Comics V: Fox Force Five

[red snow]

I'd like to see a good chase done in a comic. You'd think Batman in his Batmobile or the Flash would make for some interesting panel layouts. I guess it wouldn't be a very long chase if the Flash was involved. Does the "Superman races the Flash" that happens every relaunch count as a chase?

Looking at the X-men cover there is minimum flesh on show considering the characters. I guess Psylocke still manage to be spread-eagled with a sword between her legs though. That said, I really like the poses of Jubilee, Psylocke, Storm and Rogue as it says a lot about their characters and their relationships (Storm and Rogue look like pally co-leaders. Kitty seems a bit stuck on and I have no idea what/who Rachel summers is leaning back against as it definitely isn't Rogue.

[Sci-2]

Infinite Vacation had a chase through universes. That book had some great layouts and an interesting story as well actually.

[Nephrite]

I'd like to see a good chase done in a comic. You'd think Batman in his Batmobile or the Flash would make for some interesting panel layouts. I guess it wouldn't be a very long chase if the Flash was involved. Does the "Superman races the Flash" that happens every relaunch count as a chase?

There's plenty of action stuff that can be done to create tension and suspense. Shit, I'd kill if they had a book where the JLA gets overwhelmed and has to retreat and I don't know someone has to stay behind to hold the enemy. How about Precinct 13 type situation?

There's plenty of genres that can be adapted to fit to superheroes setting. Not just flimsy excuses for punching. Instead we get fists flying till somebody drops or a deus ex machina save.

The movies and animation seem to do more stuff. Remember that episode of JL when Joker plants bombs all over Vegas? Good luck getting that in a comic. Instead we just get Mortal Kombat with capes included.

[Nephrite]

How much wrong can you cram into one article?

"Things that have been going on, like the constant abuse of time travel … these things have a cost. These things matter,"

Tell me more about this hot water you discovered, Bendis.

said he wrote "Guardians of the Galaxy" #0.1 without anybody telling him to because he wanted to so much.

I wish Marvel just didn't tell him how they won't publish it.

Stating every Marvel Comic is science fiction on some level, Bendis said that while working on "Guardians," he pulled out "every science fiction comic" he could remember and went into them to look for what appealed to him about them. "It was always the character and the artwork. I applied the philosophy right toward this book."

Yeah, every book is about "character and the artwork". It's hard to have comicbook without those two ingredients.

The cast has had a redesign of their uniforms, something that Bendis stated was "a big thing for Steve [McNiven]," who wanted to redesign everything.

So Star-Lord looks like bargain-basement Mass Effect character cause of McNiven? Where's Millar to snatch these people to do his movie pitches when you need him?

"I'm a big fan of in comic book artwork that alien worlds look like people live in them," he said.

While I prefer it to look fake as sets.

"They don't look like sets.

Fuck.

What these people wear in space isn't just form for function, it's a representation of who they are as people.

What?

stating that the Earth is "the most sexy, dangerous jewel of the galaxy and whoever gets their mitts on it is the winners of all things."

Fuck this Earth is a special snowflake bullshit.

"There are some Rocket moments that had me laughing for a good long time," said Viscardi.

It's good to know that Kevin Eubanks got a new job.

While they will visit Earth, "they'll be out in space a lot."

Wait for it...

The writer further cited he would be stealing a page from "Star Trek" and stranding the Guardians on Earth for a little bit.

Goddammit.

Also, what page from Star Trek is that?

He also confirmed the Guardians would be teaming up with the "All-New X-Men."

Fuck.

The writer particularly noted that "Iron Man" writer Kieron Gillen was entirely onboard for the character becoming part of the Guardians, and Iron Man wasn't initially a character Bendis thought he could get for the team.

Yeah, sure. You write an unsolicited issue of a book and they publish it no questions asked. I'm sure it was a struggle to get Tony Fucking Stark.

"But we're going to quickly backtrack and see how they got together

Thanks man. That mini series, two events and their own series didn't explain it for me.

"I think what I like about them is they don't answer to anybody. That makes them very dangerous."

Watch out Brian. You might cut yourself on those edges.

The writer couldn't go too deep into whether smaller villains will become bigger threats other than a vehement "Hell, yes,"

The implication here is that somebody actually asked him this question. Comicbook journalism.

