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Post by Shiryu on Oct 20, 2013 12:48:19 GMT -5
Just outta curiosity, Shiryu, who is speaking in that page? Blizzard (blue) and Whirlwind (green). It comes from Infinity Heist #1
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Post by Shiryu on Oct 13, 2013 13:30:05 GMT -5
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Post by Shiryu on Oct 11, 2013 11:37:17 GMT -5
I'm a bit surprised by the lack of love, I thought episode 3 was excellent. We saw Graviton being born, and Skye becoming more a part of the team. Considering the TV budget, the special effects were very good too. Having said that, I'm watching without commercials, which might be what makes me enjoy it more. And I'm also familiar with the British accent, so Fitz-Simmons aren't a problem at all. In fact, Simmons is great to listen to... and watch
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Post by Shiryu on Sept 26, 2013 18:06:11 GMT -5
I think there has been a decent balance of action and talking in recent issues. Yes, more words than punches, but unlike other books some degree of fighting always took place, and there seems to be more to come.
Ditto. They offered some interesting points of view, the likes of which people could really discuss if mutants were to exist in the real world.
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Post by Shiryu on Sept 26, 2013 18:03:01 GMT -5
It does read like a novel split up in multiple parts and books. The problem with such structure is having very little Avengers in an Avengers title. So far I would say Infinity is ok, but nothing special. The Thanos storyline looks the more interesting of the two.
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Post by Shiryu on Sept 26, 2013 17:59:53 GMT -5
I liked it for a pilot, it started fleshing out the characters and there were some nice touches (the mentioning of Project Pegasus stood out!). The special effects were top notch for a tv series, and the humor was genuinely fun most of the times.
On the down side, most characters were somewhat stereotypical. Nerd scientists, a tough guy with no people skills, a former amazing field agent who has suffered from some sort of trauma and a supersmart hacker... it's nothing we haven't seen before. Coulson really carried the show this time.
But I agree it's going to take a few episodes to really settle. Everyone was probably over-characterized to make viewers remember them in such a short time. Hopefully more screen time will be given in the upcoming episodes.
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Post by Shiryu on Aug 28, 2013 18:57:18 GMT -5
And geeze-- it's not like that college career was a barrel of laughs, with its whole new set of woes, eh? I think. . . am I remembering right that Pete never did get his Masters Degree in. . . in. . . what the heck was his field, anyhow? Was it bio-engineering? Chemistry? Physics? Hunh. . . I think you are right there, Aunt May didn't speak to him for ages after he dropped out of college, in the mid-80s... it was around the time of Hobgoblin and the Secret Wars IIRC. But I can't remember if he didn't complete his degree at all, or if he was attempting a doctorate and then decided to give up. Likewise, wasn't his field physics in the comics and biochem in the cartoon in the 90s? I remember he was Curt Conner's lab assistant in several episodes. Recently, Doc Ock was hilariously unimpressed at finding out he is no longer a "doc" whilst in Peter's body.
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Post by Shiryu on Aug 28, 2013 11:28:21 GMT -5
I think it was more of a case of Ditko wanting Peter's private life during college to... well, suck, as much as his high school life, whereas Lee wanted him to blossom to an extent.
I've always found it interesting how well the public responded to the more sociable Peter of the Lee/Romita years. I suppose the socially akward Peter of the Ditko years attracted readers who could identify with him, but the relatively more successful Peter of the Romita years sort of gave readers hope for a brighter future. After all, seeing a character whose life keeps being terrible regardless of how much effort he puts in things would get kind of depressing in the long run, especially for someone who identifies with him. We all enjoy seeing a well-deserved pay off.
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Post by Shiryu on Aug 28, 2013 11:18:56 GMT -5
Did anyone notice that in the flashback scenes of the Molecule Kid episode, the Avengers were depicted in the Earth's Mightiest Heroes art style? Hawkeye and Thor have their classic costumes too, although Cap had his Ultimate costume, possibly placing the flashback behind the scenes of early season 2.
