What's that? You and all your 28 years don't believe me?

Herein you will find what may well be the most level-headed, AICN-hosted round table discussion you will ever read.

Lmao. I just had to post this comment someone put up on CNN.com in response to the recent return of Capt. America (Bucky Barnes version, 'natch), because the guy's feelings for Quesada echo my own. I don't necessarily agree with everything else he said, but that part made me laugh:

Quesada and his toadies have single handedly destroyed the once proud Marvel Comics franchise, now known as the "House of Dumb Ideas". The answer to lack of interest and weaker sales is to creatively adhere to the original style that made Marvel the Greatest, not to destroy decades of great characters and work simply because you don't have what it takes to carry on. Believe him when he ways he was taken aback at the reaction to the death of the true Captain America because Quesada is so out of touch with the fans and characters he's been entrusted to protect. Ask any of the millions of former Marvel readers if killing off Captain America and replacing him with a gun wielding borderline nut job is the way to go.

Yeah, I read a Q&A with Quesada over at CBR about the Spider Man fiasco. I may have been a little influenced by Ulic's bias, but still... listening to him try to explain his decisions, post mortem is like listening to certain world "leaders," who will remain nameless, do the same.

And, I tried to keep an open mind going into it.

Ipsilon wrote:Yeah, I read a Q&A with Quesada over at CBR about the Spider Man fiasco. I may have been a little influenced by Ulic's bias, but still... listening to him try to explain his decisions, post mortem is like listening to certain world "leaders," who will remain nameless, do the same.

And, I tried to keep an open mind going into it.

I wasn't "biased" against him before this reboot nonsense. In fact, I used to like the guy. But after a number of questionable decisions on his part -- backed up primarily with the reasoning that "it was time for a change" -- dating back to M-day (if not before), it's become clear that his ego has come to fill the space previously occupied by his brain.

Apparently, JMS asked that his name be removed from the last two issues of the "One More Day" story arc, but was convinced not to do so by Quesada. The whole situation was fucked-up. And I have to include JMS in my criticism, too, because I would've thought someone like him would have the backbone to just WALK AWAY from a project if he had serious creative differences with the editor. According to him, he agreed not to have his name removed because he didn't want to "undermine" Quesada and Marvel. For someone who earned widespread adulation and respect from us geeks for Babylon 5, JMS has sure lost a bit of that shine after going to Marvel.

Regarding JMS, I wouldn't say he lost anything. Maybe he's just picking his battles? B5 was his baby. Spider-man is not.

This is coming from someone who knows next to nothing about the situation... but, still...

I read Wolverine: Origins #21, and it was pretty damned funny.

Some people have been bitching about the issue's shift to comedy. I'm personally pretty tired of the "gritty as fuck" Wolverine. And you can't really have a "gritty as fuck" issue when Deadpool features so heavily in it.

Thurston McQ wrote:I read Wolverine: Origins #21, and it was pretty damned funny.

Some people have been bitching about the issue's shift to comedy. I'm personally pretty tired of the "gritty as fuck" Wolverine. And you can't really have a "gritty as fuck" issue when Deadpool features so heavily in it.

Does Logan play the straight man to Deadpool?

Absolutely.

Deadpool has been hired to kill Logan, see, but Logan just doesn't have time for such nonsense.

Ask any of the millions of former Marvel readers if killing off Captain America and replacing him with a gun wielding borderline nut job is the way to go.

Been meaning to post in here for awhile now. A brief summary of what's been going on in my world of comics.

Action Comics: I really like Gary Frank as an artist. I loved him on Squadron Supreme. I was pretty happy when he started on Hulk, although in the end I think he only did like 2 or 3 issues. So when I saw he'd started on Action Comics, it was a no-brainer to pick up. Unfortunately, his style does not work for Superman AT ALL. (Kind of weird since Hyperion is a direct Superman copy). He draws Superman as if he's Bizarro, which in itself is pretty coincidental since they'd just finished up a Bizarro storyline with some of the most hideous art in comics' existence. Maybe that was Frank's way of letting them know they hired him 3 issues too late. Anyway, they set the stage right off the bat after a couple page intro to the story, they have a splash page with Superman standing there. It's Frank's opening drawing of Superman, and he's just standing there, his suit all wrinkled, his face drawn and haggard. Is it setting a tone for something? Unfortuanately, no. That's apparently how he likes to drawn Supes. Not a good way to start off his run.

(Red) Hulk: So far I've been unable to buy this comic at my local shop. Both issues have sold out by noon. The last time I mentioned they might want to order some more. They said they wouldn't because when the comic didn't sell out on the first day, it'd sit on the shelf the rest of the week. Huh? There's only been 2 issues, and they both sold out by noon on the first day. I look forward to this conversation again for issue #3. Anyway, as for the book itself, I've only read the first. It was alright. The fight with the Soviet Super Soldiers was pretty lame. 1) They had pretty much no reason to fight (though that's never stopped anybody) and 2) I hate it when teams don't use teamwork. Instead of even looking for mismatches, they just do the obvious pair-ups. Iron Man vs Crimson Dynamo. She-Hulk vs Ursa Major (big bear guy). Doc Samson vs The Guardian. And Dark Star, well she doesn't fight anybody because they ran out of opponents to pair up against. No way she can actually help out her team by ganging up or something. It's not like she wants her team to actually win! Hell, why didn't the writer just throw in another hero so it at least looked like they were fighting with a goal in mind?

