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Post by berkley on Jul 29, 2015 23:31:06 GMT -5
P. Craig Russell's The Ring of the Nibelung, which feels too recent to be a classic but it's over 10 yrs old, so there we are. I read this while listening to the opera cycle on which it's based and in retrospect this was a mistake: the same mistake as reading the book right before seeing the movie, because the movie will never coincide with whatever you imagined while reading the book. In this case it was Russell's images that didn't coincide with what I imagined, however vaguely, while listening to the Wagner. So from this POV, I enjoyed the comic more when I read it the first time, when all I knew of Wagner's Ring was the scene in Apocalypse Now where they played the Ride of the Valkyries. OTOH, I think I'll appreciate Russell's Ring more the next time I read it, after having listened to the work on which it's based. I read the hardcover a few months ago and once passed the initial very farovable opinion, I was... a little disappointed. I expected the art to be pretty much the same as in Russell's short adaptation of the meeting between Fafnir and Siegfried in Epic magazine #2, but it turned out to be less fanciful, not as lush, less... magical, I guess. Some pages are gorgeous, make no mistake, but I rarely had the impression I was looking at gods. Perhaps that was coluntary on the creator's part? Lacking the lyrical dimension of the Wagner operas, the script also makes very clear a few unfortunate aspects of the tale: Wotan (no matter how you decide to spell it) is an arrivist, Siegfried is a complete dick, and Brünhilde is something of a shrew. It's hard to care for what happens to such unpleasant people! I also didn't really feel Wotan's deep anguish at having to punish his daughter, while listening to the final sce scenene of Die Walküre always makes me cry. He seemed annoyed, yeah, but not shattered. I had been somewhat disappointed by the rather conventional adaptation done by DC years ago (by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane), and thought Russell (who's had more experience adapting operas) would give me THE comic-book adaptation of the tetralogy... but this isn't it yet. It pains me to say it, because I consider myself a fan of Russell's work and I've read that he sees this as his masterpiece, but it's true: the gods and heroes in Russell's Ring look like regular joes standing around in trousers and t-shirts more often than not. Could this possibly be connected with his extensive use of models for the major characters? maybe, but there's more to it than that, I think. Apart from the less than impressive character and costume designs, the detail that lends so much to building atmosphere and scene-setting was lacking in many of the panels - and the bright, modern colouring doesn't help either. Perhaps it's unreasonable to expect too much fine detail in such a long work, and one could argue that it's never been a part of Russell's style, but something was needed to supply the absence of the music, without which, as you correctly point out, the characters, their words, their actions and motives can feel flat, even crass, at times. I'm being harsh, and I should add that there is some very nice artwork in this adaptation - and even the worst of it isn't absolutely worthless - just disappointing from an artist of Russell's calibre, and as an adaptation of Wagner's Ring. Perhaps Russell's talent is better suited to shorter pieces in which he can lavish his attention in a more concentrated way.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Jul 30, 2015 12:23:01 GMT -5
Captain Marvel Vol 4 #17, 18 Peter David, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom Not hard to see why I bought these. Starlin on art and Thanos on the front cover. I think this was my first try at a Cap Marvel issue that wasn't Mar-vell. While the story was a good one, if you're into the cosmic and dimension-ally confusing laws of physics that are allowed in comic books, Starlin and Milgrom's art didn't wow me reading these issues again. I usually like the pair of them together, and Milgrom is my favorite inker for Starlin, but these two just weren't their usual magic. I do have to say thought David did a good writing on this cosmic story, but I am still not too inclined to read more issues, unless they just fell in my lap. While I enjoy the Marvel characters that the name Cap Marvel attracts, I never really latched on the Genis as Cap Marvel. For some reason though his early appearances as Legacy, I liked just fine. Maybe that has less to do with the name than Ron Marz and Ron Lim just writing better stories for Genis as Legacy. Captain Marvel Vol 5 #15-18 Peter David, Paul Azaceta This is my second attempt, when I bought it, to give Genis a try. I am sure the awesome Neal Adams cover on issue 15 helped make that decision too. This story still entertained. I had to do a little research after reading it on Genis and Elysius, because I had forgotten their back stories and how Genis came about. (Which might prompt me to read, at least of what I own, of the first Cap Marvel series.) I thike Azaceta's art was really a nice compliment to cosmic characters and settings. He's really got a good knack for planetary bodies, and energy power visuals. Some of the most entertaining parts of the story were in the last issue in the N-th dimension, where Elysius, Eros, Phyla-Vell and Mentor try to help Genis come to realize his insanity and how it is effecting him. Though the final panel of the issue, leads the reader to believe not all has been resolved with Genis.
