No love for 1985?

[Bubonic]

Only thing I didn't like in this awesome little story was the [BLACKOUT]two story tall Hulk[/BLACKOUT] at the end of the issue. I guess I just like a static size, somewhere between 9 and 12 feet for the guy.

Apart from that I thought it was great, I wonder where they will take this, and I just love the idea of the Marvel world crossing over to ours, a recurrent childhood daydream of mine.

 

[Joker]

Hey, that's not a good point at all, but it brings up a good point: What does 1985 refer to? Is that the year the comic's taking place? The year Toby or some other relevant character was born? What?

I'm feeling it's somehow going to tie into Secret War, which is why they made such a big deal about Doom getting Beyonders powers there...

Also, it being set in the past is a bad idea how?? Is he saying we just shouldnt do period pieces anymore?

 

[moraldeficiency]

Hey, that's not a good point at all, but it brings up a good point: What does 1985 refer to? Is that the year the comic's taking place? The year Toby or some other relevant character was born? What?

1985 is the year in the "real world" that all this is happening in. The references in it make that fairly clear. In fact Toby at the comic store is talking about the new event (secret war) BTW, this is suppose to tie in with Millar's current FF run (which I hate) and his upcoming Wolverine run (which I'm really looking forward to) in some way, presumably because it all hangs on this Windhym character.

 

[DoomJester]

You hate Millar's current FF run? C'mon man. It's excellent. It is just shy of it being everything I want in my comics. Whatever happens with the Johnny and Psionics duo/fiasco will be amazing.

 

[Hans]

You hate Millar's current FF run? C'mon man. It's excellent. It is just shy of it being everything I want in my comics. Whatever happens with the Johnny and Psionics duo/fiasco will be amazing.

I'm reading Millar's FF run. I'm not seeing anything wrong with it, but it's not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. I did like the idea of Nu-Earth or whatever it's called.

 

[moraldeficiency]

You hate Millar's current FF run? C'mon man. It's excellent. It is just shy of it being everything I want in my comics. Whatever happens with the Johnny and Psionics duo/fiasco will be amazing.

This was my original critique of the Millar's run so far (posted in April Sales thread):
(In response to corp asking about why I hated it)

I tried it out and I'll preface by saying I liked ultimates 1, 2 and the social commentary seemed right in that for what it was, but it feels forced as hell here. Oh no the earth is being polluted, let's make a new one with hippies and flowers and no guns and just one big giant super robot that will protect us while we dance around the camp fire in our tie dyed t-shirts. What, the giant robot thinks all humans are dangerous and will eventually eliminate everyone? How could we not have seen this coming? It's not like there have been thousands of variations on this concept from west world to terminator. Plus add in Johnny Storm becoming a shallow male ****e, while reed just seems to have this giant super robot to fight galactus that no one's ever heard off (even though it's massive and would have cost billions to make, plus reed's never gone with such a device to defeat any threat in the past as he generally outthinks his opponent with something smaller and more dangerous) and you've got a comic that I really was looking forward to but now I've just written off as a low rent social satire with a fixed ending that could have happened in the second issue.

 

[DoomJester]

Well, Millar is a fan of the deus-ex device. You just have to know that when you're going into it. As far as it being a low-rent social satire... well, what about all the books that don't even try? I mean, Millar tried at least. And I didn't read too much into the social satire. Most super-hero books boil down to "oh no the world is gonna end" (or maybe just New York!). And most fights could've ended on the first issue if Sentry would just throw it into the sun. (Part of the reason I am against extremely powerful people in comics.) So I tend to let that stuff go-- within reason.

But what about the other parts of the book? The art, the pacing, the well written dialogue? That's what I pay attention to in books, and what matters to me. And as far as Millar's FF, I don't think that is hate worthy. I think his work has been commendable. Civil War, which I enjoyed had some slow issues, punctuated by amazing issue, this book has managed to avoid all of that and still be as intense.

 

[GNR]

after all the talk about this tying into FF,Wolvie and Kick Ass,I got turned off

picked this up on a whim yesterday,so damn hard to find a decent comic shop on vacation,and was surprised

hopefully Millar doesn't mess it up and try to tie this in too much,a story like this would be better self contained

 

[DoomJester]

My guess is that the "tie-ins" will be for those who really pay attention to everything he has written. Fantastic Four seems to stand pretty well on its own, and I'd say the same for his other books (cept Wolverine which I haven't read yet). I don't think it will be a situation where you need to read them all. It is probably a subtle nod more towards his supporters than anything else.

Enjoy the vacation.

 

[moraldeficiency]

Well, Millar is a fan of the deus-ex device. You just have to know that when you're going into it.

A giant anti galactus bot? Really? I made transformers the movie seem credible and well thoughtout.

As far as it being a low-rent social satire... well, what about all the books that don't even try? I mean, Millar tried at least.

I don't want low-rent obvious social satire in ever comic I read and I sure as hell don't need an envirnmental lecture as posed to a group of fifth graders coming through on loud speaker in an FF comic.

And I didn't read too much into the social satire. Most super-hero books boil down to "oh no the world is gonna end" (or maybe just New York!). And most fights could've ended on the first issue if Sentry would just throw it into the sun. (Part of the reason I am against extremely powerful people in comics.) So I tend to let that stuff go-- within reason.

Sentry is by far the most lame thing to come from any publisher in years.

But what about the other parts of the book? The art, the pacing, the well written dialogue?

