Darque Edge

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Posts posted by Darque Edge

  1. What did he get banned for? Let's have a laugh at his expense.

    He posted a picture of the Twin Towers, smoke billowing out and all, with the words "The Oratory" printed across. He also took shots at me in his personal profile.

    I'm going to guess it was rather ineptly done as well.

  2. Is anyone else reading this? It's very, very interesting, and rather good to boot.

    It's illustrated by Brian Templesmith (who agreed to do it on the basis that there 'weren't any bloody vampires in it), so it looks gorgeous. The story is dense, dark and intriguing, and it's Warren Ellis in 'proper author mode', not 'mad uncle Warren mode'.

    But that's not the most interesting bit. Warren Ellis is experimenting with this one, so I'll quote what he's basically saying (from the five page afterward):

    Whenever I do a signing, there are without exception a handful of people who turn up with a t-shirt or a scrap of paper. And they explain, usually with some embarassment, that they've read everything I've done, but that they've borrowed it all from libraries or friends, because they have to count every dollar.

    So I sat there and thought, how can I do a piece of contemporary fivtion for something closer to pocket change. Fewer pages than an ordinary comic single, but dense, with a complete story told every time. And a text section at the back, expanding on the background and other elements of the book, commentary and production art, extending the reading experience. So that, for at least a dollar less than most comics of its type, you got a complete experience that hopefully took at least as long to read, on first play, as a 'regular' comic.

    A buck ninety-nine, or local equivalent, still just about qualifies as pocket change. For the loose metal in your pocket, you can walk out with this book, and you don't need another book to understand the story, and you've not been cheated into buying the next episode to understand the story. I wanted you to be able to get a whole thing for a handful of loose coins.

    Credit - Fell (back matters).

    Thoughts on the idea, the ethos behind it, and the comic if you've read it? If you've not, feel free to ask me about it.

  3. Ripping Yarns

    It occurs to me that an awful lot of trouble in Gotham City could have been averted a long time ago if Batman had just ripped the Joker's nipples off.

    I mean, treatment doesn't work, does it? They stick the Joker in the nuthatch, he comes out again and does the same things.

    A man with the nipples ripped off him does not make the same mistakes twice.

    Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, and need the nipples ripped off them.

    I mean, who's going to argue?

    "Batman, I've heard disturbing reports that you ripped the Joker's nipples off."

    "Choke on my fuck, Commissioner Gordon."

    "...okay."

    I mean, crime in Gotham City doesn't exactly seem to be affected by a man dressed as a bat flapping around the place. But no-one disobeys a man wearing a necklace of human nipples.

    "I'm Batman" isn't cutting it in the striking-fear-into-their-hearts stakes. But "I'm Batman -- and I'm here for your nipples" is an entirely different proposition.

    Criminals would see the error of their ways after a man in a black leather pervert suit had their nipples off with the edge of a Batarang, you mark my words. Or a Bat-Denipplizer.

    I'm off to ring DC Comics.

    © Warren Ellis 2002, 2004

    (SCREAM TALKING. Fifty short pieces. A complete work, more or less. This is an old one, but I don't think you've seen it yet. So I thought I'd pass it on.)

    This is why I love Warren Ellis.

  4. While I agree that the film shouldn't have been edited because of it, I don't agree with some of the comments from the producers and director. Just because it's controversial doesn't make it a good time to come out, though I guess that does mean a lot of free publicity.

    Actually, they're right. If you've read the book (which I don't think you have), you'd read a different meaning into what's being said. Without reading the book, you'd take a different meaning.

    What the meaning ISN'T, is 'this will make the film more controversial, and thus make more people want to go and see it, and thus make more money'. It's more along the lines of 'This is a hugely cotroversial film, regardless of when it comes out, but it is one with a message, and with morals, and with the ability to make people think. The themes that the films encompass are the same themes that we are seeing across the world right now, which is a very good thing for the movie. It's more relevant.'

