tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post435763792463530943..comments2024-02-22T02:31:34.108+00:00Comments on Too Busy Thinking About My Comics: That Other Dr Strange: Some Thoughts Concerning Stan Lee & Steve Ditko's Original Master Of The Mystic ArtsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-46799393596254514732011-03-27T11:49:14.873+01:002011-03-27T11:49:14.873+01:00Hello Cease Ill:- thank you for your generous word...Hello Cease Ill:- thank you for your generous words. I do hope Mr Kraft won't mind the manner in which I've attempted to pay my respect.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-39614388206617936382011-03-27T10:45:24.020+01:002011-03-27T10:45:24.020+01:00Let's!
Glad I came back to spend my down tim...Let's! <br /> Glad I came back to spend my down time with your wonderful writing. I think it's well-hidden enough here for me to say: I sent your Scorpio essays to DAK himself. I wonder what he'll say? Every writer hopes to be appreciated so richly.Ceasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852602817305513997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-8157419407938367682011-03-17T19:39:24.854+00:002011-03-17T19:39:24.854+00:00Hello Cease Ill:- I was reading your much-apprecia...Hello Cease Ill:- I was reading your much-appreciated comment and thinking how the original Dr Strange was a character who I'd have loved to have seen approached by creators outside of the superhero mainstream. A Herge Dr Strange, for example, or an Arbuli/Bernet version. He's such a solid character with so much of his world well-defined that I can't help but feel anyone of competence could be trusted to run with him.<br /><br />That's not mean to insult all those from within the US mainstream who've created stories with the character. I know from your blog, for example, that we'd both put our hands up to having enjoyed a great deal of Strange's time with the Defenders.<br /><br />And given how fondly remembered those Peter Gillis stories are - which I didn't grasp until recently - let's cross our fingers for a TPB of them.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-73989721954609348402011-03-17T14:09:53.118+00:002011-03-17T14:09:53.118+00:00That, is the most beautiful, compelling, and disti...That, is the most beautiful, compelling, and distinguished discussion of Doctor Strange (I'm tempted to say, any comics character, if you'll pardon the happy hyperbole!) that I've ever read. It beckons one to establish characters worlds away from mediocrity, by contrasting Strange with the short-hand "pop"-flavored analysis so often pirated by lazy journalists and high lighting his strengths, even observing the weaknesses, to frankly lay out the conditions under which a piece parallel to the stunning richness of All Star Superman might be created for the Master of the Mystic Arts.<br /><br />While some of these observations came to me as well upon my true discovery of Dr. Strange three or four years before, the intense articulation, in a context of some modestly presented literary erudition, has forged a portrait so essential, I could not step apart as yet to consider critically its structure, which layers cogent observation in a style in keeping with strong traditional essay writing. <br /><br />I particularly value these details: 1) the good of a mentor figure 2) an expression of the mis-step in subordinating Clea and the difficult paradox of his disciple as his lover (but especially extra-dimensional princess Clea)<br />3)the ethics of a fictional character that today faintly echoes the true life Fukushima 50Ceasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852602817305513997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-5864456440855651662011-03-17T11:08:00.742+00:002011-03-17T11:08:00.742+00:00Well said. The Doctor is not a man possessed of p...Well said. The Doctor is not a man possessed of physical powers: but rather, understandings, alliances, and natural enemies.<br /><br />I'd love to finish those Gillis stories; I remember Stephen's dark turn as very exciting, and Gillis was, after all, the writer for Shade, the Changing Man (another, more radically-changed Ditko character). Gillis added exciting adversarial roles to go with the pure conceptual exploration that suits Strange like few others.<br /><br /> For my money, Englehart's plots, working with Brunner and Colan, were definitive Doctor Strange, full of occult concerns and deliciously imaginative quandaries (who else dies to win?).<br /> But the single most likable interpretation is Steve Gerber's Defenders run. Stephen had a warmth, compassion and wit in dealing with his oddball fellows, and later wrestled with a most subtle threat via the fine-tuning added by the Headmen. The raw emotionalism categorizing the non-team also provided him a contrasting maturity, in one of the genuine peaks for the character at Marvel.