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AICN COMICS SHOOT THE MESSENGER: LOTR designer JOHN HOWE CONTEST! 6-pg HALLOWEEN preview! New OPINIONS ARE LIKE @$$HOLES rant!
What’s SHOOT THE MESSENGER?
Well, AICN COMICS: SHOOT THE MESSENGER is your weekly one stop shop for comic book news that’s dropped in the previous week. Thanks to Newsarama, CBR, Wizard, etc. for reporting it as it breaks. Click on the links for the original stories. This column cuts the crap to run down all the vital information for those of you who don’t follow it as it comes in, and serves it all up with that special ingredient of @$$y goodness. It’s also the place for interviews, previews, and special reports.
JOHN HOWE
WANDERING FIRE/FORGING DRAGONS CONTEST
WANDERING FIRE/FORGING DRAGONS CONTEST
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here with another big contest for you. John Howe was one of the creative minds behind the concept design for the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. He’s written a book for Impact called JOHN HOWE: FORGING DRAGONS where he goes into the mythology of dragons, the actual history of the big beasties, and how it all relates to his art. Although he isn’t officially attached to the new HOBBIT films as of yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be. In the meantime, Howe has included concept sketches of The Fell Beast and Smaug in this new book. I’ve found Impact’s comic book instructional manuals to be fascinating reads and this one seems like it will be more of the same. A trailer for the book can be found here.
The good folks at Impact have given us 10 copies of John’s book along with 10 posters (36x24) entitled WANDERING FIRE signed and numbered by Mr. Howe himself (previously only available at the San Diego Comic Con). Since Guillermo Del Toro (the director attached to THE HOBBIT) himself is known to peruse this site from time to time, let’s help him out with some dream casting of THE HOBBIT. 10 lucky amateur casting directors will receive a copy of JOHN HOWE: FORGING DRAGONS along with a WANDERING FIRE signed and numbered poster. Send your HOBBIT casting picks here along with a full mailing address. Those not sending a full address will be disqualified. The most creative picks will win the poster and book. Good luck! Have fun! Cast away!
This week on the old Spinner Rack to the Future we have a preview of a new comic that I think is definitely worth your time. Devil’s Due has been producing some pretty cool comics for a while now and one of them, HALLOWEEN: THE FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE STRODE #2, is coming out this Wednesday. The cool thing about this comic is that the writer, Stefan Hutchinson, seems to understand the Halloween movies. That’s a big perk. It’s got some real teeth to it and doesn’t rely on cheap scares to make you shiver. Check out this six page preview.
Check out HALLOWEEN: THE FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE STRODE #2 on Wednesday.

Moan of Arc
By Optimous Douche
Perhaps this is true. Perhaps issue seven will serve as the series’ Rosetta Stone, clearing all confusion and allowing us to traverse the earlier issues of the series with more clarity and thus far more appreciation for what was once underappreciated or completely unappreciated. But is this the way things should be? Should all series be critiqued with the sum outweighing the parts? As reviewers should we wait until the end of a series before passing absolute judgment? Well, as a reviewer I will emphatically say, “Absofuckinglutely not!” And here’s why…
When Optimous Douche isn’t reading comics and misspelling the names of 80’s icons, he “transforms” into a corporate communications guru. Optimous is looking for artistry help, critical feedback and a little industry insight to get his original book AVERAGE JOE up, up and on the shelves. What if the entire world had super powers? Find out in the blog section of Optimous’ MySpace page to see some preview pages and leave comments.
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Orcus not last
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because I strictly hold that DC/Marvel owes us NOTHING, I do agree with one point. IF we're going to do these events, A. they should be double issues. B. We should get more pages than than price increased. And C. The issues should be treated as chapters, there should be a definate point to each one, something specifically needs to happen EACH issue.Personally, I don't have a problem with the trade pacing, as long as its tight and flows, you know? Bad writing is bad writing, but if its good, then I do think monthly buyers can take a flying fuck, because if you AREN'T voting with your wallet, then fuck you. Simple as that. DON'T BUY THE BOOK, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT! Simple as that. If you really want them to change what Marvel and DC are doing, then don't buy the stuff you don't like, simple as that. There is no excuse that any of you will come up with that excuse this.(especially if its along the lines of: I'm a long term fan... fucking asshole...) If you don't like it, stop buying it. If enough people stop buying it, the company will take notice and they will change editorial direction. Thats how this works. There is no other way. Don't like it? Don't buy it. Otherwise, shut up.
