Speaking of Mark Waid...
What do you all think of his Thrillbent store launching today and it's DRM-Free approach to downloads?
What do you all think of his Thrillbent store launching today and it's DRM-Free approach to downloads?
COMICS! |OT| July 2013. Celebrate liberty with the ultimate patriotic superhero.
- Thread starter Spike Spiegel
- Start date
- Status
Only if she plays by her own rules.
It is a bit confusing but it's really not insurmountable. Sounds like you're planning to stick with it which is good. It starts to drag at a certain point but comes back around at the end of that first looooooooooooooooooooooooong arc.
In other news finally read The Private Eye #3. Fucking great stuff.
What didnt you like about the end? Captain Marvel's arrival at the Gulag is still one of the best moments ever in a comic.
slightconfuse
Banned
The Wonder Woman arc of Batwoman dragged alot.
Bu the art was so good
Bu the art was so good
That's like a sub-arc. Those first 18(?) issues are all about finding those kids.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Just wrapped it at lunch. Absolutely loved it. Just loved it. Most of all, that art. So gorgeous. I can't imagine how long that book took to make.
slightconfuse
Banned
Spike Spiegel
Member
Marvel Comics
Captain Marvel #14
Daredevil #29
FF #10
Indestructible Hulk #11
Uncanny X-Force #9
Uncanny X-Men #9
X-Men #3
DC Comics
Batman Incorporated #13
Image Comics
Sex #5
Dark Horse Comics
Amala's Blade #4
Captain Midnight #1
King Conan Hour of the Dragon #3
I'm rambling now, but yeah; it's something I spent some time thinking about.
Captain Marvel #14
Daredevil #29
FF #10
Indestructible Hulk #11
Uncanny X-Force #9
Uncanny X-Men #9
X-Men #3
DC Comics
Batman Incorporated #13
Image Comics
Sex #5
Dark Horse Comics
Amala's Blade #4
Captain Midnight #1
King Conan Hour of the Dragon #3
In the version I came up with, as far as I had worked it out,
Barbara opens the door, and there stands Joker with the gun leveled at her gut. The gun goes off, *BANG* and... out pops one of those little flags with "Bang!" printed on it. After a beat Barbara turns to warn her dad but it's too late; the largest of the goons tackles her to the ground, shoving her through the coffee table. The other two subdue Gordon before he can get to his service revolver hung on the back of a chair; they beat him into submission, while the Joker calmly walks about the home giving one of his grand, theatrical, nonsensical speeches. The goons gather up an unconscious Gordon and make ready to leave at Joker's command, they don't want to be late for his master plan after all; Barbara, meanwhile, is still stunned because a 250lb-plus freak just speared her through a piece of furniture. Joker tells the big goon to "make sure 'daddy's little girl' won't be following us" and turns to walk out the door when...
BANG!
A solitary gunshot rings out. Joker freezes in the doorway, then slowly turns around to face the room. Barbara Gordon is lying on the ground in a pool of blood, moaning, while the big goon stands over her, smoking gun in hand, ready to deliver a second and fatal shot.
Joker. Is. LIVID. "WHAT THE F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?"
The goon responds, "What boss? You told me to take care of her!"
Joker runs over and snatches the gun away. "I meant TIE HER UP, so she can't call her friends in blue, YOU GODDAMN MORON! I NEVER SAID TO SHOOT HER!!!" Joker stares down at Barbara for a moment. Lenny had recommenced the guy because they needed the extra muscle, said he was just smart enough to take direction and not ask questions. But the roided-up lummox was an amateur after all, and decided to go "off script" in the worst possible way. Joker closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, then sternly says "Out."
"B- but boss--"
Joker jerks his head around and glares at him. "OUT."
The goon makes a hasty exit, leaving Joker alone in the apartment with Barbara. She's still conscious, barely, and watching him as Joker walks over to the windows and shuts the drapes. He stands there with his back turned for a moment in total silence, and when he turns his entire demeanor has changed. His face is calm, placid, even... compassionate maybe? He walks over, kneels down beside her, and begins pulling at her clothes. She's thinking "oh god he's going to molest me" and starts weakly trying to fight back, but he just pushes her hands away and scolds her like a child. Barbara realizes what he's trying to do, and it freaks her out even more than what she thought: HE'S TRYING TO HELP HER. He's administering first aid, trying to stop the bleeding, checking for an exit wound, trying to make her comfortable. In fact, in checking her over Joker realizes that she's paralyzed, even before she does.
