Posts tagged musing
Voltron Returns with Voltron Force!
Jun 23rd
Believe it or not, ladies and gentlemen, but Voltron is back! This time taking place in the Lion based future where the characters are at least 5 years older than they were in the last episode of the original series. A lot has changed since then: Lotor is dead and Doom Castle has been destroyed, Voltron is celebrated on Earth, and peace is spread throughout the galaxy, But you know that’s not the end of it because soon after Voltron earns its deference among the citizens of Arus, Sky Marshall Wade concocts a plan to make the Lions act out and replace honor with fear and hatred. Now with four of the five Lions sealed on planet Arus and the Black Lion trapped in Galaxy Alliance HQ for experiments, the Voltron Force is disbanded as our heroes carry on their lives without the unique link they once shared.
More >
The Summer of Marvel
Jun 6th
The thing about good movies is that you can get so caught up in them that you forget about all the drama going on in your life. You don’t get stuck on the trivial details, you don’t feel the need to examine every scene for a clue, and you just sit back and observe, enjoying the creator’s vision and his attempt at entertaining you. The thing about good comic films however is that they get so much right that even the elements that don’t carry over from its literary counterpart don’t bother you; you take it for what it is: a change. You don’t care about the years of history a character or team have under their belt, you don’t care about their different portrayal, and you certainly don’t mind a change in continuity, especially if it’s muddy to begin with. Why have I brought this up, you ask? Well, my friends, Marvel’s latest venture into the movie realm has given us two good films I can give a thumbs up to. Thor starring Chris Hemsworth and X-men: First Class starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Potential spoiler alert. 
X-men: First Class
Say what you will about the X-men franchise after X2, but X-men: First Class is like a completely different beast. While X3 put action in the forefront and lost its focus on character interaction and development, First Class returns to form with even stronger character interaction than before, especially between the leading philosophers of Magneto and Professor X, who each get their respective codenames in this movie. In fact, a lot of the conventions that are in play from X1 to X3 get an introduction in this film despite the admittedly awkward continuity and the issue of whether or not to count this as a true reboot rather than a creative team
one. In my books, the cameos (yes, there’s more than 1. Try 2), the cast, and the attempt at tying film history and comic history together is a major plus. While watching the film, you won’t find yourself wondering how everything fits together. That’ll only come into play afterwards if you’re into that sort of thing. I, on the other hand, don’t care. My real problem with this film falls on the villain side. Emma’s diamond form looks worse than it did before and she plays a relatively small part. I’m not sure if January Jones was the right fit for the role (she’s neither pretentious nor carries on that faux English accent), but she doesn’t bother me too much. The other hellfire gang members are flatter than a piece of cardboard that has been steamrolled. That’s probably for the best when it comes to the Chuck Austen’s demon Azazel, but the others don’t really have an excuse for how little they add to the film outside of their CGI display of powers. I also wish Angel were a little better utilized. They did all they could possibly do with Darwin given the template they had to work with at the time. It’s not like his comic counterpart is all that developed either, and no one is going to be concerned that he actually has a personality in the film which is very unlike the Darwin we came to know in X-men before he ended up in X-factor. Overall, I rate this film as a mighty 3.5. Go watch it, kids. You’ll like it. While we’re here, go get yourself some X-men characters to add into your game!
Thor
As much as I want to say I have a lot of love for Thor, that’s simply not true. I’ve always looked at him as the mythological (read: Asgardian) Superman who happened to speak in Shakespearian for whatever reason. He was never a character I flocked to until I started to read the JMS run, and I stuck with that until Kieron Gillen left the book (Sorry, Fraction). Even then, it wasn’t because of the character but because of the story and creators involved. He’s not someone I can easily get into because he’s not as fun as, 
say, Hercules, and his rogue gallery is mostly magic based. In fact, lately, his gallery has been more or less non-existent outside of Loki and the frost giants. Thor is a character you have to jump around with just to find good stories for him and that’s more effort than I’m willing to put into him.
