Hey Scott,
Long time reader or your rants, books (I own everyone but "Buzz") and your blog. Loving the Tag tourney btw.
Wanted to get your view of comics so I figured to get some questions off my chest. Break up all this 'rasslin talk.
1. Better team: Legion of Super Heroes or Teen Titans?
2. What do you think of the New Justice League line-up?
3. Do you think Green Lantern will ever be an iconic character in the same vein as the Trinity?
4. Do you Blackest Night will be a let down?
5. Do you read any Marvel books? Indies?
6. Do you attend Cons? If not, would you?
7. (If you read Green Lantern) Where do you think Geoff Johns will go with GL Corps after Blackest Night?
8. Best book on the market right now?
9. Last Trade Paperback/Harcover you read.
10. Have you been reading Superman: Secret Origin? If not, stop what you are doing (Excluding the tag tourney) and read the story (#2 just came out) Honestly, the best DC story since Sinestro War. ALREADY.
1. An LSH digest from the 70s was what got me into comics, so that’s my vote.
2. The only real Justice League has Booster Gold and Blue Beetle.
3. Depends on how the movie does, if it happens. I really don’t consider Wonder Woman an iconic character, though, just because they keep saying she is.
4. It’s been pretty great thus far.
5. I’m reading Dark Avengers, Ultimate Avengers, and trying to get into Deadpool, but other than that not much outside of DC.
6. I would but there’s never anything in my area.
7. I haven’t really read Green Lantern much lately.
8. Booster Gold. I’ve always had a soft spot for Dan Jurgans and time travel shenanigans, and it’s just a blast to read. Adventure Comics is also really fun thus far.
9. Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis.
10. I read the first one, haven’t gotten to the second issue yet. Quite enjoyed it, although I don’t really see why they need to reboot Superman yet again when the Byrne stuff had been perfectly definitive for the past 20 years or so.
Growing up, as well as in my current state, I’ve always thought…
DC Comics sucks serious ass.
C’mon. Superman? He’s for kids. If you dig deep, you might find some shit to dig. But other than movies and the TV show, it’s a weak story. Batman is the ONLY dope superhero they’ve ever created. And all the dope characters are inside the Batman story.
Green Lantern? Green Arrow? Plastic Man? Blue Beetle? C’mon. It’s all such weak sauce. Oh, wait, Lobo is a bad-assed.
Marvel has always been my home. Especially The Punisher. Hands down, the greatest superhero of all time. But there’s no way people can argue that Marvel has the greatest characters. From the Fantastic 4, Wolverine, X-Men, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Venom…shit, the list goes on, and on, and on.
But I’m not trying to start an argument or anything, heh.
- Caliber
scrublife.wordpress.com – top 5 reasons why nachos are better than chicks, why you’re an idiot if you use the word pimp, plus a whole bunch of other real neat shit. dig it.
The punisher isn’t a superhero, he’s a guy with a gun. I think it depends on when you got into comics. When i started collecting in the early 90s Marvel sucked. X-men was so convoluted you couldn’t read it, Daredevil was beyond stale as was FF4, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. And Spiderman was garbage and got worse with the hideous clone saga. On the other hand DC had the wonderful vertigo line, some solid Batman stuff, Superman was actually quite good after the death of Supes storyline,
Marvel had to reboot most of its line to return to decency.
But then again, it is all perspective. if you are into Punisher and Lobo as “badass” then DC certainly isn’t for you. Marvel, even during its goodtimes has always had comics that are more violent (excepting DCs non superhero vertigo line) and appeal to a baser instinct. Both companies have had their highs and lows. Giffin era Justice League is absolute gold. Green Lantern/Green Arrow numbers 7oish to 120ish are awesome as well. Batman has long had ebs and flows with good following bad. As far as better characters, again all opinion but I think marvel has slight edge (despite you mentioning the stupid Venom character). Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Flash are pretty good. But Aquaman? Never got him. Hawkman? Naah. Wonder Woman does give DC an edge with having the best powerful female character (no none of the xgrisl are even close.)
In conclusion, neither “suck serious ass”
DC and Marvel had their problems in the ’90’s. Marvel had more problems with the whole speculator market (multiple covers, favoring artists over writers, etc. etc. etc.) while DC ran massive crossovers one after another that forced fans to spend money on books they might not want to buy (I’m thinking of Cataclysm, followed by No Man’s Land, and Zero Hour etc.). Both companies had convoluted plots and continuity that made it hard for new readers.