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Post by The Captain on Aug 5, 2015 11:09:51 GMT -5
Just finished the Morbius issues of Fear and can honestly say that I didn't like them one bit. Steve Gerber wrote the first four issues and there was all kinds of weird sci-fi stuff with aliens and clones and jetpacks and laser guns, than he and Doug Moench split duties on one issue before Moench takes over for the next three. He returns the series to a little more grounded level, but it's still off-the-wall stuff with one-eyed demons and a villain named Helleyes. Bill Mantlo has the writing chores for the final three issues, and while he returns the series to this world and sets it more in a horror realm, the damage had been done and the series got cancelled.
The art was a mixed bag. Gil Kane did the first issue I read (#21, as I don't own #20), then Rich Buckler picked up the next one. P. Craig Russell did the next two, then Frank Robbins had the longest stretch of any artist, turning in four issues before giving way to Don Heck for one issue, with George Evans doing the pencils on the final two stories. Morbius had many different looks throughout the 11 issues I read, some with black hair and some with grey, some with styled hair and some with wild free-flowing hair, some with facial hair and some without.
Not a good way to start off August. Hopefully my return to Thor with issue #301 will be more suitable to my tastes.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Aug 5, 2015 12:38:37 GMT -5
Aliens Outbreak (reprints Aliens #1-6) Mark Verheiden Mark A Nelson John Bolton (cover)
I happen to read the forwards in it this time around since I had nothing but time in the hospital waiting room yesterday. I had forgotten that when this was collected, not only was it colored, but that there were some story changes to it, so that the continuity of the DH comics would coincide with the movies. Supposedly, this was to be done to all the mini series that DH collected in TPB form. The only reason I own this one, is at the time, in the 90's the first Aliens series was fetching a good amount per issue. Starting out I always preferred the issues to TPB. Now it seems for FN condition issues, I could own the series for less than I paid for the TPB. Anyone own or read both the original issues and Outbreak to know what some of the changes to align continuity are?
Anyway, as usual I enjoy most any Aliens story. Mark A Nelson still commands the number one spot, outside of HR Giger himself, as my favorite Aliens artist. I didn't always think that as I was so wowed by the following Aliens mini series, artist, Denis Beauvais. But I've really come to see the intricate work that Nelson does with the Aliens that no other artist does. It's almost with "scientific" accuracy that he draws them. As if this is a non-fiction work and there's real anatomy to follow. I've seen scans of original B&W pages from the books, and I really think the coloring in this is a compliment, and not a bad cosmetic addition. I might follow up reading the next mini, as Verheiden writes that too, and I remember it featuring the same characters and the story following this one. These two aren't my favorite Aliens stories per say, but they are pertinent to the history of the series. And again Nelson shines as the best artist I've seen of what I've read of the series to draw an Alien.
