NOTE: The individual opinions of each Roundtable contributor are their own, and is not representative of anybody but that contributor.
Greg Rucka discusses THE O.M.A.C. PROJECT and GOTHAM CENTRAL [Credit: Newsarama]
KEVIN MAHONEY: Hmmm, the more OMAC details I read, the better it sounds. Anything that makes Bruce upset with Clark is fine by my book. I never bought the “play nice” S/B dynamic. The intrigue aspect is pretty cool too. I don’t know if the Crisis will be worth a dang, but I might really dig this and VILLAINS UNITED.
TIM BYRNE: This definitely sounds like the most interesting of the minis, and Greg Rucka’s name being attached is just the icing on the cake. Anyone else want to see Maxwell Lord on the wrong end of a Batman beat-down?
MARVEL MYTHOS series by Paul Jenkins and Paolo Rivera [Details: n/ultimatebb.cgi%3Fubb%3Dget_topic%26f%3D36%26t%3D003673>Pulse]
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: At first I thought this sounded like another way to screw things up. After a little more thought, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Grand, painted versions of all the major Marvel characters origins isn’t a bad idea. Changing elements slightly isn’t the best thing, but definitive updates of these origins couldn’t hurt. Adding in some movie elements may disenchant some comic fans, but, perhaps, with the right placement of these books it will generate some interest from new readers.
Jenkins and Rivera are a strong creative team. These should be good.
JOHN BABOS: How many times in the last few years has Marvel retold, re-jigged, tinkered, re-presented, re-packaged – say – Spider-Man’s origin? Including the Ultimate line, their metamorphosing kids brands – what is it called this week again – , and others like manga, etc.? I don’t think this MYTHOS project is a bad idea if Marvel hadn’t gone to the same well over and over in the last few years. This project should wait a few years assuming Marvel doesn’t go to that same very well anymore. Let the water levels rise and then do MYTHOS.
PAUL SEBERT: Just for the record I think just about any effort to make Marvel canon more accessible to the average reader is a good thing. And I’m huge Jenkins mark. So I’ll check it out.
More details on the Superman II Restored International Cut DVD [Credit: All the Rage]
NICK PIERS: I don’t know if I want this DVD now, honestly. Not because WB is saying “NAY!” to the DVD, but if they were smart, they would realize how much the fans would want a really good, official release of this.
On the other hand, I absolutely have to see some of those new scenes. Oh, I’m so torn.
IAIN BURNSIDE: I would like it but I’m not going out of my way to track one down. Eventually, WB will get their act together and offer a proper version of Donner’s cut.
LOST comic books on the way [Credit: All the Rage]
NICK PIERS: Meh, never watched the show, honestly.
IAIN BURNSIDE: Dude! No! It’s the best thing I’ve seen in ages. It’s up there with the first three seasons of The X-Files in terms of weirdly cool quality, but it’s packed full of heart and emotion and comedy at the same time. I will mark out for the DVD set when it’s released.
Having said that, I’m not terribly keen on seeing a comic series. It doesn’t sound like they’re just going to adapt the existing story but rather focus on the other survivors that we haven’t seen yet, but there is no way they are going to be able to keep all of this firmly in line with what is happening on the TV show and there is definitely no way the TV show will give a crap about the comics. So, really, it seems sort of pointless. Abrams’ Alias would be far better suited to a comic book series.
HELLBOY video game on the way [Credit: All the Rage]
NICK PIERS: Aw crap.
This means I might have to get a video game system, doesn’t it?
Marvel solicitations for July [Click: Here]
TIM STEVENS: Wait a sec… A DAREDEVIL/PUNISHER mini written and drawn by David Lapham? And no one told me?
BEN NAGY: Let it be known that the words “House of M” appear at least 27 times in the first 13 solicitations. That’s an average of just over two “House of Ms” per solicitation. Anyone else feel like something’s being shoved down our collective throat? Stand back before I hurl…
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: Agreed, Ben. As much as I want to stay away from DC’s ridiculous flooding of the comic market with all of the Crisis nonsense, House of M is something I will avoid with extreme prejudice. The one positive is that Marvel is mostly churning out House of M miniseries that I don’t have to buy. This crossover is leaving most of their mainstream titles alone – for the time being.
