Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Alex Ross Heads Up G-Force at Top Cow [Newsarama]

Posted 29 September 02001 - Permalink

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More info about December's Essential Doctor Strange: cover image, 544 pages, wow! [Marvel.com]

December's Defenders #12 is double-sized- the first half is Silent Month, the second half ushers in Overlords [Marvel.com]

Posted 28 September 02001 - Permalink

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Stan Lee To Appear On The Simpsons! [Superhero Hype; thanks to ComicGeek]

Nuff said.

Posted 25 September 02001; Updated 30 September 02001 - Permalink

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Marvel To Take On World Trade Center Attack In 'Amazing Spider-Man' [CBR]
J. Michael Straczynski has "a black transmutational aura that turns whatever weird shit is around me into something substantial."

What's Entertainment? [current Splash, responding to The NY Times: New Look for Entertainment in a Terror-Conscious World]
You must read the NY Times article. Wow. Projects all over the entertainment world are being shelved- as with post-Columbine but on a much larger scale. What will be politically correct for movies, comics, etc. after the WTC horror? Is now the time to portray violence, war, irony, physical comedy, bombs on airplanes, killers of Presidents, humor at the expense of Presidents, praising someone as "the bomb?" What kinds of believable threats will be believably fought by what kinds of believable heroes? Will trite Arnold one-liners be replaced by thoughtful, patriotic, honest, sympathetic musings on the nature of freedom? Or will Arnold movies be replaced altogether by Doris Day movies- one emptiness for another?

Marvel pisses off everyone again- this time wanting to go forward with a Retailer Summit that Diamond and the other publishers canned [great overview so far at Newsarama]

Posted 25 September 02001 - Permalink

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If you're like me, and your life is slowly returning to normal, then you're wondering: What the heck happened re: The Defenders' recent appearance in Black Panther #35? "A Defenders cameo (1 1/2 pages) will appear in issue 38. The scene will be a bridge from BP issue 35 and Defenders # 10." [Defenders Message Board]

NYC Retailer Shaken And Stirred! [current Splash]

Posted 23 September 02001 - Permalink

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100 Greatest Marvels: The Countdown [Comic Book Resources]
Numbers 100 up to 25 have been revealed. No Doctor Strange. Plenty of X-Men. It sucks, I know. They are only reprinting from 25 up to 1. So if there is a token Doc story still in the countdown, it will be reprinted. So it's good that the token Doc story hasn't appeared on the countdown yet, right? If there are no Doc stories in the countdown- ouch. This Doc advocacy site isn't doing its job then, eh?

Posted 21 September 02001 - Permalink

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Rumor has it some are scared about Matt Haley on Defenders because he's never met a single deadline [last week's All The Rage]
Also in the link: Problems with Witches. Editor Lysa Hawkins jumping ship to DC and leaving a little mess behind. Jemas wanting changes after some work was already done. On the positive, writer Bronwyn Carlton is happy and says Deodato is outdoing himself.

Follow-up: Deodato praises Lysa [this week's All The Rage]
Also in this link: A great rumor bit about why Jemas picked Quesada and fired Harras. Jemas asked for talent suggestions for the Ultimates line: Quesada pointed to Bendis, Millar, Morrison and Ennis. Harras wanted Lobdell, etc. Yikes.

Posted 17 September 02001 - Permalink

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Reviews of Defenders #9 [SpinnerRack- positive] [IGN- mixed] [Silver Bullet Comics- mixed]

Review of Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating Wonder Woman [Comic Book Galaxy]
I'm in complete agreement: the format is all wrong. Stan's better at shorter stories that build a larger mosiac/whole. This prestige format is too long and way too pricey.

Review of Captain America/Nick Fury: The Otherworld War [Comic Book Galaxy]
Quite positive review, but again a CBGalaxy review complains: too pricey.

Posted 17 September 02001 - Permalink

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Review of Defenders #9 (Spoilers)

This issue left me... wanting...

