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Post by sabongero on Aug 1, 2020 21:02:57 GMT -5
I bounced back with the "Back in Black" Spider-Man titles crossover with the Sensational Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man at the time. Then One More Day happened, and all that time I invested in the Peter Parker / Mary Jane relationship went down the tubes. And I haven't read any since with the exception of the Otto Octavius Superior Spider-Man. I was quite the opposite. Sins Past really upset me but didn't actually stop my buying. Back in Black is what finally broke me on Spider-Man, albeit very briefly. I never finished it or read anything between the start of Back in Black and the start of Brand New Day. Brand New Day is what brought me back. For me, the problem was that Aunt May was dead. And it was a good death. And then she was alive again, and that upset me, but I pushed forward. And now suddenly she was dying again and I just had no way to emotionally invest in that. Meanwhile, Civil War convinced me it was time for my completist mentality to end. Once I decided not to finish buying the Civil War series, I realized that just because I owned every Spider-Man comic for the previous 40 years didn't mean I needed to buy the next one. So I didn't. Starting with Brand New Day, which I think is really good, I've been buying Spider-Man in trade, usually a couple years behind in my reading. I liked the ramifications of Peter Parker's public reveal of his secret identity. And that's how it should be presented, hunted by his enemies and others who despise Spider-Man. And what better way to go after him, than go after his loved ones. And the change on Peter Parker being more darker because of this. But then... Mephisto. That broke the camel's back... until several years later with Otto Octavius as the Superior Spider-Man.
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Post by sabongero on Aug 1, 2020 13:50:04 GMT -5
Superman/Batman #1"The World's Finest: Part 1" October 2003 Writer: Jeph Loeb Penciler: Ed McGuinness Inker: Dexter Vines Colorist: Dave Stewart Letterer: Richard Starkings Editor: Eddie Bargansa, Tom Palmer, Jr. Executive Editor: Dan DiDio Synopsis: Superman flew to Star Labs responding to an alert, and at its premises was punched by Metallo resulting in Superman going across the city. Superman obviously responded and knocked Metallo through the architecture and his synthetic facial skin tore off angering Metallo, who responded with a kryptonite blast to Superman and took off. Recovering from the kryptonite blast, Superman was told by Star Lab's Dr. Gherhard that Metallo was looking for his human corpse. Superman went to Gotham City where he found Batman at a cemetery investigating dug up graves and exposed caskets. Superman told him it must be Metallo who was looking for his original body. Metallo surprised them as he emerged from the earth and Batman engaged him immediately with weapons from his utility belt before Metallo snared him with his extended metallic arms. Superman went to Batman's rescue but was shot by Metallo's hand-turned revolver with a kryptonite bullet and Superman dropped to the dug up grave dying. Batman put explosives on Metallo's back and temporarily took down the villain and proceeded to go to the site to remove the kryptonite bullet lodged in Superman's chest. But before he can pry it off, they were buried in several feet of earth as Metallo buried them alive in the dug up grave. At the Pentagon, President Lex Luthor is with super-powered beings talking about a huge kryptonite asteroid hurtling towards Earth. Luthor told them Superman doesn't have to be alerts and that the U.S. government will take care of this problem. Comments: It has been almost two decades since the last ongoing Superman and Batman series, Worlds Finest came to a halt, and the two was green-lit with a new ongoing series that would last until the new52 reboot. Jeph Loeb's story looks to be a good one, with Metallo getting the better of the two superheroes, and why is he looking for his original corpse? And what is Luthor up to, what schemes is he thinking of in regards to the kryptonite asteroid? Okay so as a reader I am engaged. And that's a good first issue to generate reader interest. Ed McGuniness's stylistic art with characters showcased as people in ultra-super steroids doesn't really resonate with me. I mean, everyone looking like Masters of the Universe He-Man build doesn't really stir my cup of tea. But hey, great action sequences and the postures of the superheroes are full of energy, so no problem, I can get used to it.
