Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC – Reed Tucker, De Capo Press, 2017 hardcover
I wasn’t into comics that much as a kid, except for those few my parents approved, which pretty much meant Disney comics. They were fine, but a limited palette. When I was a little older, and had an allowance (though still, in truth, a kid) I discovered the Batman and Superman comics and liked those, and also Iron Man and Fantastic Four.
It wasn’t until much later, after I had quit comics for the Winston Science Fiction books, Astounding Science Fiction and whatever other science fiction and fantasy I could lay my hands on that I began reading, here and there, about comics, and the competition between brands. It wasn’t until after college that I began to visit a comic shop and to buy comics that interested me, and my interest grew.
I read the post on James Reasoner’s blog on this book (HERE) with great interest, and just got a copy from the library. I’m only a few pages in, but it looks to be fun reading.
Have you read this book? What are you reading?
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I have read a few graphic novels over the years but my interest in comic books waned at about the age of 12.
I read a very fine short novel by John Langan called Naralya, Queen of the Hungry Dogs. It’s included in the massive new Ellen Datlow anthology Echoes. Also reading April Evil by John D. MacDonald on kindle and Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand. Hand started out mainly in SF/F but has turned to crime fiction in recent years. Curious Toys takes place in Chicago in 1915 and features Henry Darger as one of the main characters. Darger, when he died in 1972 left behind a massive 15,000 page fantasy book complete with drawings. There is a documentary out about him. I’m liking the novel quite a lot. The new Michael Connelly comes out Tuesday and will go straight to the top of list.
MacDonald is always a treat. Fifteen thousand pages???? Wow. One wonders why.
I read comics when I was very young, Little Lulu and such, and then Archie comics, and some Superman and Batman. Then when my son got into comics, my husband and I got interested in them again. They were much slicker by then, and more expensive. We still read graphic novels but don’t have a large collection. Slugfest sounds interesting, I will see what you think of it when you are done.
Last week I finished Killed in the Ratings by William DeAndrea. Liked it, want to try more of his books. I am now reading the 2nd Posadas County mystery, Bitter Recoil, and enjoying it as much as the first.
I’ve read some DeAndrea, and have some unread on the shelf, which I should get to. Eventually.
I read a ton of comics as a kid. Mostly Archie and Veronica but a lot of Superman too. I find it interesting that Kevin (my grandson) identifies himself as a Marvel fan rather than DC. Has the DC universe taken a back seat? I think Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man brought them out of the background.
Read THE WIDOWER by Simenon, which was terrific. Now reading 1222 by Anne Holt, which seems great too.
I think due to the movies and such Marvel has taken the lead. It will be interesting to see what the book says.
No, not interested. I remember when my brother started reading Marvel comics when we were kids, but I never got into them. Like Steve, I am waiting for the new Connelly.
I raced through Linwood Barclay’s 450 page thriller ELEVATOR PITCH in a couple of days. It’s (obviously) fast read. An elevator at a luxury building near Bloomingdale’s goes haywire, then plunges to the bottom, killing all aboard. The investigation has barely started when another elevator acts strangely the next day, killing a visiting Russian scientist. Major characters include the Mayor of New York – more like Trump (especially his background) than de Blasio, but with some of the latter mixed in – and his entourage, two NYPD detectives (working an obviously related case), a domestic terrorist group called The Flyovers (who may or may not be involved), a very obnoxious reporter and her daughter, among others. As I said, a fast fun read, if not deep.
Still reading THE SYMPATHIZER and THE BEST OF MANHUNT, and I have a couple of other books downloaded from the library. Hoping the Connelly comes in this week.
As you saw last Friday, I’m reading Dr. Thorndyke stories, many of them quite long. I decided to take a look at this book after James Reasoner’s post, so I’m reading both, and also just got Laurie Powers’ biography of Daisy Bacon.
I skipped the evening – late – NFL game yesterday to read, and will do the same tonight. With three books going at once, something always amuses. The Best of Manhunt is still going too, but I’m finding it less intriguing than expected.
I have a copy of SLUGFEST around here somewhere. I’ll await your full review before I decide to read it later this week. I’m trying to get all my Library books read before BOUCHERCON. I’m not ordering any books from AMAZON until week get back from Dallas.
We’re not ordering books, but we are still ordering stuff from Amazon, what with the guaranteed one day delivery. In fact, I just ordered two pairs of jeans to be delivered tomorrow.
I hope you have a great time at B’Con. Since I’m reading three books at once, it may take a while for my full review on any of them.
I only read two books this week: WORLDS WITHIN, a confusing and not very good SF novel which I loved for its wild pulp sensibilities (and my FFB this week) and AT DEAD OF NIGHT, the seventh volume of the “Not at Night” series edited by Christine Campbell Thomson from 1925-1936.
I normally read two novels at a time (interspersed with short stories) — one in the car to while away the time waiting for appointments and the other by the sofa, but three books came in from the library one the same day: A BOOK OF BONES (the latest Charlie Parker thriller by john Connolly), LAND OF WOLVES (the latest Longmire novel by Craig Johnson), and FULL THROTTLE (the lated collection from Joe Hill). So I started the Connolly, while also working on ENEMY OF THE STATE by F. Paul Wilson and HUNTED PAST REASON by Richard Matheson. Sometimes you just have a surfeit of good things.
SLUGFEST sound pretty good and I hope to get around to it sooner or later.
Nestor missed us but it did bring some cooler weather to our part of the Panhandle, which makes me happy. I hope your week will be happy one, too, Rick!
You have books up to your ears! I usually prefer to read one book at a time and am breaking that policy now with three. I used to keep a “car book” for reading while waiting and so forth, but don’t bother any more, as I’m in the car much less.
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