Bendis cited specifically the Badoon and said he's also be getting into what's happening in Jason Aaron's "Thor: God of Thunder."

Cause Bendis never saw a pie he didn't wanna piece of.

[Little Valkyrie]

How much wrong can you cram into one article?

In this case, an awful lot. This is like everything I feared from Bendis is coming true.

[delete this account pls]

It's pretty embarrassing how excited I felt when I saw that preview art and realised MOHAWK STORM was back.

[red snow]

I wasn't interested in Guardians anyway but that interview confirmed it. Why didn't Bendis just admit that he didn't bother reading any sci-fi comics or at most started reading some and then said "fuck it, it's all about the character and the artwork".

Considering his current obsession with time-travel I suspect he's talking about star-trek IV. Cue the guardians getting into hinjinks and talking to whales.

Of course Gillen will let him use Iron Man. At this point Gillen probably takes down his pants bends over and puts some lube on. He knows Bendis is going there and it's less painful if he doesn't resist. I'm sure Gillen still collapse in the corner of the shower whenever he reads an issue of all new x-men and I dread to think what his reaction to uncanny will be. I'm sure it's in the fine print of every Marvel contract though.

The good news is that i have no interest in it. It's not even worth a speculative investment buy with the upcoming film as there will probably be as many covers as there are stars in the galaxy to ensure it gets high first issue sales.

It's a shame Bendis has now been unleashed on the rest of the MArvel universe. I guess it was about time the Avengers fans were given a break. One day I hope he'll move to DC and he'll save me a lot of money.

[Fiddler's Green]

To me, it's not at all surprising that Bendis idealizes Aaron Sorkin. Both keep going back to the well of their once-interesting and fun voice and do the exact same things over and over.

It's too bad, because I really enjoyed the Powers/Alias/Daredevil era of Bendis but now even the original properties he has that I might be interested in I won't touch just because he's writing them.

[red snow]

I enjoyed the start of his daredevil and the odd issue of Powers. I also really liked "torso" but that was co-written with MArk Andrekyko and because it was based on something that happened it was hard for him to "Bendis" it.

I just have no interest for his work at Marvel now. I've tried "all new x-men" and haven't made it to issue 3 yet. No doubt I'll try uncanny as well.

Based on his sales there are plenty of people who love him though so i don't blame Marvel for letting him do what he wants.

[Lady Octarina]

I loved Disassembled and House of M (even if I didn't like his portrayal of one of my favorite characters), but everything else I've read by him (mostly Avengers) was just... not as great as everyone said he was. As a die-hard X-fan, I have no other option but to read All-New and Uncanny and hope for the best, but if that wasn't the case, I'd probably have dropped the first one already.

I had considered buying the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and I still might, but all my excitement about it died when I learned Iron Man was in the team. I get that they want to put him in as many titles as possible now that Robert Downey Jr made everyone love the character, but honestly? He's only a good character as long as RDJ is playing him. I guess I'm just gonna read some of the older GotG stuff. Any recommendations, specifically?

[Sci-2]

I actually did laugh at the "hot water" remark. There was a Q&A with Hickman where he was asked why Beast should be in the Illuminati and Hickman replied it was the only character he could get that would fit Xavier's role.

I was fine with GoG until I saw the quote with him biting into Thor....I mean damn, the one book that escapes orbiting Bendis?

I actually like a good deal of Bendis's stuff, but there is a sense of diminishing return when one reads a lot of his stuff.

On some level that's acceptable - Avengers ran way too long under him, similarly to how Geoff should have been taken off Green Lantern after Blackest Night. I can see how you just go crazy and start throwing whatever you can on the wall to get that paycheck.

I think if he tried to do something that felt really new, maybe taking some tips from Hickman on how to end story lines, he'd be better.

[Nephrite]

SAGA #9 - My favorite issue of the series. I like The Will and I like the new character. Hell, I'd read a series about their space adventures.

NEW AVENGERS #2 - Hickman just kills it with this issue. Sure it's a talking heads renaissance fair, but it's actually interesting. Some might learn from it. There's graphs, too!

