The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Yeah, once I got through Engelhart I moved onto Byrne. Aside from the completely ignoring Hank finding his first wife (not that I blame him for dropping that), I liked Byrne's run too. Really I just liked the whole WCA book, even at the end when guys like Darkhawk and Living Lightning were around.

[GhostMachine]

John Byrne is one of my top three favorite comic book artists and one of my top five favorite comic book writers (counting only writers and artists still living, but even so he'd still be in the top 10 in both), and his run on West Coast Avengers/Avengers West Coast is second only to Englehart's as far as the writing was concerned.

The one thing I didn't like was USAgent being added to the team. I don't like the character and I refer to him as "Asshole America" most of the time. But I have to admit they handled him pretty well.

I'd also advise picking up the Captain America War & Rememberance TPB, if you can find it at your comics shop or get them to order it. It contains all of Roger Stern and John Byrne's all too short run on Captain America, and issues #253-254 is still to this day (remember, I'm 38, so I read those actual issues when they came out) my favorite two-parter of all time. In fact, if I had the money I'd probably commission a re-creation of the last page of issue #253 from Byrne. (I'm a regular poster at his message board, Byrne Robotics, and he does some awesome commissions that he posts on the forum)

[TGC]

Yeah, once I got through Engelhart I moved onto Byrne. Aside from the completely ignoring Hank finding his first wife (not that I blame him for dropping that), I liked Byrne's run too. Really I just liked the whole WCA book, even at the end when guys like Darkhawk and Living Lightning were around.

He didn't drop it, it was wrapped up in the really mostly bad Avengers Spotlight book by I think Tom Defalco at around the time that Englehart left.

I think Byrne's interpretation of USAgent was my favorite, if only because in the first couple of issues he showed the guy to be completely batshit insane.

I too am a pretty big Byrne fan ghost, up to a certain point. By the time he was done with Wonder Woman I wasnt't so keen on his writing anymore, and I am still not. I can't tell you the last book he wrote that I aboslutely loved or even liked. His Doom Patrol and Demon were not good at all in my opinion. I would kill to get to read mor Next Men someday though.

[GhostMachine]

Yeah, once I got through Engelhart I moved onto Byrne. Aside from the completely ignoring Hank finding his first wife (not that I blame him for dropping that), I liked Byrne's run too. Really I just liked the whole WCA book, even at the end when guys like Darkhawk and Living Lightning were around.

He didn't drop it, it was wrapped up in the really mostly bad Avengers Spotlight book by I think Tom Defalco at around the time that Englehart left.

I think Byrne's interpretation of USAgent was my favorite, if only because in the first couple of issues he showed the guy to be completely batshit insane.

I too am a pretty big Byrne fan ghost, up to a certain point. By the time he was done with Wonder Woman I wasnt't so keen on his writing anymore, and I am still not. I can't tell you the last book he wrote that I aboslutely loved or even liked. His Doom Patrol and Demon were not good at all in my opinion. I would kill to get to read mor Next Men someday though.

I didn't read Doom Patrol because I thought a re-boot was unneccesary. However, you should check out his stuff for IDW - most of which has been Star Trek related. He did a mini-series for them called FX which was really good, but he wasn't the writer on it, just the artist.

Definitely recommend the one issue of Star Trek Alien Spolight: Romulans he did if you're a Trek fan, as its a prequel to the classic episode "Balance of Terror".

[GRIFT]

I may be way late on this but wow awesome...

[hardyfan123]

Having been a life time reader of Marvel, I find myself wanting to give DC a try. The problem is, where is a good place to start? I'm more interested in the main continuity rather than other series. Thanks if anyone can help.

Edited July 13, 2009 by hardyfan123

[tristy]

I heard DC is losing the rights to Superman in 2013. I don't know if anyone posted about it yet, or whatever, but I just found that shocking.

[GhostMachine]

Picked up my comics: Batman #688, Captain America Reborn #1, and Captain America #601. Also grabbed Blackest Night #1 off the shelves and got a free plastic Black Lantern ring (given to me at the counter when I paid for the comics). I highly recommend picking up Captain America #601, as its a WWII flashback tale drawn by Gene Colan and has vampires in it. If you're any true comics fan at all, I shouldn't have to tell you what Gene Colan + vampires means. (The answer is "awesomeness" - and no, Dracula isn't in it)

I heard DC is losing the rights to Superman in 2013. I don't know if anyone posted about it yet, or whatever, but I just found that shocking.