<br /><br /> I've dived into those stories with relish over on integr8dfix.blogspot.com, btw. It's a delight to find thoughtful, articulate individuals willing and able to share their insights into such timeless creations.Ceasehttp://integr8dfix.blogspot.com/2011/03/self-help-alien-style-steve-gerbers.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-49438663922419252452011-03-13T10:10:31.918+00:002011-03-13T10:10:31.918+00:00Hello cease ill: thank you for your generous words...Hello cease ill: thank you for your generous words, they are much appreciated. <br /><br />I am always amazed when returning to the Lee/Ditko era to note how incredibly interesting, as you say, his powers are visually. Yes, in order to enjoy how they're presented, the reader has to also buy into the whole idea of Strange as the thinking person's sort-of superhero. Much of what Strange does lacks the immediate appeal of Spider-Man racing across walls or the Torch lighting up, but as soon as the basic of Strange's mission is bought into, what we see becomes quite fascinating.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-44754563599367295102011-03-13T09:18:44.931+00:002011-03-13T09:18:44.931+00:00On the strength of the feel conveyed by the two do...On the strength of the feel conveyed by the two dozen or so scans, I am following this blog now. I can't wait to come back and read this whole article, and more. I was making a case for the sake of fun how visually interesting his "powers" are, though they are based more upon understandings, aren't they?Ceasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852602817305513997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-57801505368290492142011-02-24T16:33:53.488+00:002011-02-24T16:33:53.488+00:00Hello Emrys:- thank you for your kind words. They ...Hello Emrys:- thank you for your kind words. They are much appreciated.<br /><br />I've never read the Strange Tales II stories you've mentioned. However, they were written by Peter Gillis, a writer whose years at Marvel mostly occured when I wasn't really reading the company's books. Why would that last point be at all relevant? Well, I have heard from several folks whose opinion I have a great deal of respect for that Mr Gillis was a writer of some considerable virtue and that I ought to go back and pay attention to his work. (The novelist and 2000ad writer Al Ewing, for example, has spoken highly of Mr Gillis.) So, when I can find some affordable copies of those 19 issues, which just a few years ago could be had for peanuts, I think I will take the chance to write them up. Your enthusiasm for them is inspiring and I'm always curious to read material from folks who're so fond of a particular book and a particular era.<br /><br />I do agree with you about the Star Wars issue. I was never convinced that Anakin could become the super-Nazi that was the man in black in the original trilogy. The psychology was all over the place. Yet radical change can of course be made to work. Your description of Mr Gillis's work on turning Stephen Strange from a white to a black magician makes it seem worth seeking out just to see how well he pulled such a transformation off.<br /><br />Thank you for your comment. I suspect I'll be writing about the Stephen Strange of the first 4 years of the Defenders in the relatively near future. He's one of those characters I've always had a great deal of fondness for.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-17509437784603040072011-02-23T15:55:31.704+00:002011-02-23T15:55:31.704+00:00Ahh, thank you for reminding me why I love Dr. Str...Ahh, thank you for reminding me why I love Dr. Strange. I'd love to hear what you think, however, of the later storylines.<br /><br />I actually fell in love with the too-short black magician run in Strange Tales II (the one he shared with Cloak & Dagger, and sorry but I don't remember the writer). <br /><br />Anyhoo... talk about a heroic journey where his descent into black magic is both inevitable and torturous. I still remember that one image where he is reading the Ancient One's diary which states that Strange could be his "greatest failure" and he lashes out shouting "I AM NOT A BLACK MAGICIAN!" (and then enter Kaluu as his teacher!) or a bit earlier when he allows Valkyrie to claim a dying man's soul in return for help.<br /><br />My point is that given Strange's maturity and place that he's previously reached, this run was just fascinating to read because it introduced real CHANGE in his maturity (which future writers totally ignored, of course). I don't necessarily mean self-doubt; he never doubted that he needed to do what he did, but that he knowingly became a black magician to fight the evil he himself released. Lovely. <br /><br />(As an aside, that's where the Star Wars prequels went wrong... Anakin's transformation to Vader was so lame; it should have been a mature man knowingly converting to the dark side rather than the lovesick kid doing it to save his girlfriend.)