The Official Stupid Question Thread: Marvel Edition - Part 1

[Scarecrow_King]

sweet, thanks Manic. how much does it cross over with Messiah Complex and Second Coming? I haven't read either of those and don't want to get completely lost on X-Factor before I catch up on the rest of the X-world.

Even if it has been getting rather mixed reviews, I do plan on catching up on X-Men stuff eventually anyway.

Edit: on that note, can someone tell me where a good starting point would be to get caught up? I know one story line kinda feeds into the next, but I don't know where a good jumping on point would be. Somewhere before Messiah Complex?

 

[Manic]

sweet, thanks Manic. how much does it cross over with Messiah Complex and Second Coming? I haven't read either of those and don't want to get completely lost on X-Factor before I catch up on the rest of the X-world.

The Second Coming tie-in barely connects. It's like a side story that's happening around the same time as Second Coming, but it's literally happening at the other side of the country.

X-Factor doesn't just tie in with Messiah Complex. It's part of Messiah Complex. The story was originally published in a weird way; each different X-Men book published a different chapter of the story each week, and it only made sense if you were buying all of the X-comics at the time. When you read the trade paperback, it's one complete story that happens to change its artwork every 20-something pages.

 

[javi1024]

Messiah Complex was an old-fashioned crossover between all the X-books so X-Factor is 1/4 of the story. its doesn't really effect the team all that much (the only team members i remember doing anything were Madrox, Layla Miller, and Rictor...was Caliban with X-Factor?) but Jamie and Layla's story was a pretty important chunk.

 

[Scarecrow_King]

okay, maybe I'll pick up Messiah Complex as I get that trade. thanks guys.

 

[Panthro]

Watch out. Anubis will emulate his hero, Herc.

Herc having a beer with Galactus? That's awesome.

What's that from anyway?

 

[Havok83]

I just read a positive review of an X-Factor issue over at CBR, and the reviewer mentioned how the book is kinda low-selling, but I thought it was doing pretty well. Haven't people liked it since it took the whole PI angle?

I'm thinking about checking this book out...are there trades available?

Its a book you'll either love or hate. No much in between. Ive always found it to be rather boring and think PAD (the writer is overrated). I can see why some like it, but its not the type of book for me

Sounds like a fantastic plot! We should see that in print sometime soon

You would like this...lol

[YT]g2a3uLuPmMg[/YT]

 

[Anubis]

I see, thanks. I just can't understand how anyone can enjoy that book, especially if they have read prior runs like Busieks.

Cuz a lot of them never read prior runs like Busieks. They came on when Bendis came on, and therefore they never seen any other kind of Avengers.

 

[Panthro]

Nah, they gave the Phoenix force to those damn cuckoos. Just as they brought Jean back, they promptly killed Emma off, thus ending the plotline of her erowing closer to Scott. Her diamond form shattered and thankfully Jean didnt put her back togther

I'm actually surprised the show did that in light of the current Marvel X-biases, but I guess they let Jean live because they had plans to do Age of Apocalypse in season 2, which of course, didn't happen due to cancellation.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

X-Factor is probably my favorite X-book right now. It used to sell pretty well, but its sales have been slowly dipping for the past year or so. It's now one of Marvel's poorest selling mainline ongoings.


The trades are...
Madrox: Multiple Choice
X-Factor: The Longest Night
X-Factor: Life and Death Matters
X-Factor: Many Lives of Madrox
X-Factor: Heart of Ice
X-Men: Messiah Complex
X-Factor: The Only Game in Town
X-Factor: Secret Invasion
X-Factor: Time and a Half
X-Factor: Overtime
X-Factor: The Invisible Woman Has Vanished
X-Factor: Second Coming

Balls, that sucks. I guess it'll be gone soon.

I'm surprised they actually collected that much of it in trades, though.

