|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 27, 2014 6:34:01 GMT -5
Anybody here enjoys going to the movies alone...? I´ve heard such a creature exists, but I think it´s the stuff cryptozoologist legends are made of... . I personally hate doing that. For me, the best part of watching a movie is commmenting on it once it´s over. Anyway, the soundtrack of the movie just wouldn´t quit on me for weeks afterwards. It kept playing on and on inside my head! But, for once, I didn´t really mind. I loved the movie as well. Welllllll, Prodigalson (welcome aboard, BTW-- thanks for taking the time to post!), I may be the very cryptid of which you speak. I do rather enjoy the solitary movie-goer experience every so-often. It tends to enhance the feeling of being able to surrender completely to the world of the film for me. What can I say? HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 27, 2014 6:30:11 GMT -5
So, basically, it looks like he gets army boots, making him look more militant, like so many other heroes of the past 20 years. Meh. nk There does seem to be a subtler shift in play, too, though. You're right, he has a much more military/commando look, which I think can also be attributed to an apparent change in what SF's outfit might actually be made of. He's always been one of those single-piece, ultra-skin-tight (nothin' left to the imagination--! *ahem*), spandex union-suit types. This outfit does appear to be constructed from different panels and pieces of a thicker, bulkier material, with obvious seams where they join. Actually, a pretty good job on the artist's part conveying something like this. Boots- legitimate, practical boots? Sure-- heck yes. Realistic superhero footwear is long past due for its place in the sun! HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 21, 2014 22:03:30 GMT -5
Any of them, bobc-- ANY of them. When you read a lot of those earliest issues of most of these titles, it's painfully clear what a product of the hopelessly sexist, chauvinistic times Stan was. His writing and handling of them seems to reveal an opinion that women are not exactly "people" the way that men are, but are rather this "other" type of creature that is certainly dear and wonderful-- but are also inherently fragile, [/quote] Well, at risk of p!ssing off the hardcore Stan Lee lovers on these boards, I feel Stan might not have been in a "60s" misogynistic "phase". Anyone ever heard of "STRIPPERELLA" (circa 2003) I'll always give credit when it's due, but IMHO, Stan is a business shyster whose actions would even make Gene Simmons blush! A fantastic storyteller though.[/quote] Yeah, that abomination was nothing short of jaw-dropping in its clue-free, misogynistic poor taste. Sure, the character was being developed by, I think, SpikeTV at the time-- so it was aiming for a low-brow, sophomoric demographic. . . but come ON. It's not like it was being created in secret?!! And the fact that it was being "created" by an 80 year old man just made it all the more nauseatingly creepy. Joanie Lee needed to grab Stan by the scruff of the neck at that very moment and pull him off the playground with an unanswerable, "That's it-- you're DONE!!!" HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 20, 2014 21:06:31 GMT -5
Not to be "ants at a picnic," but the Wasp's worst moment IMO was when the Avengers fought the Sub-Mariner back in the 60's. Jan attacked him and thought to herself something to the effect of "Talk about wishful thinking--I hit him with everything I've got and all I got out of it was a bent stinger." And, indeed, her "sting" was just a needle on a wrist band and it was bent! Now maybe I'm crazy, but you don't go up against the Sub-Mariner with what amounts to a glorified push pin as a weapon! You're just asking for it! The Wasp has come a long way since those days. Hey, speaking of, which female character do you guys think has come the furthest since her beginning few years? For me it's a toss up between the Wasp and Scarlet Witch, with the Invisible Girl/Woman coming in at 3rd place. My GOD she was useless in the beginning--she was kidnapped almost every issue! I was reading one of the early Essential FF editions that had the first twenty something issues all put together, and I was laughing at how often Sue was taken prisoner! The Wasp was also kidnapping bait for several years. Any of them, bobc-- ANY of them. When you read a lot of those earliest issues of most of these titles, it's painfully clear what a product of the hopelessly sexist, chauvinistic times Stan was. His writing and handling of them seems to reveal an opinion that women are not exactly "people" the way that men are, but are rather this "other" type of creature that is certainly dear and wonderful-- but are also inherently fragile, delicate, and easily overcome by their emotions; that are incapable of surviving any kind of physical demand; and that have (as a race) this depth of unfathomable, nigh-mystic "intuition" that they can rely on to help them survive in moments of extremis. Really, I'm not joshing-- I've found myself feeling sorry for Stan, because it seems like he couldn't possibly have had any women friends back then, as he seemed to keep them on pedestal even as he had them figuratively locked in an ivory tower (so to speak). HB (whose best pals are women, which is why it makes me crazy. . .)
