tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post7802921977909442697..comments2023-09-09T04:03:00.560-05:00Comments on The Fortress of Soliloquy: Self-flagellation and dead horsesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-56774736413833103112007-01-15T14:59:00.000-06:002007-01-15T14:59:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.googumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267619711712271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-61203189258072692542007-01-11T05:34:00.000-06:002007-01-11T05:34:00.000-06:00Bit late to finding this post. But I just want to...Bit late to finding this post. But I just want to say that I think I love you. In a strictly Dixon approved hetero way...LurkerWithouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03540770911478925992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-38287906629522801442007-01-08T16:25:00.000-06:002007-01-08T16:25:00.000-06:00I agree with this post to the greatest extent it i...I agree with this post to the greatest extent it is possible to agree with anything.<br /><br />That is all.Vaklamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14839979414750032302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-13694017602537208902007-01-08T15:35:00.000-06:002007-01-08T15:35:00.000-06:00Dude, I think you're missing the point about Speed...Dude, I think you're missing the point about Speedball/Penance. He can teach us solid life lessons. <br /><br />For instance, you know how every Marvel book this week came with an insert for 25 free songs for eMusic? (it made the books a bitch to unpack and stack) Well, I already used a free eMusic trial a few months ago. But it turns out that if I used my work address and a different credit card, they wouldn't know it was the same guy, so I used the free trial again!<br /><br />But after a day or so, I felt guilty. So I stuck two toothpicks in my eyes--one for each time I abused eMusic only for free MP3s.<br /><br />Also, my exploits are now going to be taken over by Warren Ellis, even though he always says in interviews how he hates people named Eric. Good times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-53722864207344592912007-01-08T13:25:00.000-06:002007-01-08T13:25:00.000-06:00You mean that there was actually some sort of edit...You mean that there was actually some sort of editorial fiat, that said take a reasonably happy-go-lucky character and turn him into a flagellating weirdo, with huge metal nipples and a codpiece! I kid you not, Robbie has a codpiece. <br /><br />*whimper*<br /><br />Why do they have to do this to the slightly less dark characters? I thought the 90's were over. Ya know what I liked? DAMAGE CONTROL! That was good stuff! NOT Dark Speedball!<br /><br />Sorry, getting a little incoherent here.SallyPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05592635194271250605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-85720025740589379562007-01-08T11:47:00.000-06:002007-01-08T11:47:00.000-06:00"And what about the Impossible Man? He hasn't carr..."And what about the Impossible Man? He hasn't carried a story in quite some time. He'd be much better as a serial killer who tries to commit suicide every night, but whose shapeshifting body won't let him die. That's an awesome reinvention."<br /><br />That made me laugh out loud. :)<br /><br />PS. Hi random person, I found you on comicspace, by your cool Freakzoid avatar. :)Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16170737974239601931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-71071383396712893082007-01-08T05:47:00.000-06:002007-01-08T05:47:00.000-06:00Supergirl is surprisingly decent, now. I think on...Supergirl is surprisingly decent, now. I think one key to writing about "teen angst" well is to avoid over-identifying with the angsty teen.<br /><br />Clearly, Supergirl is a pretty unwell person at this time, and the overangst, while honest, isn't helping anything. In a lot of books, it'd be "My pain makes me right!"David Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16985574193396205518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-15968777403291979642007-01-07T17:28:00.000-06:002007-01-07T17:28:00.000-06:00I buy Judd's Shazam to see if there are any ideas ...I buy Judd's Shazam to see if there are any ideas I can salvage. Suprisingly, there are.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-2297976837090625932007-01-07T13:33:00.000-06:002007-01-07T13:33:00.000-06:00I give Joe Kelly a lot of credit for Supergirl, be...I give Joe Kelly a lot of credit for Supergirl, because honestly he didn't just finish up the random (albeit interesting) Rucka-Kandor arc, it's fairly clear he siad, "You know, this arc is stupid. Lets be done with it."<br /><br />Cue a bunch of good issues of Supergirl trying to deal with essentially living under Supes' shadow, teeny angst, and the only books I can think of where Captain Boomerang's kid is interesting. Oh, and cheesecake. Lots of cheesecake. (Hehe)<br /><br />Honestly, Trials of Shazam is one of the many reasons I constantly ask, "Why does Judd Winick have a job?" I was even tolerating Outsiders for a while there after OYL, but since Clark has left I've had to deal with sub-par art/imitation along with sub-par story, and now it's just depressing.