It's been sometime since I've done one of these blogs. Don't fret, I haven't stopped drawing. I have simply been left without a scanner for the past... 5 months. I haven't been able to get my hands on one, but you must admit that digital cameras are simply amazing.
If you've read any of my Recent Drawings blogs before then you know I always recur to three characters when I don't know what to draw (if you haven't read any of my Recent Drawings blogs then check them out HERE): Gwen Stacy, Disney’s Ariel (The Little Mermaid) or the Scarlet Witch. Once again I drew Wanda!
I had to do some light editing to the image's contrast because the camera I have is very low quality... Hopefully you can tell what I was going for here and I'll be sure to try and post more of my drawings. Be sure to give me your opinion.
Soon one of the biggest, if not the biggest, comic book movie in history will have its Blu-Ray and DVD release. According to the buzz that is going around the internet, the vast majority of the viewers had great things to say about Marvel's The Avengers. While the roster and origin story was not entirely true to the 1960s' team assembly, the movie created an amazing starting point for the Avengers.
A lot of comic book fans might be bothered by the fact that Marvel Studios failed to follow the origin. Yet, after watching the movie four times already (no joke), I found a few subtle ways the movie was true to comic book history. I do have to warn you there will be SPOILERS.
Hawkeye: Villain Before Hero
Hawkeye first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #57 as a hesitant villain until he eventually joined the Avengers. As part of a traveling circus Clint learned villainous ways but Iron Man's example helped him use his amazing archery skills to fight crime. In the movie, Jeremy Renner portrays Clint Barton, a SHIELD agent who is known for his watchful eye. At the beginning of the movie, Loki uses Clint's noble heart against himself by opening his mind and tricking him into joining the wrong side of the battle. Of course, this incantation does not last when Black Widow manages to change his alliances, just like in the comics...
Chitauri/Skrulls
In the movie, Loki's army is composed of the Chitauri. In the Ultimate Universe, the Chitauri are a faction of the universe's Skrulls that have tried to take over Earth with their shape-shifting abilities for centuries. While there seems to be no relation to the Skrulls in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, the Chitauri bear small, physical resemblances to the Skrulls. The most notorious being the chin and the use of purple on their armor and technology. Whether this is because the creators of the movie wanted the army to look like the Skrulls or not, it's not clear.
Infinity Gauntlet's Mind Gem
The Infinity Gauntlet made a very brief appearance in the Thor Movie. Thanos appears at the end of the Avengers film. So when we see Loki use a blue gem to open people's minds the only thing I could think of was the Infinity Gauntlet's Mind Gem. The Mind Gem is one of six crystals that power the Infinity Gauntlet. According to the Comic Vine database, the Mind Gem "taps the user into the universal consciousness, allowing for unlimited manipulation of psionic powers including telepathy and telekinesis". While it didn't do that in the movie, it did create a sense of consciousness to those who the gem was used on. Plus, it is blue like in the comics. Whether this means we'll get to see the other five gems later on remains to be seen.
Avengers Tower
One of the biggest plot points in the movie was the newly built and powered Stark Tower. Interestingly enough, after everything that happened to New York City, only the A in STARK survived the attacks. This alludes to the present Avengers base. In the comics, originally, the Avengers spent their time in Avengers Mansion. It wasn't until Bendis' Avengers Disassembled and New Avengers that Avengers Tower came to work as the team's base. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe the team has yet to find their home, but the movie alludes to stArk Tower as the likely choice.
"Death"
The last line in the movie stated that facing the Avengers would be "courting death". Thanos has the tendency to do everything for the sake of his mistress... Could he be willing to take the battle to Earth in order to court Death in future Marvel movies?
Let me know if you found more of these "subtle" comic book consistencies when watching the movie. Also, be sure to buy your copy of Marvel's The Avengers on September 25th.
Fans can expect some big twists and big surprises in "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!" Season 2, as seen in our new trailer (Below), but we've got five new teases for you directly below! Who stands with Iron Man? Who has Hank Pym enlisted for help? And just who could possibly lift Mjolnir besides Thor himself? You'll have to wait for the answers to these questions, but in the meantime check out our full gallery of teasers!
As always, Marvel plays the guessing game with their fans. From what I can tell off of these teaser images, the second season of this animated series will bring forth new characters. Who do you think these question marks are? Is that Beta Ray Bill, War Machine, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the Guardians of the Galaxy? Can't pinpoint who that SHIELD agent is though. Excited? Check out the new trailer:
I notice costume changes, Ms. Marvel, a Super-Skrull invasion, "Fantastic" cameos, Red Hulk and a lot of epic battles. Did I miss something? What do you think? Will you be watching?
