Blogathon 10: Mr. Majestic #8

Mr. Majestic has finally been called to join a group of insanely powerful cosmic guardians. His father previousy held the post and now it is time for Majestic to step up. Desmond freaks out after Majestic leaves and various "after images" of him remain, all running around, doing crazy shit.

Te first member of this cosmic group we meet is αΩ Major, a bluish-black looking guy whose head has weird lines coming out of it. Then there's Canis, the trickster. Polymorpha is an Amazon-esque woman who looks different in every panel. Xonstructacles is a robot, a builder and he is pissed off at Majestic. Remember back in issue one when Majestic rearranged the solar system so it wouldn't get eaten? Well, Xonstructacles sees that as Majestic interferring with the cosmic order and, therefore, he shouldn't be allowed into the special group. Everyone else disagrees.

The final member of the group arrives, Gabereality, the archangel. He also sides with Majestic, praising him for championing life and tells Xonstructacles to get back to work on the device that will raise Majestic to their level. It's revealed that Xonstructacles has some sort of cancer and he's pretty much just pissed off at everyone because it.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Desmond deals with the various Majestics, all of which are crazy and different colours and try to save a plane from crashing until a green one turns evil and absorbs the others.

Back in cosmic land, Xonstructacles reveals that he's not going to help Majestic attain that special cosmic level of power, but, instead, he's going to unmake all creation because he views the actions of his fellow cosmic group members as corrupted for supporting Majestic. The universe is about to end and Majestic can't do anything to stop it.

This issue has some interesting bits, but is mostly talking and set-up for next issue. The idea of this cosmic group of guardians is fun. Not totally original, but still interesting as Casey and Holguin put their own spin on it. Especially the idea of a diseased robot builder guy deciding to unmake everything while our hero can't do shit.

"How will it end?" you ask. Come back in 30 and see!

Blogathon 09: Mr. Majestic #7

One of the things that I've noticed is how the end of runs by Joe Casey often have story elements that he'll pick up later. We'll see later today how the end of his Uncanny X-Men run reads more like a prologue for Wildcats Version 3.0. Here, the final story arc, "Universal Law" reads like prep work for Gødland. We're going cosmic here, people, so strap your consciousnesses down, because your mind is about to get blown.

Or not.

This issue has Majestic inhale a bunch of temporal quasi-dust set loose by an eco-terrorist. The plan is to inhale and then exhale and freeze in space, except by the time Majestic makes it that far, the stuff starts to work its magic on him and, dude, he totally trips. I'm talking a blue dude he gets older really quickly, self-examination, an Alice in Wonderland tea party, a card game with a Buddha-looking sun god and confrontation with death--all in the span of, like, a second. Heavy stuff, ya dig?

So, basically, not much happens this issue. At the end, Majestic returns to the Rushmore Sanctuary and finds a giant dark blue dude that Desmond is going to blast with a giant gun.

Now, if you think the rest of the story is going to provide much more satisfaction, well, you're going to be disappointed, because subversion of expectations is what we're all about here at Casa-de-Casey.

This issue is entertaining and does lay some mental groundwork for the next two issues as Majestic will step into his father's shoes and become like unto a god. Let's see Superman do that. Fucking pansy.

This issue marks Eric Cante joining the team on art and I really like his work. It couldn't be more different from Ed McGuinness' art, though. Where McGuinness is cartoony in a soft, friendly way, Cante is cartoony is a very jagged, harsh way. A lot of sharp corners and, well, it makes me think of math for some reason. Eric Cante draws like math. Does that make sense to anyone?

Blogathon 08: And now for a word from our sponsors

Well, let's take a little break from Mr. Majestic, shall we?

Remember, you can sponsor me by clicking on the sheep on the right. All money will go to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada, but for now, all you need to do is give your name and e-mail address, plus whatever pledge you want to make. After this is all over, you'll get an e-mail telling you how to fulfill it. Pledges will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST Tuesday night (well, really 12:00 am Wednesday, but saying is always confusing), so there's plenty of time.

I chose the Alzheimer's Society of Canada not because of any family member afflicted with the disease, but because it scares the fuck out of me. Alzheimer's is the only disease that just outright terrifies me. I think it's because so much of my identity is tied up in being the smart guy. Ever since grade three or four, I've been the smart guy and the idea of a disease that takes away your brain in the most horrible way scares me like nothing else. Kind of a selfish way to look at it probably, but that's why I picked that charity.

I'm currently listening to Led Zeppelin III, which is a highly underrated Zeppelin album. Of the first four, it's probably the one that gets the least notice, but it's got a great blend of electric and acoustic stuff. Although, I would say Led Zeppelin II is my favourite. I mean, come on, we're talking about an album with "Whole Lotta Love," "The Lemon Song," "Thank You," "Heartbreaker," "Ramble On" and "Moby Dick." "Moby Dick," people! A motherfucking drum solo song that is amazing to listen to!

