Oh man, look at the difference the inker and the colorist make:

Behold Bryan Hitch's Art work (he's the penciler)

Awwwww! Steve!
See, pretty art!

But then Hitch goes to Reborn and we get:

LOOK! The Falcon is doing his best Mr. Fantastic impersionation!


WTF is with Sharon's outfit. Seriously. >.>
And the ponytail she and Black Widow have is just . .. . ugh no words.


I just can't get over how dissapointing the art in Reborn is. And it's not just the inker, though he's a big part because I've seen this inker on other works by other pencilers and it's the *same* mess.

I feel like Hitch is just phoning this in.
I get he had bucketloads of time on Ultimates AND was often late, but that doesn't stop the art in Reborn from being dissapointing.

Anyone else think that Jason Todd is like the mirror-verse* version of Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne is the mirror-verse version of Tim Drake?

At least a little, in an 'I amuse myself kinda way.

*I assume I no longer need to explain mirror-verse to the f'list yes? New-Trekkie-Fen seem waaaay into that.


Also, I think in the Torch they were trying to fic the coincidence of Toro's powers being exactly like Jim's but IMHO they created an even bigger one.
The new explanation is that Toro was exposed to "Horton" cells (that-which-Jim-is-made-from) which is the cause of his flame ability, and why it matches Jim's, and that's also why he never flamed on before meeting Jim.

Okay, so then if Jim activated the Horton cells and caused Toro to combust, then the organic X-mutation is his invulnerability to fire, given he demonstrated that at a very young age + the Horton cells are not spread through his body, so if they were causing immunity, only certain areas would be . . . like his pancreas.

So then . . . isn't it an EVEN BIGGER coincidence that the ONE person in the Golden Age who could survive catching fire is exposed to cells that cause spontaneous combustion. That would be fatal to anyone without Toro's mutation (ZOMG! My Spinal column burst into flame!!!).

I think the "huh, superficially your power appears just like mine" is actually the smaller coincidence here 0.o

Ok so the new comic character that my brain has opted to take interest in is . . . . .


Aqualad? 0.o

Seriously brain, of all charaters. Is there any reason for this one or are we just totally random now?I mean at least with Jason people were writing very good Jason fics. I am not even aware of ever having read a fic with Aqualad in it and if I did, I probably thought they meant Beast Boy.


okay so I've always like mer-things but why not Namor?
. . .
Okay yeah the whole Atlantis thing in DC is kinda more interesting and I did read stuff when I was wee but lkasdjflkadshfakjsdhfaskldjhfasdkjf.

You know the most depressing thing about liking old school sidekicks?
Finding out what they are doing in modern comics. 90% of the time I'm sorry I ever asked.

THE TORCH MINI SERIES IS AWESOME

Please tell me I'm not the only one reading this because I need to squee over this with someone.

Okay, finally managed to get off my butt and do scan some images of Toro from Torch# 1

Oh yes there will be icons when I get time ^__^

( Six Scans of Grown Up Toro from Torch#1 *SPOILERS* )


I eagerly await the second issue of The Torch. Like on edge of the seat want this now, monthly waiting will be fun and exciting again, yay!

*bounce bounce*

x-posting this to theinvaders

I've decided I am in love the art of Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin.
I adored the art in the 65th anniversary story that did for Captain America (and also IIRC the back up story in CA #50, of which the art was the only high point to that recap of pointlessness), and I just stumbled upon Robin: Year One at Half Priced Books and bought that on the strength of the art alone (ok and also because the Mad Hatter was in it, and I like him as a villian).

They get a lot of characterization into their art, especially with the younger sidekicks that were the focus of both stories I have. With Bucky they did a great job balancing his youth against his experiences, but man Robin with all the flips and turns and such, they outdid themselves! It was awesome!

Also, I like this simplistic cartoon look more than I do the more realistic style or anime styles that seem to dominate comics right now

So ummm yes in conclusion, I shall be on the lookout for more of their art work ^__^

If you hard something that sounded like the squeeee of a very happy comic fan, that would have been me, being excited beyond words over The Torch issue #1

I was so worried this would be like picking up Avenger/Invades and I'd just go "OMG this looks horrid" but so far it looks pretty decent.

And the art, which I'd really worried about because I'd been very unimpressed with this artist's work on the middle part of Avengers/Invaders, is actually very *very* good here.

