Number 99
Happy freakin' Solstice. The flu being passed around has made sure of that. Between that and getting ready to head out of town (not to mention shopping for presents), blogging (or writing time at all) has been zero. There's been a number of things that I've wanted to talk about, but they've all been relegated to low being on the totem pole.
Though I'll stop a moment and speak up on the latest AMAZING FANTASY, which seems to have Marvel actually introducing...new characters... I know. It was shocking to me, too. Not re-engineered old characters, but actual by gum new characters. Some seem pretty squarely aimed at the manga crowd (and the art style helps), but I guarantee that nobody's going to put down cover price for eight pages of story. I wonder, if perhaps they introduced original digest-size material, or perhaps a larger format anthology style, with lesser known artists and writers, maybe they could tap that audience. But the presenatation is going to scare away the manga fans.
The standout for me was Blackjack, which is Dan Slott and Pete Woods turned loose on the Marvel Universe, throwing espionage comedy into the pot along with vampires, de-evolution rays, Ultimate Nullifier knockoffs and the Death of Utopia. I'd pay for a regular book like this, but I can't help but think I'm among the only ones.
All of these stories (but for the above-mentioned Blackjack) are pure setup, some handled more deftly than others. Some simply aren't going to work as continuing characters. I mean, who really wants to read any more of "The Heartbreak Kid" than we get in this one 8-pager, where the titular character (who apparently eats sadness, really) runs into Peter Parker post death of Uncle Ben? Superhero comics are bad enough, ruled by miserabilists who seem go have forgotten wonder. This is the last thing I need, even if it's ably illustrated by Jeff Parker (and inked by Sal Buscema to boot).
I know, most of what they're doing in this issue isn't actually superhero comics. Not a lot of spandex (other than Jack and Ace), mostly stories about lonely and misunderstood loner characters. There's always a market for that, I suppose. But please, for the love of all that's holy, adopt a format that breaks out of the monthly pamphlet mold. Characters like Positron and Mastermind Excello (driven by similar motivating factors) have some real potential, if you push it and look for a market outside the one that you're so desperately trying to hold onto, Marvel honchos.
But you san send more Blackjack my way. That'd be keen.
Stay tuned for post #100 tomorrow! DOUBLE SIZED ANNIVERSARY POSTING!