The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

[Stephen Day]

Tomorrow it's "Close your drapes if you want to strut about in the nude like the King of Spain!!"

There are trees and bushes in the way. The only way somebody could see me doing that was if they were to sneak right up to my windo...

...oh no.

You damn peeping tom! Stay the hell off of my property!

[Victorian Squid]

There are trees and bushes in the way. The only way somebody could see me doing that was if they were to sneak right up to my windo...

...oh no.

You damn peeping tom! Stay the hell off of my property!

Hmpf. You call that scrub-brush bushes, do you?

Knock knock.

the-news-stand/message-for-stephen-day-from-the-prime-minister-t67079.html

[Stephen Day]

Hmpf. You call that scrub-brush bushes, do you?

Knock knock.

the-news-stand/message-for-stephen-day-from-the-prime-minister-t67079.html

Oh I saw that thread.

Just to let you know, you just made the list.

[Royal Nonesuch]

Oh, yeah. I forgot about the Review Group. I'm a part of that, aren't I? Oh, this is supposed to be my pick? Oops.

I'll get to it tomorrow.

[Kerny]

All Nighter

I thought it was a fairly standard affair, with sprinkled bits of intrigue thrown in. Kit is only interesting when referencing her dead mother. Without the mystery, I wouldn't have cared for this much at all. I don't think the lead is very likable, but not because she killed her mom. (I'm willing to bet it's more like what AMS says) She's a typical teen or young 20 something person who is indecisive and hypocritical. I get enough of that from my friends in real life.

The dialog walks a very thin line of being clever on one end and overly cliche and cutesy on the other side. The penny line, the two truths with a lie, etc etc.

I dug the art, reminds me of a slightly more fancy Scott Pilgrim, which is fine

That's kinda how I would describe this, Scott Pilgrim, but without most of the fun. I did appreciate it being free.

5.5

[Jubilee]

Well, there is some complexity to, or at least some weirdness about, her. Take your pick. She's apparently killed her mother, yet no one appears to know she's responsible. She keeps a running tab of the number of lies and truths she tells, and assures herself that she isn't being unethical as long as the truths outnumber the lies -- at some point. And she has a stupid loyalty to a no-good boyfriend.

Not bad for an opening issue. Kit has more substance than most comic book characters who have been around for decades. Certainly there's enough in this first issue to see what happens next.

And I think it's actually intriguing that she commits petty theft, especially if she is also a murderer. I just read a true-crime piece about guy who murdered his millionaire wife and went on the run with her fortune. He would often steal condiments from restaurants and other small items while he traveled the world. Why? Because he was murdering, thieving asshole, who did not distinguish between small and big crimes.

I suspect Kit may fall into this category. And I think a story that focuses on a character like that can certainly hold a reader's interest for four more issues.

But hey, I'm the only one in the RG that actually likes the book. So there's a good possibility that I am wrong.

I liked it!

[Comic_Doctor]

My only regret with this comic is that my LCS didn't have any copies. Therefore I had to do my review by reading it online.

I really enjoyed the art. Nice, crisp lines, and solid storytelling. Kat is a "real" character in that I can easily see her as a real world person.

I liked the story, and I will be reading more when it becomes available. That in itself garners a good mark in my book.

7.5

[Eli Katz]

I liked it!

Not as much as I did.

[Rockman]

Well, there is some complexity to, or at least some weirdness about, her. Take your pick. She's apparently killed her mother, yet no one appears to know she's responsible. She keeps a running tab of the number of lies and truths she tells, and assures herself that she isn't being unethical as long as the truths outnumber the lies -- at some point. And she has a stupid loyalty to a no-good boyfriend.

Not bad for an opening issue. Kit has more substance than most comic book characters who have been around for decades. Certainly there's enough in this first issue to see what happens next.

And I think it's actually intriguing that she commits petty theft, especially if she is also a murderer. I just read a true-crime piece about guy who murdered his millionaire wife and went on the run with her fortune. He would often steal condiments from restaurants and other small items while he traveled the world. Why? Because he was murdering, thieving asshole, who did not distinguish between small and big crimes.

I suspect Kit may fall into this category. And I think a story that focuses on a character like that can certainly hold a reader's interest for four more issues.

But hey, I'm the only one in the RG that actually likes the book. So there's a good possibility that I am wrong.

