Ray's 35th DCU Megathread - OOMPH Inc.!!!

[Dark Sasha]

Do you believe in ghosts, Ray?

[Master Jack Rabbitt]

I LOVED Wicked

i still really want to see that

[Superior Kiai]

What's going on Sun, Mon and Tuesday?

Stuff related to that stuff I told you on Friday. :D

[Slewo.O]

have you driven by yourself before? Because your making it sound like you haven't.

No not since Friday when I got my license.

[Slewo.O]

I never should have signed up for this note-taking program. This guy keeps fucking call me every few hours like a fucking ex-wife. It's driving me insane. I sent him the notes for class what does he want now. Ugh sorry I was having such a nice time sleeping then the phone.

[Dark Sasha]

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lapdojlUSs1qzdi59o1_500.png

[John Drake]

i still really want to see that

I'm deciding between that and Avenue Q for when I go there next month.

[JasonWGBB007]

Hello

[GrandeMaestro Fünke]

I'm deciding between that and Avenue Q for when I go there next month.

Avenue Q's great. I've been hearing a lot of great things about Fela! too.

[Matthew Brown]

Someone go second that team proposal.

[jason hissong]

Someone go second that team proposal.

Seconded!


(What happens if no one seconds?)

[Matthew Brown]

Seconded!


(What happens if no one seconds?)

It is my understanding that it has to be seconded (and a turn wasted by the seconder) before people can add characters.

[jason hissong]

It is my understanding that it has to be seconded (and a turn wasted by the seconder) before people can add characters.

That really sucks for someone's turn, that that's all they can do.

If no one ever seconds, I guess it just hangs there?

[Matthew Brown]

And per the norm, my idea is way better than anybody else's... EVER.

[Matthew Brown]

That really sucks for someone's turn, that that's all they can do.

If no one ever seconds, I guess it just hangs there?

Yes, you leave me hanging, Jason.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2895019/gordon-brown-pic-getty-221085117.jpg

You want this on your conscience?

[AndrewG]

The Essex County trilogy is one of the best things I've ever read and now Jeff Lemire joins a very small list of creators whose books I'll purchase regardless of concept or character

[AndrewG]

Stuff related to that stuff I told you on Friday. :D

Oh cool. Awesome then. See ya Wednesday!

[I AM GROOT!]

I never should have signed up for this note-taking program. This guy keeps fucking call me every few hours like a fucking ex-wife. It's driving me insane. I sent him the notes for class what does he want now. Ugh sorry I was having such a nice time sleeping then the phone.

There's such a thing as a note-taking program? :-?

[I AM GROOT!]

The Essex County trilogy is one of the best things I've ever read and now Jeff Lemire joins a very small list of creators whose books I'll purchase regardless of concept or character

I have several of his books on my to-buy list. From the strength of Sweet Tooth alone, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite new creators.

[AndrewG]

I have several of his books on my to-buy list. From the strength of Sweet Tooth alone, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite new creators.

Mine as well.

[Matthew Brown]

I want to check out Superboy. Never managed to read Sweet Tooth.

[jason hissong]

The Essex County trilogy is one of the best things I've ever read and now Jeff Lemire joins a very small list of creators whose books I'll purchase regardless of concept or character

Brilliant comics.

Super nice guy, too.

[AndrewG]

Brilliant comics.

Super nice guy, too.

It was. Depressed the shit out of me though :)

[lonesomefool]

I want to check out Superboy. Never managed to read Sweet Tooth.

I gave Superboy a DCBS order cause the first issue was less than a buck. I really enjoyed what Johns briefly did with him on Adventure Comics, hopefully that continues.

Havent read Sweet Tooth, its on my Vertigo buy-trade-when-richer list.

[The Doctor]

i still really want to see that

You;d love it

[lonesomefool]

I'm really tempted to grab the Eduardo Risso issue of Jonah Hex in this month's DCBS order. Really tempted. Not sure if the writing is still good though, I enjoyed the Hex run by Luke Ross, but fell off the title over time.

[AndrewG]

I gave Superboy a DCBS order cause the first issue was less than a buck. I really enjoyed what Johns briefly did with him on Adventure Comics, hopefully that continues.

Havent read Sweet Tooth, its on my Vertigo buy-trade-when-richer list.

I avoided Sweet Tooth for a long time because I thought it looked weird just from the covers. Dumb kid with antlers. WTF. But I got the first few issues reach cheap months ago and go hooked. One of my favorite ongoings right now.

[jason hissong]

It was. Depressed the shit out of me though :)

That'll happen.

[lonesomefool]

I avoided Sweet Tooth for a long time because I thought it looked weird just from the covers. Dumb kid with antlers. WTF. But I got the first few issues reach cheap months ago and go hooked. One of my favorite ongoings right now.

Yeah, I have only heard good things about it (well, I have heard the pacing is kinda slow for a monthly), but I want to check it out. I am behind on a lot of Vertigo though, I need to catch up with Northlanders (only read Vol. 1) and I'm way behind on DMZ.

[AndrewG]

Off to the last little league game of the season :(

[lonesomefool]

Off to the last little league game of the season :(

I miss regular season Baseball so much. Especially on Saturday's since college football is incredibly boring. The post season is nice, but too many off days between games.

[Matthew Brown]

Yeah, I have only heard good things about it (well, I have heard the pacing is kinda slow for a monthly), but I want to check it out. I am behind on a lot of Vertigo though, I need to catch up with Northlanders (only read Vol. 1) and I'm way behind on DMZ.

Yeah, I'm a terrible person about buying Vertigo if I don't catch it from the beginning. I'll discover things in trade, and then only feel like buying them that way.

And since I haven't had any money lately, I just haven't been reading things like Scalped or Northlanders at all. Not to mention other stuff I hear about like Madame Xanadu and Sweet Tooth.

[lonesomefool]

Yeah, I'm a terrible person about buying Vertigo if I don't catch it from the beginning. I'll discover things in trade, and then only feel like buying them that way.

And since I haven't had any money lately, I just haven't been reading things like Scalped or Northlanders at all. Not to mention other stuff I hear about like Madame Xanadu and Sweet Tooth.

Madame Xanadu doesnt interest me much. Not sure why, I know very little about it, but a lot of the Vertigo fantasy titles dont connect with me the same way a crime/gritty title like Scalped or American Vampire does.

[Matthew Brown]

Madame Xanadu doesnt interest me much. Not sure why, I know very little about it, but a lot of the Vertigo fantasy titles dont connect with me the same way a crime/gritty title like Scalped or American Vampire does.

It really sounds like something that I'd like, considering it seems steeped in all the magical DCU stuff that the original Vertigo line was.

I like the gritty stuff, too, of course.

[The Doctor]

Off to the last little league game of the season :(
Good luck!

[NickT]

Yeah, I'm a terrible person about buying Vertigo if I don't catch it from the beginning. I'll discover things in trade, and then only feel like buying them that way.

And since I haven't had any money lately, I just haven't been reading things like Scalped or Northlanders at all. Not to mention other stuff I hear about like Madame Xanadu and Sweet Tooth.
I'm a more terrible person, as I don't even pay attention to what they put out :)



Read the first two trades of Northlanders recently though, liked the first one of them.

[John Drake]

I'm a more terrible person, as I don't even pay attention to what they put out :)



Read the first two trades of Northlanders recently though, liked the first one of them.

The second one was the Ryan Kelly arc, right? The third one has a lot of 2-issue and single issues stories, and it's great.

[Master Jack Rabbitt]

I love Northlanders. Such a fantastic series.

[NickT]

The second one was the Ryan Kelly arc, right? The third one has a lot of 2-issue and single issues stories, and it's great.
Dunno off the top of my head. The first is the guy (Sven?) coming home, the second was the guy on the run.


I'm going to try the third one because of the first, but I guess that is the problem and benefit of ongoings of different stories. You like a setup and it dissapears, you dislike one and it goes too :)

[John Drake]

Dunno off the top of my head. The first is the guy (Sven?) coming home, the second was the guy on the run.


I'm going to try the third one because of the first, but I guess that is the problem and benefit of ongoings of different stories. You like a setup and it dissapears, you dislike one and it goes too :)

Yeah that's the one.

I think that's been the weakest one so far. I'm a fan of the shorter stories, and there's a few great ones in vol. 3.

[NickT]

Yeah that's the one.

I think that's been the weakest one so far. I'm a fan of the shorter stories, and there's a few great ones in vol. 3.
Okay, will keep this in mind :)

[MayorMitch100]

good afternoon.

[jason hissong]

If I ruled the world. I'd free all my sons.

[jason hissong]

http://www.youtube.com/user/maritramontina#p/a/f/1/11OS4S3YyCU

[MayorMitch100]

http://www.youtube.com/user/maritramontina#p/a/f/1/11OS4S3YyCU

I want to be best friends with that kid.

[Andreas]

Ethan Van Sciver is in Berlin this week.

http://modern-graphics.de/shop/out/oxbaseshop/html/0/images/wysiwigpro/van_sciver_400_pas.jpg (http://www.modern-graphics.de/shop/)

[jason hissong]

Ethan Van Sciver is in Berlin this week.

http://modern-graphics.de/shop/out/oxbaseshop/html/0/images/wysiwigpro/van_sciver_400_pas.jpg (http://www.modern-graphics.de/shop/)

Berlin is my favorite city to which I have travelled.

[Andreas]

Berlin is my favorite city to which I have travelled.

I've only been there once to help a friend move, but would like to spend some more time there.

[The Doctor]

Walking Dead HC 6 is so awesome

[MayorMitch100]

Ethan Van Sciver is in Berlin this week.

http://modern-graphics.de/shop/out/oxbaseshop/html/0/images/wysiwigpro/van_sciver_400_pas.jpg (http://www.modern-graphics.de/shop/)

you going?

[Andreas]

you going?

Naw, it's too far away for a short trip. But Modern Graphics is a great comic shop. E.g. when I visited it the last time they had all issues of Love and Rockets.

[MayorMitch100]

Walking Dead HC 6 is so awesome

I get the paperbacks.

[MayorMitch100]

Naw, it's too far away for a short trip. But Modern Graphics is a great comic shop. E.g. when I visited it the last time they had all issues of Love and Rockets.

ah, I can see that. Same with me if there was a signing on Los Angeles, I usually just pass on them.
I have recently found a store that is really good near my house. They always have what I'm looking for. But I have a feeling you'd fall in love with my dad's comic collection. He has all of Love and Rockets, and all that other 80s and 90s indie stuff.

[Andreas]

ah, I can see that. Same with me if there was a signing on Los Angeles, I usually just pass on them.
I have recently found a store that is really good near my house. They always have what I'm looking for. But I have a feeling you'd fall in love with my dad's comic collection. He has all of Love and Rockets, and all that other 80s and 90s indie stuff.

It must be paradise to grow up in a house with a collection like that. :) I'm the first person in my family that is interested in comics.

[MayorMitch100]

It must be paradise to grow up in a house with a collection like that. :)

I'm going to college next year so I'm going to pack up a few boxes of comics and take them with me.

[GrandeMaestro Fünke]

So apparently Scott Snyder's teaching a how to write comic books class next semester here. Makes it tempting to stay here.

