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[GRITTY]

Really. I would consider those the archtype of super hero comics, with some of the worst case examples of what is wrong with mainstream comics, decompression so there is very little going on, overly dramatic showboating, and the writers hands being tied so that the status quo is maintained.

i think this recent set of series isnt so flat. while the skrull invasion was kinda meh, the storyline next built on that
and they employed a writer just to do all the comics under their marvel universe into one storyline

problem that is that they have many universes that they like to play with.
orgins ultimates etc
fans get confused where the story they are reading fits in the timeline

the ones i named and not the zombie or primate universes, are in order and has a good plot

Hobgoblin replacing Iron man is maintaining the status quo

I have never liked anything of the ultimates universe, it started off attempting new ideas, it sold well, and then got railroaded into its own clichés which aren't that much more interesting.
Marvels best stuff of the last few years has been the stuff that got neglected or was so far removed from the mainstream continuety that it could not be tied down into any other event.
My favorite Marvel stuff of the last few years has been Annihilation (a space opera involving galactus, the kree, scrull and some other sidelined characters). It was FANTASTIC, and the reason it was so creative was that it was overlooked by the marvel execs.
The other series was cable and deadpool. I started reading C+D at around issue six or seven and was shocked at its brilliant humor and actually writing good dialog and doing the most unimaginable thing possible: making cable a well rounded stylish political character as opposed to the haughty self importance over drama that is so prevalent in marvel, or the GRITTY mess that was the nineties and rob liefield.
That comic skyrocketed in popularity and became one of marvels best sellers.
What do they do to reward the writers and fans?
Force them to tie C+D into a shitty x-men event, end the series and stick cable into a self important overly dramatic GRITTY mess and launch two badly written deadpool comics assuming the fans would eat that shit up.

Of the Events:

House of M
intriguing idea: All the mutants would lose their powers.
Actuality: Jubilee lost her powers, and everyone else lost theirs for about 20 seconds.

Civil war:
intriguing idea: A politically motivated story that is has no black and white morality villains, but rather interesting commentary on the perhaps misguided nature of secret identities. Also captain America will die
Actuality: Black and white morality story where Tony stark is dick dastardly. Spider-man reveals his identity to the world. World has its mind wiped. Black Goliath dies.

I didn't read secret invasion but I wouldn't expect much from it.
I heard from a reliable friend that World war hulk was good but i doubt it.
Dark reign has been interesting so far and I have to commend them on making norman osborn leader of the avengers and giving the Sentry a pivotal role but otherwise I'm no longer that interested, and the status quo has already been confirmed to be coming back within the next two months.
When iron man (tony stark), captain America(steve rogers) and thor reform the avengers (they are as status quo as it gets).

THANKS EVERYONE

         I've got a good list of stuff to keep me busy in the reads, especially the Warren Ellis tip. I took a look around my favourite local comic shop last night and Ellis is the sea of material to dig into that I'm looking for, for sure. I noticed he's a bit all over the place, is his stuff like "armored wars" as worth reading as his more original stuff? RE: "doktor sleepless" - a comic which within two pages has a dj playing a muslimgauze remix and a Timothy McVeigh flyer plastered outside of a club is creating a dark alley which I'm so totally walking down just to see what happens.

FAUST

         Your opinion - I say yes, to all of it. Thanks for the Dini suggestion, I've never read any of his stuff.

Hey, if you're going to read Ellis, I suggest you start with his novel ("Crooked Little Vein"), then Transmetropolitan, then everything else.  Reason being, those are the only two things he ever finished, and it gets kind of old getting into a series, and then having it just end.

Also, don't waste your money on "Gravel", by Ellis.  It's crap.

Also anna mercury is pretty bad, but planetary is awesome, read planetary.

civilwar
Secret Invasion/Illumanti
then dark regin
dark beast was kinda creepy

then...

Really. I would consider those the archtype of super hero comics, with some of the worst case examples of what is wrong with mainstream comics, decompression so there is very little going on, overly dramatic showboating, and the writers hands being tied so that the status quo is maintained.

          I started picking up the new Batwoman story arc of Detective Comics because a friend said the art rocks, which it does, sort of deco influenced layout, excellent colours - but (the writer) Rucka is too far on the wrong side of nerd to make me believe the cliche'd hipster bad girl grit.

While the art is great for the batwoman arc the story is appalling. If you are going to be reading detective comics start at 824 with paul dini's run, skip any issue he didn't write. His run is fantastic.

Faust: I never got around to telling you this, but I absolutely love that image for your signature. Patrick Nagel is quite amazing. Just a side note.