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Post by sabongero on Aug 1, 2020 13:13:04 GMT -5
I remember the venom and wrath of Spider-Man and Mary Jane fans throughout when that "hands tied behind him"-JMS written with editorial mandate and illustrated by Joe Quesada arc came out. It really hit the nerves of many Spider-Man fans. And then this brought to mind. The editorial sabotage that was the character assassination of Gwen Stacy in the 6-Part "Sins Past" storyline. This would be my answer. JMS' run started extremely strong and was still going decently well when this travesty happened. A hideous story paired with the worst Spider-Man art I've ever seen. My opinion of the writer and the run nosedived and has never recovered. I bounced back with the "Back in Black" Spider-Man titles crossover with the Sensational Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man at the time. Then One More Day happened, and all that time I invested in the Peter Parker / Mary Jane relationship went down the tubes. And I haven't read any since with the exception of the Otto Octavius Superior Spider-Man.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 29, 2020 13:06:29 GMT -5
The thing that stands out is I never recall Spider-Man ever grounded in any of the comic books that Ross Andru illustrated. He's always high above and always on the move giving it more kinetic energy. Also the commercials in Marvel comic books that had Spider-Man (i.e. Hostess fruit pies, etc.) it was illustrated by Andru as well. I also remember the Electric Magazine of the late 1970's and the vignettes of Spider-Man in those magazines were Ross Andru illustrations as well. There's two things I remember fondly from that magazine especially when it was a TV show. The Spider-Man vignettes and ELECTRA WOMAN. What a hottie. Ah didn't know (or remember) that he did the Electric Company comics! I used to excise them from the magazine and "compile" them... my own trade paperback! Well, stapled. As for myself, I didn't excise them from the magazine and "compile" them. What I did was cut out the panels from the different magazine issues I liked then put the panels together to form my own stories. And in my mind made up dialogues and storylines of what was happening in the story in my mind.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 29, 2020 13:04:14 GMT -5
I have long felt that, by necessity, DC started the Bronze Age earlier than Marvel. It can be hard to pin down because DC had editorial feifdoms, so the date is different for different titles. But things started looking and feeling different at DC once Infantino became art director for the whole line. Neal Adams' Deadman started in 1967; to me that's a Bronze book in look and feel, and concept. I think Conan #1 is about right for Marvel though. It seems sound to find different transition points in different books. From what I've seen, Avengers adopted a Bronze Age look and feel prior to other Marvel books. Around which Avengers storyline and comic book issue did you think it adopted a Bronze Age look and feel ?
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Post by sabongero on Jul 29, 2020 12:15:54 GMT -5
Would temporary deaths in comic books be more pivotal in the comic books or will the return from the temporary deaths be more pivotal (i.e. Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wolverine, Jean Grey over and over and over, etc.) ?
Because I would consider the return of James Buchanan Barnes more pivotal (than his death) in his return as the Winter Soldier and has risen in popularity as time went by since his return.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 29, 2020 12:09:03 GMT -5
I was just re-reading the first Marvel Civil War again recently. Back in 2007 when I read the series, I was on the side of Captain America and definitely backed all the reasons of deontology as opposed to utilitarianism. Let's look at the setting at the time. President G W Bush was at the helm. The United States was involved with two wars at the same time (Iraq and Afghanistan). The economy was under a recession. Gasoline prices was skyrocketing at the time and eventually increased to a little over $ 5.00 US Dollars per gallon, jobs leaving the country, unfair trade with other countries benefiting them more than the U.S.A, and other things. Then the bubble burst with the housing and mortgage crisis. And after a few years there was the banking collapse under the new regime (new president, congress, and senate... it was a republican majority on all three anymore). And the then unbelievable quote by President Obama, "We cannot allow big banks to fail." 700 billion U.S. Dollars was created by the U.S. government in order to purchase the toxic assets of banks. After which the news coverage was of bank officials in extravagant vacations spending millions of dollars. That didn't sit well with the people.
So why Captain America... the U.S. government wasn't popular because of the dual war
Fast forward to the middle of 2020.
Re-reading it during a pandemic and race rallies, with the unemployment rate up to 14.7 % in the U.S.A., lockdowns in various cities, the gasoline prices are at a current all time low $ 2.18 U.S. Dollars per gallon for regular unleaded, the unemployment rate down to 11.1% in the U.S.A. and opening up little by little of various activities, just one war, and trade wars with China and other countries to keep many jobs in the U.S.A. instead of leaving the country (i.e. Ford and G.E.) and this and that... plus I will add the extreme popularity if the three Iron Man movies and the juggernaut that was the Avengers movies, re-reading the first Marvel Civil War series, I am not as almost totally against Tony Stark and the Registration forces, as I am leaning towards respecting the utilitarian point of view. Given the pandemic, I would back the country/government's utilitarian decision over the individual deontological decision regarding the individual's choice during the pandemic. After all, let's say I am on line at the local drugstore inside and while waiting in line, another customer showed up with no mask on, while the rest of us are wearing masks, and he says that he doesn't wear the mask because he is not sick and doesn't believe in wearing the mask. What do you think is going to happen? I'll hit him over the head with my cane (which I would). So the decision for the greater good of the many over the few, I'll somewhat understand and respect Iron Man's p.o.v. unlike back when I first read it, I almost denounced Iron Man as a fascist and definitely considered him as a super-villain. ESPECIALLY when Ed Brubaker's Captain America issue #25 came out.