DAREDEVIL #22 - I like Spock. I don't follow Spidey, unless he's guest-starring in something I read. And he acts like a butthurt little bitch in Rucka's Punisher. So, I like Spock. This issue is up to the usual standard, and hey Stilt-Man!

[Knight of Ashes]

Just discovered the jl8 webcomic strip by Yale Stewart recently. I must say it's way more entertaining than most issues of the current Justice League run and a single strip reads almost as long.

Oh and the Justice Leaguers as kids have more interesting interactions than the adult versions.

[Lady Octarina]

All-New X-Men #6: poor young Scott... One must wonder exactly what the X-Men are trying to accomplish by ignoring Scott half the time and shooting metaphorical lasers at him the other half; though we should admire Wolverine's lame attempt at being understanding. Mystique and the rest of the current Brotherhood getting involved in this story? It was going so well until now...

New Avengers #2: despite the megalomaniac goals and the all-so-current centrality of humans, it's refreshing to see a series that actually seems to be going somewhere for a change, and it's just the second issue! Loved the graphs! If I must nitpick, they forgot to say what Doctor Strange is supposed to do.

X-Men #40: I had thought this would be the last issue of the current run. Anyway, what the hell is wrong with this art? It took me a while to understand exactly what the mutation had done to the boy's body.

Savage Wolverine #1: Frank Cho and Savage Land - what reason is there to complain?

Captain Marvel #9: I didn't care much for the art, but the story was pretty good. Fun, with a not-so-shocking, though dramatic ending. I just love how DeConnick writes her.

******

On a different note, here's a deep, philosophical analysis of Beast's mutations through the years. The terminology couldn't be more adequate.

[Winterfell is Burning]

All New X-men #6- Bring teenagers from the past, specifically going with a way that does cause alterations in the timeline, rather than just creating a new one, and, while they are here, treat the one that was most important historically, leading them in good times and bad, like crap, so he feels guilty and out of place. What a brilliant idea, what could possibly go wrong?

Of course, the sad parts are:

a) Everything here is in character for Beast and Wolverine in recent years;

b- Bendis is actually writing the WatXM cast better than Aaron.

That said, any issue that has Cyclops blasting Wolverine is guaranteed entertainment. The meeting of Angels was brief but fun as well.

New Avengers #2: Hickman presents and explains the threat that brings them together, and it's huge enough to justify it, as well as unique enough to not feel a repeat of old stories. I'm very intrigued by this book.

Daredevil #22: Feels somewhat of a editorially-mandated storyline to promote the Superior Spider-Man crap, but it still works; Thank God for Stilt-Man indeed. And the final panel is shocking, but feels like an organic way to challenge both Matt and Foggy, I'm sure Waid will handle this well.

X-factor #250: Another book with a fantastic final page, which alone would make the entire issue (that was pretty good already) worthwhile. After a few dull issues, this is picking up steam again.

Saga #9- In an unexpected turn of events, the best book in the market is the best book of the week. How many other titles in #9 can spend so much time in a couple of supporting players without the leads appearing, and still feel relevant and awesome from the start to finish? BKV is building a masterpiece here.

[red snow]

Read "new Avengers '2". Excellent, my favourite Marvel Now! issue by a long shot (although I haven't read Hawkeye or Thor). Feels like a proper threat and it was clearly explained what the scale and stakes were. They are also being pragmatic about what they may need to do as well.

I get the feeling that Captain Jesus is out of his depth with the rest of these guys but having an idiot on the team allows Hickman to explain things to us. I still don't get his high and mighty "we don't kill" attitude. He must have been fuckign useless in World War II or did he just lecture the Nazis to death. I guess killing a planet should be cause for concern though. Not sure whether Captain America saying "We shape the world, it doesn't shape us" was supposed to be ominous but it scared the fuck out of me. I guess I just really dislike Captain America. On a related note, Cyclops would fit this team like a glove.

Also, was that an Iron Man army in those future panels? Wasn't something similar in Avengers? I guess if they do destroy a planet Earth, that Earth's heroes may survive and want revenge.

I enjoyed issue one but this felt more like a real issue of the series. As long as I pretend most of them aren't on 3 teams and having solo adventures it works fine. Maybe the infinity gems allow them to all be available at the same time as the chances of them all not being busy seems astronimical.

