Running comic books thread

[Batman]

Seems like we've got a few comics geeks on this board -- and another slew of comic-related movies coming out in the next few months -- so I figured I'd start this and see where it goes. And away we go...

 

[outofplace]

I've posted this one a few places. Did anybody have any luck getting the Spider-Man 3 clip to download off NBC.com? I gave up after 40 minutes and I heard others had problems as well.

This link worked for me this morning, though. You can watch it streaming on the website rather than waiting for it to download. This is supposed to be taken down tonight, so check it out while you can. The first part is a little slow, but the action sequence is tremendous.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31776

 

[alleyallen]

Really happy Iron Man is coming out before too long. Really disappointed they picked Robert Downey Jr., although he certainly fits the role of alcoholic and pathetic Tony Stark.

 

[Batman]

Really happy Iron Man is coming out before too long. Really disappointed they picked Robert Downey Jr., although he certainly fits the role of alcoholic and pathetic Tony Stark.

Yeah, if there's one actor that can get into the head of a character like that, it's him. Even if it does give the film an early-90s Marvel movie vibe :o

On another note, does anybody read the Batman comic? Picked up Issue #663 yesterday and it was phenomenal. A Joker story that was laid out in a way I've never seen before. It was almost like a novel, with 90 percent words instead of art. Great story, too, maybe one of the better Joker stories ever.

 

[SoSueMe]

Whoever plays Aunt May is bang-on from the comic book.

God, there is no better comic-book-turned-movie series than this Spider-Man trilogy.

EDIT: I just wish the new Venom suit was just like the comic; black with white.

 

[outofplace]

Whoever plays Aunt May is bang-on from the comic book.

God, there is no better comic-book-turned-movie series than this Spider-Man trilogy.

Yeah, she's been great in the series. My only problem was the speech she made while moving out of her house in Spider-Man 2, and that was more with the writing than the performance. Way too blatant of a device to push Peter back into the costume, especially if they are going to continue to play May as clueless.

We've seen Harry in the hospital in previous trailers. I guess we know how he got there now.

 

[alleyallen]

A recent issue of Captain America had one incredible speech in it. When I get home, I'll find it and post it here.

 

[SoSueMe]

Whoever plays Aunt May is bang-on from the comic book.

God, there is no better comic-book-turned-movie series than this Spider-Man trilogy.

Yeah, she's been great in the series. My only problem was the speech she made while moving out of her house in Spider-Man 2, and that was more with the writing than the performance. Way too blatant of a device to push Peter back into the costume, especially if they are going to continue to play May as clueless.

We've seen Harry in the hospital in previous trailers. I guess we know how he got there now.

It's funny, I saw Spider-Man the day it came out. Then never ever made it back to the theatre to see No. 2.

I finally watched it a month ago on DVD.

Now I can't wait for No. 3 and I will be there opening day.

 

[outofplace]

Whoever plays Aunt May is bang-on from the comic book.

God, there is no better comic-book-turned-movie series than this Spider-Man trilogy.

Yeah, she's been great in the series. My only problem was the speech she made while moving out of her house in Spider-Man 2, and that was more with the writing than the performance. Way too blatant of a device to push Peter back into the costume, especially if they are going to continue to play May as clueless.

We've seen Harry in the hospital in previous trailers. I guess we know how he got there now.

It's funny, I saw Spider-Man the day it came out. Then never ever made it back to the theatre to see No. 2.

I finally watched it a month ago on DVD.

Now I can't wait for No. 3 and I will be there opening day.

I know a lot of people like No. 2 better than the first one, but not me. The scenes with Peter discovering his powers are outstanding and it was great seeing Spider-Man move and fight on screen for the first time. I kept thinking of all the cartoon versions in which he just looked like a guy who was really strong, fast and agile. The movie version moves more like a spider.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Can Captain America and Iron Man ever be friends again?

 

[alleyallen]

The second one was great, if for no other reason than the awesome scene of him on the train. However, the crowd carrying him was a bit odd.

And Donna Murphy was in it. Good God! She confirms my reasoning for having such a thing for older women.

 

[SoSueMe]

Whoever plays Aunt May is bang-on from the comic book.

God, there is no better comic-book-turned-movie series than this Spider-Man trilogy.

Yeah, she's been great in the series. My only problem was the speech she made while moving out of her house in Spider-Man 2, and that was more with the writing than the performance. Way too blatant of a device to push Peter back into the costume, especially if they are going to continue to play May as clueless.

We've seen Harry in the hospital in previous trailers. I guess we know how he got there now.

It's funny, I saw Spider-Man the day it came out. Then never ever made it back to the theatre to see No. 2.

I finally watched it a month ago on DVD.

Now I can't wait for No. 3 and I will be there opening day.

