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Post by Batflunkie on Jul 27, 2021 11:12:30 GMT -5
Millar is maybe the worst writer in the history of mainstream comics. He panders to the lowest common denominator. His body of work is a raging tire fire. Methinks you are being too kind in your description. Even the term "hack" is too kind in the literary sense. Aside from his early efforts on Sam Slade: Robohunter, and Superman: Red Son, I've not been impressed with his work.
I will say one thing though-- His work on Marvel's "Trouble" was totally worthy of peerage with "Marville". Take that exactly for what it's worth... which is less than nothing. But I suppose that Bill Jemas shoulders some of that blame as well.
I've heard that the reaction to Millar's Robo-Hunter was so bad that Rebellion/2000 AD haven't even reprinted it in their Sam Slade collection. I had no interest in the original version, but Millar's take was like a big dumb action movie. I've got the American reprints of the first arc and hope to have him sign it one day just to see his reaction. I also love the artwork by Jose Casanovas, which is honestly too good looking for such a story
Millar also did Red Razors, which is a pretty good back-up story from the early days of Judge Dredd Megazine
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Post by codystarbuck on Jul 27, 2021 11:31:09 GMT -5
I had issues with Ultimates, largely due to his shock value scenes and the way he portrayed some of the characters. It softened, a bit, when I read the whole thing (since it came out rather slowly, at points); but, the Wanda and Pietro relationship was not necessary and I really, really hated the transformation of Hank Pym into a serial abuser, rather than a man who struggled with mental breakdowns who had an incident of violence. I wasn't happy with making Captain America super strong and able to free-fall from aircrafts and the personality he gave him was steeped in stereotypes of what Millar seemed to think of an American of the WW2 generation, based on movies. By the end I could see where he was going with things, satirizing the Bush Administration and the falsehoods of the hunt for WMDs and the over-the-top rhetoric that came from spokespeople and especially conservative pundits. Still, it left a bad taste in my mouth and soured me on the book that I dropped it and only came back to it later, after some time had passed. His intent was clearer in the complete work, than in monthly doses); but, I still didn't care for the obvious "shock value" stunts.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 27, 2021 11:49:09 GMT -5
I had issues with Ultimates, largely due to his shock value scenes and the way he portrayed some of the characters. It softened, a bit, when I read the whole thing (since it came out rather slowly, at points); but, the Wanda and Pietro relationship was not necessary and I really, really hated the transformation of Hank Pym into a serial abuser, rather than a man who struggled with mental breakdowns who had an incident of violence. I wasn't happy with making Captain America super strong and able to free-fall from aircrafts and the personality he gave him was steeped in stereotypes of what Millar seemed to think of an American of the WW2 generation, based on movies. By the end I could see where he was going with things, satirizing the Bush Administration and the falsehoods of the hunt for WMDs and the over-the-top rhetoric that came from spokespeople and especially conservative pundits. Still, it left a bad taste in my mouth and soured me on the book that I dropped it and only came back to it later, after some time had passed. His intent was clearer in the complete work, than in monthly doses); but, I still didn't care for the obvious "shock value" stunts. It was a totally “what if?” Alternate universe. It was very enjoyable.
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Post by majestic on Jul 27, 2021 20:39:58 GMT -5
Millar is a writer that I either love his stuff or absolutely hate it. No in between. When he dials back his tendency to go over the top for shock value and shows some respect for the characters he is pretty good. His Huck and Superior series were pretty good.
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Post by berkley on Jul 28, 2021 0:24:00 GMT -5
I think he's a talented guy but I don't feel any attraction to his work. The few things I've read I've come away from acknowledging his ability but that's about it. And most of his concepts don't grab my interest - 10-year old assassins? Superpowered arseholes being super-arseholes? He doesn't seem to come up with many original or interesting ideas of his own, or at least none that feel so to me. And, while I think he's a good writer, I haven't found that he's quite good enough to take a tired idea and make it feel new, or an unattractive one and make me like it anyway.
But like I say, I think he does have talent so if I ever hear of something that does feel more interesting to me than what he's done so far, I'll be willing to give it a try.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Jul 28, 2021 9:26:58 GMT -5
I personally, of what I read (Spidey, X-Men, Team-Up and some FF) didn't care for anything in the Ultimate universe other than Spidey. While Bendis isn't any ground breaker in my opinion, the bias of Bagley's art (which I love seeing him on anything Spidey) and the compressed story arcs really appealed to me after coming into Spidey in 616 at the 90's Clone Saga. That the whole Ultimate Clone Saga was like 5 issues, I think, was way bueno.
There I said it.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Jul 28, 2021 13:33:49 GMT -5
Mark Millar is hit and miss for me. I also consider him wildly overrated across comic fandom.