Tune in to the season premiere of "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!" April 1 inside the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD at 12:00 p.m. ET!
Full disclosure here... I'm not big on webcomics. Even so, I am writing this review after I was prompted to promote the webcomic created by one of Comic Vine's very own. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Adler's Watch by HarlequinKiss
Adler's Watch #1 Created by: AnnaMaria Bryant (@HarlequinKiss) Summary:A Century in Seconds. Anthony Adler, a man accused of murder in the 19th century is suddenly transported through time and space after touching an old pocketwatch. Sammy & 23 find him, assuming he’s 23′s relative. Release Date(s): Aug 2, 2011- Sept 29, 2011
The Good
I'm going to start off the bat here and just start talking about the art. AnnaMaria Bryant is one of my favorite artists in the internet world. She executes some of the best facial expressions and actions poses. I like her style a lot. In the case of Adler's Watch, my favorite design is that of the character that goes by the name/number of 23. A mysterious girl who shares some sort of relation to the main character, Adler, and a love for the abnormal.
Putting aside my love for the art, I want to shift focus to the story. This comics is about man named Adler from the 19th century who is transported to the year 2011 by the means of a pocket watch. Coincidentally (maybe) Sam and 23, two girls who spend their time looking answers for paranormal situations, are on the receiving end of that watch. Why does 23 resemble Adler? Why is 23 so nonchalant about the surrounding events that would make us, normal folk, gasp, scream, and maybe even faint? Interested in the story yet?
The Bad
Even though I might be biased about the comic because the creator is a Comic Vine user, I can't just mention the positive. I mentioned above how much I love Bryant's art, but the thing I should emphasize on are her pencils. Her colors are another story. I think they are great, but the moment you put characters in a busy settings, the color tones chosen make it hard to focus on the characters themselves. Like all artists there is always room for improvement, and Bryant is always showing some betterment.
The story is well plotted, and the concept is very interesting, but for a first issue this sometimes felt like a big question mark. I felt like I was just dropped into an already established world and no one told me. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but, because of the story's quick-paced nature, I had trouble following at minor points of the story.
The Verdict
I feel like this is a a mash-up of Scooby Doo and Back to the Future with funny one-liners and a great plot. In other words, my verdict is that you should read it. Your fellow Comic Viner wrote it, it's free and it's a fun piece of internet literature. I can't wait to read issue two and find out why 23 is called twenty-three. I can't wait to understand what the pocket watch is. I also can't wait to see this creator grow into her own professional self. Kudos Anna!
Did you hear about the commotion that took place last weekend in Anaheim? I'm not talking about the Deaf event that took place in Downtown Disney with the ABC cast of Switched at Birth. I'm not talking about the volleyball or cheerleading competitions that took place in the Anaheim Convention Center. I'm talking about WonderCon!
Allow me to introduce Harl E. Quinn. Picture taken by Mary Anne Butler
This past weekend I had a blast! I made new friends, hung out with old friends and even cosplayed a genderbent Harley Quinn (right). Let me give you a quick rundown of what I did last weekend.
Genderbent Justice League
On Friday, I spent most of my day with my friend Michael Mullenix (Metal Mike) -who recorded the Anime Expo coverage for Anime Vice and my SDCC cosplay videos last year. After a quick hello to Comic Vine's very own Tony (G-Man) and Sara (Babs) I headed into the dark depths of the convention floor to get some video content! Mike and I got tons of video with cosplayers. Videos you'll get to see soon, after the editing process... my outtakes need to be cut out. I also got a chance to catch up with a lot of my "convention friends" like Peter Nguyen, Elena Salcedo, Christine Dinh and more. (Convention Friend: A friend who you usually see a few days a year because of your regular attendance to comic book conventions.) Added to that, I also got to hang out with Tom Pinchuk, and I also got the chance to chat with my two favorite people on the comic book industry. Thanks to Tom's encouragement, I got the guts to talk to Jim McCann and later go and have a conversation with Humberto Ramos. Afterwards, I hung out with cosplayers I've known from past cons like Barry Ruch, Jimmy Sherfy, and Sara Eberle.
Saturday was a whole other experience. Like I mentioned above I cosplayed! After driving for three hours in the rain, I arrived at the convention center unprepared for what was to come. My friend Catherine Pow, also known as the amazing cosplayer Psykitten Pow, helped me out with the application of heavy amounts of makeup. Then I was ready to meet the Genderbent Justice League. Heavy amounts of pictures were taken and I just enjoyed the spectacle... until people started to ask to take my picture too! Never before was I the one in front of the camera, and it was fun. I posed for pictures with tons of cosplayers like Tallest Silver, Roxanna Meta, Jen Peters and more.