Life of Captain Marvel #1-5 (reprints Cap Marvel #25-34, Marvel Feature #12, Iron Man #55, Daredevil #105; in part)
Good cosmic fun. While I do like the real early Mar-vell that Gene Colan and Roy Thomas did, in his original Kree costume, I forgotten how ... repetitive, I guess ... Mar-vell in the "cosmic" costume but not yet cosmically aware (after his meeting with Eon) got to be. The story itself was fine, Thanos' scheming at all that. The Super Skrull and Blood Brothers ... but Marvel and Rick for like those 10 issues or so between Mar-vell and new costume Cap Marvel, were just not entertaining. Like just the characters themselves, not that I have ever found Rick any more than tolerable, and mostly forgettable, like too predictable and dramatic, in an annoying way. Starlin defiantly took it in a great direction changing Marvel from what he was with his first issue, 29. He again, like with Warlock, took Roy Thomas' character and turned him into a cosmically aware character. There are a lot of similarities reading these issues again to Warlock that I had forgotten, which is a character I obviously like. But I think the lack of so much Rick after Starlin took over, (or at least Starlin made him less annoying or more transparent; either way, better that the previous writers) helps me in liking it more too. I have about 50% of the series, with runs all over the length of the series. And early Colan/Thomas issues and Starlin's are the best of the series to me. Even though what I have after and before this is very sporadic, I might just take up reading what I have just for the fun of it.
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Post by Rob Allen on Aug 5, 2015 13:50:22 GMT -5
I loved Starlin's Captain Marvel from the beginning. When he did similar things with Warlock I thought he had started repeating himself.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Aug 5, 2015 15:51:28 GMT -5
Yes in publication chronology, it would be the other way around. I read Warlock, quite a bit before I discovered or became interested in Capt Marvel. So for me it seems the other way.
Capt Marvel Vol. 1 #35 Steve Englehart/Mike Friedrich Alfredo Alcala
Fairly good issue. The art being the highlight for my personal tastes. After the last issue with Compound 13 and Nitro, Cap is left unconscious on Earth until the 3 hour limit is up. But just before Rick got to Earth he encountered Annihilus. So when Marvel switches back to the Negative Zone, he's at Annihilus' mercy. Until a benefactor intercedes with the power to help Rick get Marvel out of this jam. Guest stars Ant-Man and Wasp. This is a pretty good use of Rick and makes him seem more useful than just a human counterpart for a secret identity. Though like some issues of other superhero comics this one has a heck of thin excuse for "what happen to Rick now that Marvel's here" scenario.
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Post by berkley on Aug 5, 2015 17:11:54 GMT -5
Didn't know Alfredo Alcala had drawn this issue - now I have another reason to seek it out.
I only read a few scattered issues but my impression is that Steve Englehart never really got going on Captain Marvel. Of course, Starlin's Cosmic Cube epic was a tough act to follow and Englehart was saddled with some rather pedestrian artwork much of the time. All the same, I would have thought he'd be the perfect choice for the series, if Starlin had to leave. Maybe he just didn't have enough time to find his own take on the character and the series.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Aug 5, 2015 18:52:56 GMT -5
I think the sporadic and often changing writers and artists are why my collecting of the series is so sporadic outside the Cosmic Cube. At least those 10 issues or do are consistent and by the same team, relatively. Whereas after I don't remember issues of any good length with same team. Thomas/Colan and Starlin seemed to make the best impression on the series not just as good stories but with a reasonable amount of issues to get a grasp on the character and tell their story. But either way I'm going to finish the series and then go back and read the issues before the Cosmic Cube and see if my impression of what I have of the series is still the same.
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Post by berkley on Aug 5, 2015 19:30:50 GMT -5
IIRC, Doug Moench and Pat Broderick did some pretty nice work in the last several issues of the series. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not to be compared to the Starlin run on the series or to Moench's best work on other books, but enjoyable enough.