Has anyone re-read the first Marvel Civil War series recently during the corona virus pandemic this year? And if so, has any of you changed sides or at least had less hatred for Iron Man/Tony Stark's views on that series.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 16:29:33 GMT -5
Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I always loved Ross Andru's Spider-Man illustrations. I also liked how Spider-Man contorted into many positions and even though he was muscular in the illustrations he came across like very light in movements. I love Andru! He was on the book when I started reading comics, so he's kind of the default for me. The thing that stands out is I never recall Spider-Man ever grounded in any of the comic books that Ross Andru illustrated. He's always high above and always on the move giving it more kinetic energy. Also the commercials in Marvel comic books that had Spider-Man (i.e. Hostess fruit pies, etc.) it was illustrated by Andru as well. I also remember the Electric Magazine of the late 1970's and the vignettes of Spider-Man in those magazines were Ross Andru illustrations as well. There's two things I remember fondly from that magazine especially when it was a TV show. The Spider-Man vignettes and ELECTRA WOMAN. What a hottie.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 16:01:07 GMT -5
Hey all, I’m hoping to pick up where I left off with these reviews soon. Sin Eater popping up again in the pages of Nick Spencer’s current Amazing Spider-Man issues reminded me that I left this review thread hanging. I have a lot to get to just in terms of PAD’s 80’s Spidey, so I strongly doubt I’ll make it to reviewing his Friendly Neighborhood Spidey run (which was indeed a great run as well). I would love to see someone tackle that however. Stay tuned for more PAD on Spidey in the 80’s goodness to come. Welcome back. I'll agree with you that Peter David's FNSM was a good series (with the exception of too much editorial mandates and crossovers). It's too bad that series ended too early.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 15:57:19 GMT -5
Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I always loved Ross Andru's Spider-Man illustrations. I also liked how Spider-Man contorted into many positions and even though he was muscular in the illustrations he came across like very light in movements.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 15:47:50 GMT -5
Avatar Press: Bad girls type of comic books. But also since the mid 2000's had various creators with no content restrictions, therefore there were a lot of ultra-violent comic books published around that time by Avatar Press.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 15:33:01 GMT -5
The girl Legionnaires celebrate after the successful completion of the first phase of their plot against the boy Legionnaires: From Adventure Comics #326. Art by the great John Forte, my favorite LSH artist. I can't believe just how powerful Ultra Boy was before. Almost on the same level as Mon-El. The two caught the planet's moon that was split in half and then put it back together. Holy Superfriends Superman powers !
