I Don't Mind

DAREDEVIL: YELLOW Writer: Jeph Loeb Artist: Tim Sale Published: 2001-2002 Collected in: Daredevil: Yellow Prologue: I'm a huge Daredevil fan. Loved his appearances on Spider-Man: The Animated Series, loved the Netflix original series, even loved Ben Affleck's '03 film. Before the Director's cut even. Frank Miller's Daredevil: Born Again is one of a few runs that got me into comics to begin with, so whether it's the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, it's still the standard bearer for storytelling. And if that doesn't set my expectations high enough, one of the other runs that really got me into reading comics was Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Hulk: Gray which I enjoy going back to and rereading now and again. With that high bar to meet, I dove into the first issue and was optimistic from the first pages. Starting with "Dear Karen, I'm afraid..." on the opening splash page is a badass way to start a Daredevil story. Then the contrast of colors with only his outfit being stark red and the world being gray both felt true to his mopey, grimdark character and also made me think of Schindler's List. As much as I liked that early acrobatics page though, I would find the first of many art choices to nitpick - Daredevil's torso. It's as though he had honed his upper body to complete physical perfection, all while wearing a corset. I was pleased to see a legitimate bereavement therapy tool (letter writing) was going to be used to frame the story, but man, was this ever a character wanting to talk without anything to say. By issue 3 I was really fed up with this device, as I couldn't imagine even a deceased Karen possibly caring about the crap he went through that had absolutely nothing to do with her. I did really like the flashback art though. Everyone is downright adorable and looks like anthropomorphized woodland critters. I don't know why Matt has these huge protruding monkey lips though, as no one else does. But interesting that either Matt or Foggy owns a teddy bear. Interesting detail that Jack Murdock lives to see Matt enter law school, as I'm used to the telling of Matt being a kid when Jack dies. Maybe that's just the TV series overlapping his usual origin in my brain though. I was pretty gutted when Jack hands Matt his robe, knowing he was going to die but tried to play it cool like he's leaving before his title match. The subsequent death and trial felt like just going through the motions until Park Avenue attorney made a joke about the pistachio nuts. That was a low blow. Issue 2 made me really long for a modernized retelling of the story. Jack can be an MMA fighter, Fixer and Slade can be Bloods or something and not be rocky and Mugsy from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. But obviously there's only one word to describe this issue: Radical! Cuz the kids like their Tony Hawk and such in 2001, right guys? Fixer dying before Daredevil could get to him felt like a fitting end. Something to never give Matt closure but also teach him his own strength as a symbol. Karen Page came off so classy looking than in other stories, and I get why in the last issue. Issue 3 opened with an awesome opening splash page of The Thing. The cartoony feel to the art really works well for a disfigured rock monster. Tim Sale, I love you. Tim Sale, I hate you. All that good credit is immediately lost when I see Sue Richards' ridiculous frame. But as the issue goes on, I grow to love Tim again again. A piece of the plot I really never understood and foolishly thought might be addressed - the uber rich F.4 come to Foggy and Matt straight out of law school. What? Other than that, there was a lot of humor in this issue, and not just on visual gags. "Mr. Nelson sounds so Mr. Nelson" is fucking hilarious. By 2015 I've heard just about every Helen Keller joke in the book, but if I had read this when it first came out, this would be my favorite comic issue ever. Issue 4 just feels like it's trying to tap into that meta-nerd niche market. "Villains would talk a lot back then. They didn't leave innocent women in a pool of blood... I guess... I haven't really thought about it... but the ones in costume never used to kill anybody..." Well that would sure as hell change. So much focus on the "super hero" title and making it seem both totally celebrity and at the same time saturated really made this a tonal mess for me. I mean Christ, just suck Spider-Man's cock why don't you Loeb? There must be half a dozen references to him here. I can't hate this issue though, as by the end when they're tackling real issues and real-life moments, it's an enjoyable read with enjoyable moments. Watching Slade fry was really powerful. That feels like a defining Matt Murdock moment. Probably could have gone more into the sound of his screams or heart stopping or people's reaction around him but the incredibly dark moment is only slightly less surprising than Foggy's plan at the end. I was literally saying out loud, "Oh God Foggy. Oh God. Take a hint, man. There's nothing there between you and Karen. You're not even remotely close to having that kind of relationship. That goes beyond sad and just into creepy." Issue 5 was a little less meta and a little more just straight-laced, action-packed story with a simple directive - save the girl. Artwise I noticed in this issue that Tim Sale has a trademark of having his drawings explode off the panels! Sounds better in words than it shows in the product. To me it just says he didn't care how much room he had, he'll draw wherever he wants to. I didn't know what to think of the ending. Poor Foggy, I guess. Matt is kind of a selfish bastard, which is true to canon. But on the other hand, Karen's adorable. The final issue of the run freaked me out, as I'm watching Jessica Jones and Matt's up against The Purple Man. True to form, first move he pulls is luring Karen away. Hilarious that Murdock is immune simply because he's (color)blind, and very cathartic to see Purple Man just pummeled the shit out of. Looking forward to hopefully seeing that in Jessica Jones. "This is the way I choose to remember it when I think of you" makes a lot of sense. Probably could have been put in issue 1 though. I was let down by the ending, honestly. I thought it really lacked any punch, especially bringing in Melvin Potter, who was never introduced in the series. Felt very hastily thrown together just to close up loose ends. So overall, it was a decent read with some hit-or-miss artwork. Both Loeb and Sale tried some things to varying degrees of success, but it made the run stand out. I still definitely prefer Hulk: Gray to Daredevil: Yellow, but maybe Spider-Man: Blue will be better down the line, or Captain America: White when that gets added to Marvel Unlimited. NEXT TIME TRUE BELIEVERS ON MARVEL UNLIMITED READING CLUB: Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1-6, Nick Spencer Also, anyone who posts their reading experience on an assignment, feel free to recommend what should go up on the poll for tomorrow. Kirkland, it sounds like you're recommending more Daredevil, yes?