  1. I'm sure the World Trade Center disaster is negatively altering my opinion of the book. An opinion about a comic book just doesn't matter much anymore.
  2. Doctor Strange doesn't really appear in it. Being a Doc fan, it does affect my enjoyment of the book on the emotional level. But the law of the group title says that not every member of the group is going to be in the spotlight all the time. So on a rational level, it's fine, and I won't let it change my review.
  3. The focus on the Little Three was not as satisfying as in #5. I'm more interested in what makes them tick, the post-Hell Patsy, the Valkyrie mystery, etc. Patsy Walker's fame needs to be limited to a passing mention. The orchestration of the battle, and the one-liners, were not as sweet as in #5.
  4. I just have to write that Orrgo is one damn weird villain/monster. The reshaping of people and things at a glance, the volcanoes, the city levitation, the mind control. What an odd portfolio. Sheesh. I don't know if Orrgo's going to work for me yet, but I suspend judgment. Perfect for the Defenders though, right?
  5. Modok appearing as an ally of the Headmen was cute, being head-focused himself- but the appearance of Modok and AIM felt flimsy and unnecessary. The Headmen don't need AIM. You don't need AIM to take out the 13 normal people who've touched the artifact (frankly, they pose no threat to Orrgo and don't need to be eliminated at all). The Headmen don't need AIM to help against the awesome force of the Big Four Defenders if they have Orrgo. I just kept asking myself why AIM was there during the whole middle of the book and my reading momentum screeched to a halt.

Posted 16 September 02001 - Permalink

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By Mike Deodato

"How does it feel, BESTIAL ONES? To land your most potent blows, and still We survive to defy you!" Namor, from Tales To Astonish #100 [Poster "Avenging Son" on the Defenders Message Board]

Mike Deodato Sums Up All Our Feelings [Newsarama]
The artist for the upcoming Witches series, guest-starring Doctor Strange, draws a moving image of a sad Captain America over the New York City skyline.

Marvel To Honor True Heroes [Newsarama]

Posted 15 September 02001 - Permalink

 

 

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Everyone who loves comics and hates terrorism is invited to SP-Xiles, Brooklyn's First Emergency Comic Book Convention on Sunday 16 September, 51-55 Nassau Avenue Apt #2A, Noon- 6pm, free [Artbabe.com NYC Events]

Posted 14 September 02001 - Permalink

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Sounds like Marvel and DC staffs are okay [Newsarama]
Marvel Marketing Communications Manger Bill Rosemann: "So while we attempt to comfort our friends, co-workers, and family, Marvel is open for business, and if all we can do is create comic books and toys that entertain kids and take their minds off the tragedy, then that's what we'll do. While our daily jobs - be they editorial, production, manufacturing, legal new media or accounting -- may seem trivial in the big scheme of things, we must carry on to show the world that we will not bow to the inhumane acts of others. We must rebuild. We must return to our lives. We must utilize the freedom that others have -- and continue to -- die for." Nuff Said.

Superman's Eerie Coincidence [Newsarama]
Metropolis' version of the World Trade Center, LexCorp Twin Towers, shows the tops of both towers destroyed in a Worlds At War issue of Adventures of Superman #596 out today.

As expected, I went over to the Big Apple Con website and this week's convention has been canceled. New dates: October 12, 13.

The Spider-Man trailer, which if you remember, showed Spidey capturing a helicopter full of bank robbers in a large web between the World Trade Center towers, has been pulled [Continuum]

Diamond Comic Distributors on shipping delays [Continuum]

Posted 13 September 02001 - Permalink

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Neilalien OK

My girlfriend Charisse and I are fine. We were nowhere near the World Trade Center during the terrorist attack. I was home in Brooklyn. Charisse was at work in Midtown many blocks north- she had a long walk home but is home safe. The tragedy and destruction boggle the mind. Thank you so much for your emails, thoughts and prayers.

We still have friends we have not yet accounted for. Our prayers are with them, along with anyone affected by this.

For a couple minutes, after the second collapse, the sky in my neighborhood turned grey and it was "snowing," but the snow was grey. It smelled like a model rocket engine or fireworks had just burned. It was very surreal and peaceful. It was death.

