Galactus Rant (plus 52 hint)

[thehefner]

Welp, according to CHUD.com, my worst fear for the FANTASTIC FOUR sequel is confirmed. Looks like we'll be getting "giant swarm of space bugs" Galactus rather than "huge guy in big pink armor and funky helmet" Galactus. That's just what I'm inferring when the screenwriter says that Galactus will be less of a "character" and more of a "force."

The usual argument is that regular Galactus would look goofy in film. To which I say, bullshit. Not if it's toned down and done right in the movie, especially if it jives with the comic-y tone of the film. And having read the "Ultimate Galactus" space bugs story, let me tell you... a swarm of space bugs is boring. Boring and anticlimactic. I'd rather take goofy over boring any day, and done right, he doesn't even HAVE to be goofy.

Why do so many people insist on trying to make some of these comic concepts "realistic"? Where's the sense of wonderment or fun? Gritty and realistic works for many characters, but not Fantastic Four.

Guh. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the big man'll look more like his old self after all. They nailed the Silver Surfer, not like that's hard to do. But it's not like I exactly had much faith in this team after the first FF movie.

Pissed now.





In other news, I just read the new issue of 52, which officially comes out tomorrow. And let me just say... kinda intriguing. The scans_daily folks will likely have a double field day, but I'm not certain what to make it it. heykidzcomix particularly, take note. I actually might just almost give half a crap about this story now.

Comments

[heykidzcomix.livejournal.com]

I saw the spoilers on the DC board--Skeets isn't a very perceptive little murder machine, is he?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Booster also remarks how Skeets isn't in his right self, clearly. But that wasn't all I was talking about. Did the spoilers mention what happens at the end?

[heykidzcomix.livejournal.com]

Skeets eats the Phantom Zone, I think. Go ahead and spoil it for me--I'm not going to buy it.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That too. But then Lobo, Starfire, and Adam Strange hold Buddy's funeral in space and leave his body on, like, an asteroid as a floating grave or something. But time passes and Buddy wakes up, screaming "Don't leave me!" only to see the two big-headed yellow aliens from Morrison's run.

So hey, both characters (and maybe the Question too eventually, since he's not dead YET) are back! ... until they get killed off again.

[heykidzcomix.livejournal.com]

Ah, that. Yeah, I don't know what to make of that. On the one hand, it's nice that they're alive, but on the other, it all sounds very convoluted and epic, and I'm not interested anymore. They may take their shared universe and kindly go shove it :D.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

For similar but different reasons (I suspect), I'm afraid I must agree. Then again, if it can result in good new stories from said characters... hey, I'm good with that.

Very convoluted and epic is 52 in a nutshell. It's funny how much Didio and the writers (writers I like, that's the sad thing) are trying to make readers think they're doing the next Watchmen here.

[heykidzcomix.livejournal.com]

What're your reasons, out of curiosity?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It comes down to the fact that DC and Marvel these days is so much about the big shock or twist than good storytelling. By which I mean to say, characters die left and right purely for the cheap lazy shock value (with very little in the way of emotional reaction afterwards other than "Nooooooo!").

And yet, the actions have no consequences. Another writer down the line can easily negate anything and everything that came before. Sometimes this is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But for the most part, reading most comics from the big two fills me with an overwhelming sense of "who cares?"

Of course, the problem is that these big events do work and get attention. Our store's been doing very well thanks to Infinite Crisis and Civil War. Extremely well, actually. But those stories are crap, just empty calories like so many people think all superhero comics are.

But I do love the characters and can still love them when used in good stories. And I know there are still comics out there that I love (Walking Dead, Invincible, Ex Machina, She Hulk, X-Factor, All Star Superman) so I'm not turned off entirely. But by and large, I am just totally done with the whole "Hollywood" business aspect of superhero comics over good storytelling.

I hope I made some sense in that grumpy old man ramble.

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Ultimate Galactus was a swarm of space bugs?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/May06/main/ULTEXT005_cov.jpg

[optimooseprime.livejournal.com]

Damn straight, man. My impression of the entire Ultimates universe is that they stretch and strive to make updated origin stories, and then the rest of the writing just sucks: trite contrived bullcrap. While most classic Marvel stories clearly show their age, they are classics for a reason, yet Ultimates tends to shun them.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

I really, really could give a fuck about Booster at this point, given DC's track record. Plus, scans_daily has almost made me a Booster hater because of all the shrill fifteen year old "BOOOOSTLE!" squee.

But Buddy? I felt that, man. I took it personal.

I'm disgusted with Marvel's decision about Galactus.

[kwsapphire.livejournal.com]

This does not give me much hope for Doom. :(

[kwsapphire.livejournal.com]

That's totally boring. Like every other "they're coming to destroy the world" story, it's a fleet of ships, because no ONE organism has the power to destroy worlds. ... EXCEPT GALACTUS, effwads!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Well, Doom will be in Latveria this time around, it seems... so who knows, perhaps they'll tweak some of the flaws and improve the character for the second movie.

Hopes are high, expectations are not.