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Post by spiderwasp on Sept 10, 2007 22:35:51 GMT -5
Spoiler alert ----- for AMS 544 & She-Hulk 21
Wow! In the same week, Tony Stark and Reed Richards both did what, in my opinion, was the right thing.
In ASM 544, Stark acted like his usual pompous, self-righteous self during his battle with Peter, but in the end, he let Peter leave without further resistence and then sent Jarvis with the money to do what was right for May.
Meanwhile, over in She-Hulk 21, Instead of backing up Stark's plan to permanently cause Jen to not be able to become She-Hulk, Reed seized the opportunity to undo the damage and helped restore her to the way she should be.
At this rate, Stark could actually end up apologizing to Thor or Bush could conceed that Gore really won the election. Oops, I'm mixing up my fantasy worlds again.
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Post by spiderwasp on Sept 8, 2007 23:42:30 GMT -5
I give Wondy a 7. I really like him as an Avenger and found that I missed him greatly after he was killed during the Force Works fiasco (I'm refering to the mission, not the book itself, though fiasco could apply to either.)
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Post by spiderwasp on Sept 4, 2007 15:40:31 GMT -5
All I said was "same-old, same-old" - which it was. The same old complaints, the same old whatever. ~W~ Actually this wasn't the part that I think stirred folks up. To me, it was more about the blah, blah, blah which, whether intended or not, came across more like a little kid sticking his fingers in his ears and saying "I'm not listening to you, I'm not listening to you." This was the part that really made what you said sound disrespectful. I do understand what your saying but I can't help but continually notice that these discussions don't spiral out of control based on one or two negative comments about the current state of Marvel. They spiral out of control, however, when you criticize the response rather than debating it or ignoring it. If, when you see someone say something about Marvel that you disagree with, you simply come back and say why you disagree with it, or pretend they didn't say it and move right along with where you wanted the discussion to go, no one seems to have a problem. A response like "Blah Blah Blah" or "This is why I don't usually post here" or "The old farts are at it again" are not likely to generate the civil responses back that you want. Just a thought.
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Post by spiderwasp on Sept 3, 2007 21:27:41 GMT -5
; Blah blah blah same old, same old from Balok. ~W~ I can never understand why people are always picking on you when you are clearly so open minded and a little bundle of positive energy. It's quite unfair.
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Post by spiderwasp on Sept 5, 2007 22:25:15 GMT -5
I don't know why it's taken me so long to post on this one but I had to go with Spidey for the following reasons: Significant death in the first issue Relatable main character dealing with everyday teenage issues Dr. Octopus Green Goblin (Who was his best friend's father no less) Lizard Sandman J Jonah Jameson The Sinister Six Doting Aunt May Mary Jane vs. Gwen Stacy Kingpin The dude made a living selling incriminating pictures of himself Harry's drug problem
Granted the FF is pretty much a toss up with Doom, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Black Panther, Inhumans, Sub-mariner - wait a minute, which side was I on again? This is tough but I'm still standing my decision - just barely.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 26, 2007 15:56:37 GMT -5
I'll quibble with it. I dock him 1 point and rate him a 7. Sure, he's a perfect Avengers, but I flaw him for being too perfect. As long as he's on the team, for me, he kind of hogs it and it becomes all about Cap. "Well, what does Cap think we should do?" Blah -- after 30 issues of that, I need a break. I LOVE when he's not on the team, but of course, he's a perfect fit for the team when he's in it. Does that make sense? One of the things I always liked about the Avengers was how it could showcase people who don't have their own books. I get where you're coming from and I'm not sure I would give Cap an 8 as an overall character, but as an Avenger, I just can't see myself clear of giving him anything else.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 24, 2007 23:44:07 GMT -5
By the way . . . how many great Avengers stories are multi-issue? ~W~ I'm not hearing anyone objecting to multi-issue stories. Personally, I love them. Take for example the old Squadrine Supreme 12 issue limited series. There's no way it could have been effectively told in only 3-4 issues. The point is that you should reach the end of each part and really feel like you've read something. I certainly agree that you can talk and talk and still have nothing happen and that's also frustrating (Take the 3rd season of Lost for example) but when I go for six pages watching 2 characters slug it out in large panels and close up facial reactions of 8 other characters, each shown twice, I don't feel like I've actually read anything.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 23, 2007 17:27:38 GMT -5
