In recent years, Marvel has seen fit to have Stark jump into his Classic armor on a semi-regular basis. And they need to stop. They find this act nostalgic or some kind of treat being retro, but they are wrong. Here are three reasons why it is nothing short of idiotic to keep using the Classic armor in the books.
3) There is no logic behind it.
Think about this situation. Your armor is trashed and you need another real quick to help your friends in battle. So what are you going to do? You are going to grab the next most powerful armor and go into battle with it. If this completely logical and common sense answer is your reply, you are wrong.
At least you are according to Marvel.
The correct answer was you are going to grab one of the least powerful and least advanced armors with the most wear and tear on it, mothballed for an extended period without use. For some reason this makes perfect sense to Marvel. To those that actually think things through, it is a head scratcher. The Classic armor cannot hold a candle to ANY armor that has followed it.
Here is a similar scenario. Let us say the Air Force has suffered heavy losses and are in need of fighters immediately. Constructing them would take too long, so they are forced to take planes out of mothballs and refurbish them instead. So which planes will they take? It would be an F-14, F-15, F-16 or some other more recent design made within the last few decades. However, if Marvel were in charge, they would be pulling the P-51 Mustangs from World War II out of retirement.
Why P-51 Mustangs? Because that is about the same the gap in technology between those fighters and the Classic and modern armors. The Classic is archaic and just like the Mustang if put onto today’s battlefield it would be trashed instantly. Go for an F-14, you may be out dated and a little outmatched, but you have a shot. Why use an armor that could make weak villains like Blacklash and Melter major foes instead of a later armor that made them cannon fodder?
I understand there needs to be a certain suspension of belief for comics, but for a company that has been hell bent on realism in recent years, they sure throw it out the window in this case.
2) It is the antithesis of Tony Stark
Tony Stark is a futurist. He is about cutting-edge technology and moving the world forward. Every new armor is (supposedly) more advanced than the previous design. So why then is he always so eager to take a monstrous step back to use an armor that he deemed unfit for duty years ago? It is only logical that Stark would grab the next most advanced armor, cursing the whole way how outdated it was compared to the newest model. But he knew it was his best bet so he went with it.
Yet instead, he keeps grabbing an outdated design for some nostalgic reason or other BS excuse. That is not Stark. If he knows the current armor cannot handle the situation he sure as hell is not going to don and older one that has technology he abandoned long ago. The Classic armor uses transistors and blinking lights instead of servos and digital readouts. That’s technology the real world stopped using years ago for combat purposes and I don’t see them digging up units that use that when in a bind.
1) The Armor’s time is over let it go
Seriously, the design is gone about thirty years now. It is outdated in every sense of the word, from the technology to power to aesthetics. Fifteen years ago, when Marvel designed a modern armor based on the classic there was massive backlash, and for good reason. The Classic armor is called that because that is what it is: classic. No one will deny that. The armor had its day and that day is long gone. It no longer has a place in stories other than a background image.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Review: Tony Stark Disassembled
The final issue of Tony Stark Disassembled was released today, ending the latest arc by Matt Fraction. This directly leads up to Siege, before it is settled that Bucky will take the Captain America mantle and the assault on Asgard begins. If you have not read issue #24 then I suggest you don't read this as there are spoilers.
Like World’s Most Wanted, I feel TSD had too much filler to be a good arc. A lot of time was spent on interactions between Pepper and Maria Hill, and the dream sequences taking place in Stark’s mind were very repetitive and frankly did not really go anywhere. I did not mind their use in general, but all in all they really did not add a whole lot to the story. I was also a bit annoyed by the parent issues that resurfaced in the end, feeling that has been done to death. It didn’t ruin things at all, but it is tiring.
Fraction wrote some funny moments in this series, including Potts and Hill learning they both slept with Stark when he went on the run, and recently with the exchange between Dr. Strange and the nurse. It helped to keep the mood light through an arc meant to be serious and intriguing.
Rhodey made appearances in this arc, but was completely inconsequential. Even after being shot by the Ghost, his importance in the story was completely limited.
Speaking of the Ghost, I did not like the way he was portrayed. He seemed incompetent and at times a stereotypical villain who kept blabbering rather than doing his job to kill the good guy, a far cry from the Ghost we used to know. I liked how he defeated Dr. Strange and his own defeat by Stark, both neat and interesting. I am miffed at why he found a way to take out Strange so quick yet resorted to trying to strangle Stark.
The ending, just like WMW, was predictable yet entertaining. We all knew Stark was going to be back so the outcome was not in doubt. The surprise at the end was very nice, Stark having created the backup before all the events of Civil War and being appalled by the things that happened. I don't like retcons, but I have to say I love this one. Fraction basically said everything Stark did while having extremis was not really him, that his portrayal by writers like Mark Millar who went out of the way to write him out of character to get their own political points across was completely wrong. So in addition to being a good twist, we get the old, pre-extremis Tony Stark back, which many fans have been clamoring for quite some time. Big kudos to Fraction for this one.
Overall, I give Tony Stark Disassembled a C+. The arc was too slow and the first four issues there was not a lot that really happened. The dream sequences were boring and repetitive, too much character interaction and not a whole lot of action. The arc seemed to be nothing but a lead up to an ending, which was the only real strong point of this.
The next arc will show how good at writing Iron Man Fraction really is. With two years experience on the book and no major event to interfere, Fraction needs to show he can write a good mix of drama and action, the latter of which has been sorely lacking.
Like World’s Most Wanted, I feel TSD had too much filler to be a good arc. A lot of time was spent on interactions between Pepper and Maria Hill, and the dream sequences taking place in Stark’s mind were very repetitive and frankly did not really go anywhere. I did not mind their use in general, but all in all they really did not add a whole lot to the story. I was also a bit annoyed by the parent issues that resurfaced in the end, feeling that has been done to death. It didn’t ruin things at all, but it is tiring.
Fraction wrote some funny moments in this series, including Potts and Hill learning they both slept with Stark when he went on the run, and recently with the exchange between Dr. Strange and the nurse. It helped to keep the mood light through an arc meant to be serious and intriguing.
Rhodey made appearances in this arc, but was completely inconsequential. Even after being shot by the Ghost, his importance in the story was completely limited.
Speaking of the Ghost, I did not like the way he was portrayed. He seemed incompetent and at times a stereotypical villain who kept blabbering rather than doing his job to kill the good guy, a far cry from the Ghost we used to know. I liked how he defeated Dr. Strange and his own defeat by Stark, both neat and interesting. I am miffed at why he found a way to take out Strange so quick yet resorted to trying to strangle Stark.
The ending, just like WMW, was predictable yet entertaining. We all knew Stark was going to be back so the outcome was not in doubt. The surprise at the end was very nice, Stark having created the backup before all the events of Civil War and being appalled by the things that happened. I don't like retcons, but I have to say I love this one. Fraction basically said everything Stark did while having extremis was not really him, that his portrayal by writers like Mark Millar who went out of the way to write him out of character to get their own political points across was completely wrong. So in addition to being a good twist, we get the old, pre-extremis Tony Stark back, which many fans have been clamoring for quite some time. Big kudos to Fraction for this one.
Overall, I give Tony Stark Disassembled a C+. The arc was too slow and the first four issues there was not a lot that really happened. The dream sequences were boring and repetitive, too much character interaction and not a whole lot of action. The arc seemed to be nothing but a lead up to an ending, which was the only real strong point of this.
The next arc will show how good at writing Iron Man Fraction really is. With two years experience on the book and no major event to interfere, Fraction needs to show he can write a good mix of drama and action, the latter of which has been sorely lacking.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Three Suggestions for the Captain America Costume
Captain America, the Star Spangled Avenger. His costume is one of the most recognizable in comics, having changed almost none over the years. Even in different realities writers and artists are loathe to depart from the basic design. Though iconic, I do not think the costume is above being changed to some extent. Below I have listed three changes to the costume that I think would make it better. Of course, we technically have two Captain Americas running around now, the original Steve Rogers and the new Bucky Barnes. Each has a different costume so will require different adjustments (mostly).
Steve Rogers
1) Lose the scales on the torso
The scales to me just make the costume look…off. On the rare occasion, they do look good but for the most part, they are ill fit to the rest of the costume that is smooth. Making the whole costume scales would make Cap look like a porcupine or some other wild animal, so that option is out. I think it was better when the whole costume was smooth and uniform.
2) Darker Blue
I have never really understood the light blue. If his costume is the American flag, why does he not use a dark blue? Granted it depends on the colorist on just how dark it is, but I do not think I have ever seen it the actual dark blue of our flag.
3) Change the boot cuffs
When I see these, I think of pirates and apparel hundreds of years old, not super heroes. Honestly, when is the last time we have seen boots like this? It is just such an out of date style, even for comic books, that I cannot understand why it is kept around. The Ultimate Cap costume got it right by using more form fitting and realistic gloves and boots.
Bucky Barnes
1) Lose the shine
I know Captain America is supposed to be a ray of hope, but let us not take it literally. When contrasted against the non-shiny black of the rest of the outfit, to me it clashes.
2) Colors on the legs
I do not think there is a good balance to this costume at all. All the color is situated on the head and torso, with nothing but black on legs and small red gloves. While a hefty dose of black can be fine, there is too much of it. At least make the boots a different color.
3) Boot cuffs
Just like Rogers, the boot cuffs are not only ridiculous looking but completely outdated. Even being all black they still do not look good .
Steve Rogers
1) Lose the scales on the torso
The scales to me just make the costume look…off. On the rare occasion, they do look good but for the most part, they are ill fit to the rest of the costume that is smooth. Making the whole costume scales would make Cap look like a porcupine or some other wild animal, so that option is out. I think it was better when the whole costume was smooth and uniform.
2) Darker Blue
I have never really understood the light blue. If his costume is the American flag, why does he not use a dark blue? Granted it depends on the colorist on just how dark it is, but I do not think I have ever seen it the actual dark blue of our flag.
3) Change the boot cuffs
When I see these, I think of pirates and apparel hundreds of years old, not super heroes. Honestly, when is the last time we have seen boots like this? It is just such an out of date style, even for comic books, that I cannot understand why it is kept around. The Ultimate Cap costume got it right by using more form fitting and realistic gloves and boots.
Bucky Barnes
1) Lose the shine
I know Captain America is supposed to be a ray of hope, but let us not take it literally. When contrasted against the non-shiny black of the rest of the outfit, to me it clashes.
2) Colors on the legs
I do not think there is a good balance to this costume at all. All the color is situated on the head and torso, with nothing but black on legs and small red gloves. While a hefty dose of black can be fine, there is too much of it. At least make the boots a different color.
3) Boot cuffs
Just like Rogers, the boot cuffs are not only ridiculous looking but completely outdated. Even being all black they still do not look good .
Thursday, February 11, 2010
3 Aesthetics of the New Armor that Need Changed
It has been about a month since Marvel showed the world Iron Man’s new armor, and we have all had time to take it in. (If for some reason you have yet to see it, click the link below). Personally, I am liking it less than I initially did, and I have boiled it down to three factors that are also the primary gripes of other fans that I have heard. So here are three aspects to the new armor that, hopefully in the near future, Marvel will correct from fan complaints. These are ordered in what I have determined to be the more voiced displeasures.
http://s590.photobucket.com/albums/ss343/IrOnPaTrIoT/?action=view¤t=RMIN.jpg
3) Covering only one part of the body and not another
There are three instances of this: the triceps are covered and not the biceps; the back of the thighs are covered and not the front; and the fingers are covered but not the thumb. I cannot figure out a reason for this at all. They are awkward, and while not enough to ruin the design it would no doubt look better should these things were either fully covered or not at all.