Now? I’m only 23 but I’ve read a LOT of older stuff and think that this is the best time in comics since the early-to mid- 80’s. Batman and Robin, Captain America, Daredevil, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Flash (Rebirth), Blackest Night, Invincible Iron Man, Superman: Secret Origins, if you’re an A or B list character, you’re getting great stories written for you.
Sorry to double-post, but I didn’t even mention the mature line stuff from Vertigo (like Fables or Scalped), or the Boys, or Ex Machina.
And Caliber, IMO, the only Punisher worth reading was the stuff written by Ennis.
I haven’t read comics in 20 years since I started watching wrestling 2 years before and my allowance could cover comic books OR wrestling magazines but not both.
I always liked both Marvel and DC. Marvel I felt had the more realistic characters and here I’m thinking specifically of all the many problems Spider-Man would have as Peter Parker. However, I also loved DC up through the original Crisis because of all the multiple-Earths. After the Crisis, I lost interest in DC.
My all-time favorite comic is a DC one: All-Star Squadron but Spider-Man’s my favorite character. There was one DC thing post-crisis I really enjoyed: when they rebooted Justice League and made it much more sarcastic. I also loved when Batman and Detective Comics flowed into each other but I think they switched them back to separate storylines around 1986 or so.
They did, but in the 90s DC found a way to make us all spend more money by making the Batman and Superman family of titles basically weekly. Each story flowed from Batman to Detective to Robin to Nightwing, etc. Superman went from Action to Superman, etc.
Like a sucker I bought them all.
That’s right–I remember stories going from Superman to Action Comics to The Adventures Of Superman in the late-80s. I suppose they had to during the Death of Superman storyline as well.
Oh and also like Scott, I too fondly remember the LOSH stories from the Adventure Comics Digests and later their own digests. Are there any sort of digests today? I miss them and wish they’d make a comeback but I guess they do trade paperbacks now instead.
Scott, I can’t urge you strongly enough to pick up the Brubaker omnibus’ of Captain America and Criminal (if you’re into noir you have to get criminal as it’s Brubaker’s creator owned book and it kicks all kinds of ass). I think that Brubaker is the best writer at Marvel right now (and neck-and-neck with Geoff Johns as best superhero comic writer).
Booster Gold is an awesome comic. I love the way that they took a second String character and made him very important to the DCU overall.
The JLA under Giffen was hilarious, but I’m a big fan of the Big 7 leagues. I still like the JSA better these days.
I actually got into comics in the very early 90’s. I started with Superman, as all kids did. I loved Superman. I still do, as far as the shows and movies go. But, I never got that into the books. It just seemed like a real stretch for there to be a threat to him. Now, if Doomsday was always around, I’m set.
As for the Punisher, no, I believe him to be a superhero. Anyone who has such a hyper-sensitive awareness like he does, such a sharp sense of survival and combat, and such an ability to lock his feelings deep down inside, as it’s the only thing that can truly bring him to his knees, deserves the title of superhero. And yes, the stories by Ennis are the absolute zenith of The Punisher. Even if his shit got a little wordy sometimes.
The reason I hold Marvel so high, two words: Todd McFarlane. Hands down, without a doubt, the greatest writer and artist in comic book history. Even if a lot of his books delt with child molesters and murderers. I could look at his drawings all day. And I really felt, at the intelligent age of 11, Image Comics was going to take over the world. Jim Lee? McFarlane? Fuh-get-about-it.l Of course, once Todd let Greg take over on the art and such, it get sort of blah.
But that Batman/Spawn crossover was awesome.
And I will give DC this, Batman is probably the greatest superhero of all time. Due to the fact that there is ALWAYS an awesome Bat story kicking around.
- Caliber
scrublife.wordpress.com – you know, you know.
Todd McFarlane the greatest WRITER in comic book history???
Wow.
I think this is one of those things we are so far apart on the spectrum that we can’t even communicate.
Capullo was the best thing to happen to Spawn. McFarlene just sat back, and diversified his ONE TRICK PONY into millions (toys cartoons movie) but it was only on the strength of the comic that it did so well.
Spawn toys looked cool, but if wasnt for Capullo drawing them and fleshing them out, it would of went nowhere.
McFarlene is kind of like Vince. He wants to be associated with more than comics.
And he sucks as a writer… Quite possibly worse than Liefeld.
