BOUGHT/THOUGHT for May 16, 2007

[Not Jake]

I know this is only going to prolong this conversation but in my own defense, while I do criticize Dread for repeating himself over and over, I do try to cite examples of why I believe he's wrong. So, yeah.

 

[Darthphere]

I know everyone who bashes Dread on a weekly, if not daily, basis will totally disagree...but, I think a lot of the criticism stems from jealousy. If you think back to the history of the bought/thought thread, and The Hype in general, it's all about ego. Why is there an argument over who starts the thread and how they start it? Because, the person wants to have their name posted as the one who got the ball rolling. Why do we review? Because we want others to recognize our brilliance and acknowledge that we are right. And, Dread and others were constantly be told "When is Dread going to review; because, he's the best;" or ""I only come on here for Dread's reviews." What those who praised Dread would end up doing is discrediting all those who also gave reviews. It was almost saying, "You others guys shouldn't even bother, the thread should just be named 'Dread's Thoughts' and be done at that." Even I get a bit jealous over Dread's talent. I'll read a comic sometimes and sit at the computer thinking, "I wish I could put down into words what I think of this comic, like Dread does."

Sometimes the Hype is all about popularity. Everyone wants praise for being who they are and what they say. (Otherwise, why would we even post?) Heck, we even have threads devoted to who's the favorite among posters or Mods from time to time. Like I said, it's all ego driven. Even slamming others is our way to boost our ego by trying to use our wits to ridicule others.

It's fairly obvious that people are going to try to bring down the popular folk and the sad folk aka Kainedamo. It's a fact of life. I think I've stated my problems with Dread's reviews before, to him, who is the only one that matters in this situation so it's really old hat by now. It's not something that's going to stop, and really not sure why it would. You post something, you better get ready to defend it. Though, I'm sure it needs to be taken down a couple of notches.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Countdown #50

This story still really hasn't gotten underway. The whole Mary Marvel of the story really fell flat on its face due to all that vague mystical mumbo-jumbo non-answer type dialogs that are absolutely boring and repetitive.

The Jimmy Olson thing was more interesting primarily because of the Joker, but the Killer Croc (iirc) ending felt a little forced so as to get some kind of cliffhanger going.


Mighty Avengers #3

Hmm, a bit of a letdown, but not too much of one.

Most of the Sentry v. Ultron fight was already up on the net meaning there wasn't really too much I hadn't seen in relation to that. Still it was a pretty well-drawn battle.

By far, my favorite shot was Ultron's face on all the S.H.I.E.L.D. screens. I know its been done before but I liked it.

Ms. Marvel's definitely coming off as a leader-in-training, which is a good thing, it'll be interesting to see how that develops.

The team interactions are priceless as everybody on the team has a alpha-male sort of personality that ends up clashing with everyone else's.

Hank and Tigra? Sure, why not.

Here's to hoping that 4 and 5 pack a bit more of a punch.

 

[GNR]

Is Batman 665 a good starting point?I have no interest in reading Batman and Son.

 

[Anubis]

I realize at this point I haven't said anything about the actual issue. I guess I don't see the point, really. I doubt there's anyone lurking around on these boards that reads LOCAL, and that's fine. Like I mentioned, it's very much of an acquired taste; I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. I just wanted to get this out of my system. Maybe there is someone else on here who enjoys Megan's story as much as me...Who knows?

Now...Back to the superheroes!

I read Local too, so guess what? You're not special.

 

[Darthphere]

Is Batman 665 a good starting point?I have no interest in reading Batman and Son.

Not really, and Damien is playing a role in this arc as well.

 

[Marcdachamp]

Twas a joke.

I know, I'm just raggin' on ya.

 

[PhotoJones]

I read Local too, so guess what? You're not special.

I...never said I was.

 

[Doc Destruction]

Is Batman 665 a good starting point?I have no interest in reading Batman and Son.

It's an okay starting point, honestly.

Batman learns he has a son, son beats Robin up, son kills minor villan, Batman watches mom and son go boom, but they faked it.

