I REMEMBER THAT GUY…
THE ONE WHO STARTS HIS COLUMNS WITH A CENTER TRAILER…
WASN’T THAT HATTON?
WHERE THE HELL’S HE BEEN!??!?
Welcome all once again to…..
I, James Hatton, Master of the Marvel News and Views is back off of an unstated two week holiday sabbatical. Hope everyone had a nice Christmas (or whatever heathen devil-holiday you celebrate) and is ready to start off the New Year with everyone’s favorite place to read about the news that I pilfered from everyone else’s websites.
Fact is, nobody in the news world talks much, so I can’t promise a huge column, but I’ve missed you people, so I probably will babble on too long in each section.
Ready?
Thought so.
THE VARIANT GAME IS OVER
(Brought to you by Newsarama)
For weeks and weeks The Other storyline has been laden with the stories about the second printing variants. Well the final two are announced. Given a poll to retailers, the final two are:
Peter Parker annnnd..
Peter Porker!
Okay, that’s the good. The bad is that the last two are going to not be variants. They are going to be incentives… this is the hook and sinker bit. The people who are collecting the variants for the sake of collecting (And I might state that I think that they would make an AWESOME border around your den or study) now have to go fishing for these covers that are obviously going to be more money.
It’s one of the most assinine parts of the comic collecting industry, and I really feel annoyed at the world of comics for putting out damn fun stories, but also screwing us with this kind of obvious ploy to gain some cash.
I know it’s a business above all things, but it shouldn’t be done in such a way that people are hunting and pecking.
INTERVIEW!!!!! This time: Dan Slott
(Provided by Newsarama)
Heh, I just noticed I write ‘Provided by’ not considering what it means. Pffft, like Newsarama knows I do this and said ‘Here Jamie, go for it’. HA! STICK IT TO THE MAN!
Now let me tell ya that this is a bit late, since the book is already out and these interviews usually try and promote the book, but it JUST came out and it’s REALLY fun, so you should just go and ignore the interview and buy the book.
Or read the interview, because Dan Slott is a fun guy to talk to, or so I can only assume given every interview I’ve read has made me giggle.
SPIDEY HITS NEW YORK…. AGAIN!
(Provided by Newsarama)
The re-issue of the series will start with the original issue #1, first published in 1963. There has lately been tremendous public interest in the origins of fabled Super Heroes and legends, reflected by the popularity of the recent Spider-Man movies and other feature films.
So the ol Lee and Kirby will be put into New York papers. This is a great idea and can only help comics. I am always for anything that is big promotion for our favorite funny books.
Now I just recently went and read those original Spidey stories, having never read them, and I will say that even though the guys on Newsarama are discussing how the 1960’s lingo doesn’t hold up.. I have to disagree!
The language is a bit outdated, but not to the point that it’s unintelligible. The original stories are told in such a universal voice that they truly stand the test of time. So a circulation of 10 million spidey stories? Comics haven’t seen that good in the numbers since DEATHMATE!
A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF JOEY Q!
Here’s The Christmas Special…
Here’s the Last….
I generally don’t read the Joey Q bits, as I’ve stated before, because I find that they sometimes give away more than I like to know. You see, I’m a Marvel junkie, but I also dig a good surprise. I knew that the kid saw dead people, and in turn thought that SIXTH SENSE was only a decent film. I didn’t know who Kaiser Soze was and still think USUAL SUSPECTS is one of the greatest con flicks ever.
So, even though that is a horrible comparison, you get the point.
I read these three Joey bits so I could:
a) Catch up on missed Marvel News
b) Bulk up this column.
Here are points that are addressed:
CIVIL WAR
Within the next few months, many of our titles will be percolating with word of a “Super Hero Registration Act”. What is it that causes that to boil over and what happens when it does? What happens when heroes are viewed as unlicensed ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ and they’re asked to register, be licensed, and also have their secret identities placed in a general database?
So it seems that a lot of this is goin to have to do with the people who want to be known as who they are, and the people that don’t. I can already see how the lines are going to form. You are obviously going to have characters like Reed Richards and Namor who are known as who they are and might not have a problem with the rest of the world being viewed as such, but then there are going to be folks like Xavier or Tony Stark who have alternate lives that they might want to protect (or the lives of their students).
A lot of this seems to be MARVEL MEETS THE PATRIOT ACT… and good for em’ … stupid Patriot Act….
The key to this story for me, is that they address it from both sides. I personally think that as an American citizen, you have the right to keep your secrets. They are your secrets. I don’t agree with, but can see, the arguments for the other side. As long as it’s not a heavy handed liberal story, then it has the ability to be an amazing microcosm of our own world.