But if it's done well, you're getting more depth, more characterization, more scale, more characters, more action, more everything. Wow! I can't imagine an argument I could agree less with. I can't ever remember a heavily decompressed book that left me feeling like I got more. When I shell out $3 for something and have read the whole thing in a minute, you will never convince me that I'm getting more for my money. A picture may be worth a 1000 words but to me, that doesn't apply to comic books. Yes, a gorgeous picture of the beach at sunset may be better than an essay describing a sunset, but plot is not going to be there- just description. This is like saying that Charlie Chaplin films were more heavy on character development than talkies. They are wonderful in their own way, but the stories are simplistic by neccesity. The same even goes for Mr. Bean, who I love. Yes, his face speaks volumes and his sketches are hilarious despite having only a few words spoken. However, they are just that - sketches. They lack development. You may enjoy decompression but using the argument that we get more depth and more character development is nonsense. The only writer/artist I know of that can pull a full story out of just a picture or possibly one with just a few words is Gary Larson of the Far Side. He can tell more in one panel than most cartoonists tell in the elongated weekend versions of their comic strips. Of course, there aren't any of the writers Marvel has had trying decompression that compare to Gary Larson. I imagine, in your normal fashion, you are likely to break down what I've said, point by point and respond. How about if you try to scan me in a picture as a response or give me just one or two words that make your points more effectively. I know that's absurd but my point is that I don't think it's impossible. Responding to this paragraph by saying "Uh-uh" or "Not!" might get your basic point across that you disagree with it, but it's not going to offer much detail. That's going to require words.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 22, 2007 19:38:06 GMT -5
As a teacher, I once went to bat with a committee who was listing things kids weren't allowed to have at school (I worked at an elementary school at that time.) One of the things they wanted on the list was comic books. My agrument, which I won by the way, was that when the teachers gave the kids free reading time, they should not be limited unless it was because the material was not age appropriate. I explained to them that comic books were one of the ways I learned to read and that they could be just as effective of an incintive to learn to read fluently as novels. They could also enrich ones vocabulary. Looking at many titles that are out today, I would have a hard time being convincing. 4th and 5th graders would not benefit from reading picture books and that's basically what they are. The really scary part is that these books that have too few words for me to be able to justify as appropriate for elementary students are actually aimed at adults. This leads me to ask "Are we smarter than a 5th grader?"
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 14, 2007 15:53:55 GMT -5
I went with a 2 for pretty much the same reasons as Hourman. He just doesn't always play nice with the other children, however his success with the Defenders combined with his contribution of bringing the Avengers together in the first place kept me away from the 1.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 14, 2007 22:18:52 GMT -5
My problem with this, is of course, that given the fact that it's to be set in "current continuity", are we to assume that we will be subjected to more of the present Avengers line-up (which is not really an AVENGERS line-up)? It’s true that, aside from the current Ronin (Clint Barton)—and Spider-Man, almost on a technicality—all the New Avengers are New; but on the other hand, with only one exception, all the Mighty Avengers are “classical” perennial members. Although I agree that MA is pretty much a classic team, and I am very happy about their presence in the MU, I must point out that there are two exceptions. I'm guessing you were referring to Ares as your exception but Sentry is no more "classical" than Luke Cage, Spider-man, Spider-woman, or dare I say it - Wolverine. Your point is otherwise well taken however, as I agree that the MA lineup does feel like real Avengers to me whereas the NA lineup just feels like a horribly stretched out version of the new FF that once had Spidey, Punisher, Ghost Rider, and Hulk (I think that's who it was.)
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Post by spiderwasp on Dec 10, 2007 12:00:41 GMT -5
I dunno, I feel Dr Druid's tenure is deserving of at least a 7. We are talking about a scale of 1-100 here, right?
