[Diversions of the Groovy Kind]
Showing posts with label sub-mariner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sub-mariner. Show all posts
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Marvel 52, Part Four: Marvel Knights
I've never been especially fond of the name "Marvel Knights," but I don't hate it either and since Marvel's used it a couple of times to identify its street-level, edgier characters, it's recognizable. So I'll use it too.
22. Dakota North by Ed Brubaker and Phil Noto
I don't know much about Dakota North. I don't think I've ever read one of her adventures, but she's a private eye working in the Marvel U and that could be a lot of fun. Maybe it's similar to Alias - I've never read it either - but with Brubaker writing it, it could be a fun, adventurous, Marvel version of something like Gotham Central. I picked Phil Noto for the art because he knows how to give female characters cool attitude without making them obnoxious.
21. Kraven the Hunter by Gail Simone and Marian Churchland
I admit that I picked Gail Simone for this because of the wonders she worked on Catman and because Kraven's a similar character. But visually, Kraven's much cooler and I'd love to see her do something comparable with him; give him some kind of moral center instead of just being whackadoo. Marian Churchland's soft, elegant work would give the series a pastoral look that would reinforce the idea that Kraven's seeking peace, even when he's involved in violence.
20. Hercules by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, LeUyen Pham, and Alex Puvilland
There are a few reasons I'm not reading the current Herc series; none of them having anything directly to do with the creators involved. Indirectly though, I wouldn't be able to pass up a Hercules series drawn by the wife-and-husband team (I think they're married; doesn't matter) of LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland (Prince of Persia, Solomon's Thieves
). They've got a strong, mythic quality to their work that's totally unique and exciting.
As for why Hercules is in this category: it's a tonal thing. He was the original street-level hero. In Greek mythology - a world filled with iconic, superpowered beings - Hercules was the grounded one whom people could relate to. That feeling is important to who he is and last time I checked in, Pak and Lente were already doing a great job of presenting him that way.
19. Shang Chi: Master of Kung Fu by Phil Hester and Mark Smylie
I love Phil Hester's writing because there's always a layer of something deeper going on underneath the action. That's crucial to Master of Kung Fu, a series that in the '70s was filled with as much thought and philosophy as martial arts and espionage. Mark Smylie (Artesia) would complement that balance beautifully. He can paint the most brutally violent battle scene in the most exquisitely lush and contemplative way.
18. The Falcon by Greg Rucka and Steve Rude
The Falcon is one of those characters I wish I knew more about and would totally jump on if some exciting creators told a story about him. He's got a great look and I've loved him in Captain America
and on Super Hero Squad
, but I'd love even more to get him away from the other superheroes and see what makes him tick. I think Rucka and Rude are the guys to do that.
17. The Sub-Mariner by Ed Brubaker and David Petersen
Some of you have already pointed out that Namor would fit in well in other categories and you're right. He's a versatile character. I've put him in Marvel Knights in great part because of his attitude. I like Namor a lot, but he's a nasty dude with some serious problems he needs to get figured out. I'd certainly want this to have some great, undersea adventure to it, but I'd love for the tone to be similar to what Brubaker did with Captain America. It's exciting and fun, but it's grounded in real emotion as Cap continues to struggle - even after all these years - with being a man out of his own time. Namor's dealing with even more than that.
I picked David Petersen because he's got a realistic style and could draw the hell out of some undersea life.
16. The Panther by Mark Waid and Amy Reeder
One of the things I love most about Waid is that he knows how to dig into a character and find the approach that best suits that character's strengths without having to go off in a radical, new direction. Recently, Black Panther has changed gender, painted himself like the US flag, and borrowed Daredevil's tag line, so it's pretty clear that he's lost his way and needs someone to center him again. That's why Waid. Meanwhile, Amy Reeder (Madame Xanadu
) has a sleek, romantic style that could be really cool for a series about a jungle king who dresses like a cat.
You've noticed that I dropped the "Black" from the title. I don't think it needs it, but I could be persuaded differently if it helps identify him as a black character. Unlike Falcon, when he's in costume you can't tell just by looking at him.
