Bullets is one of those things, perhaps like reggae, that people think they know and just don't really bother investigating because they reckon they've got their opinion all worked out. It's incredible and really frustrating, because I think I can GUARANTEE that most of Barbelith's more...errr...interesting posters would really like it.
Anyway, on the good news tip - I got Quantum into it. I got my sister into it. I got my mate Man Cherish into it. And they all fucking love it.
Reagardless, haus is going to come steaming in here in a minute to tell us to shut up and talk Batman, but, considering no-one visits the SB threads, I figure it's okay to use this thread as a bit of a soapbox for Lapham's best work.
I read the first Stray Bullets book a couple years ago, expecting the worst. But I loved it. It's not at all a typical crime comic, though there are a lot of crimes being comitted in it. It's, I hate this term but I don't know a better one, "contemporary fiction." Excellent characterization, heart breaking stories. Actually quite a bit like George Morrison, who for all his talk about "shiny pop comics" writes some dark fuckin' shit. Lapham seems to have a similar tap into those slippery, dark bits of the subconscious Morrison does.
In other words, I'm looking forward to his Batman books, and I agree that 'lithers would like Stray Bullets.
Because I'm not particularly interested in crime/noir comics. And the last thing Lapham did before Stray Bullets was some sort of weird thing for a failed Jim Shooter company called "Plasma" or some such. He didn't exactly have a good resume, y'know?
But, of course, Stray Bullets is one of the best things ever and it's not a noir comic.
Well I don't really like Reggae at all but if I had to only read four ongoing series for the rest of my life, Stray Bullets would be in there right along with Strangehaven, Eightball and Optic Nerve.
Now I know that doesn't say much but...
I bought the first ten issues of Stray Bullets last year off ebay because they were going for less than the first trade. I don't think the first five issues are really that gripping but I had nothing else to read that night so I read all ten. I was considering the conclusion that the book was overrated crap or maybe since I've never been the biggest fan of crime fiction, I might not be enjoying it.
Issue six, the first Amy Racecar story (probably the only great one) made me take notice. It had an insane energy and was hilarious. I liked it quite a bit but was in no hurry to get the rest of the twenty something issues. Then I bought fifteen more issues in an ebay lot and by the time I'd hit twenty I was convinced that there was never a better gritty and merciless comic series.
It's a big investment but buy a twenty issues lot of ebay and read it. It gets better. Some of the singles are the best short stories I've read in comics (Like Live Nude Girls or the one that made references to Occurence at Owlcreek Bridge).
Hold on, "the first five issues aren't really that gripping"? What are you talking about man. The scary politician; The cancer; "I think I just seen someone murdered. For real."; The casual, vicious cruelty of Ginny's peers - that beating she takes..... What are talking about, man?
And you are sooo wrong about the Amy stuff. The last one's the best. Terrifying and very, very sad.
Hey, there's more Stray Bullets chat here than any of the SB threads!
I flipped through the first issue but it didn't grab me - seemed like standard Batman crime stories. Interesting art, with some nice condensed panel layouts.
There was a bit in Lapham's first issue with Batman & Robin standing in the rain on a rooftop and Batman says "are you ready?" and Robin says "I'm ALWAYS ready." Not exactly stirring superhero comics.
Interesting moments the second issue (again, from my flip-through) were Robin going on about how hot some girl he saved was (kind of creepy, he says 'shame she was unconscious'...so she didn't see him saving her, I guess, and lavish affection on him?). I don't see Robin, esp. Tim Drake, saying how 'hot' some girl was in front of Batman...to his friends, maybe. But not to Bats. Seemed out of character.
The other interesting moment, and this one was very cool, I thought, was Bats going to visit some woman whose daughter was killed. Bats vows to find the daughter's killer, the old woman offers Bats a cup of tea, and he actually sits down in her tiny apartment kitchen and has a cup of tea with her. End of issue. Nice moment.
Mmmmm. It's not quite as good as I hoped, but I'm intrigued. Some of the characterisation is a bit wonky, and some of the dialogue clunks, but it's nice to read a continuity free Bat-story with the emphasis on the seedy city.
My previous post was about as much use as a one legged man in an arse kicking contest, so to clear up Dunc, Ginny Applejack is Amy Racecar's 'real' identity in SB, and indeed the central character of the series. It's no surprise for her to pop up in the 'City of Crime'. I like that in some ways this is still the Laphamverse.
Good going Duncan by Vol 4, you'll hopefully be madly in love with it.
Detective is all right. With episode 2 I'm wondering if this is a series for trades and I should quit because I'm not enjoying it. Every Stray Bullets (and almost every issue of Murder me Dead) had a beat, some punch.