So that brings us to the movie. The film really simplified things. Some might say it OVER-simplified the lore of Thor. I tend to agree with the latter. While the movie was good, semi-action packed, and had some semblance of character development, it did this at the expense of the Warriors Three + Lady Sif, whose entire relationship with Thor is tossed to the side in favor of moving straight ahead with Jane and Thor (the Donald Blake personality doesn’t really exist in this film). Outside of that, I thought the majority of the fight scenes really worked, and I can get on board with the mechanical/golden city of Asgard despite it having no basis in the comics on which it is based. The much teased Hawkeye appearance felt like an after thought, and is it me, or is Samuel Jackson just phoning it in for all of his cameo appearances and not really acting? Maybe it IS just me. Gripes aside, I still enjoyed the movie and would give it a solid 3. In addition, the film’s companion piece, the straight-to-DVD, animated film, Thor: Tales of Asgard, helped to fill in some of the blanks, but it’s obvious that these two movies are meant to be seen as separate entities. I recommend you grab that DVD if you’re interested in the teenage years of Thor, Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three as they go on an adventure to prove their worth. It, too, is worthy of at least one viewing. And before I go, why don’t you go grab some Thor stuff and spice up your game?
Overall
The last two Marvel films have been “funtastic” and have left me wanting more of their offerings. I’m surprised to be saying that, considering how X-men: First Class’s marketing left me in a constant state of confusion, but it just goes to show you that word of mouth is just as, if not more, powerful than some of the strategies studios swear and die by. Maybe this WILL be a great year for hero films. I can only hope.
What do you all think of Marvel’s current offerings, their upcoming films, and this year’s other superhero movies? And while you’re at it, check out some of the storyboards for Captain America: The First Avenger!
Lack of Updates and World War Hulk
Nov 15th
Ahhh, i haven’t updated in some time, but I’ve been seriously busy with real life… and my writing life… and my editing/providing feedback life, so you can imagine that Freedom Force and the blog itself fell down my list of things to actively pay attention to. I’ll try to do better with that in the future, as I’m almost done with a collaboration I took a part in a few months ago. Well, I won’t have to actively write for it anymore, and my role will be reduced to editing, which gives me so much more free time – until I decide to begin the submission process again because I’m not very good at not being busy with something. 
. I may have to make a series of blog posts dedicated to some of the stuff I’ve learned from this endeavor, how it affected my writing, and how my previous ventures into the realm of team projects aided me with this project.
World War Hulk
Anyway, I do plan to release some stuff soonish, and I hope to convince Avalon and Murs to release skins and tutorials, respectively. Also, I have a post sitting in my queue in regards to JKC’s mod that I’ve yet to release, so if you haven’t given his mod a try, you should go cop that: Batman Family Mod (44 MB). In the pipeline, I hope Podmark sends me that spotlight on whatever it is I asked him to write because that’s slowly slipping out of the recesses of my mind, heh.
In none Freedom Force news, you guys may remember World War Hulk, a marvel event centered around the return of Hulk from space and culminated in a drag out fight in NY between Worldbreaker Hulk and Sentry, and I found this interesting read (if it doesn’t work, try refreshing) about it from the editor Nate Cosby. I implore you all to check it out as it truly is enlightening and lets you know that a lot of work goes into these events we all seem to be tired of. Unfortunately, some of the original notes sound much better than the finished product we ended up with. 
[If you find the link above doesn't work, go here: [link] and search for “NATE COSBY WAS A MARVEL EDITOR (SERIOUSLY) – EPISODE THREE,” under Nov. 10th.]
Marvel Anime: Ironman
Oct 5th
This post contains spoilers about the plot of an upcoming series. If you’d like to remain untainted, I’d suggest you skip this post entirely.
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5 Unlikely Songs that Remind You of Superheroes?