I thought it was a nice touch in a rather lackluster episode.
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Post by Shiryu on Aug 12, 2013 20:50:56 GMT -5
I find that I agree with Stan that the person who has the idea is the "Creator" but creation is just one aspect. There's no doubt that, as Stan himself says, if Ditko had not done such an excellent job, it would have been a failed creation. I could liken it to a couple of teenagers having sex and creating a child which they give up for adoption. If that child turns out to be a wonderful person, the credit goes to the adopted parents even though the teenagers are still undeniably the "Creators." I think Ditko's contribution to the character is every bit as important and great as Lee's but I do think that Lee is the true "Creator." I think Stan is willing to share the credit for that very reason. He too sees the importance of the art. It's just a shame that a word could come between them. Yes, I agree completely. What I think Ditko misses is that, without him, Stan could have passed the idea on to another artist, and there still would be a Spider-Man. A completely different, possibly unsuccessful one, but a Spider-Man nonetheless. Whereas without Stan's idea, Spider-Man simply would not exist. I could even go as far as to say I'm not entirely sure Spider-Man wouldn't have been successful without Ditko. Stan had a vast arrey of artistic talents at his disposal, and Daredevil's Bill Everett was also suited for street-level heroes, although Ditko's imput to the formative stories was so big that is impossible to tell for certain what would have happened. On the other hand, some editorials published in Italy as preface to a series of Spider-Man reprints go on to say that Ditko really poured himself into Peter Parker, essentially creating his own comic book alter ego. As time went by, Stan wanted Peter to enjoy some limited success with the girls and become more part of the gang with Flash and the others, but Ditko was adamant this should never happen. This fact was given as the reason why Peter's social fortunes turn so much when Ditko leaves the book and the far more social John Romita comes on board. But it would also explain why being considered the "creator" of the character means so much to him. If we look at his own self-portrait he does look a bit like a Peter Parker with a receding hairline. Which makes me wonder if his often-smiling JJJ, constantly trying to trick Peter into selling his photos for far less than their value whilst pretending to be his friend wasn't really a spoof of Stan himself and of what he perceived their relationship to be. Smilin' JJJ anyone? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ross He has actually written a few comics himself. I came to appreciate him during my stay in the UK, and chance wanted that the first episode of "Friday Night with J.R." I watched was also the final one, with an hilarious interview to Jackie Chan. But I didn't know of his background of comic book collector until I found out about this documentary on Ditko. I remember reading, once, that Dr. Strange's popularity in his early years was largely due to the fact that LSD users would basically see "their own world" reflected in Ditko's colorful art. Moore actually mentions it to an extent in the Dr. Strange part of the documentary. Ditko was unaware of this, and said to be deeply upset when it was brought to his attention years later. You know, once I helped organizing a comic art exhibition in Genoa (Italy). I was there as translator / interpreter, but that year they were short of staff so we were all happy to help putting the panels up and so on, and we familiarized a bit. You could have a word with most student writers and they all seemed pretty ordinary, regular people. But the artists... you couldn't help but notice most of them were a bit "out of touch" with the world, so to speak. Not in a derogatory way, but their reasoning on pretty much *any* subject would jump from A to F in a way a regular person's doesn't. I distinctly remember trying to chat a pretty girl up only to be left totally unable to follow what she was saying or where she was heading. The dots were simply too far apart to connect. This and other experiences I've had with artists has made me think that the same genius making them capable of seeing and representing unexisting worlds and beings, makes most of them somewhat disconnected from the inner workings of the regular world. Place them in the highly commercial environment of an editorial bullpen and it's no wonder misunderstandings arise.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 27, 2013 17:58:53 GMT -5
An interesting BBC documentary on Steve Ditko, with a surprise twist in the end. Love Alan Moore's rings and Neil Gaiman's expression after being given the comic books.
Whose side do you favour, Lee's or Ditko's? I must admit I'm more inclined towards the reasoning of the former regarding what "create" means.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 21, 2013 9:40:05 GMT -5
It's far too early to panic. The very fact that AoU is centred around Wolverine and the Invisible Woman, two characters who cannot be in the movie because they belong to Fox, suggests all the two things will have in common is the title.