I understand a lot of people were not too thrilled with this year's Wonder Con. Why? I wasn't making the stuff at the intro up. The Anaheim Convention Center is, literally, at walking distance of Disneyland Resort. Aside of Wonder Con, the convention center was holding cheerleading and volleyball tournaments. Everybody who attended probably compared this to the awesomeness that is Wonder Con at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Yet, I enjoyed myself. Even more so because this is my last convention of the year. This weekend I am moving to Mexico City, making it very hard to travel north and south of California for conventions... That is why I am so glad I soaked up as much as I could from this con!
Thank you to all of the people who made this such a fun experinece!
Was the last trailer not enough to get you excited for the new Spider-Man animated series? Just in case, Marvel has got you covered!
Watch the full trailer for "Ultimate Spider-Man" showing off new villains, new suits, and new allies! Don't miss the series premiere inside the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD April 1 at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT!
What did you think? The constant joking doesn't cease, and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing! The Iron Spider suit will be making an appearance as well as, what seems to be, a copy of Hawkeye's motorcycle. Did you catch the glimpse of Agent Coulson? What did you think of the SHIELD approved web-shooters?
Marvel also released some images along with descriptions of the villains. Associate Producer of the show, Harrison Wilcox, discusses what to expect of some of the villains in the series:
“Doctor Octopus is actually the design that we’ve played with the most,” remarks Wilcox. “He’s not the fat guy with a bowl cut. Before the series begins, he’s suffered a horrific injury and can’t use his arms or legs. He’s essentially atrophied to the point where his metal arms have to do his work for him. His suit acts as an iron lung, and he can’t survive outside of his suit. “He works for Norman Osborn. He’s sort of subservient to Norman, but at the same time has his own agenda. He’s more about the science at the beginning of the series, and then as we get further along, the more he interacts with Spider-Man, the more obsessed Ock gets with capturing and eventually attempting to kill him.”
“Doctor Doom is a little bit different in this series,” says Wilcox. “We’re earlier in his continuity, if you wanted to compare him to the comics, because he isn’t the evil super villain yet. He’s a dictator, but he’s not living outside the law, he has an embassy in New York, and the first time Spidey and his gang meet him, they’ve actually gone to Latveria, so they’re the aggressors in the situation. “He’s not a magician yet in our series. He’s just about the suit and the tech and the Doombots and all the fun of that. But he definitely is the biggest bad in the universe of ‘Ultimate Spider-Man.’”
“The Trapster is sort of Spidey’s go-to villain for the beginning of the season,” reveals Wilcox. “He’s not the intelligent inventor from the comic with a bag of tricks. On the show he’s all things glue gun. In this series, every time he and Spidey have fought, they make a big mess everywhere, and that’s sort of a catalyst for Nick Fury recruiting Spidey.”
“Venom actually has a completely new origin that we think the fans are really going to like in the series,” teases Wilcox. “I can’t really tell you too much about it without spoiling, but the symbiote has a link to Oscorp.” “There’s an evolution to the suit in our series. It starts out in a more as a goo form, and then it becomes closer to the actual suit and continues to evolve further into something kind of frightening.”
This seems to be a show of the training that would've taken place if Peter Parker wouldn't have died in the Ultimate Universe. With some alterations here and there somehow fitting into its own animated universe. I'm skeptical but awaiting the premiere nonetheless. What about you guys?
Ultimate Spider-Man will premiere inside the Marvel Universe block on April 1 at 11:00am ET (9:00am PT) on Disney XD!
A new trailer for the highly-anticipated Ultimate Spider-Man animated TV series has surfaced. Feast your eyes on some fourth wall breakage, wall crawling, sombrero wearing, and Drake Bell-- I mean Spider-Man!
This seems to be a very up-beat, fun show, but it will probably step away from the sequential story its predecessor contained. I have made it very clear in the past that Spectacular Spider-Man is my absolute favorite media rendition of my favorite comic book character. Please excuse my skepticism for this show's potential success. Then again, I shouldn't complain since my favorite voice actress, Tara Strong (Powerpuff Girls, Fairly Odd Parents, Ben 10, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), will be playing Mary Jane Watson. What do you guys think? Are you excited, or are you weary like me?
Ultimate Spider-Man will premiere inside the Marvel Universe block on April 1 at 11:00am ET (9:00am PT) on Disney XD!
