Dropping Marvel left and right...
Alan Travis
Amazing Spider-Man - It's been boring. I don't like the villain-less
style that JMS is using and Romita's artwork isn't enough to save it.
The last two issue arc with the other dimension kidnapper was just
dull. I don't care if he gets back with Mary Jane. He nevr should have
married her in the first place. Add to that the idea that Kevin Smith
is coming on the book and I'm running the other direction. I outgrew
his sense of humor long ago when I picked up a little thing called
maturity.
Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow was a dull retread and this series
feels too similar. Loeb needs to learn how to write in another style
than the letter to a lost loved one.
New X-Men - Actually, I dropped this one a ways back because I couldn't
stand Kordey's rushed fills. Like Spider-Man, the X-Men is a damaged
franchise for me. I'll never read another X-book because I no longer
believe in or know the characters.
Captain America - Three issues for Cap to get dropped into a town, run
up to a non-powered bad guy and punch him. Boring. Cassaday is being
wasted here. These three issues could have been told in 5 pages.
Black Panther - Never thought I'd do it but the queasiness concering the
reports of the new direction added to the new members of the creative
staff have sent me packing. I'll never pay money for a Fraga comic.
That Quesada and his boys would sack Velluto & Almond to install this
no-talent just infuriates me and is the latest and most obvious clue
that Marvel is all flash and no substance.
So, that leaves:
Avengers
Thunderbolts
DD
FF
With:
Ultimates
Iron Man
Deadpool / Agent X
X-Force / X-Statix
and Hulk on the bubble.
This is down from about twice as many titles as little as a few months
ago. The only time I can remember reading less Marvel was during Heroes
Reborn when I was down to only Uncanny X-Men and regular X-Men (and not
even enjoying those, really).
Alan
Mikko
> Amazing Spider-Man - It's been boring. I don't like the
> villain-less style that JMS is using and Romita's artwork
> isn't enough to save it. The last two issue arc with the
> other dimension kidnapper was just dull.
I liked issue #482 quite a bit. The script was quite
funny in places, the humor and jokes were less forced than
in some previous issues.
That said, #483 was terrible. I was really looking
forward to it because of Dr. Strange. Obviously my
expectations were too high.
> I don't care if he gets back with Mary Jane. He never
> should have married her in the first place.
Agreed!
> Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow was a dull retread and
> this series feels too similar. Loeb needs to learn how to write
> in another style than the letter to a lost loved one.
This might be something to get as a TPB. I looked at
the preview pages. Looks pretty good, but I'm not a big
fan of Loeb's scripting.
> New X-Men - Actually, I dropped this one a ways back because
> I couldn't stand Kordey's rushed fills. Like Spider-Man, the
> X-Men is a damaged franchise for me. I'll never read another
> X-book because I no longer believe in or know the characters.
Haven't read this either beyond couple preview pages. Based
on those, it's difficult to understand the high sales and
positive buzz this series seems to be getting.
Then again, that's nothing new with X-books...
> Captain America - Three issues for Cap to get dropped into a
> town, run up to a non-powered bad guy and punch him. Boring.
> Cassaday is being wasted here. These three issues could have
> been told in 5 pages.
I read the first issue. Pretty good, but way too little story
for one issue. I decided to wait for the trade because it was
obvious to me that this story does not work as single issues.
Now after your comments I wonder if it works as a trade any
better...
> So, that leaves:
> Avengers
I'll check the first couple issues of the new writer.
Busiek's run was really good.
> Thunderbolts
Dropped because of the two-books-per-month stunt.
Zircher is a pretty good artist, tho.
> DD
Haven't read this since Kelly/Kesel/Colan issues.
I hope Marvel gets to publish a TPB of the Smith/Quesada
run with good printing and paper. The TPB I saw was
really horrible quality.
> FF
Temporarily dropped after #56. I will definetely
check out the first couple issues by Waid and 'Ringo.
I hope they are able to deliver the series on time
against all odds...
> With:
> Ultimates
Hitch is wasted on this book. Why not put Hitch
on REAL Avengers with a GOOD writer?
> Iron Man
Might check out the issues Grell will write AND draw.
> Deadpool / Agent X
Never read, never will.
> X-Force / X-Statix
I wish Allred would do something else (like Madman!) for
Marvel. Marvel would do good if they worked out some kind
of deal with Allred about Madman.
> and Hulk on the bubble.
