Comments on: Citizens flee CIVIL WAR http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:45:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Rick http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5752 Sun, 24 Sep 2006 21:05:05 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5752 Although I am thoroughly enjoying CW, the plot holes are starting to annoy. Why beat Cap to a pulp and let a pitched battle rage causing injuries on both sides when Iron Man could have turned on his sound weapon immediately? They couldn't shrink Bill Foster? They've got Hank Pym in their ranks for Pete's sake! Why is Wonder Man, a being made of ionic energy sitting in the infirmary bruised and scratched up? And all the folks in the pro-registration ranks are really okay with creating a clone/cyborg Thor who is programmed and manipulated? Although I am thoroughly enjoying CW, the plot holes are starting to annoy. Why beat Cap to a pulp and let a pitched battle rage causing injuries on both sides when Iron Man could have turned on his sound weapon immediately?

They couldn’t shrink Bill Foster? They’ve got Hank Pym in their ranks for Pete’s sake!

Why is Wonder Man, a being made of ionic energy sitting in the infirmary bruised and scratched up?

And all the folks in the pro-registration ranks are really okay with creating a clone/cyborg Thor who is programmed and manipulated?

]]> by: Tom Crippen http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5519 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 20:09:53 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5519 I think Chris Eckert calls it as regards the appeal of Civil War. Outsiders reading the series don't have to deal w/ the premise overload involved in most other big crossover events. To tell the truth, CW#4 is my favorite of the core series to date. Maybe because I wasn't around for the clone Spider-Man saga, maybe because I don't see what's so bad about watching the characters get in over their heads. The poor bastards have got themselves in a real mess. The shot of Goliath in his giant grave was sad, brutal, and funny -- a nice piece of black humor. And I'm curious to see what happens next, which is always a good thing w/ storytelling and not at all a common thing w/ superhero comic books. I think Chris Eckert calls it as regards the appeal of Civil War. Outsiders reading the series don’t have to deal w/ the premise overload involved in most other big crossover events.

To tell the truth, CW#4 is my favorite of the core series to date. Maybe because I wasn’t around for the clone Spider-Man saga, maybe because I don’t see what’s so bad about watching the characters get in over their heads. The poor bastards have got themselves in a real mess. The shot of Goliath in his giant grave was sad, brutal, and funny — a nice piece of black humor. And I’m curious to see what happens next, which is always a good thing w/ storytelling and not at all a common thing w/ superhero comic books.

]]> by: Jonathan http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5517 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 20:00:53 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5517 Can I borrow your trade when you're done with it? Just my two cents: I'm apparently the only long time Webhead, that actually wants Spidey to remain married to Mary Jane. Perhaps it's the fact that I sometimes mourn the redhead from my life that wasn't to be (living not only superhero fantasies through the characters but also adolescent, and post-adolescent, "girl next door" fantasies). Irrespective of the cause, I want PP and MJ to stay together, dammit. Can I borrow your trade when you’re done with it?

Just my two cents: I’m apparently the only long time Webhead, that actually wants Spidey to remain married to Mary Jane. Perhaps it’s the fact that I sometimes mourn the redhead from my life that wasn’t to be (living not only superhero fantasies through the characters but also adolescent, and post-adolescent, “girl next door” fantasies). Irrespective of the cause, I want PP and MJ to stay together, dammit.

]]> by: Edward Liu http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5516 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:51:48 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5516 Chris Eckert: <I>"...(Marvel's) prime concern seems to be not doing anything to specifically alienate Hollywood..."</I> While I agree with this assessment, there is an Iron Man movie in the works, and Tony Stark isn't exactly coming off very well in this mini-series. For that matter, he's not exactly an angel in the Ultimates comic, either. Or so I've heard. I don't think I have the brain cells to spare to try and read all of the CW stuff, which is also why I skipped out on Infinite Crisis. Chris Eckert: “…(Marvel’s) prime concern seems to be not doing anything to specifically alienate Hollywood…”

While I agree with this assessment, there is an Iron Man movie in the works, and Tony Stark isn’t exactly coming off very well in this mini-series. For that matter, he’s not exactly an angel in the Ultimates comic, either.

Or so I’ve heard. I don’t think I have the brain cells to spare to try and read all of the CW stuff, which is also why I skipped out on Infinite Crisis.

