Chirp, which picture has the reference? I don't want to click on all of them and be spoiled.

I adore Runaways. It's apparent Vaughn adores Joss (and a lot of other cool artists). It reminds me of very early Buffy. I'm excited to see how these characters develop. They are very young right now, but possibilities for radical development abound.

If you're interested in reading Runaways, I recommend the first bound issue. It seems written for a youngish audience and development in the individual issues is not rapid, but the overall stories are really good. I've got a couple/few issues of the new series, but am saving them to read when I have several. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have.

[ edited by April on 2005-10-20 06:02 ]

WhoIsOmega? | October 20, 08:00 CET

Found it.

The First Weevil | October 20, 08:14 CET

Man, more and more often so many of you comic fans say things and share feelings that remind me of my discovery of Elfquest. Wendy and Richard Pini, along with WarP graphics created a truly original, extremely rewarding, and heartbreaking world.

It's only since I've known Joss's works, that I've made the connection, but you must take my word on this graphic novel series. They yank your emotions around every bit as adroitly as our man Whedon does. And this with just words, BEAUTIFUL art, and on paper! Truly, you do yourself a huge disservice not to experience this series. The COLOR books, not the cheap B&W throw-togethers.

Ed, Simon, you guys are big comic fans. Do you know what I'm talking about? Have you indulged?

Willowy | October 20, 08:17 CET

I've heard only good things about Runaways, but as it is, I'm already buying too many comics to add this to the list.

Willowy, I bought about 10 Elfquest trades in a garage sale a couple of years back, but I haven't read past the first few pages of one book. It didn't grab my attention, sorry

NickSeng | October 20, 08:21 CET

Nick, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Stick a couple of books in the bathroom.

The world is layered, political, magical, and big with the loyalty and the love. You have the color issues? The GNs?

Because just the skinny little comics won't do it for you. Its like we say about Joss and television...we need the time to see it all unfold.

Try it. At most, it'll take a week of your time. Get past their elfin visages, even embrace them if you can, and you will be rewarded with amazing storytelling.

I'm sorry to go so OT mods, but I've read here time and time again about comic experiences that rocked people's world. This one did mine. And it is SO Jossian.

Willowy | October 20, 08:40 CET

Willowy, I discovered Elfquest in college, along with Love and Rockets, and I thought EQ was amazing. The artwork is beautiful (if almost Disney-ishly cute -- a fact which I have known to put some people off), with storylines that are as continuity-rich as the characterizations are deeply rewarding for the dedicated reader. I collected many issues and still pore over them occasionally to relive the magic of that initial discovery. Cutter is a memorably 3-dimensional, heroic figure, but I always had the softest spot for Skywise, whose friendship and frustration with Cutter stole my heart. There was love and cruelty, death and joy (the same goes for L&R), all of which prepared me to expect more from comics than inflated breasts and empty pyrotechnics. I never looked at elves (or SoCal/Latino/ Mexican culture) in quite the same way again.

It's so good to share what shaped (and moved) us in the years before we stumbled upon Joss's works. There's a lot of fantastic stuff out there, and I fully look to the rest of you to turn me on to what I'm missing. It's one of the fringe benefits of being part of a many-eyed, multi-legged interweb fan conglomerate ;)

Wiseblood | October 20, 09:07 CET

Never, ever leave the girls with El Diablo Robotico!

Especially not... downstairs.

Robogeek | October 20, 11:47 CET

That is the most obscure reference ever. I had to google it to see where it was from.

KBP | October 20, 11:54 CET

I second that google, KBP.

MySerenity | October 20, 17:07 CET

I don't understand. I am always a perfect gentleman,er, gentle-robot.

The Devil's Robot | October 20, 17:30 CET

Suuuuure you are, Devil's Robot. ;-)

Anyhow, I just "discovered" this book last week, and love it. Highly recommended to anyone hanging out at Whedonesque. ('Cause, of course, it's not like anyone more relevant here has anything nice to say about it. *coughJosscough* Ahem. 'Scuse me.)

RambleOn623 | October 20, 17:37 CET

I think I found 5 or so (a couple have wide interpretations) Whedon nods in the first series. A couple of those could be open to interpretation but several were outright. A character even mentions Whedon by name.

WhoIsOmega? | October 20, 17:47 CET

I third that Google KBP, because I was completely lost there for a minute.

Danica | October 20, 21:18 CET

Obscurity is my god. And since his ascenshion, so is Gurnenthar.

Chirp | October 20, 21:48 CET

Chirp, it *is* getting to be that time of year again, isn't it? Why, it feels like I just finished putting all the decorations left from last year's Ascendance celebration away, and it's almost back again. And, last year, I couldn't even find a single card where "Gurnenthar" was spelt correctly. Careless, really.

k8cre8 | October 20, 21:58 CET