Greetings Comic Vine! Welcome to the Comic Vine Roundtable User Discussion. What is that, you ask? This the most wonderful place on earth where wishes and dreams come true-- ahem, sorry I was confusing this with my other job...
Well you see, a couple of CV users virtually met up to talk comic books and other comic-related topics. That conversation has been posted here for you guys to see, read and enjoy. Be sure to comment below where you can submit your own opinions after reading ours. Also, go back and read our past conversations (Here) and share your thoughts. Even if you disagree with us, we like comments.
Part 3 (of 3)
My name is Geo but my internet pseudonym is sora_thekey. I am to continue to be moderate this discussion and adding some insight along the way as I talk to the users who are sitting around this imaginary roundtable. Please welcome back xerox-kitty (XK), The Dark Huntress (DH), danhimself (Dan) and jordama (Jor).
As you can probably tell by the title, we begun talking about the what happened comic book-wise in 2011 already. If you haven't yet, read CV's Roundtable User Discussion #23 and#24first.
Previously in CV's Roundtable User Discussion:
(Part 1) Nobody liked the Green Lantern movie. The Dark Huntress and xerox-kitty are tired of comic book events. Jordama and xerox-kitty agree to disagree on Generation Hope. Sora_thekey hated Transformers 3 while xerox-kitty hated Schism. We all loved the Thor movie except danhimself. We all liked Spider-Island. Jordama and sora_thekey played with toy Mjolnirs.
(Part 2) Xerox-kitty hasn't touched a single issue of DC's New 52. Danhimself loves the Huntress mini. The Dark Huntress wants Marvel to be more like DC. Witchblade, Haunt, Pigs, Daytripper and Morning Glories are the non-DC/Marvel books we all like. Sora_thekey likes movie-Jane Foster while xerox-kitty likes movie-Thor. Danhimself and sora_thekey like Death of Spider-Man. Jordama and sora_thekey liked the Jean Grey One Shot. The Dark Huntress finds more loopholes and Uncanny X-Force is loved by all.
Q11: Any other comic book-related production you liked that you would like to showcase?
Walking Dead
Dan: YES!! How did you know??? I think everyone should be checking out The Walking Dead show on AMC. Probably one of the best comic book-related properties ever made!
Batman: Arkham City
XK: Arkham City! It is the best video game for years, and has rekindled my love for old DC titles.
Still have not played Arkham Asylum! <_>
Jor: I haven’t played Arkham either. I did play a few minutes of GL the video game and it was fun.
DH: I've been catching up on episodes of Young Justice and I adore it. It's always interesting to see slightly different takes on your favorite characters.
Young Justice
I stopped watching on episode 4. I should probably get back to watching this show huh?
DH: YES!!! It's so good!!!
Dan: Young Justice...how could I forget about Young Justice!!?!??!!?!
Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes
You want a good TV adaptation?
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. That's it!
I think the quality of the show is up there with Wolverine and the X-Men and Spectacular Spider-Man.
Dan: Man I forgot about [...] Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
XK: You'd recommend Young Justice? Is it as good as Earth's Mightiest Heroes? I shouldn't be surprised at how much I enjoy that, but it's just as good as Wolverine & The X-Men was.
Hopefully one day those uncanny mutants will appear in the Avengers' show (and not just to fight them for half an hour before they join forces to defeat a common foe ;)
Q12: What moment in any comic book-related product last year made you say "Heck Yeah!"?
SLAP!
For me it was Aunt May slapping Captain America.
XK: In the Age of X when "Legacy" was on the run, she looked as if she'd been cornered by Dust who suddenly exploded in a sandy pink explosion. The next thing you knew, Gambit was there saying he didn't know why but he had to be by her side. I've never been one to "Ship" characters, but that turned me into a Rogue-Gambit fan. Mike Carey converted me & then took it away so quickly... What a tease!
Sad that they didn't end up together though. I always liked Rogue and Gambit together, ever since X-Men TAS.
DH: Oh man... this is a toughie. It wasn't so much IN a comic, as about a comic. I was apprehensive of what was going to happen with Dick Grayson in the reboot. He has been (one of) my favorite character for ages and I was one of those people who never quite liked him as Batman. He'd worked so damn had to break away from the Bat Family and to establish his own identity separate from Bruce, to become independent. I think he did an admirable job as Batman, but he only took the cowl to A. prevent Jason Todd from doing so and B. to keep the symbol alive. I think he did a good, even great, job as Batman, but that it was never going to be his true home. After all, Batman is Bruce Wayne's true identity - Bruce is just the mask he puts on to fool the world.
