tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87504293886523016642024-03-13T14:38:45.369-07:00Four Colors Of DoomComic Books For Social Misfits-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-58602042193278762422020-05-24T09:52:00.000-07:002020-05-24T09:52:16.011-07:00Mike Hunt ComixMichael Diana has had his share of trouble with the law . . . all over his comic books. <a href="https://publishedandunpublishedworks.blogspot.com/2020/05/mike-hunt-comix-6-pack-of-minis-1-comic.html">Here is a review I did of his little known mini-pack with Mike Hunt Publishing. </a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLiVt7TMnH4/XsqmJNL8TPI/AAAAAAAAB30/WkNm0aSIerwDWDODc4R0G8Lllk7raCWdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLiVt7TMnH4/XsqmJNL8TPI/AAAAAAAAB30/WkNm0aSIerwDWDODc4R0G8Lllk7raCWdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-5306797113601970102020-05-22T18:59:00.002-07:002020-05-22T18:59:46.023-07:00Bad Pills<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XC9rc2hG9p4/XsiDbfvalbI/AAAAAAAAB3o/hF1tc8ESP4UFFQzmmeTzra3b7pJHQdUFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XC9rc2hG9p4/XsiDbfvalbI/AAAAAAAAB3o/hF1tc8ESP4UFFQzmmeTzra3b7pJHQdUFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bad.jpeg" width="206" /></a>If anyone is interested in a review I did of Sverre Helmer Kristensen's <i>Bad Pills</i>, you can find it <a href="https://publishedandunpublishedworks.blogspot.com/2020/05/bad-pills-1-comic-book-review.html">here</a>. He was a very talented artist who died early of cancer.<br />
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<br />-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-32731944516218630622020-02-09T07:40:00.003-08:002020-02-09T07:40:48.601-08:00Star Wars #108 Marvel StyleAfter acquiring the rights to <i><a href="http://www.starwars.com/">Star Wars</a></i> back from <a href="http://www.darkhorse.com/">Dark Horse</a>, <a href="http://www.marvel.com/">Marvel</a> went and published roughly 200 different series focusing on various timelines and characters. I must say I had mixed feelings about Marvel, through Disney, taking back on the <i>Star Wars</i> franchise.<br />
<br />
As a child, seeing the original film in the theater, the comics and novels were the only way to enjoy the <i>Star Wars</i> universe between films. Marvel's comics, in particular, thrilled me to no end. It was one of two subscriptions I had to Marvel's books. There were, however, some real clunkers in there, as the writers were constrained by George Lucas and just what could be done with the characters. There were also some gems, though, too, which I fondly remember. I've written about my love before here, so go back and read that column for the skinny.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgbWcwXxcPc/XkAm2JceBCI/AAAAAAAAByQ/CUQvAaVLtkMOFA_KLTtMVWsCKPg4aoi8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sw108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1041" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgbWcwXxcPc/XkAm2JceBCI/AAAAAAAAByQ/CUQvAaVLtkMOFA_KLTtMVWsCKPg4aoi8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/sw108.jpg" width="208" /></a>When Dark Horse lost the license and it reverted back to the House of Ideas, I must admit I was skeptical. Dark Horse had been doing okay, though some of the fun had been sucked out of the franchise in its hands, if one must be critical. Marvel, however, had not been doing comics very well in quite some time, and I feared <i>Star Wars</i> would suffer the same fate.<br />
<br />
I was wrong. The core series was killer, and brought me right back to being a kid. Then came the announcement. Marvel, which ended its original <i>Star Wars</i> series at issue #107, was going to publish issue #108, and it would take place back in that often misguided universe.<br />
<br />
You bet I ordered it.<br />
<br />
What could have been a disaster, filled with secondary characters few current readers knew about (but older readers either fondly remembered or hated), was actually quite amazing. Marvel had done something very right for a change. It was an absolute gem of a comic, and brought those old characters into a new light.<br />
<br />
I'm glad Marvel has <i>Star Wars</i> back under its belt. I just hope the company doesn't let it slide into oblivion like it did the first time. It was a sad day for me when that final issue was published, and it was a long time before anything new from the universe was released in either book, comic, or movie form. I hope I never have to experience that again ...-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-78365281853635391052015-10-21T19:05:00.000-07:002015-10-21T19:05:04.124-07:00Investing in Comics Part 2<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes to finding comics to invest in, the current
atmosphere couldn’t be better … and worse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past if you wanted comics, the first place they were
available was through various stores on spinner racks and newsstands. Subscriptions soon followed. Then came mailorder, which was a huge boost
to the hobby and eventually led to flea market booths and comic shows. From there, specialty comic book shops opened,
followed by the behemoth of eBay … and the world of comic investing has never
been the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To downplay the importance of eBay in the field of comic
collecting is to not understand the market one wishes to invest in. eBay opened up the world for everyone with a
computer and Internet availability. Issues
that were impossible to find suddenly became readily available … in multiple
copies. Books you thought were rare were
as common as romance novels. And it
wreaked havoc with prices … or so it seemed.
The reality was that it leveled the playing field in all ways …
something not exactly conducive to investing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When flea markets and mailorder were the only way to buy,
consumers (and that includes investors) were at the mercy of the seller. If you were an investor selling this way, you
were in luck as long as you could find someone to take your comics off your
hands. That usually wasn’t a problem,
though you sometimes had to wait to find the person. When stores entered the picture, they stuck
to competitive pricing based on the comic values given in the <i>Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide</i> and
what the local market would bear. eBay
started a race to the bottom … for serious collectors. Sellers who dealt in comics underpriced to
drive bids. Sometimes this backfired and
worked wonders for the collector.
Sometimes it went the opposite way and sellers made out like bandits. All markets have their pros and cons,
however. I’ll focus on the three main
markets here and let investors decide which is best for them. I’m doing this under the assumption that the
investor is simply looking to buy comics in which to invest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flea markets are the bane of comic book collecting at this
point in time. All one has to do is take
a walk through any market and see that if there is one certainty when it comes
to sellers at flea markets it is that most don’t know what the hell they are
doing. There you will find one of two
types of dealers: the one who has knowledge of comic books, or the one who
doesn’t. The two are easy to
differentiate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dealer who doesn’t know what he (and it is usually a he)
is doing will usually have one small box worth of comics. The comics may or may not be sleeved. They most likely won’t be boarded. The prices will have nothing to do with
condition or anything even remotely resembling reality. The stuff you can find in a .25 cent box at
your local comic book store will sell for $5.00 or more here. The price, as odd as it is, is usually set by
the comic’s age and who is on the cover.
The good thing about this is that you can sometimes find a gem that is
vastly underpriced, but that is rare.
Also, once you check out this guy’s stock, there is usually no reason to
return to him on future visits, as his lack of sales will keep him from
purchasing more books to sell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dealer who does know what he is doing will have the
comics sleeved and boarded, and the prices will be around <i>Overstreet</i> levels. Your
chances of finding a gem with him are very slim, but negotiating prices works
out better. After all, it is far easier
to get a deal on a book you want to pay $8 for that is priced at $11, but
really worth $10. With this type of
dealer you are starting closer to what the book is worth, while at the former
dealer that $10 book may be priced at $20, so your odds of getting it for $8
are virtually nil. This dealer’s stock
will also change, so checking back with him is a good idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The comic book store is a great place to get new and back
issues, though fewer and fewer shops are carrying the latter due to space
constraints and competition from eBay.
Like with the knowledgeable dealer at the flea market, the comic book
store owner will have his books priced competitively. You can negotiate, but it is rare that you
will find a deal, unless you go to the one place a lot of people avoid: the
discount boxes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Discount boxes usually have comics anywhere from .25 cents
to a dollar. The conditions aren’t
always great, but there are some treasures to be found. You can also cheaply fill gaps in your
collection so that you can sell off the entire run of a title at a good
price. I have found quarter books worth
over $11 in the condition they were in, so treasures are not unheard of by any
means.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEePHwro0QQ/VieV9_MddLI/AAAAAAAABpw/_3Iz0olC0u0/s1600/Action_Comics_027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEePHwro0QQ/VieV9_MddLI/AAAAAAAABpw/_3Iz0olC0u0/s320/Action_Comics_027.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's "Action," not "Acton." Also, that lion is screwed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
eBay and other auction sites have changed the game. They have let everyone with a comic book to
sell and everyone who wants to buy a comic book connect like never before. That rare issue you’ve wanted for years? It’s there.