Jul 18th
I don’t mention it much on the boards, but I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to music. Today, I’m going to list and link to at least 5 videos that remind me of superheroes (or in broader terms, comics) that aren’t actually about them. Sound fun? No? Well, read ahead anyway, dang it:
1) Mr. Jones – Alexz Johnson
Even though this particular song is more likely to be linked to a spy or detective, in the craziness that is my mind, I can see it applying to any superhero that happens to change their clothing in a phone booth and has a female reporter in their life that’s constantly trying to piece together who her super lover is. It can’t just be me, can it? More >
Roundhouse Chat #2: Secret Avengers #2
Jun 30th
Prev: If you remember the last discussion, then you know Murs and I both enjoyed Secret Avengers and were willing to give it a few more issues to really gauge our opinions towards it. This time, we’re adding Laughing Paradox into the mix. Last issue ended with a doozy by having Nick Fury attack Sharon Carter. The story picks up moments after that attack, and we’re thrust back into a plot that sees the Avengers exploring Roxxon’s Mars base.
Let’s start out with general opinions. Was this issue worse, better than, or as good as issue 1?
Murs47. I liked Secret Avengers more than adjectiveless Avengers, but I did not think it was great.
Prev: I’m of a similar mind with Murs… and that shocks me.
Murs: We’re one step closer to fixing our marriage. <3
Prev: Fantasies aren’t real, Murs. Get it together.
LP: The Secret Avengers is perhaps the best Marvel book to come out since the “Heroes Return…”; I mean the “Heroic Age.”
Murs: Word. That and the new direction in T-Bolts.
Prev: Anyway, despite the book managing to fit a lot into it, there wasn’t a whole lot of forward momentum, and the characters didn’t really speak like themselves. I liked that the group split off so the plot could move a smidge bit quicker, and how awesome is it that Beast is actively fighting again? The X-men sidelined him so many times that it’s almost easy to forget he’s supposed to be an agile fighter.
Murs: I very much enjoyed Beast’s time in the spotlight. He feels relevant again. Him and Steve together feels so natural; kudos to Bru on that.
Prev: Brubaker accomplished more in 24 pages than Bendis did with 32 over in Avengers… of course that was full of splashes.
Murs: Bru’s done more in 1 issue of SA than Bendis has with 3 issues of the other two Avengers titles.
LP: I think it’s evident that Bendis’ Avengers books are inferior to the Secret Avengers and a large factor, for me, has to do with the roster. Secret Avengers has a varied group of veteran Avengers mixed with established, rookie Avengers, and the mixture is a pleasure to read. Bendis’ two Avengers books have weak rosters with no surprises other than Spider-Woman being on the wrong team.
Prev: Bendis’s Avenger books are both made up of various members of the NA, so it doesn’t feel drastically different despite one being tied into time travel and the other, magic.
LP: The Secret Avengers has a new take but feels like a story from the old Avengers book. The other Avenger titles have failed to even keep me interested. And also, let’s not forget about the art. I’ve enjoyed Deodato’s work for years, back when he was drawing Wonder Woman, and I like it as much today. Romita’s work on The Avengers, however, is a train wreck. Its discombobulated and ugly.
Prev: I have a few issues with Bendis owning two Avenger books in general, but that’s a discussion for another time. How do we feel about Cap keeping his energy shield? Well, that’s what I assumed it was. It was only in one panel.
Murs: I was pretty stoked about that; I wish I could have seen more of it, so I could update my skin.
LP: Steve isn’t “Cap” without his shield, and it was great to have it debut in this issue. Since Rogers passed the mantle on to Bucky, I think it’s fitting he went back to his energy shield, though I would not mind seeing him taking his Captain guise again since the US Agent is clearly not going to wearing his uniform any time soon.
Prev: I don’t think the shield debuted in this issue… unless it’s different that the one Bendis has Steve using pre-Siege. I didn’t really pay that much attention to it.
LP: Debut post-death. The latest death, anyway.
Prev: Moving on to the actual plot, I’m really interested in seeing where this Evil Nick Fury thing goes. Bru did a good job of building intrigue there. Of course, it’s also nice seeing Sharon active and not being sidelined while waiting on her man to do the job. That was the plot I wished got a little more focus only because the Mars main plot was mostly exploration. I have seen actual comments stating that the way Brubaker wrote this script and the sci-fi elements he fused into the story reminded them of Jack Kirby.
LP: I had the opposite reaction. I wasn’t as interested in the fake Nick Fury so much as the interaction between the team. War Machine expressing his doubt about the new Ant-Man, Moon Knight being the one to find the large drill hole since he’d be the most likely to search around, Beast using his smarts in putting a trace on the Serpent Crown.. there wasn’t much action, but I was intrigued.