But, Led Zeppelin III needs more respect. It's a bit softer at times, but it's got some kickass songs. "Gallow's Pole" just came on and, shit, how can you not love this song? Later, there's "Tangerine," which, along with "Thank You," is probably the sweetest Zeppelin song.

My sub was good. Last week, I got honey mustard instead of regular mustard and I can't decide which I prefer more on a roast beef sub. Both are quite good. I guess it depends on if I'm in the mood for something sweet or not.

And we'll return to the last three issues of Mr. Majestic in 30 with cosmic fun coming atcha!

Blogathon 07: Mr. Majestic #6

Mr. Majestic can be divided into two parts: the first six issues and the final three. The first six are all self-contained stories with art by Ed McGuinness. The final three issues is one story with art by Eric Cante (with help from Toby Cypress in the final issue). Now, I don't know when they knew the book would be cancelled, but I'm pretty sure the final three issue are a result of that.

This issue is another light, done-in-one fun story. Two stories: Desmond is loaded up with all sorts of information for Y2K and Mr. Majestic is put under the spell of the Ultravixens, cosmic sirens.

The Majestic story is the funner of the two as they play up the comedy of a group of six women capturing him and then fighting over who gets to have fun with him first. Not exactly masterpiece theatre or anything, but fun. If only for how it begins with narration about the vastness and greatness of space, how it's impossible to truly describe, but the poet inside attempts to nonetheless, learning right into Majestic's first line: "OOKBLAH."

He eventually escapes when their hold on him weakens and he uses his powers to get them to turn on one another.

Meanwhile, Desmond is put under house arrest since his cyborg brain has all of the necessary info for society to continue after Y2K. But, one of the agents guarding him is an anti-technolgy whackjob and tries to kill him. Majestic saves him, prevents anything too bad from happening when all of our technology fails at midnight and then they reboot everything. Day saved. Everyone happy.

I haven't discussed art much, but Ed McGuinness' work on these six issues is nothing short of amazing. These issues is what landed him the gig on Superman (same with Casey, basically) and it's well deserved. He does big action and the small character pieces with equal skill. Casey and Holguin throw a lot at him and he never fails to pull it off.

While I didn't have a lot to say about the past two issues, they are both great reads. It's a shame these sort of stories only lasted six issues.

***

Wrote the above before I left to go to the store. The Mac's near me also has a Subway in it, so I got a roast beef sub (footlong--half now, half later--on white with mustard), a coke slushy, two bags of Lays chips for five bucks and today's Globe & Mail. Gotta love Saturdays.

The Mr. Majestic trade also includes an Alan Moore-penned story about the character at the end of the universe from the first issue of Wildstorm Spotlight (or something like that). I didn't reread it like I did the other issues, but I remember it as a decent story. Am a little put off by the fact that it's included in the trade, while the final three issues of the series aren't. Kind of stupid if you ask me.

Well, off to eat half of the sub now. See you in 30.

Blogathon 06: Mr. Majestic #5

This issue is pretty light. A prison ship is trapped in a comet, brought close to earth, and the inmates escape, causing Majestic to fight and capture them. Pretty simple.

The more interesting plot is of one of the inmates, Di'kked, a short orange alien in a robe that was once a tyrant who ruled a hundred star systems. He escapes earlier than the others and goes about learning the nuances of human culture as he knows the key to domination is language and the ability to use it.

Except, he's confused by Western culture and winds up going on TV and delivering the most cliched speech full of stupid modern idioms like "homies," and "Can't we please think about the children?" Not to mention the fact that "Di'kked" is pronounced "Dickhead."

The issue ends with him slinking away, prepared to bide his time and come up with a better plan. The issue ends with him narrating this and his final words: "YOU GO, GIRL. PEACE OUT."

A fun issue that works after issue four's tragic story. Not a lot of depth here, but a solid comic.

Blogathon 05: Mr. Majestic #4

If I had read this issue of Mr. Majestic as a little kid, it would have fucked me up. It would have been one of those Major Life Moments. Taking a complete 180 from last issue, we get a story about Majestic's son, Majestrate.

When the Kherans came to Earth, they travelled in suspended animation while their minds were stored on crystals in case something went wrong. When Majestic's ship crashed, he was fine, but his son--the ONLY child brought along--was killed. However, he still had the crystal with Majestrate's mind on it and he's finally found a way to bring him back.