[Arion]

I'm going to college next year so I'm going to pack up a few boxes of comics and take them with me.

Books and comic books are good company.

[Mylazycat]

The Essex County trilogy is one of the best things I've ever read and now Jeff Lemire joins a very small list of creators whose books I'll purchase regardless of concept or character

Awesome!

Think he'll want to draw my romance story for The Gathering?

[Arion]

It must be paradise to grow up in a house with a collection like that. :) I'm the first person in my family that is interested in comics.

Definitely a good experience.

[The Doctor]

I get the paperbacks.
Brilliant book either way

[Arion]

So apparently Scott Snyder's teaching a how to write comic books class next semester here. Makes it tempting to stay here.

I know I would stay...

[MayorMitch100]

Apparently last night some guy at my school decided to have a birthday party for his 18th birthday. He's one of those kids no one talks to very much, he tries to fit in but I have a feeling all the "cool" kids are secretly laughing at him. So his party was last night and one of my friends went and told me about it. He said that it just got insane around 10 o'clock. A bunch of people not invited showed up, and the house got trashed and a bunch of stuff was stolen. I know a lot of cameras, all the guy's gifts, his computer, and some other stuff was all stolen. Why are people so fucking stupid all the time? Why the hell must they steal a bunch of stuff? How terrible were these kids raised that in their mind they thought that was a good thing to do? Really makes me hate being a high schooler right now because I know there is going to be a huge thing about it now and we're all going to get in trouble.

Moral of the story: People are stupid.

[Arion]

Moral of the story : there is no moral.
Important thing is that you weren't there so you won't get into trouble.

[MayorMitch100]

yeah I was invited by the friend that went and I kind of knew something like that was going to happen so I decided to stay home.

[The Doctor]

yeah I was invited by the friend that went and I kind of knew something like that was going to happen so I decided to stay home.

Good choice

[Mylazycat]

yeah I was invited by the friend that went and I kind of knew something like that was going to happen so I decided to stay home.

You're a good man.

[Dark Sasha]

Avenue Q's great. I've been hearing a lot of great things about Fela! too.

:sick:

[Ray G.]

The Essex County trilogy is one of the best things I've ever read and now Jeff Lemire joins a very small list of creators whose books I'll purchase regardless of concept or character

Save The Atom, I've enjoyed everything I've read out of him a lot. And The Atom might just be a problem with only ten pages an issue.

He's climbing up my list very fast, along with Paul Cornell. Hickman managed to somersault up to #2 in about a year's time.

[Dark Sasha]

If you're in New york you need to see this next year:
http://s3.broadway.com/posters/large/1.151748.jpg

Here is the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-bni4QqSv4

[Mylazycat]

I've never seen Avenue Q's but the soundtrack is wonderful.

I think Oeming also once mentioned he saw it and loved it.

[Ray G.]

If you're in New york you need to see this next year:
http://s3.broadway.com/posters/large/1.151748.jpg

Here is the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-bni4QqSv4

Meh.

[Matthew Brown]

Saw this on facebook once. Did it in boredom.

You put shuffle on your music, and fill out the film's soundtrack based on what plays, and in the order it plays. (The real thing, not skipping something embarrassing or to something that works better. :p)

1.) Movie Trailer

New Radicals - Mother We Just Can't Get Enough


2.) Opening Credits

Jenny Owen Young - Lightning Rod


3.) Waking Up

John Butler Trio - Nowhere Man


4.) First Day of School

Common - Freestyle (f/Funkmaster Flex)


5.) First Love

Stephen Lynch - Grandfather


6.) First Heartbreak

Pixies - Space (I Believe In)


7.) Fight Song

Lady GaGa - So Happy I Could Die


8.) Prom

The Dresden Dolls - 672


9.) Life

Lilly Allen - Back To The Start


10.) Mental Breakdown

Fiona Apple - A Mistake


11.) Driving

Pixies - All Over The World


12.) Flashback

Ryan Adams - My Winding Wheel


13.) Getting Back Together

Regina Spektor - Field Below


14.) Losing Your Virginity

Common - The Remedy (f/A Tribe Called Quest)


15.) Wedding

Robert Johnson - Key To The Highway


16.) Final Battle

The Dresden Dolls - First Orgasm


17.) Death Scene

The Roots - Distortion To Static (Black Thought Mix)


18.) Funeral

Cee-Lo & Greg Street - Little Black Book


19.) Bloopers

Ryan Adams - The Rescue Blues

[Dark Sasha]

Meh.

Oh we're going, Ray!


Puppets swearing. Big woop.

[Matthew Brown]

Oh we're going, Ray!


Puppets swearing. Big woop.

They swear?

Oh man, I got to get me some of that.

[AndrewG]

Had a very stressful week and then a very, very good weekend but the absolute highlight was the final little league game. After struggling all season long and having suffered blow outs and close game losses and shitty parents and coaches from other teams we bounced the lead back and forth through all six innings, went into the bottom of the sixth leading 17-16 and held on for the win.

A couple kids who struggled all season long had very good games, and as a dad I got to see my son go 4 for 5 with 5 RBI and then make two excellent plays at first (diving for sharply hit ground balls) in the sixth to end the game. After his last play the whole team ran out onto the field and jumped on top of him to celebrate as if they'd just won the World Series and he ended up getting the game ball. Probably the best game we've been a part of for two seasons.

I'm still in a high over it.

[Mylazycat]

Had a very stressful week and then a very, very good weekend but the absolute highlight was the final little league game. After struggling all season long and having suffered blow outs and close game losses and shitty parents and coaches from other teams we bounced the lead back and forth through all six innings, went into the bottom of the sixth leading 17-16 and held on for the win.

A couple kids who struggled all season long had very good games, and as a dad I got to see my son go 4 for 5 with 5 RBI and then make two excellent plays at first (diving for sharply hit ground balls) in the sixth to end the game. After his last play the whole team ran out onto the field and jumped on top of him to celebrate as if they'd just won the World Series and he ended up getting the game ball. Probably the best game we've been a part of for two seasons.

I'm still in a high over it.

That sounds absolutely outstanding. :rock:

[AndrewG]

That sounds absolutely outstanding. :rock:

It was. It was so awesome

[jason hissong]

Awesome Andrew!

[Ray G.]

:rock: That sounds awesome, Andrew.

[Matthew Brown]

I heard something was awesome...

[AndrewG]

Awesome Andrew!


:rock: That sounds awesome, Andrew.

It was great. Culmination of a lot of things throughout the season and for 3 and a half hours it just seemed like nothing in the world was going on except for the game and our focus on these kids. Just a tremendous amount of fun

[AndrewG]

That was one crazy ass Boardwalk Empire.

[I AM GROOT!]

Had a very stressful week and then a very, very good weekend but the absolute highlight was the final little league game. After struggling all season long and having suffered blow outs and close game losses and shitty parents and coaches from other teams we bounced the lead back and forth through all six innings, went into the bottom of the sixth leading 17-16 and held on for the win.

A couple kids who struggled all season long had very good games, and as a dad I got to see my son go 4 for 5 with 5 RBI and then make two excellent plays at first (diving for sharply hit ground balls) in the sixth to end the game. After his last play the whole team ran out onto the field and jumped on top of him to celebrate as if they'd just won the World Series and he ended up getting the game ball. Probably the best game we've been a part of for two seasons.

I'm still in a high over it.

What an awesome way to end the season. The boys must be psyched!

[AndrewG]

What an awesome way to end the season. The boys must be psyched!

Oh they were. They were a quiet group throughout the year so it was great to see them go nuts at the end

[AndrewG]

Shit, Eastbound and Down was friggin hilarious tonight.

[I AM GROOT!]

Oh they were. They were a quiet group throughout the year so it was great to see them go nuts at the end

That's good to hear. I remember playing those last games when I was younger (soccer and baseball), and the after-parties where we'd have a barbecue or pizza were fun, and that adrenaline was still running high - and would continue for hours afterward.

(Also, on a Gathering note, when are you expecting the art on Volume 3: Heroes? Have you received any yet?)

[AndrewG]

That's good to hear. I remember playing those last games when I was younger (soccer and baseball), and the after-parties where we'd have a barbecue or pizza were fun, and that adrenaline was still running high - and would continue for hours afterward.

(Also, on a Gathering note, when are you expecting the art on Volume 3: Heroes? Have you received any yet?)

February/March. Some of the pages from Aaron and Doug's story is on the Kickstarter site. That's the only art I've seen so far. No stories are complete yet by any means

[I AM GROOT!]

February/March. Some of the pages from Aaron and Doug's story is on the Kickstarter site. That's the only art I've seen so far. No stories are complete yet by any means

Okay, cool. I just wanted to make sure my artist and I were on track, but based on those dates, it sounds like we're either on time or even a little ahead, which should make your job easier. ;)

[GrandeMaestro Fünke]

:sick:
Is it the quality of a Mamet or Tennessee Williams play? No, of course not. Doesn't mean it isn't entertaining.

Had a very stressful week and then a very, very good weekend but the absolute highlight was the final little league game. After struggling all season long and having suffered blow outs and close game losses and shitty parents and coaches from other teams we bounced the lead back and forth through all six innings, went into the bottom of the sixth leading 17-16 and held on for the win.

A couple kids who struggled all season long had very good games, and as a dad I got to see my son go 4 for 5 with 5 RBI and then make two excellent plays at first (diving for sharply hit ground balls) in the sixth to end the game. After his last play the whole team ran out onto the field and jumped on top of him to celebrate as if they'd just won the World Series and he ended up getting the game ball. Probably the best game we've been a part of for two seasons.

I'm still in a high over it.

Glad to hear about the great final game for your team.

[Ray G.]

Gary and Blake's story is great, and wow, that's an amazing page of art by Aaron.

[AndrewG]

Okay, cool. I just wanted to make sure my artist and I were on track, but based on those dates, it sounds like we're either on time or even a little ahead, which should make your job easier. ;)

Good to hear!

[Dark Sasha]

http://www.murray4mayor.biz/wp-content/themes/murray4mayor/common/images/homepage-feature-2.jpg

[AndrewG]

Gary and Blake's story is great, and wow, that's an amazing page of art by Aaron.

Every new piece I see from him is better than the last.

[I AM GROOT!]

Gary and Blake's story is great, and wow, that's an amazing page of art by Aaron.

I just checked those previews out, as well, and yeah, they're both really amazing.

Aaron's art floors me each time I see a new piece. Blake's art kicks ass, plain and simple.

[AndrewG]

I just checked those previews out, as well, and yeah, they're both really amazing.

Aaron's art floors me each time I see a new piece. Blake's art kicks ass, plain and simple.

I'll try and add some more sneak peeks later in the week. Seems to have encouraged a lot of early donations.

[Dark Sasha]

Aaron's new pieces are normally better than the last, but not as good as the ones before the lasts.

[AndrewG]

Aaron's new pieces are normally better than the last, but not as good as the ones before the lasts.

His collaboration with you is quite good, Sasha

[I AM GROOT!]

I'll try and add some more sneak peeks later in the week. Seems to have encouraged a lot of early donations.

Hopefully it does. I think the first volume was everyone finding their legs; these next two volumes, it seems, are going to have some incredible gems in them.

