Comics VIII - the Crime Syndic8 of America

[red snow]

Seems I'm still a sucker for #1s. Picked up Velvet, Pretty Deadly and Samurai Jack. Have yet to read any of them though

[red snow]

Has anyone read the latest about Iron Man?

he's adopted - despite the fact any rendition of his father that I've ever seen have them looking identical. Guess he needs to change his name to Tony Snow, maybe? Oh and he has a brother (a biological Stark) who will no doubt turn into a super villain.And who are Stark's real parents? Probably Reed Richards and Dr Doom's secret lovechild knowing Marvel. It just stinks of desperation of what to do with the character and I suspect will be abandoned much like Gwen Stacey's kids and Peter PArker being a clone

.

I'm also embarrassed that Marvel went to the main press with this story.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Yeah, that was stupid- so Howard Stark

adopted a son and that son coincidentally also happened to:

1. Look just like him;
   
2. Also have a deep interest in engineering just like him;
   
3. Also be a genius just like him?
   

All that without a genetic connection?

Just pathetic.

[red snow]

Yeah, that was stupid- so Howard Stark

adopted a son and that son coincidentally also happened to:

1. Look just like him;

Also have a deep interest in engineering just like him;

Also be a genius just like him?

All that without a genetic connection?

Just pathetic.

Fixed my spoiler fail although I'm not sure anyone here is that fussed anyways.

If this was genuinely Gillen's idea then I'm even more worried about how Origin II will pan out. I can't believe the higher ups think this is a good idea. One possible retcon is just to say they got the two kids mixed up.

It's as if they've tried to find a safe way to put ultimate Stark's origin into the regular MU and even that was retconned by Millar who thought it was a shit idea back then,

[Galactus]

Arno Stark is actually an existing character, IIRC (Evil Iron Man from the Future)

[Seli]

A new Asterix album has been released (at least here in the Netherlands). The first one by a new team, with Uderzo (now 86) only looking on from the sidelines and drawing the cover.

It is better than the last few albums by Uderzo, if a bit of an old-fashioned call-back at times. The new team (writer Jean-Yves Ferri and artist Didier Conrad) did re-use and modify a lot of traditional jokes and references. Probably to emphasise they continue and build upon the existing works.

[red snow]

Arno Stark is actually an existing character, IIRC (Evil Iron Man from the Future)

You're correct "Arno Stark is the future first cousin once removed of the present day of Iron Man, Tony Stark. His father is Stark's unscrupulous cousin, Morgan Stark. Arno inherited Tony Stark's company, Stark Industries, and rather than use the armor for heroic deeds, prefers to act as a hired mercenary or commit acts of corporate espionage to cripple his competitors for industrialist gain"

Looks like a bit of retconning has occurred.

I read Pretty Deadly. Not sure what the hell is going on but the art was pretty good in places - especially the introduction of the girl with the vulture costume. Don't think I'll pick up issue 2 but I may well give the first collection a shot.

[Lady Octarina]

I think this was a really good week for comics. FF was brilliant, more than usual, even; Uncanny Avengers #13 was probably the best issue we've had so far (before then, I'd say that was #5). Battle of the Atom continues to suck; everything that happened in this chapter 9 should have happened by 4 or 5. Young Avengers was only relevant for

"Kid" Loki becoming hot!Loki, and the suggestion of turning Billy into the demiurge this soon, which probably won't end well.

I found Pretty Deadly interesting, but still haven't read it a second time (and I've seen many people say things become clearer then). Anyway, I found it much better than anything DeConnick has written at Marvel. Sex Criminals was hilarious (though deaf Captain America still gets the award for funniest moments this week). I didn't like Velvet; I found it full of cliches of the genre, with the only difference being that he put a female character as protagonist. I really don't get why people find Brubaker so brilliant; his stories are always the same thing.

[Sci-2]

Ah, I'll have to check out Pretty Deadly it seems.

I did like FF, made me feel better about Fraction actually resolving his arc before he leaves the book.

Uncanny Avengers was pretty good, and I like the set up allowing for a few possibilities for the upcoming casualty.

Justice League featuring Ultraman was a good issue. Will be interesting into see what happens in Forever Evil going forward regarding the prisoner they brought with them.

[red snow]

I didn't like Velvet; I found it full of cliches of the genre, with the only difference being that he put a female character as protagonist. I really don't get why people find Brubaker so brilliant; his stories are always the same thing.

I'll be honest in that Velvet didn't really grab me as anything special for a first issue. I still wouldn't accuse him of being a one-trick pony given he does crime stories and Fatale as well as the superhero mash-ups. He does tend to stick around those concepts but that's 3 genres he plays around with. Most writers just do superheroes.

Can anyone who has been reading Fantastic Four and FF put a finger on why it's been such a huge failure. I can see how FF is probably too "fun" to succeed but Fantastic Four proper seems pretty standard fare yet has failed. Or is it just "bad fraction" writing it? I guess a lot of people just enjoyed Hickman's run too much and didn't like the change.

[red snow]

Was just reading an interview about Kieron gillen's "three" being sold out. Did I somehow miss it or is this one of those "sold-out" before it hits the stands type of thing? I'd be annoyed if I'd missed it as I've been looking forward to it.