There, you're caught up =p

 

[Phaedrus45]

Final DC Thoughts:

Justice League of America #9: Probably the best (at least top 5) books DC is putting out right now. Some readers who don't follow JSA or Legion might be confused (I know I've been following both books since OYL started, and I get a bit confused by all the players in this crossover); but, the payoff is still so high you'll forgive the writers. One of the highlights in past JLA/JSA crossovers was always the interaction between the two groups. Adding in the Legion has only updated the concept and made it a whole lot more interesting. The only crappy part of the story is knowing when the story's over, these three teams will all go their separate ways and everything will go back to normal. Oh, and the art looks fantastic. So far, it's my only 10 out of 10 I've read this week. 10/10

Supergirl #17: If you haven't been reading Supergirl for a while now, don't bother picking up this issue; namely because I've been reading the title since issue #1 and I still don't know what the hell is going on. Joe Kelly has been trying to tell this tale of where Supergirl is destined by her father to kill Superman because of sentencing her and her family to the Phantom Zone...and, the spirits of the Phantom Zone are loose and inhabiting the citizens of Earth...and the only way to end this is kill Kal-el, who is wearing a suit of armor that resembles some strange Iron Man armor from the 60's. Basically, DC just needs to end this story quickly and set this title up for a serious retooling. Every month, a series of superhero guest stars show up (I don't think I've ever seen a title use so many guest stars in every issue of their comic like Supergirl does)...and, it's just too much. If this title were a horse, a humanitarian would have shot just to put it out of its misery by now. 5/10

Checkmate #14: If you were to teach a course on writing a comic, choosing to compare/contrast the Justice League/Justice Society crossover with this Checkmate/Outsiders crossover would be very effective. In Justice League/Justice Society you'd see two very good titles that benefit each other nicely...with Checkmate/Outsiders, you have one very good title and one very subpar title; the one making the other more interesting, but the other bringing down that one in the process. Checkmate #13 brought the story together, making the Outsiders a whole lot more interesting than they've ever been. But, last week's issue of Outsiders was so terrible, it took away all the momentum that issue #13 brought out. Now, with this issue, the momentum comes back...but, not as big, because the reader knows the writer and artist of Outsiders will just bring it down again. Unlike JLA/JSA, the two titles don't compliment each other. The story is aptly titled "Checkout," because many readers will want to do that. In fact, the most interesting part of the entire issue is a little prologue of things to come, when Boomer admits to the Black Queen that he's worked for Amanda Waller in the past and we see Amanda's reaction when Count Vertigo lets her know of what transpired. 7/10

Catwoman #67: After trying out Robin and Nightwing and dropping both titles for such terrible writing and plotlines, I'm glad I've stuck with this title since issue #1. Selina is such an interesting character, she's got a cast of regulars reminiscent of Spidey's past, and the writers have done an adequate job of keeping the reader interested each month to keep coming back. Probably sporting one of the best OYL twists, the title has finally progressed past "who is the father of Selina's baby," and we're getting one hell of a story. This issue starts with the 2nd Catwoman, Holly, getting her butt kicked by Hammer and Sickle and Selina coming to her rescue. It's paced very well, the reader will be on the edge of their seat, turning each page with anticipation for what comes next, and by the time you get to the final page, you'll be as pissed as can be knowing you have to wait a month for the next issue. What a great cliffhanger...and since the title of this storyline is "Catwoman Dies," the fear of what's coming is only that much more intense. I definitely enjoyed this just as much as Justice League; so, I'm giving out my second 10/10.

