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AICN COMICS! DAREDEVIL! NEIL GAIMAN'S NEVERWHERE! INDIE JONES PRESENTS! SCHLEPPY & MOD REVIEW BATMAN BEGINS...sort of
#5 | 6/15/05 | align=right> #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
BATMAN BEGINS MOVIE ADAPTATION
GIANT SIZE X-MEN #3
BIRDS OF PREY #83
DAREDEVIL #74
DAY OF VENGEANCE #3
ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 4
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #66
NEVERWHERE #1
Indie Jones Presents: THE MIDDLEMAN #1
CHEAP SHOTS!
Greetings, Faithful Talkbackers, I am the Moderator, the omniscient and lonely voice of reason haunting the halls of @$$hole HQ. Usually, the @$$holes utilize my talents to host special feature columns such as The Roundtable Review or The @$$ies. But on this grand occasion, the Holes at AICN Comics have recognized my superior intellect and gifted vocabulary and allowed me the honor of reviewing the OFFICIAL MOVIE ADAPTATION of the summer blockbuster BATMAN BEGINS. The comic book follows the exploits of a young Bruce Way—
Buh-naners, every-buddy!
Schleppy, I’m in the middle of a review of comic book adaptation of the new BATMAN BEGINS film. I have no time to converse with the @$$hole Mascot/smelly monkey at the moment.
Hold horse. Schleppy no understand. Dere’s a new Batman moobie? Schleppy thinks Schleppy ‘members something about Batman moobie. It directed by dat guy who did da Mentos commercial, right?
Schleppy, I believe you are confused. BATMAN BEGINS was directed by Christopher Nolan, the director of MEMENTO.
Yeah, dat’s right. Schleppy liked it when dat guy went backwards and forgot stuff. Like when dat pretty lady’s car was stuck and dose painters lifted dat car so she could get out. Den guy wrote it all down on his hand and when he looked at it, he gave a thumbs up and went “Da Freshmaker!”
*sigh* Schleppy, I have a review to do.
Schleppy love to review moobies! Schleppy can help!
No Schleppy, this isn’t a movie review. I’m reviewing the comic book adaptation of a movie.
You review a comic book ‘bout a moobie ‘bout a comic book?
Well…yes.
Schleppy confused. Isn’t dat kind of like when Schleppy Xerox his butt on da photo copier and den Schleppy Xerox da Xerox?
I’m not sure that I follow you, Schlep.
Schleppy mean dat da Butt Xerox of da first Butt Xerox is never as good as da first Butt Xerox. And first Butt Xerox is never as good as original butt.
So…you’re saying that comic book adaptations of comic book movies are never as good as the movie itself and that the movies are never as good as the original comic book material? Wow…that’s…pretty astute of you to notice that, Schleppy. In truth, you are correct. The adaptation of BATMAN BEGINS wasn’t as good as the movie—
Dere’s a new BATMAN moobie out?
Yes, Schlep, we were just talking about it. Did you forget?
No, Schleppy didn’t forget. Schleppy wrote it on hand right here. Read it.
Schleppy, you wrote “Mentos” on your hand.
Da Freshmaker!
GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 3
Written by Joss Whedon, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas
Art by Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, Wener Roth
Published by Marvel
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
Buzz Maverik's Blog
6/15/05
Music: The Clash's version of "I Fought The Law"
Mood: Horny
After boring you all with last night's version of how I escaped the cops and news media in a high-speed car chase (alternate vehicles, cover, and disguises help!), I thought I'd get back to talking about comics.
GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 3 was on the list today. Back in the Bronze Age, Marvel published bi-monthly Giant Size comic series, most of the time featuring new material. The X-Men, of course, were re-launched as a new team in GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 1, which has been reprinted 100 zillion times. As a kid new to comics at the time, hanging out with other kids new to comics, we couldn't understand why GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 2 didn't feature all of the same cast. It was almost like it took place before GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 1.
The fact is, GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 2 reprinted the Sentinel stories by artist Neal Adams. Mr. Adams has had a very odd impact on comics. He came onto the scene in the 1960s, became well known for BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN & GREEN ARROW, DEAD MAN and a number of things at DC. Over at Marvel, he enjoyed the freedom of the Marvel style in which he essentially was allowed to draw whatever he wanted, making up whatever story he wanted, which Roy Thomas would write later. I can't figure out how in the hell anybody could write anything like that. I've read interviews with Alex Toth in which he's said that writers would come over to DC from Marvel, hand in a flimsy plot for the artist to draw and Mr. Toth would tell them to knock it off and write a script!
But Marvel style had to be great for the artist. Mr. Adams took X-MEN because it was Marvel's worst selling book at the time and slated for cancellation. He came in on the second half of a story in which the Living Pharaoh had kidnapped Scott Summers’ younger brother. Get this, the Pharaoh was supposed to take Alex to a fake Egyptian setting, probably somewhere in Jersey. Mr. Adams probably laughed in their faces and said, "Hey, I can draw Egypt, so the story can be in Egypt."
Anything the artist can draw can be in a comic. That's the superiority of comics as a medium. No budget, logic or laws of physics restrictions.
Great as the whole Living Pharaoh/Living Monolith tale was, it paled compared the Sentinel stories. When I read GIANT SIZE # 2, I'd never seen anything like that in comic. The art had realism and drama, feeling and motion. It almost came off the pages, like you were going to get your ass clocked by the Beast or burnt to crisp by Havok!
These stories have been reprinted both in a volume featuring the X-Men's greatest battles and X-MEN VISIONARIES: NEAL ADAMS, in addition to GIANT SIZE # 2. The funny thing about Neal Adams’ art is that it didn't have more influence at the time. Now, you see a lot more art that has the look and the depth ... it's just that the guys writing the full scripts aren't giving these Adamites anything interesting to do with the interesting looking characters that others have created.
In this issue, we have the new X-Men meeting in the Danger Room for a clandestine session. It looks great, like many a modern comic. The problem is that writer Joss Whedon gets the All New/All Different ones All Wrong. I have to wonder if he read the book at the time, or ever. It's a problem with reprints so easy to get. People know what these characters were like, ya know?
,BR>
Wolverine wouldn't have called the meeting. He was loner. You can go into the comic shop, pick up an ESSENTIAL and you'll see that. Nightcrawler wasn't afraid of Wolverine or much of anyone. He was a swashbuckler. Colossus may have had a crush on Ororo or viewed her as an older sister, but he would not have demeaned her abilities because of her gender. Even Claremont would not have had Ororo make an obvious feminist statement; she would have reacted with a more cutting, regal coldness. Sunfire wanted even less to do with these guys than Wolverine did. Thunderbird was secretly plagued by self doubt and was intimidated by Wolverine.
You have art by the master, which is now a widely imitated style so it's not as awe inspiring. And story by someone who should have done his homework.
6/16/06
Music "Ding, Dong The Witch Is Dead" by the Munchkins
Mood: Stoned
The rest of GIANT SIZE X-MEN # 3 features reprints from the Lee/Kirby days and just beyond. You'll see the mutants first meetings with the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. Always fun.
BIRDS OF PREY #83
Writer: Gail Simone
Penciller: Joe Bennett
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Now right here what I’m supposed to be doing is attempting to grab your attention. The opening paragraph of any written work, an essay, a book, or even a comic book review is supposed to be the time where I do some sort of build and hook you into reading the rest of whatever it is I’m doing. I could maybe joke around a bit and use humor, or I can tell some sort of humorous or poignant anecdote, or I can even lead in with some sort of significant quote to try and grab you where it counts. But instead right here I’m going to try something a little bit different with a bit of spontaneous and crazy mixed right in: I’m going to propose a question.
,br>
*Ahem*
Gail Simone, if you are reading this, will you marry me?
Now, I know this a little bit sudden and you have no clue who the hell I am, but hear me out. I’ve been told by many people other than my mother that I’m cute, I’m clean, I work out regularly, and I know and love good writing when I see it.
There. I said it. I want you for your brain.
…
Okay, let’s talk about the book now. Really, I’ll come out now and say I think this is not only the most consistently good mainline DC book out there, but it’s probably just straight up their best one. Over the past couple years, Ms. Simone (or should I say Mrs. Lee?) has made all the femme fatales of this title stand up on their own two feet (and no, that’s not a bad Barbara joke) and grow more than I thought was left for them to do. This current arc has been no exception. We see Black Canary as strong and physical as she has ever been as she has gone up against some exceptional martial artists, taking her skills to the limit. But we’ve also seen a soft side to her in her interactions with good friend and mentor Ted “Wildcat” Grant. Huntress on the other hand, while as determined and as hungry for respect as ever, has shown a more pleasant and jovial side while working with others. And Oracle? Barbara Gordon has shown more grit in these past few issues and arcs than most of the big, bad males in tights ever have.
The kicker of it all is that there’s a great story here too. The past few couple issues have seen each of the ladies, with their “sidekicks”, playing their parts in taking down different organized crime and drug sects in their own ways. Huntress has been preying on Mafiosos with the voracity and smugness you’d expect, Canary has done hers with grace and honor, and like always Barbara has pulled all the strings she can from their newly mobile HQ. This issue finally sets off all the work the ladies have done and we start to see the climax of a Barbara centered plot thread that has been running almost as long as Gail has been writing. We get a good bit of action, we get great character interaction, we get crosses and double-crosses, and we get a bit of a twist and a tie-in, and I’m not talking about the supposed OMAC tie-in hyped up on the cover. If there is anything negative I would say about this book, it is that nasty little stamp on the front of this book. Except for a little exposition on Ted Kord, and the glowing eyes of an undercover OMAC shown in a couple panels, there’s really not a bloody thing about OMAC to be had in this issue, which basically means that it was thrown on there to get some extra attention this month. And while that usually bothers me (and it does here to an extent) I really can’t argue with giving such a great title more attention, underhanded as it may be.