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

The improper zooming is literally the only reason I bought a tablet. But I have found by playing around with it on my desktop that there's a significant different between reading a comic on smart-panel, which cuts something off a lot, and going from full-panel clicking the zoom button. Then you can move your view around, which is a little more work, but beats not using the service

Personally, I don't mind if a storyline ends on issue 3 or 4 and we end halfway through a new story. If anything, that should wet our appetites and make us want to read another 5 or 6 issues. So if you only know which issue a storyline starts in, go with that. Otherwise, I'm not sure I have an alternative suggestion to ensure you're not personally re-reading stuff. You can read Marvel Unlimited through Marvel's website by signing in, clicking comics, and clicking Marvel Unlimited. Well, being a key-word, is really dependent on what you're trying to read, as some things have been uploaded haphazardly so you get panels cut off if you zoom in. It's certainly improved over the last few years though for what it's worth. POLL: WHAT TO READ AFTER DAREDEVIL: YELLOW With the exception of one option, story arc premises stolen from Amazon. Please cast your vote via link, not via this thread. - Superior Foes of Spider-Man (Nick Spencer) #1-6 - Thor (Walter Simonson) #337-341 - Immortal Iron Fist (Ed Brubaker) #1-6 - Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman) #605-611

They don't have to be, but that's the trend for Marvel over the last few decades. For the next poll if someone contributes their feedback to Ant-Man #1-5, which is the entirety of the run because Marvel turned it into Astonishing Ant-Man, and a contributor suggests something like Captain America #10-15, where each issue is a stand-alone story probably, that'd be fine.

I love Christmas films but I have to watch them on my own because they all bring up bad x-mas memories for the Mrs. So as tradition, every December as the holiday gets close we watch Hocus Pocus.

