shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 9:49:15 GMT -5
Ooooooohhhh, it's so bad it's good time? Let's begin with that cover shall we? Fairly stunning and attention grabber, but what the heck are they doing in test tube space suits with their arms and legs exposed? Andy how do they move around in those tubes other than the joke being: uncomfortably? Really odd concept to say the least. I tried to rationalize that the suits were made of some kind of a flexible plastic as opposed to glass, but this was 1940, so yeah... Absolutely. It's spurty...I mean spiffy. Technically, most of our secret origins begin with our parents making a stupid mistake  At least the Red Comet has super powers and a mysterious origin? I have to admit I always have a soft spot for inter-galactic space federations, so I'd return to Captain Nelson unless the quality dipped further. As for Quorok, I'm just confused by that one. What exactly are you asking us to do? I didn't enjoy it myself, but I see where you're coming from on this. If this were a modern day comic, falling upon the artistic and writing trappings of 2020 instead of 1940, I'd easily fork over $8 for a quarterly issue, but I wouldn't be paying $4 a month. Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts! |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 9:55:10 GMT -5
Thoughts on Quorok: Super Pirate, The Man Who Stole A World!Man, I love this Nirvana song. Everything about this title had me excited. A feature told from the villain's perspective, he's a space pirate, and he somehow steals an entire world! Literally none of those things happened. This is a story featuring dashing hero Lt. Gary Blake and his space force, including his gorgeous female assistant.  Quorok is no space pirate. He's every generic mad scientist from the era, with a short, slender build, and an enormous bald head. And he never steals a world. He uses magnets and moves Pluto off its access. There is absolutely nothing remarkable nor notable about Quorok, and the only thing distinguishing Lt. Blake from the other generic space heroes in this book is that he has a female assistant along so that romantic tension ensues (or is at least imagined by the reader). Thoroughly thoroughly forgettable story that promised far more than it could deliver. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Apr 1, 2020 10:20:58 GMT -5
Planetary Comics #1
Lordy, this was bad – and I don't mean Michael Jackson "Bad".
As noted in my earlier post, I'm really not a fan of Golden Age comics. I much prefer the newspaper strips of this era, like Dick Tracy, The Spirit, Rip Kirby etc. In fact, I think I can honestly say that I've never read a Golden Age comic that I actually thought was any good. Some are better than others, of course, and I guess that early Batman is about the best Golden Age comic book stuff that I've encountered, but even that rates as "OK-ish" with me, rather than "excellent!"
I only read the first story in Planetary Comics #1, "Flint Baker: The One-Eyed Monster Men of Mars", but Lord knows that was more than enough for me! This kind of Golden Age fare is everything that I hate about comic books of this era...unsophisticated and poorly drawn artwork, with an almost total lack of backgrounds; excruciatingly lumpen dialogue; cookie-cutter heroes and heroines, with barely any character motivation at all; utterly nonsensical plots; basic and unimaginative colouring; and ludicrous "science". I mean, yeah, comics have always had a fairly shaky relationship with real world science, but come on, "the dark side of Mars?!" Mars rotates on its axis like all planets in our solar system do – astronomers new this as early as the mid-18th century. This kind of "science" (and there were plenty of other examples), coupled with the ridiculously idiotic plot, made my brain hurt.
On the plus side (this won't take long!), I kinda liked the elongated, streamlined, Art Deco stylings of the cars and spaceships, and the design of the One-Eyed Monsters was nice, in a kind of Basil Wolverton-esque way. I also liked the design of the Martian city: the panel where Flint and co. first saw it was probably the best piece of artwork in the whole story.
But yeah, this was so bad, and such a joyless slog for me to get through, that there's just no way that I could bring myself to read anymore of this issue. If I do, I'm worried that my large intestine will shoot up through my body and throttle my brain, in a desperate attempt to save me from what I'm reading.
To be honest, the most enjoyable part of this comic was the advert for a poster of the RAF bombing Wilhelmshaven on the inside front cover!