]]> by: Chad http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5515 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:51:02 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5515 Obviously we'll have to wait for the sale analysis to really judge, but I think Civil War took a decidely 'internal' turn with ish 4. Clone Thor? I doubt the masses would care. But I still applaud the Marvel U for screwing with the status quo. So Spider-Man is no longer a kid living with his Aunt in the 'burbs. Sorry, but i don't remember this being referenced in the Civil War mini so far? As for his new suit? I think we underestimate the audience's ability to roll with the punches. You don't need to know the years of backstory. It's a new suit - so what!?! I wasn't confused, and I have NEVER read a Spider-Man comic! I think the greatest advantage Civil War will have is a re-energised Marvel U. Let's stop looking to the 'world' for some kind of vindication for the fact we love comics! Obviously we’ll have to wait for the sale analysis to really judge, but I think Civil War took a decidely ‘internal’ turn with ish 4. Clone Thor? I doubt the masses would care.

But I still applaud the Marvel U for screwing with the status quo.

So Spider-Man is no longer a kid living with his Aunt in the ‘burbs. Sorry, but i don’t remember this being referenced in the Civil War mini so far? As for his new suit? I think we underestimate the audience’s ability to roll with the punches. You don’t need to know the years of backstory. It’s a new suit - so what!?!

I wasn’t confused, and I have NEVER read a Spider-Man comic!

I think the greatest advantage Civil War will have is a re-energised Marvel U.

Let’s stop looking to the ‘world’ for some kind of vindication for the fact we love comics!

]]> by: Chris Eckert http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5512 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:37:31 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/09/22/citizens-flee-civil-war/#comment-5512 I think the primary comparative advantage Civil War has over most of the Big Universe Shattering Events of recent vintage is that even if the general public certainly doesn't know who Goliath or the Young Avengers are (and may be shaky about what exactly the deal with Captain America, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four and others are) that the core storytelling beats are pretty instantly accessible. The series is about the "real world" ramifications of superheroes wearing masks and getting into big vigilante fights, not about the effects of merging multiple realities, rationalizing away old continuity glitches, etc. Even if people are unfamiliar with Spider-Man's status quo or the exact nature of the Avengers' charter, it's a hell of a lot easier to get an intrigued novice caught up on those things than "so the son of Lex Luthor and Lois Lane from Earth-3..." or "the younger version of Kang from an alternate future, no not <i>that</i> alternate future, a different one" or whatever. In the past few years Marvel seems pretty willing to make sweeping changes to the "Original" Marvel Universe without being too concerned about how it would sync up to other media depictions of their characters. They apparently have the Ultimate Universe around as the entry-level books for those fans, and their prime concern seems to be not doing anything to specifically alienate Hollywood (a la the Fury mini-series). So I don't really know if that's weighing heavily on their minds right now. Or maybe the next Hulk movie is going to involve him going out to a gladiator planet and Daredevil II will be an Oz-like prison drama. I really don't know. I think the primary comparative advantage Civil War has over most of the Big Universe Shattering Events of recent vintage is that even if the general public certainly doesn’t know who Goliath or the Young Avengers are (and may be shaky about what exactly the deal with Captain America, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four and others are) that the core storytelling beats are pretty instantly accessible.

The series is about the “real world” ramifications of superheroes wearing masks and getting into big vigilante fights, not about the effects of merging multiple realities, rationalizing away old continuity glitches, etc. Even if people are unfamiliar with Spider-Man’s status quo or the exact nature of the Avengers’ charter, it’s a hell of a lot easier to get an intrigued novice caught up on those things than “so the son of Lex Luthor and Lois Lane from Earth-3…” or “the younger version of Kang from an alternate future, no not that alternate future, a different one” or whatever.

In the past few years Marvel seems pretty willing to make sweeping changes to the “Original” Marvel Universe without being too concerned about how it would sync up to other media depictions of their characters. They apparently have the Ultimate Universe around as the entry-level books for those fans, and their prime concern seems to be not doing anything to specifically alienate Hollywood (a la the Fury mini-series). So I don’t really know if that’s weighing heavily on their minds right now. Or maybe the next Hulk movie is going to involve him going out to a gladiator planet and Daredevil II will be an Oz-like prison drama. I really don’t know.

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