Cool News
AICN COMICS! HUMPHREY LEE GOES NUTS AND REVIEWS EVERYTHING! PLUS DEFENDERS! COMICS JOURNAL! INDIE JONES! AND MORE!!!
#10 | 7/20/05 | align=right> #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
HOUSE OF M #4
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #642
DEFENDERS #1
THE AUTHORITY: REVOLUTION #10
JSA CLASSIFIED #1
ASTONISHING X-MEN #11
THE COMICS JOURNAL #269
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #67
DAREDEVIL #75
EX MACHINA #13
MUTATION #1
MANHUNTER #12
NORTHWEST PASSAGE Vol. 1
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #80
JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION
ULTIMATES #7
Indie Jones presents DEVIL CHILD #1-3
CHEAP SHOTS!
HOUSE OF M #4 (of 8)
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Olivier Coipel: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Behind the Woodshed of M
Back when us @$$holes did our Roundtable of the first issue of this miniseries, I took the stance that it was too early to get a real feel for the book, and that I would reserve judgment until issue #4 was released. Well, now that it’s here I’m afraid I’ve been forced to reserve judgment until the final issue. Why, you ask? Because I still have no clear idea of where this story is going to go.
What does it say about a book, when there are four issues out and only one of them is any good? The first issue has heroes acting out of character, debating killing an out of control Scarlet Witch when there’s more than one way to simply remove her powers. (And wouldn’t THAT be a more interesting ethical dilemma.) The second issue shows every single member of the X-Men and Avengers, just to illustrate that nobody knows the world has changed except Wolverine. Boring. The third issue… Ah, that’s where the fun was had. This issue rocked, not just because the best damn Avenger in history returned, (HAWKEYE LIVES, MOTHERFUCKER!) but because we were shown the ramifications of the change through Logan’s interactions with his new surroundings. That was fun.
This issue was back to boring, with everyone standing around talking and not much actually happening. I know, I know, we’re always complaining that “nothing happened.” Let me qualify that statement a bit: nothing happened to advance the plot. We meet a little girl who remembers the world as it should be, and she helps a certain someone remember as well, and that’s it. The rest of the book is Wolverine sitting in a la-z-boy telling us stuff we already know. Now, I don’t mind the talky-talk as much as some of the other @$$holes. *Cough*Ambush Bug*Cough* But only if all that talk is leading somewhere, advancing the plot, giving us new insights. A page of Wolverine telling Hawkeye that “Wanda killed you last year” does none of those things.
There’s also another concern, one that has to do with the numbers. This issue is the halfway point of the series, yet story-wise we’ve only just started the second act. This, coupled with a similar structural situation in SECRET WAR, has me concerned that the ending will feel rushed and sloppy. Still, I get the feeling I’ll be sticking this one out. Not because I’m a Marvel Zombie, or because I’m a Bendis fan. No, it’s because I’m Hawkeye’s bitch. Hell, I bought Fabian Nicieza’s Hawkeye book, and loved every second! You think I’m going to not buy this?
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #642
Writer: Greg Rucka
Penciller: Karl Kerschl
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Finally, three parts into the month long “Sacrifice” crossover with all the Supes titles and WONDER WOMAN, we finally know where we stand. The last two parts of this crossover took us on a trip through Superman’s blatantly manipulated mind as he fought “Brainiac” and “Darkseid.” Apparently what has really happened though is that, under the control of one Maxwell Lord, Superman has been manipulated into seeing the previously mentioned villains, plus one Ruin, and while he thought he was fighting them, he was really tearing apart the JLA Watchtower and crippling his best friend Batman.
To give credit where credit is due, this is a storyline with a lot of potential (hopefully so since it seems to be the cornerstone for the actual INFINITE CRISIS mini-series). And a lot of the Crisis tie-in plot threads are coming to a head here as now the JLA knows exactly who is behind the commandeering of Batman’s Brother I satellite and the death of ex-JLAer Blue Beetle, the “insidious” Maxwell Lord.
But even with all these plot threads starting to come together to make an interesting read, there were some consistency issues that took me right out of this issue. The first problem I had was simply the action that started it all, that being Max’s ability to even control Superman. In the past Max has had problems controlling even just his common foot soldiers with his mind when they get out of line. And now all of a sudden he’s not only controlling one of the most powerful beings on the planet, but doing it so expertly that he’s not only able to make him critically injure his best friend, but he’s able to pit him against the entire JLA, even after the Martian Manhunter has made him see exactly what’s wrong with him? Also, as much as I love Batman, quite frankly as soon as Supes initiated the attack on him, he should have been a smear on the wall. Even though Supes only got a hit or two in before Batman was able to implement some security measures, he still got a hit or two in. I’m all for suspension of disbelief, but we’re blatantly shown Batman taking a heat vision blast to the chest. If that can melt steel then I’m sure it could just punch right through the Bat’s torso… End rant.
Like I said, the story has become better with this issue. The aforementioned problems still stand, but everything is moving on to something bigger and hopefully better. With three more months until INFINITE CRISIS, I’m sure we can expect more of these “mad dash” plotline build ups to come.
DEFENDERS # 1
Written by Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Kevin Maguire
Published by Marvel
A Non-Team Up Review by Ambush Bug
& Buzz Maverik
BUZZ: Let's see. I've got 14 cases of Dos Equis on ice. Two cases Herradura. Two cases Patron. I've made ten gallons of Bubbe Maverik's Famous Guacamole (the secret ingredient is Illegal!) and there's half a bag of restaurant style chips.
BUG: Bad news, Buzz. The others aren't showing up.
BUZZ: Others? Oh, yeah, the others. Why the hell not? Didn't you light up the @$$ Signal for a Roundtable Review?
BUG: I did, but the other @$$holes backed out because our last roundtable wasn't received so well in the Talkbacks. Neither was your roundtable spoof.
BUZZ: Uh, yeah...spoof. But I stomped all these damned avocados! I got green feet and those humps back out! That's not team spirit! What kind of non-team do we have here?
BUG: Speaking of non-teams, how 'bout we dive right in with this DEFENDERS review? In my opinion, it's been a damn long time since Marvel had a successful DEFENDERS series. Busiek and Larsen tried to do one. Dud. And let's not even mention THE SECRET DEFENDERS. When I first heard that the team behind the classic JLI and the current FORMERLY KNOWN AS JUSTICE LEAGUE series would be taking the reigns of the most famous non-team ever, I was excited.
BUZZ: You're our resident Giffen/DeMatteis fan. I'm our DEFENDERS freak, so I think we're qualified to review this book. For me, it was a very mixed bag. I liked a lot of the humor. Most comic books are taken way too seriously. I think the Giffen/DeMatteis treatment could be given to almost any Marvel team. These Defenders aren't losers like the Ultimate Defenders were. Even with the comedy, they are still four of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe and I liked that they were treated that way.
BUG: As a whole, this book is better than the FORMERLY KNOWN AS JUSTICE LEAGUE miniseries by leaps and bounds. As much as I love characters like Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, and the rest, Giffen/Dematteis’ take on the characters just didn't seem fresh. These writers take into consideration the established personalities of these powerful Marvel characters and then throw them together and watch the fur fly.
BUZZ: This book follows my favorite DEFENDERS formula. There is no set Defenders team. But whenever Dr. Strange requires aid from superheroes (or vice versa) that team-up constitutes the Defenders, to me. So really, HOUSE O' M is a DEFENDERS story with the team consisting of Doc, the New Avengers and the X-Men. Here, we have the classic line up of Doc, Hulk, Sub-Mariner and the Silver Surfer, all underused and often mishandled Marvel characters. They are menaced by Doc's traditional big money foes: flame-faced demon Dormammu and his humanoid sister Umar.
BUG: One of the things that stood out to me in this issue was how well the "everyone argues" method of writing that Giffen/DeMatteis perfected in the JLI fit with this cast of characters. These guys always argued like that, but not everyone can write dialog like Giffen/DeMatteis. It's good that Marvel had the balls to go to the best when it comes to stories in which heroes who dislike each other are forced to band together under extreme circumstances.
BUZZ: What I liked: most of the artwork and the tone. The new Nightmare was cool and the update to the character made sense. Doc put on the politically correct spot for how he treats Wong. Every line Namor uttered; this is one of the best portrayals of the Avenging Son I've ever read. Umar's dialogue. And was this a send-up of dialogue heavy comics or was it a dialogue heavy comic?
BUG: I was less than thrilled with the dialog between Umar and Dormammu. I'm not a big fan of the trend of making the villains laughable these days. We're already laughing at our heroes not getting along. Seeing these two major villains bickering like children didn't appeal to me. It would be a stronger story if the actions of the villains didn't reflect those of the heroes and the heroes were forced to get along to fight this serious threat.
BUZZ: What I didn't like: Bruce Banner sounding too much like the new Nightmare. Since when is Banner a tough guy or a smart ass? I can't exactly buy Banner in a rank-out with Namor. We see the Hulk but we don't hear from him.
BUG: Yeah, I didn't like that at all either. I'd have loved to see Namor bully Banner around. Banner, as usual, would bottle all of the frustration up and when the Hulk pops out, that's when the sparks should fly. Having Banner and Namor argue more than Namor and Hulk takes away from the charm that these guys don’t really like each other, but have to work together. I guess too many arguments can be a bad thing.
BUZZ: While I liked the spoof of the Silver Surfer's personality, I hate the way he's now being drawn. Ever since that last, awful as hell SILVER SURFER series, he's been made to resemble those butt-probing gray aliens. I prefer the Kirby cosmic wonder.
BUG: This is the part of the book that I loved. It hasn't happened yet, but I think the angle the writers are taking with the Silver Surfer is going to be a fun reboot of the character. As good as his run was in the 80's and 90's, Silver Surfer has always been a bland character to me. Having him become fascinated and identify with the current surfing culture shines a new light on this character. And given how bad the Surfer's last series was, this guy is in desperate need of a reboot.
BUZZ: My final take: a worthy DEFENDERS series. It's five issues but I'd like to see it last longer. Maybe this is the best way to present the non-team, though. Also, should warn a lot of the latter-day Defenders fans (all four of you, which is half the full number of my fellow DEFENDERS fans), this is the original non-line up. No Hellcat. No Devil Slayer (whoever that was). Not even a Valkyrie or Nighthawk. Which is fine with me because they put in the characters I like.
BUG: At the end of the book, the editor promises that as long as he is on the title, it'll just be these characters. I hope he's wrong because I am one of those four you mentioned that has an affinity for the Defenders who actually DID want to be on the team like Hellcat, Hellstorm, Valkyrie, and Gargoyle. Hell, Cloud and Manslaughter were pretty cool too. Maybe we'll see them later on. But right now, I'm hoping this series will continue too. In one week, I had a chance to read GLA, NEW WARRIORS, and DEFENDERS. I'm not saying this tone should be applied to every title, but these books at Marvel make comics fun to read again. DEFENDERS is another worthy addition to Marvel's roster of titles. It shines a new light on them while treating its characters' histories with respect.
BUZZ: Guacamole?
BUG: Sure...mmm. Wait a minute…is that a toe hair?
THE AUTHORITY: REVOLUTION #10
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciller: Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Oh wow! Continuity! I’ll tell you, that Brubaker guy sure can weave a tale. See, what we’ve got going on here is an AUTHORITY story that is also a STORMWATCH story in a way. This issue and the last one have pretty much all been about Henry Bendix and his machinations. Last issue we got a full on “James Bond villain” explanation as to how Bendix was able to eliminate the Doctor and his successor all in one fell swoop. And now with this issue we move on to the rest of the team.
In this issue, we get Bendix in his full on glory. This entire issue is dedicated Bendix’s physical dismantling of the team. Watching him prey on the actual weaknesses of the team is a bit “Tower of Babel”-like, but more if Batman were a total sadist bent on controlling not only the world but the whole of the multiverse as well. And as Bendix does more of his “evil villain” ramblings we find that his story in relation to the AUTHORITY was much bigger than just his involvement with the Black Ops team he set them up as back when he was Weatherman for STORMWATCH. No, it’s all much bigger than that and I’ll be damned if it isn’t a very well done interlocking tale with those classic Ellis stories.
Ever since this maxi-series started to hit its stride it hasn’t let up. And this issue is definitely more of the same. Like I said, it’s a very well thought out story, and just like you expect from the AUTHORITY it’s got plenty of fast-paced and brutal action. Brubaker has definitely done a job well done in returning the AUTHORITY to being the “grown-up” JLA. It’s a shame it’s ending soon.
JSA CLASSIFIED #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Amanda Conner/Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
"Those are very large breasts, boys."
-- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Power Girl's prominent pulchritudinous protuberances were on proud display once again as the new JSA sister-book JSA CLASSIFIED landed on comic book shelves all across America last week. And all the boys sighed sweet satisfaction about those snuggle pups. Did you know PG has one of my top-five favorite costumes of all time? (In case you're interested, the other 4 are: Green Lantern/Alan Scott, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Kid Flash, and Taskmaster).
Cover: PG looks youthful, tough, and sexy pushing up her sleeve to punch the reader in the face for looking at her bazookas. I like how the rest of the JSA are dancing little jigs behind her. Conner draws a cute PG with a round little nose, mischievous grin, and overdone eyeliner framing icy-blue eyes.
Grade: 4 out of 5 Hoohas.
Pgs. 1-4: The story begins with PG as a baby flying in her spaceship. The voices she hears call her "Kara" and we can tell she's coming to Earth from "somewhere" far away. However, her ship gets bounced off course by some kryptonite asteroids hurtling through space. The streaks of color as her ship kicks into gear on page 3 indicate she went zipping through time. Those streaks of color are what DC time travel's looked like ever since Waverider arrived on the scene. Also, when her ship kicks into gear it leaves a big "Boooom" that may indicate a connection with the New Gods.
Grade: 0 out of 5 Tatas.
Pg. 5: Homage to the first appearance of Supergirl. But with major bongos.
Grade: 2 out of 5 Honeydews
Pg. 6: Turns out that in post-Crisis history, PG made the rounds as Superman's cousin and everybody was super-happy for ol' Supes -- that is, until Killjoy Batman "ran some tests" to prove she wasn't Kryptonian. Big jerk. What'd it hurt anybody to have PG's boobies bouncing around all happy and stuff? No. Batman had to kill that papaya party. So, now she's in her underwear getting tested by the quite unfortunately blind Dr. Midnite.
Grade: 2 out of 5 Hooters.
Pg. 7: The frustrated Doc can't figure out what's up with PG. Sometimes she's got the powers and weaknesses of Superman and sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she has heat vision and sometimes her eyes are normal. And that ain't normal. While Doc monologues for us, Conner treats us to lots of fun art stuff in the backgrounds For example, PG's strength has basically destroyed Doc's testing equipment and he doesn't even realize it. We also glimpse PG's various costume changes throughout the years, including Joe Staton's modified version of Wally Wood's original design. Ah, memories. That's what PG wore back when she had her first solo run in SHOWCASE PRESENTS. But, back to the billibongs. Doc may not be able to see 'em, but Hootie the owl is sure taking a gander as PG starts removing her oh-so-tight sports bra.
Grade: 3 out of 5 Kazongers.
Pg. 8: This is the page where Doc lets all of us know that PG's also not the long lost granddaughter of Arion of Atlantis. *Thank Bessie* But the real treats are all the lavishly detailed shots of PG changing into her new slightly modified costume. Now, I don't know what this Conner girl is built like, but that first panel where PG's trying to fit her mambos into that skin-tight bodysuit, makes me think she's either had that awkward experience or observed it once or twice in her lifetime. Hubba-hubba.
Grade: 4 out of 5 Yabbos.
Pg. 9: The money page. Conner gifts us readers with the finest pinup shot of PG since Wally Wood first introduced her nubbies to the world.
Grade: 5 out of 5 Headlights.
Pgs. 10-12: Depressing few pages of PG feeling sorry for herself because she doesn't know her past. Funny gag about PG inadvertently yanking the door knob off her apartment door then tossing the knob in a box full of similarly broken knobs. To me, that indicates that her strength levels also wax and wane similar to her heatvision.
Grade: 1 out of 5 Knobs.
Pg. 13: The other money page. Full panel gazongas shot: "Green Lantern used to ask me why I never wore a mask. It's because most of the time...they ain't lookin' at my face." You got that right.
Grade: 5 out of 5 Dueling Banjos.
Pgs. 14-19: PG and her milk wagons get into a dustup with Garn Daanuth, Arion's evil dead brother. The battle escalates until her heat vision comes bursting out again in a full-page masterpiece. Problem is, Daanuth wasn't really there. And now PG's just as confused as the JSA and all the people standing around who were nearly killed by PG's one-woman freakout session.
Grade: 3 out of 5 Rib Cushions.
Pg. 20: The truth about PG is that she doesn't want to really find out her past because no matter what the truth is it could never be better than when she believed she was Superman's cousin. Again, thank you very much for THAT one, Batjerk. And so, PG and her fun bags take off feeling very sorry for themselves.