The problem with these sites is that there is so much “inventory” that
the shrewd investor won’t be able to sell here with any reasonable certainty of
return, but will be able to buy as long as they do so from a trusted source who
knows comic conditions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The amount of traffic on this site sometimes drives down
prices, as you will have 800 copies of the same book selling, but can also
inflate prices on books that shouldn’t be valued as high. If you are investor looking to buy, one of my
tricks is to purposely misspell the book’s title while searching for it. You’d be shocked by how many people list
things like <i>Acton Comics</i>. Sometimes they don’t even put them in the
comic category.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I noted before, this is not the way to fund your
retirement unless you own a store, but it is a fun hobby that can bring you
some money if you work hard at it, study the markets, and invest in what you
love. Otherwise, it’s blindly throwing
money away, and that’s not investing.
That’s gambling, and nobody wants to gamble with their financial future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-37651556104094120832015-10-19T05:02:00.002-07:002015-10-19T05:02:46.684-07:00Investing in Comics Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A topic
which often comes up in the world of comic collecting is that comics are a good
monetary investment. This is often
followed by the advice to collect what you love. Fair enough.
I’ve made some decent money selling comics throughout the years. Would I look at them as a retirement plan,
however (this coming from the prospective of not owning a store)? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">No.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I do
believe comics are a good investment. I
don’t believe, like I’ve read time and time again, that they are recession
proof. The value of comics, like any
other collectible, can take value hits based on supply and demand, the state of
the economy and so on. Currently, most
of the short-term collector market is being driven by the comic-based
movies. As soon as word gets out that
some character is going to be featured on the big screen, investors start seeking
out its first appearance. If I’m a
collector or investor looking to sell previously purchased issues, that’s good
news. If I’m an investor who doesn’t own
any of those issues, but is looking to find them and make a quick buck … well,
I’m not a very savvy investor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Buying
comics while they’re hot is usually not a good idea, and this holds especially
true for comics that are hot simply because of films. The comic book film genre will cool, and
these comics will come back down in price.
As an investment, these comics would have been good to grab back when
they first came out or well before a film was announced. Hence, collect what you love. (If you are investing for a short term
turnaround, you may see some profit, but you have to remember that there are a
lot of other people doing the exact same thing, and that will actually drive
your profits downward as it causes the price you pay to obtain an issue to be
inflated too dramatically.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If you
are an investor just buying whatever you think will rise in price over time,
and you want to avoid the advice of buying what you love to read, you’ll want
to look at books with a crossover appeal.
Crossover appeal assures you that your investment will have some kind of
value no matter what happens in one market.
A good example of this is Disney’s <i>Pocahontas</i>
comic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If you
bought this comic when it came out in 1995 it would’ve cost you $4.50. One would think if you were buying it simply
as an investment you would have been eyeing the comic market, the Disney market
(which is huge), the film tie-in market, and possibly the market for
female-centric collectibles. The good
news is that each of these markets, while they do have some crossover appeal,
is separate from one another. The comic
has its worth to comic collectors, but a Disney collector may be inclined to
pay more than the comic collector (either through ignorance or perceived worth)
for the issue. From an investment
standpoint, this particular issue has more potential long-term value than, say,
a random issue of <i>Action Comics</i> from
the same year if only due to the size of the audience that will want to buy it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_vWCVno-3w/ViTbvNBG2OI/AAAAAAAABpY/XZEaonrARwI/s1600/Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_vWCVno-3w/ViTbvNBG2OI/AAAAAAAABpY/XZEaonrARwI/s320/Disney.jpg" /></a>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The 2014
value placed on that Disney comic in Near Mint ungraded condition by the <i>Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide</i> was $7.50. Selling it at that price would not seem to
give you a huge return, but you actually came close to doubling your money (over
nearly twenty years, which is not unheard of in the comic field) but that is
just to the comic collector market. The
price willing to be paid by other collectors could’ve been higher depending on
what they were buying it for. The fact
remains, though, that if comics are to be a long-term investment, you have to
treat them like a long-term investment (and twenty years isn’t that long). Yes, you can make fast money by buying and
selling what is hot in the moment, but you will usually burn out financially in
the long run as the market fluctuates as badly or worse than the stock
market. Higher risk leads to potentially
higher rewards, but also bigger losses.
The short-term comic investor market rarely gets to buy low and sell
high. Keep that in mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
bottom line is: you can make money investing in comics. People do it every day. To do it, however, means you really have to
know what you are doing. You have to
educate yourself on the product even moreso than when you invest in
stocks. The easiest advice to give a
newcomer <i>is</i> the age old invest-in-what-you-
love-to-read line, but there is one other thing that should be said, too: Expect
nothing to come of your investment. If
you are expecting that issue featuring the death of Superman to worth hundreds
of dollars, you are going to be disappointed.
If, however, you bought it for a few bucks, enjoyed reading it (if you
took it out of the special sealed bag it was sold in), and then you get a few
dollars more than you paid for it – great.
You just came out ahead, and that is the absolute best scenario one can
expect from investing in this hobby.
Yes, there are the rare moments where an investor makes over a million
dollars, but that is not the norm, and nor will it ever be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Next
time: the best places to buy comics for investment purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-56762433499684861862015-06-03T05:12:00.000-07:002015-06-03T05:12:19.046-07:00Cyclops<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve read <i>Uncanny
X-Men</i> since the ‘80s. That means
I’ve experienced some high points and some (very) low points. It also means I’ve gotten to know the
characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite X-Man has always been Nightcrawler. He was, in better times, the heart and soul
of the team. I’ve also enjoyed,
depending on who is writing the title and its storyline, Wolverine, Storm,
Kitty Pryde, Colossus, and Sunfire. I
have not ever really gotten into Cyclops, however, despite his status as the
team’s spine.<span style="display: none; mso-hide: all;">e his status as the team'</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cyclops has always been a one-note general to me. I was even cold to him when he first got
romantically involved with Emma Frost, no pun intended, despite the potential for
character development. He’s never been
all that interesting, and there were always better players in the
ensemble. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That has changed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YH5aRBmkRWk/VW7u8rEBMyI/AAAAAAAABo8/CAkOcd92lxA/s1600/cyclops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YH5aRBmkRWk/VW7u8rEBMyI/AAAAAAAABo8/CAkOcd92lxA/s320/cyclops.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian Michael Bendis, a writer with whom I have had problems
with in the past, is the reason for this turnabout. While I loved Bendis’ work on <i>Daredevil</i>, I do think he tends to get a
little wordy and stuck on himself at times (and this has nothing to do with him
turning down my interview request for Film Threat over a decade ago). That said, Bendis’ work on <i>Uncanny</i> has taken the generic character
of Scott Summers and has filled him with more issues than Matt Murdock had back
in the day. Not only has Bendis made
Cyclops relatable, he’s made him interesting to a degree writers tend to
fantasize about. He’s become the
standout Marvel always wanted him to be.
The comic is now the Cyclops show, and it is worth reading again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure that someday, when Bendis has moved on to some
other title, Cyclops will slowly fade into the background and become just
another body. Until then, however,
Bendis is doing for him what he did for Daredevil, and future writers of the
character should take note: this is how
you write him. Mark Waid was able to
keep Daredevil’s momentum going. Will
Bendis’ successor be able to do the same with Summers? Only time will tell, but if they don’t, the
title will, as it has in the past, suffer … and so will the readers.<o:p></o:p></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-2266156642769371412015-05-31T08:57:00.001-07:002015-05-31T08:57:37.767-07:00iZombie on the Small Screen: When There's No Room Left in Comics ...<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve written about <a href="http://fourcolorsofdoom.blogspot.com/2011/03/izombie-dead-to-world.html"><i>iZombie</i></a>
before, and did so prior to the CW show.
Basically, I am a fan of the comic’s story and Mike Allred’s fantastic
art. I was saddened when it ended, but
was not all that surprised when I heard it had been picked up for television.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve watched the show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not the comic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What strikes me as odd is the direction in which the show
went. At first I thought the show was
going to slowly introduce the comic’s aspects in order to ease the audience
into this weird world that had been created.
As each episode passed, however, it was clear that the show was going in
its own almost cookie-cutter direction.