Majestic travels to Otherspace, collects pre-dimensional star-stuff from a sleeping star and uses that to animate a robotic version of his son and combine that with the boy's mind. And it works. After thousands of years on Earth all alone, Majestic has his son back.

And everything is great. Majestrate adopts the name Junior Majestic and joins his father in protector the world. He becomes a media darling. Everyone loves him, although Desmond is a little jealous.

That is, until an Australian man turns into a black hole and they realise that the universe is collapsing in on itself because of the star-stuff Majestic took. Bringing back his son has doomed everyone.

When Majestrate learns this, he decides immediately to sacrifice himself by sealing the hole. And he does. And all that's left is a robotic skeleton. The issue ends with narration:

"A PLANET... A UNIVERSE WAS SAVED TODAY. BUT THERE IS NO CELEBRATION. INSTEAD, THIS IS A DAY OF MOURNING.

"FOR ON THIS DAY...

"...MR. MAJESTIC WEEPS"

and a shot of Majestic in a chair, right hand gripping the arm, left hand over his face, we can see his eye through his fingers.

The issue still kind of hits me, because Casey, Holguin and McGuinness do such an amazing job of building to Majestrate's death. They build to the moment of his rebirth, sell just how goddamn amazing the world is for Majestic now that his son is back and then handle his death with great skill. Part of what makes it work so well is McGuinness' art, as he draws this cute little kid who doesn't look more than seven, proud and determined to save the world because it's what his dad would do. The kid doesn't even hesitate, it's Majestic that tries to stop him, until Majestrate convinces him that it's got to be done.

One of the most heartbreaking comics I've ever read.

Blogathon 04: Mr. Majestic #3

More Mr. Majestic and don't forget, you can sponsor me by clicking the sheep. All money goes to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada.

Well, since we've passed ten am, I figure it's late enough in the morning to put some music on, so we're going to be listening to Led Zeppelin all day. Nothing says marathon blogging for charity like Zep. I was torn between this and Neil Young. Who knows, since I'm here all day, there's a good chance I'll blow through the entire Zeppelin catalogue.

Anyway . . .

Issue three of Mr. Majestic is a fun issue. Our fearless hero goes to the movies with Maxine "Ladytron" Manchester, his former WildC.A.T.S. teammate. Now, Maxine is a cyborg and, um, a little high-spirited? Okay, she swears like a trucker and has that pissed off "you fucking with me?" attitude, which plays perfectly with Majestic's reserved, stoic persona. Oh, and Maxine is also a nun in a robot religion, which leads to her mantra: "I'M A #@#@ING NUN!" Also, Majestic has the perfect outfit with a stripped sweater, coat and his usual headgear. The dude is a dork.

Maxine insists they see a "Man with No Name" type marathon at a local theatre, which Majestic disapproves of, because the films are violent with no social value. The whole evening gets disrupted when robot zealots show up to kill Maxine, because she still has human parts, an abomination to their faith or something.

This issue has my favourite Majestic moment where, during the movie, he finds an unpopped kernel of popcorn and looks at it. His eyes glow red for a couple of panels with a SSSS sound-effect and then in the last panel of the sequence, we get POP as the kernel pops in his fingers while Maxine says "JUST HOW ANAL ARE YOU, MAN?!" Everything you need to know about Majestic's personality is there: using heat vision to pop a kernel of popcorn while at the movies.

I really can't do the humour in this book justice, because it's packed full of it. Maxine is a fantastic character that Casey went on to use in Wildcats and he just gets this character (who was created by Alan Moore, by the way).

The sad thing about this issue is that it's the sort we'd get now as a buffer between storyarcs--and it wouldn't have nearly as much of the funny. Goddamn, I miss this book. Seriously, how was it not selling a million copies?

(And, seriously, Led Zeppelin? Fucking awesome. Probably the best debut album from a band I can think of. Maybe The Velvet Underground and Nico would come close. Some would probably say Please Please Me by the Beatles, but, while good, isn't an AMAZING debut the way Zep and the VU's debuts were.)

Blogathon 03: Mr. Majestic #2

Continuing my issue-by-issue commentary on the short-lived Mr. Majestic series from 1999 . . .

The second and fourth issues both add some tragic elements to otherwise light-hearted superhero stories. This issue begins with Dr. Martin Kingsley killing himself because he can't go through something. We know his wife died sometime in the past and he has a daughter, Kata. It must be pretty damn bad if he's killing himself.

Cut to: 8th century Vikings raiding modern day England. Something is happening to the space-time continuum and things from the past are popping up: the Black Plague in France, Mongol hords in China, Liberace in Vegas! And if it doesn't end soon, the whole thing is going to collapse in on itself (or something like that) and everyone is doomed.

