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AICN COMICS REVIEWS CIVIL WAR: THE RETURN! JACK STAFF! IBIS THE INVINCIBLE! AND MORE!!!
| #44 | 1/24/07 | #5 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
SILENT WAR #1
JACK STAFF: VOL. 3: ECHOES OF TOMORROW TPB
HELMET OF FATE: IBIS THE INVINCIBLE #1
CIVIL WAR: THE RETURN
Indie Jones presents EXISTENCE #1
Indie Jones presents…
CHEAP SHOTS!
SILENT WAR #1
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Frazer Irving
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I got into SON OF M late in the game, but was able to track down the issues I missed and enjoy that miniseries as one of Marvel’s best of the year. The story followed a distraught Quicksilver as he searched for meaning in his life after he lost his powers in the HOUSE OF M mega-crossover event. Although I loathed that event with a passion, I found this miniseries to be engaging and entertaining. It took the concept and ran with it using a character who’s powers used to be running. Powerless and desperate, Quicksilver ended up on the Blue Area of the Moon, home of the Inhumans, and stole the Terrigen Mists (the source of the Inhumans’ great power) in the hope of regaining his powers. Of cours,e the Inhumans were unhappy and followed Quicksilver to Earth where they were confronted by American agents of the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*), an organization that refused to give the Inhumans back the Terrigen Mists that they had just confiscated from Quicksilver. To Black Bolt, leader of the Inhumans, this was an act of war and SON OF M ended with a foreboding promise by the Inhumans that they would be back. You can read all about it in the set-up page, but it’s such a cool set-up for this series that I couldn’t resist recapping it here.
Well, the Inhumans are back in SILENT WAR, and boy o boy, is it a goody! Writer of both miniseries David Hine once again shows that he needs to work more at Marvel. He understands characters and action. He paces his issues well advancing the plot in each while never forgetting to entertain in the singular installments. And the plots that I have read here and in SON OF M have been some of the coolest plots in the last year of comics.
I like the way Hine characterizes the Inhumans as a foreign nation rather than a superteam. You seriously don’t know who to root for in this one and not in a bad way as in CIVIL WAR. The Inhumans have foreign policies and beliefs very different than ours. They do stage an attack on American soil resulting in the loss of lives and a confrontation with American heroes. But we’re privy to the fact that this attack could have been avoided had O*N*E* played ball and returned to the Inhumans what was theirs. In this issue, both sides are mapped out with the sympathetic ear bent only slightly towards the Inhumans as Black Bolt debates what to do after an attempt led by Gorgon to get the American public’s attention goes wrong, resulting in his capture. This is a complex tale of how war is not a pretty thing. No side is innocent and tough choices have to be made in order to go to war in the first place. Hine handles it with depth and a mature hand, something Millar could take a few lessons from since there’s another war going on at Marvel these days that is being handled as if it were a schoolyard kickball game.
And that’s my one complaint about this entire issue. It really has nothing to do with the writing or the art or the story. It has to do with the fact that seeds of this SILENT WAR were planted before CIVIL WAR started, but a recent issue of NEW AVENGERS (set in CIVIL WAR continuity) had the Sentry take retreat on the Moon interrupting plans the Inhumans were making to attack the Earth after the events of SON OF M. That means that, if you’re following any logical line of continuity, SILENT WAR happens either during or after the events of CIVIL WAR, not before. So why do the original members of the Fantastic Four show up to confront the Inhumans’ attack? It’s as if, in this story, CIVIL WAR isn’t going on and the members of the Fantastic Four are back together and functioning as if the team hasn’t even broken up. I can understand Hine’s reservations about wanting to incorporate the events of CIVIL WAR into his story. We all know that shit stinks like…well…shit. But since the plot of this story has a lot to do with the events of CIVIL WAR and tie ins have already been made, why no mention?
And this is what I’m talking about when I constantly declare Marvel an editor-free zone. These guys’ jobs are to make sure things work well together. They don’t have to be perfect, but if you’re going to drop a new miniseries smack dab in the middle of one that is supposed to “change everything you know about the Marvel Universe,” some editor (this one being Dan Buckley) should make sure it all makes sense. Some apologists will say “just enjoy the story, don’t worry about these little details”, but when these details are so blaringly different from what is going on in Marvel U proper, it’s hard to not be taken out of said engaging story. And anyone who knows anything about writing knows that the worst thing you can do in a story is lose the reader’s engagement. The editor’s job is to prevent this. I hate to use Dan Buckley as an example because this is a problem most of Marvel’s editorial team has, but Dan Buckley didn’t do his job in this issue. Something as simple as having the pro-registration team there (it could’ve included Reed Richards, Yellowjacket, She-Hulk, and whoever) and the confusion would have been avoided easy as pie (mmm, pie). There isn’t even an editorial note attempting to address this continuity flub. I was able to keep track of current Marvel continuity and I read about 200 comics a month…and I don’t get paid for it. Dan Buckley gets paid to be an editor. DO YOUR FUCKING JOB, DAN!
Despite the fact that editorial chose to sleep this one out, Hine and Irving turn out a really good issue. Hine’s pacing is great leading up to a really engrossing cliffhanger. Frazer Irving, who I did not mention much in this interview, is one of the best finds in the last few years for mainstream comics and perfect for doing drawings of the weird. And since the Inhumans have always been that interesting looking and weird superteam, he’s a perfect fit. So even without an editor, SILENT WAR is definitely a worthy follow-up up to SON OF M, a much better miniseries about war than CIVIL WAR, and most definitely worth picking up.