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Post by sabongero on Jul 28, 2020 12:42:20 GMT -5
Iron man #175"The Treasure of Red and Gold" 0.60 ¢ @ Octoberr 1983 Writer: Denny O'Neil Penciler: Luke McDonnell Inker: Steve Mitchell Colorist: Bob Sharen Letterer: Rick Parker Editor: Mark Gruenwald & Michael Carlin Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter Synopsis: Nick Fury was determined to recover the Iron Man armors from the bottom of the ocean. Jim Rhodes was going to stop him. Initially they battled. But Iron Man was disabled by Krang and his Atlantians, who were able to steal the Iron Men armors and to use it to conquer Atlantis. Regaining his abilities, Iron Man caught up to the Atlantians who were now in Iron Men armor and was holding his own, but with the Atlantians outnumbering him and in their natural state overpowered Iron Man, and were about to kill him, when Morley who was earlier contacted by Fury used the remote control to bring the Iron Men armor to the surface thus freeing Iron Man and letting the Atlantians remove the armor before suffocating. Iron Man then gathered the various armors and with Fury's weapon destroyed them and left as useless slabs. Comments: Simple straight-forward action adventure. I still like that Jim Rhodes is still acting as a rookie-type superhero. He is not always capable of winning battles by himself and that he required help from a junior technician/scientist formerly employed by Tony Stark. After all, he's still not familiar with the many functions of the armor. The dialogue showcased the motivations of the characters both main, minor, and guest. The Atlantian-dictator Krang was portrayed as a typical villain with aspirations of domination, but regards surface-dwellers materialistic gems as worthless. Nick Fury's grayish-area motivation for the benefit of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jim Rhodes who viewed himself as a hot-shot pilot who liked luxury and women, and his loyalty to Tony Stark, telling Morley Erwin it's their duty to prevent Tony's armor from ending up in the hands of a government intelligence agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. Also, he is contrary to himself when he thought the expensive treasures from the sunken ship as worthless. But then checks himself for saying so. And Morley Erwin besides being a "sidekick" to Jim Rhodes Iron Man, is an idealist. Tony Stark is nowhere to be seen in this issue which is fantastic. As it got tiresome with Denny O'Neil's opinion on not liking Tony Stark and talking about alcoholism. And also, with Tony's absence we finally get a feeling that the Iron Man comic finally belonged to Jim Rhodes. The undersea battle was pretty straight-forward. But the ending was anything other than contrived. Gotta love how the junior-man on the series is responsible for the Atlantians not killing and drowning Jim Rhodes since they had the overwhelming numbers. And intelligence defeats brawn once again as the Atlantians weakness was used against them in a clever way. Good job Dennis O'Neil. Mc'Donnell's illustrations were easy to follow. But the best thing was that Luke made the fishes who were in front of the panel had their own "emotional" state and facial features. It was about ten different fishes with ten different facial emotional looks in them, making them appear like people who were ambivalent, scared, angered, etc.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 25, 2020 14:03:32 GMT -5
And then this brought to mind. The editorial sabotage that was the character assassination of Gwen Stacy in the 6-Part "Sins Past" storyline. Actually, I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I loved "Sins Past". To this day, given how well it was written by JMS and drawn by Mike Deodato, I find it hard to understand why so many fans hated it. And I'm a huge Gwen Stacy fan too! But I found it anything but insulting to her memory. Quite the opposite; I thought Sins Past humanised her and made her seem much more like a three-dimensional girl in her late teens. She made a terrible error of judgement at a time when she was emotionally vulnerable, just like lots of people do in their lives. That's life. To me, Gwen's actions (and Norman Osborn's too) were very believable within the context of the story. I was shocked by it. Perhaps because I read Gwen Stacy in the 1980's on the Marvel Tales reprints of early Spider-Man stories. And she was the girlfriend of Spider-Man readers who were heartbroken by her demise in the ASM 121-122 storyline. And for her to be placed in that story Sins Past, which perhaps was a well-written, and brilliantly illustrated by Deodato, was hurtful to ASM fans who had a special place in their heart for Gwen who will always be Peter's girl.
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Post by sabongero on Jul 24, 2020 21:28:24 GMT -5
Joshua Williamson's:
Batman/Superman (2019-) #1
Batman/Superman (2019-) #2
Batman/Superman (2019-) #3
Batman/Superman (2019-) #4
Batman/Superman (2019-) #5
Batman/Superman (2019-) #6
Batman/Superman (2019-) #8
By Benjamin Percy:
Teen Titans: Rebirth #1
Teen Titans #1
Teen Titans #2
Teen Titans #3
Teen Titans #4
Teen Titans #5
Teen Titans #6
Teen Titans #7
Teen Titans #8
Damian Wayne/Robin's jerkiness while trying to still find out how to be a hero, and his interaction with other superheroes. I never get tired of this concept.
By Christopher J. Priest
Deathstroke #19
Deathstroke #20
Deathstroke #21
Deathstroke #21
Deathstroke #23
Deathstroke #24
Deathstroke #25
I love Priest's approach to writing Slade Wilson/Deathstroke as a villain (Marv Wolfman 80's style updated to the late 2010's & 2020's) being still evil and even "reforming" midway but still evil subconsciously. And creating his version of the Teen Titans. I love the supporting characters in this series, and the character development is phenomenal... thought-provoking work by Christopher Priest just adds to the good things I can say about this series.
By Mark Russell
Billionaire Island #1 Billionaire Island #2 Billionaire Island #3
Satire at its best. Billionaires are indeed elitist and entitled... not to mention A..HOLES !
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