The Four Color Media Monitor

It turns out that comics writer and animator Dwayne McDuffie is not enjoying the editorial mandate he's forced to contend with on his Justice League run. He tells this to another commentor on the V-Hive forum, which the 4th Letter (via Robot 6) edits together like this:

Dwayne McDuffie: I wrote a scene set at their gravesite that I recently had to quickly rewrite into something not very good.

Matthew Murray: Do you actually enjoy writing JLA? It just seems to be constant editorial rewrites and bad art.

McDuffie: No, I don’t.

Well, Mr. McDuffie, in that case, let me suggest in fairness that if you're really unhappy with what they're forcing you to do, why don't you just either warn them that you'll be on your way out if they don't grant you more creative freedom, or leave the job altogether. Why continue to make yourself miserable doing things you don't like doing? A smart person would pack his bags, move on out and not let the editors keep thinking they've got him/her squarely in their pockets.

That said, I'm actually glad if he had to change any implication that Hawkman and Hawkgirl were dead, one of the subjects of the topic he's replying to, whether he approves of the idea or not, and tell that they're alive. These meaningless deaths are uncalled for and getting way out of hand. Declaring Carter and Kendra alive and well is actually welcome, though I wouldn't be surprised if even then, the story in the League still turned out to be as lousy as Final Crisis was.

McDuffie would do well to take the advice of departing, and set an example for all writers who'd like to write for the big two but are finding the editorial mandates impossible.

Labels: dc comics, Justice League of America

But if the panel found through here is any indication, no, she's not, she just got "blown backwards." But again, the ends don't justify the means, since it's not creative either way.

I do find it hard to believe that writer Brian Reed really means it when he tells Newsarama:

Reed, who has been writing the Ms. Marvel ongoing since it began three years ago, admitted it was a little tough to write the death scene for a characters he's come to care about.

"The thing that got me was when she explains that she finally got her emotions back. When I realized what that meant, it got to me. After all these years since Rogue screwed her up, she finally remembers stuff and remembers how to feel about it. And now she's dying," he said. "That was the part that made me stop and realize what I just did.'"

Oh wow, she gets her memories back...only to be "killed" afterwards? Wait a sec, didn't she already get back at least 95 percent of her memories more than 2 decades ago after Prof. Xavier did what he could to help restore them? No, not all of them were successfully brought back to the surface, but she did get much of her memory back nevertheless, and I think Reed may be exaggerating a little.

Regardless of that, what's insulting here is how this series has come all this way in almost 4 years for nothing. It never had much independence to begin with, got mired in crossovers, with Carol being forcibly shoehorned into Civil War, and made to look bad, not unlike Tony Stark. What was the point of relaunching a series for Carol if they were going to make it hard to develop any real story for its star?

Now that Carol Danvers is dead, Norman Osborn has cleared the way for Moonstone to take over the role of Ms. Marvel, and he was seen at the end of issue #37 telling Moonstone that she is now the only Ms. Marvel flying around.

[...]

Over the next few months, Reed said Ms. Marvel will take a turn toward the darker side as Karla Sofen's role in Dark Reign in explored, although the guest stars appearing might bring a little levity to the situation.

"There's a couple of issues coming up that Deadpool is part of," Reed said with a laugh. "I basically sent in an email to [Marvel editors] Steve Wacker and Tom Brevoort and said, look, here's the insanity that I want to do in Ms. Marvel. And I outlined it, and if I had gotten to do 50 percent of it, I would have been happy beyond belief, but they told me I could do everything.

This is what tells me that Reed was a hack all along, and if the editors shot down any attempt to tell a stand-alone story for developing Carol as a character, he didn't have many problems with that, if at all.

And I don't think I have any interest in a book where the new "star" is some kind of an agent for Norman Osborn.

Labels: dreadful writers, golden calf of death, marvel comics, women of marvel

A short article in the Northwest Indiana Times about the Marvel artist Cory Hamscher, who does both penciling and inking for his work.

Labels: marvel comics

The Birmingham News of Alabama writes an entry on their showbiz blog about the current Imagicon 2009 sci-fi and comics convention.

Labels: conventions

Or it seems that way. G. Willow Wilson is a Muslim convert who's been doing some writing for DC Comics, including a story called "Air" for Vertigo, and a writer for the Wall Street Journal writes an item about her that alludes to some sob-story/propaganda material of hers:

At an airport in Amsterdam several years ago, writer G. Willow Wilson ran into a problem on her way back to Denver. Ms. Wilson, a white woman and Muslim convert from New Jersey, was grilled by an official at the gate for the plane and had to defend why she had a different surname from her husband. "The situation was funny to me," Ms. Willow says, so she decided to write a comic book about the not-so-friendly skies.

