Draft Six is done

[thehefner]

And Draft Six of the Harvey Dent novel is finished. 82,000 words currently. At this point, I reckon it's one or two drafts away from the final one.

Of course, until it's published in some form, I imagine I'll always be picking at it, or coming back with some brilliant new revision here or there. And even then, who knows? Some filmmaker once said, "films are never completed, they are only abandoned," and I think that sentiment may hold true for all forms of story. Perhaps all art in general?

I really should have been working on far more important things, but dash it all, with everyone talking about how much they're loving THE DARK KNIGHT on DVD* right now--which lead to rekindling my rants regarding how they wasted Harvey's whole character, arguing with several others at some poor other person's LJ--and add to that my dissatisfaction in the latest arc of NIGHTWING**... I just had to get back to the novel. To actually do something rather than just be another bitching, powerless fanboy.

God, when I think about how much time and energy and effort I've put into this fictional character I'll never own, this by-product of a faceless, soulless corporation... man, I'd be thoroughly depressed--even ashamed--if I weren't so proud of how it's come together since I started two and a half years ago.

This book's been a damn important part of my life for the past couple years, and I know it'll stay with me long after I've finally put it to rest. It's just thrilling to think that time might be upon me rather soon... give or take actual, far-more-important original work.



*Methinks it's time to finally bite the bullet and get a Blu-Ray player.

**I was actually driven to return to that vile hive of scum and fucktardery known as the DC Comics Message Boards to angrily post my ranting passionate thoughts. Not that the experience was full of wankery like usual, I just learned... well, it's a message board for fans of Dick Grayson, not Harvey Dent. In the end, they'll always side with the guy who has the best ass in the DCU.

Comments

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Imma respond to both you posts in one here, and while I'm still a bit buzzed. Just so's you know.

Pie is always, always useful. I will happily accept that to assuage my bitter, bitter fanboyness. I mean, I can't promise I won't still be a little bit grumpy, but I'll never turn down pie. Although I should ask, if your pumpkin pie more on the squashy side or the spicy side? Because I favor spicy over squashy. It's how Mom always makes it, loaded with cloves and whatnot.

That TAS style comic, I realized, touched upon one major aspect of Harvey I realized as I was writing, but I won't say anything until you read the book first. And hey, at the very least, we have Dini writing the ARKHAM ASYLUM video game, with Conroy and Hamill doing voices! At least we have that!

Word to what you're saying about "the characters themselves." Character is key to superhero comics, above even plot (which is still important too).

Yeah, I hear that about Miller, I am I no-bullshit bummed the fuck out by how mass audiences will think of his THE SPIRIT before they think of Eisner's. That's nearly unforgivable. At the same time... I cannot stress how personally important and beloved BATMAN: YEAR ONE and DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN are to me. Again, much of that credit goes to the brilliant art by David Mazzuchelli, but that was truly Miller at the very top of his game. I think he needs an editor with the balls to reign him in, to say, "No, that's enough, no more of your bullcrap!" and to hone Miller's talents (they still exist in there somewhere!) out from his bugfuck craziness.

As you bring up the Riddler, if you're so inclined, I recently wrote a whole rant about what an abused character Eddie is, with links to great and not-so-great examples of him over the years. Not to totally give you even *more* to read or anything. ;)

Over the years, I've developed a real grudge against TLH. Maybe I'm just embarrassed by the brown-nosing letter I wrote when I was twelve that was published in issue # 4 (the New Year's one). Maybe it's just me being sick of hearing it called the definitive Two-Face story, or even the definitive Batman story. Maybe it's just how hackneyed and cliched and plot-hole-ridden I find the entire affair. I'd take DKR over LH any day, let me tell you.

By the way, I hate DKR's art too, but I put that blame squarely on Klaus Janson's inks. Around the same time, Miller and his wife/colorist Lynn Varley drew ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN around the same time, a bizarre Marvel comic which coincidentally featured what I believe to be the greatest artwork of Miller's career. So he has it in him when he really gives a shit. I just wish we'd see that more often.