JRJR and Lee Weeks are probably my two favorite
artists working at Marvel today. I'm not really sure if the
story in Hulk ever goes somewhere, but I'm not bored with
this either!
> This is down from about twice as many titles as little as
> a few months ago. The only time I can remember reading less
> Marvel was during Heroes Reborn when I was down to only
> Uncanny X-Men and regular X-Men (and not even enjoying those,
> really).
You lasted "New Marvel" much longer than me! :-)
I think I have only ASM and Hulk in pull-list currently!
Used to have plenty of books there after Bob Harras
reformed :-) (i.e. since Heroes Return). Here's hoping
for better Marvel books!
/Mikko
Kenmlin
>feels too similar. Loeb needs to learn how to write in another style
>than the letter to a lost loved one.
I think people are finally catching on to the fact that Tim Sales can't draw.
taishan
2001 and now.
My list includes:
Captain America - didn't like the idea for the new direction and hated the
art and I certainly wasn't going to pay that inflated cover price. it seems
I was one of few people on here who liked Jurgens work on Cap. Well okay I
liked most of his work on Cap but he did do some stinkers.
Thunderbolts - dull dull dull. When they brought in the new team with issue
50 I said they would suck and they did. I dropped this title several issues
later. The art team of Zircher/Vey just don't seem to work for this title
anymore. Even though I like Zircher. And Fabian's scripts just stopped
making any sense to me. Too many battles with Graviton. Too little plot
development. Too bad to excuse.
Thor - Held my interest for a few years but just didn't go anywhere. But
honestly Thor is not an easy character to sell a comic with. He works best
in Avengers with the story being about a team he is part of.
Fantastic Four - again dull dull dull. No direction. Who gives a rats ass
about Johnny Storm trying to be an actor? That long drawn out pointless
Negative Zone story was the beginning of the end for me.
Iron Man - one of my favorite characters but honestly what has Grell been
smoking? Why continue with ANY of the story lines Tieri began? They sucked
ass and can't be salvaged. The end of the secret identity was the end for
me. And to think I had such high hopes for Grell. BRING BACK BUSIEK.
Peter Parker - Jenkins wrote some good stories but they were too few and far
between for me. Again no direction.
Ultimate Spiderman - When I first heard of this book I thought it was a dumb
idea but I later changed my mind and gave it a try. This book could have
been something interesting, and it was for a while, but the novelty soon
wore off. What I had hoped would be a fresh approach to Spiderman was
instead nothing more than a title full of teen slang and a rehashed Green
Goblin every bit as boring as the original. They could have made this book
something unique but instead chose to take the low road.
That leaves me with:
The Ultimates which I am 99% sure to drop after issue six. Again what seemed
promising at first just became another pop culture cop out.
Amazing Spiderman - which I have liked more often than not. I'm not crazy
about a mystical element in Spiderman's origin but I wish JMS would get back
to it so we can at least see what he has in mind. JMS does have a certain
style but he needs to make sure he gives equal focus to this book as he does
to his television projects. But then again when that no talent hack Kevin
Smith comes on I am gone. I know JMS will get a new Spidey book but I doubt
if I will ever buy a Spiderman book again after Smith comes on. He will so
taint the character and fuck up his history that it will be damaged forever
more.
The Avengers - Busiek was the man on Avengers but I will wait and see what
Jeff Johns does with this book. I like his work on JSA but he has a done
some dull stories on that title.
Taishan
M.O.R
> his sense of humor long ago when I picked up a little thing called
> maturity.
>
I really do not like his films, his "potty-mouth" humour isn't as funny, to
me, as other people seem to believe . I only found the last third of "J&SB:
SB"
funny, but he re-uses tired gags, but not as well as when first used in
other comedy situations. I don't like going to see a film and have it turn
into a "spot the celebrity" experience, as I feel the experience of seeing
his films are to me. And I really hated CHASING AMY, because I just could
not like the characters, and the story annoyed me. Plus he made a really
foolish mistake of "killing off", in a way, his most popular characters,
Jay and Bob.
MOR
Alan Travis
> I really do not like his films, his "potty-mouth" humour isn't as funny, to
> me, as other people seem to believe . I only found the last third of "J&SB:
> SB" funny, but he re-uses tired gags, but not as well as when first used in
> other comedy situations. I don't like going to see a film and have it turn
> into a "spot the celebrity" experience, as I feel the experience of seeing
> his films are to me. And I really hated CHASING AMY, because I just could
> not like the characters, and the story annoyed me. Plus he made a really
> foolish mistake of "killing off", in a way, his most popular characters,
> Jay and Bob.