In her comic series "Air," Ms. Wilson follows a flight attendant who gets drawn into a magical world of intrigue after encountering a mysterious secret agent. Ms. Wilson's previous comic, "Cairo," was a surrealistic jaunt through her favorite city and part-time home. She fell in love with the Egyptian capital after a trip there during college. "Nothing works, but everything works out," she says about the city.

As a child, Ms. Wilson was attracted to comics for their conflicts. "X-Men" was a particular favorite. "[Comics] formed my ideas about heroism and they were more at my level than the bigger classic literatures," she says.

"Air," published by Vertigo (the adult imprint of DC Comics) and illustrated by M.K. Perker, is part of Ms. Wilson's attempt to make sense of her life as a Muslim after 9/11. She says that in the wake of the terror attacks, "It was weird and strange to be a white convert." She soon found that the very things that made her life difficult also provided great raw material for her comics.

She may be downplaying it, but still seems to have a problem with being asked questions at all. Ahem: standard security procedure, ma'am, so don't complain. Everybody can be asked questions at the airport.

And the part about X-Men being a favorite may be exaggerated too: In this interview on USA Weekend:

I hear your first introduction to comics was the X-Men.

I must have been 10 or 11 at the time. It wasn’t even a real issue of X-Men. It was one of those public service things that they do, an anti-smoking issue where some kid is on the track team, starts smoking, slows down, and the X-Men set him on the right path. But that’s all it took.

But is worshiping the Religion of Peace and Shari'a law the right path?

It's just so funny/sad how people like these go so far as to say certain comics are what "inspired" them, yet they take up ideologies that suggest otherwise.

I find the mention of her being a "white" convert rather puzzling too. There are plenty of white Muslims, much more so than black ones, and it seems irrelevant to bring up the subject of skin color.

If anything, I figure Wilson is one screwed up individual.

A commentor on Comics Should Be Good asked the following question:

G. Willow Wilson is a confused idealistic young woman. As a muslim convert, she fails to understand how that culture endangers her as a woman. Does she endorse forced female circumcision? Does she support Sharia’s lack of human rights for women? What foolishness it is to laud someone like her. Please help her understand her folly.

Yes, someone certainly needs to help her out. Maybe that someone could be Geert Wilders, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, or even Bosch Fawstin!

Update: I found this old post from a blog called FunnyBookBabylon from last year that tells that Wilson had quite a Muslim audience at a conference held at the NYU where she spoke about the earlier book of hers called "Cairo", mentioned above. That too can give a clue just where and how she stands.

Update 2: Newsarama, which is fairly leftist, published an interview with Wilson where the following comes up:

NRAMA: Blythe is a flight attendant, and you've said before that this was partially inspired by an experience with one. Can you elaborate on that for us?

GWW: I was once subjected to this mini-interrogation by a blonde stewardess at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. It laid the groundwork for that scene in Issue 1 where Blythe interrogates Zayn, who is traveling under an alias. Only Blythe is a lot more interesting than that stewardess, who was mostly just rude.

No kidding. It sounds more like she disliked being asked questions because she doesn't think the Religion of Peace is any concern, that's what! Even if this doesn't deal directly with Islam, it's still appalling if it's an allegorical form of apologia.

NRAMA: Cotinuing to talk about air travel -- this series is about the airline industry and terrorism: two volatile subjects when mixed in light of September 11th. As a writer doing this, did you have any apprehension or attempts to handle this with kids gloves so to speak?

GWW: I can't afford gloves. A lot of these issues affect me and my community, directly or indirectly. I wanted to tell a certain story, and if it irked some people, that was okay with me.

Again, even if it doesn't focus directly on Islam, and remains allegorical/metaphorical, if it's what I suspect it is, courtesy of some of the hints she's given, that's appalling.

Update 3: The Washington Times may be a worthy paper, but their comics and games columnist most certainly isn't, nor is the comic store owner who's recommending questionable products like these in this entry.

Update 4: well looky here, the Nashua Telegraph, in their own sugary article about this, has one more interesting detail to tell:

Being a hyperpraxis pilot has its unusual advantages, such as when Blythe is able to relive the life of her lover, Zayn, during his childhood in Saudi Arabia and young adulthood in college. Many women would welcome this insight into the male mind, as does Blythe – so far.

No kidding. I won't be surprised if there's more to this than meets the eye, and if it turns out to be most truly appalling.

