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Post by uberwolf on Oct 11, 2006 23:53:51 GMT -5
What's a Bendis and how could it ruin my favorite super team? That's what I had to ask myself while reading these forums. I stopped collecting comics in the mid '90's. There's only so many foil embossed alternate covers you can buy of the same d**n comic. The Avengers have always been my favorite team. I had to look into this heated debate about the current writer. The web makes it easy to be bad, and although I don't condone it or approve of it, I pirated the New Avengers through issue 17. You know what... I'm glad I didn't waste my money on this crap. I thought the starting premise was good. The team itself was iffy but they've done it before (Dr. Druid anyone?) Then the whole storyline went.... nowhere. Never have I read a comic that did so little, it's like reading a training manual or something. So I did a little more digging on the Bendis and found this little gem... www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox6/default.phpI thought you guys might get a kick out of it.
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 12, 2006 1:26:04 GMT -5
Oh, my God...!!! That was funny...!!! And also (sadly) true!!! Even though I've seen all kinds of attacks on & rants about Bendis before, I believe I can say that I've never seen anybody else trash & roast him so throughbly before... And with such flair & gusto, while being right on the money! I'm afraid none of us here will be able to say anything else about him again because... verily, this article says it all...!!!
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Post by dlw66 on Oct 12, 2006 9:25:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the link -- that guy said what most of us have been complaining about for the past 3 years!!!
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Post by imperiusrex on Oct 12, 2006 16:49:31 GMT -5
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 12, 2006 19:37:10 GMT -5
Oh, my word...!!! I was laughing HARD!!! Thanks, imperiousrex!
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Post by dlw66 on Oct 13, 2006 7:39:45 GMT -5
That was hilarious!!! And so true!!!
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 13, 2006 18:22:09 GMT -5
But seriously folks, you know the thing that isn't funny but, rather, truly saaad...? It is this: that, should either one of those wonderful examples of rampant satire been published by Marvel as the real deal in place of those Bendis' frauds from New Avengers, it would still have been 10 TIMES BETTER than what we got instead...
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Post by Doctor Doom on Oct 14, 2006 18:00:27 GMT -5
May I throw out the idea that the original concept for New Avengers (The best Marvel super-heroes) should indeed exist in a team, it just shouldn't be the Avengers? To me that seems reasonable enough. Problem is, Bendis got it wrong every day. Not only are the NA NOT the Avengers, they are also NOT the top marvel heroes.
Much as he'd like them to be, no-one is listing Cage, Spider-Woman, Echo/Ronin or Sentry among the best marvel heroes.
No-one with any sense anyway.
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Post by bobc on Oct 15, 2006 9:27:37 GMT -5
But Wolverine and Spiderman need the exposure
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Post by uberwolf on Oct 15, 2006 9:48:34 GMT -5
I don't mind the lineup, except for maybe Wolverine. All he's done from what I've seen is hang around, smoke and eat pizza. It's like summer camp for Wolvie.
I like.... er liked Spiderwoman. I had most of her original run and don't really care for her being the biggest double traitor in the universe. Maybe if it was written well....
Luke Cage. I used to like him too. Is he even called Power Man any more? All I've seen him do is dress all Gansta and trade quips with Spiderman.
Spiderman. I've wanted to see him in the Avengers since he became a reserve. They could have done a lot with him. His years of solo fighting or at best with a single hero at his side could have made some real good story. He's never really been a part of a big team and his fighting style could easily endanger his fellow team mates, and with his legendary Uncle Ben guilt syndrome could have been powerful stuff. But then you have to DO something for a scenario like that to happen.
Sentry... What's a Sentry? Why even bother? Screw sentry, bring Thor back. Did this Bendis creature devise this hero, who was the ultimate hero in the Universe that everyone forgot? What are they smoking at the Marvel offices. Crack! I bet it's crack.