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 10, 2007 10:34:49 GMT -5
I think of Hank as a man who has had many troubles with his personal life and with his identity but, who, in the end, is above all else a hero and a genius. The demons are there and they sometimes come close to winning but he is ultimately stronger than them. That's why I have a hard time relating to the way he's currently being written. I don't think of him as an Avenger who is a joke or not respected by his peers.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 6, 2007 22:15:31 GMT -5
The 8 I gave Hank would be a 6 on an 8 point scale.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 4, 2007 0:57:07 GMT -5
Wow, people are really divided on this character. I personally really like Hank but still only gave him an 8 because of the way he's been handled. He certainly went through a phase where he was not very likeable but has sense, in my opinion, redemmed himself. I just wish the writers could see it that way. I know that they feel that his hitting Jan was so low that it can't be forgiven but I don't agree. He was suffering from extreme mental illness at the time and has since shown great regret. He hasn't done it again. I agree that doesn't make it okay, but people can't be, or shouldn't have their past sins held against them for the rest of their lives, no matter what they do later. Also, I know he created Ultron, but Ultron in turn created the Vision, so despite the fact that many lives have been lost because of Ultron, how many have been saved by the Vision?
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 2, 2007 20:18:03 GMT -5
How many people would actually enjoy a series about Doc Samson, superhero therapist? Oh, how did I miss that question? You know, he did have a limited series recently… But was it all about helping various characters through their emotional turmoil? I'm seeing this idea as one that really serves to get inside character's heads and adds to their development in other series (Without the Bendis thought bubbles - these ideas would actually be expressed.) Of course, there would be action too but the focus would be more mental. I'm not saying the recent series wasn't like this. I didn't read it so I don't know. This was just an idea that popped in my head due to this Austen discussion.
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Post by spiderwasp on Aug 2, 2007 18:09:20 GMT -5
You have some excellent points, Phantom. I agree that, even though Austen's run as a whole was not that good, the Captain Britain character did have potential. I particularly liked the issue where her kids found out about her "Death." Of course the issue before it and the issue after it were too bogged down somehow to be interesting. That was my big complaint about Austen. He was inconsistent. He would have sparks of something good but always surrounded by mediocre or even bad, even within a single issue.
I also agree that too much realistic pychology can be a problem, but only when handled poorly (Such as the resurrection of hostility toward Hank). Some of my fondest Marvel memories, however, do deal with characters coming to grips with who they are. The therapy issue of X-Factor in which Pietro explains to Doc Samson that his short temper is the result of always feeling like everyone else in the world is moving so slowly, or the Marvel Two In One with Ben and Sandman just sitting at a bar and talking are examples of when realistic psychology works great. As a matter of fact, I wish Marvel would go back and resolve a few other loose ends, but only in those positive ways. Not by just suddenly having someone say "Hey, I'm still upset about that." Here are a few things I'd like to see resolved on an emotional level. 1. How does Jan feel about instituting the whole Disassembled thing by her drunken slip of the tongue? 2. Whatever happened to Lyja and Sharon Ventura in the FF? We've seen them both in the alternate M2 universe but, after Heroes Reborn, I don't think either have been heard from. 3. Wouldn't it be nice to see Spider-man, Thing, Silver Sable or someone else who had come to trust Sandman question the sudden change in personality after the Wizard brainwashed him? By not questioning what happened to him, didn't the Avengers let him down in a similar fashion to the way they did with Carol Danvers. He was a former reservest after all. 4. How did Aurora, with her devout cathelic background take the news about Northstar being gay? 5. How has what happened to Speedball and the other New Warriors had an impact on Justice, Firestar, Rage, Silhouette, Turbo, etc.?
These are just a few issues I'd like to see addressed by a competent writer who can handle semi-realistic psychology. How many people would actually enjoy a series about Doc Samson, superhero therapist? If handled well, I'd buy it. It might have some of the same appeal as the court cases that have been brilliantin She-Hulk. However, if handled with the finese with which Austen handled Hank Pym, I'd pass.
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Post by spiderwasp on Jul 19, 2007 13:38:00 GMT -5
I went with Wanda. May as well bring back memories of what used to be a great character.