<br /><br />In a similar way, his experimentation with chaos magic and whateverthehell the other thing was at the end of Dr S/Sorcerer Supreme was also interesting (though maybe not interesting enough since it ended up being a little confusing and not as well written).<br /><br />Anyway, I hope you write your thoughts on this later Strange.<br /><br />RichAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16212819170251323176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-15234908713971548872011-01-14T00:42:44.647+00:002011-01-14T00:42:44.647+00:00Hello Emperor:- well, I do too, and we're on t...Hello Emperor:- well, I do too, and we're on the same page with the ideal of ambitious material that unpretentiously co-exists within a popular form. <br /><br />I'm with you that Final Crisis needs re-reading, especially since I've been told that Mark Millar's Saviour appears briefly in it! I'm afraid to look unless that's not so, because it would be too sweet given my current responsibilities were it to be so.<br /><br />I absolutely agree about the whole issue of representing POV's which are anything but standard-issue ones. Just that single BMB example raises a whole raft of possibilities, doesn't it?<br /><br />Ah, the "willfully obtuse"; I'm not so sure who they might be now, but I'm sure I'm in their number for a good period of the time. I've only just realised there's more a purely paternalistic approach to mainstream comics. (A slight over-exaggeration perhaps, but sadly, not that much of one.) It's a question of what folks want and what they'll resist that was quite haunting me as I wrote the latest piece on 2000ad for Girl Wonder; to what degree does it make sense to criticise a comic for being what it is, and who's got the right what a creator's A-game is anyway? But then, we've been there, haven't we?Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-11125651011446103712011-01-12T19:05:58.503+00:002011-01-12T19:05:58.503+00:00"Does the audience for comics want to do this..."Does the audience for comics want to do this, Emperor?"<br /><br />I do. I want people taking risks, pushing the envelope of the form, challenging readers to put a bit of work in and even subverting those expectations. It doesn't mean I need them in every comic or that some are as suitable for this as others (I think the Ronin example is a good one for how you can still tinker with the medium within a mainstream continuity-heavy comic book, but it really pushing things might not suit that style of book - I still having the feeling I need to re-read Final Crisis to tease out what is going on, it is either genius or a mess, of course it might be a genius mess, but I wonder if that amount of envelop pushing was wise in the lynchpin series of DC's year that left so many people angry and confused) or even that I'm capable of coming anywhere close myself but that doesn't mean people shouldn't try. The Ronin example opens up interesting possibilities, if you are writing a story from an alien's point-of-view why should everything be presented as if they were just another bemused traveller from afar? How would different sense or thought processes work? How could you even present such things on the page? I'm sure there is at least a Future Shock in there.<br /><br />"Perhaps it's less that a few folks need to bring their A game and more that they ought to abandon being so willfully obtuse."<br /><br />That too ;)Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-48076472864109587892011-01-12T07:25:56.194+00:002011-01-12T07:25:56.194+00:00Hello Emperor:
"It would then leave the way ...Hello Emperor:<br /><br />"It would then leave the way open for the action figure, with mad reindeer accessories and mug of steaming, trippy piss."<br /><br />I need no further encouragement to promise I will buy said goods if they are fairly priced in my local supermarket.<br /><br />"The danger though is that it might be too clever and you lose a good slice of the readership (who might not appreciate having it pointed out to them that they have missed a pretty major layer to the story)."<br /><br />Yep, the creators have to make sure that the basic package is both comprehensible and interesting at first glance, so that any "layers" serve as extra value. Otherwise, yes, such techniques could well be a serious problem.<br /><br />"Perhaps we readers (including ourselves) need to raise our expectations and bring our A game to this comics reading lark."<br /><br />Does the audience for comics want to do this, Emperor? BMB's achievment is, in one sense, to have retained an experimental frame of mind at times while appealling to a broad audience. I suspect that this is the ideal where sales are concerned. I would hope, however, that a few more BMB-haters might note that the commercialism they so loathe carries with it other virtues too. Perhaps it's less that a few folks need to bring their A game and more that they ought to abandon being so willfully obtuse.