[I AM GROOT!]

Anyway, I'm out. Have a good night, folks.

[Dark Sasha]

His collaboration with you is quite good, Sasha

Yes it is.Quite good. Quite good indeed.

[AndrewG]

Hopefully it does. I think the first volume was everyone finding their legs; these next two volumes, it seems, are going to have some incredible gems in them.

Lotsa fun Gathering stuff at the end of the week. Too bad the weekend is so slow net wise but we had a nice first day on Kickstart and all the nominations on Project Fanboy was really good. I really hope some of these guys make it to the final round next week and get some well deserved attention from it.

But tomorrow is gonna start another round of hype, paticularly to get that Kickstarter goal met

[AndrewG]

Have a good night, fellas!

[Ray G.]

Lotsa fun Gathering stuff at the end of the week. Too bad the weekend is so slow net wise but we had a nice first day on Kickstart and all the nominations on Project Fanboy was really good. I really hope some of these guys make it to the final round next week and get some well deserved attention from it.

But tomorrow is gonna start another round of hype, paticularly to get that Kickstarter goal met

A quarter of the way in two days. Definitely a good start. :)

I'm going to see if I can pull the money together this time, but hopefully. And the nominations are kinda freaky, but very cool. :)

[MayorMitch100]

fantastic night of pumpkin carving. Made an awesome Chuck Norris pumpkin. waiting on the girl to put the pictures on Facebook then I'll show you gentlemen.

[John Drake]

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson?

[Dark Sasha]

I feel you, Johanna,
I feel you.
I was half convinced I'd waken,
Satisfied enough to dream you.
Happily I was mistaken,
Johanna.
I'll steal you, Johanna,
I'll steal you.

[John Drake]

I feel you, Mall Girl,
I feel you.
I was half convinced I'd waken,
Satisfied enough to dream you.
Happily I was mistaken,
Mall Girl.
I'll steal you, Mall Girl,
I'll steal you.

:scared:

[MayorMitch100]

I feel you, Johanna,
I feel you.
I was half convinced I'd waken,
Satisfied enough to dream you.
Happily I was mistaken,
Johanna.
I'll steal you, Johanna,
I'll steal you.

are you talking about the girl who sits behind me in history class?


:scared:

what kind of son have you raised?

[Dark Sasha]

It's from Sweeney Todd!

[Dark Sasha]

I'll steal you, Johanna,
I'll steal you.
Do they think that walls could hide you?
Even now, I'm at your window.
I am in the dark beside you,
Buried sweetly in your yellow hair!
I feel you, Johanna,
And one day I'll steal you!
Til I'm with you then,
I'm with you there,
Sweetly buried in your yellow hair!

[John Drake]

what kind of son have you raised?

He'll slit my throat :(

[MayorMitch100]

He'll slit my throat :(

you have failed as a father.

[Dark Sasha]

WHAT?! NO! I like theatre!!!

[MayorMitch100]

WHAT?! NO! I like theatre!!!

my school is putting on wizard of oz this weekend and next weekend. I'm going on Halloween.

[John Drake]

you have failed as a father.

:cry: How did I raise such a monster?


Oh..oh no, I can't let his other Papa see him like this.

[MayorMitch100]

:cry: How did I raise such a monster?


Oh..oh no, I can't let his other Papa see him like this.

you should have seen this terribleness early on and then turned his monster side into a force for good. Kind of like Dexter.

[JasonWGBB007]

I hate this insomnia

[MayorMitch100]

I hate this insomnia

have a warm cup of milk.

[JasonWGBB007]

have a warm cup of milk.

Doesn't work for me

[The Doctor]

Hopefully it does. I think the first volume was everyone finding their legs; these next two volumes, it seems, are going to have some incredible gems in them.

Which kind of blows my mind since Vol. 1 was very good:)

[Matthew Brown]

Which kind of blows my mind since Vol. 1 was very good:)

Sorely lacking Brownie, though.

[The Doctor]

Sorely lacking Brownie, though.

Brownie's?:D::D:D:D:D:D:D:

[Matthew Brown]

Brownie's?:D::D:D:D:D:D:D:

Brownie. It's what I call myself when I want to be folksy, or old timey radio-ish, or even just douchey.

[Mylazycat]

Gary and Blake's story is great, and wow, that's an amazing page of art by Aaron.

Thank you very much! Blake is awesome.

[Andreas]

Doesn't work for me

Read a comic by Bendis.

[I AM GROOT!]

Brownie. It's what I call myself when I want to be folksy, or old timey radio-ish, or even just douchey.

Then it works well. ;)

[I AM GROOT!]

Read a comic by Bendis.

Eyes are on this thread now. :scared:

[Doug]

My weekend was a piece of Martian Manhunter.

But I'm back at work so that makes everything better. :surrend:

[AndrewG]

My weekend was a piece of Martian Manhunter.

But I'm back at work so that makes everything better. :surrend:

I saw your updates. Is the little guy doing okay?

[Doug]

I saw your updates. Is the little guy doing okay?

Much better, but he still scared the Hell out of us. He's with Grandma right now and we have a follow up appointment with our regular doctor this morning that I'm taking a long lunch for.

The hard part now I keeping him calm and jumping around.

[I AM GROOT!]

I'm off to work. Talk to you all later.

(And sorry to hear that you weekend wasn't that great, Doug. Hope the little guy's doing all right.)

[Doug]

I'm off to work. Talk to you all later.

(And sorry to hear that you weekend wasn't that great, Doug. Hope the little guy's doing all right.)

Thanks. Have "fun" at work.

[AndrewG]

Much better, but he still scared the Hell out of us. He's with Grandma right now and we have a follow up appointment with our regular doctor this morning that I'm taking a long lunch for.

The hard part now I keeping him calm and jumping around.

I bet. Good luck, man

[Doug]

I bet. Good luck, man

Thanks.

[AndrewG]

Interesting commentary on the 'fan fiction' age of comics by Felicity Walker that seems to be picking up steam

And I agree with her

“The Fan-Fiction Age” is a good name for how I feel about a lot of recent comics.

Surprisingly enough, I think part of why modern comics feel like fanfic is because of what should be a good thing: the rise of the direct market that allows comics that don’t have to have to be vetted for news-stands. The comics I grew up on — the ones that feel like “real” comics to me — range from all-ages news-stand comics like the original Transformers and Spectacular Spider-Man to specialty-shop purchases like Howard Chaykin’s Blackhawk and Dark Horse’s Mecha.

Those still feel like real comics when I read them. Most comics today don’t, even the relatively good ones. Something has changed. Maybe it’s the way writers write, or the way people talk that writers are trying to capture in their dialogue. Maybe it’s all the computer-colouring and computer-lettering. Maybe it’s all the in-jokes and meta-humour.

But I can’t shake the feeling that for mainstream superhero comics, something got lost when they stopped being made for the casual news-stand reader as well as the die-hard fan."

[Doug]

Interesting commentary on the 'fan fiction' age of comics by Felicity Walker that seems to be picking up steam

And I agree with her

“The Fan-Fiction Age” is a good name for how I feel about a lot of recent comics.

Surprisingly enough, I think part of why modern comics feel like fanfic is because of what should be a good thing: the rise of the direct market that allows comics that don’t have to have to be vetted for news-stands. The comics I grew up on — the ones that feel like “real” comics to me — range from all-ages news-stand comics like the original Transformers and Spectacular Spider-Man to specialty-shop purchases like Howard Chaykin’s Blackhawk and Dark Horse’s Mecha.

Those still feel like real comics when I read them. Most comics today don’t, even the relatively good ones. Something has changed. Maybe it’s the way writers write, or the way people talk that writers are trying to capture in their dialogue. Maybe it’s all the computer-colouring and computer-lettering. Maybe it’s all the in-jokes and meta-humour.

But I can’t shake the feeling that for mainstream superhero comics, something got lost when they stopped being made for the casual news-stand reader as well as the die-hard fan."

I can see her POV. I'm not a fan of having every arc be the BIGGEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THESE CHARACTERS EVER!!!!

And then you have the opposite situation where the characters sit and talk for an entire issue about how dangerous they are and that should they decide to act bad things will happen.

I think there needs to be a balance.

I also miss the downtime issues. I used to love the softball/baseball issues of X-Men.

[Howlett]

I can see her POV. I'm not a fan of having every arc be the BIGGEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THESE CHARACTERS EVER!!!!

And then you have the opposite situation where the characters sit and talk for an entire issue about how dangerous they are and that should they decide to act bad things will happen.

I think there needs to be a balance.

I also miss the downtime issues. I used to love the softball/baseball issues of X-Men.

I'll definitely agree with this. I've honestly felt like comics were in the fanfic stage since about 2000/ 2001. Even ones I enjoy immensely have a fanfic feel to them.

[AndrewG]

I can see her POV. I'm not a fan of having every arc be the BIGGEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THESE CHARACTERS EVER!!!!

And then you have the opposite situation where the characters sit and talk for an entire issue about how dangerous they are and that should they decide to act bad things will happen.

I think there needs to be a balance.

I also miss the downtime issues. I used to love the softball/baseball issues of X-Men.

I've heard the term being used a lot but it seems like it's picking up speed. I think with the amount of titles offered, pricing and general anger among comic fans it's almost becoming a rallying point to focus on.

I liked those baseball issues too. Thought they were a lot of fun

[Doug]

I've heard the term being used a lot but it seems like it's picking up speed. I think with the amount of titles offered, pricing and general anger among comic fans it's almost becoming a rallying point to focus on.

I liked those baseball issues too. Thought they were a lot of fun

When I run Marvel I'm going to do an Avengers annuals where there's a round robin baseball tournament. The FF will be the umpires (with a joke about DareDevil being an umpire in one of the earlier games that didn't go so well) and it will come down to the Avengers vs. The X-Men in the final game.

[AndrewG]

When I run Marvel I'm going to do an Avengers annuals where there's a round robin baseball tournament. The FF will be the umpires (with a joke about DareDevil being an umpire in one of the earlier games that didn't go so well) and it will come down to the Avengers vs. The X-Men in the final game.

That could be a really fun annual

Who wins?

[Doug]

That could be a really fun annual

Who wins?

Game gets called due to Galactus. That way I don't piss off any fans.

[Dark Sasha]

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated.
We're gonna do it!
Give us any chance, we'll take it.
Give us any rule, we'll break it.
We're gonna make our dreams come true.
Doin' it our way.
Nothin's gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true,
Doin' it our way.
There is nothing we won't try,
Never heard the word impossible.
This time there's no stopping us.
We're gonna do it.
On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We're gonna make our dream come true.
And we'll do it our way, yes our way!
Make all our dreams come true!
And do it our way! yes our way!
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you!!!!!

[AndrewG]

Game gets called due to Galactus. That way I don't piss off any fans.

Cop out!!!

[Marcdachamp]

Mornin' guys.

[Dark Sasha]

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
and the vermin of the world inhabit it
and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit
and it goes by the name of London.
At the top of the hole sit the privileged few
Making mock of the vermin in the lonely zoo
turning beauty to filth and greed...
I too have sailed the world and seen its wonders,
for the cruelty of men is as wonderous as Peru
but there's no place like London!