Grade: 4 out of 5 Bangles.
Pgs. 21-22: Shadow guy appears. Shadowy profile without a nose talking about emotions and PG's history folding in over itself makes me think it's the Psycho-Pirate. Last panel introduces time-traveling surprise guests Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy.
Grade: 0 out of 5 Chimichongas.
OK. Power Girl has gi-normous knockers. Check. She's not a Kryptonian. Check. She's not Arion's granddaughter. Check. She appears to be from a different time. Check. She may be from a different place. Check. Possible Fourth-World connection. Check. Legion's involved. Check. Anger control issues. Check. Different histories folding in over themselves. Check. Got it so far?
My original gut feeling about this story arc, back when I first heard it announced, was that she turns out to be the cousin or daughter of the Crime Syndicate's Ultraman sent to our Earth by Alexander Luthor to keep her from becoming corrupted by Ultraman. Now, this could account for much of what we've known as Power Girl's various histories. See, that asteroid hit could have sent her tumbling through time and space allowing for her to experience encounters with ancient Atlantis, New Genesis, and the Legion before finally winding up on Earth. The hypothetical equation goes as follows: baby when asteroid hits + adult when Superman finds her = many years of untold potential history. Which could mean that she wasn't even Kryptonian back during the pre-Crisis days on Earth II. She just didn't have a meddling Batjerk back then running tests to disprove her claims.
Man, I love super-hero comics like this. They feed my nostalgia, my nearly forgotten adolescent hormones, and treat me to an earnest effort to take a really great character and make her relevant to a modern audience. Amanda Conner's art was a knockout as well. I loved her stylized cartoony, yet sensual, take on PG that kept her looking like a young, curvy woman rather than that overdone rock-hard stick flying around in belly shirts that passes for Supergirl these days. Keep this Power Girl publishing, and I'll keep shelling out my hard-earned money to support the effort. Fun stuff.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #11
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciller: John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
I’ll tell you what, between this issue here, and some of Grant Morrison’s finest moments on NEW X-MEN, one Mr. Charles Xavier has been shown to be quite the bad ass.
Following up on Danger’s (I believe that’s what we’re calling her anyway) thrashing of the AXM line up last issue, here we see her, it, whatever, going after the Professor, who she sees as her “Father” and her “Oppressor.” But old Charlie is a scrapper, as Danger finds out first hand when upon landing on Charlie’s new home of Genosha she’s greeted first hand with the grill of a Mack Truck and Chuck at the helm. He may be a cripple, but he ain’t going down without a fight.
Okay, so this whole arc is blatantly a Next Generation Star Trek episode done with the X-Men and the Danger Room. But it is still pretty fun. The “fight” between Xavier and Danger is innovative to say the least, though obviously it is a bit redundant seeing as how Magneto could have just torn her apart for Charlie in a matter of a thought. But as Xavier says right from the get-go, this is his fight. I’m not sure why, but we can only assume he sees this as a chance to help a new life form come to grips with its existence. Hopefully his true motives in this become clearer as this arc concludes next issue.
And as for the actual X-Men? Well, unfortunately not much is going on with them. Like I said earlier, this is pretty much an all-action issue. Really the X-Men are doing nothing but recovering from their initial fight with Danger and making preparations to chase after her and save the Prof. There is one great character moment in this issue though as we have a nice two-page-plus conversation piece between Colossus and Kitty Pryde where we find out a tragic piece of news about Kitty relating to the Genosha incident that kicked off NEW X-MEN and we get a nudge towards what one can only hope is a rekindling of Peter and hers’ relationship.
So yea, okay, this book has lost a step since the initial arc. Honestly, it was probably expected since that first arc and the parties involved just set such a high mark to aim for. But it’s still a fun read. It still has some great action, everything looks absolutely gorgeous through Cassaday’s art, and even though plot development has unfortunately taken a bit of a backseat to the action the last two issues, we’re still occasionally catching great little bits thrown out here and there. Here’s to hoping the last issue of this arc can turn these little mishaps around a bit.
THE COMICS JOURNAL #269
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Reviewed by Dave Farabee
The first reason the average non-COMICS JOURNAL reader might want to pick up this latest issue is that you get to watch the notoriously snooty JOURNAL eat some crow. Granted, the intro editorial from JOURNAL managing editor Dirk Deppey starts as an incendiary scolding of the North American comic industry for getting so utterly schooled by manga’s ability to connect to female readers. But stick around for the second half. That’s where Deppey finally fesses up:
It must be confessed, though: We're in the same boat. Really, I've got no right to talk.
Like a dishonored samurai, Deppey hangs his had in shame, acknowledging that the snobs of the JOURNAL have been just as close-minded as the mainstream slobs in opening up to the manga explosion. With surprising sincerity, he promises this current issue – a spotlight on shoujo (girls) manga – to be the first major effort in redressing the error:
Consider these baby steps an attempt to correct a grievous oversight on our part, and an apology to our readers for our obvious failure of imagination. We promise to do better in the future.
I know it’s petty, but it’s nice to see a little contrition from the JOURNAL. You can tell they’re just as scared as everyone else of those big manga eyes and their pursuant fandom, but unlike many in the industry who seem to want manga to go away (little realizing manga has all but given us one of the holy grails of the industry – chicks who’re into comics, dammit!), the JOURNAL is making genuine effort to figure out how this stealth revolution has come to pass.
But there’s a second reason you might want to tune in for this issue: THE COMICS JOURNAL #269 is the single most important comics-related periodical you’ll read all year. No B.S. hyperbole here, no empty hype. For those who read UNDERSTANDING COMICS and went “wow”, those who’re genuinely mystified, maybe even off-put, by the sheer alienness of manga, those who want to know where this crazy-ass industry is headed in the next decade…you could not ask for a better guide.
First thing that caught my eye was the mighty handy glossary of terms early in the issue. Features definitions ranging from cram school (the Japanese analog to a grueling SAT prep course and a recurring element of school-themed manga) to manga-ka (meaning simply “a cartoonist”, or the artist at the top of the heap in the studio system under which many manga are produced) to shounen-ai (the popular subgenre of relationship manga featuring romantic guy/guy love, as distinct from yaoi, where the sex scenes are often explicit).
Very handy. Nothing tells you you’re stepping out of the familiar world of American comics faster than a dictionary that distinguishes titles by gender, age, sex, and degree of sexual explicitness!
[At this point I should confess: I skipped all of the few non-manga articles ‘cept the comics piracy one. Was really good, and the others all looked to be up to the JOURNAL’s standards, but I wasn’t interested in losing the issue’s focus.]
Before and after the massive and encompassing reviews section, there are some pretty swanky features on various manga themes. One looks at manga from the comic shop’s perspective, including the battle for manga readers with big chain bookstores. Another is a vastly insightful look at the popularity of gay themes in manga – why girls tend to like them while gays themselves may not; how they allow girls to be entertained by sex in an unthreatening way (no passive females, no threat of pregnancy); and why they sometimes skew uncomfortably young for American readers. I was also taken with “The Magnificent Forty-Niners”, an article spotlighting the group of women who revolutionized manga in the early 70s, shattering conventions, establishing new themes and idioms, and all but creating the girls’ comics industry overnight. One article did throw me a bit: an almost comically worshipful write-up for manga-influenced American artist Chynna Clugston (comparisons to Miles Davis can’t help but sound pretentious), but the author rings true on one count: Clugston’s work seems a major factor in her publisher Oni converting nearly exclusively to manga-sized and manga-styled trades.
One of the most prominent of the aforementioned “Forty-Niners”, Moto Hagio, is the subject of the JOURNAL’s interview of the month. The JOURNAL’s known for its in-depth interviews, and this whopper’s no exception. Profusely illustrated, it fits into the issue’s color section and also reprints one of Hagio’s most famous short stories in its entirety. Hagio herself is disarmingly candid and intelligent. When she speaks about her mother, at first it’s almost humorous – her mother seems incapable of understanding that her daughter’s one of Japan’s most famous cartoonists, convincing herself she’s an “art teacher” – but as the interview continues it becomes clear that her mother’s disapproval is a prime motivating factor in Hagio’s writing. It’s honestly heartbreaking.
Situated in the middle of the issue are the interviews, and they probably told me more about shoujo manga in an hour or two of reading than anything I’ve read since Frederick Schodt’s seminal MANGA! MANGA! (a book in serious need of a new printing). The reviews cover dozens of titles, from ‘70s ballet melodramas to fizzy, all-ages fantasies to modern fashion-themed jaunts with a surprisingly realistic approach to casual sex. These reviews are almost uniformly insightful and unafraid to critique as well as praise, only a handful veering slightly into snooty dismissals of American comics in favor of manga. Here’s an instance of the latter from a review of a fantasy manga for young girls:
There’s a character named Miss Nakime, who mysteriously appears, instructs the kids on what to do next, then fades away because “she’s an alien from a planet far, far away, who came here to work toward world peace. She can only be here for three minutes. There’s a huge timing light in her head that flashes red whenever it gets close to three minutes.” Now isn’t that more imaginative than being bombarded by gamma rays or bitten by a radioactive spider?
Uh…no. No, it isn’t. In fact I’d say it’s about exactly as preposterous (and fun) as Stan Lee’s ‘60s stuff, but by no means objectively “more imaginative.” Thankfully, such comments are the exception. In particular, online reviewer Johanna Draper Carlson has some sharp stuff to say about the iconoclastic romance manga of Erica Sakurazawa and comic writer Rob Vollmar delves deep into the avant-garde sci-fi of interview subject Moto Hagio. I was also struck by Dirk Deppey’s review of two ostensibly boys’ manga – CHOBITS and LOVE HINA – which have found such readership among girls that Deppey goes mining for the possibility that these titles are actually shoujo works in disguise. During the course of the analysis, he actually made me want to read LOVE HINA, even having dropped a scathing review of my own on the creator’s follow-up effort, NEGIMA, a year or so back.
So I’m telling you guys you should pick this issue of the JOURNAL up. The themes and conventions of manga that seem so utterly bizarre to Western sensibilities…well, they might still seem utterly bizarre after reading it, but you’ll have the context for understanding ‘em and why they’re beloved to so many. Even at $9.95, the issue’s worth it. This thing’s squarebound, packing 200 pages of content with plenty of illustrations, and so dense with info that you’re essentially getting a book.
Think of it as the Rosetta Stone for the manga illiterate.
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #67
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Penciller: Rick Burchett
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Getting sick of me yet? No, well, good. We’ve still got a while.
I’ll admit that I had almost had it with this title. Between the continual drawing out of this game of “Who is Hush?” and last issues horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE “tie-in” with VILLAINS UNITED I was ready to leave this for dead. But I figured I should at least give this book one more shot to get back on track. And I’ll tell you what; it’s starting to win me over again.
At first I was skeptical with this issue. Everything about it felt like it was just going to be some sort of filler, complete with a guest artist (the admittedly very capable Rick Burchett). The basic premise of the book is this: A young videographer known as Riley is at his breaking point. His life and career are going nowhere fast except to the constant barrage of weddings and porno-shoots he does for money. But then all of a sudden he gets his break. During one nights’ random shooting he catches a bit of extra footage he doesn’t expect as his camera is aimed at the window: a full on fight between the man known as Hush and one Bruce Wayne. A little research comparing some existing Batman footage to what he’s got on his tape and he knows his fortune is made. Bruce Wayne is Batman and it’s blackmail time.
And with a premise like that I think it’s easy to see why this could be mistaken for filler at first. You set up this throwaway character, you have Batman do his thing and be cunning and dirty and make this guys chances of ever getting away with his caper disappear forever, and there you have it. You’ve told a little character driven tale and you’ve added to the Batman mythos a bit and you call it a day. But Lieberman goes a bit further. This Riley of his may be a two-time loser, but he’s not a total idiot. He’s eliminated any “friends” of his that may cause some problems and he’s covered his tracks. All he wants is some money and he’ll go away.
The focus then shifts to Alfred, still recovering from his bit of amnesia after escaping from Hush a couple of arcs ago. Batman decides that the best thing might be to try and just give the kid his money and see what he does from there. He decides to take the “less intimidating” approach and send Alfred in his stead. Alfred does indeed do his job and delivers the cash, or at least part of it, and takes the time to also plead with the would-be blackmailer to not do what he has planned, for Batman’s cause is a just one and it would be a terrible thing to do indeed to him for all he’s done for Gotham. And that takes us to our cliffhanger. Is it shocking? A bit. Is it believable? Well, therein lies the mystery and the appeal. Is it going to keep me on the book a while longer? You bet. Clever boy.
DAREDEVIL #75
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Alex Maleev: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Not a Ninja
If the latest HOUSE OF M is Bendis at his worst, this arc of DAREDEVIL is him at his best.
This concluding issue to “Decalogue” has everything, up to and including the kitchen sink, and it works to perfection. It begins with an all-out crazy fight between Daredevil and The Jester, with just the right amount of Crash, Smack, and Smash, followed up by one of the most disturbing visuals I’ve ever come across in a Marvel book. I’m talking seriously fucked up, here.
This leads into more of the talky-talk, of the kind that actually works on several levels. There’s a page of Matt Murdock delivering a fair bit of exposition that manages to not only put the past issues into context, but also is haunting to the extreme. Add in Alex Maleev’s visuals, a series of horizontal panels closing in on the eyes and flop sweat of the villain of the piece, and you’ve got a taunt, suspenseful moment. All that just from a couple of guys talking in a basement.
Of course, that’s not all the talky-talk in this issue, but I’d hate to give away the second half. Let’s just say that the moment works, not just because it illustrates more clearly the motives behind his declaration of Kingpinhood, but it brings to life the world which this character inhabits. More to the point, it clarifies what I think is the defining question behind Bendis’ plot: why? Everything, from Silke to the trial of White Tiger to Matt’s marriage has been all about that question. Why? The only question worth asking, really.
I’m the first to admit that Bendis has had a few ups and downs on DAREDEVIL, but in spite of that (or perhaps even because of it) it has become his flagship book at Marvel. With this penultimate arc, he and Maleev have come as close to storytelling perfection as I’ve seen from a genre comic in at least a decade. This is the best work these two have done together, and it may very well be the best story Bendis has written ever. These two start their final arc on DAREDEVIL next issue, and I honestly don’t know how they’re going to top what they’ve done here. I have a feeling they may not. Fine by me if it doesn’t. That only means that “Decalogue” will go down in history as the finest work of Brian Michael Bendis’ career.
EX MACHINA #13
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Tony Harris
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Man, has this book kicked it up a notch. Who knew a comic about jury duty could be so riveting? Well, okay, so the jury duty thing is just a ploy to set up a big cliffhanger at the end of the book… but I digress.
This issue we see several plot threads running along side each other. First is that we have another “Great Machine” running about trying to take after his “father” as he takes down random druggies, criminals, etc. But also we see that he’s already caught the attention of the NYPD and is now set in their sights as they try to take him down before he is found out. And once this new Machine is brought to the attention of Kremlin and Bradbury (two former “partners” of our Protagonist) they also go hot on the trail to find this “pretender to the throne”, as Kremlin puts it. All the while our “hero” is stuck in one of the more classic of superhero devices…… jury duty?
Ah yes, the dreaded jury duty… predator of the innocent, devourer of worlds, and so on. But like I said before, the whole concept of our Mitchell Hundred going on this inane little quest of his is to set up a much bigger point. We find ourselves being introduced to a man with a problem and an idea. One Mr. Easy Benson is sick and needs help. And when one day he sees the world’s only superhero applying for jury duty he gets a notion. The way he sees it, the body is just one very complex machine, and controlling/fixing machine’s is what our protagonist does. So in order to try and get some help from The Great Machine, he makes sure he gets in on the same jury as the Mayor in order to get close to him… and then things just get worse and the situation degenerates when Mr. Benson and Mayor Hundred have a slight “disagreement” on what exactly the powers of the Great Machine can manage.
If there’s anything about this book that I love it’s how big Vaughan thinks. From the context of the political hot-topics he throws in, to such huge scientific and even philosophical notions introduced through the events that transpire in this issue. Could Mitchell Hundred be that powerful? Is the body just a machine, and thereby prone to his abilities? It’s just excellent and riveting material. Plus we get a mystery too with the events surrounding the new Great Machine that Kremlin and Bradbury are stalking, and through flashbacks that have become a staple of this book we get to find out so much more about our main character and what makes him so truly unique, and yet totally identifiable. Combined with one of the best artists in the business and you’ll see why I keep touting this as the best book on the stands today.
MUTATION # 1
Written by: George T. Singley
Art by: Ethen Beavers
Published by: Speakeasy Comics
Reviewed by: superhero
OK, comic book publishers realize that they’re charging us almost three dollars per book nowadays, right?
I mean, they do realize that three dollars is pretty expensive for a publication that only gives us
something like twenty-two to twenty-three pages of story, right?