My hope is that he meant “writer AND artist” but even then Frank Miller beats him out (before the alien replaced Frank with a guy who can only write Sin City characters), Bendis has drawn some of his own stuff, as has Brubaker. I think when it’s all said and done Geoff Johns is going to be the greatest writer in comics all time (between his Flash run, his Green Lantern run, his JSA run he’s well on his way) assuming he doesn’t have a late-career swoon a la Chris Claremont and Alan Moore.
I have to admit I was never that impressed with McFarlane’s art. I loved Amazing Spider-Man and I would take either of the Romitas or Steve Ditko over McFarlane any day.
I also recall loving John Byrne’s art as well though I’m unsure if he ever did any Spider-Man. Where would you guys say Byrne ranks on the writer/artist spectrum?
He did Untold tales of Spider-Man to critical praise, and got the axe. Thats what made him leave Marvel.
His FF run is second the Lee/Kirby
I can take or leave Next Men.
nothing but splash pages. All those Image guys were doing that. The anatomy was all out of proportion too. No scale. But then again I’m one of those few weirdos that read comics for the writing and the characters not the art. I never understood guys at the shop (I worked there periodically for store credit to help out with big sales or when vacations came up) picking up books just for the art. No story, no purchase from me. And if the art wasn’t hideous, I could overlook it for a great story. I come from the early 90s school where my top guys were Gerard Jones, Giffen, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Alex Ross (Marvels was too cool), Peter David, Byrne, Jurgens, etc. Of course writers for the most part.
The people who buy comics for art over story might be the same people who watch movies for special effects over plot. You’re right, though–without an interesting story, what’s the point?
I’m still a huge fanboy for Spider-Man. It was my first ever comic, and unfortunately it was part of the Maximum Carnage storyline. I hated the ’90s Spider-Man so much (except for the Harry Osborn stuff). Venom, Carnage, Kaine, and Ben Reilly were some of the worst things to EVER happen to Spider-Man. And then they brought back Norman Osborn and instantly saved everything for me (as I was a huge fan of the Green Goblin).
So obviously, this Dark Reign storyline is like me being a kid in a candy store, even if it is a bit confusing. They even made Venom a great character by putting Mac Gargan (the Scorpion) in the Venom suit instead. The limited series Sinister Spider-Man was hilarious. That, and he is actually a cannibal now.
I agree with SHough; Brubaker and Johns are two of the best writers in comics today.
Brubaker= One. Trick. Pony.
Can not write a team book to save his life. His UXM run outside of Rise/Fall was abysmal.
Reborn? Feh.
I completely disagree with you about the one trick pony part. I didn’t read his Uncanny X-Men run, but has anyone besides Joss Whedon or Grant Morrison written a good X-Men (I mean X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, X-Treme X-men, not counting X-Force or X-Factor) since Claremont? Johns wrote a good, not great, Avengers book and that doesn’t make him a one trick pony.
You can’t hold UXM against him when he’s written: over fifty incredible issues of Cap (defining the character the same way that Frank Miller defined Daredevil, and I’m someone who’s read the Englehart, Stern/Byrne, Waid, and Gruenwald runs on Cap so that’s saying something), a great run on Daredevil, Criminal (probably the best non-superhero book on the market), Incognito, and Sleeper.
X-Men is a team book, he wrote the Vulcan story (which was good) but from there he wrote bullshit. “Extremists” Bullshit. His 3 parter to Messiah Complex? Garbage. And he was off the book. I just think that he wrote that Vulcan story to placate his ego.
His Cap is awesome. From Cap.. to Bucky, and a supporting cast Its still one MAIN character and if said character isn’t in the book, the supporting character talk about the main character ad nauseum.
Along with his bum protege Matt Fraction write UXM as a solo series Starring Cyclops.
I mean, Im thankful that it isnt the Wolverine show, but sheesh. there are at 500 X Men. Every f’n scene is Cyclops… and then Cyclops… Have you had some Cyclops lately? Try some. Its good… nom nom Cyclops… nom.
Cyclops has to be the most boring character in the X Men. And Fraction writes him as if he is this god-send. BUM.
Johns on the other hand… He was made for DC. A little too Silver Age-y for me, but he is a great writer. He got me to love Green Lantern, and Superman Secret Origin is just the shit.
I will say this. The writer who is being slept on is Pat Tomasi. Wirter of GL Corps. Its even better than GL. IMO.
We’ll have to agree to disagree about Brubaker (and I like Fraction, you should check out his Invincible Iron Man). I’m just not a fan of any X-book at this point, I loved Astonishing X-Men and X-Men when Morrison wrote it tho.
I agree with you 100% about Tomasi, I got caught up on GLC and think that he’s killing it on that book.