Prev: I did like the Antman scene. It gave me hope that the character would be allowed to grow a little more. If I’m being honest, he didn’t change all that much in Tbolts. He was mostly just there his whole time. Moonknight was a bit weird to me because he was just taking orders like it wasn’t a big deal. That’s not the Moonknight I know, so it read wierd to me. Is that how he’s portrayed now? I was also disappointed that Black Widow and Valkyrie took such a back seat this issue.
Murs: I actually want to know more about HYDRA Fury (that’s what I’m calling him, accept it) He’s probably the thing that interests me most at this point. This is mostly due to my love of the Secret Warriors title. Moon Knight seems to be working properly so far. Ant-Man? Meh, I’d like him to be a bit funnier and perhaps perverted. I was ok with Val and Black Widow in the back because we spent more time with the plot and the other members. If this was Bendis, we wouldnt know what happened to Nova until issue 5.
Prev: That’s not true! He’d do a random time jump and then work up to that point for no particular reason. As much as I liked the issue, I did find the art to be of a lesser quality. The fight scene didn’t seem to be full of energy, imo, and there was a scene where Beast was out in space and was bare armed, though I can forgive that since he’s full of fur. Overall though, it just didn’t look as good as issue 1.
Murs: I thought one of Beast’s new mutant powers was to breathe in space (thanks, Morrison).
LP: And since when did Asgardians not need air to breath? I wasn’t aware Valkyrie could speak on Mars without a helmet. Asgardian-Ventriloquism? That was really the only complaint I had with the book, and it was minor.
But I disagree about the fight scenes. I liked seeing War Machine plowing down some foes and the gruesome fate of the last remaining soldiers. The art was good, but I’m bias.
Prev: Ok, two more questions and then we can begin wrapping this up. The first is a joint question.
1. People still seem to think that Beast should consider the Secret Avengers as bad as X-men’s X-force despite the obvious differences. With that fresh on your minds, do you think the double death (essentially mind-controlled assisted suicide?) in this book was going too far?
Murs: People need to read both before spewing out their opinions. The two teams are clearly different when it comes to killing. One does it mindlessly while the other just incapacitates. The Secret Avengers were trying to stop the minions from committing suicide. That should say enough.
LP: There’s no double standard. X-force was created as a killing team. (That makes me think, how would they do against the Marauders..)
The Secret Avengers are upholding the Avengers standard. They are just not operating in the spotlight.
Prev: And 2. Nova vs. Avengers… how do we think it’s going to go down. I’m really looking forward to that next issue.
Murs: Well, he doesn’t have his Nova helmet on, so Steve’s team probably has a good chance of defeating him. I’m guessing this is where Valkryie will shine.
LP: Nova is being controlled; he’s going to be ruthless. I expect a few members to take their lumps, and they will realize Nova is a force to be reckoned with. However, Valkyrie is going to apply the smackdown. Or in Asgardian, “she shalt smite him.”
Murs: Answer your questions, Prev.
Prev: There’s not much more I can add. I just want to see how well Brubaker utilizes Moonknight, Black Widow, and Valkryie in a real battle situation, so that should be a joy to see. I do suspect that the other Secret Avengers will need to lend a hand depending on what abilities Nova is allowed to express.
And now to draw this convo to and end. Final thoughts and ratings, everyone? Will we be buying the next book, and are you feeling the team dynamic a bit better this issue?
LP: The book was stellar. I fully intend to purchase this title religiously. Brubaker and Deodato are showing slivers of the team dynamic that makes me want to see more. The group is well rounded, they are facing an appropriate danger, and when compared to the other books out there, it’s in a league of its own. Best team book that Marvel has to offer, other than X-force.
Murs: Yes I will be. Brubaker has earned a 12 issue trial on whatever series he writes.
Prev: Look at you, Murs… being a Brubaker lover. I’m still willing to give it an arc. That’s more than I’m willing to give Avengers at this point. So, we’re all recommending it, yes? Sounds like a yes.