 

[Manic]

X-Factor isn't published by DC, Corp. Marvel published X-Factor's entire run in trade. They do that with every comic, at least for the past 10 years.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

True. Man, DC's terrible with that. Where's the rest of my Waid Flash run, DC? WHERE IS IT?

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

Cuz a lot of them never read prior runs like Busieks. They came on when Bendis came on, and therefore they never seen any other kind of Avengers.

Which is to say that they have never read ANY actual Avengers issues.

 

[Manic]

Bendis has been the Avengers writer for 7 years, now. There's a bunch of people who simply weren't around to read any prior runs.

On another note, after 7 years, maybe it is time for Bendis to leave the franchise. That's a pretty damn long run he's had across multiple Avengers titles.

 

[The Morningstar]

But Bendis is popular and he sells comics, I guess.

To me, Bendis is to writing in the 2000s what Liefeld is to drawing in the 1990s.

He's ridiculously popular with non comic book fans and new fans, has a very distinctive style, but is not very talented.

 

[JewishHobbit]

No, Bendis is very talented... just out of his element with the Avengers. When he does more street level writings he's very good. This is, for the most part, widely accepted.

 

[The Morningstar]

I enjoyed his Daredevil and Alias. That's about it. But that's all he can write, street level stuff. He can't adapt or change, he can't write stories without changing things to suit his needs.

To me, that says he isn't very talented. Very talented, for me, is someone who can do a variety of things. Bendis can't, he can only do one thing. Doesn't matter how good he does that one thing, if that's all he can do, to me that doesn't mean he's that talented. If he wrote an amazing Daredevil run and an amazing Avengers run I'd agree with you. But he hasn't so I can't agree with you.

Like a Hollywood actor who plays the same role over and over and over again. They ain't talented.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I enjoyed his Daredevil and Alias. That's about it. But that's all he can write, street level stuff. He can't adapt or change, he can't write stories without changing things to suit his needs.

To me, that says he isn't very talented. Very talented, for me, is someone who can do a variety of things. Bendis can't, he can only do one thing. Doesn't matter how good he does that one thing, if that's all he can do, to me that doesn't mean he's that talented. If he wrote an amazing Daredevil run and an amazing Avengers run I'd agree with you. But he hasn't so I can't agree with you.

Like a Hollywood actor who plays the same role over and over and over again. They ain't talented.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. Just because a person has talent in one thing doesn't mean they're NOT talented. Just because a talented song writer can't put together a proper poem doesn't mean he's untalented and if a person excels at a particular style of writing but isn't quite as good in other styles doesn't takea way the talent he has in that choice field.

By that logic then there are other "talented" writers who aren't talented. Brubaker can't write a team book for the life of him and has failed on both attempts (X-Men and Secret Avengers)... does that mean he's as untalented as Bendis? There are quite a few good artists who do fantastic at life-like drawings but suck at more fantastical styles... but that doesn't take away from the fact that they are talented artists.

When it comes to Bendis... he's good at what he does. When it comes to the bigger scope like the Avengers he's not quite as good (though to say he's bad is strictly one's opinion, as I actually like most of his stuff) but he certainly has good ideas.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

He's capable of good stories at that level. Avengers Prime is proof of that. Bendis got his grubby paws all over Asgard in that, yet even an old Thor fan like myself could enjoy it. A lot, too. There's really only one glaringly awkward moment in the whole mini, which is where Cap makes out with some dark elf when he knows Sharon's sitting at home on Earth waiting for him. Other than that, the whole mini's quite good--probably the most epic, fun tour of Asgard's realms since Oeming's "Ragnarok" closer for Thor's previous series.

 

[LadyVader]

I don't know if this would be a stupid question or not but here goes. I'm writing a paper based on this io9 article on Superhero Tragedy Porn. It's for an American Studies conference. Anyway, I know that the Comics Code is now defunct. My question is, has this in anyway affected the level of "darkness" and graphic violence in comic books? I know that Marvel stopped following it in 2011, and DC only retired from it recently (according to wiki).

