I finally took some time and pulled stats from the website on who's been clicking in and taking a read at the mindless ramblings I throw up here from time to time (none quite so entertaining as the deconstruction of the myth that Spider-Man is in any way a hero.)
Last month we had visitors come by from:
Belarus, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, The United Kingdom, The United States.
Now if only I could draw the interest of the ruling monarch of Wakanda!
Seriously people, I don't write enough and what I do write serves only my own amusement......but thanks for stopping by all the same!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Seeing.......RED
Seven years ago I read Issue #1 of a Warren Ellis limited series named 'RED' and was introduced to retired CIA killer Paul Moses, who lived a menial retirement highlighted by the weekly conversation he had on the phone with his case worker and the odd letter he got from a niece in England. Then somebody new came to power in the CIA and ordered Moses eliminated in order to bury his dirty, sordid past once and for all. Paul Moses discovered this and phoned in his status to 'The Company' as he had done week in and week out for years. But this time he didn't say 'GREEN.'
With one word he changed everything.
So with Bruce Willis playing Paul Moses, and a story adapted and expanded in order to facilitate it being licensed into a movie, I've dug back into my archives and done some advanced reading. Reviews of the movie suggest that it isn't the gritty, dark film that the book presented, but rather is laced with comedy that lifts its mood and offers a more entertaining, upbeat action flick.
At the time I didn't give it a lot of though, but now as I reflect on it and the obvious success of the concept (as it crashes into theaters) I can certainly understand what I perceived to be his frustration. If I created something for you and you paid me, but didn't think enough of it to put it on display, I'm not sure I would be happy when you later sought to capitalize on my growing fame by pulling it out of mothballs and parading it around for the world to see. If you didn't think it was up to your standards before, I would have to wonder what had changed. Certainly not the script. So did the audience change, or did your standards change?
Or were you maybe, just maybe, wrong to begin with?
Not that I expect that Warren is in any way disappointed by the current turn of events, which would have put some extra money in his pocket. But there is certainly a sequence of events there that would have had me seeing 'RED.'
Thank god I'm not Paul Moses.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What a strange and interesting new direction...
Wonde Woman is 600.
In recent months many of comicdom's greatest heroes have had milestone birthdays, and with Issue #600, Wonder Woman joined exclusive company. True, the numbering process hasn't been linear, being rebooted and restarted on more than one occasion means that the title doesn't have the continuity of an Action Comics or Detective Comics, but it doesn't make the milestone any less impressive. 600 issues of Wonder Woman, and there can't be any doubt that she is the comic world's most successful and recognizable female. I think that her success is the one thing that Marvel was never able to capture. Something about this female just struck a chord with the public.
Now, following a run that I've heard panned in numerous comic shops (I thought it was solid and I like Gail Simone as a writer) DC has brought in super-scribe J. Michael Straczynski to take over the franchise and while we get a tease of his plan in issue 600, it is revealed in it's full and slightly confusing glory in issue 601.
As near as I can tell it feels like an Elseworlds story - which is DC's version of 'What If?' In it, we open to a Diana who is being hunted by what appear to be black ops teams from some sort of government agency. As we read through the book we find out that Diana is in hiding, in a world that does not know or remember Wonder Woman. The Amazon's secret island was uncovered when their gods abandoned them, and many of them fled to hide amongst the earth's population, including a young Diana. Her mother, the incomparable Hippolyta, has hidden Diana away where she can be trained and prepared to one day gather and save the Amazons.
I read the book and scratched my head.
It is such an enormous detour from the current story arcs in the rest of the DCU that I was, at first, miffed by the decision to effectively remove the book from continuity in order to allow J. M. S. his own private playground. How do you take a cornerstone of your universe and separate it from everything else? Upon reflection though, I'm equally intrigued by the story he's starting to assemble, and therefor willing to overlook her absence from what is going on in the bigger picture of the DCU. JMS has crafted some of my favorite tales, although one pattern I have found that I am not a fan of is that he starts out like a house on fire (white hot and burning it up) and then flames out as we start to approach the apex of the story. Sometimes he even vanishes from a book before the apex really happens, or just after.
I have to hope that, as I have heard, that is a result of what editors he was working with, and not the result of somebody who cannot remain focused and on task through the completion of his goals. In any event, his unique, and original twist on the Amazon might make it an interesting pick-up for those of you who have never read her before.
After all, this is the guy who created Midnight Nation, amongst other exceptional comic tales.
In recent months many of comicdom's greatest heroes have had milestone birthdays, and with Issue #600, Wonder Woman joined exclusive company. True, the numbering process hasn't been linear, being rebooted and restarted on more than one occasion means that the title doesn't have the continuity of an Action Comics or Detective Comics, but it doesn't make the milestone any less impressive. 600 issues of Wonder Woman, and there can't be any doubt that she is the comic world's most successful and recognizable female. I think that her success is the one thing that Marvel was never able to capture. Something about this female just struck a chord with the public.
Now, following a run that I've heard panned in numerous comic shops (I thought it was solid and I like Gail Simone as a writer) DC has brought in super-scribe J. Michael Straczynski to take over the franchise and while we get a tease of his plan in issue 600, it is revealed in it's full and slightly confusing glory in issue 601.
As near as I can tell it feels like an Elseworlds story - which is DC's version of 'What If?' In it, we open to a Diana who is being hunted by what appear to be black ops teams from some sort of government agency. As we read through the book we find out that Diana is in hiding, in a world that does not know or remember Wonder Woman. The Amazon's secret island was uncovered when their gods abandoned them, and many of them fled to hide amongst the earth's population, including a young Diana. Her mother, the incomparable Hippolyta, has hidden Diana away where she can be trained and prepared to one day gather and save the Amazons.
I read the book and scratched my head.
It is such an enormous detour from the current story arcs in the rest of the DCU that I was, at first, miffed by the decision to effectively remove the book from continuity in order to allow J. M. S. his own private playground. How do you take a cornerstone of your universe and separate it from everything else? Upon reflection though, I'm equally intrigued by the story he's starting to assemble, and therefor willing to overlook her absence from what is going on in the bigger picture of the DCU. JMS has crafted some of my favorite tales, although one pattern I have found that I am not a fan of is that he starts out like a house on fire (white hot and burning it up) and then flames out as we start to approach the apex of the story. Sometimes he even vanishes from a book before the apex really happens, or just after.
I have to hope that, as I have heard, that is a result of what editors he was working with, and not the result of somebody who cannot remain focused and on task through the completion of his goals. In any event, his unique, and original twist on the Amazon might make it an interesting pick-up for those of you who have never read her before.
After all, this is the guy who created Midnight Nation, amongst other exceptional comic tales.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
2 Weeks On The Road...
Work took me to Las Vegas and then on to Albuquerque over the last two weeks, and when I spend that much time traveling I inevitably do some reading and get caught up on things I wouldn't otherwise have time to read. I thought I'd share a little bit of what I read with you guys, because in all honesty I read some really, really good stuff!
Scalped: Dead Mothers - Mixed into the great $1 graphic novels I bought while at the con in August was a Vertigo title I had heard literally nothing about. I can't help but wonder if that's a reflection of the circles I run in, or a general apathy by the public to books that center around native reservations. In either case, I freely admit that I've been missing out. On the cover of the Dead Mothers (the third Scalped collection) is a quote from Garth Ennis giving it solid reviews and suggesting that we "Spread the word. Tell your friends. Talk about it. Blog about it." Well Garth.....mission accomplished.
The story is an exciting mix of corruption, law enforcement and the difficult and disgusting politics of an Indian Reservation, and centers around an alienated man being played on all sides, and trying to decide which side he's really on. It's described as a 'Saga of Native American noir' and I doubt I could give it a more appropriate description. It is a refreshing, if depressing, change from the ordinary diet of books I read, and I'll be actively searching out collections #1 & #2 to add to my catalog of books.
The Death-Defying Devil, Black Terror & Project Superpowers: Chapter Two - Alex Ross works with Jim Krueger and Joe Casey on these Dynamite Entertainment titles, all of which are part of the universe resurrected from the land of the forgotten in recent years by Ross and Krueger. After having enjoyed the stage that was set in Project Superpowers: Chapter One, I jumped into these three books with great anticipation, and I wasn't disappointed. I read them in the order outlined above, and got some interesting glimpses into storylines that went beyond the simple expectations I had.
Going in I thought the series focusing on the individual characters from the core book would be typical character introductions in which we would rehash the histories of these golden age characters with a fresh coat of paint designed to make them edgier and more interesting to the modern reader. I cannot deny that some of that was going on, but more importantly I found the books to be supplemental and full of plot devices that expanded my interest in both the characters and the universe in general. I can't complain either, since I got all three for the grand total of $10.
When I finally got around to reading Chapter Two (Book 1) I had little difficulty following the twists and turns of the story and trying to get my head around this complex, globe-spanning super-hero revolution. The book could still use a little more subtlety in terms of the global political reaction to the White House coming under the control of the Superpowers (I find the reactions very overt and large, showing little of the cunning and subtlety that would have been required to create a shadow cabinet to rule the world.)
All in all, I eagerly anticipate reading more from this universe. I think the thing I like most is not having the burden of history to sort through that I deal with in most DC or Marvel stories. It makes the read entertaining when I don't have to wonder if they did a retcon to make this story possible.
DMZ: Collections 3 - 5 - We've talked about this. If you're not reading DMZ you're making a mistake. Life inside the demilitarized zone of the second American civil war is difficult at the best of times, but for Matt Roth it can be absolute hell. Still, as the only reporter alive inside the ZONE, he has access to stories that can and will change the way the world at large understands what's going on.
DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!
Universe X - I finally finished this massive tale, and while I'm not sure I loved it as much as Earth X, it was still a sensationally deep read, with an incredible number of plot twists and story arcs all taking place at the same time. It is a thinking book that requires you not only to be reading, but to be paying attention to every detail as the story unwinds. Mar-Vell returns to the Marvel Universe to launch an unprecedented war on DEATH, and when the dust settles he makes a spectacular announcement that sets the stage for the third book in this opus; Paradise X. When I find a copy of that I'll give you a rundown on how this epic finishes.
If you have time to invest, this is a place you can invest it, and be paid back with interest.
Astonishing X-Men: Gifted - The first story arc written by Joss Whedon upon his assumption of duties on the X-Men, this book opens with news that rocks the mutant world; somebody has found a cure. The implication that the mutant strain is a virus and not an evolutionary transition shatters some mutants, and elates others. But is there a sinister goal behind the news?