Labels: dc comics, islam and jihad, msm propaganda, politics

Omaha's KETV7 reports that a mother is offended by a Spider-Man book being offered at the city's library because of unsuitable sexual content:

MILLARD, Neb. -- A Millard mother said she's upset by a comic book that she considers sexually explicit that is in her son's elementary school library.

The comic is part of a popular new series about Spider-Man and the head librarian of the Millard School District said it's been in high demand.

"My son looked at this and goes, 'Ohhhh!'" said Physha Svendsen.

She said the book that her 6-year-old son brought home is not age-appropriate for Norris Elementary School students and wants it removed from the library.

"It has a lot of sexual undertones in here, as far as sexuality goes," she said. "They can learn this through any other place, but it's not something I allow them to learn, in my house at least."

I can probably understand the concern here, but is this in the post-Brand New Day material in ASM that they're talking about? Main problem with this article is that it doesn't make clear where this is taking place.

And in all due honesty, I think it's a shame if this is what makes headlines instead of excessive, tasteless violence that's also been finding its way into comics like these in the past several years.

Update: here's another report on this from 10News that's got a video.

Update 2: Spider-Man Crawl Space reports that it's from the Revelations trade published 7 years ago.

Labels: libraries, marvel comics, Spider-Man

The Kansas City Star publishes an interview with the owner of a local store and try to make it sound as though comics are recession-proof:

“Comics traditionally have been recession-proof. One reason is they’re collectible, and collectibles tend to hold their value.”

That may be true of the older publications, but what of the newer ones, past 1992 or so? And I think it would be foolish to assume that they'll be eternally invulnerable to recession.

Are people really buying comics in this economy?

Actually, yes, both nationally and locally. Earlier this month a rare copy of Action Comics No. 1, the first comic book featuring Superman, sold for $317,200 in an Internet auction. And closer to home, Mangiaracina sold Amazing Fantasy No. 15 to 51-year-old Kansas City firefighter Tom Chuning for $7,500. It was the largest sale the veteran comic seller has ever made. The highly collectible book, which features a cover by the legendary Jack Kirby, is where Spider-Man made his first appearance.

But even that's an exaggeration, and just how many people can afford to pay even that much? Not many. Collectors who pay tons to own a single issue of a famous series are but a handful of the overall public.

But how about regular priced comics?

“In a tough economy, comics are cheap entertainment,” Mangiaracina said.

At four dollars and rising? It's not that simple, I'm afraid.

William Binderup, owner of Elite Comics in Overland Park, agreed that comics are generally recession proof.

“The economy doesn’t affect us too much,” he said. “I guess it could if too many customers lose their jobs. But as far as most comics people go, they’re a pretty dedicated lot. They’re food, shelter, comic books, and not necessarily in that order. If money gets tight it’s a lot easier to go out to dinner one time less a month (than it is to break the comic-book habit) because a lot of these people have been reading Amazing Spider-Man since they were 12 years old. It’s been a big part of their life.”

They must be really desperate to keep a straight face. It does get a little more honest in the following though:

So people are still buying comics, especially vintage books. That’s good for sellers like Mangiaracina, since that’s the bulk of his business. But all is not perfect in comicland.

First, new books are not selling as well. Last year Mangiaracina took 40 percent of his back issues and put them in a new 99 cent department.

“We wanted to create a way that comics would still be cheap,” he said. “It has made a difference.”

Second, kids aren’t buying many comics these days. Most of Mangiaracina’s customers are between 40 and 60.

And that's pretty much the case in some, if not all, parts of the country, where only a small portion of the audience today is under 40, or even under 20. As for taking back issues and charging only a dollar for them, what else are they to do if they couldn't sell them the first time around? Those back issues they speak of that the store proprietor moved to the quarter/dollar bin could even include Spider-Man's Brand New Day!

“From 1939 to 1995, comics always cost twice what a candy bar costs, which meant they were cheap,” Mangiaracina said. “In 1995 Marvel and DC decided to double the price and go to four times the cost of a candy bar. As a result, Batman sales — sort of the bellwether of the comic market — went from 750,000 to 50,000 a month. We lost 90 to 95 percent of our sales, and Marvel went bankrupt. My feeling is it was because of the price increase.”

Prices have stabilized of late, helping the industry recover. Marvel is selling comics again. It would help sellers if people began seeing comics as investments again. Ten years ago prices soared as speculators bought books, hoping for big profits. But that market bottomed out about two years ago.