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 16, 2014 21:04:44 GMT -5
Nice job, pym! New hip, healthy sober lifestyle. . . hmm, there are a lot of options out there for a personal next-step. Hair Club for Men? (Nah, that assumes you need it, which may not be the case at all. . . ) Go full-Vegan? Ohhh, you'd be a stronger man than I. . . !
I'd recommend raising backyard ducks. . . but. . . I don't think I could wish that on a friend. . .
HB (just chartin' your life out for you. . . pay no attention. . . )
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 16, 2014 20:55:07 GMT -5
Rats, rats, RATS, bobc-! You done swiped the very first one I thought of-! It was a great moment, as Wanda at that point seemed to tip-toeing around the edges of fury-driven insanity. IIRC, the robot shell was the one that was powered by an encased Thor. And didn't Iron Man make some comment about wondering why she even needed the rest of the fellas around anymore-? I mean, geeze. . . a METEORITE. . . out of ORBIT! With a GESTURE--!! This was one of those, "Oh MAAAAAAAAN--!!" moments for my buddy and I. HB And how about when Wanda unleashed her hex/fury at Ultron in #161--not too shabby a showing , right? It was mightily impressive, yes indeed it was. Although from the standpoint of pure theatrical spectacle, it maybe didn't quite have the same over-the-top "ooomph", y'know? What I thought was interesting is that it showed a particular obvious vulnerability in Ultron that hardly ever got exploited after that-- that he could be defeated by magic (or it's probability-altering equivalent). Dr. Strange therefor would be of great use against Ultron. Heck, the Juggernaut might be able to go toe-to-toe w/ him physically. Does anyone out there remember that in one of the early Kooky Quartet outings, Wanda got into a "magical" shoot-out w/ the Enchantress (half-powered, admittedly), and that the two of them were locked in an energy-discharge stalemate? I think it was very shortly after this that her endless power-instability dramas began to take the stage. Hey, I know a lot of folks hated her, but the scene where Mantis first encounters the group and sort of does a one-woman ambush and takes everyone down for a minute was pretty impressive. Her taking Thor down w/ a nerve-punch is still pretty hard to swallow, though. . . HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 15, 2014 21:48:58 GMT -5
I'd mentioned earlier in this thread that Byrne's work in this arc 164-6 seems to contain some Kirby and J. Buscema references... but it looks like there might be some Wally Wood recalls in there too (such as the opening splash of Namor from Daredevil #7). Though I suppose this is a fairly standard comic book pose...so this may be just an excuse to gaze upon Namor and Simon--what can I say, I'm superficial. Darn it, I can't find the specific image for it anywhere, but Shar I think I'm recalling Avengers #61, possibly page 3 or 4, where the vision is being "fed" solar energy into his power jewel. Did that have a similar configuration? (Ha! Testin' the Queen o' Memory, I am-!!!) HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 15, 2014 21:39:13 GMT -5
And one that I enjoyed, even though it wasn't particularly important, was Tigra's delightfully in-character reaction to inadvertently discovering Thor & Iron Man's secret identities. The whole grinning, star-struck, giggly, chatter-box aspect of it was hilarious-- although possibly not quite in synch with Greer's original personality template from her CAT days. But. . . I can't say I have any memory of what she was like then, exactly. . .