Desmond figures it all out and it turns out that the cause of the anomoly is Kata, the late Dr. Kinglsey's daughter. Mr. Majestic has to somehow neutralise her, which he finds problematic as she's just a little girl.

Ultimately, he uses a device of some sort to take her outside our universe where she is able to relive a perfect day over and over again. The ending is bittersweet that way as the issue ends on her with her father, happy, but you still get the idea that this solution kind of sucks, because she'll never grow up or live a life beyond a singular moment.

But, is that a bad thing necessarily? Usually, art will tell us, yes, it is, because that is a stagnant life, one that is superficially appealing, but offers no room for growth or transcendence. It's a hollow life. However, I'm not sure that this is what we're told by Casey and Holguin. While a hard life full of growth is nice and all, wouldn't we all rather live out a perfect day? Isn't that what we're all working for? Don't we all want to earn lots of money and have a job we love and have a family in the hopes that it will, ultimately, make us happy and fulfill us? If so, how is what Kata has at the end of the issue any different except she didn't have to spend a lifetime working at it? Is that why it is a bad thing, because it was just given to her? Are we simply jealous?

(Actually, my main question is why it's only Kata and her father at the end. Wouldn't you think if it were her perfect day her mom would be there, too? That's always bothered me.)

The issue, on the whole, is really good. The concept of things from the past invading our time is interesting as Majestic tries to stay one step ahead of the anomolies. Plenty of room for a joke or two (like Vikings calling Majestic a girl because he is clean-shaven) and even a cool page where Kata traps Majestic in a time-loop without meaning to.

This issue also introduces Delroy, the government liason for Majestic and Desmond. He is a fun character in that he doesn't seem to like either of our heroes and has that typical smarmy attitude.

Oh, forgot to mention last issue another cool thing about this Mr. Majestic: his fortress is in Mount Rushmore. How sweet is that?

Blogathon 02: Mr. Majestic #1

I remember when I read the first issue of Mr. Majestic in 1999. The series began around that time that Wildstorm was becoming a really amazing publisher. Along with this, you also had Warren Ellis' Authority and Planetary, and the relaunch of Wildcats, which turned to suck until Joe Casey and Sean Phillips took control of it. And then later, a bunch of other great comics popped up.

The title centres around Mr. Majestic, a superstrong alien superhero who was introduced in WildC.A.T.S.. On his home planet, he was a warrior, but now that the war between his planet and another was over, he became earth's protector.

Actually, this series changed Majestic into a Superman proxy, basically. Oh, his personality is different, but this is pure Casey and co-writer Brian Holguin going "I miss the days when Superman could move planets!" So, they wrote a book where Mr. Majestic moves planets.

Literally.

The first issue begins with Majestic encountering an alien probe at the edge of the solar system, which, after disabling it, he discovers has sent telemetry and other information to a creature that feeds on solar systems. He has to stop it somehow.

Together with his sidekick Desmond (a boy cyborg in a nifty wheelchair), he gathers the top mnds of the world to figure out the physics of disguising the solar system. That means moving Mercury into orbit around Jupiter, solidifying Jupiter, giving Mars rings, moving Earth and turning the sun into a binary star amongst other things not gone into in detail.

But, that's only half the story, as the proces of disguising the solar system takes years, even decades. The issue begins in the early 1970s and doesn't end until semi-recent (it's unclear, but at least by the late 1980s). During this time, things go bad in the world and Majestic feels the pressure of not being able to help, because saving the solar system is a bigger job than stopping Vietnam. Casey and Holguin add some interesting bits with the US government creating distractions to help keep Majestic's mission secret. Things like Nixon resigning, the bicentenniel and the bombing of Lybia are all distractions of some sort.

The style is a fun, lofty kind with third-person narration that attempts to instill that sense of wonder and, er, majesty that comics used to have. Casey and Holguin manage to take Silver Age sensibilities, but filter them through a modern lens.

Ed McGuiness provided the art for the first six issues and his work is gorgeous. It has a very cartoony feel, but is able to depict anything. The facial expressions used for Majestic and Desmond are perfect and let you know what they're thinking.

In the end, the solar system is saved as the massive creature is fooled and the issue ends on a strangely optimistic note:

"OF COURSE, HIS WORK IS ONLY HALF-DONE. NOW... HE'S GOT TO PUT IT ALL BACK.

"HE DOESN'T MIND."

And, like the next five issues of the series, the team tells a complete and satisfying story in one issue.

I'm left wondering why this series didn't sell better. You would think a high-adventure, lots of fun, told-in-one comic where the hero literally moves planets to save the day would have every fanboy chomping at the bit to get a copy.

Blogathon 01: Good God, The Sun Rises In The East?