2) Gaps in the red
Culprits include the shoulders, forearms, ankles and back. Especially the back. There is no rhyme or reason why there are gaps there, being little more than distracting. The back especially makes the armor look like it is a suit to wear to the gym rather than fight in. I keep thinking that Under Armor designed this particular suit because of it. It looks like the suit is wearing a workout shirt and lifting gloves. I think the red sections are supposed to coincide with human muscles groups, but regardless it is very distracting and impractical.
1) LED’s
I do not care if these actually have function (which I have a feeling they do not) they need to go. Placed in random places (inside ankles, shoulders to name a few) they attempt to give the suit a high tech feel by placing lights all over the armor. Unfortunately, the attempt fails. Some fans say they are meant for flight stabilizing or weapons discharge, but that theory does not hold up too well because of the odd placement. On the inside ankles is about the last place you want weapons firing and it will not help in flight stabilization much. In addition, what would be the need of having six LED’s on the chest? The hips I do not think make much sense either.
So there are three things that myself and others feel would make the armor look much better. I get they want something futuristic, but they make the same mistake that many make when predicting the future: people will not abandon practicality. Looking at this armor reminds me of seeing an old 1950’s video predicting what things would look like in the 2000’s. Those predictions were not even close to be right, because why would people abandon something that works? This futuristic attempt does not work because it is not practical, and frankly in some ways is outright screwy.
http://s590.photobucket.com/albums/ss343/IrOnPaTrIoT/?action=view¤t=RMIN.jpg
3) Covering only one part of the body and not another
There are three instances of this: the triceps are covered and not the biceps; the back of the thighs are covered and not the front; and the fingers are covered but not the thumb. I cannot figure out a reason for this at all. They are awkward, and while not enough to ruin the design it would no doubt look better should these things were either fully covered or not at all.
2) Gaps in the red
Culprits include the shoulders, forearms, ankles and back. Especially the back. There is no rhyme or reason why there are gaps there, being little more than distracting. The back especially makes the armor look like it is a suit to wear to the gym rather than fight in. I keep thinking that Under Armor designed this particular suit because of it. It looks like the suit is wearing a workout shirt and lifting gloves. I think the red sections are supposed to coincide with human muscles groups, but regardless it is very distracting and impractical.
1) LED’s
I do not care if these actually have function (which I have a feeling they do not) they need to go. Placed in random places (inside ankles, shoulders to name a few) they attempt to give the suit a high tech feel by placing lights all over the armor. Unfortunately, the attempt fails. Some fans say they are meant for flight stabilizing or weapons discharge, but that theory does not hold up too well because of the odd placement. On the inside ankles is about the last place you want weapons firing and it will not help in flight stabilization much. In addition, what would be the need of having six LED’s on the chest? The hips I do not think make much sense either.
So there are three things that myself and others feel would make the armor look much better. I get they want something futuristic, but they make the same mistake that many make when predicting the future: people will not abandon practicality. Looking at this armor reminds me of seeing an old 1950’s video predicting what things would look like in the 2000’s. Those predictions were not even close to be right, because why would people abandon something that works? This futuristic attempt does not work because it is not practical, and frankly in some ways is outright screwy.
Linked below are my attempts at a photoshop (excuse my poor skills) that would to introduce these three fixes into the armor.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/JWeigler/ArmorComparison-2.jpg?t=1263244535
Friday, February 5, 2010
Ideas for Ultimate Alliance 3
Just a heads up, this article is a bit long and if you have no interest in the Ultimate Alliance games you probably will not want to bother reading it.
With the release of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, I came away disappointed on the development, and by that I mean how it advanced from the first game. And I was not the only one as many felt the game was merely a rehash, just with different settings. I do not own the game for lack of a next gen system, but my friends have also told me not to get it. There were two things I was very disappointed to hear about. First was that it played like the first Ultimate Alliance which left a lot of room for improvement, and frankly I felt was a downgrade over the X-Men Legends II style. Secondly were the characters and costumes.
Game Play
When it comes to game play, a few quick and easy things would help greatly. They did good in ridding the super attack and did the power combination, which was key because the super attacks in UA were weak and lame. What they need to do is make more powers available at once. Clicking one of the side triggers brings up an option to choose between three mutant powers and the combo attack. Use one of the other triggers to do the same, but different powers. The more a player has immediately available the better. Also on the subject of powers, make all powers accessible to start. Forget this getting to level ten to get a specific power; just start them off weak like the others.
Also like X-Men Legends II let the player upgrade the stats. There were four categories and for each new level the player could distribute four points over those categories however they wanted. Bring that back because some characters lacked way too much in some levels (Ms. Marvel dying too easy and Thor not having strong melee attacks, both quite off base from the characters). Being able to customize and control aspects of characters is something all players want. If you want to keep the character balanced, set a maximum limit for each level.
Another aspect of X-Men Legends II that is better than UA was the use of energy and life packs over the orbs. Frankly, I hated the orbs, being reliant on their presence with the life and energy meters unable to regenerate at a quick enough pace. If you were running low on health, you had to go out of your way to destroy something in the area. It was a pain and distracting. Give me ten packs to use at my discretion and let the characters regenerate quicker.
Some powers a character can charge up and fire, so why not have powers that a player can use in a constant stream? For example, you have characters like Iron Man, Cyclops and Sunfire who can keep firing their respective blasts until they are exhausted. Why not be able to do the same in the game by holding the button down and letting it fire until the energy bar is drained? It is simple and effective and adds another dimension. Make the energy drain faster of course to balance it out, because it’s no fun just holding down a single button and killing any enemy that comes near.
Characters
Next is the choice of playable characters and their costumes. Most of the obvious ones have been included already in the past two titles. These characters are featured in their own book, team books, and popular enough to have movies made or being made about them.
I question the addition of Penance, doubting he would have been even considered if not for the Civil War theme. I also never have understood system exclusive characters. Just add all the damn characters for all the systems huh? People are not going to buy the game on two separate systems just for a single character.
I am surprised many designers have never caught on that customization and options are a major sticking point for players. The more characters the better, and the more you can do with each character the better. You do not need every Marvel character but give more than there is. Here are some I think would be a good addition, or at least be considered for the next title.
Ares- yes, the god of war that has made a resurgence when the Mighty Avengers title started. Who does not like fighting with a god of war?
Black Widow- not sure you could do much with her that is not being done with other gone-toting characters already.
Blade and Dr. Strange- I lump them together because thought they were good additions for the first UA, and not sure why they were removed the sequel (though Blade is a character specific to the PS2). Put them back in I say.
Cable- a boss in UA2, Cable has always held a fair amount of fan interest. You could give him a variety of guns and make him somewhat of a brawler.
Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Colossus- three of the more popular X-Men characters that made it into previous games, just make them playable characters. If they were done before, they can be done again.
Darkhawk- a bit iffy on this one, but his return during War of Kings may be enough for consideration. I would hardly be heartbroken if he was not considered though.
Hawkeye- you can give him a bunch of different arrows, and things that are not just piercing or explosive. Be creative and give him ones that wrap around enemies, set a trap, stun a small area etc.
Hercules- kind of the same as Ares, but I would rather see Ares since he is cooler.
Moonknight- a special character in the first UA, he is original enough to be included with the cast
Punisher- like Cable you can have him carry different weapons, though I think he would be more akin to Nick Fury in the first UA. Give him pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades etc. to fill out his powers. Probably redundant because of Nick Fury but maybe use him in place of the latter.
Sunfire- the Japanese superhero who houses the power of the sun. May be a bit redundant because of the Human Torch, but I have always found him to be a much more interesting and far less annoying character. He was in X-Men Legends II so he was good enough for one game already.
Vision- his powers of density manipulation could make for some interesting moves, but I’d be a bit iffy on him. Not sure there is enough fan interest to put him here.
Costumes
Again, I mention customization. X-Men Legends II had nearly every costume the playable characters ever wore available. It was great because you could find a least one costume you liked. UA had four costumes for each character, which in most cases covered enough, but still lacked with some. UA2 has one alternate costume. One. I can only imagine laziness was the reason for this because logically there is no reasonable response. Why they would make only one alternate costume available when they have given so many more in the past is absurd. So, with my UA roster finalized, here is a costume list for each character.
Note:
AoA= Age of Apocalypse costume
HoM= House of M costume
Ares- current costume, mini-series costume
Black Widow- modern, classic, original (fishnet)
Blade- same costumes as the first UA, classic, day walker, ultimate and night stalker
Cable- modern, classic, HoM, Stryfe, AoA (Nate Grey X Man)
Captain America- modern, ultimate, WWII, US Agent, Bucky Cap, armored Cap
Colossus- modern, modern 2 (pre-death), classic, AoA, Acolyte, HoM
Cyclops- classic, modern, ultimate, 90’s, AoA, X-Factor, HoM
Daredevil- modern, original, AoA, armored, marvel knights
Darkhawk- modern, War of Kings, Evil Hawk
Deadpool- classic, modern, ultimate, AoA, Heroes Reborn (swordsman)
Dr. Strange- same as UA, classic, blue mage, ultimate, seer
Gambit- modern, AoA, horseman, ultimate
Ghost Rider- same as UA, original, classic, phantom rider, Zarathos
Green Goblin- Hobgoblin, demogoblin, ultimate
Hawkeye- classic, modern, ultimate 1, ultimate 2, 90’s
Hercules- classic, 90’s
Hulk- modern, Mr. Fixit, the Professor, green scar, Red Hulk
Human Torch- classic, modern, new marvel, uiltimate, heroes reborn
Iceman- classic, 90’s, AoA, modern, HoM, Bobby Drake, Ultimate
Iron Man- modern, Classic, Silver Centurion, neo-classic, War Machine, modular, heroes reborn, heroes return, tin man
Invisible Woman- modern, classic, new marvel, Ultimate, Malice, heroes reborn
Luke Cage- same as UA, new avenger, street, classic, power man
Mr. Fantastic- classic, modern, new marvel, ultimate, heroes reborn
Ms. Marvel- same as UA, ventura, classic, binary, warbird,
Nick Fury- same as UA, classic, stealth, ultimate, general
Nightcrawler- modern, classic, ultimate, AoA, HoM
Phoenix- classic (green costume), dark phoenix, white phoenix, Jean Grey classic, Jean Grey 90’s, Jean Grey AoA, Jean Grey HoM
Punisher- modern, classic, trench coat,
Spiderman- modern, Ben Reilly, Scarlet Spider, black costume, unlimited, Stark armor
Storm- classic, modern, AoA, extreme X-Men, Ultimate, 90’s, Morlock leader, queen of Wakanda, HoM
Sunfire- classic, modern, horseman, HoM
Thing- classic, modern, new marvel, ultimate, heroes reborn
Thor- classic, modern, Odin power, Ultimate, 90’s, Heroes Reborn, Thunderstrike, Beta Ray Bill
Venom- classic (original), lethal enforcer, modern, ultimate, Anti-venom
Vision- modern, classic (white), Iron Lad
Wolverine- classic, modern, ultimate, AoA, 90’s, horseman, X-Force, Weapon X, HoM
So there are my simple ideas for improvement in game play or elements that I think would make a third Ultimate Alliance game much better. UA2 received a lot of criticism, and designers need to learn from that mistake and listen to fans to see what needs improved.
With the release of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, I came away disappointed on the development, and by that I mean how it advanced from the first game. And I was not the only one as many felt the game was merely a rehash, just with different settings. I do not own the game for lack of a next gen system, but my friends have also told me not to get it. There were two things I was very disappointed to hear about. First was that it played like the first Ultimate Alliance which left a lot of room for improvement, and frankly I felt was a downgrade over the X-Men Legends II style. Secondly were the characters and costumes.
Game Play
When it comes to game play, a few quick and easy things would help greatly. They did good in ridding the super attack and did the power combination, which was key because the super attacks in UA were weak and lame. What they need to do is make more powers available at once. Clicking one of the side triggers brings up an option to choose between three mutant powers and the combo attack. Use one of the other triggers to do the same, but different powers. The more a player has immediately available the better. Also on the subject of powers, make all powers accessible to start. Forget this getting to level ten to get a specific power; just start them off weak like the others.