Teen Titans: I really liked the Teen Titans when I was younger, and I'd love to read the book again, but either hideous art or hideous dialogue has kept me off the book. But I found a pair of recent back issues with really rocking art and dialogue that was actually not terrible, so I snatched them up, and was looking forward to more. Unfortunately, the art only lasted for 1 3/4 issues. And now we're back to the crap art. The universe has stabilized once again.

Hewoes: I finally managed to grab hold of the issue. And, to my disappointment, it wasn't that funny. The show is just so ripe for parody, but they didn't really take that many shots at it. The funniest scene had to be when Hewoe stopped time by taping down the clock hands.

The Mighty Herc: 2 issues and I've lost any interest. Way too many O mouths, for one thing.

Warbound: Not bad, but I don't remember that priest guy having only one arm. Did I miss something?

Damage Control: Absolutely no way I'm touching this goofy thing!

The Brave and the Bold: I finally had to drop this title. Considering that Perez is the artist, the art is not that great. And the fucking dialogue. Every single exchange has someone cracking some weak-ass joke. I now officially declare Mark Waid to be my personal Lex Luthor.

Justice League: I pick up about 2 out of every 3 issues, due to McFarland-wannabe showing up about every 3rd iss to tear some art out of his ass. On another note, an issue I actually did pick up has the most misleading cover possibly ever. Here it is:



Black Lightning suddenly has an energy hand? "What Comes From Beyond?"? Tell me now!! Oh wait. Black Lightning's barely even in the book. He's there at the beginning to have a random fight while flying home commercially with the always coincidental arrival of bad guys who happen to be hijacking a private plain at the airport he's in. Typical fight, nothing new. Then we see that the government is using villains to sweep up other villains at large. Looks like a set up for that new series about the prison planet. Okay, fine. A bit boring but fine. But... WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE COVER???!?!??!?!??!!??!?!?!?!?!

So I finally read Hulk #2 the other day. I'd forgotten that they'd killed the Abomination (off panel, I might add) in the previous ish. So I was thinking, "Why'd they do that?" After all, the movie's coming out in just a couple months, with the Abomination as a villain. Seems like a real strange time to go and kill him off. Anyway, there's a bunch of fighting with the Red Hulk, and then at the end of the comic we see him talking to Rick Jones. And then Rick Jones turns into a new Abomination, who calls himself Abomb, and he's gonna get the Hulk for killing the old Abomination. What. The. FUCK?!

So, I'm not into reading comics. Not sure why, I don't have anything against them. But, I saw this in the TV Guide this week and thought you all would have comments on it.

Ghost Whisperer Comic

I know Ulic would make a comment about JLH's breasts...if he were here.

Is anyone here checking out the Secret Invasion? I saw it today, but the art left a lot to be desired, and I've never really been a fan of the Skrulls, so I don't really have much interest in it.

So, who’s picked up or read Final Crisis #1?

I have that fifty-cent #0 lead-in with the cool chat between Batman and the Joker, but I have yet to pick up Final Crisis #1.

At the moment, all I'm really waiting for is The Walking Dead #50.

I've picked up both #0 and FC #1, but have yet to read either.

I'm behind.

The consensus so far seems to be that FC #1’s art is gorgeous, but the story is lacking. Or rather, a lot of readers are finding it to be too “slow” and predictable. The slowness I can understand, as Morrison usually takes a little bit of time to move his chess pieces into place before moving events toward his end-game, but some fans have justifiably pointed out that there are only seven issues to this series, so he can’t spend too much time dwelling on things.

The man just wrapped up All Star Superman. I say we cut him some slack.

Of course, this is DC's big event series for 2008, so maybe slack should not be cut. Suck it up, Morrison!

Either of you guys checking out the Skrulls Secret War series? I've picked up a couple of tie-ins, but not the actual series itself.

Thurston McQ wrote:The man just wrapped up All Star Superman. I say we cut him some slack.

Of course, this is DC's big event series for 2008, so maybe slack should not be cut. Suck it up, Morrison!

Morrison deserves no slack. He’s simultaneously the most hated writer in comics and the one most fans look forward to reading anytime they hear he’s attached to a project. That’s something only Morrison can pull off.

Quasar wrote:Either of you guys checking out the Skrulls Secret War series? I've picked up a couple of tie-ins, but not the actual series itself.

I thumbed through the first two issues in the shop. Looked decent, seemed interesting. Nothing world shattering . . . yet.

So the second issue of Final Crisis hit the shelves. I'm still upset about how dismissively and unceremoniously the first issue [SEMI SPOILER]did away with one of my favorite characters in comics[/SEMI SPOILER].

I'll try to grab it in between jobs, today.

And when the Hell do we get Walking Dead #50?

I got issue #2, but haven't read it yet (big surprise, I know). Who was it involved with your semi-spoiler? I forget.

They were so nonchalant about it, I'm not surprised you missed it.




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