there are any questions!
Welcome to the channel!
@@ftloc so far I have, thank you!!
9:49 Super honorable mentions
13:00 yet 3 more disqualifications...
14:00 yet 3 more disqualifications...
Next video we might actually get to the list...
You are all very very welcome!
Welcome to the channel! Where we never talk about ten books if we can talk about 30 instead! ♥
What was that Matt Keynes comic you mentioned?
Matt Kindt, in this video? That's Ether, with David Rubin!
I agree with you about magic realism, surrealism, et al., as not fitting what appears to be (I'm only part way through this video so far) your parameters for "fantasy." To that, I absolutely love Frank. But yer right--'taint fantasy...but oh so fine. So okay, Sandman, Castle Waiting, Bone, and Little Nemo are off-list 'cause they're so good. Yup, no argument here! Soooo good!
Thanks! Frank is stupendous - I need a few more books (like Weathercraft and Congress of the Animals) to fill out my collection there but it's quite unlike almost anything else. And yes, whittling away the most obvious (for this channel!) choices should allow for a more idiosyncratic final Too 10! Watch this space!
cannot wait for the second part!
thanks for this video...had a headache all day, and suddenly after watching this it's gone...not kidding 😁
Edit- btw did you finish the xed out trilogy? I think you did.. since you had to make this list? 🧐
Perhaps I should try for some of that big pharma money! 😀 Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it. Yes, I did finish the trilogy - I don't know if I had the third book when I did my Shelf Seven video, but I did have Sugar Skull in one of my Recent Reads and New Acquisitions videos, but I can't remember exactly which one.
@@ftloc listening to your talks is my therapy 🛐
Haha!
I think it makes a lot of sense to eliminate Sandman, Castle Waiting, and Bone in favour of other (less recognized) titles given the attention you've given them so far on your channel. Sandman was one of my early favourites as I got into comics, but I'm sad to say that having recently finished Bone for the first time it just didn't connect for me. Smith has some great cartooning skills, but I just never felt very invested. I know, I'm a heathen! Can't wait for the second part video!
Thank you! Yes, I think I will just keep doing these types of disqualifications every time I make a list video from now on. That way, by the time I'm old(er) and grey(er), I will really be challenging myself, having covered so many favourites already over the years! Good plan?
And re: Bone, of course there are differing opinions for every 'hailed' work, and why should it be any different? How one connects to stories can be such a complex nest of evaluations and reactions that I think the reasons and conversations around them really say as much about the work as the 'final verdicts' do.
I personally know some very smart people who don't feel charmed by Bone, and I respect their take. For me, there is so much out there that is cookie-cutter, pandering, imitative and outright insulting in both comics and kids' stories that I may overdo it in my love for something so fresh, original and character-driven.
I'm not saying my praise for Bone is exaggerated, just that if it were, that may be a reason why. 😋
I Need a list of surreal comics from u!!
I'd love to make one, I just get the feeling I need to read more before I am 'qualified'! 😁
Have you ever read Nailbiter?
If yes, do you think it's worth it?
BTW nice video. Looking forward to part 2
Thank you, glad you liked it! No, I've not read Nailbiter. Some tell me it's great, some say it's not, so I've prioritized other books, unfortunately.
I’m reading The Murder edition(s) right now. So far I’m liking the build up and am excited where the atory is going!
Thank you for this video.
My pleasure!
Love your content
Thank you, and long may that continue! 😁
12:44 I think there has been a mistake here. You meant to say 'when' not 'if', right?
Haha, that is almost verbatim what the wife said! 😁
Probably more in the sci-fi realm but, what are your thoughts on Philippe Druillet?
That question came up a lot in my sci-fi list videos! Unfortunately, I have never read any of the works of Druillet, although I know of his reputation. But his books are just very hard to find here, and the few copies that can be seen on Amazon are incredibly expensive. One day soon I hope to close this big gap in my reading.
Hi, I didn't know where to write my comment so I decided on this video (even though it is not related).
I was looking for a bright/positive/hopeful sort of comic (like New Frontier sort of positive) after having read some more depressing yet really good stuff (I kill Giants, Daytripper).
Any recommendations?
Looking forward to your next video
Fantasy/magical/superhero? Or more realistic?
@@ftloc Any genre would be good but I already have a lot of superhero. Si-fi, Fantasy and realistic would be great, thanks
The Delilah Dirk comics are a great swashbuckling adventure series, and the Hilda books are about the most feel-great stories I've read. Astro City is a terrific superhero series that I think everyone should read, and of course there's Bone. Actually the list can easily get crazy very quickly! Have you tried Fables?
@@ftloc I've already read both Bone and Fables and liked both (thought I found the art in both to be just ok). I have Astro city on my list so maybe I'll give it a go. Thanks
Love your work :) also ..... hate you :P .... because im gonna spent soooooo much money now to buy all of it for my collection :D Keep the god work :)
Haha, maybe that is the one type of 'hate' I am ok with 😋, given that it results in the spreading of love (of comics!) Thank you so much for your 'kind words'!