JACK STAFF VOL. 3: ECHOES OF TOMORROW
Written and Illustrated by: Paul Grist
Published by: Image Comics
Reviewed by: superhero
I have to say I love JACK STAFF. I loved it more when it was a simple black and white comic but if I have to get the book in full color then I'll take it any way I can get it. Either way, JACK STAFF is just pure unadulterated Marvel 60's and 70's style comic book goodness. I don't know how else to describe it. If you love the bygone days of Marvel adventure then you will love this book, no two ways about it.
What makes JACK STAFF so great? Well, for one thing, it's the art. Now I know some people out there are thinking I'm high as a kite for writing that sentence but Paul Grist has some of the best comic book artwork in the business. While it's true that his style can come across as incredibly simplistic and has an almost childlike quality to it, Grist's storytelling and panel layout is some of the best and most imaginative in the biz. JACK STAFF moves along at a brisk pace but it seems as if each and every panel is painstakingly thought out in order to maximize its impact on the larger story. What Grist's artwork lacks in detail he makes up for with powerful and to the point paneling that illustrates that story is the most important aspect of a comic book. As a matter of fact I find Grist's work here as possibly inspiring to anyone planning to make their own comic in that it shows that you don't have to be a Bryan Hitch or an Alex Ross to make a great comic book. If you're as imaginative as Grist is with his minimalist style your story will have as much if not greater impact than all of the cross hatching that Jim Lee could ever hope to render.
What JACK STAFF comes down to is straightforward super hero fun. Grist excels in capturing the best aspects of comics the way they used to be written. With panache, passion, unapologetically corny panel captions, and exclamation marks! Lots of exclamation marks! Remember how Stan Lee used to write comics? Remember how when you picked up an old Marvel book it used to read like it was the most dramatic thing ever written? Grist is able to capture that feel in the pages of JACK STAFF without retaining that long windedness that Lee used to indulge in. What JACK STAFF ends up being is a comic that revels in all of the silly trappings of the super hero genre and pays homage to days long gone by when superhero comics were just plain adventure yarns and nothing else.
As far as I'm concerned JACK STAFF, much like the indie book SENTINELS, is some of the best that the super hero genre has to offer. I think I may have read somewhere that this book consists of the final issues of JACK STAFF to be published. If it's true that's too bad because JACK STAFF is a book that was extremely entertaining and didn't need to pretend to be anything else. It was a super hero book that was just that–super--and as far as I'm concerned there aren't enough of those around these days.
HELMET OF FATE: IBIS THE INVINCIBLE #1
Writer: Tad Williams
Artist: Phil Winslade
Publisher: DC Comics
A Two in One Review by Prof. Challenger & Ambush Bug
AMBUSH BUG (BUG): Fresh off of my negative review of the first issue of this mini-event (DETECTIVE CHIMP), I found myself at the comic store this week debating whether or not to buy IBIS THE INVINCIBLE. What made me keep it in my stack and walk up to the register was the fact that I mistakenly thought that all of the HELMET OF FATE issues were to be written by Bill Willingham, who I have decided to stay away from when he writes superheroes (much like my decision to stay away from Robert Kirkman when he writes for Marvel). But it wasn't Willingham writing this issue, it was some guy named Tad Williams. And it had art by one of my faves, Phil Winslade (still love his Vertigo GODDESS miniseries with Ennis from long ago). So I decided to give HELMET OF FATE a second chance.
PROFESSOR CHALLENGER (PROF): Well, my trip to the comic shop exercised different brain muscles than yours. See, I was planning to avoid the various HELMET OF FATE series altogether since the announcement of Kent Nelson, Jr. becoming the new Dr. Fate in the upcoming series by Gerber and Gulacy seemed to me to make the HELMET OF FATE sort of...well...moot and completely pointless. Plus the malaise of post-CRISIS and mid-CIVIL WAR has dulled most of my enthusiasm for DC/Marvel. However, that dynamic cover caught my attention and then I saw the name of Phil Winslade (an underutilized talent for sure) so I decided to thumb through it -- liked what I saw and bought it.
Don't have a clue who Tad Williams, the writer, is, but I know this -- I really enjoyed it. As far as I'm concerned, the HELMET OF FATE connection was pretty minor and the book reads like a stand-alone introduction of a cool new version of an old nearly-forgotten Fawcett character.
BUG: Which is basically what it is despite the fact that this new version bears way too much resemblance to an already established character. This Ibis is more like SHAZAM than the old Ibis. I thought the story was ok. It definitely did a good job of introducing a new sympathetic character in Danny Khalifa, the kid who would be Ibis. But I found this "origin story" to be way too similar to that of SHAZAM's. It's basically a kid who says the word "Ibis" and becomes an avatar of that Egyptian God. I know Winnick is making Captain Marvel unrecognizable in his current TRIALS OF SHAZAM miniseries, but that's no reason for DC to crib their own property. Instead of the Wizard Shazam, we have a giant monkey headed god. Both are kids trapped in adult superhero bodies. Despite a nice opening that made the character distinct as an Egyptian kid who suffers from racial hatred as his classmates ignorantly label him as a terrorist, this book lacked originality in the story department. And it had nothing to do with THE HELMET OF FATE, which is a good or a bad thing depending on whether or not you are enjoying the series.