Many years later, Jan's musing over who she should turn the chairman-reigns over to was a neat, neat look inside the mind and amazingly pragmatic, competent nature of a truly admirable character. It conveyed a welcome, rare level of very recognizable, true humanity in a character we were already very fond of, and achieved the goal of making her seem just like anyone else in the real world.
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 15, 2014 21:24:13 GMT -5
I liked when the Scarlet Witch brought down the meteorite on one of Kang's robots in that Giant Size Avengers annual. Rats, rats, RATS, bobc-! You done swiped the very first one I thought of-! It was a great moment, as Wanda at that point seemed to tip-toeing around the edges of fury-driven insanity. IIRC, the robot shell was the one that was powered by an encased Thor. And didn't Iron Man make some comment about wondering why she even needed the rest of the fellas around anymore-? I mean, geeze. . . a METEORITE. . . out of ORBIT! With a GESTURE--!! This was one of those, "Oh MAAAAAAAAN--!!" moments for my buddy and I. HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 10, 2014 17:28:20 GMT -5
HB, totally agree. The movie was awesome. It's not easy finding the right mix of hokey, campy fun and exciting high stakes action. You have to get somewhere between Fantastic Four and Man of Steel. Guardians did it brilliantly. Can't wait for the sequel. Also, I have to say... I tried to guess what might happen in the tag at the end of the credits. Had several good ideas too, however... none of them were what was there. Not even close. Ha! Boy, that's for sure! Lots of Easter Eggs in this movie, too-- HBGirl said the Collector's storeroom contained Jabba the Hut (!!!), although I totally missed him. And how incredibly subtle to have the old Soviet "Space Dog". One assumes it to be the famous, lost "Laika"-- although Laika was a rather different (mixed) breed. But it's a perfect little sentimental gift to older space-race buffs who never got past that poor dog being sent into space on Sputnik 2 w/ no plan to ever bring her back, and let her die in space (horribly, as has been recently revealed). It's a little historical Happy End for a small, sad footnote from the early years of space exploration. HBGirl particularly liked the happy little mixed marriage we see near the end. Again, just an offhand, unforced sweet detail that helps humanize both the story and the "aliens" that populate it. HB BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!! Cosmo the SPACE DOG? Oh man, it's KILLIN' me!!! It took my beloved HBSon to point out to me that I had absurdly misinterpreted the identity of the Collector's dog/artifact. And in the TRUEST of HB-fashion, I totally ran with it, giving it faaaaaar more meaning and significance than it was ever, ever attempting to convey. Ohhhh, how do you folks put up with it? And not a one of you was unkind enough to point out my error-- you are indeed a swell bunch! HB (it's all a soviet plot, y'know. . . )
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 10, 2014 7:34:51 GMT -5
I'm thinking you may have more of a Don Blake/Thor dynamic goin' on. . . ! You'll want to practice that whole pressing-on-with-stoic-determination-while-never-uttering-a-word-of-complaint thingy. TOTAL chick-magnet, I'm tellin' ya-! In fact, maybe you should try using that ridiculously gnarled log that Don was fond of in Thor's earlier appearances-! And wear a lab coat all the time. . . like even at dinner. . . yeah, you've got opportunity just a-knockin' at your door here, pym. . . Say, what was Don Blake's specific affliction, anyhow? I'd always assumed it was a bad or weak hip, since he was still quite mobile and active. The cane seemed to serve more in the capacity of taking the weight burden over the course of a busy day, rather than being something to literally enable him to walk. . . (a little OT, yes, but one does get curious. . . ) HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 7, 2014 8:35:18 GMT -5