If that giant love-fest hasn’t convinced you that you should be buying this title, then there’s nothing more I can do here. I mean, come on. Look at all that time I just spent talking about how great it read and I didn’t even have time to get to how amazing the art is! Please, instead of buying your umpteenth INFINITE CRISIS or HOUSE OF M whatever, spend your hard earned cash on a book that is at the cusp of becoming one of the best long-term runs of a comic this decade.
Oh, and Gail… did I mention I can cook too?
DAREDEVIL #74
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Alex Maleev: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Sinner
More than any other title out there, we’ve given this book our every ounce of ire. The title character doesn’t live up to his name, the characters are all talk, and the whole thing feels like an excerpt from the eventual trade. And on top of that, Bendis seems content to treat his initial foray into the Marvel Universe as an experiment in Mamet-Lite. The thing is, much of the dislike several of us feel on whatever level comes from our longstanding expectations of what the Marvel name means. Putting the name of the book and publisher aside and focusing on the story itself, however, reveals a simple truth.
The current arc, “Decalogue,” is the best damn work of Brian Bendis’ career to date.
What started out as an apparent series of vignettes has turned into one hell of a story; this small group of Hell’s Kitchen denizens, meeting in a church basement to discuss Daredevil, are revealed to have connections not only to DD, but to each other as well. Then there’s the mystery man in the room who seems to know everything about Matt Murdock. Is he a new character, or an old foe in new clothes perhaps? All I know is, he bares a striking resemblance to artist Alex Maleev. (This isn’t exactly a unique ocurence. Bendis himself one showed up as Stilt-Man, and one of the other members of this little group looks a helluva lot like the Bendis Boarder known as Aalgar. You want to become a comic book character? Join the Bendis Board.)
What has really impressed me on this story is not only the strong character work, but the pacing as well. In just four issues, I feel I know these people better than I do Milla, Matt’s ex-wife. Part of what makes it work is that these are ordinary people. Bendis has been spending all of his time at Marvel trying to make its extraordinary populace into ordinary folks, with mixed results. What’s the point, really, of trying to make superheroes seem like they’re exactly like us when by their very nature they’re nothing at all like us? But by applying this mentality onto the average citizens under the protection of Daredevil, Bendis has hit storytelling gold.
The best part, though, the absolute best, has been the closing pages for each issue, especially the last two. It’s as if Bendis took every comment about him “writing for the Trade” so personally, he wrote this storyline as a big fuck you to all the bitchers. These are some of the best cliffhangers I’ve ever seen from Bendis. I actually feel sorry for all of you who have given up on monthlies, because I get the feeling this arc is actually going to be a weaker read when collected.
Bendis is by no means a perfect writer. But that doesn’t mean he can’t come up with a perfect story. “Decalogue” is the closest I’ve seen him come. Don’t wait on this one, go pick up every issue now. Right now.
DAY OF VENGEANCE #3
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Ron Wagner/Dexter Vines
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
Hmm…
If I didn't actually read that this issue was drawn by Ron Wagner, I would've sworn it was Tom Mandrake. What's up with that? Ron Wagner draws it, but nothing looks like it was drawn by Ron Wagner. Maybe it's the inker. I don't know. I will say I was kind of happy that it wasn't drawn by Justiniano this time. But I have a really shallow reason for that. I can't stand all these artists lately going by one name – Madonna and Prince style. Drives me crazy.
Anyway, this whole series has sort of confounded me. I kind of like it, but I don't think I'd go so far as to say it's really good. And that's not to say that it's bad. It's just kind of...there.
Bill Willingham has always written comics with a little quirky kind of style (I'm one of those who fondly remembers THE ELEMENTALS) and I wasn't sure how he would do taking on the mystical side of the DCU. And here's the thing, there's a lot of death, destruction, and apocalyptic overtones yet the tone of the series just seems lightweight to me – without coming off "goofy" like Simone's VILLAINS UNITED. And I think that's what I kind of like about it. In the face of such drearily serious and morose comics and mini-series all tying into the upcoming CRISIS, it makes this little series stand out a little bit.
I think I'll just thumb through this issue and just do a ramblin' sort of overview about a few assorted items in this comic. First off, I like that Capt. Marvel is brought in here. I was just a wee lad back when the DCU reintroduced the Fawcett characters into their publishing line. Then, in the wake of the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS the Marvel Family found itself not-so-special anymore flitting around on an Earth where Superman is the grand-daddy of all heroes, not to mention a slew of Green Lanterns who can do anything their minds could imagine and a Manhunter from Mars who had all of Superman's powers PLUS some. In that world, Capt. Marvel became redundant. So, ever since, all these fine writers have attempted to find a way to make Capt. Marvel relevant in the modern DCU – figure out why the character is NOT Superman. Yes, it's true that Cap is a young boy at heart, that's a distinction, but now that they've upped Billy's age to 15 or 16, it's not so true. Now it's Cap with a teenager's angst and confusion. That's not so interesting. How about the fact that he's got a whole "family" of similarly powered heroes? Sure, that was distinctive post-Crisis...at least until DC started introducing new versions of Superboy and Supergirl back into continuity. That made the whole Marvel Family once again somewhat redundant.
However, Jerry Ordway contributed one really interesting new wrinkle to Cap's mythology and it is this wrinkle that has finally germinated long enough that DC may have finally figured out how to make Cap relevant and less redundant. For 50 some odd years, Cap's powers have always been magical in nature but that very nature has rarely, if ever, been explored in the context of the entire mystical side of the DCU. What makes Cap unique in the DCU is that while Superman is the world's preeminent science-based Superhero, Cap is the world's preeminent magic-based Superhero – as opposed to a mystical hero casting spells and all that rot. And as we all know, even Superman is susceptible to magic. But what Ordway added is the concept that Cap shares his power with the others in the Marvel Family – that is, if Mary and Junior are both powered up then Cap loses about 2/3 of his power. Well, in DAY OF VENGEANCE, Willingham shows us that not only is the converse true, given the right conduit, Marvel can take on the combined power of all the magically-powered characters in the DCU. As a result, Cap can swell up with so much mystical empowerment that it’s actually possible for him to defeat an out-of-control angel of God like the Spectre.
This really does set Cap up as the most powerful (in potential) character in the entire DCU. He has none of the physical or mental limitations that a science-fiction-based character like Superman has to face. Cap's physical abilities are magical in nature and, therefore, are not bound by the physics of nature. Likewise, his mind is also magically endowed, which should make the only true limitation of his mind the fear of utter corruption – driven mad by limitless power.
All this is implicit in what occurs in DOV#3 as Cap takes on the Spectre while Enchantress channels mystical power Cap's way. It's the implications of what happens that make it interesting. The execution was not quite so grand, but it was not bad.
One notable bugaboo. I really hate what's happened to Blue Devil in the last few years. Even here, with the lighter tone, I was hoping to see a modicum of a return of BD's light-hearted stuntman personality from before the big demon-darkening thing that happened to him. Hasn't happened. I loved that silly old BLUE DEVIL comic and would love to see the return of that character. I just viscerally hate this newer Ragman character. Somebody make HIM one of those rags and shut him up.
To end on a high positive, I was quite amused by the scenes with Detective Chimp and Nightshade – especially the gag with the dog. Detective Chimp starts questioning a neighborhood dog and starts by asking the dog his name. The dog replies in this classic bit of dialogue: "The family I live with calls me Rover. But my real name is: I Proudly Urinate Everywhere Marking A Wide Expanse Of Territory."
Now that's some fine comics. Hee.
ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4
Written by Stan Lee
Art by Jack Kirby
Published by Marvel
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
I'm addicted to the Marvel Essentials. If I didn't review comics here, they'd probably be the only comics that I'd buy or read. Except for all the X-MEN and WOLVERINE volumes, I can't pass any of them up.
Just open your copy up to the splash page in the first story, FF # 64. We have the Thing holding up a monstrous piece of Kirbyan weird machinery, Sue in a pout and Reed both pontificating and asking Sue what's wrong. Sure, it'd be even more strangely beautiful in color but who the hell wants to wait for that?
Does it get any more Marvel than THE FANTASTIC FOUR or THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ? Sure, we all have our personal favorites, and a lot of our preferences are time-specific but if we're boiling Marvel comics down to their purest form, it's Spidey and the FF. That's what started it all. Creations by the three fathers of the Marvel Universe. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko creating Spider-Man (and in the rare instance, Stan getting lucky twice by having John Romita Sr. coming aboard after Ditko. Romita Sr. should be considered a creator of Spider-Man. He changed the book and the characters so much) and Stan and Jack Kirby on THE FANTASTIC FOUR.
I'll only talk about the FF here because that's what I'm reviewing (although the same would hold true for Spidey). Lee and Kirby's FANTASTIC FOUR had a cohesion, a consistency of vision that had been lacking in the comic book medium up until then. You had the same two guys making all of it up, writing and drawing every issue of their own creations. They were masters of everything: narrative, character, even humor.
When you read this volume, your mind will enter the Marvel Universe. The creative forces are so powerful here that if you have any sort of sensitivity (and I'm not talking the sissy kind that you have to pretend to have in order to get laid), a vague astral crossing will happen. I'm talking super string theory, silly string theory, all kinds of Reed Richards and Warren Ellis stuff. You have to be open to it, maybe environmental factors have to be right, but the work has that kind of power.
The people lucky enough to read these stories when they were first published met the Kree (Sentry, Supreme Intelligence and Ronan the Accuser) long before the rest of us. The Inhumans are often present and their babe Elemental becomes Johnny Human Torch's girlfriend as well as Sue's replacement in the FF. The Silver Surfer is a regular guest star. You'll also see a lot of Galactus, Psycho-Man and the Negative Zone. Toomazooma the Living Totem also makes his one and only appearance. Thankfully, this volume is light on such great but overused foes as Dr. Doom, the Sub-Mariner, the Mole Man and the Frightful Four.
Believe me, if you have the right sensibilities, at the very least you'll be pleased and be asking, "How did they do that?"
Of course, you'll also wonder at the unintentional humor of the Thing and the Torch waking up in the same bed in the second Kree story. Those were more innocent times...but since these aren't, you get to supply your own dialogue.
