| IDW's Chris Ryall: G.I. Joe Comic Q&A Information |
| Posted on 07-08-2008 at 06:05 PM by DESTRO | Social Bookmarks | RSS Feeds | Chris Ryall has answered 10 questions regarding the new GI Joe Comic by IDW Publishing.
Will the comic start from the beginning? Are we doing a reboot?
Will IDW be touting Snake-eyes as the "uber-character"?
Will the Joe series be mini-stories?
Larry Hama. Robert Atkins. G.I. JOE.
October '08: Issue #0 (24 pages, an all-new 16-page story and lots of sketches and interviews and such)
January '08: G.I. Joe #1 "A New Beginning" part 1 of 6.
Official press release and all that is still coming, too, but in light of the Web leak, this seemed the best way to address the scuttlebutt.
To View the Answers to all these Questions and more Click the Title Bar. | | | Views: 1,453 | | DESTRO: Chris Ryall has answered 10 questions regarding the new GI Joe comic by IDW Publishing.
Regarding a Sigma Six spin-off
In this case, anything's possible and are fair game--we've already talked about the possibility of Sigma Six comics or Origins (the new Warren Ellis-scripted animated thing) or something else. But I did mean what I said before in that I really want to establish our ongoing Joe world before delving into such things. I think if we start spreading too thin at the start, we won't do the fans any favors. And since there's also a movie continuity to contend with, any more than those two might be too much for the foreseeable future.
Regarding the Joes operating out of a PIT base
Yes
Regarding which Joes are in the elite team
This is one of those story details I'm loathe to discuss rather than let them play out. The core team at the start of the #0 issue is largely the same as the movie's cast, albeit in different circumstances, but that changes very quickly, as other faces appear in issue 1 and beyond.
Will Gung-Ho have a shirt?
Matthew McConaughey wants to know why you have to wear a shirt to get some respect... but don't worry, Gung Ho's gonna be treated properly.
On "How much will the stories be dictated by the Hasbro / Hama stories"
I saw a fair share of "free reign" talk over at Phil's board today. Thing of it is, none of us have free reign. I mean, it's a licensed property, we're the licensee, and Larry is the guy we've hired to bring it back to life. But Hasbro is the licensor--they have ultimate say over anything and everything.
That said, Hasbro has been amazingly receptive to what we want to do, and been helpful, beneficial and had some great creative suggestions. This has been the case the entire time we've handled the TF license, since mid-2005 (when we started internally). They like what we've done and we've built up a good level of trust, and all of that played into them awarding us the Joe license.
All of which means that we're not looking at a scenario like two decades ago where a toy release drove the storytelling. Comics and the way they supplement/complement a licensor's efforts have changed and everyone recognizes that and appreciates it. We're not a toy tie-in as much as we're a toy complement. And there are different initiatives and dictates at Hasbro than before, and part of that is ensuring the strength of the Joe brand with their and our core audience. Which sounds like marketing-speak, but what it means is that the comics can be more adult than before, they can tell stories that aren't developed in marketing meetings, and we and by extension Larry have room to tell good stories and develop the world free of such worries.
I don't know all of what happened with past Joe comics, I just know our experience with the TF comics, and it's been a true partnership and a gratifying one. So I'm only optimistic about what we're going to do here, and so are they. And hopefully you. And someday, maybe even Jamar Miller...
How will IDW alter the GI-Joe francise?
I don't know if I completely follow the question, so let me see if this is any answer. Also while perusing Phil's board today, I saw some question/parallel drawn between us hiring Simon Furman to relaunch the TF books for us and now Shane McCarthy, nearly 3 full years after that, coming on to write a big TF title for us. If the concern there, or here, is that we're hiring an "old guarder" to start things and then abandoning them, that's not at all what happened with the TF books. Simon's storyline ran for three years, included what, a dozen Spotlight issues in addition to the main storyline, and now is headed in a different direction. That seems to me to be pretty standard in comics, occasionally shaking things up to reinvigorate things or refocus people on the comics (next up: Me Grimlock, Me Skrull!). Simon is doing multiple other books for us, so the strange talk that we "dumped" him is just that, strange. He guided the entire TF line for us (and Beast Wars and the movie prequel with me) for years and did/does so masterfully. But one person doing everything isn't the best way to give the fans multiple voices or takes on characters. Not every Spider-Man title is written by the same guy. This is that.