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Measured, intelligent criticism isn't whining (or 'hating'). It's called 'values,' and don't let some ADHD Gen-Yer tell you different.
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I'm a Gen-Xer... God! Get it right...Also, eat some poop, laserhead.
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Then you're way, way too old to still be living with your mother.
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said something about the story? Had a little intrigue? Is it too much to ask for a cover that doesn't feature assorted characters standing around posing while some sort of energy burst occurs in the background? I mean, that's ok -- occasionally -- but when every friggin' cover looks exactly the same, it gets old.Carmine Infantino, please come home.
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Y'know, it's been a while since I've had to say anything to you and to be honest, you really have shaped up to be someone who shows that he is ABLE to contribute to the Talkback without making it a place where people don't want to be. But that doesn't mean you don't do it from time to time. And this is one of those times (it happened late in the TBs last time too when you laughably pointed out that you won and argument--how did you win? did your mom come in and read it and say you did? what did you win? I'm curious. How do you possibly win a talkback discussion?).
But your attitude about just about everything pretty much stinks. I'm not talking about your opinions. You're completely right to have them. I'm talking about the fact that you think that there are no other opinions except yours and all others are housed in the brains of idiots. The pompous way you spout the gospel according to you is no longer annoying, it's just kind of sad how closed minded you are in regards to others opinions and at the drop of a hat, will turn on someone who takes a stab at that thin protective bubble you have around your opinions.
It's one thing to be confident. It's another to go on and on about the same shit telling everyone they are wrong because they don't agree with you. Sure this makes for a long Talkback because you end up pissing off people to the point of a back and forthing (newcomers are often guilty of this), but those of us who have been around long before you are just waiting for the day you finally catch me or any other admin on this site where we simply are tired of your trifling "King o' the mountain" attitude. I'll have a short tb over one dominated by a douche (not OD) any old day. Your attempt to peg people as a troll late in the TB was hilarious when you've been trolling things up and shouting I'm right with your fingers in your ears since your initial login.
I said this a while back and I'm to the point of enforcing it. The Talkbacks of AICN proper have a rep that really doesn't apply to AICN Comics. We like to talk comics, have fun discussing comics, and make it a place where people want to log in and discuss comics. It's a place where all are welcome and free to speak whatever they want as long as people are respected. It isn't a place where one opinion limp-dickly tries to bully others out of logging in just to win an argument in some non-existant debate match of sadness.
One button erases everything you've ever contributed to AICN, JoeNat. Consider that before you start tosing out the verbals and childish I'm-right-so-you're-wrong's. -
But i actually didn't see Joenathan's comment directed at my critique, but more as a general STFU.
While I disagree with the heavy handed approach I will agree that the only way to make your voice heard is with your dollars. -
Nov 17, 2008 1:19:34 PM CST
“It’s Grant Morrison, it will ass fuck you in the end.”
by leafar the lost
That is how I am feeling about "Final-Fucking-Crisis". I feel like I am getting ripped off every time I buy it, because I am waiting for something "big" to happen. The death of the MMH and the return of the original Flash are important happenings in the DC Universe, but this series is so bad that it makes it seem...unimportant. Yes, Final Crisis is poorly written, conceived, drawn, and is an all around piece of shit. On the other hand, Marvel's Secret Invasion is far better in every way. It is well written, the art is OK but acceptable, it is well conceived, and all of the other titles are tied in with it. All of Marvel is tied into the Secret Invasion, while the rest of the DC Universe is ignoring Final Crisis, which leads me to believe that it isn't taking place on the same Earth. Maybe that will be the final ass-fuck at the end. Fuck you, Grant Morrison, for wasting my time and money with your bullshit series. It wasn't worth it...
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Not that Joenathan needs anyone to defend him, but as a long time reader and occasional poster on the talkback, I have to say that I enjoy his posts; he brings a lot of comic knowledge and does it with a good dose of humor and an obvious love for the medium. I also don't think he is scaring anyone from posting and has been involved in some rather good debates, including the epic BND debate on last week’s reviews. I'm not sure why he needs to be called out at all. My two cents, for what it’s worth.