[Lady Octarina]

I get the feeling that Captain Jesus is out of his depth with the rest of these guys but having an idiot on the team allows Hickman to explain things to us. I still don't get his high and mighty "we don't kill" attitude. He must have been fuckign useless in World War II or did he just lecture the Nazis to death. I guess killing a planet should be cause for concern though. Not sure whether Captain America saying "We shape the world, it doesn't shape us" was supposed to be ominous but it scared the fuck out of me. I guess I just really dislike Captain America.

I don't know, I kind of agree with Cap on this one. What gives them the right to destroy other worlds in order to save theirs? What makes their Earth and their universe special? Of course, I also sympathize with the rest of them about survival first, saving all universes only if possible, but still... Cap may be too naive for an 80-year-old guy and slightly unbearable at times, but I do think it's necessary to have at least this one uncomplicated moral compass in super heroes comics in our days. I would be even more sympathetic if he didn't represent one country, but still...

And nazis were evil incarnate, of course, so I guess good incarnate wouldn't have any problems with killing them.

[red snow]

It's good the debate is raised but I think when your own universe is at stake then it's fair enough to pick your own. The implication was that it saves the other universe too as long as you destroy their Earth. I'm sure the other Earth is making the same decision if they know about it.

The ego on this team is astounding though to think the 5/6 of them are sufficient to decide the fate of the universe. Although that's what I like about the book.

I'm sure we'll discover there is foul play at hand causing the universal destruction but I like to think the trigger on an alternate Earth was Beast bringing a bunch of teenagers to the future :) Thanos is bound to be jealous of whoever is destroying entire universes though

[Nephrite]

If I must nitpick, they forgot to say what Doctor Strange is supposed to do.

He probably needs to take a long road trip to retrieve his gem, since it seems he left it east of Mordor. I think he's going with Cap, Namor & Bolt to get Xavier's gem. He seems the best man for that job IMO. Hell, they also say that BP, Reed and Stark are gonna do the alarm thing, but at the end Tony is working on it, while Reed & T'Challa are enjoying the sunset. :D

Also, was that an Iron Man army in those future panels? Wasn't something similar in Avengers?

Yeah, it was in the prologue in Avengers #1. Hickman did say that both books tell the same story from different perspectives.

I don't know, I kind of agree with Cap on this one. What gives them the right to destroy other worlds in order to save theirs? What makes their Earth and their universe special? Of course, I also sympathize with the rest of them about survival first, saving all universes only if possible, but still... Cap may be too naive for an 80-year-old guy and slightly unbearable at times, but I do think it's necessary to have at least this one uncomplicated moral compass in super heroes comics in our days. I would be even more sympathetic if he didn't represent one country, but still...

And nazis were evil incarnate, of course, so I guess good incarnate wouldn't have any problems with killing them.

Yeah, this is one case where the moral dilemma actually makes sense and isn't as easily solved. Unlike those times when the Marvel heroes decide to start wars and fight each others. It truly is grey. Not like in DC Comics where this situation would just be used to prve once again that Batman is right and everybody else is wrong. Remeber in JLU when Superman shipped Doomsday into the Phantom Zone and Batman was all high & mighty about it. That was bullshit. I'm glad Hichman avoided it here.

It really is an impossible choice. Even if they destroy one Earth, the whole chain reaction is not stopped. It's happening all over the multiverse and nobody stopped it or reversed it. They'd have to destroy an Earth every 8 hours. And do it forever, until it's just their universe.

It's good the debate is raised but I think when your own universe is at stake then it's fair enough to pick your own. The implication was that it saves the other universe too as long as you destroy their Earth. I'm sure the other Earth is making the same decision if they know about it.

The ego on this team is astounding though to think the 5/6 of them are sufficient to decide the fate of the universe. Although that's what I like about the book.

They have 8 hours. They really don't have a time to debate it with everybody.

[Morpheus]

I am not all that surprised they have made the Guardians more Earth-centirc, they are looking to the film now and there is no way it is about, you know, the Galaxy at large, not when within that Galaxy exists "the most sexy, dangerous jewel of the galaxy and whoever gets their mitts on it is the winners of all things."

I expect lots of alien threats to be thwarted because they don't understand humans. Because emotions and shit.