Umm, I think there's a little exaggeration here too - Marvel has begun to boost the price of at least several of their books to 4 dollars. That's not exactly a sign that they're selling well again. But they're right about something: the price hike in the mid-90s was one thing that led to the downfall of recent. However, they don't seem to realize that it was Marvel and DC's pandering to the "speculator/investment market" at the expense of good storytelling, to say nothing of their attempts to be more like Image Comics, that helped precipitate the collapse.

“There are very few investors (now),” Mangiaracina said. “People are buying what they want to read. They still keep them, but people aren’t going crazy trying to buy comics for investments. Although with how the stock market is going, it might be a better idea.”

He's got a point there. People have to be careful how they spend their money, and if it's something badly written, that's why buying specific comics won't pay off.

Binderup said comics can still be good investments.

“They can be if you buy Silver Age comics (comics before 1970)” he said. “That stuff has never gone down in value.”

IMO, that's because a lot of them are better written than much of what's come in the decades since, and in better taste too.

Labels: msm propaganda, sales

A short article in India's Central Chronicle about the actor/martial artist Akshay Kumar turning to comic book writing.

Labels: Europe and Asia

Anti-jihad cartoonist Bosch Fawstin, the creator of Pigman/The Infidel, writes a bit on Big Hollywood about one of his earlier graphic novels, Table for One. And, here's an announcement on Jihad Watch about his upcoming compilation of ProPiganda: Drawing the Line Against Jihad, which is set to debut in the summertime.

Update: here's an interview on Front Page Magazine where Fawstin discusses more about the books.

Labels: indie publishers, islam and jihad, politics, terrorism

The MacNN website has a short article about an upcoming Lego-designed Batman computer game making its debut next month.

Labels: Batman, dc comics, technology

DC Comics has already begun to raise the price on some of their output to almost 4 dollars. Several upcoming items featured here now have price tags amounting to that much. To compensate for the price hike, they're trying to add backup features, but if the stars of these either weren't able to carry their own books to begin with, as in the case of the new Blue Beetle, or are multi-culti plagued ideas like the new Question that may not interest much of the audience anyway, there may not be much chance that anyone will buy Batman and Detective Comics just to read those backups anyway.

Years ago, whenever DC specialized in the backups, they never charged that much. Now, with a price as bad as $4, their attempt to compensate may not have much effect. Especially when the concepts involved in the new backups aren't that well crafted to begin with.

Labels: dc comics

The Stuff website of Wellington, New Zealand reports that film director Guillermo del Toro is a huge comics fan, and tends to buy and read tons of them.

Reuters has an article on the current international anime convention in Tokyo, which seems to be doing well despite the economic downturn.

Labels: conventions, Europe and Asia, manga and anime

With what is to be officially number 501, Daredevil is being returned to the original volume 1. And looking at this listing (via Comics Should Be Good), it turns out that Capt. America will resume at what's to be issue 600.

A little too late, I'm afraid, certainly in the case of Cap. Because if Steve Rogers doesn't return alive and kicking, then I see little point in their latest attempt to get people to buy based on the "milestone" number alone.

Labels: marvel comics

PBS's Online News Hour is fawning over the pro-Islam comic called "The 99", published in Kuwait. I may have written about that at least once before, or about a book from the same publishers (Teshkeel) and now it's turned up in the news again, on a propaganda site as bad as PBS, no less. What raised my eyebrows in the video recording they have was when they spoke of characters with "violent attributes" like Mumita the Destroyer and Darr the Afflictor. I should think that can give a clue or two of how this is not exactly something inspiring, yet PBS would rather the public think otherwise. And did I hear correctly circa 3:00 one saying "it represents humankind"? A religion that contains abominations like this?

Most interesting thing is how it was censored by Saudi Arabia partly due to prayer. But that doesn't mean it isn't still propaganda that whitewashes the Religion of Peace.

Update: cartoonist Bosch Fawstin talks about what could be the perfect response to this propaganda over at Big Hollywood, his new graphic novel called The Infidel.

Labels: islam and jihad, msm propaganda, politics

An article in the Philadelphia Daily News about the University of Pennsylvania's exhibition of "WOW! Superhero Day" at their Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Sunday.

Update: here's another report in the Daily Pennsylvanian.

Labels: exhibitions, museums

Articlesbase features an item where the writer asks if Brand New Day is refreshing, and at the end of the segment, that's when it really crashes:

Still, the story made the Spider-Man comics more interesting. Green Goblin's son Harry is brought back to life. Peter Parker's identity is safe. A redheaded superheroine named Jackpot may or may not be Mary Jane Watson. Despite fan criticism, the Faustian pact made Spider-Man a more readable book. But will the ends justify the means? Only time – and a lot of spider-webs – will tell.