Also like X-Men Legends II let the player upgrade the stats. There were four categories and for each new level the player could distribute four points over those categories however they wanted. Bring that back because some characters lacked way too much in some levels (Ms. Marvel dying too easy and Thor not having strong melee attacks, both quite off base from the characters). Being able to customize and control aspects of characters is something all players want. If you want to keep the character balanced, set a maximum limit for each level.
Another aspect of X-Men Legends II that is better than UA was the use of energy and life packs over the orbs. Frankly, I hated the orbs, being reliant on their presence with the life and energy meters unable to regenerate at a quick enough pace. If you were running low on health, you had to go out of your way to destroy something in the area. It was a pain and distracting. Give me ten packs to use at my discretion and let the characters regenerate quicker.
Some powers a character can charge up and fire, so why not have powers that a player can use in a constant stream? For example, you have characters like Iron Man, Cyclops and Sunfire who can keep firing their respective blasts until they are exhausted. Why not be able to do the same in the game by holding the button down and letting it fire until the energy bar is drained? It is simple and effective and adds another dimension. Make the energy drain faster of course to balance it out, because it’s no fun just holding down a single button and killing any enemy that comes near.
Characters
Next is the choice of playable characters and their costumes. Most of the obvious ones have been included already in the past two titles. These characters are featured in their own book, team books, and popular enough to have movies made or being made about them.
I question the addition of Penance, doubting he would have been even considered if not for the Civil War theme. I also never have understood system exclusive characters. Just add all the damn characters for all the systems huh? People are not going to buy the game on two separate systems just for a single character.
I am surprised many designers have never caught on that customization and options are a major sticking point for players. The more characters the better, and the more you can do with each character the better. You do not need every Marvel character but give more than there is. Here are some I think would be a good addition, or at least be considered for the next title.
Ares- yes, the god of war that has made a resurgence when the Mighty Avengers title started. Who does not like fighting with a god of war?
Black Widow- not sure you could do much with her that is not being done with other gone-toting characters already.
Blade and Dr. Strange- I lump them together because thought they were good additions for the first UA, and not sure why they were removed the sequel (though Blade is a character specific to the PS2). Put them back in I say.
Cable- a boss in UA2, Cable has always held a fair amount of fan interest. You could give him a variety of guns and make him somewhat of a brawler.
Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Colossus- three of the more popular X-Men characters that made it into previous games, just make them playable characters. If they were done before, they can be done again.
Darkhawk- a bit iffy on this one, but his return during War of Kings may be enough for consideration. I would hardly be heartbroken if he was not considered though.
Hawkeye- you can give him a bunch of different arrows, and things that are not just piercing or explosive. Be creative and give him ones that wrap around enemies, set a trap, stun a small area etc.
Hercules- kind of the same as Ares, but I would rather see Ares since he is cooler.
Moonknight- a special character in the first UA, he is original enough to be included with the cast
Punisher- like Cable you can have him carry different weapons, though I think he would be more akin to Nick Fury in the first UA. Give him pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades etc. to fill out his powers. Probably redundant because of Nick Fury but maybe use him in place of the latter.
Sunfire- the Japanese superhero who houses the power of the sun. May be a bit redundant because of the Human Torch, but I have always found him to be a much more interesting and far less annoying character. He was in X-Men Legends II so he was good enough for one game already.
Vision- his powers of density manipulation could make for some interesting moves, but I’d be a bit iffy on him. Not sure there is enough fan interest to put him here.
Costumes
Again, I mention customization. X-Men Legends II had nearly every costume the playable characters ever wore available. It was great because you could find a least one costume you liked. UA had four costumes for each character, which in most cases covered enough, but still lacked with some. UA2 has one alternate costume. One. I can only imagine laziness was the reason for this because logically there is no reasonable response. Why they would make only one alternate costume available when they have given so many more in the past is absurd. So, with my UA roster finalized, here is a costume list for each character.
Note:
AoA= Age of Apocalypse costume
HoM= House of M costume
Ares- current costume, mini-series costume
Black Widow- modern, classic, original (fishnet)
Blade- same costumes as the first UA, classic, day walker, ultimate and night stalker
Cable- modern, classic, HoM, Stryfe, AoA (Nate Grey X Man)
Captain America- modern, ultimate, WWII, US Agent, Bucky Cap, armored Cap
Colossus- modern, modern 2 (pre-death), classic, AoA, Acolyte, HoM
Cyclops- classic, modern, ultimate, 90’s, AoA, X-Factor, HoM
Daredevil- modern, original, AoA, armored, marvel knights
Darkhawk- modern, War of Kings, Evil Hawk
Deadpool- classic, modern, ultimate, AoA, Heroes Reborn (swordsman)
Dr. Strange- same as UA, classic, blue mage, ultimate, seer
Gambit- modern, AoA, horseman, ultimate
Ghost Rider- same as UA, original, classic, phantom rider, Zarathos
Green Goblin- Hobgoblin, demogoblin, ultimate
Hawkeye- classic, modern, ultimate 1, ultimate 2, 90’s
Hercules- classic, 90’s
Hulk- modern, Mr. Fixit, the Professor, green scar, Red Hulk
Human Torch- classic, modern, new marvel, uiltimate, heroes reborn
Iceman- classic, 90’s, AoA, modern, HoM, Bobby Drake, Ultimate
Iron Man- modern, Classic, Silver Centurion, neo-classic, War Machine, modular, heroes reborn, heroes return, tin man
Invisible Woman- modern, classic, new marvel, Ultimate, Malice, heroes reborn
Luke Cage- same as UA, new avenger, street, classic, power man
Mr. Fantastic- classic, modern, new marvel, ultimate, heroes reborn
Ms. Marvel- same as UA, ventura, classic, binary, warbird,
Nick Fury- same as UA, classic, stealth, ultimate, general
Nightcrawler- modern, classic, ultimate, AoA, HoM
Phoenix- classic (green costume), dark phoenix, white phoenix, Jean Grey classic, Jean Grey 90’s, Jean Grey AoA, Jean Grey HoM
Punisher- modern, classic, trench coat,
Spiderman- modern, Ben Reilly, Scarlet Spider, black costume, unlimited, Stark armor
Storm- classic, modern, AoA, extreme X-Men, Ultimate, 90’s, Morlock leader, queen of Wakanda, HoM
Sunfire- classic, modern, horseman, HoM
Thing- classic, modern, new marvel, ultimate, heroes reborn
Thor- classic, modern, Odin power, Ultimate, 90’s, Heroes Reborn, Thunderstrike, Beta Ray Bill
Venom- classic (original), lethal enforcer, modern, ultimate, Anti-venom
Vision- modern, classic (white), Iron Lad
Wolverine- classic, modern, ultimate, AoA, 90’s, horseman, X-Force, Weapon X, HoM
So there are my simple ideas for improvement in game play or elements that I think would make a third Ultimate Alliance game much better. UA2 received a lot of criticism, and designers need to learn from that mistake and listen to fans to see what needs improved.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
1994 Iron Man Animated Series to be Released
Yesterday it was announced that Marvel/Disney would be releasing the 1994 Iron Man animated series (part of the Marvel Action Hour along with the Fantastic Four) as a single DVD set that includes all twenty six episodes from both seasons. The release is scheduled for May 4, right before the release of Iron Man 2 in theatres. Regular price will be $29.99.
Well, all I have to say is: about damn time. I honestly thought this would have been released around the time of the first movie, especially after its huge success. It is a pretty reasonable price seeing as how it is both seasons.
I admit, the cartoon was not that great, especially the first season. The animation style was switched for the second season, and Force Works were dumped as supporting characters save for a few episodes. It became more like the comics, focused on Iron Man and using some of the more popular plots or issues as stories rather than totally original ones. Though why they gave Tony a mullet I will never understand.
So keep your eyes peeled for this. Pre-orders are not available at the moment, nor is it listed on Amazon or other seller sights. I won't be surprised if this goes on special though.
Here is a link to the press release:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Iron-Man-The-Complete-Series/13275
Well, all I have to say is: about damn time. I honestly thought this would have been released around the time of the first movie, especially after its huge success. It is a pretty reasonable price seeing as how it is both seasons.
I admit, the cartoon was not that great, especially the first season. The animation style was switched for the second season, and Force Works were dumped as supporting characters save for a few episodes. It became more like the comics, focused on Iron Man and using some of the more popular plots or issues as stories rather than totally original ones. Though why they gave Tony a mullet I will never understand.
So keep your eyes peeled for this. Pre-orders are not available at the moment, nor is it listed on Amazon or other seller sights. I won't be surprised if this goes on special though.
Here is a link to the press release:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Iron-Man-The-Complete-Series/13275
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
April is Iron Man Month
Well it looks like April is going to be a big month for the Armored Avenger. In anticipation of the movie Marvel is making April Iron Man month, and with it releasing a host of titles. Pictures are links due to their large size.
First off is Iron Man #25, which will herald in a new era of Iron Man, including the debut of the new armor (found below). A double sized issue with a few cover variants what direction Matt Fraction will take Stark in now that he no longer has to play along with major events like Secret Invasion and Dark Reign.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/44_INVINCIBLE_IRON_MAN_25.jpg
Iron Man Legacy #1 is a new ongoing series that will be visiting stories from the past. In other words we're going to be seeing old villains and old armors in new adventures. I wonder if this may have been partly spurned by Legacy of Doom which saw an adventure with the Neo Classic armor. My gut feeling tells me the nature of the series will lead it to be cancelled sooner rather than alter, but there is no reason to judge at this point when a single issue has yet to hit the stands.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/51_IRON_MAN__LEGACY_1.jpg
Iron Man will also be the latest hero tackled by the Noir series with Iron Man Noir #1 of 4. Set in the 1930's Tony Stark is an adventurer with a degrading physical condition. He gallivants around the world supposedly looking for a good time, but in reality is searching for a cure. The take on the armor is interesting, advanced for the time but archaic by today's standards, which is exactly what it should be.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/47_IRON_MAN_NOIR_1.jpg
First off is Iron Man #25, which will herald in a new era of Iron Man, including the debut of the new armor (found below). A double sized issue with a few cover variants what direction Matt Fraction will take Stark in now that he no longer has to play along with major events like Secret Invasion and Dark Reign.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/44_INVINCIBLE_IRON_MAN_25.jpg
Iron Man Legacy #1 is a new ongoing series that will be visiting stories from the past. In other words we're going to be seeing old villains and old armors in new adventures. I wonder if this may have been partly spurned by Legacy of Doom which saw an adventure with the Neo Classic armor. My gut feeling tells me the nature of the series will lead it to be cancelled sooner rather than alter, but there is no reason to judge at this point when a single issue has yet to hit the stands.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/51_IRON_MAN__LEGACY_1.jpg
Iron Man will also be the latest hero tackled by the Noir series with Iron Man Noir #1 of 4. Set in the 1930's Tony Stark is an adventurer with a degrading physical condition. He gallivants around the world supposedly looking for a good time, but in reality is searching for a cure. The take on the armor is interesting, advanced for the time but archaic by today's standards, which is exactly what it should be.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/47_IRON_MAN_NOIR_1.jpg
Iron Man 1.5 #2 of 3 will continue the story that bridges the gap between the first and second movie. What happened after the press conference where Stark declares he is Iron Man up until the point where the new movie kicks off (which we're not quite sure of yet).