In fact: Ultron in the movie sounds absolutely fantastic! I wonder if Hank Pym will be introduced as a scientist, before starring in Ant Man later on.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 16, 2013 18:46:21 GMT -5
#4 is out and is the best yet, very action packed and with some nice moments of interaction. A good episode IMHO.
Still, this show doesn't quite have the same sense of "Avenger team" EMH had. It's hard to explain, but so far it feels like characters are going through the motions, and you could swap one for another with very little overall change.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 16, 2013 18:39:04 GMT -5
When written right, I've always liked the Enchantress. She reminds me of those smitten people who always see the one they love fall for anyone else except them, but who at the same time are a bit too afraid of rejection to take a direct approach and try to win fair and square. But then she is also the type of person caring only about her own feelings, as proved by the many times she seduces and manipulates someone else for her own ends. Not an uncommon trait in very pretty girls, actually.
There have been a few stories dealing with her insecurities, especially a Secret Wars tie-in where she muses on what would have happened had she helped Thor against Doom and his army on Battleword. Her desperation at the Executioner's death in Simonson run was also quite touching.
In fact, thinking about it, she is probably my favourite Thor's love interest. I've never been a huge fan of Jane Foster or Sif. Funnily enough, the one time Enchantress did marry Thor, in the Jurgens run, she proved to be a loyal and loving wife, all things considered.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 8, 2013 19:52:29 GMT -5
I always liked this one and the issue was good too. I hated the whole concept of the silent month but I think Busiek and Perez pulled it off more effectively than most of the books. Wasn't Perez off the book by then? The Kang Dinasty is one of my favourite stories ever, but I remember it suffered from inconsistent art.
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Post by Shiryu on Jul 6, 2013 15:59:50 GMT -5
Happy birthday to Starfoxxx!! How do you celebrate up there on Titan?
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 20, 2013 19:23:43 GMT -5
I know I'm repeating myself but... this series keeps getting better and better.
SPOILER ALERT
not only we get some great character interaction (including a lovely, albeit short, exchange between Simon and Beast), but we also have Cap and Janet *finally* reminding the world that Avengers don't kill. Although I personally agree with Thor's stance on the matter, it's a refreshing attitude by Steve and one that fits right in what we have been discussing in the "low points" thread. It's also touching to see Logan's body language in that scene and when talking to Rogue, it shows how much he values being an Avenger.
The philosophical confrontation between Rogue and Wanda in the training session is just the icing on the cake. Whichever side one agrees with, both make valid and reasonable points, be them logic or anger-driven.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 20, 2013 12:52:27 GMT -5
Ditto! Happy birthday, Doug!!
