REVIEWS: Futurama Comics #14

[on:]

Hope this is OK to start this thread up but I believe this week should see the release of Futurama Comics 14. It was on sale last week at the Comic Con so I was able to pick it up. You can see my review of it (or lack of) at my site. As you can see I don't want to give too much away and you really have to read it to really experience it. Alls I will say here is hats off to Patric Verrone.

[Reply #1 on:]

Looks interesting, I'll be sure to get it. Does anyone know how long it takes for the direct edition to reach Australia?
And thanks for not spoiling 

[Reply #2 on:]

it should be there now

[Reply #3 on:]

Well, that was pretty neat.  It actually isn't a new idea; I've seen it done in other comics.  But here it was done fairly well, though it did cheat a bit when the characters all went off on their own.  (Are we not supposed to have spoilers?  I won't say anything detailed about it if we're not.)  The story was both simple and convoluted, and it wasn't as funny as other issues, but the neat-factor (which of course caused those problems) helps make up for it.

[Reply #4 on:]

I'll order this comic ASAP, assuming my regular England based store has it already. You said that this issue has a multiple character story structure, is the actual issue longer in pages? Or are the 7+ stories just really short?

[Reply #5 on:]

I don't know why we can spoil TV episodes and not comics, but here we go:

Show spoiler

Most pages in the comic have six panels.  Each panel focuses on a different character.  You can either read the comic straight through like normal, or read just one panel per page.  Both ways you get a complete story.  One long story plus six one-panel-per-page stories equals seven stories.  What makes it neat is that it's written so that dialogue in one panel fits with both the next panel or the panel for that character on the next page.

But as I said, writing it this way sacrifices ordinary story structure, so you might not think the neat-factor is worth it.

[Reply #6 on:]

I guess it is OK to spoil the comics as I know I have given story points out here in threads. I just didn't want to say too much on how this issue operated because I thought that was part of the charm in it and people would get a kick out of how it was accomplished.
M Jackson, you are pretty close in your assessment of how to get the 7 stories tied together and you will see how once you pick up the issue. 
RM

[Reply #7 on:]

*sigh* there are more futurama fans in orlando then i originaly thought. My comic store got AND sold out of #14 today.

[Reply #8 on:]

On one hand that is great news Venus because it means people are out there buying the comic. It sucks because now you have missed out on it and will have to check other locals for it. But hey, it's Futurama! How else are you going to be spending your time and money?
RM

[Reply #9 on:]

but that's the only store i know that carries it. i'm gonna have to wait till they restock.

[Reply #10 on:]

Some stores offer subscription services and if you are having trouble acquiring what you want you might ask them about it. That way you are gauranteed a copy when it hits the stands as they pull a copy for you and keep it behind the desk until you pick it up.
RM

[Reply #11 on:]

Sometimes ordinary bookstores like Borders carry comic books.  You could also look for it online, though the shipping cost would probably be more than the cost of the comic.

[Reply #12 on:]

This sounds interesting...I think I'll buy it.

What other comics has Patrick Verrone written? I'm not a huge fan of the regular comics, but I'll check out his stuff.

[Reply #13 on:]

He has written issue 11 as well and it sounds like he will be contributing some stories to Simpsons Comics as well. I am not familiar with any other comic work outside of these two that he has worked on.
RM

[Reply #14 on:]

Cool concept for #14. Liked it. 

[Reply #15 on:]

My shop carries two issues, one for me and a shelf copy, and if they sell out in the first week, then they'll reorder to see if it sells some more.  Well, they sold out both the first day, mine and the other.  So, they should be getting more in soon. Which means I have to wait, doggone it.

Oh and write to them folks, let Bongo know that people are reading their stories, so maybe they can print more on (dare I hope) a monthly basis, if they can keep the quality up.

[Reply #16 on:]

The 7 story idea was a good idea, but I thought that it ultimately sucked, this is the worst Futurama Comic yet, the story seemed disjointed. But the art was pretty good tho.

[Reply #17 on:]

havent read the comic but it sound good

[Reply #18 on:]

 

Originally posted by Grim:
The 7 story idea was a good idea, but I thought that it ultimately sucked, this is the worst Futurama Comic yet, the story seemed disjointed. But the art was pretty good tho.