NICK PIERS: HOUSE OF M #4: Introduction of a NEW mutant that only Bendis cares about!
MUTOPIA: Bwa-ha-ha!
TOXIN #4: Zero Hour tie-in! What? Oh. No, not really.
DAREDEVIL/PUNISHER: Huh? The return of the Jackal? But that involves thinking about the Clone Saga! Gah! What in the blue hell are they thinking?!
DEFENDERS #1: Wahoo!!
MARVEL TEAM-UP #10: Bwa-ha-ha! to that cover.
Wait, hold on. What’s this HOUSE OF M stuff, anyway? Does Magneto move into the neighbourhood and throw a big, wild BBQ? Much to the chagrin of Neighbour Rogers?
Steve: Hidely ho, neighboreeno!
Mag: Shut your face, Rogers!
Steve: Okaley dokalee!
Not to mention that always getting into trouble…er…Pietro. And his know it all sister, Wanda.
JASON BEREK-LEWIS: I’m excited to see more about the Sentry.
IAIN BURNSIDE: For those of us that just don’t care about HOUSE OF M, this will be quite the lean month. Thank heavens for THE DEFENDERS, though. The cover alone is enough to put a smile on my face, mainly for that expression Namor’s sporting. I really, really, really hope that they either make this into an ongoing or give them an annual mini to play with. Better yet, stick them on something like MARVEL TEAM-UP or NEW THUNDERBOLTS and just let them cut loose.
Does anybody really believe that IRON MAN #4 and NYX #6 will be released in July?
That’s one mighty uninteresting TPB list. The only one I’m after is THE PULSE and I’m not exactly in a hurry to read the Secret War arc on account of no longer having any interest in SECRET WAR itself… Ah well, at least Luke Cage is one cool dude. Not terribly keen to see Marvel introducing the six-issue HC format that DC uses either, especially if it means I’m going to have to wait even longer for that over-sized NEW AVENGERS HC with the first 12 issues…
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: Marvel is doing a lot of stuff that I like right now. While HOUSE OF M doesn’t do a thing for me, there’s still a ton of other things to like.
You nailed it on DEFENDERS, Iain. Everyone knows what a fan I am of the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire JUSTICE LEAGUE. I absolutely cannot wait to see what they do with these four! I am perfectly happy seeing favorites cast into a humorous light. That cover rocks, and I expect this book will too.
Two other books that I’m really excited about are ARANA and GRAVITY. ARANA’s been a fantastic, classic superhero book so far. Plus it looks like we’re finally getting some answers about the past. I’ve liked what McKeever has done in the past, and GRAVITY looks to be a ton of fun. The fact that it’s starting out as a mini seems like a great move. Hopefully it does well in singles, then the book store market could bring really big sales.
Other than that there’s still YOUNG AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS, EXILES (which is mind-boggling in its frequency), PAD’s HULK (plus the mini), AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and several other books that I’m less excited about. Still, Marvel’s got it all over DC right now. Which is a very strange position for me to be in.
MIKE MAILLARO: I agree with most of what Chris is saying although I absolutely love SPIDER-GIRL, RUNAWAYS, NEW X-MEN, and DISTRICT X too.
And, I am looking forward to HOUSE OF M. I love sweeping crossovers, always have. I’m probably going to be buying the main series and at least SPIDER-MAN (WAID!).
On the other end of the aisle, I love SEVEN SOLDIERS and LEGION. I have less than no interest in INFINITE CRISIS.
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: I can’t believe I left out SPIDER-GIRL! That’s one of my absolute faves too! My bad!
DISTRICT X may move up on my list now too. I got the first trade the other night and loved it. I’ll pick the second trade up when it ships.
As for HOUSE OF M, I may try a couple of these as trades. I’ll see how that goes. Same thing goes for the INFINITE CRISIS. If something is getting great buzz I’ll give it a look in trade.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Well, I guess I’m the big weirdo: I read very few Marvel books now, have absolutely no interest in HOUSE OF M, and really like the direction DC is going. Oh well, I guess it takes all kinds!