So when I was reading Higgins' interview on Comic Vine where he said this "You know, I've been getting this question a lot lately and I have to admit I don't see it that way. Here's the reality of the situation-- Batman was NEVER Dick's identity. It was Bruce's, and it'll always BE Bruce's. Dick filled in, eventually becoming more and more comfortable in the role, but deep down he knew it was going to end-- it had to. And the question of "is it a demotion" is silly-- is it a demotion to go back to being YOU?" well, I was pretty much sold on him right there. I had complete and utter faith in his ability to write this character and to truly understand him.
XK: Aesthetically I've been put of the new Nightwing, because they've made him look so much like Jason. I know comic art rarely reflects the unique physicality of real life, but at least they could try to make them look different; maybe shorter, different hair, anything? Not just Junior Bat-Clones.
Dan: The Avengers trailer. I nearly fell out of my seat with excitement when I saw that. Sure Dark Knight Rises is going to be a great movie but I can't get over how excited I am for The Avengers. To have all of these characters together in one movie is going to be amazing!!!!
XK: Tricky, tricky! The problem is, the usual ongoing titles I love were written by daring writers who are willing to pick you up, throw you back down, give you a laugh and can crush your soul to keep their stories fresh. But last year needed to bring back the fun. So someone flip a coin; Heads it's Alpha Flight, Tails it's Wolverine & The X-Men!
Tails! (Sorry... It's just that I really liked WATX)
Dan: The Walking Dead and the Huntress mini...such great stuff right there.
Nightwing
DH: I'm torn between Nightwing and X-Factor on this one...
Jor: I would have to say the best was X-Factor. Followed by Gen Hope.
For me it definitively has to be Wolverine and the X-Men. Then again I liked Wonder Woman and Aquaman too. Oh I know! I pick Avengers: Children's Crusade.
Now that we have covered the past, lets cover the future...
Q14: What are you most excited about 2012?
Dan: Earth-2 and Worlds' Finest from DC. I'm really excited to see more of Paul Levitz's Huntress and to see what he does with Powergirl. Plus I'm sure that Robinson's Earth 2 with the JSA is going to just plain amazing!
I might be one of the few, but I did enjoy Robinson's JLA run so I am willing to give JSA a chance too.
XK: More Wolverine & The X-Men and more PIGS! More mischievous mutant fun and international political sleeper spy thrillers!
Dan: Is anyone else surprised by how good Wolverine and the X-men turned out to be??? Cause man is it good!!
Wolverine and the X-Men #4
I am! I am! I actually didn't expect to like it at all but it became my favorite X-Men book.
Dan: Same here! Though to be fair it's still not my favorite X-book...that goes to Uncanny X-Force.
XK: I really expected to hate it. It was only because of Chris Bachalo's art that I was willing to go it a try... And I am so glad I did! It's wonderfully uplifting compared to the last few years of angst, stress & genetic eradication. It's so damn good, so damn refreshing!
I want more Bamfs!!
I was actually hesitant to read WatXM because of Bachalo's art. I've never been fond of his work... To me, it seem sloppy and you can barely make heads or tails on what's going on. But if he's the one who designed the Jean Grey School's looks then I tip my hat off to the guy!
Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 Cover
DH: I was apprehensively excited for AvX, but that has completely gone out the window into complete and utter trepidation and dreading.
I think this event might be actually bring redemption to Marvel after Secret Invasion, Siege and Fear Itself.
Jor: I am curious who wins the AvX
DH: I'm gonna have to say that I'm super, super excited for the upcoming The Night of the Owls, an event spinning out of the current Batman story line and encompassing most (if not all) of the Bat Family books.
Oh yeah! I'm excited for this one too!
DH: I was reading a lengthy interview with Scott Snyder about it on Newsarama. It's going to be DC's first event of the DCnU and it looks like it's going to be great. And this is another place where Marvel should be taking a page out of DC's book. While it's going to be an event and will touch some of the other Bat Family books (Batgirl, Nightwing, Batman and Robin, Red Hood and the Outlaws), it's not necessary to buy those issues to comprehend the story.
Q15: Do you really believe we will all die this December?
DH: We're already living in the otherworld O_O
XK: We survived the turn of the Millennium, the so-called Millennium Bug, and assorted prophecies from Nostrodamus. I think 2013 is a safe bet... Unless Genesis realises who he really is ;)
Dan: I sure as heck hope not...but if we do I can only pray that there are comics in heaven.
