7||0|1270|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Ardaniel||13:11:19|12/31/2007|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-07 AT 01:11 PM (EST)]http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thexaxis.com%2Fastonishingxmen%2F2007.htm%0D%0A%0D%0APaul O%27Brien of The X-Axis is one of my favorite comics critics%2C mostly because he%27s not very much of a critic at all%3B he%27s an ordinary Brit with a bone to pick with the current Marvel X-book administration.  The results are both wryly amusing and deeply incisive-- if you%27re looking to start your own comics company%2C you could do worse than take O%27Brien%27s critiques of Marvel editorial policy and advertising strategy seriously.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis article covers the dire progress of %5Bi%5DAstonishing X-Men%5B%2Fi%5D this year-- Whedon%27s two-year plotline is lurching into Year Four as we speak%2C with an end dimly in sight.  Marvel%27s opted to put out a %5Bi%5DGiant-Size Astonishing X-Men%5B%2Fi%5D one-shot after issue 24..%0D%0A%0D%0A...which won%27t bring us any new storyline%2C any Annual-style one-shot%2C nothing like that. No%2C it%27s basically %5Bi%5DAstonishing X-Men %2325%5B%2Fi%5D%2C by Joss Whedon%2C only twice as goddamned long.  Why%3F Because Marvel can%2C apparently%2C and Whedon%27s figured out some way to extend his %5Bi%5DAXM%5B%2Fi%5D paycheck.%0D%0A%0D%0ADoes anyone actually %2Areally dig%2A this book at this point in time%3F I loved the first six issues%2C unreservedly...%0D%0A%0D%0A...in 2004.  It%27s now pretty much 2008%2C and while I%27m really into the quirky-ass relationship between Agent Brand and Hank%2C the rest of this book can go fuck itself.  The whole %22the inexplicably sentient Danger Room is totally pissed off now%21%22 plotline was unmitigated garbage%2C just with better one-liners than Jeph Loeb would%27ve given it.  The release dates are atrocious%2C and Whedon basically %2Ahas no excuse%2A at this point in time-- the excuse that was given in 2005 had to do with %5Bi%5DWonder Woman%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and Whedon%27s not even %2Aon%2A that project any more.  The WGA is on strike%2C so the new Eliza Dushku show isn%27t going anywhere until that gets sorted out.  He can %2Aget off his ass and finish the damn book already%2C%2A and put it out of its plodding%2C Sorkin-esque misery.%0D%0A%0D%0AShit%2C Whedon%27s not even writing %5Bi%5DBuffy the Vampire Slayer%3A Joss Whedon%27s Season Eight%5B%2Fi%5D for Dark Horse%2C despite having %2Ashoved his name into the subtitle%2A after issue %236.  He handed it off to Brian K. Vaughan%2C whose work I happen to love%2C and then to Brad %22What The Fuck%2C Dude%22 Meltzer.  I see Jeph Loeb is working on a plot arc for it as well.  That%27s... yeah%2C whatever.  I have nothing to add%2C other than that if you%27re a Buffy comic fan%2C maybe you should be asking Dark Horse%27s Scott Allie why you%27ve been bait-and-switched%2C at least until the Jane Espenson arc starts.  Probably sometime near the Mayan apocalypse.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhedon%27s establishing a comics rep as a guy who doesn%27t want to work on the projects he%27s given%2C except reluctantly and very slowly.  %5Bi%5DAstonishing%5B%2Fi%5D is slated to be taken over by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi next year-- and Ellis doesn%27t have a reputation as a writer who submits his scripts in a timely fashion%2C either.  I like Ellis%27s work%2C but I%27ve given up on expecting consistency past the first three to six issues of anything he writes%2C and I know he%27ll never go more than 12 issues on anything I really like from him.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Is the end of %5Bi%5DPlanetary%5B%2Fi%5D out yet%3F Anyone%3F Did anyone else just get the first two TPBs of that and then give up%2C resigned to picking up the others during the same Mayan apocalypse that will produce a Mutant Enemy writer actually writing for %5Bi%5DBuffy the Vampire Slayer%3A It%27s Really Joss Whedon%27s Season Eight%2C Even Though It%27s Not%5B%2Fi%5D%3F%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMeanwhile%2C Ed Brubaker continues to turn out largely-timely issues of %5Bi%5DUncanny X-Men%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DCriminal%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DCaptain America%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DImmortal Iron Fist%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and the like.  %28Say what you will about killing Steve Rogers.  