I would partly agree with you on that Grim but the overall story was not the main focus here. It is more the novelty of the whole thing and being able to read it from different perspectives. The story was pretty small and straightforward and really wasn't anything special about it in and of itself. It was the fact that you could read it from each characters perspective as well as a whole.
And how can you call this the worst issue ever? Have you forgotten about issue 10 already? 
RM

[Reply #19 on:]

Does Barnes and Noble carry the comics? Because comic books are available there.

[Reply #20 on:]

I don't know about B&N (though they probably do carry the trades), but Borders does. I've seen them there.

[Reply #21 on:]

I have to go check Borders now. Thanks, Kryten.

[Reply #22 on:]

It was pretty well down but not very funny. It was interesting to see bongo begging for people to write them letters.

[Reply #23 on:]

I thought it was a kind of cool idea, but as mentioned before it was more a novelty than a complete feeling comic. In my opinion the art was sort of crummy, and the story would have benefited from a bit more time and effort. Overall it was goodish, but a bit of a letdown after the awesomeness of #13.

[Reply #24 on:]

i like the idea, even thou in some places it seemed like they kind of... cheated...like they used a easy way to spread the stories if you read each character's story. i read it the original way first so i would understand it more the other ways, and i suggest if confused do it that way.

I loved how they mentioned shakira! hehe  !

[Reply #25 on:]

I think that the art varies from issue to issue, but overall, it's still pretty good, and close to the show, well, if they keep going, I can at least have Futurama in one form or another.

[Reply #26 on:]

sounds cool

[Reply #27 on:]

This is a very inventive issue, so it kept me busy for a half-hour at least. Zoidberg and Bender's plots were the best. One of the best issues so far.

[Reply #28 on:]

I'll get it tomorrow. I hope Tom King penciled it (by himself). He always makes Leela look so cute!   

EDIT: Got my copy today! It was probably the coolness of being able to read it seven ways rather than the story itself  I was sad to see that a issue penciled by such a great Leela artist was wasted with pictures of Leela with her chest backwards. 

[Reply #29 on:]

I agree that Tom King has done some pretty good stuff in Futurama Comics leelaholic but what I found odd was that he used basically the same splash page here in this issue as he did way back in issue 2.
I also agree that the neat factor is the big selling point on this issue and not necessarily the story itself, although the story was fun. I wouldn't mind seeing an entire episode done straight showing all of Farnsworth's failed inventions.
RM

[Reply #30 on:]

 

Originally posted by Bendo:
I wouldn't mind seeing an entire episode done straight showing all of Farnsworth's failed inventions.
RM

Me too, but I want Leela's chest where it BELONGS this time!!!

[Reply #31 on:]

This issue is inventive, nobody can take that away, but it doesn't always work. I's good but not great. The bold concept is a bit hit-and- miss, and leads to dialouge that is vauge and doesn't always flow too well. The artwork sometimes reaches high standards like issue 11, however many panels reach the lows of issues 2 and 10.
I admire the skill and inventiveness that has gone into making this concept, I just wish Bongo had pulled it off a bit better.

Overall: C+

[Reply #32 on:]

This is my favorite Futurama Comic of the ones I've read so far.  I find it to be very funny.

[Reply #33 on:]

Read issues 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, and the crossovers then, they're great too.

[Reply #34 on:]

This is a great issue, I managed to pick it up last week. I love the way you can read it 7 different ways, but you can just read it normally too. Unique issue, and everyone in Planet Express was used plentfully. Although Zoidberg was used a little too much and started to get annoying IMO. I think they overused him to make up for the Professor being alseep.

Also, I love the unfinished inventions, such as the reverse camera where the picture goes in, and comes out real. Neat ideas, and well wraped up at the end. But not quite perfect. I found that the artist had problems drawing Amy's expressions, and on one page she seemd to have the same expression on every panel. But other that that, awesome artwork too, neat issue 

[Reply #35 on:]

The tiny Kif was strange. 

[Reply #36 on:]

Ther must have been some mess up. I didn't double post

[Reply #37 on:]

I thought the read-it-seven-ways-structure totally messed the real story. There is no way you can integrate 6 storys into another story and make it readable. I hope to see nr #15 in stores soon.

1 out of 5 Stars

[Reply #38 on:]

I think the problem with this issue is that they would have needed a lot more pages in order to make it really enjoyable...

[Reply #39 on:]

I sent them a fan art. I hope they publish it.