I don't know if he was rushed, or if his pencils are simply better suited to the more down to earth character story this is so far and less super-hero cosmic WTF, but either way, I approve of the art thus far.

I'll do more into detail when I ahve more time (right now I wish to draw) but let me just say this.

Toro, Bucky, and Jason Todd need to see if the can get a group rate on some therapy.
For reals.

You know the random myths about how you if you re-animate a body it's not really that person but an angry spirit thing, sometimes the way Jason and Bucky acted, I wondered, and Toro lives up to the "angry broody mad at everyone," resurrected sidekick motif DC and Marvel have going. I guess someone had to because Bucky kinda got over it pretty fast I suppose.

I am sad in that I think I won't be able to ignore Toro's silver age retconed origin. I think Toro was one fo the few characters who had a better Golden Age origin than Sliver Age origin (I hate coincidences like Toro's dad working for Horton (who created the Torch), and the Torch keeping on eye on him and I can't even put into words how dumb I find the Asbestos Lady as a character. Randomly got powers at 14-ish just works better with his being a mutant and "mutant" is all the explanation you need in Marvel)

But yeah I'm thinking they are going with the connection to D, Horton big time. If you read it, you know what I mean.

OH ALSO!
They other made a mistake or retconned out his wife's marriage to The Torch. They show her here and comment she's with her second husband, who given he i not dead, is clearly not the Torch.

Can't decide how I like that retcon because I haven't found enough West Coast Avengers stuff to decide of a like Torch/Toro's widow as a canon couple. ^^;;;


Also, this artist draw chest hair.
OMG!!! CHEST HAIR!!!! *happyness*
(What, I don't like totally waxed chests? Gimme a break)

Dude ummmm So Disney bought Marvel Comics? Like no joke for real news? 0.o
Geez and I'm still not happy about WB owning DC *sigh*

*insert giant rant about umbrella corporations sucking all individuality/loss of competitive markets/one voice rules all/Comics get screwed because they aren't what the not-comic parent company wants*

I'm not really horrified though by the fact that it's Disney though. I mean one big annoy corproation is the same as any other IMHO.

I don't think Disney is gonna step in and take away Bucky's guns, or cancel Ultiamtes, or demand everytihg be kid friendly. I mean they own a ton of decidly NOT kid friendly stuff and IIRC the only thing that must be kid friendly is the stuff with the Diseny logo.
Mirimax, for example can release soem *very* adult stuff, so I don't see why the same wouldn't apply to Marvel. And maybe we will get cute Diseny comcis again. I loved the old Disney comics.

Anyway, thank you life for the sheer irony you just added to the scene where Toro tries to make Bucky see Dumbo (in my canon, Bucky hates Disney because his dead was suppossed to take him to see Snow White he thinks those movies are for silly children).

Also, quick, I demand crack!Crossover fanficiton right now.Or jsut Marvels dealing with Disney in general, liking or hating =P



On the other hand . . . Disney owning the Muppets did sorta suck for the Muppets, but again, the got smacked with the Disney logo *sigh*

dskjfgaslfhslkdfhsd
Of course now one of the most insane copyright holders EVER owns mArvel, hopefully this is not bad for fandom art booths at cons. >.>
That'll be EPIC if they try to stop comic fanart at cons. Like Epic Epic.

First Summery is
GLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE


Ok now for something a bit more coherent.
Non spoilery reviews

( The Marvel's Project )

( Ultimate Avengers )

( The Unwritten )

Captain America: Theater of War
I cried.
In a good way.
If you are broke and just want to read a comic, this is a one-shot, it's about the Iraqi war. I's intelligent, it's not (IMHO) nationalistic, just, smart and good, and a nice read.
And I teared up.

So yes those are my comics ^___^

I was pleasantly surprised that both The Marvels Project and ULtimate Avengers lived up to expectations.

I'm finding occasional awesome Bucky/Toro fics on IJ.
there's a person named glossing and a few others looks used to write this pairing. Looks like I just missed it all. But at least I can find the fics.


ALSO I HAVE INVADER COMICS NOW! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
Oh and it's Brainwashed Steve. By Nazis. Yeah, Nazi's (Red Skull specifically) brainwashed all of the Invaders except Bucky. Because they thought Bucky was not worth it. Poor Kid.