HB, totally agree. The movie was awesome. It's not easy finding the right mix of hokey, campy fun and exciting high stakes action. You have to get somewhere between Fantastic Four and Man of Steel. Guardians did it brilliantly. Can't wait for the sequel. Also, I have to say... I tried to guess what might happen in the tag at the end of the credits. Had several good ideas too, however... none of them were what was there. Not even close. Ha! Boy, that's for sure! Lots of Easter Eggs in this movie, too-- HBGirl said the Collector's storeroom contained Jabba the Hut (!!!), although I totally missed him. And how incredibly subtle to have the old Soviet "Space Dog". One assumes it to be the famous, lost "Laika"-- although Laika was a rather different (mixed) breed. But it's a perfect little sentimental gift to older space-race buffs who never got past that poor dog being sent into space on Sputnik 2 w/ no plan to ever bring her back, and let her die in space (horribly, as has been recently revealed). It's a little historical Happy End for a small, sad footnote from the early years of space exploration. HBGirl particularly liked the happy little mixed marriage we see near the end. Again, just an offhand, unforced sweet detail that helps humanize both the story and the "aliens" that populate it. HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 7, 2014 8:17:29 GMT -5
New Avengers is out and a fight finally occurs between Namor and Black Panther. What a frikkin' huge letdown. BP's promise to kill Namor is a hinge element of this whole series, and after waiting years we get this? I am beyond disappointed. Oh boy-- bobc, I KNOW this is opening a whole can of probably-unwanted worms, but-- Clearly this couldn't be a situation where BP attempts to take Namor down one-on-one, right? The Panther would have to be using weapons, technology, stealth, minions, political machinations, and/or trickery somehow, yes? BP just couldn't take Namor out in simple, single combat-- their power sets are too asymmetrical. But there's absolutely NO FUN in doing it the other way, 'casue ANYONE can take out anyone else with enough planning, weapons, and subterfuge (especially someone like Namor, who is both volatile and not particularly deep). HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 4, 2014 21:47:48 GMT -5
I tried to go HB but I saw a line stretching a mile around the theater. I'll probably go this weekend when things calm down a bit. It's good, bobc, it's really good. Very fun, very entertaining, quite satisfying-- and leaves you yearning for the next installment asap. If anything, this is the biggest problem w/ superhero stories as movie serials, as opposed to television. Old, golden age Hollywood could churn out films at a much faster clip for their popular properties and stars (I think there were six Thin Man movies in 10 or 12 years), but it is tough to make quality ginormous blockbusters nowadays in less than three. Unless you just film all possible mayhem at once, and then try to edit it together into different films (like Pirates o/t Carib 2, and then the ab-HORRENT #3!). Even James Bond was showing up for years on at least a bi-yearly schedule like clockwork. The saddest thing in the world is that RDjr is clearly going to age out of being Tony Start before long. . . and man, I don't want him to-! HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 4, 2014 8:50:42 GMT -5
So, Guardians of the Galaxy, teammates? Yeah? Yeah? Surely, SURELY I'm not the only one 'round here who caught it on its opening weekend, now am I?
Major enthusiastic thumbs-up from this eager, willing fan-belly-!
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Aug 2, 2014 6:21:06 GMT -5
It's funny ... the things we take for granted. Simple, everyday things. I am so happy that I can finally sleep on my side again. Right side only, for now. It will be a bit longer for the other side. Are you sort of up & hobbling around? Man, a hinky hip comes into play with just about everything a body does, doesn't it? HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 29, 2014 20:47:09 GMT -5
Who says comics have gotten more realistic? The only thing that's changed is that the terminology of the pseudo-science babble has gotten more sophisticated. Man, that's for sure, Ult-! In a way, I kind of miss the brave way that Stan would just throw caution (and, well, shame) to the winds, and put his complete and utter lack of hard-science aptitude on full display for all to see-- where even a bright 4th-grader would have to agree to let him have his artistic license w/ the facts. . . ! But it wasn't just Stan, of course. Geeze, if I had a dollar for every single time some hero was threatened with an "ultrasonic ray gun", I could easily purchase myself those first 6 issues of INCREDIBLE HULK. "Ultrasonic" refers to SOUND, of course. Sound travels in waves. "Rays" refer to how LIGHT travels. The weapon's either gonna be an ultrasonic gun or a ray gun. . . but it ain't gonna shoot a beam of both. . . (Never too late to nitpick!) HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 28, 2014 21:16:20 GMT -5