Do they understand that the only reason a lot of them are selling as much as they’re able to is because of the fact that certain comic shops give their regular customers up to twenty to forty percent off new books every week just so they can keep selling this stuff, right?
No?
You mean they don’t realize any of that?
Well, at least the owners of Speakeasy Comics don’t.
I mean, this is the first issue of a comic book, right? It’s the issue that should suck me in, the one
that should captivate me with stories of fantastic characterization or tales of cosmic adventure. It’s
the introductory issue which should make me fall in love with the characters, the settings, and the plot. It’s the comic that should make me want more at the end. It should make me crave with childlike anticipation the passing of the next thirty days so I can see where this bold new adventure will take me, see what daring deeds this fantastic new hero or group of heroes is likely to perform.
Does MUTATION offer any of this?
Nope.
For the price of $2.99 ($2.26 after discount and adding tax), I hardly get any of that.
What I do get is about twenty-two pages of slugfest and that’s it. Oh, and the best Jack Kirby/Bruce Timm/Michael Avon Oeming style art that I’ve seen in a long time.
What do I know after twenty-two or so pages of the first issue of MUTATION? Mutation is a superhero that fights bad guys. Mutation is famous. Mutation has a hot girlfriend whom he uses his shape shifting powers with to try and get sexually kinky. Mutation is blonde and has muscles. The MUTATION comic uses sixteen of its twenty-two pages to depict fights that should have taken less than half that space. The MUTATION comic has a great art team. The MUTATION comic has great paper stock and is held together with staples.
That’s pretty much it.
How did Mutation become Mutation? I don’t know. Why does Mutation fight crime? I don’t know. How did Mutation and his girlfriend meet? I don’t know. What does the insignia on Mutation’s chest mean? I don’t know. Why do I give a damn about MUTATION? I don’t know.
Look, I don’t want any kind of origin story here. I’m not looking for a paint-by-numbers origin story. I’d just like some sort of insight into why I should care about these characters and I don’t get any at all. It’s like someone just thought that comic fans just wanted twenty-two pages of fighting with no characterization, no plot, no nothing. It’s the complete flipside of what people criticize Brian Michael Bendis for. It’s practically a twenty-two page book of fights.
For $2.99, I expect more.
The thing that kills me is I’m a pretty open minded comic fan. I love seeing new and different books in the shop and, for the most part, I try and give them a shot. I want to like new books. I mean, honestly, how many times can I read about how Spider-Man can beat up Doctor Octopus? So when I saw MUTATION in my shop, I thought I’d get something new and interesting with an old school flavor. What I got was a book with great art, but not much else.
If Speakeasy Comics wants to attract business, heck if any new comic company wants to attract business, they’ve got to come out of the gate strong. Offer comic fans the whole package like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did in FANTASTIC FOUR issue number one. Or at least give us something different! With MUTATION I get the same old, same old. Nothing new, nothing inventive, nothing intriguing…just the same old thing that I’ve read about before.
If the publishers of Speakeasy Comics are reading out there I’d suggest that if you’re going to debut new books you should have gone with some of the ones that are advertised in the back of MUTATION. At least those look like interesting ideas. Or, if you were going to unleash a comic like SLUGFEST # 1 upon the world, you should have lowered the price to grab attention and offered new readers an incentive to come back to a book that offered such a lackluster introductory story. Hey, I know publishing comics is an expensive enterprise these days but maybe you could lower the quality of the paper stock to lower costs a bit. Because the story for this issue didn’t justify the wonderful paper stock used even if the quality of the artwork may have.
Oh, and my advice for the writer of MUTATION? Go out and pick up an issue of the Image Comics book JACK STAFF to see an actually intriguing independent superhero story done right. As it is, MUTATION is pretty flat except for the artwork and quite honestly, as much as I root for independent publishers, even that may not be enough to make me give the second issue a look at the comic shop.
MANHUNTER #12
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Penciller: Javier Pina
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
The more and more I read of this book the more I become enthralled with it. Admittedly, at first I wasn’t too impressed with the book, and more importantly, the main character. I gave the title about an arcs worth of issues, and decided it wasn’t worth it. The main character, Kate, just seemed too one-dimensional for me to care. She just came off as arrogant, and a bit high-powered, and oh look!! She kills!! But then a very wise man told me to give it another shot and I would find there’s really much more than that and she’s actually a very complex character. And I’ll be damned if he wasn’t right on the dot.
What we have here is a character who, yeah, she is a bit of a bitch, but a very determined one. And while at first she threw on the costume to just get her own little brand of justice, damn the consequences, she now seems more enthralled to the job and we actually see how strongly she’s come to want to do it in little bits like her trying to quit smoking so she’s better productive and so on. It’s her flaws that make her interesting, and my does she have quite a few.
Add to all that this latest “Manhunted” story arc which is becoming quite the read. It’s a very nice little action packed tale that, while it does deal with a bit of continuity, it’s nothing that requires massive amounts of back reading or research to jump into. The former Manhunter interludes alone have proven to be a nice little mystery and to provide some good bits of action, let alone what Kate herself gets into. Throw in a little plot line involving Kate’s “father” and the emergence of long-time DEO agent Cameron Chase as what I hope to be a continuing supporting character, and you’ve got yourself a riveting and highly underrated little title here.
NORTHWEST PASSAGE Vol. 1 (of 3)
Writer/Artist: Scott Chantler
Publisher: Oni Press
Reviewed by Dave Farabee
Man, I need to check out some of the earlier work of writer/artist Scott Chantler – maybe DAYS LIKE THIS, which he didn’t write, but which has his art and a very snazzy premise (the rise of a ‘60s group of R&B divas). The point is, I just need to see more of this guy’s art! His work on NORTHWEST PASSAGE has blown me away! For a relative newbie to comics, his stuff’s polished as anything and the quickest way I can describe his style is “Jeff Smith with halftones.” It’s not fair to pigeonhole him through another artist, but I want to convey the quality of his cartooning (which also suggests Disney animation and the art of Canadian cartoonist Seth).
Let’s take a gander at a few images (all you really need to know is that the book’s a piece of historical fiction set in the Canadian wilderness, circa 1755):
Establishing shot of the fictional Fort Newcastle.
Our hero, Charles Lord, former explorer and overseas governor for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Action! French mercenaries pursue an old Indian friend of Lord’s.
Hey, I’m impressed! It’s not often we get frontier adventure in comics, and Chantler (who writes as well as draws NORTHWEST PASSAGE) brings the forgotten genre to life with picturesque frontiersmen and beautiful landscapes that are practically their own character. After a suspenseful opening action sequence, Chantler sets his sights on establishing Charles Lord during the course of the man’s retirement party. It doesn’t take long. Lord is a man’s man, boisterous and friendly with the folk of the English trading fort he presides over, and if his hair’s gone white, he’s still got the barrel-chest of the explorer he once was and still feels the fire he once did. When the local Reverend asks him if he’s looking forward to finally going home to England, Lord’s face turns melancholy:
“Home? Reverend, I’ve not seen England in over twenty years. Nearly half my lifetime. I’m not sure I’ll even recognize it.”
In fact, Lord’s not planning to return to England at all. During an evocative late night stroll between the shadowed cabins of the fort, he confides in his old exploring pal that he wants to set his sights on the fabled Northwest Passage. Complicating matters is the sudden appearance of an old Indian friend (“Eagle Eye”) with word of French mercenaries on Lord’s trail and a vision of grim tidings to come. I liked Chantler’s portrayal of the easy friendship between Lord and Eagle Eye, perhaps unrealistically idealized, but certainly enjoyable. More troubled is Lord’s relationship with his own half-Indian son, sure to be followed up on in subsequent volumes.
With this set-up and a sub-plot involving Lord’s nebbish-but-earnest nephew taken captive by the French, NORTHWEST PASSAGE is primed for historical adventure that straddles the line between escapism and realism. For many – me, at least – it’ll also have a solid novelty value because we’ve all spent so much time making cheap Canadian jokes that we’re clueless about the country’s actual history and heroes. Lord himself is fictional, but Chantler’s done plenty of labor-of-love research and has created in him an amalgamation of notable explorers of the era. I did get to wondering if Lord himself might be as idealized as his friendship with Eagle Eye (certainly his physique casts him as an almost Bruce Timm-style mega-hero), but hopefully Chantler will carve out some depth with follow-up volumes. And even if he doesn’t, well, a little legend-making can be fun (and no one who’s ever enjoyed a movie like TOMBSTONE can say any different).
In a recent interview with PopImage, Chantler outlined his goals with the series:
…the genesis of the story was an attempt to give Canadian history the kind of proper romantic mythology that it deserves. I started with the question that if Europe romanticizes its history with knights and castles, and the US romanticizes its history with six-guns and saloons, what would the Canadian version be?
I think he’s off to a cracking good start.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #80
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Mark Bagley
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Continuing from the events of last issue we find our Ultimatized version of Marvel’s favorite character in conflict with Moon Knight. I’ll admit right now that this really does give me a bit of a geekgasm (ie: geekiness filled orgasm) as I’m a bit of a mark for 70’s Marvel characters. In fact, there’s an interlude to start this issue that features Daniel Rand (aka Iron Fist, one of my favorite B list and below characters) and between him and Moon Knight I just have to say this issue can do no wrong…. Well, okay, that’s a lie, but it’s going to make it hard for me to not take it easy on this particular issue.
So anyway (forgive the fanboy ramblings) the whole reason for the conflict between these two heroes is, like always, just a big misunderstanding. You see, to fill the crime lord void left in the Ultimate Universe by the Kingpin’s “vacation,” one little criminal known as Hammerhead has decided to start claiming turf. During a deal turned double cross by Hammerhead and his men at a warehouse, there is a resulting fire which is what draws Spidey’s attention, as well as one Moon Knight hiding in the shadows of an adjoining building. Now we have some mistaken identity and the hijinks ensue!
But seriously, this is a pretty decent issue that gives us a somewhat good nudge towards how the rest of the story arc is going to run. Upon overhearing Ben Urich’s theory this may be a result of something Kingpin involved Spidey decides to pay him a visit. It’s there that Kingpin lets Spidey know exactly where things stand: due to all the heat on him he has no choice but to lay low while bids for his turf are being made by guys like Hammerhead, leaving Spidey out in the cold as, in a way, he now has to help the Kingpin by eliminating his potential usurpers for him.
Not the strongest of premises by any means, but a solid one. Combine that with some pretty good action at the start of this book, some good funny bits spread around, and some down-to-earth moments stemming from a conversation with (who else) Aunt May, this book has a bit of all of what a good comic should have. If there’s any real complaint I have it’s that Spidey is written as so unbelievably obnoxious (well more than usual) in this issue that, after half his interjections and jokes during his encounter with the Kingpin, even I wanted to strangle him. Think of the snarkiest thing you’ve ever heard, and multiply it by ten… yes, it gets that bad. But other than that this is yet another solid performance by Bendis and Bagley.
Viva la IRON FIST!!!
JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION
Writer: Michael Eury
Artists: Various
Publisher: TwoMorrows
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
TwoMorrows has carved out quite a niche for themselves as producers of the slickest looking fan publications out there - whether it's their regular magazines, dvds, or their squarebound paperbacks like this JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION. Billing itself as the "ultimate guide to the Silver Age Justice League of America," it succeeds quite comfortably.
Let me share a few of the gems that lie behind the painted cover reproduction of JLA #48 by Bruce Timm including the unexplainable blue gloves worn by J'onn J'onnz on that particular cover. For the obsessive-compulsive in all of us, there's a detailed chronological issue-by-issue index of every JLA story from BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28 (Feb. 1960) to JLA #99 (Jun. 1972). The cover reproductions alone are enough to keep you flipping through the index.
There are interviews throughout. The JLA FAQs section and interviews with Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Jerry Bails present the readers with a thorough introduction to the circumstances that led to the introduction of the Justice League of America at the time they did it and with the characters they included. A lot of the information is well-known in fandom, but some of it may not be widely known. So, this section becomes a primer for those who are interested in behind-the-scenes info on the early years of the JLA.
The creator interviews are enlightening. The interviews include Murphy Anderson and Joe Giella representing the artists and Denny O'Neil and Mike Friedrich representing the post-Gardner Fox writers. These two writers contributed so much to the JLA in terms of characterization that it is highly unlikely the comic book would even still be around in as recognizable form as it is today without them. What this companion book does well is show the readers, through sample pages and actual copies of scripts, how lacking in individual characterization the Fox era was. But with the advent of Denny and Mike, the emphasis on plot was supplanted by a free-love era desire to imbue these characters with real personality and dimension. Hence, we get the practically overnight transformation of, say, Green Arrow from the bland personality-free Batman rip-off to the angry bearded liberal that still rules today.
The COMPANION shares a lot of behind-the-scenes info on the oddball coincidental and intentional criss-cross relationship between the Silver Age JLA and the Avengers. For example, the section detailing the inadvertent and almost simultaneous publication by both titles of an issue featuring the return of an obscure 40s hero who happens to be a red-skinned android who will later join their respective teams. Then there's the planned in secret by a couple of drunk writers at a party one weekend, unofficial team-ups between the two series. The AVENGERS title featured an encounter with the SQUADRON SUPREME - near-direct analogs of the JLA characters. That same month, the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA title featured an appearance by the Heroes of Angorr, who were similarly analogous to some of the Avengers characters. Of course, since the Editors of both companies were too busy to be read
-
+ Expand All
-
My comic addiction has crept from $0 a week to about $35 a week in just the past few months. But man, doesn't that Defenders title look sweet.
-
the god of raping, pillaging warriors. That was Odin. Thor was worshipped more by the peace loving farmers of the region.
Try a little research... beyond a comic book, that is.
-
of the the Norse gods was Baldr.
He was the one favorite son of god. The one who was killed but all the prophecies said that he would return and save us all. Sound familiar? -
I gave almost exactly the same review in TalkBack last week. I think Bendis is pretty great, but this issue could've been told in half the time. Astonishing was pretty grand.
-
I think it was Bart Sears in JLEurope that first gave Power Girl her gigantic funbags. We owe him. Also, why did they depict her as getting out of the rocket in her present costume, and not the windowless version she originally wore?
-
Jul 27, 2005 5:34:08 PM CDT
"Why is a Viking god, a god worshipped by pillaging rapists who
by voice o. reason
Because he's not really a Norse god. He's a mentally ill man who stole a strength enhancing super-suit and techno-powered hammer.
-
I've been saying that for years, since he was introduced in the first Ultimates series. But does anybody listen to me...
-
Severin rawks. The guy's 84 years old and he's still doing amazing work. I've been a fan of his since I was a childhood "Cracked" subscriber.
-
I feel your pain brother. I seem to spend on average 18 to 20 UK pounds a week on comics. I'm walking around in three year old shoes with my jeans worn out around my arse and I'm like, " Yeah I would buy some new clothes but I can't really afford them right now" Although I have to say I do get a strange feeling of superiority out of walking up to the counter with ten or twelve comics while the kid next to me has two. I feel like I am the geek he aspires to be. "One day I too will be able to walk into a comic shop dressed like a homeless guy and rack up a huge credit card bill on comic books" Of course he's probably really thinking,"Why is that scruffy bastard buying so many shitty comics? And why is he leering at the many many pictures of ladies' bottoms in Birds of Prey?"
-
Jul 27, 2005 6:37:47 PM CDT
Girls into comics isn't the holy grail, or at least manga gi
by thematarife
Look, I know lots of us are sick and tired of the vast majority of comics geeks being guys and partially because of that we get no respect in the "normal" world, but about 10 minutes of browsing photos from anime conventions should bust your notion that this is a 100% awesome great super good thing for us and the industry. From tons and tons of fat women wearing shirts like "will clomp for pocky" meaning will hug for a Japanese snack food (even more pathetic is that some people actually DO pay for hugs), and "will yuri for yaoi" meaning will make out with other girls if you make out with another guy, to guys dressed up as faye valentine from bebop, including the infamous "manfaye" who I actually find kind of funny (he's got a website somewhere I think). If you didn't think it was possible for comics to get any more pathetic, the anime industry will prove you wrong. Honestly, it is filled with fag hags and japanophiles and pedo types to the point of being almost unredeemable at this point. Between all sorts of fetishistic wank material and people who spend more time on the internet than comic people to the point of real life social skills decaying to the point where you see a ton of people wearing signs because they're too shy to talk. (anime/manga people spend way too much time on the internet cause most of the stuff they like is only available there, like new series and stuff) Spending 20 minutes walking around an anime con would horrify most "normal" people ten times more than that amount at any comic convention. These anime people are more pathetic than almost any other group in fandom, except for furries, and I don't know if they even count as fandom. At least comics are getting a lot more respectable thanks to a bunch of kickass films from Marvel, DC, and others. Not to mention the internet is bringing a lot of comic fans who haven
-
One of comicdoms oldest chestnuts (oof!) is about Wally Wood, Power Girl's first artist, drawing her for DC SHOWCASE. As the story goes, for a lark, Wood supposedly drew Power Girl's chest bigger each issue, waiting for someone in editorial to say something about it. I don't know if anyone ever did, but apparently things got to be pretty big, and it became a part of her character. Here's a link to a panel of Wood's original PG. http://my.execpc.com/~icicle/Powegirl.jpg
-
I mean, sure, you're generalizing to a certain extent and being a little harsh. There are lots of relatively normal people who like the genres just like us. Still, the stereotypes exist for a reason and I personally know at least a dozen people who bear out these stereotypes. I can say with absolute honesty that the comic book fans I know are several levels up the social ladder from the manga/anime crowd, which is why I'm sick of hearing about how they're a superior art form with better fans. I know it's all money, and it's all good for the industry, and there are some really amazing works out there in those fields. If you judge any subgenre by its fanbase, though, manga and anime are the worst by far. Honestly, if Western comics or animated movies were as obsessed with sex between teenaged boys (or girls), not to mention dozens of animal/robot/demon/schoolgirl/alien variants, as the Japanese stuff is those of us who are actually adults would rightly point out that there's nothing smart, mature or open-minded about it. It's written by a bunch of people coming from the mindset of socially and morally underdeveloped fifteen year olds. For every quality work like AKIRA or UZUMAKI or NAUSICAA there's a couple dozen horrible, childish, underwritten series. And that's before you get to the vile, offensive stuff. You don't hear about things like "fan service" in western comics, and anybody who tries to tell you it's because we're too repressed is full of shit: it's actually because it's a pointless, exploitative waste of time. If you think the fans you described are disturbing, just imagine how many of them dedicate their lives to writing slash based on the characters from FRUITS BASKET and sharing it with like-minded others on line...