I don't think DC will lose the rights to Superman; Siegel and Shuster's heirs would be damn fools to try and take the character elsewhere, and I'll tell you why:

1. The rights thing is over the character and the first story in Action Comics only. Meaning if they did take him elsewhere, they'd have no rights whatsoever to anything or anyone not in the original story. That essentially comes down to the new owner being able to use Superman (and Clark Kent) and Lois Lane, but not being able to use Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, or even the Daily Planet, Kryptonite or the Fortress of Solitude. And I'm pretty sure that they would have to put Superman in something resembling his original outfit with the crudely done chest logo instead of the classic logo and then kiss most of his powers goodbye. (The various vision powers and super-breath would also likely go bye-bye; originally Superman was just a super-strong, bulletproof dude who could leap really high)

So basically, if it happened, you'd have a vastly weakened, differently dressed but still recognizable Superman and Lois Lane with brand new supporting characters and the paper wouldn't be called the Daily Planet and Superman would have completely new enemies. Possibly even a new origin. And DC could just give a big "fuck you" and retcon a new hero into Superman's place with all of Superman's supporting characters and villains.

2. The rights thing only applies to the U.S., meaning DC would still be able to publish comics featuring him outside the U.S. and the new owner wouldn't be able to publish comics with Superman anywhere but the U.S.; that essentially means if, say, Marvel were to buy him, he wouldn't take part in any of the big crossovers and most likely wouldn't appear outside his own comics for either company.

Edited July 16, 2009 by GhostMachine

[GRIFT]

My love for Brubaker continues to grow by leaps in bounds. I just finished reading the amazing Immortal Iron fist run he did with Fraction. I've never really cared for Iron Fist, but he totally sucked me into the character and his lore. Also, Fat Cobra! Nuff said!

[Herr Matzat]

1. The rights thing is over the character and the first story in Action Comics only. Meaning if they did take him elsewhere, they'd have no rights whatsoever to anything or anyone not in the original story. That essentially comes down to the new owner being able to use Superman (and Clark Kent) and Lois Lane, but not being able to use Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, or even the Daily Planet, Kryptonite or the Fortress of Solitude. And I'm pretty sure that they would have to put Superman in something resembling his original outfit with the crudely done chest logo instead of the classic logo and then kiss most of his powers goodbye. (The various vision powers and super-breath would also likely go bye-bye; originally Superman was just a super-strong, bulletproof dude who could leap really high)

Oh shit, you mean they would need to get a good creative team that is able to do something with the character without doing the same thing for the millionst time over again?

That would be terrible.

I realy hate Ultimatum... i have not read it, but it caused me to not get my Ultimate Spider-Man Comic in like... forever... and the one or two issues that were released in that time i did not understand simply becaus i have no idea what was going on. ...right now there is this USM requium thing but that dos not seem to be part of my subscription and since there is no comic shop in my area... i am kinda missing it legaly.

Let´s hope that this shit picks up once the new USM Series starts.

[RoyWill Rumble]

1. The rights thing is over the character and the first story in Action Comics only. Meaning if they did take him elsewhere, they'd have no rights whatsoever to anything or anyone not in the original story. That essentially comes down to the new owner being able to use Superman (and Clark Kent) and Lois Lane, but not being able to use Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, or even the Daily Planet, Kryptonite or the Fortress of Solitude. And I'm pretty sure that they would have to put Superman in something resembling his original outfit with the crudely done chest logo instead of the classic logo and then kiss most of his powers goodbye. (The various vision powers and super-breath would also likely go bye-bye; originally Superman was just a super-strong, bulletproof dude who could leap really high)

Oh shit, you mean they would need to get a good creative team that is able to do something with the character without doing the same thing for the millionst time over again?

That would be terrible.

I realy hate Ultimatum... i have not read it, but it caused me to not get my Ultimate Spider-Man Comic in like... forever... and the one or two issues that were released in that time i did not understand simply becaus i have no idea what was going on. ...right now there is this USM requium thing but that dos not seem to be part of my subscription and since there is no comic shop in my area... i am kinda missing it legaly.

Let´s hope that this shit picks up once the new USM Series starts.

I hate Superman as much as, if not more than the next guy, but no. Stfu. And you hate Ultimatum, but haven't read it? Sweet. Go read it, then you can hate it, because it sucks.

[Boulder]

Who hates Superman? What's wrong with you?

[Benji]

Who hates Superman?

Lex Luthor, Braniac and Hank Henshaw to name just three.

What?

[Boulder]

Who hates Superman?

Lex Luthor, Braniac and Hank Henshaw to name just three.

What?

Well, at least they all have damn good reasons.

