The Maxx - huh?!?!?!?

[Sharcque]

Can anyone tell me what this series was about? I bought issues 1 - 4 out of a quarter bin yesterday, and I have no clue what I just read!!!

[Tribalman]

It´s a very special book. Different from what I
mostly read. I still love it. One of it´s charms was
finding out what it was about. There are a lot of
spiritual things going on … hard to explain. The
artwork is beautiful, the stories are fun and can
be read over and over again and always leave
space for your interpretation …

The first 20 issues are top - after that … it changed …

CHUNG
CHUNG
CHUNG
…

There was also a nice Maxx story in Darker Image #1.
You should be able to find it in the quarter bin as well.
It featured two more stories staring Deathblow (which
was OK, I guess) and Bloodwolf (which was not so OK)

:D

[Captain Blitz]

It is kinda David Lynch in comic books. ;)

Very psychological, a really "deep" book.

[Sharcque]

A friend of mine just told me that the Maxx was the girl's hallucination of a guy that was dead and had a lamp shade over his head ?!?! That's why his teeth stuck out, b/c it was the shade? I don't think I'm gonna look for anymore issues... :confused: :D

[Sharcque]

*bump* === b/c I've never been so confused about a comic.

[MrBiggs7]

Youre confused about it. I read that book when I was 11.

[mgs]

Youre confused about it. I read that book when I was 11.
i was older, and confused as well. ;)

Sharcque, this series was great, it will only make sense if you continue to read the books, may i suggest (if you have the money) to get the recent slew of trades that came out. ;)

[satanszuitsuit]

one of my favorite comics the more of them you read the more sence they make trust me on this one i just finaly found a #4 today in the 50 cent bin at my comic book store too.

[the_coldest_sun]

Man you guys are lucky to find The Maxx comics in the Quarter Bins. All the comic shops I've visited sell The Maxx and Savage Dragon backissues at cover price!

BTW, The Maxx and Savage Dragon are the only single issues I'm attempting to get full runs on so far.

[heavysoul]

Can anyone tell me what this series was about? I bought issues 1 - 4 out of a quarter bin yesterday, and I have no clue what I just read!!!First off, congrats on discovering the magic of The Maxx. The Maxx is a wonderful study on self-realization disguised as a superhero/action book. As the book progresses the action takes more of a backseat and the study of self becomes much more important. I dont' think there was a more important comic released in the '90s. Jim Lee put the tpbs out back then and he's doing it again now (this time the entire run).

This is THE comic that brought me back to the artform; the art, the writing, the overall package is ultimately flawless.

[satanszuitsuit]

actuly normaly i have to pay double cover price casue the comic store owner can get that much on Ebay lucky for me the comic was damaged which normaly i would get uber pissed at but it realy wasnt that bad just warped i put it in a good case and under some books its almost back to normal now

[Tribalman]

I think it´s no problem finding the early issues -- i´ve
seen the first 4 issues in the quarter bin in germany!
I heard the last issues are really hard to get because
sales were dropping. Glad I got them all. Even have the
first two trades that came out.

That was just a fun book with loads of hidden gems (read
the indices at the beginning of each book, for example). If I
recall correctly there´s somehing hidden in there -- been
a while since I read these …

*looks for his maxx issues and starts reading again.

Chung

[satanszuitsuit]

That was just a fun book with loads of hidden gems (read
the indices at the beginning of each book, for example). If I
recall correctly there´s somehing hidden in there -- been
a while since I read these …

*looks for his maxx issues and starts reading again.

Chung


hmmm realy what would be looking for sounds interesting casue the Maxx is already wraped in confusion

[Grant]

That was just a fun book with loads of hidden gems (read
the indices at the beginning of each book, for example). If I
recall correctly there´s somehing hidden in there -- been
a while since I read these …

I forgot about those. Yeah the Maxx was an odd read. i don't think I fully understand it until the MTV cartoon (which virtually adapted it panel for panel).

[Noir_Dark]

Fucking brilliant book!
It’s a surreal story, so don’t try and find anything linear or with meaning. It’s function is to convey complex emotions and more than anything to create weirdness.

[Forsaken_One]

Watching the MTV cartoon really helped me understand. It's word for word with the comic almost but it still helped.

[Tribalman]

The cartoon was AMAZING. I even bought
the tape. Couldn´t watch it for years because
it´s in UMTS and we (here in germany) have
PAL but i finally found someon who was able
to convert it. Great great stuff. Wish I had
it on DVD. The quality really suffered due to
the conversion.

Does anybody remember the cd with sounds
from the comic? Wish I had that!

What´s Kieth up to these days. Anything good?
Think I saw something about a werewolf story!?

[jadegiant77]

Can anyone tell me what this series was about? I bought issues 1 - 4 out of a quarter bin yesterday, and I have no clue what I just read!!!

To understand Maxx, first you must understand the concept of spirit animals. This is a part of Native American/aboriginal folklore that states that every single person on Earth has a spirit guide that assumes animal form and leads the person to a higher understanding of his/her role in life. Now, once there was a boy named Artie Pender who was sexually abused by his aunt. When he grew to adulthood, he began studying the occult and the dreamtime of the aboriginies of Australia, becoming a powerful mystic in the process. He became friends with a man and his wife who had a daughter named Julie. Julie had once befrinded a rabbit which, after its violent death, became her spirit animal. When she went away to college, Artie(or Mr. Gone which was his mystic name) took some of Julies belongings and due to their connection to her, was able to enter her subconscious mind. The surrealistic landscape resembled the Australian Outback.