DE-DECOMPRESSION
Forgoing the quote, Newsarama asks Joey if writers are being told to stop the decompressed story and push for three issue arcs.
Joey says we never told them to do the ‘trade paperback arc’ (6 – 8 issues) so it’ so non issue.
I’m calling BRAVO SIERRA! (That’s laymen’s term for bullshit) on this, as I can’t imagine that the entirity of Marvel for the last five years have just gone out of their way to follow the ‘Ultimate’ book progression of six issues. It’s too convenient. Joey does say that now that trades are bigger people might be experimenting with the format, but it seems to me that maybe an edict might have been passed somewhere behind a closed door.
As a reviewer, the format of the six issue arc has come to be fairly regular, with maybe a toss in two parter in the midsts. The problem has always been giving enough story in those six issues. Some guys do it really well (David Hine for example), but I can list off another five guys who get into the second or third issue slump. The intro is good, the closing is good, but there is some wishy washy milling about in the middle. Hopefully that aids in doing away with it.
THOR’S COMING BACK
…yay Thor.
AN AWESOME OUT OF PLACE QUOTE!
JQ: As much as I love Rudolph, when I hear that Charlie Brown Christmas music, nothing gets me more in the mood.
STORM/T’CHALLA’S WEDDING
Apparently the story will happen in Civil War. If you read this column, you know I’m pretty against this.
TWO WEEKS OF LIL ITTY BITTY REVIEWS!
GENERATION M – Dani squeed happily that our new reporter’s good friend Jubilee might be a part of the upcoming Pulse reset. Anything that keeps the girl happy is fine by me. Plus the story is getting better.. much better, and it wasn’t bad to begin with. Easily becoming one of the favorites of Annihilation.
RUNAWAYS – Spidey at a sushi resturant. I got nothing else to say. Vaughn has the voice of Spiderman down, and once again makes Molly the star of the issue. Okay, so I had more to say.
X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS – Brubaker’s first foray into the mutant universe tells me that he knows just as much about these characters as any writer of the last five years, and does so in such a way that has me drooling for issue three. DROOLING!
ULTIMATE GUH LAK TOSE BOOK 2 TPB – I read these as they came out and was confused as hell, so I expeected the trade to be a trainwreck… it’s actually not a bad story. Nothing intense or amazing, but MUCH better in trade.
ULTIMATE HULK vs. WOLVERINE – Wolvie gets torn in half. The end. Not a compelling issue, but the premise of sending Logan to get Hulk is a good one. I have faith that it will be good.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN – This was a weird book to even consider to rate or grade. It is more prose than story, and will look great in the trade, but as a singular story was kind of lacking something. Oh, and Tony Stark ‘knowing’ what was going on the whole time….. why?
DAREDEVIL – With one issue left in Bendis’ Daredevil epic, it seems he’s figured out a way to keep the world from knowing that ‘Devil is Murdoch, but everyone kinda assumes it anyway… so why bother. I just want to know what he is going to leave Brubaker and Lark with as they move into their run. Another great story, ending a legendary run.
EXILES – How much fun was the New Universe story?! My only worry is that somehow this book makes Longshot a complete timeline abnormality along with Mojo… I don’t know if that’s cannon or if it gives them a LOT of new sway. Great story, weird repercussions.
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE – Just as fun and adorable as I wanted it to be. Dani will be reading it, I’ll be buying the trades for all my neices.
SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT – I didn’t read it, nor will I. Just letting you know. Tell Marvel with your wallet kids.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN – How great was the scene with Aunt May? How cute was the scene with Kitty Pryde? How LAME is Silver Sable as a villain!?!
X-FACTOR – Remember how I said that Generation M was ALMOST the best Annihilation book? Yeah, that’s because X-FACTOR is EASILY the Annihilation’s gem.
X-MEN – Milligan has found his footing. Somehow this book turns out to be completely acceptable, and it’s about Havok and Polaris, two characters I don’t give a crap about….
YOUNG AVENGERS SPECIAL – A bit pricey, but a nice way to drop anyone into the Young Avengers world, as well as give new readers a taste of every origin. Yummy.
HAAAAAPPPY NEW YEAR!
As you see Marvel didn’t put a book I HATED in two weeks.. That’s awesome! I’ve been so happy with the product of writing that has come out of the House of Ideas lately that I think this could be one of the greatest comic years in the last 15… since 1986? Doubtful, but we’ll see…
