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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 27, 2012 22:42:50 GMT -5
I have yet to see it though some of my friends, who are nowhere near the comic fan I am, who saw it, told me they liked it.
The biggest gripe about the film though, from my POV, is having to explain who Gwen is. These same friends, and some others, keep asking me where Mary Jane is or some variation thereof.
I would think that including Gwen in a new update of the franchise would make some sense. But then again, it may be adding salt to the open wound that is the Gwen vs. Mary Jane debate (marriage topic also included for your amusement)
So would you all want to see more of Gwen?
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 27, 2012 22:29:23 GMT -5
Archie Goodwin at Epic Comics, that's a watershed moment in comics. He helped introduce Moebius (love Airtight Garage), colorized Akira (great read) and their line of creator books was stellar (Alien Legion remains an all-time favorite)
DC's Baxter line was also a watershed event. Yes, higher quality paper and standards, but one also received a higher quality product. Wolfman/Perez reached new heights with the Titans book which began with the terrific Terror Of Trigon story. Levitz also soared on the Legion of Superheroes title as well.
Speaking of Titans, Judas Contract is a standout, watershed story. Supposedly inspired by Kitty Pryde, the spunkster kid of a superhero team, Wolfman and Perez turned the trope on it's ears, leaving readers back then floored with the developments and implications of Terra's betrayal. Remains one of my all-time favorite stories.
There's been good discussion here on various aspects, most of it focused on the X-Men. I've seen some debates on this matter before and I think an interesting point, where it concerns the mutants' negative perception amongst the MU versus that of the more positive feelings towards the Avengers or FF, is Xavier's Dream.
I haven't read that much of Lee/Kirby's X-Men so I don't know if Xavier's Dream is their concept or was introduced by Claremont, but the underlying idea of mutants co-existing peacefully with humanity.
Well, how much did the group actually do to try and achieve that goal, if anything? If you look back overall during that time, say the Bronze Age into the 80s, it doesn't look like they did much of anything. Yet that was always the underpinning, that whatever battle or negativity they currently endured, it was all worth it for The Dream.
Of course, The Dream eventually got swept up into alternate timelines, parallel universes, and convoluted bloodlines. I fell out of the X-Men around the time of Age of Apocalypse, where the group and characters were breaking under the weight of their own bloated history.
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AvX?
Sept 27, 2012 21:56:50 GMT -5
Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 27, 2012 21:56:50 GMT -5
Funny, this concept only took four issues back in the 80s. Haven't read any of it, not really sure I want to. I've heard that the entire conflict is forced and that certain characterizations are awful. May get around to reading it in TPB......someday.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 9, 2012 1:24:34 GMT -5
I must say, I do envy you your opportunity to jump back into buying the titles again. And yet, I'm not actually regretting letting it all go a few months ago. I was being made perpetually unhappy by what I was reading. . .and I'm easily at peace with not spending $4 per issue! HB Completely understand and agree with that sentiment. I'm not the type to continue buying the same title simply because I've been doing so for X number of years. Any issues I may have with the current artist, I can usually overlook if the story is good, but the story has to be good and engaging or else I stop buying it. Fraction's dialogue is part of the issue, having Thor saying various things, like you mentioned, that are ill-suited to his base character. What made that comment worse, was that during JMS' run (which was terrific) Thor confronted the issue head-on over whether to respect Odin's wishes or resurrect him as he did the other Asgardians. It was a logical progression of their ongoing relationship, father-son as well as Lord-Prince. JMS handled it beautifully, Fraction cheapened it.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 9, 2012 1:12:08 GMT -5
Hm, after some digging, I do have #16. Until I read the first page, I'd forgotten that it's Part 2 of a story from WCA Annual #2, which I have as well.
But I looked at the first page of that Annual.......the East Coast team vs. the West Coast team....in a game of softball......in full costumes.......in the Astrodome.......with Thor up to hit.....using Mjolnir as a bat.......*SIGH*
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 6, 2012 17:31:38 GMT -5
In my opinion, Whedon's biggest success in this movie was giving proper attention to every team member, both individually and in their pairings. No one member out-shined the other, which, to be fair to who the team members are, is a great accomplishment. Hawkeye and Widow could have easily been shunted to the background given their lack of powers, instead, Whedon shows their depth of their relationship which makes me want a Hawkeye & Widow solo movie.
I've read his Astonishing X-Men arc and enjoyed it for the most part. Whedon's tendency is to focus the story through the eyes of a young female protagonist, in this case, Kitty Pryde. The resolution to the overall storyline with her may have had plot holes in it, but what story doesn't? Whedon was terrific in his characterizations and emotional bonds. I may not agree with Peter's return (I hate the Comic Revolving Door of Death) but seeing Kitty's reaction to it was worth it.
As for Bendis, I don't think of him as a hack. The man has talent as a writer else he wouldn't have lasted this long. He accomplished the nigh impossible by moving the Avengers ahead of the X-Men as Marvel's premiere franchise.
