Back in January, I collected some letters from readers to share with you. It's been a few months, now, and the mail is once again piling up, so I thought I'd clear out my inbox once again and show you what's on the minds of Galaxy readers.
My comments in the most recent Shipping Nooz on Marvel's GI Joe collection included the following: "I have no interest in this at all, and no understanding why anyone would. But fans of a certain age seem fascinated by the nostalgic value of bad Larry Hama gun-oriented war comics. So here it is." That prompted this terse response from Jeff:
Thank you for telling like it is.
Thanks, Jeff, although I am sure more readers than not are selling off their Atari 2600 cartridges on eBay to be able to afford the current, mind-boggling array of 80s nostalgia, including GI JOE and Transformers. Soon, I guess, we'll see that huge wave of New Universe nostalgia kick in. I can't wait for the Kickers, Inc. slipcased hardcover, and have set aside $100.00 in a special fund for it while I wait.
My thoughts earlier this week on the Axis of Mediocrity in a piece called Weeds seems to have generated some good response. Tony had this to say:
Just wanted to drop a line to say how much I enjoyed your Weeds column. Very insightful and thought provoking. I wonder if guys from Marvel or DC read your columns. If they don't, they really should. Hell, anyone who reads comics should be reading your columns. I appreciate how you never pull punches, never beat around the bush, and never "sugar coat." Just hard-hitting, useful, and entertaining columns. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Tony. Someone at DC must be reading Comic Book Galaxy, because I saw a mention of some of my recent reviews on their website. Amazingly, it included mention of some not-too-positive reviews. I'm not sure if that means they have balls or are just too lazy to read beyond the list of what titles I'm reviewing, but either way, I am not complaining.
Weeds also prompted this note from Alex:
Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your latest column, and I more or less agree with your opinion on the blandness of comic titles. I only pre-order Flash, Captain Marvel, X-Force (which may hit the chopping block because it doesn't feel like there's a story to be told), Savage Dragon, and currently the Thing: Freakshow mini-series. True, the first two books aren't top sellers or stand-up-and-shout comics, but they are solid (Kollins hasn't had a guest artist on Flash yet!), and entertaining. Savage Dragon feels like a comic book, and I love it for that. Most of the comics I've read nowadays don't feel like comics, if you know what I mean. I don't know what they feel like, but it sure isn't what a comic should feel like. Anyways, keep up the good work!
I agree totally with Alex about Savage Dragon. I think it's a combination of the retro trade dress, consistent creative team, and engaging, interactive letters pages. A lot of mainstream comics could learn much from how Erik Larsen has conducted his title over the past ten years. The only comparable mainstream title I can think of off the top of my head is Orion, and we see what DC did to that. Good time to remind you that the final Orion ships next week, by the way, and that you can read my preview/review/eulogy while you're waiting for it to arrive in stores.
Oh, Alex also asked if I could "review The Complete Copybook Tales? I'm really interested in it, but I've only seen mabye one review, and said review assumed I knew everything about the book already, and was of no help describing the story, art or theme." Coincidentally, I am currently reading the book, and I hope to review it in the next few days.
My campaign to get people to appreciate Tom Raney's art by picking up his terrific Thor debut prompted this note from Adam:
Just wanted to congratulate you for the great Thor review. It was a very good read made even better because it is the only review of that Thor issue that I have found on the web so far. And that kinda pisses me off. People need to be aware when a book like this comes out. Here's hopeing that I will see more issues and reviews of Thor in the next year of the same caliber.
Sadly, the fill-in issues of Thor that we've gotten over the past couple of months have not held a candle to Raney's terrific work. He's back with the next issue (#49, I believe), but I hate it when any kind of momentum is interrupted by fill-in issues in this manner.
Speaking of losing momentum, Beast8008 took me to task for my ongoing unhappiness with the creative train-wreck that is Grant Morrison's New X-Men:
you complain at one point in your review of new x-men #121 that morrison didn't give you any plot summary, any recap of previous issues. that makes absolutely no sense! it's not up to him to make sure you understand every little detail, especially those like you who don't care about these wonderful characters. i have one piece of advice for you: if you hate this comic so much, stop reading it and move on with your life. get over it.
I beg to disagree, Beast8008. When a book features so many artists of diverse skills such as Quitely, Kordey and Van Sciver, it's a given that at least some readers (like me) will not waste their money on art they don't care for. It is the responsibility of the writer and editors to make sure that a book so disastrously produced be as accessible as possible, and they've bent over backwards to do just the opposite. No worries, though, as I have taken your advice and moved on. Frank Quitely could draw 24 issues in a row and I wouldn't read them if they showed up on my doorstop wrapped in hundred dollar bills. You can only screw with me so much before I write you off for good, and New X-Men has done just that. I don't expect that will bother anyone very much, and I don't really care. Just letting you know that I agree with at least part of your note, Beast8008.
