Sperg about comic books here

[sarna]

That was a couple years later at the very least, but he did start his DOGSHIT Spider-Man run not too long after Hellions, that's where the mystery of how he got so bad is.

Yeah, it was a direct transition. They closed down the X-books he was writing so he could move on to Amazing Spider.

It's a shame. The issue where they crash the Hellfire Gala is an all-timer. Something like four or five separate threads of the cast making terrible decisions and it's all hilarious.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

That was a couple years later at the very least, but he did start his DOGSHIT Spider-Man run not too long after Hellions, that's where the mystery of how he got so bad is.


It might just be this.

I am curious, what are your thoughts on Kwannon as a whole? Betsy, now that she's back in the OG body, it feels like to me that anyone writing her can't really figure out a good plan for her character. The idea of Excalibur had promise but it just turned out shit. Kwannon on the other hand I find a much better character.

 

[Nick Obre]

I am curious, what are your thoughts on Kwannon as a whole? Betsy, now that she's back in the OG body, it feels like to me that anyone writing her can't really figure out a good plan for her character. The idea of Excalibur had promise but it just turned out shit. Kwannon on the other hand I find a much better character.

I don't know, she was essentially a nothing character before the Krakoa era. Fallen Angels was terrible but it gave her a personal trauma unrelated to Betsy to deal with, and a motivation, then that followed into Hellions and she was great there, made her into a distinct character that, although stern, wasn't just a transplant of the common perception of 90's Psylocke. Then she was ok in various appearances as one of the Captains, but fucking sucked in the second Marauders run, unrecognizable from the character she was just moments ago. I think she was ok in Uncanny Avengers but beyond that, she was never written as well as in Hellions again.

I have not touched almost anything post Krakoa, so I don't know what her deal is now. I'll blindly shoot and say they've resurfaced the drama and tension with Betsy, which they had squashed during Krakoa, because it's the easiest thing to do?

 

[Registration]

I think Kirkman was running out of ideas for where to take the series. Pretty sure he wanted to keep it going because at that point, it was one of the best selling comics on the stands because of the TV show, but he didn't really know what to do with it until he saw an opportunity to do a commentary on President Hilary with the new Governor.

The idea of having people live among the dead could have worked as an earlier arc, but by this point we have a civilization re-emerging and the Whisperer's would be seeing this. Had they been the villains before Negan, or even the Governor, and only stuck around for one or two volumes, fine. But the amount of time given to them caused the arc to drag on for too long.

I dropped TWD in issue 128. I don't even remember why I dropped or what was happening at that point but I remember that so long had passed from my favorite arc (prison) that I just couldn't continue Anymore. I was there when they killed the chink and was somewhat bummed out.

Nowadays the only way I would read again was if I was going to be paid lol

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I dropped TWD in issue 128. I don't even remember why I dropped or what was happening at that point but I remember that so long had passed from my favorite arc (prison) that I just couldn't continue Anymore. I was there when they killed the chink and was somewhat bummed out.

Nowadays the only way I would read again was if I was going to be paid lol

I feel like issue 48 was the perfect ending for the book and Kirkman should have wrapped it up there. Especially that last page, you have Rick clinging onto Carl tightly, crying and losing it as he realizes he's lost everything, and the zombies approaching them in the background. It's like Rick has finally reached his limit, he's lost everything except his son and now they're surrounded without protection, so Rick tries to shield his young son from the end for as long as he can. After that it just got so repetitive.

I read to the end, and I enjoyed it, it's one of those series that works better when there's momentum. I really only kept buying it because they kept coming out. Then a couple of years ago I read it start to finish and it was more enjoyable when you weren't waiting months just to be disappointed.

 

[strumpets exeunt]

I feel like issue 48 was the perfect ending for the book and Kirkman should have wrapped it up there.

Hell, from a narrative standpoint, you could have had Kirkman wrap it up after issue 24 when Rick announces, “WE are the walking dead.” That’s the message every single piece of zombie media since Romero is trying to hammer home.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Byrne's run on She Hulk is........not as fun as I expected it to be? He goes too far with space and shit. Boring. And the exposition is zzzzz. I enjoy every fourth wall break but it is a slog to get through. The final issue of his run where they try out different comic genres was funny.

Probably gonna reread Justice League Dark before getting the second JLD series with Wonder Woman. Personally the latter is a lot better but the original isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Had it not been constantly hampered by all those big event crossover storylines type bullshit, I'd argue its the most tolerable of the New 52.