IAIN BURNSIDE: That’s not so weird. I agree with roughly 93%.
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: Don’t feel bad for disagreeing, Andy. I’m sure down the line I’ll gravitate back towards DC again. For most of my comic reading life I’ve read far more DC than Marvel. Right now is one of those points where it’s very lopsided the other way.
PAUL SEBERT: Wow… wow… total overload of HOUSE OF M. related wackiness. At least the M titles are pretty much self-contained mini-series. Still waaaay too much of a good thing. Or maybe a bad thing. Well it’s too much of something
Wow… Dave Lampham doing a mini-series for Marvel. Normally a DAREDEVIL/PUNISHER mini wouldn’t raise my pulse but, hey it’s from the creator of STRAY BULLETS.
GIANT-SIZED SPIDER-WOMAN #1. See why this character didn’t catch on years ago…
Sean McKeever’s doing SPIDER-MAN ADVENTURES and all original stories to boot. Sweet!
Thank goodness Marvel’s said given Frank Teirri a second chance because I’ve been waiting to type these words for months ever since I stopped doing the Marvel News & Views… WEAPON X… STILL SUCKS!
Oh yeah… also looking really forward to GRAVITY #2 and ARANA #6.
COREN: Wow. Wolverine and some new mutant are going to be stars of HOUSE OF M. That just absolutely, utterly, unequivocally makes me want to buy that book!
..then burn it.
But some of the other stuff looks great. A reveal on where Sue Storm/Richards went to in SPIDER-GIRL, ULTIMATE IRON MAN chugging along at it’s slow as hell pace, concluding arcs that change the teams for both RUNAWAYS and YOUNG AVENGERS, and THE DEFENDERS! Kind of interesting how Giffen and DeMatteis end up with teams of so called losers (I hate you Millar, you hack).
And in less happy news, no ASTONISHING and stupid-ass, never useful, annoying as hell Beak is still on the EXILES team. Can’t someone get a craving for fried chicken and put him out of my misery?
Image solicitations for July [Clicky: Here]
NICK PIERS: INVINCIBLE meets Science Dog!! Cool! Kirby bless this title.
Hey, new WILDGUARD! I’m waiting for vol.2 of the trade, but this just means that moment is coming closer.
SPAWN is still going?
CITY OF HEROES!
JASON BEREK-LEWIS: I’m also looking forward to Stardust Kid!
COREN: 48 pages of INVINCIBLE goodness? I’m there. This book is under a lot of people’s radar, and it’s a shame, because it’s so well written and drawn. SMALL GODS also looks great.
Devil’s Due solicitations for July [Clicky: Here]
COREN: Devil’s Due is actually putting out some great stuff too. For anyone who’s a fantasy fan, swords and sorcery style, I wholeheartedly recommend the Dark Elf Trilogy they’re putting out. The books they’re basing them on are great, as is their author. No Defex though, that makes me sad.
Geoff Johns discusses Power Girl [Credit: Newsarama]
NICK PIERS: Call me crazy, but I’m kind of looking forward to this. Power Girl’s history is as convoluted as Hawkman. I’m thinking Johns can do some things right with her, too.
The Spanish royal family tackle Marvel over HOUSE OF M [Details: Newsarama]
NICK PIERS: Oh boy. I’m having flashbacks to X-STATIX. This does not look good for Homestar Runner…
…er…
Marvel.
IAIN BURNSIDE: Quite possibly the funniest thing that could have happened to an overblown, unwarranted comic book crossover. Being punked out by the Spanish royals. HA!
JAMIE HATTON: Heh, the fact is that picture looks INSANELY similar – and if the pic is copyrighted… they win. The whole X-STATIX thing was (as far as the Brits were concerned) just bad taste. They couldn’t sue over that, it’s clearly parody. This though… eh.
By the way – why in the hell would Magneto wear medals?
TIM STEVENS: Why would he wear medals? Why wouldn’t he wear medals? Seriously, doesn’t Magneto strike you as the type of guy who would give himself a reward just because it was Tuesday and he made himself oatmeal for breakfast that wasn’t too watery or too cold? This guy is a bit of an egotist after all.