Artesia by mark symilie archaia publishing
thnx
Glad you liked it!
Humanoids has a huge fantasy sci fi library try sword of glass throne of ice
I need to get my hands on more books published by Humanoids. The one that came really close was Carthago, for my sci-fi list though, I think.
Make some video on old comics and old comic artists
Winsor McCay was publishing Little Nemo in 1901! 😁
Berserk is really great but unfinished. Yes it's one of the best fantasy comics/manga. The first half is a masterpiece but for me Phoenix is the best fantasy/sci-fi manga Phoenix Vol. 2: A Tale of the Future is one of the most epic/beautiful stories i've ever read.But sadly, Osamu Tezuka died before he could finish.
I'd love to get my hands on some Phoenix volumes some day!
Finally, need to divert my fund yet again >>>>>>>> :D
And there will eventually be a second part too! 😀
More! please!
Soon! I can't believe how quickly a video ends when I think about how long it takes to put it together! 😋
But thanks so much for the enthusiasm; that's the real fuel!
Frank is utterly amazing and completely _sui generis_
I need to read more!
Wow he really needs time stamps!
He used to; I think he just got lazy!
Maybe if someone volunteers to do them for him, he'd credit them in the description, maybe even pin the comment? 😋
Autumn lands by kurt busiek image comics
I really wanted to love that series but I just couldn't get into it for some reason, in spite of my constant fandom for Busiek! 😔
I wrote a short essay about two fantasy favorites:
Fantasy has a tricky relationship with novelty. A good fantasy work is like taking a journey to new place, meeting new, unfamiliar things. It’s about discovery and wonder, about expanding your thinking and your world. So it’s ironic that fantasy also has a canon of elements familiar enough to be considered cliche: little people, hidden kings, evil overlords. Using these familiar elements, it is convenient for an author to try and tempt potential readers looking for fantasy. And yet canon is also a trap: in 2020 there is little novelty in dwarves and wizards themselves, which means an author must bring something new to accompany them, or risk reader boredom. Two titles here illustrate successful and not quite successful approaches.
Hilda is my top pick in all of the "heroic fantasy" category. Children are the target audience, yet I maintain a full thirty percent of the fanbase are fully grown men going "ooh" and "aah" at the outstanding artwork. Silly humour is a mainstay of the series, and any panel may potentially contain a throwaway gag-or often a strange and wonderful visual instead. "Modern" elements are cannily mixed in, like the leader of a strange people being a prime minister instead of a king, or Hilda and her mother moving from the countryside to city life. Conversely, familiar elements like trolls and monsters also feature in starring roles. Many have also commented a certain Tove Jansson influence. The overall effect is an alchemy that manages to create true adventure. I never quite know what I will find turning the next page: only that I want to go there. A supremely accomplished work, Hilda feels cozy and familiar and new and exciting at the same time.
Volume 1 of Bone is likewise an unique blend: Looney Tunes slapstick antics combined with a "standard" fairytale forest and its inhabitants. A classic for a reason: the elements work together wonderfully, creating something new from their meeting. Volumes 2-9, however, progressively abandon the sense of humour if favor of the "standard" fantasy settings and plot points. By part 9 I was honestly baffled : Bone seemed like it was simply going over the emotional and storytelling landscape J.R.R Tolkien had done earlier and better. Why abandon the thing that made the Bone unique, in favor of something the reader has already experienced before? Yes I know Lord of the Rings is not a comic book and not everybody has read it at the tender age of 12 like I did but humour me here. What’s the appeal?
What a great read - thanks so much for sharing! You have some great observations but best of all you are able to draw the through lines clearly for me to follow. I'll digest more fully upon reflection, but here are some immediate reflections:
While it is true that a certain sense of familiarity has ironically tinged fantasy, the same could be true for most, if not all, genres that have 'mainstream' presence. While the breaking of new paths and radical reinvention are always to be lauded, I also think that much of 'originality' lies exactly in tiny tweaks and adjustments, a collection of small individual and idiosyncratic elements that give works their unique identity. While a lot of people say 'messing with the formula' I don't actually think there is a formula - there is pale imitation, which resembles mass-production based on checklists, and there is 'good storytelling', which doesn't have to be new elements or even new 'major' combinations, but unique and well crafted micro-element collections.
So as critics we can categorize and group and draw intersecting (or not) Venn diagrams, I feel a good work will nonetheless be possible without any major invention.
As for Bone, I agree, the humour and slapstick does fall away but I was mainly OK with it. The characters were kept constant throughout, their decisions and reactions still felt 'true', and the humour of the earlier chapters had a major role in establishing what that base for 'true' was for us readers. As an act of tonal transformation it was well done, I thought, matched to the rising stakes and escalation of consequences, and a volume like Dragonslayer does a terrific job of bridging the facets.
Whereas the Lord of the Rings, for all its impressiveness, still stops shy of really getting to my heart, its consistent tone notwithstanding.
talk about comics; not rambling