COMIC REPORT

[thehefner]

Valerie D'Orazio comments on Bendis' misuse of Dr. Doom... with the help of Picard and Ryu. Yes, that pretty well sums it up, doesn't it?

Which reminds me... SECRET INVASION: Ugh. Goddammit, Bendis.

And while we're at it--COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS: What the fuck. Seriously. What the fuck. That's all.



Teaser poster(s) released for Frank Miller's THE SPIRIT. Note that I didn't call it "Frank Miller's take on Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT." Maybe it's just Lionsgate's marketing people who want to make this look like SIN CITY 2, or if that's Miller's bright idea. Dang it, I know Miller is deeply and sincerely dedicated to this film, passionate about his intent to honor Eisner, but it's damn-near-impossible enough for anyone to be Will Eisner (except Alan Moore, with his GREYSHIRT stories), much less Mr. WHORESWHORESWHORES himself.

Someone suggested these posters would work better for a Frank Miller SHADOW film, and I have to admit, the idea is intriguing.



I really, really wish I had and could just read the current WALKING DEAD storyline in one complete trade paperback. Because five months of these past issues, culminating with the one that came out yesterday... I'm just depressed. I read it in the store, then thought about it again a couple hours later, and felt sad all the rest of that evening. And they're not even done with this particular chapter yet.



But let's end all this on a happy note. Namely, how goddamn awesome was that Superman/Legion of Superheroes story in ACTION COMICS?! After years of trying and failing to really get into the Legion, not to mention years of struggling to find stories that showcase just how goddamn awesome Superman is (or potentially *should* be), Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have delivered an utterly ass-kicking superhero epic that reveals the glorious inspiring asskickery of both.

I am SO buying this hardcore when the collection comes out. Even if it's hardcover.

Between Johns' work on ACTION COMICS and Morrison's ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, it's so refreshing to truly have comics worthy of the character. It's all part of my mad, glorious mission to convert the masses out there who dislike characters such as Superman, Hal Jordan, Scott Summers, and even the Joker. Odd company, that.

Comments

[mirthical.livejournal.com]

I recently got a book out of the library of the daily newspaper strips of Batman during its three year run from 1943 to 1946. I'm up to the first Joker story arc right now. It's cheesy, for the most part (a mobster's entrance to his hideout is through a giant oven in a bakery), but what I found interesting was that while the other major canon villains (Two-Face, Catwoman, the Penguin, etc.) all made it to the Sunday strips, only the Joker was ever in the dailies.

And then I was all, "That's right, bitch!"

Man, if I ever meet anybody who's a Batman fan who also dislikes the Joker, blood will be shed.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh rock! I actually think I have that book somewhere. Gordon bought it for me back in the day. Does it feature a dead kitten in one of the stories? That made me sad.

Yeah, here are scans of Two-Face from the Sunday strip... where Harvey is an now an egotistical ham actor named Harvey Apollo:

http://www.goldenagebatman.com/sundaypages.html

I dare not speculate on the personal connotations of Harvey being an over-the-top ham actor.

There are a lot of people who hate the Joker, bizarrely enough. Part of it is the thought that Batman needs to finally kill him, because he's done too many horrible things to continue on. Fools.

[mirthical.livejournal.com]

Which of course ignores the fact that Batman MUST continue to face the Joker and NOT kill him, because to kill anyone, even as depraved and irredeemable as the Joker, would completely destroy his necessarily iron-clad discipline and belief in justice.

It is the constant test of will for Batman that keeps him current. If it's not a struggle for him (he's supposed to be tortured, damnit!) then what the hell is the point?

Also, THERE IS NO END TO CRIME. You can't kill the Joker for the same reason that you can't eliminate crime - the story becomes pointless.

I shall cut you (read: Batman fans who are Joker-haters), with logic! Nya-hah!

[mirthical.livejournal.com]

also, *salivates over Shadow movie*

[nymphgalatea.livejournal.com]

I refuse to even touch Countdown any more, and as for Secret Invasion...my Comic Book Guy had to explain most of it to me. Skrulls everywhere, very confusing.

Even then, all I came away with was the desire to sing the Beatles for the next eight hours. He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.. Possibly not the effect Bendis was looking for.

On the plus side, the Superman trade paperback I bought today had drunken Scottish robots in kilts attempting to kill Jimmy Olsen, which is an idea I can get behind. I do love Supes. All the comics he stars in are so wonderfully...fun at the moment.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh god, and the fact that there actually are Skrull Beatles (as introduced in the WISDOM mini-series) is starting to seriously mess with my head, maaaan...

Oh dear lord. Which trade is this?

[nymphgalatea.livejournal.com]

The trade just came out in the UK this week. Called "3,2,1, Action" or something like that.
Unfortunately, a large part of it is taken up with a Countdown tie-in that makes me roll my eyes so hard I saw the inside of my brain.
But it does have its' moments. Like the Kryptonite Man (who tries to kill Jimmy Olsen), and the Kryptonite Monkey (who also tries to kill Jimmy Olsen). As well as the previously mentioned Jimmy Olsen-killing drunk Scottish robots.

Sadly, none of them actually succeed in offing him, but it's nice that they tried.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Which reminds me... SECRET INVASION: Ugh. Goddammit, Bendis.

And while we're at it--COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS: What the fuck. Seriously. What the fuck. That's all.

Well said, sir.