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-80795490897716711502011-01-10T17:23:25.474+00:002011-01-10T17:23:25.474+00:00""There is, surprisingly, a gap in the m...""There is, surprisingly, a gap in the market for animistic, reindeer-herding* mystical martial artist out of his mind on hallucinogenic urine." Well, you simply HAVE to solve this problem. And given that you write, and given your possession of what sounds by your admission of a suitable range of artistic skills for such a project, I'd say there's no time like the present.<br /><br />Oh, and I'd like an action figure too."<br /><br />If I even get a quarter of a chance I will make this happen, having him riding into town on a large angry reindeer like some demented Father Christmas would be worth the price of admission alone. It would then leave the way open for the action figure, with mad reindeer accessories and mug of steaming, trippy piss.<br /><br />"Now, I'm not saying that such techniques are present in all of BMB's scripts. I don't know, because I'm only just realising that there's more going on there than I thought. But perhaps there IS more going on there than some of us - I include myself - know how to immediately recognise?"<br /><br />Indeed. I am going to have to keep an eye open for these other layers too. The danger though is that it might be too clever and you lose a good slice of the readership (who might not appreciate having it pointed out to them that they have missed a pretty major layer to the story). I have to say that it'd be a sad state of affairs to declare any comic too clever (unless someone is being clever clever or a clever clogs, of course ;) ), as the alternative would be dumbing down comics, which is not the way forward. Perhaps we readers (including ourselves) need to raise our expectations and bring our A game to this comics reading lark. It might lead to a little disappointment from time-to-time but it might also force other writers to up their ante.Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-29609450494328758482011-01-10T16:04:49.339+00:002011-01-10T16:04:49.339+00:00Hello Emmet:- I hope you’re bearing up well with t...Hello Emmet:- I hope you’re bearing up well with the weight of that extra year you’re carrying. <br /><br />I read the first few issues of The Oath and now you’ve returned it to my attention, I‘ve been inspired to pop over to Marvel Digital and found it all collected there. Ah, well, that’s tonight’s reading sorted.<br /><br />What I do recall is that I enjoyed the fact that Strange was an adult in those first few issues. The idea of him having a relationship with NIGHT NURSE – cue cognitive dissonance – unexpectedly made him seem ever less a teenager, which was a thing well done. We need more convincing heroes with a touch of maturity under their belt, just it would be good to have a few more comic books on the market which present believable representations of teenagers too.<br /><br />I think you make a fine point that Strange’s power and knowledge can inspire less able writers to present a bloke who’s “aloof, arrogant, authoritarian”. I wonder, do many comic book creators feel comfortable with authority, and do many of them have experience of power in a wordly sense? I say this not to suggest that they’re under-cooked as people, but there’s often a feeling in many comics that the creator doesn’t know much about how power and authority actually work in the real world. A simple model of ABSOLUTE FREEDOM versus THOSE WHO’D MAKE ME TIDY MY ROOM AND PAY TAXES can prevail. And if that’s true in any way, then some folks would have real problems showing Strange sympathetically. <br /><br />”For Strange to be a defiantly mature character, wise after gaining hard-won experience about the vicissitudes of life, well - that's simply intolerable.” as you so rightly say.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-25531241039446981992011-01-10T15:48:43.666+00:002011-01-10T15:48:43.666+00:00Hello Emperor:- "There is, surprisingly, a ga...Hello Emperor:- "There is, surprisingly, a gap in the market for animistic, reindeer-herding* mystical martial artist out of his mind on hallucinogenic urine." Well, you simply HAVE to solve this problem. And given that you write, and given your possession of what sounds by your admission of a suitable range of artistic skills for such a project, I'd say there's no time like the present.<br /><br />Oh, and I'd like an action figure too.