"Don't tell Crystal."
"She's gonna wonder why yer walkin' funny. But okay, as long as you don't tell Alicia."
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #66
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Penciller: Al Barrionuevo
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
This… This is how you do a tie-in horribly.
Admittedly, despite not being too enthralled with Jeph Loeb’s and Jim Lee’s HUSH arc in BATMAN almost a couple years ago now, Hush did become a somewhat intriguing character to me. Intriguing enough for me to start buying this title as it was becoming the place to be to see exactly where the fallout around Batman’s newest antagonist was going. And at first I was very glad I did. Hush was turning out to be as much a physical presence as he was a psychological one, which was good because I don’t think there’s enough Batman villains that can do both. Also, the inclusion of Prometheus to the mix to me was a stroke of genius, as that’s a villain that I thought always had so much potential, and seemed to just go away too soon after Morrison’s last use of him in JLA.
But then the book started to loose its steam. Somewhere in the midst of the fiasco that was WAR GAMES (one that has some positive effects, but mostly negative ones) and a plot twist involving a dispute over Hush’s true identity, and now a loooooooong drawing out in revelations over it, this title is starting to just unravel now. And here’s where my opening line comes into play.
On top of all those foils I just listed we now get to add in some big crossover plot threads too. In this issue we find Prometheus and Hush falling into the hands of the terrorist organization Kobra, and their new leader and Secret Society of Super-villains member, Talia Al Ghul. Okay, so one, I don’t even know when and where Talia officially became leader of Kobra. I believe according to the Previews solicits I read it was in BREACH, but I really have no clue. So that’s strike one. Strike two is that the bulk of the book settles around retelling Prometheus’ origin, because it appears the reason Talia is interested in him is the “Cosmic Key” that gives him access to some of his powers and also entry into an entire other dimension. Strike three is that at the end of the trip down memory lane with Prometheus, and Hush’s inevitable/lackluster escape, we find that the whole situation with the Cosmic Key will be resolved in, oh, roughly four months in JSA CLASSIFIED #5, which last I checked, really had nothing to do with BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS.
So there you go. Your VILLAINS UNITED! tie-in is basically the appearance of Talia and Kobra. There’s also a nice bit of continuity inconsistency as, during the capture or Prometheus, we see him and Deathstroke having a gruff exchange of words, when last I checked in VILLAINS UNITED #1 Prometheus was a willing volunteer to join the new Secret Society of Super-Villains anyway… So now I’m not even sure why they had to go through all that trouble to hunt him and capture him anyway when he’s a member of the team and…
Y’know what? This is all just confusing me and giving me a headache now. I think I’m just going to stop this review and end it all with saying that I hope that this randomness stops and that the book gets back on track to the potential it has. That’s really all you can hope for anymore.
NEIL GAIMAN’S NEVERWHERE #1
Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Glenn Fabry
Publisher: Vertigo/DC
Reviewer: Sleazy G
I should probably admit up front that at some point a few years ago I caved in to my inner geek and read Neil Gaiman’s novel “Neverwhere.” I found it a fairly enjoyable read at the time and found some of the characters to be pretty entertaining. The protagonist, Richard Somethingorother, came off as that clueless sort of British doofus getting his eyes opened to a whole new world that is so common in fiction in the UK. You know the guy—the one from the Douglas Adams novels (and, if memory serves, in Gaiman and Pratchett’s “Good Omens”). In film the same archetype turns up as the titular character in last year’s immensely entertaining geekfest SHAUN OF THE DEAD, among others. I tend to find that sort of character fairly likeable, though, and the idea of an alternate city existing right next to/below/around a major metropolis was a good one. It allowed fantasy characters to interact with the modern world without coming off to cornily, and I grew to really like a couple of the characters (the bad guys, naturally).
Naturally, when I heard Mike Carey was going to adapt the novel into comic form I was interested to see what it would turn out like, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it could really stand on its own. Then, a few months later, I wondered if I’d notice if it didn’t hold up, since it had been a few years since I’d read the novel. It turns out I had little to worry about on either account. The first issue does a strong job of introducing half a dozen characters and letting us get the gist of who and what they are in fairly short order, and all of it is pretty much as I remembered it. First we meet Door, an oddly-garbed woman, fleeing for her life through the sewers beneath modern-day London. In pursuit are the petite Mr. Croup and the hulking Mr. Vandemar, the types of characters that make you wonder which one is scarier: the big, violent guy or the little creepy one. A wounded Door ends up teleporting herself out onto the street in front of an alley, where she’s stumbled across by the clueless Richard Whatsisname and his harpy of a fiancée Jessica. For reasons he can’t really explain, Richard feels compelled to blow off the supposed love of his life and instead help the injured stranger, sucking him into a strange world he’s not really prepared for. The issue then ends on a beautiful one-panel splash-page cliffhanger.
The issue moves along at a nice clip, letting each scene linger just long enough for you to start to learn about the characters and situation and then moving along to the next thing. It’s impressively paced, giving you everything you need to know but never dawdling. The way Carey introduces everybody and moves the action along is all the more impressive considering how hard it is to boil down a novel’s worth of information into a few issues of a comic. Glenn Fabry’s role in pulling this feat off is particularly crucial, and he really comes through on this one. The descriptive passages that would take entire paragraphs or pages in Gaiman’s novel are condensed wonderfully by Fabry into the panels of this issue. His work is deceptively simple and clean looking. A quick second look, however, reveals a great deal of detail about the inner workings of the characters. From the clothing and hairstyles of each character to the stupid little troll dolls and stuffed animals Richard has to inflict upon himself around his desktop photo of Jessica, it’s all right there and does a great job of filling in everybody’s backstory. Some of the credit should also go to colorists Tanya and Richard Horie as well. In the past I’ve seen Fabry’s work colored in very muted palettes, and while it looked good there was something lacking. In this issue the colors pop off the page and serve to highlight some of those important details that might otherwise be overlooked, and the end result is impressive.
Going into this issue I had a few minor concerns, but they were quickly put to rest. Mike Carey and Glenn Fabry are off to a strong start here. The series looks to be funny, thrilling, a bit ugly and dangerous…and with a handy little parable about the way we live our lives hidden in the center. NEVERWHERE looks to be an entertaining read, and anybody who’s a fan of Gaiman’s work would be missing out if they overlooked the series.
THE MIDDLEMAN #1
Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Artist: Les McClaine
Publisher: Viper Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
Due to be in the comic stores in July, THE MIDDLEMAN is a quirky little jaunt through MEN IN BLACK-type territory in glorious indie black and white. And I don't mean over-done computer shading, but strong cartooning enhanced by good old-fashioned zip-a-tone shading.
This 4-issue mini-series is written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, who has earned a name for himself as one of the writers/supervising producers of the hit ABC-TV drama, LOST. Well, his offbeat sense of humor takes the front seat in the first issue of THE MIDDLEMAN. Check out this gem of an interchange that made me laugh:
MIDDLEMAN: "Ma'am, specificity is the soul of all good communication."
WENDY: "Yes. DUH!"
The first issue is all set-up, introducing the main character, Wendy Watson, who is a secretary temp. She's not the Middleman though. That character appears, but is not the emphasis of the first issue -- Wendy is. The story opens with Wendy temping as a secretary for A.N.D. Laboratories, where their slogan is "Rescrambling Your DNA." Anyway, while she's fielding calls at the desk, we readers witness a horrible experiment go bad on the other side of the big glass wall behind Wendy -- who's oblivious. At the point where the incident going on behind her bursts through the glass and puts Wendy face-to-face with a mutated blobby monster puking nuclear-irradiated vomit, the Middleman shows up on the scene, destroys the nuclear vomit-monster with a super-tazer, and then tells Wendy not to tell anyone what she saw or he'll have to come back and kill her. Middleman disappears from the scene, but not before mumbling something about how well Wendy reacts under pressure.
Well, the story goes on as Wendy goes home, gets another temp call, goes to check out her new assignment and winds up undergoing bizarre testing that ultimately reveals that the Middleman is behind the "new job." Whatever double-secret organization he works for is now recruiting Wendy to join them in their hidden battle against monsters and who-knows-what. End of issue 1.
Maybe it's the fact that Javi's prior writing experience is television-based, but this comic is dialogue-heavy. And the dialogue's clever and snappy. He also sets Wendy up as something of a schlub at first, with her Marcy from PEANUTS look, enduring a depressing parade of endless temp jobs. But he gives her that dialogue spark that shows that she's got more going for her than people would think at first. She sinks to the occasion when it comes to the thankless job of temporary phone-answerer, but put her into an unexpected set of circumstances such as a lab explosion and a nuclear vomit-monster and she rises immediately to the occasion. Rather than run away, she goes after a knife to try and take the monster out. Then later, when she heads home, her roommate's playing one of those video games where you take the plastic gun and shoot zombies. Wendy takes the gun and promptly clears the screen of zombies. Foreshadowing? Yeah.
Now, if you are the type who only wants to read continuity-laden garishly colored super-heroes bopping around the world or if you're the type who only likes to read those bug-eyed spikey-haired manga characters, then I don't know if you're gonna dig THE MIDDLEMAN. However, if you're one of those who appreciated the offbeat humor of BUFFY, the absurdist bureaucratic satire of MEN IN BLACK, and thoroughly enjoy the entire spectrum of the comicbook medium, then you may want to give THE MIDDLEMAN a try. Especially if you like to search out and support independent publishers who offer more than just the same-old same-old.
THE MIDDLEMAN is a fun little summer diversion. The publisher, Viper Comics, has an online trailer you can check out. Also, they already have a preview up for issue #2 if you can't wait to see what happens after you finish your copy of MIDDLEMAN #1.