And so begins 24 hours of posting every 30 minutes. I should probably kick things off with enthusiasm and a good cheery attitude, right? Yeah, that's not me. The only thing giving me comfort is that while I'm up godawful early on a Saturday, people in other time zones, to the west of me, are up even earlier.

Okay, so this whole thing is me postined right here every 30 minutes in an effort to raise money for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. You can sponsor me by clicking on the picture of the sheep over to your right. You don't have to give any money now, just give them your name and e-mail address, make the pledge and when this is all over, they'll e-mail you and tell you how to fulfill it. Give whatever you can, there's no minimum required, so even a dollar is cool.

As for me, I'll be here all day. And night. And a bit of the next morning. I do have some plans for what I'll be posting about. Expect some issue-by-issue commentary of Mr. Majestic, Joe Casey's Uncanny X-Men run and maybe even the last twelve issues Casey did of Adventures of Superman. Plus, commentary on San Diego and whatever else occurs to me at the time, usually something to keep those who aren't into comics slightly interested.

Shit, I'm a little excited now. Rock and roll.

Blogathon 2007

If you look to the right, you'll notice an image of a sheep and if you click on it, you'll be taken to a page where you can sponsor me in Blogathon 2007, which happens this Saturday (July 28). For 24 hours, beginning 6 am PST (9 am for me), I will post every thirty minutes to help raise money for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. I encourage you to donate whatever you can. And even if you can't, check out this blog on Saturday as I prattle on for an entire day. Normally, I'd be worried about having to do so many posts in a day, but it is San Diego, this weekend, so I'm sure there will be much to talk about.

Q&A Part Eighteen

Steve asks: what does it take for a creator to win your trust? What has to happen for you to decide, I will buy this person's work, sight unseen, every time? And what has to happen for this creator to eventually lose your trust?

Gaining my trust is really easy. Just produce around three pieces of work (whether it be comics or even just an online column I follow) that I love. And then keep doing projects that seem interesting. Matt Fraction earned my trust quickly with his "Poplife" column and then Last of the Independents and The Annotated Mantooth. That material was enough for me to say "Okay, I'm a Fraction fan, sign me up."

Of course, the list of creators I trust is small. At this point, I'd say the list is: Warren Ellis, Matt Fraction, Joe Casey, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis and maybe Brian Wood and Ed Brubaker. And I don't buy everything each of them does (or, at least, not right away). I love Casey's work, but I doubt I'll ever buy his Kiss or GI Joe stuff.

And losing trust is easy: fuck up. Do a few things I think are shit. I'll usually forgive a project or two that doesn't wow me, but by three misses in a row (or close enough together), the creator drops down to "We'll see what the project looks like/what people are saying about" status.

I think I'm like everyone else and it's all about results. Build up a solid record of great results and trust is formed that future work will be of equal or greater quality. Produce sub-par work and the trust is lost.

Steve: if you were to do an issue-by-issue analysis of a series/run, what series/run would you do and, um, will you do it, man?

Chad's Challenge part seventeen: Showcase

you've recommended the odd "Showcase" reprint volume from DC to me from time to time. Which volume have you enjoyed the most and why should people read this reprint series? What is the value of these stories that seem antiquated now and share very little in common stylistically with modern comics?

A lot of the Showcase volumes really have mere nostalgic value. I like the Legion one which just came out, and I'm anxious to read more, because I loved the Legion as a kid. And the silver age Superman Showcases have much the same factor that evokes childhood memories. These stories do also hold the value of letting us revisit the history of comics and see how the style of comics has evolved over the years.

Plus, they're breezy as hell. They're quick fun reads, and it harkens back to the day when superhero books were chock full of weird ideas and didn't take themselves so seriously.

But as for actually holding up to the present day, I would recommend the Western adventures of Jonah Hex and the horror stories of House of Mystery. They're short, they're interesting, they're well-told. Showcase's biggest draw for me is that they tell stories in a variety of genres, and between these and recent sci-fi and war ones as well, DC is showing how their rich publishing history has been very diverse, perhaps even more diverse than today.

personally I'm looking forward to eventually picking up the Challengers of the Unknown Showcase, but if you've never read it, you should absolutely check out the Suicide Squad Showcase coming out soon. That was the best ongoing series of the '80s if you ask me and it's a little slice of comics history.

(And that's not even getting me started on Marvel's essentials.)

So Chad: what does it take for a creator to win your trust? What has to happen for you to decide, I will buy this person's work, sight unseen, every time? And what has to happen for this creator to eventually lose your trust?

The Golden Age of Comics

Greg Burgas wrote an interesting piece arguing that right now is the Golden Age of comics and I'm going to have to agree. But, he already said it better than I could, so go read it.

