Some good picks there. I will say in regards to the Euro stuff, Jodorowsky is WEIRD. To a point where I can't think of a real good familiar analog in American media. People say David Cronenberg movies are weird, or David Lynch movies are weird? Jodorowsky is weirder than that. His brain does not operate like most of the rest of ours. Which is why he's interesting, but go in prepared for that.
Jodorowsky is a one of a kind, possibly even on par with people like Dali. Out of currently living ones, Lynch is probably the one that comes the closest but only when films are concerned. In the comic book realm there is no one else like Jodo, but Moebius and Druillet are similar in some ways. Moore and Morrison are probably closest in the anglosphere, but they come across like a pathetic shadows of Jodorowsky. Moore's ventures to gain relevance outside of comics were all failures, and now he lives in an overpriced Northhampton home larping as a sole worshiper of a serpent God he cribbed from pagan European cults. Morrison tries to cast spells, preach about magic, and branch out to other things, but people only pay attention to his comics. Meanwhile Jodorowsky has a full blown cult, earned recognition in art disciplines ranging from puppetry to literature, and that's on top of being a polygot, training as a mime, and constantly learning musical instruments. Films and comics are just two things he is best know for.
Not everything Jodorowsky produces is gold, but it is humbling how many things he attempts, becomes reliably good at, and usually offers experiences unlike anyone else. He is 92 years old, but still sharp, learning, and creating new things. Not sure if it's drugs, his religious followers memeing him into a demigod, or pure luck.
I am not a fan of his films and other output, but most of his comics are good and even the few disappointing ones are still interesting.
So there are a lot of recommendations for old books. Are there any for new books? I look at Comixology new releases on a Wednesday and it's the same old thing: no book, mainstream, indy, even manga, has a cover that grabs me enough to make me part with my shekels and give it a whirl. What hidden gems am I overlooking?
I'm willing to try anything, though I'd probably draw the line at 'cishet whitey bad' and My Little Pony.
Undertaker, Usagi Yojimbo, Thorgal, and Mouse Guard are still ongoing. Last one moves at a glacial pace unfortunately. East of West completed in 2019.
There are simply not that many good ongoing American comics out right now. I liked Resident Alien quite a bit, and it just ended last year. I've been hearing good things about Beasts of Burden, but I have not read it yet. Port of Earth volume 1 was decent. For a modern American comic tackling issues of colonialism, immigration, police, corporations, news, and so on it manages to not devolve to typical contemporary cliches.
That sounds awful.
Hey gang, remember that cool silver age adventure hero? Well now he's a war crime committing traitor! I know, fun!
King needs to see a psychologist, get into endurance sports, or find Jesus. Writing comics clearly does not help his PTSD and his guilt over crimes he likely committed working for CIA.
I've come to understand that increasingly comic creatives have made books that they and their peers wanted to read; fans be screwed. This has been the increasing sentiment to today where aside from a handful of titles, everything is made for other professionals.
That wasn't a problem in the 90s when those books were the exception instead of the rule. Hell, a number of them like Challengers of the Unknown are awesome cult books. But starting with Ellis and Stormwatch, it feels like comics started to not just encourage niche books. They actively pushed them to the exclusion of the truly popular.
It's not just that people like Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka turned the Bat books into Vertigo comics or Joe Quesada tried something similar with books like Captain America. Its that the sales dipped due to this. Rather than learn the lesson; they'd bring in someone like Jim Lee. He'd boost sales on Batman. Then they'd turn around and try to go back to the fucking well again!
I don't so much mind Crossed as its a symbol of people who are running the show.
The first part of your post is what people like Chuck Dixon and Cooke have been saying for years. Except that problems started back in late 70s according to them. That's when obsessive fanboys finally started getting into important creative and managerial positions. Things just escalated over years since. This is a third decade dominated by fanboys writing books for other fanboys. Of course, these people are dumbfounded as to why manga and scholastic outsell them, and why European comics keep gaining more ground in American comics market every year.
Yeah, it is hard to understand what DC's higher ups are thinking with this stuff.
It's nepotism. King and other people that have been around for a while have enough connections to always get work. Bendis is the best example of that. In spite of poor sales of his books, he is still getting work.