So my thought is will someone tell me why Steve didn't just leave angsty James some kinda note somewhere that says "kid, I was Brainwashed by Nazi's. I blew things up for Nazi's. I promise. I understand"

And then the could have gone out for cherry limeades and had a nice talk, and then maybe Steve wouldn't have been this wound out being of anger and angst and dealt with the SHRA better and then he wouldn't be shot and and their would be rainbows and sprinkles.

. . .
and unicorns.

Oh and Bucky and Toro totally have 70's hair styles even though it should be in the 40's.
I find this hysterical.

I keep meaning to post on this and keep not doing so. It's not really a big thing to me, just a little irritant. The comics fandom is interesting to me because "canon" is such a flimsy ill defined, often retconned, little thing.

So when an anon in the cap_ironman fandom started throwing around the accusation "you don't read the canon" by which they seemed to mean, "you don't read the current comics" and/or "I don't like your characterization" (even so far as to say someone wrote 90's Tony and that wasn't canon . . . WTF), I wanted to vent.

So now I am.

Don't read the canon?
Dude, NO ONE (ok probably no one) reads the *whole* canon.

This isn't the Harry Potter fandom.
Canon is not a set of seven (now) cheap, easily found, books, written by one person, with a defined characterization for everyone (I know some HP fans quibble over this but work with me here). Canon is about 70 years worth of on and off comics covering multiple titles and multiple writers. Stop saying "read the canon" like this involves picking up a single graphic novel or something, and stop defining canon as "what I read" because dude, there's more than just what's new in this fandom.

If someone is writing Tony with his 1990's characterization, guess what, that's still canon.
If I write Stan Lee style 1960's Tony Stark, guess what? Still canon! More canon than movie canon even (so nah).
If I base my stories off the Avengers and not the individual character's books, guess what STILL CANON (and yes there is a difference between characterization I've noticed. Also character interaction.)

And you know, if a current writer comes into Captain America or Iron Man and decides to disregard characterization from their most recent run that does not mean the fan writers must do so. Nor does it mean they don't read canon just because they are not reading the most recent Marvel comics. The canon is not Ed Brubaker's or Matt Fractions or Mark Miller's or whoever else's current run on the comics.

The canon is vast.
The characterization is (sadly) diverse.

Stop flouncing about accusing people of not knowing canon because they write based on older/different canon. It's still canon! -_-

Grrrr

I had a rather long, annoyed rant about the recent Troll in the cap_ironman fandom, but honestly . . . meh. As far as I can tell its one maybe two people with petty axes to grind, the main one being someone who hates that two fics they don't like get attention and fanart. Oh wha wha.
The fandom actually pulled together and turned it into a pretty funy/positive little meme, so we defeated the spirit of the troll. yay.
So I don't feel the need to rant,

Instead, I'll post the first of the doodles I got scanned and uploaded.
I Themed it. Here are all the requests I got realting to DC Comics ^__^

For foxestacado: ( Bruce Wayne )

For xterm: ( Cat Woman )

For birgitriddle: ( The Scarcrow )


More doodles coming soon ^__^
These are really, really fun. Thanks guys.

So ellyr_in_ink and kijikun went to a comic convention yesterday. It was a small local one so it was fun and not too overwhelming or anything.

I babled like a pathetic fan girl at Berni Wrightson again.
God hi stuff is amazing. He signed some of his conceptual work that was reprinted the the Making of Ghostbusters book that I have, and I bought a little ashcan sketchbook from him, which he signed.

I also met Jake Ekiss and another illustrator friend of his (whose name I'll have to double check on)

I went to school with him we found out. We shot the breeze about the Profs at UNT good and bad for a while. IT was funny.

The other thing that was funny, I went to school with him and I can't afford him (well I could afford a 5.00 pencil sketch which he graciously did YAYs) So that was fun and good luck to him making it in the industry.

Also met Mark Brooks and pure coincidence, Elly had let me buy a graphic novel in which he'd done the Spiderman just last night (let me buy it because she found it and also kinda wanted it but it had a good Ultiamte Capt story in it and I beged). Anyway, he signed that book, but sadly wanted 50.00 for a character head sketch in pencil. With everyone else doing those from "free" to about 10.00 we figured nah, not so much wanting.

Got a few more Ashcan books that were kinda spiffy. Also between Elly Kiji and I, we ow have a mini Vampire!Tony collection.

