Bought/Thought May 21st, 2008

[RockSP]

To me, McDuffie's run on FF was like the Gerald Ford presidency after Nixon and before Carter; a "middle of the road" run to get things to some state of normalcy. FF had been mired in CW with their characterizations divided. Reed was a Nazi witch-doctor who Sue no longer respected. Thing abstained in France. Johnny was his usual ****** self. They needed some run that allowed things to go back to basics. McDuffie was that run. Yeah, T'Challa and Storm was a stunt, but FF has altered their rosters before for longer periods, so I let it slip. The run was at least lighter hearted. I agree it wasn't anything too meaningful; aside for the Gravity stuff, I forgot half of it.

Storm and Panther may have been a "stunt" but it was an editorially mandated one.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I liked Storm and BP on the FF. They make sense there, and it was refreshing to see a change from the typical line-up again after all these years.

 

[THANOSRULES]

I liked Storm and BP on the FF. They make sense there, and it was refreshing to see a change from the typical line-up again after all these years.

I liked the idea..in theory..but It wasn't like the others dissappeared from the the book. And the stories were bad, the art meh.

It seemed like a really bad run to me.

 

[Hush]

Bought the deluxe edition of The Killing Joke. Have yet to make a thought about it due to my not reading yet.

 

[fifthfiend]

Only one or two skrulls showed up in Disassembled, and they were just there in the middle the Kree soldiers.

Of course, very few people will believe that Bendis has been planning this for years, because no one on SHH ever gives Bendis that kind of credit.

Speaking as someone who already credited Bendis with possibly having planned this - this is a ridiculous argument, and you should feel embarrassed for making it.

 

[fifthfiend]

A review!:

Robin 174:

Called it!

Totally called it.

Except for the bit about Batgirl, which should have happened.

Okay I lied, that wasn't a review at all.

 

[Hush]

Killing Joke is just, wow, great. So great im confused by it.

 

[venom892]

Confused how?I love that story to death.It's one of my favorite joker stories along with the man who laughs.

 

[BrianWilly]

So, it's a retcon because you say that it is? There have been several unusual occurrences since the start of Bendis' run, including Reed telling Iron Man that he never sent DD to the Raft to check on the Sentry. At the time, it was unusual, but now it seems to make more sense.

At that particular point in Disassembled, the Avengers were ONLY fighting the Kree. A random Skrull or two popping up might mean something even if you don't think it does. You're acting like your opinion is fact, and that's very frustrating. Just because you think Bendis is retconning, it doesn't mean that he is.

Look, if you did not know that the Skrulls were invading, you would look at that scene and see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Absolutely nothing. If it's only apparent in retrospect, then by definition it was not a cleverly hidden clue setting a stage for later stories or something. Moreover, you're arguing that the Disassembled scene is significant despite nothing in Secret Invasion itself having yet suggested that that Disassembled scene was at all significant. Your entire argument is based on speculating about a scene that for all we know doesn't actually exist, and you're telling me it's frustrating that I don't take it seriously and am merely writing Bendis off? Yeah, no.

Here is an example of advanced planning: Greg Rucka having Mxyzptlk tell Clark and Lois, "Man, you two are going to be the cause of Infinite Crisis, you know that?" and then a year later during Infinite Crisis we find out that it's all happening because of Earth-2's Clark and Lois. That's an example of someone laying down seeds for something that comes to pass later. The readers think "Hmm, I guess Lois and Clark are going to be responsible for the Crisis," and then a year later they get to say "Wow, hey, they really are!"

Something that isn't an example of advanced planning would be showing some Skrulls in a story where it actually makes sense for Skrulls to appear, and then four years later say "See that story back then? It totally shows Skrulls were going to invade, he planned it all along!" No, it didn't show in any way shape or form that the Skrulls were going to invade, and you have no idea or evidence whatsoever that he planned it other than your own speculation. No reader in their right mind would have read that that scene and thought, "Hey, maybe the Skrulls will invade in four years."

 

[Marcdachamp]

Look, if you did not know that the Skrulls were invading, you would look at that scene and see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Absolutely nothing. If it's only apparent in retrospect, then by definition it was not a cleverly hidden clue setting a stage for later stories or something. Moreover, you're arguing that the Disassembled scene is significant despite nothing in Secret Invasion itself having yet suggested that that Disassembled scene was at all significant. Your entire argument is based on speculating about a scene that for all we know doesn't actually exist, and you're telling me it's frustrating that I don't take it seriously and am merely writing Bendis off? Yeah, no.

Here is an example of advanced planning: Greg Rucka having Mxyzptlk tell Clark and Lois, "Man, you two are going to be the cause of Infinite Crisis, you know that?" and then a year later during Infinite Crisis we find out that it's all happening because of Earth-2's Clark and Lois. That's an example of someone laying down seeds for something that comes to pass later. The readers think "Hmm, I guess Lois and Clark are going to be responsible for the Crisis," and then a year later they get to say "Wow, hey, they really are!"