With Joe, Larry will be doing the main book for us. If we do other miniseries or Spotlights or what have you, other writers will be along for the ride, too. So there was no circumstance behind AHM other than a new storyline being needed and me wanting to add a new voice to the mix. With Simon, Chris Mowry and now Shane, there's a nice mix of TF writers working on multiple projects. And it's safe to say that there will be multiple writers eventually working on Joe projects, too.
(Then received clarification on the question)
Ahh. The TF thing was partially about making/keeping the comics accessible to new people but also just wanting to do something new and big and different. It honestly spins more out of me being impressed by the level of planning in something like Planet Hulk, where the story itself was one thing but then the *next* story, where the Hulk would eventually return to Earth, was even more highly anticipated. I wanted to do something big, something like Independence Day minus the lame, and strip away a bit of the hard continuity and give people a good new jumping-on point. I think when you rely too much on convoluted continuity to tell stories, you end up with things like Final Crisis that are oft-putting to new or casual fans.
Joe won't be a huge departure from what Hama did before, but then again, it will be because he's a different person and storyteller now. If that makes any sense.
Will the comic start from the beginning?
Aaaand here we are, the $10 question. Three to go after this one (for now), so until those are posted, let me dig into this one.
First, some backstory.
When we first started considering Joe, or even before that, in just keeping an eye on the DDP comics and pondering what we'd do "if," we looked at various options.
Option 1: Keep the continuity, continuing what multiple publishers have done over two-plus decades, trying to wrangle continuity that didn't always make perfect sense or flow perfectly from issue to issue, let alone from publisher to publisher.
Option 2: Pick and choose from the past, and maybe pick up right after Marvel's run ended, ignoring the rest.
Option 3: Do our own thing.
Ultimately, it wasn't even a hard decision.
We respect like crazy what Marvel did. Without that historic run, Joe never would've been a lasting, viable comic property. It would've been Marvel's Masters of the Universe (remember that old DC comic? I do. Or remember Crystar, Crystal Warrior? Or other failed toy comics? Yep, I do). Instead, it and Rom Spaceknight showed that toy comics could be their own thing, could be so much more.
I also respect what others have done since. But the thing of it is, the idea of continuing it brings with it two main problems:
1. It's presumptuous. How in the world would we ever even know what DDP was going to do with the finale of WWIII when we had to get started? We wouldn't, so to assume one thing and have it play out differently would be trouble enough.
2. The bigger point--it's not our story. If we pick up where DDP left off, we're not IDW doing the things that Hasbro wants us to do and that fans expect, we're DDP West. Their concluding storyline left things in a way that we'd need to either invalidate lots of it to be able to include all the characters we want, or we'd have to write around what they did since it wasn't what we'd do. All of which seems much more wrong than blazing our own trail. We'd be one step away from bringing in Mephisto to wipe away the elements we don't want to use.
The biggest point to make is that while we weren't looking to scrap two decades of good (some great, some not so) comics, we were looking to give new fans something to get excited about, something to make old fans anticipate something new rather than more of the same, and something we'd be proud to have our logo on.
Are we doing a reboot?
The answer is, we're starting at the beginning. A New Beginning. But we're doing it in a way akin to what they did with James Bond last year. The movie stripped away a lot of the things that had made the franchise feel bloated and ridiculous and started over. Not necessarily scrapping what was to come in the characters' future movies, but resetting things, losing the bloat, making the character stand out again, and reminding people why it was once great.
That's what we're doing. And doing it with Larry, where he's a two-decades-better storyteller than he was, and with the wisdom of years to think about what worked and what didn't, is immensely exciting to me. Before, he was essentially making it up as he went. Now, he knows what he wants to do, and is being given the freedom to do it.
I had dinner with Larry in NYC a few weeks ago and we talked about all of this, and in his mind and mine, there was only one way to make this work right, so that's what we're doing.
Time to start fresh, paying tribute to what's come before, not invalidating anything that's come before or reworking it to make it fit with what we want to do, and not being hamstrung by what other people have done.
Time for G.I. Joe: A New Beginning.