The premise is solid, and sticks to the core concepts that all of the best X-Men books are built on. Better still, it brings back one of the most likable X-Men of them all; Colossus. How? Read it to find out. It's been years since I was a big follower of the X-Men and the 72 books they put out every month in an effort to steal every cent from my pocket, but after reading this book I'm sorely tempted to buy the rest of Whedon's run on the series and at least spend a little bit of time with Cyclops and the team.
It's a terrific read, and it doesn't demand to much mental energies.
X-Men good. Everyone else bad. What else do you need to know?
That's it for my GN reading while I traveled. When I get some time tomorrow I'll tell you about some of the monthly issues I read, and maybe we can talk about whether or not Brightest Day is working for DC.
Scalped: Dead Mothers - Mixed into the great $1 graphic novels I bought while at the con in August was a Vertigo title I had heard literally nothing about. I can't help but wonder if that's a reflection of the circles I run in, or a general apathy by the public to books that center around native reservations. In either case, I freely admit that I've been missing out. On the cover of the Dead Mothers (the third Scalped collection) is a quote from Garth Ennis giving it solid reviews and suggesting that we "Spread the word. Tell your friends. Talk about it. Blog about it." Well Garth.....mission accomplished.
The story is an exciting mix of corruption, law enforcement and the difficult and disgusting politics of an Indian Reservation, and centers around an alienated man being played on all sides, and trying to decide which side he's really on. It's described as a 'Saga of Native American noir' and I doubt I could give it a more appropriate description. It is a refreshing, if depressing, change from the ordinary diet of books I read, and I'll be actively searching out collections #1 & #2 to add to my catalog of books.
The Death-Defying Devil, Black Terror & Project Superpowers: Chapter Two - Alex Ross works with Jim Krueger and Joe Casey on these Dynamite Entertainment titles, all of which are part of the universe resurrected from the land of the forgotten in recent years by Ross and Krueger. After having enjoyed the stage that was set in Project Superpowers: Chapter One, I jumped into these three books with great anticipation, and I wasn't disappointed. I read them in the order outlined above, and got some interesting glimpses into storylines that went beyond the simple expectations I had.
Going in I thought the series focusing on the individual characters from the core book would be typical character introductions in which we would rehash the histories of these golden age characters with a fresh coat of paint designed to make them edgier and more interesting to the modern reader. I cannot deny that some of that was going on, but more importantly I found the books to be supplemental and full of plot devices that expanded my interest in both the characters and the universe in general. I can't complain either, since I got all three for the grand total of $10.
When I finally got around to reading Chapter Two (Book 1) I had little difficulty following the twists and turns of the story and trying to get my head around this complex, globe-spanning super-hero revolution. The book could still use a little more subtlety in terms of the global political reaction to the White House coming under the control of the Superpowers (I find the reactions very overt and large, showing little of the cunning and subtlety that would have been required to create a shadow cabinet to rule the world.)
All in all, I eagerly anticipate reading more from this universe. I think the thing I like most is not having the burden of history to sort through that I deal with in most DC or Marvel stories. It makes the read entertaining when I don't have to wonder if they did a retcon to make this story possible.
DMZ: Collections 3 - 5 - We've talked about this. If you're not reading DMZ you're making a mistake. Life inside the demilitarized zone of the second American civil war is difficult at the best of times, but for Matt Roth it can be absolute hell. Still, as the only reporter alive inside the ZONE, he has access to stories that can and will change the way the world at large understands what's going on.
DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!
Universe X - I finally finished this massive tale, and while I'm not sure I loved it as much as Earth X, it was still a sensationally deep read, with an incredible number of plot twists and story arcs all taking place at the same time. It is a thinking book that requires you not only to be reading, but to be paying attention to every detail as the story unwinds. Mar-Vell returns to the Marvel Universe to launch an unprecedented war on DEATH, and when the dust settles he makes a spectacular announcement that sets the stage for the third book in this opus; Paradise X. When I find a copy of that I'll give you a rundown on how this epic finishes.
If you have time to invest, this is a place you can invest it, and be paid back with interest.
Astonishing X-Men: Gifted - The first story arc written by Joss Whedon upon his assumption of duties on the X-Men, this book opens with news that rocks the mutant world; somebody has found a cure. The implication that the mutant strain is a virus and not an evolutionary transition shatters some mutants, and elates others. But is there a sinister goal behind the news?
The premise is solid, and sticks to the core concepts that all of the best X-Men books are built on. Better still, it brings back one of the most likable X-Men of them all; Colossus. How? Read it to find out. It's been years since I was a big follower of the X-Men and the 72 books they put out every month in an effort to steal every cent from my pocket, but after reading this book I'm sorely tempted to buy the rest of Whedon's run on the series and at least spend a little bit of time with Cyclops and the team.
It's a terrific read, and it doesn't demand to much mental energies.
X-Men good. Everyone else bad. What else do you need to know?
That's it for my GN reading while I traveled. When I get some time tomorrow I'll tell you about some of the monthly issues I read, and maybe we can talk about whether or not Brightest Day is working for DC.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Why Grant, why?
I may have mentioned before that I either love or hate Grant Morrison's work.
I might even have commented that I'm not a big fan of his recent Batman work because I don't think he shows Dick Grayson the respect that he's due.
Well I've just finished rereading the year plus long run he's had on Batman And Robin and I can now say without any doubt in my voice that I absolutely HATE his work on Dick Grayson. Everything about the way that he writes Dick seems meant to underscore the differences in Dick and Bruce (he does use Damien to reflect Bruce - so we aren't deprived of that aspect of the book) and completely neglects that Dick would understand how important it is that people not be so easily able to distinguish the difference between himself and Bruce.
Let's agree that the only reason for anyone to put on the cowl after Bruce's death is because the legend is so much more important than the man. If you're not going to pretend to be Bruce, and to send the message to anyone and everyone that Batman is alive and continuing his battle with crime, then there isn't any point in becoming Batman. You simply remain Nightwing, or Robin or whomever else you are, and fill the void as best you can. Once you decide that necessity demands that you assume the mantle, then everything you do centers around making sure the illusion in perfect.
Grant's writing feels too much like Dick is comfortable being different (while in costume) from Bruce. I don't care if it's a world class detective like Jim Gordon or if it's an obsessive maniac like Two-Face or The Joker, there is no excuse for Dick Grayson to be acting in any manner different than the one he nows Bruce would act in. Yet there he is, book in and book out, acting like a rank amateur when it comes to imitating the man that he knows better than anyone else alive (save, perhaps, Alfred.) Grant is either calling Dick incompetent, or stupid, and I'm not sure which it is.
I just know that I don't like it at all.
I might even have commented that I'm not a big fan of his recent Batman work because I don't think he shows Dick Grayson the respect that he's due.
Well I've just finished rereading the year plus long run he's had on Batman And Robin and I can now say without any doubt in my voice that I absolutely HATE his work on Dick Grayson. Everything about the way that he writes Dick seems meant to underscore the differences in Dick and Bruce (he does use Damien to reflect Bruce - so we aren't deprived of that aspect of the book) and completely neglects that Dick would understand how important it is that people not be so easily able to distinguish the difference between himself and Bruce.
Let's agree that the only reason for anyone to put on the cowl after Bruce's death is because the legend is so much more important than the man. If you're not going to pretend to be Bruce, and to send the message to anyone and everyone that Batman is alive and continuing his battle with crime, then there isn't any point in becoming Batman. You simply remain Nightwing, or Robin or whomever else you are, and fill the void as best you can. Once you decide that necessity demands that you assume the mantle, then everything you do centers around making sure the illusion in perfect.
Grant's writing feels too much like Dick is comfortable being different (while in costume) from Bruce. I don't care if it's a world class detective like Jim Gordon or if it's an obsessive maniac like Two-Face or The Joker, there is no excuse for Dick Grayson to be acting in any manner different than the one he nows Bruce would act in. Yet there he is, book in and book out, acting like a rank amateur when it comes to imitating the man that he knows better than anyone else alive (save, perhaps, Alfred.) Grant is either calling Dick incompetent, or stupid, and I'm not sure which it is.
I just know that I don't like it at all.
Astro City
I don't rave about this series of books nearly enough.
While carving through some of my July books, which didn't get read as soon as they got shipped to me because I spent a bunch of time reading graphic novels that I got my hands on, I stumbled onto Issue #1 of Astro City's newest offering: Astro City Special: Silver Agent.
One look through the first of this two part story reminded me of why I'm such an enormous fan of Kurt Busiek's Astro City work. His characters are deep, compelling and real and his stories span the feel of comics from the golden age right through until the modern age. There's a little bit of something in Astro City for everyone, and yet at no point in time do you feel like he sacrificed anything in order to accomplish it.
What I like best about Astro City stories, and this is a recurring theme in a lot of my favorite comics, is that Kurt isn't just telling me a story. He's building a mythology. There is historic depth and perspective to his characters that is often taken for granted or ignored in many mainstream books in deference to another action scene.
In Silver Agent #1 we follow the tale of arguably Astro City's greatest hero (although many Samaritan dans might argue) as he weighs the decision to return to the past (where he's from - our time) from the distant future and die for a crime he didn't commit. I won't give you any details beyond this, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might take my advise and go pick this book up, but I have a feeling that in only two issues Busiek is going to tell a story that feels enormous in its weight.
If you're not a regular comic collector and you're looking for a hero genre series to pick up in trade paperback and read leisurely, I would highly recommend Astro City. Start at the beginning and slowly allow the series to grow on you.
You won't regret it.
While carving through some of my July books, which didn't get read as soon as they got shipped to me because I spent a bunch of time reading graphic novels that I got my hands on, I stumbled onto Issue #1 of Astro City's newest offering: Astro City Special: Silver Agent.
One look through the first of this two part story reminded me of why I'm such an enormous fan of Kurt Busiek's Astro City work. His characters are deep, compelling and real and his stories span the feel of comics from the golden age right through until the modern age. There's a little bit of something in Astro City for everyone, and yet at no point in time do you feel like he sacrificed anything in order to accomplish it.
What I like best about Astro City stories, and this is a recurring theme in a lot of my favorite comics, is that Kurt isn't just telling me a story. He's building a mythology. There is historic depth and perspective to his characters that is often taken for granted or ignored in many mainstream books in deference to another action scene.