PROF: Well, since I had no interest in the series, it was a huge plus for me. The Helmet worked as a good little catalyst for the story. Better than some perv in a trenchcoat luring orphan boys alone with him down in deserted subway tunnels -- which for those new readers out there, is how the origin of Billy Batson/Capt. Marvel began.
The derivative aspect of this origin charmed me because it came off like a nod, or tip of the hat, to the shared Fawcett origins of Ibis and Capt. Marvel. And I'm realistic enough to clearly see that DC is pandering a bit in its attempt to racially diversify its newest generation of heroes, but I'm totally down with the idea of the new Ibis being a kid with an Egyptian heritage. It was a real throwback to a different era in concept, but more modern in how the writer incorporated current events and social issues. As a first appearance, it was intriguing enough for me to want to see more.
Plus, I really dug the new look for Ibis.
BUG: Yeah, the look was pretty cool. In fact, the entire book looked pretty good to me. Like I said before, I first remember Winslade's work on Ennis' GODDESS series and I've followed it ever since. Winslade has a clean style. His attention to facial features is top notch as well as his body posturing. He has a weird tendency to make his characters cock-eyed at times for some reason, but the book looked good, especially the serpopards (a mystical cross between a snake and a leopard). A pretty cool looking issue.
Well, except for maybe Ibis' Stork Stick which looked kind of goofy.
A quick sidebar back to GODDESS for a second. In that series, Winslade used a painterly style which I thought truly highlighted his talent. Since then, Winslade has taken a more traditional pen and ink approach. I'd love to see Winslade go back to the beautiful painterly stuff sometime soon. IBIS is a good looking book, but nothing compared to Winslade's GODDESS miniseries.
PROF: I'm not sure if it's pen and ink. If I remember correctly (and it's been quite awhile), I think Steve Gerber once told me that Winslade's art is scanned straight from tight pencils. At least when he was on HOWARD THE DUCK.
Your criticism of the old Ibis-stick is right on. But it's only because it's based on a very basic, and silly, Golden Age design. The updated look for the new Ibis-stick is much better.
BTE, the giant baboon god was one of my favorite new DC characters.
BUG: Baboon guy was cool, but his jokes were a bit hokey. He looked good though, for a monkey.
And does anyone know how to write stories with magic anymore? Where's Alan Moore when you need him?
So to sum up, I thought the story was uninspired and unnecessarily loosely tied into the HELMET OF FATE miniseries. So far, this mini-event is 0 for 2 with me. The art was good and the Ibis character design was a nice touch, but it didn't save this issue for me. This was a better one shot/first issue/intro book than it was a second part to a mini-event. I have no idea where Ibis will show up next, but I may be interested in checking it out if the time is taken to make the character a little less like Captain Marvel.
PROF: I'd sum it up as thankfully only loosely tied into the HELMET OF FATE miniseries and slightly inspired. The art was very good and the writing was better than I expected. It seemed much more like an issue of the old FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL showcase comic in the 70s. I'll definitely check out Ibis again if DC wants to do something with the character.
And can I just throw out one query to the world at large?
The full-face helmet of Dr. Fate is one of the all-time coolest-looking things in comics. Why in the world would DC decide to move forward with Dr. Fate but utilize the godawful half-face helmet he had back around the mid-40s? Horrible idea.
BUG: Well, I can agree with you there. Half-helmet Fate sucks.
CIVIL WAR: THE RETURN
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Tom Raney
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Squashua
Paul Jenkins must be officially burnt out to produce this tripe. Captain Mar-Vell is “resurrected” using the “Barry Allen escapes the Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman” gambit. And he spends the entire issue moping around. I joined an improv group in college for about 10 minutes (until I realized that I couldn't stand the clique) and the only good thing I learned was to never negate a partner. If someone says, “What should I do with this shovel?” you never tell them, “No, that's an umbrella”, you go with the shovel. There's a section devoted to explaining how Mar-Vell is not to be told his cancerous fate, and right on the next page we find out that he's eventually told. This backtracking “left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing” writing is par for the course with CIVIL WAR.
Mar-Vell does get a little bit of a plot here. He's presented with a challenge: evacuate the Negative Zone prison. And by the end of the story, he hasn't actually done it. It's like Jenkins started writing something vaguely plot-centric and then totally dropped it. That's partially his fault--there are a lot of ideas bumping around his skull--but an editor should have caught this.
Now, you'd think that the return of Mar-Vell would be so huge that they'd devote a whole issue to it, but you'd be wrong. The filler in this book is a Sentry-centric tale about how he eventually decides to choose sides, a choice that has absolutely nothing to do with his NEW AVENGERS spotlight appearance (see the last sentence of the first paragraph of this review). This story has Sentry using his two cliché powers of (1) a zillion exploding suns and (2) his dual nature of being a crazy fuck to defeat the Absorbing Man. Not very imaginative and completely useless in its execution. In summary, if you haven't already, do not buy this book.
Due to THE RETURN being a complete waste of money and as a sign of protest, I hereby abstain from purchasing anything even remotely tied to Marvel's CIVIL WAR for the duration, and I urge any reader who also feels ripped off to bite the bullet and follow my lead. Good luck to you, Marvel.
