The Cajun said:
How did you get to that conclusion?
Issues 21 was great. Damn Chase for busting in just as Victor was gonna get some action. Hopefully BKV will do something big with Nico/Victor before he leaves.
I gurantee you that if BKV puts them together they will break up within a few issues of Whedon's run. He can't stand happy couples in his work.
To be fair, MOST writers can't stand "happy couples". Why do you think a lot of modern writers' best approach to a married couple is to have them fight a lot (almost to the point of dysfuntion and even beyond)? Many writers and sometimes even the audience may find a "happy couple" either boring or, cynically, "unrealistic". Admittedly, in real life such couples are rare and may not last.
I'm not denying that Whedon's done that. Heck, he's seemingly trying to do everything in his power to break up Scott & Emma and appease the hardcore Jeaniacs. I'm simply saying that he's hardly the first writer who's trademark is causing romantic strife.
TheCorpulent1 has a good point on comparing Norton & Alphona and noting the differences in style between Vaughan and Whedon. Whedon's decompressed as hell; I don't think he could do a 3 issue story to save his life. Lord knows TORN could have been condensed to maybe 4 issues if he wanted. Instead it's plodding to 6 and has seemed like it's lasted 20 years thanks to issue delays. I can't wait for it to end. If it ever ends. Vaughan's had some 6 part arcs too but he's also had plenty of shorter ones to mix things up, even a one-shot. That doesn't mean all the stories exist seperately and the way everything ties up it sometimes gells, but that's how you best do modern stories. You don't have to have every story be "6 issues or bust" but that doesn't mean you can't tie it all together and make it work. I haven't read Whedon's DARK HORSE Buffy/Angel/Spike stuff, but from ASTONISHING, I fear some decompression. He should be able to match Vaughan's spunky dialogue, though. And Ryan's art is very pretty, much like Cassaday's. Just methinks Whedon sort of sees 3 comic issues as one episode of TV, and this is a fella who gladly would drain 5 episodes doing very little to amp up a 6th. Even fans have complained about that bit.
On the plus side, Whedon is a self-admitted fan of RUNAWAYS and in interviews BKV admits that Whedon has a better memory for some of their backstories than even he does (Vaughan admitted to needing post-it notes on his comp to recall some character's names; he does write other books).
Issue #21 had a great climax and while I hate to admit that BKV really is leaving, I'm jazzed to see where he lives the book as he claims it's a highpoint for the series. If USM has taught me anything, it's that any writer can outstay his welcome and once you do, all your past works are forgotten if you are currently on crap. While Vaughan's still pretty strong after 39 issues and I doubt his last 3 will stink, it is wise for him to want to leave the book at it's peak, rather than when he runs dry. If only Bendis realized that on USM, I think it'd be a stronger book now.
I thought they were talking about bunion massages.
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