NOTE: The individual opinions of each Roundtable contributor are their own, and is not representative of anybody but that contributor.
Peter David talks about the return of X-FACTOR [Click: PAD]
KEVIN “MISTER FANTASTIC” MAHONEY: Peter David and Ryan Sook… On the same book! My head is gonna ex-bam-plode!
This might be the first X-title since EXILES that I give a rat’s arm about. It’s been so long since I bought any in continuity mutant book, I cannot remember when the last era was. But Petey writing Madrox and Strong Guy and Rahne again would do it. Monet is a great add on to that. I’m so there.
TIM “MISTER BOMBASTIC” STEVENS: A rat’s arm? I’m not sure that is exactly how that expression goes.
KEVIN MAHONEY: Well shucks, it’s a family website.
PAUL “MISTER MONASTIC” SEBERT: Hey I’m as big a fan of PAD and Ryan Sook as anyone, but seriously does Marvel expect us to buy a comic book about X-Pac, A-Train, and Justin Credible? I mean yeah Sean Waltman is having a good run in NWA-TNA but really who gives a hoot?
Oh wait… wrong X-Factor. Never mind.
Darwyn Cooke signs an exclusive DC deal [Details: Here]
PAUL SEBERT: Everyone loves Darwyn Cooke’s work… Everyone but communists.
So buy his upcoming THE SECRET series. For America’s sake.
Loved Cooke’s work on NEW FRONTIER and CATWOMAN…
DC updates the INFINITE CRISIS infinite tie-in list [Details: Here]
TIM “MISTER LOHANTASTIC” BYRNE: I have to say, that there are few grounds for complaints here, with DC’s stellar work on the ‘Crisis Confidential’ web-page.
Mark Sumerak & Chris Eliopoulos talk about their FRANKLIN RICHARDS one-shot [Click: Here]
PAUL SEBERT: I absolutely loved these little stories from the POWER PACK mini-series and implore you guys to check this one-shot out.
KEVIN MAHONEY: The FRANKLIN RICHARDS art and story looks very friendly and funny. I might have to give that a shot.
Brian Michael Bendis talks about plans for ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN [Click: Here]
KEVIN MAHONEY: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #103 will be a “see I told you if we went slower we’d run out of ideas later” kind of milestone. I think the book is just now regaining its feet after perhaps 12-16 months of suckage.
Update on the retailers vs. Marvel lawsuit [Details: Here]
KEVIN MAHONEY: I think it’s best if we remember the words of our Uncle George (Carlin) – “You can’t fight city hall… but you can sure as hell blow it up, can’t ya?”
RUMOUR: A new Thundercats cartoon may be headed our way next year [Credit: HOOOOOOOO!]
KEVIN MAHONEY: The Thundercats thing is completely unofficial, and yet I’d still love to see it.
PAUL SEBERT: Lets hope this catchs on better with the kiddies than that awesomely executed (yet lacking in the ratings) Masters of the Universe revival from a couple of years ago. Oh and for those of you “purists” who might complain about a possible anime-inspired look, I am quick to point out that the original series was in fact a US/Japanese co-production done in a style similar to other Japanese animated shows in the ’80s.
Oh, and on a side-note The Batman isn’t really anime inspired. It’s art designs and overseas animation are both Korean in nature.
IAIN “MISTER SARCASTIC” BURNSIDE: Can’t remember much about the Thundercats, really. They were always a distant third behind Transformers and He-Man for me. They were in some pretty good company though, with the Turtles and the Visionaries and the Centurions and M.A.S.K. and oh, crap, I feel old now…
Gonna go off and scare some kids in Toys R Us with a Grampa Simpson-style rant about the shoddy quality of today’s toys…
Marvel to launch SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE ongoing, written by Sean McKeever [Details: Here]
IAIN BURNSIDE: It will probably be cancelled by issue #12, sadly. McKeever is such a good writer that I wish Marvel would do more with him. He’d be perfect for something like NEW X-MEN.
PAUL SEBERT: Alas poor McKeever, will Marvel ever have the sense to put the guy on a book like, oh, say IRON MAN that they’ll keep going for years regardless of who’s writing it? You have to admit, MARY JANE has one of the more curious histories of comics in recent years. It’s been cancelled, turned into a series of mini-series, and then relaunched.
God bless digest sales.