Actually, I might start doing the same. Chicks still dig medals, right?
Also, “chicks” isn’t an offensive term, right? Or is dames preferred now?
JASON BEREK-LEWIS: You have to be careful these days. I used the word “chick” at work once and to taken to task – by a GUY! Its political correctness gone MAD!
MATT MORRISON: I just talk in a British accent and call them all wenches. Most find it charming, for some reason…
MIKE MAILLARO: Marvel can probably get away with it if they say it was a parody. Fair Use and all that jazz.
MATT MORRISON: So, would it be fair to say…
NO ONE expected the Spanish Inquisiton!?
PAUL SEBERT: The basic theme, I’m getting from the Marvel Previews is that various Marvel characters are stuck in utopian (or Mutopian) fantasy lands, sort of like that Perchance to Dream episode of Batman: TAS.
So maybe in Magneto’s fantasy world he’s respected nobility, possibly the king of nation of Mutants.
KEVIN MAHONEY: “Those are our top two weapons, surprise and fear, fear and surprise!”
“And a fanatical devotion to the Pope!”
“And instruments of torture!”
My apologies to Benedict XVI, but it had to be said, given current events!
MATT MORRISON: No apologies needed. Go by “not so current events”, and he likely had a hand in torturing Jews during the Holocaust (he was in the Hitler Youth).
WILL COOLING: What an asinine remark. He was still a child when the war ended and had deserted after being conscripted into the army during the dying days of the war. To blame him for being in the Hitler Youth is wrong as well, he only “joined” when it became conscripted and neither he nor his family joined the Nazi Party. The idea that he had anything to do with torturing Jews when all the camps were ran and staffed by the elite SS is complete bollocks.
(Look at me defending a German Catholic, I must not be feeling very well).
Although Matt, no need to apologise as Ratzinger was for 20 years the head of the same office that led the Inquinisation-Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly known as the Holy Office) and conducted campaigns of intellectual persecution of dissenters such as Hans Krung (German Theologian who was barred from teaching in Catholic institutions) and Liberation Theologians in Latin America and Africa.
MATT MORRISON: Fair enough. I know for a fact (for I studied German and German culture in high school) that when the Hitler Youth was still in the initiation phase where they were recruiting instead of forcing people to sign up, part of proving yourself for the cause WAS to go and beat up a Jew, preferably in the most painful way possible. This is what I was referring to when I said torture – NOT the concentration camps; although I can see how that could be misinterpreted from the way I said that.
Anyway… I was vague. Sorry. Let’s get back to comics.
WILL COOLING: And hating the Germans? Only kidding Matt! You’re right we should get away from talking about torture, rape, murder and prejudice and instead talk about comics…
oh bugger!
Brandon Routh as Superman photo released [Picture: Here]
NICK PIERS: I’m just going to cut and paste what I said at my blog…
Well, there it is. The costume that billions of people are going to see next year when “Superman” comes to theatres again after about twenty or more years. And I’m sure, considering my icon alone, people are curious as to what I think.
I like parts of it, love other parts and hate other parts. Let me explain.
1) I like the general look of it. It goes back to almost a Silver Age-like look in its basic quality. Which is perfect and how it should be.
2) Not a fan of the darker reds but I can get over that.
3) The leather cape is something that’s growing on me. It looks a lot more…cape-like than Christopher Reeve’s, I’ll say that much.
4) Absolutely love the S-symbol on the belt. Very nice touch.
5) The most important part of the damn costume, the symbol, is a bit too small. Though I do like the idea of having it stick out some more. It’s a good idea but the symbol really should be bigger.
Overall, the good outweighs the bad. I don’t hate it but I think some tweaking needs to be done. Brandon Routh, honestly, isn’t that much bigger than Reeve was. More muscular, not as muscular or bulky as Dean Cain. He’s got a good look and I think the non-believers will be a little more optimistic once we see this costume in action.
So, my optimism is still there. But I’m still whispering, “Don’t screw this up!”