Jor: I believe that a new age is possible? Maybe mutants will start to spring up and take over the world ;)
Well I doubt that we will -- He said as he hid under the covers hoping the apocalypse doesn't find him there.
Glad to have xerox-kitty, jordama and danhimself here with me for the end of the year RT. Especially since they accompanied me the very first Roundtable some months ago. I'm also glad to have my new co-host Dark Huntress here to welcome in a new year of comic book fun! I guess it's time to bid 2011 a heartfelt goodbye, as well as this RT.
XK: Thanks for having me back, Geo! I'm quite happy to say "Good bye & get lost!" to 2011 ;)
Dan: I've got to get back on DCUO and get to farming...dirty rotten devs stealing my money....grrrrrrrrrr
DH: This is DH, off to rant some more somewhere else :)
Jor: Now I'm due in Comic Limbo, we do this meta party where we actually have a Limbo contest, but Jean always wins, damn TK. Farewell Friends.
This is Geo/sora_thekey saying signing off.
-- Geo (sora_thekey) 24/7 geek! -- Follow me on Twitter: @sora_thekey
Four years ago, today (January 30th) I joined Comic Vine!
4 Years!
Back in 2008 I was searching for some comic book-related images on Google. One of those images led me to Comic Vine, a site I automatically fell in love with. The HUGE amounts of comic book content made me stick around... I remember going through the Spider-Man page and noticing that under the powers section something was missing. Spidey's new-found stingers (that he acquired from The Other event) were not listed so I created the username "sora_thekey" and got my first wiki points ever! It didn't take very long until I got my first rejection PM from G-Man saying that my Phoenix: Endsong entry had too many spelling mistakes. (Hopefully my spelling errors have not been consistent since then!)
Since it is my Vineversary I think that I am allowed to be biased today. Right? Then I'm going to recap the highlights of these past 4 years:
Stats
Wiki Points: 18,271 (Total Whiskey Media Points: 33,974)
For the past 3 years going to comic book conventions became a mandatory trip. That's where I met the Comic Vine staff, which later got me the opportunity to be their Convention Intern (Production Assistant according to the site's FAQ).
She said "Yes"
I starred in the convention videos where I do crazy stuff crazy stuff. I've gotten to do a lot at the cons like go on a Scavenger Hunt, do a Square Enix Booth Tour, walk and talk with cosplayers, go to the Whiskey Media offices and even propose to Power Girl!
I've also done many Draw-Offs with Peter Nguyen & Dennis Calero at LBCC, Wonder Con and San Diego Comic Con.
I seriously love going to conventions with these guys. From the witty comments from Tom Pinchuk and Mat Elfring (Inferiorego) to the crazy suggestions from Ethan Lance (Red L.A.M.P.) I just love the time I sped with them. I am not kidding when I tell you that these guys are the best!
Around the Site
I started something here on the site called the Roundtable User Discussions. I don't know if you've heard of them but be sure to check them out.
Over my time here I've been known for contributing a lot to the Artist Show-Off forums. I even made a blog post which holds every single drawing I have ever posted here: Recent Drawings: My Art!.
Around the [Other] Whiskey Sites
I have been active in Comic Vine sites too. I also begun the Roundtable User Discussions in Anime Vice and Screened. I have written various articles for Anime Vice and appeared in videos for both AV and Screened.
Greetings Comic Vine! Welcome to the Comic Vine Roundtable User Discussion. What is that, you ask? This the most wonderful place on earth where wishes and dreams come true-- ahem, sorry I was confusing this with my other job...
Well you see, a couple of CV users virtually met up to talk comic books and other comic-related topics. That conversation has been posted here for you guys to see, read and enjoy. Be sure to comment below where you can submit your own opinions after reading ours. Also, go back and read our past conversations (Here) and share your thoughts. Even if you disagree with us, we like comments.
Part 2 (of 3)
My name is Geo but my internet pseudonym is sora_thekey. I am to continue to be moderate this discussion and adding some insight along the way as I talk to the users who are sitting around this imaginary roundtable. Please welcome backxerox-kitty (X-k), The Dark Huntress (DH), danhimself (Dan) and jordama (Jor).
As you can probably tell by the title, we begun talking about the what happened comic book-wise in 2011 already. If you haven't yet, read CV's Roundtable User Discussion #23 first.
Previously in CV's Roundtable User Discussion:Nobody liked the Green Lantern movie. The Dark Huntress and xerox-kitty are tired of comic book events. Jordama and xerox-kitty agree to disagree on Generation Hope. Sora_thekey hated Transformers 3 while xerox-kitty hated Schism. We all loved the Thor movie except danhimself. We all liked Spider-Island. Jordama and sora_thekey played with toy Mjolnirs.