And then he starts talking to her, calmly rambling on about nonsense as he works over her at first it seems, and then she realizes that he's APOLOGIZING to her; that he's pretending to be sorry that this happened, that one of his new goons got overzealous and hurt her, which was certainly not his intention. At least, she thinks he's pretending, but if he's putting on an act then it's a very good act. Joker keeps repeating to her that he never intended for this, and that it's not only important that she understand it but that "HE" understand it, that she make him understand it; at this point, from how he's talking to Barbara, it becomes clear that Joker long ago worked out that she's actually Batgirl.
Joker finishes his ministrations, then produces a capsule of his Joker gas. She balks but he assures her that it's going to help with the pain, that it'll wear off soon, and breaks the capsule then waves it under her nose. He's right; the pain fades away, and she just feels giddy. Joker walks over to the telephone and dials 911, reports the shooting and requests an ambulance, then hangs up. He checks Barbara one more time (she's still conscious, but involuntarily chuckling softly), then walks to the door. He takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and when he turns around he's "the" Joker again: the consummate showman, the madman with a perpetual grin. He says something to her, in his customary dramatic flourish, then leaves her laughing as sirens wail in the distance.
...So yeah. Joker saves Barbara Gordon's life; paramedics and doctors both agree she would have bled out without the care she received. And after Barbara's recovery, she's conflicted; if Joker hadn't been there that night, she would have never been shot and paralyzed and forced to end her career as Batgirl (in my version, Barbara eventually recovers limited use of her legs but it's a career-ending injury), but at the same time if Joker hadn't been there she would have died. And, that night she saw a side of Joker that virtually no one had ever seen, with the exception of Harley Quinn. So, she's conflicted to say the least.
It all ties in to this idea that I had about Joker being this almost tragic figure, clearly deranged but not in the "pure and absolute evil" way he is now. The idea involved him being driven insane after being failed by every level of society, and after the "Red Hood" incident becoming this social anarchist showman whose crimes typically affect corrupt societal figures in Gotham, both legitimate and illegitimate, and DON'T involve open murder. He'd be a more multifaceted, fractured being: outwardly the showman and entertainer criminal, delighting his victims as much as scaring them; inwardly, the tortured artist and wounded soul, traumatized and victimized. Yet still, underneath that lurks... something dark. Something no one in Gotham ever sees come forth unless it's the last thing they see on earth.
Harley knows it's there. I was undecided as to whether or not she's seen it first-hand and full-on, but she's seen glimpses of it in their therapy and she thinks she can help him control it. She wants to help him control it, because she loves him, is in love with the "charming showman" and the "wounded soul" and, I think those sides of Joker love her too. I think there has to be something there, between them, because honestly the whole "battered spouse" thing Harley has going on gets overplayed and just makes her look bad. So, in my version, Harley loves Joker for who he is and thinks that by being with him she can make him better, so it's this kind of radicalized therapy treatment rather than Stockholm Syndrome. And Joker, I think loves her, and I think Harley believes that the "good" parts of him won't let the "bad" part of him hurt her, and for the most part she's right.
And Batman knows it's there, even though he's got nothing more than hunch to go on because in my version, the Joker's never been connected to or convicted of a single murder. People have been hurt, certainly, and there may have been some indirect deaths as a result of his "grand spectacles"; but he's never caught Joker say, slitting someone's throat, or blowing their brains out. People that get on Joker's bad side just... disappear. A week, a month, a year after Joker frowns at them... they just vanish. Sometimes a body will turn up, but it's too far gone and there are no tell-tale markings, no calling card that says "Joker did it!" The goon that shot Barbara Gordon? Eight months later, his corpse washes up on shore in the next county, victim of an apparent gangland shooting.
There's just this hunch that the "dark something" in Joker exists; sometimes, Batman will catch a glimpse of it, this monster lurking under the white skin; but then, it's gone as quickly as it surfaces, like a long black fin breaking the ocean's surface, then sliding deep below.
BANG!