One of the best comics publications in years was the Comics Journal Winter Special, and my review of same had Bill running to his keyboard to tell me:
I found [the review] a worthwhile piece. (I'm still working my way through the mag myself.) Also followed your link to the appreciation of Amazing Heroes, a mag that I also wish was still in existence. Nice work on both counts.
The industry greatly needs a magazine like Amazing Heroes, one that covers superhero comics and their creators past and present with intellegence and respect, but not slavish devotion. TwoMorrows Publishing's Comic Book Artist (a great read most issues, don't get me wrong) probably is the most similar thing around today, but editor Jon Cooke is virtually a one-man show in terms of tone and content, and more diversity is definitely needed to fill the hole left by Amazing Heroes. Ray Mescallado wrote a column for the Journal called Fanboi Politik that served that audience very well, but sadly he's no longer doing it, most TCJ readers and editors probably didn't appreciate the service Ray was doing, and I am unable to find links to any of his columns online. Anyone who knows of a site that has archived his writing, let me know.
My piece Dear Frank Miller had Brett writing in to say:
I was also delighted to read your opinions on the Dark Knight Returns 2 (or, as it's known in the trendy circles, "DK2"). I am happy to finally find someone who actually has the guts to admit that it is pure garbage. THANK GOD!!!! I am so tired of speaking with my friends and acquaintences, having to stifle a gasp of shock when they tell me how much they enjoyed it. I am so tired of something be great simply because it was doine by someone who did great things in the past. I think it's a sad commentary on the state of the market, the quality of the books, and is perhaps a sad reflection on the readership as well.
I had the thought the other day that the best punchline to Miller's big joke on readers and DC would be if there is no third issue. It would be the perfect meta-comment on Miller's, uh, "clever" imitation of mid-90s Image, which is what the first issue certainly seemed to me to be trying to accomplish. Lots of sound, fury, and splashy colour with no human connection at all, and no purpose other than to generate sales. To never complete the series, like so many Image titles, would just make me smile, and almost make the whole nightmarish thing worthwhile.
My observation that Alan Moore dodged a bullet by avoiding a working relationship with Marvel generated this response from Nav:
I just read you Alan Moore worship article on your website, regarding the Joe Quesada-marvel schumozzle, and dude you need to take a chill pill. you're right, Quesada is bending over backwards to get Alan Moore to work for marvel, but its not to work on any super hero (or "cape-fetish" as you prefer it to be called) books. Marvel have been trying to get into non-mainstream titles for a while now with no success, due in a large part to the fact they need to get someone with Alan Moore's calibre to promote these books.
The new Marvel is nothing like the old Marvel. Marvel fucked up, okay, they forgot to add that stuff to the TPB for Captain Brittain. Boohoo, very very bad. The Quesada apologised for it, more so than was necessary because it was in a public forum.
Now I believe that Alan moore is a comic genius, yes I do. But the man is amazingly up himself, and for that matter so are you. Pull his cock out of your mouth, because at the end of the day, the guy is just doing a job. Take a chill pill. Its people like you with your internet rambling that feeds the overall buzz on the net, and blows this thing adequately out of proportion, so that it almost guarantees that Moore won't work for Marvel.
Alan Moore is a writer, a good one at that, but he does a job just like anyone else. Theres no need for some hack who thinks he can put a list together to comment on what these guys do. You may have your opinion, but trust me, it doesn't need to be aired.
One wonders, really, if my opinion doesn't need to be aired, why Nav felt the need to either read it or comment on it, too. I suppose we'd all be better off playing Nintendo like Frank Quitely probably spends his days. Also, I have to ask...schumozzle?
David sent one of the nicest e-mails I've ever received, and here it is now:
I'm British, so I'm not very good at this talking to complete strangers, but I'll give it a bash anyway.
I don't know how much email you get, so this may be lost in the sea of electronic communication that washes up on the beach of your account (if I may flog a metaphor to death), but just wanted to say that you are doing a great job with Comic Book Galaxy. I am amazed by your ability to maintain a website with new content, read comics and keep up with the industry, while at the same time having a job and family. Simply incredible. Where you get your energy from is beyond me, but I hope you keep doing it, as CBG is now a regular stop on my website visiting schedule.
I was aware of CBG before the recent change, with its host of different columns and other content. There were a few that stuck out (Rob Vollmar, for example; the joint column you did was priceless) and I was a semi-regular visitor, but it was just a good site. Now, with the full strength of your voice, the site seems to be streamlined into a more concentrated look at comics (and the mind of someone who enjoys the medium and all it can produce). Your reviews are entertaining and eclectic, your letter to Frank Miller was hilarious, and the Shipping Nooz is another welcome look at the multitude of comics that come out each week to help the discerning purchaser spend wisely. All in all, a great job, and I still can't believe you have enough time in the day to do it all, especially with being witty and intelligent in your writing as well. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to more on the website. Thanks for listening.
Take that, Nav.