Again?! Oh, poor Steve. And I'm intrigued by the idea of Sam taking up the Cap mantle--he looks pretty impressive in the Alonso link MBoy provided. As for the Avengers, I have to admit I'm pleased that two of my all-time favorites, Wanda and Medusa, will be showcased. There is no such thing as an original idea anymore, is there? Man, there's not. And it makes no sense at all, even in comic-book-geeky science terms. Honestly, having him age that first time way back when was a dumb idea. If the serum prevents aging at a cellular level (which it clearly must), then the only effect that the complete removal of the serum (or eradicating its genetic code, or whatever) would have is that Steve would start aging again at a normal rate at that very point. It's just stupid to think that "old age" was simply a-hidin' away in Steve the whole time, waiting to snap out like a suddenly-released steel spring. He would actually have to have something else BADLY wrong with him to cause that kind of effect (like, late onset Progeria or an extraordinarily fast-replicating cancer). To further complicate the scenario-- anyone remember when Steve lost all of the serum (again) and was faced with fighting Crossbones as a completely unenhanced hero? Sure, Steve wasn't a super-soldier anymore. . . but I also don't remember him going through any rapid-aging process during that arc, either. What was different? Alllllso (and keep in mind that I haven't read Cap for many years), wasn't it long, long ago established that the Serum can't actually ever be really "removed" from his body-- at least not permanently? Because the process encoded itself clear into his DNA? So his body will always produce it as long as that big heart keeps beating? HB-- (PS-- yeah, hey-- the Ant-man movie's already being shot, isn't it? Seems hopeful, I'd say!)
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 28, 2014 20:56:52 GMT -5
Thank you, my friend. Got home Thursday evening Surgery was a success. Pt is rather painful, but I am progressing rapidly. The staff were great and the bacon was even better. I'll be playing piano before you know it. Have a great weekend. I'm giving your hospital a major thumbs-up for serving bacon-! Although, good grief, I imagine the cardiac department may have wanted to have a few choice words with the chef. . . One of the most blisteringly spicy and delicious spaghetti sauces I ever tasted was during a hospital stay, actually--- can still bring it to my mind's tongue, as it were. . . HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 27, 2014 20:30:17 GMT -5
For those that may not know, in Mark Waid's current run on Daredevil, Matt Murdock admits in a public court of law to being Daredevil. He is subsequently disbarred in the state of NY and has since moved to San Francisco. There have been some discussions among DD fans that this is a gross betrayal of the character, that maintaining his secret id is one of the central concepts of the character (in relation to his being a lawyer and his promise to his father in making something of himself and not becoming a fighter like him). In a broader sense though, I was wondering, has the concept of secret identities become outdated in today's comics? Since Civil War and the Superhero Registration Act, one could argue that a majority of Marvel's heroes have their real identities know either to the general public or to certain government agencies and SHIELD or both. Yet with such knowledge, their world(s) haven't collapsed utterly as some fans would believe. For example, Steve Rogers is still able to go out on public dates with Sharon Carter, Tony Stark is still CEO of Stark Industries. Granted, I don't think Marvel has ever put such importance on maintaining a secret id that DC has. Let's face it, the FF's identities have been public knowledge practically since day one of the Marve Age. The only exception to this would seem to be perennial Peter Parker. What better way to generate angst than by having someone learn of your real identity? Thoughts? Great topic, MB. It seems like the Golden Age comic book companies latched onto the secret identity convention from the get-go, and it just became the unquestioned model for about 95% of the heroes until, geeze, 'way into the Marvel Age of Comics. A cape, a mask, a day-job, and a secret identity. I've been considerably more aware of it of late