[AndrewG]

Why? Why?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/10/25/lois-lanes-bottom-revealed/

[Marcdachamp]

Why? Why?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/10/25/lois-lanes-bottom-revealed/

It's all for you, Andrew!

:hangs self:

[Dark Sasha]

Why? Why?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/10/25/lois-lanes-bottom-revealed/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLlSjyZupzU

[AndrewG]

It's all for you, Andrew!

:hangs self:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLlSjyZupzU

:-x

[Mylazycat]

That could be a really fun annual

Who wins?

The fans!


Why? Why?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/10/25/lois-lanes-bottom-revealed/

See above.

[Dark Sasha]

What colour underwear am I wearing, Andrew?

[AndrewG]

See above.

There's absolutely no reason for it though.

[Marcdachamp]

There's absolutely no reason for it though.

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

[AndrewG]

What colour underwear am I wearing, Andrew?

Pink

[Dark Sasha]

Pink
And.....do you like pink?

[AndrewG]

And.....do you like pink?

Actually, not really but it's okay on you. Brings out your eyes.

[Dark Sasha]

If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try

Take a chance on me
(come on, give me a break will you? )
Take a chance on me

Oh you can take your time baby, I’m in no hurry, know I’m gonna get you
You don’t wanna hurt me, baby don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you
Let me tell you now
My love is strong enough to last when things are rough
It’s magic
You say that I waste my time but I can’t get you off my mind
No I can’t let go
’cos I love you so

[Mylazycat]

There's absolutely no reason for it though.

I agree.

She should at least be wearing a thong.

A pink thong.

Like the one Sasha is wearing right now.

[AndrewG]

Another great article, this one looking at some terrible decisions that have been made regarding covers and the responsibilty that publishers need to take in what they put out there.

Again I agree with the writer.

http://troublewithcomics.tumblr.com/post/1371130394/guest-post-kevin-pasquino-looks-at-recent-dc-comics

Sometimes I like to imagine that I’m a newcomer to the world of comic books. Sometimes I like to step back and try to look at the medium I love with new eyes. And whenever I do so I inevitably have to scratch my head and wonder if anyone who publishes comic books ever takes the time to examine what image they’re selling (and therefore sending) to the world.

And this becomes even more exasperating when DC Comics is publishing the adventures of a hero who is going to make his multi-million dollar debut on the big screen next year, because I would have thought that someone way high up the corporate ladder would say…

“Whoa, guys, are you really going to put out a cover that looks like that? How the hell are you expecting to sell that a year from now when the movie comes out? Don’t you want to have something on the shelf that people will enjoy reading and that they could share with other people? Y’know, like, maybe you guys could plan ahead and anticipate that there might be some interest in the character and the spin-offs and then maybe they could get interested in other books? I mean, is this really the best you guys can come up with? Seriously? Cuz has anyone looked at this crap?”

The character in question is Green Lantern.

Next summer he makes his big screen debut. And I’m sure that DC Comics and their corporate parent, the mega-corporation quaintly known as Warner Bros., are hoping that the film will be a huge hit and will inspire an amazing series of films and will perhaps boost the sales of the character’s adventures in mainstream bookstores. And if people enjoy Green Lantern then characters such as The Atom, Hawkman, Plastic Man and The Flash will begin to sound cool and interesting. And they will become major movie characters. And their success will inspire more movies. And so on. And so on.

Therefore I would think that it is important that Green Lantern be interesting, approachable and presentable. Corporately it would make sense because he’s going to be the poster boy for all of the great things that are to come. Because of the movie, Green Lantern becomes the flagship character for DC Comics in 2011.

This brings me to Exhibit A in The Case of Questionable Editorial Conduct: the cover to Green Lantern #57…

Carol Ferris, Green Lantern’s sometimes girl friend, is decked out in her Star Sapphire outfit and she appears to be the captive of some masked guy who is wearing some kind of shiny leather outfit. Background characters are also in chains, but none of them are at the feet of their captor and none of them have their basketball-sized breasts begging to fall out of their costume.

(I’m tempted to have my seven year old describe the cover. He’d probably say that the woman looks angry because she’s in chains and because she’s sitting on a cold floor wearing only a bathing suit and tall boots. I’d ask him if perhaps she looks both mad and excited. My son would then ask me how she could be both at the same time. I’d try to explain how sometimes people can be both angry and stimulated and there is a wonderful thing know as “make-up sex.”
I would then get in trouble with his mother for showing him the comic book.)

This isn’t to say that this is a horrible cover, but it certainly makes the series look like the tawdrier parts of a cheesy 1960s B-movie. It sort of looks like Barbarella but cheaper. It’s hardly the stuff of a modern, big budget summer action movie.

Moving on: just as CSI has its Miami and New York, and Law & Order has its SVU and LA, Green Lantern has its spin-offs as well. The most recent book to sprout under the Green Lantern umbrella is Emerald Warriors.

Once again, one would expect that a new spin-off would be very aware of the upcoming movie. Interest in the main character should flow to the secondary books. All of these titles will be sitting side by side on a bookshelf display next summer.

This brings me to Exhibit B in The Mystery of Does Anyone Care What These Books Look Like: the cover to Emerald Warriors #2…

Guy Gardner, the man who could have been Green Lantern, now has his own series and the second issue has him pinned to the ground by some sort of super villain who is wearing tight leather. He seems to be doing his very best to push her away but he is being very, very, careful not to touch her breast as he’s doing so. She’s got a skeleton over her head. He looks angry. She is vomiting.

(Again, I imagine asking my son about the cover. He’d explain that he’s angry because he’s on the ground and it’s cold and she’s trying to choke him. He’d then ask me why she’s coughing up blood. I’d explain to him that she’s a Red Lantern. He’d ask if all of them puke blood. He’d ask why she has wings on her head. He’d ask why she’s wearing long boots. I wouldn’t have a good answer to any of his questions. I would then begin to explain the concept of “snowballing” and the education I got from watching Clerks but I would then think better of it and hold my tongue. Nevertheless, I still get in trouble with his mother.)

Like the first example, this isn’t an incredibly horrible cover because it at least gives some hint of conflict within the story. The blood-like vomit isn’t a great selling point, but there is the promise of some sort of sci-fi action contained within. But it would have been nice if the cover was something besides two characters wrestling. Perhaps some sense of cosmic adventure or a sci-fi setting would have been nice. Because, as is, this cover looks like it could take place in a very white gymnasium.

Which brings me to the final example: Exhibit C in The Secret of the Editors Who Don’t Care What It Looks Like Because Fanboys Will Buy It Anyway: the cover to Emerald Warriors #5…

To be blunt, this has simply got to be the worst superhero cover of the year. I look at it and wonder who would be enticed to purchase it. If someone has bought issues one through four, then I guess they’d buy it to ensure they haven’t missed an issue. But otherwise it’s worse than buying an issue of Playboy and reading it on a bus full of school children because at least then you could claim that you bought it for the articles and, look, there’s an interview with Philip Roth and short fiction by Tom Robbins. This cover, with the main character bleeding from his eyes and projectile vomiting towards something off-screen, is disgusting. It does not sell (or tell anything) about the comic. It is horrible beyond description.

(I imagine showing this book to my seven year old. He looks at me with confusion in his eyes. He starts crying. He has nightmares when he goes to bed. My wife asks what upset him, and, after I explain, she questions what sort of comic books I’m buying and then refuses to talk to me for a week.)

The only way I can possibly rationalize this cover is that it must have been some sort of dare. It’s as if all the editors where trying to see how far they could push it and were expecting for someone to step in and say, “You have got to be kidding. We can’t print this.” and they’d say “You’re right! April Fools! Here’s the real cover!” and someone would have to pay someone else five bucks because they lost the bet. It simply must be a joke that went too far.

Because if that’s not the case, with this issue of Emerald Warriors it’s obvious that DC simply does not care what is on any of their covers (let alone what’s on the cover of a book that will tie into a movie that will hopefully launch a mega-successful series of films and replace the soon-to-be disappearing Harry Potter series.)

And to compare apples to apples, the covers for The Walking Dead -– a comic about zombies and the people threatened by them -– never feature zombies with their brains pouring out of their exploded skulls. There is a sense of humanity, menace and tragic loss in most of that series’ cover images. It’s as if the creators are aware that they have a zombie comic, but they don’t have to try to repulse their fans (and potential new readers) with lurid images.

It’s not that I expect comic books to be just for kids. But a comic book shouldn’t be something I’m embarrassed to be carrying. It shouldn’t make people cringe when they look at it. Or question what sort of person I am for reading it.
They say you can’t tell a book by its cover. But you can certainly tell whether a company has any interest in marketing to anyone other than a well-trained, whipped and obedient fanboy reader. DC obviously isn’t looking ahead to 2011 and the world-wide success of the Green Lantern movie. They are quite content playing in the disgusting little cesspool they’ve created.

[AndrewG]

I agree.

She should at least be wearing a thong.

A pink thong.

Like the one Sasha is wearing right now.

:)

[AndrewG]

NY Post Reviews Superman: Earth One

:)

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . Superhunk!

Seventy-two-year-old Superman is getting a face-lift this week in a new book that reimagines the iconic character as more of a brooding heartthrob than a muscle-bound Boy Scout.

In "Superman: Earth One," the Man of Steel is a conflicted 20-year-old who's trying to find his way in the world, bearing more of a resemblance to Robert Pattinson from the "Twilight" movies than Christopher Reeve from the Superman films.

He wears hoodies, has smoldering eyes and, as a lanky Clark Kent, wears low-cut pants and hipster skinny ties. Artist Shane Davis also made him less physically imposing -- shorter and less beefy -- than he has traditionally been depicted.

The new look and new attitude are being used to kick off DC Comics' "Earth One" line of graphic novels, which puts their classic characters in today's world. The $19.95 hardcover, out in comic shops on Wednesday and book stores Nov. 2, is aimed directly at the youth market.

"We wanted to tell a story that's hip, sexy and moody," said DC Comics' co-publisher Dan DiDio.

"We wanted to show a younger Superman at the early stages of his career, struggling with his identity and his place. He realizes he doesn't belong anywhere and doesn't fit in."


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/it_new_look_for_superman_wWxd8MApuHBFBmh0b3a4eK

[Dark Sasha]

Oh great, now Superman is Robert Chambers!

[Deej]

There's absolutely no reason for it though.

Agreed. Someone should be fired.

[Dark Sasha]

Today's world! But today's world is stupid!!!

[Ray G.]

NY Post Reviews Superman: Earth One

:)

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . Superhunk!

Seventy-two-year-old Superman is getting a face-lift this week in a new book that reimagines the iconic character as more of a brooding heartthrob than a muscle-bound Boy Scout.

In "Superman: Earth One," the Man of Steel is a conflicted 20-year-old who's trying to find his way in the world, bearing more of a resemblance to Robert Pattinson from the "Twilight" movies than Christopher Reeve from the Superman films.

He wears hoodies, has smoldering eyes and, as a lanky Clark Kent, wears low-cut pants and hipster skinny ties. Artist Shane Davis also made him less physically imposing -- shorter and less beefy -- than he has traditionally been depicted.