That and the guy is, and he admits this openly, one of the most unimaginative
directors when it comes to camerawork. His films are so boringly shot. Oh
well...
I had been planning on dropping Amazing anyway. Smith's arrival on the horizon
will just make it easier. I'll just forget to pick up the new JMS and JRJR book
(probably will be so late that forgetting it won't be hard) and spend my money
on good comics.
Alan
Kenmlin
>idea but I later changed my mind and gave it a try. This book could have
>been something interesting, and it was for a while, but the novelty soon
>wore off. What I had hoped would be a fresh approach to Spiderman was
>instead nothing more than a title full of teen slang and a rehashed Green
>Goblin every bit as boring as the original. They could have made this book
>something unique but instead chose to take the low road.
Marvel doesn't realize that most people buy Ultimate Spidey for nostalgia
reasons. The writer is so lazy and insists on dragging out a story idea
forever because he writes with "TBPs in mind." Ha!
Charles Pedskalny
> Marvel doesn't realize that most people buy Ultimate Spidey for nostalgia
> reasons. The writer is so lazy and insists on dragging out a story idea
> forever because he writes with "TBPs in mind." Ha!
Can't argue about the nostalgia, but I I only buy the Ultimate titles in tbp
format and, especially Spider-Man, reads extremely well. The pacing suits
the book format just fine.
Charles
taishan
That's a very good point
Estlin
<alnt...@earthlink.net> scribbled:
>Starting immediately, I'm dropping the following titles:
>
>Amazing Spider-Man -
If this (or any other book I collect) becomes permanently bi-weekly I
will drop it. I like the book and all, but bi-weekly is too much.
>
>Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow
I didn't even bother with Blue because Yellow bored me so much. :^P
>
>New X-Men -
I dropped this after I realized Quietly wasn't going to be doing art
every issue. Morrison's OK, but with crappy art it all falls flat for
me.
>
>Captain America -
I only lasted two issues. You're right that Cassaday is completly
wasted here. I loved Cap for so long that I find hard to believe I'm
not getting it anymore...
>
>Black Panther -
BP has been on the fence for me since the last arc. I think this
series is really starting to go down hill. Sorry. It's about two
months away from being dropped.
>
>So, that leaves:
>Avengers
>Thunderbolts
>DD
>FF
>
>With:
>Ultimates
>Iron Man
>Deadpool / Agent X
>X-Force / X-Statix
>and Hulk on the bubble.
I dropped Avengers (another book I loved for forever) about 6 months
ago and haven't missed it since. DD is fantastic still. T-Bolts is on
the bubble for being dropped. I haven't bought FF since I dropped it
after the whole "Death Of The Silver Surfer" thing...
So that leaves me with:
Alias
Ultimates
Marvel is waaaayyyy down in my collection, too.
Oh well.
Estlin
---
now is a ship
which captain am
sails out of sleep
steering for a dream--e.e. cummings
"Personally, I'm glad not to be promoting KFC
anymore.That really wasn't the highlight of
my moral life"-Natalie Portman
Jfire
JMS had a promising start but, as mentioned, he drags out plot
elements way too long. Plus, the dialogue is out of control. This book
has some of the biggest word balloons I've ever seen--most of them
filled with Spidey's long-winded wisecracks. Whatever happened to
brevity being the soul of wit? Spidey is supposed to be short and
snappy.
The art is great, however, and I'm sorry to drop it for that reason.
I've been enjoying Incredible Hulk, but may let that one go, too, for
some of the same reasons. It seems like things are getting dragged out
way longer than necessary plotwise. We'll see.
I think the "writing for trade paperback" style is influencing the
pacing of the montly books to the extent where not much happens in
20-some pages. I just see talking heads and little excitement.
Those are the only two Marvel books I've been following lately. I'm
going to try the new FF team because I love the characters. And I'm
trying the Avengers too and hoping for the best there. I enjoyed KB's
run but felt it ran out of steam near the end.
Really, though, I think I'm more satisfied directing my money at
reprints of the stuff I really love--the Essentials and Masterworks
series. I get way more enjoyment out of those black-and-white
Essentials than any of the new stuff.
I'm also loving Twomorrows pubs like the Jack Kirby Collector and
Alter Ego. Obviously I'm an old-school fan. But I don't see any reason
why there can't be an enjoyable new book or two to follow
month-to-month. I keep hoping a good team will land on a good book and
stay long enough to create one of those classic runs of years gone by.