What I do think is that Bendis is over hyped, stick his name on any book and it'll sell. (Geoff Johns falls into the same boat). Sad but true, but that can lead to a type of lethargy in your story-telling, which may be the case now given his long tenure with the Avengers.
Now, over the years, I've tried reading various works by Bendis but none really appeal to me. I've tried at various times with his Avengers titles, but nothing settled well with me. Despite being a huge Daredevil fan, I can't seem to bring myself to read any of his work on the title after reading so many comments elsewhere about his ignoring various canon issues. Siege was decent, but the best work by him I've read is Ultimate Spider-Man. Given a fresh slate, he's rebuilt a new, fresher Peter Parker, which both illustrates what I like and dislike about his writing style.
I don't like his decompressed storytelling (he takes 2 pages to do something that Lee or Thomas would do in 2 panels) and his dialogue can be grating to me sometimes. What would sound normal coming from a teenage Peter sounds off when heard from Cap or Hawkeye. His dialogue tries to sound witty but comes off as snarky sometimes, like something better found in a fan-fic.
That's my tastes though. If you enjoy Bendis, fine. I don't. He's been the main reason I've stayed away from the Avengers for over a decade. With his departure, I'm excited for the team again. Every news report and interview I've read so far would suggest both Hickman and Rememder are excited for their respective books so I can't wait to see what they have planned.
Of course, now, I'm hesitant over how Bendis will handle the X-Men.......
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 6, 2012 16:48:38 GMT -5
That is sad news. AA was one of the few Avengers titles I liked over the last decade or so. Gage is so underrated as a writer, I loved his handling of the kids and their relationships. Of course, this is nothing new really, Marvel apparently has it in for any superhero teenager book they publish whether it be Avengers- or X-related.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 6, 2012 16:14:56 GMT -5
Does anyone remember an explanation that the round shield was indeed created by accident during the second world war? That the alloy happened to be flash-cast during the event over a sphere or in a basin or something, and that using it as a shield was an afterthought? That it was then presented to Cap by FDR? HB I recall an explanation, I think from the Official Handbook, that McLain was working on developing a new alloy, he may have started off with some vibranium. But he feel asleep one night and an unknown substance was added to the mix by unknown forces. When McLain awoke, he realized what had occurred and smelted the alloy into the shape of a shield. It was impervious, indestructible. He never disocvered what the extra element was; his further attempts to re-create this metal resulted in adamantium. That's my fuzzy memory recall of it. I always thought his shield was neither vibranium nor adamantium, but a mixture of both. But regarding the original question, it doesn't matter to me if his shield is indestructible or not. It's a powerful symbol, one of the most unique in all comics.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 6, 2012 16:04:16 GMT -5
One arc that we didn't mention, although it may have been contained in some of the broader ones above, was the point where Thor couldn't die-- but his bones had become brittle. Marvel Boy, what if we also turned the question around? Thor is a title that has endured some particularly wild directional shifts over the years (*cough*THUNDERSTRIKE*cough*)-- are there particular arcs that you dreaded/hated/prayed-to-have-come-to-an-end? HB Armored Thor was definitely fun and interesting, a result if memory serves, of Hela cursing him. This led to my all-time favorite issue of Thor, #380 in which he fights the Midgard Serpent. Every page is a full page spread, minimal dialogue, featuring actual quotes from the Elder Edda throughout, wrapped up in stunning action. Another excellent run worth mentioning is DeFalco/Frenz, who picked up soon after Simonson left. I enjoyed their run for the most part, especially their Set saga which culminated in #400. They came the closest to re-capturing that classic epic feel of Lee/Kirby. As for flipping the question around, my first answer would be the current arc. When I read the Thor: Ages of Thunder mini, I thought Matt Fraction did a good job with the character, had the right feel for the mythos. But when he took over the title itself, he came up lacking in my view. I consider Fraction to be Marvel's answer to Grant Morrison; he has some excellent ideas but sometimes the execution of those ideas is lacking. His characterization of Thor was off to me and his stories didn't seem as full developed as they might have been otherwise. Coipel's art was the saving grace, he produced some terrific page layouts. Then toss in Fear Itself and Thor dies again, so I was ready to call it quits. I was waiting for Fraction to leave the book so all the news I've read concerning the NOW! re-launch has me ready to join the hordes of Asgard again.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 5, 2012 0:42:09 GMT -5
I've heard the new episodes are scheduled for Sept. 29th
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 5, 2012 0:36:53 GMT -5
Being a huge Thor fan, this is a hard question. Lee/Kirby's run was epic, easily one of their greatest collaborative efforts at Marvel, reading those issues makes me want to fight for Asgard! When Heroes Reborn started, Dan Jurgens and Romita Jr created a superb new title for Thor, complete with new secret identity. The Dark Gods saga was very good as was the follow-up confrontation with Thanos (which featured Thor getting serious by dragging out his Belt of Strength) My personal favorite though is the Surtur Saga by Simonson, from #338-353. Introducing new characters, concepts from the actual myths, one of the best story titles ever in "Ragnarok and Roll", wrapped up in Simonson's terrific art, loved every bit of it.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 5, 2012 0:23:00 GMT -5
My favorite annual is #10. Love the split scene cover, terrific story by Claremont and fantastic art by Golden. I was mildly surprised when I saw this reprinted in Essential X-Men Vol. 3. The art looks great in black & white, but owning the original, I must say the coloring really made the art pop here.