Iron Man Magazine is exactly what it sounds, filled with stories, pinups, games and the like and meant for all ages. Sounds a bit geared towards younger readers despite the all ages claim though. http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/46_IRON_MAN_MAGAZINE_1.jpg
There is also a new poster book that will feature thirty six different posters of our armored hero. No stories or anything like that, just pictures for us to enjoy. http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/48_IRON_MAN_POSTER_BOOK_1.jpg
And finally, most surprising of the new releases will be the Iron Manual Mark 3 #1. This will explore the technology of not only the Iron Man armors, but also enemies like Anton Vanko and Ezekiel Stane. I'm sure this will be as entertaining as the previous Iron Manuals. http://www.comicbookresources.com/images/solicits/marvelcomics/201004/53_IRON_MANUAL_MARK_3_1.jpg
Friday, January 8, 2010
Marvel Unveils New Iron Man Armor
For the weekend Marvel decided to impart upon us a little surprise: the new Iron Man armor which you can see right here:
The design, according to writer Matt Fraction commented this on the armor:
“The inspiration for the new design came from thinking about a sleeker, leaner, tougher Iron Man. If technology is increasingly getting smaller and lighter it seems like the Iron Man should do the same: ergonomic and aerodynamic. We were looking for something that felt as sleek and glossy as a sports car Tony Stark would covet. I love what we've come up with. It feels like the next evolutionary step in the Iron Man's design.”
Before I comment on the design itself let me say bravo to Matt Fraction for actually taking a step in the right direction. It’s been too long since we’ve been given an aesthetic upgrade that actually looks the part. The Extremis armor and the two models directly before it were all low tech looking. The Grell armor replacing the SKIN armor was probably the last time an armor actually looked more advanced than the previous design and that was how many years ago now?
But now the design itself.
Inspiration seems to come largely from the armor from “The End” one shot a while back with its sleek lines and form fitting shape. They definitely went for something different because there really isn’t much else to compare this armor to. The faceplate seems relatively unchanged, keeping much the same shape as the extremis armor.
Frankly, my reaction (and it seems like quite a few others) is “meh.” Fraction doesn’t lie when he says it’s high tech and streamlined (no coincidence the last model to look this advanced was the Modular which shared the slim design profile) but there are some things that make the design awkward.
First are the “gaps” of gold between the red portions of the armor. On the wrists, ankles and especially the shoulders they look out of place. The gap on the shoulders give the appearance of sleeveless workout shirt, like he’s wearing something designed by the company Under Armor. I can easily picture a football players head in place of the helmet. The area around the thighs are oddly shaped, and I don't know what’s with the random red squared above the hips.
Second are the LED’s, those little balls of light. The unibeam, okay. Over the hands, okay. But the others are just seemingly there for the sake of being there. The ankles and two around the neck I think can definitely go. Initial fan reaction isn’t too high on the LED’s and I won't be surprised if down the line they are removed from the armor since things like this have happened before.
The helmet is a bit confusing to me. It may just be artist interpretation in this particular picture, but it still looks angular and flat compared to the rest of the armor which is rounded. There is also something awkward about the eyes I can't quite put my finger on, but they just look a bit alien to me.
Those are basically my two cents on this design. I’m not thrilled with it, there are too many quirky design elements that distract from it, but it is an upgrade over the extremis armor, but that wasn’t very tough since that was one of the worst looking armors. Fraction said he wants it to be advanced, and it does look the part, so we’ll see if he actually writes it that way.
The design, according to writer Matt Fraction commented this on the armor:
“The inspiration for the new design came from thinking about a sleeker, leaner, tougher Iron Man. If technology is increasingly getting smaller and lighter it seems like the Iron Man should do the same: ergonomic and aerodynamic. We were looking for something that felt as sleek and glossy as a sports car Tony Stark would covet. I love what we've come up with. It feels like the next evolutionary step in the Iron Man's design.”
Before I comment on the design itself let me say bravo to Matt Fraction for actually taking a step in the right direction. It’s been too long since we’ve been given an aesthetic upgrade that actually looks the part. The Extremis armor and the two models directly before it were all low tech looking. The Grell armor replacing the SKIN armor was probably the last time an armor actually looked more advanced than the previous design and that was how many years ago now?
But now the design itself.
Inspiration seems to come largely from the armor from “The End” one shot a while back with its sleek lines and form fitting shape. They definitely went for something different because there really isn’t much else to compare this armor to. The faceplate seems relatively unchanged, keeping much the same shape as the extremis armor.
Frankly, my reaction (and it seems like quite a few others) is “meh.” Fraction doesn’t lie when he says it’s high tech and streamlined (no coincidence the last model to look this advanced was the Modular which shared the slim design profile) but there are some things that make the design awkward.
First are the “gaps” of gold between the red portions of the armor. On the wrists, ankles and especially the shoulders they look out of place. The gap on the shoulders give the appearance of sleeveless workout shirt, like he’s wearing something designed by the company Under Armor. I can easily picture a football players head in place of the helmet. The area around the thighs are oddly shaped, and I don't know what’s with the random red squared above the hips.
Second are the LED’s, those little balls of light. The unibeam, okay. Over the hands, okay. But the others are just seemingly there for the sake of being there. The ankles and two around the neck I think can definitely go. Initial fan reaction isn’t too high on the LED’s and I won't be surprised if down the line they are removed from the armor since things like this have happened before.
The helmet is a bit confusing to me. It may just be artist interpretation in this particular picture, but it still looks angular and flat compared to the rest of the armor which is rounded. There is also something awkward about the eyes I can't quite put my finger on, but they just look a bit alien to me.
Those are basically my two cents on this design. I’m not thrilled with it, there are too many quirky design elements that distract from it, but it is an upgrade over the extremis armor, but that wasn’t very tough since that was one of the worst looking armors. Fraction said he wants it to be advanced, and it does look the part, so we’ll see if he actually writes it that way.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Review: The Iron Protocols
Recently Marvel treated Iron Man fans with a one shot issue entitled Iron Man: The Iron Protocols which featured two stories done by two creative teams. Each story was independent and self contained, put into the main stream continuity but not meant to go beyond the one shot. Both stories take place before Secret Invasion. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read it, in which case you can go to the last paragraph for a summation.
The Ark
The first story features an AI gone rogue with a project meant to ensure Earth’s survival by creating a spaceship filled with DNA samples of every animal on the planet. Basically, it’s a modern day Noah’s ark. Of course it’s up to Iron Man still Director of SHIELD to stop it.
The concept is decent and the story moves fairly quickly. This one is more action heavy but the main fight is actually a verbal one where Stark battles the ships AI in a battle of logic and wits. For all its ego that it was superior (or at least right in its thinking) it was nice to see Stark outwit it, his own sense of logic prevailing over the AI’s.
The art was fairly good, vibrant colors and it was easy to tell what was happening during most the action scenes. There were some odd quirks, such as the repulsor emitter in the mouth and the armor looking a hybrid between the movie and comic styles, which was odd, but it didn’t take away from enjoying the story.
His Girl Friday
The second story again deals with a rogue AI, this time one of Stark’s old side projects where a young AI program “grew” into a “teenage” AI program (holographic representations used accordingly). As with other teens the program is moody and want what it wants, which in this case is attention.
The story moves very fast and unfortunately has a brief piece of Stark fighting his own commandeered armors (it’s such a tired plot anymore). There are a few lines that seem awkward, something Stark may say in his younger days but not now. A nice change though was we saw a bit more of the thrill seeking playboy that has been missing from the character recently.
The art had an anime feel to it, but wasn’t quite the same. It seemed to have a younger audience in mind but features weren't exaggerated enough to distract from the story at all. All in all I wasn’t too thrilled with this one, nothing in particular really standing out.
Conclusion
All in all the one shot was decent and a nice change of pace from the multiple issue story arcs. They were definitely intended to be fun rather than the serious melodrama that has been abundant in comics anymore. Writing and art in both stories was decent, but I definitely prefer the first story over the second. Unfortunately nothing was particularly memorable about either and it’s not hard to imagine if in a few years Iron Protocols is completely forgotten.
The Ark
The first story features an AI gone rogue with a project meant to ensure Earth’s survival by creating a spaceship filled with DNA samples of every animal on the planet. Basically, it’s a modern day Noah’s ark. Of course it’s up to Iron Man still Director of SHIELD to stop it.
The concept is decent and the story moves fairly quickly. This one is more action heavy but the main fight is actually a verbal one where Stark battles the ships AI in a battle of logic and wits. For all its ego that it was superior (or at least right in its thinking) it was nice to see Stark outwit it, his own sense of logic prevailing over the AI’s.
The art was fairly good, vibrant colors and it was easy to tell what was happening during most the action scenes. There were some odd quirks, such as the repulsor emitter in the mouth and the armor looking a hybrid between the movie and comic styles, which was odd, but it didn’t take away from enjoying the story.
His Girl Friday
The second story again deals with a rogue AI, this time one of Stark’s old side projects where a young AI program “grew” into a “teenage” AI program (holographic representations used accordingly). As with other teens the program is moody and want what it wants, which in this case is attention.
The story moves very fast and unfortunately has a brief piece of Stark fighting his own commandeered armors (it’s such a tired plot anymore). There are a few lines that seem awkward, something Stark may say in his younger days but not now. A nice change though was we saw a bit more of the thrill seeking playboy that has been missing from the character recently.
The art had an anime feel to it, but wasn’t quite the same. It seemed to have a younger audience in mind but features weren't exaggerated enough to distract from the story at all. All in all I wasn’t too thrilled with this one, nothing in particular really standing out.
Conclusion
All in all the one shot was decent and a nice change of pace from the multiple issue story arcs. They were definitely intended to be fun rather than the serious melodrama that has been abundant in comics anymore. Writing and art in both stories was decent, but I definitely prefer the first story over the second. Unfortunately nothing was particularly memorable about either and it’s not hard to imagine if in a few years Iron Protocols is completely forgotten.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
5 Things Marvel Needs to Stop Doing with Iron Man
Ok, I’ve had enough. I need to speak my mind on a bunch of the crap Marvel is continually shoving down our throats with Iron Man. Below I have listed five things that in the past few years Marvel has made a constant part of the character that has only served to lessen the him. And no, I am not even talking about making him the bad guy or writing him incorrectly. These are in no particular order because frankly they’re all equally contributing to the degrading of the character.
5)External Dependencies
What I mean by this are things like the chest plate for keep his heart beating and the most recent arc reactor in his chest to keep his body going. This worked fine when the character first started out but after the character was established the heart subplot was tossed for a reason. All it did was add the same subplot into each issue, a recurring problem that not only had a similar solution each time but also had become tedious and boring. Story quality was hurt by a writer needing to devote valuable page space, the plot device being little more than a waste of time. The previous case in Volume 3 with the mechanical heart Marvel quickly discovered this and got rid of it. Now here they are making the same mistake again. Take a hint guys: the subplot it tired, boring, tedious, a waste of space and most importantly, completely unneeded.
4)Keep the Movie Separate
I loved the movie, but that said the movie and comics shouldn’t intertwine. Keep them separate. Remember when Marvel gave the X-Men similar uniforms like they had in the movie, or Spider-Man organic web shooters? The result was fan backlash and their displeasure with eventual retcons to fix it. If you’re relying on the movies for your material you’re in trouble because they only come out about every three years and they likely won't last past three installments. So what then after you banked the comic off the movies? You’re out of luck. Marvel claims they want to bring the fans of the movie into the books and by making the comic more like the movie the transition will be easier. So you’re running the risk of alienating long time fans to appease possible new fans. You know what brings people into books? Good stories. You don't need to make the book like the successful movie to be good; the book has been going for forty years without the aid of Hollywood. Forty years of good writing (for the most part at least) has been done without leaning on a movie’s material. This is a stupid and frankly desperate move by Marvel. If you wanted to do a separate series or miniseries based on the book, I’m okay with that. But when you’re actually switching forty years of continuity to fit a movie you’re asking for problems. I would like to know what Marvel’s plan is for retconning forty years of material because that is what they are going to be doing. And let’s be honest, when more fans started reading after the release of the first movie and continued to read it despite it not falling in line with the film. Obviously they are reading it anyways why change and make a mess out of things? And there is the bit of irony to this whole matter: the movie was based on the books. So if the movie was a success based on the stories from the books, why would you change the books?
