Why Brian Michael Bendis sucks

[Tropico]

If I'm gonna pay damn near $4.00 dollars a pop for 22 pages of comics, give me my money's worth. Even Warren Ellis figured that much out, NextWave might have it's flaws, but at least I know in 22 pages I'm gonna get a full plate of steak&potatoes comics versus Bendis' chickpeas&spinach salad.

You tell 'em, Dee! Next Wave PWNS all their asses!!

 

[deemar325]

I'm sorry, but Avengers is selling well because of Spidey and Wolverine. Let's see Bendis keep his sales figures up with a standard Avengers team...oh, wait, he killed them all. NM.

Pretty much the truth.

 

[deemar325]

You tell 'em, Dee! Next Wave PWNS all their asses!!

*Hands in the air!*

Raise da roof!!

 

[Speedball]

*Hands in the air!*

Raise da roof!!

Nextwave kicks more ass than all of the avengers roster.
tick tick tick BOOM!

 

[deemar325]

It's a satisfying read that's for sure.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

I'm sorry, but Avengers is selling well because of Spidey and Wolverine. Let's see Bendis keep his sales figures up with a standard Avengers team...oh, wait, he killed them all. NM.

I am all for shaking up lineups. In fact I think with characters like Darkhawk, Black Panther, Wonder Man, Tigra, White Tiger, Eros, Sersi, Beta Ray Bill, Bloodstone (the girl), Photon, She Hulk, Namor, Machine Man X-23, and herum of others you could create a pretty bit*hin' Avengers team without necessarily resorting to all the standards....However making it an ego stroker for Bendis' pet characters is pretty lame. I also think, while I am not opposed to Wolverine being on any team he wishes (heck he was an FF for one issue ), I am opposed to overexposure and mismatching characters. The team just seems like "these guys" not the Avengers. You look at the team and go "how the f--- did these guys come together". They don't look like a team....however it will change soon enough I am sure.

 

[deemar325]

I am all for shaking up lineups. In fact I think with characters like Darkhawk, Black Panther, Wonder Man, Tigra, White Tiger, Eros, Sersi, Beta Ray Bill, Bloodstone (the girl), Photon, She Hulk, Namor, Machine Man X-23, and herum of others you could create a pretty bit*hin' Avengers team without necessarily resorting to all the standards....However making it an ego stroker for Bendis' pet characters is pretty lame. I also think, while I am not opposed to Wolverine being on any team he wishes (heck he was an FF for one issue ), I am opposed to overexposure and mismatching characters. The team just seems like "these guys" not the Avengers. You look at the team and go "how the f--- did these guys come together". They don't look like a team....however it will change soon enough I am sure.

Really I wouldn't mind the current line-up if the book moved faster and brought the action and adventure up a notch. It's like Bendis can't help but string the reader along with talky crap and posturing for six issue or more.

It's like the guy want's to be too Avengers what Frank Miller or Chris Claremont was too DD and X-men. It's so blatant and self-aware instead of just doing good work and letting the fans and history decide the impact of his efforts.

I'm sure Claremont and Miller weren't saying to themselves.."Wow! I'm so much better than Stan Lee at this, my X-men/DD will go down in history as the best run.."

It feels that way with Bendis, while guys like Dan Slott on She-Hulk or BKV on Runaways they seem to do it for the pure joy of it, not to be the defacto 'guy' on such and such book.

 

[gildea]

I'm sorry, but Avengers is selling well because of Spidey and Wolverine. Let's see Bendis keep his sales figures up with a standard Avengers team...oh, wait, he killed them all. NM.

Overly simplistic and simply not true, relies on comic fans being idiots for all the reasons previously detailed.

Cripes look at the sales figures of the middling spidey books they are only about 50k.

 

[Doc Destruction]

Why would comic fans be idiots for liking Wolverine and Spider-Man? They're two of my favorites, and MANY other people's.

 

[gildea]

Why would comic fans be idiots for liking Wolverine and Spider-Man? They're two of my favorites, and MANY other people's.

Not what I said.

What you are implying is people by a book without any considerations as to its content. If spidey or wolverine are on it they buy it automatically. Thats idiotic (IMO).

Heck you're proving my point here actually, spidey and wolverine are two of your favourite characters yet you AREN'T buying new avengers are you?

 

[Doc Destruction]

Correct. Because the writing is so bad, I can't take it.

And yes, lots of people buy books based solely on the fact that their favorite characters are in it. I bought every single Spidey book I could get my hands on for YEARS, simply because he was in them.

 

[gildea]

Correct. Because the writing is so bad, I can't take it.

And yes, lots of people buy books based solely on the fact that their favorite characters are in it. I bought every single Spidey book I could get my hands on for YEARS, simply because he was in them.

But you stopped once the writing got too bad.

Once again you're making my point for me.