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 20, 2013 12:51:36 GMT -5
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 20, 2013 7:23:56 GMT -5
So, today issue #10 of AoU came out, ending the series. As I'm suuure you are all dying to know what happened in the latter part of the saga, here is a quick recap. We had left things with Wolverine and Sue Storm travelling to the past and killing Hank Pym. On their return to the present, they find a vastly different world, one where "science had lost the war against magic". Apparently there had been a war between Asgard and the armies of Morgana le Fey. Thor had died and Odin had withdrawn his armies, leaving Earth badly outgunned. The Avengers had disbanded shortly after Hank's mysterious death, with the main superhero group being the Defenders, led by Steve Rogers and Doctor Strange. The real head of everything seems to be Tony Stark, mostly in a cyborg body. Stark has Logan and Sue captured and interrogated, believing them spies of Morgana. When Xavier and Emma Frost confirm their story, Tony accuses Logan of a monumental blunder, since he could have obtained the same result (preventing the creation of Ultron) without alterine the timeline, by programming a "time virus" in the robot and leaving a backdoor open in its programming. The conversation is cut short by a sudden, massive attack by Morgana forces, destroying New York and killing nearly everyone, including Sue. Having seen the distruction, Logan decides to travel back again and undo his own actions, despite a dying Tony warning him that the time continuum can not take any more strain and risks shattering. Logan goes back and stops himself from killing Hank Pym, explaining the situation to him and suggesting the time virus thing. Hank agrees, records a message for himself and erases his memories of the encounter, to make sure history proceeds as it was meant to. The Logan who had seen the Morgana future asks his other self to kill him, since they can't both exist. Then the surviving Logan and Sue travel back to the present. In the present, pre-Ultron-conquest timeline, the Avengers stop a plot by the Ingelligencia (Wizard, Modok etc.) and run into a revived Ultron. They fight, but Hank Pym, who has recently seen his old recorded message, uploads this special virus through the backdoor and makes Ultron shut down. Thor then destroys it. It all seems well and good, but everyone suddenly experiences a "timequake", having visions of past/future/alternative versions of themselves. The time continuum has indeed shattered and now the entire multiverse in unstable. We get to see two main consequences: Galactus appearing in the Ultimate universe, and former Image character Angela appearing in the main Marvel Universe, angry at whoever dragged her there. So, that's it. I found it a disappointing finale to a story struggling to decide its own direction, with the only silver lining being that continuity has been preserved. A lot has been said about Angela en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_(comics) becoming a Marvel character for the time being. Personally, I had never read or heard of her, so I don't quite get what the hype is all about... some websites make it sound like Batman or Superman is coming, and AoU ends up being little more than an editorial gimmick to justify the appearance of the character in the main MU.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 11, 2013 17:28:56 GMT -5
For another Jack of Hearts cover, I came across #57: He's barely there, but I do like the reflection in Cap's shield. Most of the deaths that Bendis inflicted upon his first arrival have been reversed by the time he left the book. Did Scott Lang come back or is he still dead? Scott Lang is indeed back, although at a great price, since it took the sacrifice of his daughter Cassie to make his return permanent. He is currently starring as the leader of the Future Fundation in FF, while the Fantastic Four are out in space, and is struggling to come to terms with parenting (or rather, being the guardian of) the young kids of the FF. IIRC, his return and the death of Cassie (who was the Young Avenger Stature by that time) took place in Avengers: Children's Crusade, the story that also reintroduced the Scarlet Witch to the Marvel universe after her long absence following Disassembled. I think someone also mentioned Darkhawk earlier on: sorry to report the original DH has been one of the casualtias of Avengers Arena a few months ago, and another contestant of the Arena has now taken his place as Darkhawk.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 8, 2013 16:48:31 GMT -5
CC - I wish I had time for a more in-depth, quote-by-quote reply, but I doubt that will ever happen, so I'll keep it general. It looks like a lot of your love for Byrne is because he moved the characters in a way you liked, which is fair enough really, as there would be no good stories without character evolution. However, my complaint is that, to do so, he completely ignored, undid and/or glossed over previous versions of those same characters.
Now, you may think Simon, Vision, Wanda and so on were all "pods" before Byrne came, but those versions of the characters had been the result of a gradual development and change from one author to the other. They all had, to some extent, respected who had come before and built on their predecessors' work. One may dislike the end result, like you do, but there's no denying it had been a gradual, step by step, process.