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I agree somewhat. When respectufl, JoeNat is a fine contributer to the TBs. He's sparked some good debate. But occasionally and moreso recently (and more commonly at the beginning), he has shown an inability to agree to disagree, instead taunting with "I won this argument." and the ever popular "You are simply wrong because I say so." type comments that annoy the shit out of me. It makes ME not want to post and yes, steve, I've received quite a few personal emails in the past regarding JoeNat's behavior in the TBs. When I feel the need to babysit the TBs, I root out the problem and pluck it. I don't get paid for this shit and I certainly don't get paid to watch some close-minded guy rant. It's just not worth my time to wait until JoeNat spouts off again and disrespects a TBer to the point of logging off. I've ignored it for quite a while, fear not, and he's not gone yet. Banning is something I hate to do (I've done it a total of four times in my seven years at AICN) and I'd rather warn than do so without explanation to give the talkbacker a chance to get it together.
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Thats EXACTLY what she says, but I just tell her: Until Congress makes a law saying that you have to move out, I'm here to stay. They're gonna have to kick me off that gravy train screaming!Also, don't forget to eat that poop.
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I'm never serious about any of that. If you took it that way, sorry, but let me assure you there was no attempt to ACTUALLY label anyone a Troll or attack anyone (especially Optimus or Laserhead) in any way that matters. I don't really want anyone to eat poop, I'm actually very anti-poop eating, its just some joking around. In fact, if some people here are so put off by what is very obviously not a serious tone, then I put forth that perhaps THEIR bubble is too thin. So, just keep in mind, bud, I'm not being serious. If anyone's feelings are hurt, then I apologize, but thats them, not me.
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I disagree. We're the customer. They owe us everything.As a customer, if I don't like a title I DO stop buying it.
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Nov 17, 2008 2:38:00 PM CST
I think if you act like a dickhead and say, I'm just kidding...
by laserhead
...you're still acting like a dickhead.
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Thats what I'm talking about. Purchase equates consent. As long as you do that, but dislike the story, you're sending them the wrong message.
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I'm just not a serious dickhead, except about Giantman's giant Teacup. That thing fucking sucks.
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Well, maybe I'm a serious dickhead, but I'm not a "serious-minded" dickhead.
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Jarvis hated that fucking tea-cup but not as much as having to vacuum the mansion after the Beast came down for a meeting. Blue hair all over the meeting room - huge hassle.
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I bet they marked their territory too.
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Don't even get Jarvis started on Tigra, whenever she was in heat every stray male cat in the neighborhood was on the Avengers south lawn mewing and howling through the night. Plus her costume always clogged up the lint collector in the dryer and almost burnt down the mansion on many occasion… and never a word of thanks. Stuck up cat.
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still against the marriage of Vision and Scarlett Witch? Do we need further proof that she was always crazy as a shit house rat? The woman married a robot! A Robot!Silly.
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...but here in Chicago, *first* you buy the book, *then* you read the book and formulate an opinion. As a result, yes, *first* you spend your money and *then* you say "goddammit, that really sucked--what a fuckin' waste of money." Do I drop books that suck long enough? You bet. Does that mean I can't be annoyed that they suck? Not at all. Look, if you go see "Indiana Jones and the Stupid Alien Thingies" and *then* you say "goddamn, that movie sucked", does anyone say "well, you paid for the ticket, so you don't get to voice your opinion"? Of course not, because that would be FUCKING STUPID. In exactly the same way, when you *buy* a comic book first, *then* decide you didn't like it, you have every right to complain that a product you purchased failed to met your expectations. The implication that once you buy a product you surrender the right to criticize it is idiotic.
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but once you buy the seventh one...
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with a built-in vibrator. What's so hard to understand about that?
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but reduced-or-half-price-or-less availability of graphic novel collections; or, wow, local libraries. Comics are just too costly now; I don't know how you young'ns do it, buying multi-titles every month, but that's what keeps the biz going. Morrison's isn't always brilliant, but he is often engaging. I'm big on Johns' work (GL,JSA, Titans, etc) and much of Loeb's and even Bendis. I still think Millar loathes super-heroes and concepts of such.
And the big events like final crisis, et al? wait for those collected versions, hardcover or paperback. -
to marry a robot of the opposite gender. So that Marvel/DC crossover of a Platinum of Metal Men and Jocasta romance is out.
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the giant red dildo joke occured to me after I posted... I deeply regret the missed oppurtunity.
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the Millar hates superheroes thing. I've seen it on here before and I don't feel that way at all. Please to explain.
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Isn't she with Machine Man these days? Actually what is Machine man up too.. that guy is due for a comeback- Arno Stark I'm sure is begging for another beat down.