 

[Nick Obre]

Probably gonna reread Justice League Dark before getting the second JLD series with Wonder Woman. Personally the latter is a lot better but the original isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Had it not been constantly hampered by all those big event crossover storylines type bullshit, I'd argue its the most tolerable of the New 52.

Some parts of the New 52 were decent-to-good (like Frankenstein and Demon Knights, but then, I'm a big fan of Ystina and Frank & co. from Seven soldiers; they've never been as good as they were in SS, but still entertaining), and the Animal Man/Swamp Thing corner of the New 52 was straight up great. I loathed JLD* (it terribly mishandled John, Zee, Shade, and really everyone it touched, not to mention trying to hype up Milligan's shit OC, Mindwarp), but the Rotworld crossover (AM, ST, JLD, Frank, etc) was good, or at least I remember it being good.

*I've never read the later JLD stuff, I tend to stay away from anything "mainstream DC" that features John, because that's not John, that's "slightly shadier Dr. Strange".

 

[Clyde Cash's Left Teste]

Byrne's run on She Hulk is........not as fun as I expected it to be? He goes too far with space and shit. Boring. And the exposition is zzzzz. I enjoy every fourth wall break but it is a slog to get through. The final issue of his run where they try out different comic genres was funny.

Probably gonna reread Justice League Dark before getting the second JLD series with Wonder Woman. Personally the latter is a lot better but the original isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Had it not been constantly hampered by all those big event crossover storylines type bullshit, I'd argue its the most tolerable of the New 52.

I liked what I read of the second JLD run

 

[Stab You in the Back]

Finally had a chance to read through Jeff Smith's Thorn. For those not in the know, Thorn was Jeff Smith's college comic strip where he developed the characters and story that would eventually become Bone.

Thorn is... something. Its half Bone, half college liberal trying his hand at making political comics. Written in the early eighties, it contains a lot of references to Ronald Reagan, abortion, and religion. The jokes and commentary are what you'd expect from a college student. Ronald Reagan is portrayed as a clown who doesn't know his own policies. Religion is portrayed as a scam. Etc. Etc.

The meat of the strips is the Bone story. You get what is essentially the first half of Bone told in a broken, but recognizable form. Fone Bone gets lost in the valley, meets Ted the Bug, meets and moves in with Thorn and Grandma Ben. Phoney eventually shows up. Hijinks ensue in the forest until the rat creatures attack. The Hooded One is here. Roque Jaw is here. Smiley shows up at the very, very end.

What's fascinating to me as someone who read Bone as it was being released in the 90s, is not only how accurate it is to the story that it would become, but the deviations are just as fascinating. The rat creatures attack the valley en masse. The dragon uses his fire breath, which results in a nuclear-type detonation that destroys the valley. Roque Jaw appears and teams up with Bone and Thorn to rescue Phoney from the Hooded One. Grandma Ben kills Briar and becomes the Hooded One in order to save Phoney. They eventually all leave the valley (and surrounding mountains) to start a second adventure where they travel to a kingdom run by Ronald Reagan (this is where they meet Smiley).

Unfortunately, the second adventure is cut short, and Smith spends his last semester in college remaking the beginning portions of the series.

Most of the Bone portions work. All of the non-Bone stuff falls flat on its face. There's also some 4th wall BS where the Bones leave the strip, interact with Jeff and start working at an ice cream factory. The gags are funny, but I hated whenever Jeff drew himself into the strip (which he did frequently).

All in all, I enjoyed it. Its a fascinating look into the development of one of the most influential comics of all time. If you're a fan of Bone, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Finished the first JLD omnibus. Don't quite get why we never explicitly get Black Orchid's origins despite numerous hints at it. Overall fun but bogged down by the dreaded crossovers. Constantine and Zatanna make a good team purely because they're both charming and essentially bipolar in their love for each other. On to the next JLD omnibus which is a refreshing breath of fresh air.

1. I do have to ask why.....in regards to several different things. One issue has a literal five years later with Zatanna (heavily scarred for some reason) bitter and hardened, leading the group in the house. Shes with Etrigan for some reason. This whole issue is almost like some kind of one shot because afterwards its the arc with her turning into a tree and shit. Okay apparently its their Futures End one shot. Oddly placed.