<br /><br />Do people actually buy Trials of Shazam for any reason other than the very pretty Howard Porter art? Probably. Eeugh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-3510263946820330442007-01-07T01:12:00.000-06:002007-01-07T01:12:00.000-06:00I'll agree with Trials of Shazam (and you can thro...I'll agree with Trials of Shazam (and you can throw Martian Manhunter in as well), but I'm not so convinced with Supergirl. Loeb did his usual thing, and Rucka set up a little leather incest whatnot, but Kelly's been doing moderately decent work since the Kandor arc ended. I don't know...the angst feels more natural with Supergirl. It's probably because the character actually <i>is</i> a teenager and is actually given reasons to be angsty. They may not always be <i>good</i> reasons to be angsty, but I remember being a teenager, and not having a good reason didn't ever prevent me from pouring on the angst. <br /><br />I think angst and teen characters, with some exceptions (see: Captain Marvel, Jr.), works well. I don't mind seeing it in Runaways or Legion of Super-Heroes or even Supergirl, because at that age, angst is like oxygen. When it's characters who, even as teenagers, weren't all that angsty (see: Speedball, Impulse, CM3), but are suddenly overcome with Junior High Existential Angst, then it feels forced, unnatural, and outright stupid.Tom Fosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13796424725228769265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-25784000320029546322007-01-07T01:01:00.000-06:002007-01-07T01:01:00.000-06:00I saw the Penance sequence on Scans_Daily and trul...I saw the Penance sequence on Scans_Daily and truly must admit it was one of the most distasteful things I've ever read in a mainstream comic. <br /><br />(Even worse than the sushi-porn issue of Supergirl ... )<br /><br />Sadly, I agree with you and Dorian. This is the kind of stuff that sells these days and it's why books like All-New Atom are labeled a "commercial disaster."<br /><br />So many fans are convinced that angst, anger and leather = realism that it seems there's no turning back. (DC is guilty of this as well, with Trials of Shazam and Supergirl.)<br /><br />The ironic thing is that when super-heroes do cross-over to movies, tv, etc. it is usually in configurations that more closely resembles the Silver and Bronze age versions of the characters.<br /><br />The first two Spidey movies contain more Lee/Ditko/Romita references than you can shake a stick at, and the symbiote/Venom story is, what, 20 or 30 years old.<br /><br />The so-called innovations of modern writers are pretty much swept aside, as the comics themselves become the province of a smaller and smaller subset of collectors with a skewed idea of "reality."Marc Burkhardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06949686463975572297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-69704435234997721232007-01-06T23:38:00.000-06:002007-01-06T23:38:00.000-06:00I get crucified every time I say it, but I think t...I get crucified every time I say it, but I think there are all too many Marvel fans whose mentality is right in line with Quesada's, which is about at the 14-year-old level. The coolest things are spikes and leather and chains and people who don't take no crap from nobody. Some Marvel fans want everyone to be Wolverine and Punisher and Ghost Rider. I think characters like Speedball and 3-D Man and Bi-Beast and the other wacky people in the annals of Marvel history embarrass them, because they don't ride around in a hail of bullets and ass-kicking. I don't see that problem at DC; DC embraces their silly characters and wacky history (now). There are writers at Marvel who will (Slott, Kirkman, even Whedon to some degree), but most would prefer to sweep it under the rug for grim "realism." <br /><br />And yet, somehow, badass motorcyclists with claws and flaming heads, and once-bouncy guys in emo gimp costumes, fit right in with that "realism." I'll never understand it.Tom Fosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13796424725228769265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-14354483230864361382007-01-06T22:11:00.000-06:002007-01-06T22:11:00.000-06:00You know, I did care about Speedball.
Not from Ne...You know, I <i>did</i> care about Speedball.<br /><br />Not from New Warriors.<br /><br />From <i>Frontline.</i><br /><br />I had never heard of the character before Civil War. I had no idea who the New Warriors were.<br /><br />But I read Frontline. I followed the story (since, you know, Speedball was the main character), and god dammit, <i>I started caring.</i> I started to wonder what would happen to this one guy who got caught in the wrong fight in the wrong place with the wrong villain, who was just getting <i>crucified</i> by the media and the public and out-of-character-Tony-Stark, but who refused, who <i>refused</i> to give in, because he knew he did nothing wrong, he KNEW that he was not to blame for Stamford. For nine issues I was genuinely involved, and I could say to myself "Well, most of Civil War sucks, but at least (the main story) in Frontline is genuine and good and won't get turned to crap like a lot this stuff will/has. Thank god for Paul Jenkins."<br /><br />AND THEN HE TURNS INTO PENANCE?<br /><br />To say that I am angry with Marvel is a <i>gross</i> understatement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-79068055707433446732007-01-06T21:34:00.000-06:002007-01-06T21:34:00.000-06:00And yet, I've seen plenty of reactions from Marvel...And yet, I've seen plenty of reactions from Marvel readers on the various message boards who apparently LOVE this change, that I'm forced to sadly conclude that Quesada and co. are all too aware of what their audience wants. Sadly.Dorianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14754097613320749614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13848504.post-31958763736490910842007-01-06T20:53:00.000-06:002007-01-06T20:53:00.000-06:00Golly, I'm so pleased I haven't seen a copy of thi...Golly, I'm so pleased I haven't seen a copy of this. I might have dismantled the local comic store in a Hulk-like rage. Of course, since I operate in Old Marvel, this rage would harm absolutely no one, despite massive property damage.<br /><br />I suppose the simplest reason the fools did this, is that old "We don't care what kind of reaction we get from the fans, as long as we get a reaction."<br /><br />Apparently, Joey Q feels the numbers will be better by pissing off the Speedball fans there are, by making a character that most casual fans won't care about.<br /><br />If Joe and Mr. Jenkins want to see making a character interesting to more fans, look at what DC's done with Catman. or what they did with ted Kord. The sitautions aren't identical - since Ted died at the end of Countdown, and Catman's an antihero at best, making for a different perspective - but this, is not the way to do it.<br /><br />Speedball used to look up to Spider-Man. Now he's going to help Norman Osborn and Not Venom hunt Spidey down. Outstanding.CalvinPitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11815632086057048846noreply@blogger.com