I%27m not interested in his content here%2C just in the fact that he cranks out work that%27s both commercially viable %2Aand%2A timely.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMatt Fraction kicks out %5Bi%5DCasanova%5B%2Fi%5D%2C the other half of %5Bi%5DImmortal Iron Fist%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DThe Order%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %5Bi%5DPunisher War Journal%5B%2Fi%5D on a regular basis%2C without excuses%2C %2Aand%2A he%27s picking up an X-book in 2008 %28per Rich Johnston%29.  Before coming to comics full-time%2C he was working in comics %2Aand%2A in music video production%2C a job that doesn%27t leave most people with enough time for a %2Alife%2C%2A never mind a second career.  %0D%0A%0D%0ABrian Wood was %2Aholding down a full-time staff job on the %5Bi%5DGrand Theft Auto%5B%2Fi%5D series at Rockstar%2A while turning out %5Bi%5DThe Couriers%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DCouscous Express%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DFight for Tomorrow%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %5Bi%5DPounded%5B%2Fi%5D.  Now that he%27s full-time comics guy%2C we get an issue of %5Bi%5DDMZ%5B%2Fi%5D and %5Bi%5DNorthlanders%5B%2Fi%5D every time we%27re supposed to%2C he just finished up %5Bi%5DLocal%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and he%27s still working on graphic novels.%0D%0A%0D%0AThese guys apparently have a work ethic%2C and a damn good one.  I wish Whedon had learned the virtues of one before he embarked on %5Bi%5DAstonishing%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and I hope Ellis learns to temper his prodigious talent with some respect for the editorial process and the folks he reports to when he takes up the reins.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%28NB%3A God bless Jeph Loeb-- he%27s been through a lot of really awful shit in the last decade-- but he needs to retire again.  Comics doesn%27t need two of Modern-Era Chris Claremont%2C a guy with a lot of personal baggage that seeps into all his current product.  I%27m not a big fan of Whedon%27s comics work%2C obviously%2C but Whedon probably has never written a story where Wolverine was descended from %2Amutant wolverines%3B%2A Loeb has%2C and that%27s indicative of a need to find a new hobby.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Sumhenner%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Mephron||15:24:37|12/31/2007|Re%3A Astonishing%0D%0A%0D%0AThe fact that in %2323 they showed that the past four issues%2C with a bunch of people acting so tremendously OOC that you were wondering if the book was all done by Mastermind%2C were actually a massive feint%2C was a payoff.  But after %2324 comes out%2C I am done with Marvel.  Joey the Cheesebrain%27s recent squat-and-crap on Spider-Man has finished the nail in the coffin started with the death of Steve Rogers.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m also reminded%3A have we seen anything in Mighty Avengers recently that indicates we might get a new issue soon%3F%0D%0A%0D%0Anot that DC is without it%27s screwups - for the love of all that%27s holy%2C get a solid goddamn team on the Wildstorm properties and get them timely.  %28Gene Ha on %27The Authority%27%3A %22There is no %233 script%2C there may never be a %233 script.%22  Grant Morrison%2C stop fucking around please.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI dunno.  I%27d like to see something high-profile%2C on time%2C and generally good. You got that in Ed Brubaker%27s Captain America - say what you will%2C he had the balls to break one of the Believed Unbreakable Rules%2C and he did it pretty damn well and set a lot of very interesting things up.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe one hope I have is with the new story arc in Robin - they may be redeeming Leslie Thompkins and bringing back Stephanie %27Spoiler%27 Brown.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28and as far as the Wolverine thing is concerned%2C one of the more %27dude what the HELL%27 moments of X-Men history was that Len Wein%2C had he gotten to use Wolverine more%2C would have revealed that he was an actual wolverine mutated to humanity by the High Evolutionary%2C who did funky stuff like that.  Maybe that was where Jeph Loeb got the idea.  But yeah%2C he needs some time off.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Ardaniel||16:25:15|12/31/2007|%3ERe%3A Astonishing %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EBut after %2324 comes out%2C I am done with Marvel.  