In Silver Agent #1 we follow the tale of arguably Astro City's greatest hero (although many Samaritan dans might argue) as he weighs the decision to return to the past (where he's from - our time) from the distant future and die for a crime he didn't commit. I won't give you any details beyond this, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might take my advise and go pick this book up, but I have a feeling that in only two issues Busiek is going to tell a story that feels enormous in its weight.
If you're not a regular comic collector and you're looking for a hero genre series to pick up in trade paperback and read leisurely, I would highly recommend Astro City. Start at the beginning and slowly allow the series to grow on you.
You won't regret it.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Talent or personality? What matters more to the reader?
This question could certainly entertain a discussion beyond the realm of comic books, but since I'm here blogging (mostly) about comic related topics, we'll keep it tight and focused if we can.
I asked yesterday if it matters to you what kind of people your favorite writers or artists are, and I told you that to me it doesn't matter. Now I'll tell you why:
I read to be entertained.
I don't read to get to know somebody, or to reward them for being a person that I like (actually that might not be entirely true!) I consider Alan Moore to be one of the strangest and most unusual people I've ever read about, and not knowing him personally, I can only extrapolate on what he might be like to meet. I suspect I would find him interesting for about twenty minutes, but the more personal the interaction became, the more I fear I would consider him hard to relate to or like. That's just the feel I get from the interviews, reports and descriptions of his character that I've read over the years.
It has zero impact on how much I enjoy his work.
Where does all of this come from?
When I started discussing how much I'm enjoying Jim Krueger's work on both Earth X & Universe X, as well as pointing out that he's currently working on Project SuperPowers with Alex Ross, I heard from one of the blog's readers that they could never get past the fact that they were told he was a nightmare to work with by a friend they have at Marvel. As a result, he doesn't read Krueger's work. To him, it mattered what kind of a person Krueger was, and so he has kept himself removed from a terrific writer's work because the man's reputation stains his opinion of Krueger.
I started thinking about it, and realized that I read a lot of books by people I don't admire or respect.
I met Warren Ellis once, and was turned off by the experience, yet I consider Ellis to be a phenomenal writer with a nearly limitless imagination and incredible characterization skills. The fact that my meeting with him did little to endear him to me means nothing to me when it comes time to place my monthly order for comic books.
The encounter with Stan Lee, as previously noted, was so sterile and empty that it left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe you can blame that on Stan and maybe you can't, but as a person I no longer admire him. As a comic industry icon I still admire his impact deeply.
Now, I didn't enjoy meeting Joe Quesada or Todd MacFarlane, and at the time that I met each person I did opt to drop one of the books they were working on. However, I should point out that neither book was particularly good, so it's not really the same thing as passing on a contender for the Top 10 Best Stories Ever (which one of these Earth/Universe/Paradise X books might be!) I didn't care for their work overall to begin with, so deciding that they were enormous morons and staying away from those books was easy. But if Mark Waid ever turns out to be an enormous jackass, I won't rush out to drop my order on Irredeemable or Flash, or whatever book of his I'm reading at the time. He's just too good at what he does for me to deprive myself of the satisfaction of enjoying his art.
Now I should point out that if I have a little extra money, I might buy a book or two from somebody I really liked and enjoyed as a person, simply to support them. I met Beau Smith once at Mid-Ohio and he was such an incredible guy that I actually bought and followed some of his work for a while, despite the fact that I wasn't captivated by it. The same story can be told of writer/artist Mark Oakley who was so awesome and personable that months after meeting him a few times at different shows and shops around Toronto, I bought almost two dozen issues of Thieves & Kings (which is a great read.)
It inevitably doesn't last of course, because in the end I only have so much money and I want the best product for my money. Which means the best writers, and the best artists.
Even if they're jerks.
What about you?
Oh, and here's the feedback from some of my experiences:
THE BEST
Brian Bendis *This guy impressed me on a level I cannot even express. This is a guy who understands.
Bill Willingham *Bill was incredibly personal. Sensational!
AWESOME
Mark Oakley
Beau Smith
Geoff Johns
Phil Jiminez
Ian Churchill
Mike Wieringo
GOOD
Gary Frank
Steve McNiven
Humberto Ramos
Jim Shooter *No meeting, but correspondence has always been excellent!
David Finch *Not just because he's Canadian either!
John Byrne *At a baseball game no less....and he makes the list for handling it sooooo well.
Terry Dodson
Rachel Dodson
UNINSPIRING
Mike Mignola
Stan Lee
Matt Hawkins *Should be noted that it started out as Awesome, and deteriorated as he became more and more successful
Warren Ellis
TERRIBLE
Todd MacFarlane
Joe Quesada
I asked yesterday if it matters to you what kind of people your favorite writers or artists are, and I told you that to me it doesn't matter. Now I'll tell you why:
I read to be entertained.
I don't read to get to know somebody, or to reward them for being a person that I like (actually that might not be entirely true!) I consider Alan Moore to be one of the strangest and most unusual people I've ever read about, and not knowing him personally, I can only extrapolate on what he might be like to meet. I suspect I would find him interesting for about twenty minutes, but the more personal the interaction became, the more I fear I would consider him hard to relate to or like. That's just the feel I get from the interviews, reports and descriptions of his character that I've read over the years.
It has zero impact on how much I enjoy his work.
Where does all of this come from?
When I started discussing how much I'm enjoying Jim Krueger's work on both Earth X & Universe X, as well as pointing out that he's currently working on Project SuperPowers with Alex Ross, I heard from one of the blog's readers that they could never get past the fact that they were told he was a nightmare to work with by a friend they have at Marvel. As a result, he doesn't read Krueger's work. To him, it mattered what kind of a person Krueger was, and so he has kept himself removed from a terrific writer's work because the man's reputation stains his opinion of Krueger.
I started thinking about it, and realized that I read a lot of books by people I don't admire or respect.
I met Warren Ellis once, and was turned off by the experience, yet I consider Ellis to be a phenomenal writer with a nearly limitless imagination and incredible characterization skills. The fact that my meeting with him did little to endear him to me means nothing to me when it comes time to place my monthly order for comic books.
The encounter with Stan Lee, as previously noted, was so sterile and empty that it left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe you can blame that on Stan and maybe you can't, but as a person I no longer admire him. As a comic industry icon I still admire his impact deeply.
Now, I didn't enjoy meeting Joe Quesada or Todd MacFarlane, and at the time that I met each person I did opt to drop one of the books they were working on. However, I should point out that neither book was particularly good, so it's not really the same thing as passing on a contender for the Top 10 Best Stories Ever (which one of these Earth/Universe/Paradise X books might be!) I didn't care for their work overall to begin with, so deciding that they were enormous morons and staying away from those books was easy. But if Mark Waid ever turns out to be an enormous jackass, I won't rush out to drop my order on Irredeemable or Flash, or whatever book of his I'm reading at the time. He's just too good at what he does for me to deprive myself of the satisfaction of enjoying his art.
Now I should point out that if I have a little extra money, I might buy a book or two from somebody I really liked and enjoyed as a person, simply to support them. I met Beau Smith once at Mid-Ohio and he was such an incredible guy that I actually bought and followed some of his work for a while, despite the fact that I wasn't captivated by it. The same story can be told of writer/artist Mark Oakley who was so awesome and personable that months after meeting him a few times at different shows and shops around Toronto, I bought almost two dozen issues of Thieves & Kings (which is a great read.)
It inevitably doesn't last of course, because in the end I only have so much money and I want the best product for my money. Which means the best writers, and the best artists.
Even if they're jerks.
What about you?
Oh, and here's the feedback from some of my experiences:
THE BEST
Brian Bendis *This guy impressed me on a level I cannot even express. This is a guy who understands.
Bill Willingham *Bill was incredibly personal. Sensational!
AWESOME
Mark Oakley
Beau Smith
Geoff Johns
Phil Jiminez
Ian Churchill
Mike Wieringo
GOOD
Gary Frank
Steve McNiven
Humberto Ramos
Jim Shooter *No meeting, but correspondence has always been excellent!
David Finch *Not just because he's Canadian either!
John Byrne *At a baseball game no less....and he makes the list for handling it sooooo well.
Terry Dodson
Rachel Dodson
UNINSPIRING
Mike Mignola
Stan Lee
Matt Hawkins *Should be noted that it started out as Awesome, and deteriorated as he became more and more successful
Warren Ellis
TERRIBLE
Todd MacFarlane
Joe Quesada
Sunday, September 12, 2010
This & That
Have you watched that trailer in HD yet?
I still love when Black Adam shouts SHAZAM! and the lightning comes crashing down and causes the massive explosion that wipes out Flash & Green Lantern. Speaking of Green Lantern, I thought that the character in the video looked a lot more like Kyle Rayner than anyone else. Why does Kyle the get the love? Shouldn't that be Hal Jordan? And if not Hal, hasn't John Stewart earned it? I have no objection to them skipping over Guy.
That said, lots of people might. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about which Lantern is the coolest. Call me sentimental, but I always liked Hal. To me the character just has more real depth that any of the rest of them. Sure, the writers who latched onto John, Guy and Kyle all did their best to give those characters depth through tragedy and adversity, but compared to Hal's it always just seemed forced. I never did care much for Hal's time as a fallen hero, but I will say that once they made that move I would have been fine if they had simply kept it that way.
Just like I would have been fine if they had left Barry Allen dead( and I love Barry.)
Can anyone out there think of a second generation hero that they like more than the first generation version? I like Wally West best as The Flash, but off of the top of my head, I think that's the only time that I've enjoyed the kid sidekick taking over as the main hero.
My boys were here this weekend and they both read Earth2. It's top notch. Has everyone read it? It's worth the read.
I've been thinking about it and I need more Martian Manhunter.
Because I'm not reading regularly, I've actually been considering switching MOST of my monthly titles to trade paperbacks going forward. It will make it a little easier to manage costs on a monthly basis. We'll see if I still feel that way when I get next month's shipment of books.
I'm half way through Universe X, and I'm really enjoying it. Tomorrow I want to talk about whether or not it matters to you if the writers/artists you love are good people or not. It came up in recent conversation, and I've been thinking about it a lot the last couple of days.
I've decided I don't care (for the most part) and I'll tell you why.......tomorrow.
I still love when Black Adam shouts SHAZAM! and the lightning comes crashing down and causes the massive explosion that wipes out Flash & Green Lantern. Speaking of Green Lantern, I thought that the character in the video looked a lot more like Kyle Rayner than anyone else. Why does Kyle the get the love? Shouldn't that be Hal Jordan? And if not Hal, hasn't John Stewart earned it? I have no objection to them skipping over Guy.