The new look and new attitude are being used to kick off DC Comics' "Earth One" line of graphic novels, which puts their classic characters in today's world. The $19.95 hardcover, out in comic shops on Wednesday and book stores Nov. 2, is aimed directly at the youth market.

"We wanted to tell a story that's hip, sexy and moody," said DC Comics' co-publisher Dan DiDio.

"We wanted to show a younger Superman at the early stages of his career, struggling with his identity and his place. He realizes he doesn't belong anywhere and doesn't fit in."


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/it_new_look_for_superman_wWxd8MApuHBFBmh0b3a4eK

Oh, lord. :)

[AndrewG]

Oh great, now Superman is Robert Chambers!

Wouldn't that be Robert Pattinson?

[Deej]

NY Post Reviews Superman: Earth One

:)

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . Superhunk!

Seventy-two-year-old Superman is getting a face-lift this week in a new book that reimagines the iconic character as more of a brooding heartthrob than a muscle-bound Boy Scout.

In "Superman: Earth One," the Man of Steel is a conflicted 20-year-old who's trying to find his way in the world, bearing more of a resemblance to Robert Pattinson from the "Twilight" movies than Christopher Reeve from the Superman films.

He wears hoodies, has smoldering eyes and, as a lanky Clark Kent, wears low-cut pants and hipster skinny ties. Artist Shane Davis also made him less physically imposing -- shorter and less beefy -- than he has traditionally been depicted.

The new look and new attitude are being used to kick off DC Comics' "Earth One" line of graphic novels, which puts their classic characters in today's world. The $19.95 hardcover, out in comic shops on Wednesday and book stores Nov. 2, is aimed directly at the youth market.

"We wanted to tell a story that's hip, sexy and moody," said DC Comics' co-publisher Dan DiDio.

"We wanted to show a younger Superman at the early stages of his career, struggling with his identity and his place. He realizes he doesn't belong anywhere and doesn't fit in."


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/it_new_look_for_superman_wWxd8MApuHBFBmh0b3a4eK

I always thought this was the way to go with portraying Superman. He doesn't need to have the muscle bound look. I think it makes it more reasonable that no one would suspect Clark being Superman.

[Mylazycat]

What's a good example of a title or an arc on a title that reads like fan-fic to you guys?

[John M. Coker (Johnny C.)]

I get the feeling that I'm going to absolutely love the living fuck out of Earth One Superman. The more I read about it, the more interested in it I become.

[AndrewG]

I always thought this was the way to go with portraying Superman. He doesn't need to have the muscle bound look. I think it makes it more reasonable that no one would suspect Clark being Superman.

I don't have an issue with it. I just thought the Twilight stuff was funny.

And yeah, he gets his strength because he's an alien who gets charged from the yellow sun, not from body building. He doesn't need to be buff.

[Dark Sasha]

The more I hear about Superman Earth 1 the more I want to send them into the sun!

[AndrewG]

What's a good example of a title or an arc on a title that reads like fan-fic to you guys?

Here is an older article that recently came back and started this thing rolling again.

"The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics -- Over at Dick Hates Your Blog, Mr. Hyacinth observes the schism between fans of Brad Meltzer's lousy superhero comics versus Brian Michael Bendis's. Meltzer takes the baton as the leader in the race to create the worst superhero comics available today, but Bendis makes a strong second-place showing. The fact of the matter is, both are guilty of being master planners in the current, awful Fan-Fiction Age of superhero comics. From Straczynski's Spider-Man to Millar's Civil War, from Johns's Infinite Crisis to Bendis and Meltzer's narrative ass-rape of Marvel and DC's two top team titles (or TTTT as I like to call 'em), any informed observer of the current state of Marvel and DC's "universes" can see that the past few years are populated almost solely by events and storylines that just cry out to be retconned out of existence by creators who are actually committed to telling good stories with every drop of their creative gifts they can muster.

Unfortunately, the days when top creators were willing to give their all to corporations servicing superhero trademarks seem long past. I remember vividly when Frank Miller came along and reinvigorated Daredevil; when Walt Simonson showed us why Thor was so goddamned cool; when Claremont and Byrne were humble enough to exercise their talent before their egos and create probably the best X-Men comics ever created; when Alan Moore took Swamp Thing from industry joke (sorry, Mike!) to the most compelling comic book being published.

Creators today -- the smart ones -- take their best work to companies that will allow them to own their own work. So it's hard to imagine who the next Frank Miller or Alan Moore or whoever will be. Not that we need anyone to rehash those creator's visions or steal their best ideas -- that kind of bullshit is what has gotten us where we are now in corporate superhero comics. No, what is needed is, to paraphrase Alan Moore, someone to come along and twist the knobs to a setting no one ever thought of before. A new paradigm that makes corporate superhero comics not only readable, but fun and entertaining again.

Marvel and DC will probably have to shift some paradigms of their own, first, though. It wasn't that long ago, but can you imagine Marvel giving Grant Morrison a free hand to do what he did with New X-Men in today's market? Sure, DC let Darwyn Cooke create New Frontier, but why not allow someone that gifted and committed to the genre to just take over one of the main titles? Why ghettoize the quality stories while dosing fanboy junkies with the sort of continuity porn found in Meltzer/Bendis/et al's "hot" titles?

Another observation Moore once made was that he tried to give readers what they needed, not what they wanted. It may be a subtle distinction, but it's at the heart of what is wrong with corporate superhero comics at the moment, and why the direct market is locked in the death-grip of The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics."

.................................................. .................................................. ...

It's the idea that people are creating the comics that they wanted to read as kids (fan fiction) and making it happen whether it's really in the best interests of the characters (long term) or gaining new fans (the ones no one seems to care about or believe they exist).

[Arion]

I don't have an issue with it. I just thought the Twilight stuff was funny.

And yeah, he gets his strength because he's an alien who gets charged from the yellow sun, not from body building. He doesn't need to be buff.

Wait... Is Twilight still popular ?

[AndrewG]

I get the feeling that I'm going to absolutely love the living fuck out of Earth One Superman. The more I read about it, the more interested in it I become.

I'm looking forward to it. It's JMS so I expect it to be very heavy handed but I'm curious how this will read to a newer fan.

I hope it's in the mail when I get home

[AndrewG]

Wait... Is Twilight still popular ?

The films are still doing well and the comic adaptation did realllly well

[Dark Sasha]

A bah? Changing the knobs! That's what I've been saying this whole time!!!

[Howlett]

NY Post Reviews Superman: Earth One

:)

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . Superhunk!

Seventy-two-year-old Superman is getting a face-lift this week in a new book that reimagines the iconic character as more of a brooding heartthrob than a muscle-bound Boy Scout.

In "Superman: Earth One," the Man of Steel is a conflicted 20-year-old who's trying to find his way in the world, bearing more of a resemblance to Robert Pattinson from the "Twilight" movies than Christopher Reeve from the Superman films.

He wears hoodies, has smoldering eyes and, as a lanky Clark Kent, wears low-cut pants and hipster skinny ties. Artist Shane Davis also made him less physically imposing -- shorter and less beefy -- than he has traditionally been depicted.

The new look and new attitude are being used to kick off DC Comics' "Earth One" line of graphic novels, which puts their classic characters in today's world. The $19.95 hardcover, out in comic shops on Wednesday and book stores Nov. 2, is aimed directly at the youth market.

"We wanted to tell a story that's hip, sexy and moody," said DC Comics' co-publisher Dan DiDio.

"We wanted to show a younger Superman at the early stages of his career, struggling with his identity and his place. He realizes he doesn't belong anywhere and doesn't fit in."


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/it_new_look_for_superman_wWxd8MApuHBFBmh0b3a4eK
To quote the great Sam Beckett... "Oh boy!".

I was really, really, REALLY looking forward to this, and I hope to still enjoy it, but that description does NOT help.

What's a good example of a title or an arc on a title that reads like fan-fic to you guys?

Biggest I can think of right off the bat (and know that I say this as a huge fan of the book, more so than the years before it), New Avengers.

Everything about the team line-up screamed fanfic "Let's throw in Spider-Man! And Wolverine! Who doesn't want Wolverine? And several characters that have only appeared once in the entire run of Marvel... PERFECT Avengers candidates! Ooooh, and Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, because I lurve them!".

As a team, it worked in the end, but it still screamed of "little kid wanting all his favourite toys in the one toybox" to me. The exact kind of thing fanfic tends to be. Even the current team is still along those lines.

[AndrewG]

Biggest I can think of right off the bat (and know that I say this as a huge fan of the book, more so than the years before it), New Avengers.

Everything about the team line-up screamed fanfic "Let's through in Spider-Man! And Wolverine! Who doesn't want Wolverine? And several characters that have only appeared once in the entire run of Marvel... PERFECT Avengers candidates! Ooooh, and Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, because I lurve them!".

As a team, it worked in the end, but it still screamed of "little kid wanting all his favourite toys in the one toybox" to me. The exact kind of thing fanfic tends to be. Even the current team is still along those lines.

That's a good one.

Invincible Iron Man for me. Though unlike New Avengers, II has no redeeming qualities

[Howlett]

Here is an older article that recently came back and started this thing rolling again.

"The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics -- Over at Dick Hates Your Blog, Mr. Hyacinth observes the schism between fans of Brad Meltzer's lousy superhero comics versus Brian Michael Bendis's. Meltzer takes the baton as the leader in the race to create the worst superhero comics available today, but Bendis makes a strong second-place showing. The fact of the matter is, both are guilty of being master planners in the current, awful Fan-Fiction Age of superhero comics. From Straczynski's Spider-Man to Millar's Civil War, from Johns's Infinite Crisis to Bendis and Meltzer's narrative ass-rape of Marvel and DC's two top team titles (or TTTT as I like to call 'em), any informed observer of the current state of Marvel and DC's "universes" can see that the past few years are populated almost solely by events and storylines that just cry out to be retconned out of existence by creators who are actually committed to telling good stories with every drop of their creative gifts they can muster.

Unfortunately, the days when top creators were willing to give their all to corporations servicing superhero trademarks seem long past. I remember vividly when Frank Miller came along and reinvigorated Daredevil; when Walt Simonson showed us why Thor was so goddamned cool; when Claremont and Byrne were humble enough to exercise their talent before their egos and create probably the best X-Men comics ever created; when Alan Moore took Swamp Thing from industry joke (sorry, Mike!) to the most compelling comic book being published.

Creators today -- the smart ones -- take their best work to companies that will allow them to own their own work. So it's hard to imagine who the next Frank Miller or Alan Moore or whoever will be. Not that we need anyone to rehash those creator's visions or steal their best ideas -- that kind of bullshit is what has gotten us where we are now in corporate superhero comics. No, what is needed is, to paraphrase Alan Moore, someone to come along and twist the knobs to a setting no one ever thought of before. A new paradigm that makes corporate superhero comics not only readable, but fun and entertaining again.

Marvel and DC will probably have to shift some paradigms of their own, first, though. It wasn't that long ago, but can you imagine Marvel giving Grant Morrison a free hand to do what he did with New X-Men in today's market? Sure, DC let Darwyn Cooke create New Frontier, but why not allow someone that gifted and committed to the genre to just take over one of the main titles? Why ghettoize the quality stories while dosing fanboy junkies with the sort of continuity porn found in Meltzer/Bendis/et al's "hot" titles?