Also, poor Jervis. I think TAS' Jervis was the best of the lot. I'll take him over creepy pedophile Jervis any day, word to all that.

I've send you the book! Didja get it?

Once I sober up, we can start shopping for the RV in the morning.

[bitemetechie.livejournal.com]

I’ll do my best to ignore any alcohol induced typos. As long as you’re not typing with your face, I’m sure I can make sense of it.

(I can’t promise the same if we wind up continuing with this chattering later tonight; a movie night is slated and I have this bright idea to turn Blade Runner into a drinking game. I predict it will end badly.)

My pie is spicy, of course. What cretin wants squashy pie? To deny a pumpkin the ability to become more is an injustice to vegetables everywhere. And if the pumpkin pie doesn’t cheer you up, there’s a myriad of other baked goods in my repertoire.

Barring food filling the hole in your soul…well, I’m sure we can come up with something.

(I feel like I should leer suggestively for full effect. Curses, foiled by the nature of the internet again!)

Arkham Asylum! I geekgasmed so hard when I saw the trailer. The maniacal cackling that was brought on by Hamill’s infectious laughter was a thing of beauty. I can’t wait for it. I mean, I was excited for Mortal Kombat vs. The DC Universe (have you seen any game footage? The DC fatalities are hilarious), but for pure fangirly glee, Arkham Asylum just about sent me over the edge.

Aside from the huge crate of comic books that my local library had (which I worked through diligently from the ages of eight to thirteen--when I finally started buying my own books) the only collected works they had available was the very first volume of The Spirit Archives and Astro City. AC was technically my first graphic novel, but I remember Spirit more vividly and I remember just how much I really, really loved it. When I heard news of a Spirit movie, I was thrilled but then…Frank.

Oh well. Not much to be done about it now. It’s either deceptively crappy looking and actually awesome, or just plain crappy. Either way, like all comic book movies of the past few years, I’ll be in line for the very first showing...provided I can find somebody to go with me. Damn this being away from home without transportation business.

You’re going to make me dig out my temporary roomie’s copy of Year One, aren’t you? Ungh. I don’t want to go in her room, it’s scary in there...and she locks the door…and me without my bobbypins!

Oh no, not more things to read. Anything but more things to read!! My mind is only built for a certain amount of sentence intake/output per day, you’re trying to kill me!

But seriously: a rant about Eddums? That’s…why do I find that cute? -frown- I will, of course, be reading it and weighing in, because damn, it’s nice to talk Batman with somebody who gets it.

And now I’ll have to reread TLH too (it’s been a year since I read it and if I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t all that invested that time around)…sigh.

Eh, I still don’t like Miller’s artwork. Those Elektra scans don’t suck, I like the movement and composition of the figures, but I’m not doing the flappy “Gimme, gimme!” hands dance. He’s one of a handful of artists that leave me cold. I had to really apply myself to develop any kind of warm fuzzy feeling for Tim Sale’s work; Miller is a lost cause. So sue me, I think his stuff is ugly.

Nobody I know likes the comic book Jervis of recent years. If there’s some focus group being conducted at DC about the character, I don’t know where they’re getting their information. Everyone wants the TAS Hatter, even in fanfic. I developed a real distaste for Gail Simone because of how she portrayed Jervis, even though I know she’s a fabulous writer. There are a few villains with several incarnations where I can see the merit of each version; Jervis isn’t one of them. Go TAS or go home.

I did get it! I'll start reading it later tonight, probably (sci-fi movie marathon can't start until roomie gets home from the office--and by office I mean 'Best Chinese Restaurant in the Universe'-- Christmas party, so I've got time to kill) and drop a line every time I finish a chapter. Maybe we should continue the fannish conversation in e-mail, ‘cause the size of this thread is getting scary.

Excellent idea. We’ll honeymoon on the road and cut a geeky swath from one end of the country to the other. Fair warning: I expect a Batman engagement ring.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, which version of BLADE RUNNER, dare I ask? Better be careful: if it's the theatrical version, don't take a shot every time Harrison Ford sounds like he hates delivering that narration, or you'll be dead within fifteen minutes.

