The Last Defenders

[Dread]

Newsarama just posted Marvel's solicts for April 2008, and THE LAST DEFENDERS #2 is among them (spoilers!):

THE LAST DEFENDERS #2 (of 6)
Written by JOE CASEY
Pencils by JIM MUNIZ
Cover by MIKE DEODATO
The Defenders are back -- Nighthawk! Colossus! She-Hulk! The Blazing Skull! -- and they've got their very own state to protect and serve (just don't call 'em "new", True Believers)! The Sons of the Serpent have moved in and only one fully-sanctioned team of super heroes can stop them! But will their first official mission end up as their FINAL mission? Believe it or not ... yes! Not to mention guest-stars galore in the must-have superhero mini-series of 2008!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $2.99

True to form, She-Hulk's rear end is aimed at the camera. And then people wonder why many superheroines are not treated seriously, or why fanboys have a rep for being a bit "sexist".

Aside for that, though, the team doesn't look to bad together, and it looks out our series villains have been identified. The Sons of the Serpant have been around since 1966, but naturally after the 80's and G.I. JOE, their uniforms have gained a very "Cobra" ish look. I don't mind, though. Hopefully Casey does well with 'em.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

What state are they stationed in again?

 

[Dread]

Unsure if it has been mentioned.

I like how the solict claims, "don't call them 'new'", as a dig at the last relaunch strategy from Marvel to call anything "New" something. Of course, NEW EXILES just launched, but that is from Claremont, who still writes like it is 1989. And of course, NEW AVENGERS have been going on for nearly 3 years now, and are hardly "new" anymore. But, no matter.

 

[RockSP]

Nice cover

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Why does Deodato hate drawing shoes on She-Hulk so much? She's barefoot every time he draws her on a cover.

Anyway, outside of She-Hulk's lack of shoes and blatant ass-shot pose, that's a decent cover. Blazing Skull looks pretty awesome on it.

 

[Anubis]

Foot Fetish?

Also, whats with the blatant Blazing Skull Ass shot? Sexist comics.

 

[PhotoJones]

Why does she wear shoes anyway? I mean, people wear shoes to protect their feet. Jan doesn't need that protection.

 

[Anubis]

If she stepped on a thumb tack, she'd squish it into paste.

Plus, feet are sexy.

 

[PhotoJones]

Cute feet are. Ugly feet are not.

 

[Anubis]

Well of course. Though, I'm sure theres somebody out there that thinks this is sexy.

(hope you're not at work PJ, otherwise this bit is a bust for you.)

 

[PhotoJones]

Wow. That's absolutely disgusting.

 

[RockSP]

Why does she wear shoes anyway? I mean, people wear shoes to protect their feet. Jan doesn't need that protection.

Collosus wears shoes (well thigh high gay boots, but still...)

 

[Anubis]

But I'm sure theres somebody out there taking a look at that pic and making a mess upon their keyboard. Probably Corpy.

 

[PhotoJones]

I was thinking he'd be the one to find it arousing, too.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Collosus wears shoes (well thigh high gay boots, but still...)

Well that's cuz his shoes match his manties

*snap**snap*

 

[Dread]

Why does Deodato hate drawing shoes on She-Hulk so much? She's barefoot every time he draws her on a cover.

Anyway, outside of She-Hulk's lack of shoes and blatant ass-shot pose, that's a decent cover. Blazing Skull looks pretty awesome on it.

I wondered about the barefoot thing, too.

I agree Blazing Skull looks cool. Great to have him back on a team book.

Collosus wears shoes (well thigh high gay boots, but still...)

And where is PhotoJones criticizing you for daring to insult Piotr's decision to dress like a male prostitute from the waist down?

Actually, considering the amount of women that Colossus has either dated or made out with on panel, or who pined for him, he likely thinks he can probably dress however he wants.

 

[PhotoJones]

I think I figured out why I don't hate Piotr's costume like the rest of you jerks.