It hasn't happened forever.
----------
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------------------
Alan Travis <alnt...@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<3D31AFFE...@earthlink.net>...
Alan Travis
> I think the "writing for trade paperback" style is influencing the
> pacing of the montly books to the extent where not much happens in
> 20-some pages. I just see talking heads and little excitement.
I agree that this is becoming a problem for the books. It's hard to have perceived value in the
content of a book it takes you three minutes to read and leaves you with very little advanced plot
information. I stopped reading issues of Bone in the late '90s when I realized that each
installment was giving me about 5 minutes in the life of the characters.
If Marvel wants to write for the trades, then they should stop publishing the pamphlets and just
make the paperbacks. Went to a comic store in Paris recently that was all trades and thought that
that was and should be the future of the medium.
> Those are the only two Marvel books I've been following lately. I'm
> going to try the new FF team because I love the characters. And I'm
> trying the Avengers too and hoping for the best there. I enjoyed KB's
> run but felt it ran out of steam near the end.
I enjoyed the Kang Dynasty but I understand the sentiments of those that felt it ran long. And, as
much as I am sad to see Kurt go, I'm happy to be getting Geoff Johns, who writes the only DC
superhero book I bother with these days.
> Really, though, I think I'm more satisfied directing my money at
> reprints of the stuff I really love--the Essentials and Masterworks
> series. I get way more enjoyment out of those black-and-white
> Essentials than any of the new stuff.
I'm directing more of my money towards independents. If you don't read Jack Staff, Optic Nerve,
Dork, Sock Monkey, Usagi Yojimbo, Paper Museum, anything by Jay Stephens, anything by James
Kolchaka, Stray Bullets, or Eightball, you should try them, at least.
> I'm also loving Twomorrows pubs like the Jack Kirby Collector and
> Alter Ego.
I don't read JKC anymore because it was just getting repetitive but Comic Book Artist is a great
read each time it comes out. Alter Ego is also a lot of fun. The recent Buscema Tribute issue was
great.
> Obviously I'm an old-school fan. But I don't see any reason
> why there can't be an enjoyable new book or two to follow
> month-to-month. I keep hoping a good team will land on a good book and
> stay long enough to create one of those classic runs of years gone by.
> It hasn't happened forever.
I think Kurt and Co. made a good Avengers run that can stand next to some of the best.
FF has been on a long dry spell. Pacheco's run ultimately disappoints and Claremont's run was a
joke. The book hasn't seen greatness since Walt Simonson in the early 90s and even that run was
fairly brief.
Remains to be seen whether Bendis will ever tell a story on DD or is just interested in relating a
series of conversations. There's a difference and it's why I stopped reading Powers. The
conversations were very funny but the stories were weak and predictable.
I feel that Amazing and Uncanny & X-Men are damaged franchises to the point of being a total loss.
Alan
NotJustComics
>pamphlets and just
>make the paperbacks. Went to a comic store in Paris recently that was all
>trades and thought that
>that was and should be the future of the medium.
>
is with kids. like it or not.
aside from a store i also do flea markets to try to raise extra cash. i bring
trades along with regular comics.
in 2 years i have sold 3 tpbs 2 lobos and batman year one.
the reason?? when it's a kid mommy going you are not spending 10 dollars on a
damn comic book.
even in my store i don't sell them. a prime example of parental dislike for
comics in general is the following.
When gen13 was hot and the tp of the mini series came out the books ran for
about $50 for the set. The tpb was about $15 the kid and i attempted to
explain to the mother that he was saving money by buying the trade rather than
buying the set.
was she impressed by her son's logic?? No she said then you won't be getting
the series either way. He had issues 1,2 and 3 the tp was cheaper than number
4.
for an adult ok. but to go this way for kids no way.
Kenmlin
>elements way too long. Plus, the dialogue is out of control. This book
>has some of the biggest word balloons I've ever seen--most of them
>filled with Spidey's long-winded wisecracks. Whatever happened to
>brevity being the soul of wit? Spidey is supposed to be short and
>snappy.
Brian Michael Bendis drags out his stories much longer than JMS. How come
nobody is complaining about it?
Ralf Haring
They are.
-Ralf Haring
"The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener,
the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less."
-Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon
Christopher Griffen
> Amazing Spider-Man - It's been boring. I don't like the villain-less
> style that JMS is using and Romita's artwork isn't enough to save it.