Q&A Part Sixteen

Steve asks: who's a "mainstream" writer (novelist, screenwriter) who has recently come to comics that you wish would bugger on off back from whence he/she came, and who's a comics writer that has flirted with other formats that you wish would stay in comics exclusively? (and why in both cases, of course?)

1. I've yet to really enjoy anything Brad Meltzer's written, so I guess I'd say him for the first part. Although does he count as recent? I can't say I've read a lot of work by "mainstream" writers in comics. They tend to work on books that don't look interesting to me. As for Meltzer's work, I think the thing that annoys me the most is the narrative inconsistency: issues will have several narrators for no reason at all (I discussed this in-depth in my review of Identity Crisis). And I think that annoys me more for him than it would others because he's a novelist and you would expect him to understand narration by this point. It's amazingly sloppy and amateurish the way he does it. There's often no reason (other than to attempt "characterisation") and comes off like he's writing the script and just goes "Oh, I think I'll have Superman narrate three panels!" I've never seen anything quite like it.

2. Grant Morrison. I've yet to really experience anything non-comic of his and I know he's won an award or two for his playwriting, but the motherfucker was born to write comics and time writing other stuff just seems like a waste. He lives and breathes comics as a writer in ways no one else does (no, not even Alan Moore--although, he'd be a close second for me). So, yeah, I think he'd be best served by sticking with comics exclusively. Now, I could change my tune about that when his novel eventually comes out or I read his plays.

Steve: you've recommended the odd "Showcase" reprint volume from DC to me from time to time. Which volume have you enjoyed the most and why should people read this reprint series? What is the value of these stories that seem antiquated now and share very little in common stylistically with modern comics?

Chad's Challenge part fifteen: format

what is your preferred format to buy comics in? (singles, trades, hardcovers--then what type of hardcover, I guess)

I want to say that it depends on a lot of different factors really, but that's really crap. I mean, if a hardcover and a softcover came out at the same time, I'd prefer the hardcover, but probably buy the softcover because it was cheaper. So for me hardcover vs. softcover really boils down to read it now for a high price or read it later for a cheaper price. And that's something that really depends on the book, on the creators involved in it, on how much of a price difference, how long of a wait, etc.

However, given the option, I think I would always prefer to read comics in single issue format. I like the serialized nature of the stories; I like reading them in installments.

I also like that that format allows me to spread my purchase out over the course of a few months. It's much easier for me to afford a fifteen dollar story if I pay for it in five months, rather than all at once.

And I'm more likely to take a risk on one issue of a story than an entire trade of it, which means singles let me try different things, I get more variety.

Hardcovers do make it feel more like a literate experience than single issues, but that's just being elitist. Comics in their purest form will always mean single issues to me.

so, Chad: who's a "mainstream" writer (novelist, screenwriter) who has recently come to comics that you wish would bugger on off back from whence he/she came, and who's a comics writer that has flirted with other formats that you wish would stay in comics exclusively? (and why in both cases, of course?)

Magic Eight Ball Mondays: Skrull Invasion

I love regular features and in that spirit, every Monday I will ask a magic eight ball questions. This week, we'll determine who is and who is not a Skrull. Oooh, fun.

(And for the purposes of this, any positive response is a yes--like "outlook good" means yes. Same with anything negative means no. Any "ask again laters" will get asked again later.)

Me: Hey, magic eight ball. Are you ready?

8: Most Likely

Me: Sweet. Now, the obvious question: is Tony Stark a Skrull?

8: Don't Count On It

Me: Ms. Marvel?

8: Outlook Good

Me: Sentry?

8: Signs Point To Yes

Me: How about Luke Cage?

8: It Is Decidedly So

Me: Iron Fist?

8: Yes Definitely

Me: Spider-Man?

8: As I See It Yes

Me: Spider-Woman?

8: Outlook Not So Good

Me: Wolverine?

8: Yes

Me: Dr. Strange?

8: Ask Again Later

Me: Clint Barton?

8: It Is Certain

Me: Echo?

8: Concentrate And Ask Again

Me: IS. ECHO. A. SKRULL?

8: As I See It Yes

Me: Jessica Jones?

8: Cannot Predict Now

Me: Fuck. How about her and Luke Cage's kid?

8: Signs Point To Yes

Me: What about Wong?

8: Cannot Predict Now

Me: Hulk?

8: Most Likely

Me: Wolverine?

8: You May Rely On It

Me: I just realised I asked that one already. Um, let's call that a test. And you passed, magic eight ball. Proud of yourself?

8: Reply Hazy Try Again

Me: Smug bastard. Are all of the X-Men Skrulls? (No way in hell I'm doing all of them one by one.)