Joey %0D%0A%3Ethe Cheesebrain%27s recent squat-and-crap on Spider-Man has finished the %0D%0A%3Enail in the coffin started with the death of Steve Rogers. %0D%0A%0D%0A%22One More Day%22 is a separate issue here.  It probably deserves its own thread. As I said to one of my college pals the other day%2C I stopped reading Spider-Man during the MacFarlane administration and have never really regretted it.  If you want quirky%2C quippy Spidey action%2C you want Bendis%27s Ultimate Spider-Man-- which%2C admittedly%2C has lost 10%2C000 readers since Bagley left the book%2C but%2C still%2C it%27s Bendis and it%27s Pete and it%27s not bogged in Mephisto bullshit.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Paul O%27Brien%2C for those of you who don%27t follow comics%2C also analyzes Marvel%27s sales figures every month or so.  I have the November 2007 ones in front of me as I type.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27m also reminded%3A have we seen anything in Mighty Avengers recently %0D%0A%3Ethat indicates we might get a new issue soon%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AFucked if I know%2C I don%27t read any of the Avengers books.  %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Enot that DC is without it%27s screwups - for the love of all that%27s %0D%0A%3Eholy%2C get a solid goddamn team on the Wildstorm properties and get %0D%0A%3Ethem timely.  %28Gene Ha on %27The Authority%27%3A %22There is no %233 script%2C %0D%0A%3Ethere may never be a %233 script.%22  Grant Morrison%2C stop fucking around %0D%0A%3Eplease.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AChristos Gage appears to be the Designated Wildstorm Savior at the moment%2C as Friday%27s Comic Shop News lead story revealed.  He%27s out to crash the Carrier%2C make the Night Tribes the undisputed lords of Eastern Europe%2C and otherwise reboot the status quo.%0D%0A%0D%0AI really liked Gage on Marvel%27s weird%2C quirky%2C poor-selling Union Jack mini-- like Paul Cornell%2C he operates well in unusual%2C small-market situations.  I%27m hoping he does some good stuff for Wildstorm%2C not that I%27m reading those books.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI dunno.  I%27d like to see something high-profile%2C on time%2C and %0D%0A%3Egenerally good. %0D%0A%0D%0ASadly%2C The Order%27s likely to be cancelled next year sometime-- sub-30K sales on an Initiative title can%27t be good%2C for as fucking fascinating and quirky as the title is.  %2AI%2A like it%2C really I do%2C but it is a hard book to %2Alove%2C%2A given that it%27s largely a perverse take on team dynamics.  %28None of the Morituri stuff has appeared%2C btw-- no one appears to be headed for certain death by issue 12%2C for instance.%29  I also know that it%27s not high-profile.%0D%0A%0D%0AUltimates 3 is a complete Loeb-turd.  I have very little hope for the Ultimate books when Ultimatum starts in the spring.  Kirkman%27s leaving Ultimate X-Men with 93%2C which makes me wonder who the hell is taking over and what they%27ll do with the goddamn mess of 1990s 616 plotlines he%27s created.%0D%0A%0D%0APunisher War Journal remains relevant to Initiative continuity%2C features the goddamn Punisher%2C and is brilliant%2C but it%27s lost 60%25 of its audience over the first 10 issues per these here sales figures.  I don%27t know what the deal is there.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are a bunch of X-Men reboots going on this year%2C too.  The Carey X-Men is becoming X-Men Legacy.  New X-Men is over and Kyle and Yost are moving on to kill half the fucking universe in X-Force.  Exiles and New Excalibur are both gone in favor of one New Exiles title%2C and there%27s a mysterious Young X-Men book that may or may not be Fraction%27s turf coming up.  New Excalibur%27s being rebooted under Paul Cornell%27s writing as Some Other Book.  Astonishing X-Men%3A Second Stage is supposed to start sometime%2C but that may be in 2009 for all I know.%0D%0A%0D%0AI doubt that %2Aany%2A of these X-books will be a compelling read.  I have some slim hope for Paul Cornell.  I don%27t know that Ellis will be able to hold a schedule-- he%27s already annoyed me with newuniversal and Desolation Jones%2C with their screwed-up artist issues and schedule shit%2C so I don%27t know that Astonishing will come out often enough or at all to keep my attention.%0D%0A%0D%0AI see nothing on the horizon for Avengers%2C and Iron Man%27s got the movie coming...%0D%0A%0D%0A...which does nothing to help the fact that in the MU%2C Iron Man is a %2Adick%2C%2A and dicks do not sell mainstream comics to moviegoing Americans.  