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Post by spiderwasp on Dec 6, 2007 21:09:19 GMT -5
This is just a request and not aimed at anyone in particular but if you are making a response to something that someone says, it is helpful if you quote them. This doesn't mean necessarily breaking apart every word they say, but some of us tend to click on the "New post" choice so the previous post isn't right in front of us. A post that reads "I had forgotten about that" might be perfectly clear when only reading that thread but it's not clear out of context. Then, because of my inherint curiosity, I have to click on that thread to see what was being talked about. Just a thought.
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Post by spiderwasp on Jul 16, 2007 9:25:16 GMT -5
Even though the Wasp is one of my favorites, I only gave her a 7 instead of an 8 because of some of the aformentioned comments. There have been too many times she's been portrayed as a ditz. That doesn't mean that her love of fashion, shopping, and even men have to be ignored, but, in the hit of a battle, there's no reason for her to say things like "Who cares if he's a villain. Look at those shoulders," or "I can't believe we have to face a world conquerer today. There's a big sale at Bloomingdales." Luckily, the writers who write her that way have been in the minority. It also used to irritate me when they would capture her under something simple like a glass. Duh, if she just slowly grew, she could break or lift the glass. I've even seen this kind of ploy work occasionally since she has been able to maintain her full strength or has had stingers that can blow a hole in a wall but still can't seem to break a glass.. Finally, I was really annoyed by Bendis' portrayal that had her reveal a long kept secret to Wanda that unleashed the whole disassembled disaster just because she was drunk on margaritas. I don't think she has ever sufficiently dealt with her role in that whole affair, which was completely out of character in the first place. Even with all that, I still love her.
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Post by spiderwasp on Jul 16, 2007 9:10:27 GMT -5
Hey, spiderwasp -- long time no posting!! Yeah, I've been out of the country for a few weeks. Of course, that also meant I had a pretty big stack of comics to buy upon my return.
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Post by spiderwasp on Jul 15, 2007 17:29:32 GMT -5
May 29 (Just like JFK and Bob Hope)
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Post by spiderwasp on Jul 31, 2007 9:15:09 GMT -5
I gave him a 5 and no, it's not just because of Civil War. I've honestly never been a very big Iron Man fan. I've always felt that his own sense of self importance was much higher than his actual importance. Yes, I do him credit for being important in the sense that he paid for the mansion and so forth, but that just makes me feel that Tony Stark is important. In the armor, I've always found him boring and the way he's been portrayed in Civil War has made him more interesting but even less likable.
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Post by spiderwasp on May 27, 2007 10:45:15 GMT -5
I talked in another thread about how women have changed from the powerless helpless female of the sixties. They no longer are the weakest team members and have proven themselves to be effective leaders. This is all very positive. In recent years, however, there has been another change. To balance their lack of vulnerability, there seems to be a push to make them more sexual. This may very well be because many men are intimidated by strong women. Male fantasies have often included two types of women. The sweet girl that needs the man to save them or the sexual goddess who needs the man to fulfill their desires. Either way, the man is so needed that he isn't intimidated. Personally, I like the woman who is secure in herself and can hold her own with men but I seem to be in the minority among readers, if not among those on this board.
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Post by spiderwasp on May 22, 2007 5:56:54 GMT -5
I’m refraining from voting in the poll because I feel that, in contemporary comics, there is too little of both development and action. Such is the era of decompression. It used to be that you could get both in the same panel—and many such panels per issue! Bingo! When I read the poll, I didn't vote either because I couldn't figure out which way to vote and that didn't make sense to me. Thanks for making me realize exactly what my problem was.