EXISTENCE#1
Writer/penciler/inker/colors/graphics: Harold R. Richie Jr.
Publisher: Unhinged Studios
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
The one thing that I find difficult yet enjoyable about doing this Indie Jones thing is that I get to see all kinds of different types of comics and try to share them with those who may be growing weary of the Big Two or oblivious to the existence of comics of the more independent nature. Some of the books I get are true gems. I get to read new voices in comics that are in all stages of development. I get to see growth in people as artists and writers. When I look at an indie book, I try to focus on the positive first, then go into what some would call “negative” and I would call “more critical.” I do this mainly because a review can be as of an instructional tool for the creators behind it to become better at their craft as is can be a form of gaining the public awareness. Oftentimes, I find myself hesitant to be too critical because a bad review may not hurt untouchable companies like Marvel and DC very much, but it could be disastrous to a book published out of a Kinko’s or from someone’s basement. But since reading comics since I was twelve has developed an inflated sense of morality and ethics, I can’t lie and just say the book I read is all hunky-dory, when it definitely could use some critical suggestions. Every now and then something like EXISTENCE #1 comes along and I have to write that above spiel just to make sure that the people behind it know that I’m not picking on them, but that the comic that I read needs some work.
To start off, EXISTENCE has a decent story behind it; set in the near future, the government is overthrown by an unseen dark power and a resistance is being formed to confront it. The first problem I saw with this book occurred before the story even started: the reader is inundated with three giant paragraphs explaining what is going on before the story even starts. Why not incorporate this into the story itself? Simply telling it to the reader at the beginning skips any and all dramatic effect the story may have. The writer should have trusted the reader to follow along with the story, peppering this information throughout the story, instead of just telling it to the reader in text on the first page.
Second, I would advise the writer to really get some editorial help. There are run-on sentences and sentence fragments all over the aforementioned intro page and misspellings abound throughout the rest of the book. A good editor would have caught these flubs and it would have been less distracting to the flow of the story.
Finally, although the art does show some promise, I think some life drawing study would be beneficial to not only give the characters realistic and interesting poses, but to give the characters more form on the page. The characters have a stilted flatness about them that a few instructional courses in page layout, artistic design, and suggested form and movement could fix.
In the end, this is an ambitious book that showed me that despite having the ideas, the creator needs to work out a few kinks in the writing, art, and organizational department to make it all work as a cohesive and entertaining form of graphic storytelling. Comics are a tricky business and I wish creator Harold D. Richie Jr. much luck. Hopefully, I’ll get to see this creator grow in future attempts.
ROCK BOTTOM OGN
AiT/Planet Lar
This is another stellar release from a company that seems to only release superior material, AiT/Planet Lar. ROCK BOTTOM may not be the feel-good book of the year, but it is one of the most engrossing ones. Writer Joe Casey and artist Charlie Adlard give one of the best efforts of their careers as we follow down and out piano player, Thomas Dare as he finds out that he is slowly turning to stone. Part Kafka’s Metamorphosis, part slice-of-life, part UNBREAKABLE, this story handles fantastic elements in a real and thoughtful manner. Anyone who enjoys the “real powers set in the real world” genre along the lines of WATCHMEN, HEROES, and SUPREME POWER will surely enjoy this quiet tale of a man coming to grips with his past, his present, and his own mortality. This is a truly wonderful book that will make you smile through tears in the end. Bravo to the creators for putting out such a marvelous story. - Ambush Bug
THE BLACK COAT: A CALL TO ARMS TPB
Ape Entertainment
Pirates! Yarr! This is a worthwhile read from the folks at Ape Entertainment. It follows a Batman/pirate hybrid type hero as he bounds through Pre-Revolutionary War time battling “perculiarities.” This trade’s peculiarity happens to be an indestructible serial killer. With shades of Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein utilized with great skill, writers Adam Cogan and Ben Lichius flesh out a truly memorable villain for our hero the Black Coat. It’s well paced and reads like a Saturday afternoon serial. And the ending is pure fun, leaving a gigantic question mark as to whether or not the Black Coat survived and making my anticipation to read the follow-up miniseries very high. - Ambush Bug
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
ETERNALS #6
Marvel Comics
Now less human than, well, eternal, the rest of the world takes a backseat as the Eternals deal with their own Celestial troubles. Even guest stars Iron Man, Pym and Janet get ruthlessly and somewhat humorously sidelined. And Zuras, lord of the Earth-bound Eternals, describes the whole of CIVIL WAR in a single sentence that makes this book the only not-advertised-as-a-CIVIL WAR-tie-in CIVIL WAR tie-in worth picking up. Great if you're following the series, even if the meat of the issue involves a single being simply sitting up, but if you're not reading it, at least take a glance at the last page in the store. - Squashua 
CHECKMATE #10
DC Comics
The cover with Shadowpact fighting hand-to-hand with Kobra has nothing to do with the content as the “Pawn 502” thread concludes (for now) with continued focus on his infiltration. This book continues to be the best use of Shadowpact since, well, CHECKMATE #9's use of Shadowpact. Though Knight Tommy Jagger's undercover tactics seemed completely inconsistent, they can be dismissed because this is a damn fine tale. Check out the prior two issues or at least the future trade; this storyline is not to be missed. - Squashua 
MYSTERY IN SPACE #5
DC Comics
I continue my love affair with this book, but the cover is hella ugly, though the beautiful interior art makes up for it. The Weird is a tad confusing, secrets long suspected by readers are properly revealed to Captain Comet, and is it just me or does Comet having two cute sidekicks reminiscent of 7-Zark-7 hanging out with Snarf just seem appropriate? Starlin delivers. - Squashua 
52 #38
DC Comics
Too much Renee Montoya, not enough Four Horsemen; their designs are unbelievable (in a good way). Question(s) aside, it's an extremely touching loss for one of the main players this week. And Will Magnus makes a great loopy nutjob. All five of you Metal Men fans, keep your eyes on this series. - Squashua Hey folks, Devil’s Due Publishing is having a contest and asked us to let y’all know about it here in the column. Check it out.