15. She-Hulk by Peter David and Cameron Stewart
Peter David's an underrated writer these days and his time on She-Hulk was done too soon. He inherited the character at a time when she was just coming off the tragic events of Civil War and World War Hulk and not only did he deal with that, he made her dealing with it an integral part of the story he was telling. He was also vocal though about wanting to eventually move past that to get back to the light-hearted She-Hulk he really wanted to write. The series was cancelled though and he never got the chance. I wanted to read those stories, so I'd bring him back. Artwise, I've been a big fan of Cameron Stewart since I discovered The Apocalipstix
and would love to see him draw this.
14. Daredevil and Elektra by Mark Waid and Hub
Like Wolverine, Daredevil's another character I don't have a lot of affection for, but it wouldn't really be Marvel without a series that featured him. I haven't read Mark Waid and Marcos Martin's current run at Daredevil, but I'm not surprised to hear that it's very good. In order to make this interesting for me, I'd keep Waid on it, but turn it into another two-character team-up book by having Elektra co-star. Not that I'm a big Elektra fan either, but the two of them together may be more interesting than either of them separately.
The final push though would come from having Hub (Okko
) on art. As great as Martin is, I can't not buy a book by Hub. He's also really excellent at depicting a fantastic version of Southeast Asia that could come in...er, Hand-y (sorry) when doing a book about a couple of ninjas.
13. The Champions by Kurt Busiek and Becky Cloonan
The founding line-up for this short-lived team was Black Widow, Hercules, Ghost Rider, Angel, and Iceman. The Russian superhero Darkstar joined later. I didn't read this as a kid, but discovered it later thanks to my fondness for Black Widow. It's pretty cool that she was leading this team in the '70s. That's not as unique an idea now as it was then, but the line-up of characters is still unexpected and weird, especially having Ghost Rider on board.
Angel and Iceman aren't quite as interesting now as they were when the team debuted either. They were fresh out of the X-Men after the All-New All-Different team sort of pushed them out and they had something to prove. They were looking for a new home and since they were going through it together, they were able to talk about it and compare their new team to their old one. I don't know if I'd use the same two characters today, but maybe someone comparable. Characters who are immediately identifiable as X-Men, but could reasonably feel pushed out of that group for some reason. It sort of needs to be former X-Men because while that's not the most familial group of superheroes Marvel has (that would be the Fantastic Four), it's a big enough family that there are by necessity fringe members. Gambit and Psylocke might be good choices. Maybe Jubilee? Someone who's been central to the team in the past, but isn't anymore. It could be interesting watching them to try to adapt to life outside an X-group.
Anyway, Busiek is a writer who loves to try new things and would be perfect for this. Becky Cloonan has a gorgeous, gritty style that would work well for this street-level team as well.
On Monday, we'll wrap up with the last 12 titles: Marvel Heroes.
22. Dakota North by Ed Brubaker and Phil Noto
I don't know much about Dakota North. I don't think I've ever read one of her adventures, but she's a private eye working in the Marvel U and that could be a lot of fun. Maybe it's similar to Alias - I've never read it either - but with Brubaker writing it, it could be a fun, adventurous, Marvel version of something like Gotham Central. I picked Phil Noto for the art because he knows how to give female characters cool attitude without making them obnoxious.
21. Kraven the Hunter by Gail Simone and Marian Churchland
I admit that I picked Gail Simone for this because of the wonders she worked on Catman and because Kraven's a similar character. But visually, Kraven's much cooler and I'd love to see her do something comparable with him; give him some kind of moral center instead of just being whackadoo. Marian Churchland's soft, elegant work would give the series a pastoral look that would reinforce the idea that Kraven's seeking peace, even when he's involved in violence.