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
EX MACHINA #12
A years’ worth of issues and I’ll say this book still continues to be one of the best on the stands. It’s really hard to keep thinking of things to say about something that stays so consistently good, so I’ll just keep it short here for now. This issue is all about progression. We get some more insight into the mindset of our protagonist, Mitchell Hundred, and some more glimpses of his career as “The Great Machine.” We see a bunch of new plot threads pop up as we see Mayor Hundred plotting to use Jury Duty selection as a political tool… and I know how boring that sounds, but like everything along that line of reasoning in this series, it’s all well written and never comes off as boring. And we also get a smattering of new characters, some old friends, and the introduction of a new villain… or is that hero? With all the complaining currently about how it almost feels like you’ve gotten nothing out of the comic you just read, this book is proving that to be nothing but hearsay. Every issue feels like it’s moving towards something bigger and better, even if the subject matter may seem “trite.” One thing that has to be said, though, is that with this arc this book is definitely starting to become more inaccessible to new readers. The story and characters are becoming too solid and I really don’t foresee it letting up anytime soon for some “jumping on” points. – Humphrey
EMO BOY #1
Emo gets a bad rap, in large part because so much of it stinks on ice (my half-hearted apologies to those of you in the gang who are emo kids…you know who you are, and SO DO I…dun-dun-DUN!). So when I heard SLG was publishing a comic designed to mock emo kids (read: a large segment of SLG’s audience) I was intrigued. Emo is a topic ripe with the potential for satire, for poking fun at oneself, for belly laughs, and maybe…just maybe…the potential to teach us all something about each other. Unfortunately, this issue is mostly miss with very little hit. The emo monologues, which read like extended sets of song lyrics framing boring sketches of a high-school schmuck, never really click. They’re not amusing, insightful or over-the-top enough to elicit more than a smirk. They do a good job of sounding like a 10th-grade chick’s bad poetry journal, but never really move beyond that or provide us with any insightful humor. The brief stories are meandering and pointless and lack a punch line. The problemisn’t so much that I “didn’t get it” as it is that I was hoping there’d be more to “get.” Just mentioning Tom Selleck’s name doesn’t make something funny, and yet that’s the closest to a laugh I came. It’s not mean-spirited enough, or sweetly “just joshin’” enough, or directed enough, to ever really click, and there’s a disappointing lack of depth. If you were interested in it, flip through it and see what you think. Hell, buy the thing—it’s not like Marvel needs your three bucks, and you might like it. I guess I just found myself wanting to like it a lot more than I did. - Sleazy
CABLE & DEADPOOL VOL. 2: THE BURNT OFFERING
After the first few issues this book dropped off my radar. Shame, really, because this TPB is insane. Sure, much of the Cable bits are rather ponderous, but he does have a sweet brawl with the Silver Surfer of all people. And there is an appearance of the all new Sixpack featuring Solo, Todd Mac's contribution to the big guns/big tits/teeny head crowd. And then there's Deadpool, who gets to wake up in unfamiliar surroundings wearing an X-Men uniform, have his head run over by a truck, and make fun of the more clichéd death scenes from Avengers Disassembled. (I think Fabian Nicieza is a little bitter. Then again, so am I. HAWKEYE LIVES, MOTHERFUCKER!) All in all, not a bad book to kick back with on a rainy day. - Vroom
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I dated him. Didn't work out.
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Deadpool = one of the coolest and most underated characters put to ink. And anyone who still thinks Whedon should be handling X-men (movie included)...shame on you.
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Loved the Xerox bit. Probably because I haven't read any of the books reviewed this week, and still haven't read my stack of comics from last week, but this column was a bit like Batman Begins for me: it started out interesting, but by the end I was pretty bored,
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It's always struck me as odd that the title never got more recognition than it did.
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Jun 22, 2005 9:27:14 AM CDT
DD is a good, solid read. Nice to see a review that doesn't
by heywood jablowme
There have been a few dull patches during his tenure, but he treats the characters with a degree of respect that he deserves. It's always on my pull list.
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Jun 22, 2005 9:52:49 AM CDT
Batman Begins review...by the author of Flowers for Algernon
by trentwalker
That review of the Batman Begins movie adaptation might possibly be the most feckless, useless, and asinine post I have ever seen on here, comics or otherwise. And that is saying something. Way to let a mouth breathing drooler to hack away at the keyboard.
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took the words right out of my mouth.
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House of M #2, and New Avengers #6 are probably reviewed. Because Bendis usually only gets bashed every other week. Speaking of which, this roller coaster of pure dread and then praise is stretching my faith on any Bendis review. The DD Decalogue covers are great too. Can't wait to go to my shop and pick up Girls #2, Hellboy: The Island, and see if HoM actually pulls it out. Hope that series doesn't permanately fuck up the universe.
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Just so y'all don't think that "Flowers for Algernon" reference was a complete non-sequiter, it was made into the movie "Charly" in 1968, starring Cliff Robertson (who would later go on to play Uncle Ben in the Spiderman movies)
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Jun 22, 2005 10:52:47 AM CDT
I already am looking forward to the next Essential Fantastic Fou
by mrfan
Hopefully, it will wrap up the rest of the Lee/Kirby run. That was the best 102 issues of comics ever.
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The reason I'm consistently underwhelmed with Ex Machina is that it takes its superhero side very seriously, but takes treats the political side like a cartoon. Last arc he oversaw a gay marriage, this arc he serves jury duty? Are we to believe that the Mayor of New York does nothing but jump from one silly political stunt to another? And don't get me started on that scene from the morning of 9/11, that scene was Austin bad. And if that wasn't enough, they always try to tie it into his own morality like he's some amazing guy because he won't skip jury duty. WARNING: WEST WING COMPARISON AHEAD. Vaughn shouldn't be paralyzed in fear of writing a boring book because it doesn't have to be boring. West Wing was never boring, but managed to avoid detailing political stunts week after week. I enjoy the whimsical and the unbelievable, thats why I read a book about an ex-superhero mayor. But could we at least bring the political element to and adult/realistic level I can believe? And I couldn't disagree more about the "solid" characters. Other than hundred himself, they all seem rather one dimensional to me, especially his staff. Compare them to any single character on the West Wing. Anyway, despite these criticisms, Ex Machina is consistently one of the top 10 books every month, and I'm in for the long ride.
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The only thing worse than over-obvious pretenious emo kids are kids who are emo making fun of other "emo kids" for being emo. Make sense? It's old and boring. For example: The only people you will find wearing those stupid "Cheer up Emo Kid!" buttons are people who are emo but don't think so. But then again I'm probably emo too...shit. Now Emo Girls on the other hand...like a moth to a flame, I can't fuckin resist.
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Some comics came out and stuff too! Nice to see some Decalogue love, it's bloody good.
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I thought that came out today! Did you get an advanced copy, or was the Diamond Shipping list wrong?
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Ragman was created in the '70s by Bob Kanigher and Joe Kubert in a fantastic series that died prematurely in the DC Implosion. This is the first faithful use of the character since.
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Glad I'm no the only one who remembers that excellent series, but I have to correct you there, Duke. In the original Ragman series, Rags was just a guy in a tattered suit fighting crime. He was powerless and his foes were just street level thugs. It wasn't until the character was relaunched in a miniseries in the late eighties and early nineties that the character was given supernatural powers. I guess they did it to distinguish him from Batman and make him more like Ghost Rider or Cloak. And yes, Rev, Neverwhere comes out today, but every now and then we cover stuff in advance. Sometimes we're sneaky that way. As for the difference in attitude towards Bendis in our column, it simply is attributed to the fact that we are a team of reviewers, all with different voices and viewpoints. We rarely agree on anything and guess what, we still show respect to each other despite those conflicting viewpoints. It's how we all get along and can still have fun talking about the medium we all love. There is no singular stand on Bendis on this site. I'm not a fan of his work, but I don't attack him in my reviews. I just criticize his writing...because...well...that's what I do as a comic book reviewer.
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Billy Baston is still a kid 10-12
Ragaman had an excelent mini-from the 1980's/90's? Well done, This is the Ragman that the series is based on. The orginal Ragman had no powers -
I know everyone has their own opinions, that's cool. But it just feels like it's either Bendis is Speilberg or Uwe Boll every other week. Maybe you guy's should have a recap page like in the 'ol funny books that gives your likes and dislikes in the industry currently, because I find it hard to follow who likes what. That's my positive suggestion for now (I've had too many bad things to say of that X-Men 3 "moobie" in pre-production) and I'm surprised your mascot didn't mention anything about "Carla Gugino's pooper" this time, because he was so enthralled with it before. ANYway, good day folks.
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I agree it may be hard to distinguish one @-hole from another. It's hard enough to keep up on comic book continuity, let alone comic book reviewer continuity, but I think Vroom did a pretty good job of recapping both his own and the group's past criticisms of Bendis in his DD reveiw, as well as touching on his past feelings about Bendis' run on DD, then moving on to support it specifically by focusing on the specific issue. It is a good idea to have a link or something pointing the reader to each reviewer's current likes and dislikes. My problem with that is that I could dislike a title one month, then be impressed with something about the same title the next. That's the difference between those who casually read comics as a hobby and those who have taken on the ominous task of reviewing them critically. We're forced to sometimes point out weaknesses in the book, even though we may like the title. Same thing with books we don't normally like. I've pointed out Bendis' outstanding gift for dialog numerous times in my reivews, but I don't necessarily like his DD run. On the other hand, I'm not so adverse to Bendis' NEW AVENGERS run, at least the first few issues. Sometimes it isn't as simple as what we like and what we don't like. It's not so cut and dry. And I can't speak for Schleppy, but the little guy is a monkey with a limited vocabulary. I'm sure he's forgotten all about Carla Gugino's behind. Just like he's probably has long forgotten his fixation with the ninja with the "mytic power of sheets" in ELEKTRA. He's got a bit of an attention deficit problem.