It is, for all intents and purposes, a mystery show with a psychic. Something, I might add, that has been done
before, though not with a zombie. I
imagine the show’s creators didn’t want to mess with the formula that has been
tried and true.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A fan of the show who picks the back issues or trade
paperbacks is going to be very surprised, especially if he or she really loves
the show. The comic is nothing like
it. My guess is that if they are driven
to pick up the source material it is because that fan loves the show’s premise
that much and if that is the case I can’t help but think that fan is going to
be disappointed by what he or she reads.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are moments in the show that lead me to believe it
could be really slowly delving into the comic’s storyline (and I’ve yet to see
the last two episodes as of this writing), but at this rate it will be about
ten seasons before it even gets close to the insanity of the source
series. Perhaps that is the plan, but I
doubt it. The show, as good as it is,
has played it far too safe so far to make me think it has the rotting guts to
do anything else. That’s a shame, too,
as <i>iZombie</i> was at its best when it
took readers out of the norm. The show
seems content to be by-the-numbers, and that is fairly disrespectful to the
comic’s creators … and the audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=cancerzeitge-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1401236979&asins=1401236979&linkId=BMQMLWOCA6BBDZNQ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-67762490383801420112014-06-24T06:05:00.002-07:002014-06-24T06:05:45.438-07:00Cover Review: Micronauts #32<div class="MsoNormal">
The cover to issue 32 of Marvel’s original <i><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=micronauts+marvel&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS418&oq=micronauts+marvel&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.4295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=micronauts+marvel&safe=off&tbm=shop&spd=14002919200121747634">Micronauts</a></i> series had just about all the
right elements in it to snag my attention.
First, I loved the Micronauts toys as a kid, and the comic was pretty
darn good science fiction, too. Then
there is that white “snowbear.” (I
imagine in some cultures it would be a polar bear, but here the weird eyes,
aura and rune-like chest symbol denote that it is something far stranger.) And finally there is the snow against a black
sky. I am a sucker for black and white cover
schemes. They catch my eye every time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gg1mG1PrW9Q/U6l2sOFqkGI/AAAAAAAABko/ybF-2NjcjRw/s1600/micronauts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gg1mG1PrW9Q/U6l2sOFqkGI/AAAAAAAABko/ybF-2NjcjRw/s320/micronauts.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more observant among you may have noticed a woman’s ass
jutting out at an odd angle. Go ahead
and try that pose. It’s lovely to look
at, but not so hot to hold. That woman
is known as Marionette, and she always looked damn cool in the comics. Here the pose is strictly for eye candy, and
does not speak well of her character.
Those who read the comic know what I mean.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are certain comic book covers that I’d love to own the
original artwork to so that I could hang it on my wall. This is one of those covers. Later in life I would swear this influenced
the cover of issue 19 of the <i>New Mutants</i>,
which was part of the demon bear saga.
Look at the covers and compare.
While not exactly the same, you can’t help but think its artist, Bill
Sienkiewicz, had this <i>Micronauts</i>
issue in mind when he painted it. I’m
not saying he ripped it off, but I believe a strong case can be made for
inspiration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGLE62q5HTw/U6l3Hm0zhtI/AAAAAAAABk4/gCKrFgdhsLE/s1600/newmutants19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGLE62q5HTw/U6l3Hm0zhtI/AAAAAAAABk4/gCKrFgdhsLE/s320/newmutants19.jpg" /></a><br />
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Marvel put out some great covers in the early-to-mid 1980s
(the <i>Micronauts</i> cover is from 1981)
that were often the perfect marriage of art and storytelling. You could look at the issue and know what was
going on between the covers. This
issue’s cover artist, Pat Broderick, knew how to capture a potential reader’s
attention and hold it, as he proves here.
I actually don’t think anyone can look at this cover and say it looks
boring. It is pure action with a good
sense of style and color. Granted, not
every issue’s cover was up to this one’s high standards, but most of them in both
of Marvels’ <i>Micronauts</i> series were appealing
in one way or another. Of course, there
is the exception of that Beyonder one … but then again all of those covers associated
with that crossover sucked, as did most of the issues, too.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: Clicking on a link may earn me some dough!</i></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-31731896418851398802014-05-29T21:38:00.001-07:002014-05-29T21:38:36.596-07:00Sparks<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ6M88O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BQ6M88O&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=GTSAGEVJNSW56ILF%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BQ6M88O%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Sparks</a></i> is one of
those works that if I had just read the description for it in <i>Previews</i> without knowing the talent
behind it, I probably would not have ordered it.
Writer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Folino">Christopher Folino</a> (one of the directors of the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H91LVOM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H91LVOM&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=THHOPUKG2RCNSKF5%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00H91LVOM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">excellent movieadaptation</a> of this) and artists <a href="http://jmringuet.weebly.com/">JM Ringuet</a> and <a href="http://tylerportfolio.blogspot.com/">Tyler Endicott</a> created a
superhero story that looks at the genre realistically and weaves a tale of
intrigue, violence, backstabbing, lust and love against a 1940s <i>noir</i> backdrop. How many times have you read of something
similar? How many times has it
worked? Exactly. People do this sort of thing <i>a lot</i>.
It usually fails. Not this
time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5U9ZhfhOZI/U4gIFr2sX1I/AAAAAAAABkE/pcGzuvaYDHk/s1600/sparks+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5U9ZhfhOZI/U4gIFr2sX1I/AAAAAAAABkE/pcGzuvaYDHk/s320/sparks+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
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The start of this tale, which was put out by Catastrophic
Comics, opens with a serial killer operating in 1920. As he makes a kill, a meteor hits the town he
is in, and a lot of people die. 13
survivors, however, are irradiated and start to mutate to the point where they
gain powers. Later their children
inherit those powers. Enter Sparks, a
young man who believes he has powers.
Things go horribly wrong when he tangles with a new serial killer 28
years after the meteor strike, and so begins his downward spiral in the
public’s eye and in his mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is an interesting and unusual take on the hero genre,
and it works incredibly well. The
characters are handled so deftly and are so against the usual stereotypes that
exist in the world of comics, that you can’t help but wonder just how Folino
managed to pull this off the way he did.
If you read comics a lot, you know this type of story rarely works. (Incidentally, the movie adaptation is
something that must be seen, too. See
it after reading this, though.) Why is
that? Because superhero fans and
creators talk a big talk, but they don’t walk the walk. They say they want something different and
unusual, but when they get it, they shun it … if it’s any good in the first
place, which it usually isn’t. The work
usually starts out flawed because the creators are steeped in the history of
the genre and are not only far too familiar with its conventions and
archetypes, but they are also too familiar with those tweaks other creators do
in order to set their stories apart from the rest. That causes the superhero genre to become an
incestuous cesspool of stale ideas masked as groundbreaking entertainment and
art. It’s the equivalent of saying <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RIY4WE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001RIY4WE&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=OC2ACASCVCILY4FC%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001RIY4WE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Terminator 2</a></i> was original where all it
really did was tread the same ground as the first film with just a few eye
candy differences.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When fans get something truly new and original, they stay
away from it like the plague. They can’t
pin it down to something they recognize, so therefore it is wrong. If that sort of “logic” is keeping you away
from this project, shame on you, Jack.
You are missing out on something truly unique. No, it’s not <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078516796X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=078516796X&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=6N5CKKOPQT4E6BMZ%22%3EWolverine%20by%20Mark%20Millar%20Omnibus%20(Marvel%20Omnibus)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=078516796X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow">Wolverine</a> in his 4,332 story,
and nor should it be. You’ve read all of
those. Try something different.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Admittedly, the art is sometimes a little hard to follow in
places and there are few scenes that feel like they could have been
strengthened by a bit more fleshing out, but overall it works with the story’s
noir aspects. This is just wonderful
storytelling, and should be read by anyone who thinks he or she has seen it all when
it comes to superheroes … but only if you really want something different and
not just the same old tale dressed in some new tights. <o:p></o:p></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=cancerzeitge-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0615763715&asins=0615763715&linkId=U5AMCB372JLMMGI2&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I received this copy to review. Clicking on a link may earn me some dough</i>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-82198181401226598142014-05-11T15:07:00.001-07:002014-05-11T15:07:37.088-07:00They Shoot First Ladies, Don't They?<div class="MsoNormal">
1988. <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2054897.m570.l1313.TR5.TRC0.A0.H0.XAction+Comics+%23610&_nkw=Action+Comics+%23610&_sacat=0&_from=R40"><i>Action Comics</i> #610</a>. The series was experimenting with a weekly
format. 48 pages for just a buck
fifty. A bargain by today’s
standards. When the series was weekly it
was a testing ground (or dumping ground, if you prefer) for second-string
characters while the man who made the series famous (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563893355/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1563893355&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=HW6YTKOKHHH4WJPF%22%3ESuperman%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1563893355%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Superman</a>) took a back
seat. In this issue he was relegated to
a two page spread that did little more than tease the average fan. Also filling its strange pages was a <a href="http://www.toniscollectibles.com/black-canary.html?gclid=CIG_w-nupL4CFaZm7Aod8jkAKw">Black Canary</a> story that made no sense unless you read the issues prior, a <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/Comics-/63/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=secret+six">Secret Six</a>
story that ended with a man falling to his presumed doom while clinging to a
butchered pig (I am not kidding), a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401210880/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401210880&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=MZUIDSULQ6ZAE4BI%22%3EPhantom%20Stranger%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401210880%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Phantom Stranger</a> piece with artist Kyle
Baker that was just short of being utterly boring, a <a href="http://www.comicsamerica.com/green-lantern-honor-guard-ring-prop-replica-11-01-0450-resolicitation/">Green Lantern</a> story that
had its moments … and a chapter in an ongoing <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=secret+six&_osacat=63&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.XDeadman&_nkw=Deadman&_sacat=63">Deadman</a> story written by none
other than Mike Baron (<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600101291/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1600101291&linkCode=as2&tag=cancerzeitge-20&linkId=FXA46R5LE34EHA3Y%22%3EBadger%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cancerzeitge-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1600101291%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Badger</a>, <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1JF0KH6056&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-_-pla-_-Men%27s+Casual+Shirts-_-9SIA1JF0KH6056&ef_id=U2-z2gAAAA9Mbj4t:20140511220410:s">ThePunisher</a></i>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDKAWeiHInY/U2_xi2ajatI/AAAAAAAABjM/t48uP4JRR-w/s1600/action+comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDKAWeiHInY/U2_xi2ajatI/AAAAAAAABjM/t48uP4JRR-w/s320/action+comics.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nancy Reagan's about to get blasted!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Deadman chapter was called “Catfight,” and it featured
the title hero possessing the body of Mikhail Gorbachev’s wife, Raisa. It opened at a black tie political function,
and in attendance was Raisa’s husband, as well as Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who
was possessed by a devil claiming to be Satan.