How can your opinion be wrong?

Your take on this book is a lot deeper than I got. I mean I automatically dismissed this book because of the unlikeable lead character. Your certainly not going to get me to read anymore of this, but at least I can see there is some depth beyond that.

Like Kerny said though, I've met these people. People who justify stealing and lying, and honestly they sicken me. I can appreciate a good heist or crime movie every once in a while because those characters are always exaggerations and put into impossible circumstances (Johnson only steals because he has to raise money for little timmy who has aids, chrones disease and the chicken pox..). Stuff like Scarface that tries to get you to feel sympathetic for disgusting scumbags is terrible.

That is just me though, I appreciate a good interesting character who has complex motivations. But I felt like this book was trying to get us to sympathize with this girl and I just couldnt' do it. Like Squid I was hoping she would be dead by the end of the book.

[Eli Katz]

How can your opinion be wrong?

Your take on this book is a lot deeper than I got. I mean I automatically dismissed this book because of the unlikeable lead character. Your certainly not going to get me to read anymore of this, but at least I can see there is some depth beyond that.

Like Kerny said though, I've met these people. People who justify stealing and lying, and honestly they sicken me. I can appreciate a good heist or crime movie every once in a while because those characters are always exaggerations and put into impossible circumstances (Johnson only steals because he has to raise money for little timmy who has aids, chrones disease and the chicken pox..). Stuff like Scarface that tries to get you to feel sympathetic for disgusting scumbags is terrible.

That is just me though, I appreciate a good interesting character who has complex motivations. But I felt like this book was trying to get us to sympathize with this girl and I just couldnt' do it. Like Squid I was hoping she would be dead by the end of the book.

Well, I think opinions can be fair and unfair, and backed up with compelling points and backed up with irrational or weak points. Unfair opinions and unsupported opinions can be wrong.

My opinions on fantasy stories are, probably, mostly unfair. Why? Because I have a bias against them from the start. I can't suspend disbelief. So, people who appreciate fantasy stories probably would find my critique of fantasy books off, or overly dismissive. And they would be right.

In this case, I might have a greater appetite for crime comics or non-superhero comics than most other RG member and, consequently, I may overlook flaws in this particular book that others see as glaringly obvious. So, yes, I might be "wrong" in some sense. Not factually wrong, but misguided wrong.

One reason I participate in the RG is that I enjoy reading how different people, with different tastes, respond to the same books. It makes me think seriously about stories and characters -- especially what makes them, at their core, entertaining.

So few books in the RG score above 8, for example, that now the group has been renamed "We Hate Comics." I don't think that's true. I think we all love comics -- so much so that we read individual issues that we may have no interest in and discuss them with each other, often at length.

Anyway, I think so few books hit the 8 mark, or higher, because most books are aimed at niche readers. They don't aim for a broader audience. And, as a result, they alienate readers who are not invested in the niche or subgenre.

So I'm not upset about All Nighter receiving bad scores. I'm actually intrigued, surprised, and curious. I find your and Squid's reaction to the book fascinating. And it makes me rethink how I view protagonists generally in stories.

[Royal Nonesuch]

I liked All Nighter #1 enough. It's a bit clunky in its storytelling, but it has a compelling hook and the relationships seem well-thought out. It's grounded in a particular sense of place and of mind and it works well as a character piece. I really liked Kat's troublesome relationship with her ex-boyfriend, as its complexity felt very true. It's really not difficult at all to see how a life like Kat's can turn out the way it has. It feels very universal. There are some narrative hiccups, and some of the writing doesn't quite do what it's trying to do, but it's a good, lived-in world and it's interesting enough to read about. It won't blow anyone away, but All Nighter #1 scratches a particular itch and works as a slice-of-life relationship drama. Also, this is probably David Hahn's best artistic work yet (despite some problems with faces).

8.

[john lewis hawk]

I don't know shit about this comic.

5

[Punchy]

Gah, I'm gonna be late with this one, I was away for a family wedding at the weekend, and now I've got the flu and can't concentrate on a computer screen long enough to read this online. Maybe tomorrow.

[GLX]

Gah, I'm gonna be late with this one, I was away for a family wedding at the weekend, and now I've got the flu and can't concentrate on a computer screen long enough to read this online. Maybe tomorrow.

Get well soon.

[Stephen Day]

Get well soon.

From me too.