As far as the members go, they don't have to be the greatest of heroes. That's the point of a team, the sum of it's parts make the whole. Six so so heroes that can work together and cover each others strengths and weaknesses are far greater than a single all powerful foe. The point is they have to know each other, work as a team and trust each other. This current team has none of that. It's a bunch of solo heroes fighting alongside each other, not with each other. Have they even showed them training at all? Cap used to be a stickler for that. Guess there's no time for training when you're sitting around doing.... absolutley nothing.
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Post by The Night Phantom on Oct 15, 2006 11:50:06 GMT -5
The Sentry is a creation of Paul Jenkins, who debuted him in the first Sentry limited series in 2000. The New Avengers were seen in training in Marvel Knights Spider-Man #13–14, which I believe was the first in-story appearance of Wolverine as an Avenger, being published before he was recruited within New Avengers itself!
Have any of you seen this past week’s Stan Lee Meets Dr. Strange? It’s the second in a run of one-shots in which Stan scripts himself meeting certain of his iconic characters, probably out of continuity. One of the backups for the Strange issue is an 11-page story called “Where Is Stan the Man When You Need Him?”, written by none other than Brian Michael Bendis. In this story (which is Strange-free), the Impossible Man arrives at the Baxter Building to wreak his usual mischief but is stopped in his tracks by news of the Fantastic Four’s breakup (I would hope this story is also out of continuity, for it’s really difficult to resolve with an already convoluted FF-breakup timeline) and the superhero civil war. Impy then proceeds to pop up all around the New York area, taking in additional frustrating news about the Marvel Universe, then spends three pages getting even more uptight at Marvel’s editorial offices. (He shouts to Joe Quesada, “ NO! NO, YOU’RE RAPING MY YOUTH, YOU MONSTER!”) After a couple of baffling pages of waiting to talk to Stan in Hollywood, Impy finally meets up with Stan: I wonder if Bendis had a point in writing this story, other than to be self-serving? Of course change can be good. Is reminding us that Stan Lee was a proponent of change really supposed to silence all criticism? Does Bendis not realize that there may be both good and bad ways of doing something new? Does he believe that “old-timers” who criticize could not possibly have a valid point of view? Is his ego so inflated? Modified: inserted a missing parenthesis.
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 15, 2006 14:17:47 GMT -5
That's EXACTLY the gospel (read fallacy) being uttered right now at the House of Idiots: "Stan & all those wonderful creators who followed him were innovators who were all for change" + "But there were always stupid fanboys who resisted any kind of change." = "Therefore, change is good & if you don't like it... Well, go Bendis yourself, or go & read the old stuff". (Translation: "I know you're really completists or are hooked up on us anyway, so I'm not seriously proposing that you stop buying the new stuff... We know you're gonna keep doing it anyway..."). They seem to be copying the methods of ANOTHER, higher administration, which consist of repeating enough times half-truths, knowing at least some people will start to believe it if they hear it often enough. Of course, who in his/her right mind would dispute that change can be good... furthermore, every so often, change is absolutely necessary... But the fact that change can & is often good shouldn't be used as an excuse to infer automatically that every change is for the better & that to take the stance that a specific change is bad means you're a reactionary whose opposed to change per se. I find both Quesada's & Bendis' ways incredibly condescending towards their critics & fans in general. Whether they ACTUALLY believe their mantra or they're just being self-serving about it is anybody's guess... If the former, their arrogance is astounding; if the latter, well, then they're just being dupicitous.