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The reviewers were quite positive this go-round! For example, I thought Giant Size X-Men was just crap, sorry I wasted my money on it. Day of Vengeance was whatever, the kind of book I enjoy but isn't really worth $3. And I don't think the Marvel family works outside of the Giffen-style JLA. Mary Marvel in I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League, she gets an A. Captain Marvel and Spectre in DoV deserve a D for "dull" but I'll give them a C for being mediocre. And as a person who also enjoys novels, I must admit that I have not enjoyed Gaiman's books, and a graphic novel of one of his books, but written by a more boring version of NG, does not appeal even if Fabry is on the art. Birds of Prey is still going strong, I agree! Writing, art, characters, plot, action, it's an all-around winner.
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Also features a shot of a large and well-muscled lady's bottom on almost every page. Which is nice for a dirty pervert like me AND I can excuse it by saying it's written by a lady! Yay! Best comic ever!!
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Jun 22, 2005 2:14:02 PM CDT
Solo? He's not even as cool as Maverick and Maverick sucks
by big bad clone
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On the G4 tv show Attack of the SHow this Friday. Adam West is reviewing the Batman Begins movie. I remember reading once on this site that West has never ever even watched a Batman movie before. This should be interesting. West is such a weirdo. I am sure he will like it, but he'll probably insult a bunch of things too. I found the link here: http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/episodes/4214/Aaron_Augenblick_Adam_West_Rodi.html
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Emo girls are hot.
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When I started reading comics again, it was as a hobby, now it's like a way of life. Good point about books being consistent from month to month, a lot can't do that. I think The Walking Dead is the only absolutely safe bet every month, many others come close, but not like that one. What title do you and others think is the most consistent? As far as Daredevil, I think that's the Bendis book that confuses me the most. It seems that people love or hate it (besides just here). I haven't read a lot of his Daredevil yet, but have kept up with all of the Secret War, The Pulse, and New Avengers (and I'm beginning to have even my patience tried with those). So, in no way do I think Bendis is "the comic god" as many people have given him the power to think, I was just commenting. Thanks for the reply and next time you see Schleppy, ask him about Gugino's pooper, something tells me he might remeber that, after all - when was the last time that Mentos commercial was on? But don't ever try to remind him of anything to do with the Elektra movie, I'm against animal cruelty.
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Jun 22, 2005 3:29:42 PM CDT
Good call on the consistency of quality in WALKING DEAD, Heathen
by ambush bug
That's at the top of my list every month. Same for THE GOON which never fails to entertain. I'm usually pleased with SUPREME POWER, JSA, and FLASH too. And Burlyman's SHAOLIN COWBOY and DOC FRANKENSTEIN (soon to be reviewed next week by yours truly) are the cream of the crop. But even those series have had issues or details where, while I recognized it for it continuing goodness, I still can point out some flaws here and there. WALKING DEAD, for example, has such a large cast that I often get lost in the shuffle of the story. It makes me lose interest in the lesser characters. That still doesn't keep me from enjoying the hell out of it every month. And next time that stinky monkey comes around, I'll make sure to ask him about Carla's pooper.
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Yes, I know a lot of people think he's added to the "mood" of the book but I can't stand the style. His character's faces are almost imcomprehensible from one another. Maybe the reason you get lost with all the characters, Bug, is because the artist has a hard time drawing distinctive characteristics. I really, really loved the first artist's style. Very tight work yet with a very slight cartoony edge. His work was fantastic and added realism to the book. The "new" guy is just sloppy. It just makes me sad that such good writing is brought down a bit by lackluster art. Still, I keep reading it. If there's ever a case for writing carrying a book, Walking Dead is it. Although, I have to say...the prison storyline is treading water a bit.
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Honestly, I wasn't even aware that they'd switched artists until I read it in the lettercolumn.
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me too, I didn't notice the change. When I found out I was like "Oh. I thought it looked a bit 'looser' than normal" I could maybe see how that would bother people tho.
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The problem with covering Bendis' work is that even if a reviewer is positive about it, unless he or she can give it a whole hearted ringing endorsement, Bendis' legion of fans are going to say that the reviewer hated the book or, more stupidly, hates Bendis. In January, I gave five overall positive nods to Bendis books here but because I mentioned some of the flaws (and, brother, I purposely DIDN'T mention all of the flaws) you'd have thought I was egging Bendis' house and ruining his credit rating. George Lucas was wrong. Siths aren't the only one who see things in absolutes (but then George knows more about fanboys than I'd be able to stand knowing). Giving Bendis a mixed or negative review isn't bashing him. We didn't all hate HOUSE O' M, although none of us particuarily liked it. Bendis books are off my list because I find so many insufferable. Vroom Socko loved this issue but if I had to read a comic about people sitting in a church basement talking about Daredevil, I'd refuse just to see what would happen. I mean, I heard about the Will Eisner SPIRIT story that "Decalog" was ripped fr--, excuse me, is a homage of. We don't have too many group policies. Just be honest. In fact, most of the contributors to the HOUSE O' M roundtable were very disappointed that none of us could give it a solid endorsement because that would have made for a far more interesting column. There's nothing worse than a bunch of people agreeing with each other.
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I think that Birds of Prey (obviously) Y:The Last Man and the Walking Dead are consistently good reads. I also think that of all the Ultimate lines, Ultimate FF has been consistently surprising, fun and true to the spirit of the original. Ex Machina has been consistently so much better than 90% of comics out there but there were a couple of ropey issues a couple months back that although still better than most of the dross produced every week, were a bit of a let down from the usual sky-high standard. And I have been consistent in re-typing the goddamn word "consistent" after a couple of litres of cheap cider. 7.5% my friends!
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This week's Powers had almost no dialogue at all. I thought maybe all the speech bubbles had been scatched out or fallen off
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... came out last week. Is there a lag on the reviews here?
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i noticed the lack of dialogue too but even tho not a lot was said it felt like a lot went on.i went back and reread it and i gotta say i liked the issue. im not really reading any monthlies anymore but i picked up new warriors on the holes recomendation(i cant remember who specifically,sorry guys)and really dug the hell out of it. i was bummed when i read that its only a six issue mini so ill probably wait for trade. consistentcy: walking dead as was mentioned above is good. i also love 100 bullets every time i read it and the conan book from dark horse is also always pretty good. i dont know like i said im getting further away from onthlies and just getting my comic fix via trades every few months. the good thing is i get to catch up on things like fables and ex machina which i didnt get the first time around but now dig the hell out of. i wonder if its a sign of our ever more busy lives that the teade format is preferable or if its a sign of the decrease in the auility of the monthlies.
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i meant "getting further away from MONTHLIES"..."the TRADE format" and "QUALITY of the monthlies"
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Allegedly it's because the cough-critics-cough need time to properly absorb the material in order to write a thorough and insightful review. Ergo, "Schleppy the Monkey", "Bendis sucks", and sage prose such as "Hawkeye lives motherfuckers!". I will give respect to the Prof. and Humphrey Lee, especially on the Gotham Knights book and its total lack of direction. But, that's kind of the way things are around here Ribs. Sometimes you have to work through a few rough patches to get to the good stuff. Kind of like Bendis I suppose. Looking forward to the raping of House o' M #2 and New Avengers next week boys.
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Cheap-ass Green Arrow knock-off.
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hawkeye and green arrow were robin hood rip offs...or david bowe...wow maybe one shot too many i've had.
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It's because we have to wait for the new comics to arrive Weds., then fit time into our real lives to buy them, read them, and review them. This isn't a paying gig and we don't each get a stack of 20 or 30 free comics a week. We pay outta pocket and do what we can. I, for one, have a work schedule such that I can't even buy my books until Sunday, much less read and review 'em. We're just regular folks talking about something we're passionate about.
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Jun 23, 2005 12:10:01 AM CDT
I hear you Sleazy. What tends to stick in my craw is...
by heywood jablowme
I would like to see serious reviews of the material on a consistent basis. I love comics. Gives me something to smile about on Wednesdays, along with $2 imports at the local pub. I like to hold reviews to a higher standard and not to the lowest common denomenator. Some, no, most are good (like Humphrey's above). But some are downright brutal and lose credibility, as you see with posters who accuse consistent bias. My favorite critics are the ones at The Onion A/V section. They look at the material with a critical eye, even when it's White Chicks or something. I know this is your sandbox, but I would just like to see the bar raised, that's all.
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I claimed Gail Simone first. Man, this girl can write better than just about anyone in comics. Thanks for giving her some good attention. I pray for the day she graces the title of Nightwing with her presence.
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Has anyone noticed that Batman begins trend? The one with the uber fanboy sneaking his negative review of the movie in places where it really doesn't belong, just so he can show everyone that he's above us mere mortals and doesn't like what most people seem to be liking a whole lot? It goes something like "I was rading my comic stack today in the crapper where i was taking a very crappy crap (much like Batman begins) and i thought the new Ex machina issue had some good spots (unlike Batman begins, which sucks all the way through) but it wasn't really what i expected and thus ended up being quite dissapointing". And reading a good review of Daredevil (who saw that one coming?!) was a nice change of pace. One of the @$$holes said in an earlier column that consistently "great" comics were a hard review because they made for crappy reading. Obviously it applies to "bad" comics as well, but i guess those are a lot more fun to write, even if they're repetitive to read.
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stop picking on schleppy. and what is EMO? i keep thinking ELMO from Sesame street.
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Marvel sucks. I've pretty much given up on comic books. X-men is all bad with the exception of Astonising, and Marvel seems to gave all but abondoned continuity, especially with Wolverine. I mean, in the last Spiderman issue tying in with the villains breakout and New Avengers, Wolverine snikts spider-man, a move the charachter has grown out of 15 fucking years ago. Even better, Spider-Man, who could kick the shit out of Wolverine faints like the Invisible Woman back in the 60's, and all the Avengers do is say "whoa, blood loss, he fainted." Next thing you know he's back at the apartment with an ace bandage. HUH!?!??!
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Okay, even I know that's true. I gotta grab the FF essentials with the Silver Surfer's first appearance. I actually just found a Galactus origin comic by Lee & Kirby from the 80s...pretty cool stuff.
