More Talk of Comics

[Almanzo]

I don't give two hoots about continuity. It's obvious, anyway, that writers come up with whatever idea for a story they like, and then kill off/resurrect whatever characters they need to in order to shoehorn that story into continuity. The integrity of a universe with that many alternate worlds, retcons, and label-wide Grand Apocalyptic Struggles Against The Ultimate Villain is that important to you? Give me a good story. God knows they need them.

Yes, that "integrity" really is important to me - buying into a "living" universe that goes back to the 1940's is a cornerstone of my personal enjoyment and investment in books, and I love all of the little things that link the books together, like supporting characters and institutions and so on. BUT I totally agree that that stuff shouldn't get in the way of good stories, so I'm all for retconning, killing and reviving characters, etc. in servitude of good stories. I think that writers should basically have carte blanche to make such adjustments, BUT the editors (or whoever) should at least keep it consistent on a universe-wide scale. Also, I think that they should be willing to actually give control over to those writers; one of the most shameful things I've ever seen in mainstream comics was how Grant Morrisson's inventions and changes on New X-Men were completely and totally undone about a MONTH after he finished his stint on the title.

Of course, all of this presupposes them hiring great writers rather than complete morons who will do things like retcon Nightcrawler to be one of a race of magic beings or have Iceman create his ice out of PEE PEE (Chuck Austen, never write another book again ever, plz).

[Andrew_TSKS]

Hey comics guys: I almost picked up the first DMZ trade the other day. Is this a purchase I should make?

in further incidence of almanzo and i completely disagreeing about everything, i think this book is fucking great, one of the best things going right now, and army @ love sucks.

[Almanzo]

Hey comics guys: I almost picked up the first DMZ trade the other day. Is this a purchase I should make?

in further incidence of almanzo and i completely disagreeing about everything, i think this book is fucking great, one of the best things going right now, and army @ love sucks.

Hahaha, I love you.

[DCDave]

Oh my god is Army @ Love the worst or is it worse than the worst.  DMZ on the other hand is beautiful.

[Greg Nog]

11:00 yesterday:

Clerk:  Hello, Forbidden Planet?
Me:  Hi, do you have any copies of Scott Pilgrim Volume 4 in stock?
Clerk:  Oh, yeah.  We've got tons.
Me:  Great!  Could you put one aside for me to pick up later today?
Clerk:  Oh, we've got SO MANY copies.  We're definitely not gonna sell out.
Me:  Uh.  Really?
Clerk:  Yeah, definitely.
Me:  Uh... okay.
Clerk:  Okay!
Me:  Bye.

6:00 yesterday:

Me:  Hi, where could I find Scott Pilgrim, Volume 4?
Other Clerk:  Oh, we sold out like twenty minutes ago.
Me: ...


so FUCK YOU, Forbidden Planet.  I'm never buying anything from you again.  Fortunately, there are plenty of other comic stores that still have copies of Scott Pilgrim.  BETTER comic stores.  STRONGER comic stores.

[das kranke Tier]

Fuckin' WEAK!

[Almanzo]

Oh my god is Army @ Love the worst or is it worse than the worst.  DMZ on the other hand is beautiful.

What don't you guys like about A@L? I'm really curious!

[DCDave]

The dialog is terrible.  The plotting is terrible. 

[Andrew_TSKS]

i found it completely unengaging.

[Almanzo]

Weird! I think it's one of the funniest comics I've read in years, and yet it still manages to be involving and nuanced. I love the way Veitch has established a fleshed-out world with a bunch of little details and motifs that keep recurring, like the Paco Lipsynch ringtone and so on - from issue two you just knew that the "band" was going to enter the comic at some point (the fact that they got blown up was a bonus).

I love how the book works as a pastiche of both old war comics and old romance comics - it really feels like an EC book half of the time in its intentional over-the-topness and hamfistedness. Hilarious!

[Almanzo]

All right, I feel like a heel for admitting this, but I have no idea what Scott Pilgrim is. What is it and why should I be reading it?

[das kranke Tier]

http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/bryan_lee_omalley

[Almanzo]

Sounds cool. But time for a serious question for you lovers - if I have an automatic knee-jerk hate reaction to what I think of as "ironic american fake-manga" like Blue Monday, will Scott Pilgrim be strong enough to overcome it?

[DCDave]

Scott Pilgrim is not ironic American fake Manga.  It is earnest.

[Greg Nog]

"ironic american fake-manga"

I have no idea what this even means.

[DCDave]

Blue Monday was manga-style illustration, design, and format, with bad American writing.

[nonotyet]

None of those things make it ironic or fake, though.

[Andrew_TSKS]

seriously, scott pilgrim is fun and good.

[lastclearchance]

Scott Pilgrim is great and TSKS really likes it. Therefore I am convinced you will dislike it. 

[Andrew_TSKS]

hahaha that's probably true.

[Almanzo]

hahaha that's probably true.

I just called my comic shop guy and he's going to throw the first one in my box. I saw them all there before.

[ecoulage]

http://againwiththecomics.blogspot.com/2007/08/batman-by-dostoyevsky.html

[Greg Nog]

Oh hey, so Scott Pilgrim Volume 4 is just as good as the previous three.  My only complaint is probably that Wallace is suddenly calling people "Guy" all the time; aside from that, the book is just lovely.

[YojimboMonkey]

hahaha that's probably true.

I just called my comic shop guy and he's going to throw the first one in my box. I saw them all there before.

Which guy is your guy?  Do you go to Dark Tower?  I think I'm gonna stop by there on my way home and check out some trades.  I stopped yesterday but I guess they're closed on Mondays

[maggiego]

Hi comix peeps. I am not so into the comix, but wanted to show you these: http://www.glenbaxter.com/gallery.html