You are not unique, people do drop books if the content isn't up to snuff just like you. Far more so these days too, as dread has observed many times the X logo on a book used to guarantee a top ten place. Not any more, the market is simply far more creator based than character based these days.

The argument that NA is only selling due to spidey and wolvie is too simplistic and far removed from the way the comics market currently operates. (otherwise all the other spidey and x titles would be in the top ten surely?)

 

[Doc Destruction]

Sigh...you're not getting my point.

You take the top 2 popular characters and stick them in one book. Then both the X camp and the Spidey camp buy them. This is now two sets of people buying your book, rather than 1. Get it now?

 

[Darthphere]

Im my travels around the world ive come to the conclusion there are 4 reasons why people buy New Avengers. I present:

The Four Pillars of Hate!


1.The favorite character effect.
2.The theory of tentpole.
3.The Bendis algorithim.
4.The actually liking it theory.


There was a fifth before, Mind Control, but my research debunked this.

 

[gildea]

Sigh...you're not getting my point.

You take the top 2 popular characters and stick them in one book. Then both the X camp and the Spidey camp buy them. This is now two sets of people buying your book, rather than 1. Get it now?

Um no, of course I understand your point it's simple--- spidey and wolvie are popular characters putting them both in one book equals sales.
I'm saying its TOO simple and the comic market doesn't work like that anymore. My argument is a counter argument to yours (and you seem to be ignoring the numerous examples i've provided to counter it also). But i'll repeat.

The comic market no longer generates sales solely based upon who is in the book. Content matters a lot more now days, if the writing is as bad as some suggest the presence of 2 popular characters won't combat this so those 2 sets of people wouldn't buy the book.

Your argument implies that people who buy the book don't care about whats in it with regards to quality, only if specific characters are present.

Argument 1.
You said spidey and wolvie are two of your favourite characters yet YOU don't buy the book because of its writing.

Argument 2.
In the past it was proven that if the story isn't good enough spidey fans will drop the book even is spidey is in it (see clone saga)

Argument 3.
As dread has highlighted simply being related to the X-men is no longer the sales draw it once was. (see the performance on the sales chart of any recent x mini)

Argument 4.
Outside of ASM (which has a civil war tie in) the sales of spidey books are no where near NA (and its reasonable to assume that fans of spidey and x books have significant overlap)

Argument 5.
The spidey/wolvie mini a few years ago (following the logic of your argument) should have similar sales to NA it didn't (roughly 50k).

 

[gildea]

Im my travels around the world ive come to the conclusion there are 4 reasons why people buy New Avengers. I present:

The Four Pillars of Hate!


1.The favorite character effect.
2.The theory of tentpole.
3.The Bendis algorithim.
4.The actually liking it theory.


There was a fifth before, Mind Control, but my research debunked this.

That I would agree with actually and i'd probably add "hype" as a fifth pillar.
I'd also argue that 2 and 4 are the most important.

 

[Tropico]

Um no, of course I understand your point it's simple--- spidey and wolvie are popular characters putting them both in one book equals sales.
I'm saying its TOO simple and the comic market doesn't work like that anymore. My argument is a counter argument to yours (and you seem to be ignoring the numerous examples i've provided to counter it also). But i'll repeat.

The comic market no longer generates sales solely based upon who is in the book. Content matters a lot more now days, if the writing is as bad as some suggest the presence of 2 popular characters won't combat this so those 2 sets of people wouldn't buy the book.

Your argument implies that people who buy the book don't care about whats in it with regards to quality, only if specific characters are present.

I think both Darthphere and you are working in an either/or basis and failing to see that this isn't a case of absolutes. Gildea, although I agree with you in that there's been a shift on the reader's side since the 90's I have also seen empirical evidence that there are still people buying comics just because of the character. The X-Men movie franchise has opened the ****everine character to a lot of people that didn't know him before. The same applies to creators, there are people that buy everything Michael Turner draws (though I fail to see why) or Bendis writes. I think it's a mix of both of your points and really saying that you're both right and wrong at the same time.

 

[gildea]

oh I agree with darth, he's offered 4 sensible pillars. As you say it is many many factors that make up a titles sales.

Its only doc and his character theory as the sole driver I disagree with.

 

[Darthphere]

My Four Pillars of Hate can be mixed and matched.

 

[gildea]

My Four Pillars of Hate can be mixed and matched.

Its the summers hot new look!!

 

[Horrorfan]

If so many people hate the guy, how comes his books sell so well?

 

[Doc Destruction]

sigh

 

[roach]

If so many people hate the guy, how comes his books sell so well?

Why are some of the best books(quality wise) cancelled????

 

[Horrorfan]

People don't buy them because they aren't interested .


Hey I'm not saying Bendis is great- I personally think he is mediocre- and I am not saying sales = quality. I am simply stating that he must be doing something right to be top for so long- even if I am not sure what that is...

 

[deemar325]

Wassup folks.