MadripoorEconomy

Rust Age has my vote!  These names for the different ages followed sales - not really quality or consideration as a viable art form.  I'd probably go for Silicon Age too (not only fits the computer chip thing but also the oversized heroine portions).

The JRJR covers are truly dismal - most of the interior artwork for the series has been beautiful.

I've been enjoying Doomwar too.  I think with the exception of Storm being kinda weak (which she has since she married T'Challa for the most part - with the notable exception of the recent Astonishing X-Men Xenogenesis) all the storylines have precedent.  T'Challa has shown less than desirable leadership since way back in Jungle Action #6.  Doom is being portrayed in a delightful manner and I think the mix of right and wrong with subtle shades of gray is intentional (thin line between liberator and terrorist).  I hope this series ends with a change to the status quo and Marvel's leading African nation is a democracy with the Black Panther staying on as guardian of the country.

I think the mini-comics that came with the original He-Man toys started me off - my grandfather than supplied my habit with flea market purchases of 70's comics.  I started to collect in '89 when the Batman movie came out.  My first X-men comic was #271 (part of the X-Tinction Agenda crossover) and I was hooked!  I collected until '95 when I left home to join the Army.  All my comics were trashed!  The 90's left a bad taste in my mouth and I did not collect again until last year (though I did flirt with the Ultimates and nearly started collecting again in 02).  I've since purchased back issues like crazy to try and (at least for Marvel) rebuild my collection as if I had never stopped collecting.  My sons now enjoy comics as well.

Yeah - Jean's only died once really - at the end of New X-Men.  The rest have been retconned.  And really - does it matter?  Her name is Phoenix!  I just hope (pun intended) that she is not coming back at the end of Second Coming in any form - or the Phoenix Force for that matter.  There are enough phoenix like red head characters running around as there is.

1. Invisible Woman - Leader
2. Sharon Carter
3. Pepper Potts - as Rescue of course
   
4. The Wasp

Yes they should end - or do a Phantom generational thing to satisfy the corporate need for cash cow characters.  Batman should've been Dick Grayson a long time ago - the characters should age (not in real time of course) and progress somewhere.  Unless you utilize the "super" character like Eisner did with the Spirit - where everyman tales can be told in the hero framework but often focusing on other characters.  I think the Watchmen and other notable classic stories are made better because of the idea of an exit point.  How much better would Claremont's X-Men run have been with a planned exit (or movement to the New Mutants actually taking over the X-men Mantle)?  I guess I don't have a problem with ending a series and rebooting.  But suffering through mediocrity awaiting the next good run that will have to last us for a few years seems foolish to me (as an adult).  On the flipside - would we lose cross-generational icons then?

Continuity today definitely does not seem to matter - I too miss the [*]. But even more than that, I miss the ATTEMPT at continuity.  I recently re-read part of Ann Nocenti's run (the Typhoid Mary bit) on Daredevil.  Without missing a beat, she incorporated the events of Inferno from the X-line into her storyline (since DD does hang out in NY - the same city where inanimate objects were coming to life in Inferno) without losing an ounce of quality or focus to her own storyline.  I'm not certain if I should blame prima donna writers or overworked editors?  Regardless - I miss it and have learned to not let the lack thereof ruin my present comics experiences.  But every time I reach into the longbox I remember how it used to be...

OMD was awful and totally out of character (though one could argue the entire Marvel Universe was out of character for awhile with Civil War, etc.).  However, I've enjoyed many of the Brand New Day story arcs after - so my hatred has definitely been softened.  Clone Saga was one of the reasons I gave up comics for nearly fifteen years.  It was just awful - and it seems hardly consequential now.  With the small exception of Kaine appearing in recent issues there haven't been any far reaching consequences for Spidey from the Clone Saga in the 616.  So at least for now, OMD is still way more relevant as well.

I have yet to see the fourth season of Heroes but I'm one of the minority in the world that doesn't worship at the altar of Lost.  However, what do you think messed Heroes up while Lost remained viable to the general public?