Random Thoughts

Bagley going back to Marvel just seems right. I know that logically creators can work for either of the Big Two but certain creators thrive better in certain companies. Bagley seems to be forever linked to Marvel and his run on Ultimate Spider-Man will be hard to beat. Bagely in my mind fits better at Marvel. Now that he was gone he will probably be appreciated a little more at Marvel and he can also be satisfied that the grass is not always greener.

Marvel, please stop making so many damn mini-series just because a movie is coming out and you want to put a bunch of trades in bookstores. I understand the marketing ploy, just stop breaking the backs of the average comic fan and the local retailer who is ordering stuff to be full service and it will not sell. On a personal note a refuse to buy any of the series and I understand a lot of retailers have wised up and are only ordering what customers had ordered.

The economy is in the tank and we are in a depression regardless of what the phony government numbers are calling it. In order to survive the retailers and publishers have to smarter, so how about we just build the series on strong stories and stop all the stunts and events. The event thing makes a regular series seem pointless after every issue is suppose to have a big impact. Heck I start thinking why am I reading Gotham City Sirens or any such book since there is no point to it. Leading me to that type of thinking drives me out of reading most comics. I rather be back in the mindset of reading a series because it is a good story, Scott Sndyer’s first Detective issue is a great recent example of just telling a good story.

Stan Lee’s time has passed. I loved Stan Lee’s stuff when I was a kid and it was great for many years. Now the stuff reads like dated tripe and his corny hyperbole is an anachronism. I can’t believe these companies think that an eighty plus year old is a draw for a book. Eventually time passes all of us by and Stan’s time is past. Better to be remembered for what you did that was great instead of cranking out pabulum. Reminds me of sports stars who don’t know when t quit.

What has happened to Geoff Johns? Two years ago this guy was one of my favorite writers, now it feels like he is phoning it in. I know he has got a busy schedule and his name is now on every DC book, but didn’t he make his bones by being a great writer. Too much of his work is dragged out and playing into a bigger canvas down the road. I want him to get back to just telling us stories and occasionally remembering the super heroes used to have secret identities which gave a fan something relatable. I can imagine being a newspaper reporter I can’t imagine flying in space under my own power. See Power Girl by Palmiotti and Gray for the way to allow someone to have a “real life” outside of being a hero.

The Red Circle characters by DC were badly mishandled this time. JMS doing an issue to start things off was okay, but there should have been a co-writer with JMS so that each first issue was the start of a series and each series should have been $3. Heck the better way would have been to introduce the characters inside the DCU and let the characters build up a natural following. The Thunder Agents launch is conceptually a better idea, doing just one comic and letting the creator run with it. If the series is successful maybe do some mini-series on the individual characters. DC only needs to look at the Charlton characters to understand how long it takes to make them a natural part of the DCU.

IDW’s infestation has zombies causing a cross-over between GI Joe, Star Trek and Transformers. It has to be one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. Even with DnA doing the writing I can’t believe this series will be any good. I’m sure as heck not going to lay out $4 for an issue involving this. IDW is better than this.

The only TV I watch in “real time” is football so most of the ads I see are during football games and since we are near Christmas I have learned that women only really want jewelry or expensive cars. Jewelry is the big winner with women apparently willing to do almost anything and/or really love us guys if we just buy them pretty and expensive stones. After growing up in a time where women have started to take the reins of power in more and more places and I have had female bosses quite often, it is nice to know they are all still shallow and just want pretty things.

Why can’t DC publish collections of all their great and oddball science fiction stuff from the sixties and fifties? I need a Captain Comet and the Space Ranger collection in my library.

How often can DC announce something and then change it up. Nick Spencer was announced as the Supergirl writer and almost immediately pulled off. If Bob Harras can at least fix all of the crazy announcements and rapid change of plans under Didio’s reign he will have done something.

Memo to creators a limited series concept is often a good idea. See Irredeemable as a good concept of a limited nature mucked up by making it unlimited. See Echo as a great example of doing a complete story. Let’s hope Halcyon understands it is a limited scope story.

What is it that every New Year goes by faster then the one before. Personally I believe it is a percentage thing. When I was four years old a year was 25% of my life at 50 it is 2% of my life.