Q6: One of the biggest thing to happen last year was DC's New 52, what is your opinion on this HUGE moment in comic book history?
DC's New 52
Dan: I'm digging it for the most part. There are a few elements that I'm not pleased with...mostly Superman's new suit. But for the most part I think that you could call the New 52 a pretty big success. The book that's really standing out for me though is the Huntress mini. I love it and can't wait for more!
New 52 Concept Art
Wait? What's wrong with Superman's new suit? (Do you miss the underwear?)
Dan: Yes that's the reason... I know a lot of people were glad to see it go but I was in the minority where I thought that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Superman's costume in the first place.
I haven't read a lot of the New 52 books but I do have to say that I am enjoying Myth-heavy Wonder Woman and Flash!
X-k: I'm afraid I've not bought or read any. Not because I prefer Marvel; far from it! It just didn't appeal to me, so I decided to save my money in the meantime and maybe pick up a few trades in the future. I've been reliving my love for older DC titles, so there's no room in my head (or home) for a whole new DC universe.
Huntress
Dan: GET THE HUNTRESS MINI!!! YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!!!
Note to self: Add Huntress mini to pull list.
Dan: YES!! DO IT!!!!
Jor: I don't read DC but the concept really bothered me.
I think it bothered a lot of people!
DH: I was one of those crazy people who supported it from the very beginning. I know that there's a whole lot of controversy and a lot of opposing stances on this. Do I strictly think that it was necessary? No, absolutely not. Do I think that all the changes were for the better? No, absolutely not. But I think overall, what DC did here was a good thing. They have a seemingly set amount of ongoings and I think that's another thing that Marvel could use. Focus on what you have and what is and isn't working for you instead of just throwing so many things out there. Quality over quantity and I think that DC is beginning to exemplify that value.
Are you saying that Marvel should do something similar to New 52?
DH: Yes and no. Yes in that I'd like to see Marvel cut down their books. Do we really need eight X-Men books (plus three current X-related minis), Wolverine appearing in two of the X-Men books, his own solo, Wolverine: The Best There Is, plus Avengers titles, Spider-Man appearing in three? books (not counting Ultimate Universe). It's just crazy and oversaturaion. I think they could (and should) cut down to a definitive amount of books. Quality over quantity. So in that respect, yes, I do think they should do something similar to the DCnU. No, in the respect that I don't think Marvel should reboot - not at this point in time.
Q7: Is there anything outside of Marvel or DC (Dark Horse, Top Cow, Archaia, etc.) you would like to showcase that happened in comic books last year?
Witchblade
DH: Unfortunately not :( I'm pretty much strictly Marvel and DC with the exception of Witchblade.
Jor: The only none Marvel book I read for more than an Issue was Haunt, which I liked.
The Walking Dead
X-k:PIGS! It's vastly different from my usual superhero fare, but I've enjoyed the dark twists, turns & humour. It's written by two Funny guys with F--ked up imaginations (Nate Cosby & Ben McCool), and drawn by a really great newcomer (Breno Tamura) who I'm sure will go on to do great things in future. But I definitely wouldn't recommend it to kids ;)
Dan: It wouldn't be a Round Table if I didn't bring up The Walking Dead.
No it wouldn't.
X-k: Dan likes Walking Dead? Since when? Why didn't anyone tell me...? ;)
Dan: This book continues to be my favorite book on the shelves. So much happened over last year in the series and I don't want to spoil anything for the people who aren't caught up on it but you should definitely check out issue 83 it's by far my favorite issue of the series to date.
The television series has been pretty good too!
DaytripperMorning Glories
For me it's Vertigo's Daytripper is simply one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. I can't tell you what's it about otherwise I would spoil it.
Also, Image's Morning Glories is one of the most suspenseful, thrilling books I have ever laid eyes on. If you know what's good for you, you will read those two books!
Dan: Man I forgot about [...] Daytripper
Daytripper was one of my favorite series of all year. So different from what we are used to.
Alright lets talk about what we did like.I'm sure there were tons of comic books, movies, video games and animated features you all liked that we can talk about from 2011.
Q8: Some really good comic book movies came out last year, any favorites?
X-Men: First Class
Jor:X-MEN: FIRST CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Certainly the biggest surprise of the year when it came to comic book movies.
