As the saying goes, “There’s no pleasing everyone”. And I know first hand the fine line we walk each week as reviewers.

When I started my reviews on AICN, I wanted to put everything into context. I remember my review of Booster Gold #0, where I drew parallels to Johns’ work on this book and Giffen’s work in the 1980’s Justice League.

Topping out at close to 1000 words, this tome to days of yore was met with a bit of talkback venom and griping. “Bug rein these guys in, enough of this remember when blah…blah…blah…”, wrote one irate Talkbacker.

So what do we do as reviewers? We want to please our readership, while still getting enjoyment out of this pro bono activity. Also, many of us have been collecting books for a long time. By pointing out where the book has been and where it’s going is just natural pontification for those of us with a pulp fetish.

Comics are serial in nature, building off of the momentum of past stories. On the same token each new issue brings with it a new air of vitality (or at least it should). I think both sides are right.

I’ve been marketing for fifteen years, and Marvel is indeed trying to capture new readers with Secret Invasion. Companies do not spend marketing dollars without a clear plan of attack. Why didn’t we see Brand new Day in Entertainment Weekly or any other Marvel title as of late? Why? Because EW is a channel to capture non-comic fans. If they just wanted the comic fan base they would have skipped the advertising money and just did an interview with Wizard. Even if the EW piece wasn’t a “paid” advertisement, marvel had to pay marketing dollars to make non-comic pubs aware of this book.

I would have applauded either a contextual review or looking at Secret Invasion with fresh non-jaded eyes as Stone so admirably did.

As I said, no pleasing everyone.

While I wasn’t really concerned with where Amnesty International will be 1000 years from now, I wondered how the hell the evil Justice league erased every damn historical record of Superman’s true existence. No matter how good any smear campaign might be, people will not dispute a deluge of documented facts.

Let’s no make mistake that Earth in this title parallels Nazi Germany. What made Hitler so “effective” (God I’m nauseous from writing that) was the fact that were very few books espousing the virtues of Judaism.

Plus in the pre intertube days information was a precious commodity held by only those who could afford it.

It’s only 2008 and the sheer volume of information on the Internet is staggering. Barring any apocalyptic event, I can only see information in the year 3000 being a million times more voluminous.

**QUOTE:"This is a terrible comic book. Titans #1 fails on nearly every conceivable level. Nearly everything about it is wrong-headed, and closer examination makes it fall apart even further. It’s something like this book, alongside things like Countdown, that reveals profound cracks in the DC editorial process."

Se e, I may be rude and crass at any given moment but at least I'm not an ignorant simp like you. Next time address a subject you actually know something about dipshit.

"Trash gets picked up."

**DIRECT QUOTE: NRAMA: Let’s get back into the kid who dons the mask and the set up…this is the “real world?”

MM: Right. Our world. The world right outside your window. It's a story about what would happen if you made a suit tonight and went out looking for trouble, using all the great things we love about superhero comics... from secret identities, arch enemies, horrible situations and so on. It's everything we've ever seen happening at once and turned up to eleven.

Uh-huh. Try again you fucking HACK.

House of M was dubbed a Big Event, as was Civil War. If you are a follower of the mutant titles the whole Messiah Complex storyline was also dubbed a Big Event.

I’m truly starting to become desensitized to Big Events, because every fucking issue I read these days, on both sides of the big houses, is an infinitesimal part of a Big Event.

Hey, I enjoy a good cross-over story as much as the next guy. I’ve also never been cheap with my comic buys, so this is not a money issue. But does anyone remember when the cross-over or cross tie-in events used to be special and only happen like once a year?

It feels like as of late every “chestnut” title is engrained in a year long story arc that ties-in to some other over arching universe shattering event.

I’m probably just being an old fuck, suffering from juvenile Alzheimer’s disease, but I remember when big events took you by surprise, they were contained between one to two titles, and they were over in like three months.

I enjoyed the living hell out of Uncanny 496 (for the first time in a long time) because it didn’t harp the shit storm surrounding the mutant titles. It touched on it briefly and then showed three characters I have grown to love over the past thirty years of my life, just being themselves.

My point is that these big events are turning into the boy who cried wolf. I hope after Final Crisis and Secret Invasion, the dust finally settles and both houses get back to great self-contained story telling.

Rock-Me got the point. When everything is an event, you can no longer call them events. They are just regular bloated stories.

When you no longer steal your comic money from your Mom's purse, perhaps you will be a bit more critical on where your hard earned comic dollars are being spent.

And if you think I'm old, most of your coveted newsarama reviewers are in their forties.

For the first time in literally DECADES, Marvel has regained its social relevance and it's atmosphere of "anything can happen"--just like in its heyday of the 60's.

Civil War was fantastic. People who cry "out of character" probably haven't been readin' comics for very long... and most certainly have nothing.

Spider-man is also the best that he's been in many years. Due to great ideas implemented under Quesada.

So, basically haters can drink their haterade... and then come here to post about all the Marvel comics that they just bought and read.

It was also completely in character.

I wish FF would make a really outrageous return to dynamism... and Hitch's art isn't it. I'm sick of realistic looking actors drawn in as Marvel characters. Just one more way to make comics as boring as most TV and movies. We're already hiring enough of their crappy writers as it is.

He's a poor, scrawny kid who had such a great desire to be involved in the war effort that he volunteered himself to the super-soldier program. He's tough as nails and fought nazis in WWII. He's the "by the people, for the people" guy in the equation. He's the guy who goes AGAINST the corrupt government when he has to. Compared to him, Stark IS a pampered punk--and he's callin' it like he sees it.

Not to mention that Stark's character totally IS a pampered punk. Who'd disagree with that?