Yes this is what we asked the artist to sketch yes *L*
Except once, when I asked for a sketch of Steve Rogers, but now mask.

At which the poor artist looked at me and said
"So you want me to draw a blond guy?"

That amused me. He through in some chest so he could draw the star and it was clear who it was, which was sweet of him.

Fun times.

I really kinda want to go back today, but I must do wedding stuffs :(

Then meet with Brandon, so that is good ^___^

Is it me or is the Marvel Comics event "Ultimatum" basically summed up as 'Rocks fall everybody dies' but without rocks.

Has anyone ever ever seen X The Movie? It was an anime movie based on the CLAMP comic X. The movie was just awful. They had 14+ main characters who basically had to all die in something like an hour and a half. So there was just . . a lot of WTF deaths over and over and over and not much plot (btw, has Clamp *ever* finished this story?).

Ultimatum so far is like that.

Except it proves the Tony/Steve slash, at least for me (and Elly), and had a nice Hawkeye to Hank moment.

In other news, re-reading the old Iron Man comics (or being told summaries of them by Elly at least) totally takes the edge off the current Iron Man comic arc because dude, Tony is always loosing his entire company end ending up on the run. I bet there's a company SOP (Standers of Practice: ie form telling you what to do in certain situation) on what to do if crazy people buy out the company and/or Tony ends up on the run from the US Government.




In other news . . .
I still have not read the new JKR book. It came out so close to Christmas that I thought for sure it would be a present but it wasn't (I think years of my getting duplicate HP stuffs scared people away because everyone though someone else would get that for me). I've to remember to pick up a copy.

I'd do my usual checking Half-Priced, but sense the proceeds go to charity, I'll buy it from Target.


Also thinking of something to do for Azkatraz. I volunteered to be on some panels, so I'll see how that goes.

I'm also thinking of maybe doing a presentation of the Hp Art Project (including only art I have permission to include) or something. I'd love to have been able to show the book BUT again, there's a permission issue, plusI don't think it'll be done by then anyhow.

So I bought the Captain America: Avenger's Dissassembled trade paperback
And now I have to pull out the Stick of Common sense and beat Marvel with it.

Look Marve (can I call you Marve?), either put the WHOLE story in the trade, or, when you stop one story in the damn middle to move onto another (less interesting because I already knew Steve was kinda a dork when it comes to relations and seriously sick of the LMD fake out)one because you hate me, leave a note telling me where I can find the rest of the story I liked but you dind't feel like ending in the trade I bought even though I'm only in the middle of it!

Look I know JQ wanted you guys to stop putting editor notes in the comics.
But lets face it. He's often an idiot.

And the only thing more annoying than you spreading your stories allo ver creation is you spreading your stories all over creation and me not knowing where in creation the ending to the story I liked is.

I'm assuming it's in the rest of Captain America and The Falcon, but see I don't know that. Because you are Marvel. For all I know the story is in Thor. Or Maybe even Power Pack.

And see, I really don't have the money to go buying random comics offline in the hopes I actually find the rest of the story and figure out whose DNA it is that has upset Hank (and also btw is this Hank!Hank or Skrull!Hank? I'm confused on tiemlines)and what the outcome of Wnada continually re-freezing Steve is (why is she crazy? I hear it was because marvel thinks all woman fall to pieces especially if her babies died, but then that got retconned during SEkrit Invasion.

Anway Marve,

So you know what I'm gonna do?
I'm gonna go online and look up the answer.
And if I dont' find it I'll live.
And I wont spend any money tracking it down -_-

But see if you had put a little note in the back telling me "story concluded in XX place" I'd so go buy that.


So you fail and it costs you money -_-
Which is the worst kind of corproate fail I think.

All because JQ doesn't like little editor notes in his books.

ACK! ZOMBIES *points to LJ layout and hides*
Omg I hate zombies. They scare the living beejessus outta me and *shudder*
They scare me even when I know they are fake. Zombie come as close as anything can to overriding the rational part of my brain. No seriously, we had Zombie Carolers once on Halloween (the walked from House to house zombie-like and grunted at the house for a while) and I was freaking out *head desk*



Anyway, umm right on to what I wanted to post about.

What gets censored and what does not and how it no longer makes any sense what so ever at this point.