I love his art, it was actually someone here that introduced me to it.

The role belongs to whoever wants it. If roger wanted to be reborn as a mad scientist, there was nothing stopping him.

It felt right.

It was either that, or Zombie Nixon.

I approve, and as much as I would like to see zombie nixon it would probably start an apocalypse when that stubborn dick Hunter S. would rise from his grave, powered by nothing more then his bile and an urge to sass zombie nixon.

The idea of identity and comic persona has been playing on my mind a lot lately. In march of last year an army specialist went nuts and started dressing like the Joker, he was shot and killed after stabbing some guy.
In the comic books the role of batman is no longer the late Bruce Wayne, the mantle has been taken by the first Robin.
The famous actor Heath ledger was so consumed with the role of the Joker that it burned him out and led him to the careless use of drugs that killed him. The persona of the Joker KILLED him.
It has been shown that these roles of these mythological figures (because that is what they are, no different Greek gods or any gods for that matter) have little to do with the name on the birth cert. Scarface the wooden dummy/mobster continues to wreak havoc despite the hand up his ass now belonging to payton Riley.

The role belongs to whoever wants it. If roger wanted to be reborn as a mad scientist, there was nothing stopping him.

         A ranting Doktor Sleepless?(!) That sounds strangely like someone on this board...

Yeah I was Kinda wondering that : "The who's afraid of Doktor howl?" seemed familiar to me and the Doktor bit.
http://warren-ellis.livejournal.com/90223.html Theres the quote that confirmed it "Who's afraid of Doktor Sleepless?"

Just what exactly HAS roger turned into?

Someone that needed an instant identity.  Someone that needed non-standard weaponry.

Someone that will kill you all one day, because you didn't kill me when I asked nicely.

As instant identities go its not a bad one.

         A ranting Doktor Sleepless?(!) That sounds strangely like someone on this board...

Yeah I was Kinda wondering that : "The who's afraid of Doktor howl?" seemed familiar to me and the Doktor bit.
http://warren-ellis.livejournal.com/90223.html Theres the quote that confirmed it "Who's afraid of Doktor Sleepless?"

Just what exactly HAS roger turned into?

I'm not much of a superhero comic fan.
House of mystery is one of the best running series available. Doktor Sleepless is a strange little series by Warren Ellis on the nature of how society is changed by technology but its been relegated to about one issue every three months, I would suggest reading this based on the strength of the Doktors rants alone.

Madam Xanadu is interesting enough... If you are reading it then I assume you have read the sandman, if not, do so as soon as possible.

I've recently been reading Alan Moore's Swamp thing, I was a little hesitant at first because of the art, but it became compelling after about two issues in, I don't like making any direct reference to story for these kind of things so the best way to describe Moore's Swamp thing (and only his, avoid the other writers) is a rich blend of Horror, mysticism, mystery and romance.

was there not a nat king cole / nina simone version of that with an awesome claymation video around the 80's sometime?

That was an awesome claymation but it wasn't nina simone sadly. I've seen the two used together on youtube though.

I'd say see a psychiatrist before starting on anti depressants, to  both see if you are really depressed, and to make sure you understand the effects of the medication.

Well, anti depressants aren't exactly OTC meds, right? So you'd have to see a psychiatrist anyway to get them prescribed?

Eh not everywhere, I was getting mine from my gp

I had a bad experience with them. I was depressed and suicidal. Then I went on some pills and it completely took away the fear of death but not the want to die, I needed that fear to keep me balanced.
As roger said try em out but be wary, if anything seems unusual leave them be.

I'm on pills for chronic (ie, continual) insomnia.  Without them, I will stay awake for 3-4 days.

So far, 2 of the drugs they've given me have fucked me up badly, and I'm not sure about the third, but at least I sleep.

I sometimes consider trying other pills but I never get around to it, besides the black moods have gotten softer over the years. It hasn't been that bad since I was in my teens.

I had a bad experience with them. I was depressed and suicidal. Then I went on some pills and it completely took away the fear of death but not the want to die, I needed that fear to keep me balanced.
As roger said try em out but be wary, if anything seems unusual leave them be.

My baby just cares for me was one of my favorite songs when I was a kid. I think all young men should have it as a presence early on.

I have fun most days. I get the depression swings (always have) and everything seems hopeless corrupted and horrible, but even those are getting easier to get through because I know it lifts after two or three days.

Even on the hard days I make sure to treat myself to something fun, even if its just 10 minutes drawing in my note pad while on a 12 hour shift.