3) The Classic Armor
Yes it’s classic. Yes it was the longest tenured armor and present for much of the character’s great stories. But that time is over. In the past three years we have seen the classic armor resurface in Haunted, Secret Invasion and World’s Most wanted, and if the Cup O’ Joe article that shows a cover to Siege where Tony is wearing the classic armor once more is accurate, we will be seeing it yet again. Listen, the fans loved it when it was around but the armor is in every way, from its technology to power to aesthetics, out of date. Give it a rest because it’s become obvious Marvel is looking for an excuse to use it, and they’ve done so to the point where it no longer holds any nostalgic value. You know what a great part of a character’s heyday is? That everything went together. If you’re trying to make a new heyday don't use an element from the past like the exact armor worn. Make a new armor that people actually like (hint: that’s not the extremis armor); it will add far more than an obsolete design. If you’re so concerned about the armor ask the fans. They will tell you which armors were liked and disliked and you’d discover they are sick of seeing the classic and want the extremis armor gone. So right now you’re failing in both cases.
2) Focusing on the man that is Tony Stark
You need a certain amount of drama and character development I know, and I have no problem with that. A book that’s just two guys hitting each other for no reason gets boring. But unfortunately there has been little fisticuffs between the Knaufs and Fraction. We get it, Stark has his problems, but it’s become the focus anymore. A reason Legacy of Doom was so good was because during a time of heavy drama we got an exciting and action packed series. It has its character development, it got the characters correct and it had all the things Haunted, Five Nightmares and World’s Most wanted had and it did it without being boring, not to mention did it in four issues. There is too much time being focused on characters and not enough on action. You can do both but recently Marvel seems to be oblivious to that fact. A deep meaning or emotional story means nothing when it’s not entertaining.
1) Armor Wars
We just got and Armor Wars miniseries that was terrible. Ultimate Iron Mane had an Armor Wars story line that I don't think anyone read because no one pays attention to Ultimate Iron Man. Now in the new Iron Man series “Iron Man Legacy” (to be covered in a later post) the first is going to be, you guessed it, “Armor Wars.” And the worst part of it all? IT’S ALL THE SAME STORY! Someone steals Stark’s armors and he goes after them in vigilante mode. How many more times will this be done? And none have been to the level of the original story. If you’re going to make a new Armor Wars, do something new for god’s sake. Armor Wars may have been the best saga in Iron Man’s history, but merely rehashing it doesn’t mean the story will be good. Armor Wars I and II were completely different, why when all these new Armor Wars are popping up, are there no new takes on it? I can't imagine it’s that hard to come up with something different.
5)External Dependencies
What I mean by this are things like the chest plate for keep his heart beating and the most recent arc reactor in his chest to keep his body going. This worked fine when the character first started out but after the character was established the heart subplot was tossed for a reason. All it did was add the same subplot into each issue, a recurring problem that not only had a similar solution each time but also had become tedious and boring. Story quality was hurt by a writer needing to devote valuable page space, the plot device being little more than a waste of time. The previous case in Volume 3 with the mechanical heart Marvel quickly discovered this and got rid of it. Now here they are making the same mistake again. Take a hint guys: the subplot it tired, boring, tedious, a waste of space and most importantly, completely unneeded.
4)Keep the Movie Separate
I loved the movie, but that said the movie and comics shouldn’t intertwine. Keep them separate. Remember when Marvel gave the X-Men similar uniforms like they had in the movie, or Spider-Man organic web shooters? The result was fan backlash and their displeasure with eventual retcons to fix it. If you’re relying on the movies for your material you’re in trouble because they only come out about every three years and they likely won't last past three installments. So what then after you banked the comic off the movies? You’re out of luck. Marvel claims they want to bring the fans of the movie into the books and by making the comic more like the movie the transition will be easier. So you’re running the risk of alienating long time fans to appease possible new fans. You know what brings people into books? Good stories. You don't need to make the book like the successful movie to be good; the book has been going for forty years without the aid of Hollywood. Forty years of good writing (for the most part at least) has been done without leaning on a movie’s material. This is a stupid and frankly desperate move by Marvel. If you wanted to do a separate series or miniseries based on the book, I’m okay with that. But when you’re actually switching forty years of continuity to fit a movie you’re asking for problems. I would like to know what Marvel’s plan is for retconning forty years of material because that is what they are going to be doing. And let’s be honest, when more fans started reading after the release of the first movie and continued to read it despite it not falling in line with the film. Obviously they are reading it anyways why change and make a mess out of things? And there is the bit of irony to this whole matter: the movie was based on the books. So if the movie was a success based on the stories from the books, why would you change the books?
3) The Classic Armor
Yes it’s classic. Yes it was the longest tenured armor and present for much of the character’s great stories. But that time is over. In the past three years we have seen the classic armor resurface in Haunted, Secret Invasion and World’s Most wanted, and if the Cup O’ Joe article that shows a cover to Siege where Tony is wearing the classic armor once more is accurate, we will be seeing it yet again. Listen, the fans loved it when it was around but the armor is in every way, from its technology to power to aesthetics, out of date. Give it a rest because it’s become obvious Marvel is looking for an excuse to use it, and they’ve done so to the point where it no longer holds any nostalgic value. You know what a great part of a character’s heyday is? That everything went together. If you’re trying to make a new heyday don't use an element from the past like the exact armor worn. Make a new armor that people actually like (hint: that’s not the extremis armor); it will add far more than an obsolete design. If you’re so concerned about the armor ask the fans. They will tell you which armors were liked and disliked and you’d discover they are sick of seeing the classic and want the extremis armor gone. So right now you’re failing in both cases.
2) Focusing on the man that is Tony Stark
You need a certain amount of drama and character development I know, and I have no problem with that. A book that’s just two guys hitting each other for no reason gets boring. But unfortunately there has been little fisticuffs between the Knaufs and Fraction. We get it, Stark has his problems, but it’s become the focus anymore. A reason Legacy of Doom was so good was because during a time of heavy drama we got an exciting and action packed series. It has its character development, it got the characters correct and it had all the things Haunted, Five Nightmares and World’s Most wanted had and it did it without being boring, not to mention did it in four issues. There is too much time being focused on characters and not enough on action. You can do both but recently Marvel seems to be oblivious to that fact. A deep meaning or emotional story means nothing when it’s not entertaining.
1) Armor Wars
We just got and Armor Wars miniseries that was terrible. Ultimate Iron Mane had an Armor Wars story line that I don't think anyone read because no one pays attention to Ultimate Iron Man. Now in the new Iron Man series “Iron Man Legacy” (to be covered in a later post) the first is going to be, you guessed it, “Armor Wars.” And the worst part of it all? IT’S ALL THE SAME STORY! Someone steals Stark’s armors and he goes after them in vigilante mode. How many more times will this be done? And none have been to the level of the original story. If you’re going to make a new Armor Wars, do something new for god’s sake. Armor Wars may have been the best saga in Iron Man’s history, but merely rehashing it doesn’t mean the story will be good. Armor Wars I and II were completely different, why when all these new Armor Wars are popping up, are there no new takes on it? I can't imagine it’s that hard to come up with something different.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Review: Armor Wars Miniseries
Recently the Armor Wars four issue miniseries came to a close. Geared towards mostly younger audiences it was supposed to be a new twist on the classic event. But could it live up to it at all?
Story
Well it’s the same thing Armor Wars starts off with: someone stole Stark’s armor. Unfortunately it quickly diverts from there going from Stark attempting to shut down his stolen armors to, well, I’m not really sure. The story was truly all over the place, attempts at putting some new twist in at every turn to the point that by the time the story ended you weren't sure how it really related to the Armor Wars theme.
Every issue took a new direction; new villains, new armors and new plot. There was little coherence to this series and at even four issues managed to completely after the second installment. If you can't keep the focus on armors for four issues you’ve pretty much failed. Even worse, it’s a failure with a story that has been done before.
Grade: F
Art
As I mentioned this series was geared towards younger audiences and the art definitely reflected that. Having a cartoon/anime style it was filled with characters with exaggerated facial features and bright eye caching colors. At times you couldn’t tell what the artist was going for, the fight scenes often confusing. In terms of the target audience the art was a success; but for a regular collector like myself it didn’t work.
Grade: C
Writing
Like I said the story just went all over the place. So much was crammed into this story that not enough time could be spent on developing characters main or supporting. It also failed the move the story along at a good pace, going fast and jumping all over the place. So many twists were thrown in such as Omega Red and a shape shifter impersonating Rhodey that it just got annoying and confusing by the end. “In depth” is not a term I would apply to this.
Grade: F
Final Thoughts
Even for a younger audience this book doesn’t make the cut. Too many twists and turns, most of which were not needed and added nothing were made the primary focus by the end. For a title called “Armor Wars” there was a massive lack of the concept in the last half of the story. All in all the art and especially the story failed to captivate in any way. If you haven’t picked up the title and you’re not a completist don't waste your time or money.
Final Grade: F
I apologize for the formatting but for some unknown reason blogger refuses to put spaces in between paragraphs,
Monday, November 30, 2009
New Iron Man 2 Poster
Warning: you may need a tissue.
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(click image for larger size) You may nerdgasm now.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Review: World's Most Wanted
The “highly acclaimed and award winning” story arc World’s Most Wanted has finally come to a conclusion after twelve long issues. While Marvel and critics claim this arc to be epic in nearly every aspect, you have to wonder if it really is. I don't know how much weight you’ll put into my opinion (I’m guessing zero), but here is my review of World’s Most Wanted.
Story
The story itself wasn’t highly original. Stark is on the run from Osborn and HAMMER and he is losing his mind in the process trying to keep the Super Hero Registration files from falling into Osborn’s hands. It’s reminiscent of Armor Wars when he was on the run from SHIELD and later when his body was failing from the damaged nervous system, just rolled into the same arc. Different yes, but somewhat the same principle. I’m not going to say it’s a copy, but it’s not 100% original either.
The other big problem I have is that it’s really more of making Stark look low. This is Marvel once again punishing the guy they have made popular by writing out of character to be the bad guy. Fraction said he saw it as Stark atoning for all his sins, not just the Civil War crap, but given what he’s gone through in his life; the artificial heart (twice), alcoholism and losing his company, his nervous system ruined, paralysis not to mention that whole death thing, how much more does the guy need to atone for?
This doesn’t mean the story didn’t have potential. It could still have been a fun read if the right things were done, which unfortunately they weren’t. There was so much filler that this arc could have easily been six issues and without missing out on any of the excitement that was present.
The start of the saga wasn’t bad, Stark eliminating his armories and having big names like Namor sent after him added an interesting element. This didn’t last and soon it became Stark fielding less and less advanced armors while continually trying to escape some D-rate villain that had a single appearance in an obscure 1980’s issue or something along that line. The using a less sophisticated armor didn’t make much sense given how newer armors capabilities would allow the onboard computer to do much of the things he wouldn’t be able to handle. It seemed like another lame excuse to start using the classic armor again. Seriously, the armor had its run but put the thing to rest already.
The addition of Pepper becoming a fighter was iffy at best. If you changed it from Pepper to Bethany Cabe, then beating Masque, being Iron Maiden (or whatever you want to call it) would have been far more believable. Pepper is just too much of that nice cheery girl to be really seen as a warrior, even in extraordinary circumstances. I do like the things Fraction had her do, but I just felt Pepper was ill suited to it.
Despite all the room for things to happen, too little transpired and what did was often repetitive. Too many issues felt the same.
Grade: C-
Writing
Fraction made one big mistake throughout the story: he told instead of showing. We were always told how Stark was losing his mind, he said it himself three times an issue. This was horribly repetitive as if we could somehow forget it. I started to roll my eyes every time Stark mentioned this. When Fraction did show it he did a good job (i.e. “Who is Happy?”) but too often that wasn’t the case.