I know a lot of people like No. 2 better than the first one, but not me. The scenes with Peter discovering his powers are outstanding and it was great seeing Spider-Man move and fight on screen for the first time. I kept thinking of all the cartoon versions in which he just looked like a guy who was really strong, fast and agile. The movie version moves more like a spider.

Yeah, I though the scene in the morning in his bedroom when he realized he didn't need glasses etc. was outstanding.

And the way Maguire moves like a spider adds to the whole idea of "SPIDER-Man."

It's just better than Batman, Superman all around.

Sure, some of it has to do with the technological advances of Hollywood. But I think this one stays true to the comic book AND hollywood. Batman(s) are too comic-booky. And Superman came along at a time when special effects weren't all that great. (And the remake was WAY TOO LONG!)

 

[Riddick]

I think what will make Spidey stand out from the others is if they hold true to it being a triology. If they end it now, this can be one hell of a series.

 

[outofplace]

IMDB.com has a story (no attribution) with Tobey Maguire saying this will be the last time he plays Spider-Man, and Kirsten Dunst is ready to leave the franchise as well.

Sam Raimi is quoted as most likely wanting the series to go on, but he wouldn't do it without the current cast.

That's damn depressing.

http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2007-03-05/

 

[outofplace]

I think what will make Spidey stand out from the others is if they hold true to it being a triology. If they end it now, this can be one hell of a series.

Hehe...saw this as I posted mine. Obviously, we disagree. I'd like to keep it going as long as they can keep Raimi and the cast. I do NOT want to see them go forward if Maguire leaves.

 

[JayFarrar]

Any thoughts on the straight to DVD Superman-Doomsday movie
It is getting a PG-13 rating, I think a first for a cartoon movie.
And from what I have heard, it has some potential, but they recast all the voices, which I think is a little odd.

 

[outofplace]

Can Captain America and Iron Man ever be friends again?

There is a one-shot coming called The Confession (I think) which is basically a conversation/confrontation between the two of them.

 

[Batman]

Can Captain America and Iron Man ever be friends again?

I would think so. At the end of Civil War Cap realizes Iron Man was right, so it would seem the door is open for reconciliation of some sort. Whether Cap's followers feel the same way is another story.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

Iron Man's points made sense (I still haven't read issue 7 or the end of Front Line) but it all boiled down to trusting the government to work for them, which in the Marvel, Henry Gyrich Universe, was a precipitious proposition. Good series even if it took 10 years to finish.

As for the movies, Spidey 2 was the bomb, Spidey fantastic, I liked all three X-Mens (3 may have been a Brett Ratner production but it had some balls and kept you on edge because you didn't know who would die), the new Batman was great. Superman blew, in that they made it about Lois and his kid(!)

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Comic books . . . . . I think I'm way out of the loop on the more popular ones. For many favorites, they fell into a bad 1990s rut where they thought character development meant causing catstrophic injury to the main character. That's not development, that's shameless "event" writing. The yearly mutant crossovers pushed me away, validated by the travesty that was "Onslaught."

But a few random thoughts:

Haven't read X-Men with any regularity since Claremont left in 1991, and wasn't impressed when I did read it in the intervening years. Have a scary recall of everything from No. 1-298, though. From No. 94-245 or so, probably the best run any comic's ever had. Usually had a solid payoff for just about every story thread it started. Then they started the whole Siege Perilous storyline, and it dragged a bit.

Used to collect GI Joe, loved it a decade ago when all back issues were only two bucks after being $8-10 in the comic's heyday.

Spider-Man "jumped the shark" for me before the whole Clone thing 10 years ago, and that was the nail in the coffin. Reading that there is a group of old-school idiots at Marel who are convinced he should never have married Mary Jane, "because he's no meant to be happy!" is incredibly stupid. Spider-Man is a great character because he had everyman problems with money, classes and girls, yet always tried to do the right thing. Marrying a supermodel who understands him was his reward. If he just kept suffering with no payoff, there would be no realism, and no reason for the character to hope.

Still, his rogues' gallery is unmatched, even by Batman. I love that the movies are nods to the classic 1960s stories by Stanley, right down to the dorky moped. I want Aunt May to call him a "*****willow" in the films, thinking it means "*****cat."

Batman produced the best graphic novels, period. Some of the stuff from 1986-1988 including Dark Knight, Year One and Killing Joke was absolutely tip-top.

Really enjoyed the early days of John Byrne's Superman 20 years ago. Doomsday, not so much.

On movies: Spider-Man had inspired casting, and is quite good. X-Men had potentially bad casting, but is also quite good. Batman Begins was the best comic movie since the original Superman, which was the template for the genre.

Those who haven't read Watchmen, what are you thinking? Close the browser and get to Borders.

Of recent comics, liked the first Sin City comic, and the film.

Rising Stars by J. Michael Stracynski is another one that caught my eye, and gets my highest possible recommendation. It's a lot more like "heroes" than X-Men is.

Geeky, hell yes. But what did you expect?