8: Most Likely

Me: What about the other Mighty Avengers I just don't care enough about to ask about individually?

8: Concentrate And Ask Again

Me: Fuck you! Answer the damn question!

8: Outlook Not So Good

Me: Fine. How about Nick Fury? Is Nick Fury a Skrull?

8: My Sources Say No

Me: Bucky? Is Bucky a Skrull?

8: You May Rely On It

Me: Namor?

8: My Reply Is No

Me: Black Bolt?

8: My Reply Is No

Me: Dr. Strange?

8: Outlook Not So Good

Me: Is the Illuminati Skrull-free?

8: Cannot Predict Now

Me: Is it Professor X? Is he the one the Skrulls replaced in Illuminati #1?

8: Better Not Tell You Now

Me: Is most of the superhuman population Skrulls at this point?

8: Concentrate And Ask Again

Me: IS. MOST. OF. THE. SUPERHUMAN. POPULATION. SKRULLS. AT. THIS. POINT?

8: Cannot Predict Now

Okay, obviously the magic eight ball has decided to be a prick and won't answer anything else. But, there you have it folks, who's a Skrull and who isn't. It seems like a shitload of people are Skrulls, but not Tony Stark and the other members of the Illuminati--along with Nick Fury and Spider-Woman. I imagine issue five of The Illuminati is going to be very important then as the members realise that OH FUCK EVERYONE'S A FUCKING SKRULL!

Until next week, magic eight ball you smug bastard.

Q&A Part Fourteen

Steve asks: So: we both I think tend to follow writers more than artists, but what would you say it takes for an artist to catch your eye? what qualities do you look for in the artwork of those creators you follow?

I think storytelling tends to be what attracts me most to an artist. How well does the artist tell the story.

Honestly, I know this shouldn't influence what artists and I like and dislike, but their ability to produce steady work tends to make me like an artist more. The fact that guys like Steve Dillon and Sean Phillips always meet the deadline makes me respect them more.

But, then again, I like Ashley Wood's art and that goes against those two points a lot of the time.

I'm actually pretty forgiving of art because I do read comics for the writing primarily. And I can't say I've got a comic primarily for the art in the past five years, probably longer than that. A good artist always strikes me more as a bonus than anything else.

Steve: what is your preferred format to buy comics in? (singles, trades, hardcovers--then what type of hardcover, I guess)

Chad's Challenge part thirteen: cancellation for the best

(So several days ago, Chad asked me the question below, but then some book came out and I got too busy to answer it. So here I am finally getting around to it.)

Has there been a book that teetered on the edge of cancellation that eventually turned to crap and made you wish it HAD been cancelled earlier?

No. I've tried and tried to think of a scenario when this might have happened, but I can't.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that many of the books I have loved that have been cancelled were saved from suckdom BY their cancellation: Automatic Kafka (where could it have gone, really?), Chronos, Chase, Doom Patrol, Hourman, Manhunter (the Mark Shaw series)... so many books that I loved ended early and I reflect on them and realize they could only have turned to crap had they kept going.

(That's true of TV shows I loved which were cancelled as well. Firefly... would any more of it actually have been an improvement? can you top the arc you see in the two seasons of Sports Night?)

The only book I can think of that I followed which was even SPARED from the axe was the most recent Manhunter series, and it actually managed to improve when it was saved, I felt.

There are plenty of other books I followed that reached a natural conclusion, which I felt could have been better: Transmet and Starman, for example. Shorten their conclusions, and you have a much better book, in both cases. Grand Guignol in starman could have easily cut two or three issues, as could have the space saga, which would have made the pacing a lot better. And Transmet's pacing too was a bit out of whack in the end, a bit too decompressed.

But that's not really answering the question is it? I guess my "no" from the very beginning still stands.

I'm very interested in hearing your reply to this one.
How much longer are we going to go on this? I'd say we should try to go to twenty, but i leave for California on Wednesday, will spend most of Tuesday afternoon packing, and will spend most of tomorrow catching up on grading before I go.

At the very least, you should answer one more question, since that puts us at fourteen, seven each, one for each day of a week of posts.

So: we both I think tend to follow writers more than artists, but what would you say it takes for an artist to catch your eye? what qualities do you look for in the artwork of those creators you follow?