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Marvelzombies 3.It actually got off to a good start. Fun. Although some of Aaron stack's dialogue is a weak imitation of Ellis' Aaron Stack, but still passable.
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Thanks for the tip Joen. I'm getting that tomorrow. The cover is bad-ass. Machine Man is back and now he has a cool private detective jacket to go with his Kirby pants!
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Thats where he got the coat and that book was fan-fucking-tastic.
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Please don't hold comic books to some standard that forces them to be structured in some way that you're comfortable with. The creators know what they're putting in every issue. If you find fault with the pacing of an issue, that's fine, but don't expect comic books (which is a very broad medium) to structure themselves like a network TV show. That diminishes their artistic potential. I haven't read any of Final Crisis, but I have read comics with questionable pacing, and if the content is well-written, it shouldn't matter. Its not all about the payoff. Also, if people are getting so upset about what some guy types up on a glorified message board that they're actuall narc-ing to the administrators, whatever they have to say should be immedieately discounted, because they are pussies.
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That the Creators know what they are putting in each issue.
That's why I didn't lay the final onus of blame on the creators, but rather the publishers.
TPB's used to be an after thought. When a story arc sold off the shelves, and bled through its second or third printing they would TPB it. Now-a-days the TPB is already being solicited before the damn series has finished.
I don't hate TPB's, despite my weekly buys I still go bonzo at Wizard World in the half off TPB bin. I was really posing a question and the few folks that have joined me on this "message board" have answered, TPBs are the way to go.
And yeah, I'm going to hold comics to certain standards, that's kind of we're here. Since Bug stopped the "Malaysian Hookers for Articles" program, it's truly the love of comics that makes us brave the LCS each week so you guys know which trades are worth buying in six months. -
How did i miss this? It looks great.
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I like to think that I'm a reasonably intelligent guy, but in the many years I've been reading comics, Grant Morrison stories continually leave me scratching my head. I usually have to reread past issues to get current issues and even then, sometimes, that doesn't help. I realize that maybe he just isn't for me, yet somehow I find myself reading Final Crisis and Batman: RIP simply because they're supposed to be character-defining series. Maybe I just like my storytelling to be somewhat clear and his just always seems completely muddled. However, I don't remember Animal Man being hard to comprehend, just more cerebral. We3 wasn't hard to understand. Has he grown into an increasingly hard-to-track writer? Can he get away with being more obtuse and obscure now because he's GRANT MORRISON?
On a separate note, I totally agree that these "events" would work better as double issues even if it's multiple double issues. They could still collect them in trade later and you might not feel so let down by any expository sections.
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You seriously missed Nextwave? You have to get it. The Captain is the best superhero ever. So... whats it like now that you've escaped that desert island?I think we just need to accept that trades are the future. I think we're moving toward a time which will see the weekly pamphlets phased out. I can't imagine them being cost effective for too much longer. I mean, how would everyone feel if a book came out every two to three months in a longer, more durable format instead of monthly pamphlets? Think how that alone would change the pacing and story telling. I'd think they could package more into "mini" trades anyway. I mean, I love comic book Wednesday, but does anyone out there really think thats going to last another 5 years? 10 years? Especially in the wake of the Watchman trade boom?Grant Morriosn has his coherant moments and his incoherant moments. All Star Superman? Coherant. The Filth? Incoherant. We3? Coherant (and awesome). Seaguy? Incoherant. The Invisibles? Amazing, sometimes coherant, sometimes incoherant, all great. Seven Soldiers? Also great, but got REAL incoherant toward the end. You never know which Morrison you're going to get. His JLA wow-ed me. His X-men was fantastic and strange. His Batman was underwhelming. As for Final Crisis... I think I really like its crazy lack of cohesion. I'm not feeling lost at all. The heroes are losing all over, their defenses are falling. Superman is lost between time, Wonder woman is subjugated, Batman is captured, Green Arrow screamed defiance to the last. Its Earth's darkest hour. What else do you need to know? I had an odd/cool thought... what if he were to tie the ending of Rock of Ages (Connor Hawke and the Atom kill Darkseid) with the end of Final Crisis? That'd be a cool time cross over type thing.I think Civil War/House of M/World War Hulk/Secret Invasion totally could have used the extra room.
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That last part was talking about double sized issues.
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from Action comics.Simply put, that is completely retarded.
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of the past 5 years, and Marvel needs to be kicked and exploded for cancelling it!