My online status is spotty at best. This was the first time I could get online, using my Dad's online account from long distance. I won't be able to post all the news about this horror, or spew any political commentary/opinion for a while. You know where to find that in abundance, from people and bloggers more able than I. I'll try to keep up with any relevant news from the comic-book world.

PS- Comics did not arrive in my comic book shop today, quite understandably. I think it's a Defenders week, right? Not that it's a high priority right now in the least. We're happy to be alive and safe. Just trying to keep this post topical, and try to keep life as undisturbed by terror as I possibly can. :)

Posted 12 September 02001 - Permalink

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Doomsday For a Comic Superhero [Scotsman Online via ComicGeek]
Quick Stan Lee piece.

Comic Books Grow Up [Washington Post Online via ComicGeek]

Posted 8 September 02001 - Permalink

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First look at Defenders #9 [Mile High Comics]

Posted 8 September 02001 - Permalink

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Speak Of The Bastard! [current Splash]
Great, long Warren Ellis interview about the business of comics.

Posted 8 September 02001 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange Sighting: Thor #41
I've been picking up Thor recently because I like Immonen's art. As for the story, it's okay- but I seem to remember going over Odin's death during Simonson's classic run. Anyway, Doc's appearance is not much at all, actually the kind of do-nothing mystical-Marvel-Universe-Watcher appearance that annoys me. Doc is shown noticing Odin's death along with Hela, Mephisto, The Living Tribunal, etc. I'll take it as a sign of respect for Doc that the book's creators put him in there as a noticer with that company.

Austen In The Machine: Chuck Austen Interview [Comic Book Resources]
This interview makes me want to check out War Machine. Austen includes Doc in his list of characters he'd love to work on. Every creator seems to say that nowadays.

An Interview With Brian Hibbs [Collector Times Online]
The owner of Comix Experience in San Francisco disagrees with Bill Jemas on several issues, and that's an understatement.
BTW, Bill Jemas: The GrayHaven Interview [GrayHaven Magazine]

I don't think I've ever visited that GrayHaven site before. Here's their review of Defenders #1-6 from a while back [Grade: C; Characterization: Idiotic]

Marvel's silent month is called Nuff Said [Marvel press conference on Newsarama]
Marvel also reports October 2001 sales were the highest in terms of units sold and dollar amount since December 1996, which was an Onslaught crossover month (and with 55 titles now vs. 87 then). Good news for Marvel. And then I thought, December 1996 was at least a half-year after Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme was canceled- which makes me think that the rebound is still not enough yet to suggest that the comic book market is large enough again to sustain a Doc title. Does that make sense? Sigh. Stan's better character creations gather dust while his catch-phrases are used like whores.

Posted 6 September 02001 - Permalink

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A call for a letter-writing campaign to change Wizard Magazine [current Savant Start]
Wizard's doing well enough to feel comfortable without our money. So we must go one step further than voting with our wallet and silently refusing to buy it. Write them a letter telling them how they could get even more money- our money. Request less speculator CGC tits-and-ass death-march hype-ola, and more small press coverage.

Posted 5 September 02001 - Permalink

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I'm still here. It's been all quiet on the Doctor Strange front this week. Of course, when I started a Dr. Strange weblog way back when, I expected to go weeks without news, so the run's been incredible, if I say so myself. I've also been enjoying some wonderful summer days in NYC before its too late. August's archive is up. Someone emailed me a tip that the Every Cover Steve Ditko Ever Drew website is down. Be sure to check out the big Defenders news from last week, and if you're looking for new Doc-related reading material, may I suggest again Captain America/Nick Fury: The Otherworld War. Also, Comics Buyer's Guide #1451 dated 7 September has a transcript of an interesting panel at the San Diego convention about the back-issue market and CGC's effects. Go to your comic shop and check it out. (I think I've nurtured the picky bastard persona enough to give my rare comic book recommendations some weight, no? :) )

Posted 5 September 02001 - Permalink

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