LP: A resounding YES from me. And I would like to recommend Brubaker’s run on Daredevil.
Murs: I second that. It’s arguably better than Bendis’ run. “In Bru I trust.”
Prev: And with those lovely parting words, I think we can call it a night. Next time, we should discuss something non-Avenger related… and get Podmark in here… so I can destroy him.
Murs: Sea-Bear & Grizzly-Shark!
LP: The Walking Dead!
Prev: Aye! Save it for next week, guys! Over and out.
Secret Avengers #2 Discussion
Prev: If you remember the last discussion, then you know Murs and I both enjoyed Secret Avengers and were willing to give it a few more issues to really gauge our opinions towards it. This time, we’re adding Laughing Paradox into the mix. Last issue ended with a doozy by having Nick Fury attack Sharon Carter. The story picks up moments after that attack, and we’re thrust back into a plot that sees the Avengers exploring Roxxon’s Mars base.
Let’s start out with general opinions. Was this issue worse, better than, or as good as issue 1?
Murs47. I liked Secret Avengers more than adjectiveless Avengers, but I did not think it was great.
Prev: I’m of a similar mind with Murs… and that shocks me.
Murs: We’re one step closer to fixing our marriage. <3
Prev: Fantasies aren’t real, Murs. Get it together.
LP: The Secret Avengers is perhaps the best Marvel book to come out since the “Heroes Return…”; I mean the “Heroic Age.”
Murs: Word. That and the new direction in T-Bolts.
Prev: Anyway, despite the book managing to fit a lot into it, there wasn’t a whole lot of forward momentum, and the characters didn’t really speak like themselves. I liked that the group split off so the plot could move a smidge bit quicker, and how awesome is it that Beast is actively fighting again? The X-men sidelined him so many times that it’s almost easy to forget he’s supposed to be an agile fighter.
Murs: I very much enjoyed Beast’s time in the spotlight. He feels relevant again. Him and Steve together feels so natural; kudos to Bru on that.
Prev: Brubaker accomplished more in 24 pages than Bendis did with 32 over in Avengers… of course that was full of splashes.
Murs: Bru’s done more in 1 issue of SA than Bendis has with 3 issues of the other two Avengers titles.
LP: I think it’s evident that Bendis’ Avengers books are inferior to the Secret Avengers and a large factor, for me, has to do with the roster. Secret Avengers has a varied group of veteran Avengers mixed with established, rookie Avengers, and the mixture is a pleasure to read. Bendis’ two Avengers books have weak rosters with no surprises other than Spider-Woman being on the wrong team.
Prev: Bendis’s Avenger books are both made up of various members of the NA, so it doesn’t feel drastically different despite one being tied into time travel and the other, magic.
LP: The Secret Avengers has a new take but feels like a story from the old Avengers book. The other Avenger titles have failed to even keep me interested. And also, let’s not forget about the art. I’ve enjoyed Deodato’s work for years, back when he was drawing Wonder Woman, and I like it as much today. Romita’s work on The Avengers, however, is a train wreck. Its discombobulated and ugly.
Prev: I have a few issues with Bendis owning two Avenger books in general, but that’s a discussion for another time. How do we feel about Cap keeping his energy shield? Well, that’s what I assumed it was. It was only in one panel.
Murs: I was pretty stoked about that; I wish I could have seen more of it, so I could update my skin.
LP: Steve isn’t “Cap” without his shield, and it was great to have it debut in this issue. Since Rogers passed the mantle on to Bucky, I think it’s fitting he went back to his energy shield, though I would not mind seeing him taking his Captain guise again since the US Agent is clearly not going to wearing his uniform any time soon.
Prev: I don’t think the shield debuted in this issue… unless it’s different that the one Bendis has Steve using pre-Siege. I didn’t really pay that much attention to it.
LP: Debut post-death. The latest death, anyway.
Prev: Moving on to the actual plot, I’m really interested in seeing where this Evil Nick Fury thing goes. Bru did a good job of building intrigue there. Of course, it’s also nice seeing Sharon active and not being sidelined while waiting on her man to do the job. That was the plot I wished got a little more focus only because the Mars main plot was mostly exploration. I have seen actual comments stating that the way Brubaker wrote this script and the sci-fi elements he fused into the story reminded them of Jack Kirby.