Time has already told about this very article: it's just one more godawful, sugarcoated form of defeatism. I guess that's one columnist there who doesn't think making deals with the devil is such a bad thing.

Labels: marvel comics, msm propaganda, Spider-Man

The man who took over for Geoff Johns on TT is now departing (via Titans Tower Monitor), though he says he'll be writing a backup feature for Ravager for a while more.

Can't say I'm sorry to see him depart as a full time writer for this. That assault he initiated on Wendy and Marv alone was truly reprehensible, and it makes no difference if Wendy survived, even in a coma, surely their idea of how to get away with the offense - it's still distasteful, right down to the Women in Refridgerators allusion. In fact, now that I think of it, chances are they haven't shown Wendy wake up from the coma yet, nor will we ever see anything else done about it, nor will she ever be developed as a supporting cast member or any kind of use made of her in the future.

The current TT volume has lost a considerable amount of its audience, and unless Dan DiDio specifically steps down as EIC and an editor of this title, I don't see a bright future for it.

Labels: bad editors, dc comics, misogyny and racism, Titans, violence

An article on CNN about an exhibition of comics at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, on the 70-year history of many legendary superheroes.

Labels: exhibitions, museums

Investor's Business Daily writes about how Stan Lee began his career as early as 1940, just before he turned 18, and since became a legend.

Labels: good writers, marvel comics

An article on IT World about two technology companies who're adapting graphic novels for view and reading on mobile phones, shown at the Paris Book Fair.

Labels: technology

David Hayter had an open letter posted by a webmaster working for him where he urges fans to come back for more of the Watchmen movie that says:

Please go see the movie again next weekend.

You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week. If you care about movies that have a brain, or balls, (and this film's got both, literally), or true adaptations -- And if you're thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night. Demonstrate the power of the fans, because it'll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we'd like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again.

[...]

All this time, you’ve been waiting for a director who was going to hit you in the face with this story. To just crack you in the jaw, and then bend you over the pool table with this story. With its utterly raw view of the darkest sides of human nature, expressed through its masks of action and beauty and twisted good intentions. Like a fry-basket full of hot grease in the face. Like the Comedian on the Grassy Knoll. I know, I know...

You say you don't like it. You say you've got issues. I get it.

And yet... You'll be thinking about this film, down the road. It'll nag at you. How it was rough and beautiful. How it went where it wanted to go, and you just hung on. How it was thoughtful and hateful and bleak and hilarious. And for Jackie Earle Haley.

Trust me. You'll come back, eventually. Just like Sally.

He must've taken a lot of flak for that, because he later wrote an update saying:

First off, let me apologize for my metaphor. I am certainly not advocating violence against women of any kind. My sole intent was to reference one of the most complex, controversial and interesting issues in the story imho -- The nature of the relationship between Sally and the Comedian, and likening that complexity to some people's reaction to the film. It was meant more in the spirit of speaking to those who are truly entwined with the heart of the story -- A horrific act, that ends in a love story. I sincerely apologize for any offense.

It's too late, I'm afraid. The movie has already lost more than 70 percent of its audience, and I don't think they're going to waste another 7-10 dollars so easily. What a disturbed man he must be, suggesting that the audience, comic or movie fans, allow themselves to be victimized like rape victims.

If there's any lesson that could be learned from this, it's what moviemakers may think of comic fans, just like the big two's publishers, that they're willing to let themselves be ripped off repeatedly by buying badly written comics and are unable to resist. Maybe it'll get some to think about why that has to change, and we can't let ourselves be taken advantage of anymore.

An article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin about a new biography of Joe Kubert, one of the most famous artists in comicdom whose portfolio includes Sgt. Rock.

Labels: good artists

The LeHigh Valley Express-Times, in their fawning of Batman: Battle for the Cowl, signals how it's just more of the same in the Land of Gotham:

The city is in chaos. Gang wars have spread onto the streets; all the costumed criminals have escaped Arkham Asylum.

An over taxed police force is crumbling and more and more officers are walking off the job.

With Batman missing and presumed dead, Gotham has become a warzone.

Same old, same old. We've been this way before with Knightfall, No Man's Land, War Games, and countless other crossovers.

The only thing holding the city together is the small band of heroes gathered by Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson, the original Robin.

Nightwing's team is made up of all of Batman's allies including: Wildcat, Huntress, Batwoman, Robin, Damien, Catwoman, Black Canary and Oracle.

With all of their combined skill and talent, this group of heroes can barely keep the city from being torn apart.

What they are missing is the psychological impact of Batman.

