SamuraiFrog: A comic book Q&A (final edition)

October 14th, 2008

I gotta say a huge thanks to everyone who participated in this, I’ve managed to pick up a tonne of good leads on comic books that I’ve never read or that it might be time to go back and have a look. I’m also really happy to hear the general opinion out there is stupidly long and drawn out crossovers are NOT good. I can only hope that someone at Marvel and DC might realise this fact also.

Last up on our question and answer circuit is SamuraiFrog of Electronic Cerebrectomy where he discusses with more often than not well thought out thoughts and opinions on popular culture, some politics and movies. If you’ve never read the blog before I highly recommend the generally weekly smack downs which I read religiously (yes I dress up in robes, sing hymns and condemn you all to hell whilst reading them).

Favourite regular series right now?
I have actually given up a lot of the comics I was reading, but there are some I can never miss. It’s actually a toss-up here between Dark Horse’s vivid CONAN and Grant Morrison’s excellent ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, which is probably the one series that has really lived up to the fun and idealism I think of when I think of Superman.
Comic book character you only recently discovered/started reading?
I guess I’d have to say Ambush Bug. I never really got into him until he appeared in a LOBO miniseries a few years ago; he was hilarious in it, so I really got excited when it was time for the new AMBUSH BUG mini.
If you could draw/write one character who would it be?
Batman. I’d love to have a go at Batman, something in an alternate universe setting where you could really work the character into something a little different.
Are you a fan of the big multi issue crossover extravaganzas?
No. I’m against them, in fact. CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS is a classic, despite how unnecessary it really was. But every DC crossover extravaganza has been a wallet-busting attempt to patch up the holes left by the Crisis, and they’ve been very disappointing. DC’s entire IDENTITY CRISIS/INFINITE CRISIS/52 and now FINAL CRISIS was an attempt to create an exciting event, but actually pushed me out of 95% of the monthly series I was collecting, because it made me realize that not only did I not have the money to follow it, but it was disrespectful in the way it took characters and callously killed them off or fundamentally altered them. I know Dan Didio says that no one loved Sue and Ralph Dibney, but those of us who loved Keith Giffen’s JUSTICE LEAGUE sure loved them. The whole thing made me realize that DC Comics didn’t love me as much as I loved it.
Last comic book series that you dropped and why?
ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER. It sounds petty, but I was just annoyed by the long waits between issues. That’s so unprofessional it doesn’t deserve to be rewarded. I can check out the collections from my library.
Favourite character?
Easily Superman. One of the big ones. I just wish the writers did him more justice. But I’m very attracted to his central dilemma: an alien who wants to be not only human, but the best in humanity.
Are you a DC or a Marvel?
I guess I’m pretty obviously a DC. Not to offend anyone else’s choice, but I’ve always felt like DC Comics were written for the long-term audience, while Marvel Comics were written for 15 year-old boys. Of course, that’s to the detriment of both companies. But though I do continue to love many of the Marvel characters I grew up with — Spidey, the Hulk, Nightcrawler, and Kitty Pryde especially — I find the actual comics aren’t very good. I love the idea of the Fantastic Four, but the execution doesn’t quite live up for me. Of course, the same could be said of most DC Comics. They seriously can’t figure out something else to do with Supergirl other than make her a sex object? Come on.
Do you remember your first comic/series?
Yes. It was back in the eighties when Marvel Comics had their Star imprint for kids. So the first comics I actually read were PETER PORKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-HAM and MUPPET BABIES. I was about seven, I think. Oh, and of course I read STAR WARS, the Marvel comic which features my all-time favorite ancillary character, Plif the Hoojib. And TRANSFORMERS. And GROO THE WANDERER. Boy, I got into it all at once. I graduated to THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and THE UNCANNY X-MEN and THE NEW MUTANTS (which was my fave for a while) when I was in fifth grade, I think. And that mostly started because Marvel was publishing CLASSIC X-MEN in digest form, and my dad used to buy those for me thinking they’d tide me over for a few weeks. It didn’t work; I tore through them in an afternoon. (How ironic that I love DC more now but all of my early comics were Marvels; when I was a kid, I thought DC was boring.)
Is Watchmen the movie going to be as good as the comic book?
It’ll be different. It should be different. They’ve got a lot less time to work with, and personally I just want to see the movie have it’s own story integrity without trying to throw in everything that’s in the book just to mollify fans. As long as it works on its own logic, it has a chance. And the trailer does look pretty good…
Favourite comic book movie?
SPIDER-MAN 2. All of the fun and the high drama at once; it’s pitch perfect.
Worst comic book movie?
I saw part of GHOST RIDER on cable the other day; that seemed pretty terrible. The title of “worst comic book movie” is, unfortunately, ever refreshing itself.
Character you’d like to see in a movie?
Wonder Woman. I think it stinks that no one can figure out how to make a great superhero movie just because it’s about a woman and not a man. How about we hire some women to write it, then?
Series that you’d like to see on TV?
I think CONAN would make a fine HBO series.

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7 Comments

Jeff October 14th, 2008
“Favourite character?
Easily Superman. One of the big ones. I just wish the writers did him more justice. But I’m very attracted to his central dilemma: an alien who wants to be not only human, but the best in humanity.”

That’s a really good summary of Superman’s character. What do you think of the announcement that the next Superman movie is going to go darker with the character than he’s been portrayed in the movies to date (ignoring the existence of the movie that shall not be named, which follows S:II in one version of reality)?

Jeffs last blog post..Rearrange your Taskbar buttons, and more!

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By Lee on October 14th, 2008 | Reply
I think that it is a poor knee jerk reaction to try and make Superman more like the Dark Knight. Simply treating the character with respect and trying to scratch the surface of who he is will suffice!!

Superman isn’t about darkness.

I loved something that Tarantino wrote in Kill Bill (I think) - how all the other characters such as Batman and Spider-Man and stuff all have ‘real’ identities and it is their super hero identity that is the mask. But with Superman it is Clark Kent which is the creation.

[Reply to this comment]
By Jeff on October 15th, 2008 | Reply
Exactly. The brooding darkness works for Batman because he’s Batman. Superman is in some ways the polar opposite, which is why it’s fun to see them together. To make Superman dark is almost as bad as making Batman light.

I’m still peeved that they’re cancelling Singer’s Man of Steel.

Jeffs last blog post..Rearrange your Taskbar buttons, and more!

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By Lee on October 15th, 2008 | Reply
At least Routh (or whatever his name is) is still attached as Superman, I thought he was perfect.

You can make stuff around Superman dark, but the man himself is a beacon.

[Reply to this comment]
Dan October 14th, 2008
Who is this Dan Didio? I’m going to punch him in the nose.

I’m still planning on doing this Lee, but I might do it on my blog if that’s ok (with appropriate linkage). I’m planning on a “Comic Week” over at my blog either this coming week or the week after, and this questionnaire will be the core of it.

[Reply to this comment]
By Lee on October 14th, 2008 | Reply
That’s all good Dan, looking forward to it. I’ve just done a lot of these over the week and I’m worried that non comic book geeks might be getting bored

[Reply to this comment]
Lee October 14th, 2008
Conan is a great idea for a series. I think they are trying to get a movie off the ground for him though too.

Peter Porker!! I haven’t thought about him for years, I think I had a couple of those too. The equivalent I guess to the mini marvels today.

Superman is a really interesting character that is mishandled more often than not. The problem is that he is the hardest character to write for, he is very rarely in true peril so you have to make the threat to his loved ones etc.

I mean technically the Joker shouldn’t be a threat to him. Which is always the concern about him living in the same universe as the others, No Man’s Land could never have happened in a JLA world.

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