[the machine]

Wow, copyrights extend to specific powers now? I'm amazed DC doesn't sue to shut down Prime, Supreme, the Sentry, and everyone else with Superman's powers. Or what about the Nova Corps being ripped off from Green Lantern or Thanos basically being Darkseid? Or how about Daredevil's clown-themed villain the Jester? Man I should represent DC on this stuff! Unfortunately copyright doesn't work that way: you can't claim to be the exclusive provider of comics where people where underwear over their pants. It's only infringement if you're close enough to create confusion and/or you actively stole somebody else's idea. The big Fawcett v. DC case was a situation where Fawcett had a character with a very similar design and DC had evidence that Fawcett was basically publishing pages of Action Comics with a palette swap; same panels, same lay-outs, same poses. In short, claiming somebody else's ideas as their own. Overreaction aside, yeah, it would be incredibly stupid for all parties involved for DC to not just buy the rights when and if they revert away from DC. Superman is not a valuable copyright to anyone except DC, because it is true that the character's entire history would basically have to be re-started; as it is, he's pretty much the #2 icon in DC's universe. If he turned up at Marvel, he'd just be some new hero with no history and a limited following.

Edit: and oh yeah, we should sue the Squadron Supreme/Supreme Power! Exactly the same powers, I tells ya!

Edited July 30, 2009 by the machine

[TheRaySays]

Who hates Superman? What's wrong with you?

I loathe Superman as well as Hulk Hogan. It's the whole invincibility, "you're supposed to like them despite them not doing anything remotely likeable" thing that pisses me off.

I'd rather see an underdog character like Spider-Man, Batman, or Captain America overcome adversity than see Superman fly around the Earth backwards because he was too slow/retarded/arrogant to foil the villain the first time around.

In short, fuck Superman and the little rocket he rode in on.

[Herr Matzat]

I'd rather see an underdog character like Spider-Man, Batman, or Captain America overcome adversity than see Superman fly around the Earth backwards because he was too slow/retarded/arrogant to foil the villain the first time around.

I don´t know about these characters aswell. I do like Spider-Man... well, the basic idea of him, the old stuff wen they still had changes happen... but in the end they have been doing largly the same... Aunt May always dies and comes back, MJ is always around again, he osborns always turn out to be still alive, so dos doc ock.... it´s just realy lame. Dossent realy matter if they are super becaus they are superman or because they are super franchise.

Just look at Ultimate spider-man, it´s same old same old aswell... you could have mixed things up with Gwen, you could have don a great deal of good story with kitty pride... but nope, after a few seconds it´s just Peter and (one realy terribly written) MJ again. *yawn*

I remember how i loved Spawn wen it was a new book... current comics with something cool that has not been there a gazillion times with the same characters. Is there anything like it these day? Something that is new and well don?.... i like my Buffy Season 8 Stuff, but thats only new becaus Wheedon is a writer that knows how everything needs to keep in permanent Motion. ... Bone was cool.

[Herr Matzat]

The amazing dubblepostness of serverlagness, ignoresness thissnes...

Edited August 12, 2009 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[TKz]

The Walking Dead to become a TV Series/Movie?

AMC is close to finalizing one of the richest development deals ever with helmer Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) to write and direct a series adaptation of the Image Comics graphic novel series "The Walking Dead," penned by Robert Kirkman.

Project is set among a group of zombie survivors of an apocalypse who are led by a police officer, Rick Grimes, in search of a safe place to live. The series will stay faithful to the tone of the original novels.

"This is not about zombies popping out of closets," AMC's Joel Stillerman said. "This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in 'Walking Dead') is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way."

Source: Variety

I put it in here as it's not 100% for sure yet so doesn't really deserve it's own topic, just in case it doesn't pan out. But damn, The Walking Dead as a TV Series is just a goldmine waiting to happen.

[TKz]

The Walking Dead to become a TV Series/Movie?

AMC is close to finalizing one of the richest development deals ever with helmer Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) to write and direct a series adaptation of the Image Comics graphic novel series "The Walking Dead," penned by Robert Kirkman.

Project is set among a group of zombie survivors of an apocalypse who are led by a police officer, Rick Grimes, in search of a safe place to live. The series will stay faithful to the tone of the original novels.

"This is not about zombies popping out of closets," AMC's Joel Stillerman said. "This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in 'Walking Dead') is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way."

Source: Variety

I put it in here as it's not 100% for sure yet so doesn't really deserve it's own topic, just in case it doesn't pan out. But damn, The Walking Dead as a TV Series is just a goldmine waiting to happen.