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...because comics are both an addictive drug and and an artform. The addicts will always be singing the praises. You all hate Liefield, right? You won't believe me when I tell you that there was a time when all the fans loved him (here's where everybody says, "Not me, Buzz, I never loved him and we were never at war with East Asia, only with Eurasia like we are now")and he and his publishers never heard a peep, only the cha-ching and the accolades. The only people questioning the emperor's nudity were fellow pros who looked jealous at the time...
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His writing style has just changed in this very, very important way: he no longer does transitions.
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I CAN say that I NEVER bought or liked Leifeld. I never got it. I hated his New Mutants right from the start. Howvever, I ate up Jim Lee's terrible comics with a spoon right to the very end.As for bitching, you can bitch all you want, HOWEVER, if you are continually buying a book you hate and complaining about it... then you are stupid.
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I helped found this column. Well, not this one, but the main review column. A big reason that I stopped reviewing was that I was buying and reading so many lousy comics that I was starting to dislike the artform. But if a critic stuck to what they knew they liked, in a weekly column, you'd get the same set of reviews each month. A big problem is today's market. No one wants to go back to the isolation of the early 00s where, say, the X-MEN seemed to exist in their own movie universe of mutants, but you can't ignore the crossover now. As a joke, the @$$holes purposely ignored CIVIL WAR the first month or so, but it was a joke that didn't work. We had to address it because it is what comics had become and what has been expanded on from there. You review the good and bad in that, if you review mainstream superhero comics.
Me, the only comic I'm reading these days is a trade of Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT: FEMME FATALES. -
Apparently I am one of the few guys here who likes Joenathon here. Yes he can be “pompous”, “obnoxious”, and “narrow-minded” (other people words, not mine) but he actually does spark good debates and while he won’t really concede any points, he does force you to come up with some solid arguments for your viewpoint. I see him as the bar know-it-all. Maybe a little abrasive, but he makes the place a lot more fun on a Tuesday night.
Having said that, I will say that his argument about the only way to send criticism to the companies is to stop buying their comic is something I disagree with, which we debated a few talkbacks ago when we were discussing BND. Yes, I do think you shouldn’t support a product you don’t like, and to be honest I buy maybe a handful of comics a month if I am lucky. I find very few worth reading nowadays.
Still, I see no problem with criticizing something you love or had loved in the past and think it has fallen in standard. I am a Vikings fan and right now they are mediocre. I barely watch them nor do I go to any of the games (I live in LA now) but does that mean I shouldn’t be able to criticize them and offer my opinion? And if my opinions and ideas have no merit, well I fully expect someone to say so, but not to arbitrarily discount them. Do the Vikings owe me anything? No (but they do owe the fans of Minnesota since they are building them a new stadium), but that doesn’t mean I can’t offer my two-cents as a fan about what they should do.
Or how about the President of the US? While I am not delusional enough to say that a comic is comparable to political office, by your logic we shouldn’t be able to criticize Barack Obama or the Democratic or Republican parties at all, whether we voted for them or not. The only way to show our displeasure would be through elections and vote out those we disapprove of, but with only elections as the way to determine the course of the country. No political debates, criticisms, polls, discussion or anything other than elections for determining a person or parties general popularity. You couldn’t criticize a president or party; couldn’t point out his lies or how he has mislead people; couldn’t offer an argument for or against any policies and couldn’t possible change people’s minds about something through argument. The only way anyone could show his or her displeasure or disagreement would be by voting and only through voting.
Like I said before, I am not so grandiose to truly compare comic book buying to politics, but I will say that buying a comic, much like voting, is the number one way to influence what a company does (just look at the GOP) don’t eliminate the need for debate. Who knows, maybe one person will offer such valid insight that will galvanize people of at least make them wish they had listened to him. I mean, several years ago if people had listened to Peter Schiff about Sub-Prime Mortgages and Well Street we might not be in the economic mess we are in right now.
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...they don't exist without us. The @$$holes have often been about fan improvement and fan empowerment, which isn't easy because if there was ever a subculture that doesn't want to be empowered, it's comic book fans! The first step is to realize that we don't owe them, they owe us. Erase the line, erase the hero worship. They owe us good comics for the money we pay.
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You can critize all you want, but if you keep giving them money, then why the hell would they care about your opinion?
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They are a corporation. They exist to make money. Period. The only language they ultimately understand is money. If you think fan approval outweighes the bottom line, then you're just being delusional.
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