DDP wants to hear the talkback! Especially trash talk! Log into your MySpace.com account and take part in DDP's MYSPACE TRASH TALK COMMENT CONTEST! Post an insult comment as either Chucky or Cassie on the Cassie Hack Myspace Profile.
The best insult will win the original pencil artwork for HACK/SLASH VS. CHUCKY, Cover A! Insults should be clever, avoiding swearing and obscene language. Additionally, only text comments will be judged. HTML images will
not be counted in the contest.
Here are a few Trash Talk Examples:
Cassie: "Pack your bags, twerp! I just got $50 bucks for you on eBay!"
Or
Chucky: "You swing like a girl!"
Or
Cassie: "Stay still so I can step on you!"
Chucky: "What, you can't get me from over there with those toboggans you call feet!?"
I know you folks can come up with something better than that. So have fun, go to the Cassie Hack Myspace Profile, and do what you guys do best!
Check out the @$$oles’ ComicSpace AICN Comics page here for more @$$y goodness.
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I grow weary of 52. It makes me want to just wait for it until I can buy the whole thing or check it out at the library.
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(I think it's something like the Overworld series) Or someone else named Tad Williams?
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Tad Tad Tad. Destined to be a name that disappears from common use in the next 30 years. Just like "Dick" and "Kaitlyn." Actually, just crossing my fingers on the "Kaitlyn" thing. I hate that name. Any father who allows his daughter to be named "Kaitlyn" doesn't deserve the balls he made her with.
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for Civil War: The Return. There have been some pretty boring CW issues floating around, but that one really topped them.
Yeah, the MiS #5 cover was not so dynamic. But interior, it was all good. -
Wait, let me try that again ...
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They're non-existant! Ooooohhhh snap!
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They're non-existant! Ooooohhhh snap!
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If you think Marvel Comics have sucked monkey nuts since the first X-Men movie, then, clearly, you have as much love for Marvel characters as Bryan Singer.
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All DC seems to be doing is rehashing the same stories over and over, and all the characters have lost any sense of humanity and become far too powerful and godlike. Even Batman is going way off track lately with the whole "son of Batman" thing, which we know is going to end in such a way as to undo everything that was done. That's DC's style: Do some major shit, and then undo it and reset to the way things were before the story arc started. -- At least Marvel is sticking with the consequences of Civil War, most notably the rift between Cap and Iron Man, and the loss of Spidey's secret identity. Spider-Man has been some great reading lately!!!
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Cause, he sure doesn't have his dick since that unfortuante case of Bang-U-Tat we like to call: Him getting the job.
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First Supes with the awful Singer movie, now these two icons. WHY?!?
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Ok, I don't read CW or Eternals but I did take a quick peek @ the last few pages of Eternals #6. Man, is Squashua ever right. That dude with the long beard put CW in its dirty little place. I was laugh'en my arse off in the aisle. And I though IC was crap but at least it had a decent story. CW sounded like crap from day 1. So glad I'm a DC guy. BTW, is CW EVER going to end? I mean, how long can they drag this dead horse?
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As long as they can come up with stupid one-shots that my the other half of my split personality keeps purchasing.
Having said that, both personalities are looking forward to Civil War #7. -
Not only does it crap all over Captain Marvel's death -- I don't care if they plucked him from before he died, he's still back -- but it seems really pointless. Was there a need or demand for Captain Mar-Vell's return? The issue was really limp after much pomp, fanfare, and teases from Marvel about the issue, and it didn't even totally explain WHY the Pro-Registration guys brought Marvel back. They went back in time and brought their friend who died to the present so he could oversee a prison? Move on, I say. There was absolutely NO NEED to bring Captain Mar-Vell back. I'm sick of these ridiculous practices of bringing back characters that've been gone for years because creators have fond memories of them.
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for just one day...
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If any of you ara fan of fantasy do yourself a favor and read the Memory,Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. It was written by Mr. Williams in the eighties and it is the best fantasy series I have ever read.
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hmm...
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Sadly I paid actual money for this absolute dreck. BOO MARVEL! YOU SUCK BALLS!!
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Why is everyone so down on Civil War? For me, it really delivers on all levels.
Not fond of the Captain Mar-Vell development, but the main series and Front Line have both been excellent.
Peter Crispin -
I've been considering readin Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, but The ridiculous bloat of his Otherland series has left me trepidatious. My sister says M,S&T is much better. What say you?