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Apr 1, 2020 10:21:49 GMT -5
The Man Who Stole A World!Man, I love this Nirvana song. Make that "David Bowie song" Nirvana's cover is my favourite version though. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 10:27:11 GMT -5
The Man Who Stole A World!Man, I love this Nirvana song. Make that "David Bowie song" Whenever I hear a cover that rocks my world, I tend to forget about the original artist. My bad. I've similarly robbed The Rolling stones of Angie, Bruce Springstein of Thunder Road, and Bob Dylan of House of the Rising Sun on multiple occasions. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 10:30:50 GMT -5
But yeah, this was so bad, and such a joyless slog for me to get through, that there's just no way that I could bring myself to read anymore of this issue. Sadly, that was the best feature of the issue. Oh, I enjoyed it a lot more than you did, but I can't dispute any of your criticisms. I am an old time radio nerd, so I'm pretty immune to stilted and corny characters and dialogue, but I found enough to love in the ex-con aspect of the premise, the unexpected death, and those visuals you describe so well. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 14:27:37 GMT -5
Last day to read and chime in on Planet Comics #1 before I assign the next book tomorrow! |
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Post by electricmastro on Apr 1, 2020 15:21:32 GMT -5
I mean, maybe it’s partly because I don’t expect much, but if the comics can really be accused of having too much whimsy dialogue, cookie-cutter heroes, lacking character motivation at all, nonsensical plots, then it doesn’t really bother me. I suppose I tend not to think too deeply, at least when reading comic books from this era, unless they’re practically asking me to think deeper. Even the cover advertised weirdness, adventure, action, and sci-fi on other worlds, and expecting that much, I had fun going through it above all else, at least for the art anyway. There’s just something I find fun and charming about this kind of stuff really, like seeing how artist interpret what they think space is like or how it could be exaggerated for comic effect:  |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 15:28:01 GMT -5
I mean, maybe it’s partly because I don’t expect much, but if the comics can really be accused of having too much whimsy dialogue, cookie-cutter heroes, lacking character motivation at all, nonsensical plots, then it doesn’t really bother me. I approach comics like this the same way I approach Marvel's Secret Wars: turn off the brain and remember what it was like to have the imagination of a nine year old. So long as these stories take me back to that frame of mind and provide some wild imagination, I'm satiated. If it's ALL cliches though, I have no tolerance for it. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 15:30:06 GMT -5
By the way, there's something surprisingly comforting about us all providing scans from the book, and it's the SAME scans. Makes me feel a lot more connected, somehow, as it's obvious when someone is using a scan from a different copy or printing of the book. You read the exact same thing I did. That is very cool.
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Post by brutalis on Apr 1, 2020 15:32:25 GMT -5
Last day to read and chime in on Planet Comics #1 before I assign the next book tomorrow! Question as to how to translate. So does every THREE days translate into new assignment on 3RD day with only 2 days to read/respond or is it THREE days means new assignment on 4th day? Just curious as some of us are working (chaotic some days, insane others) and some are not. You may VR your answer and do not have to respond in person  |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 15:34:39 GMT -5
Last day to read and chime in on Planet Comics #1 before I assign the next book tomorrow! Question as to how to translate. So does every THREE days translate into new assignment on 3RD day with only 2 days to read/respond Yes. The logic is that it gives folks who need it something to do. Also, if you don't like the current pick, a new one is only three days away. I'm open to input, of course. If the folks participating would rather have three day to read/discuss, we can certainly make that change. |
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Post by electricmastro on Apr 1, 2020 15:45:23 GMT -5
I mean, maybe it’s partly because I don’t expect much, but if the comics can really be accused of having too much whimsy dialogue, cookie-cutter heroes, lacking character motivation at all, nonsensical plots, then it doesn’t really bother me. I approach comics like this the same way I approach Marvel's Secret Wars: turn off the brain and remember what it was like to have the imagination of a nine year old. So long as these stories take me back to that frame of mind and provide some wild imagination, I'm satiated. If it's ALL cliches though, I have no tolerance for it. Yeah, and I can get really critically analytical if someone wants me too, though then again, in regards to a more casual reading experience, having fun doesn’t always have to involve being critical, so fair enough then! Haha. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 1, 2020 15:48:27 GMT -5
I approach comics like this the same way I approach Marvel's Secret Wars: turn off the brain and remember what it was like to have the imagination of a nine year old. So long as these stories take me back to that frame of mind and provide some wild imagination, I'm satiated. If it's ALL cliches though, I have no tolerance for it. Yeah, and I can get really critically analytical if someone wants me too, though then again, in regards to a more casual reading experience, having fun doesn’t always have to involve being critical, so fair enough then! Haha. Nothing wrong with some good ol' fashioned critical analysis so long as its forgiving of the genre, time period, and context. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Apr 1, 2020 18:16:39 GMT -5
Yeah, and I can get really critically analytical if someone wants me too, though then again, in regards to a more casual reading experience, having fun doesn’t always have to involve being critical, so fair enough then! Haha. Nothing wrong with some good ol' fashioned critical analysis so long as its forgiving of the genre, time period, and context. I agree. However, I'm comparing it to contemporary things like Will Eisner's The Spirit or Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon. Compared to them, the art in Planetary Comics is strictly amateur hour, while the writing makes Secret Wars look like Hemingway. |
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