So... I'd be interested to know why it "threw you out of the book" and what could possibly make you think it was out of character. I would say the onus is on you to provide evidence to the contrary... not on me to explain the obvious.

...and I don't want to see FF "move away from the super hero stuff."

That sounds a little bit dumb.

Glad you like Hitch. He's great for an Ultimate title, I guess. Don't think he works for FF though.

Are you rich yourself? Is that why it bothered you? Maybe you should change your talkback handle to tonystark.

As far as the "they're not superheroes" argument goes... I think we can put this baby to bed.

They're obviously superheroes.

What have you got?

"They aren't superheroes because they explore?"

"They aren't superheroes because they don't have secret identities?"

"They're not superheroes because they wear their costumes a lot?"

"They're not superheroes because they're not the Avengers?"

I mean, none of that shit makes sense.

Glad you like the new FF comic. It's boring to me so far, but maybe that's because I've read all the previous FF comics that Marvel has published and it doesn't quite hold up to Kirby's stuff. But please, enjoy it all you like.

I just don't think you're gonna be able to convince anyone that the FF aren't superheroes.

Also, not to split hairs or anything, but you should look into the difference between storylines in Spider-man comics and reality, O.K.?

You're being a little over the top with that one.

Please come back once you've got something other than the "I know you are but what am I" line.

You got nothing but a big bundle of crazy right now.

You have every right to be crazy.

Strike that. Reverse it.

Hell, you should think your opinion is the right one, otherwise why have it.

What's bothersome is the inability to listen (in this case read) to a conflicting point without retaliating with base name calling as the lead in.

Hey, I get it. This is a message board, where flaming was conceived. I've done it in the past when my ire gets raised and perhaps I am a Nancy Boy, but I believe in civility.

That's just how I roll.

Woudl hate to lose you Psynapse, you have some good things to say.

Debate, I'm cool with, and I will be the first to admit my flaws or when I'm wrong.

Different strokes for different folks makes the world go around.

My issue is when people derail the topic to just throw out a personal barb or a jab during these verbal parles.

Seems unecessary and it veers the topic way the hell off point.

That's my only issue.

But, like I said earlier...I could be wrong.

You called Quesada EVIL because he won't let Wolverine smoke in comics. I said that sounds crazy because it does.

Let me say that: I would rather have Wolverine, The Thing, and Nick Fury all puffin' stogies. But do I think that Quesada is EVIL because he says they can't? No.

I have the ability to disagree with that editorial directive without placing him in the same category as Hitler. You don't. Hence the crazy.

Do I know the difference between reality and Spider-man comics? Yes.

Just run away when you've got nothing to say and you've been made to look foolish--following the example of the inappropriately named "steverodgers".

You are right about one thing though. It is a message board. No one is going to agree on everything.

Whatever.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one and go our separate ways.

Good luck with all the arbitrary "rules" that you've cooked up in your head--and with convincing people that the Fantastic Four aren't superheroes. You'll need it, kid.

"Trying is the point, not succeeding."

Lucky for you.

It's hard to believe it won't be good.

It's better to talk about stuff that's actually out though.

...and NO, nobody wants to ignore Rainbow Batman. Rainbow Batman rules!

I think the problem now is the back to back to ones.

OK, you had Infinite Crisis, which sort of reset things. Then we had 52, which brought back the multi-verse. OK I like "What If" stories, so this is as good a way as any to address alternate universes.

I just don't know what they are trying to acheive with Final Crisis.

I tend to avoid all spoiler sites and pubs, so those of you that read Previews, enlighten me please if you have the answer.

That's probably why you know so little about what you're talking about.

...and, um, entertaining comics?

The first Crisis was the epitome of unnecessary. It's why they had to fix it.

Equate. Verb-1. to regard, treat, or represent as equivalent: We cannot equate the possession of wealth with goodness. 2. to state the equality of or between; put in the form of an equation: to equate growing prosperity with the physical health of a nation. 3. to reduce to an average; make such correction or allowance in as will reduce to a common standard of comparison.

Compare. Verb-1. to examine (two or more objects, ideas, people, etc.) in order to note similarities and differences: to compare two pieces of cloth; to compare the governments of two nations. 2. to consider or describe as similar; liken: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? 3. Grammar. to form or display the degrees of comparison of (an adjective or adverb).

I was making comparisons NOT equating. I know the difference but my detractors apparently do not.

Couldn't she have just changed her costume back?

...and you're right that it wasn't "unnessecary"--it was unnecessary.

Big difference.

Smoking causes cancer in the real world. The one Quesada (a real person) lives in.

Neither Spider-man nor Mephisto exist in the real world. The one where Quesada edits superhero comics for children.

I don't care if you're comparing or equating, personally. It doesn't really make a difference. I never said you were equating anyway. But I will say that your comparison sucks because it's stupid.

What you need to try to understand is that some comparisons are valid and some are not. But I don't have time to teach a logic class here.

Good luck to you in your future endeavors, sir! You will most certainly need it as much as Shenjanno. You're two sides of the same retarded coin.

Your criticisms seem a little vague to me. Such as "...reeks of a singular egotism..." Are you saying that Marvel should worry about Image's bottom line? If so, I would say that I don't think that has ever happened in the history of comics--so if you're trying to pull a "things were so much better way-back-when" type of argument off I don't think you'll be successful.

Do you have anything except the nebulous "pander to the commercial dollar" argument? They always have. What's new?

You're gonna need more to back up calling "EVIL" on people who make comics. Sorry.

You honestly don't think that things are better now than in the 90's (for which you seem to hold disdain)?

I do.

Just run away, I guess. It's all you can do. You certainly can't make a decent point.