20. Hercules by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, LeUyen Pham, and Alex Puvilland
There are a few reasons I'm not reading the current Herc series; none of them having anything directly to do with the creators involved. Indirectly though, I wouldn't be able to pass up a Hercules series drawn by the wife-and-husband team (I think they're married; doesn't matter) of LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland (Prince of Persia, Solomon's Thieves
). They've got a strong, mythic quality to their work that's totally unique and exciting.As for why Hercules is in this category: it's a tonal thing. He was the original street-level hero. In Greek mythology - a world filled with iconic, superpowered beings - Hercules was the grounded one whom people could relate to. That feeling is important to who he is and last time I checked in, Pak and Lente were already doing a great job of presenting him that way.
19. Shang Chi: Master of Kung Fu by Phil Hester and Mark Smylie
I love Phil Hester's writing because there's always a layer of something deeper going on underneath the action. That's crucial to Master of Kung Fu, a series that in the '70s was filled with as much thought and philosophy as martial arts and espionage. Mark Smylie (Artesia) would complement that balance beautifully. He can paint the most brutally violent battle scene in the most exquisitely lush and contemplative way.
18. The Falcon by Greg Rucka and Steve Rude
The Falcon is one of those characters I wish I knew more about and would totally jump on if some exciting creators told a story about him. He's got a great look and I've loved him in Captain America
and on Super Hero Squad, but I'd love even more to get him away from the other superheroes and see what makes him tick. I think Rucka and Rude are the guys to do that.17. The Sub-Mariner by Ed Brubaker and David Petersen
Some of you have already pointed out that Namor would fit in well in other categories and you're right. He's a versatile character. I've put him in Marvel Knights in great part because of his attitude. I like Namor a lot, but he's a nasty dude with some serious problems he needs to get figured out. I'd certainly want this to have some great, undersea adventure to it, but I'd love for the tone to be similar to what Brubaker did with Captain America. It's exciting and fun, but it's grounded in real emotion as Cap continues to struggle - even after all these years - with being a man out of his own time. Namor's dealing with even more than that.
I picked David Petersen because he's got a realistic style and could draw the hell out of some undersea life.
16. The Panther by Mark Waid and Amy Reeder
One of the things I love most about Waid is that he knows how to dig into a character and find the approach that best suits that character's strengths without having to go off in a radical, new direction. Recently, Black Panther has changed gender, painted himself like the US flag, and borrowed Daredevil's tag line, so it's pretty clear that he's lost his way and needs someone to center him again. That's why Waid. Meanwhile, Amy Reeder (Madame Xanadu
) has a sleek, romantic style that could be really cool for a series about a jungle king who dresses like a cat.You've noticed that I dropped the "Black" from the title. I don't think it needs it, but I could be persuaded differently if it helps identify him as a black character. Unlike Falcon, when he's in costume you can't tell just by looking at him.
15. She-Hulk by Peter David and Cameron Stewart
Peter David's an underrated writer these days and his time on She-Hulk was done too soon. He inherited the character at a time when she was just coming off the tragic events of Civil War and World War Hulk and not only did he deal with that, he made her dealing with it an integral part of the story he was telling. He was also vocal though about wanting to eventually move past that to get back to the light-hearted She-Hulk he really wanted to write. The series was cancelled though and he never got the chance. I wanted to read those stories, so I'd bring him back. Artwise, I've been a big fan of Cameron Stewart since I discovered The Apocalipstix
and would love to see him draw this.14. Daredevil and Elektra by Mark Waid and Hub
Like Wolverine, Daredevil's another character I don't have a lot of affection for, but it wouldn't really be Marvel without a series that featured him. I haven't read Mark Waid and Marcos Martin's current run at Daredevil, but I'm not surprised to hear that it's very good. In order to make this interesting for me, I'd keep Waid on it, but turn it into another two-character team-up book by having Elektra co-star. Not that I'm a big Elektra fan either, but the two of them together may be more interesting than either of them separately.
The final push though would come from having Hub (Okko
) on art. As great as Martin is, I can't not buy a book by Hub. He's also really excellent at depicting a fantastic version of Southeast Asia that could come in...er, Hand-y (sorry) when doing a book about a couple of ninjas.13. The Champions by Kurt Busiek and Becky Cloonan
The founding line-up for this short-lived team was Black Widow, Hercules, Ghost Rider, Angel, and Iceman. The Russian superhero Darkstar joined later. I didn't read this as a kid, but discovered it later thanks to my fondness for Black Widow. It's pretty cool that she was leading this team in the '70s. That's not as unique an idea now as it was then, but the line-up of characters is still unexpected and weird, especially having Ghost Rider on board.