Jor: I think a lot of people thought it was going to bomb, which made it so much better. Unlike the movie that everyone thought was going to be great, that actually did bomb. ;)
DH:Thor, by far. And no, it's not just because of Sexy, Beardy, Thor <__< My only gripe with that movie was Jane. I felt that she was kind of there just to be there as the romantic interest. I understand that she had an important role in the movie, but I dunno. I didn't feel that the romantic spin was necessary.
B-but! Jane is pretty n_n!
DH: She totally is, and Natalie Portman is awesome. I just felt that the romance angle wasn't integral.
X-k: I thought it was funny; a way to a man's heart is to drive badly & hit him with your car a couple of times! I can understand why they changed Jane Foster, but I can't help but wonder if I'd have been able to connect with her more if she had stayed a nurse? Instead I found myself associating more with made-for-the-movie Darcy.
Dan: Captain America would be my favorite. It was really well done in my eyes. It may not have been perfect but it was really enjoyable and left me excited for the Avengers movie.
Q9: 2011 was also the year of some sad comic book moments like the death of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four #588 or the death of Ultimate Spider-Man in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160. Yet these moments were wonderfully crafted, care to mention your favorite?
Ultimate Comics - The Death of Spider-Man
X-k: Sorry, I don't read any Ultimate titles or the Fantastic Four, so it really didn't have an impact on me.
Dan: Out of the 2 listed? I'd have to go with the death of Ultimate Spider-man. Bendis may not be the best writer in the 616 universe but man he sure does know how to write Ultimate Spider-man!
I agree there! My favorite is still Death of Spider-Man.
I loved the Marvel Girl One-Shot! That book certainly didn't get enough praise.
Jor: I think that is because so many people just really hate Jean now and were not willing to give the one shot a chance.
GIVE IT A CHANCE PEOPLE!
Death of Nightcrawler
DH: The deaths of Nightcrawler and Cable in Second Coming, by far. I just wish it actually meant something, you know? It's sad, but I'm surprised they've kept the Elf dead this long. Marvel, and comics in general, have this terrible thing of killing a character off during some heroic display and then several years later, bringing them back. Either as something evil, or out for vengeance or oh hey, they were never dead to begin with (see, Bucky Barne, Ariel, Cable, Batman, Thor etc). It's a cheap cop out and it completely takes away the emotional impact. Dead characters should stay dead, it's as simple as that.
I was about to correct you and tell you that Nightcrawler and Cable died back in 2010 but I just remembered that you read everything in trade from. So yeah, the book came out in 2011... Once again you find a loophole to my questions.
DH: I am known for my loopholes xD
Yes you are!
Q10: Is there a particular issue or series you were fond of throughout the whole year?
Fear Itself: The Home Front
X-k: The Speedball story in Fear Itself: The Home Front felt like a much overdue apology for how Civil War warped him for many years. Yet, I want to give an honourable mention for the Alpha Flight limited series. The title that was meant to turn into an ongoing, but was pulled back into just a mini series. It has been an absolute breath of fresh air to read, really capturing the spirit of the 80's team with a sexy modern approach. I only tried the #0.1 issue as a taster and have loved every single issue since.
X-Factor
Jor: Because of the horrendous issue 9 of Gen Hope, I will say X-Factor is always consistently amazing.
Dan: Other than The Walking Dead and the Huntress mini which I've be gushing over this entire time? I'd say that people should get over the first issue of Red Hood and The Outlaws and give that a shot again. I'm also really enjoying Teen Titans, Superboy, Amazing Spider-man, and Invincible. How could I forget Uncanny X-Force?? It was probably the best Marvel book of the year and I would recommend it to anyone.
I just bought the Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1 HC. I want to know what is the big deal about this series which makes everybody talk about it...
The Apocalypse Solution
Dan: Don't let it get spoiled for you either. You're going to love it!!
For me it's probably the Ultimate Fallout mini. It had the best moments in comic book history: Aunt May gets a hug, Miles Morales' first appearance, Nick Fury comes to Mary Jane's doorstep, Aunt May slaps Captain America, etc.
DH:Secret Six, which was sadly one of the casualties of the reboot. Although, there was poetic and extreme closure in the final issue. Which was something I actually really appreciated that DC did - on books that were not continuing, you did get a good sense of closure. At least with the books that I was reading.
_____
There is so much 2011 to cover that it doesn't even fit in two RTs! Be sure to come back to read "2011 in Review" Part 3 (of 3) and read Part 1! (Although it'd be dumb if you were to read Part 1 after Part 2. I mean it would be like watching Season 2 of Lost before Season 1. I mean c'mon people I linked the first part at the beginning of the post and.... Y'know what? I'm just gonna shut up now.)
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