> The last two issue arc with the other dimension kidnapper was just
> dull.
I have to admit: I'm beginning to wonder what the big fuss is over
Straczynski. Is it somehow "cool" to be buying a book written by a guy
who wrote a half-baked science fiction show?
Come on! Babylon 5 was good in many ways but that show had some truly
awful dialogue. We're seeing the same thing in ASM. As for PETER
PARKER, it's just been plain dull. And whenever they bring back the
Norman Osborn Green Goblin, I just cringe. That character
should...NOT...be...alive. It's that simple. Any use of the character
just disparages one of the very things Quesada recently claimed to
uphold: character deaths. Yes, I realize Osborn was brought back
before Quesada became EIC, but the existence of this character is a
blight on the book. He should have been dead and stayed dead as of ASM
#122.
And let's keep the manga out of Spider-Man, huh? I read the Goblin
storyline, illustrated by Humberto "Mangaphile" Ramos, to my two sons,
and they couldn't recognize ANY of the characters. Ramos butchered
each and every one. If the Spider-Man movie is supposed to lure kids
back to comics, they should make sure that the characters have a
consistent appearance. If the artist can't accomplish that, which
Ramos could not, he shouldn't be hired.
>I don't care if he gets back with Mary Jane. He nevr should have
> married her in the first place. Add to that the idea that Kevin Smith
> is coming on the book and I'm running the other direction. I outgrew
> his sense of humor long ago when I picked up a little thing called
> maturity.
I guess I'm immature then because I get a big kick out of Kevin
Smith's writing. I'm really looking forward to his run on ASM. Haven't
seen Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back yet but I'd like to check it out.
I'm not a Smith nut like some of the folks out there that snap up
anything he does, but I enjoy his work. His Roadside Attractions bit
on the Tonight Show is hilarious.
> Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow was a dull retread and this series
> feels too similar. Loeb needs to learn how to write in another style
> than the letter to a lost loved one.
Agreed. I'm buying SM:BLUE and I'm wondering why I did. Yawn!
> New X-Men - Actually, I dropped this one a ways back because I couldn't
> stand Kordey's rushed fills. Like Spider-Man, the X-Men is a damaged
> franchise for me. I'll never read another X-book because I no longer
> believe in or know the characters.
Well, the good news is that Kordey isn't lined up for another fill-in
for some time. They posted the artists for the next eight or nine
issues and it's all Quitely, Van Sciver and Jimenez, which suits me
just fine. I was about to drop the book due to the ugly work by Kordey
but once I saw the artists lined up, I decided to hang with it.
Morrison's stories have been interesting although sometimes I think he
strains his brain too hard trying to be original.
> Captain America - Three issues for Cap to get dropped into a town, run
> up to a non-powered bad guy and punch him. Boring. Cassaday is being
> wasted here. These three issues could have been told in 5 pages.
Well said. I'm beginning to remember why I dropped Ney Rieber's BOOKS
OF MAGIC many years ago. The stories were dull. No life to them. Can
we get someone new paired with Cassaday?
> Black Panther - Never thought I'd do it but the queasiness concering the
> reports of the new direction added to the new members of the creative
> staff have sent me packing. I'll never pay money for a Fraga comic.
> That Quesada and his boys would sack Velluto & Almond to install this
> no-talent just infuriates me and is the latest and most obvious clue
> that Marvel is all flash and no substance.
Well, it's still Priest at the writing helm, so I'm sticking with the
book. I'm very disappointed that Sal and Bob have been given their
walking papers, but this book was dying in circulation numbers. I
don't think it was Sal's and Bob's fault, but nevertheless the book
was ailing pretty bad and Marvel had to do SOMETHING to save it or
just let it die it's natural death. Andy Kubert covers might just
help, but the choice of Dan Fraga is a mystery to me. I'm willing to
give him a chance, mostly because I'm not really familiar with his
work. The fact that he was a Rob Liefeld protege does not speak well
of him, though.
> So, that leaves:
> Avengers
> Thunderbolts
> DD
> FF
AVENGERS I love. I've enjoyed the entire Busiek run and I think Geoff
Johns is an excellent successor. T-Bolts did not satisfy me after
Busiek left so I quit about a year ago. I'm a little annoyed with
Bendis' extremely long-winded DAREDEVIL story, but I've got too much
history with the character to bail out now. Suffice it to say the
story satisfies me on some levels (great dialogue, characterization)
but leaves me cold on others (actual Daredevil screen time; a lack of
purpose for the central character).
