Trading Up: The 10 Trades in 30 Days Challenge

I am a big fan of podcasts, and they are my constant companion on my walk to and from work, while puttering in the kitchen and while trying to tame that wild, fly-away hair that won’t behave.  Since I am also an avid consumer of comic books (yes… the kind you’re thinking of), it stands to reason that I would really love a podcast about comics.

Enter: Comic Geek Speak!  Now, with the nerd set constantly angling to get in on the latest tech trends, you can bet that there is no shortage of podcasts (both video and audio) about that other geek passion, comics. CGS, though, was – I think we can say – one of the earliest entries into this field. They are very unpolished, unedited and unscripted podcasts that routinely run nearly an hour or more.  And far from “podfading” once the initial bloom is off the rose, these prolific guys broadcasting from (literally) a basement in Wyomissing, PA, consistently put out, like, 2 and 3 episodes a week… and sometimes more!  They've already reached well over 500 episodes, and have spawned their own CON.  That’s hardcore, dude.

Part of what makes their podcast so fun (aside from feeling like you’re just another one of the gang listening in on a conversation about the latest DMZ trade or what’s in the new Previews, or which is better: Trek or Wars**) is their message boards.

I have never really got into message boards, but these guys on the show talk up their Forum so much, I had to check it out, and I have been really enjoying reading, posting, and getting to know these folks. I’ve had distant friends before that I didn’t really know face to face, so that is nothing new, but this is the first message board I’ve ever managed to enjoy.

One of the posters started a “Ten Trades in Thirty Days” challenge thread this week. It spun out of a “30 Movies in 30 Days” challenge some friends had been into. Since reading 30 trade paperbacks (often the collected, soft cover edition of runs of individual comics, or “floppies") would be hard to do in a six months let alone one, he reduced it to ten and threw out these guidelines:

• The Graphic novel/trade must be at least 40 pages.
• 5 Graphic novel/trades you have never read
• 5 Graphic novel/trades must be non-superhero comics.
• Post the list here 

He later gave us a framework for quick reviews to share of what we were reading to share on the thread. I was up for the challenge, and I thought I’d share the list, and the eventual resulting mini-reviews here.  Here is my list:

KEY:
* Never read before (5)
^ Non-superhero book (5)

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, vol. 1: The Long Way Home

and

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, vol. 2: No Future For You

I just started re-reading the Buffy series from the individual issues, so I am counting these as 2 trades. I am realizing all over again how awesome it is. Despite the lack of capes, cowls and throwable tiaras, I don’t think we can call this a non-superhero book. I mean fight scenes, flying, even masks? Come on.

3. DMZ vol. 1: On the Ground*^

This book has caused the biggest rift among two of the Comic Geek Speak hosts since the infamous “Which is better: Superman I or Superman II?” incident. How can I call myself a true fan of CGS and not weigh in on this important controversy?

4. Essex County vol 2: Ghost Stories*^

I have heard about this series, like, every day now for a week. Jesus wants me to read this book! James proprietor of my LCS, Isotope, suggested starting with volume 2. He said it is better and the story isn’t so very sequential. This was a rather controversial bit of advice according to the reaction it got on the boards. Ah well…pass the Kleenex, I hear this one is a tear jerker.

5. Ex Machina vol. 6: Power Down*

I have been reading all the trades of this series, and really loving them. I also consider this a superhero book, though a decidedly different one. Plus… Tony Harris. Awesome!

6. Exterminators vol. 4: Crossfire and Collateral*^

I can’t say exactly why, but I really do like this series. It’s weird and freaky and just a leeeeetle bit magic. Plus I like the idea of humans as just another vermin infesting the Earth. Despite our relative cleanliness, I think we might just be. I’ve been holding on to this trade for months now, so this is the time to finally get to it.

7. JLA/Avengers

I have the individual issues close at hand and have only really flipped through them here and there over the years since they came out. One of those flip-throughs was when CGS hosts Peter and Murd did their AWESOME Footnotes episode on these books. To say those episodes were exhaustively detailed is putting it mildly.  For example, there was one episode JUST FOR THE COVER OF NUMBER THREE ALONE. That’s the kind of anal retentiveness…er, I mean attention to detail I can whole heartedly support. 

8. Marvels

I like that the two real superhero trades I’ve chosen are both by Kurt Busiek. He is a huge favorite of mine. I love remembering how I and others reacted at the time to the Alex Ross painted art. Remember that in 1994, he had only done some Terminator comic and a book cover or two. It was mind-blowing, and the story was pure gold. Can’t wait to re-read it!

9. Presidential Material: Barack Obama / John McCain*^

This is a fun thing I picked up today: IDW has apparently published two biography comics called “Presidential Material,” one starring Obama, and one starring McCain. This collected edition I have has both in one as a flip book. I hope it has something good to make fun of!

10. Serenity: Better Days*^

I missed out (as usual) on Firefly when it was on TV originally, but have since watched the whole series and the movie and loved it heaps. I have been waiting for this trade to come out of the recent mini, and now here it is!

 

Now… I guess I’d better get reading. Of course naturally all I want to do NOW is watch Battlestar Galactica on TV….

**It's Trek. And everyone knows it.  In your face, Deemer!