Criminals simply aren't as intimidated by these heroes as they are by Batman.

Without that fear to keep them in check, criminals have gone wild in a mad grab for power.

Oh please, this is just such an exaggeration. Even when Bruce Wayne is around as Batman, there were more than enough rank-and-file criminals who weren't afraid of going on a rampage.

Things only get worse when an imposter picks up the mantle of Batman and begins a brutal and murderous assault of the criminals of Gotham.

Gee, even that sounds familiar!

On top of that the criminal mastermind Black Mask has returned and he's organizing the costumed criminals to help him take over the city.

"Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1" by writer/artist Tony Daniel paints a bleak picture for the city of Gotham and the heroes left to defend it.

By the end of the three issue mini series from DC Comics someone will be the new Batman.

Now it's just a matter of who it's going to be.

The front-runner is Nightwing. He's taken over for Batman before. But now he's reluctant to step forward because of Bruce's death.

Two other contenders are Jason Todd and Tim Drake.

Jason Todd was the second Robin and the one who died a few years ago. He got better. Jason is a little crazy and extreme in his crime fighting.

Tim Drake is the current Robin and is a master detective.

Sorry, but by now, if they're thinking of turning Jason Todd into the Batman, it'll be a pure joke. He hasn't changed much since his pointless return, if at all, and it's clear they don't have much of an idea what to do with him even now.

Each of these characters has one of the qualities it would take to become Batman but none has all three.

Nightwing has the fighting skills, Jason Todd has the intimidation and Tim Drake has the detective skills.

Whoever becomes the new Batman will be really busy after "Battle for the Cowl" concludes as DC has planned eight new books to showcase the all new Batman.

None of which need to be bought, as I figure this is their latest crossover, combined with bait-and-switch tactics, and all of which takes the place of real storytelling.

Labels: Batman, dc comics, msm propaganda

In this column at Comics Bulletin, they talk about how the civilian lives of the superheroes have become almost scarce in use recently, and even their supporting casts, if any, are not faring much better:

In good storytelling you had to know Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne to care about what happened to Spider-Man, Daredevil, Superman and Batman. I think the publishers/editors/writers take for granted that everyone already knows all about the hero's secret identity, supporting cast and reasons why they became a super hero. I think some of the writers are lazy in the fact it's just easier to write about the super side of the hero. They no longer have to interweave the character through sub-plots, non-powered supporting cast, new love interests and family.

As of late the only supporting cast end up being other costumed heroes. Sub-plots have been replaced with "the next big event." Love interests have been isolated to only other super powered beings. Family has taken the biggest hit of all. Marriage means death, death of the spouse or death of sales. The children of a hero are either killed off or turned into some raging, ADD, trauma nut case villain that only lives to kill their parents. In the case of marriage, if they don't kill off the spouse then instead of doing something realistic like divorce, the hero simply makes a deal with a devil-wannabe and POOF! It's all over.

Sometimes I think that's the biggest drawback with a lot of team titles: the heroes only date each other, and no civilian supporting cast is introduced to take the role of the main dates for various superheroes, whether they know their secret IDs or not. Mind you, there were some good stories out there where the heroes dated and even married each other, though some of these were undone too (Scarlet Witch and Vision, for example), but even so, with the exception of the marriage of Donna Troy and Terry Long in 1984 (which was also undone a decade afterwards and then Terry and their son were terminated), very few attempts have been made at giving a superhero/heroine who's a team book mainstay a civilian date, if at all, or even coming up with more than just one civilian co-star other than Jarvis, to name but one. And I've got a feeling that for now, little to no attempt will be made to improve upon that.

The big two have no idea what it really takes to make money and draw in larger crowds, or any idea of what makes for a good balance.

Labels: dc comics, marvel comics

I waited a few days to see what the word would be on the internet about the Watchmen movie, and from some of the results, including the box office receipts, which were not as good as they were for 300, it looks like this adaptation of an Alan Moore book too, looks to be regarded as a failure. On the Savage Critics blog, they say:

It fetishized the violence. This is a seriously violent movie. Most of that violence is in the comic, but it is very very different in a comic than in a movie -- especially when the movie tends to use that speed-up, then slow-mo down technique for the action. Movies also have sound effects (you can hear s*** breaking and tearing, yes), which the comic resolutely did not have.

So it fetishizes the violence? Big mistake. Sensationalism is not how you make a point or send a message.

The Wash. Times' movie critic says on his own blog that it's not worth all the fuss that was made over it, and that:

The film earns its R rating honestly with gross-out sequences of snapped limbs and other visual atrocities. But it often feels forced, as if playing to its audience’s baser instincts like some B-minus horror film.