As an example of said WTF issues:
The Ultimates (Ultimate universe Avengers) which Hawkeye (and others but especially Hawkeye) keeps getting is curse words written like this "MOTHER******".

It gets pretty silly after like . . . the first time.

First on a personal level, to me the curse word itself is not the issue. It's the use of the curse word that can be offensive. If I'm taking into account the exposure of my kids to cursing, and whether the cursing is something I want them to see in said show/book/movie/parental figure, its not the things said in moments of extreme anguish (like 'motherfucker you've killed my whole family') that I have an issue with.
It's the causal use. Like "hey motherfucker, how are you doing. That's what I don't want them exposed to, and seriously even if you ******* the word, the idea that 'Character A curses non stop and is therefore cool' is still there. Because guess what? Kids are not morons. The can figure out what the **** stands for in the phrase "oh ****"

So really ******* out the word, especially when it's OBVIOUS what the word is seems pointless to me (also in these cases, the cursing is not over the top or overused. Hawkeye curses with good reason!)

It's even stupider in this specific case.
SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2




Look if I feel my future kid is old enough to read a comic that SHOWS someone's eyes being gouged out with kitchen utensils, heads being cleaved with meat cleavers, Tony Stark in bed with the Black Widow who is only in very skimpy underwear and they are about to have premarital sex with no mention of protection except they do't because she pulls a gun on him, puts a bullet through Jarvis's head, and then Tony brain damages her with nanites and a champagne bottle (and MORE!) I promise you said child is old enough to see the words 'motherfucker' and 'shit' used -_-

Seriously

Trusted teammate and fiancée of other teammate shots and kills entire family, including small children, and in response father of said family buts kitchen utensils into people's eyes, head, and throat + later is being tortured and kills people with his fingernails. All this is ok to show.

The Words fuck and shit OMG! That can't be shown! Hide it with astrixes!!

Ok, really, the double standard is painfully goofy here.
I'm not advocating censoring btw. In this case I think the words should be there because I think this is CLEARLY an adult orientated comic book.

It's just me asking yet again that good old question, why is extreme violence (so long as the blood is minimal) the thing the censors are the most ok with?

OH ARGHHH
I forgot to upload the thumbnail layout reallycorking and tudorpot need for the HP_Art_project layout stuff.

What sucks is I've forgotten to do this for like two fucking weeks straight *twitch*

This btw is why I'm not a professional illustrator nor do I want to be. The more urgent something is the more it slides right out of my head into the abyss *head desk*

I've been kinda artistically prolific recently if you count hundreds of unfinihed doodles as prolific. Not even half of them are worth scanning.
My follow through as been utter suckage recently.


And In fruther news that makes me want to shake someone
Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada said that he feels the marriage ages the characters, making them less appealing to young readers, and lessens the dramatic, "soap opera" possibilities,

( head desk )


In happy Comics News
The comic adaptation of The Stand rocks. Really, it is a *great* adaptation thus far. I'm very very happy with it.

So, what comics/graphic novels are you people currently following and enjoying?


And now I'm off to eat 80% of my daily sodium need in one setting.
Yay canned soup.


Oh and HAPPY BRITHDAY to soon to be niece-in-law Bayle. . Bailey?
Christ It's Baily but spelled funny and I forget how they spelled it. This is embaressing *blush*

Back at work today.

Much to catch up on.
I'm getting a cold or allergies, odn't knwo which yet.
I blame The Stand.

btw in case anyone wonders my priorities.

When faced with the decision to either pay 18.00 for season one of Supernatural or pay 40.00 and catch up on all the Usagi Yojimbo and Stephen King comics I've failed to buy this last year I got the comics.

Usagi Yojimbo is such love. OMG! The Jei storyline is AWESOME. I got spoiled for it, which was a bummer, but wow, what a way to go with Inazuma. Wow.
Stan write's such good female characters.

And now I need to run to yuletart and see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as been listed. If not I I need to bribe someone else to lsit it because I only have one listing left and I think I'll use it for Usagi.

Unless it was already listed.


Oh and yes

yuletart

If you would like to participate in a Fanart holiday art exchange for fandoms that are *not* Harry Potter, go take a look!

I've already lsited Classic BSG, Ghostbusters, Dark Tower universe, and Babylon 5!

This means certain 1978 BSG fanartist on my f'lsit are going to be poked with sticks to sign up.