I enjoy all the Ultimates as well as CAPTAIN MARVEL, too.
INCREDIBLE HULK, critical acclaim or not, bored me to tears. I quit
after #40. Let's see some action for Pete's sake! Why do we have to
hide the main character? It doesn't have to be "smash up of the month
club," but let's face it: Peter David packed this book with action and
Hulk had oodles more screen time during his run and it rarely got
dull. Is the character somehow embarrassing? Does he have to be hidden
to validate this comic's existence? I don't get it.
I can't say as I'm entirely happy with the direction Marvel has taken
on a lot of its books, but for superhero entertainment it's still the
best even though some titles have fallen out of favor for me.
Christopher Griffen
> style that JMS is using and Romita's artwork isn't enough to save it.
> The last two issue arc with the other dimension kidnapper was just
> dull.
I have to admit: I'm beginning to wonder what the big fuss is over
Straczynski. Is it somehow "cool" to be buying a book written by a guy
who wrote a half-baked science fiction show?
Come on! Babylon 5 was good in many ways but that show had some truly
awful dialogue. We're seeing the same thing in ASM. As for PETER
PARKER, it's just been plain dull. And whenever they bring back the
Norman Osborn Green Goblin, I just cringe. That character
should...NOT...be...alive. It's that simple. Any use of the character
just disparages one of the very things Quesada recently claimed to
uphold: character deaths. Yes, I realize Osborn was brought back
before Quesada became EIC, but the existence of this character is a
blight on the book. He should have been dead and stayed dead as of ASM
#122.
And let's keep the manga out of Spider-Man, huh? I read the Goblin
storyline, illustrated by Humberto "Mangaphile" Ramos, to my two sons,
and they couldn't recognize ANY of the characters. Ramos butchered
each and every one. If the Spider-Man movie is supposed to lure kids
back to comics, they should make sure that the characters have a
consistent appearance. If the artist can't accomplish that, which
Ramos could not, he shouldn't be hired.
>I don't care if he gets back with Mary Jane. He nevr should have
> married her in the first place. Add to that the idea that Kevin Smith
> is coming on the book and I'm running the other direction. I outgrew
> his sense of humor long ago when I picked up a little thing called
> maturity.
I guess I'm immature then because I get a big kick out of Kevin
Smith's writing. I'm really looking forward to his run on ASM. Haven't
seen Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back yet but I'd like to check it out.
I'm not a Smith nut like some of the folks out there that snap up
anything he does, but I enjoy his work. His Roadside Attractions bit
on the Tonight Show is hilarious.
> Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow was a dull retread and this series
> feels too similar. Loeb needs to learn how to write in another style
> than the letter to a lost loved one.
Agreed. I'm buying SM:BLUE and I'm wondering why I did. Yawn!
> New X-Men - Actually, I dropped this one a ways back because I couldn't
> stand Kordey's rushed fills. Like Spider-Man, the X-Men is a damaged
> franchise for me. I'll never read another X-book because I no longer
> believe in or know the characters.
Well, the good news is that Kordey isn't lined up for another fill-in
for some time. They posted the artists for the next eight or nine
issues and it's all Quitely, Van Sciver and Jimenez, which suits me
just fine. I was about to drop the book due to the ugly work by Kordey
but once I saw the artists lined up, I decided to hang with it.
Morrison's stories have been interesting although sometimes I think he
strains his brain too hard trying to be original.
> Captain America - Three issues for Cap to get dropped into a town, run
> up to a non-powered bad guy and punch him. Boring. Cassaday is being
> wasted here. These three issues could have been told in 5 pages.
Well said. I'm beginning to remember why I dropped Ney Rieber's BOOKS
OF MAGIC many years ago. The stories were dull. No life to them. Can
we get someone new paired with Cassaday?
> Black Panther - Never thought I'd do it but the queasiness concering the
> reports of the new direction added to the new members of the creative
> staff have sent me packing. I'll never pay money for a Fraga comic.
> That Quesada and his boys would sack Velluto & Almond to install this
> no-talent just infuriates me and is the latest and most obvious clue
> that Marvel is all flash and no substance.