Pacing was also bad. As I said earlier there was a ton of filler in this arc. We were greeted to a few pages of Stark going on about his mental state which by the second issue was a total waste of space. The issues all started to feel the same mid arc and that is never good.
Grade: C
Art
Larocca isn’t my favorite artist, but I’ve seen his past work and it’s better than this. There was nothing wrong with his pencils or the inks, it was the colors. Every person looked plastic and fake in the issues, making Larocca’s art look cartoonish at times. Osborn often looked ridiculous in my opinion, his hair further making him look like someone I expect to see in a Sunday morning comic strip.
Just like during the Knauf’s run, the colorist is taking away from the visuals. We went from dark and drab to everyone being shiny like they were just waxed.
Grade: C
Finish
Marvel and other outlets billed the ending of World’s Most Wanted as shocking. Iron Man fans billed it as totally predictable. I will give credit to Fraction; even though everyone knew what was going to happen in issue #19 it was still a very entertaining piece. We all knew Stark couldn’t die and Osborn was still going to be in control; it couldn’t end any differently, so a win for both signs was a given. I can forgive Fraction for the predictable ending because he had little choice.
Stark won because Osborn didn’t get his hands on any of the information he wanted. Osborn won because Stark was no longer a threat. Like I said, predictable. I did like at the end how Stark smiled and said “I won” which pissed Osborn off to no end, classic Stark (another Kudos to Fraction). Stark also had his contingency plan in place, knowing about all the legalities of SHIELD and having Donald Blake (a.k.a. Thor) as his doctor with power of attorney. It was also nice to see Pepper sabotage the stolen armors, throwing yet another wrench in Osborn’s plans.
In addition the video feed of Osborn beating a helpless Stark was shown all over the world, setting up the beginning of his fall. It looks like public opinion will begin to shift away from Osborn now, so by the time Siege rolls around chances are things will be going badly for him.
Grade: B+
Final Thoughts
Despite the positive critical reviews the majority of long time Iron Man fans have been giving it a big thumbs down. The arc overall was boring, laced with far more filler than substance and a storyline that repeated itself way too much.
Marvel no doubt points to the Eisner win a testament to its quality, but I counter with the opinion from long time Iron Man fans (the ones who have kept the book going for so long) that are ripping it apart. I’d venture to say those opinions are more telling than an award because who knows the character better than the ones who have follow all his exploits for decades? Are we not the ones who can determine if each action is in or out of character, instead of some committee that only gets handed the product when submitted? Ask the long time fans and all of them will tell you World’s Most Wanted can't hold a candle to previous sagas such as Armor Wars, Dragon Seed, War Machine and the other classic arcs. That the arc could have easily been half its length and contain the same amount of quality substance is a fact that should not be overlooked and frankly it should be questioned why it was allowed to happen.
All in all, Worlds Most Wanted despite its critical acclaim was unimpressive. Too long, too boring, and a predictable ending never make for a good story.
Final Grade: C-
Story
The story itself wasn’t highly original. Stark is on the run from Osborn and HAMMER and he is losing his mind in the process trying to keep the Super Hero Registration files from falling into Osborn’s hands. It’s reminiscent of Armor Wars when he was on the run from SHIELD and later when his body was failing from the damaged nervous system, just rolled into the same arc. Different yes, but somewhat the same principle. I’m not going to say it’s a copy, but it’s not 100% original either.
The other big problem I have is that it’s really more of making Stark look low. This is Marvel once again punishing the guy they have made popular by writing out of character to be the bad guy. Fraction said he saw it as Stark atoning for all his sins, not just the Civil War crap, but given what he’s gone through in his life; the artificial heart (twice), alcoholism and losing his company, his nervous system ruined, paralysis not to mention that whole death thing, how much more does the guy need to atone for?
This doesn’t mean the story didn’t have potential. It could still have been a fun read if the right things were done, which unfortunately they weren’t. There was so much filler that this arc could have easily been six issues and without missing out on any of the excitement that was present.
The start of the saga wasn’t bad, Stark eliminating his armories and having big names like Namor sent after him added an interesting element. This didn’t last and soon it became Stark fielding less and less advanced armors while continually trying to escape some D-rate villain that had a single appearance in an obscure 1980’s issue or something along that line. The using a less sophisticated armor didn’t make much sense given how newer armors capabilities would allow the onboard computer to do much of the things he wouldn’t be able to handle. It seemed like another lame excuse to start using the classic armor again. Seriously, the armor had its run but put the thing to rest already.
The addition of Pepper becoming a fighter was iffy at best. If you changed it from Pepper to Bethany Cabe, then beating Masque, being Iron Maiden (or whatever you want to call it) would have been far more believable. Pepper is just too much of that nice cheery girl to be really seen as a warrior, even in extraordinary circumstances. I do like the things Fraction had her do, but I just felt Pepper was ill suited to it.
Despite all the room for things to happen, too little transpired and what did was often repetitive. Too many issues felt the same.
Grade: C-
Writing
Fraction made one big mistake throughout the story: he told instead of showing. We were always told how Stark was losing his mind, he said it himself three times an issue. This was horribly repetitive as if we could somehow forget it. I started to roll my eyes every time Stark mentioned this. When Fraction did show it he did a good job (i.e. “Who is Happy?”) but too often that wasn’t the case.
Pacing was also bad. As I said earlier there was a ton of filler in this arc. We were greeted to a few pages of Stark going on about his mental state which by the second issue was a total waste of space. The issues all started to feel the same mid arc and that is never good.
Grade: C
Art
Larocca isn’t my favorite artist, but I’ve seen his past work and it’s better than this. There was nothing wrong with his pencils or the inks, it was the colors. Every person looked plastic and fake in the issues, making Larocca’s art look cartoonish at times. Osborn often looked ridiculous in my opinion, his hair further making him look like someone I expect to see in a Sunday morning comic strip.
Just like during the Knauf’s run, the colorist is taking away from the visuals. We went from dark and drab to everyone being shiny like they were just waxed.
Grade: C
Finish
Marvel and other outlets billed the ending of World’s Most Wanted as shocking. Iron Man fans billed it as totally predictable. I will give credit to Fraction; even though everyone knew what was going to happen in issue #19 it was still a very entertaining piece. We all knew Stark couldn’t die and Osborn was still going to be in control; it couldn’t end any differently, so a win for both signs was a given. I can forgive Fraction for the predictable ending because he had little choice.
Stark won because Osborn didn’t get his hands on any of the information he wanted. Osborn won because Stark was no longer a threat. Like I said, predictable. I did like at the end how Stark smiled and said “I won” which pissed Osborn off to no end, classic Stark (another Kudos to Fraction). Stark also had his contingency plan in place, knowing about all the legalities of SHIELD and having Donald Blake (a.k.a. Thor) as his doctor with power of attorney. It was also nice to see Pepper sabotage the stolen armors, throwing yet another wrench in Osborn’s plans.
In addition the video feed of Osborn beating a helpless Stark was shown all over the world, setting up the beginning of his fall. It looks like public opinion will begin to shift away from Osborn now, so by the time Siege rolls around chances are things will be going badly for him.
Grade: B+
Final Thoughts
Despite the positive critical reviews the majority of long time Iron Man fans have been giving it a big thumbs down. The arc overall was boring, laced with far more filler than substance and a storyline that repeated itself way too much.
Marvel no doubt points to the Eisner win a testament to its quality, but I counter with the opinion from long time Iron Man fans (the ones who have kept the book going for so long) that are ripping it apart. I’d venture to say those opinions are more telling than an award because who knows the character better than the ones who have follow all his exploits for decades? Are we not the ones who can determine if each action is in or out of character, instead of some committee that only gets handed the product when submitted? Ask the long time fans and all of them will tell you World’s Most Wanted can't hold a candle to previous sagas such as Armor Wars, Dragon Seed, War Machine and the other classic arcs. That the arc could have easily been half its length and contain the same amount of quality substance is a fact that should not be overlooked and frankly it should be questioned why it was allowed to happen.
All in all, Worlds Most Wanted despite its critical acclaim was unimpressive. Too long, too boring, and a predictable ending never make for a good story.
Final Grade: C-
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wolverine: Overexposed
There is no denying that Wolverine is one of the most popular comic characters out there. We loved the edge and grittiness he brought to teams consisting mostly of goody-two-shoes. We loved he was willing to do what it took to get the job done, including what others wouldn’t. He was original from his powers to his past and an all around great character. There was an awe and mystery surrounding him that helped propel him so quickly from cameo to mainstay.
Nowadays Wolverine is everywhere. And while I do mean everywhere from books to movies, let’s just focus on the medium he was created for: comics. Wolverine is all over the place. He holds multiple titles of his own with the likes of Wolverine Origins and Old Man Logan, he is part of a team in the X-Men, X-Force and New Avengers books and is in just about every alternate reality there is like the Ultimates and House of M. Literally, wherever we look, Wolverine is there.
And it has to stop.
I know Marvel wants to make the most of one of their most popular characters, but it’s to the point of too much. Origins is chided by fans for finally revealing Wolverine’s past, not only making it not that interesting but also taking away secrets that made the character so mysterious. They essentially filled in dates for things that were hinted at for years. Plus they did a big no-no in comics: they gave specific dates. Never give a specific date unless it’s something like Captain America when he fought in World War II and he was then frozen for an undetermined amount of time to get to the present. We now know exactly how old Wolverine is and it hurts the character.
Then you have the fact Wolverine is now a part of three teams, the above mentioned X-Men, X-Force and New Avengers. Where does he get the time for all of this? The two X titles okay, but does he really need to be in the Avengers?
Finally there is the problem on how powerful Wolverine has become. Before one of the great things was that underneath it all, the adamantium and the advanced healing factor, he was no stronger or faster than the rest. He one more by his never quit and aggressive demeanor that his actual powers. But Marvel made an excuse to make him more powerful, saying his body continually evolved and that the adamantium was holding his evolution back. Now he has superhuman strength and his healing factor, before just very quick, can now heal him as long as there is any flesh left. Basically, Wolverine is no longer killable. What fun is that in a character?
Nowadays Wolverine is everywhere. And while I do mean everywhere from books to movies, let’s just focus on the medium he was created for: comics. Wolverine is all over the place. He holds multiple titles of his own with the likes of Wolverine Origins and Old Man Logan, he is part of a team in the X-Men, X-Force and New Avengers books and is in just about every alternate reality there is like the Ultimates and House of M. Literally, wherever we look, Wolverine is there.
And it has to stop.
I know Marvel wants to make the most of one of their most popular characters, but it’s to the point of too much. Origins is chided by fans for finally revealing Wolverine’s past, not only making it not that interesting but also taking away secrets that made the character so mysterious. They essentially filled in dates for things that were hinted at for years. Plus they did a big no-no in comics: they gave specific dates. Never give a specific date unless it’s something like Captain America when he fought in World War II and he was then frozen for an undetermined amount of time to get to the present. We now know exactly how old Wolverine is and it hurts the character.
Then you have the fact Wolverine is now a part of three teams, the above mentioned X-Men, X-Force and New Avengers. Where does he get the time for all of this? The two X titles okay, but does he really need to be in the Avengers?
Finally there is the problem on how powerful Wolverine has become. Before one of the great things was that underneath it all, the adamantium and the advanced healing factor, he was no stronger or faster than the rest. He one more by his never quit and aggressive demeanor that his actual powers. But Marvel made an excuse to make him more powerful, saying his body continually evolved and that the adamantium was holding his evolution back. Now he has superhuman strength and his healing factor, before just very quick, can now heal him as long as there is any flesh left. Basically, Wolverine is no longer killable. What fun is that in a character?