2. Characters come and go at their leisure but it's strange. Zatanna and Xanadu are there like they'll be there permanently when they finish the mission with Timothy Hunter. Xanadu at least is shown leaving of her own volition after beheading her son (though she does return with the others for the final arc) but Zatanna isn't with them. She appears in the Trinity crossover but then is captured off panel until the team rescues her after which she kicks John out and takes over. Shade is set up to be extremely important but he leaves after only a short time. Mindwarp leaves but then gets captured and murdered by Felix Faust and Nick Necro. It feels like Enchantress is going to be a member but after her arc concluded she's gone until she is captured with the others by Felix.

3. Pandora. Fucking Pandora. She shows up and does her thing. But then I find out that shortly after JLD ended she gets murdered by Doctor Manhattan. I've seen numerous theories about this from her representing the New 52 and as a result of the rebirth launch her dying symbolizes the shift, to her title selling poorly, etc. It just felt odd to discard her.

 

[Elite Kipchak]

>want to read a non-marvel run
>can probably find the tpb for under $40 at local b&n or used book store
>want to read a marvel run
>have to find a $200+ omni or track down individual issues

 

[Clyde Cash's Left Teste]

>want to read a non-marvel run
>can probably find the tpb for under $40 at local b&n or used book store
>want to read a marvel run
>have to find a $200+ omni or track down individual issues

Marvel sucks at keeping things in print. DC is slightly better but still.

 

[ChampFantana]

>want to read a non-marvel run
>can probably find the tpb for under $40 at local b&n or used book store
>want to read a marvel run
>have to find a $200+ omni or track down individual issues

Comic prices are fucking stupid. That's why I switched to digital years ago. Once you get past the quirks of the format, it's the best way to collect for a fan of the medium.

 

[Old King Koaleamos]

3. Pandora. Fucking Pandora. She shows up and does her thing. But then I find out that shortly after JLD ended she gets murdered by Doctor Manhattan. I've seen numerous theories about this from her representing the New 52 and as a result of the rebirth launch her dying symbolizes the shift, to her title selling poorly, etc. It just felt odd to discard her.

I vaguely remember some weird schizo n52 miniseries with her, The N52 Question, and The Phantom Stranger.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

I vaguely remember some weird schizo n52 miniseries with her, The N52 Question, and The Phantom Stranger.

Yeah that was Trinity of Sin I think?

Apparently Question was revealed as Narcissus. Idk. DC didn't know what the fuck they did. The three were tied in with Shazam's gods or something. During that arc Wonder Woman seeks the JLD out herself to help her stop the looming disaster.

She does it again in the second series. (Plus she got a cloak, a sword, and a new costume and it's very fun.) Tynion's Justice League Dark is genuinely so much better than n52. Like I genuinely advise getting the Tynion omnibus. It has the perfect blend of magic and actual genuine horror. Plus the members chosen by WW (Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Man Bat, and Swamp Thing) work better than you'd think. The Witching Hour is a really great arc. (I particularly like the way it involves not only one of WW's most well known villains, but also the new villain created for the series as well.) Swamp Thing also gets a very horrifying yet wholesome arc. Everyone gets their own moment to shine.

 

[Old King Koaleamos]

Yeah that was Trinity of Sin I think?

Apparently Question was revealed as Narcissus. Idk. DC didn't know what the fuck they did. The three were tied in with Shazam's gods or something. During that arc Wonder Woman seeks the JLD out herself to help her stop the looming disaster.

She does it again in the second series. (Plus she got a cloak, a sword, and a new costume and it's very fun.) Tynion's Justice League Dark is genuinely so much better than n52. Like I genuinely advise getting the Tynion omnibus. It has the perfect blend of magic and actual genuine horror. Plus the members chosen by WW (Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Man Bat, and Swamp Thing) work better than you'd think. The Witching Hour is a really great arc. (I particularly like the way it involves not only one of WW's most well known villains, but also the new villain created for the series as well.) Swamp Thing also gets a very horrifying yet wholesome arc. Everyone gets their own moment to shine.

Surprised we never got another JLD focus with WW as the lead.

She works as a lead.

 

[MrJokerRager]

It finally happened.

 

[Humble Architect]

It finally happened.

View attachment 7744558

What has been defiled can never undefined. He probably threw sand in there.

I’m sure this was an organic decision and has nothing to do with Ultimate wrapping up and trying to migrate those readers back to the core product.

 

[Clyde Cash's Left Teste]

It's not fixing anything though