Well, it's still Priest at the writing helm, so I'm sticking with the
book. I'm very disappointed that Sal and Bob have been given their
walking papers, but this book was dying in circulation numbers. I
don't think it was Sal's and Bob's fault, but nevertheless the book
was ailing pretty bad and Marvel had to do SOMETHING to save it or
just let it die it's natural death. Andy Kubert covers might just
help, but the choice of Dan Fraga is a mystery to me. I'm willing to
give him a chance, mostly because I'm not really familiar with his
work. The fact that he was a Rob Liefeld protege does not speak well
of him, though.
> So, that leaves:
> Avengers
> Thunderbolts
> DD
> FF
AVENGERS I love. I've enjoyed the entire Busiek run and I think Geoff
Rob Seegel
>Straczynski. Is it somehow "cool" to be buying a book written by a guy
>who wrote a half-baked science fiction show?
I'm a bigger fan of several of the episodes he wrote for The New Twilight Zone
series done in the 80's. I think several of his TZ episodes are easily as good
if not better than much of his B5 stuff, but that's just me. I think it's the
little touches, that I have liked most about his Amazing run. The last issue
didn't do much for me, but overall I'm finding it more interesting and
enjoyable than the title's been in years.
>PARKER, it's just been plain dull. And whenever they bring >back the Norman
Osborn Green Goblin, I just cringe. That >character
So do many folks, damage is done though. There have been some stories since
that time where I enjoyed the use of the character. So I guess it just depends
on the story.
>And let's keep the manga out of Spider-Man, huh? I read the Goblin
>storyline, illustrated by Humberto "Mangaphile" Ramos, to my two sons,
>and they couldn't recognize ANY of the characters.
If you post proves nothing else it's that tastes vary. My interest in the Peter
Parker book had been fading, until the new artist. I guess I'm one of the few
who likes his art. For everyone who hates a new direction, there's probably at
least one or two others who like it...
>I guess I'm immature then because I get a big kick out of Kevin Smith's
writing. I'm really looking forward to his run on ASM.
Yeah.. me too. It's not high art, but that wasn't the reason I enjoyed his
Green Arrow run. For me.. it was just a fun read.
There's a certain appeal in a comic that doesn't take itself too seriously.
>Haven't seen Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back yet but I'd like to check it out.
It might be twisted... but I think my absolute favorite part of the movie was
the very end. It makes me smile each time I think about it. The fact that they
finally come be a decent chunk of change, and the way they decide to spend
it... especially if you've ever been frustrated by somone posting some mindless
hateful spew to a newsgroup.
> I decided to hang with it.
>Morrison's stories have been interesting although sometimes I think he strains
his brain too hard trying to be original.
That's the only thing keeping me buying this title, but only barely. The abrupt
art changes have really been a disservice to one of Marvel's most popular
books...It was a real disappointment after the first issue or two.
Marc-Oliver Frisch
Christopher Griffen wrote:
> As for PETER
> PARKER, it's just been plain dull. And whenever they bring back the
> Norman Osborn Green Goblin, I just cringe. That character
> should...NOT...be...alive. It's that simple.
Why...?
> Any use of the character
> just disparages one of the very things Quesada recently claimed to
> uphold: character deaths.
That "policy" is hardly an end by itself. What it really means is that characters should only return
"from the dead" if it actually makes sense and enriches the story, or if it was planned that way all
along.
> Yes, I realize Osborn was brought back
> before Quesada became EIC, but the existence of this character is a
> blight on the book. He should have been dead and stayed dead as of ASM
> #122.
That seems awfully egoistic and shortsighted to me. Forgive me for being blunt, but the character
"died" thirty fucking years ago, for chrissakes. Keeping him "dead" in the here and now may make the
forty-year olds who read the original story happy, but it ultimately deprives younger readers of a
character that is an integral part of the Spider-Man mythos, and Marvel as a company of one of its
more successful trademarks -- there's a reason they used Norman Osborn in the movie, instead of
Roderick Kingsley, you know.
--Marc
JCaramagna
It's Tim SALE with no "s" at the end, and of course he can draw. Just because
you don't like his style, don't knock his ability. His style suits the
material.
Joey
<a href="http://martycubic.itgo.com">The Official Marty Cubic Site
(www.martycubic.itgo.com)</a>
Tony
>The last issue
>didn't do much for me, but overall I'm finding it more interesting and
>enjoyable than the title's been in years.
--is that complimenting his writing abilities though (I'm not trying to be
snide at all, btw)?
I mean, we did have Howard Mackie for several years, so it wouldn't have taken
much to make the titles better and more interesting.
>The abrupt
>art changes have really been a disservice to one of Marvel's most popular
>books...It was a real disappointment after the first issue or two.