Also any suggestions for the paper itself would be awesome. :P

 

[The Morningstar]

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. Just because a person has talent in one thing doesn't mean they're NOT talented. Just because a talented song writer can't put together a proper poem doesn't mean he's untalented and if a person excels at a particular style of writing but isn't quite as good in other styles doesn't takea way the talent he has in that choice field.

By that logic then there are other "talented" writers who aren't talented. Brubaker can't write a team book for the life of him and has failed on both attempts (X-Men and Secret Avengers)... does that mean he's as untalented as Bendis? There are quite a few good artists who do fantastic at life-like drawings but suck at more fantastical styles... but that doesn't take away from the fact that they are talented artists.

When it comes to Bendis... he's good at what he does. When it comes to the bigger scope like the Avengers he's not quite as good (though to say he's bad is strictly one's opinion, as I actually like most of his stuff) but he certainly has good ideas.

Maybe you're right. I think I might be blinded with hatred because of what he has done to the Avengers. I've read them since I was a kid, but I cannot stand what he is doing with them now. Ever since Dissassembled the Avengers have been dead to me.

I will agree he does come up with some pretty good ideas from time to time though.

 

[The Morningstar]

I don't know if this would be a stupid question or not but here goes. I'm writing a paper based on this io9 article on Superhero Tragedy Porn. It's for an American Studies conference. Anyway, I know that the Comics Code is now defunct. My question is, has this in anyway affected the level of "darkness" and graphic violence in comic books? I know that Marvel stopped following it in 2011, and DC only retired from it recently (according to wiki).

Also any suggestions for the paper itself would be awesome. :P

I'd say Marvel and DC stopped following it years ago. Especially DC. Their books border on Image levels of violence, and have done for quite some time.

 

[Havok83]

I don't know if this would be a stupid question or not but here goes. I'm writing a paper based on this io9 article on Superhero Tragedy Porn. It's for an American Studies conference. Anyway, I know that the Comics Code is now defunct. My question is, has this in anyway affected the level of "darkness" and graphic violence in comic books? I know that Marvel stopped following it in 2011, and DC only retired from it recently (according to wiki).

Also any suggestions for the paper itself would be awesome. :P

I think you mean 2001 bc Marvel dropped it long before this year. I know there was a noticeable change in the X-books. Morrison's 'Nuff said issue had Jean swimming through sperm and that was a big thign back then. There's been alot more bedroom scenes as seen with Emma and Scott There never seemed to be as much implied sex between the characters prior to dropping the CC. There's also been more swearing from the characters. Words like b-tch and I think ass can now go through and implied F-bombs with $#!@. Finally the violence has been upped from the heroes. Its one thing to have a book like X-force having the characters engage in killing, but we've seen the New Mutants kill in their book and its treated like a normal thing

 

[Sundancer]

I'm reading some Hulk comics from the mid 90's and there's a Leader like guy called Omnibus. What's his story?

 

[javi1024]

ive tried reading Age of Apocalypse twice already, not being able to complete it for various reasons, and im ready to tackle it again. is there an abridged way i can read it without forcing myself to read stuff like Blink's mini series or any books that don't deal with the main story? like there was some book with Nate and Forge around a campfire i had no interest in reading. and i know there are many complaints about how Marvel released the books in trade, so if anybody could recommend the best way to read the story id appreciate it.

 

[Havok83]

ive tried reading Age of Apocalypse twice already, not being able to complete it for various reasons, and im ready to tackle it again. is there an abridged way i can read it without forcing myself to read stuff like Blink's mini series or any books that don't deal with the main story? like there was some book with Nate and Forge around a campfire i had no interest in reading. and i know there are many complaints about how Marvel released the books in trade, so if anybody could recommend the best way to read the story id appreciate it.

Here you go. Good luck!

http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/time/showquestion.asp?faq=13&fldAuto=58