Angel and Iceman aren't quite as interesting now as they were when the team debuted either. They were fresh out of the X-Men after the All-New All-Different team sort of pushed them out and they had something to prove. They were looking for a new home and since they were going through it together, they were able to talk about it and compare their new team to their old one. I don't know if I'd use the same two characters today, but maybe someone comparable. Characters who are immediately identifiable as X-Men, but could reasonably feel pushed out of that group for some reason. It sort of needs to be former X-Men because while that's not the most familial group of superheroes Marvel has (that would be the Fantastic Four), it's a big enough family that there are by necessity fringe members. Gambit and Psylocke might be good choices. Maybe Jubilee? Someone who's been central to the team in the past, but isn't anymore. It could be interesting watching them to try to adapt to life outside an X-group.
Anyway, Busiek is a writer who loves to try new things and would be perfect for this. Becky Cloonan has a gorgeous, gritty style that would work well for this street-level team as well.
On Monday, we'll wrap up with the last 12 titles: Marvel Heroes.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Art Show: Mrs. Ghost Rider
Plural vs. Singular
By Mattias Adolfsson.
Isle of 100,000 Graves
By Jason.
Underwater Ghost Rider and Friends
By Kerry Callen.
By Mattias Adolfsson.
Isle of 100,000 Graves
By Jason.
Underwater Ghost Rider and Friends
By Kerry Callen.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Art Show: Zombie Spoor
Pirate
By Jim Silke. [Illustrateurs]
Mermaids
Artist Unknown. [Never Sea Land]
Tannhauser at Hoerselberg
By Willy Pogany. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
Namor Meets the Beatles
By Chaz Folgar. [Puffdoggydaddy]
By Jim Silke. [Illustrateurs]
Mermaids
Artist Unknown. [Never Sea Land]
Tannhauser at Hoerselberg
By Willy Pogany. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
Namor Meets the Beatles
By Chaz Folgar. [Puffdoggydaddy]
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Awesome List: Octochair
Comics
*Greg McElhatton reviews David B's The Littlest Pirate King
. [Read About Comics]*Marvel shared their April releases this week. Sigil #2 reveals that their new Crossgen mini-series aren't necessarily rebooting just the comic in their titles as the pirates of El Cazador also appear in this issue.
There's a new issue of Namor: The First Mutant of course. I've been wanting to try this out and just picked up the first issue of the new storyline after the opening X-Men-crossover storyline finished. I'll let you know what I think.
Dinosaurs are going to get plenty of attention in April too. Reptyl naturally appears in Avengers Academy #12, and Ka-Zar and the Savage Land appear prominently in both Skaar: King of the Savage Land #s 1 and 2 and Spider-Man #13.
*Dinosaurs are also big players in DC's April comics. Magic ones (summoned by Zatanna, for some reason) are featured in Power Girl #23 and Secret Six: The Reptile Brain collects a storyline in which Bane and some cohorts conduct a mission in dinosaur-filled Skartaris.
*Adventure! thought of another jungle girl they missed in their list last week: Tawana from Abbot and Costello Comics.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Art Show: Where do all the Croco-People go?
Love at First Sight
By Mattias Adolfsson. This is just a detail. Click the link to see the whole thing.
Aquaman
By Dave Barking.
Namor vs. Shagreen
The artist is keeping anonymous, but he or she blogs at Marvel Flipside.
Rusty Recon on Gear Island
By Jeremy Vanhoozer.
By Mattias Adolfsson. This is just a detail. Click the link to see the whole thing.
Aquaman
By Dave Barking.
Namor vs. Shagreen
The artist is keeping anonymous, but he or she blogs at Marvel Flipside.