That said, lots of people might. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about which Lantern is the coolest. Call me sentimental, but I always liked Hal. To me the character just has more real depth that any of the rest of them. Sure, the writers who latched onto John, Guy and Kyle all did their best to give those characters depth through tragedy and adversity, but compared to Hal's it always just seemed forced. I never did care much for Hal's time as a fallen hero, but I will say that once they made that move I would have been fine if they had simply kept it that way.
Just like I would have been fine if they had left Barry Allen dead( and I love Barry.)
Can anyone out there think of a second generation hero that they like more than the first generation version? I like Wally West best as The Flash, but off of the top of my head, I think that's the only time that I've enjoyed the kid sidekick taking over as the main hero.
My boys were here this weekend and they both read Earth2. It's top notch. Has everyone read it? It's worth the read.
I've been thinking about it and I need more Martian Manhunter.
Because I'm not reading regularly, I've actually been considering switching MOST of my monthly titles to trade paperbacks going forward. It will make it a little easier to manage costs on a monthly basis. We'll see if I still feel that way when I get next month's shipment of books.
I'm half way through Universe X, and I'm really enjoying it. Tomorrow I want to talk about whether or not it matters to you if the writers/artists you love are good people or not. It came up in recent conversation, and I've been thinking about it a lot the last couple of days.
I've decided I don't care (for the most part) and I'll tell you why.......tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Unrelated
*spoiler alert* This isn't about comics!
**spoiler alert #2** it's going to be short, and very, very to the point!
For 8 seasons Scrubs was insanely funny. Then the network canceled it, and in a surprising move a different network picked it up. Almost everyone came back, though many of the characters are only on the show in a guest starring role in season 9.
Here's my question......why does everyone hate Season 9 so much?
I just finished it last night, and while it isn't the same as the first eight seasons, it's still better than most of the crap that's on television these days! Sure, the girl daydreamer doesn't do it justice like J.D. used to, and the writers took too long to figure that out, but Cole & Drew are golden new characters who entertain. The awkward dynamic of the love-hate relationship between Drew & Mahoney is fun, and Bob Kelso's still around. Kelso was the unsung hero of the first eight season, and spawned such classic moments as "what has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? BOB KELSO"
In short, I'm not feeling the hate. It's not the old Scrubs, but it also wasn't garbage.
It entertained.
**spoiler alert #2** it's going to be short, and very, very to the point!
For 8 seasons Scrubs was insanely funny. Then the network canceled it, and in a surprising move a different network picked it up. Almost everyone came back, though many of the characters are only on the show in a guest starring role in season 9.
Here's my question......why does everyone hate Season 9 so much?
I just finished it last night, and while it isn't the same as the first eight seasons, it's still better than most of the crap that's on television these days! Sure, the girl daydreamer doesn't do it justice like J.D. used to, and the writers took too long to figure that out, but Cole & Drew are golden new characters who entertain. The awkward dynamic of the love-hate relationship between Drew & Mahoney is fun, and Bob Kelso's still around. Kelso was the unsung hero of the first eight season, and spawned such classic moments as "what has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? BOB KELSO"
In short, I'm not feeling the hate. It's not the old Scrubs, but it also wasn't garbage.
It entertained.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Earth X
Have you heard of it?
Do you know it?
Earth X is the brainchild of Jim Krueger, who birthed the series from notes created by artist phenom Alex Ross. The story is the tale of a dystopian future of one possible timeline of the Marvel Universe in which Krueger paints for us the cataclysmic outcome of a world in which everyone has acquired super powers and the heroes of yesteryear are no longer special or unique.
What grabbed my attention first about this book, aside from Ross' insanely awesome cover work, is the notion Krueger brings forth that mankind's genetic potential (a longstanding issue in the Marvel Universe) was encoded into us by the race of godlike beings known as The Celestials. This idea is the backbone of a new mythology of the Marvel Universe which Krueger and Ross craft that is brilliant in its depth and awesome in its scope.
The first question, of course, has to be.....WHY?
Why did the Celestials take any interest in what are essentially insects to them? Why tinker with mankind's genetic destiny at all? To what end? The brilliance of the answer involves the purpose and mission of Galactus as an entity, the balance of the cosmos and the final fate of Franklin Richards - long identified as the most important mutant in the Marvel Universe.
While this story remains the core around which the rest of the series is crafted, the creators manage to entwine us into the lives of some of our favorite characters as they struggle and cope with seemingly unrelated crises' that threaten the slowly dwindling population of the planet Earth. In the end? Everything comes together in an epic story that has the kind of depth almost never found in comics.
I read it 11 years ago when it was published and forgot about it.
I found it recently at the local library and checked it out for another read, and was reminded of just how good it is. Easily my favorite overall piece of Marvel Universe storytelling. So much so that I purchased a copy of the Graphic Novel at Fan Expo, and then sought out Universe X Part I & II and purchased them as well. I'll update you on Universe X after I finish it, but so far?
More brilliance!
And if you like Ross & Krueger, I have to ask.....are you reading Project SuperPowers?
Do you know it?
Earth X is the brainchild of Jim Krueger, who birthed the series from notes created by artist phenom Alex Ross. The story is the tale of a dystopian future of one possible timeline of the Marvel Universe in which Krueger paints for us the cataclysmic outcome of a world in which everyone has acquired super powers and the heroes of yesteryear are no longer special or unique.
The first question, of course, has to be.....WHY?
Why did the Celestials take any interest in what are essentially insects to them? Why tinker with mankind's genetic destiny at all? To what end? The brilliance of the answer involves the purpose and mission of Galactus as an entity, the balance of the cosmos and the final fate of Franklin Richards - long identified as the most important mutant in the Marvel Universe.
While this story remains the core around which the rest of the series is crafted, the creators manage to entwine us into the lives of some of our favorite characters as they struggle and cope with seemingly unrelated crises' that threaten the slowly dwindling population of the planet Earth. In the end? Everything comes together in an epic story that has the kind of depth almost never found in comics.
I read it 11 years ago when it was published and forgot about it.
I found it recently at the local library and checked it out for another read, and was reminded of just how good it is. Easily my favorite overall piece of Marvel Universe storytelling. So much so that I purchased a copy of the Graphic Novel at Fan Expo, and then sought out Universe X Part I & II and purchased them as well. I'll update you on Universe X after I finish it, but so far?
More brilliance!
And if you like Ross & Krueger, I have to ask.....are you reading Project SuperPowers?
Have you seen this yet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZAjy1JV7EM
Make sure you're watching it in HD.
I just wish DC would make a movie like this, and stop toying with my emotions!
Also, as a footnote, I had absolutely no interest in playing what I expected to be an improved version of City of Heroes. I get tired too quickly of constantly just chasing the next level, or the next power. BUT.....this is so cool, maybe I'll consider it!
A couple of important observations:
1. Nothing the Joker shot would be fast enough to even comes close to hitting The Flash
2. Diana would have schooled Deathstroke.
3. While I love Black Adam, it was pretty entertaining to watch Superman flat out punk him.
Make sure you're watching it in HD.
I just wish DC would make a movie like this, and stop toying with my emotions!
Also, as a footnote, I had absolutely no interest in playing what I expected to be an improved version of City of Heroes. I get tired too quickly of constantly just chasing the next level, or the next power. BUT.....this is so cool, maybe I'll consider it!
A couple of important observations:
1. Nothing the Joker shot would be fast enough to even comes close to hitting The Flash
2. Diana would have schooled Deathstroke.
3. While I love Black Adam, it was pretty entertaining to watch Superman flat out punk him.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Autographs at Fan Expo 2010
I have an interesting collection of autographs on some of my favorite artwork or comics.
For me Fan Expo was an opportunity to add some new pieces to that collection, and I did it in a very systematic way.
Friday
Steve McNiven - I think most people going to see Steve were high on his work from Marvel that he did with Mark Millar. Whether it was one of the books from the epic Old Man Logan story in Wolverine, or the newly released and incredibly edgy Nemesis, I saw a lot of people in line with that work looking for an autograph. I must confess I too had two books from the Wolverine run which I wanted signed by the artist (in hopes that one day soon Mr. Millar's signature will adorn the same books - I enjoyed Old Man Logan.) I also had with me my ten year old daughter, and we brought along two books for Steve to sign for her as well; both issues of the CrossGen gem called Meridian. Steve immediately latched on to those two covers as his favorite pieces of work from his time with Meridian, and they really are gorgeous pieces of art. He took a little bit of time to talk with my daughter, and even brought up and mentioned his own ten year old. Steve was a genuine and friendly guy, and I enjoyed meeting him.
With that said, I should mentioned that while we were in line (it wasn't too long - maybe 20 minutes) I did notice that Gary Frank came out and started speaking to Steve while other fans were up getting their books signed. I hate that, because Steve immediately gravitated to Gary, and I felt like the fans getting autographs at that moment were missing out on a chance to have any real personal interaction with Steve. If it had been me, it might have ruined the experience for me.
Saturday
Stan Lee - One and a half hours in line to meet one of the most influential men in all of comics, and it was a sterile, sanitized and unfulfilling experience. I don't know whose fault it is that it runs that way, but I know that it was a terrific disappointment for me. I have Stan's autograph on a copy of Incredible Hulk #109 (also featuring Ka-Zar) now, and I can say I've met him, but it was like a person you're introduced to as they pass you going down on the escalator while you're on the other side going up. It hardly counts.
Gary Frank - Straight after Stan I went and got in line for autographs from Gary Frank. Aside from Stan he was the next most important target on my list due largely to the fact that I'm such a big fan of his work. I don't know that he was the second biggest name at the show, but to me he was clearly a step apart in terms of the impact he's had on my reading enjoyment over the years. The line moved well, and it was about a thirty-five or forty minute wait to get to the front. I broke my rule of only bringing two or three books and took five for Gary to sign, because he's worked on so many things that I loved. I had him sign the cover of the final issue of the awesome story in Action Comics entitled Superman & The Legion Of Super-Heroes, and then switched gears and had him sign the first issue of Midnight Nation. Sticking with Marvel published books after that I had him signed Incredible Hulk #420, the issue in which Bruce Banner's former sidekick Jim Wilson dies of aids. It was a controversial and powerful book, and an easy choice to get the men responsible for creating it to sign. I finished off with copies of Issue #1 and Issue #6 of Kin, a creator owned project that Gary did years ago that I really enjoyed. It was always intended to be a series of three mini-series, but after talking with Gary I found out that the next two will probably never happen. A tremendous letdown, as all of my sons have read and enjoyed that book and I was looking forward to enjoyed the next round of books with them as well.