A solitary gunshot rings out. Joker freezes in the doorway, then slowly turns around to face the room. Barbara Gordon is lying on the ground in a pool of blood, moaning, while the big goon stands over her, smoking gun in hand, ready to deliver a second and fatal shot.
Joker. Is. LIVID. "WHAT THE F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?"
The goon responds, "What boss? You told me to take care of her!"
Joker runs over and snatches the gun away. "I meant TIE HER UP, so she can't call her friends in blue, YOU GODDAMN MORON! I NEVER SAID TO SHOOT HER!!!" Joker stares down at Barbara for a moment. Lenny had recommenced the guy because they needed the extra muscle, said he was just smart enough to take direction and not ask questions. But the roided-up lummox was an amateur after all, and decided to go "off script" in the worst possible way. Joker closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, then sternly says "Out."
"B- but boss--"
Joker jerks his head around and glares at him. "OUT."
The goon makes a hasty exit, leaving Joker alone in the apartment with Barbara. She's still conscious, barely, and watching him as Joker walks over to the windows and shuts the drapes. He stands there with his back turned for a moment in total silence, and when he turns his entire demeanor has changed. His face is calm, placid, even... compassionate maybe? He walks over, kneels down beside her, and begins pulling at her clothes. She's thinking "oh god he's going to molest me" and starts weakly trying to fight back, but he just pushes her hands away and scolds her like a child. Barbara realizes what he's trying to do, and it freaks her out even more than what she thought: HE'S TRYING TO HELP HER. He's administering first aid, trying to stop the bleeding, checking for an exit wound, trying to make her comfortable. In fact, in checking her over Joker realizes that she's paralyzed, even before she does.
And then he starts talking to her, calmly rambling on about nonsense as he works over her at first it seems, and then she realizes that he's APOLOGIZING to her; that he's pretending to be sorry that this happened, that one of his new goons got overzealous and hurt her, which was certainly not his intention. At least, she thinks he's pretending, but if he's putting on an act then it's a very good act. Joker keeps repeating to her that he never intended for this, and that it's not only important that she understand it but that "HE" understand it, that she make him understand it; at this point, from how he's talking to Barbara, it becomes clear that Joker long ago worked out that she's actually Batgirl.
Joker finishes his ministrations, then produces a capsule of his Joker gas. She balks but he assures her that it's going to help with the pain, that it'll wear off soon, and breaks the capsule then waves it under her nose. He's right; the pain fades away, and she just feels giddy. Joker walks over to the telephone and dials 911, reports the shooting and requests an ambulance, then hangs up. He checks Barbara one more time (she's still conscious, but involuntarily chuckling softly), then walks to the door. He takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and when he turns around he's "the" Joker again: the consummate showman, the madman with a perpetual grin. He says something to her, in his customary dramatic flourish, then leaves her laughing as sirens wail in the distance.
...So yeah. Joker saves Barbara Gordon's life; paramedics and doctors both agree she would have bled out without the care she received. And after Barbara's recovery, she's conflicted; if Joker hadn't been there that night, she would have never been shot and paralyzed and forced to end her career as Batgirl (in my version, Barbara eventually recovers limited use of her legs but it's a career-ending injury), but at the same time if Joker hadn't been there she would have died. And, that night she saw a side of Joker that virtually no one had ever seen, with the exception of Harley Quinn. So, she's conflicted to say the least.
It all ties in to this idea that I had about Joker being this almost tragic figure, clearly deranged but not in the "pure and absolute evil" way he is now. The idea involved him being driven insane after being failed by every level of society, and after the "Red Hood" incident becoming this social anarchist showman whose crimes typically affect corrupt societal figures in Gotham, both legitimate and illegitimate, and DON'T involve open murder. He'd be a more multifaceted, fractured being: outwardly the showman and entertainer criminal, delighting his victims as much as scaring them; inwardly, the tortured artist and wounded soul, traumatized and victimized. Yet still, underneath that lurks... something dark. Something no one in Gotham ever sees come forth unless it's the last thing they see on earth.