Rusty Recon on Gear Island
By Jeremy Vanhoozer.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Pass the Comics: Those two freakish fish
Namora helps solve The Case of the Deep Sea Swindle
Namora and her famous cousin are sort of wasted in this adventure, because it all takes place on a boat. But it's still a fun espionage story with the most flamboyant, modern-day pirate you ever saw. [Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea to witness Monsters of the Moho
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is always cool. [Gold Key Comics!]
Namora and her famous cousin are sort of wasted in this adventure, because it all takes place on a boat. But it's still a fun espionage story with the most flamboyant, modern-day pirate you ever saw. [Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea to witness Monsters of the Moho
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is always cool. [Gold Key Comics!]
Monday, September 13, 2010
Art Show: Keep Your Eyes on the Hands
The Mysterious Island
By NC Wyeth. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
Polly
By Ted Naifeh.
Atlantean Pirate
By Carla Wyzgala. [Girls Drawing Girls]
After the break: Conan fights a sea monster, a man feeds a mermaid, an Avenging Son avenges, and an opu sways.
By NC Wyeth. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
Polly
By Ted Naifeh.
Atlantean Pirate
By Carla Wyzgala. [Girls Drawing Girls]
After the break: Conan fights a sea monster, a man feeds a mermaid, an Avenging Son avenges, and an opu sways.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Art Show: Monday du Mer
Sea Port
By William J Aylward. [Tons of great Aylward ship art at Golden Age Comic Book Stories.]
Demon of the Deep
By Ken Kelly. [Illustrateurs]
The Aqua Monster
By Sean Hamilton. [Art Jumble]
Wanderwine Prophets
By Alex Horley. [Illustrateurs]
Creature from the Black Lagoon
By Michele Legendre.
This Probably Won't End Well
[The Aquaman Shrine]
Namor
By "Justice."
By William J Aylward. [Tons of great Aylward ship art at Golden Age Comic Book Stories.]
Demon of the Deep
By Ken Kelly. [Illustrateurs]
The Aqua Monster
By Sean Hamilton. [Art Jumble]
Wanderwine Prophets
By Alex Horley. [Illustrateurs]
Creature from the Black Lagoon
By Michele Legendre.
This Probably Won't End Well
[The Aquaman Shrine]
Namor
By "Justice."
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Awesome List: Batman vs. Sasquatch!
Gear Island
I have no idea what this project of Jeremy Vanhoozer's is, but whatever it is I can't wait for it.
Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls
Kevin Dart's groovy spygirl has her own website with videos, a store, a blog, and more.
After the break: Pulp Girls, Batman meets Alpha Flight, lovey Frankenstein, and Atlantis' Avenging Sneakers.
I have no idea what this project of Jeremy Vanhoozer's is, but whatever it is I can't wait for it.
Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls
Kevin Dart's groovy spygirl has her own website with videos, a store, a blog, and more.
After the break: Pulp Girls, Batman meets Alpha Flight, lovey Frankenstein, and Atlantis' Avenging Sneakers.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Art Show: Path to Goblin Village
Norway
By Bill Presing.
The Best Robot Pirate Airship Birthday Ever
By Jeremy Vanhoozer.
Our Newest Deep Sea Attack Ships
Artist Unknown, but the design is being put to good use by Admiral Calvin.
After the break: Namor, jungle girls, Kong, Zatanna, Death, Red Sonja, Xena, and some goblins.
By Bill Presing.
The Best Robot Pirate Airship Birthday Ever
By Jeremy Vanhoozer.
Our Newest Deep Sea Attack Ships
Artist Unknown, but the design is being put to good use by Admiral Calvin.
After the break: Namor, jungle girls, Kong, Zatanna, Death, Red Sonja, Xena, and some goblins.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Movie News: Iron Man vs Sub-Mariner
Namor references in Iron Man 2?
Comic Book Movie makes a pretty good case.
Sherlock Holmes 2
On the way. [/Film]
Runaways director and screenwriter
Still excited to see this moving forward. The director's the guy who did Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
. [/Film]
After the break: a Resident Evil 4 poster, a Logan's Run remake, troubles with The Hobbit, and Harrison Ford won't say "fluffy."