-
...I had no idea it went all the way back to Wally Wood. I still kinda wish they'd focus less on her triple-J cup size and more on the actual character, though, since it's the kinda thing that makes us all look bad. Still, I'm hoping this arc by Johns starts to turn things around for the poor kid.
-
You know, usually I can take the whitterings of the a$$holes, and their developmently retarded hopes of all comics remaining JUST LIKE THE ONES THEY READ WHEN THEY WERE 12, with good humour. But once again the motherfucking Bendis-bashing raises the "nothing happens" and "talking" (!?!) criticisms. House of M 4 included a sentinel attack and Wolverine gaining back the memory of every single moment of his life. What exactly has to happen to make it "something" ? Christ, you people can be so fucking tiresome! Some of us like our comics to mature with us.
-
I'm just glad the medium's got something that fucking *interests* the other 50% of the world (and younger readers as a side benefit). And I'm not so sure ANY kind of convention is the best place to judge a medium's fandom. But I see the folks buying manga in my store - many normal, if geeky in a slightly different way than American comic geeks; a few yes, scary as any uber-Trekkie - and all I really end up carrying about is that the medium I love is finding new readership here in America. And I'm talking *actual* new readers, not the guys who bailed in the '90s and whose return, frankly, isn't fostering innovation so much as...well...rape in superhero comics. Hollywood respect? Please. Only until the next trend, and comic films have only a minimal effect on overall industry numbers. Manga's the real deal as far as bringing in the newbs, the only truly positive growth in decades. Is it really so shocking that there's some weirdness involved? That it's a phenomena tied to a completely foreign culture all but guarantees some raised eyebrows IMHO. Conventions? Sure, wacky. The customers buying manga in my store. Lots of teenage boys and girls, and noticably *fewer* of the obsessive and pervy types I tended to notice a few years back. I think some of those folks gave manga a bad name, but as manga becomes more and more mainstream, they're being outmoded by relatively normal folks.
-
Thank you thank you thank you! YES!!! "The a$$holes, and their developmently retarded hopes of all comics remaining JUST LIKE THE ONES THEY READ WHEN THEY WERE 12, with good humour" EXACTLY. Brotherly love to you.
-
You wrote, "You don't hear about things like 'fan service' in western comics." Perfect timing - right after a post about Power Girl's ultra-fetishized tits! Hey, just 'cause there's not a term for 'fan service' in American comics doesn't mean it doesn't exist (eg. ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, BIRDS OF PREY, Jessica Alba in the FF flick, anything by Frank Cho, anything by Adam Hughes, andything by Terry Dodson, anything with Zatanna, etc.). C'mon, we don't judge all American comics by these examples, and it ain't fair to judge all manga by its excesses.
-
Really, if you ever find yourself amidst 4 or 5 of said specimens you'll prolly end up pulling out you own pubes with your teeth to try and drown out the noise. I say things are pretty great right now. You've got so many great comics and so many talented creators out there contributing to a more mature and focused medium, i just don't think any of it needs any saving. Ok so you're selling 200.000 comics instead of 4 million. Their fucking loss!!! Let's not cater to the astonishingly moronic masses.
-
I didn't realize Power Girl's history of endowment went back THAT far, but I believe EVERY artist since Sears on JLE has made her at least a D cup. I have plenty of comics from the late 70s/early 80s where the character was realiztically proportioned, but it seems like every artist since Bart Sears in JLE has likened her to Dolly Parton's long lost super-powered sister.
-
Jesus Christ, could we *be* more possessive about the medium? AHH! Children enjoying comics and having fun! Out with them! OUT! Can't those cunts see we're busy reading SANDMAN, MAUS and the rape of Sue Dibney?
-
Comics aren't expensive in America...only bad comcis are. Here's some math: Your average comic costs about 3 bucks. That's 6000 pesos. Devide that into 22 pages and you get a cost of 272+ pesos per page. That's a Morrison penned, Quitely drawn page just as an example. Nearly 300 pesos for a fucking Morrison/Quitely page? That's stealing! You can find the newest X-Men comic here, and it'll set you back some 20.000 pesos, or 10 dollars. *That* is expensive.
-
...but in my experience "fan service" goes a lot farther than Power Girl's tits. In the manga and anime my friends collect, it's more along the lines of "hey, why not take a cute, fun, entertaining, all-ages concept--and insert pointless nudity and sex?" I forget the name of one in particular I saw, but it was three girls in their early to mid teens who are somehow involved in magic or stumble across a witch's house or some such. And I'm thinking "hey, my friends are right--this show *is* kinda entertaining and fun! It's kinda cute!" Then, for no reason at all, one or more of the girls get naked, take a bath, etc. and I go "what the FUCK was that for?!?" "Oh, that? That's !" "Huh?" "Fan service! You know, for the fans who want to see young naked girls romping around or making out with each other!" "Ah. Gotcha. Anybody need anything from the store?" It was like shoving a Skinemax movie into the middle of "Buffy" or something, and it really annoyed me. As for the scurvier fans not being as into it: horse puckey. They just buy it (or illegally download it online, far more likely) from at home, just like they do everything else nowadays. And one quick look at the attendance numbers for Otakon goes to show you how large a chunk of the fanbase they really are. And I, for one, don't want kids reading something that's going to lead them down the path of social rejection, extreme dorkiness and tentacle porn. The children, Dave...think of the children. Ah, but I kid...or DO I? dun-dun-DUUNNN!
-
Gives a very broad overview, INCLUDING critical points, and maybe covers more than what your pervy friends are reading. Yeah, the Japanese are freaks, but again, you can get caught up on the excesses and completely miss what *works* in manga. I have to wonder, is it really more problematic to have a teen girl getting turned on watching two guys kiss in a manga than it is to have a teen boy plugging into the rape/torture/gloom of the current DC?
-
I think there needs to be more stuff targeted at younger audiences, female audiences, western audiences, romance audiences, slice-of-life audiences...it's all valid if done well. The only thing I don't want? Bad comics. I'm sick of people inside and out of the industry walking around like we're stupid for not loving manga and anime to death. I want good stories, not just cool character designs and immature sexual material. There's some great manga and anime out there, and some good, and some mediocre, and some truly shitty. I'm interested in the COMICS JOURNAL you reviewed specifically because I'm hoping it might point me to the good stuff. Why? Because none of the fans of the genre itself seem to know where to find it. I know you read tons of it and highlight the good stuff, and I love ya for it. It's just this idea that because it sells so much better the product much be better that pisses me off. Honestly, does anybody think "White Chicks" was a better movie than "Lost In Translation"--not just better, in fact, but almost 60% better. Or, to stick with comics, it means House of M is better than BLANKETS or MAUS. Manga books are, in the end, no better or worse than western comics. Once the pop-culture appeal wears off and the readers figure out that 80% of them suck, it'll just be one more balloon popping in the direct market.
-
Jul 27, 2005 7:59:06 PM CDT
I'm actually gonna try and find that COMICS JOURNAL, Dave...
by sleazyg.
...for exactly that reason: I can't trust my own friends and acquaintances to steer me towards the good stuff. And is the teen girls liking to see boys kissing bad? Nope. It'd be hypocritical to say yes, considering as a teen boy I used to like the idea of girls kissing (something I've outgrown, of course). Would that teen girls were the only audience for the material, though. It runs far older, deeper and creepier, and at that point I question whether the teen audience is really who it's being written for or not. This in turn makes me wonder if the teen audience was ever really looking for it. It's one thing for the audience to influence the market and another for the market to convince the audience it's what they wanted when it comes to explicit content. The sexual material is now creeping into publications targeted at girls as young as the 10-13 range, and frankly I find that a little disturbing. Surprising? Not really. Disturbing? Yeah. Like I said, though, you're a smart and well-informed guy who knows his stuff, which is why I'm taking you at your word. It's just the smug superiority of the fanbase is a little bit of a turn-off. Then again, I can see why they think of us as cranky old farts who can't accept anything new, so maybe I'll read that COMICS JOURNAL while I read one of those newfangled Red Bulls I keep hearing so much about...
-
Are exactly the reasons why I don't like Supreme Power, which is a perennial @$$hole favorite.
-
I agree on that. But I do think the diversity of genres and target audiences makes for a healthier, more robust use of the medium. In any case, you'll be happy to know the JOURNAL calls out a number of manga titles critically, so make no mistake: except for the Trina Robbins example I cite, there's not much praise given to manga simply because it's foreign or sells well. A number of titles get acknowledged for having a certain page-turning compellingness, but are ultimately dismissed because they're so vacuous. Others are called out for, yes, a kind of moral ineptitude. I did find it interesting, though, that one of the most deeply analyzed series of the lot - the ultra-"fan service" title LOVE HINA - is ultimately found to be very worthy by JOURNAL head honcho Dirk Deppey. I'm not quiiiiiite sure if I buy all his reasoning, but he makes a pretty good case. And Sleazy, I don't know that you'll find a ton of manga to seek out from the issue - the focus IS on girl-centric titles - but I think learning why they do what they do will interest you. And incidentally, the JOURNAL does have a few samples from the issue at their site. Here's a review that's only moderately positive: http://tinyurl.com/c63zr And here's the article that looks at the whole gayboy phenomenon in manga: http://tinyurl.com/ahd5l
-
Correct me if I'm wrong, but they brought that fight on themselves, didn't they? Manga looked for outlets in direct market LCS's first, and when they were frozen out due to...I don't know, owners not convinced would sell at best, outright xenophobia at worst, the Manga companies had no choice but to go to the big chains, right? That's my understanding of it, and it may have been the worst thing to happen to Western comics in the last decade. At least in terms of roping in a new generation of readers. *** By the way, I'm a 29-year-old lifetime comics reader who's been buying more and more manga (or manga-esque) books lately. I'm getting tired of the tokenistic efforts that companies put into non-superhero books, and I'm quickly getting sick of the big 2 and at least 75% of the "hot" creators.
-
If loving Yotsuba&! is wrong, I don't ever, ever want to be right. A simple story about a single father and his little girl, is actually the most joyous and humanistic book I've read in some time. And #2 just came out! Don't pass it by, people!
-
I have to compliment Prof for his review of JSA: CLASSIFIED. Hilariously honest and I think I enjoyed it more than anything I've actually *read* from DC lately.
-
Am I the only one who actually Laughed Out Loud when Mr. Immortal from GLA exclaimed that he was Homo Supreme, and then the flat guy thought Immortal was one-upping him? I can't remember the last time I read such a laughter-inducing comic.
-
...those are the kinds of things that would actually appeal to me, but none of the people I know who are into A&M would know (or care) about it. Yotsuba!, you say?
-
It's still my favorite comic going right now, and I have loved every single issue. Bendis gets a lot of heat, but he still delievers. Also, am I the only one that's noticing that he's writing just about everything in the Marvel Universe right now?
-
I won't guarantee anyone would like it, but if you don't you probably don't have a heart. It's adorable, has a strong heartbeat, and is laugh-out-loud funny. I think it'd appeal mostly to anyone who has a kid, is around kids, or once was a kid.
-
Bendis IS a fantastic writer, but the frantic pace at which he must work to cover a good half of the marvel books out there means that he's often sloppy. The more you read of him, the more you notice.
-
From "Powers" to "Daredevil" to, apparently, "House of M," Bendis sets up intriging concepts and decent dialogue, but then paces the story so poorly that he ends up having to rush his endings. Too bad modern comics don't allow editors to actully edit.
-
You CRISIS-watcher will have to tell me if that ends up justified or not. Like, had Darkseid or Brainiac boosted Max's powers or something? It seems like a pretty big detail to miss, though I sometimes wonder if the stories I think of as the legendary stories of my youth would hold up under adult scrutiny. Does the AVENGERS "Mansion Siege" have continuity glitches? Is Dazzler's forced use midway through "The Dark Phoenix Saga" enough to weaken the overall story? Did Simonson's "Surtur" story arc on THOR lose some of its personal nature by bringing in the Avengers and the X-Men during the big fight scenes? I've revisited some of these stories as an adult, and perhaps surprisingly, found they hold up quite well. But I'm sure my opinions are at least *somewhat* clouded by nostalgia, and I occasionally wonder what online reviewers would've made of those books had they been contemoraries with 'em.
-
Jul 27, 2005 8:50:51 PM CDT
And I, for one, don't want kids reading something that's
by darth kal-el
i agree. and btw great reviews as usual guys.
-
I wish it weren't so, but it is. Kevin Maguire deserves better books to draw.
-
I'm not around kids much but from I've seen, it's a lot of the cool & popular kids who read manga. Not at all like when I was a kid, and I was considered a dork by my peers for reading comics, even when most of them were still playing with toys!
-
Jul 27, 2005 8:59:38 PM CDT
Alright Prof., you owe me a new keyboad as I just spewed beer al
by heywood jablowme
While everybody's throwing around their 2 bits on the attempt to capture the young female demographic, here's mine. Give some credit to the big 2 making an attempt. I willfully submit the fairly new Batgirl and Arana (Amazing Fantasy). As well as the new Speedy and the now-late Robin IV (Spoiler). These characters aren't the typical female eye-candy for male readers, they're girls, not ink & paint Pamela Andersons. I'm sure there are several more examples. Feel free to mention them. Granted, the industry talent is grossly underrepresented by those testicularly challenged (unless you count Judd Winnick), but the characters are there. Quite frankly, it's the medium. Comic books are for boys and Barbies are for girls. That's the way it is whether you like it or not. I'm not saying it's right. It is what it is.
-
Sometimes I think the worst thing about Bendis at Marvel is a the trend it set. Five, six years ago and guys like Rucka, Bendis, and Brubaker might've been living on ramen noodles and sleeping on cots, but they were by god producing some of the best crime/suspense comics of our times. Next thing you know, Marvel and DC have the brilliant notion of cherry-picking the indie world for new writers, and the next thing you know, Bendis is practically running Marvel. And Rucka is writing two of DC's "Big Three" heroes and helping orchestrate its biggest crossover in a 20 years. And Brubaker...I think it's him I'll miss the most. At least on CATWOMAN, he was sneaking in all kinds of straight-up character drama, but now he's becoming as much a superhero go-to guy as Bendis or Rucka. He's got his CAP gig going on, AUTHORITY winding up, and his next project is...an X-MEN miniseries? The fucking X-MEN?!! Aw, man, it's not that I'm mad. Brubaker seems like a guy who's really busted his butt over the years to refine his craft, and he deserves a nice steak dinner and the ability to pay his bills, but damn, man...the X-Men? Guy wrote some of the best crime comics ever with SCENE OF THE CRIME and THE FALL, and now he's just another cog in the machine. What a waste.
-
That's been the American tradition, but manga really is changing things. It's the first comic book format whose core readership now has girls as the *majority* (I think the JOURNAL cited a roughly 60/40 split in favor of girl readers). And what seems to appeal to the girls isn't just that the stories feature female leads, it's that the stories often focus on character interaction above all else. That the drawing styles of shoujo manga - most created by women cartoonists - are attractive to feminine sensibilities with their strong design sensibilities and emphasis on fashion. I'm simplifying, but the point is that the style of manga, shoujo manga in particular, is so vastly different from American comics that even chick-headlined superhero books like ARANA and BATGIRL bear little relation to them. Those superhero books might feature female leads, but they aren't written with female sensibilities. Or drawn with female sensibilities. Not to say a girl might not enjoy them or that shoujo itself doesn't have its own share of cliches, but the fact is, girls are buying shoujo and they aren't going near superheroes. Anyway, that 60/40 split pretty much says it all - girls clearly have no ingrained antipathy for comics. They'll read 'em, and read 'em with unchecked enthusiasm...*if* the approach resonates with 'em.