ANT-MAN Issues: #1 - #5 Writer: Nick Spencer Artist: Ramon Rosanas Colorist: Jordan Boyd Release Year: 2015 Collected In: Ant-Man Vol. 1: Second-Chance Man Confession prologue: I haven't seen the Paul Rudd Ant-Man movie. I've been meaning to, it's on my to-do list, but I picked this to start the project just randomly. It was near the top of my Library list so here we go. Also, I know nothing about Ant-Man other than Hank Pym beat his wife, and there's dispute amongst fans if that should be held against him compared to all the other crazy shit superheroes have done whether under mind control or whatever. But going in, the only thing I know about Scott Lang is that he's the successor to the helm. I was on the fence reading the first issue which felt like a needlessly long 33 pages in total. They could have easily cut about 5 pages from this without impacting the story much. In the grand scheme of things I like that Scott Lang is very self-deprecating, separating him away from the grim-dark heroes of the past. While trying to funny though it felt like a very forced and failed effort to create a new Deadpool. I don't find Scott Lang funny in any issue, but there are some hilarious moments with plenty of other characters. and while I don't know if this is a gripe with Nick Spencer or with just the character throughout his publication history, but I couldn't get a solid grip on who Scott Lang is. Both in current day and flashback he looks like a clean-shaven nerd, but he acts like a 'loveable' goof, then drops words like pathos which I don't expect a street-wise thief to know. And then there's the age. "My marriage was like Vietnam" and naming one of his ants Chuck Barris (host of The Gong Show/The Newlywed Game/The Dating Game" but is adapt at Google, Apple Watches, and knowing Yahoo Answers is full of trolls. What I liked the most about the first issue though was that there's not one real fight but the stakes feel incredibly high. That's a wonderful rarity. Also a wonderful rarity that wasn't kept up through the series was Scott being something of a flawed anti-hero in that he's a horribly irresponsible father. It's brilliantly portrayed in the first issue but becomes Homer Simpson'd throughout the 5 issues. I don't have a segue into this but I think it needed to be seen, as both accurate but also "writing yourself into the story much?" Issue 2 was much more condensed, had 2 fight scenes (which much like the first issue, kept up with not being the focus. The high stakes at hand were that Scott needed a loan.) Loved Tony Stark in this issue. But it was the best move imaginable to make Grizzly into a sidekick. Makes sense both for comedic relief (because God knows Scott Lang isn't providing it) and because in his introduction, he literally has our titular hero dead-to-rights pinned against a wall. I was disappointed though that Mrs. Morgenstern didn't become a regular character after her reveal she trapped the Midasbot in the vault. Too much intrigue there to not pay off! Midasbot I wasn't so big on. Felt very much like just a filler-obstacle that could have been replaced with something more character-developing. Issue 3 felt like it was written just for the "Hench" joke. It was a pretty comical fight scene that tonally felt like it belonged in Venture Bros. but the first half of issue 3 felt just mundane. This was my first introduction to Taskmaster and visually he looked amazing but I got the impression he's just a D-list throwaway goon. I was a bit upset at the end to see Cassie get the opportunity to make friends, only to have that ripped away from her, so good writing there. Issue 4 just has to be noted - how freaking good is Mark Brooks at these covers? That cover is literally what I think the series should have been. Throw Ant-Man Security Solutions at crimes/mysteries rather than a personal grudge to resolve around the damsel in distress. This issue is by far the best at characters not named Scott Lang though. Augustine Cross has earned his place as "villains that should be recurring" far more than his father, and despite Crossfire being turned into a joke he seemed like a perfect assassin for the company. But it's obvious Machinesmith is the real star of the issue. He's both funnier and more sympathetic than Scott Lang. He caters to children's delights at his own expense, he wants a legitimate job, and he'll call Lang out on his shit. And while Machinesmith, Augustine Cross and once again, Grizzly are stealing the show... Scott Lang comes off like a whiney bitch, stewing in his own defeat. Before Grizz's pep-talk Lang's tried nothing and he's all out of ideas. And for the stakes finally becoming incredibly high, and personal, and requiring real heroics, the entire issue lacks the sense of time-sensitivity. There are several scenes where characters are just moseying around with no urgency. It's at least acknowledged at the end - they weren't running around at breakneck speed and realistically, they missed the heart transplant by probably hours. It doesn't even speak to Dr. Sondheim's hesitancy or urgency to make her decision to me, it speaks to Lang's incompetency. This pretty much epitomizes what's wrong with this run - all of these issues feel like they're about these relatable, entertaining characters and Scott Lang is just their framing device that readers have to plod through to get to the good stuff. Finally in our final issue, Scott Lang shows glimmers of heroism and strength but watching big Daddy Cross pummel the shit out of him was cathartic. And while Lang is catching the ass whooping of a lifetime, I'm also given really insightful dialogue by Griz and Smith! Then we go back to Lang, who drops a Zoolander reference which was somewhat funny but also a little out of place. So with the blood feud at it's most boiling point, the brawl dissipates due to Deus Ex Machina. It'd be one thing if Lang triggered Big Daddy Cross's shrinking but I didn't get that impression at all; it seemed completely involuntary. The Fantastic Voyage part could have been stretched into a much better sixth issue but instead just made me want to rewatch that one episode of Archer. Given my hatred for Lang throughout this run I found myself mad at Sondheim fabricated excuses for Lang. I didn't want to see him get away with his irresponsibility, but I will say I found that ending bittersuite. "You've always been her hero" got me choked up, and it lead to what was basically the first and only real heroic moment of the story, which was done strictly out of guilt. So overall, this wasn't a difficult read. I liked the art, the writing for all of the supporting players was excellent, but I don't ever want to read the character Scott Lang written by Nick Spencer again. Maybe it's a difficult character to nail or maybe this was just not a good fit but if Spencer does a spinoff titled Griz and Smith, I'd read every issue. NEXT TIME TRUE BELIEVERS ON MARVEL UNLIMITED READING CLUB: Daredevil: Yellow Jeph Loeb, 2001

I don't know if anyone else joined me this week on my reading adventure of Ant-Man but it's so far served it's purpose in getting me to read more. I'll post my reading experience tomorrow to keep in line with the one-week timeline and make this a Sunday-thing, but just wanted to remind anyone who wants to weigh in to cast your vote on the next reading assignment. And anyone who posts their own thoughts on the book tomorrow (or today even) with me (long or brief), feel free to make a recommendation for the next reading assignment poll. Excelsior!