<br /><br />I wonder if a list of why some folks have a problem with BMB's scripts might also include, in addition to the lack of certain familiar tropes which you quite rightly discuss, might also include the fact that his scripts often seem easy to read and yet can be quite challenging. That Ronin scene of a silent adventure in Tokyo, for example, simply CAN'T be read quickly without missing at least half the key information there. And that was another of those points which I wanted to mention to you about American developments, in that BMB is playing with the form in a way which is modest but radical. THERE'S RONIN IN A SILENT TOKYO AND NO-ONE CAN PICK UP ON THAT FIRST TIME ROUND! And then second time round, the experience is quite different and far more powerful. Now, I don't know about you, but I missed that. I'm not used to trying to make sense out of comics in that way. I'm used to a paternalistic method handing me my reading experience, to a greater or lesser degree.<br /><br />Now, I'm not saying that such techniques are present in all of BMB's scripts. I don't know, because I'm only just realising that there's more going on there than I thought. But perhaps there IS more going on there than some of us - I include myself - know how to immediately recognise?<br /><br />Just a thought. <br /><br />ps: Senator, I know existential despair, and anyone who finds it triggered by a deceptive facade of decompression masking more complex storytelling techniques needs to GET A LIFE (c: William Shatner) Yet, I find it a convincing explanation for some of our less rational brethren’s responses ...<br /><br />pps; I'm glad to hear that the issue of absolute power corrupting absolutely won't apply to your saintly powers of restraint when you uncover the secret powers of the Vishanti, quantumly-er-speakingColin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-26453273106978341752011-01-10T04:36:59.761+00:002011-01-10T04:36:59.761+00:00Did you ever have the opportunity to read BKV'...Did you ever have the opportunity to read BKV's The Oath? My impression at the time was that he had got what made the original Strange tick. That Stephen was a man with immense personal knowledge, but physically frail - and yet, was willing to put himself at risk constantly. <br /><br />The final fight scene is quite fun. <br /><br />I think you have nailed the reason for Strange's sidelining over the years. Where he might have originally been intented to be in possession of an esoteric perspective on earthly good & evil, the Dr Strange of modern times often seems aloof, arrogant, authoritarian. <br /><br />The default state for Marvel heroes seems to be fifteen going on twenty-something. Hence Spider-Man, Brand New Day, Claremont throwing a fit when Ellis had Kitty Pryde enter a sexual relationship with Pete Wisdom etc. <br /><br />For Strange to be a defiantly mature character, wise after gaining hard-won experience about the vicissitudes of life, well - that's simply intolerable.Emmethttp://abookadaytillicanstay.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-15048768718367798062011-01-09T17:27:04.723+00:002011-01-09T17:27:04.723+00:00"For a man of the scientific method to be pur..."For a man of the scientific method to be pursuing his quantum theory of magic brings with it the hope for all of us of untold wealth, security and calorie-light eclairs whenever we want. Go, Emperor, go!"<br /><br />Although it is worth noting this is purely for fictional use but you can rest assured that if this does uncover any secrets then I will be sure to use it for my own personal gain and general wrongdoing.Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-5624443349302939182011-01-08T19:23:23.171+00:002011-01-08T19:23:23.171+00:00part 2:
"When I pick up a book now, I'm ...part 2:<br /><br />"When I pick up a book now, I'm keen to enjoy myself, of course, but I also want to know what I can learn of the craft involved."<br /><br />Me too really. I do sometimes wonder if a good slice of my enjoyment of Ellis is from him wearing his research on his sleeve, so you can spot them easily, as some of his tropes can get a bit samey but the actual comics themselves are always interesting on a number of different levels. I might not be as... passionate about Ellis work as I am over Moore and Morrison but I do try and read most of his output if I can and I am rarely disappointed (except that he seems to get bored easily so he throws out these story nuggets and moves on when I am still up for further adventures).<br /><br />I do wonder if some of the fan's hate for Bendis comes from some kind of... existential disjunction** (well hark at me with my big words)? If you are a lifelong fan of the Avengers and you tune in for more action-packed adventures and you find a lot of people sitting around talking for a good slice of the time then the shortfall between expectation and reality could lead to some kind of angst*** that, in some, can only be relieved by being rude to random strangers who happen to touch on one's bugbear. Approaching the work on a number of different levels does mean you can get something out of it even if the story or, just the approach to story-telling, isn't what you were expecting. So I picked up Dark Avengers because I'd been following the Thunderbolts team under Ellis and some of