Harley knows it's there. I was undecided as to whether or not she's seen it first-hand and full-on, but she's seen glimpses of it in their therapy and she thinks she can help him control it. She wants to help him control it, because she loves him, is in love with the "charming showman" and the "wounded soul" and, I think those sides of Joker love her too. I think there has to be something there, between them, because honestly the whole "battered spouse" thing Harley has going on gets overplayed and just makes her look bad. So, in my version, Harley loves Joker for who he is and thinks that by being with him she can make him better, so it's this kind of radicalized therapy treatment rather than Stockholm Syndrome. And Joker, I think loves her, and I think Harley believes that the "good" parts of him won't let the "bad" part of him hurt her, and for the most part she's right.
And Batman knows it's there, even though he's got nothing more than hunch to go on because in my version, the Joker's never been connected to or convicted of a single murder. People have been hurt, certainly, and there may have been some indirect deaths as a result of his "grand spectacles"; but he's never caught Joker say, slitting someone's throat, or blowing their brains out. People that get on Joker's bad side just... disappear. A week, a month, a year after Joker frowns at them... they just vanish. Sometimes a body will turn up, but it's too far gone and there are no tell-tale markings, no calling card that says "Joker did it!" The goon that shot Barbara Gordon? Eight months later, his corpse washes up on shore in the next county, victim of an apparent gangland shooting.
There's just this hunch that the "dark something" in Joker exists; sometimes, Batman will catch a glimpse of it, this monster lurking under the white skin; but then, it's gone as quickly as it surfaces, like a long black fin breaking the ocean's surface, then sliding deep below.
I'm rambling now, but yeah; it's something I spent some time thinking about.
I thought there was a We3 movie in development a few years ago...or at least talk of one.
BuddyJoeHooker
Member
That seems interesting, I thought it made it look like buying both Avengers titles necessary to understand the story.
Speaking of Infinity the FCBD issue is available free on Comixology now.
Correct. It was in development, but I don't think anything substantial has been mentioned in nearly half a decade, when one of the Kung Fu Panda directors was attached to direct. Looks like in interviews around 2010-11 Morrison was still saying it was in development hell and he'd get occasional updates from the producer.
slightconfuse
Banned
Sounds like the new season of arrested devolpment. You can certain characters throughout different books
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Collider will be here tomorrow!
Serpentine
Banned
They should do animation. You know. YOU KNOW they will only fuck up live action with fucked up CG or some horrible looking beefed up cyborg with a dog attached to it. Fucking bastards.
Serpentine
Banned
I've heard that the Lemire run is pretty good, starting with #17. I haven't read it so i can't say personally, but i can say that the stuff before it is not good/pretty bad.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Ok, I don't feel bad about missing that.
SpiderJerusalem
Banned
I almost double dipped on all those X-23's...
About a third of the way through there, I thought you were going to devolve into BabsXJoker shipping
Interesting idea though.
It's alright. Great art though.
Supermanisdead
Member
Battle of the Atom will be the best x-event since Messiah Complex. Believe it.
BuddyJoeHooker
Member
Everybody is PISSED. The future, the present, the past, Hugh Jackman.
The X-Men of the future come to the present because they want the time displaced OG X-Men to go back to their time.
Rastafarian42
Member
I like your Killing Joke retcon Spike a very interesting take on the Joker.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
I think they really dropped the ball with the future X Men. The designs are awful and hate to say uninspired.
I look at it as some meta commentary on the future where the Inhumans will be more important because of the MCU.
I look at it as some meta commentary on the future where the Inhumans will be more important because of the MCU.
Just finished the final issue of Batman Inc and I can see why Morrison said people won't like it. It's going to be interesting reading everyones comments and take on the ending. It was not what I was expecting to be sure, but I didn't hate it either by any means. I really need to reread his entire run next week when I have the free time to do so.
Inc 13 thoughts and spoilers:
The more I think about it, the more I really like it. Based on what Morrison has said about the character and his overall goals for the arc, I don't see any other way it could have ended.
Inc 13 thoughts and spoilers:
I enjoyed how the second "season" was structured, being told through flashbacks. 13 opens right after the first panel of issue 1 of vol 2 with Bruce being arrested standing at the implied graves of Damian and Talia. I liked that Gordon pretty much knew that Bruce is in fact Batman, but has never voiced it. I think the epilogue with Ra's was a bit unnecessary, but it played up the whole "Batman will never die" thought that was the driving force behind the entire run. It would be interesting if one of the Bat writers pick up that story thread, but even if they don't I won't be upset. Morrison built up an amazing world and tore it back down and in the end that's ok. I don't think this needed the finality of something like Johns run on GL.