Gary was very personable when I spoke with him, friendly and witty. He held a conversation while signing, which is a plus. So many guys just sign and really don't have anything to say, either because they've been at it all day, or because they just aren't outgoing people. Gary was different and it showed.
Brian Azzarello - Fifteen minutes in line right after I exited the Gary Frank line, and I got two books signed by Brian. Seeing as I don't read 100 Bullets I went with one of his Superman books and the new First Wave #1. It was signed and done so quickly that I barely had time to thank him and I was out of there. Not much of an experience, although I thought that others seemed to be connecting with Brian more, so maybe it was me.
Sunday
Ian Churchill - The wait for Ian was only about fifteen minutes long, and it was easily my favorite time with any of the people who signed for me. Ian signed one book at my request; Titans #1, which I liked for the way that it reflected the team. We then got quickly into where he came from, and the time I spent traveling in the UK, and how much he loves Canada. I found him incredibly personable and engaging and would recommend that anyone with the opportunity to meet him does so. Terrific guy.
Now that you've heard about who I saw and what they signed....let me tell you about one of my autographing pet peeves. I absolutely HATE when somebody in line is allowed to go up with thirty books that they want signed. I think the authors and artists should limit them to five autographs and then make them go to the back of the line if they want any more. The selfishness that is rampant at shows is beyond my ability to properly describe to you, and it blows me away that there isn't better regulation of it to ensure that as many people as possible get to meet the special guests at each show.
I also would love to hear them insist that every book be signed TO somebody. If you're chasing autographs for resale, you should have to pay for them. The artists/writers are entitled to a piece of your heightened income on their book, so if you don't want it signed to you (or to a friend) then you can't have an autograph - you can BUY an autograph. That will also stop people from getting 5 copies of the same book signed (and you just KNOW those are for resale!)
Anyways, that's my 2 cents.
For me Fan Expo was an opportunity to add some new pieces to that collection, and I did it in a very systematic way.
Friday
Steve McNiven - I think most people going to see Steve were high on his work from Marvel that he did with Mark Millar. Whether it was one of the books from the epic Old Man Logan story in Wolverine, or the newly released and incredibly edgy Nemesis, I saw a lot of people in line with that work looking for an autograph. I must confess I too had two books from the Wolverine run which I wanted signed by the artist (in hopes that one day soon Mr. Millar's signature will adorn the same books - I enjoyed Old Man Logan.) I also had with me my ten year old daughter, and we brought along two books for Steve to sign for her as well; both issues of the CrossGen gem called Meridian. Steve immediately latched on to those two covers as his favorite pieces of work from his time with Meridian, and they really are gorgeous pieces of art. He took a little bit of time to talk with my daughter, and even brought up and mentioned his own ten year old. Steve was a genuine and friendly guy, and I enjoyed meeting him.
With that said, I should mentioned that while we were in line (it wasn't too long - maybe 20 minutes) I did notice that Gary Frank came out and started speaking to Steve while other fans were up getting their books signed. I hate that, because Steve immediately gravitated to Gary, and I felt like the fans getting autographs at that moment were missing out on a chance to have any real personal interaction with Steve. If it had been me, it might have ruined the experience for me.
Saturday
Stan Lee - One and a half hours in line to meet one of the most influential men in all of comics, and it was a sterile, sanitized and unfulfilling experience. I don't know whose fault it is that it runs that way, but I know that it was a terrific disappointment for me. I have Stan's autograph on a copy of Incredible Hulk #109 (also featuring Ka-Zar) now, and I can say I've met him, but it was like a person you're introduced to as they pass you going down on the escalator while you're on the other side going up. It hardly counts.
Gary Frank - Straight after Stan I went and got in line for autographs from Gary Frank. Aside from Stan he was the next most important target on my list due largely to the fact that I'm such a big fan of his work. I don't know that he was the second biggest name at the show, but to me he was clearly a step apart in terms of the impact he's had on my reading enjoyment over the years. The line moved well, and it was about a thirty-five or forty minute wait to get to the front. I broke my rule of only bringing two or three books and took five for Gary to sign, because he's worked on so many things that I loved. I had him sign the cover of the final issue of the awesome story in Action Comics entitled Superman & The Legion Of Super-Heroes, and then switched gears and had him sign the first issue of Midnight Nation. Sticking with Marvel published books after that I had him signed Incredible Hulk #420, the issue in which Bruce Banner's former sidekick Jim Wilson dies of aids. It was a controversial and powerful book, and an easy choice to get the men responsible for creating it to sign. I finished off with copies of Issue #1 and Issue #6 of Kin, a creator owned project that Gary did years ago that I really enjoyed. It was always intended to be a series of three mini-series, but after talking with Gary I found out that the next two will probably never happen. A tremendous letdown, as all of my sons have read and enjoyed that book and I was looking forward to enjoyed the next round of books with them as well.
Gary was very personable when I spoke with him, friendly and witty. He held a conversation while signing, which is a plus. So many guys just sign and really don't have anything to say, either because they've been at it all day, or because they just aren't outgoing people. Gary was different and it showed.
Brian Azzarello - Fifteen minutes in line right after I exited the Gary Frank line, and I got two books signed by Brian. Seeing as I don't read 100 Bullets I went with one of his Superman books and the new First Wave #1. It was signed and done so quickly that I barely had time to thank him and I was out of there. Not much of an experience, although I thought that others seemed to be connecting with Brian more, so maybe it was me.
Sunday
Ian Churchill - The wait for Ian was only about fifteen minutes long, and it was easily my favorite time with any of the people who signed for me. Ian signed one book at my request; Titans #1, which I liked for the way that it reflected the team. We then got quickly into where he came from, and the time I spent traveling in the UK, and how much he loves Canada. I found him incredibly personable and engaging and would recommend that anyone with the opportunity to meet him does so. Terrific guy.
Now that you've heard about who I saw and what they signed....let me tell you about one of my autographing pet peeves. I absolutely HATE when somebody in line is allowed to go up with thirty books that they want signed. I think the authors and artists should limit them to five autographs and then make them go to the back of the line if they want any more. The selfishness that is rampant at shows is beyond my ability to properly describe to you, and it blows me away that there isn't better regulation of it to ensure that as many people as possible get to meet the special guests at each show.
I also would love to hear them insist that every book be signed TO somebody. If you're chasing autographs for resale, you should have to pay for them. The artists/writers are entitled to a piece of your heightened income on their book, so if you don't want it signed to you (or to a friend) then you can't have an autograph - you can BUY an autograph. That will also stop people from getting 5 copies of the same book signed (and you just KNOW those are for resale!)
Anyways, that's my 2 cents.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Fan Expo 2010 - The good, the bad....the UGLY
Last weekend was a lot weekend, just ask my wife.
I disappeared on Friday afternoon into downtown Toronto to meet up with my niece, my sons and I took along my daughter for the opening bell of Toronto's Fan Expo 2010. I love that so much of my family goes, and really does enjoy it for a wide variety of reasons. More on that later though. Really, I just wanted to get the blog back up and running after a slowdown of epic proportions in August, so let's get it started by hitting on some of the key points of my observations last weekend.
THE GOOD
Stan Lee! The Expo's premiere guest was none other than the builder of all things Marvel, and in my opinion the man who did the most to further the cause of comic books as an art form and literary medium in the twentieth century. With the inability to meet Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Jack Kirby or Bob Kane, Stan Lee now sits alone as the crown jewel in any comic geeks wish list.
BOOM STUDIOS Always happy to see a publishing house that isn't one of the big two out there doing great public relations work with their fans, and that's exactly what Boom did. Would I have preferred if they had brought Mr. Waid to the show? Absolutely. But we can't have everything. They had a nice booth, and the people working in were very accessible and engaging.
Adam West & Burt Ward Holy dynamic duos Batman! As if having these two icons of yesteryear there to do signings wasn't cool enough, the event organizers also had Julie Newmar - she of Catwoman fame from the worst (and best) Batman show of all time. It was a nice trip down memory lane, and I loved it.
The SHAT I could talk about other guests in attendance, some of whom probably meant a great deal more to other people, but as I get a little older, and a little bit more proud of my heritage in the great white north, I find myself really enjoying William Shatner and his proudly Canadian roots more and more. I'll watch Trek, but I was never a Trekkie (yeah, I said Trekkies NOT Trekkers!) so my appreciation of Bill has little to do with that. The man's just iconic as a Canadian, and I love that tens of thousands of people showed up to shower him with love.
Prices Some of the vendors understood that the con was a chance to divest themselves of excess stock and things that don't move, and they priced accordingly. Buying unappreciated trade paperbacks for $1 each was awesome. Even if I might not read half of them.
Thor I saw a guy dressed up as Thor who was easily 6'10". The costumer was OK, but being a GIANT certainly helped sell it.
Jude The cartoon Network runs a show called 16 which I got hooked on while watching it with my pre-teen daughter. It's about a group of young friends who work, hang out and basically grow up in a mall. The show's funny, smart and engaging, but I was never so impressed with it as I was when I watched the voice actor who portrays Jude (the lovable and in my house most popular cast member) introduce himself to my daughter. The guy just gets it. He immediately understood that she was smitten and treated her like gold. Best moment of the show, and I'm very impressed with the young man. Very.
Sketch-Offs I only went to one of them, but the idea was very cool and it was the first time I'd seen it. In a room downstairs I sat in to watch the assembled fans challenge Oliver Coipel and Gary Frank to do an 40 minute rendering of NightCrawler, while fielding questions and engaging the audience. The result was a lot of jocularity, witty reparte (largely from Frank) and 2 wonderful sketches which were given away to lucky audience members. Great idea!
THE BAD
Stan Lee Yes, it was in the GOOD, but it's also in the BAD. The people who handled Stan's signing period made the entire experience clinical and sterilized, sucking from it any chance that people might actually connect with Stan in any personal way. I could have just paid my $40 and sent the comic into some facility where they could have had Stan's stamp handy and slapped the signature on the book. Even asking them for the extra six letters to write "To Jeff" on it was too much for them. They offered up a lame and completely fabricated excuse for why that wasn't a reasonable request (despite the fact that the question/answer sequence took longer than the six letters would have.) To go to all the trouble of bringing in Stan and then make the experience that stale and vanilla? What was the point?