because I've been watching SMALLVILLE for the first time-- very near the end of the fifth season now (I recognize that this series seems to be all-but-reviled by a pretty sizable segment of super-hero aficionado-dom-- and I'm here to testify that I don't care a whisker! It's not flawless, but it's just about as endearing and engaging a superhero series that I can think of. I unashamedly surrender to its comfortable charms. But I digress. . . ). The dangers, complications, and truly heartbreaking consequences of maintaining a secret identity are, of course, one of the over-riding themes of the series. The big problem for any hero is that no matter how powerful they are or how much they may try to protect them, their loved ones are a vulnerability that they cannot ever overcome. There will always be some powerful, clever individual more than willing to use any machinations necessary to co-opt a hero's power to their own ends, and the most fool-proof way to do that is through the hero's spouse or parents or children or best friend of boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. They simply will never be safe, and tragedy will inevitably fall-- Aunt May gets shot which sets BND in motion; John Walker's parents are murdered; Gwen gets thrown off a bridge; pretty much EVERY friend or family member in Smallville gets taken hostage by the nutjob of the week who gleans Clark's secret. So yes, THAT is the very real, understandable argument in favor of having a secret identity. It's like a self-imposed witness protection program. BUT-- the all-or-nothing manner in which the convention was handled for, like, its first fifty years really did a serious disservice to the characters, and showed an alarmingly shallow grasp of human nature on the writers' parts. As an adult, it is VERY difficult to go back and read a lot of early issues (particularly Spidey) where the heroes are in the unfathomable position of being forced to constantly, reflexively, and habitually lie- day in and day out- to the very people they love, cherish and trust the most. Their wives, parents, kids, lovers, friends, etc-- and it's always done with a blanket justification of, "I hate to lie, but it's for Aunt May's own good-- she'd never understand" or "I hate to lie to Lois, but she may get hurt if she finds out"-- that sort of thing. For decades that kind of thing just got glossed over as part of the "way it is"-- except. . . except. . . there's no getting past the fact that all of these relationships are built on a foundation of serial lying. And where does the line get drawn when "lying for their own good"'? Y'know-- at the base of it, the heroes are telling these lies in an effort to not get caught, as it were. Not getting caught. That's exactly what the bad guys are usually trying to do, right? A true, trusting, loving relationship doesn't have a prayer of surviving if, for one party, it only exists at all in one side of a double life. And my god-- what's the message being sent to the younger readers-- back when there were younger readers?? Power Pack, much as I usually enjoyed it, was the book that turned the convention irreversibly dark for me-- even before I became a parent myself. These were little kids-- VERY little kids-- who'd had a dangerously physically transformative experience, and were sneaking off into space battles after being put to bed at night. Effectively, it was telling the targeted younger readers that it was okay to keep huge, scary, traumatic experiences secret from their folks, and to lie about doing things that they certainly shouldn't have been. I mean, this was exactly why on Sesame Street they changed Snuffy from being an "disappear when adults are around" character to one who could be seen by everyone-- to encourage kids to confide in their parents, not to go to lengths to keep them out of the loop for the big stuff. Ahh, I'm rambling OT a bit-- gettin' a bit sleepy! Okay, I'll call it a rant, right there, eh? HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 26, 2014 22:17:13 GMT -5
So pym, are you out of the hospital yet? Or do you have a more extended stay as you embark on rigorous physical therapy? Man, don't shirk on that, now, y'hear? Punch your therapist, if necessary, but keep pushin' through-!
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 26, 2014 22:13:40 GMT -5
Gosh, Happy Belated B-Day from me as well, MarvBoy. (Pym, nice job on keeping up w/ our birthday list-- you're the man-!) Hoping you had a grand mid-summer celebration!