Will IDW be touting Snake-eyes as the "uber-character"
It's a hard thing, because EVERYONE loves Snake-Eyes. But I'm also very wary of burning out a good thing right away. So I know he's still going to play a prominent role, but as a member of the Joe team and not as our Wolverine. He'll get his due soon enough, sure, but at the start, the team is what I want to be the focus. There're too many other good characters to focus on on both sides of the fence to let him steal all their thunder.
On reprinting old comics
In more general terms, we just want to really treat the old Joe material as something special, not just comics to scan and release again. So we're still working on the best way to do that, and the best timing, but there'll definitely be a good amount before the movie (which is just good business as well as an effort to quickly get this stuff back in print. Bookstores will be wanting multiple Joe products ahead of the movie). But we'll be recoloring/retouching and likely doing things like The Best of Larry Hama (picked by LH) and other hardcover presentations of the material. I'd expect these to start as soon as February '09.
How are the sillier concepts going to be treated?
People might describe our comics in many ways, but I don't think "silly" will be one of them. Along with what I was saying before, there won't be anything silly--no Ewoks this time--in the comics. Serious action, yes, gritty, yes, but there's a real moratorium on silly.
Alright, there's 10. Thanks for playing.
Now, as most TF fans whove done these Q&As here know, I'm usually terrible about sticking to my "only 10!" rule and end up replying to other things along the way. So feel free to discuss and I'll likely poke my head in and kibbutz a bit more.
Hope this all helped a little bit. Much more to come, obviously. And what'll we start showing off Robert Atkins' stuff.
In other words:
Larry Hama. Robert Atkins. G.I. JOE.
October '08: Issue #0 (24 pages, an all-new 16-page story and lots of sketches and interviews and such)
January '08: G.I. Joe #1 "A New Beginning" part 1 of 6.
Official press release and all that is still coming, too, but in light of the Web leak, this seemed the best way to address the scuttlebutt.
Bonus 11th question -Will the Joe series be mini-stories
That's actually not fully determined yet. I kinda like the idea of a nice, long run, but we'll see. Sometimes the dictates of the market now seem to necessitate restarting with new number ones after each story. ceraurus: Cool, thanks for the info. I'm really looking forward to this comic and being able to get in at the beginning of the run. Seems to me that it isn't going to be a straight tie-in to the movie. morgana08: Good piece and he seems to understand what fans want and how to balance that with what IDW needs to do.
" target="_blank">View Post  07-08-2008, 06:56 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Crimson Rage: So he likes the idea of a 'nice, long run' rather than minis eh?
Well flippin' well do it then! Never mind being 'undecided'.... "NO!" to mini-series!
The rest of the interview seemed like typical 'talk a lot but say nowt' publicity spiel. It does sound reasonably hopeful, but so did news about IDW's Transformers and Star Trek comics until I read them... |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-08-2008, 07:01 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Lo-Wan Bing: I'm all for IDW doing minis rather than one main series. With the minis they can have continung threads but have major events that have a first issue and a final issue where things can actually happen and change the course of the next mini. I haver doubts about LH after re-reading some early Joe stories and then getting hit with the comic pack issues... but like all things, I just hope for the best and see if it's worth my $2.99+ per month Crimson Rage: Quote:
Originally Posted by ceraurus  Seems to me that it isn't going to be a straight tie-in to the movie. | I expect they'll do what they did for Transformers: Have a 'classic' (for want of a better word) themed title running concurrently with a movie continuity comic (maybe a prequel like with TF) but keeping them totally seperate. There's room for both to exist quite comfortably. xFlintx: I liked the idea of them continuing right from the ending of Marvel, perhaps a re-boot isn't a horrible idea. Blasphamy I know, but I can't wait to check it out.
Plus with Hama onboard it's kind of a win. If it sucks, it sucks but I'm more then willing to give it a chance. SSGWeaver: Honestly I hated 'Red Shadows' and the DDP series has been crapping out at the end, Larry Hama made my childhood reading great, I'm sure he'll do the same now. At least it's his incarnation of Joe, which will definitely be better than any other. Crimson Rage: Quote:
Originally Posted by Lo-Wan Bing I'm all for minis rather than one main series. ..they can have continung threads but have major events that have a first and a final issue where things actually happen and change the course of the next mini. | A good writer should be able to pull that off regardless though (even in an ongoing) rather than have to rely on an artificially imposed mini-series framework.