Watch out, because I may be drunk again tonight. We're celebrating the birth of my sister-in-law, who, coincidentally, is a fan of squashy pumpkin pie. I know, right? The poor girl. I was forced to endure squashy pumpkin pie while I was on the road, taking my Thanksgiving at a white-trash hick town in Northern California whose residents didn't even use the internet, by and large.

I so wanna play MK VS DC, but man, I especially want the overseas version, which is Rated R! All we get is a pussified PG-13 version, which censors kills such as the Joker's. Bah. I say "bah" a lot, by the way.

By literally all accounts, Miller's SPIRIT is an absolute disaster. We can only pray it flops unseen by most, so Eisner's creation remains ignored by the mainstream rather than tainted.

Yes, brave her room, you need to read YEAR ONE. Do it for David Mazzuchelli's wonderful, wonderful art, not to mention Richmond Lewis' beautiful coloring. Then, if you absolutely must, reread TLH (ooh, and then I can refer to you my three-part Gilda Dent megapost, where I scan and comment on every single Gilda appearance, plus my nitpicky bitchfest about how the final twist of TLH doesn't make a bloody lick of sense!).

Not too many find my intense geekery cute. I am pleased, and hope you continue to enjoy it, because there's always more where that came from!

Word to Jervis. Even Gail Simone... sigh. Ever since my discovery about the TAS soundtrack (see my most recent post), I've spent today with "YOUUUU of ALL PEOPLE... have the GALL to ask me that question?! You ruined my *life!* I was willing to give you *any* life you wanted... just to keep you out of MINE!" stuck in my head on a loop for some reason.

Rock and roll! Respond as you are able (in terms of time and sobriety) and we shall carry on these mad conversations from there on out!

[bitemetechie.livejournal.com]

There are people who still own the theatrical version of Blade Runner? What manner of madness and heinous fuckery is that?

I'm still sober, though I don't think I will be for much longer, so e-mails after this will probably be slightly less coherent. There's a bouncing ball of energy on the other end of the couch who's all excited about the plum wine she just brought home and she just hates drinkin' alone. Also, I was unaware that California had hick towns without internet. You have my sympathy.

(I can do you one better, though: Alabama is where text messages come to die. Somewhere, up in the atmosphere, there are a billion 160 character-length messages floating, lost, caught in some kind of technological spidersilk. If you listen carefully, you can hear the anguished, frustrated screams of the state's entire teenage population. When I finally get home in February, I'll probably set foot in my apartment and my cell phone will explode because of the sudden influx of messages that thought they were doomed to languish in the dead zone.)

I didn't know the US version of MK vs. DC was censored that heavily. I mean, I thought it was silly that they made the finishing moves at the hands of the DC heroes 'Heroic Brutality' instead of the classic 'Fatality', but I figured that was because DC heroes don't kill. How naive I am, how very, very naive.

Well, you never know, The Spirit could have some kind of gem of a--oh, who am I kidding? I'm in denial. It looks like avant garde porn and not even good avant garde porn.

The misdemeanor I'll be committing in the dead of night later on? All your fault. I'll commandeer her copy as stealthily as possible and absorb it ASAP...and yes, her copy of TLH, too, just so you can flail at me about Gilda. You're just so excited to have someone to rant at length at about Batman who'll rant right back, aren't you? See, that is cute.

Did...did you say TAS soundtrack? -goes to look- HOLY HELL MUFFINS! WANT!

You're quoting Perchance to Dream! I love that episode! It's one of the few I specifically remember watching in its first run. Jervis Tetch needs such a hug, the poor guy. Most of Batman's rogues gallery is in need of a hug, actually.

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

Nothing on earth is less surprising than the fact that the 2 of you ended up getting knocked up.

[bitemetechie.livejournal.com]

*eats popcorn*

My favorite part is that the RV scenario actually panned out. It's like this thread is some kind of prophecy...