--tell me about it. I mean, this stuff is going to look horrid in TPB form
(going from Quitely to Kordey in a page...yuck).
Alan Travis
> as a dealer for almost 10 years i can't agree with that. the future of comics
> is with kids. like it or not.
I'd love it if it ever happened but it doesn't. Comics cost too much and provide
too little comparative entertainment value with video games and other media.
> aside from a store i also do flea markets to try to raise extra cash. i bring
> trades along with regular comics.
>
> in 2 years i have sold 3 tpbs 2 lobos and batman year one.
>
> the reason?? when it's a kid mommy going you are not spending 10 dollars on a
> damn comic book.
That's stupid. Reading is reading. I also think that the flea market might be
part of the reason. Comic trades seem to sell well enought to justify their
floorspace in most American bookstores these days.
Well, I still think it's the future. I've cut way back on my individual issues and
buy more trades.
Alan
Christopher Griffen
> That seems awfully egoistic and shortsighted to me. Forgive me for being blunt, but the character
> "died" thirty fucking years ago, for chrissakes. Keeping him "dead" in the here and now may make the
> forty-year olds who read the original story happy, but it ultimately deprives younger readers of a
> character that is an integral part of the Spider-Man mythos, and Marvel as a company of one of its
> more successful trademarks -- there's a reason they used Norman Osborn in the movie, instead of
> Roderick Kingsley, you know.
>
> --Marc
Why? Why?! (Feigns melodramatic hysteria.)
Because when a character dies "onscreen" it should mean something.
Death is shown for dramatic purposes. The dramatic effect is destroyed
if the "dead" character is brought back to life. Norman Osborn
committed a heinous crime when he caused the death of Gwen Stacy and
he paid the ultimate price for it when he tried to murder Spider-Man
with his Goblin Glider. It was poetic justice that he killed himself
in the process. Great ending. Finito.
Besides, if fans want to read about the Green Goblin, there are plenty
of reprinted stories featuring the character that are _in print_.
You say that "it ultimately deprives younger readers of a character
that is an integral part of the Spider-Man mythos, and Marvel as a
company of one of its more successful trademarks." No, it doesn't. Why
can't someone new wear the Goblin costume? "Younger readers" as you
say (who are in short supply from every indication I've read) don't
care who's in the costume. After all, Norman Osborn wore the costume
back when your "forty-year-olds" were reading the book. The younger
readers don't even know who he is. New guy, old costume, undeprived
readers, happy forty-year-olds. It all adds up.
Marc-Oliver Frisch
Christopher Griffen wrote:
> It was poetic justice that he killed himself
> in the process. Great ending. Finito.
Okay, so far so good. The problem being, Spider-Man isn't some great
dramatic novel, but serial fiction which generally simply isn't supposed to
be followed for more than five years maximum. If you kill Lex Luthor, Joker,
Doctor Doom, Magneto or the Green Goblin in #122 of a popular ongoing series
and don't want to bring them back at some point, you've got to have some
pretty good ideas to keep attracting new readers AFTER that point.
> Besides, if fans want to read about the Green Goblin, there are plenty
> of reprinted stories featuring the character that are _in print_.
Sure, but rading a reprint is quite different from reading a story featuring
a particular character that is set in the here and now, as opposed to "some
years ago", having no real consequence for the current direction.
> Why
> can't someone new wear the Goblin costume? "Younger readers" as you
> say (who are in short supply from every indication I've read) don't
> care who's in the costume. After all, Norman Osborn wore the costume
> back when your "forty-year-olds" were reading the book. The younger
> readers don't even know who he is. New guy, old costume, undeprived
> readers, happy forty-year-olds. It all adds up.
Not really. The original is always the most powerful version-- Whichever new
character they put in the role and costume, it will never feel like the real
deal, and it's going to fail in 99% of the cases. The original is always
coming back, and there's a reason for that.
Personally, I even have to admit that I agree with your point: I'd much
prefer Osborn to have stayed dead, and I feel it was a bad move to bring
Aunt May back, because I liked how both "death" stories were done, and they
kept me interested in the series because they provided an illusion of change
and progression. However, that point of view is far too subjective to offer
a successful recipe in the long run, if you think about it; the primary
objective of these titles isn't to make one generation of readers happy for
decades to come, but to continuously attract new audiences. And in order to
be able to do that, they'll have to make use of the best they have to offer.
--Marc