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:20:37 PM CDT
Dave, not picking a fight here, but your take on comics not infl
by heywood jablowme
Two of the top 10 films of all-time are comic book based. That's 20%. Look at the top 10 films right now. Again, 2 out of 10. Guess what, next year's number one movie will be Superman. Your take that comics don't have an impact on Hollywood is bogus. They're making a Ghost Rider movie for Christ's sake and GR hasn't been in a book for what, 10 years?
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:27:22 PM CDT
manga is on the fringe, it's going to always be that way.
by heywood jablowme
What about Pokemon? Remember that stuff? It was hot for about 2 weeks. You can't begin to sell that stuff now. Dragonball...same thing. Digimon...the list goes on. Manga is a fad. Ripped guys in tights fighting crime are forever. Paging Dr. Freud...Dr. Freud...
-
What I wasn't so big on was the deranged amount of exposition, bordering on Shakesperean-fucking-soliloquy as Daredevil force-feeds his mission statement to a group of terrified people who just want to know the truth about that damn Kuato-baby that's been terrorizing them! So, yes, I have to disagree with my pal Vroom here. I've enjoyed much of what Bendis has done in DAREDEVIL, enough to buy the hardcovers (at least up until the current arc), but I daresay "Decalogue" is not only not the best of Bendis's work...I dub it the *worst* of his major projects. It's all his bad habits rolled into one story, including the leaden finale and one of the worst, most trite final story lines in comic book history (I kid you not: "#$%*ing ninjas."). Sideshow, can we get a tie-breaking vote?
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:35:13 PM CDT
No, no, I ABSOLUTELY believe that comics have an impact on Holly
by dave_f
It's Hollywood that has little impact on *comics*. Sales-wise anyways. Last and one of the only times the movie biz gave comics any kind of notable bump was during the mega-hype surrounding Burton's first BATMAN flick. But even those sales didn't really "take", and 15 years later, all we've got is an industry whose sales have plateaued at what can at best be called "survivable." Only thing Hollywood's truly contributed to comics is a shitload of leather costumes.
-
waiting for trade. can't help ya out. If it helps, I'll second your enthusiasm for The Athiest. Phil Hester is fast turning into a less cynical Warren Ellis.........and that's a very good thing!
-
But it didn't happen! Same for GLA! My theory: when a new humor book comes out the same day as a new GOON issue, it doesn't stack up for shit!
-
There was a poll on the Vaughan forum recently asking all the girls how they got into comics and all that. Surprisingly there not only turned out to be a LOT of them in the forum but a lot of them claimed they got into comics because of the fucking X-Men cartoon back in the 90s! And the others were introduced to comics by their boyfriends and such. In fact as far as i remember none of them stuck with comics through their teenage years, they kinda rediscovered them in their 20s. It was all very interesting.
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:47:35 PM CDT
Lemme tell you something about the millions of people who don
by el vale
Most of them think Meet the Fockers is the best thing ever.
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:55:10 PM CDT
Well, if by "fringe" you mean "selling gangbusters in mega-chain
by dave_f
Then, yes, manga is fringe. Seriously, I need to dig up some ICV2 or Bookscan numbers, but manga is selling ridiculously well, and it's selling in mainstream outlets whose numbers, sadly, put comic shop numbers to shame. This does seem to be the year that the manga companies are scaling back their ambitions slightly, having finally clogged the market with a little too much competition, but I don't see it going the way of other fads at all. For one thing, manga are *stories*, unlike toy and game trends like Pokemon/Digimon/Yu-Gi-Oh, and stories tend not to experience sharp drops in popularity once they've established it. They level out, they dip a bit...but they don't careen into oblivion. Second, manga and anime are intextricably tied, and looking at the anime boom on Cartoon Network, I get the impression it's very stable. Particular stories will wax and wane in popularity, but Japanese animation has clearly staked out a foothold in the States, and as long as it stays popular, its sister medium of manga is in no danger.
-
Jul 27, 2005 9:58:45 PM CDT
"Only thing Hollywood's truly contributed to comics is a shi
by voice o. reason
I'd like to think the publishers are getting a ton of $$$ for licensing their properties for profitable films.
-
Jul 27, 2005 10:02:38 PM CDT
Sorry, Dave. read your earlier post the wrong way, thought you
by heywood jablowme
I've seen more people picking up Spidey books since the movies came out. And Hellboy. Well, it took off after the film. It's still a steady pull where I shop. Same thing goes for Constantine, errrr Hellblazer. The movies did help. What about TMNT after Hollywood got ahold of it back in the 80s? They's bringing that back from what I've read around here. Granted, I weep when I see something like Punisher '04, but the films help sales. The comic book industry shot itself in the foot in the 90s through speculation, not because of Hollywood. Movies have only helped revive a dormant format. Remember Blade?
-
Yeah, not surprised that show lured so many to comics. Its audience was in the *millions* where the comic audience is measured in the tens of thousands, so there are far more folks who've watched X-Men cartoons (and played X-Men video games, bought X-Men toys) than have ever read the comics. And I gather SAILOR MOON in the early (or was it mid?) '90s pretty much did the same for manga that the X-Men 'toon did for X-Men comics. What's interesting is that while there have been plenty of superhero cartoons, there's not a sense of style connecting them (beyond Timm's stuff), whereas anime flicks have many, many stylistic commonalities no matter how different their subject matter and themes. As such, anime seems to invoke a greater sense of community, almost telling its viewers, "Enjoy *this* anime? Bet there's a good chance you'll like *this* one too. And this one, and this one..." But no matter how many millions watched the X-Men toon, it's a good bet it didn't make them exited for all comics or even all superhero comics - just the X-Men in particular. I'm not making a judgement here - I don't even watch anime except on rare occasions - but I think it's a valid observation. The Japanese have made an art out of synchronizing multi-media blitzes, and it's rare to find a cartoon that's not also manga and a toy and a video game. Pretty crass, but effective. That ability to manipulate consumers and create a sense of community, even among disparate products, is why I think the anime/manga meme is here to stay for a good.
-
Jul 27, 2005 10:09:05 PM CDT
I don't know the difference between manga/anime, thus provin
by heywood jablowme
I'm sure it sells fine in the box stores. I'll take your word for it Dave. But the general public doesn't get it, thus it won't sell. We're Americans. Sometimes you have to dumb it down for us, hence, El Vale's "Meet the Fockers" take. Right on point.
-
The interest they generate represents bumps of tens of thousands at best, and in the big scheme of things, that's nothing. Comics used to sell millions an issue. In the '70s that number had dropped to the low hundreds of thousands and everyone in the biz thought the medium was gonna go under. Now a book that sells 50,000 is successful and only the top, TOP titles sell over 100,000. Even with the occasional bump, the downward slide can't be ignored. The NINJA TURTLE movies? Sure, they made Eastman and Laird wealthy, but where's their comic now? Resurfaced briefly at Dreamwave, got cancelled. Resurfaced again as a black-and-white book, sells in cancellation-level numbers. Meanwhile, there're plenty of TMNT video game makers who got reach. Plenty of TMNT toymakers who got rich. But in the end, only about two *comic book makers* who got rich. It's kind of depressing, really. I mean, I saw HELLBLAZER trade sales bump for a few months circa Keanu's movie, but the net result? Check out HELLBLAZER's spot on Diamond's top 300: http://tinyurl.com/79pn2 Below WITCHBLADe. Below John Byrne's DOOM PATROL. Below the FRIDAY THE 13th comic. If Hollywood comic adaptations have any effect on the industry, it's ephemeral and only will be measured over many years. Who knows, maybe the saturation of comic-themed concepts will enter the public's mind and in a few years they'll transform comics into a thriving mass medium again. But right now...as things stand...present tense...if Hollywood's not doing anything to increase the already-small audience, what the hell good does it? I think it's benefits are purely illusory, a mild ego boost to the superhero fan whose non-comic-readin' friends suddenly know who John Constantine is. But chances are, they'll pick up the comic, wonder where Constantine's magic shotgun is, then put it down to search the internet for rumors of the next CONSANTINE movie.
-
Manga = Jap word for comics. Anime = Jap word for cartoons. That is all.
-
If you don't know what manga and anime are, I'm betting you're over 30 like me. But the kids know, and that's really all that counts. They're why anime's a hit on Cartoon Network, why mega-corporation Disney acquired the American rights to Hayao Miyazaki's movies (SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE), why Quentin Tarantino had an extended anime sequence in KILL BILL, and why Squaresoft has made zillions on anime-influenced FINAL FANTASY games. We're all the old folks listening to jazz and big band, they're the kids listening to that damn rock 'n' roll that "just sounds like noise."
-
Jul 27, 2005 10:57:26 PM CDT
Yeah, I'm old enough to remember watching Superfriends v. Le
by heywood jablowme
Back to TMNT, it started out B&W very low print. They go Hollywood and then the franchise blows up. Yes, they pissed it away and got away from what it was about (which was a really good book) and look where it's at now. You're right about some of the film/comic relationships, Dave. But I submit look where it started. I've been hearing that anime/manga was (is) going to take over for years. Hasn't happened. Won't happen. The big 2 run the show and one of them is owned by Time Warner. Those are deep pockets.
-
Jul 27, 2005 11:15:30 PM CDT
Mind you, I'm not rooting against Anime/manga's downfall
by heywood jablowme
I could care less. I just disagree when you say that Hollywood has had little impact on comics. I think they've had a significant impact, and I agree, not always positive. Of course circulation is down. The quote goes, "Print is dead". It's true. Why hasn't anyone busted out a Harry Potter comic book while I'm thinking about it? Hollywood has brought the genre out of the 90s doldrums. Again, Blade. That film got people interested in comics again. Got films on the screens, got people in the stores. Also, look at some of the people writing books: Whedon, JMS, Orson Scott Card, Kevin Smith (as he hasn't written anything in 3 years you may opt to not count him, lol). No, it won't be like it was. Just ask newspapers. Ask magazine publishers. But Hollywood and corporate America has a vested interest in the success of the genre, therefore, they will thrive.
-
There's far less places to buy comics now than in the 1970's, and there are trade sales to factor in. And comics cost at least six times as much now as they did then. SIX!
-
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but i don't want comics turning into a thriving mass medium again. It's not cause i like it insular in here, or i'm possesive about the medium or any of that shit...it's because thriving mass mediums are driven by force of buck alone. I think the comic book industry is a little bit more artistically driven. Go on and say i'm wrong. Most of the people involved with your average comic are fans just like we are, and they're absolutely dedicadet to the material (the quality of being irrelevant). Why? Because they're not making millions out of it, and they're still doing it. That's more than you can say about movies and tv shows. Most of them are created by comitee and designed to hit on specific demographics and hit hard in order to make tons and tons of money. Taking you own example if the dude comes out of dumbshit Constantine to check out a Hellblazer comic and instead of holy water shotguns he finds cynical black magic and thoughtful suspense that reads nothing like a big budget action film...and all he can think of is "Bleh, this sucks" we don't need to cater to him. Turns out he's an example of a bigger crowd, and we'd have to turn the Hellblazer comic into something stupid and banal in order to reel them all in. Speaking like the punk rocker i am: We'd have to sell out. I really really don't want that.
-
I just checked a Fantastic Four comic from 1977 that I had lying around. It's cover price is $0.30. So comics prices have increased over 10 times in that time frame. Has there been aything else that has gone up over 10 times in a similar time frame? Anything? *** And as a side note, why was the Roy Thomas/George Perez FF so uncompelling? I like both those guys (well, Roy's a bit hit or miss). I love the Fantastic Four. But their run is just a "meh" for me.
-
Jul 28, 2005 12:08:47 AM CDT
sideshow, the price increase...it's called inflation.
by heywood jablowme
It's happened to every good/service that is sold today. Of course you know this. You buy milk and bread. The only thing that remotely tips towards your arguement is that wages have not quite followed at the same exact rate. They're just a little behind. Which is why Generation X and their precursors will not enjoy the affluence that the Babyboomer generation has enjoyed. (insert Democrat plug here). You are right about independent comic shops. They are few and far between, which is sad. But, it's reality. Ask the arcades. As far as books go it's all about the trade, which can be packaged and sold at a chain. Sorry, but that's the truth Ruth. Right, Dave?
-
Because the quality of production values has increased quite a bit. Paper stock, colouring, you name it
-
Sorry for my bad English.
You can't blame the people for being excited about something new like manga. The problem with the western/American comics is, since decades 90% of the output of the major comics firms has been nothin but superheroes. Well, that limits your audience a little bit. Furthermore they do almost nothing to guide their readers to new stuff if they grow up. How could they, they have nothing else to offer but superheroes (besides the Vertigo line, which I love). And now comes manga. Completely new stories with a beginning and an end, and almost every genre is covered. You don't like your giantrobotmanga anymore? Drop it and try the romantic comedy genre. Or a manga about politics. Maybe one about basket ball or cooking? Silly superpowerfighting? Innocent love story or perverse sex? Well, you get it. If you don't like superheroes you are pretty much screwed with American comics. And if the western manga publisher are clever, they will give their audience the fitting mangas if they grow older. There are enough mangas for the 50 year old business manager in Japan. So, no point to my babbling besides that manga has come to stay and will only grow stronger over time. -
If...when... my English teacher would beat me with his rhythm stick, but i guess he is dead by now...
-
If you want to see the best House of M Hawkeye action, check out The Pulse #10, just out today. Its all about Hawkeye remembering his death and the ramifications of why he may have been brought back, and leaves gaping opportunities for his return to the main universe. Bendis should have made his Pulse #10 into House of M #4.
-
I don't feel that comic book companies have done a good job in the online world. Sure Marvel has a few issues available online with their crappy Flash interface, but it hardly pushes the possibilities or the enjoyment level. Also their distribution model hasn't changed at all. Comic book stores filled with card playing geeks are the only places to get the great titles, and the McBookstores never seem to stock enough of the titles I want to read. Who is going to bring the digital revolution to comics?
-
but not the new Goon!
-
Heywood wrote: "I've been hearing that anime/manga was (is) going to take over for years. Hasn't happened. Won't happen." I've never literally believed manga will take over, but it's the only thing to make a dent in the superhero monopoly since the superhero monopolgy came to pass in the '70s. And it's made a big dent. And it's sold in chain bookstores that outnumber comic shops a dozen to one. And its price point is perceived by newbies as being better bang-for-buck than $3 monthly comics. And it's developing a renewable audience (kids) while Marvel and DC just focus on maintaining the old timers and nabbing the occasional college student. It's *possible* the manga bubble might burst...just possible...but I think their business model is too smart right now for a major crash. So I'm not going to predict a take-over, but I'm going to predict continued steady growth that will seriously challenge Marvel and DC within the next decade or so. I've no vested interest in seeing this happen - I just see a better business model. Can you imagine if, say, the video game or movie industry only went after college students and up? Because that's basically what Marvel and DC are doing. Might work in the short term, because that's a target market with plenty of cash, but in the long term? Too limiting.
-
Marvel courted J.K. Rowlings several years ago, but it didn't take. What I'm guessing it came down to is that, while Rowling's obviously fine with licensing the shit out of HARRY POTTER, she's limiting *story* adaptations to the mega-industry of film.
-
I can appreciate this perspective, Vale. There IS a certain artistic freedom in the relative obscurity of comics right now. But even artists gotta eat, and to bring things back to my lament about losing Brubaker to Marvel and DC, if all the great non-superhero writers are just gonna be subsumed by Marvel and DC, are we *really* an artistically-driven medium? It's a tough call, but these days I'm leaning towards wanting to return comics to a mass medium, fully aware of the committee-writing and all the woes that come with that. To use Hollywood as the example, yes it's a world rife with sequels and remakes and poop jokes, but it's also a world where a crime or a romance or a period piece epic can make it. Where the Coen brothers don't have to make big budget spectacles to survive. Where all ages and sexes have stories made for them. Man, I just know it sure as hell doesn't feel "punk rock" that Ed Brubaker is writing X-Men...
-
Jul 28, 2005 5:35:09 AM CDT
Waitaminute, waitaminute...Batman sends *Alfred* to deal with a
by dave_f
What happened to "I am the night!", Bats? Humph, I need to take a peek at the issue you reviewed, because I am curious to see the "shocking" cliffhanging you mention. What, does Alfred pop the guy or something? It just seems bizarre, even milquetoast to me that Bats would ever go the talky-talky appeasement route of shooing away a blackmailer. Where's the smarts? Where's the cojones?