Julie, meanwhile got raped. One stormy night, mistaking a homeless man for another rapist, she hit him with her car. The impact knocked him into an alley which,due to Mr. Gone's manipulations, had a portal into Julie's Outback. A lampshade was knocked into the Outback, where Mr. Gone just happened to be exploring. Gone pushed the lampshade back into the real world just as Julie popped into the alley to see if the bum was still alive. He was, although she didn't know it. Freaked out, Julie tried to hide the "body" by covering it with garbage and shoving the lampshade on his head. She drove away. The lampshade, charged with Julie's psychic energy, melted and slithered over the bumbs body transforming into a purple costume with big teeth and claws. Julie's spirit animal, sensing the girl's turmoil, crossed into the real world, mixxing with the bum's persona. Thus the Maxx was born. The series drifted in and out of Julie's Outback, no one quite certain of which world was real. It's take me another 18 pages to describe it more than that, so go pick it up!

[satanszuitsuit]

i think number 3 and 9 or 10 i forget some where around there explane the comic the most at the beging

[TheDarkestHorse]

Dude, at the age of about twelve I picked up the first two issues, and I instantly felt enthralled. If you didn't, maybe you never will, but I'd still reccomend collecting the series. Just enjoy each scene for what it is, until it all starts coming together. You have to break out of the 'beginning-middle-end, read-and-throw-away'superhero mentality for a little while. Also, always read the letters pages. After those first two issues, I started collecting at around #20, and most everything that was going I only understood from other people's letters. Just remember: You aren't supposed to be understanding everything. There's things in issue 1 you won't really understand till you completely read the series through, and then read it through again. But it's worth it. Oh, god, is it worth it.

[THE OG GL]

[QUOTE]jadegiant77[QUOTE]

now that helped

[Tribalman]

yeah, I think I finally understand it now, as well :D

[Sharcque]

I finally decided to check this thread again, and i just want to say "Thank you" to JadeGiant77. You've helped out a lot. I've gotten almost all the issues now, and honestly, until your post, I just wasn't getting it. So, thanks again.

[bosshog7169]

I have the first 14 or so issues of the Maxx by Sam Kieth n i can never seem to find the rest of them. I've always wondered how that story ends and i cant find it explained anywhere. Can anybody tell me what happened or point me in the direction of a site that can or a retailer who i could buy these books from

[heavysoul]

Go to DC's website or your local comic book shop and pick up the tpbs 1-5. They contain the entire run of The Maxx.

[Spike-X]

I've always wondered how that story ends and i cant find it explained anywhere.

It doesn't, really. Kieth explained in an interview a while ago that he really didn't have any idea what he was doing, so he just stopped.

Unlike Terry Moore, who never let a little thing like having no clue what to do with his story stop him from continuing to put out comics.

[bosshog7169]

that is very disappointing spike x, if not very surprising. I just picked up the dvd of the maxx tv show on ebay n it doesn't have an ending either. I think now i might just save my money n not get the tpbs. Was anything at all resolved though. Is Maxx a person in the real world, or a rabbit? For that matter which world is even the real one? Is Mr. Gone ever defeated? Does he bother to answer any of these questions or does he just ramble on with more metaphysical stuff? Is the art still good enough in the second half of this series to make it worth buying? ANswers to any of these questions would really help me out in deciding whether to sink more money into the maxx. Thanks!

[bosshog7169]

Also where can i find that Kieth interview? that might help

[The Mirrorball Man]

Was anything at all resolved though.
Yes.

Is Maxx a person in the real world, or a rabbit?
You'll get the answer to that one.

For that matter which world is even the real one?
You'll get the answer to that one too.

Is Mr. Gone ever defeated?
In a way.

Does he bother to answer any of these questions or does he just ramble on with more metaphysical stuff?
He does a little bit of both.

Is the art still good enough in the second half of this series to make it worth buying?
The art keeps getting better and better in my opinion.

[Zissou]

This is THE comic that brought me back to the artform; the art, the writing, the overall package is ultimately flawless.

Similarly, my comic appetite was fueled again by this series after a long time off the wagon. I'm not sure if I ever really understood the whole meaning of the series, but I was particularly fond of the art. This is one of my favourite series ever, and by far my favourite Sam Keith work. I've also got his Wolverine/Hulk mini, Four Women, and Zero Girl, but The Maxx is my favourite.

[Young Avenger]

I've haven't read the books but I did see the show on MTV and it was awesome. It was very weird, entertaining and original. I never saw anything like it before and that's what drew me in. A friend of mine has the first issue and it surpraise how the show copied the book panel per panel. After watching the T.V. series I need more Maxx.

[Alex]

It’s a surreal story, so don’t try and find anything linear or with meaning. It’s function is to convey complex emotions and more than anything to create weirdness.
I wouldn't go that far, the first storyline is pretty clear once you finish it all, and almost everything had meaning. (Well...ok, maybe not, but it all made sense in a weird way, even if it didn't mean anything)
Once you get passed the maxx story, and get into julie's preganant and Sarah has...
Well, yknow how it went, thats when it gets weird, and when even keith admitted he didn't know what he was doing.

[hugh45]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noir_Dark
It’s a surreal story, so don’t try and find anything linear or with meaning. It’s function is to convey complex emotions and more than anything to create weirdness.

I wouldn't go that far, the first storyline is pretty clear once you finish it all, and almost everything had meaning. (Well...ok, maybe not, but it all made sense in a weird way, even if it didn't mean anything)
Once you get passed the maxx story, and get into julie's preganant and Sarah has...
Well, yknow how it went, thats when it gets weird, and when even keith admitted he didn't know what he was doing.

The 1st storyline I got through it by pretty well w/the help of the letter
page and the 2nd storyline I was starting to get,but was getting more
confuse as the storyline continue and lost interest of The Maxx as
whole. :(