|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 13, 2023 8:13:54 GMT -5
I was doing a little reorganizing this weekend and I came across a book I hadn't thought of in years...  And while now he was a character I hadn't thought of in years I distinctly remember thinking back in 1996 when he first hit the stands that he was going to be the next big thing. He had a cool costume, an interesting back story and power set and to top it off the writers of the book (Grant Morrison and Mark Millar) were two huge personalities that seemed on the verge of defining an era of comics... so it just couldn't fail right???
But after ten issues it fizzled out with Morrison later deciding to give the character a swan song on in his run on Justice League and outside a few scant mentions the character has seldom been seen since.
And though it's end seems obvious now to my older eyes looking back at the time it seemed inconceivable to my young brain that it would end this way and even now it's a little sad as the concept still resonated with me during the recent rereading.
So now, take a trip with me down memory lane: What other "new" characters from years gone by did you think were going to be huge successes but have since seemingly fallen into the waste-bin of history?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2023 8:24:11 GMT -5
Marvel Comics’ Sleepwalker.  I like the gimmick. Now I don’t know if he’s around much, I certainly haven’t come across him in recent years. He just didn’t seem to soar high. I thought his gimmick and powers would have made for some interesting tales long-term. |
|
|
|
Post by MDG on Feb 13, 2023 8:58:44 GMT -5
I have a bunch of these 'cause I was a big fan of Parobeck. No idea if the character is still a "thing"  |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2023 9:00:33 GMT -5
Chance Falconer from Leave it to Chance. This series was well ahead of its time. If it came out 5 years ago in the midst of the explosion of YA OGN it would have been huge. In the late 90s, an urban fantasy series with a teen girl as protagonist was lost in a sea of big muscles, big guns and big pouches.  -M |
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Feb 13, 2023 9:08:54 GMT -5
I thought that Nova would have had more staying power . He did join the New Warriors but his own book was kind of short lived.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2023 9:10:07 GMT -5
I thought that Nova would have had more staying power . He did join the New Warriors but his own book was kind of short lived. Good call. I remember someone - not sure if it was Byrne - mocking Nova for getting an “Essential” volume. Well, I’d rather have that than “Essential Triple Helix” or “Essential Danger Unlimited”. I thought Nova had a great supporting cast, too. |
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 13, 2023 9:21:00 GMT -5
Chance Falconer from Leave it to Chance. This series was well ahead of its time. If it came out 5 years ago in the midst of the explosion of YA OGN it would have been huge. In the late 90s, an urban fantasy series with a teen girl as protagonist was lost in a sea of big muscles, ig guns and big pouches. -M I've never heard of this before but you totally hit the nail on the head with the look and feel. I'd totally think this was a book just coming out by Mariko Tamaki or Raina Telgemeier if you hadn't said it came out in the 90's. |
|
|
|
Post by Roquefort Raider on Feb 13, 2023 9:36:56 GMT -5
I had high hopes for Cosmo.  Everyone loves a good dog, and as Man's Best Friend, Cosmo had the perfect motivation to become a selfless hero. Plus, he came with a high built-in level of sympathy, being (a) a dog, and (b) a reminder of the brave astrodog Laika, whose tragic fate we all mourn. Cosmo is a great example of a classic tradition (Laika, but also Lassie, Rintintin or the Littlest Hobo) dressed up in modern trappings (psychic powers, a space adventure context) without being derivative of a current hero. Cosmo was not a different version of Spider-Man, or a teenage Hulk, or a female Thor; he was something that felt new and comfortable at the same time. Unfortunately, after a a good initial stint as a supporting character in Abnett and Lanning's Guardians of the Galaxy, not a whole lot was done with him. I don't think he would have been popular enough to have a continuing series, but I thought he had the presence to be an important character (like, say, Hercules or the Wasp). |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2023 9:46:12 GMT -5