-
Gorgeous art, but without any characters to care about, what purpose does it serve? I see this from newbie publishers all the time, and I can only wonder what the hell they're thinking. With Speakeasy, it seems to all but define their publishing theory: great visuals, uninspired writing. And they're producing so many titles right out of the starting gate that I can't help but smell "CrossGen" unless their pockets run much deeper than I thought. By contrast, I'm much impressed with IDW. Here's a company that made ALL it's bank on the merits of a single title - 30 DAYS OF NIGHT - and they're actually using that money in all the right ways. First, they've continued with the horror push, so the company's got an identity. Then they've diversified, nabbing up insta-audience licenses like TRANSFORMERS and METAL GEAR and 24, picking up retro-faves like MAZE AGENCY and GRIMJACK, and even making a home for creator-owned properties like Peter David's FALLEN ANGEL. I have to admit, for a while I thought little of these guys because I didn't dig on 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, but they're playing their cards so damn smart these days that I easily see 'em as the next Dark Horse or Image Comics. Speakeasy, I'm afraid, I don't see existing at all in another few years.
-
Jul 28, 2005 7:31:00 AM CDT
Thank you, Dan Slott, for making us laugh at Marvel Comics all o
by sans souci
GLA was hit or miss? Not from the issues I read, bunky. A nearly note-perfect mix of humor and melodrama, the pulpy goodness of a classic comic presented in a modern flavor. The final issue could've done with more Monkey Joe asides, but...well, he was otherwise engaged. Flatman professing he's gay and then Mr. I decalring that he's Homo Supreme was hilariously terrible. Flatman's reaction was totally spot-on! And that final page...that is the best payoff for this series and this group if there ever was one. From a team that tried to be the Avengers, then shadowed the Thunderbolts, and ultimately fell back to being the (Great Lakes) Avengers...it's the next logical step in their evolution. Can't wait for She-Hulk to begin again. I want Dan Slott can sire my lovechild! OR vice versa, whichever works best. ;)
-
Now, for the sake of the review, I understand that you have to review stuff that actually "happened" in the comic, but that was almost a line-by-line, blow-by-blow, boob-by-boob spoiler session that could have been summed up much earlier. I won't fault you the funny stuff (you missed "gazongas"!) but the review was a little too much of a "let's walk the reader through it page by page" analysis than a review. The meat that really consists of a review was at the end of the whole thing.
I did enjoy reading it, though, and I do think that the "JSA:Classified - Power Girl" series may require this sort of "Treatment" in it's reviews, but IMHO there was a little too much plot IN the review. -
And GLA was hilarious. Also, review Serenity cocksuckers.
-
...thank you for proving that I'm not the only one to catch the loud "BOOOOOOOM" and equate it to the New Gods. I think that Psycho Pirate pulled the LSH out of time. And I doubt she's from Earth-2 or 1... or whatever the Crime Syndicate Earth is; otherwise, her double would have crossed over (the JLAvengers series is what removed the "swap someone for someone else" loop).
One thing I don't know if I care for or not is that blatant disregard for Power Girl's pregnancy and later child or whatever the hell all that was in the pre-Zero Hour Justice League. -
Seriously, that is one sold-out book, so it hardly needs any reviews. I'm a FIREFLY dork, though, so I'm sure I'll at least get to it when the second printings hit in a week or two.
-
But most things have gone up 50% to 100% since 1980. Comic books have gone up around 1000% to 1200%.
-
Jul 28, 2005 9:12:50 AM CDT
Well, my theory that hawkeye was the Ultimates traitor is now...
by shigeru
shot in the head! okay that was weak.
-
That Brubaker's X-Men might actually be *good*? And besides weren't you the one raving about how great Paul Pope's Batman looks last week? I can think of MANY things I'd rather see Pope on than yet another Batman book, but shit, I'll snap that up in a heartbeat.
-
Just cause it's a book with better known characters, and it's not creator-owned, doesn't mean that it is gonna suck. Dave, honestly...that rant was pure bitching. Yes the big 2 snapped up a bunch of indie writers, but #1 didn't you say that everybody's gotta eat and you would like things to take a more mainstream swing? and #2 it's all about the stories man. Are you telling me that just cause Jinx or Goldfish were INDIE books I am going to (or worse, I HAVE TO) like them better than, say, the Decalogue arc? Why can't they just be different? If the story comes out and it blows, then say it blows, but you aren't talking about the stories, you're letting prejudices against the Big 2 get in the way of that. If you said that stuff to Brubaker's face he would tell you to read the book and $*%(& off.
-
But I don't think he was saying indie books are better. I think he was saying that he really enjoys a good crime book, and it stinks that two of the best crime writers are on avengers and captain america. I see where he's coming from (although I'd argue that Daredevil *is* a crime book). FWIW the one that pisses me off is Milligan. The guy is wasting away on X-Men. He really needs to be allowed to cut loose, or to not put on a book at all. I like his own stuff so much more (and yes that includes X-Statix).
-
Jul 28, 2005 9:39:12 AM CDT
I meant I include X-Static with "his own stuff", not with standa
by sideshowbob
-
Jul 28, 2005 9:58:58 AM CDT
Marvel, At Least, Would Love To Sell Out & Be Like The Movies...
by buzz maverik
That's why you've got so many film and TV writers doing comics now. Some are Vacationers like Whedon or JMS, some whose names I can't remember are people whose other careers never quite took off, others are because Quesada doesn't know any better like Zimmerman, even though I kinda dig his stuff, and I'd include Kevin Smith in there. Then, you've got Marvel's biggest comic writers who are trying to make their books like big budget 90s movies or teen angst TV shows but for some reason only succeed in a pacing them at corpse-speed. Meanwhile, the successful superhero movies do what good graphic storytelling has done all along: INTEGRATE ALL THE ELEMENTS. Story, character, spectacle, theme! You get more depth in the first hour of THE INCREDIBLES than you do creeping through two years of "story arcs" (FUCK story arcs; I don't read fucking story arcs, I read stories). SPIDER-MAN cleans up through two movies and his girlfriend never pooches the Goblin once. BATMAN BEGINS and...well, I didn't see that one but I heard it was pretty good. SIN CITY was all darkness, madness and visual glory. Even the X-MEN movies, which weren't my favorites, had a better balance than comic "wanna be electronic medium" books. The movies closer to the tone of current comic books like THE HULK or DAREDEVIL (I'm including that even though it wasn't like today's Daredevil but only us fanboys can refrain from giggling when you go that dark with a guy in a devil suit) or THE PUNISHER fail. It looks like THE FANTASTIC FOUR will be a marginal hit. From what I can see, Marvel was too involved in that production. It didn't really please anyone much, did it? All the fanboys I personally know hated it. Kids were bored. It was paced like a modern comic. Now, if Arad had been barred from the set and if Story had been fired and it had become a Buzz Maverik joint: cosmic fucking storm! Bam! Everybody in shuttle, Torch piloting! Bam! Crash landing near a nuclear power plant! Bam! Everyone out! Freakish transformations! Bam! Doom sensing nearby power, heads for it; the Four must become instant superheroes! Bam! He's driven off! Instant celebrities! Montage of Johnny Human Torch blazing through city ala Raimi's Spidey and Donner's Superman! Bam!
Everybody's happy! Buzz is in Cuban cigars and British shotguns and can make the movies he really wants to make! Bam! Bam! Bam! -
The Vikings weren't just war mongerers. They were highly intelligent, cultured merchants as well....and ummmm didn't they discover America...Leif anyone?
But I imagine the reviewer still believes Vikings walked around in horned helmets. -
Ummmm.... Damn.
-
Jul 28, 2005 10:02:47 AM CDT
The Viking's biggest contribution to world culture was that
by renonevada2000
...And kept quiet about it.
-
Bob, Brubaker's X-Men will certainly have a solid craftsmanship to it, but no, I have no faith in it being good...at least by my own standards. Brubaker, like Rucka, is a guy who just doesn't seem to *get* superheroes...well, the heroic side anyway. He can't help but bring the same darkness and sense of helplessness of his crime novels, and for me, those elements overwhelm all else. He doesn't allow for the "triumphant moment", and shit, if I can't get some vicarious triumph out of larger-than-life heroes then I might as well go to movies or prose for that stuff. And I can't really compare Brubaker and Pope. Brubaker is a writer only (well, these days anyway), so for him to be tied down to superheroes like 90% of the writers is for him to be all but completely lost to me. With Pope, first off you've got a guy who's an artist, too, so for him to work on one of the most visually arresting characters in comicdom has an appeal. Plus he's never done any long-form superhero comics to the best of my knowledge. But more important than any of that is that Pope is a guy who continues to produce non-superhero work and only *dabbles* in the superhero world. His indie projects far outweigh his superhero projects. He's not being wasted, Brubaker is.
-
For the record, no, I don't think any indie book is innately higher quality than a mainstream book. But I will say beyond a shadow of a doubt that if the majority writers of ANY medium were forced by economic circumstances to work in a single genre, that medium would be creatively stagnant. I'm trying not to go all Warren Ellis here ('specially since that guy's turned into as big a superhero sell-out as they come), but what was it he used to say about the dominance of superheroes in comics being the equivalent of all books being "nurse novels"? It's a dickish way to put it, but it's true. And my wanting Brubaker to have a good life has nothing to do with what I want in the medium - just means I think Brubaker is a talented guy who's clocked a lot of field time for little pay, and so deserves a break. On a personal level, I can be happy for him. I really do hope his Marvel work provides a good life for his kid. But as a consumer, I divorce my feelings about the creator from what *I* want from him. It's what we all do. And what I want is for this guy to work on genres where his talents best fit...and superheroes don't make that list. It's no different from hoping Aaron Sorkin is never forced to write sitcoms or Stephen King to write cookbooks. And as for a "a good story's a good story"...general agreement, but experience has shown me that I don't care for ANY of the ex-crime/suspense guys (Brubaker, Rucka, Bendis) on superheroes. So, sure, there's the slightest possibility that Brubaker will write the best X-Men comic of the year, but I can make an *educated guess* that he won't. Not for me, anyway.
-
Jul 28, 2005 11:11:56 AM CDT
Marvel & DC don't target younger audiences? C'mon Dave
by heywood jablowme
You can't say that, "Marvel and DC just focus on maintaining the old timers and nabbing the occasional college student." Two examples right off the top of my head: Teen Titans and The Batman. And yes, I know they're done in a quasi-anime format. Both companies are doing RPG to capture yet another demographic. Both lines have books with the major characters that are specifically written for younger readers so they don't have to read about Sue Dibny being an unwilling sperm recipient (thank you George Carlin). Both companies have been very successful in tapping young audiences. I mean, they've been around longer than both of us put together. That sounds like success to me. Here's the crux of the situation: How do you bring in young readers to the books and yet keep the readers you already have? I can't toss a copy of Amazing Spider-man to my 7 year-old nephew (hell, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone right now), but I can toss him a copy of Marvel Age Spidey. Manga is fringe. It's a fad. It's for 9 year-old boys who will look back ond day and go, "What the hell was that all about?" while going through the attic.
-
Firstly, thanks to Dave for posting that review for The Comics Journal. Being a manga fan I will definitely have to pick that issue up. Don
-
Jul 28, 2005 11:18:24 AM CDT
Wait, isn't Stephen King going to write some stuff for Marve
by heywood jablowme
I could have swore that was on the boards after Comic-con. A little help here. By the way, Brubaker is single-handedly writing the worst run on Captain America since the Heroes Reborn fiasco. He needs to pay Lee & Loeb royalties for ripping off their "Hush" storyline.
-
Okay. Can anyone tell me when Maxwell Lord became the Prince of Darkness...and, hello, he gets a nosebleed when he tries to manipulate the EXTREMELY low-budget Sasha Bordeux or any other frail Earthling--so you would think his brain might explode trying to control Superman (a Kryptonian!) OR Wonder Woman (a freakin' Goddess!). I don't buy this crap for a minute. Maxwell Lord--I just can't take it that seriously. I mean, okay, yes--he DID kill Blue Beetle, and Blue Beetle's arch-nemesis Overthrow, and a couple of big-chested brunettes we've never seen before or since, but--uh, does DC just suck now? Didn't Martian Manhunter ever sense something was going on with this dude while he was cracking jokes at the Justice League embassy?
-
I can't imagine any jury in the world would convict you. Then again, he's always bitching that he's an old school comics fan. Maybe he's old enough that we'll get lucky and one day he'll just fall over dead. God almighty, the man's reviews make me want to stab myself in the eyes. Which is why it's so damned frustrating when he reviews comics I want to read about. The man is so unbelievably awful that he actually makes me long for such 'hilarious' columns as Schleppy or The Roundtable.
-
Yeah, they're outreach of a sort - it's certainly not wrong of Marvel and DC to do what little they can through comic shops - but as long as the only means of distribution IS comic shops, a handful of kiddie books will make only the barest of dents in generating the next gen audience. That's why it's so vitally important that manga has become a fixture of bookstores. Bookstores are fixtures in every city on the map, comic shops few and far between. It's all about availability, and while graphic novels are available in bookstores too, they're weighted for teens-and-up and truthfully, they don't have the addictive quality of those little pocket-sized manga volumes all lined up in a row. I'm pretty sure it's not a fad, but I'm willing to let time tell. What say we meet here again in five years and see who's right? Also, if we're not married by that time, we marry each other.
-
Jul 28, 2005 12:02:36 PM CDT
"It was like shoving a Skinemax movie into the middle of "Buffy"
by rev_skarekroe
Get out of my fantasies, SleazyG!
-
Jul 28, 2005 12:04:37 PM CDT
"Also, if we're not married by that time, we marry each othe
by superhero
That was hysterical, Dave... :O)
-
I think comics should make better video games. Cross market these games with promos for comics and advertise on television. I am always baffled by the lack of marketing by tha major comic companies. Have you played any of the 4 Batman games that have come out or the superman game? no! why? because they suck. We need a 3D marvel or DC fighter and a batman game like Spiderman where Batman gets to drive around Gotham City in the Batmobile ala GTA and do stuff. Another thing that baffles me is compnaies can afford to advertise cell phone ring tones on television but comics get zero advertisement. This is poor. Hell Libraries should stock graphic novels and pimp them on children who are'nt reading for enjoyment any longer.
-
Jul 28, 2005 12:27:48 PM CDT
Just as long as we have the ceremony at Comic-con in full Justic
by heywood jablowme
To this day I still can't understand why my friends make fun of me for being a comic geek.
-
I called it! I called it!
-
...is that Prof and I were just talking the other day about how cute the chick Green Arrow pin-up was in the JLA Companion thingee he reviewed. And does this mean I have to dress as Black Canary? 'Cause if so, I just need to warn you straight-up: brace for hairy legs in fishnets.
-
It is likely that indigenous people have always been in the Americas. It is more likely that people from Asia were the first migrants and the ancestors of the native Americans. There are also theories that Celtic people, who ended the Viking scourge and allowed progress to commence in Europe, made journeys to the west. Finally, there is a more outlandish theory that I love for obvious reasons, that the lost tribe of Israel may have had a pre-European American presence. However, AICN sincerely apologizes to all the Vikings we have offended...well, actually we're laughing at your asses because you got your butts kicked by Brian Boru and the Gaels.
-
Jul 28, 2005 12:54:01 PM CDT
The Vikings need to discover a decent defense. 28th in the leag
by heywood jablowme
What about the theory that early Poynesian tribes may have landed in South America way before the Vikings? And yes Dave, you have to be Black Canary and sport the fishnets. Now who's going to be Zatanna? One more thing, NO Catwoman. That'll set off a three day argument on what costume should be worn. "No, it's post-modern, dammit!" Still classic.
-
are superheroes and their dominance/control over the market evil, or do creators just not *get* (according to Cormorant) how to write them? *sigh* I am sure that you are gonna say that you like superheroes in certain doses but like variety in your comic diet, too. I just don't want to see people pegged into genres or wantonly called sellouts. One can prefer Bendis' indie crime stuff to his Daredevil, and you can say he doesn't "get" how to write the character--according to you. But according to me, Daredevil (esp this past issue) is revealing and examining the core of what it means to be a "superhero", and at the same time redifining it. Remember back when Matt said to Luke Cage "You want to keep running around and punching drug dealers in the face on basketball courts??". I know this comes down to opinions... which means neither of us are wrong, right? Anyways...dammit I need some alcohol or something...
-
that didn't make a whole bunch of sense. Dave, basically I took your post from WAY up above to mean more than you don't like Brubaker's superhero work, that you had a bias against people switching up styles/genres, esp when it means working for the Big 2. But I guess it just meant that you happen to not like the work they do when they do switch. Fair enough. I'm spent.
-
You mean only in America, right? Cause Manga has been around in Japan for longer than comics have in America. And you need to pick up some Lone Wolf & Cub dude. Seriously. Read the first few of those, then tell me it's of no quality.