Prices How do people set up shop right next to a competitor and not bother to at least undeerstand that just being there wasn't good enough to get sales? When the guy next to you has product on at 50% off the US cover price, how do you have the nerve to put up "save the tax?" Some people only got money from stupid shoppers!
Administration Whomever organized the show should be shot. If I had paid $150 to get a pass that allowed me to get in at 2pm on Friday when the event wasn't scheduled to open until 4pm, and the lineup was so long that I didn't get in until well AFTER the people who bought their pass at the gate at 4pm for much less than I did, I would be talking to a lawyer. How hard is it to know how many people ordered the pass online, and plan a better execution so that they got in when you told them they would get in? In fact the lineups all weekend long were a strong sign that the event's execution was subpar. Add to that the fact that all exits but one were closed and everyone was expected to exit through 1 set of doors, and you have a recipe for epic stupidity.
Artists Ally Always one of my favorite places to walk, wander and shop, I didn't do much of it at this show because the space was so narrow that it was like doing a constant grind with ugly people you wouldn't touch after 15 beers and a year's supply of crack.
THE UGLY
There were lots of people in costumes, but a few simple rules should always be understood at such events.
1. The less clothes they're wearing = the more clothes you want them to be wearing
2. For every attractive person dressed up as a character from their favorite comic/movie/game there will be 10 really (REALLY!) unattractive people dressed up as the same.
3. Single, old men should NOT be asking teenage girls if they can take their picture regardless of what costume they appear to be wearing (or not wearing). It's just creepy.
Pictures soon folks, and I'll be back to talk about some of the personal experiences I had, what I bought and who I talked with.
I disappeared on Friday afternoon into downtown Toronto to meet up with my niece, my sons and I took along my daughter for the opening bell of Toronto's Fan Expo 2010. I love that so much of my family goes, and really does enjoy it for a wide variety of reasons. More on that later though. Really, I just wanted to get the blog back up and running after a slowdown of epic proportions in August, so let's get it started by hitting on some of the key points of my observations last weekend.
THE GOOD
Stan Lee! The Expo's premiere guest was none other than the builder of all things Marvel, and in my opinion the man who did the most to further the cause of comic books as an art form and literary medium in the twentieth century. With the inability to meet Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Jack Kirby or Bob Kane, Stan Lee now sits alone as the crown jewel in any comic geeks wish list.
BOOM STUDIOS Always happy to see a publishing house that isn't one of the big two out there doing great public relations work with their fans, and that's exactly what Boom did. Would I have preferred if they had brought Mr. Waid to the show? Absolutely. But we can't have everything. They had a nice booth, and the people working in were very accessible and engaging.
Adam West & Burt Ward Holy dynamic duos Batman! As if having these two icons of yesteryear there to do signings wasn't cool enough, the event organizers also had Julie Newmar - she of Catwoman fame from the worst (and best) Batman show of all time. It was a nice trip down memory lane, and I loved it.
The SHAT I could talk about other guests in attendance, some of whom probably meant a great deal more to other people, but as I get a little older, and a little bit more proud of my heritage in the great white north, I find myself really enjoying William Shatner and his proudly Canadian roots more and more. I'll watch Trek, but I was never a Trekkie (yeah, I said Trekkies NOT Trekkers!) so my appreciation of Bill has little to do with that. The man's just iconic as a Canadian, and I love that tens of thousands of people showed up to shower him with love.
Prices Some of the vendors understood that the con was a chance to divest themselves of excess stock and things that don't move, and they priced accordingly. Buying unappreciated trade paperbacks for $1 each was awesome. Even if I might not read half of them.
Thor I saw a guy dressed up as Thor who was easily 6'10". The costumer was OK, but being a GIANT certainly helped sell it.
Jude The cartoon Network runs a show called 16 which I got hooked on while watching it with my pre-teen daughter. It's about a group of young friends who work, hang out and basically grow up in a mall. The show's funny, smart and engaging, but I was never so impressed with it as I was when I watched the voice actor who portrays Jude (the lovable and in my house most popular cast member) introduce himself to my daughter. The guy just gets it. He immediately understood that she was smitten and treated her like gold. Best moment of the show, and I'm very impressed with the young man. Very.
Sketch-Offs I only went to one of them, but the idea was very cool and it was the first time I'd seen it. In a room downstairs I sat in to watch the assembled fans challenge Oliver Coipel and Gary Frank to do an 40 minute rendering of NightCrawler, while fielding questions and engaging the audience. The result was a lot of jocularity, witty reparte (largely from Frank) and 2 wonderful sketches which were given away to lucky audience members. Great idea!
THE BAD
Stan Lee Yes, it was in the GOOD, but it's also in the BAD. The people who handled Stan's signing period made the entire experience clinical and sterilized, sucking from it any chance that people might actually connect with Stan in any personal way. I could have just paid my $40 and sent the comic into some facility where they could have had Stan's stamp handy and slapped the signature on the book. Even asking them for the extra six letters to write "To Jeff" on it was too much for them. They offered up a lame and completely fabricated excuse for why that wasn't a reasonable request (despite the fact that the question/answer sequence took longer than the six letters would have.) To go to all the trouble of bringing in Stan and then make the experience that stale and vanilla? What was the point?
Prices How do people set up shop right next to a competitor and not bother to at least undeerstand that just being there wasn't good enough to get sales? When the guy next to you has product on at 50% off the US cover price, how do you have the nerve to put up "save the tax?" Some people only got money from stupid shoppers!
Administration Whomever organized the show should be shot. If I had paid $150 to get a pass that allowed me to get in at 2pm on Friday when the event wasn't scheduled to open until 4pm, and the lineup was so long that I didn't get in until well AFTER the people who bought their pass at the gate at 4pm for much less than I did, I would be talking to a lawyer. How hard is it to know how many people ordered the pass online, and plan a better execution so that they got in when you told them they would get in? In fact the lineups all weekend long were a strong sign that the event's execution was subpar. Add to that the fact that all exits but one were closed and everyone was expected to exit through 1 set of doors, and you have a recipe for epic stupidity.
Artists Ally Always one of my favorite places to walk, wander and shop, I didn't do much of it at this show because the space was so narrow that it was like doing a constant grind with ugly people you wouldn't touch after 15 beers and a year's supply of crack.
THE UGLY
There were lots of people in costumes, but a few simple rules should always be understood at such events.
1. The less clothes they're wearing = the more clothes you want them to be wearing
2. For every attractive person dressed up as a character from their favorite comic/movie/game there will be 10 really (REALLY!) unattractive people dressed up as the same.
3. Single, old men should NOT be asking teenage girls if they can take their picture regardless of what costume they appear to be wearing (or not wearing). It's just creepy.
Pictures soon folks, and I'll be back to talk about some of the personal experiences I had, what I bought and who I talked with.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Serial Killer. No questions asked.
From Wikipedia:
Recently the poll on this page has taken a giant step forward in sanity, when the most popular identification of Frank Castle switched from 'misunderstood' to 'serial killer.' Thank Heaven! I was seriously thinking of tracking down all of the voters and putting you on somebody's psyche profile watch list. What kind of person looks at the hundreds (if not thousands) of people that Frank Castle has systematically hunter down and killed over the course of his life and describes him as 'misunderstood?'
No. I understand him just fine.
He's a sociopath, who hid his aberrant behavior behind (depending on which version you subscribe to) a position in the military or law enforcement, until a personal tragedy allowed him to justify embracing his sociopathic tendencies, while hiding behind the justification of avenging his beloved family.
As I told somebody during our discussion on this topic.....lots of heroes have killed.
Wonder Woman killed Maxwel Lord (and I was glad she did!)
Captain America killed.
Hell, even Superman has killed.
But there's a big difference between killing somebody, and being a killer.
Frank Castle is a stone cold killer, who does not feel a single ounce of remorse for the murders he has committed, nor any moral uncertainty over his constant denial of the rights which his victims are guaranteed under the laws of his country. He is no more a hero than any other serial killer throughout history, despite the fact that many people empathize with or appreciate that his actions continue to remove criminals from the streets.
Justification is easy, until you have to make it real.
If killing my best friend would save a hundred people I'll never know, I think those hundred people would die. That's part of what makes me human. Would it be heroic of me to kill my best friend? Hell no. It would border on an act of evil, despite the potential good it would result in. Heroism would be him finding out that by dying he could save 100 people, and taking his own life. That would be heroic, although maybe even that could be turned around.
My point people.....is that while we enjoy the stories and are engrossed in the enormously decadent violence that makes a Punisher story work....we should never lose sight of the fact that we're glorifying a serial killer. We may be happy that he killed an 'allegedly' bad, bad man.......but there is no way we can consider ourselves civilized and absolve him of his repeated acts of murder.
Frank Castle: Murderer.
Now, I really only read Ennis' Punisher, but how good a book would it be if we found out that he killed an innocent? You can't take it back. There's no 'fix' button for capital punishment, and you only have to be wrong one time. 100 rights will never wash that stain off of your soul.
I'd love to tackle that question.
Until somebody does though, never forget........if somebody admires the Punisher.....stay far.....FAR....away!
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than thirty days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Often, a sexual element is involved with the killings. The murders may have been attempted or completed in a similar fashion and the victims may have had something in common; for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group.
Serial killers are not the same as mass murderers, who commit multiple murders at one time; nor are they spree killers, who commit murders in two or more locations with virtually no break in between.
Recently the poll on this page has taken a giant step forward in sanity, when the most popular identification of Frank Castle switched from 'misunderstood' to 'serial killer.' Thank Heaven! I was seriously thinking of tracking down all of the voters and putting you on somebody's psyche profile watch list. What kind of person looks at the hundreds (if not thousands) of people that Frank Castle has systematically hunter down and killed over the course of his life and describes him as 'misunderstood?'
No. I understand him just fine.
He's a sociopath, who hid his aberrant behavior behind (depending on which version you subscribe to) a position in the military or law enforcement, until a personal tragedy allowed him to justify embracing his sociopathic tendencies, while hiding behind the justification of avenging his beloved family.
As I told somebody during our discussion on this topic.....lots of heroes have killed.
Wonder Woman killed Maxwel Lord (and I was glad she did!)
Captain America killed.
Hell, even Superman has killed.
But there's a big difference between killing somebody, and being a killer.
Frank Castle is a stone cold killer, who does not feel a single ounce of remorse for the murders he has committed, nor any moral uncertainty over his constant denial of the rights which his victims are guaranteed under the laws of his country. He is no more a hero than any other serial killer throughout history, despite the fact that many people empathize with or appreciate that his actions continue to remove criminals from the streets.