Another observation Moore once made was that he tried to give readers what they needed, not what they wanted. It may be a subtle distinction, but it's at the heart of what is wrong with corporate superhero comics at the moment, and why the direct market is locked in the death-grip of The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics."

.................................................. .................................................. ...

It's the idea that people are creating the comics that they wanted to read as kids (fan fiction) and making it happen whether it's really in the best interests of the characters (long term) or gaining new fans (the ones no one seems to care about or believe they exist).

I'll have to read that more in depth later, when I have the time. I will say that the last part, your part, I completely agree with *coughAmazingSpider-Mancough*

[Arion]

The films are still doing well and the comic adaptation did realllly well

Yes, I know.
I was kind of hoping it had all gone away since last time...

[Ray G.]

I get the feeling that I'm going to absolutely love the living fuck out of Earth One Superman. The more I read about it, the more interested in it I become.

Shadowland, this current ASM arc, and Civil War all come to mind from Marvel.

I don't think DC has this problem as much, but the whole "Rise and Fall" storyline comes to mind.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Hey guys.

It's last week in our house. :(

Gonna miss this place.

[AndrewG]

Yes, I know.
I was kind of hoping it had all gone away since last time...

:)

Two more years and you should be good. Although they are begging Stephanie Myer to write more books so who knows, it may not end with the final movie

[Howlett]

That's a good one.

Invincible Iron Man for me. Though unlike New Avengers, II has no redeeming qualities

I'll completely agree, up until the "no redeeming qualities" part. I still love the hell out of the book. But, saying that, I read just about every Marvel 616 book that's printed, so having one that gives the character a breather affects me very little since I see him blasting the shit out of things in Avengers and other books. If it was the only book with IM I read, it'd probably bug me more.

But the rest of your point, yeah. Completely seconded.

[MayorMitch100]

good morning everyone.

[Dark Sasha]

Oh sure, everyone's like "hey this article is right" but when I say it I'm crazy!

I'm going to sing more songs about murder now!

[AndrewG]

Oh sure, everyone's like "hey this article is right" but when I say it I'm crazy!

I'm going to sing more songs about murder now!

That's because we know you'd take things 15 steps further than they need to be.

[Foolish Mortal]

It is interesting to me how contemporary writers want to focus more on the 'Stranger in a Strange Land' aspects of Superman than him being 'Superman'.

I guess they think this makes him more relatable.

[AndrewG]

I'll completely agree, up until the "no redeeming qualities" part. I still love the hell out of the book. But, saying that, I read just about every Marvel 616 book that's printed, so having one that gives the character a breather affects me very little since I see him blasting the shit out of things in Avengers and other books. If it was the only book with IM I read, it'd probably bug me more.

But the rest of your point, yeah. Completely seconded.

I added that cause I'm still angry about that book. :)

I was moving comics around and the boys picked up issue 31 cause they liked the cover and wanted to read it and just got so disappointed. After about 5 pages they stopped to flip through the book. "Is anything going to happen in this comic?" "Why is he just driving around in a racecar?" "Why isn't Iron Man in any of these comics?"

It was hilarious but also just made me more pissed.

[MayorMitch100]

I read Luthor last night. Pretty good 5 issue mini.

[Arion]

:)

Two more years and you should be good. Although they are begging Stephanie Myer to write more books so who knows, it may not end with the final movie

Damn it. It should all be over by now.

[Dark Sasha]

I would say that most of marvel is trying to recapture some aspect of the 70's. Everything Bendis has done these past 5 years has always had some root in 70's marvel, even he stated this.

[Arion]

I would say that most of marvel is trying to recapture some aspect of the 70's. Everything Bendis has done these past 5 years has always had some root in 70's marvel, even he stated this.

Well, it's an era I'm not familiar with.

[Dark Sasha]

And even when they're not, history or continuity or something retrospective is normally always at the forefront. Every interview with any new creative team on a book will always start with "Well the character's history is important and significant" or something that always has to harken back to some great run. Like Diggle's Daredevil run for example. He is simply writing a Frank Miller story or a story someone else has told with the character. It's not necessarily really him.

[Marcdachamp]

Here is an older article that recently came back and started this thing rolling again.

"The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics -- Over at Dick Hates Your Blog, Mr. Hyacinth observes the schism between fans of Brad Meltzer's lousy superhero comics versus Brian Michael Bendis's. Meltzer takes the baton as the leader in the race to create the worst superhero comics available today, but Bendis makes a strong second-place showing. The fact of the matter is, both are guilty of being master planners in the current, awful Fan-Fiction Age of superhero comics. From Straczynski's Spider-Man to Millar's Civil War, from Johns's Infinite Crisis to Bendis and Meltzer's narrative ass-rape of Marvel and DC's two top team titles (or TTTT as I like to call 'em), any informed observer of the current state of Marvel and DC's "universes" can see that the past few years are populated almost solely by events and storylines that just cry out to be retconned out of existence by creators who are actually committed to telling good stories with every drop of their creative gifts they can muster.

Unfortunately, the days when top creators were willing to give their all to corporations servicing superhero trademarks seem long past. I remember vividly when Frank Miller came along and reinvigorated Daredevil; when Walt Simonson showed us why Thor was so goddamned cool; when Claremont and Byrne were humble enough to exercise their talent before their egos and create probably the best X-Men comics ever created; when Alan Moore took Swamp Thing from industry joke (sorry, Mike!) to the most compelling comic book being published.

Creators today -- the smart ones -- take their best work to companies that will allow them to own their own work. So it's hard to imagine who the next Frank Miller or Alan Moore or whoever will be. Not that we need anyone to rehash those creator's visions or steal their best ideas -- that kind of bullshit is what has gotten us where we are now in corporate superhero comics. No, what is needed is, to paraphrase Alan Moore, someone to come along and twist the knobs to a setting no one ever thought of before. A new paradigm that makes corporate superhero comics not only readable, but fun and entertaining again.

Marvel and DC will probably have to shift some paradigms of their own, first, though. It wasn't that long ago, but can you imagine Marvel giving Grant Morrison a free hand to do what he did with New X-Men in today's market? Sure, DC let Darwyn Cooke create New Frontier, but why not allow someone that gifted and committed to the genre to just take over one of the main titles? Why ghettoize the quality stories while dosing fanboy junkies with the sort of continuity porn found in Meltzer/Bendis/et al's "hot" titles?

Another observation Moore once made was that he tried to give readers what they needed, not what they wanted. It may be a subtle distinction, but it's at the heart of what is wrong with corporate superhero comics at the moment, and why the direct market is locked in the death-grip of The Fan-Fiction Age of Superhero Comics."

.................................................. .................................................. ...

It's the idea that people are creating the comics that they wanted to read as kids (fan fiction) and making it happen whether it's really in the best interests of the characters (long term) or gaining new fans (the ones no one seems to care about or believe they exist).

I'm sorry, but that article is horse shit. Talk about a heavy handed bunch of egotistical garbage.

If you don't like something, that's fine. But don't try saying "it reads like fan fiction!" because you don't like it. Explain why. It's ironic that he cites Bendis, because this is the type of journalism that Brian took issue with.

I do think that event comics can be a hindrance in the bigger scheme of things. But there are also plenty of fantastic self contained books that WILL stand the test of time. Bendis' Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil all come to mind. Young Avengers is a huge example. Astonishing X-Men. Deadpool. There are lots of great examples of great runs over the last few years.

The fact of the matter is, writers are always going to steer comics in the direction that they want because, wait for it... that's what they think is for the best! Just as ANYONE would do in that position. No one is trying to rape your childhood.

[Black Roman]

Hey guys, what's up?


Man, that Saints game was a heartbreaker yesterday. :lol:

[Howlett]

That's because we know you'd take things 15 steps further than they need to be.

Exactly.

Well worded article and polite discussion from posters about it.

Creator bashing and trollism.

Slight difference between the two.

[Arion]

It's getting late for me...

[Arion]

Hey guys, what's up?


Man, that Saints game was a heartbreaker yesterday. :lol:

How are you doing?

[MayorMitch100]

probably should leave for school.

[Marcdachamp]

Hey guys, what's up?


Man, that Saints game was a heartbreaker yesterday. :lol:

Welcome to my world. Poor Bills... :surrend:

You haven't responded to my friend request! :-x

[Black Roman]

I'm fine, Arion.


Hey Howlett, you catch the latest ep. of Supernatural? I've had a feeling about that since episode 1.

Two theories ...

#1

The Sam that came back wasn't Sam, or at least wasn't ALL of Sam.

or #2

The Sam that came back was still weird, but was then summarily replaced by a shapeshifter a couple of episodes ago.

I'm leaning #1, but you never know. :lol:

[Dark Sasha]

I personally would just like Marvel to not have retreats for one year. Just one year, and see where it gets them. Only their editors know what they have planned, if there is a problem with using a character, let them know, but don't have this writer's room mandate on every book. Let everyone just do their own stories for one year.

Honestly, if I was at marvel, I would either not go to the meetings or just be like "uhh can I just have this one book to do stuff in?" guy. I think the team player aspect, while it is good business, hurts here more than it helps. Bendis was saying oh every book had Nick Fury, then Iron Man, and then Norman Osborn showing up and he cited it as a problem, but yet it was still something they did as a community rather than just doing their own thing, and it was a problem that they kept doing. They never went "Do we want to do this again?" well they probably did, but then probably someone went "Oh but this will be different"

[MayorMitch100]

well I'm going to leave for school now. seriously this time.

[Doug]

Doctor's follow up with Dylan went very well. If we didn't tell her about his accident on Saturday she wouldn't have known anything happened.

This is the kid that is going to keep Tina and I awake at night worrying when he's a teenager.

[Deej]

Hey guys, what's up?


Man, that Saints game was a heartbreaker yesterday. :lol:

A pretty much horrible week for QBs. Did anyone count how many INTs were thrown up and how many were returned for TDs???

[Black Roman]

Ha! Even with Brees throwing 4 INTs, he still pulls in 18 fantasy pts! I won my fantasy matchup by about 7 points.

[AndrewG]

I'm sorry, but that article is horse shit. Talk about a heavy handed bunch of egotistical garbage.

If you don't like something, that's fine. But don't try saying "it reads like fan fiction!" because you don't like it. Explain why. It's ironic that he cites Bendis, because this is the type of journalism that Brian took issue with.

I do think that event comics can be a hindrance in the bigger scheme of things. But there are also plenty of fantastic self contained books that WILL stand the test of time. Bendis' Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil all come to mind. Young Avengers is a huge example. Astonishing X-Men. Deadpool. There are lots of great examples of great runs over the last few years.

The fact of the matter is, writers are always going to steer comics in the direction that they want because, wait for it... that's what they think is for the best! Just as ANYONE would do in that position. No one is trying to rape your childhood.

The 'fan fiction' criticism and term has been picking up speed a lot because there is a backlash brewing. And it's not a slight against Johns work on GL or Bendis on DD or any number of great stories. They were singling out, a few instances in particular.