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And Joe Quesada is the Emperor to his Vader too. I mainly read Marvel growing up and now almost all of their titles are such a mess. And even the ones that aren't seem to be in another continuity ie. Astonishing, Wolverine, Runaways, Captain America to name a few (and I don't like the half-ass news updates "explaining" through Bishops glasses or Storms narration either). So I guess I'm hoping and expecting more from Marvel right now. I want them to be open to "ideas" (cause that's what there the house of apparently) and take some constructive criticism. Joe Q. seems like such an ass when he doesn't care what we, the buyers think as long as we buy. I think DC is handing it to them right now through organization alone. They got somone who is pretty much consistent most of the time to structure their big event(s) and I think it's working out so far. It's still early in the HoM event, so I'll hold out, but not too much longer. I also want to like HoM more, but like Dan Didio said, "Why settle for a house when you could have a universe?"
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my bad
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Continuity is nice and all, but at some point it crosses a line into shameless cross promotion (see DC countdown to infinite sales pitch). I don't mind picking up a few JLA issues between Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, but I really don't want to have to pick up every flash/robin/birdsofprey comic that happens to briefly crossover with the main story. Speaking of Birds of Prey (the "consistently" good comic) I still haven't picked up an issue since the one where a woman in fishnet stockings questions the father about his teenage daughters recent murder. It was possibly the dumbest thing I've ever seen in this medium, and I seriously doubt the title has pulled itself up much since then.
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I really don't get it when you throw out words like "hate" and "gang rape" as if Bendis and his work are some kind of victims here. It's really is kind of an unhealthy fixation at work here and sometimes it concerns me at how fans of Bendis often see someone criticizing the work of Bendis and automatically rush to his defense like he were their precious thing to defend fwom da big bad buwwies. In our HOUSE OF M column, we didn't "beat up" the book, we looked at it critically, and even the most devout Bendis fan in our group admitted that it was a flawed book. Like Buzz said earlier, we WANTED someone to look at the book positively for a livelier debate, but out of the ten of us, not one reviewer could do that. There's something to that. 10 out of 10 @$$holes agreed really for the first time in...well...ever. The thing I notice is that while the @$$holes have focused on the material, the fans NEVER EVER respond with a counter criticism . All they say is that we are attacking Bendis and that we are simply wrong with nary a whif of anything to back up those statements. So Schwab, I guess, what I'm doing here is challenging you. Tell me why HOUSE OF M, DD, or any other Bendis book is so great. Give me some examples. Or better yet, give me some counter arguments to the criticisms that his DD never focuses on the main character and overuses the use of "telling the story through another's eye's" motif, that it's too wordy, that action is avoided at all costs, and that it is paced in such a way that one could pick up the first and last issue of any specific arc and still not miss much of anything as far as plot advancement. You see that, I focused on the comic. Not you. Not Bendis. The material. Give it a try.
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I've stated this numeorus times, but it is always the argument used by the Bendii because Bendis himself tries to throw this mantra out. "If you don't like it, why the hell are you buying it?!?" Well, that works for people who don't go out and buy comics every week, read them, sigh, and then move on with your life. No true here where it's our job to review comics. Like it or not, Bendis is the biggest name in comics right now. A reviewer can't avoid talking about his stuff simply because it is promoted and hyped everywhere. He's treated like a rock star at Marvel and with HOUSE OF M and AVENGERS, he's been given the biggest icons in the stable to work with. Because his work is so popular, we have a duty to cover his work. Sometimes it is a fan like Vroom. Sometimes it is an occasional reader like Buzz. And sometimes it is me, who while I don't hate the work of Bendis or the writer himself, I can recognize the flaws and often point them out in the reviews. Then again, I also point out the strong points, but it seems that they rarely are seen through the blindered eyes of Bendis' fans. Secondly, I have every issue of DAREDEVIL. Every issue since he was introduced in the sixties. I'll be damned if a blip in the radar is going to stop me from buying a comic I've been buying for almost twenty years. And believe me, there are times I WANT to like a Bendis DD. I love the character of DD and when Bendis gets it right I'll say it, like I did in my DD 50 review. It is funny, though, that you call me and my fellow reviewers unfair reviewers simply becuase we do not agree with you. Really. Take a few seconds and process that. It is a comic book. TO go on a personal attack against a reviewer(reviewers) becuase of a comic book you dig but had no part in creating is kind of sick and sad if you take a few steps back to look at it. Hell, with the comments we often receive here, you'd think DD was written by a hundred people.
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Well, I read the latest New Avengers last night, and it was the first time I thought maybe I should drop this book. I know it's all about more realistic, 21st century thinking, but the whole conversation between Cap and Iron Man about needing to have Wolverine on the team so that he can kill people and the others can keep their hands clean really turned me off. I am no huge Cap fan, but I thought it was a disrespectful portrayal of his character. I was fine with Ultimate Cap's attitude, but this isn't him, this is the "real" Marvel Universe CA, and I think he was treated very poorly. And, while I love the art and love Jessica Drew, she seems to have also had a personality transplant, and I think I liked her better before. But I'll take what I can get. However, I really don't like Bendis' Cap or Wolverine characterizations. He's good on Iron Man, though.
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wolverine become the most powerful mutant in marvel u? spidey would whoops his ass easy...hell aunt may would whoop his ass.
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Thanks for proving my point.
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Jun 23, 2005 12:49:57 PM CDT
"I'll be damned if a blip in the radar is going to stop me f
by the heathen
That's is my biggest problem Bug. I've done it before. Went cold turkey for almost ten years and then felt left out when I dove back in. --- Wolverine done buy Bendis is absolutely horrible. He's some drunk goof ball all the time who gets mad and fucks things up. That's the biggest foul Bendis has commited in my book. Sure, Wolvie likes boos, but he's cool about it. Like he was in Wolverine #28 where he was talking to Northstar. That's the Wolverine I like, not the dopey idiot drunk as portrayed in Pulse and Secret War. Like Homer said, I thnk he has a alright take on Iron Man. Haven't read New Avengers #6 yet, I'm making a trip after work to pick up my file. I can imagine how hard it is to get these reviews done in the @$$holes spare time. I live 30 miles away from my shop and work 60 miles away from it. Harry or somebody should through you guys a bone. I picked up Walking Dead, Elk's Run, Atheist, and Runaways based on reviews I've read here. Somebody should pony up and give you guys at least free issues to review.
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Everyone at the round table said the scene with Quicksilver and Magneto was cool, so I don't think it's a personal vendetta against Bendis. A lot of people (like myself) realize he has great potential, and he does have all the power now, we just want that whole "with great power comes great responsibility" thing to stick with him.
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Sorry Ambush Bug, but he's right. Maybe not about DD (I don't know, don't read), but don't pretend talkbackers aren't putting forward legimate criticisms of your reviews every week (or counter-reviews of the comics you review, however you want to put it) simply because you don't agree. The house of M review was awful because you used an entire column to criticize a setup issue for (largely) being a setup issue. Thats not me defending Bendis because I like him (I really really don't like him). Nor am I taking you to task because I don't like you, it just wasn't a very good column that week. When you spend an entire column criticism a setup issue, I'm amazed that you don't understand why people assume its some kind of grudge. I don't think you have a Bendis grudge, but there is a strong case to be made that you do.
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Jun 23, 2005 1:06:57 PM CDT
Irwin, you nailed it. Objectivity left the building after Aveng
by heywood jablowme
Secret War is totally screwed on nearly every level. However, I can put that aside and look at House of M on its own merits. The way I see it is House of M was going to be burned to the ground before the first iss hit the stands. Allegedly, none of the @ssholes liked the first issue because of the chatter and whole pages with one dialogue bubble. The first issue is the set-up. Introduction and exposition for those who came in late. I too tend to eye-roll when I turn the page to see an entire page with five words on it, but I'd like to think the pencillers and inkers don't complain much as it lets the artwork speak for the story. The second iss segways right into this new Marvel U that Scarlet Witch has created. Personally, I can't wait to see where this is going, which is what writers want. Don't let a writer's past automatically condemn his future. The Dark Knight Strikes Again was flawed, but I'm not giving up on Frank when All-Stars comes out next month. That's going to rule and you know it.
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as far as the point of House of M #1. Respect to you.
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"Allegedly, none of the @ssholes liked the first issue because of the chatter and whole pages with one dialogue bubble." That's kind of a gross oversimplication of what we had to say about the issue. Try reading the column if you're going to try to sum up what we had to think about HOUSE OF M. Our criticism had nothing to do with the use of "whole pages with one dialog bubble." We went into a bit more detail than that. http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20411
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Exhibit A from the Roundtable:"Whose fault is that? Let's see. The writer. Somebody who could have directed the efforts of the writer. A lot of somebodies who would praise 22 blank pages punctuated only by word balloons full of the A-B-Cs as long as it bore the name of the writer." Exhibit B:"The problem is, this 22 page comic is really little more than a 10 page prologue to an original graphic novel in disguise. What happens here? The characters sit around a table talking about the Scarlet Witch" Exhibit C: "I really wanted to go into this thing fresh. I wanted to look at this thing with a fair and unbiased set of peepers, disregarding my dislike for his past work. I repeated to myself before cracking open the cover, "This is not a Bendis book, it's a Marvel event book" Exhibit D:"What really irks me about the whole "sitting around and talking" bit is that much of it is not only pointless, but ridiculous. Everyone is talking about having to kill Scarlet Witch in order to stop her, but nobody poses the one question that would solve everything in an instant" I'll stop there as it gets redundant.
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I believe this was addressed in the column itself, but I'll reiterate. The purpose of the Roundtable is to have every @$$hole focus on a single issue and express their opinion. Being who we are, we rarely agree on anything. This sometimes results in a good discussion (sometimes not) and can be continued into the TBs. In the column, we addressed the "set-up" issue excuse stating that if Marvel produces a product, it should be subject to criticism, whether it is a single issue or a trade. PLain and simple. The issue was all set-up, you said it yourself. So we criticised the book and all it contained (which wasn't much). But the conversation didn't stop there. Much like the talkbacks, these roundtables often take a life of their own, commenting on larger aspects of the industry, noting trends and commenting on them. That's the point of these things--to be more of an op ed discussion piece that touches on various topics stemming from a singular issue. It's gives us a chance to comment on the industry as a whole because our reviews are often pointed to the specifics.