 

[GNR]

Final DC Thoughts:

Justice League of America #9: Probably the best (at least top 5) books DC is putting out right now. Some readers who don't follow JSA or Legion might be confused (I know I've been following both books since OYL started, and I get a bit confused by all the players in this crossover); but, the payoff is still so high you'll forgive the writers. One of the highlights in past JLA/JSA crossovers was always the interaction between the two groups. Adding in the Legion has only updated the concept and made it a whole lot more interesting. The only crappy part of the story is knowing when the story's over, these three teams will all go their separate ways and everything will go back to normal. Oh, and the art looks fantastic. So far, it's my only 10 out of 10 I've read this week. 10/10

Totally agree.That's the main thing I'm loving about both books right now.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Image, Independant, and Ultimate Thoughts:

Death Dealer #2: I didn't get this in my box last week; but, my LCS got it for me this week. If you are not getting this title and have a chance to get issues #1 & 2, you might want to pick it up. In this issue, Kelland, a young boy who survived a village raid by the strange shadow creatures who kill all in their path, tells the Duke of Treya of their upcoming attack. As they prepare and engage in war with them, the Death Dealer is hot on the Shadow Creatures heels, waiting to inflict his own punishment. The dark art works beautifully with the story and the dialogue is spot-on. 9/10

Se7en #5 - Pride: One of the better horror titles, much better than the Wildstorm offerings. Unlike the first three issues, the last two have started to let the reader into the mind of this killer and what's made him turn into a serial killer. While brutal, the artist doesn't depict the crimes in the same fashion as some other horror titles, like Friday the 13th, glamorizing the gore. 8/10

Ultimates #13: The end is finally here; and, while this issue is pretty good, it's impact is greatly lessened by the fact that the previous 12 issues came out so long ago. If a title like Justice is deadened by having to wait two months between issues, this title's lateness really hurts its impact on the reader. There are some pretty neat moments, though. I loved Hawkeye dealing with Black Widow at the end. It makes me wish they'd do some Ultimate miniseries feathuring certain members of The Ultimates. Ultimate Hawkeye would be cool just as long as they get a decent writer. 9/10

Ultimate X-Men #82: Hmmm...this title is starting to finally get interesting again. We have two storylines going on; one, Scott and Jean are trying to recruit students in their attempt to make Xavier's Institute into a safe school for mutants, and two, Storm and Bishop are trying to recruit mutants to reform the X-Men. Added into the mix is Nightcrawler trying to join the Morlocks and Xavier's trying to recruit them to become students. The pacing of both stories is pretty good; it's just the art, while not bad, is such that makes the enjoyment of the book lessened. It reminds me of the art from DMZ and American Virgin..somewhat dark and depressing, almost sleazy. To me, it's not X-Men type art. Still, this issue was better than I was expecting. 8/10

Ultimate Spider-Man #109: Just when the Ultimate line was getting down-right terrible, it appears all the titles are on the upswing. (Of course, after the fiasco of tackling the Clone Saga, you can only go up.) The band of Marvel Knights plan is backfiring pretty bad, and the Kingpin is in total control. Peter doesn't know who he can trust, and his secret identity is (AGAIN) learned by another person. It's nice to see Bendis has the title back on track. While it's nothing outstanding, it's still a pretty good read. 8/10

 

[PhotoJones]

That's it, I'm breaking down and picking up Death Dealer....

 

[Darthphere]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought JLA rocked.

 

[PWN3R]

Seriously, did anyone pick up Plain Janes? It actually sounds intriguing???

 

[Darthphere]

I would recommend it. I was going to do a review on it, but pretty much got lazy. It's pretty entertaining, as a whole, though you can tell it's geared for the ladies. But I say that if you like Spider-Man Loves mary Jane, you'll like this book.

 

[PhotoJones]

Seriously, did anyone pick up Plain Janes? It actually sounds intriguing???

I would recommend it. I was going to do a review on it, but pretty much got lazy. It's pretty entertaining, as a whole, though you can tell it's geared for the ladies. But I say that if you like Spider-Man Loves mary Jane, you'll like this book.

Eh...Recommending it to someone who likes Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is like recommending Iron Fist to a Superman fan. Just because Plain Janes is geared to teenage girls, doesn't mean it's like SMLMJ. In fact, the two are very different.

Plain Janes, for all it's cliches, has a lot more substance than SMLMJ. It's really about a girl who's dealing with a lot of things at once: home sickness, lonliness, self expression, etc. Probably the most interesting to me, is survivor's guilt. That's a tough topic to tackle in a comic book, especially a "light hearted" one, at that. It's handled well, and it's subtle enough to not depress the reader.