But that's just my personal preference, I admit. |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-08-2008, 07:48 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Snake Eyes-Joe Ninja: Nice find. Here's hoping they handle things right. The interveiw did enough to keep me from being negative, so, good work. Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
Those of you who are excited about this news probably have not followed much of Hama's work over the past decade. Since the end of his 155 issue ongoing series, everything I've read by him (including all the single issues & mini series) has just been terrible.
| I liked the Declassified issues, and the issue 21 2 parter he did for DDP with Mike Zeck. Those were gold compared to the Transformers/Ninja Force team up issues of the old Marvel run towards the end. At least this time around it doesn't seem like he will have to work in funky concepts like Cobra La, or neon colored ninjas bouncing everywhere.
I'm excited. Lo-Wan Bing: Quote:
Originally Posted by Crimson Rage A good writer should be able to pull that off regardless though (even in an ongoing) rather than have to rely on an artificially imposed mini-series framework.
But that's just my personal preference, I admit. | I totally agree about a good writer being able to manage an on-going... but in today's market of 6 issues to TPB for the Borders and B&N shelves it's hard to see them doing it any other way. Even Marvel and DC build their stories in mini-arcs of (generally) 6 issues on their on-going titles. But if they can keep some small threads running between each series, I'm all for that too  MrClean: A reboot saddens me. Not because I'm not looking forward to something new, but rather because it brings to a definite end two decades worth of Joe stories. It's like saying goodbye to an old friend.
and honestly, I hope the Comics in the new 2-packs aren't indicative of Hama's upcoming work, because they really aren't good.
Marvel had good and bad, DD had good and bad. (Just please god don't let this be like reloaded.) Effects of Silence: I was a big Dreamwave Transformer fan so I'm really hesitant on IDW taking over since they rebooted Transformers. I've yet to read a single issue that I've enjoyed. The one-shots are terrible and the artwork has been iffy if not utter crap in most of the 'non-Don' issues. The only thing worse than IDW taking over would be if the TFCC took over (WORST CONTINUITY [or lack there of]EVER)!!!
I'm just kind of wondering what the target audience is going to be because the main TF continuity seemed really childish and annoying to me. I had a lot of hope for Beast Wars and although the artwork was good it seemed like they crammed an entire on-going series into a short story arc. I went from collecting all the issues to picking out one-shots and issues here and there; praying it'll all be over soon. The DDP comics are the main reason that I got back into GIJoes when Dreamwave went under. WHY DOES HASBRO KEEP FORSAKING ME!!!
God help us if Dark Horse ever goes under!! |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-08-2008, 09:25 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | SportingViper: Yeah Larry!!!
BOOOO mini-series format. SportingViper: At least they are keeping the team American....F@ck Yeah!!! |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-08-2008, 09:37 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
It seems like Hasbro always ends up shitting all over hardcore, long-term fans in their attempt to reach a new, broader audience.
| With Dreamwave, it was because Dreamwave wasn't handling the license that well. Forcing veteran artists to conform to a "house" style, not paying artists and writers, et al, doesn't show Hasbro a company that they can trust, not to mention the delays that went hand in hand with the drama. Dreamwave started out with a lot of potential and high hopes, but didn't end that way. Not to mention their other titles were suffering, not just Transformers.
Really though I think IDW has a good shot at pumping out good joe books. If Hasbro went to Marvel we could have a Mephisto retcon. NO ONE would want that. IDW is not retconning anything, they are starting fresh, and not trampling on anything before it, they are starting with no strings attached, respecting both Marvel and DDP continuities and leaving them alone. Basically leaving a good thing unfixed.
Not to mention the man writing all this is the very man who wrote the stories we grew up with. If I had to pick a person to do something from scratch with the characters I remember, I would pick Hama. He simply knows them better than anyone else. Steel: I will take a fresh version of a reboot with Hama at the helm any day! SportingViper: Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallA You know there's a problem with the GI Joe brand when we're having to cheer about the fact the new team is American! Yay! | Yeah I hear ya! But I have alot more faith in this reboot from the things I hear from the penciler,Hama and the Editor-in-chief then I do the rumors,script leaks and images from the U.N.Joe movie. Jinx723: All I care is that I get a G.I. Joe comic. I need some kind of G.I. Joe media on a regular bases (monthly). Unless the cartoon we saw at Joe-Con becomes the new weekly cartoon, I'll read anything.