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He was one of the few characters who died and STAYED dead. That's why no one really 'saw it coming'. I even read somewhere that people thought Speedball was gonna take up the mantle. But whatever, it was not expected because they seemed to respect the fact that he died. They could've atleast brought back Genis-Vel since that hack Fabian killed him in such a god awful way, and made the character boring as hell. Seriously, who takes an insane character and makes them sane and glory seeking? Oh wait..Fabian did that with both Deadpool AND Genis. Fucking horrid. Anyway, boo for marvel for losing it's sense of style, grace, and putting Spider-man or Wolverine in every 3rd comic for a boost in sales.
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Last week: Sentry=Superman, Norman Osborn=Lex LuthorThis week: Captain Marvel return=Barry Allen in Crisis On Infinite EarthsAND I just noticed that Marvel's tagline to Civil War, "Whose side are you on", is exactly the same as DC's RANN-THANAGAR WAR tagline! You'd think SOMEONE at Marvel would have noticed the tagline they have plastered across their ginormous event was a rip-off. Then again, if the editors can't even be bothered to read Marvel comics, I doubt they're paying much attention to the competition.
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I will chime in with "The Return Sucks" group. This story was a complete waste. What possible reason would there be for bringing Mar-Vell back this way. Poorly written and certainly poorly conceived. Simply goes with the mess that Civil War has been since the debut, an interesting concept with crappy, sloppy and disappointing execution.
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I could have done it. It was so easy to just shit myself on the page and totally wigg out on the review, but last time I did that (Teen Titans #41 and the last issue of Shadowpact I ever purchased), well "eh".
Didn't feel up to it, and asking people to rally behind a complete spazz doesn't really work well.
Would y'all prefer a restrained semi-sarcastic hand or complete out-and-out loopy-doo? -
Try not reading Civil War when Captain America DIES. This Civil War thing got me into Marvel Comics, it's awesome. Also, thank god there's less mutants. That was getting ridiculous. And Batman has a kid???? How do I not know about this? What's the story there, and what issues do I need to read?
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For living in a town with so few comics available, I never have to make the mistake of buying any Civil-War related crap! Suckers!
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Now use that catalyst to go read something that's actually worthwhile. When you look back on Civil War you 'may' at least have a fond memory of it getting you into comics. Emphasis on 'may'.
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You know, the one where he brought Aunt May back from the dead. I didn't really care though, since I didn't even know she was dead at the time.
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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That was when I really started reading a lot of comics. I think the 90's SPider-Man cartoon was what got me into comics.
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I'm cool again.
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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Let's be cooler than Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
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That didn't work and now I look stupid.
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Just thinking. Who likes the Jenkins/Lee series?
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It's aiight. Far better than Civil War itself.
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Also, I don't want to be like AHTF because then I'd get arrested in Boston for terror tactics (see Today's News).
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It's settled then. We do not want to be at all like ATHF. But about the Inhumans, that was the Paul Jenkins story I was talking about. I also really enjoyed his Spider-Man comics...
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Hit: Generation M, Frontline
Miss: The Sentry, The Return -
Marvel could stick it on Max or Icon or one of their other criminally underused imprints. Seriously, those things are dying for more comics. Marvel is really fucking up in these regards. Even if Eternals isn't even any good, the Marvel mature lines are a joke compared to what DC has going on. DC is so far ahead of them it makes me mad. Goddamnit! Make me EIC now!
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fantasy and scifi novelist. Check out the Otherland series his biggest series. it's a great blend cyberpunk and mythical magic(by cyberspace) from various cultures. And it's got great characters and a real epic feel to it
And Memory Sorrow and Thorne, is one of the best old school fantasy epics out there.
DC mentioned his recent Shadowmarch, another epic fantasy.
This is very cool news. -
sucks...sucks hard.
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Tad Williams is the new writer on Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis after Busiek leaves, hence all the extra DC assignments.
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huh?
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I have no idea what the fuck is going on. Of course, judging from what I hear, that might not be such a bad thing. Has anyone heard the rumor that Steve Rogers is going to kick it in Civil War?
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...in the way that now you have to buy 5 different titles to truly understand what is going on. That is why I stopped reading. Every bloody issue is now a crossover!
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It's spelled "you're" as in "you are a moron", not "your" as in "your grammar sucks."
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It would be nice if AiCN hired someone to redo all the programming and CSS on the site.
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If Steve Rogers dies… I'll be pissed and rant and complain and then a year from now he'll be brought back. They shouldn't fuckin kill him though if they do. Not only is it stupid for stupids sake, but it would neuter Bru's excellent Captain America run and the potential of where it's going.
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Does anyone think that they should completely redo this site, with more of a "forum" type deal, or at least a redone talkback with spell check, editor, and link to a users profile? Oh, and I'm for not killing Steve Rogers either.
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Yes. And if they want to hire me to do it, they've got me e-mail addy.
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Who here ISN'T reading Mystery in Space?
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I missed the third ish and haven't been able to find it, so I've only read the first two. : ( But I will find it! I can't find Beyond #6 either. Arghh.
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I missed the third ish and haven't been able to find it, so I've only read the first two. : ( But I will find it! I can't find Beyond #6 either. Arghh.
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hitting the space bar while waiting for the post to, uh, post, posts it again. Huh?
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Issue #3's the one with the trippy ending. Highly recommended.
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You want coherent conversation, go outside and meet real live people. You want structured discussion, go waste time on a forum. Talkback is the place for pure adulterated democratic expression, typos and reverse-time postings and all.