Shoulda listened when you said beware of horny girls with New Jersey hair last Saturday

Sometime after one am last night/this morning, I said to myself, "Self, I want to read some comics, but I don't know what comics, so you best find something good." I looked through the box I have beside my bed, which has all of my recent purchases along with some other stuff. None of it was doing much for me. That left my big stack of trades or the other box and the comics stacked on it. Big pile of trades left me feeling cold. The stack atop the other box had something, though: Demo. I had never sat down and read all twelve issues together since they were released. I'd been waiting until enough time had passed and I was in the mood. Here are my thoughts on each issue:

1. "NYC"

One of the least enjoyable issues for me. Just feels too much like one of those stories you'd read in an issue of X-Men Unlimited. I get what Brian Wood was doing here and I do think it works as the first issue of the series, especially to bring in mainstream readers. It's almost a transition piece and that's fine. Just didn't do much for me. Becky Cloonan's art is good, especially on the page where Marie's mind just fucking breaks everything.

2. "Emmy"

This issue suffers from too little space. It still gets the point across about Emmy and her power to make people do what she says, but there isn't enough room for build-up to hit as hard as it can. But, on the other hand, I'm not sure more space wouldn't make it dull. Maybe there's just no pleasing me.

3. "Bad Blood"

Okay, I dug this issue quite a bit. The whole "hating your family growing up, but then realising once you have grown up that things aren't so black-and-white" theme got to me, mostly because I'm at that point where I'm starting to rethink a lot of that shit, too. This issue really feels like a snippet of a larger story and is one of the only issues that I really wanted to see what happens next (mostly because the other issues provide more conclusive endings, not because they were boring).

4. "Stand Strong"

This issue tackles a similar theme as the last: accepting those who came before you, but does so in a different way. Instead of coming to terms with your parents emotionally, this one is much more about drawing the line between childhood and adulthood as James leaves his old friends behind and embraces the lifestyle of his father and grandfather, realising that if it was good enough for them, it can't be that bad.

5. "Girl You Want"

The last two issues dealt with a realisation of maturity and this one does the opposite as Kate begins the issue thinking she's better than everyone who imposes their own ideas of who she should be upon her and then when confronted with someone who doesn't do that, she does it to that person. There's a growth here, but one not as explicit as the previous issues, nor one that's guaranteed as we don't know really if Kate realises what she's done and will learn from it or feel bad and then return to her previous self.

6. "What You Wish For"

Little half-Asian boy in suburban America is picked on, his dog is killed and he kills everyone by resurrecting the dead dog with spooky powers until he is advised not to let the hate eat him. A solid issue, another way of looking at the idea of maturing, which is the dominant theme of the series.

7. "One Shot, Don't Miss"

One of my favourites, partly because of the political angle. But, also just for the sheer cleveress of the lines: "THEY SAY I CAN'T MISS WHAT I SHOOT AT. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH TRUE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TRUE. IT'S WHAT MAKES ME A VALUABLE SOLDIER, I'M TOLD. I JUST WONDER WHAT MAKES PEOPLE ASSUME I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE AIMING AT THE ENEMY?" It's a cool twist on the power. The story also deals with the conflict of providing for family and not compromising one's morals. John makes his choice and it's hard to say if it's the right one.

8. "Mixtape" and 9. "Breaking Up"

These two issues work well together as both handle similar subject matter (relationships and the end thereof) in different ways. "Mixtape" has a man find his girlfriend dead from suicide and a tape for him. He puts it on and her ghost and he go around the city and deal with what's happened. "Breaking Up" has a couple breaking up now with flashbacks to various good and bad times in their past. "Mixtape" has a nicer feeling to it, like what happens isn't quite so bad, as the guy let's things go whereas "Breaking Up" is fucking harsh. It is just a brutal read. It's almost like this is what The Break-Up was trying to do, but couldn't. The funny thing is that you would think the suicide issue would be the emotionally damaging issue, whereas the beaking up over coffee issue would be nicer, but that's not the case. These two are my favourite issues.

10. "Damaged"

The first of two issues that doesn't explicitly have superpowers involved. There's an implied hint of what you COULD call superpowers as the "damage" of one person is transferred to another upon death, but, no, not really. Artistically, this is one of my least favourite issues, mostly because I'm not a fan of the manga style Cloonan uses.

11. "Midnight to Six"

Three friends sign a pledge to be slackers forever and now work the after-hours shift at a grocery store cleaning and shit. And two of the friends want to get on with their lives, while the other is devoted to the slacker lifestyles. Very explicit questions of maturity here and it's a solid issue as all three try to find their way in the world.

12. "Mon Dernier Jour Avec Toi"/"Marie & Mike"

The main story is lyrical as the text is just verse. The other is written by Cloonan with art by Wood and has Marie and Mike from the first issue. Both are more mood pieces that narratives and, in a way, stand outside the rest of the series for that reason. The main story acts more as a coda for the series, while the back-up is a bookend. Neither deals with the maturity theme really, but that's okay as the previous issue provided a strong conclusion for that.

Overall, a very good read. Glad I waited this long to reread it all since a lot of stuff was fresh again.