Deadman, inhabiting the body of Raisa, wielded an alien gun that he was
going to use against Nancy to kill the devil inside her, all while Ronnie was
busy being his typical clueless self. In
addition to that insanity, there was also an appearance by someone who was
mistaken for D.B. Cooper and a man who was turned into a Ken doll. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t think this was based on a true story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t say this chapter of Baron’s story was good
storytelling. It was, however, weird. It was the high-end kind of weird that indie
comics were known for, but this wasn’t an indie comic. This was DC, the home of <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Deadman&_osacat=63&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.XBatman&_nkw=Batman&_sacat=63">Batman</a>. This was <i>Action
Comics</i>, the book that gave the world Superman and changed the comic book
game completely. The title was Americana
at its finest, and here was First Lady Nancy Reagan possessed and being shot at
with a gun obtained from an alien astronaut … a gun being used by the story’s <i>hero</i>.
The ‘80s were cynical, but they weren’t that cynical.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Baron has always been a solid writer. I don’t enjoy all his work, but it contains a
certain chaotic glee that I find missing from a lot of comic stories. On the flip side of that, his work can
sometimes feel a bit forced. This
chapter of the Deadman arc was neither of those things. It was, if anything, probably influenced by
some Hunter S. Thompson-like dream and liberal paranoia (often one in the same). D.B. Cooper’s appearance felt right at home
in it, and Nancy Reagan’s possession seemed proper. It all made sense in its own strange way, and
readers were better off for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The weekly experiment for the title didn’t last too long,
which I found to be a relief. It really
wasn’t a good idea to begin with, as it gave readers an excuse to avoid buying
the title. If they hated the characters,
there was no need to get it, and if they liked the characters, the stories
weren’t long enough to satisfy. It did,
however, give artists and writers a chance to go a little nuts, and while that
didn’t always work, they sometimes created something so bizarre that you can’t
help but remember it decades later. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I bought this comic. Clicking on a link may earn me some dough.</i></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-67194403727143168732014-01-26T14:19:00.001-08:002014-01-26T14:19:43.640-08:00The Legacy of DC's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to play <i>Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons </i>quite a bit.
With that in mind, back in the late 1980s when I heard DC was doing a
comic based on the role playing game, I immediately put it on my pull
list. How could I not? How could any player who was also into comics
not want to read this title? There was a
genuine air of excitement around it, and the wait for the first issue to arrive
was a bit maddening. In the days before
the Internet made it commonplace to ruin any surprises, the speculation of what
the comic would be like was the topic of many conversations. And then it arrived.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The cover of that initial issue looked promising. It was a group shot of the comic’s cast of
characters with a hint of the evil they would face, and anyone who played the
game and saw it on the rack would be intrigued by it. The story, however, was fairly standard
fantasy stuff … which was all it really needed to be. Granted, it was cool to see some of the
spells and monsters from the game brought to “life,” but the setting could have
been any fantasy realm as most are fairly interchangeable. Fantasy comics at that time were limited, as
well, so genre fans grabbed whatever they could get their pale, trembling hands
on, and this series was no exception. It
had a built-in audience from the start, a fact I’m sure wasn’t lost on DC. It was guaranteed sales (at least for a
while) regardless of quality, and the comic franchise did something no other
work of entertainment has done since.
More on that in a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTtp-GmT3Fs/UuWJl90ubuI/AAAAAAAABiY/LMmypaT8ITQ/s1600/ad&d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTtp-GmT3Fs/UuWJl90ubuI/AAAAAAAABiY/LMmypaT8ITQ/s320/ad&d.jpg" /></a></div>
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I bought all the issues in the DC series, and several of the
other associated titles, all of which varied in content. (<i>Spelljammer</i>
was not a favorite of mine, though I had friends swear by its superiority to
any other title on the market at the time.)
Once the <i>Advanced Dungeons &
Dragons</i> series folded thirtysome issues later, there was a lull before
other publishers brought the franchise back to life in the comic world … all
with mixed results. Few of the titles
managed to spark fan’s excitement like that first DC series, though. Many of those companies should have never
tried, either, as that initial series was never really all that special anyway. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember a
single character or storyline from it. I
actually remember some of the Hardy Boys stories I read as a boy far better
than those issues. Memorable? It’s the exact opposite, and nothing since
that DC run has really caught fire, either. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I haven’t revisited the title since I read that last issue,
but every once in a while I think about breaking it out to see if I could get
anything new from it. I fear, however,
with tastes that have changed over the years, the flaws I casually overlooked
before would become glaring nightmares this time around and ruin even my sparse
nostalgic memories of the title. I’ll go
back to it eventually, though, if only to satisfy my curiosity. <a href="http://fourcolorsofdoom.blogspot.com/2014/01/origin.html">After all, waiting 12 years between thereadings of Origin changed my view ofthat series for the better, though I doubt re-reading this one will give mesimilar results.</a> What that means for the
game that inspired it, however, is something totally different.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Advanced Dungeons
& Dragons</i> really only failed as a comic book series because the game
was impossible to live up to. Anyone who
has played the game knows that you are only really limited by your
imagination. Readers of the comics were
limited by the creators’ imagination, and sometimes that imagination wasn’t all
that strong. While the concept of a
comic based on the game seemed promising at first, it didn’t take long to see
that everything which made the game special could in no way be transferred to a
static comic book series because it lacked one simple thing: the players.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is not a single one of those series that could stand
as a testament to the game from which they sprang. They do, however, prove that unlike other
games, it isn’t the mechanics that makes it stand out, it’s the players. I can’t think of another instance in any
crossover media where such a thing has happened. Sure, sometimes a movie adapted from a book
makes moviegoers say the book was more in-depth and therefore better, but when
else has an audience been credited with making the work special? Never, and that’s what makes these various
series such an anomaly in the realm of entertainment. Their mediocrity proves the superiority of
its source inspiration, and that is something players should be proud of. <o:p></o:p></div>
-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-44872467629177736232014-01-01T08:22:00.001-08:002014-01-01T08:22:24.873-08:00Origin<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2001 I was working as the manager of a comic book store
in Eureka, California. One of the
biggest events of the year was the release of <i>Origin</i>, a six-issue limited series written by Paul Jenkins, Joe
Quesada, and Bill Jemas; and with art by Andy Kubert. It was an event simply because the series was
going to tell the story of how one of the most popular comic book characters,
Wolverine, came to be. To say most of
the customers were talking about it is an understatement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There had been hints of Wolverine’s past in previous
stories. Often times these were red
herrings or contradicted one another.
Each dropped clue kept the mystery and speculation alive, however, and they
kept fans talking and guessing. With
that in mind, I wondered why Marvel, the publisher of this series, was even
bothering to tell the story, as it was a tale that didn’t really need to be
told.<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hh2oDtTbM/UsQ_tf-rLNI/AAAAAAAABh4/iyNSj1fLGjY/s1600/origina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nBNwKm6uCbA/UsQ_4IA2cpI/AAAAAAAABiA/-rOjmP90Zzo/s320/wolverine-origin-658.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wolverine sold titles.