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Hopefully you realized that most of the people reading the column aren't 13 year old girls. Except for Iron Wok Jan - that shit is the bomb, yo.
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Feb 01, 2007 12:43:28 PM CST
What is everyone's relationship with comic shops?
by therevengeofbayouwilly
I used to work in one, and I was thinking of making a blog or website about the thoughts from the other side of the counter. I live in KC now, and I'm surprised at the lackluster greetings I received on entering their stores. Any thoughts on the subject?
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we date off and on... she broke my heart once, but I forgave her. I always take her back, even though I know I shouldn't...
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DA MOON RULZ!!!!!!!!!!!
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Cheap, online subscriptions is a harsh mistress. Very harsh. Like wire scrub harsh.
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It's nice to walk in and they have my file ready for me because we know each other and shoot the shit about this or that and we suggest different things to read and check out and what not. I realize this may be weird because every other comic shop peeps I've met have been… odd, and not in the charming kind of way, but I got lucky. Envy me.
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I have only read the first volume of the otherland series. But I have read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn three times. I hope this answers your question.
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When I was a kid in the mid seventies I had the mispleasure of visiting Wee Willies Comics in Portland Oregon. Wee Willy was not small. He was obese and nasty. I told him that one day I hoped to be a comic book artist. He replied, "you will never be a comic book artiste." Years later I realized while reading an interview with Matt Groenig that this was the person that Comic Shop guy was based on.
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Seriously, what the FUCK are you talking about? I haven't addressed you once in this TB.
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That would have been ME, not Shiggy-Pop. By the way, the only thing I blame the Talkback itself for is not having an edit button.
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da moon still rulz #1
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'we' tb'ers might not know who he is since "Vog From Dimension X" is the user name with endless hosts, but the web peeps can find out. Looda, are you wiggin out on us? Looooda?
Remember when that clown Jar Jar f'ed up by posting from multiple user names and screwed himself. Ahh, it soothes the soul. One of the biggest screw ups ever. -
Well spank my ass and call me Charlie, I agree with every single thing on Ambush's Silent War review! I also really dug Son of M and was waiting for this sequel since it was announced. However, having it come out at the end of CW and having the FF act like nothing's happened really ticked me off. Even a Marvel zombie like myself. Couldn't Marvel have waited until after CW? I guess they want to kick DC's ass on sales right away. Only one nitpicking issue Ambush, Buckley is Marvel's publisher. Quesada is the EIC, so pass it to the n#*ga on your left. Also, I'm no expert on Inhuman mythology but can they no longer generate terrigen mists with what little Quicksilver stole? I seem to recall him only carrying around a Thermal size container of the stuff. Also, I guess it would be the equivalent of the Black Panther throwing a fit about someone taking their vibranium (I'm geeking out here), but the mists are supposed to be this natural resource the Inhumans just lay claim because they lived near it. Why declare war on just this small amount that was confiscated?
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*spank*
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I "wuv" you too, Vog. Let's make up and be friends.
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Anyone else?
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I also agree with Bug's review of Silent War, almost 100% even. I think Hine and Martinez knocked Son of M out of the park and in all sincerity I really believe that Son of M along with Silent War would be a much bigger, better, thought out mega event book than HoM and especially Civil War. Anyone who's read Son of M knows that major stuff happens and it would make for a much better story and not jeopardize character in doing so.
What do you all think? -
*spank*
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RE: "Remember when that clown Jar Jar f'ed up by posting from multiple user names and screwed himself. Ahh, it soothes the soul. One of the biggest screw ups ever."Oh yes! I remember it well. My particular actions during that debacle can only be described as Pure Ownage.I wonder if Vog remembers that...(hint, hint)...
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Sir, you destroyed him. It was fantastic. Pure Ownage indeed.
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It was Fascict Bowie. Now, what I wanted to get at way back in the day, before I had to go to my next class was this:
I thought The Sentry was a good comic. The one shots were largely unneccesary and didn't add to the story, but I thought the bulk of things was pretty good. The ending didn't exactly take me by surprise, but I was not expecting it and I thought that the last page was pure comics gold. Even if you didn't like the story and possibly felt "cheated" by the gimmicky Stan Lee interviews, I think you had to at least like the Jae Lee art.
*Spank!* -
Mar-Vell is brought back because...ummm...Reed Richards and Tony Stark needed a prison guard? Seriously? It doesn't just tarnish the memory of the only Marvel death left that mattered, it also further drags characters who used to be heroes through the sewers, filthying up every one of their past acts. It also manages to do all of that in the lamest, least inspiring, most pointless and unemotional manner imaginable. And all of it is done in only half an issue, because apparently the return of Mar-Vell is such an afterthought that it isn't even worthy of a single full comic. Then, to make matters worse, we get an utterly unnecessary Sentry story in which he kills off Crusher Creel, tells us in-panel not to worry because he's not really dead (despite being atomized), and then decides to register himself. Which, BTW, is a story we should have maybe seen *before* The Sentry plucked Mar-Vell out of the Negative Zone and into his future, huh? Maybe? So we'd know why the fuck Sentry was working with Iron Man? Jesus fuck, what a wretched, pointless waste of a book. On the upside, those dozens of fans who've been demanding Captain Marvel be brought back from the dead and then dropped into the depressing, confusing, ass-backwards Modern Marvel Universe got their wish, and I bet they'll all be there to buy CAPTAIN MARVEL #1. Anyone wanna bet on how long it takes for that one to get cancelled? Smart money says #25. They'll be too embarassed to admit they fucked up at first, so they'll kick the propaganda machine into high gear, but it's not gonna be enough. Probably just drop him into they 5th Bendis AVENGERS title by then, though. Unless they just suddenly decide it's a six-issue miniseries instead of an ongoing, like OMEGA FLIGHT, that is...