I have #6 and remember liking it, but really can't remember that much about what happened in it.
#11 stand out for me because it had the Avengers Charter in the back. First time I'd ever read it.
I think I still have #16. Based on everyone's comments, I'll have to dig it out and re-read it's awesomeness.
What about #7, with Thanos and Capt. Marvel by Starlin? I've never read it but it looks great.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 3, 2012 21:40:27 GMT -5
My favorite MTU issue is #70, Spidey and Thor by Claremont/Bryne, I think near the end of their run on the book. Story was decent, but the art was stunning. Seeing poor ol' Spidey being tossed about by the giant Living Monolith while Thor is busy unleashing Storms of the Centuries. Blew my young mind when I first read it many moons ago. I've never been a big fan of this book though . I would pick up the occasional issue if Spidey teamed with a character I liked, but I was more into Marvel Two-In-One back then. Guess I liked Ben more than Peter.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 3, 2012 21:31:40 GMT -5
First Avengers issue was #214, an issue I borrowed from a friend in elementary school. I was getting into Ghost Rider at that time and here was GR fighting against this group I'd never read before. The individual members, Cap, Thor, Iron Man, I'd read of them separately but never together here in this group. (The shot of Zarathos grabbing hold to Mjolnir's handle and using it to ride back to Thor to smack him, still one of my all-time favorites)
I was intrigued by the team and hunted down the then 'current' issue of #219. Had no idea who Moondragon was, smaller team this time, and Part One of a story at that, but still liked it enough to want to read more.
But there were only a few convenience stores in my area that carried comics, so noticing the subscription ads in the books, I convinced my mom to let me subscribe to two books, Avengers and Iron Man.
My first mail issue (which I consider my first 'real' issue) was #227. Loved it, especially the split scene cover. This was the lead-in to the Trial of Hank Pym, of whom I knew very little about at that time.
Been reading them ever since.
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 3, 2012 21:11:13 GMT -5
Ah, the Trial of Hank Pym, with Egghead no less!
My mail subscription kicked in with this story arc, so forget about dipping your toes in the water, just cannonball into the deep end of the pool. No idea of the importance of Hank to history of the team, but I do remember seeing him as a man trying to redeem himself over mistakes, both real and perceived.
(A good thing about that time, footnotes. If you were interested in reading about that previous event alluded to in the story, here's the issue number to go hunt for in the back issues bin. Footnotes were a godsend)
As for 'my team', I suppose one could say that about that particular line-up. I will always look specially upon Captain Marvel and Starfox. I have always been more partial to the rosters from #200 onwards.
Which is another reason I found Bendis' tenure lacking. The idea that anyone within the MU can be an Avenger, it takes away that unique quality of 'your era team'. I loved the membership drive issues, eagerly awaiting to see who would or would not join and why. I felt as if I was part of a grand Marvel tradition by reading those. Hopefully, that feeling may return soon.....
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Post by Marvel Boy on Sept 2, 2012 21:50:41 GMT -5
Hey all!
I'm 40 years old, happily married for 15 years, and still read comics.
I started reading them back in '78-'79. Due to their cheap prices back then, I was able to read quite a range of titles from numerous publishers, but really lived and breathed Marvel.
Simonson on Thor, Byrne on FF, Stern on Avengers & Spider-Man, Claremont on X-Men, Gruenwald on Cap, Michilenie & Layton on Iron Man, Miller on DD, Archie Goodwin editing the Epic Line, 80s Marvel remains my favorite 'period' of comic history to this day.
The first issue of Avengers I ever read (ie borrowed) was #214, which had a fight against Ghost Rider. First issue of Avengers I ever bought was #219 and soon afterwards I convinced my mom to get me a mail subscription to the title which I kept throughout the 80s and into the early 90s.
I lost track of the group after Onslaught but hopped back aboard with Busiek/Perez Avengers.
I hopped back off with the arrival of Bendis and really haven't read the book(s) since. Very little of Bendis' work have I liked so the recent news of his departure plus Marvel's announcements of NOW re-launch have me really excited about the team.
Don't really have a 'favorite' line-up so besides the Big 3, Wonder Man, Hawkeye, Black Knight, and Wasp have been among my favorite members.
Happy to find a place to discuss all things Avengers!
(Plus, loved the movie)
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