I grew up on X-Men: Children of the Atom. Colossus' fighting style was clearly taken from Zangief's fighting style. Thus, for me the Russian wrestler costume fits. It not only doesn't look bad to me, but it makes sense.

 

[Dread]

I think I figured out why I don't hate Piotr's costume like the rest of you jerks.

I grew up on X-Men: Children of the Atom. Colossus' fighting style was clearly taken from Zangief's fighting style. Thus, for me the Russian wrestler costume fits. It not only doesn't look bad to me, but it makes sense.

So? When XM:COTA hit the arcades, it was 1994, and I was 12. I played the hell out of it. Colossus' sprite looked nice and large, but his combos and supers always seemed awkward. This was showcased more by the time he returned in MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 in 2000.

But, yeah, I can see how that makes sense to you under that circumstance.

 

[RockSP]

I think I figured out why I don't hate Piotr's costume like the rest of you jerks.

I grew up on X-Men: Children of the Atom. Colossus' fighting style was clearly taken from Zangief's fighting style. Thus, for me the Russian wrestler costume fits. It not only doesn't look bad to me, but it makes sense.

My point wasn't really about Colosus's silly outfit. It was about the shoes. He doesn't need them any more than She-Hulk does. You have a problem with her wearing them but not Colossus.

 

[PhotoJones]

So?

So, that's why it makes sense to me.

 

[Dread]

So, that's why it makes sense to me.

Yeah, and I said as the last line that I understood. You saw Colossus as a big Russian wrestler like Zangief and that was that.

 

[PhotoJones]

Right. I don't know where you were going with those comments about his moves being awkward or what that had to do with anything, but whatever. I'd like to see the comics portray Colossus as having a more wrestlerish fighting style. That'd be a lot better, I think, than just having him throw punches.

 

[Dread]

Right. I don't know where you were going with those comments about his moves being awkward or what that had to do with anything, but whatever. I'd like to see the comics portray Colossus as having a more wrestlerish fighting style. That'd be a lot better, I think, than just having him throw punches.

His combos never seemed too effective and it was near impossible to catch anyone with that super of his. He flies straight up and crashes down? Lousy. No wonder not even the computer used it often and just went for "armoring up" a lot. His patterns seemed even more dated when he showed up in MVC2 6 years later. His sprite looked cool, and I kind of liked that throw where he'd twurl you around and throw you, but that was it.

As for fighting styles in the comics, he was trained by Cyclops & Wolverine how to fight and he even learned some swordplay from Nightcrawler during their EXCALIBER tenure. Not saying I'd like him swinging a sword around, just saying technically he COULD, and be competant at it. I'm not sure about the wrestler thing, though. That would just fulfill some of those Zangief stereotypes. People already make homoerotic jokes because of the Fastball Special ("he grabs Wolverine by the ass and throws him at someone", I think Millar or Bendis once yucked for WIZARD, maybe even Whedon riffed on it, although I could be wrong on that), imagine what could come of grappling?

Colossus needs to be handled dramatically. The stuff with Ord in AXM? Like THAT. A situation made for him, and paced effectively, and drawn with him as a massive, staggering, imposing force. It really shouldn't be as hard as many writers/artists have made it.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Right. I don't know where you were going with those comments about his moves being awkward or what that had to do with anything, but whatever. I'd like to see the comics portray Colossus as having a more wrestlerish fighting style. That'd be a lot better, I think, than just having him throw punches.

I'd love it if Petey started grabbing and throwing and using holds more than punching and kicking

 

[Dread]

I'd love it if Petey started grabbing and throwing more than punching and kicking

I'd rather he just effectively cave people's skulls in. It works for the Thing, or the Hulk, or Sentry, or Wonder Man, or Strong Guy...

It is all about the pacing. Of course, having him work out that way against non-magical enemies with She-Hulk there isn't easy, but possible, and something to strive for.