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Post by Doctor Doom on Oct 15, 2006 14:58:15 GMT -5
I don't mind the lineup, except for maybe Wolverine. All he's done from what I've seen is hang around, smoke and eat pizza. It's like summer camp for Wolvie. I like.... er liked Spiderwoman. I had most of her original run and don't really care for her being the biggest double traitor in the universe. Maybe if it was written well.... Luke Cage. I used to like him too. Is he even called Power Man any more? All I've seen him do is dress all Gansta and trade quips with Spiderman. Spiderman. I've wanted to see him in the Avengers since he became a reserve. They could have done a lot with him. His years of solo fighting or at best with a single hero at his side could have made some real good story. He's never really been a part of a big team and his fighting style could easily endanger his fellow team mates, and with his legendary Uncle Ben guilt syndrome could have been powerful stuff. But then you have to DO something for a scenario like that to happen. Sentry... What's a Sentry? Why even bother? Screw sentry, bring Thor back. Did this Bendis creature devise this hero, who was the ultimate hero in the Universe that everyone forgot? What are they smoking at the Marvel offices. Crack! I bet it's crack. As far as the members go, they don't have to be the greatest of heroes. That's the point of a team, the sum of it's parts make the whole. Six so so heroes that can work together and cover each others strengths and weaknesses are far greater than a single all powerful foe. The point is they have to know each other, work as a team and trust each other. This current team has none of that. It's a bunch of solo heroes fighting alongside each other, not with each other. Have they even showed them training at all? Cap used to be a stickler for that. Guess there's no time for training when you're sitting around doing.... absolutley nothing. Strangely enough, though I disagree with you on your attitude towards marvel in general I agree with most of this. My particular gripe is about the Sentry. As far as I'm concerned, he isn't a patch on Thor, but he now has this cultist fan-group convinced Sentry would kick Thor's ass. All I'll say is, I'm a staunch Marvel defender but if Sentry beats Thor, I WILL be protesting right up there with the haters. It's inexcusable. Also, I most say I dislike Luke Cage. Bendis' love of Cage is so overwhelming that he had Cage as a bigger part in his Marvel-wide crossover than... hmm, let's see- the Fantastic Four, Iron man, Captain America, Thor... the list is too long. Oh yeah, and Bendis's 'Spider-Man finally defeats the Green Goblin... WITH THE HELP OF LUKE CAGE!" tripe.
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Post by The Night Phantom on Oct 15, 2006 17:46:06 GMT -5
Really, it’s not bad advice. If only Bendis would follow it!
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Post by imperiusrex on Oct 15, 2006 21:54:50 GMT -5
The Sentry is a creation of Paul Jenkins, who debuted him in the first Sentry limited series in 2000. The New Avengers were seen in training in Marvel Knights Spider-Man #13–14, which I believe was the first in-story appearance of Wolverine as an Avenger, being published before he was recruited within New Avengers itself!
Have any of you seen this past week’s Stan Lee Meets Dr. Strange? It’s the second in a run of one-shots in which Stan scripts himself meeting certain of his iconic characters, probably out of continuity. One of the backups for the Strange issue is an 11-page story called “Where Is Stan the Man When You Need Him?”, written by none other than Brian Michael Bendis. In this story (which is Strange-free), the Impossible Man arrives at the Baxter Building to wreak his usual mischief but is stopped in his tracks by news of the Fantastic Four’s breakup (I would hope this story is also out of continuity, for it’s really difficult to resolve with an already convoluted FF-breakup timeline) and the superhero civil war. Impy then proceeds to pop up all around the New York area, taking in additional frustrating news about the Marvel Universe, then spends three pages getting even more uptight at Marvel’s editorial offices. (He shouts to Joe Quesada, “ NO! NO, YOU’RE RAPING MY YOUTH, YOU MONSTER!”) After a couple of baffling pages of waiting to talk to Stan in Hollywood, Impy finally meets up with Stan: I wonder if Bendis had a point in writing this story, other than to be self-serving? Of course change can be good. Is reminding us that Stan Lee was a proponent of change really supposed to silence all criticism? Does Bendis not realize that there may be both good and bad ways of doing something new? Does he believe that “old-timers” who criticize could not possibly have a valid point of view? Is his ego so inflated? Modified: inserted a missing parenthesis.well my main problem is that Stan was often doing it because he thought it would make for great stories. To use the Avengers example; what Bendis did is actually completely counter to what Stan did. Stan took a series that had a cast of heavy hitters with their own books and replaced them with a bunch of underdeveloped second stringers. What Bendis did was take a book that relied on team chemistry and remade it into a conglomerate of his pet favorite heroes and marvel's overexposed best sellers. Will there ever be a friendship that comes out of Bendis' Avengers that rivals that of Wonder Man/Beast? A love triangle like Wanda/Simon/Vision? Plus has bendis even tried to create these kinds of bonds or are just too busy jumping from crossover to crossover to care? Not likely. Most of the characters, Cap, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spidey are far too busy in their own books. Luke Cage is married, Sentry is still a cipher after a couple of years, Spider Woman's intrigue is happening in her own series. Bendis' model is actually far closer to the old Justice League where nothing ever happened... Also when Stan did his books, there wasn't a reset button. Every story, good or ill was canon. So when he took a chance, he took a chance. When they do it now, they are full well aware that retcons are as easy as pie. Bendis along with Millar and whomever else can blow up the entire marvel universe tomorrow and shred these characters to bits and then next week say "none of it happened. Wanda went crazy again. Whoops." And Stan has long since stopped being a major force at Marvel. He's sued them for royalties and has long being getting a check for rubber stamping everything they put out. www.teako170.com/lawsuit.htmlHonestly, he's so busy with his own projects I doubt he reads a single thing that comes out. he's a businessman and knows that marvel sales are good for him. For christ's sake he was working with the backstreet boys www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_August_26/ai_64773770the man will take a buck wherever it comes from. getting stan's blessing is hardly a BFD to me...