Something that isn't an example of advanced planning would be showing some Skrulls in a story where it actually makes sense for Skrulls to appear, and then four years later say "See that story back then? It totally shows Skrulls were going to invade, he planned it all along!" No, it didn't show in any way shape or form that the Skrulls were going to invade, and you have no idea or evidence whatsoever that he planned it other than your own speculation. No reader in their right mind would have read that that scene and thought, "Hey, maybe the Skrulls will invade in four years."

That's not advanced planning, that's smacking you in the face with something. A clue doesn't have to be spelled out by a character. If anything, the example you just gave me is lazy.

Look, all I'm saying is that it's a curious scene, and this same **** gets old at the hype: "Bendis wasn't planning anything!" Do you ever think that the creator bashing and constant negativity are reasons that the Hype has been losing posters? It gets exhausting.

I'm all for being a skeptic, but there's a difference between being a skeptic and a fanboy. If the guy says he's been planning something for years, and his current books are going back and showing what exactly happened behind the scenes, then that to me looks like planning, not retconning.

 

[BrianWilly]

Marcdachamp, it isn't a curious scene. When you first read it, without your current 20/20 hindsight vision, you thought absolutely nothing of it -- no one did -- and you're magnificently bull****ting yourself if you think otherwise. Even in context of what we know now about Secret Invasion, it only has marginal significance if you bend over backwards to make something out of it.

"Hey look there's less Skrulls than Krees, maybe they're not illusions at all! And their cover was blown because of...chaos magic, yeah that's it. And they were originally disguised as...oh, I dunno, but I'm sure Bendis will reveal it all to us soon! What does it have to do with the story? Well, it's not revealed yet you see, but it will be soon!"

If Bendis decides to make something more out of it -- and, again, it's utterly hilarious here that you're so fervently attempting to defend a decision that doesn't actually exist in the story yet and might not ever -- there's absolutely nothing in the writing that shows us he has planned it all this while and that it's not just an addition he came up with recently. Nothing at all. He could say that he's planned it, and yet why should we believe that? It's not at all apparent in the actual product he presented to us! I mean, just stop speculating for a second, and can you show me any single amount of evidence of that scene's significance other than the fact that you personally would really like it to be significant?

 

[CaptainCanada]

Regarding the extent to which Bendis had this worked out, he obviously had a general outline, at least from "The Breakout" on; the series is littered with little mysteries (starting with who ordered the breakout) that were at the time clearly part of some larger picture. Now, doubtless the plan changed over time to accomodate things that happened in the intervening years; that happens as a matter of course.

 

[BrianWilly]

I don't doubt that he's had a plan of some sort, but what it reads like -- as in what the story actually tells me -- is that he's making up the plan as he goes along, adding and altering prior bits to suit his final product. Which is not a bad thing! It's simply not what some people are making it out to be.

I mean, just look at the Raft breakout, or even the Savage Land adventure; there's nothing in there that would point to the probability of Skrulls doing it moreso than any single other character or characters in the company. And yet I'm sure there's gonna be a story elaborating those things to fit in with the Skrulls and then people are gonna go "Holy cock, what an elaborate plan!!!!!111" which is just ridonkulous.

 

[Marcdachamp]

I don't doubt that he's had a plan of some sort, but what it reads like -- as in what the story actually tells me -- is that he's making up the plan as he goes along, adding and altering prior bits to suit his final product. Which is not a bad thing! It's simply not what some people are making it out to be.

I mean, just look at the Raft breakout, or even the Savage Land adventure; there's nothing in there that would point to the probability of Skrulls doing it moreso than any single other character or characters in the company. And yet I'm sure there's gonna be a story elaborating those things to fit in with the Skrulls and then people are gonna go "Holy cock, what an elaborate plan!!!!!111" which is just ridonkulous.

But that's just it! You guys act like there's no way he's been planning it for years, when there is NOTHING to support your claims.

 

[Manic]

I was under the impression Bendis had been planning something since the first arc of New Avengers. He left a few plot threads open, so I always figured he had something up his sleeve. It looks like Secret Invasion might just be that thing.

Now, as for Disassembled? I'm not seeing it. At all. I highly doubt the Skrulls showing up in that story had anything to do with this.

 

[BrianWilly]

But that's just it! You guys act like there's no way he's been planning it for years, when there is NOTHING to support your claims.