His solo title sold, and any book he was in sold. Wolverine fans would buy his books no matter
what, so to do a series that would put an end to some of the mystery seemed
almost counterproductive. In that sense,
like the <i>Star Wars</i> prequels, it could
only fail in its attempts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first reading of the series left me disappointed. It had gothic sensibilities and horrific
moments, sometimes actually feeling like a Hammer horror film back in the 1960s
and 1970s. Far from the anti-hero of
Chris Claremont’s heyday on the <i>Uncanny
X-Men</i>, Wolverine, the boy, was a pathetic, tragic figure who slowly transformed
into the hybrid beast of a man readers knew and loved. It made dramatic sense, however, and it also
made his rise to the samurai-inspired, bloodthirsty savage even more poignant,
but something about the story felt decidedly lackluster. As it transpired in those six issues,
Wolverine’s rise to power was more situational than anything else. He was an accidental hero, though those
heroics were barely seen in the series.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then a funny thing happened.
I decided to revisit the story recently, and was actually most pleased
by what I read.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When <i>Origin</i> is
left to simmer away from the hype of telling the Wolverine origin story, it
actually gains strength. It is no longer
the let-down it had originally been simply because it is removed from
anticipation. Many die-hard Wolverine
fans complained to me that the character didn’t start out kicking butt, but
instead was sickly and quick to cry. It
was a blasphemy, and it didn’t jibe with what they knew. That wasn’t the problem I had reading the
series for the first time, however.
Instead, I found the story to be far too boring. Sometimes it took too long to make its point,
and at other times it was too heavy-handed.
Time changed that, though.
Removing the story from the constant hype and checkout counter criticism
has shown that despite its flaws (those very obvious references to the
character’s future that have all the subtlety of being hit in the face with a
mallet), it was a rather well-crafted bit of characterization that worked. What seemed lackluster on the first reading,
now feels like a masterful stroke of storytelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9tDe2V_B0X4/UsRAKPTZLKI/AAAAAAAABiI/G6Eb1PFSQBc/s1600/origina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9tDe2V_B0X4/UsRAKPTZLKI/AAAAAAAABiI/G6Eb1PFSQBc/s320/origina.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are some outstanding Wolverine stories out there. Comic book legends like Frank Miller (<i>Sin City</i>) and Mark Millar (<i>Kick-Ass</i>) have contributed tales that
are above and beyond Jenkins and company’s work, but that doesn’t mean <i>Origin</i> should be dismissed for what it
attempted. To answer my earlier question
of why it was even written in the first place, the tale was created because
Marvel feared that if it didn’t tell the story of how Wolverine came to be,
Hollywood would do so, and once that cat was out of the bag Marvel would have a
hard time reclaiming the character if purely on an ideological level. No amount of great talent could save that
story if Hollywood, with all its entertainment-by-demographics, got its hands
on it first. The creators Marvel
assigned to do it had to know they were playing with fire, and were going to
most likely disappoint people artistically, all while realizing sales would be
through the roof regardless. It was, by
and large, a bold move of them to create the story they did, and they did it far
better than Hollywood would have done if given the chance. Marvel set the standard, and then Hollywood tried
to tell its own version in <i>X-Men Origins:
Wolverine</i>, which borrowed from the comic series and added its own bit of
misery to it. Marvel, which has only
been helped by the silver screen as of late, beat the beast at its own game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ironically, Marvel, in a fairly standard Hollywood-like
move, has its own sequel to the comic due out soon. Will lightning strike twice? I seriously doubt it, but I’d love to be
surprised … again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I did not receive this for free and clicking on a link may earn me a commission.</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-70065393582072126302013-05-27T11:01:00.001-07:002013-05-27T11:01:15.013-07:00Legacy<div class="MsoNormal">
I have never been a fan of Superman, but I always liked <i>Action Comics</i> … at least I did until the
latest revamp. I started buying the
issues in the ‘70s, when Superman was king, but why was I purchasing those
issues if I wasn’t a Superman fan?
Legacy and history. Each issue
had a sense of both of those things with their high numbers and referencing of
material from years before. <i>Action Comics</i> and many other titles gave
readers a sense of their place in history and the feeling that they were
stepping into something that had been going on for decades before them and, as
logic would figure, would continue decades after they left. The series title may have been plain. The hero and his stories tired. All that was forgiven, however, for the
comic’s legendary place in history.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h53OgkhVcQc/UaOe473aqLI/AAAAAAAABdY/Ab0FB5dx_P0/s1600/Action+comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h53OgkhVcQc/UaOe473aqLI/AAAAAAAABdY/Ab0FB5dx_P0/s320/Action+comics.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of that comic’s history and legacy seems to be lost now
with DC’s rebooting, revamping and renumbering every title that matters (and
many that don’t). Some say it’s because
people only want “new” things. Others
say the history I so loved so much was too confusing for new readers (something
I never had a problem comprehending as a new reader). The truth, I believe, is much simpler and far
more appalling. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
DC is a greedy bastard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe the real reason companies like Marvel and DC do
this is because it makes the news and gets people like me to write about
it. The companies figure they’ll lose
older readers (for a little while), but gain so many new ones in their place
that it will be worth it to tank a title.
Everything is sacrificed for the dollar.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t complain too much, though. Today’s stories are better and more mature
than the tales that spawned them.
Creators are taking real chances with the characters, and while not all
have paid off, most are at least interesting.
It is, above everything else, a really good time to be a comic book
fan. Yes, the artform may have lost
that spirit that attracted me to it in the ‘70s, but it gained something new. It gained vision and a renewed sense of
daring. No longer resting on its
laurels, the comic book industry is doing everything it can to attract new
readers and make exciting stories, and I have to admit, we’re all better off
for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I may miss those things that drew me to <i>Action Comics</i>, but I finally believe that the industry may be doing
the right thing after all. Part of me
mourns the past, but another is fairly certain that this move by the comic
companies solidifies their future and without that all we have is the past. I can’t believe I’ve actually written that,
but I have to admit: DC and Marvel may be right. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Greed isn’t only good in this case … it is survival. That said, I haven’t read any of the new <i>Action Comics</i> and I don’t intend to
anytime soon. The title was all about
legacy and history to me. Without that
it is just another comic book with a character I don’t care about, and there’s
no reason for me to start caring now.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-36573412585992424382013-02-23T16:43:00.001-08:002013-02-23T16:43:51.007-08:00The Trouble With CrossGen
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossGen">CrossGen</a> was a comic book company that bit off far more than
it could chew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people, including
the owner of the store where I worked (Comic Castle) during the time the
company started, thought CrossGen was going places and would give Marvel and DC
a run for its money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its “innovative”
titles and programs would boost the comics industry and help get it out of its
slump … or so it seemed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
less-than-enthusiastic because I had seen far too many companies as bold or
bolder come and go just because they got too bold too quickly, and looking at
the press release material made it obvious this comic was not going to produce
characters as interesting or memorable as Wolverine, Raven or Marshal Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it was, I stayed away from the CrossGen
titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only did it seem like the
company would go under fairly quickly, but the titles themselves came across as
mediocre, though you couldn’t say that to the company’s fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one title that looked like it could
be an exception, however.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iMkWJmp_UtU/USlhqvBtVJI/AAAAAAAABXw/IaJ5pbviloo/s1600/Abadazad_-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iMkWJmp_UtU/USlhqvBtVJI/AAAAAAAABXw/IaJ5pbviloo/s320/Abadazad_-1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abadazad</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That comic, from the description in Previews, held promise
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a lot of it had to do
with the artist, <a href="http://www.mikeploog.us/">Mike Ploog</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a fan
of his work, and this project sounded right up his alley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first issue came out and I have to admit
I was disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cover was
horrible, and looked worse holding it than it did in the publicity
material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t that it was poorly
drawn; it repulsed me because I so dislike characters who are nothing but head,
though I think M.O.D.O.K. is pretty cool for some reason.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I put aside my disgust and delved into the first issue,
eager to see if it would live up to my expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not even close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could tell it
had potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see that it would
possibly get better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly put it
back on the shelf, though, convinced the company would go under soon enough,
which meant I wasn’t going to put any effort into what I viewed as a doomed
series that started off on the wrong foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two more issues were published and then Crossgen bit the