I like the Avengers book. But adding Wolverine and Spider-Man, etc is exactly what they're talking about here. It isn't done because it makes sense in the context of the story but because it's cool to have them join the Avengers (and it sells more copies to the people already reading comics).

As books become more and more about what stories the writer wants to tell and retrofitting existing characters into places to fill the spot and less about telling stories befitting those characters the backlash is going to get bigger. Because you aren't bringing in new fans and you're dividing the existing fans you're pandering to through story decisions (and things like cost) that drive them away.

[Howlett]

I'm fine, Arion.


Hey Howlett, you catch the latest ep. of Supernatural? I've had a feeling about that since episode 1.

Two theories ...

#1

The Sam that came back wasn't Sam, or at least wasn't ALL of Sam.

or #2

The Sam that came back was still weird, but was then summarily replaced by a shapeshifter a couple of episodes ago.

I'm leaning #1, but you never know. :lol:

Haven't seen anything since the second episode. I've had a lot of stuff to catch up on, so I'm letting them build.

[AndrewG]

Doctor's follow up with Dylan went very well. If we didn't tell her about his accident on Saturday she wouldn't have known anything happened.

This is the kid that is going to keep Tina and I awake at night worrying when he's a teenager.

Glad it went well.

I am worried about the teen years, as well

[AndrewG]

I personally would just like Marvel to not have retreats for one year. Just one year, and see where it gets them. Only their editors know what they have planned, if there is a problem with using a character, let them know, but don't have this writer's room mandate on every book. Let everyone just do their own stories for one year.

Honestly, if I was at marvel, I would either not go to the meetings or just be like "uhh can I just have this one book to do stuff in?" guy. I think the team player aspect, while it is good business, hurts here more than it helps. Bendis was saying oh every book had Nick Fury, then Iron Man, and then Norman Osborn showing up and he cited it as a problem, but yet it was still something they did as a community rather than just doing their own thing, and it was a problem that they kept doing. They never went "Do we want to do this again?" well they probably did, but then probably someone went "Oh but this will be different"

I actually don't think this is a bad idea at all

[Marcdachamp]

The 'fan fiction' criticism and term has been picking up speed a lot because there is a backlash brewing. And it's not a slight against Johns work on GL or Bendis on DD or any number of great stories. They were singling out, a few instances in particular.

I like the Avengers book. But adding Wolverine and Spider-Man, etc is exactly what they're talking about here. It isn't done because it makes sense in the context of the story but because it's cool to have them join the Avengers (and it sells more copies to the people already reading comics).

As books become more and more about what stories the writer wants to tell and retrofitting existing characters into places to fill the spot and less about telling stories befitting those characters the backlash is going to get bigger. Because you aren't bringing in new fans and you're dividing the existing fans you're pandering to through story decisions (and things like cost) that drive them away.

You know what killed me about Bendis adding Spider-Man and Wolverine? Every single writer that has ever handled the Avengers added their personal favorites over the years. Every. One. It's the Avengers, a team that has been changing rosters since the '60's. Bendis added the two biggest characters Marvel has. So what? How is that any different? And it's not just Wolverine and Spidey that got griped about, either. Why is it that it was okay for Busiek to add add his creations (Traithalon and Silverclaw), but Jessica Jones in the book is a faux pas?

[Howlett]

The 'fan fiction' criticism and term has been picking up speed a lot because there is a backlash brewing. And it's not a slight against Johns work on GL or Bendis on DD or any number of great stories. They were singling out, a few instances in particular.

I like the Avengers book. But adding Wolverine and Spider-Man, etc is exactly what they're talking about here. It isn't done because it makes sense in the context of the story but because it's cool to have them join the Avengers (and it sells more copies to the people already reading comics).

As books become more and more about what stories the writer wants to tell and retrofitting existing characters into places to fill the spot and less about telling stories befitting those characters the backlash is going to get bigger. Because you aren't bringing in new fans and you're dividing the existing fans you're pandering to through story decisions (and things like cost) that drive them away.

While I mentioned Spider-Man in my post, I actually didn't mind him joining the team. He's been offered membership in the past, he was a reserve, so his joining and his reasoning for finally doing so made sense. But I'd have preferred it had it been a "Spider-Man joins the Avengers!" moment instead of "Who the fuck ISN'T joining the Avengers?" moment.

[Howlett]

I actually don't think this is a bad idea at all

Me either, actually. I think it would help things a lot.

[Mylazycat]

.................................................. .................................................. ...

It's the idea that people are creating the comics that they wanted to read as kids (fan fiction) and making it happen whether it's really in the best interests of the characters (long term) or gaining new fans (the ones no one seems to care about or believe they exist).

I have kind of felt this lately with Daredevil and Amazing Spider-Man, at least the ASM I've flipped through and heard about. Their version of a suffering DD, which, frankly, it's going to be hard at this point to top Miller/Bendis/Bru so why not take DD in a diffeent direction? And I don't mean being possessed as that direction. ASM, my thoughts on the retro-ing of Spidey should be clear by now.

However, isn't it a no win? Take our beloved Spidey as an example:

"Spider-Man is too different and modern! I want the comics I grew up with! Undo the marriage!" (Not nessescary you to all that, Andrew.)

"No, comics aren't modern enough! Keep the marriage! The characters are never currently allowed to grow!"

It's like there's too sides of most fanboys heads. It's damned if you change ("Power man shouldn't be like that!") and damned if you don't ("Why is Power man still going around in the same cheesey costume?")

How do you please people?

[AndrewG]

You know what killed me about Bendis adding Spider-Man and Wolverine? Every single writer that has ever handled the Avengers added their personal favorites over the years. Every. One. It's the Avengers, a team that has been changing rosters since the '60's. Bendis added the two biggest characters Marvel has. So what? How is that any different? And it's not just Wolverine and Spidey that got griped about, either. Why is it that it was okay for Busiek to add add his creations (Traithalon and Silverclaw), but Jessica Jones in the book is a faux pas?

I don't really have a huge issue with the make up of the team or adding those characters. I like the book. But I just see their point. Don't remember much about Silverclaw but Triathalon didn't really have much of a history outside of the Avengers before he joined so I see people's points about the difference in creating someone new or taking a relatively obscure character and putting them in to serve the story whereas Wolverine and Spider-Man and Red Hulk seem to be there just because the line up needs to be filled with the most popular character whether it serves the story or not

[Howlett]

You know what killed me about Bendis adding Spider-Man and Wolverine? Every single writer that has ever handled the Avengers added their personal favorites over the years. Every. One. It's the Avengers, a team that has been changing rosters since the '60's. Bendis added the two biggest characters Marvel has. So what? How is that any different? And it's not just Wolverine and Spidey that got griped about, either. Why is it that it was okay for Busiek to add add his creations (Traithalon and Silverclaw), but Jessica Jones in the book is a faux pas?

Personally, I didn't like Triathalon or Silverclaw much myself. I felt they brought the book down for a while (mainly Triathalon. I fucking hated the Triune story).

And I'm not actually against Wolverine being on the team. I love the character, so I like seeing him. I AM against him being there for no good reason. Which has been the case since pretty much the moment he showed up in the book. He's done virtually nothing worthwhile in all the time he's been there.

[Doug]

It's a little bit of an older title, but the one that felt like fan fic to me was Charlie Huston's Moon Knight. I never finished reading it. It could have ended great, but it just wasn't for me.

[Slewo.O]

I personally would just like Marvel to not have retreats for one year. Just one year, and see where it gets them. Only their editors know what they have planned, if there is a problem with using a character, let them know, but don't have this writer's room mandate on every book. Let everyone just do their own stories for one year.

Honestly, if I was at marvel, I would either not go to the meetings or just be like "uhh can I just have this one book to do stuff in?" guy. I think the team player aspect, while it is good business, hurts here more than it helps. Bendis was saying oh every book had Nick Fury, then Iron Man, and then Norman Osborn showing up and he cited it as a problem, but yet it was still something they did as a community rather than just doing their own thing, and it was a problem that they kept doing. They never went "Do we want to do this again?" well they probably did, but then probably someone went "Oh but this will be different"
This is a great idea.

well I'm going to leave for school now. seriously this time.
Bye.



While I mentioned Spider-Man in my post, I actually didn't mind him joining the team. He's been offered membership in the past, he was a reserve, so his joining and his reasoning for finally doing so made sense. But I'd have preferred it had it been a "Spider-Man joins the Avengers!" moment instead of "Who the fuck ISN'T joining the Avengers?" moment.
Agreed. That killed Spidey's moment.



Me either, actually. I think it would help things a lot.

It certainly wouldn't have hurt to not have Norman in every other Marvel book.

[Doug]

You know what killed me about Bendis adding Spider-Man and Wolverine? Every single writer that has ever handled the Avengers added their personal favorites over the years. Every. One. It's the Avengers, a team that has been changing rosters since the '60's. Bendis added the two biggest characters Marvel has. So what? How is that any different? And it's not just Wolverine and Spidey that got griped about, either. Why is it that it was okay for Busiek to add add his creations (Traithalon and Silverclaw), but Jessica Jones in the book is a faux pas?

I'm pretty sure Busiek was asked to create a character specifically to join the Avengers. So he came up with two.

[AndrewG]

I have kind of felt this lately with Daredevil and Amazing Spider-Man, at least the ASM I've flipped through and heard about. Their version of a suffering DD, which, frankly, it's going to be hard at this point to top Miller/Bendis/Bru so why not take DD in a diffeent direction? And I don't mean being possessed as that direction. ASM, my thoughts on the retro-ing of Spidey should be clear by now.

However, isn't it a no win? Take our beloved Spidey as an example:

"Spider-Man is too different and modern! I want the comics I grew up with! Undo the marriage!" (Not nessescary you to all that, Andrew.)

"No, comics aren't modern enough! Keep the marriage! The characters are never currently allowed to grow!"

It's like there's too sides of most fanboys heads. It's damned if you change ("Power man shouldn't be like that!") and damned if you don't ("Why is Power man still going around in the same cheesey costume?")

How do you please people?

My solution is you forget about me because I'm already hooked and my fellow 100,000 comic fans are either going to stick around or leave for a variety of reasons. Don't cater to me. Cater to my kids who are just discovering comics or my neighbor who has never read one in his life. Build the industry, don't try to just get more money out of the few that are left

[Howlett]

Agreed. That killed Spidey's moment.


It certainly wouldn't have hurt to not have Norman in any Marvel book.

It really did. Par for the course with Spidey recently though.

*cough* I agree completely *cough* :shifty:

[Mylazycat]

Biggest I can think of right off the bat (and know that I say this as a huge fan of the book, more so than the years before it), New Avengers.

Everything about the team line-up screamed fanfic "Let's throw in Spider-Man! And Wolverine! Who doesn't want Wolverine? And several characters that have only appeared once in the entire run of Marvel... PERFECT Avengers candidates! Ooooh, and Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, because I lurve them!".

As a team, it worked in the end, but it still screamed of "little kid wanting all his favourite toys in the one toybox" to me. The exact kind of thing fanfic tends to be. Even the current team is still along those lines.

I don't disagree with you but if one uses the classic Avengers line up then doesn't the scream become, "No one ever tries anything new in comics!"