Justification is easy, until you have to make it real.
If killing my best friend would save a hundred people I'll never know, I think those hundred people would die. That's part of what makes me human. Would it be heroic of me to kill my best friend? Hell no. It would border on an act of evil, despite the potential good it would result in. Heroism would be him finding out that by dying he could save 100 people, and taking his own life. That would be heroic, although maybe even that could be turned around.
My point people.....is that while we enjoy the stories and are engrossed in the enormously decadent violence that makes a Punisher story work....we should never lose sight of the fact that we're glorifying a serial killer. We may be happy that he killed an 'allegedly' bad, bad man.......but there is no way we can consider ourselves civilized and absolve him of his repeated acts of murder.
Frank Castle: Murderer.
Now, I really only read Ennis' Punisher, but how good a book would it be if we found out that he killed an innocent? You can't take it back. There's no 'fix' button for capital punishment, and you only have to be wrong one time. 100 rights will never wash that stain off of your soul.
I'd love to tackle that question.
Until somebody does though, never forget........if somebody admires the Punisher.....stay far.....FAR....away!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Big news from Comicon!
I know some people are waiting for me to start hammering out blogs about why the rest of you are retarded enough to consider The Punisher "misunderstood" and other people are waiting to hear my feedback on Shadowland or more thoughts on Secret Avengers. I've downloaded enough Shadowland to give you some thoughts, but I haven't had time to read it yet.
The truth is that this was going to be one of those blogs where I talk once again about how much people missed out if they didn't read one of those truly awesome Crossgen books from the turn of the century. I was going to talk about Sigil, which I just finished rereading (all 42 issues of intergalactic warfare based awesomeness!) I probably would even have found time to tell you all about the Mark Waid (notice I mention him a lot?) written Crux which I'm completely absorbed in once again.
As I sat down to write though, I decided to confirm what I had long thought was the case. That it was Disney who bought the rights to Crossgen and its creations when they filed for Bankruptcy. I thought it would be a great chance for me to explain how much I hate the job that Joe Q! is doing (I do. I really do - as the EiC I hold him responsible for all the screw ups! The buck stops with him.) and that I feel like they've failed yet again by not using their newfound membership in Club Disney to gain access to previously vaulted characters like those belonging to CrossGen Entertainment.
Turns out, I was wrong.
As I read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossGen four days ago during Comicon, Joe announced that Marvel will in fact begin publishing Crossgen Comics again. As of this time I don't have any details on who will come on board to write them, and whether or not the original tale will be continued, or if they will attempt to revamp the entire Sigilverse.
But they're doing it, and for that they get a standing ovation from me.
Now I have to go and pray they don't mess it up!
The truth is that this was going to be one of those blogs where I talk once again about how much people missed out if they didn't read one of those truly awesome Crossgen books from the turn of the century. I was going to talk about Sigil, which I just finished rereading (all 42 issues of intergalactic warfare based awesomeness!) I probably would even have found time to tell you all about the Mark Waid (notice I mention him a lot?) written Crux which I'm completely absorbed in once again.
As I sat down to write though, I decided to confirm what I had long thought was the case. That it was Disney who bought the rights to Crossgen and its creations when they filed for Bankruptcy. I thought it would be a great chance for me to explain how much I hate the job that Joe Q! is doing (I do. I really do - as the EiC I hold him responsible for all the screw ups! The buck stops with him.) and that I feel like they've failed yet again by not using their newfound membership in Club Disney to gain access to previously vaulted characters like those belonging to CrossGen Entertainment.
Turns out, I was wrong.
As I read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossGen four days ago during Comicon, Joe announced that Marvel will in fact begin publishing Crossgen Comics again. As of this time I don't have any details on who will come on board to write them, and whether or not the original tale will be continued, or if they will attempt to revamp the entire Sigilverse.
But they're doing it, and for that they get a standing ovation from me.
Now I have to go and pray they don't mess it up!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Want an excellent vintage? Try 1602.
For me it was Sandman.
I don't know which book it was for other people, but I can remember the very first time that I picked up a copy of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and I was captivated by the different mood and tone that it took. The book was laced with a freshly created mythology that I found fascinating and while it took place in the DCU, it was set on the fringes where only the least used and (in Neil's hands) most interesting characters ever crossed its path. There were other books after it, like Stardust, but the one that really caught my attention was Marvel 1602.
Neil Gaiman announced that not only was he doing a super-hero book, but that the book was being done for Marvel, not DC. It caught me off guard, and piqued my interest. At that point in time I knew Neil could write, but I didn't see him as a writer who belonged in the super-hero genre. Here was a man who had fashioned a deep, dark and sometimes disturbing mythology that entwined Christianity with Norse, Pagan and other religious beliefs announcing that he was going to do a story that included Captain America, Nick Fury, Spider-Man (BLAH!), the X-Men and more.
It didn't make sense.
I must confess that the first time I read it, I got hung up on the details, and lost track of the big picture. I liked the book alright, but I wasn't blown away by it. Certain elements of the story struck me as clever and cunning (I was a huge fan of the fact that the legendary 'secret treasure' of the Knights Templar was in fact the enchanted stick that would turn its mortal possessor into the Thunder God - BRILLIANT!) But all in all, I failed to appreciate what was actually going on right in front of my eyes until a couple of years later when I had cause to reread the book in its graphic novel format.
I can admit that the introduction to that graphic novel, written by Peter Sanderson (a cultural critic and historian who specializes in comics) is what opened my eyes to the bigger picture that was being painted within the book. First of all, as a person who enjoys history, it's embarrassing to admit that somehow I lost sight of the fact that Gaiman had found the perfect era in which to set his tale. Europe was teetering on the brink, with all manner of political and religious forces push and pulling it towards what must have looked like a recipe for Armageddon in those years. He then uses all of these forces as ways to craft a new Marvel mythology.
And there's the piece I always missed.
Marvel has always had its own mythology, just like DC does, and they handed their universe over to Neil and offered him the chance to craft his own mythology. He wasn't switching genres, he was pulling the characters of Marvel's fame into a tale that suited every strength he had demonstrated in the past. I was ashamed when I realized how wrong I was about what he had done. How had I missed the strength of his interpretations of Marvel's characters, and how seamlessly he brought them into the tumultuous times of the 17th century? He had made them belong in an era hundreds of years earlier than they were created, and never once lost the essences that Stan Lee and others had infused them with in the 20th century.
Having reread this story with fresh eyes, I developed a new appreciation for its richness and scope, its historical narrative and its observation of the dangers of dogma. Are there still things I don't love about the book? Of course there are. Steve Rogers, knowing his presence in 1602 threatens the existence of everything, does not agree to return from whence he came? Sorry, but that's just not Steve Rogers. But that is perhaps my biggest complaint these days, and it is handled with the guile and cunning that only Nick Fury can bring to a situation.
In the end, if you have read this tale before, or never read this tale, I recommend you take the time this summer to put your feet up on the back deck, maybe get a nice summer ale open for sipping (ice cold wheat ale is suggested) and enjoy a wonderful work of redefined mythology entwined with history.
I'm nominating this one for the Best Story Ever discussion.
Neil Gaiman announced that not only was he doing a super-hero book, but that the book was being done for Marvel, not DC. It caught me off guard, and piqued my interest. At that point in time I knew Neil could write, but I didn't see him as a writer who belonged in the super-hero genre. Here was a man who had fashioned a deep, dark and sometimes disturbing mythology that entwined Christianity with Norse, Pagan and other religious beliefs announcing that he was going to do a story that included Captain America, Nick Fury, Spider-Man (BLAH!), the X-Men and more.
It didn't make sense.
I can admit that the introduction to that graphic novel, written by Peter Sanderson (a cultural critic and historian who specializes in comics) is what opened my eyes to the bigger picture that was being painted within the book. First of all, as a person who enjoys history, it's embarrassing to admit that somehow I lost sight of the fact that Gaiman had found the perfect era in which to set his tale. Europe was teetering on the brink, with all manner of political and religious forces push and pulling it towards what must have looked like a recipe for Armageddon in those years. He then uses all of these forces as ways to craft a new Marvel mythology.
And there's the piece I always missed.
Having reread this story with fresh eyes, I developed a new appreciation for its richness and scope, its historical narrative and its observation of the dangers of dogma. Are there still things I don't love about the book? Of course there are. Steve Rogers, knowing his presence in 1602 threatens the existence of everything, does not agree to return from whence he came? Sorry, but that's just not Steve Rogers. But that is perhaps my biggest complaint these days, and it is handled with the guile and cunning that only Nick Fury can bring to a situation.
In the end, if you have read this tale before, or never read this tale, I recommend you take the time this summer to put your feet up on the back deck, maybe get a nice summer ale open for sipping (ice cold wheat ale is suggested) and enjoy a wonderful work of redefined mythology entwined with history.
I'm nominating this one for the Best Story Ever discussion.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
DMZ - have we done this dance before?
So I thought I was done writing for the day.
I went out on the back deck and pulled up a chair to enjoy the nice, warm summer evening, and I brought along another one of those graphic novels I grabbed from my small local library. This time it was Brian Wood's DMZ: On The Ground. I can't remember if I've told anyone this story before (although I have a sneaking suspicion that I have,) and I'm too lazy to go back and take a look, so I'm going to have another kick at the can and share the love. Tonight I'll be downloading this series from start through present if I can find it.
It's that cool.
It opens with an interesting situation; an American civil war. On one side are the Free States of America, while on the other side are the United States of America. Stuck right in the middle is the demilitarized zone; Manhattan. A rookie intern gets the chance of a lifetime to go into the DMZ with a famed journalist, and from that point on, everything goes wrong.
This story is a very gripping look at life in a war zone.
Now admittedly I've only read this first graphic novel, but I found the characters engaging and deep. They weren't just ideas, and they weren't static (like they often are in Super Hero comics.) These were living breathing people, trapped in situations beyond their control and reacting with the same courage, fear, intelligence and stupidity that any one of us would use. I became a Brian Wood fan while reading Northlanders, and now I find myself looking for his name on projects.
If you get a chance to pick this up and read it, I highly recommend it.
It's a very different read.
I went out on the back deck and pulled up a chair to enjoy the nice, warm summer evening, and I brought along another one of those graphic novels I grabbed from my small local library. This time it was Brian Wood's DMZ: On The Ground. I can't remember if I've told anyone this story before (although I have a sneaking suspicion that I have,) and I'm too lazy to go back and take a look, so I'm going to have another kick at the can and share the love. Tonight I'll be downloading this series from start through present if I can find it.