dust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it was later bought by
Disney, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abadazad</i> became a series
of children’s books that also never lived up to their full potential and then
those were also scrapped.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">C</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">rossGen was an example of a company gone wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its intentions were pure and good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The then-owner of Comic Castle bought into
the hype full-bore and ordered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a lot</i>
of CrossGen material on nothing more than a wing and a prayer and a belief that
the stuff would sell, and when I left my employment there, we were still
sitting on a majority of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The comics
sold, but never at gangbuster numbers, and the trades languished – especially
when they changed formats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abadazad</i> was a prime example of one of
the reasons I think the company never caught on: its books seemed good, but the
execution was flawed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the story of
CrossGen, and it’s the story of far too many new comic companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it will happen again and again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only that cover were a little less creepy …<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<em>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: Clicking on a link may earn me a commission.</em>-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-74954276964054323892012-11-17T13:59:00.002-08:002012-11-17T13:59:52.619-08:00Revisiting Wolverine and the X-Men<a href="http://fourcolorsofdoom.blogspot.com/2011/12/wolverine-and-x-men-1.html">My first take</a> on <i>Wolverine and the X-Men</i> was less than positive. I was not impressed by the first issue at all, but I stuck with it. I'm reading the Avengers Vs. X-Men stuff now, and I have to say that the title has done nothing but improve.<br />
<br />
If I have any complaint about the series it is one that is common to far too many comics these days: the art is sometimes hard to follow. Extreme close-ups of action sequences do not "put you in the action," they confuse the reader and make it hard to follow the story. The issue with Beast in outer space really hammered that home. I don't want to pick on one artist for this because it is an issue with many artists, but if you are guilty of it -- stop.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FojMQBryMBc/UKgILlyC5KI/AAAAAAAABP8/3obXkIudWWo/s1600/Wolverine_and_the_X-Men_Vol_1_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FojMQBryMBc/UKgILlyC5KI/AAAAAAAABP8/3obXkIudWWo/s320/Wolverine_and_the_X-Men_Vol_1_5.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
There are moments in this new series that make that complaint easier to tolerate, however. Wolverine's take on Hope. Krakoa. Genesis. Kitty's "pregnancy." Space gambling. In some cases this title is starting to feel more like the <i>Uncanny X-men</i> of old. The types of stories the series is doing seems unlikely to change now, too, with the series becoming part of the Marvel Now! lineup. That is good news. The bad news? It's part of the Marvel Now! lineup, which feels like a limp attempt to cash in on DC's new fame. What does that mean? For now nothing, but it does make me wonder what will happen when the inevitable killing off of titles occurs. Will sales be strong enough to keep this one going? Only time will tell. Until that happens, however, I'm going to continue with the title ... unless it reverts back to its first issue shenanigans. <br />
<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6675098.4264;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463762;pid=UBM9780785156796;usg=AFHzDLuUhrqgZ8VdPm89tza_LerwxAdwGA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdsbooksdvds.com%252Fproduct.jhtm%253Fsku%253DUBM9780785156796;pubid=598723;price=%2418.79;title=Wolverine+%26+the+X-Men+...;merc=CDS+Books+and+DVDS;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fc380613.r13.cf1.rackcdn.com%2F9780785156796.jpg;width=57;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6675098.4263;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463762;pid=UBM9780785164005;usg=AFHzDLuZ-3DrJoG1N_14lUVEbD8yjBRZpw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdsbooksdvds.com%252Fproduct.jhtm%253Fsku%253DUBM9780785164005;pubid=598723;price=%2421.73;title=Wolverine+and+the+X-me...;merc=CDS+Books+and+DVDS;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fc377811.r11.cf1.rackcdn.com%2F9780785164005.jpg;width=55;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br />
<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I paid for this and clicking on a link may earn me some scratch.</i>-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-60159084834314722142012-09-16T14:39:00.000-07:002012-09-16T14:39:40.589-07:00Cover Review: Strikeforce: Morituri #22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ExacOqk7VQ/UFZEq8e-57I/AAAAAAAABIQ/VAuhBB2hRAA/s1600/strikeforce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ExacOqk7VQ/UFZEq8e-57I/AAAAAAAABIQ/VAuhBB2hRAA/s320/strikeforce.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
What I'm about to write bears no judgment on <i>Strikeforce: Morituri</i> as a series. It has nothing to do with the planet I live on facing some kind of meteor threat. It has everything to do with the testicles the creature is wearing on his(?) face.<br />
<br />
I get the idea that a comic book cover is meant to sell a story. It's there to grab someone's attention. It's there to entice a new reader or suck back in someone who let the series go. Sometimes a cover will target a certain demographic. Thirteen-year-old boys like big-chested women wearing next to nothing. Intellectually stunted emo girls like a weepy looking guy. What demographic, pray tell, is drawn to alien men(?) with testicles growing off their faces? Not even the most testicle-fixated man or woman could view this cover and think, "I have to buy this."<br />
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There is nothing else about the cover that looks vaguely sexual. There are not strange vagina-like plants. No woman eating a banana or dribbling milk down her chin. There isn't a man holding a log in a strange place while a boy looks on in excitement. None of that. Testicle Chin stands alone as the cover's high weirdness. I wonder how many issues this sold beyond the title's core readers? My guess is very few.<br />
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At least we should be thankful Testicle Chin wasn't starting to grow a beard.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-15571173268054019972012-06-16T08:38:00.003-07:002012-06-16T08:38:42.889-07:00Mark Waid's Daredevil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6MKai2x6eM/T9ygjzM79YI/AAAAAAAABEg/PYAWqymzTPc/s1600/daredevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6MKai2x6eM/T9ygjzM79YI/AAAAAAAABEg/PYAWqymzTPc/s320/daredevil.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
I have been a fan of <i>Daredevil</i> since the 1970s. Since the character's inception, Daredevil (Matt Murdock, lawyer) has gone through many changes. He's been carefree and wisecracking, he's been dark and brooding, and he's gone insane. Of all the superhero characters I can think of, his is the one that has been written with the most depth. His love of women has led to him being labeled a bit of a womanizer, but as witnessed when the women closest to him die, he has troubles dealing with the losses. His friends and allies constantly question his mental stability, and his fellow heroes have grown to distrust him. His civilian identity has been learned by his greatest nemesis, sold out by a female he once loved who got hooked on drugs and turned to porn. This was his first break with reality. Decades later, his civilian identity was revealed to the world, and this led to yet another series of downward spirals in Daredevil's life. <br />
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For Daredevil fans, it has been a hell of a ride. And now the character has come back full circle with writer Mark Waid taking over the title in 2011. Many fans and critics agree: The title has never been better.<br />
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I had to admit I was hesitant to embrace the new old Daredevil. Gone was the depression and insanity. Gone was Daredevil tossing villians out third story windows. Instead, all this was replaced with a hero who cracked jokes and seemed to be having fun with his life. He was rebuilding. He was mending bridges. He was getting to do the things most people would want to do with their lives had they had the chance to do it again.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cTVzmgn-LE/T9yoBR5KYoI/AAAAAAAABEs/oG3G_JFGgJM/s1600/1680937-daredevil_v2_049_1819a_super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="487" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cTVzmgn-LE/T9yoBR5KYoI/AAAAAAAABEs/oG3G_JFGgJM/s640/1680937-daredevil_v2_049_1819a_super.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started reading the new series, unconvinced I would like it. Daredevil was deep. Yes, he started out as a fairly standard hero, but along the way he had grown. He had a foundation in religion (fairly rare in comics), he had known insanity, he had tortured. Taking him back to square one seemed not only like a bad idea, but also it felt unrealistic. I know the idea of having realism in a comic seems ridiculous, but the best stories and characters have a basis in realism, and Waid making the character a blind Spider-Man felt wrong to me. I read it with an open mind, however, and I was pleased. Very pleased.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORdG7oT3gyU/T9yoLK16FrI/AAAAAAAABE0/Bwq9Mxo6ThE/s1600/Daredevil_BornAgain05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORdG7oT3gyU/T9yoLK16FrI/AAAAAAAABE0/Bwq9Mxo6ThE/s1600/Daredevil_BornAgain05.jpg" /></a></div>
Yes, Daredevil is more upbeat, but the past hasn't been forgotten. This new variant on Murdock feels real. It seems like he is trying to make his life better. He is enjoying every moment, but ... there is something underneath it. The insanity still comes up when people think of him. He can't dodge the past with the outing of his civilian identity. And you get the idea that this could end for him at any moment and in a really big way. Sure, the original Daredevil is back, but all the stuff that happened between then and now is still there, and that somehow makes this take on the character not only more tenenous, but also more dangerous. If it all falls apart now, after he's tried to get his life back on track, it could ruin him permanently. Marvel would not let the character just fade away, but if handled improperly after something like that which could happen, readers would leave. Waid has advanced the story, advanced the character, and has advanced the readers' expectations of what they can expect in the character. That's what a good writer does.<br />