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Post by uberwolf on Oct 16, 2006 9:17:46 GMT -5
"My particular gripe is about the Sentry. As far as I'm concerned, he isn't a patch on Thor, but he now has this cultist fan-group convinced Sentry would kick Thor's ass. All I'll say is, I'm a staunch Marvel defender but if Sentry beats Thor, I WILL be protesting right up there with the haters. It's inexcusable."
Isn't Sentry just supposed to be a disfunctional Superman? As we've seen Superman can take down Thor, so it makes sense that he could, even if he is a crappy character.
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Post by bobc on Oct 18, 2006 9:14:55 GMT -5
uuhhhh has the Sentry actually done anything yet? To warrant the fan worship? I haven't bought NA in six months, but I have thumbed through some of the recent issues. Seems like he just stands around looking (ho hum) sullen and moody. Has he actually fought anybody?
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 18, 2006 17:35:10 GMT -5
Yes, bobc, it's as if Bendis thinks that, because Marvel heroes are supposed to be broody, tortured & plagued by existencial problems, by making them pose doing just (& only) that, he's fullfilling his position as Marvel's Scribe Supreme... Neatly circumventing the revelation that mood & moodiness does not alone a Marvel hero make. It brings to mind the old saying "He knows the words but not the music", were it not for the fact that, in Bendis case, that would mean being waaay to generous with his dialogue skills... I just had a Rock'n'Roll inspired epiphany, which I want to express a set of formulae: Stan Lee=Chuck Berry as Jimmy Hendrix=Joe Casey as Eric Clapton=Kurt Busiek as... an air guitar player=B.M. Bendis!!!
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Post by bobc on Oct 23, 2006 10:35:09 GMT -5
That's a good analogy.
Man I am telling you these Bendis zombies are getting on my nerves. Has Bendis done one thing to justify their cult-like adoration?
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Post by Doctor Doom on Oct 23, 2006 10:46:40 GMT -5
To be fair, I've never actually met, in reality or on a forum, these Bendis zombies everyone talks about. The closest I came was being lectured in my local comic shop about how fantastic Ultimate Spidey was, at the end of which the man said... "But don't buy New Avengers, it completely sucks."
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Post by bobc on Oct 23, 2006 11:54:08 GMT -5
Doc--on that one Avenger forum (Avengers Forever maybe? I can't be bothered to go back there) a lot of people got all huffy puffy if you dared to ask them to name one interesting thing that's happened in New Avengers. I asked that very question and it was like that scene from Frankenstein when the irate villagers chase Frankenstien with pitchforks and torches. I barely escaped with my life! It was quite terrifying.
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Post by bobc on Oct 23, 2006 11:56:14 GMT -5
And don't forget the comic store owner in Houston who went on and on to me about the "great characterization" Bendis was doing in NA. When I asked him to give me an example he said, I swear to God, Hawkeye. You know, who was dead for 99% of the series.