But I liked some of his stuff like the Kick-Ass books, Marvel's Civil War, and Marvel Knights: Spider-Man. Other stuff I've read of his really stinks though, like his work on various strips in 2000 AD in the early 90s, his Fantastic Four and Marvel 1985.
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2021 14:00:09 GMT -5
I had issues with Ultimates, largely due to his shock value scenes and the way he portrayed some of the characters. It softened, a bit, when I read the whole thing (since it came out rather slowly, at points); but, the Wanda and Pietro relationship was not necessary and I really, really hated the transformation of Hank Pym into a serial abuser, rather than a man who struggled with mental breakdowns who had an incident of violence. I wasn't happy with making Captain America super strong and able to free-fall from aircrafts and the personality he gave him was steeped in stereotypes of what Millar seemed to think of an American of the WW2 generation, based on movies. By the end I could see where he was going with things, satirizing the Bush Administration and the falsehoods of the hunt for WMDs and the over-the-top rhetoric that came from spokespeople and especially conservative pundits. Still, it left a bad taste in my mouth and soured me on the book that I dropped it and only came back to it later, after some time had passed. His intent was clearer in the complete work, than in monthly doses); but, I still didn't care for the obvious "shock value" stunts. It was a totally “what if?” Alternate universe. It was very enjoyable. Yes, this was key to me enjoying the Ultimates and not being too concerned with changes to the traditional portrayals of some of the characters. That was kind of the point.
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Post by Graphic Autist on Jul 28, 2021 14:19:51 GMT -5
Yes, this was key to me enjoying the Ultimates and not being too concerned with changes to the traditional portrayals of some of the characters. That was kind of the point.
I enjoyed the series, but I was disappointed that Marvel went with The Ultimates version of the team as opposed to the 616 for the movies.
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2021 14:24:21 GMT -5
I don't know, it seems to me like they kind of split the difference, or at least borrowed from each. Granted I can't say I've read much of the Ultimate universe, so maybe they took more from it than I realized.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 28, 2021 14:30:20 GMT -5
It was a totally “what if?” Alternate universe. It was very enjoyable. Yes, this was key to me enjoying the Ultimates and not being too concerned with changes to the traditional portrayals of some of the characters. That was kind of the point. Since it was an alternate universe, I didn't mind the changes made to the different Ultimate characters either. That being said, The Ultimates was the only series I actually enjoyed. It had several interesting aspects going for it, even beyond the spectacular artwork of Brian Hitch and the "Big screen" approach to its delivery: for exemple, I really liked how we were left in the dark for a long time on the actual nature of Thor. Ditto the way we saw the best and the worst of different countries, political parties, and individual characters; it all felt rather plausible in its many shades of grey. Ultimate X-Men, meanwhile, I thought was pretty bad. From pure fan service (teen Jean has sex with Logan, ugh) to unlikely scenarios (the U.S. government openly launches sentinels that gratuitously murder U.S. citizens in the streets? Really?), it felt like a Michael Bay movie.
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2021 15:33:58 GMT -5
Yeah, I really only read the Ultimates. I heard Ultimate X-Men was atrocious, and the first issue of Ultimates 3 was so bad, I was pretty much done with it by then.
I heard Ultimate Spidey was good, too, but I didn't read it.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 28, 2021 16:31:53 GMT -5
Yeah, I really only read the Ultimates. I heard Ultimate X-Men was atrocious, and the first issue of Ultimates 3 was so bad, I was pretty much done with it by then. I heard Ultimate Spidey was good, too, but I didn't read it. Me too. Totally.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2021 17:02:02 GMT -5
Ultimates was ok, but it really felt like a rehash of what Ellis and Hitch had done on the Authority just a few years prior down to Hitch recycling layouts in that cinematic stacked page style he developed for the Authority. It was Authority with Marvel characters inserted, nothing new or even very creative on Millar's end, just swiping the tone and feel of a very popular groundbreaking run and doing it "Marvel style" with the shock and awe turned up to 11 to get people to talk about it. Ultimately it was forgettable and pedestrian for me.
-M
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2021 17:11:38 GMT -5
Ultimates was ok, but it really felt like a rehash of what Ellis and Hitch had done on the Authority just a few years prior down to Hitch recycling layouts in that cinematic stacked page style he developed for the Authority. It was Authority with Marvel characters inserted, nothing new or even very creative on Millar's end, just swiping the tone and feel of a very popular groundbreaking run and doing it "Marvel style" with the shock and awe turned up to 11 to get people to talk about it. Ultimately it was forgettable and pedestrian for me. -M I see what you did there.
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