It's that cool.
It opens with an interesting situation; an American civil war. On one side are the Free States of America, while on the other side are the United States of America. Stuck right in the middle is the demilitarized zone; Manhattan. A rookie intern gets the chance of a lifetime to go into the DMZ with a famed journalist, and from that point on, everything goes wrong.
This story is a very gripping look at life in a war zone.
Now admittedly I've only read this first graphic novel, but I found the characters engaging and deep. They weren't just ideas, and they weren't static (like they often are in Super Hero comics.) These were living breathing people, trapped in situations beyond their control and reacting with the same courage, fear, intelligence and stupidity that any one of us would use. I became a Brian Wood fan while reading Northlanders, and now I find myself looking for his name on projects.
If you get a chance to pick this up and read it, I highly recommend it.
It's a very different read.
Single Green Female
Sometimes things don't work out the way you plan them.
Take this blog for instance. July was going to be the month I really started cranking things out again. Despite the lack of fresh reading material at my disposal, I still sit on an amassed wealth of stories that would make most large comic retailers green with envy. Still, my best laid plans have faltered as summer has taken over in full force and reminded me that I'll be trapped in my basement with winter soon enough. So I'm not blogging as much as I had intended.
I'm also not blogging about what I had intended.
I have topics I'm dying to keep working on, like the review of the contenders for the Top Story Ever vote, or all the different CrossGen series that I've been working my way through (I recently finished rereading The First, and intended to make it my next blog topic for a couple of reasons we'll touch on next time.) In the end though, I'm going to blog about something completely off the map. Or rather, somebody. Her name is Jennifer Walters, but you probably know her best as She-Hulk.
I recently hit my local town library, where I dug through the dozens of graphic novels that they stock (somebody should really tell them to consult me before ordering!) and picked out a few that I hadn't read before. At first I thought the winner in the assortment was going to be the Marvel Zombies series (the first three graphic novels were available) but on a whim I also decided to give Dan Slott's She-Hulk: Single Green Female a read. I'm very glad I did.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't the brilliant epic story that Planet Hulk was, nor is it the gripping look at Super-Heroism that I can find in Kingdom Come. It isn't even an edgy, dangerously offensive slap in the face like Wanted. It's just a good, fun time that's well written and entertaining. If you're not familiar with the She-Hulk, don't worry. Aside from having read some pretty awesome runs of the Hulk, I can't tell you very much about what being green means, and I didn't need to know any of it to appreciate what Slott did in this story. But here's what I learned:
Jennifer Walters was a law student, and the cousin of Bruce Banner. She was an introvert academic, who through the type of circumstances that only Marvel can dream up, was infused with the same gamma radiation as her cousin, turning her into the She-Hulk. That's where the similarities end though. Shulk keeps her intelect while in Hulk form, and when our story picks up, she is embracing the brash, powerful extrovert that being green makes her. What Slott does is introduce us to a period in her life where fate and opportunity conspire to force introvert Jennifer out of the background and back into the real world making her see her worth not in terms of the color of her skin, but in terms of who she is.
Simple right?
But it's how he does it that I find so entertaining. Jennifer is a lawyer, and she is hired to come and work for one of the world's leading law firms, who have established a new division in Super-Human law. It is an emerging, undefined area of law that presents all manner of interesting challenges, and a terrific backdrop for a character story about Shulk. From a law suit in which a ghost is called as a witness in its own death, to suing the Daily Bugle on behalf of Spider-Man this backdrop is an entertaining and engaging medium for the examination of Jennifer's lack of confidence in how the world sees her (not Shulk....her.)
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book.
More proof that the only thing that separates A level characters from B level characters are the writers?
Take this blog for instance. July was going to be the month I really started cranking things out again. Despite the lack of fresh reading material at my disposal, I still sit on an amassed wealth of stories that would make most large comic retailers green with envy. Still, my best laid plans have faltered as summer has taken over in full force and reminded me that I'll be trapped in my basement with winter soon enough. So I'm not blogging as much as I had intended.
I'm also not blogging about what I had intended.
I have topics I'm dying to keep working on, like the review of the contenders for the Top Story Ever vote, or all the different CrossGen series that I've been working my way through (I recently finished rereading The First, and intended to make it my next blog topic for a couple of reasons we'll touch on next time.) In the end though, I'm going to blog about something completely off the map. Or rather, somebody. Her name is Jennifer Walters, but you probably know her best as She-Hulk.
I recently hit my local town library, where I dug through the dozens of graphic novels that they stock (somebody should really tell them to consult me before ordering!) and picked out a few that I hadn't read before. At first I thought the winner in the assortment was going to be the Marvel Zombies series (the first three graphic novels were available) but on a whim I also decided to give Dan Slott's She-Hulk: Single Green Female a read. I'm very glad I did.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't the brilliant epic story that Planet Hulk was, nor is it the gripping look at Super-Heroism that I can find in Kingdom Come. It isn't even an edgy, dangerously offensive slap in the face like Wanted. It's just a good, fun time that's well written and entertaining. If you're not familiar with the She-Hulk, don't worry. Aside from having read some pretty awesome runs of the Hulk, I can't tell you very much about what being green means, and I didn't need to know any of it to appreciate what Slott did in this story. But here's what I learned:
Jennifer Walters was a law student, and the cousin of Bruce Banner. She was an introvert academic, who through the type of circumstances that only Marvel can dream up, was infused with the same gamma radiation as her cousin, turning her into the She-Hulk. That's where the similarities end though. Shulk keeps her intelect while in Hulk form, and when our story picks up, she is embracing the brash, powerful extrovert that being green makes her. What Slott does is introduce us to a period in her life where fate and opportunity conspire to force introvert Jennifer out of the background and back into the real world making her see her worth not in terms of the color of her skin, but in terms of who she is.
Simple right?
But it's how he does it that I find so entertaining. Jennifer is a lawyer, and she is hired to come and work for one of the world's leading law firms, who have established a new division in Super-Human law. It is an emerging, undefined area of law that presents all manner of interesting challenges, and a terrific backdrop for a character story about Shulk. From a law suit in which a ghost is called as a witness in its own death, to suing the Daily Bugle on behalf of Spider-Man this backdrop is an entertaining and engaging medium for the examination of Jennifer's lack of confidence in how the world sees her (not Shulk....her.)
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book.
More proof that the only thing that separates A level characters from B level characters are the writers?
Saturday, July 03, 2010
BOHICA!
There is a scene in JLA: New World Order in which the white martians rage over the very idea that a mere human could be causing them so many problems, and an imprisoned Kal-El laughs at them and proclaims that Batman is the most dangerous man on the planet.
It's an idea I like, and it's not the only time that the idea of a man being more dangerous than a superman has appeared in a book I've really enjoyed. This weekend I reread a story that is perhaps the best example of this idea. Why don't I tell you the basic premise and you see if you can follow along and guess which series I'm talking about?
Did you figure it out?
Judging by the pathetically low amount of respect that CrossGen Comics gets in polls that run constantly on this blog, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that almost none of you were able to guess that I was attempting to adequately describe the awesomeness that is Negation.
Obregon Kaine is the character at the heart of this series, as the military tactician commands much more powerful beings in an effort to save their lives, and escape from the clutches of the God-Emperor Charon. This series doesn't rest on one simple (and incredibly cool) premise though, as it ties in story threads that delve into the power of The First (a race of gods who claim they created the known universe,) the fate of the last survivors of Earth and the very nature of good and evil. This series is the foundational building block for the story that was meant to be the first official climax of every Crossgen series being published at that time; Negation War. It offers up an insight into fight and flight rebellion in a sci-fi genre that puts The Rebel Alliance to shame, and it does so with surprisingly few weak moments.
While I'm not terribly fond of the way that Tony Bedard comes off in his interview regarding this series, and I'm not sure I would have loved seeing him write to the conclusion he had in mind, I do think that he did an exceptional job of turning this into one of CrossGen's best series. So good in fact that I'll nominate its entire 28 issue run (27 standard issues and one prequel) for the debate on Best Story Ever.
Seriously people, this is COOL.
Find it & read it.
Oh, and BOHICA?
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!
Because that's what you say when things go from bad.......to worse. And in this series?
That happens a lot.
It's an idea I like, and it's not the only time that the idea of a man being more dangerous than a superman has appeared in a book I've really enjoyed. This weekend I reread a story that is perhaps the best example of this idea. Why don't I tell you the basic premise and you see if you can follow along and guess which series I'm talking about?
The god-like Emperor of a parallel universe abducts one hundred beings from across our universe to test and study in advance of an invasion. The vast majority of his victims are powerful beings here in our universe, but find their powers corrupted and unreliably dangerous once they are spirited away to his universe. Yet even as the Emperor's men study and test the powerful specimens they have collected, a normal human caught up in all of this begins to devise a plan for escape. Can an ordinary man out-think a nearly omnipotent being, and lead a band of refugees in an uprising against the greatest threat to the known universe that has ever existed?
Did you figure it out?
Judging by the pathetically low amount of respect that CrossGen Comics gets in polls that run constantly on this blog, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that almost none of you were able to guess that I was attempting to adequately describe the awesomeness that is Negation.
Obregon Kaine is the character at the heart of this series, as the military tactician commands much more powerful beings in an effort to save their lives, and escape from the clutches of the God-Emperor Charon. This series doesn't rest on one simple (and incredibly cool) premise though, as it ties in story threads that delve into the power of The First (a race of gods who claim they created the known universe,) the fate of the last survivors of Earth and the very nature of good and evil. This series is the foundational building block for the story that was meant to be the first official climax of every Crossgen series being published at that time; Negation War. It offers up an insight into fight and flight rebellion in a sci-fi genre that puts The Rebel Alliance to shame, and it does so with surprisingly few weak moments.
While I'm not terribly fond of the way that Tony Bedard comes off in his interview regarding this series, and I'm not sure I would have loved seeing him write to the conclusion he had in mind, I do think that he did an exceptional job of turning this into one of CrossGen's best series. So good in fact that I'll nominate its entire 28 issue run (27 standard issues and one prequel) for the debate on Best Story Ever.
Seriously people, this is COOL.
Find it & read it.
Oh, and BOHICA?
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!
Because that's what you say when things go from bad.......to worse. And in this series?
That happens a lot.
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