IAIN BURNSIDE: And, as I said in an IM conversation with Mister Piers, I’m digging the costume design – in particular the Superbelt – but I don’t think that was a particularly flattering photo for Routh. Doesn’t really make him look all that, well, super. But hey, I’m still looking forward to this one a hell of a lot. Anyone that looks THAT good as Clark deserves some serious attention. And thank heavens they didn’t go for the latex muscle routine like
Schumacher.
JAMIE HATTON: He looks like a perfect cross between George Reeves and Chris Reeves. The musculature isn’t what I expected though. Shouldn’t he be SLIGHTLY more buff? Either way, I have NOTHING invested in this film emotionally (other than not wanting it to suck) – so I wish him look – he is a dead-on Clark.
JASON BEREK-LEWIS: The colour palette is certainly darker than I would have expected. I feel pretty bad for this Routh guy. He has massive shoes to fill in his attempt to convince me that he IS Superman.
I’m still saddened by the loss of Christopher Reeves, and for me, he will always be Superman!
One thing that I am hoping for is that this movie might spark some interest for me in DC comics – I am, after all, a tried and true Marvel Maniac!
PAUL SEBERT: I like the costume design. Very retro, very old school feel to it. Nice to see some folks in Hollywood aren’t afraid of using old fashion Long Johns.
COREN: There’s something that just bothers me about the new Superman costume. The colors come off as dull, and the whole thing makes him seem too tall. Maybe if the colors were darker and the symbol bigger.
Wesley Snipes sues Blade: Trinity producers [Details: Here]
NICK PIERS: Well holy crap.
Blade 3 made money?
IAIN BURNSIDE: Triple H IS money!!!
JAMIE HATTON: “Scuse me, New Line… you ever gamble with your movies?”
“Occasionally, why?”
“Do you ever play Roulette?”
“Yes, what is your point?”
“ALWAYS BET ON BLACK!”
The fact is that everyone and their mother knew that Snipes wasn’t behind this project because of its crossover potential. Are they not paying him for his lack of promotion (which was probably in his contract) or are they just being vindictive… time will tell.
JASON BEREK-LEWIS: I have a lot of love for the first two Blade flicks (haven’t seen Trinity yet, mostly due to the poor feedback of other fans) … So it saddens me to see conflict surrounding it. I actually don’t like horror or gore at all, but Blade I and II just WORKED. And I think the fact that they worked had a LOT to do with Snipes. So if he was sidelined in the third movie, and the movie bombed, then I think he’s got a fair gripe.
Nothing in this world freaked me out more than seeing former Boy Band drummer Luke Goss as a Vampire in Blade 2! And those Reapers were mean! mean! mean!
But I always expected that Trinity would mark the end of Snipes’ involvement in this franchise. Wasn’t the whole point of Trinity to set things up for a Nightstalkers movie? That obviously isn’t going to happen now, which proves, to me at least, that you can’t do Blade without Blade!
KEVIN MAHONEY: New Line should pay Snipes. Never mind the fact that B3 actually made money after the morass that was Blade II, but Snipes pulled comic book movies out of the post Batman and Robin wasteland. Without Blade, Spidey and other movies might never have been tried. Pay the talent; they usually outlast the suits anyway.
Roundtable Discussion Bonus!
JAMIE HATTON: Iain and I were discussing how there wasn’t a helluva lot of news, so let’s take the time to put a question to us staffers and get into a loud abrasive argument. Wahoo, lifeblood.
So here is our topic:
Marvel & DC are both going to the hilt on their BIG YEAR PROJECTS with HOUSE OF M and INFINITE CRISIS respectively. That doesn’t tell us who is putting out the better product though. Marvel’s been kicking the high adventure, but fleeting continuity – DC has been getting darker. What’s your preferred flavor lately?
TIM BYRNE: Well, I always believe that the great trick with fiction is the ability of the artist to make the customer care about what happens to a fictional character that is no more than the figment of someone’s imagination. Who has been doing that more successfully?