them became the core of the DA with the addition of other characters I was interested in, like Noh-Varr (who has a tonne of potential that hadn't yet been exploited since Morrison's reboot). It wasn't what I was expecting but it was an intriguing tale that I enjoyed, although I am lucky Osbourne is so well known and I'd read both Sentry trades, because otherwise I might have been all at sea. So, although I might not have jumped in if I'd had different (more accurate) expectations, I am looking forward to dipping into the next volume when it turns up, which has to be some measure of success, in that he won round someone who wasn't a rabid fan and who was expecting a different story ;) It helped that a knowledgeable guide to help show me the way, even if it was just largely coincidence ;)<br /><br />* Not really Reindeer Fighting, it isn't a fair fight. That bit of the name was a nod to "Karate Bearfighter" and "Karate Bullfighter" (based on a real story, kind of ;) ). Although thinking about it I am hardly one to raise an eyebrow at such things - I am at the front of a very short queue of people to fight a Colossal Squid if they ever find a lively one. I'm probably past my cephalopod-battling best now though - squid-fighting is a young man's game.<br /><br />** I just Googled that to see if I hadn't accidentally used some pre-existing term that had some other meaning and found "existential distress" defined as: "distress caused by a completely unacceptable way that one finds themselves in the world." Which seems to fit. There is also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existential_crisis" rel="nofollow">existential crisis</a> too.<br /><br />*** There you go, perhaps existential angst is what I was groping for? Although telling the raging fanmen they don't hate Bendis but might be suffering from existential angst will probably not go over well ;)Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-3702805478052754592011-01-08T19:22:15.343+00:002011-01-08T19:22:15.343+00:00"Gravel is a book I've had recommended to..."Gravel is a book I've had recommended to me by several good folks, and I know I must go seek it out"<br /><br />Definitely. It is basically "what if John Constantine joined the SAS?" which allows Ennis to layer on research-rich tales of a tough cynical guy beating the crap out of all sorts of supernatural nasties. The "Never a Dull Day" books isn't cheap but it is quite good value, especially considering the originals were in B&W and I believe the stories have been coloured for this collection. Might be an idea to start with the trades of the ongoing series because you can jump in there and see if you like it.<br /><br />"as for Dragonball, which I assume to be rather unlike a book by Mr Ellis, exists completely off my radar."<br /><br />I must admit I am largely drawing off the cartoons, vast manga series are a little intimidating unless I'm really enthusiastic (like with Lone Wolf and Cub or Blade of the Immortal), although I admit I should try more.<br /><br />"Oh, I'd buy Occult Face-Busting Reindeer-Fighter, unless there actually is such a character, in which I will be checking THAT book.cartoon out."<br /><br />There is, surprisingly, a gap in the market for animistic, reindeer-herding* mystical martial artist out of his mind on hallucinogenic urine. Odd that. You'd imagine someone who was already tough from castrating stags with their teeth in some of the coldest conditions on earth, before taking the road of the warrior-shaman to fight the terrors that whistle down from the frigid north might make a suitable opponent for someone who turned his back on his effete, dissolute ways to follow the page of the sorceror-sage.<br /><br />to be continued...Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-6984300847786814372011-01-08T11:30:51.587+00:002011-01-08T11:30:51.587+00:00Hello Emperor:- I love the way that the good folks...Hello Emperor:- I love the way that the good folks who comment on this blog constantly keep me aware that I know nothing about this medium and genre that I try to make sense of. Gravel is a book I've had recommended to me by several good folks, and I know I must go seek it out, and as for Dragonball, which I assume to be rather unlike a book by Mr Ellis, exists completely off my radar. And yet the way you brightly and playfully draw on both shows how these humble and yet wonderful superheroes can be informed by cultural influences from all over the map. (Oh, I'd buy Occult Face-Busting Reindeer-Fighter, unless there actually is such a character, in which I will be checking THAT book.cartoon out.) And using this post-modern stew does bring with it the counter-point to Strange's reliance/virtue of needing time and concentration to solve his problems that you suggest. A very interesting thought.<br /><br />For a man of the scientific method to be pursuing his quantum theory of magic brings with it the hope for all of us of untold wealth, security and calorie-light eclairs whenever we want. Go, Emperor, go!