I would say that if you're a fan of Brian Wood or Daniel Clowes, but want something a little lighter and more accessable, than you'll probably like Plain Janes.

 

[Darthphere]

Brain Wood? And I would recommend Iron Fist to a Superman fan. And I never said they were alike.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yes, Brian Wood. DEMO? LOCAL? Writer of down to earth stories involving young women? Ring a bell?

And a fan of urban, street level heroes (Iron Fist) might not be into full scale, capes and tights (Superman). I was using that as an example to say that just because both are superheroes, doesn't mean they're the same, or their types of stories are the same.

 

[Darthphere]

Yes, Brian Wood. DEMO? LOCAL? Writer of down to earth stories involving young women? Ring a bell?

And a fan of urban, street level heroes (Iron Fist) might not be into full scale, capes and tights (Superman). I was using that as an example to say that just because both are superheroes, doesn't mean they're the same, or their types of stories are the same.

SMLMJ is a much more accesible example than Demo or Local, which is why I chose that comic as an example, instead of going all indie on the folks here. Does that explain it enough for you?

And I was making fun of your typo.

 

[PhotoJones]

SMLMJ is a much more accesible example than Demo or Local

Which is why I said this:

but want something a little lighter and more accessable, than you'll probably like Plain Janes.

which is why I chose that comic as an example, instead of going all indie on the folks here. Does that explain it enough for you?

Um...Plain Janes is pretty indie, dude.

And I was making fun of your typo.

Fixed.

 

[Darthphere]

Um...Plain Janes is pretty indie, dude.

So that means everyone one who wants to read it would know what DEMO or Local is? See where my logic comes in. Such a pointless argument here, you can carry on.

 

[PhotoJones]

So that means everyone one who wants to read it would know what DEMO or Local is? See where my logic comes in. Such a pointless argument here, you can carry on.

There's logic? Where?

Whether or not "everyone" knows what DEMO and LOCAL are, it doesn't change the fact that those two books are the closest things to Plain Janes that I can think of. Certainly, moreso than Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. That was my point.

"If you're a fan of Brian Wood, then you might like the more accessable, Plain Janes." <- What's wrong with that?

By your "logic", we should stop comparing anything to anything for fear that others won't be familiar with what we're talking about. Or should we only stick to Marvel/DC titles?

 

[Darthphere]

There's logic? Where?

Whether or not "everyone" knows what DEMO and LOCAL are, it doesn't change the fact that those two books are the closest things to Plain Janes that I can think of. Certainly, moreso than Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. That was my point.

"If you're a fan of Brian Wood, then you might like the more accessable, Plain Janes." <- What's wrong with that?

By your "logic", we should stop comparing anything to anything for fear that others won't be familiar with what we're talking about. Or should we only stick to Marvel/DC titles?

What's wrong with me comparing it to SMLMJ? Nothing. Because you think it's not a fair comparison, I do. End of story.

When you compare something, you find the most easily recognizable and closest thing to the product you're comparing it to. I can't be sure, but I don't think PWN3R has ever read Local or DEMO. Seriously dude, get over it. Now I can see why BrianWIlly was rididng your ass earlier in this thread. I'm done with this subject. I'll be posting reviews later tonight.

 

[PhotoJones]

What's wrong with me comparing it to SMLMJ? Nothing. Because you think it's not a fair comparison, I do. End of story.

When you compare something, you find the most easily recognizable and closest thing to the product you're comparing it to. I can't be sure, but I don't think PWN3R has ever read Local or DEMO. Seriously dude, get over it. Now I can see why BrianWIlly was rididng your ass earlier in this thread. I'm done with this subject. I'll be posting reviews later tonight.

Darth, you started this whole thing. Own up to it. I replied with my thoughts, and all of a sudden you launch into a debate about the recognition of LOCAL and DEMO, and how I should only bring up "big name" books. That's pretty damn silly.

My feeling is, is that Plain Janes is more akin to Brian Wood's work than Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. End of story. Those are my thoughts. You are allowed to disagree.