LP: I had the opposite reaction. I wasn’t as interested in the fake Nick Fury so much as the interaction between the team. War Machine expressing his doubt about the new Ant-Man, Moon Knight being the one to find the large drill hole since he’d be the most likely to search around, Beast using his smarts in putting a trace on the Serpent Crown.. there wasn’t much action, but I was intrigued.
Prev: I did like the Antman scene. It gave me hope that the character would be allowed to grow a little more. If I’m being honest, he didn’t change all that much in Tbolts. He was mostly just there his whole time. Moonknight was a bit weird to me because he was just taking orders like it wasn’t a big deal. That’s not the Moonknight I know, so it read wierd to me. Is that how he’s portrayed now? I was also disappointed that Black Widow and Valkyrie took such a back seat this issue.
Murs: I actually want to know more about HYDRA Fury (that’s what I’m calling him, accept it) He’s probably the thing that interests me most at this point. This is mostly due to my love of the Secret Warriors title. Moon Knight seems to be working properly so far. Ant-Man? Meh, I’d like him to be a bit funnier and perhaps perverted. I was ok with Val and Black Widow in the back because we spent more time with the plot and the other members. If this was Bendis, we wouldnt know what happened to Nova until issue 5.
Prev: That’s not true! He’d do a random time jump and then work up to that point for no particular reason. As much as I liked the issue, I did find the art to be of a lesser quality. The fight scene didn’t seem to be full of energy, imo, and there was a scene where Beast was out in space and was bare armed, though I can forgive that since he’s full of fur. Overall though, it just didn’t look as good as issue 1.
Murs: I thought one of Beast’s new mutant powers was to breathe in space (thanks, Morrison).
LP: And since when did Asgardians not need air to breath? I wasn’t aware Valkyrie could speak on Mars without a helmet. Asgardian-Ventriloquism? That was really the only complaint I had with the book, and it was minor.
But I disagree about the fight scenes. I liked seeing War Machine plowing down some foes and the gruesome fate of the last remaining soldiers. The art was good, but I’m bias.
Prev: Ok, two more questions and then we can begin wrapping this up. The first is a joint question.
1. People still seem to think that Beast should consider the Secret Avengers as bad as X-men’s X-force despite the obvious differences. With that fresh on your minds, do you think the double death (essentially mind-controlled assisted suicide?) in this book was going too far?
Murs: People need to read both before spewing out their opinions. The two teams are clearly different when it comes to killing. One does it mindlessly while the other just incapacitates. The Secret Avengers were trying to stop the minions from committing suicide. That should say enough.
LP: There’s no double standard. X-force was created as a killing team. (That makes me think, how would they do against the Marauders..)
The Secret Avengers are upholding the Avengers standard. They are just not operating in the spotlight.
Prev: And 2. Nova vs. Avengers… how do we think it’s going to go down. I’m really looking forward to that next issue.
Murs: Well, he doesn’t have his Nova helmet on, so Steve’s team probably has a good chance of defeating him. I’m guessing this is where Valkryie will shine.
LP: Nova is being controlled; he’s going to be ruthless. I expect a few members to take their lumps, and they will realize Nova is a force to be reckoned with. However, Valkyrie is going to apply the smackdown. Or in Asgardian, “she shalt smite him.”
Murs: Answer your questions, Prev.
Prev: There’s not much more I can add. I just want to see how well Brubaker utilizes Moonknight, Black Widow, and Valkryie in a real battle situation, so that should be a joy to see. I do suspect that the other Secret Avengers will need to lend a hand depending on what abilities Nova is allowed to express.
And now to draw this convo to and end. Final thoughts and ratings, everyone? Will we be buying the next book, and are you feeling the team dynamic a bit better this issue?
LP: The book was stellar. I fully intend to purchase this title religiously. Brubaker and Deodato are showing slivers of the team dynamic that makes me want to see more. The group is well rounded, they are facing an appropriate danger, and when compared to the other books out there, it’s in a league of its own. Best team book that Marvel has to offer, other than X-force.
