Monday, October 26, 2009

Types of Writers, Part 3- The Pastor-Writer

Today we will examine the third type of comic book writers I will be showcasing: The Pastor-Writer.


Sunday, October 25, 2009

Types of Writers, Part 2: Character Assassins

Today, we will be examining another type of writer that appears within the comics industry: Character Assassins.


Saturday, October 24, 2009

Types of Comics Writers, Part #1: Bloody Writers

In my next few posts, I will be showcasing some of the types of comics writers.  Please note that these are archetypes.  Few writers will always fit within a given category, but many writers will fit within a particular category more often than not.  Also, these types are not exclusive.  A writer may fit within several types, and some of these categories will involve quite a bit of overlap.  The first type of comic book writer we'll be examining is: Bloody Writers.

[Some disturbing (written) imagery to follow.]

Friday, October 23, 2009

Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show Profiles

Here's a quick rundown of the main characters of the old Plastic Man TV show.  I haven't watched all the episodes yet, so some of this information may be a little off.  Some spoilers will follow.  (In case anyone really cares about a really old superhero cartoon being spoiled . . .)


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Plastic Man DVD

Plastic Man: The Complete Collection is out on DVD!  For those of you who've never heard of it, it's a Super Friends-era cartoon starring Plastic Man.  (The full title of the show was The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, but they apparently decided that was too long for the DVD cover.)  I've seen some episodes on Youtube and I'm a huge Plastic Man fan, so I couldn't wait to buy it.

I'd highly recommend it if you're a Plastic Man fan.  Although, be warned, it is a Super Friends-era cartoon, so it is extremely corny with tongue in cheek humor, and some really bad puns.  I have no taste, so I eat that kind of stuff up.  Your own tastes may differ.

Cry for Justice and Robinson's Rambling

Why is DC giving James Robinson five pages to pat himself on the back in Cry for Justice?  Seriously.  At the end of every issue, he gets five pages to talk about character history and his creative process, but it's mostly just tooting his own horn.  (In his defense, he does brown nose Grant Morrison for a little while before turning back to the important subject: himself.)

Normally, writers have to wait until the TPB to prattle on like this, or make due with a single page of their thoughts (if they're lucky).  If Cry for Justice was a great series - heck, if Cry for Justice was a good series, I might cut him some slack.  But it's not, so I'm not.  No writer should be given this much time to talk in a comic unless they earn it.

The worse part of all this is that Cry for Justice is apparently going to have a "resounding impact on the DCU."  That and it's going to lead into Robinson's run on Justice League.  So apparently, we're going to get lots of "heroes" who use immoral means (torture, murder), characters who die without even being properly introduced (three so far) and characters who get their personalities mangled.  The most annoying thing for me is the shock deaths, since I liked one of the characters killed.  Heck, I never liked the other recently deceased, and I'm still ticked at how cheap his death was.

Is the whole "killing off characters for shock value without properly introducing them" something that's Robinson's always done, or did he only start doing that recently?  I can't imagine that his Starman run would be so universally praised if he used such a cheap story-telling technique frequently.  But then again he killed off Blue Devil, Crimson Fox and Amazing Man in a Starman issue that Starman didn't even appear in.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Top 5 Things That Will Make Me Drop a Comic (Aside from Terrible Writing)

In no particular order, the Top 5 Things That Will Make Me Drop a Comic:

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Are Event Comics Inherently Evil?

I have come to the conclusion that event comics are inherently bad.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Some event comics are true gems with wonderful art, compelling storylines and memorable characters.  These are the minority.  It's like finding an honest politician.  In theory, some have existed, but their numbers are so few that no one believes you when you actually manage to find one.


Friday, October 9, 2009

Justice League: Cry for Justice #4

I am really starting to loathe Cry for Justice.  Before issue #4, I merely dismissed it as a mediocre attempt to prove that DC Comics was REALLY KEWL because they have people dying and heroes acting like a-holes.  However, it got worse.  Spoilers behind the cut.


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Justice League of America 80-Page Giant

I'm only going to comment on the Vixen/Green Lantern story.  Because, well . . . Shining Knight is in it, and he's the only reason I picked up this book in the first place.  The stories okay, but the more you know about the characters, the more holes you'll notice.  Spoilers and a very long rant, ahoy!

Justice League of America #38 Preview

I looked at the preview of Justice League of America #38.  I'm not impressed.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Mature Content in Comics . . . Or the Lack Thereof

It used to be that kids were the main demographic that read comics.  But comics are no longer written for children.  Over time the audience age gradually increased until we have today's comics.  Now, the main audience is teenagers and adults.  Is this a sign that comics have matured?

Not really.