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Post by imperiusrex on Oct 23, 2006 12:23:29 GMT -5
Yes, bobc, it's as if Bendis thinks that, because Marvel heroes are supposed to be broody, tortured & plagued by existencial problems, by making them pose doing just (& only) that, he's fullfilling his position as Marvel's Scribe Supreme... Neatly circumventing the revelation that mood & moodiness does not alone a Marvel hero make. It brings to mind the old saying "He knows the words but not the music", were it not for the fact that, in Bendis case, that would mean being waaay to generous with his dialogue skills... I just had a Rock'n'Roll inspired epiphany, which I want to express a set of formulae: Stan Lee=Chuck Berry as Jimmy Hendrix=Joe Casey as Eric Clapton=Kurt Busiek as... an air guitar player=B.M. Bendis!!! Bendis plays air guitar. Priceless. I weep at the purity and simple beauty of that statement. You are exalted for finding the truth...
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Post by imperiusrex on Oct 23, 2006 12:26:03 GMT -5
Doc--on that one Avenger forum (Avengers Forever maybe? I can't be bothered to go back there) a lot of people got all huffy puffy if you dared to ask them to name one interesting thing that's happened in New Avengers. I asked that very question and it was like that scene from Frankenstein when the irate villagers chase Frankenstien with pitchforks and torches. I barely escaped with my life! It was quite terrifying. I used to be there as well. The dude running it was toadying up to Marvel quite a bit. If you recall they printed some interview he did with Bendis in an issue of Avengers. I think he was purposely making sure there were no negative references to BMB on the site. Heaven forbid people be allowed their opinions...
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Post by dlw66 on Oct 23, 2006 12:43:20 GMT -5
The sad thing is, do we assume that the only 6-7 people who don't like Bendis dwell on this site??
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steed
Reservist Avenger
Posts: 215
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Post by steed on Oct 23, 2006 13:08:37 GMT -5
If that's the case, Doug, then I proudly count myself as part of that 6 or 7 people. I hear all the time what a great job he's doing on USM, but how difficult is it to take ideas of other writers and twist them enough to look like it's a new spin on an old character.
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Post by bobc on Oct 23, 2006 14:09:43 GMT -5
Oh boo-frikkin-hoo. I have never heard Mark Miller fans whining about how tough it was for him to create The Ultimates or anything else.
You know Bendis is the first comic writer I've ever hated. Like an idiot I bought some new book he's doing now(Utlimate Power or some crap), not knowing it was HIM writing it, and as I read through it I was thinking who is writing this terrible dialogue and why is it so hard to tell what's going on in certain scenes and why is the Invisible Girl punching somebody...and then I started getting this sick feeling in my stomach. In complete horror I turned back to the cover and you could actually hear an organ sound dahhhhhhhhhh--it WAS BENDIS!! My GOD he's everywhere like the Bird Flu, only more destructive.
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steed
Reservist Avenger
Posts: 215
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Post by steed on Oct 23, 2006 14:46:16 GMT -5
I don't by the Ultimates either. And Millar isn't bragging about having the longest run on a Marvel book.
I did buy that Ultimate Power thing this weekend because I keep hoping to find something new. I was real impressed with how they put an ad for another book in the middle of a two page spread.
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Post by bobc on Oct 23, 2006 15:24:28 GMT -5
I love the Ultimates. I think it's by far the best thing Marvel is putting out these days.
Did you all buy the new Black Panther where he fights the Inhumans? It's okay I guess. I'm just so thankful to actually see a battle in a comic these days that I can forgive the fact that T'Challa has had a complete personality transplant
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Post by Doctor Bong on Oct 23, 2006 15:27:15 GMT -5
The thing is, these days, Bendis has completely overstretched his reach... He's all over the map, isn't him...? He seems to have totally bought Marvel's hype about himself, line, hook & sinker... He, even more than Spidey & Wolverine, is the real poster child for overexposure. Now, this could work if he would be a real honest-to-God genius but, unfortunately, he's not. Looking back, honestly, I can't recall any other single writer who had such influence & reach at Marvel in the past, with the obvious exception of Stan. Perhaps Roy Thomas...?
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