Comic Book Movie makes a pretty good case.
Sherlock Holmes 2
On the way. [/Film]
Runaways director and screenwriter
Still excited to see this moving forward. The director's the guy who did Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
. [/Film]After the break: a Resident Evil 4 poster, a Logan's Run remake, troubles with The Hobbit, and Harrison Ford won't say "fluffy."
Friday, May 28, 2010
Comics News: The McDuffie Principle
Sufferin' Shad!
Snell totally blows my image of Namor as a cool, tough guy with multiple examples of the sea-king's hilariously ridiculous exclamations.
The Gamekeeper Omnibus
Back when Virgin Comics still existed, the only series of theirs that I was really interested in was Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper. Partly because it was a Guy Ritchie concept, a lot because the story sounded cool (the gamekeeper of a huge, wooded estate turns the tables on the black ops team that have attacked his employer and destroyed his life), but mostly because it was written by two of my favorite writers: first Andy Diggle and then Jeff Parker.
Unfortunately, Virgin folded before the entire story could be collected, but Dynamite's now got that covered. The 256-page story is coming out in August as a $25 paperback.
Pass the Comics: The Mummy
I didn't find enough comics for a separate "Pass the Comics" post this week, so we'll just include this one here. [The Horrors of It All, Part One and Part Two]
"I can't do this--"
Talking about continuity and canon, Dwayne McDuffie once made a comment the wisdom of which has stuck with me ever since. "If I didn't see it, it didn't happen." That's why I'm not at all upset about the stupidity of the revelation that Rogue apparently had sex with the Sentry at some point.
It certainly is a ridiculous development (Topless Robot has exactly the right reasons about why), but even though I technically have seen it (in the panels above), I'm still claiming protection under the McDuffie Principle. In fact, I'm broadening that principle to, "If I don't like it, it didn't happen."
I'm tired of letting publishers dictate what is and isn't canon. They've proven over and over again that they'll let all manner of silliness go on, so why should they get to be the shepherds? Let them do what they do: throw tons of stories out there with various levels of quality. I'll pick the ones I like and build my own canon, thank you very much. Paul Jenkins' fan fiction doesn't have to be a part of it just because Marvel published it.
Snell totally blows my image of Namor as a cool, tough guy with multiple examples of the sea-king's hilariously ridiculous exclamations.
The Gamekeeper Omnibus
Back when Virgin Comics still existed, the only series of theirs that I was really interested in was Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper. Partly because it was a Guy Ritchie concept, a lot because the story sounded cool (the gamekeeper of a huge, wooded estate turns the tables on the black ops team that have attacked his employer and destroyed his life), but mostly because it was written by two of my favorite writers: first Andy Diggle and then Jeff Parker.
Unfortunately, Virgin folded before the entire story could be collected, but Dynamite's now got that covered. The 256-page story is coming out in August as a $25 paperback.
Pass the Comics: The Mummy
I didn't find enough comics for a separate "Pass the Comics" post this week, so we'll just include this one here. [The Horrors of It All, Part One and Part Two]
"I can't do this--"
Talking about continuity and canon, Dwayne McDuffie once made a comment the wisdom of which has stuck with me ever since. "If I didn't see it, it didn't happen." That's why I'm not at all upset about the stupidity of the revelation that Rogue apparently had sex with the Sentry at some point.
It certainly is a ridiculous development (Topless Robot has exactly the right reasons about why), but even though I technically have seen it (in the panels above), I'm still claiming protection under the McDuffie Principle. In fact, I'm broadening that principle to, "If I don't like it, it didn't happen."
I'm tired of letting publishers dictate what is and isn't canon. They've proven over and over again that they'll let all manner of silliness go on, so why should they get to be the shepherds? Let them do what they do: throw tons of stories out there with various levels of quality. I'll pick the ones I like and build my own canon, thank you very much. Paul Jenkins' fan fiction doesn't have to be a part of it just because Marvel published it.
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