Marvel should have aggressively moved to put an end to this %22Tony Stark%2C unlikable fascist%22 bullshit the %2Aminute%2A Favreau signed on to do the movie%2C and they didn%27t%2C and it%27s going to bite them in the ass sales-wise.  They had a chance to really expand the market for Iron Man and they%27re not taking it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYou got that in Ed Brubaker%27s Captain America - say %0D%0A%3Ewhat you will%2C he had the balls to break one of the Believed %0D%0A%3EUnbreakable Rules%2C and he did it pretty damn well and set a lot of %0D%0A%3Every interesting things up. %0D%0A%0D%0ABrubaker is very good at what he does%2C with the exception of Vulcan in X-Men%2C and even then I%27m not sure that that%27s all that it appears to be.  Immortal Iron Fist is another one of those books that%27s quirky and very genre-faithful and a rousing good read.  Which means it%27ll probably be gone after 25 issues.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe one hope I have is with the new story arc in Robin - they may be %0D%0A%3Eredeeming Leslie Thompkins and bringing back Stephanie %27Spoiler%27 %0D%0A%3EBrown. %0D%0A%0D%0AHeh%2C someone else I was talking to the other day dumped DC entire after DiDio refused to give Brown a memorial%2C because Girls Couldn%27t Be Robin....%0D%0A%0D%0AI can%27t really speak to DC.  I like Green Arrow%2F Black Canary and ignore anything else they put out in the mainstream DCU.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28and as far as the Wolverine thing is concerned%2C one of the more %27dude %0D%0A%3Ewhat the HELL%27 moments of X-Men history was that Len Wein%2C had he %0D%0A%3Egotten to use Wolverine more%2C would have revealed that he was an %0D%0A%3Eactual wolverine mutated to humanity by the High Evolutionary%2C who did %0D%0A%3Efunky stuff like that.  Maybe that was where Jeph Loeb got the idea.  %0D%0A%3EBut yeah%2C he needs some time off.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ALoeb%27s story%2C to be fair%2C uses mutant %2Awolves%2C%2A not wolverines.  I got that bit wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut%2C you know%2C %2Awolves do not improve the overall issue here.%2A%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Sumhenner%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
3|3|2|||||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Slarti||16:53:13|12/31/2007|%3E%3ERe%3A Astonishing %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EI%27m also reminded%3A have we seen anything in Mighty Avengers recently %0D%0A%3E%3Ethat indicates we might get a new issue soon%3F %0D%0A%3EFucked if I know%2C I don%27t read any of the Avengers books.  %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AMA %236 finally shipped%2C thus ending Frank Cho%27s regular involvement in the series%2C which%2C AIUI%2C is the main cause of the series%27 delays. Marvel%27s website claims 9 January for %237%2C which would cover the Venom virus storyline that got recapped in an issue of New Avengers in order to set up what %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D series is doing with The Hood.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3Eholy%2C get a solid goddamn team on the Wildstorm properties and get %0D%0A%3EChristos Gage appears to be the Designated Wildstorm Savior at the %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve been reading some of the work he%27s been doing%2C such as post-Ennis Midnighter and the recently-ended Stormwatch PHD%2C and rather enjoying it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EYou got that in Ed Brubaker%27s Captain America - say %0D%0A%3E%3Ewhat you will%2C he had the balls to break one of the Believed %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve been reading Bru%27s Cap%2C and finding it surprisingly enjoyable%2C even with no actual Captain America in it. I continue to be shocked that I actually like the whole Bucky%2FWinter Soldier thing.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EThe one hope I have is with the new story arc in Robin - they may be %0D%0A%3E%3Eredeeming Leslie Thompkins and bringing back Stephanie %27Spoiler%27 %0D%0A%3E%3EBrown. %0D%0A%0D%0ABy which I should hope they mean that Steph never died and she and Leslie had some sekrit purpose that required faking the death and Leslie%27s culpability in it. %22She was dead but now she%27s alive again%22 neither absolves nor necessarily redeems Leslie.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHeh%2C someone else I was talking to the other day dumped DC entire %0D%0A%3Eafter DiDio refused to give Brown a memorial%2C because Girls Couldn%27t %0D%0A%3EBe Robin.... %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s also astoundingly annoying%2C along with the rest of Didio%27s tendencies towards o%27erweening smugness.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI can%27t really speak to DC.  I like Green Arrow%2F Black Canary and %0D%0A%3Eignore anything else they put out in the mainstream DCU. %0D%0A%0D%0AAlthough if what happened at the end of the last issue actually sticks%2C I%27m probably pretty much done with that. That was both cheap and randomly gratuitous.%0D%0A