The more I think about it, the more I really like it. Based on what Morrison has said about the character and his overall goals for the arc, I don't see any other way it could have ended.
Palette Swap
Member
Batman bought on comixology but I won't get to read it for a few hours.
I almost wish the movies introduced the "no more mutants" twist just because it would be the perfect basis for a movie.
Then again, I know the reaction was less unanimous but I thought Second Coming worked quite well too. There's a bit too much grim dark silliness but it has great moments with the X villains meter turned to 11.
After rereading MC this week-end, I think it's my favorite X-event ever TBH. It has aged pretty well and checks pretty much every trope you'd expect in an X book.
I almost wish the movies introduced the "no more mutants" twist just because it would be the perfect basis for a movie.
Then again, I know the reaction was less unanimous but I thought Second Coming worked quite well too. There's a bit too much grim dark silliness but it has great moments with the X villains meter turned to 11.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Trinity War who?
lol nobody said "Trinity War".
I tried getting into that shit after the triple bomb-ass rocking of Zero Year/BatmanSuperman/Unchained and holy shit. What dreck.
Remind me to never not listen to Chris Sims again. Right about Snyder. Right about Trinity War.
Right for America.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
If an event and tie in books are all written by the same writer, it's safe to assume those tie in issues are required reading. Especially with Hickman.
Shin Johnpv
Member
Trinity War is awesome.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Yep. And you dont need a Hickman graph to tell ya what to read.
Hypertrooper
Member
Yes. I think New Avengers and Avengers are necessary. Avengers tells the cosmic part of the story and the New Avengers is about defending Earth. There are several more tie-ins.
Anyway, does anyone know a great online comic store? I am looking for Annihilation Vol 1, Nova Vol. 4-6, Annihilation Conquest Vol. 1 and War Of Kings. :/ Getting Guardians of The Galaxy is impossible I guess. The Thanos Imperative is on order at Amazon, but questionable if they will get a copy. Damn. I should get into Marvel's cosmic a year earlier. :/
ViewtifulJC
Banned
dat cynical as hell Batman Inc 13 ending
Today was a good day if you are vindictive about your opinions on Batman, because the Batman Annual is ALL ABOUT the degeneration of Arkham Asylum, and it was good.
(PS: Since Spike brought up his ideas on the Killing Joke, the one Batman story I would drastically change? Mad Love. I fucking hate Mad Love and everything it implies about Harley Quinn)
(PS: Since Spike brought up his ideas on the Killing Joke, the one Batman story I would drastically change? Mad Love. I fucking hate Mad Love and everything it implies about Harley Quinn)
Yes indeed. My only complaint is having to wait two weeks to get the next chapter.
Palette Swap
Member
Depends on where you are. If you're in the US, I've heard great things about instocktrades.
Internationally, I've had good experiences with Amazon (obviously), better world books and the book depository. If you're in Europe, local Amazons (co.uk, de, fr) are worth checking as they sometimes have stuff in stock .com doesn't.
If digital doesn't bother you, comixology is the obvious answer.
Cpt.Underpants
Member
Question
How is it that Magneto manage to stay in his prime? I mean, he was like a teenager in WW2 and currently his appearance seems to be that of a 30-40 something dude.
How is it that Magneto manage to stay in his prime? I mean, he was like a teenager in WW2 and currently his appearance seems to be that of a 30-40 something dude.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
dat sliding timescale + he got reverted back to infancy in this old Defenders comic
He's got white hair and older features though, so I assume he's still pretty up there, age-wise
He was de-aged at some point. Can't remember the particular storyline or series.
BuddyJoeHooker
Member
I plan to buy the whole series but I know there a crowd who only buys the main series, also Hickman has mentioned on Twitter that it's possible to understand just reading the Infinity title.
I know this is a must buy title across the board of Hickman books.
Spoilers from an X-Men wiki I just googled:
Long story short, he was de-aged and then aged up but ended up younger than he used to be.
Cpt.Underpants
Member
Ok
Thanks
Thanks
- Status