Links of Note
The AV Club on "ASTRO CITY vs. PLANETARY: Superhero Reconstruction vs. Deconstruction." If nothing else, it reminds me that I need to read all of PLANETARY in one chunk now that it's done, and that I need to actually read ASTRO CITY period. I've read parts in the past, but it never grabbed me, aside from a couple of the stories on scans_daily ("The Nearness of You": one of the all-time greats? Probably, yes). It's time to give that series the attention it deserves, as it's ostensibly a joyful, mature celebration of everything I love about superhero comics.
In similar news, Four critics for the Comics Alliance do a round-table review of WEDNESDAY COMICS, part 1 and part 2. It was done in time for the huge* hardcover collection, but it's clear that they were revewing from their experiences reading the series as it came out, rather than giving them a fresh reread all in one sitting now. I think you have to do that to completely judge that series, which is why I've still held off from posting my own thoughts. I disagree with about half of the CA panel, sometimes violently, but they still make interesting points.
For now, I will say that I was somewhat disappointed by much of WEDNESDAY COMICS, considering how excited I was by it and how hard I pushed it here. But it being a mixed bag was inevitable, and the fact that such bold experiment even existed was reason enough to support it. All that said, I did love a few of those stories, particularly THE FLASH, which not only might be the greatest Barry Allen story of all time (one person on CA rightly calls it ALL-STAR FLASH), but it's the one that best utilized the format's strengths all while paying homage to the newspaper comic art form in general. It was a marvelous achievement that deserves its own series.
Justin Zyduck on MightyGodKing.com explores what makes the Mark Hamill Joker superior to the Joker of Grant Morrison and Heath Ledger. It reminds me of what surrealname said about what makes the B:TAS Joker great: "He has human appetites."
Finally, a random image that never fails to amuse me:
*Fact: the WEDNESDAY COMICS hardcover is perfectly sized for hugging. Just try it when you find a copy. You'll see.
In similar news, Four critics for the Comics Alliance do a round-table review of WEDNESDAY COMICS, part 1 and part 2. It was done in time for the huge* hardcover collection, but it's clear that they were revewing from their experiences reading the series as it came out, rather than giving them a fresh reread all in one sitting now. I think you have to do that to completely judge that series, which is why I've still held off from posting my own thoughts. I disagree with about half of the CA panel, sometimes violently, but they still make interesting points.
For now, I will say that I was somewhat disappointed by much of WEDNESDAY COMICS, considering how excited I was by it and how hard I pushed it here. But it being a mixed bag was inevitable, and the fact that such bold experiment even existed was reason enough to support it. All that said, I did love a few of those stories, particularly THE FLASH, which not only might be the greatest Barry Allen story of all time (one person on CA rightly calls it ALL-STAR FLASH), but it's the one that best utilized the format's strengths all while paying homage to the newspaper comic art form in general. It was a marvelous achievement that deserves its own series.
Justin Zyduck on MightyGodKing.com explores what makes the Mark Hamill Joker superior to the Joker of Grant Morrison and Heath Ledger. It reminds me of what surrealname said about what makes the B:TAS Joker great: "He has human appetites."
Finally, a random image that never fails to amuse me:
*Fact: the WEDNESDAY COMICS hardcover is perfectly sized for hugging. Just try it when you find a copy. You'll see.