It doesn't sound like the audience was particularly enthralled either: when bringing up some highlights about what went on at the theater, he says:

Audience reaction to “Watchmen” was muted, to say the least. I saw the 3:10 p.m. showing, which was probably about 1/4 full - not bad for a matinee. But I got zero excitement out of the crowd.

And that's probably why it won't take in much more money in the next weeks of its release. So, I guess if there's anything now that could raise eyebrows, it's that Toys R Us is selling merchandise like action figures for kids!

Okay, this is a joke, right? April Fools must have come early. Nope, DC/Time Warner/Toys R Us are apparently selling toys, lunchboxes and thermoses based on the Watchmen (that Lego was willing to make some is shocking), including one based on the Comedian!
Though it was available on their website, they must really be ashamed of that last one, seeing how it wasn't clearly on display with the rest of the action figures, and is last in line on the menu of individual action figures, where it's listed with a price of 20 bucks.

And I guess that's what's really disgusting about this movie: that they're going so far as to include merchandise based on it, most of which is sold at a major outlet for children when this happens to be a movie with an R rating and certainly a comic that's geared for adults.

An article in the Japan Times about "scanlators", manga/anime fans who freely translate a ton of products into English and other languages.

Labels: manga and anime

The Neosho Daily News writes about a convention in Joplin, MO, and a store manager they quote here gets a little something inaccurate:

“The Amazing Spiderman always does very well. The movies helped, it just seems to stay in all generations,” Kocurek said.

Sorry, but...not so. Certainly not whenever Mary Jane was mistreated as badly as she's being now. The current sales estimates show this too, and even the Obama issue didn't help much.

I guess that's one store manager who just can't bring himself to admit reality.

Labels: conventions, marvel comics, msm propaganda, Spider-Man

Hube of The Colossus of Rhodey has created a new comics blog, The Comics of Rhodey! And one of the first topics is about the history of Iron Man's red-and-silver armor suit.

Labels: marvel comics

The Northeast Pennsylvania Times-Leader has an article about 2 professors at Misericordia University running a comics class on race and graphic narrative in postwar USA, and they say that:

A key piece of the course is reviewing the 1980s comic book series “New Guardians.” With international superheroes, all stereotyped, Austin called it “a 1980s attempt at multiculturalism that’s gone pretty terribly wrong.”

That's interesting, but then look at some of DC's more recent efforts: they even tarnished and embarrassed some of their minor superheroes all for the sake of multiculturalism! (Firestorm, Atom, Blue Beetle, Question.)

Labels: dc comics

Labels: Carnival entries

Nick Fury's espionage and law enforcement agency is being villified in "Secret Warriors":

When Nick Fury joined the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and later became its director, he thought he was continuing his decades-spanning fight against tyranny and evil in the Marvel Universe.

Turns out Nick Fury was dead wrong.

As head of S.H.I.E.L.D, Fury believed he was working to smash several global criminal-subversive conspiracies, most notably Hydra, but in the sold-out “Secret Warriors” #1, Fury learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually an arm of Hydra.

Oh my god. They're still going on with their leftist tyranny.

[Jonathan] Hickman credits his editor Tom Brevoort and co-writer Brian Michael Bendis for the idea of making S.H.I.E.L.D. an arm of Hydra. “I remember talking with them about all the things that would make ‘Secret Warriors’ a cool book and we agreed that we needed a big, shocking reveal at the end of the first issue; something to make everybody say, ‘Oh my God!” Hickman told CBR. “At first, I think Brian wanted the big reveal to come at the end of the first arc, but I said, ‘No. Let’s make it the first issue.’”

Better yet, let's NOT read this book, which clearly shows that they're still hell bent on destroying some of their best works. I wonder if the Howling Commandos will be next on their list of targets to defame? Bendis is definitely one of the worst writers they have now along with this Hickman, and Brevoort has made himself one of the worst editors.

Labels: marvel comics, moonbat writers

According to a fan of the Titans Tower who emailed its webmaster, passing on info from the Orlando MegaCon that may not have been covered by the major sites, Judd Winick is now gone from the Titans. If that's so, good.

Unfortunately, DC hasn't gotten rid of Winick altogether, seeing how he's going to be writing Batman again. And something tells me that no matter who replaces him as Titans writer, after the disastrous launch of the title last year, there's little chance it'll be able to regain a solid audience.

Labels: dc comics, dreadful writers, Titans

Wired has an article in which they interview several employees at comic book stores with special Q&As. They even talk about which comics they think have fallen from grace, and Spider-Man is cited as an example quite a bit here.