<br /><br />On BMB and Dark Avengers; I do find your attitude to the book interesting and heartening. Reading it, I realised that my approach to comics is different to how it was when I started this blog, in part at least. When I pick up a book now, I'm keen to enjoy myself, of course, but I also want to know what I can learn of the craft involved. And that immediately means that I start from a position of respect for the creators, and boy does that cut down on the waste of life that is fanboy angst.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-66070832634332008592011-01-08T02:51:34.715+00:002011-01-08T02:51:34.715+00:00"I'm all for comics starring 'mystica..."I'm all for comics starring 'mystical knuckle sandwich action', myself, BUT THEY SHOULD BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS SUCH. I want a superhero who regularly offers to deliver such a sandwich and I want them now!"<br /><br />I want it yesterday!! At the moment I assume he is punching people with his pentagram fists but it isn't clear what he is up to, he might be touching them and turning their brains into chocolate buttons (which I'd also like to see). I suppose Ellis' Gravel, who is a combat magician, might fight the bill but isn't quite what I would be looking for to fulfil that fancy description. I quite like the idea of some with fighting magic, a little this side of Dragonball (although a fan of mystical kung-fu perhaps go for something less obvious, like a Russian: the Occult, Face-Busting Reindeer-Fighter), the opposite of Dr Strange in that he is all impulse and action. It'd really force Strange onto the backfoot as he has to use his slower techniques to find and implement a solution, a teeth-rattling tortoise and the hare situation.<br /><br />"What's interesting is how reason and training and personality comes into play, I think."<br /><br />Indeed, whether it is research or two-fisted mayhem it is all about discipline, focus and control - finding the ways to impose your will on reality.<br /><br />"Magic, it seems to me, is an extension of will, though I'm not going all Crowley here, and so might work just as super-mental powers do on the page."<br /><br />Yep, but I'm already working on a Quantum Theory of Magic, so I thought I'd try something different here ;)<br /><br />"Ironically, I was far more interested in characters other than the ubiquitious Osbourne and the sadly misconceived Sentry"<br /><br />Me too. Fortunately your analysis of Bendis' writing and Ellis' fine work on the Osbourne in Thunderbolts (which pretty much inspired the use of the character in Dark Reign) so there was plenty to get out of the story, just not what I was looking for going in and there are some problematic aspects to the writing and story when it isn't just people sitting around and talking.Emperorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02761570379917202477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-2716744349777303232011-01-08T01:13:22.931+00:002011-01-08T01:13:22.931+00:00Hello Percival:- thank you for the kind words.
Re...Hello Percival:- thank you for the kind words.<br /><br />Reading your comment and those above have made me determined to sit down as best I can with the resources of my cheap sub to Marvel Digital and whatever the local library has to offer and really take a serious look at how BMB has written Dr Strange over time. As I think I intimated in the piece, I'm fascinated by the matter of how various writers have tried to make the good Doctor a going concern in the MU as the years have passed, Strange being to Marvel what Aquaman is to the DCU, the character most folks know of and quite enjoy, but whose books, with a few notable exceptions, never really sell over time.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-47039689590562875682011-01-08T01:01:23.217+00:002011-01-08T01:01:23.217+00:00This is a great piece. Now if only we could get so...This is a great piece. Now if only we could get someone at Marvel who actually knows the first thing about Doctor Strange to write his stories. Because Bendis clearly has no concept of who the character is or his history.Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12041850425152267026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-34302550202813664192011-01-08T00:15:32.424+00:002011-01-08T00:15:32.424+00:00Hello Mikesensei! It's splendid to hear from y...Hello Mikesensei! It's splendid to hear from you again, and I do hope you're well and that the world is treating you as kindly as you might for. Thank you for popping over, for it's much appreciated.<br /><br />I have recently, as I believe I said above, begun to adore Mr Ditko's work to a degree that I never expected to. As a middle aged man, if not an adult, I've always respected and enjoyed his work, but now I find myself entranced by his art and plotting, particularly of the period of '62 to early 66. I'm glad you enjoyed the scans.