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Yes, those were our initial comments on the book, but as the discussion proceeded, we went into more detail and touched on other subjects.
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Isn't that kinda an absolute dude? I am pretty sure I have defended DD (or disagreed with an Ambush Bug review of it) on these boards with legitimate arguments before, and I don't appreciate being told otherwise. The answer to all of this hubbaloo lies somewhere in the middle, guys. Sit back, have some tea, and surf the net for pix of hot emo girls.
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You're right. That was an absolutist statement. I take it back. Still the even headed counter criticisms are outnumbered by the personal attacks most of the time when people respond to the Bendis reviews. At least we can agree on one thing, though, Emo girls are pretty alright. And by pretty alright, I mean hot.
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Don't you understand? BMB is the savior of modern comics! New Avengers and House of M are state of the art, comic lit at its best. If you are too stupid to sing the praises of this Godlike being and his wondrous tales, you should just STFU! Go back to Russia, or something. Why do you hate America?
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Hooray for agreeing on hot girls with dyed black hair (there are some terribly dirty websites I could send you but now's not the time or place...heh) And yeah the attacks against you can be pretty out of hand round here...at least that guy who kept calling SleazyG your attack poodle is gone. Geez and I wonder why people have a poor opinion of message board dwellers. On a semi-related note, Bendis is writing the Ultimate Spider-Man video game that is coming out, and it takes place in-continuity. It looks pretty rad tho.
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When I read the House roundtable you guys make valid points, i.e. the all-too coincidental similarities to I.D. Crisis, but then you follow up by beating the "I don't like Benidis because" drum with, "HOUSE OF M was also incredibly wordy but had no story to speak of. It was all setup, setup, and more setup. I call it self-indulgent crap". Of course #1 is setup. It's 8 parts and you have to bring new readers up to speed. Bug, you said, "It's [HoM]all character moments and dialog. You've got to think bigger in comics and Bendis has shown me nothing to prove that he can do that". I say he can. I willfully submit New Avengers and nearly every arc of Ultimate Spidey. Of course, it could turn out to be another Secret Wars, but I'll give it a chance. It would seem as though you and others, are dimissing the entire series out of hand because of bias. You said, "I didn
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Jun 23, 2005 3:52:04 PM CDT
Bug, et al, I'm not trying to pick a fight, it's just...
by heywood jablowme
I've come to expect the same arguements against nearly all Bendis does. This means that I'm going to skip your review because I know what I'm going to read. It's the same way you look at Bendis, "it's what I've come to expect". Kind of ironic, huh? By the way, I don't think you hate America and should not go back to Russia.
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You're right. A lot of us are not going to be sticking around to see where HOUSE OF M is going to eventually go. It could be a strong story with a slow build. But my reason for signing off on the series is threefold. 1) I've been burned before. Too many times have I read a Bendis story that promises something "if you stick around to let it build" and then am let down with a rushed ending in the final issue (i.e. any DD arc). 2) This HOUSE OF M is nothing more than another ULTIMATE U or AGE OF APOCALYPSE or any other ELSEWORLDS thing where the heroes are thrown into an alternate reality. I bought HOUSE #2 and SPIDER HOUSE #1 this week. What's so new and different about Wolvie hooking up with Jean or Spidey marrying Gwen instead of Mary Jane? I wanted to give it another chance, but it read like another re-imagining. I stay away from the ULTIMATE titles because it it's core, it is just a modernized version of the old stories. All the big stories revolve around the introduction of the ULTIMATE verion of this or that. I've read those old stories. I don't want to do it again, even if it means I miss out on such ingenuities as Venom with a soul patch and Crocidile Hunter Kraven. If this "Bendis reimagines the Marvel Universe" is going to stick and be the status quo, then that'll just mean that there'll be one less reader of the Marvel U and more ching in my pocket. As much as it pains me, I can only take so much. I'm sure that'll please those who need to be reaffirmed with only shiny happy comments about the comics they read though. 3) In the end, someone else will come in and rewrite what Bendis rewrote or make it all back to normal again, so I find this whole crossover to be pointless. And Schwab, whenever you want to shift the focus away from me and talk about the material, I'll be right here.
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You don't drop bank on the Ultimate books and I do. The scales of justice are balanced in the universe. However, I think you're missing out on a few good reads though. I'll read House of M all the way through because while I've been burned before, I've also been pleasantly surprised. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and maybe I'll be proven wrong, as Bendis has put his name on a few turds before. But I won't let one iss speak for the entire run before I've given it it's due. That's what I think a critic should do. I'm off my soapbox.
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Jun 23, 2005 6:13:28 PM CDT
Your favourite colombian geek on Bendis hating at AICN comics
by el vale
This is a really interesting conversation so allow me my 2 cents worth: I don't think there's a grudge towards Bendis himself in this column, and any dislike to the man's methods stem directly from their exposure to the material the man produces, and his wrongful treatment (in the @$$holes' opinion) of the characters they've loved their entire lives. These reviewers have read and reviewed enough Bendis books to make up their minds about his writing and no one can blame them for not enjoying it as much as Joe Q does. It's a pretty safe assumption that collectively the @$$holes are driven by the same or very similar creative sensibilities, which have collided with Bendis' and Marvel's in general in the past few years. Yes, their opinions may vary but the whole of AICN comics is cohesive enough to make sense as a collective column written by different individuals, and not just different columns helmed by one critic. The consensus seems veered against Bendis' storytelling preferences,that much is true, but i refuse to believe it's irrational. That said, i don't think it's wise to pick on talkbackers and readers in general for noticing things that are quite visible in their own right. The whole "This site is objective in it's criticism of Bendis" argument wears very thin when the nit picking runs rampant throughout columns (a fact not helped by the HoM gang rape, an excellent term), and it's not limited to Bendis reviews alone. Many times Bendis and Jow Q and Marvel's backing of Bendis is used as a tool to illustrate "everything that's wrong with the industry right now". It's not rare to find a "This book actually MOVES, stuff happens, you can tell this isn't Bendis writing" in random reviews and you certainly can't blame readers for picking up on this stuff and complaining about it. Furthermore i think it's painfully passive agressive to call readers stupid in more condescending words for making conclusions that your average person would make in a heartbeat after following the column for a certain amount of time. Since the whole insightful thing doesn't seem to work for readers anymore, it's pretty cheap to fall back on the "Bendii" argument. Like many of us, the @$$holes can take no criticism, but they use their reviewer status to cover up, because surely their opinion has far more weight than that of a normal fan's and thus, wrongful conduct is justified completely. Except no one's actually paying these guys to do this, the books they review they pay for, their opinions are not those of a journalist or proffesional but those of a fanboy (the most interesting and entertaining part about this whole endeavor) and given their behaviour in these talkbacks, you can pretty much be certain that these people are just like every one of us and that their opinion counts just as much as ours. There is a bias against Bendis here, no doubt about it, but it grows out of constant dissapointment with the material he's been producing all these years, and they're absolutely entitled to it. Collectively they don't care for the man's methods, not everyone should. But making you feel like a moron because you "just don't get" what they're doing and you're claiming you're probably a blind idol follower because you happen to disagree with their opinion is just plain wrong, and people should know better. Thank you.
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yawn
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Ambush, I enjoy your reviews but I was taken aback by your comments that nobody defends BMB's work. I think Daredevil is best regularly published book on the market. Telling the story through other's eyes, and not showing the superhero beat-em-ups has given DD a level of mystique and intrigue (and yes, even a sense of wonder) that I've rarely seen in a superhero book, and in that context I also find BMB's dialogue to be fascinating. In fact, a lot of people have been praising the new Batman movie for many of the same reasons you pan DD. (As an aside, what did you think of the film?). Also, on DD, by not showing action BMB is playing to his strengths. The man can NOT write action scenes. It's plain as day, and I suspect he knows it to an extent. But yeah, DD is my favorite, and I could go on about its brilliance if asked...
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M #2 was dull. I can't even believe he took 1-3 pages to set up each character. I feel he insulted my intelligence as a reader--assuming I couldn't get each character's scenario with one or two panels. Did we really need 5 establishing shots of Colossus plowing his fields? M is OK. Nothing great. Actually, the scene the @$$holes unanimously praised--between Quicksilver and Magneto--I found annoying. QS repeated "they're going to kill her" five times in just over one page. FIVE! Mamet couldn't even make that shit fly. This whole thing is just really not working for me.
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I may have to drop it as well. The fact that Bendis can't write action is hurting it. And the brilliant Spidey & Luke Cage one-liners can't save the book from that and its erratic schedule. *** So there you have it: Bendis is maddening. He writes my favorite book on the market, but I can barely suffer him in other stuff. Nobody will ever agree on him. Can we talk about something else next week? *** I guess not, seeing as how New Avengers and M hit shelves this week. Oh, bother.
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Considering that I've only read 3 Bendis comic books in my life (House of M being number 3), it's very difficult for me to square all these blanket accusations hurled en masse at the @$$holes.
Here's a shocker for all of you.
I don't READ Bendis comics.
I don't HAVE an opinion of Bendis. I don't THINK about Bendis.
My entire opinion of HOUSE OF M would've been the same regardless of who was writing.
And one other thing. Those of use doing these reviews take it seriously. It's not just a lark and we actually do spend some time trying to think through the things we say so that they aren't just ad hominem attacks on individuals.
But its utterly absurd for some of you to react by declaring that we shouldn't have even reviewed HOUSE of M because we're "all" biased against Bendis. Look, I know movie reviewers and commentators who don't care for certain genres or directors or writers etc. But, if one of the most hyped up and biggest budgeted mega-movies is released during the summer, you can bet that reviewer's employer (whether it's TIME Magazine or the BLOOM PICAYUNE) is gonna expect him to review that movie -- even if he has no interest going into it.