Byrne almost always preferred the quick way, saying a certain character had "always" been feeling/thinking/behaving in some way, although it was never showed, only because he obviously didn't like the current depiction. It's like what he did with Sandman: decades of stories thrown away on a wim. That sort of disrespect has nothing to do with the end result, and it's exactly what Bendis has been guilty of.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 7, 2013 16:07:18 GMT -5
Hmm, CC, I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Most of the examples you mention are valid (although I think Busiek made wonders with Warbird), but the crucial point is that each of those instancies comes from a different writer, whereas with Byrne we have several cases, debatable as they might be, of women being badly mistreated and/or falling over to the dark side. So much so that, if you type "john byrne misogynist" on Google, you get some 64.000 hits, including at least a published paper www2.stetson.edu/inkwell/mharrison-paper.pdfI didn't read each and every page, but the fandom looks reasonably split on the subject. Personally, I do believe he is misogynist and, considering there is only so much you can depict on mainstream comic books, I'd say there is enough evidence. But then, I've always despised Byrne as a writer (except for his Captain America run), so I might be biased.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 6, 2013 13:14:25 GMT -5
I think comparing this to Bendis's Disassembled is thoroughly unjust. Byrne did all this stuff to Wanda because he absolutely loved the character and wanted to do something with her in the central role. Bendis used some ideas from this in order to use Wanda as a lever to set up his New Avengers malarkey which would have absolutely nothing to do with the Scarlet Witch. She was just a mechanism to Bendis. Considering Byrne's well-known and declared misogynous tendencies, I strongly doubt he loved Wanda, or any other female character he ever wrote. In fact, they all fared badly in his hands, from Dark Scarlet Witch to Dark Phoenix, from Marrina being tortured and raped to She-Hulk being twice subjected to a cavity examination in public, I always got the feeling he wanted to humiliate them and/or make them behave like harridans. The subject has been discussed in various blogs and websites. A thorough overview is here: cbddossiers.blogspot.it/2006/09/record-john-byrne.html
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Post by Shiryu on May 31, 2013 17:41:07 GMT -5
IMHO, it was ok. Some nice moments of characterization, and I really like Deodato Jr's artwork, but, seriously, it felt like reading a fill-in issue. Some point and meaning may eventually emerge, but Hickman's pacing here is even worse than Bendis'. He is doing a far better work over at New Avengers.
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Post by Shiryu on May 30, 2013 18:39:50 GMT -5
Belated happy birthday, SW!
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Post by Shiryu on May 30, 2013 16:59:02 GMT -5
It's because of the Age of Ultron event. All the tie-ins keep the regular numbering but add AU next to the issue number (bottom right corner), and feature a story related to the event. So for Uncanny Avengers we have #8 and #8 AU, and the same for the other titles.
With a couple of exceptions, the tie-in lasts one issue only, and then we are back to were we were before. So far, most of this special issues have dealed with Ultron taking over the world and haven't had any impact on the original book (assuming Ultron's conquest will be dealt with by the end of the event). Uncanny here seems to be a little different because we have Kang and the Apoc twins travelling to the alternate reality created by Wolverine and Sue Storm, so they will probably retain the experience.
Still, this is probably one to skip unless one cares to find out more about the twins' past and personalities.
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Post by Shiryu on May 28, 2013 15:17:24 GMT -5
Right... episode 2 is an improvement over 1. Still not as good as EMH, but an improvement. My only gripe is that everything is very Tony-centred, and everyone seems to look up to him a little too much. Cap at times acts like a little schoolboy happy to serve under Iron Man, very out of character IMHO. And Falcon's getting pretty annoying pretty quickly. Still, there is some good stuff. They imply that the series is set after EMH, with a few hidden references to things that took place then (Clint leaving SHIELD, Thor and Hulk training at the Mansion). There are inconsistencies, but there appears to be some degree of continuity. We also get to see a glimpse of Doom, Attuma and ( ) Dracula, as well as a cameo from JJJ straight out from the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon.
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Post by Shiryu on May 25, 2013 13:49:12 GMT -5
I'm not sure if I ever read it, but why is Simon frowned upon by the other Avengers? Towards the end of Bendis' run, Simon decided the Avengers had caused more harm than good to the world and created a team to defeat them, the Ravagers. They didn't accomplish much, and I think Simon later repented his methods, if not his views, but now he is no longer trusted like before.
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Post by Shiryu on May 25, 2013 13:45:51 GMT -5
Thank you, Ultron I've just watched it, and I agree with Drew's comment of there being too much crammed in one episode. The Falcon in particular seems out of place and would benefit for much more screen time. I'm also no big fan of the new look of Modok. Still, it's only episode 1, so I'm going to stick around for a while and see how the series develops.
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