Yes, he survived thisIf you look at the older X-Men and Wolverine books, you’ll see him struggle to recover from wounds that would keep a normal man down. His recovery would be much faster but he would still be weak for a short time. Think of when Omega Red was first introduced. He barely survived and was weak while he and other captured X-Men escaped. Now if that happened he’d be 100% healthy in a few minutes.
Look at Secret Invasion #6 when he fought the Skrull Queen. In a few frames we see half his face burned off and his forearm burned down to the bone, yet a few frames later he is perfectly fine. It’s too much. What good is a character if they can’t actually be beaten?
I know it won’t happen but Marvel really needs to tone down Wolverine’s exposure, and get him back to what made him interesting to begin with. He’s in too many titles and it’s getting a bit annoying to see him everywhere. Worse is that they’ve watered the character down by telling his past and making him too powerful. A lot of the things that made the character great are now gone.
I like Wolverine as a character, and I was one of those kids who got hooked on the X-Men because of the cartoon back in the 90’s. But that character, the one that caught everyone’s interest instantly is gone.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Siege
Just recently Marvel announced what the next will be: Siege. Written by Brian Michael Bendis (who seems to be writing 75% of Marvel comics at the moment) it is to bring Dark Reign to a close.
Bendis explains that Norman Osborn will be setting his sights on Asgard seeing them as a threat. We're left to assume he has some big plan in order to bring down a city filled with Gods, and to the rescue will be the Avengers, including the reuniting of the three classic Avengers: Iron Man, Thor and Captain America.
According to Bendis the event will affect the Avengers the most, involving all the teams. I'm guessing we are going to see a Mighty Avengers team consisting of the big three plus some others, a different New Avengers team and likely the end of the Dark Avengers. Bendis is claiming this will be the biggest impact to Earth's mightiest heroes since Disassembled.
The series will be only four issues and supposedly be action packed and move quickly. I'm shocked Marvel editors agreed to do, but Bendis was able to convince them so congrats to him for not wanting to stretch a story when it doesn't need to be.
At this point I'm just not optimistic anymore. Yes I know I have been negative and cynical but Marvel hasn't given me any reason not to be in recent years. Bendis says Thor, Cap and Iron Man will put aside their differences, but frankly I'm not buying it. I've just seen too much Iron Man bashing from Marvel in recent years to really believe Stark wont somehow be lambasted and made to look bad yet again.
For the most part the story sounds interesting. Hopefully Bendis can pull this off and Dark Lame can come to an end. Maybe I just haven't been reading enough Marvel titles, but I've been thoroughly unimpressed with what little has happened under Osborn's rule. It just seems like a wasted opportunity to me.
We'll see where this goes though. Hopefully it will live up the hype Marvel will be putting into it.
Bendis explains that Norman Osborn will be setting his sights on Asgard seeing them as a threat. We're left to assume he has some big plan in order to bring down a city filled with Gods, and to the rescue will be the Avengers, including the reuniting of the three classic Avengers: Iron Man, Thor and Captain America.
According to Bendis the event will affect the Avengers the most, involving all the teams. I'm guessing we are going to see a Mighty Avengers team consisting of the big three plus some others, a different New Avengers team and likely the end of the Dark Avengers. Bendis is claiming this will be the biggest impact to Earth's mightiest heroes since Disassembled.
The series will be only four issues and supposedly be action packed and move quickly. I'm shocked Marvel editors agreed to do, but Bendis was able to convince them so congrats to him for not wanting to stretch a story when it doesn't need to be.
At this point I'm just not optimistic anymore. Yes I know I have been negative and cynical but Marvel hasn't given me any reason not to be in recent years. Bendis says Thor, Cap and Iron Man will put aside their differences, but frankly I'm not buying it. I've just seen too much Iron Man bashing from Marvel in recent years to really believe Stark wont somehow be lambasted and made to look bad yet again.
For the most part the story sounds interesting. Hopefully Bendis can pull this off and Dark Lame can come to an end. Maybe I just haven't been reading enough Marvel titles, but I've been thoroughly unimpressed with what little has happened under Osborn's rule. It just seems like a wasted opportunity to me.
We'll see where this goes though. Hopefully it will live up the hype Marvel will be putting into it.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Spider-Man Aesthetics
I admit I don't read Spider-Man at all. There have been a few arcs that have interested me but that’s it. I don’t have anything bad to say about the character himself; I think he’s pretty original, but he’s just never done it for me. But there is something I don't understand that happens with him sometimes:
Why does Spider-Man look like an anorexic teenager wearing pajamas?
Yes, it depends on the artist and some draw him in the more classic style, but some draw him like a scrawny teenager picked off the street and thrown in a costume. I don't get it.
I know Parker was a teen when he became a super hero but I’m pretty sure he’s not a teen any longer. His body has developed and he’s actually filled out with muscles, and super strength is a part of his power set. So why is he drawn like he hasn’t eaten anything in months? I get he’s not supposed to be muscle-bound like Thor or Luke Cage, but there is no reason for him to look like he’s skin and bones.
Also, why do some artists draw the outlines of his feet through his costume as if the feet have no soles? Seeing his toes is awkward and honestly a bit goofy.
So when the editors at Marvel get the layouts from the artist, don't they see it and say to themselves “that looks weird?” I know I would. I’m not saying you should tell an artist his style per se, some will draw characters bigger, some smaller, but I think when it goes into the realm of making him look like Dr. Strange could pick Spider-Man over his head and break him like a twig, I think the editor needs to step in.
Why does Spider-Man look like an anorexic teenager wearing pajamas?
Yes, it depends on the artist and some draw him in the more classic style, but some draw him like a scrawny teenager picked off the street and thrown in a costume. I don't get it.
I know Parker was a teen when he became a super hero but I’m pretty sure he’s not a teen any longer. His body has developed and he’s actually filled out with muscles, and super strength is a part of his power set. So why is he drawn like he hasn’t eaten anything in months? I get he’s not supposed to be muscle-bound like Thor or Luke Cage, but there is no reason for him to look like he’s skin and bones.
Also, why do some artists draw the outlines of his feet through his costume as if the feet have no soles? Seeing his toes is awkward and honestly a bit goofy.
So when the editors at Marvel get the layouts from the artist, don't they see it and say to themselves “that looks weird?” I know I would. I’m not saying you should tell an artist his style per se, some will draw characters bigger, some smaller, but I think when it goes into the realm of making him look like Dr. Strange could pick Spider-Man over his head and break him like a twig, I think the editor needs to step in.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tony Stark Disassembled
Well if you haven’t heard by now the upcoming arc for Iron Man following World’s Most Boring… err, World’s Most Wanted, will be Tony Stark Disassembled.
Sigh.
So basically the next arc is exactly what we thought it will be: dealing with the aftermath WMW whose sorely predictable ending will end with a fight between Stark and Osborn and each emerging victorious in their own way. TSD will focus on Stark being put back together as a person both in body and mind.
Oh look, more ways to make Stark pay for the past three events fans hated that he didn’t actually cause. Yippee! For whatever reason Marvel decided twelve issues of crapping on Stark wasn’t really enough, so they need to create a supplementary arc to fully cover how shattered he has become. I know I can’t wait!
Seriously, how is this supposed to be entertaining? Honestly, I want to know. We’ve had to deal with an arc where we’re told five times and issue Stark is losing his mind and running away. It’s been a comic adaptation of the movie Run Lola, Run! featuring Iron Man.
Not to mention they pick a name for the arc that related to Avengers: Disassembled, considered a terrible arc by Avengers fans. Way to go Marvel! Nothing entices people to read an arc by relating it to a failed arc.
I don't know what to say at this point, I just don't. I thought this would be a long, well thought out post but as I wrote I found myself unable to muster anything that I haven’t said a hundred times over. Even the paragraphs that I’ve written seem like a repetition of the one before it.
The title has become so boring and predictable and Marvel has told us the six issues that follow will just be more of the same crap. I’m seriously starting to contemplate dropping the title because it is just that uninteresting and banal.
I’m getting depressed just writing this article, and that is probably the most telling thing of all about the direction of this book.
Sigh.
So basically the next arc is exactly what we thought it will be: dealing with the aftermath WMW whose sorely predictable ending will end with a fight between Stark and Osborn and each emerging victorious in their own way. TSD will focus on Stark being put back together as a person both in body and mind.
Oh look, more ways to make Stark pay for the past three events fans hated that he didn’t actually cause. Yippee! For whatever reason Marvel decided twelve issues of crapping on Stark wasn’t really enough, so they need to create a supplementary arc to fully cover how shattered he has become. I know I can’t wait!
Seriously, how is this supposed to be entertaining? Honestly, I want to know. We’ve had to deal with an arc where we’re told five times and issue Stark is losing his mind and running away. It’s been a comic adaptation of the movie Run Lola, Run! featuring Iron Man.
Not to mention they pick a name for the arc that related to Avengers: Disassembled, considered a terrible arc by Avengers fans. Way to go Marvel! Nothing entices people to read an arc by relating it to a failed arc.
I don't know what to say at this point, I just don't. I thought this would be a long, well thought out post but as I wrote I found myself unable to muster anything that I haven’t said a hundred times over. Even the paragraphs that I’ve written seem like a repetition of the one before it.
The title has become so boring and predictable and Marvel has told us the six issues that follow will just be more of the same crap. I’m seriously starting to contemplate dropping the title because it is just that uninteresting and banal.
I’m getting depressed just writing this article, and that is probably the most telling thing of all about the direction of this book.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Disney set to buy Marvel
Well I originally had another post planned for this week, but it gets trumped by this.
If you haven't heard (which I'm sure you have by now), Marvel is being bought by Disney. Yes, Disney. While the sale has not been fully approved yet, since it won't be creating a monopoly or anything of that sort chances are this will go through as long as the two companies to everything legally. The price is $4 Billion, yes, with a "B"
So is this good or bad? Well it's good in that Marvel wont have to worry about money anymore, which could see a rise in the quality of work as it may be more keen on paying to keep high end writers and artists. It can also be a boon for movies as funding likely wont be a problem anymore.
Of course, there is always a flip side.
Disney is known to shove out movies just to get them released so quality may suffer in that aspect. They're in it for the money and I think we've all seen how Disney milks everything they own for what it's worth be it film rights, characters or actors. And they're definitely going to do this with what they're paying for the company.
The question is how much they will interfere with the creative process at Marvel. While I am drooling over the possibility of Joe Q getting the boot, the truth is Disney doesn't really do comics and they could make things worse. If they just throw their own people in charge who have no clue what they're doing (even less so than Marvel) well, the Marvel U will be a mess, titles will get cancelled and who knows what kind of Deus Ex Machina they will have to use to fix it all.
All in all I am skeptical about this. There are definitely pros to this acquisition, and as much as Marvel may be misguided at times, I'm kind of for the devil you know in this case. Comics aren't exactly PG anymore and if Disney decides they should be, well, I don't look forward to Cyclops shooting rainbows from his eyes and Dr. Doom striving for something despicable like maintaining the highest tv ratings in the world.
I wonder what the Vegas odds are when the X-Men take on Duck Tales?
If you haven't heard (which I'm sure you have by now), Marvel is being bought by Disney. Yes, Disney. While the sale has not been fully approved yet, since it won't be creating a monopoly or anything of that sort chances are this will go through as long as the two companies to everything legally. The price is $4 Billion, yes, with a "B"
So is this good or bad? Well it's good in that Marvel wont have to worry about money anymore, which could see a rise in the quality of work as it may be more keen on paying to keep high end writers and artists. It can also be a boon for movies as funding likely wont be a problem anymore.
Of course, there is always a flip side.
Disney is known to shove out movies just to get them released so quality may suffer in that aspect. They're in it for the money and I think we've all seen how Disney milks everything they own for what it's worth be it film rights, characters or actors. And they're definitely going to do this with what they're paying for the company.