Gail Simone discusses BIRDS OF PREY #85 [Details: Here]
*SPOILERS* for this week’s issue…
MATT “MISTER ICONOCLASTIC” MORRISON: All I can say is “Yeah baby!” to Gail’s comments on where this story is going. What I find interesting (and amusing) is all the people replying to this who are going on and on about how “they can’t make her walk again! She’s more interesting as Oracle!” Well, who says she has to give up being Oracle, huh? Nothing says she’s going to dress up as Batgirl again. She can just wiggle her toes, folks. And I know the massive injuries thing does get ignored alot in most DC books… but I’ve got a feeling that Babs is taking the first step (no pun intended) on a long road to recovery. Gonna be a lot of physical therapy and such to go through before she can walk down the block… much less adopt a new career as a Broadway dancer.
PAUL SEBERT: All I could think while reading those last pages were Uma Thurman’s first line in Kill Bill Vol. 1 – “Wiggle your big toe.”
Brian K. Vaughan talks about the end of his ULTIMATE X-MEN run [More: BKV]
PAUL SEBERT: I’ve kind of fallen behind on BKV’s run on this title. But I’ve loved what I have read on it, and know his success on this book helped draw some new readers to RUNAWAYS.
Maybe it would be Marvel’s best move to put another rising star with a good buzz on the title. *cough, cough* McKeever *cough, cough*
Oh, on a side note… I am officially nominating BATMAN #644 for the title of Worst Comic of the Year. It’s a whole lotta not good. It speaks volumes when it’s the worst mainstream book on shelves the same week Rob Liefeld makes his grand return to DC.
ANDY “MISTER FLUOROCARBON PLASTIC” CAMPBELL: He’s right, you know.
*BEGIN SPOILERS* – Since the beginning of the arc, everything pointed to Leslie Thomkins as being the person responsible for Spoiler dying. When she did end up being the person responsible, I thought it just came off as lazy, like they didn’t have a better idea so they just went with the obvious one. And, as an idea, I think it sucks. – *END SPOILERS*
PAUL SEBERT: I think the revelation of Thomkins as the murderer is one of the most jarring illogical changes to a supporting cast member since Terry Kavanagh turned Betty Brant into a machine-gun toting private eye in a leather jacket and a Rambo headband. (Visual aid)
As far as I’m concerned the real Steph Brown & Leslie Thomkins are trapped in that cave with Tommy Elliot.
Another problem I had with the whole arc: is it just me or was Black Mask’s whole plot to frame Batman entirely idiotic. I mean, when you’re the most powerful mob boss in Gotham City it’s not like you have henchmen to do that kind of dirty work for you… I mean, who doesn’t remember that classic Frank Miller arc where Kingpin dressed up as Daredevil to frame Frank Murdock. *sighs*
And did the Joker actually serve a point in this story line beyond the fact that fans were allegedly supposed to be excited to see The Joker fighting Black Mask dressed as Batman?
Jesse Baker, I beg of you… drop this senseless grudge against Bendis, and turn your anger against the real villains in the industry responsible for this story.
ANDY CAMPBELL: As for the Simone/Liefeld issue of TEEN TITANS, my problem with it was that I had trouble following the story because of the art, and that’s not usually a problem for me. It seemed to me, though, that Liefeld had a problem with drawing more than, say, four characters per panel. For example: here comes Cyborg, Robin, and Wonder Girl. They are fighting the bad guys. They fight the bad guys some more. They continue fighting the bad guys. Then all of the sudden, here’s a panel of Beast Boy, who we didn’t even know was there. Then back to Cyborg, Robin, & Wonder Girl for a few panels. Then all of a sudden, here’s Kid Flash. It felt like if Gail didn’t specifically write that a character was doing something in a particular panel, then Liefeld didn’t draw them. That seems lazy to me, and it really messed up the flow of the story when I read it.
PAUL SEBERT: While I’d like to say that Gail is not responsible for this mess, even with Leifeld’s incomprehensible artwork… I have to say the script was really sloppy. I don’t think most of the gang introduced in this issue even had names. Heck, I don’t think the Asian kid who was in like 2 panels ever actually did anything.
IAIN BURNSIDE: Oh crap, they’re going to go into another anti-Liefeld rant… can’t we spend our time bitching about some truly horrid artist like Jim Lee or Bryan Hitch or John Cassaday and leave the esteemed and obviously talented Rob alone? I mean, it’s not his fault that comic books require some visual storytelling aspects to them is it? Oh crap, I’m about to go on yet another anti-Liefeld rant again and I’m not even trying…
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