Labels: marvel comics

Some of Rucka's indie works might be done well, but his work for DC's mainstream has gone downhill for years now. I happened across this topic on the Dixonverse forum, where it's told how Rucka and Judd Winick will be taking over the Batbooks, and one of the posters tells the following about Rucka's work and what he had Renee Montoya, the new Question, doing in the pages of 52:

His first Detective run -- went downhill fast, since he seemed to think he is smarter than Batman. And I hated his ruination of the character of Vesper Fairchild. I found Sasha to be an incredible Mary Sue, which he could not write consistantly (it's appalling when OTHER WRITERS write the character you create better than you do). There was nothing about Sasha that justified her EVER finding out Batman's true identity, let alone being accepted as a side-kick. Rot.

I now generally try to avoid his work, so as not to mess with my blood pressure. That didn't keep me from wanting to throw up during 52 when he turned Renee into a promiscuous drunken pedophile. Why? No justification whatsoever.

And to explain what happened more clearly, the poster then tells that:

In 52, when she & Vic are in Black Adam's country, they're walking down the street, and Renee gets whiplash gawking at some teen girls that are obviously jail bait age. Later, she's found in bed with a teen girl.

Yeah. Pedophile. Crappy piece of writing.

And here I thought it was bad enough after reading a synopsis of another issue of that same weekly-produced series a few years ago that told how Ralph Dibny, who was already being written into a corner by either Mark Waid or Geoff Johns, offered Wonder Girl alcohol when she may be underage!

Renee Montoya was one of at least two characters first created in the cartoon series of Batman airing in the 1990s, and was introduced into the comics around the same time (Batman #475, March 1992). The other one was Harley Quinn. But unlike Marvel's Angelica Jones/Firestar, who'd first appeared in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends in 1981 and entered the MCU proper 4 years afterwards, Montoya and Quinn were either not handled well, or their characterization was destroyed in the years after they were intro'd to the DCU (I certainly don't think Harley Quinn's depiction was any good). Gotham Central was where things really went downhill as Rucka turned Montoya into a lesbian, and 52's story is a real nadir.

And while my memories of the Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive crossover have gotten blurry over the years, I can say from what I remember that it was one of the worst stories I ever read. Sasha Bordeaux, who suffered the worst after Vesper Fairchild, seemed to be there just to create another needless rift between Batman and a female co-star for acting as badly to her as the authorities did. Maybe Rucka's got something good to offer in Queen & Country, for example, but he's yet another novelist and an indie comic writer who doesn't have enough understanding of what it takes to write a mainstream production without resorting to contrived elements, and if he's going to write Montoya as badly as he did in 52, he clearly doesn't know much about morale. Suffice it to say he's also embarrassed Vic Sage by making him look irresponsible in his choice of whom to pick as a successor. I am so glad I didn't dare waste my time on that awful miniseries. This is what Vic Sage had to be tossed out of his role as the Question for?

No matter how "minor" the hero role or the protagonist, that does not make poor depictions like that of Montoya okay. And if that's how Rucka is going to handle things, he does not deserve an audience.

Update: it may have been an exaggeration. Here's some scans on Scans Daily (new current site).

Labels: dc comics, dreadful writers, misogyny and racism

An article in the Korea Times about the science-learning comic called "Why?" which has been running for 2 decades.

Labels: Europe and Asia, manga and anime, science

Ugh, that's just what we don't need. In this fluff-coated AP Wire article published in the Boston Globe, it's told how a leftist in Maine is selling a Noam Chomsky coloring book, and even planning comics of the same:

AUGUSTA, Maine --Finally, a coloring book for children and grandchildren of leftist activists.

With 1960s radicals becoming grandparents, Roger Leisner sees a market in the gray ponytail set for his only slightly tongue-in-cheek Noam Chomsky coloring book, which he sells for $5 each. If it's a success, Leisner plans more coloring books, and he may branch out into comic books as well.

[...]

Later, Leisner said he may do a Noam Chomsky comic book, featuring quotes from various talks over the years.

"No, I will not put him in a cape or any other get-up," said Leisner. "A blue workshirt and Levis is good enough for me."

Just the mention of Chomsky makes me sick to the bone. He is one disgusting madman, just like Bill Ayers, who's sadly getting a comic/graphic novel based on his writings, and the last thing we need is comics about Chomsky. A coloring book is bad news too. And it doesn't matter even if he doesn't draw Chomsky in a costume, the man is already terrible enough.

Labels: moonbat writers, msm propaganda, politics