4|4|3|||1||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Ardaniel||16:57:49|12/31/2007|%3E%3EChristos Gage appears to be the Designated Wildstorm Savior...%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI%27ve been reading some of the work he%27s been doing%2C such as post-Ennis %0D%0A%3EMidnighter and the recently-ended Stormwatch PHD%2C and rather enjoying %0D%0A%3Eit. %0D%0A%0D%0AGage has a good handle on the odd-couple teams.  %28Union Jack was teamed up with %2ASabra%2A in that book%2C and there was some shit about Batroc the Leaper%2C and%2C gee%2C it was all a great breezy superhero read%2C actually.%29  He%27s preferable%2C in Marvel%27s B%2FC-list bullpen%2C to Daniel fucking Way.%0D%0A%0D%0ASpeaking of guys named Way%2C I have an insane love for Dark Horse%27s Umbrella Academy-- and I %2Ahate%2A My Chemical Romance%2C so I shouldn%27t%2C by rights%2C like a comic by its lead singer and primary lyricist.  But%2C there it is.  Umbrella Academy is fun%2C and the art is great%2C and you should all at least give it a look-see.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI can%27t really speak to DC.  I like Green Arrow%2F Black Canary and %0D%0A%3E%3Eignore anything else they put out in the mainstream DCU. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EAlthough if what happened at the end of the last issue actually %0D%0A%3Esticks%2C I%27m probably pretty much done with that. That was both cheap %0D%0A%3Eand randomly gratuitous. %0D%0A%0D%0ASo was what happened at the end of the Wedding Special.  I%27ve never known Winick to express any particular annoyance with that one character%2C so I%27m crossing my fingers.  For all I know%2C there%27s an Earth-2 version of that character just off-panel to the left there.%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Sumhenner%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
6|3|2|||||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|mdg1||17:54:59|12/31/2007|%0D%0A%3EBrubaker is very good at what he does%2C with the exception of Vulcan in %0D%0A%3EX-Men%2C and even then I%27m not sure that that%27s all that it appears to %0D%0A%3Ebe.  Immortal Iron Fist is another one of those books that%27s quirky %0D%0A%3Eand very genre-faithful and a rousing good read.  Which means it%27ll %0D%0A%3Eprobably be gone after 25 issues. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m rapidly regressing into an Iron Fist fanboy... it%27s just plain fun comics%2C without any of the whole Civil War baggage.  I%27ll ride it as long as it lasts....%0D%0A 
5|1|0|||1||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|Ardaniel||17:31:57|12/31/2007|Also%2C as it is relevant to the Work Ethic discussion%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.antonyjohnston.com%2Fgtw%2F%0D%0A%0D%0AAntony Johnston%2C author of Oni Press%27s Wasteland and Image%27s adorable Texas Strangers%2C discusses how he applies Getting Things Done%27s operative ideologies to the process of writing comics.%0D%0A%0D%0ALove or hate GTD-- I don%27t use it myself and I%27m amused that the founder has a somewhat shady cult-involved past-- you don%27t often get this sort of look into a working comics creator%27s bag of tricks.%0D%0A%0D%0AJohnston is also writing a manga-style Wolverine book for Del Rey Manga under the new deal with Marvel%2C too%2C which should be interesting.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman are writing the X-Men title for that%2C which is... apparently... sort of a Fruits Basket Meets the X-Men thing%2C where Kitty is the only female student at Xavier%27s and everything is very shoujo.  I dunno what I can say to that.  Raina and Dave are good writers.  I expect it to be good manga.  I%27m not sure the X-Men are the right vehicles for that.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Sumhenner%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
7|2|5|||||RE%3A Whedon Fans%3A Where Is Your God Now%3F|BZArcher||17:55:00|12/31/2007|But Logan-sama is so Kawaiiiiiiiiii%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%5E_%5E%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Please%2C god%2C kill me.%29