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 26, 2014 22:05:44 GMT -5
Okay, so everybody (well, at least me) needs something on the horizon to get excited about.....I got tickets for Tim and Eric's Philly comedy show (check them out if you like weird humor), and there's Avengers 2 and the new Star Wars to look forward to.........but now there's something new to really get me excited .......Comic-Con announced new action figures.....and there is FINALLY going to be a Starfox figure. Sure it's only for the 3 3/4" inch line (which I generally have avoided, except for some confused ebay purchases) but Eros is finally getting some respect! .......and all you haters out there can finally have a Starfox figure to burn! Ha-Ha starfoxxx Hoo-boy, SF-- given the title of your post, I truly thought this was going to be a COMPLETELY different sort of announcement, and was all ready to whoop and holler and beam and help you pass around Kirby-sized cigars-! But still, one does appreciate when a comrade's wistful dream is fulfilled, eh? (Mind you, I don't think we've generally had a particular anti-Starfox bias 'round here, have we? I know he took some heat recently over on BAB. . . but surely we wouldn't be so harsh here about a fellow's namesake favorite character-? Why, I was thinking of changing my handle to "GilgameshBelly". . . ) HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 26, 2014 19:57:19 GMT -5
Listening to it third-hand, here, this sounds like just abominably bad story-telling. I do know that there are a lot of Hickman fans out there, but this is simply wildly out of whack. The scope and the scale of this plot/arc are so impossibly broad and vast and all-encompassing that it cannot possibly be contained by the actions of any individual characters or even group of characters. It also seems to be making the continued, ever-escalating mistake of making THIS PARTICULAR EVENT THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT EVER IN ALL OF THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE MULTIVERSE, ETC,ETCETCETCETC. . . . For me, this has exactly the opposite of the intended effect. It doesn't make the story seem one bit "bigger" to me at all-- it just serves to make the entirety of (what's left of) the MU seem smaller and stupider and terribly petty, because its very existence is forever being threatened by the actions of individuals who are impossibly insignificant when one considers even for an instant the vastness of all creation (fictional universe or not).
I. . . I simply can't stand storytelling that can only use perpetually upping the stakes as the go-to method to simulate dramatic tension. This was Hickman's big problem in his FF run. . . which I also ultimately didn't care for. Making a story artificially complex and mind-bogglingly huge in scope and using time-hopping & dimension-hopping "spoilers" to anchor it to (or alternatively, to create imaginary "cheat" versions of characters and events) is NOT THE SAME as actually crafting a well-told tale that involves understandable, real, human-sized events in a structured setting. There's no discipline, no control, no restraint. . . it's making me crazy, and I'm not even buying the book!
You guys that are reading this title-- am I assuming too much? What's going on with the inner lives of the characters? Is there any sense of the deeper relationships between the characters still being explored? The element of soap-opera-while-under-fire is what's always made for the most memorable arcs for Avengers as a franchise.
*whew* Rant Over!
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 19, 2014 9:54:12 GMT -5
You know, HB, something in the way you phrased that jogged my memory that you'd mentioned that before--and sure enough, you and Spiderwasp and others had discussed the similarity back in that fun Cover Talk thread! vplexico.proboards.com/post/38963/threadHmmm, I suppose Sal--I'd guess he designed Graviton's look, or maybe it was Romita--or the others involved weren't anticipating that Nefaria would pop up in the Avengers a mere six months after Graviton, despite Shooter's penchant for throwing increasingly omnipotent antagonists at the Avengers. Just one short year ago, it was! I did remember talking about it, but couldn't remember when or where. I'm actually kind of pleased (and relieved) to see that I've been consistent in my assessment. . . ! (Gosh, Shar, if we only we were still exalt-capable, I'd be sendin' you one. . . ) HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 18, 2014 16:59:05 GMT -5
Surely I'm not the only person 'round here to whom this comes off as sounding rather jerkishly arrogant-? I'm assuming it's unintentional, but it gives the impression that Perez' work really couldn't be considered valid until it received the veteran Byrne seal-of-approval. Jeesh.
HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 9, 2014 22:53:14 GMT -5
I have these issue in color, and I still thought that Nefaria looked a lot like Graviton, sharkar. Ah, good to know I wasn't the only one who thought that, Ultron--thanks! Guess I can still hold off on getting those reading glasses. But yikes, looks like I have been remiss and still need to read/review #166. Stay tuned... OMG, yes-- EVERY single time I read one or the other of those little arcs (which were only a very few months apart, IIRC), I can't recall at first which one it's going to be. The two bozos look incredibly similar, are both arrogantly self-absorbed megalomaniacs, and both stumble to some degree because of their own vanity (masquerading as a sense of mortality in Nefaria's case). I was confused by them at the time since it's easy to lose track of specific names and all-- I truly thought we'd somehow been given the same villain again, or that I'd somehow missed some crucial backstory somewhere, or something. . . HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 8, 2014 21:59:28 GMT -5
Happy birthday to my favorite Titan, Starfy! Okay, I think "Starfy" is the MOST AWESOMEST diminution of "Starfoxxx" I've heard yet! Good one, Ult (Ultry? Ultronny?)-! SFX, yer not gonna punch him in the nose or pixilate him with Charm Power or anything, are you--? HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 7, 2014 13:51:53 GMT -5
SFX!-- Happy Birthday to ya, ya old stalwart, you! Any tales of celebratory debauchery to regale us with, hmm? Hmmmmmm? HB
|
|
|
Post by humanbelly on Jul 4, 2014 6:18:14 GMT -5
I don't want to sound like a total d!ck here, but the inactivity on these AA boards is getting stale, IMHO. Any Assemblers out there members of any other Avengers forums, especially if there is talk of current issues and with knowledgable members? I really enjoy Bronze Age Babies and Marvel Comics of the 1980s, as well as a few other blogs, but I really would like to talk Avengers-centric stuff with REAL Avengers fans. Definitely NOT dissing anyone here, just curious if there's anybody out there. starfoxxx Yep, 'tis a quandry, SF-- (Well, and to be fair, 'tis also summer, when Late-Boomers' attentions shift to things like avoiding yard work and getting the heck out of town and so on.) Apart from the quietude, we've definitely cultivated two (peacefully co-existing, I'm happy to say) branches on this board: 1) The brave, hardy souls who are keeping current with one or more on-going Avengers titles, and pass on their thoughts and opinions of same, and 2) the "Classic" crowd who prefer to examine and talk about the book from its decades leading up to (and maybe slightly into) the DisAssembled era. Myself, I'm solidly in the second camp, but I thoroughly appreciate following the first camp's threads-- as it keeps me at least slightly in touch with the State of the U (although I must confess that a lot of the time my jaw is hangin' agape whilst I do so.). Sad to say, I think it's clear that comics/pop-culture/media has moved 'way on in regards to what current fans think of when the name "Avengers" is mentioned. The classic-era Marvel Avengers comic is no longer the primarily-recognized model or source in the eyes of. . . wow, several hundred million (billion??) folks on planet Earth. It's the movie franchise. But even a wildly successful franchise doesn't really provide enough material to inspire extended, on-going discussion in a forum. Well, unless it's a forum where you have to wonder about the participants' unhealthy obsession. So, on-going conversation right at the moment is maybe having some difficulty because 1) the new comics being discussed by our first group don't have as broad an appeal across the board-membership on the whole, and yet 2) the second group can't help but fall into re-hashing the same material over & over again. It's always possible to find new angles and look at things with fresh eyes-- but the peril is definitely there. I mean, if I posit issues #57-#67 as being the greatest-run-ever AGAIN, how many folks are gonna groan and roll their eyes? What to do? Oddly enough, I do enjoy revisiting very old threads now and then-- particularly ones from before my time on the board. And since the majority of those participants are no longer around, they themselves become part of the subject of study (Well, except Doc Bong-- I think he was here at the Big Bang. Heck, he probably held the door open for Galactus' entrance into our universe.). The topics go back so far that they can feel new once again. Also, I'm surprised that we don't have a lot more active discussion of the films-- really, any superhero/sci-fi films-- as they're released. We seem a fairly movie-savvy bunch! And that's where we can stay current and not lose ourselves in perpetual musings on the past. Ah well-- perhaps I'm overstepping or over-opining. Even in the quiet times, I do still consider this my "home" board-- I doubt that sentimental status can ever be changed-! (Although I do talk everyone's ear off over on Doug & Karen's Bronze Age Babies blog. . . . full disclosure-) HB
|
|