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Post by Phil Maurice on Aug 5, 2015 20:15:37 GMT -5
IIRC, Doug Moench and Pat Broderick did some pretty nice work in the last several issues of the series. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not to be compared to the Starlin run on the series or to Moench's best work on other books, but enjoyable enough. You recall correctly. I had the privilege of asking Pat Broderick to sign some of that work around the time he was doing DOOM 2099, and he acknowledged the pressure of working under the shadow of Starlin. A total pro, Broderick stated that he endeavored to bring his "A" game to every job, but circumstances sometimes conspired against his best efforts.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Aug 6, 2015 7:13:27 GMT -5
IIRC, Doug Moench and Pat Broderick did some pretty nice work in the last several issues of the series. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not to be compared to the Starlin run on the series or to Moench's best work on other books, but enjoyable enough. Hmm, don't remember if I have any Marvel of Pat Broderick's, but I do know he was the highlight of Doom 2099, and the main reason my issues fizzled out after he left. I am only now in the last few years trying to complete my 2099 titles. Looking forward to reading them or getting them as I try to complete this title too. You recall correctly. I had the privilege of asking Pat Broderick to sign some of that work around the time he was doing DOOM 2099, and he acknowledged the pressure of working under the shadow of Starlin. A total pro, Broderick stated that he endeavored to bring his "A" game to every job, but circumstances sometimes conspired against his best efforts. As I said above I don't remember if I have any of Pat's early work before Doom 2099, but he shouldn't have to feel in Starlin's shadow, as an artist. In my personal opinion these Cap Marvel issues aren't Starlin reaching his peek as an artist. I would save that for Warlock, or some of his own creations. I would have been perfectly happy with him just writing this story. The art wasn't a disservice to the story, but it certainly wasn't Starlin's best to me.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 6, 2015 7:24:49 GMT -5
Pat Broderick was the third penciler on Micronauts following Michael Golden and Howard Chaykin. I really like his issues, not as much as Golden's but a lot more than Chaykin's. I also love his Firestorm vs. Martian Manhunter chapter of Justice League of America #200.
Cei-U! I summon the recommendations!
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Aug 6, 2015 17:28:33 GMT -5
I think Brodericks Captain Marvel 64 (the last issue) was the first comic I bought as a collector in the late 70s, at the ripe old age of 14 or so. Loved it and read it to pieces, and was devastated to learn it was cancelled. Broderick was MY Cap artist for a long time.
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Post by Icctrombone on Aug 6, 2015 20:02:37 GMT -5
I highly recommend the Cap Marvel issues that Broderick drew. The storyline involved a Thanos plan that was to be implemented in the case of his death. Top notch art and story. I always was a fan of Pat. I even have his Pacific series Sun-Runners.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 7, 2015 9:55:25 GMT -5
Just finished reading the first eight issues of Marvel Mystery Comics (November 1939-June 1940) and it was an interesting experience. I'd previously read the first issue (I have a cloth-bound reprint) and the Sub-Mariner story from #7 (reprinted in Jules Feiffer's The Great Comic Book Heroes) but otherwise this is all new to me. The unquestionable highlight of the series so far is Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner. It's not only the best drawn of the various features but one of the best scripted strips of the early Golden Age. Everett's Namor is a true original, an anti-hero capable of coldbloodedly flooding the Holland Tunnel one moment then rescuing a helpless baby the next. Another strip that's caught my fancy is Electro, whose star is a brightly colored super-robot. I suspect the art by Steve Dahlman is spectacular but, alas, I'm working from the Marvel Masterworks reprints, which feature even more egregiously awful "art reproduction" (i.e., hacked-out, mindless, talentless tracings of the original books) than their Archive Edition counterparts from DC. The rest of the title is, shall we say, less than inspired. The Human Torch is a major disappointment marred by Carl Burgos' crude art, the Angel is a generic costumed vigilante strip with a cipher as star, the Masked Raider is a dull Lone Ranger clone lacking all the accoutrements that make the latter interesting, and the Golden Age Ka-Zar is a blatant rip-off of Tarzan (as was the pulp novel whose plot is adapted in #1-5) made even more obvious by artist Ben Thompson's incessant use of badly rendered Hal Foster, Alex Raymond and Burne Hogarth swipes. I should also mention that the later covers are by the inimitable Alex Schomburg, and thus among the most gorgeous of the Golden Age. Despite he title's many shortcomings, as long as Everett is onboard, I'll keep enjoying the run (Simon & Kirby's Vision strip starts in an issue or two, which will help).
Cei-U! I summon the birthplace of the Marvel Universe!
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