I had high hopes for Cosmo. Everyone loves a good dog, and as Man's Best Friend, Cosmo had the perfect motivation to become a selfless hero. Plus, he came with a high built-in level of sympathy, being (a) a dog, and (b) a reminder of the brave astrodog Laika, whose tragic fate we all mourn. Cosmo is a great example of a classic tradition (Laika, but also Lassie, Rintintin or the Littlest Hobo) dressed up in modern trappings (psychic powers, a space adventure context) without being derivative of a current hero. Cosmo was not a different version of Spider-Man, or a teenage Hulk, or a female Thor; he was something that felt new and comfortable at the same time. Unfortunately, after a a good initial stint as a supporting character in Abnett and Lanning's Guardians of the Galaxy, not a whole lot was done with him. I don't think he would have been popular enough to have a continuing series, but I thought he had the presence to be an important character (like, say, Hercules or the Wasp). Well Cosmo is in GOtG 3 coming out this year, so he could see a resurgence in the comics. -M |
|
|
|
Post by tonebone on Feb 13, 2023 10:10:02 GMT -5
I thought that Nova would have had more staying power . He did join the New Warriors but his own book was kind of short lived. Good call. I remember someone - not sure if it was Byrne - mocking Nova for getting an “Essential” volume. Well, I’d rather have that than “Essential Triple Helix” or “Essential Danger Unlimited”. I thought Nova had a great supporting cast, too. Yeah Nova was obviously intended to recapture the lightning of Spider-Man, but was really great in its own right. As a kid, I LOVED his costume, his powers, that bucket helmet, all of it. I loved the way his legs just became a rocket streak when he flew, and for a time, all my creations had that feature. I also love the later Abnet and Lanning Annihilation related series, and, to be honest, didn't mind the Kid-Nova redux even later, but felt it was a little too contrived to, again, recapture lightning once more. |
|
|
|
Post by tonebone on Feb 13, 2023 10:11:56 GMT -5
Chance Falconer from Leave it to Chance. This series was well ahead of its time. If it came out 5 years ago in the midst of the explosion of YA OGN it would have been huge. In the late 90s, an urban fantasy series with a teen girl as protagonist was lost in a sea of big muscles, ig guns and big pouches. -M I've never heard of this before but you totally hit the nail on the head with the look and feel. I'd totally think this was a book just coming out by Mariko Tamaki or Raina Telgemeier if you hadn't said it came out in the 90's. It was a great bit of world-building and character development. And that Paul Smith art! This was the series where he let loose with all his powers! There were two TPB collections, but I don't know if the remaining issues were ever collected in a third. |
|
|
|
Post by tonebone on Feb 13, 2023 10:16:05 GMT -5
I had high hopes for the new ISIS introduced in 52... only to have her killed shortly thereafter as a plot device to cause Black Adam to rampage.  |
|
|
|
Post by MDG on Feb 13, 2023 10:20:38 GMT -5
I've never heard of this before but you totally hit the nail on the head with the look and feel. I'd totally think this was a book just coming out by Mariko Tamaki or Raina Telgemeier if you hadn't said it came out in the 90's. It was a great bit of world-building and character development. And that Paul Smith art! This was the series where he let loose with all his powers! There were two TPB collections, but I don't know if the remaining issues were ever collected in a third. A friend really liked Leave it to Chance and I picked up the book shown on his recommendation, and there was a feeling that it was going to be "the next big thing." |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2023 10:22:00 GMT -5
I've never heard of this before but you totally hit the nail on the head with the look and feel. I'd totally think this was a book just coming out by Mariko Tamaki or Raina Telgemeier if you hadn't said it came out in the 90's. It was a great bit of world-building and character development. And that Paul Smith art! This was the series where he let loose with all his powers! There were two TPB collections, but I don't know if the remaining issues were ever collected in a third. There were 2 volumes of normal sized trades, that collected issues #1-8. There were 3 volumes of the oversized hard covers, vol. 1 and 2 had the same material as the normal sized trades (1-8) and the third volume had #11-13, so I don't think #9 and 10 were ever collected. Not sure why those issues were skipped. #1-12 were published between '96 and '98. The series was revived a few years later ('02 I think) with a FCBD issue and #13. The oversized HC were released during this period. I actually like the oversized HC for the larger pages to showcase the art, but I think I only have 1 of those volumes. -M |
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 13, 2023 10:36:48 GMT -5
I have a bunch of these 'cause I was a big fan of Parobeck. No idea if the character is still a "thing" I love that book so much (as shown in my "Gone too soon" thread). I feel like he was killed off in some grimdark event or book. But he probably got better and is being misused in some other way. |
|