This has been the great strength of Marvel historically. The fact that poor old Peter Parker (and the X-Men) just couldn’t catch a break. We’d barrack frantically for them to succeed in life, and those infrequent slivers of victory were so very precious. It was always harder to muster up caring about what happened to Superman (all-powerful alien) or Batman (billionaire playboy doomed to be always miserable and brooding).
In recent times, although I can certainly admire the craft of much of the story-telling at DC, it’s Marvel that has made its characters worth caring about. And no, I don’t mean in ‘Avengers Disassembled’, I mean in the little loving gestures between MJ and Peter. In the spunky relationships in ULTIMATE X-MEN and ASTONISHING X-MEN. In the struggles of Matt Murdock to deal with his tragic marriage and nervous breakdown. I’ve yet to see whether either of the huge cross-overs will have any chance of success on a human level, but with the emotional nature of things like the last few pages of IDENTITY CRISIS #7, I am willing to hope.
PAUL SEBERT: The way I see it… The problem with DC isn’t trying to attract new readers. They’re trying to steal Marvel’s readers by desperately trying to recapture some of the magic DC had in the 80s with events like THE KILLING JOKE and WATCHMEN.
The problem with this is, well comics are so used to death in storylines that there’s really nothing that you can do these days that’s going to have the kind of impact that “The Death of Gwen Stacy” or “A Death in the Family” is going to have. Furthermore there was a good reason why WATCHMEN was created as a limited not an ongoing series.
My biggest issue with DC right now is that from the Wolfman/Perez retro vibe of TEEN TITANS, to bringing back Hal Jordan, to faux Adams/O’Niel topical nature Winick’s infused into GREEN ARROW it’s clear that DC’s looking towards the past.
Meanwhile Marvel’s giving its titles aimed at younger readers a serious push in bookstores; they’re continuing to experiment with new characters, new talent, and new formats. They’re going after the fans DC alienated by cancelling books like IMPULSE, and burying lighter hearted books like Keith Giffen’s JUSTICE LEAGUE revival. It was Marvel, not DC that rewarded Dan Slott for his work on BATMAN ADVENTURES, and ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL.
I’d like to say this strategy will eventually pay off for Marvel… but a lot of hardcore comics fans have a tendency of looking backward instead of forward.
But I’m still more excited about YOUNG AVENGERS, POWER PACK, ARANA, GRAVITY, etc. than any of DC’s current batch of “Event” books.
TIM STEVENS: Something I’ve found very interesting about this debate is that often times formerly hardcore DC or Marvel fans will identify with the other company. As in: “I grew up a Marvel Zombie, but I am hating a lot of what they are doing to their characters right now. On the other hand, I never really read DC until this past and I’m LOVING it,” or vice versa for the DC faithful. I am not sure what that says about either company or event or company’s fans, I just know that I have seen it often enough to not ignore it.
KEVIN MAHONEY: See, I totally sympathize with this idea. I have been very DC ever since the debacle that was Heroes Rebored. The few mutant/Spidey titles I liked in the late 80’s early 90’s had pretty much run out of steam (on the writing side) and DC wooed me with ‘Return of the Supermen’, Kyle Rayner, ROBIN, NIGHTWING, Hourman, JSA, STARMAN, And FLASH. DC, for a while, had a corner on the “heroes with feet of clay” market. Their recent shift to Golden Age Rube Goldbergh and/or darker more sophisticated stories is a mistake in my opinion. And Marvel seems, in large part, content to perpetually repeat their first few great story arcs with their already known characters (Ultimate Line, MC2, Exiles, AoA2). Marvel is becoming the more safe choice while DC is a gamblin’. Some fans who liked DC’s eclipse of Marvel might be really upset that they are veering from that. I feel that way, in large part. I don’t think Marvel has improved or innovated compared to DC, but I think DC might be moving in the wrong direction.
MIKE MAILLARO: Not in my case. Marvel was my first love in comics, and after Crossgen folded up, I find myself still enjoying Marvel much more than DC.
CHRIS DELLOIACONO: Kevin, you made some great points.
When you think about it, the law of averages will tell you that whatever company you read more of will eventually alienate you. It’s got to happen. I used to read more than twenty DCU books a month and only 5-7 Marvel titles. Slowly the direction most DC titles were taking became a problem. Thus alienation set in. I dropped a bunch of DC titles and added some Marvel titles. Now I’m reading several more Marvel books than DC. But I’m not reading as many Marvel titles as I used to read of DC.
