Well... you're a sore loser, Captain America

[thehefner]

So I just posted the "Commissioner Gordon Retirement Party" issue of Detective Comics, the one where Bruce Wayne's frustrated bodyguard has to put up with her principal's bumbling shenanigans.

Of course, the main reason I posted it was for the Surprise Special Guest Appearance at the end, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me. I loved that scene, but in a way, it leaves me discontent. Rather than hear someone describe what happened through narrative, I'd much rather have actually heard the speech. I think what that particular guy would have to say would be more compelling than anything else in this fun little story. Compelling and human.

But someone in the comments pointed out that the writer, Greg Rucka, isn't all that brilliant and neither of us are sure he could pull that level of sophistication off. Especially when you consider who the orator is. To which I remarked, "I may be completely wrong-headed on this front, especially as I have my issues with Bendis (not the least of which is that he writes everyone like BENDIS... Doctor Strange does not say, "Uh, wow."), but still, I'd almost like to have heard his take on the speech. Hell, he would have probably devoted half the issue to it, knowing him."

To which jgalahad gave the best Brian Michael Bendis impression I've ever heard:

"So there's this guy- this, this one guy - this man who, who cleaned up Gotham City. One guy! One! And he's, he's sitting right here with this bad wine (such bad wine, Jesus, I can't even believe you would serve it to this-) and we want - no we fucking NEED to say nice things about him, about this man, Gordon, but AH! Man! This guy! This guy, Gordon, you just can't- you just can't say enough nice things about this guy! You just can't. GORDON! Fuck!"

Brilliant.




And while we're talking about comics, I need to make a confession. I think Grant Morrison is ridiculously fucking overrated. Yes, I'm using the fuck-word here, because I'm cheezed off. Why? Because I just trudged through five volumes of his DOOM PATROL. Five volumes of pretentious, self-important, look-how-fucking-clever-I-am bizarre-for-the-sake-of-bizarre bullshit. A concept like the Brotherhood of Dada might work in the hands of other writers, but here it was utterly intolerable in its wannabe arthouse wankery.

That said, I absolutely adore and worship ANIMAL MAN, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (best thing DC is publishing), and to a lesser extent, WE3 and ARKHAM ASYLUM (reading Morrison's actual script is like reading a whole seperate book, and together they're fascinating). I know I really should crack down and read SEVEN SOLDIERS all the way through, start to finish, but everything I've read so far has left me cold. People bloody rave and wail about his stuff there, but I just don't see what's so good. I adore Ellis' NEXTWAVE, but Morrison's FRANKENSTEIN did absolutely nothing for me.

I held my opinion on him back until I'd read more of his stuff. But after that sub-fanfic Joker story he did and the fucking Doom Patrol, I can honestly say that, by and large, I really dislike the writing of this man who is hailed by fans as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, comic writers alive.

Comments

[gnort.livejournal.com]

Morrison's hit or miss. He can do great stuff but he's not consistent enough to be hailed as the best. I'd say Alan Moore is the best. Mark Waid would probably be up there as well; most of what I've read by him has been quite stellar.

[fishymcb.livejournal.com]

For the outsider's take, come to me.

My impression from that Bendis take is that Bendis is Jeff Goldblum. Am I wrong?

[lairdofdarkness.livejournal.com]

As a fellow Scot I must defend Mr Morrison. Go read all the Zenith stories a classic example of how to do a crisis style event without relying on tie ins. Seven Soldiers has its moments but I stopped reading early on due to lack of money and a case of trade waititis. As for the Doom Patrol, I read the first trade and enjoyed it. I have enjoyed enough of the mans work to allow certain lapses. The DP dreator has said that Grant was the only writer to truly get the team but as you have read all the volumes I will bow to your knowledge. St Swithins Day was the first comic that touched me as a 17 year old and I still think its powerful now.
The bat written story I got half way through and gave up on. Not because it was awful, it just didnt grab me.
Is he the greatest writer of all time....not quite, for me that will always be Alan Moore but he is in my top five along with MArk Millar, Warren Ellis and Bill Messner Loebs.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Again, I absolutely love 30% of what he does, give or take. But the rest...

And since you bring it up, I think my top writers would have to be... hmm, never thought about this before... Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Warren Ellis, Frank Miller (in his prime, of course), Robert Kirkman, Brian K. Vaughan, and Peter David. That't a bad starting place; I should figure that one out.