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Waid won't write this character forever. I'm a bit behind on the title, so he could even be gone by now. What I do feel justified in saying, though, is that when he leaves the title, his name will be up there with the other great writers on the series. Miller. Bendis. Brubaker. Smith. Diggle. Waid. This skeptic has been cured.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-50724991843177686242012-05-20T07:37:00.002-07:002012-05-20T07:37:25.150-07:00Cover Review: Avengers #25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eX4yArE1m9k/T7j-DIXu3rI/AAAAAAAABDg/jzEsx3xZWwM/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eX4yArE1m9k/T7j-DIXu3rI/AAAAAAAABDg/jzEsx3xZWwM/s400/avengers.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
Since the <i>Avengers</i> movie is such a hot commodity these days, I thought I'd go way back in the vault to check out the cover to issue number 25. Those of you who only know the Avengers through the movie may be a bit puzzled by this one. You recognize Captain America, and think that maybe that one guy with the bow is Hawkeye (it is), but who are the other two? That's Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, mutants, Avengers.<br />
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These four heroes are being startled by none other than the Fantastic Four menace known as ... wait for it ... Dr. Doom! He is a total bad ass, but the Avengers' reaction is a bit peculiar. <br />
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From the way everyone is standing, it appears that the Avengers were just strolling down a street in Latvia when they encountered Doom standing dramatically. The Avengers' reaction? "What the --!?" And then they struck surprised poses. Captain America even seems ready to let loose some Kirby-esque karate on Doom's metal butt.<br />
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If you were reading Marvel comics at the time, this cover, with an overuse of the color blue making everything seem calmer than it should, this issue must have seemed pretty cool. The Avengers up against a FF villain with the FF thrown in for good measure? Excellent! If you weren't reading Marvel comics, though, this just had to seem kind of lame.<br />
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Dr. Doom seems like a cool figure. All metal and green, standing undaunted before four kind of wimpy looking heroes. It hardly seems like a cover that would grab the readers' attention and make them want to buy the book or even open it up. The blurb says, "In this great issue," but the cover screams otherwise.<br />
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<i>The Avengers</i> has had far better covers. Most of them came in the '70s. This one probably turned away more new readers than it drew in. It obviously didn't tank the series, though, or you wouldn't have seen the movie five times already.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-29380729909314728042012-04-15T12:56:00.001-07:002012-04-15T12:56:15.291-07:00The Savage Dragon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U0LjTtgdkMc/T4slwtTlOtI/AAAAAAAABBc/VfQsRJW63pY/s1600/savage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U0LjTtgdkMc/T4slwtTlOtI/AAAAAAAABBc/VfQsRJW63pY/s320/savage.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
I was recently at my local dollar store and happened across a box of polybagged comics. They came from some company whose name escapes me at the moment, but they looked worth getting. Each pack had two comics (you could only see the front cover of one of the two) and a card. Each pack was a buck. I ended up picking up five packs because I could tell by the comic I could see that I wanted to add it to my collection. The very first bag I opened had issue #45 of <i>DC Comics Presents</i>. That is why I picked it up. While I'm not a Superman fan, I did enjoy that series. It was the second issue that stunned me, however. <i>The Savage Dragon</i> #3 ... with the coupon in it!<br />
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Oddly enough, I have seen this title for up to $13 on auction sites. Mine is a first printing, and I must admit I found it to be a strange find as these are usually surplus comics that are available in these packs.<br />
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I haven't opened the other packs yet, but I am tempted to go buy up the rest of the store's supply. I know there were some Valiant titles in there, along with more '80s Marvel and DC issues, which is what I was mainly after.<br />
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Best find ever? Not even close, but I bought those packs thinking I would be getting some utter junk. And while I'm not a Savage Dragon fan, I do know the early issues can go for some bucks. I think I need to head back out to that store.<br />
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<br />-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-53836080977410174402012-03-06T20:24:00.002-08:002012-03-06T20:24:53.801-08:00Raven<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MTv-Jq7n8dY/T1bhSjJBEEI/AAAAAAAABAA/O8ag7XTrkOE/s1600/raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MTv-Jq7n8dY/T1bhSjJBEEI/AAAAAAAABAA/O8ag7XTrkOE/s320/raven.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
It was bound to happen. My daughter discovered the <i>Teen Titans</i> animated show through the wonders of Boomerang. Her favorite character? Raven, of course.<br />
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When I ask her why Raven seems to have caught her attention, I get the usual run of answers. She's dark, goth, strong, cool -- you name it. Admittedly, of the Titans, she is the most interesting on the show. There are worse characters she could like. Faust. Foolkiller. That creepy Charlton clown who shot a kid. Squirrel Girl. Raven, on the whole, seems ... wholesome.<br />
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I'm not complaining about this newfound admiration of Raven. In fact, I think it is kind of neat. She's had an interest in Phoenix, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Storm, Nightcrawler, Batman ... but Raven is the one she talks about the most (it's also the wallpaper on her computer). When she asks me to find things on eBay ... it's all Raven. (And for the record, the <i>Teen Titans Go</i> comics are way overpriced on eBay.) So now I'm on a search to find her all the Raven products I can. If any of you reading this know of any cool ones (statues, toys, books -- whatever), let me know. It's a new quest of sorts ... at least until she's onto the next thing.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-7103744648498141892012-02-13T10:01:00.000-08:002012-02-13T10:01:23.221-08:00Burying Children With Daredevil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CsUOkMmMCfg/TzlLNqhzxZI/AAAAAAAAA9w/ogChEVa2hjk/s1600/Daredevil+130+-+00+-+FC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CsUOkMmMCfg/TzlLNqhzxZI/AAAAAAAAA9w/ogChEVa2hjk/s320/Daredevil+130+-+00+-+FC.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
My earliest memory of <i><a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p3872.m570.l1313&_nkw=daredevil&_sacat=See-All-Categories">Daredevil</a></i> is also one of my most disturbing childhood comic book memories (on par with the clown that killed a child in a <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/Comics-/63/i.html?_nkw=Charlton&_catref=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m1538">Charlton</a> book), and it set me on course as a lifelong fan of the series. The issue in question was <a href="http://compare.ebay.com/like/160110035233?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y">130</a>, and it was a tale that dealt with voodoo.<br />
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I don't think I have the issue anymore, and I really don't remember much about it, but there is one scene (a panel, really) that stands out in my memory. I don't remember what lead up to it, but that doesn't really matter, the end result was a close up panel of a young African-American boy buried up to his neck in the dirt, mouth open in sobs and tears coming from his eyes.<br />
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It was the mid-Seventies when this came out. I was young. Maybe between five and seven. Possibly a bit older. Either way, it didn't matter. This image has stuck with me for decades. I'm sure I bought the issue (or had my father buy it) because of the cover, but that was nothing compared to the inside horror of a child buried alive.<br />
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Voodoo was big in America at that time thanks to <i>Live and Let Die</i> and an interest in all things "occult." To find it covered in comic books is no real surprise. <i>Daredevil</i> was a mainstream title, though, put out by one of the two big publishers. To find that sort of image still strikes me as odd. I don't remember any other comics from Marvel or DC pulling off something quite like that. <br />
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I still read <i>Daredevil</i> today, but there has not been a panel to compare with that one. Writers and artists have come and gone. There's been great storylines and forgettable ones. But that single panel has managed to worm its way deep inside my mind and has never left. That's quite an accomplishment considering all the horrific things I've seen and read. Kudos to the creators of this for creating something so powerful. Unfortunately, the fact that I can't remember who they were or what the story was about doesn't speak well to the rest of the issue, but if success were based on a single panel alone, I'd have to say they were the most successful team in comics.<br />
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<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I did not receive this issue for free, and if you click on a link I may earn a commission.</i>-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-84942795329787816082012-01-16T15:37:00.000-08:002012-01-16T15:37:00.344-08:00Revamping the Uncanny X-Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2mAHDpPDrJ4/TxSvp-fGbMI/AAAAAAAAA88/nkdzt1uNw-k/s1600/uncanny-x-men-1-2012-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2mAHDpPDrJ4/TxSvp-fGbMI/AAAAAAAAA88/nkdzt1uNw-k/s320/uncanny-x-men-1-2012-main.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
It's a move that reeked of the usual sales desperation. The <i>Uncanny X-Men</i> had lost its way (again). Events in the mutant series of books dictated that this had to happen. So on and so forth. What it really boils down to is a fool and his money are soon parted, and I'm a fool missing some money.<br />
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I've been an <i>Uncanny X-Men</i> fan since the early 1980s. I've been through good. I've been through bad. And worse yet, I've been through the boring. I've been saddened by Claremont leaving, and horrified when he returned. I've seen Wolverine undergo about 936 different variations. I've watched my favorite characters killed ... and many brought back to life. I've witnessed some incredible storytelling and have watched Marvel pander to the almighty dollar. For a title that has been around in one form or another since the 1960s, this is not unexpected. To start its numbering over with issue one ... well, that is worth looking at. Let's look at some of the arguments that have been made.<br />
