Links of Note

[thehefner]

The AV Club on "ASTRO CITY vs. PLANETARY: Superhero Reconstruction vs. Deconstruction." If nothing else, it reminds me that I need to read all of PLANETARY in one chunk now that it's done, and that I need to actually read ASTRO CITY period. I've read parts in the past, but it never grabbed me, aside from a couple of the stories on scans_daily ("The Nearness of You": one of the all-time greats? Probably, yes). It's time to give that series the attention it deserves, as it's ostensibly a joyful, mature celebration of everything I love about superhero comics.



In similar news, Four critics for the Comics Alliance do a round-table review of WEDNESDAY COMICS, part 1 and part 2. It was done in time for the huge* hardcover collection, but it's clear that they were revewing from their experiences reading the series as it came out, rather than giving them a fresh reread all in one sitting now. I think you have to do that to completely judge that series, which is why I've still held off from posting my own thoughts. I disagree with about half of the CA panel, sometimes violently, but they still make interesting points.

For now, I will say that I was somewhat disappointed by much of WEDNESDAY COMICS, considering how excited I was by it and how hard I pushed it here. But it being a mixed bag was inevitable, and the fact that such bold experiment even existed was reason enough to support it. All that said, I did love a few of those stories, particularly THE FLASH, which not only might be the greatest Barry Allen story of all time (one person on CA rightly calls it ALL-STAR FLASH), but it's the one that best utilized the format's strengths all while paying homage to the newspaper comic art form in general. It was a marvelous achievement that deserves its own series.



Justin Zyduck on MightyGodKing.com explores what makes the Mark Hamill Joker superior to the Joker of Grant Morrison and Heath Ledger. It reminds me of what surrealname said about what makes the B:TAS Joker great: "He has human appetites."



Finally, a random image that never fails to amuse me:








*Fact: the WEDNESDAY COMICS hardcover is perfectly sized for hugging. Just try it when you find a copy. You'll see.

Comments

A proposal for title of said image.

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

"The student body of Washington College reacts to David Carlton's sense of humor."

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

and seriously, we NEED to watch Highlander 2. Doctor Cox is the bad guy.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

We will, but only on the stipulation that either immediately before or immediately after, we watch THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE. This has to be the first thing we do next time we hang out.

Hit paydirt with KDRT!

[torberg.livejournal.com]

"He can't say, 'Oh shit my fucking Christ,' on the radio!"

Re: Hit paydirt with KDRT!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Clint Eastwood? I fucked 'im! OHHHHHHHHHH!!!

[surrealname.livejournal.com]

I agree to these terms.

[kagome654.livejournal.com]

Wait...you haven't yet read the bulk of Astro City? Seriously? Wow, you think you know a guy...

Astro City is where I go when I'm feeling particularly down about the state of comics from the big two. It's not perfect, but it's solid. Plus its done almost everything the big two have attempted in the last few years (secret alien invasions, civil wars amongst superheroes, sidekicks taking over their mentors' roles) in a much more satisfying way than Marvel and DC have managed.

You should at least read the 'Confessions' and 'Family Album' trades

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

No lie: I was honestly wondering if I would actively disappoint anyone with that admission of ASTRO CITY.

I'm gonna read it all, eventually. But I already know that CONFESSIONS is the big one.

[kagome654.livejournal.com]

SHAME ON YOU. SHHAAAAAME. I tease, of course

Yes, Confessions is quite good. My only complaint is that it has a little less of the 'Observations and opinions of the average citizen in a city full of super beings' angle that I like, but it's a minor quibble.

[kingrockwell]

I actually reread the Flash strip over the past week! It is still good, Kerschl is still great.
I think at least most of the strips in Wednesday Comics were at least Okay, but Titans was bad enough to kind of sour the whole thing. Superman kinda was, too.

[kingrockwell]

i was, a little bit

I've only read Life in the Big City and Tarnished Angel, but that was enough to let me know the series was definitely A Thing.

[gravityslave.livejournal.com]

OMG! I *love* that image and want it on a T-shirt. Or a tote bag. Or both. Dang, thanks for cheering me up a bit! I was reading depressing news stories and just wanted to quit the human race...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Superman was the worst offender, and I cannot understand how someone as talented as John Arcudi could have cranked out that wanky nothing of a story. And to think that DC chose that strip to be featured in USA TODAY...! That strip...! It's just exasperating. Trying to push WC outside the direct market was exactly what they should have been doing, but not with that SUPERMAN.

I agree with one of the reviewers: "Why didn't they just get Geoff Johns and Gary Frank?"

TITANS was just... yeah. Yeah, not so much.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I actually read TARNISHED ANGEL years ago, and remember liking it but I remember nothing. It didn't stay with me. But I wanna give it another chance.

Yeah, the S_D scans of "The Nearness of You" and that elderly supervillain stories solidified the Thingness of it for me.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Jim Kirk makes everything better, even if he has to ignore the Prime Directive to do it.

[kingrockwell]

I forgot they put it in USA Today! That makes it so much worse. Yes, the Superman strip was awful.
I wish they'd put Flash or Wonder Woman out there instead. A lot of folks complained about the Wondy strip for being a little hard to follow, but as far as I care if you actually gave it the time it was one of the best!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I couldn't bring myself to give WW and KAMADI the attention they deserved in the weekly format, but I definitely wanna pore over them properly when I get the full hardcover.

[superfan1.livejournal.com]

Kirk seems a little to happy there in the epic face palm of fail.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I think they're all just facepalming whatever it is that Kirk is smiling about. Possibly something Kirk just said. He doesn't care, he's awesome and he knows it.