Marvel has nabbed several of my favorite writers lately and put them on high profile books. Their direction, for me, has been a lot more exciting. Still, I like DC’s characters more, and I know down the line, unless DC really screws up, I’ll probably be reading more of their books.
To be honest, I am reading more non-Marvel/DC books these days anyway. I find the real movement in those titles and the complete control creators have to be refreshing.
PAUL SEBERT: I think DC isn’t so much trying to bring in new fans at this point as bring over Marvel’s. Granted in the process they’re alienating a portion of their own fans who are in turn going to Marvel.
MATT MORRISON: I read a pretty even mix of DC, Marvel and Independent titles.
DC was my first love (I got raised on Superfriends) but Spider-Man was always my favourite superhero because I was a geeky smart-aleck too.
When I first got into comics, I was strictly a DC man. I tried reading some Spider-Man but found it to be… well, not nearly as good as what was happening in GREEN LANTERN, JLA and BATMAN. (This was in the post-Clone Saga era).
Then Kevin Smith, who I was a fan of from a movie called Clerks that was practically a documentary of my early college days, was announced to be taking over DAREDEVIL…. that and a new writer on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN who actually seemed to understand that Spider-Man should be funny got me into reading a few Marvel titles… and then when Waid, whose work on FLASH I loved, took over FANTASTIC FOUR… I was running about 50/50.
Honestly, I read more Vertigo titles now than I do DC or Marvel. And smaller company titles make up the vast majority of what I read. So I’m not really qualified to make a decision about this one way or the other.
But here’s where I stand. While I am VERY worried about the darkening tone at DC and am hoping against hope that this is the darkness before the dawn, I am taking comfort in the fact that DC is at least trying to do new things with the characters and tell some interesting stories… Marvel, for its part, seems to be more obsessed with celebrity and profit than making good comics.
Case in point: what is the point of HOUSE OF M? To do another big story with all the popular characters that everyone will buy.
What is the point of all the IDENTITY CRISIS tie-ins so far? In the case of two, to explore some of the long-neglected areas of the DC Universe’s past. In the case of the other two, to explore the future. And to sell a lot of comics.
But that’s just my opinion.
COREN: I like the dark angle that DC is going in, provided the writing is there to back it up. There’s a possibility it’ll turn into killings for shock value and to cover up a lack of a strong plot (See also; Disassembled, Avengers). That’d ruin it for me. Deaths need to have a purpose to them, a reason for happening. Be it a sacrifice on their part or the villain taking them out, just so long as it’s important. And I get the feeling that there are going to be some casualties that aren’t.
But on the other hand, there’s a mini that features Deathstroke as a main character. Clearly DC knows what it’s doing!
HOUSE OF M doesn’t interest me a ton at this point. Seeing how it will affect my favourite books in Marvel (ASTONISHING, DISTRICT X, etc.) and how far from the core books (will it have an impact in RUNAWAYS, for example) it strays will be interesting. But the lazy plots, cobbled together Avengers, and just all around poor writing doesn’t leave me hopeful.
And then there’s SEVEN SOLDIERS, which makes less sense to me with each issue that comes out. Some are written well (GUARDIAN, SHINING KNIGHT), some are really out there (ZATANNA: Reality TV star!) and then of course, there’s the piece of crap that was SEVEN SOLDIERS #0 (still don’t know what I read there). But that might just be me, I think Morrison tends to do oddball stuff for the sake of having done it and then his fanboys rush to put some deep meaning on it.
TIM STEVENS: I know what you are saying about Morrison, I do. I often find that the more freedom he has (THE FILTH, for example) and the more out there he goes, the less I enjoy it and the more it seems that the only goal was, “how weird can I go here?” However, I don’t think SEVEN SOLDIERS fits that mould. I’m not searching for any deeper meaning; I’m just digging it overall.
Now if you were down on SEAGUY…well, let’s just say, I’d support that endeavour.