The question is how much they will interfere with the creative process at Marvel. While I am drooling over the possibility of Joe Q getting the boot, the truth is Disney doesn't really do comics and they could make things worse. If they just throw their own people in charge who have no clue what they're doing (even less so than Marvel) well, the Marvel U will be a mess, titles will get cancelled and who knows what kind of Deus Ex Machina they will have to use to fix it all.
All in all I am skeptical about this. There are definitely pros to this acquisition, and as much as Marvel may be misguided at times, I'm kind of for the devil you know in this case. Comics aren't exactly PG anymore and if Disney decides they should be, well, I don't look forward to Cyclops shooting rainbows from his eyes and Dr. Doom striving for something despicable like maintaining the highest tv ratings in the world.
I wonder what the Vegas odds are when the X-Men take on Duck Tales?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
If I Were Marvel Editor in Chief
I’ve made no secret I am not a fan of Joe Quesada as Marvel Editor in Chief, and neither has many of other Marvel fans out there (not that Marvel cares what any of them think). He’s done far too many things that, while may sell comics, has severely dropped their quality. Things up at Marvel don't seem to be all happy go lucky, filled with ego and either too much leniency for writers or tying their hands too much. When you hear tidbits from those who work there, it isn’t all the fun and games you think it would be. In reflecting on this I have decided to pose a question to myself: what changes would I make if I were Marvel’s Editor in Chief. Below is a list of the changes if I hypothetically got the job.
Arc length is no longer decided by a TPB
This is a major problem I have with Marvel right now. Arc lengths are determined by being put into a TPB, normally six issues and this sells the story and reader short. If an arc only needs to be four issues, do it in four and don't draw the story out. If it needs to be eight, don't cut it short and deprive the reader of what the story was supposed to be. Too often arcs feel rushed or drawn out because of this. The TPB is the one whose length (and subsequently price) should be adjusted to fit the story, not the other way around.
Asterisks are OK
Joe Q got rid of these citing writers should explain what happened in the past in the story, feeling it is a bit of a cop out. Personally I think it’s so they don't have to point to a story that’s been retconned but I digress. Honestly putting the asterisk in keeps the story moving so a writer doesn’t have to waste precious space on referring to the past. Using the asterisk speeds the story up and avoids lengthy retellings.
Smoking is back
Smoking was banned because it was seen as a bad influence to kids. Somehow, all the sex, violence, death and other stuff that is far worse than smoking is ok to have on a regular basis. But a few characters having a smoke? Don’t even think of it. They add an element to the characters and I guarantee you kids never smoked because Wolverine had a cigar. I know it had no affect on me.
Vivid colors return
Far too often comics look drab and dark. Some are supposed to be dark and I am fine with that, but not all comics are a good fit for the noir style. Moon Knight? Yes. Iron Man? No. Too often the Marvel world seems blah from poor coloring. Reading series like Legacy of Doom the story was brought to life by bright, vibrant colors, and it needs to happen again. Look, if people were that into dark, we’d have never switched from black and white film to color. There is a reason TV companies promote how vibrant the colors of their TV are, bright colors are eye catching and are visual stimulating. It should be no different with comics.
Epic and shock factor aren’t a priority of a story
I truly think this has taken over. It’s like every arc there has to be some death defying, world changing occurrence that changes the character(s) life. It’s ridiculous. So many writers try to tell the grand story they lose sight that they aren’t writing a good story. Give me a well written, entertaining non-epic arc over one that is lots of filler but ends with a bang. I don’t pay $3.99 an issue just to have it be filler that leads up to something better. I’m all for a twist or meaningful ending, but it shouldn’t be the point of the arc. If the lead up story isn’t any good or it’s boring, the ending doesn’t really matter.
Listen to the fans
You know, the people that support Marvel by purchasing their product? Too many times has Marvel blown them off because the editors and writers think what they do is good. The Crossing? One More Day? Avengers Disassembled? All horrid in terms of story or their implications but the editors loved what happened. Did it matter to them the fans hated these stories? Nope. Marvel patted themselves on the back for a job well done because they liked them, ignoring the vitriol spewed by the fans.
Get rid of specific dates
I’m sorry, but Wolverine Origins has done nothing but damage the character. Setting a specific date has proven to be a no-no in comics for decades. Wolverine is a great example of this because now we know exactly how old he is, and when he gets to be too old, boom- retcon. All is does is create trouble and spawn an eventual fix, re-boot, retcon or some other method of undoing the date. It’s always been stated Captain America was frozen for an unspecified amount of time after World War II, and despite that working so well some writers don't want to follow that. Specific dates are truly nothing but trouble.
Arc length is no longer decided by a TPB
This is a major problem I have with Marvel right now. Arc lengths are determined by being put into a TPB, normally six issues and this sells the story and reader short. If an arc only needs to be four issues, do it in four and don't draw the story out. If it needs to be eight, don't cut it short and deprive the reader of what the story was supposed to be. Too often arcs feel rushed or drawn out because of this. The TPB is the one whose length (and subsequently price) should be adjusted to fit the story, not the other way around.
Asterisks are OK
Joe Q got rid of these citing writers should explain what happened in the past in the story, feeling it is a bit of a cop out. Personally I think it’s so they don't have to point to a story that’s been retconned but I digress. Honestly putting the asterisk in keeps the story moving so a writer doesn’t have to waste precious space on referring to the past. Using the asterisk speeds the story up and avoids lengthy retellings.
Smoking is back
Smoking was banned because it was seen as a bad influence to kids. Somehow, all the sex, violence, death and other stuff that is far worse than smoking is ok to have on a regular basis. But a few characters having a smoke? Don’t even think of it. They add an element to the characters and I guarantee you kids never smoked because Wolverine had a cigar. I know it had no affect on me.
Vivid colors return
Far too often comics look drab and dark. Some are supposed to be dark and I am fine with that, but not all comics are a good fit for the noir style. Moon Knight? Yes. Iron Man? No. Too often the Marvel world seems blah from poor coloring. Reading series like Legacy of Doom the story was brought to life by bright, vibrant colors, and it needs to happen again. Look, if people were that into dark, we’d have never switched from black and white film to color. There is a reason TV companies promote how vibrant the colors of their TV are, bright colors are eye catching and are visual stimulating. It should be no different with comics.
Epic and shock factor aren’t a priority of a story
I truly think this has taken over. It’s like every arc there has to be some death defying, world changing occurrence that changes the character(s) life. It’s ridiculous. So many writers try to tell the grand story they lose sight that they aren’t writing a good story. Give me a well written, entertaining non-epic arc over one that is lots of filler but ends with a bang. I don’t pay $3.99 an issue just to have it be filler that leads up to something better. I’m all for a twist or meaningful ending, but it shouldn’t be the point of the arc. If the lead up story isn’t any good or it’s boring, the ending doesn’t really matter.
Listen to the fans
You know, the people that support Marvel by purchasing their product? Too many times has Marvel blown them off because the editors and writers think what they do is good. The Crossing? One More Day? Avengers Disassembled? All horrid in terms of story or their implications but the editors loved what happened. Did it matter to them the fans hated these stories? Nope. Marvel patted themselves on the back for a job well done because they liked them, ignoring the vitriol spewed by the fans.
Get rid of specific dates
I’m sorry, but Wolverine Origins has done nothing but damage the character. Setting a specific date has proven to be a no-no in comics for decades. Wolverine is a great example of this because now we know exactly how old he is, and when he gets to be too old, boom- retcon. All is does is create trouble and spawn an eventual fix, re-boot, retcon or some other method of undoing the date. It’s always been stated Captain America was frozen for an unspecified amount of time after World War II, and despite that working so well some writers don't want to follow that. Specific dates are truly nothing but trouble.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Well Isnt This Interesting?
This story is courtesy of poster IMJ over at the Advanced Iron forums.
IMJ attended the Wizard World Chicago event over a three day period and one of the things he attended was the Marvel panel. One of the things they talked about was the current and future arc of Iron Man. They expected there to be a a good reaction to the new arc Tony Stark Disassembled (I cover this in a later post) and what they got was silence. In order to break said awkward silence one of the panel said "this arc won an Eisner for a reason!" (or something along that line according to IMJ).
That's really the story, but those last two things are very significant: the silence from the announcement and that Marvel's response was winning the Eisner.
Silence can be golden as they say, and it was definitely the case here. Marvel thought they hit a home run with the upcoming Disassembled arc (even thought people still have nightmares from Avengers Disassembled) only to find out no one was impressed. Why would we be? The current 12 issue arc is basically dragging Tony through the mud even more telling us how he is losing his mind, so why in God's name would we be impressed with another six issue arc that does it even more? Marvel is obviously excited about Stark getting shit on even more yet is ignorant of the fact that everyone, even non Iron Man fans, are sick of it. Like I mentioned in an earlier post months ago, I was talking to a Spider-Man fan and even he said what Marvel was doing to Stark was ridiculous, and he didn't even read the main title!
Next on to Marvel's pathetic response of it winning an Eisner. Here is the thing about books: people who read them don't give a rat's ass about awards. I had no clue what an Eisner was before Fraction got nominated. People read books for enjoyment and don't care what awards they won and right here is the big problem with Marvel: they think the opposite.
They think winning an Eisner means the book is good and the fans would care. Funny thing is when you talk to long time Iron Man fans none of them like this arc at all. Some consider it a rehash, some like myself are bored with it and others just think it's outright crap. The fans silence voiced their displeasure with this title right now.
The problem is Marvel wont take the hint. They'll go home, wonder why no one was cheering then say "well the fact it won an Eisner makes us right." They will, as they have done many times in recent years, ignore the fans. I have no doubt they are saying to themselves "the fans just don't get it." Unfortunately, it's Marvel that just doesn't get it. People are tired of Iron Man being dragged through the mud. While they made it fashionable to do so by blaming everything in Civil War on him three years later it is tired and boring and the readers are just rolling their eyes at this point.
IMJ attended the Wizard World Chicago event over a three day period and one of the things he attended was the Marvel panel. One of the things they talked about was the current and future arc of Iron Man. They expected there to be a a good reaction to the new arc Tony Stark Disassembled (I cover this in a later post) and what they got was silence. In order to break said awkward silence one of the panel said "this arc won an Eisner for a reason!" (or something along that line according to IMJ).
That's really the story, but those last two things are very significant: the silence from the announcement and that Marvel's response was winning the Eisner.
Silence can be golden as they say, and it was definitely the case here. Marvel thought they hit a home run with the upcoming Disassembled arc (even thought people still have nightmares from Avengers Disassembled) only to find out no one was impressed. Why would we be? The current 12 issue arc is basically dragging Tony through the mud even more telling us how he is losing his mind, so why in God's name would we be impressed with another six issue arc that does it even more? Marvel is obviously excited about Stark getting shit on even more yet is ignorant of the fact that everyone, even non Iron Man fans, are sick of it. Like I mentioned in an earlier post months ago, I was talking to a Spider-Man fan and even he said what Marvel was doing to Stark was ridiculous, and he didn't even read the main title!
Next on to Marvel's pathetic response of it winning an Eisner. Here is the thing about books: people who read them don't give a rat's ass about awards. I had no clue what an Eisner was before Fraction got nominated. People read books for enjoyment and don't care what awards they won and right here is the big problem with Marvel: they think the opposite.
They think winning an Eisner means the book is good and the fans would care. Funny thing is when you talk to long time Iron Man fans none of them like this arc at all. Some consider it a rehash, some like myself are bored with it and others just think it's outright crap. The fans silence voiced their displeasure with this title right now.
The problem is Marvel wont take the hint. They'll go home, wonder why no one was cheering then say "well the fact it won an Eisner makes us right." They will, as they have done many times in recent years, ignore the fans. I have no doubt they are saying to themselves "the fans just don't get it." Unfortunately, it's Marvel that just doesn't get it. People are tired of Iron Man being dragged through the mud. While they made it fashionable to do so by blaming everything in Civil War on him three years later it is tired and boring and the readers are just rolling their eyes at this point.
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