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"It's just a number." That's what one fellow fan said to me. He's right. It's just a number. It doesn't detract from the issues that have come before it. It erases none of those stories from my memory. It does, however, give new readers no clue as to what has come before them. Therefore a sense of history is erased almost like Orwell wrote it himself. Yes, the stories are still out there, and a search of eBay shows you can get all the back issues. But the days are gone when some new reader sees issue #143 and thinks, "Wow, what has gone before I got here?"<br />
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"The stories got too convoluted." Yes. Yes they did. All the X-titles became a huge mess, dictated by a publisher that cared more about squeezing out every last dollar than it did making sure writers stuck to something cohesive. All it takes, however, is good writing to fix those problems. A relaunch just guarantees the same thing will happen again ... especially when you have about 50 other X-titles going. It will get messy ... again. The titles do, it must be said, clean house from time to time without relaunching a book. It could've been done here, as well. Marvel just saw dollars and decided that a lame attempt to boost sales could make some people forget how lame the attempt would actually be in the grand scheme of things.<br />
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"The direction the various mutants split in made this a necessity." No it didn't. It made it so that there were new stories that could be told. <i>Uncanny X-Men</i> has been filled with direction changes. They have been handled with various degrees of success. Each time they have been done with a relaunch, they have not stuck and have been handled with all the finesse of a bull on meth. Will this time be different? Only time will tell, but I'm actually enjoying it so far despite all my complaints.<br />
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Yes, that's right, I'm enjoying the title. Just a few months into its run, and I have to say it isn't bad. It also didn't need to be relaunched, however. We could be at issue #548 telling the same story. This new direction didn't merit a total relaunch of the title. It was pointless and unnecessary. Perhaps a few new readers were picked up, but I can't help but wonder how many people said enough is enough and dropped it. Probably not many. If they are like me they know the title will go through cycles of various degrees of greatness, and when it's good it's really good ... and that's always worth waiting around for.<br />
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Besides, it'll probably revert back to its old numbering in a year or so anyway.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-33772318959040134972011-12-27T20:27:00.000-08:002011-12-27T20:27:51.076-08:00Cover Review: Doctor Tom Brent -- Young Intern #2<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PjYAL_nh4jo/TvqXoUq0-1I/AAAAAAAAA6A/s4b5UEF-sPQ/s1600/intern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PjYAL_nh4jo/TvqXoUq0-1I/AAAAAAAAA6A/s4b5UEF-sPQ/s320/intern.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
Charlton put out a lot of comics I liked. They weren't always <i>good</i> comics, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. My guess, however, is that in 1963 there wasn't a single sane person who ever uttered this phrase: "Oh boy! It's the new issue of <i>Doctor Tom Brent -- Young Intern</i>!" Not a single one.<br />
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How many things can you count wrong with this cover? Let's start with the obvious -- the title. <br />
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<i>Doctor Tom Brent -- Young Intern</i> sounds about as exciting as watching Lawrence Welk on PBS with your grandmother as she starts to nod off. There is really nothing about the title that says, "Read me." If your parents hated you, this is the comic they bought you. "I know you wanted <i>Detective Comics</i>, but you've been a little bastard. Read this instead." Even Ned Flanders finds this boring.<br />
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A cover's job is to sell readers on the comic. The artists, of course, would have no control over the title or the story inside (in this case, the yawn-fest "A Doctor Heals in Many Ways"), so they had to make the artwork engaging on some level. They have, obviously, failed here. Instead of drawing a cover that pulls you, they decided to come up with something even more boring than the title. One doctor at a microscope, another one telling him that they had 12 hours to come up with some way of keeping a boy from going home to die. Our <i>hero</i>, Young Intern Brent, has <i>no</i> clue how to do this. Way to sell a book. The only thing that could have made it worse was a cover blurb stating, "Now with ten MORE pages of TEXT inside!!!" What were they thinking? Who was the audience for this? Who bought it? Tom Brent probably doesn't know.<br />
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I have none of these issues in my collection, and I doubt I ever will unless someone sends me the wrong item when I win something on eBay. This series could be the most exciting young intern series ever written for all I know. You can't tell by the cover, however. What you can tell is that there were probably quite a few kids who spent their twelve cents elsewhere.<br />
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-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-59135238919497172912011-12-27T06:11:00.000-08:002011-12-27T06:11:14.815-08:00Confession is Good For the Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a confession to make, one that when made before seemed to take some people by surprise. I haven't read a single copy of the new DC relaunch, and I have really have no plans to do so at this current time.<br />
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I hear shrieks of "blasphemy" and general wonderment. How could I, a comics fan and writers of such stuff, not have read any of the relaunch and how could I not be planning on doing so?<br />
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Easy. I don't care.<br />
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I've been around long enough to know when a publisher is pulling off a promotional stunt or is engaged in outright desperation. This reeks of both, and I really don't want much to do with it.<br />
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I know all the reasons behind it, and some of them are actually valid. Discarding decades of history not only of characters but of titles is not only insulting to audiences both old and new, it's also a death blow to people who liked that sense of establishment. I was one of those people. With a business plan that seemed a tad more thought out than Marvel's Silent Month, DC invalidated me as a reader. So I returned the favor. That's not to say I'll never read any of the relaunches, but it is saying that as of right now I couldn't care less about them.<br />
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What's even more surprising is what I've heard about them. Some are winners. Some are losers. That is to be expected. In the good new titles, however, people are telling me there are good stories, but not a single one has been described as something that could only be done under the guise of a relaunch. So not only does this move seem like a gimmick and desperate, but it also seems lazy. Lazy in the sense that the publishers and writers (most likely just the publishers) couldn't think of any other way of bringing in new readers and having a major shake-up other than this bit of carefree nonsense. And those readers recommending the titles? They all tell me they think the numbering and titles will revert back to normal sometime in the near future. (No kidding.) So, yes, DC, not even your fans believe it, though the mainstream news medias seem to have bought it as they usually do.<br />
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DC's move to seem less isolationist has sort of ended up seeming that very thing in a sense. Unfortunately, it has also worked, with DC dominating sales charts. I can't picture that will be the case for much longer (and it may have already started to wane; I have yet to see current numbers for the past month). It's a short-term fix to a long-time problem, which is: attracting new readers. This was a half-hearted good idea. You can attract all kinds of new readers, but if you lose the old ones, you're sunk.-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8750429388652301664.post-34194810022921087602011-12-26T08:18:00.000-08:002011-12-26T08:18:03.992-08:00Wolverine and the X-Men #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This title got added to my pull list when <i>Uncanny X-Men</i> looked like it was no longer going to be published. (Yeah, that lasted long.) I decided to keep it on the pull list ... knowing nothing about it ... because I like Wolverine, and I like the X-Men. Plus, it added to amount of comics I needed to get to the next discount tier.<br />
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When the first issue arrived I looked at the cover and immediately thought I had made a mistake. Hideous. Luckily there was truth in advertising, as the story was just as stupid.<br />
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The premise is that Wolverine has taken over the job of running Professor Xavier's school. That is a good premise, which has promise. That said, the crux of the issue involves an inspection to make sure the school is safe for young mutants ... and it's all handled with comedy -- mostly of the slapstick variety. <br />
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Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.<br />
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Wolverine heading the school actually makes sense for his character, and it shows some good growth. Handling the situation as a comedy is a huge mistake. It really doesn't even make sense, and I doubt it will last all that long. I <i>hope</i> it won't last that long.<br />
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I may have issue two by now. (I think it's in my stack.) I'm in no rush to read it. I will, however, stick with it a few issues until I make the final decision on it. I think the premise has promise, so I'm willing to give it a chance. All it needs to do to fix the problems is get a new artist and writer team ... and keep Frank Miller away from it.<br />
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<i>Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I paid for this garbage.</i>-Doug Brunell (America's Favorite Son)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10216616964188376483noreply@blogger.com0