-
...can be seen here: http://www.brooklynbizarro.com/amanda/amandabio.htm
She's apparently Palmiotti's girlfriend or at the very least "close personal friend". -
ill come as Darth Kal-El- a kryptonian sith lord.if my force powers dont get you my heat vision will
-
You know, maybe this guy really WANTS to write superheroes. I mean if you're american and you're about 30 and you read comics and write comics, chances are you grew up reading superhero comics. So maybe he's scratching that itch (if he does so well or not is irrelevant, i for one think his Cap is brilliant) and is probably thinking of balancing it with more indy stuff as we speak. And maybe he can come up with a cool X-Men story for all we know. He's the guy who made friggin Catwoman my favourite comic on the stands fer chrissakes! Anyway finding the right balance is the way to go, look at Vaughan. He has a Vertigo comic, he has a creator owned comic about superheroics and POLITICS and he has an all ages book about teenagers in the Marvel U and an X-Men comic. And a comic about lions next year. That's how you play it.
-
I was wondering where you guys were
-
Jul 28, 2005 6:06:18 PM CDT
I Mean, What The Hell Kind Of World Is It Where You Have To Be P
by buzz maverik
Oooo, little Miss Norsemen! Did I hurt your feelings? If any Vikings don't like what I've said here, I'll fight 'em one at time. Bring on those battleaxes and longboats, girls!
-
its kinda busy at work today so i cant post as much as id like.to answer your question from the last tb shes about a 7.id rate her higher but shes kinda tomboyish and thats not my thing. she just approached me and asked what i was reading cuz she said the art looked interesting. i guess thats one way to look at risso style.so yeah i loaned her 1-3 of the trades and she killed them in a night and asked for more so im bringing 4-8 tomorrow.
-
Brubaker seems pretty geeked-out to be working with Cap. I can't imagine Marvel is really twisting his arm. Your complaints Dave strike me as similar complaints to the people who bitched about Bob Dylan playing electric rock instead of folk. Also, I read somewhere that BKV makes more money from Y The Last Man than Ultimate X-Men. Just sales, too. Not movie options. This is because outside of America, comics are popular but the American superheroes aren't so much. To be honest, I'd imagine Brubaker and Bendis have turned down huge deals from Hollywood so they can write stuff like Ultimate Spidey and Captain America (I know that is the case with Bendis anyway). I don't think it's just a money thing, or that superheroes are the only game in town, and I'm not sure of your point. *** As for Pope, my issue is that this guy works pretty slow. The time he spends putting the 35th Batman book on the stands is time we're not getting new material from him.
-
I'm speaking, of course, about the special project of everyone's favorite pontiff, Pope Joseph Ratzinger. Who'd you think I meant? Anyway, I can't read the minds of Bendis, Rucka, and Brubaker, but I've read interviews with the lot of 'em from before their superhero days and I never got the impression they had a superhero bug to scratch. I even remember some anti-superhero sentiments. Now I wouldn't be surprised to learn they got roped in with the money and a bit of nostalgia and the notion that they could CHANGE THINGS, only to find they were having fun once they got into it, BUT...I don't think that any of these guys have superheroes in their blood the way, say Dan Slott or Geoff Johns do. They never set OUT to make superheroes, but the industry's narrow choices drove them to it. This is all opinion, mind. I happen to think most of the superhero comics they make are shitty superhero comics, so if I sound bitter or whatever, it's because, yes, I'd much, much rather I was seeing more JINX, QUEEN & COUNTRY, and SCENE OF THE CRIME than shitty superhero comics. Y'all's mileage may vary. ***** Not quite buying the Dylon comparison by the way. Superheroes are such a very specific subgenre of fiction that I'd only run with your analogy if Dylon had switched from folk to punk zydeco or something. Actually, he could probably make that work.
-
Jul 28, 2005 7:53:15 PM CDT
By the way, Superhero, good points all around about the kind of
by dave_f
The JOURNAL issue I reviewed touches on that tangentially throughout, including in the article on the yaoi (guy/guy) stuff I linked to earlier. Here's a clip about the art: "Like the best romance novels (read: the sexiest), there are quite a few naughty scenes, but the strength of this book lies not in the story or the characterizations, but in You Asagiri's powerfully erotic art. Books like Golden Cain illustrate why yaoi began not as literature but as comics: Through body language and suggestive nudity, relationships and sexual acts are expressed by body postures and hands; such as in the panel where fingers are possessively dangled, just barely touching our young protagonist's bare butt." ****** And on the subject of expliciteness: "A question commonly asked about yaoi is: Why don't these women just look at gay porn? Firstly the characters' emotions are primary in yaoi while the sexual activities are secondary. Even though steamy love scenes occur, sometimes quite frequently, the more feminized characters that women are more likely to identify with are searching for 'real' love, not just sex; in general, this tends not to be the case in gay porn. Secondly, the men in yaoi are rarely 'gay': they are always bisexual or just 'happen to be in love with someone who is a man.' This makes perfect sense in that sexually explicit scenes are always more arousing when there is a possibility that the people involved may be interested in having sex with your gender (i. e. you)." ****** Of course, no art style is truly universal, and I know girls who like everything from Chris Bachalo to Charles Vess to Mike Mignola, but when it comes to art that conveys emotional states and subtlety - a key to any romantic comic - there's almost no competition with the manga artists.
-
...because, as he put it, "Why's Cap so pissed all the time?" And it seems silly, but it's true. Brubaker is writing the most grim-faced, pissy Cap I've seen since the immediate post 9/11 stuff. It's all so portentious that I wonder if Brubaker even remembers what it was he liked about Cap when he was a kid. Did he miss out on the heroic moments? The adventurous highs? I don't know, but I find it wearying. Six issues+ of Cap scowling in every goddamn panel was just too much for me to take. Too "Batman."
-
Wasn't the SPIDER-MAN 2 video game like a freeform GTA kind of thing? I heard folks were all over that thing. Plus there's FREEDOM FORCE, the bitchin'est, most mod superhero game ever. Oh, yeah, and I heard X-MEN: LEGENDS was good. I think those are the Big Three of superhero games, and there aren't many others that come close. ****** Re: libraries stocking graphic novels - they do. In fact, one of the libraries near my store was specifically doing some manga events for kids and tying 'em into learning about Japanese culture and whatnot. We donated some goodies to 'em and they gave us their copy of GHOST IN THE SHELL because they hadn't known how explicit it was when they ordered it ;)
-
Was just that we shouldn't second an artist's work if they're doing what they want to do. Whether or not superheroes are what those guys truly want to do is another question...and one we'll never know the answer to. I'm guessing with Bendis at least it is "yes". I'm guessing with Brubaker, and Cap, it is "yes" also (the guy grew up in the military, reading comics). With X-Men, who knows?
-
I guess I'm just saying, as a consumer, I reserve the right to judge when someone's innate talents are being wasted. Weren't you just doing the same with Peter Milligan a few posts back? Would you feel better about his X-MEN work if he were to say he's always been dying to write a story with Havok and Polaris in it?
-
Jul 28, 2005 8:55:18 PM CDT
is there a site that can help u find your local library?
by darth kal-el
and byt the way dave and sideshow:good points on both sides and a really interesting discussion.
-
Yeah, I'd feel better about it. But I still wouldn't read it. My problem with Milligan stems from a different (yet similar, I guess) source: some writers are better when they aren't dealing with beloved, decades-old characters. Simply because they don't have the final say what they can write about. I think some writers can get around that better than others, and Milligan really seems to struggle with it. *** That said, if it's what he wants to do I can't complain. Frankly, there's more great books out there than time and money to read these great books, so I hate complaining if one guy I admire is doing work I can't get behind. Like I said, I'll bitch and moan a little about Pope's Batman, but I'll buy it the day it's released, cause I like looking at his perty pitchers, and he'll be given more freedom on a side Batman project than say, the writer on the flagship Batman title gets. Then again, I'd buy a Paul Pope "Archie and Jughead" the day it's released too (come to think of it, that'd probably be pretty cool).
-
Yeah, I'd feel better about it. But I still wouldn't read it. My problem with Milligan stems from a different (yet similar, I guess) source: some writers are better when they aren't dealing with beloved, decades-old characters. Simply because they don't have the final say what they can write about. I think some writers can get around that better than others, and Milligan really seems to struggle with it. *** That said, if it's what he wants to do I can't complain. Frankly, there's more great books out there than time and money to read these great books, so I hate complaining if one guy I admire is doing work I can't get behind. Like I said, I'll bitch and moan a little about Pope's Batman, but I'll buy it the day it's released, cause I like looking at his perty pitchers, and he'll be given more freedom on a side Batman project than say, the writer on the flagship Batman title gets. Then again, I'd buy a Paul Pope "Archie and Jughead" the day it's released too (come to think of it, that'd probably be pretty cool).
-
Try the following URL: http://tinyurl.com/8wxo2 I tried to find my local library through it, and for some reason the search failed and only worked when I typed in the exact name of the library (which kind of defeats the purpose...). Hopefully that was just a fluke, though.
-
And get involved in a crime caper in a near-future Riverdale located in the Olympus Mons district of Mars.
-
By the way, manga haters should check that book out. It's actually by a Canuck (I think) but done in a manga style. It's pretty much cool on every level concievable. For me anyway, I heard so much great stuff about it that I thought "it can't possibly be that good", but then it was.
-
kicks alot of ass...and there is some really exceptional works of manga out there...why limit yourselfs in just one form of the medium?
-
Jul 29, 2005 12:19:27 AM CDT
They never set OUT to make superheroes, but the industry's n
by el vale
I just don't think that's true. I mean if i were one of these guys...a Brubaker for example, and i was "the crime comic guy"...well i'd try not to be JUST "the crime comic guy". Being prolific is very important to a writer, and it leads them to test themselves, find out if they have a roof, creatively speaking. So Brubaker will try to write his best Cap story only if he finds it's a story worth telling. Ditto with Pope and his Batman story. I believe, even if they're not passionate about the characters themselves, they're probably passionate about writing itself, and they'll want to do their best every time. Wether they thrive or fail is so subjective it's not even worth our while. I for one believe Bendis' Daredevil is one of the best reads out there and i fucking love it, so what the fuck do i care if others don't like it? That's how it works, just because Dave and his friend agree Bru's Cap scowls too much doesn't mean it's bad and so it shouldn't exist. So let the guys do their thing, i'm sure they'll be back doing crime comics in a while. For now they're getting paid to write superheroes...i'd be fucking giddy if i were them...and i don't really like superheroes all that much.
-
As Bendis moves into, what, his fifth year at Marvel?...and Rucka's baby, QUEEN & COUNTRY sees its first ever guest writer...and I come to realize that the last Brubaker project completely devoid of superhero connections was DEADENDERS in 2000...you'll have to forgive some skepticism on my part. As for them being driven to do superheroes...of COURSE they were! Yeah, writers value diversity, but only in the incestuous, narrow-minded world of American comics could a genre as weird as superheroes be considered an obvious place for former *crime writers* to broaden their horizons! "So, Mr. Palahniuk, nice work on FIGHT CLUB and SURVIVOR. Now hows about writing a a video game guidebook to MADDEN FOOTBALL for the PS2? Don't get pigeonholed!" And these comic guys aren't just dabbling. This isn't like Stephen King trying his hand at a single western novel or somesuch, this is talented crime writers giving up YEARS of their careers to the one and only genre that pays well in comics. And Brubaker has tried to expand his writing horizons before all this, incidentally. His DEADENDERS was a sci-fi project. Lasted all of 16 issues in this delightful market. But the guy signs an exclusive at Marvel and suddenly out come the fans as instructed by WIZARD! No no, I'm not cynical...
-
Sure, you're right then...they're all sellouts and they're all rotting away doing bad superhero comics. We're all doomed, the superhero is hammering nails in the comic book coffin. If there's nothing we can do about it just sit back and read your favourite comics and smile at how good they really are...unless you're having your period and this pesimism is going to pass.
-
Jul 29, 2005 8:00:17 AM CDT
the problem with today's superhero comics is the boring, che
by gus nukem
What if the story was written for someone like Katsuhiro Otomo, or Geof Darrow, or Frank Quitely, or Moebius to illustrate? *** Has any of you read OTOMO's DOMU? (published in English by Dark Horse) These are people dressed in bright, flashy tights fighting, leaping, swinging and flying over/through an archetypical New York City. All ** 3 ** dimensions extended to superhuman lengths. But what do we get? Boring talking heads, rehashes of Mazzuccheli Year One vibe and painfully dull zoom-in panels. *** Spider-man ought to be a wish fulfilling comic on an arachnid powered guy extraordinarily jumping through NY effin' C; no, it never was. I mean look at his recent best art: JRJR; I remember when JMS with JRJR started. A new creative team. The 3 first issues was the team's best efforts to captivate us. There was even a double page spread in their 1st issue that was also released as a poster. Spidey swinging over a brightly lit NY. Man, what boring crap was that. Can it stand up to Domu (a metaphysical crime story, BTW)? Not by a long shot. *** American artists - although they created superheroic visuals - they never progressed much on it. They gave us spandex, masks, angsty real-life faces, cool fighting poses and styles. They imagination was there, but it never produced the breadth of vision to trully stun people. *** My suggestions : check out Otomo's Domu and Akira. Geof Darrow. Moebius. That is supposed to be the way to portray a superhero's world. Move on, you guys. What we get glimpses of (such as in the last spread of Astonishing X-men 11) should dominate the whole comic book and enthrall the reader. Spectacular visuals. Scope. Breadth of vision. These guys FLY through NYC for christ's sake. Prove it to us. *** PS sorry if my grasp of english wasn't adequate enough
-
Loved it. Loved the art. But manga art falls into many traps as "sameness" as American books. In fact, to a lot of people, that's the knock on the manga, and I think it's a legitimate one. Though I wonder if those same people realize how similar so many superhero artists are. *** Nonetheless, I hear what you are saying Gus Nukem. I find a vast majority of superhero art to be BORING, even the ones people conisder hot newcomers. I can't believe how people are flipping out over someone like Copiel. Can anyone tell me *anything* this guy is doing that you haven't seen 1000 times before?
-
That's why I love Cassaday dude. Best artist in the biz for my $$. I dunno what we're all complaining about...this is a fantastic time to be reading comics! If you sift just a little bit (which isn't all that hard considering all the websites that review comics these days) you will find mucho high-quality stuff being produced every month. TONS of great indies, TONS of diversity and variety...if we all sat down and wrote out our pull list for the month (not to mention standalone trades) and really thought about how good these books are, I think we would all be a bit more gratefull. I know it's not the silver age which everybody round here sucks off but oh effing well.
-
Astonishing X-Men, Cap, Runaways, Invincible, Green Lantern, and from what I hear JSA are all really good comics. Not just for superhero books, but in general. I for one like Brubaker on Cap and don't think he's selling out at all. I really don't get your rant on that Dave. It sounds as if you hate anything in tights, and I know that's not true because you run a comic book store, but you could have fooled me. What's fucking wrong with the X-Men if they're written well like Astonishing? **** Cassaday is awesome Shigeru. BTW, there's still an arcade in the Oaks, but it's a lot smaller and dark and kinda creepy. They moved it next to Walden books. There's a food court where the old Aladdin's Castle and Movie Theater was. You ever go to Mega Comics when you where here? **** I'm not totally against Manga, I just don't know where to start, or if I want to start. **** Vale, 4 pages eh? Do keep me up to date on that. What are you using as references? **** Kal-El, maybe you should loan her your hardback next ; )
-
I'm not sure there was a Mega Comics when I lived there. I moved bout 11 years ago...wow... ....okay done pondering my mortality. I got my meager amount of comics across town from there, I forget the name. Did you live in Gville? Kinda cool town but in the middle NOWHERE and surrounded by crap (no offense to Ocala...) I'm near Boston now.
-
I lived in Gville while I went to college in a fucking horrible apartment complex across from the X-Mart porn shop on 13th street. Ocala is also known as Slowcala. Nothing happens here besides about 10 old people dying each day (you see at least 5 ambulances a week). I think Mega was there back then, I'll ask the guy's.
-
If you're older than 25 then that makes you OLD in that town. The average age is 27 in Gville right now. That's freaking insane. In Ocala, I will forever be young. I just have to play shuffle board and get used to stores closing before 10pm.
-
This is getting kind of weird... I believe the comic shop I went to back in the day was on 13th street. I lived right off of 6th st, which is right near there. I was around for the university murders...pretty freaky stuff. Small world. oh and nice Ellis quote.
-
I remember hearing stories of decapitated heads in freezers and stuff. I think a few happened at apartment complexes like Pinewood. My girlfriend used to wonder why I didn't like her wondering around campus late at night
-
She sure as hell likes to pose with that friggin gun doesn't she? I'm still not a big fan of her stuff, at least for JSA Classified. This quote is a little over the top, "her heat vision comes bursting out again in a full-page masterpiece." Whatever is exactly masterful about that page? Am I missing something. I didn't think that pin-up page was too great either.
-
i just put in the state and zip code and it brought a list of all the ones in the area.im going to call ahead and see who has trades.man the discussion so far is pretty interesting.i think enough has been said on both sides that i dont really feel my 2 cents are neccesary but it sure is helping the day go by faster.heathen i hope i can interest her in the hardback too.