    Or at least, that's how I read it.

  5. I have to disagree with you. From what I can see so far you really do not need to read all of the others to understand what is going on. It will give you a fuller picture, as well as make the setting feel more complete. But from what I can tell so far there have been no plot elements in the core HoM that require you to know what is going on in any of the tie ins. Because Spiderman was the person we first saw go through the white wave they needed to at some point give you a little bit of closure in the core HoM book relating to it.

    And where did they give that closure? In a 'previously' blurb. That's why it's irritating. End of issue one is a cliffhanger, involving Peter Parker, and we don't get a payoff - we get one line in a 'previously' blurb. You don't see that as annoying? There's too many plot points left loose in the core title.

  6. But he's a child.

    Only in the first movie. You couldn't see them ignoring that, and condensing the trilogy down. We get a pre-credits 'kiddy' bit, then BAM! Full Keanu crapness for the rest of the movie.

    Mind you, it could be worse. It could be Vin Diesel.

  7. I'm enjoying it, but I have my issues with it. The primary one is that it isn't a self contained mini-series.

    First issue ends with the Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy revelation, and then...nothing. It's revealed in the 'previously' bit in issue three that Parker is a famous wrestler/actor. It feels too much like a main title where some stuff happens, but to find out what's going on, you absolutely have to read the other titles.

    It's trying too hard to be this decades Age of Apocalypse, trying far too hard. AoA had the awesome 'alpha' and 'omega' opener and closer. Then, in the middle, each title dealt with its own storyline, and they kept seperate. This, you have to buy the mini-series, and buy all the rest to understand what it's referring to. It's irritating.

    That said, it's also a lot of fun. It's an obvious twist to the formula that it's surprising we haven't thought of before.

  8. I don't think he'd turn down the mantle of the Bat, especially if Bruce dies or asks him to do it.

    Should Bruce die in battle, I think Dick would assume the mantle to find the killer and preserve the legacy. However, I do not think he'd accept it if Bruce simply asked.

    S-T: I don't know. I'm waiting for the collection, so I've yet to read it.

    In 'KnightQuest'. Dick made clear that he would do it if Bruce asked, and Bruce makes clear that he'd never ask precisely because Dick is his own man now, and is one that Bruce is very proud of.

  9. Having just finished 'Essential Dracula', I'm itching for him to do something in the horror genre. Marvel could really do with something along those lines. Or it would also be sweet to see a continuing comic using Roland from The Dark Tower.

    For those who aren't aware, King is a long time comic book fan. He waxes hugely nostalgic in 'Danse Macabre' on the old EC movies, and Creepshow is, of course, a homage to them. He's also made references in the past that definitely show a working knowledge of X-Men, and Spiderman. Whether or not that's up to date, I don't know.

    Oh, and he wrote the special introduction for Batman 400, and for one of the Sandman books (IIRC).

  10. New poster:

    poster_1.jpg

    I see they finally changed the 'V' logo. The first one was awful.

    I also see on their 'news' page, they make a big deal of Guy Fawkes being Hanged, and go on about recreating it in detail - neglecting to mention the fact that he was drawn and quartered.

    I'm not optimistic about this.

  11. It's almost like dog years.

    One real year = One month Marvel time.

    That's a total generalisation, but it gives an idea of what we're talking (I read once that it was a rule of thumb over at M).

    Oh, and as far as the years go, they're flexible. Thus, Tony Stark was a veteran of Vietnam, The Gulf War, and, presumably, the War on Terror - all we need is that within the last ten years or so, he's a veteran.

  12. Yep, I'm reading it. Enjoying it so far, should be an interesting read.

    I liked the fact that exactly the person you expected to say 'Kill her' did so, and in exactly the way you'd expect it.

  13. Yeah, but all of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths stuff was tossed out the window in 1986.

    But isn't part of this whole story likely to be about time going screwy, and thus the pre-crisis stuff is open for business again? At least temporarily?