Shadowland, this current ASM arc, and Civil War all come to mind from Marvel.

I don't think DC has this problem as much, but the whole "Rise and Fall" storyline comes to mind.

Yes, definately Shadowland and ASM.


Hey guys.

It's last week in our house. :(

Gonna miss this place.

Wow, you, too? Bummer.

[Black Roman]

Hey Gary. And Slewo.

[Slewo.O]

My solution is you forget about me because I'm already hooked and my fellow 100,000 comic fans are either going to stick around or leave for a variety of reasons. Don't cater to me. Cater to my kids who are just discovering comics or my neighbor who has never read one in his life. Build the industry, don't try to just get more money out of the few that are left
Why would we want kids to read comics?



It really did. Par for the course with Spidey recently though.

*cough* I agree completely *cough* :shifty:
:lol:



I don't disagree with you but if one uses the classic Avengers line up then doesn't the scream become, "No one ever tries anything new in comics!"

Yes, definately Shadowland and ASM.

Wow, you, too? Bummer.

Shadowland was alright till the last issue. And then you have ASM which has great highs and great lows.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I don't disagree with you but if one uses the classic Avengers line up then doesn't the scream become, "No one ever tries anything new in comics!"



Yes, definately Shadowland and ASM.



Wow, you, too? Bummer.

Yeah, our landlord sold the house to a couple at the end of last year. Our lease ends this month, so we got's to move.

I actually like the couple. It's a shame, because I want to hate them.

Luckily, I really do like our new house. This house was just perfect for us.

[Mylazycat]

My solution is you forget about me because I'm already hooked and my fellow 100,000 comic fans are either going to stick around or leave for a variety of reasons. Don't cater to me. Cater to my kids who are just discovering comics or my neighbor who has never read one in his life. Build the industry, don't try to just get more money out of the few that are left

This is a good point. In that regard, kids and new readers, I'd be more concerned that every arc has to be exactly six issues and that the stand alone issue seems to have completely died, then I'd be about the so called "fan-fic" writing.

[Doug]

To help the ADD of this thread along:
Last night's Boardwalk Empire and East Bound & Down were amazing.

Boardwalk was my favorite episode of the run so far. It had many great moments.
- "That's not his wife..."
- The Widow Schroder's verbal assault on Lucy.
- Chicago's meeting.
- "You told me to knock more manly."

East Bound had the first moment where Stevie made me laugh out loud. Normally I find his character annoying, but his outburst in the jail cell was great. I also loved Don Johnson as Kenny's dad. "Wrong again. This is a fake hole."

[Mylazycat]

Hey, Roman!

[Doug]

Yeah, our landlord sold the house to a couple at the end of last year. Our lease ends this month, so we got's to move.

I actually like the couple. It's a shame, because I want to hate them.

Luckily, I really do like our new house. This house was just perfect for us.

Good luck to you.

I've had to move a few times since college and it sucks every time. Hopefully once you're done with this move it will be the last one for a while.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I know I've been an advocate for disregarding continuity, but, to "devil's advocate" myself, the continuity was definitely one of the hook factors for me as a kid. I love those little editor's boxes that would tell me something happened in a different comic and is affecting this story. I love the larger world it implied.

Of course, comics are so self reflective anymore, you would need an editor's caption in every panel.

[AndrewG]

This is a good point. In that regard, kids and new readers, I'd be more concerned that every arc has to be exactly six issues and that the stand alone issue seems to have completely died, then I'd be about the so called "fan-fic" writing.

I agree with that. Probably my biggest, easily fixable concern right now

[Mylazycat]

Yeah, our landlord sold the house to a couple at the end of last year. Our lease ends this month, so we got's to move.

I actually like the couple. It's a shame, because I want to hate them.

Luckily, I really do like our new house. This house was just perfect for us.

I like most of the place I'm going to but not the person in the basement apartment. However, I already have an exit plan aimed at Around March-April when spring arrives. This current places was alyways freezing in the winter and having to go to the laundromat down the street in freezing cold was hell. The new place at least sets me up for comfort in winter.

Also, job interview Wednesday morning, three weeks before my employment insurance runs out. :boogie:

[Alexander Hamilton]

Good luck to you.

I've had to move a few times since college and it sucks every time. Hopefully once you're done with this move it will be the last one for a while.

Unfortunately, we will probably have to move again in a year. This house is for sale, too. :surrend:

[Doug]

I know I've been an advocate for disregarding continuity, but, to "devil's advocate" myself, the continuity was definitely one of the hook factors for me as a kid. I love those little editor's boxes that would tell me something happened in a different comic and is affecting this story. I love the larger world it implied.

Of course, comics are so self reflective anymore, you would need an editor's caption in every panel.

I used to love the * and then at the bottom of the panel:
*= See Spidey's previous battle with Morbius in Amazing Spider-Man # 169.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I like most of the place I'm going to but not the person in the basement apartment. However, I already have an exit plan aimed at Around March-April when spring arrives. This current places was alyways freezing in the winter and having to go to the laundromat down the street in freezing cold was hell. The new place at least sets me up for comfort in winter.

Also, job interview Wednesday morning, three weeks before my employment insurance runs out. :boogie:

Ah...winters... I don't do those anymore. :)

[AndrewG]

To help the ADD of this thread along:
Last night's Boardwalk Empire and East Bound & Down were amazing.

Boardwalk was my favorite episode of the run so far. It had many great moments.
- "That's not his wife..."
- The Widow Schroder's verbal assault on Lucy.
- Chicago's meeting.
- "You told me to knock more manly."


Great episode. Crazy ending. And some nice sex scenes.


East Bound had the first moment where Stevie made me laugh out loud. Normally I find his character annoying, but his outburst in the jail cell was great. I also loved Don Johnson as Kenny's dad. "Wrong again. This is a fake hole."

Don Johnson was great. Very funny episode

[AndrewG]

I like most of the place I'm going to but not the person in the basement apartment. However, I already have an exit plan aimed at Around March-April when spring arrives. This current places was alyways freezing in the winter and having to go to the laundromat down the street in freezing cold was hell. The new place at least sets me up for comfort in winter.

Also, job interview Wednesday morning, three weeks before my employment insurance runs out. :boogie:

Congrats!

[Alexander Hamilton]

I used to love the * and then at the bottom of the panel:
*= See Spidey's previous battle with Morbius in Amazing Spider-Man # 169.

Exactly!

[Marcdachamp]

I don't really have a huge issue with the make up of the team or adding those characters. I like the book. But I just see their point. Don't remember much about Silverclaw but Triathalon didn't really have much of a history outside of the Avengers before he joined so I see people's points about the difference in creating someone new or taking a relatively obscure character and putting them in to serve the story whereas Wolverine and Spider-Man and Red Hulk seem to be there just because the line up needs to be filled with the most popular character whether it serves the story or not

Well, I disagree on Spider-Man. We'll see about Red Hulk. I like the set-up with Loeb's last issue, though.


Personally, I didn't like Triathalon or Silverclaw much myself. I felt they brought the book down for a while (mainly Triathalon. I fucking hated the Triune story).

And I'm not actually against Wolverine being on the team. I love the character, so I like seeing him. I AM against him being there for no good reason. Which has been the case since pretty much the moment he showed up in the book. He's done virtually nothing worthwhile in all the time he's been there.

The Triune story had a lot of potential, but it got dragged out too much. I had a theory that mephisto was behind it all and it was Marvel's version of Revelations. I still like my idea better. :lol:

Agreed on Wolverine. I'm hoping that, with JR on the book, we'll get a big Wolverine-centric story. Maybe something in Japan or in the streets of NY.


I'm pretty sure Busiek was asked to create a character specifically to join the Avengers. So he came up with two.

I didn't mind either character, it just bothers me that those fans give some writers a pass, but not others.

[Mylazycat]

I agree with that. Probably my biggest, easily fixable concern right now

That way, if you want a quiet, character driven issue of Tony Star being Tony in the business world, or Bruce out on a date that goes bad, ect, then you could use a stand alone for that.

You know, if you double sized the issue and limited each city to a few pages and some major points, you could probably have Superman walk across America in an issue or two.

[AndrewG]

That way, if you want a quiet, character driven issue of Tony Star being Tony in the business world, or Bruce out on a date that goes bad, ect, then you could use a stand alone for that.

Or 31 issues if that's what you like.

[Alexander Hamilton]

Well, I disagree on Spider-Man. We'll see about Red Hulk. I like the set-up with Loeb's last issue, though.



The Triune story had a lot of potential, but it got dragged out too much. I had a theory that mephisto was behind it all and it was Marvel's version of Revelations. I still like my idea better. :lol:

Agreed on Wolverine. I'm hoping that, with JR on the book, we'll get a big Wolverine-centric story. Maybe something in Japan or in the streets of NY.



I didn't mind either character, it just bothers me that those fans give some writers a pass, but not others.

Are you reading NA? Looks like you'll get your wish there.

[Howlett]

I don't disagree with you but if one uses the classic Avengers line up then doesn't the scream become, "No one ever tries anything new in comics!"

There is that risk, but there's nothing wrong with trying something new. I don't mind some of the choices he had for the team, just how they ended up on it, and the fact that we only had 2 old Avengers on the team.

And before anyone points out "Cap's kooky quartet" (god I hate that term), that was slightly more acceptable because it was a bigger risk. The books were out less frequently, and none of those characters were big at the time. An Avengers book with Spider-Man and Wolverine is pretty much guaranteed to do well, no matter what quality it is.

[Mylazycat]

Ah...winters... I don't do those anymore. :)

You must live in one of those 12 month warm climate areas. :)

[Foolish Mortal]

I do recall some slight annoyance when Roger Stern put his "pet character" Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) in the Avengers.

I think it was largely due to Monica being a very powerful character who kinda overshadowed some of the long-time members.

[Alexander Hamilton]

You must live in one of those 12 month warm climate areas. :)

I live in Austin. We still get a mild winter, but snow is pretty much non-existent

[Marcdachamp]

Are you reading NA? Looks like you'll get your wish there.

Yep. I actually really liked the ending to #5 a lot.

[Mylazycat]

There is that risk, but there's nothing wrong with trying something new. I don't mind some of the choices he had for the team, just how they ended up on it, and the fact that we only had 2 old Avengers on the team.

And before anyone points out "Cap's kooky quartet" (god I hate that term), that was slightly more acceptable because it was a bigger risk. The books were out less frequently, and none of those characters were big at the time. An Avengers book with Spider-Man and Wolverine is pretty much guaranteed to do well, no matter what quality it is.

It's hard for me to say because Bendis on Avengers actually drew me back to the title for the first time in years, after giving up on it years before that. I do, however, see your points.

[John M. Coker (Johnny C.)]

I agree with that. Probably my biggest, easily fixable concern right now

Except that these 4 to 6 issues stories are exactly what these new readers that you're talking about want out of a comic. New readers want an easily digestible self-contained, with a beginning-middle-end, 100 to 200 page story where they can just grab it, not have to have read anything before, and enjoy it and move on to the next story. New readers today have zero interest in 22 page stapled floppy pamphlets. To them, it would be like going into a Borders and asking for the 4th chapter of the newest James Patterson book... not the whole novel... but just one random chapter.