T2 is my favorite dystopia, but it really has to do more with the cinematography than the concept

https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/3t5gkx/batman_with_extralong_ears_always_freaks_me_right/ Reddit's latched on to the Batman ear discussion. I like user Flying_Penguin's theory, as I never really thought about it: It seems to match up in my head where Dark Knight Batman has the stubs and he's very much a broken old man, T.A.S./the ones you guys said is middle-length so he can come across as an intimidating symbol in some episodes/issues but still have plenty of weaknesses shown, and when they're really long he's just this supernatural figure criminals cower in fear when talking about

Absolutely. Their browser-comic-reader has only gotten better over time. I prefer the tablet though because sometimes things in panels get cut off on the browser and it can be hard to find that sweet spot to read it. You can sample most comics on the browser if anyone's interested in buying a membership and wants to test it out

I know a handful of members on the board use Marvel Unlimited and I've brought up this idea before, but now I need something to motivate me to read. I paid for a yearly membership in September and I've been slacking on utilizing this great service. My plan is as follows: ✪ Reading Assignment Timeline: 1 week. ✪ Realistic # of issues to read, accounting for things coming up throughout the week and me being a slow reader anyways: 5-6 issues depending on each Reading Assignment (That's typically what's collected in trades anyways, so makes sense to me) ✪ Everyone posts their reading experience, either issue-by-issue or of the overall assignment depending on how they feel comfortable writing it. There may be assignments folks just don't get into, myself included, so no one completes it but my ideal goal is to get at least myself motivated to read. ✪ Since I hear the board update has made poll-editing complicated, I'll post a weekly link to a non-EWB polling site asking what to read next. This would be posted at the start of the new week, giving voters 6 days to weigh in. I think the most fun and simple way to decide what goes on the poll is first 4 responses to weigh in with their own reading experience. Could be issues 1-6, or 107-113, or whatever. The first few pages of any issue will catch new readers up. As long as it's a reasonable goal to accomplish within one week. Something like The Infinity Gauntlet has longer than average issues, so that would have to be factored into suggestions. Other than abandoning this idea myself, I think the worst-case scenario is this will be a solo effort similar to Ellis' Holiday Thing. Picking something randomly out of "my library" to start things off, the first assignment due next Sunday will be: Ant-Man Nick Spencer, 2015 Weigh in on what comes after that 11/22/15 Edit: Poll closed!

Listening to a lot of podcasts talking about Batman over the last year I thought I'm curious what everyone else's thoughts are. When you think Batman, without anyone giving context of what story, run, or media, in your mind: 1) Short ears or long ears on the cowl 2) How old is Bruce Wayne? My answers: Long ears, but not really long. I think all the ears fall into either long ears or short ears and depending on the artist they can be either super short or super long, but I fall into long ears. Also, maybe my perception of Bruce from T.A.S. as a child but I always imagine him older than when I hear others talk about him. Late thirties, nearing forty.

Anybody catch the pilot episode of Supergirl? I thought it had the same pacing problems as the Gotham pilot (maybe worse pacing even) but was otherwise enjoyable

DareDevil Season 2 snippit

I think it's good to have both in the marketplace. Every comic shouldn't look the exact same.

Has anyone checked out Disney XD's Guardian's of the Galaxy? Wondering if it's worth tracking down or not Also worth discussing: new Justice League animated series coming!

Ideally: Brad Pitt Realistically: Michael Cera

I saw a Redditor suggest they put MJ in an Iron Man suit. That sounds like the best possible outcome of this crossover.

I'm almost 100 pages into Garth Ennis' Preacher: Book One and for all the praise I've heard about the series it just strikes me as such a product of it's time. A lot of the language used is so "we're swearing, look how edgy we are." Really not finding the substance I was expecting from this book, but I guess I'll keep reading to see if it gets better.

Could Falcon be in the running? He's been on the big screen so there's gotta be some Falcon merch moving, or even Falcon-Cap merch Maybe Black Panther will overtake him though next year. But Static Shock will always have a place in my heart

I just ended up reading that in my head with the gravelly Christian Bale Batman voice.

I like hearing the comparisons to other films for reference. The following is all C&P from various sites: Fantastic Four (2015) came in well behind the first two films, Fantastic Four (2005) ($56.1 million) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ($58.1 million). Fantastic Four did even less than 2011 flop The Green Hornet ($33.5 million). In 2012, Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance, from Sony, launched to $22.1 million (that movie cost notably less to make). Green Lantern is still the biggest major superhero bomb in recent years grossing $21 million its opening day

Apparently it gets worse Hidden Content