The art was ok, hitch has definately done better (the costumes sucked), the pacing was way off and at least an entire issue wasn't needed (we didn't need to keep seeing cap destroy stuff to get that it was a powerful robot that was millar ******* at the concept of just seeing military bases destroyed because no one seems to give a **** about soldiers), and the dialogue was horrific, when did johnny become the lindsay lohan of the FF? The end with reed and sue was well written but this entire run has been terrible so far, and I'll say that I enjoyed a lot of millar's stuff but he just completely missed with this.

That's what I pay attention to in books, and what matters to me. And as far as Millar's FF, I don't think that is hate worthy. I think his work has been commendable. Civil War, which I enjoyed had some slow issues, punctuated by amazing issue, this book has managed to avoid all of that and still be as intense.

Civil War I actually enjoyed quite a bit. It had flaws but overall I really enjoyed the concepts and most of the characterization. This was a completely different story and frankly I think millar just tried to force feed us concepts that weren't needed and led to a poorly written, thought out and badly ending story. Just my opinions but if you stack this againt 1985 (which was well done) it just stands out as a cheap diatribe about the envirnment, the evils of man, and Gobots.

 

[DoomJester]

Well, fair enough. I really didn't see that much environmentalism in it. It didn't read much like Environmental Ultimates or the Authority to me, but I guess I was just so happy to see Millar and Hitch together. I'll go back and see if he weighed the book down too much with that.

In any case, we made it through the first arc, so I guess now is a good time to get off. It's probably only going to get worse, since the Johhny/Psionics thing will probably be a poorly written diatribe against sexual promiscuity, not using condoms and cohabitation. There most likely will be some deus ex machina to end it. That's just Millar.

But I'll also add that it will probably have dialogue better than most of the books out there, it will probably be less by the numbers than most of the books out there, and it will probably have better art and better pacing than most of the books out there.

I mean, let me put it this way-- I'd rather be reading those 4 issues than anything from New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, JLA, JSA right now. I don't know what Captain America is doing, but I know it isn't fashionable to talk about that book on these boards. Look at the other team books-- Millar's FF has more heart and hits harder and faster than any of those I'd say.

 

[moraldeficiency]

Well, fair enough. I really didn't see that much environmentalism in it. It didn't read much like Environmental Ultimates or the Authority to me, but I guess I was just so happy to see Millar and Hitch together. I'll go back and see if he weighed the book down too much with that.

In any case, we made it through the first arc, so I guess now is a good time to get off. It's probably only going to get worse, since the Johhny/Psionics thing will probably be a poorly written diatribe against sexual promiscuity, not using condoms and cohabitation. There most likely will be some deus ex machina to end it. That's just Millar.

But I'll also add that it will probably have dialogue better than most of the books out there, it will probably be less by the numbers than most of the books out there, and it will probably have better art and better pacing than most of the books out there.

I mean, let me put it this way-- I'd rather be reading those 4 issues than anything from New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, JLA, JSA right now. I don't know what Captain America is doing, but I know it isn't fashionable to talk about that book on these boards. Look at the other team books-- Millar's FF has more heart and hits harder and faster than any of those I'd say.

I'll agree this is better than either NA or MA by quite a bit, but that's not saying too much. Against a good team book like AtI or Guardians of the Galaxy and this falls completely flat. As for the dialogue it's been fairly predictable and somewhat forced so far. For good dialogue check out cap or the suprisingly good Incredible Herc and then compare.

I guess my big complaint with millar is he tries to real world everyone and toss in some very stale and obvious politics and that just doesn't work here. Johnny Storm is a hothead and kinda a cavalier guy, but he's not the irresponsible asshat shown here. Look at something like "I'm with stupid" for a good take on his character.

Not everything Millar does is ended with a duex de machina, but this series definately had that going. Civil War was ended on a concept, his Amazing run ended with a hell of a good fight and some cool concepts. Ultimates had Thor vs. Loki to the death. These were some good examples of Millar not over playing concepts and not talking down too much to everyone. FF just didn't have that kick, and I'll say I was very much looking forward to this run, but he effectively killed any hope I had. Still 1985 is good and I'm pumped about the wolverine run so I'll just read those and avoid his bad work like the current FF and Kick-Ass.

 

[DoomJester]

Fair enough! I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree with this one. But then again, I'm the guy who genuinely enjoys ASBR so... We'll see what happens with todays Bought/Thought.

Oh, and Guardians of the Galaxy-- that spun out of Annihilation right? So that's good? I am far behind on Annihilation though... so I may have to sit that one out. And actually, I dropped Avengers Initiative. Oh well.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Guardians of the Galaxy's first issue was awesome. That's all we have to judge it on right now.

 

[DoomJester]

Hm... well, if I can find an issue I may try it. At the very least I'm interested in the characters. But honestly, I'm trying to cut some books down. Now may not be the time. Today definitely isn't the time since Ninja Gaiden 2 should be in stores and I have to do that.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I kinda like how the painted cover envoked the feeling of the many painted covers that reigned throughout the 80s, especially for most of The New Mutants' run. Other'n that, I'll see where the story goes. If done right, this could very well feel like a 1980s feel-good type adventure movie that we never get anymore.

 

[Compi716]

So...anybody pick this up. I did, and it certainly seems promising.

 

[GNR]

wasn't planning on doing so but thought it was good,hope this doesn't become a mess with Wolvie and FF tying in

 

[I Am The Bat]

I loved 1985 - I loved it so much I gave it to my dad for Father's Day (He's also a comic book patron)

Seriously - this first issue is everything I ever wanted to happen to me when I was a kid (only 24, but still). My Dad has been collecting AMS since AF15 and DD as well - He also has a bunch of old FF, Conan, SS, etc. I read every single one of those comics.

I think Millar does an awesome job of portraying that kid in all of us.