Um, yeah, the fact that the story doesn't actually read like one that's been planned for years supports our claims. You say that the Skrulls invasion is the big culmination of Bendis' Avengers saga, and yet before the NA: Illuminati #1 in 2007 there has been nothing. About. Skrulls. In his Avengers books. And he started writing the Avengers in 2004. And I don't mean that a Skrull should have appeared in the first issue and announced that they were going to invade, I mean that the fake Elektra that the New Avengers found could have turned out to be an Ewok in disguise and it would actually have been about as supported by Bendis' past issues as her Skrull reveal was. The addition of Skrulls into his storyline -- and that's what it was, an addition -- didn't resolve anything. It didn't pay off an earlier moment or answer a ongoing question; all it did was to be random and arbitrary.

And it would be different if, say, Bendis actually had any sort of track record at all of setting up significant stories in advance or had any history whatsoever of cleverly paying off a long-running plot point...but, no, he doesn't. In fact, as Dread has mentioned, he has the opposite of that. So, again I ask, can you give us even a tiny bit of reason to take Bendis at his word here other than "Well, he said so, and I really really want to believe him"?

 

[Blader5489]

And it would be different if, say, Bendis actually had any sort of track record at all of setting up significant stories in advance or had any history whatsoever of cleverly paying off a long-running plot point...but, no, he doesn't.

Daredevil? Alias? Ultimate Spider-Man? Ultimate Origins?

 

[Xofenroht]

Yeah man, Daredevil is what put Bendis on the map as far as I'm concerned. Ultimate Spider-Man though? Well, that ran out of steam eventually.

 

[Prognosticator]

Bought and Thought:

Superman/Batman #48:

This story is getting better and better each issue, just gotta love the balls to the wall action and not to mention the art wokr is just great. I revel at the chance to look at this book every thursday. It just really gets my blood going. I usually dont get ongoings but i have been wit this book since the beginning and it has yet to fail on every level. Has it sucked? yes, but this arc single handedly has saved it from falling farther than it has before. I would recommend that anyone who is at least interested buy this trade, one of the best storeis out there now and it finishes up next month.

Justice League of America # 21

Yeah this was cool and i enjoyed the interaction between the big three and hope Trinity is written about 1000% better than they were written here, cause i just hated the dialogue. It was ok but the fact that Batman was being all just wierd was silly, the whole kiss thing with Clark and such was just like wasted air. I found the second part so much more fun. The line that The Human Flame said to Luthor was awesome a total burn, if you will, saying "At least my arch-nemisis only beat me once!" Then he proceeded to have Grodd agree with him. That was the best part of the issue for me.I would love to see more Firestorm he seems like he would be great if written by Mcduffie but oh well, won't happen. I think its high time we had good JLA stories that include, you know taking on actual threats so can we get a new writer for this book now? Its really bothersome to want to read JLA but not want to at the same time, you have all these great characters and you get drivel like this, boring. So Bats, Supes and Wondy can have all there fun but in all honesty it seemed like a 12 year old girls sleep over than a super-secret meeting.

I was going to buy the ressurection of Ras Al Ghul but I wanted a review from the hypesters vefore i waste money. any Opinions?

LOL, did you ever read Firestorm's solo title w/Jason? ...It was written by McDuffie and it was AWESOME.

 

[Blader5489]

Yeah man, Daredevil is what put Bendis on the map as far as I'm concerned. Ultimate Spider-Man though? Well, that ran out of steam eventually.

And has since been re-energized.

Even so, that wasn't my point. I was just trying to point a number of examples where Bendis sets up future stories within his books.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

LOL, did you ever read Firestorm's solo title w/Jason? ...It was written by McDuffie and it was AWESOME.

That was a good series. I miss it.

 

[RockSP]

LOL, did you ever read Firestorm's solo title w/Jason? ...It was written by McDuffie

Only the last 3 issues.

 

[BrianWilly]

Daredevil? Alias? Ultimate Spider-Man? Ultimate Origins?

What, seriously? Daredevil and Ultimate Spider-Man were like the antithesis of ever having any payoff for anything. All it was was building and building and building and keep on adding new things into the mix. Of the two at least Daredevil was written decently, but it read exactly like something where he making the plot up as he goes along. Which is not a bad thing!...it was an ongoing story and did it well. It's simply not what some people are making Bendis out to be, as this consummate mastermind who has sprinkled clever clues and foreshadowings all over his stories. No, no he hasn't.

As far Alias, I'll just have to take your word for it.

 

[yenaled]

Reason I stopped reading Daredevil under Bendis is it felt in two years of reading nothing actually happened everything was just about to happen. I got bored and realised I actually didn't care what happened to Matt anymore.

 

[Xofenroht]

And has since been re-energized.

Even so, that wasn't my point. I was just trying to point a number of examples where Bendis sets up future stories within his books.

I get your point. My point was that Bendis' "Daredevil" is a good example of his talent as a writer in the field.