However, if the movie kicks ass, it'll win him over and garner a good review. If it doesn't -- rotten tomatoes score goes up.
Same thing goes here. The writer had a 32 page comic to kick my ass with and he failed to even reach my kneecap.
You should be thanking Bug for how even handed the Roundtable came out. If he'd included all of my comments, I'd probably already be dead from a mailbomb. My life was saved by editing.
One last thing. The idiotic Quicksilver page was NOT universally liked by all the @$$holes. I thought it was unbearably stupid.
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Criticism is very subjective and very biased by nature. Even the crap we do here. Simply put, I've read tons of comics, shitload upon shitload of novels, seen a zillion movies, lots of plays, etc. So has everyone else. That forms the bias. I have a personal rule that I will not buy or review here any comic I KNOW I'm going to hate. It has to look interesting or I don't touch it. I'm just like any reader when I get something I thought was interesting but I find I didn't like it, except that I have a place to write about that. It is possible to dislike an overall work but like some aspects. It is also possible to like something but dislike a great deal. I'm glad we write about Bendis here because his style has been bad for a medium I love. He's changed comics in a way that I don't like. We have a place to fight that, which is why we talk about him a lot. However, if I come across some books that work on their own, like the one's in January, I'll say so.
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bashing bendis or loving him is not really doesn't really matter...as long as you guys do it individually by each book and work as a whole i have no problems with...i think you guys do an effective job with that...so no probs here...except for the lack of natalie portman in my bed...sighs.
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Keep in mind that there's more than one way to enjoy, review, or even discuss a book. Some people tend to focus on their own favorite style, however, which can, in reviewing, lead to stagnation. As an example, let's look at issue #11 of POWERS, yet another Bendis book. (Just stirring the pot here...)**** From a plot based perspective, this issue is pretty pointless. It's laborous, it moves the story forward rather little, and it has very little in concrete resolution. It would be far better to go from the flash of light at the end of #10 to the ex-boyfriend's sister calling Deena. That's more of a plot driven, suspencefull sort of writing. But from a character driven viewpoint... Holy shit. While the issue is basically an allusion to the post-shower sequence from PSYCHO, it sure as hell works. First of all, Bendis is smart enough to shut up and let the art do most of the talking. Second, there's the two moments that make the book stand out: Deena being sick in the alley and the look on her face in the final panel. I'm afraid of Deena now. That is, when I'm not afraid FOR her. Which is the whole point. **** And there you go. Two different opinions on one book, based on two different styles of reviewing, all from one guy. I say again, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LOOK AT A STORY! Oh, and all things being equal, you should all take a look at that issue of POWERS. Best one since the relaunch at Icon.
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if you agree great, if you don't go form your own opinion. I know bitching is fun and arguing is a great hobby, but some of you folks just get carried away. Christ!
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I didn't even review DAREDEVIL this week. What the hell is your problem? You're beginning to sound strangely familiar.
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That establishing shot of Colossus was such a waste of space. If HoM #1 & #2 were in one issue I might not be so ticked right now. I don't read the Ultimates, I find them to be rather pointless and in some ways disrespectful. Age of Apocalypse (NOT the current mini) was good for the 5 or so months that it lasted, but I don't want yet another alternate realtiy story!!! I'll be supremely pissed if things stay this way, or "some" things stick, but not all. I'm hoping people like Whedon who still have a lot of issues to right after HoM won't be affected by this "event." Everything feels so rushed to get to this HoM event, but the event itself is unraveling sooo slow! I read Spidey: HoM last night too, and although I wasn't thrilled with it, I still found it to be okay structure wise. New Avengers #6 annoyed me because of Cap consistently telling Wolverine not to kill people, calling him a murderer, and then inviting him to join the team? Girls #2 was pretty good though, I don't mind the build there. Love the way that Luna brother draws the females. I actually think the hair and the way their bodies look hot, but real is what sells it. That's all for now
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I'm not interested in a flame war, SChwab. You mentioned me in your first post when I didn't even contribute any reviews to this column. Why is it so hard to say that you like the book and I don't and move on? And your supposed counter arguments were nothing but criticisms of my criticism and me as a person (citing bias, flip flops, jealousy, narrow-mindedness, and unfair reviewing), not counter criticism of the book itself. The thing is, from these posts, you seem to be a pretty acidic person and unable to have a decent and polite conversation with someone you disagree with. I've tried to stick to the subject of the material and how it has been received in the past in the TBs and on the Bendis boards. Over and over, I've supported my reasons for feeling the way I do about DD. If it doesn't satisfy you, then take Bendis' words and apply them here. Just don't read my reviews. It ain't gonna matter none to me. Keep posting and flaming away, Schwabby, but I'm done with this conversation.
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Bit pointless this but congratulations on a well thought out argument. It makes interesting reading for once. A far cry from most of the other talkbacks. Personally I can give or take Bendis, some of his stuff like Ultimate vol.1 is class, other stuff like House of M (so far) is a bit weak, he's not a god, but can you name a writer who IS consistantly brilliant? Alan Moore? pah, he's written some duffers too. They're all flawed sure, just every now and again pulling a diamond out of their arses and serving it to you in comic form.
http://drlektor.conforums3.com/index.cgi -
Hellboy's back motherfuckers. About time. Mignola rocks.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/19472786@N00/21190318/
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...i dont find EMO girls hot at all. i think emo is dumb personally but what do i know
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Why is Ambush Bug's opinion of Bendis so important to you? Every post you've made can be boiled down to "I love Bendis on DD, so if you don't like it you suck." Excluding last week's roundtable, Bug hasn't written a full review of a Bendis comic since November! He didn't even review ANYTHING for this week! Yet you take every opportunity to insult him. Yet Bug is the one with the bias. Right. And you don't have anything that resembles an unhealthy obsession. Don't think we can't see right through you, pal.
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hey off topic but i have a quick question for you guys.i recently picked up a copy of ultimate marvel team 3 trade and im really liking this Rick Mays guy's art. what else has he done?
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Darth, I'm not wildly familiar with Mays' stuff, but what I've seen I like. I know he did the art on KABUKI: SCARAB and the Paul Dini-written ZATANNA one-shot from a year or two back. He's currently drawing the LIVEWIRES mini for Marvel, which I've enjoyed from the get-go. I recommend checking out that and ZATANNA (I've never read KABUKI), both of 'em fun books with plenty of those babes Mays draws so well.
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RIck Mays started out on various one shots but his first regular stint of note was Fabian Nicieza's NOMAD. He also did an ARSENAL miniseries that was especially sweet. He's been around for a while, but hasn't been given the recognition he deserves.
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It's all Rick Mays this and Rick Mays that.
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it didn't deteriorate into a tom cruise lecture on the fact that psychiatry doesn't exist and chemical imbalances do not exist...all manufactured by blah blah....hmmmm...cruise would be pretty good as conspiracy nut the question in a movie....hmmmmmm.....
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i knew someone here would know.
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You've failed to pop them, actually. Man alive, don't you get it? Your constant attacks on Bug for constantly attacking Bendis are at best ironic and at worst hypocritical.
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I'm talking bloated, dead on the toilet Elvis, all pasty white. Huge, bay-bee! Could somebody please explain to me again how saying something in response to someone makes your ego fragile? See, it seems to me that if you had a fragile ego, you'd just sorta sit there and take it like a wuss. But, like, if you dismiss the other guy, your ego is okay. I like it when you guys criticize the critics. These days, the writers, artists, editors and publishers of comics are more interesting than the comics themselves, right? And to me, fans of all types are more interesting than the people making the comics, a lot of whom seem to have been on the writing staff of TV shows for some reason. Admit it, even talking about we @$$holes is more interesting than the comics. This whole AICN / Bendis / Bendis-fan thing has more conflict, drama and meaning than a lot of comics. Comics are too much like real life. You want good, whacked out fantasy with astounding characters, ya gotta come to the message boards, bay-bee!
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Please tell me that you cranked the sarcasm machine to 11 when you blast "even talking about we @$$holes is more interesting than the comics". The @ssholes' criticism of the books/industry is often enlightening, but you guys will never be more important than the books and that's the facts jack. You have a forum for your opinions and we, the fanboy public come here to see what they are and banter them around. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't. It's always about the books. Okay, some (if not most)of the readers feel there is a propensity to bash the work of Bendis. We (your audience) reserve the right to call you guys on that. If you don't like that, then don't post you reviews in a public forum. Critics should be able to accept criticism (go figure). Call us ignorant, egostistical, call us apologists, tell us we suck, but don't go thinking that you @ssholes are some sort of "illuminati of comics". You're not, you just happen to have a bigger soapbox than most. When I read, "The thing I notice is that while the @$$holes have focused on the material, the fans NEVER EVER respond with a counter criticism " I read that as the @ssholes once again have to condescend to their inept public. Maybe you @ssholes would get more constructive and insightful criticism if you wouldn't all circle the wagons when one of you gets called to task. If Buzz's post is the general consensus among the @ssholes then I'll leave it at this: Get over yourselves, seriously.
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I doubt Buzz was being serious. Hell, I don't think he's even capable of such a thing.
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Mary, okay. But never Nancy or Shirley, got it! And don't feel bad. Chances are, you're more interesting than the comics yerself!
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We're the Skull & Bones of comics. Well, off to prep the Ordeal By Terror for our newest pleebs!
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Yeah, not to brag, but I am more interesting than most comics. Unless they feature Zatanna or Black Canary. All must kneel and pay homage to the power of fishnets! Oh, and does that Ordeal of Terror require the pleebs to read Bruce Jones's Hulk run or anything by Chuck Austen or Rob Liefeld? Because I'm sure that would violate the Geneva Convention, possibly even get you sent to Guantanamo for "interrogation".
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LAST
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you my friend, are owned
LAST! -
and the spot is mine. Not that anyone will ever read this.
It's nice to go back and read through some of the posts from way back, the predictions etc. Ah when Secret Invasion was but a gleam in the eye of Bendis.
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