<br /><br />We certainly think along similar lines re: the decline of the mentor figure. The JSA has often seemed to be the only book, as you rightly mention, where a measure of mentoring remains, though there are other exceptions that come to mind, such as Mark Waid's family of super-speedsters. Yet there does seem to be a fear or even a distaste for giving superheroes role models and authority figures, unless, of course, they can be killed off and used as a source of angst and an excuse for a spot of revenge killing. I think it's a misreading of the appeal of fiction to assume that superhero fans want power not just without responsibility, but without the odd good example being set too. But then, like you, as I add each year under my belt, I find myself looking more for characters who know something of the ageing process themselves. You're right to point out that Starman was a title which presented such mentors well.<br /><br />Smart heroes ARE a problem, aren't they? I wonder why. Short of indulging in ill-informed and unsubstantiated cod-psychology, it's hard to grasp why so many writers find clever folks hard to write. I would mention Matt Fraction's writing on Iron Man as an example of a creator doing a good job re: this matter. Whatever quibbles I might have, and there's hardly a book I wouldn't quibble with, Mr F has done a good, indeed a fine, job of engaging with Stark's intellectual abilities rather than ignoring them as some others have done.<br /><br />Happy new year to you and yours, Mr M! I hope the evening rush hour wasn't too odious a business. It was a pleasure to hear from you.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618879740460069575.post-276961671898964752011-01-07T23:58:00.904+00:002011-01-07T23:58:00.904+00:00Hello Emperor:- I'm all for comics starring &q...Hello Emperor:- I'm all for comics starring "mystical knuckle sandwich action", myself, BUT THEY SHOULD BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS SUCH. I want a superhero who regularly offers to deliver such a sandwich and I want them now!<br /><br />But back in the (un)real world of comic books, there are indeed the strange matters of undefined and unexploited super-powers in comic books which you'd expect would take a touch more interest in such things. It's something I rattled on earlier in the recent pieces on the Avengers, so I won't bend your ears backwards here, though I could. One of the joys of the paternalistic approach is that in feeling obliged to explain and illustrate the matter of super-heroes, creators often came up with inventive ways of making their points. (At other times, we just saw bullets bouncing off Superman's chest, mind you, though I find that charming and would like to see more of it. Bullets are, after all, terrifying things out here in the real world.)<br /><br />I do understand your feelings about codifying the nature and use of magic. We've discussed it before, though in a different context to here, meaning you're not repeating yourself at all, I assure you. After re-reading these Lee/Ditko masterpieces - I believe that word is appropriate - I'm not sure any such reworking is necessary. (That doesn't mean that it couldn't be both fun and useful to do so, of course.) But I'm convinced that the solution to the problem of magic lies in presenting protagonists faced with impossible problems and then having them reason, no matter how absurdly, a way out of them. Magic, it seems to me, is an extension of will, though I'm not going all Crowley here, and so might work just as super-mental powers do on the page. What's interesting is how reason and training and personality comes into play, I think.<br /><br />Gosh! I'm glad that piece about Strange's academic nature and the comparison with the MU's "scientific" genii appealled, because it was one of those unexpected thoughts that re-reading those stories generated and I felt lucky to have stumbled onto the point. To have an Emperor who can express more clearly what I was trying to say about the scientific method is MUCH appreciated.<br /><br />Your analysis on DA was such an interesting one, and based on what I've read of the title, an accurate one too. Ironically, I was far more interested in characters other than the ubiquitious Osbourne and the sadly misconceived Sentry, of whom I've written before and must restrain myself from writing about again. Yet DA was a title designed to exist in the context of the Osbourne era, so I can understand, as you obviously do, why it had the focus it did. Perhaps a more paternalistic approach might have given the reader the illusion that the supporting cast were being lent more panel-time than they actually were?<br /><br />Thanks for the comments, Emperor. I do hope you're well.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246781681702128600noreply@blogger.com