[Lady Octarina]

Spider-Hero's identity is leaked

Well, that's interesting, and for once I don't think I've seen anyone managing to guess correctly.

Was just reading an interview about Kieron gillen's "three" being sold out. Did I somehow miss it or is this one of those "sold-out" before it hits the stands type of thing? I'd be annoyed if I'd missed it as I've been looking forward to it.

The first issue was out about three weeks ago, wasn't it? Or is it the second one you're talking about?

Can anyone who has been reading Fantastic Four and FF put a finger on why it's been such a huge failure. I can see how FF is probably too "fun" to succeed but Fantastic Four proper seems pretty standard fare yet has failed. Or is it just "bad fraction" writing it? I guess a lot of people just enjoyed Hickman's run too much and didn't like the change.

Fantastic Four is just meh. Not fun enough, not fascinating in any way, the character interactions feel a bit forced, and it just took too long for there to be an actual plot other than "Shit! Something is wrong with our powers". I haven't read Hickman's run yet, but maybe the people who were reading the book for his involvement just followed him to Avengers. It does seem to be different from what he wrote.

[Sci-2]

Spider-Hero's identity is leaked

Well, that's interesting, and for once I don't think I've seen anyone managing to guess correctly.

Actually I think a few people on the CBR forums did.

Fraction's Fantastic Four was just boring. It was weird to have FF be so good and Fantastic Four be so bad.

[Lady Octarina]

Actually I think a few people on the CBR forums did.

I avoid that place as much as possible. It gathers the worst the comics fandom has to offer *shudders*

It is kind of absurd, though, and I don't think anyone is too happy with the idea, considering how bad the last thing that character was involved in was.

[Little Valkyrie]

Actually I think a few people on the CBR forums did.

Fraction's Fantastic Four was just boring. It was weird to have FF be so good and Fantastic Four be so bad.

4chan's /co/ (sometimes a hive of scum and villainy, sometimes a hell of a lot of fun) absolutely nailed the Blade reveal.

I keep trying to read Pretty Deadly, and then I hit that metaphor about the bud fearing the sun, on the second page, and I'm reminded of the worst of Cat Valente's metaphors that absolutely fail to parse when you look at them closely, and I haven't made it any further yet.

FF is definitely elevated by Allred, don't underestimate how much he's probably contributing; but it's also, well, Z-listers and freedom as compared to the more schematic plot he locked the F4 into, and the former tends to bring us Good Fraction.

[red snow]

The first issue was out about three weeks ago, wasn't it? Or is it the second one you're talking about?

Damn my store must have sold out lightning quick or I just wasn't looking hard enough. It seems to have been largely ignored by reviewers online (which is how i usually know if something is out that week) unless it has been in my blind spot.

[Nictarion]

I really don't get why people find Brubaker so brilliant; his stories are always the same thing.

Because he's a good writer. Fatale is one of my favorite books right now.

[Lady Octarina]

FF is definitely elevated by Allred, don't underestimate how much he's probably contributing; but it's also, well, Z-listers and freedom as compared to the more schematic plot he locked the F4 into, and the former tends to bring us Good Fraction.

I agree, and yet, if we trust these numbers, F4 continues to sell better. The brand more than the stories, I'd say.

And no matter how much I love the F4 characters, there are only so many stories you can tell involving them, especially when they continue to keep those kids frozen in time. the cast of FF is as insane and random as the stories they create around it, which helps.

[red snow]

Because he's a good writer. Fatale is one of my favorite books right now.

The only poor Brubaker books I've read are his uncanny x-men run. I don't think I'll be checking Velvet out again until trades and word of mouth spread though. I never got past issue 1 of "incognito" either but I think that was because it made me miss "sleeper".

I'm hoping Brubaker and Rucka will team up on something again at Image as I liked how they handled Gotham Central together.

I'm getting suckered into the Batman weekly launching next year. My large fear though is that a weekly comic with DCs micromanagement and last minute changes could spell disaster. That said they seem to let Snyder have free reign and this still seems to be his baby.

You can tell Tynion is an understudy of Snyder though as he's even talking like him in interviews :)

"Tynion: It's been incredible, and overwhelming and all of those things. But this is the kind of story I've always wanted to tell. I love, love, love telling huge stories with huge stakes and huge casts of characters. It's the kind of work I wanted to do ever since I started wanting to write comics."

[Sci-2]

I agree, and yet, if we trust these numbers, F4 continues to sell better. The brand more than the stories, I'd say.

Yeah, there are people who hate entire runs who still collect the major series like F4 and Avengers. That said I also think F4 was mediocre but only really disappointing when put up against Fraction's best work.

"Tynion: It's been incredible, and overwhelming and all of those things. But this is the kind of story I've always wanted to tell. I love, love, love telling huge stories with huge stakes and huge casts of characters. It's the kind of work I wanted to do ever since I started wanting to write comics."

At this point I think all these guys are imitating some Grant Morrison's bigger self-hype moments. It's kind of amusing so long as no one takes it too seriously.