-
Just curious, good luck with that. I'd like to see a final product when it's done. It was interesting what character development was shown in those four pages. I know some real big comic book writers that would have taken at least 22 pages to do that. (God, Bendis writing porn would be blue ball city supreme)
-
Ok the problem with superheroes to me is that almost no one acknowledges how silly they can be, and silly could mean VERY COOL when applied to superheroes. Everyone's trying to do the adolescent thing now and go "Oh so you think this guy looks gay with his underpants on top of his pants? Well then wait till you see him ass rape his best friend's daughter in a fit of madness!". To me, the idea of some brightly coloured guy fighting a giant robot monkey on the moon sounds like the coolest thing ever. In fact i have faith in Morrison and Quitely's take on Superman cause it could be just that. Last time a superhero book was insane imaginative and fast and fun was Authority, during the Ellis-Millar days. And it's been a while huh? Ok so i don't want every superhero to be silly and fun, again i'll say Bendis' Daredevil is a great example of a dark, gritty and realistic superhero done right.*** That said i have to agree with Shigeru when he says comics are great right now. He's absolutely right. Try doing the Vale thing and spending months and months (and this one time, a full year) without reading a single one because you simply CAN'T and watching the cool comics rack up and cooler ones appear every day to see if you still feel comics right now are dull. Right this moment i feel like i'm never gonna be able to finish reading all the cool comics i want to read, and that's a great thing.***Heathen the porn comic is already written and i posted a link to the script in last week's talkback. Go read and tell me what you think, 'preciate it a lot!***Dave if you're gonna call me by a single name call me Vale not El cause that's just stupid.
-
Yeah that script was written by me. I write full script cause i'm a small boy with big dreams. I already sent it to the artist, she should be done with it in about a week. I had to work in 4 pages cause she told me it was no more, no less. I think i worked it out alright. As soon as it's drawn i'll give you guys the link. Again thanks for reading.
-
Jul 29, 2005 2:51:02 PM CDT
In reply to Pope's Batman being the only Batman woth reading
by the heathen
Isn't Morrison teaming up with Andy Kubert for a run on Detective comics? I think it's really narrow to think that Pope's Batman story will be the only good thing for the dark knight in an entire year. I'm with Shigeru and Vale about the amount of quality that's out right now. There's a bunch of shit I haven't read that I already own, much less all of the other titles out there that are temting me every month like Goon, Ex-Machina, and JSA.
-
move along
-
where am i?
-
It was I that said sth. similar: that Paul Pope's Batman was the best Batman news ever. *** I was referring to superhero *art*. So far we 've all seen works of masters and grandmasters. Their works can be regarded as milestones and added upon and even surpassed. Check out Otomo's Domu and Akira. Moebius. Geof Darrow. That is the scope and vision superhero comics should reach. Visual shock and awe. Once you 've read stuff like the aforementioned, widescreen art like in the Ultimates won't mean squat. Superhero comics should evolve visually. All-Star Superman and probably Year 100 would be such examples. *** Anyone remember the LotDK issues Warren Ellis wrote? Which were they?
-
Jul 29, 2005 5:48:12 PM CDT
nice script vale-please put me on the list for people to get the
by darth kal-el
Love tastes nothing like cock and vomit.
youre right it tastes like raspberries and cotton candy -
http://tinyurl.com/9k36s
-
Moebius...man does he fucking rock. I'd go out on a limb and say that if you compare 3 european comics and 3 american comics you'll find more imagination and spectacle in the former. That's why i like Quitely, i read somewhere he was like the demented lovechild of Moebius and Corben. Still i'm gonna have to defend Hitch. His wide screen art is just magnificent and it's the kind of thing you don't see every day in american comics at least.
-
was "heart" the greatest band of the last century? discuss.
-
sorry about the beatles coming along! oh my bad theres also this obscure band called the rolling stones.and wait,didnt i hear something about a little known group of guys calling themselves aerosmith?!i could be "Smoking the ganga" as they say,but i could swear Ive heard rumblings of a band calling themselves "Black Sabbath." but you know things are funny like that because i could have sworn i was told about some kind of AC/DC craze?! I "HEART" Stupid posters.
-
"Weird" is subjective.
Personally, before this comic I'd never seen any of her stuff before. I'd seen her name before, but always on a project I wasn't interested in (much like Bendis! on the writing side). So, to me her art was fresh and different and exciting. I got more into it as the comic progressed. A "masterpiece" as in DaVinci level? No way. A masterpiece of comic book simplicity at evoking fear, power, and excitement in a single image? For me, yeh. And PG's cheesecake pose? So sue me. I've got an opinion. I thought it was great. If you didn't dig it, don't pick up the next issue. Put your $2.99 toward supporting our indies out there who can always use your support. -
me, i can always use that $2.99...and why are we talking about bands?
-
I'm loving The Atheist, Elks Run, and ordered some issues of Boneyard and Grimoire. I've never seen A. Conners art before JSA Classified either. I've also said that I've never really read any JSA stuff before. I do like G. Johns of course and have heard a lot of stuff about Power Girl that had me interested. I'll stick around because the story has me intrigued. The art I think is lacking for the subject matter, but I don't hate it. And hey if you think it's a masterpiece, you're right that it's your opinion and I'm totally fine with that Prof. As far as "weird" I meant the actual pictures of Conner herself that a previous person posted a link to. She was posing with a gun in like 3 of them and I did think they were a little weird. I don't think her arts weird, but I just wasn't digging the semi cartoonish style for the story I was reading. But I'm not too nit picky about that sort of stuff. I won't drop Cap because I don't like how Epting draws a scowl on Steve Rogers. And Gus, I meant nothing directly, I just wanted to stick up for the funny books with characters that wear tights. It felt like this talkback was giving a lot of dread to superheros, which I will always have a great affection for. I agree with reaching new heights with art in super books, but at the same time I do like Hitch's widescreen style... And what is this stuff about bands? Let's get a new topic. Any suggestions?
-
hmmmm...........the smurfs........best belgian comic ever? or not?
-
I do like superheroes, but i like them as yet another genre in a world of many many genres. Ok i have a topic for y'all: Comic strips...what's your favourite? Mine's Bloom county.
-
read the lastest issue of the goon? i loved the whole homage to shawshank...if they made a goon movie...who'd be the goon?
-
peanuts for a comic strip and love boondocks and aaron mcgruder who's not irish :)
-
is my favorite strip
-
What issue is it at, 13? I'm real interested in this book.
-
I think there's link through Newsarama. It's called Auld Aquaintence.
-
One collects his pre-Dark Horse stuff, and then there's another one or two with the Dark Horse material. You should definitely check 'em out. The art is great and the scripts are funny. Well, most of 'em. There's one that struck me as being really melancholy, but that's not a bad thing--it was a nice little change of pace from the other stuff, and it's nice to see a writer can do more than one thing.
-
Including the pre-Dark Horse stuff is there still only 13 issues, or more?
-
Jul 31, 2005 7:14:20 PM CDT
Slow talkback... : 'Good comics I read recently and recomme
by gus nukem
Alan Moore & Zander Cannon's Smax. A masterpiece. The quality of the comics Alan Moore writes just for fun is awesome. As always, I spotted more references and cameos since the last time I read it and don't think I 've covered 30% yet. *** (The Manhattan) Guardian #3 : Wow. This issue is a modern masterpiece. Great fun combined with a mature & humane view on humanity (globally and Jake-wise). I suppose Big Ed is Jack Kirby. I 've read not much from the King, but Morrison sure deserves a similar title. *** DD vs. Punisher #1 : you know how a single panel can captivate/move you and therefore the whole issue/title will touch you as well. This comic had plenty for me. The 2 panels with the kid and the fan (he looks very much like Leon from Stray Bullets). Frank's humanity and longing for affection. His inability to look past the indifference and violence all around him. A very beautiful panel of NYC. I really liked Frank. *** Det. Comics #807 : This whole issue was both disturbing and touching. One of my favorite portrayals (okay, nobody cares) of Gotham city. Again, some of the issue's highlights : the art (Lapham's layouts and Bachs & Massengill's finishes, Wright's colors), the hero's POV as a stinking female dwarf, the old ladies scoffing of the younger women, the dead dog and ... Mr. Sweet and his daughter. Wow. Gut wrenching, masterful stuff.
-
I picked it up last week and really liked it. The way Frank interacts with the kid and the way the daughter reminds him of his deceased wife, and the way she even kinda smelled like her was touching.
-
Let's all disagree on stuff so we can fight. that ought to keep it moving. So yeah, everything you like sucks. So does your mom.
-
not drawn by liefeld and written by uwe boll suck!
-
That's not true! What are you...not well? The hell?
-
It's Monday. Time to get some life back in this talkback or I'll go crazy at the beginning of this work week
-
That way moviemack could troll over here and shit on everbody's opinion besides his golden one. Have you seen the hate this peon is spewing? It's almost an entire year before Superman Returns comes out and he's already on the attack. Not in a civilized way mind you, but none the less
-
I know I am *cough* after all it is Monday. Does everbody have a case of the Monday's?
-
Aug 01, 2005 12:52:42 PM CDT
I recieved my Invincible HC in the mail, but have yet to read it
by the heathen
It's got an ugly jacket. Also got Elk's Run #2, and I'm waiting on The Atheist #2. Anybody read Ellis in JLA Classified?
-
sorry about not posting but ive had a pretty full weekend. yes heathen i have the mondays in a bad way! im pretty tired from the weekend but here i am at work!did anybody read wonder woman 219?
-
Lee said that the book
-
but through the joy of the internet, I've ruined the ending for myself (albeit, accidently). I enjoyed the "Sacrifice" arc, especially the last part in Adventures 642 and probably in WW 219. Sorry about the Mondays Kal.
-
Aug 01, 2005 1:36:13 PM CDT
I'm hearing good stuff about Wildcats 3.0, should I revisit?
by the heathen
I readd the first initial 20 or so issues of Lee's, but can't remember them. I hear great things about Casey's run and with Morrison and Lee teaming up, my curiosity has peaked.
-
its alright heathen its my fault im so tired.i keep telling myself i will not drink on sundays every week and then every week im back at it again.i should use sundays to just rest.anyways yeah the ending was tight! i love the look on superman's face.as for wildcats,i tried the version 2.0 and didnt care for the story tho the art was great. i dont know id probably buy it in trade format.
-
Hello people! Ok so here we go: * Moviemack rules...i don't think anyone likes the guy, he's a fucking asshole. I wuv him. * I think Morrison could write a great Wildcats but i'm not sure about Lee. Anyway of course there'll be women cause a team needs to be balanced, i just don't think they'll be women for the sake of cheescake. That will be Lee's doing. Oh and he'll do it! * I've heard great stuff about 3.0. I've heard it was Casey's best. I'd like to read me some 2.0 because of Travis Charest...he is god. * Darth, do you have a drinking problem?
-
Any word on the 100 Bullets chick Kal? How goes the progress on "cock & vomit" Vale? And I wuv that 'lil wascal too!
-
the charest art from 2.0 was fantastic i just couldnt get into the story to much.ill try to go back and reread them.its not a problem at all.i drink socially on the weekends.during the week i wont touch a single drop but on the weekends i like to go bar hopping or to clubs with my friends.the problem i have is that i never want the wekend to end so ill go to the bar on sundays and usually end up drinking too much and feeling shitty on mondays.that i do have to stop.
-
i cant wait for the link to the finishes product
-
Is that how you spell knickers? Anyway makes me all warm in the heart area to see you guys hungering for my comics! Even tho i know it's only cause it's porn. I'm talking to the artist and she says she already started breaking down the composition. Also says she'll have to extend it to about 6 pages or so so she's including more fucking! I just hope the tone of it isn't lost or anything...but shhh don't tell her i said that!
-
Aug 01, 2005 4:16:48 PM CDT
I kinda liked what Wonder Woman did in her issue/the beginning o
by sleazyg.
...but kinda hate that Batman and Superman would ever get all up in her grill over it. Bat's got a ridiculous hangup about that stuff, but we all know Supes has done it before and was about to do it again. Diana did exactly the right thing for exactly the right reasons, but Clark's acting out of character. Bruce may not be, but it's still kinda dumb considering what he knows and how deep his own involvement is. That aspect may very well be flawed, but I won't know for sure for a couple more weeks. Good on Diana for doing the right thing, though.
-
Aug 01, 2005 4:21:42 PM CDT
not just because its porn but also because im interested in your
by darth kal-el
who am i kidding?because its porn
-
theres was no other way around it and she made the right choice. i liked how when she saw how the cards where stacked she showed no hesitation and did what had to be done. they should have done the same to doctor light imo
-
sorry for any confusion
-
I have no idea what you guys are talking about. What happened to the 100 bullets girl?
-
she borrowed all 7 of the trades and said they were cool and if i had anymore like them.but i decided shes not really my type.shes kinda tomboyish and im not into that. but i made a new friend and introduced someone to comics so i guess its a good ending
-
What are you gonna introduce her to next? Girls dig Vaughan comics. That said, this girl digs 100 bullets so her taste would be varied.
-
she said the first thing she noticed was the art which is why she stopped to ask what i was reading. i was thinking powers because the oeming art is so good and the story is dark like 100 bullets.what do u suggest?
-
that is a good ending darth...still searching for a wonder woman type chick who reads comics i take it.
-
but if someone falls into my lap im always down to meet new people.i just enjoy being single too much.i have my booty call girls and thats about it.i dont have a need to settle down.ive never dated anyone who collected comics. that might be interesting.
-
God i love Powers. Know what you should do? Give her like 3 very different trades, like a Powers trade and something a bit lighter and you know, just very different genres and stuff and see what she takes after...and take it from there.
-
i think i will go with powers,walking dead and invincible.thats a pretty diverse round up.
-
I feel dirty
-
BENDIS to write Silver Sable mini, Greg Land to draw! Okay that was a lie, I'm bored. Grant Morrison together with Jim Lee is like Cheese-smothered Chinese Food. Or marshmallow fluff on sour cream & onion pringles. You dig?
-
Get her into that too Kal-El. And I agree w/ what Wonder Woman did. Gotta work now. Bogged down. Pop in later guy's
-
Because it's fucking Morrison...maybe he can make Jim Lee look good. Your turn to say i'm wrong
-
because my first name is Yorik.
-
My porn comics
-
from the wonderful land of AICN talkbacks, comes the foremost comic book author in all things porn. Mr. El Vale or something to that effect...I get to do a variant cover at least.
-
i didnt know u drew as well heathen?do u have anything up on the net?
-
I wish I could draw free-hand well, but I'm one of those trained computer monkeys unfortunately. I do graphic arts and I write some. Nothing professional as of yet.
-
but I want to do a variant cover as well
-
But before i fall into the porn guy category i have written scripts for a Batman story and a Red riding hood story and a small love story and am currently working on another Batman story and appearently a big sci fi thing my artist wants me doing. None of it as interesting as sex, i know.
-
thats cool tho heathen.ive alwaysd admired people who can draw because i cant do it. i used to write a lot and kind of fell of from it what with work and evreything but i am actually very seriously considering going back to school in pursuit of a screenwriting/movie production degree.i was looking at the acadaemy of arts in san francisco becasue they have a good online program that wya i can continue working. has anyone heard anything good/bad about them?on a side note,wow guys 2 weks and still going strong! im proud to be one of you!
-
some screenwriter huh? i figure ill have my assitant clean up all that shit when i break into being a big time screenwriter. im going to have a j-lo look alike imported from columbia.
-
is overrated...and um, we perfer to call it C-O-L-O-M-B-I-A...we ain't the college, so let's drop dem u's. heathen...are you some photoshop digital art wiz like ryan church?
-
We're the best talkbackers Aint it cool has to offer. Have you noticed how we're friendly and supportive? Everyone else hates everyone else around here. And let's see some Heathen art, i say!
-
we lack the moviemack gene.
-
Maybe in the next 6 months I may be able to draw something without tracing paper that I'd be not embarassed to show. And you thought Kevin Smith took his time! Ha! Time to read the new column
-
Who would be the grinning champion? Only time would tell
-
LAST
-
one shouldn't aim to be "premature" there heathen, ahem.
-
how about now?
-
perhaps ? LAST ? afraid no ... however, I am a persistent fellow, I 'll give you that, dear competitors
-
getting better heathen
-
while I bask in ULTIMACY!
-
well, i can't help what my mother named me, jeez.
-
http://tinyurl.com/85j2g *** key words only. think. act. faster.
-
what links are you sending me?
-
Aug 11, 2005 3:13:26 PM CDT
This is the HyperMonitor of the AICN comics talkbacks - Moderato
by gus nukem
Gus's Last Comment is again Last.
-
i awknowlegde no moderators...especially ones named magnus.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 159 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 155 total posts 140 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 45 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 34 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 32 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 118 total posts 27 posts