Murs: Yes I will be. Brubaker has earned a 12 issue trial on whatever series he writes.
Prev: Look at you, Murs… being a Brubaker lover. I’m still willing to give it an arc. That’s more than I’m willing to give Avengers at this point. So, we’re all recommending it, yes? Sounds like a yes.
LP: A resounding YES from me. And I would like to recommend Brubaker’s run on Daredevil.
Murs: I second that. It’s arguably better than Bendis’ run. “In Bru I trust.”
Prev: And with those lovely parting words, I think we can call it a night. Next time, we should discuss something non-Avenger related… and get Podmark in here… so I can destroy him.
Murs: Sea-Bear & Grizzly-Shark!
LP: The Walking Dead!
Prev: Aye! Save it for next week, guys! Over and out.
Alright, guys… this concludes our second feature of comic discussion, and I’d like to thank Laughing Paradox for participating. Leave us some thoughts on what you think of this feature, the comic, or what have you. I’m definitely interested in hearing what books you think we should attempt to cover next, and, hey… if you want to join in, we definitely won’t say no. Thanks for reading.
Roundhouse Chat #1: Secret Avengers!
May 28th
In an effort to add some more content to the site, Murs and I decided to have a quick chat about a new book this week. We chose to discuss Secret Avengers #1 written by Ed Brubaker and published by Marvel. Won’t you join us as one of us sanely talks about the issue while the other babbles on at random? I’ll let you guess which of us plays what role.
The Self-Indulgent Post
Mar 15th
Not to toot my own horn or anything, well, that’s exactly what this post is about, but I just finished my TWELFTH comic script over an hour ago (my fifteenth script in total), and I’m riding a high. So high in fact that I could jump off a mountain and fly… to my impending death. To date, I have over 500 pages written and typed, and I’ve only begun to become interested in the idea of maybe having something published less than a year ago. I don’t think I ever really realized how much effort and time went into outlining, planning, and actually writing a comic (on the writer’s side) until I began to learn the specifics myself, and I’d like to think I’ve grown tremendously since the first comic script I wrote, which was sparked from a conversation with an online friend known as Middy. I’ve learned to be somewhat loose with my planning and to think very far ahead because you never know what can change as you’re delving into these tales that are stretched over +/- 23 page intervals. I think that’s also why I’m a little more critical on writing in comics. Not only is it something that I obviously enjoy and find myself drawn to, but I now actually have some experience behind me. The trait that has probably become the most developed for me, however, is my pacing ability. When I began writing these scripts, I wasn’t exactly sure how much I could pack into one story (I’m not Stan Lee or anything), but now, I think I have it down packed and can pretty much hit my goal 80% of time (keep in mind, I’m fluid). So, with that out of the way, I’ll probably attempt to finish Ultimate Trio; I’ll probably also look into researching companies to see how much luck I’ll have via submission. Statistically speaking, I’m ahead of the game as far as “new writers” go, but it’s a well known fact that writers always have more difficulty breaking in than artists. How unfair, right? So tell me, gang, do you think I should try the submission route or continue honing my skills?
Installation Woes
Feb 5th
current mood
Ugh, I’m not usually one to complain about something that I have no way of changing, but good heavens, do I hate the way FFedit is set up when it comes to installing certain things. Ok, that’s not to say that IG didn’t do a good job and us a favor by making an editor, but let’s put it in perspective a bit. Installing a few fx at one time isn’t all that bad, but when you’re trying to install a large collection of things at once, it’s a chore. Too much of a chore. Let’s just say that I’m suffering for the benefit of others… and those others better appreciate it. Could I be hinting at something with this post? Maybe. Did I want to rant? Yes.
The Road to Crisis: Aftermath
Jan 20th
The journey to Crisis might have been completed, but this modder still had a few stories left in him to tell. Crisis presented a great opportunity to have the DC and Marvel universes intertwine once more, but instead of losing focus on the heroes and having the villains drive the plot, the aftermaths brought attention to individual teams and characters back into the forefront. Of course, it was very important to me that I got around to tying up a few loose ends, and if I had to use Claremont’s Exiles to do so, then so be it.