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Post by spiderwasp on May 20, 2007 22:29:30 GMT -5
Err the point I wanted to make was that when I was a kid characterization and all that wasn't a big deal, it was about wicked cover art, seeing my favorite characters in that issue, cool vilians/evil organizations and cool fights. Now that I'm older it interests me more to read into characters reasons, doubts, motives, etc. Good point. I hadn't thought of it that way but I think you're right. One of the first comics I ever remember reading was Amazing Spider-man #137 in which Harry Osborne as the Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Flash Thompson. I wasn't aware of the tremendous amounts of history leading up to that confrontation. I didn't know about Harry's previous drug problems, Norman killing Gwen, Peter being more interested in Gwen than MJ, Harry dating MJ, Flash's animosity toward Peter. The thing is, none of it mattered. I was about 10-11 and I saw this cool villain making Spidey choose between the girl he loved, his best friend (Remember I didn't know the history) and his beloved Aunt and then outsmarting him. I loved it. Now, if I move myself to today, remove all my knowledge of Marvel history, and try to remember the mindset of a young boy, I have to say that I would probably love Bendis' NA work. Here we have Spidey and Wolverine together, two of the biggest characters in recent movie franchises surrounded by other colorful characters. What more could I have wanted? I'd probably have even loved seeing Cage kick Elektra in the crotch since I wouldn't even have a good idea of how inappropriate that was. Therefore, I think you are right, I would have loved his work. The thing is that, as an adult, rereading Spidey # 137, I appreciate it all the more because I understand how it ties in with what had gone before. I see it as a progression of the characters. I don't think that Bendis' young fans who stick with comics will find that to be true when they reread his work later, especially if they becomes fans who enjoy looking at the past and seeing what led up to the stories. I think they'll be going "Hey, why does everything seem so displaced from what went on before?" or, even worse "Why does everything written before the turn of the century seem so irrelevant in today's comics?"
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Post by spiderwasp on Apr 12, 2007 20:30:08 GMT -5
I think my actual favorite Impy appearance was in New Mutants (I recently referred to it on another thread but I can't remember where or why). The thing that made it so great was the ending. After a long battle of "Anything you can do I can do better" with Warlock, Warlock beat him because he could change colors and Impy couldn't.
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Post by spiderwasp on Apr 12, 2007 19:03:25 GMT -5
so it takes less thought to jump on a thread and be needlessly critical, OK. Makes sense. Feel free to post your 5 at any time. No one will be critical of YOUR choices. I never criticized anyone's choices. I only criticized what I perceived to be your criticism of me. SHEESH Obviously, I was wrong in thinking that you were actually upset about the honorable mentions but it's nothing more than a miscommunication. As for my top 5: 1. Ultron -They don't get worse or better (Depending on your definition of either). I love that he came from Pym's lab and that, his evil resulted in something as good as the Vision. I'm even willing to give the new female version a chance. 2. Sandman- I was actualy a bigger fan of him in his hero days and am happy to see at least a partial return to this in FN Spider-man. I can't wait to see him in the movie. 3. Impossible Man- As someone else pointed out earlier, he's not really a villain but he's not really a hero either so he has to go somewhere. The basic thing is that I have a hard time resisting any title he appears in. 4. Galactus- He's just the biggest and the baddest. I especially loved the story about a year ago where he came down in human form. I'm glad he didn't stay that way though. 5. Grim Reaper- I'm not sure why but I think I just like the way he's so tied in with Wonderman and the Vision and how his motives are so misguided.
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Post by spiderwasp on Apr 12, 2007 18:15:36 GMT -5
anybody else notice that this guy didn't come on this thread to post along the lines of the threads very fun topic? He just wants to come in and try to start trouble? Doom I think someone is trying to horn in on your actions. Using all caps does not just indicate yelling. In this case it was used to indicate mock frustration. For someone who uses the Icon you use, you sure are a joykiller. Why don't you tell us your top 5, or do you just want to keep on being a meanie? For the record, although I did not post on this thread yet, if you look back at your initial thread, you may notice that I was the one who first posted honorable mentions. That might explain why I took the comment personally. All I said to you was that you hadn't pointed out that you wanted people only to list 5 and that if you had intended that, you should have pointed it out. Granted, I should have taken more notice of the wink, but if you reread what I said, it wasn't that negative. As for my top 5, I will post them after giving it a bit more thought.
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Post by spiderwasp on Apr 12, 2007 17:33:28 GMT -5
did you not notice the ? Most of the time writing the number 5 establishes the boundary. I don't really care, it was a joke, but appearantly you like to comlain so there is your explanation. 5 is a boundary. If I tell you that I want 5 dollars for my comic book. I've set that boundary. I don't mind if you want to 'Honor' me by giving me more. But 5 was the boundary. Learn to let people have fun I guess I was torn by the combination of wink and ALL CAPS which indicates yelling at people.
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