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of captain mar-vell and then marvel does this? what the fug? who is running that place? and can't we sic jack bauer on them?
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Sounds like a nice way to kick off Season 7.
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As I'm sure no one is reading but just to add to the choir Marvel is killing itself. Shitty bringback of Captain Marvel, crap Iron Man, Reed Richards and Cap representation, buckling to Hudlins overpositioning of the Panther (who is cool, but come on...if Galactus showed up and Hudlin wrote it his bodygaurds would hold him back while Panther killed him by kneecaping him) and the complete ignoring of what is working...Ahnnilation, Beyond, Agents of Atlas, Punisher Max.
Bah, I really got back into comics about 5 years ago after the 90's mainly as a Marvel Zombie, but now I'm buying much more DC. -
Dreg, brilliant!
humboldt99, I'm in the same situation.
looda, I meant the recent 8 issue miniseries of The Sentry with John Romita Jr. on art. Not the one before it.
So, Omega Flight is just a mini now? Huh.
I bet Vale is loving this tb. -
You read it hear first, kiddies. Jim Shooter is waiting in the wings.
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I haven't read any of these comics and I don't plan on it, either. I do think it's kind of funny that everybody is saying this Civil War: The Return was wretched, but you all bought a copy. So DC is doing a reverse 52 thingy? Counting down? More $$$ for them!
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...so that the rest of you wouldn't have to. And if you read last week's talkback, you would have seen my advice.
At least you listened (or was apathetic or poor enough ) and didn't buy a copy, Shiggy-Pop. -
You took one for the team, so we didn't have to (kinda like Jesus only with bad comics). And I appreciate it. Due to fucking my arm (I fought a bear) I haven't been to the shop in like 2 1/2 weeks. I think I am going tonight. But I probably wouldn't have bought it anyways. I just hope they have a copy of Mouse Guard left.
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I'm told it's more like a marmoset.
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or hiring me to do it.
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i just got done with THE IRONIC IRON MAN: EXTREMIS TP and having finally been able to read those first four issues, i thought it was great. i don't understand how that kind of graphic violence can make it into the regular series of one of marvel's most popular heroes, but never mind. i loved the art so much i definitely have to scan again. i liked how the artist used tom cruise as a template for stark, considering - and i'm guessing - this was drawn around the time tom cruise was still considering IM as a project.
the way the series is running at the moment, after EXECUTE PROGRAM, i'm wondering why i'm still collecting.
yo, blackthought - can i get three dots? -
I spent 34 bucks at the shop on Friday, cause I hadn't been in a couple weeks. I didn't buy a single book from MARVEL or DC. Eat it! (though to be fair I would have bought Spider-Man Loves MJ if I don't get it a week early always). I bought: Mouse Guard #6 - so good! RELEASE THE BEES!! Holy shit! Walking Dead #whatever - Kirkman you are a sick bastard... didn't see that one coming! Ninja Tales #1 - some good and some bad. Which makes for a not so great $7 (yes, SEVEN!!!!) spent. And the 2nd Goon trade. Which is amazing. I know I'm late to the party but I heart The Goon now.
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That was cool as shit. I can't wait for the next series and the HC for this one.
Haven't read Walking Dead yet. Is it sicker than the last one? I'm nervous. *looks left to right* -
is the proper internet speak for *looks left to right*. No it's not sicker than last issue, but it was REALLY unexpected. Kinda proves that (almost) anything can happen. Spoilers: no one dies.
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it didn't work! let me try this: . > remove the spaces.
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welcome to the goon party.
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I may hit that trade when it arrives. I was a big Black Condor fan and like the look of the newbie.
Now to run a search for Goon ... -
i like lots. oh the goon...such fun.
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.>
I tried the internet speak for *looks left to right* I admit I'm confused by it.
So, nobody dies? I'm even more nervous now! .> -
Starlin will undo the whole thing next time they let him write a series, just like he does every time someone besides him uses Thanos.
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Hm, will give it a gander.
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then yer a lousy slackjaw! d(^.^)b thumbs up!
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Now THAT was perfect. I also just finished reading The Fountain and it was good, i liked it. I have a feeling the movie will be better, but if it's not, then i won't like it all that much.
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Have you read Punisher: The Cell? Seriously it's like a perfect Punisher comic. If you read Punisher: The End, you know what i'm talking about. If you didn't, you need to get you shit together, man, wtf (JK) I read that Punisher X-Mas Special by Stuart Moore and whatsisdick and it was okay, but The Cell, man...that's where it's at. I also loved that latest Punisher arc, Man of Stone. Highly recommended.
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About Steve Rogers becoming the new Iron Man? Not making this shit up. (And i only know this because i read Lying in the gutters every week)
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Or Steve Rogers has always been Captain America, but with a glass eye ...
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