Though, I like their idea of reboot from (before) the begininnig like Casino Royale and Batman Begins. I am a huge James Bond fan, my favorite is Goldfinger and Casino Royale just blew me away. Hope IDW can do something like the 007 "reboot". I wish IDW the best of luck and they'll be getting my $3.00+ every month |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-08-2008, 11:03 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Prince of Fire & Thunder: I think you'll just have to accept the fact that everything isn't tailored specifically to your tastes & move on man. CaptainDinobot: For me, I love the IDW Transformers comics so I am very looking forward to the new GI Joe comics. Becasue they are rebooting I will be able to read them without having to catch up on the old ones. Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
Can someone please name something that Larry Hama has written over the past decade that had been even half-way decent?
| DDP issue 21 and its conclusion, most importantly, the Storm Shadow solo book.
Quote: |
I think you'll just have to accept the fact that everything isn't tailored specifically to your tastes & move on man.
| Pretty much Steel Brigade: I will buy these new comics & look forward to what IDW can bring to the table... |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 12:44 AM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
Also, if you honestly think the Storm Shadow mini series was great then you probably do not read well written comics on a regular basis. At best you could say it was average (well actually, being the Storm Shadow fanatic you are, you might say it was better than average... but that's probably a slightly biased opinion).
| And I suppose you are an expert on well written comics? Who are you to judge what I read, and presume that what I read on a regular basis is not written well? The main thing I was not a fan of on the Storm Shadow book was artwork on the majority of the issues, the story itself was fine. Larry Hama did a better job writing Storm Shadow than Blaylock, Powers, and Jerwa. The series had a better sense of closure than the ending of WWIII. The writing on Storm Shadow is vastly different than the writing on the recent gijoe comic packs. |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 02:17 AM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
Yes, (to a certain extent) I feel as though I am somewhat of an expert on well written comics. For starters I've been going to my local comic store every Tuesday for the past 17 years. I consider it my home away from home. And I read EVERYTHING, not just G.I. Joe. I follow the comic industry & all it's writers very closely. I've read almost everything the top authors in the industry have ever written. I've read it all, from Alan Moore, to Neil Gaiman, to Dave Sim, to Warren Ellis, to Frank Miller, to Geoff Johns, to Brian K.Vaughn, to Grant Morrison, to Brian Michael Bendis, to Ed Brubaker, to Mark Waid, to Mark Millar, to Jeph Loeb, to Robert Kirkamn, to Chuck Dixon, to Peter David, to Greg Rucka, to Mike Mignola, to motha f#%king Larry Hama... I've read it all. So yeah, I think I've got a pretty good idea of the difference between "average" and "well written."
| Your idea is an opinion, and you don't know what else I read, so its pointless to imply that I don't read well written comics on account of me liking the Storm Shadow series. Lo-Wan Bing: I think I would like to see what Dan Abbnett could do with G.I.Joe. He's got the comic experiance and does crazy good sci-fi war with Warhammer 4k.
The comic packs and the last few years of G.I.Joe (Marvel) have me wincing at what's to come... but I'm willing to give LH a shot at re-capturing some of that first 30 or 40 issue jazz he had initially. Yo Joe Crimson Rage: I had to snort a little when Ryall mentioned lack of "bloat" though. Transformers was a reboot for IDW yet with all those 'Spotlights' and minis they've been churning out with Furman's myriad open ended plot threads, the term "bloat" seems completely appropriate to me. It's denser and more over-plotted now (and not in a good way, in my opinion) than marvel was in it's 80 issues.
Although I consider Hama a way better writer than Furman so don't consider it a problem with IDW's Joe, I just found it ironic. stewbacca: I still stand by my thinking that IDW kills any comic they release. ANd as far as Hama, I agree with the people above. If he continues in the same vein as the recent 2 packs comics-- his style doesnt translate well into the modern world. Yes he relies on his vietnam experience to give the soldiers point of view, but that was over 30 years ago and times have changed. I dont need full character exposition or lets see how many military acronyms we can fit into a story to show off how we are up on the military lingo. I think everyone is a little more military savvy and understands strategy a bit more, partially to his original run of comics.. SO tell more of a layered story than seeing how many times they can fit a guys code name in when he is the only person that someone else is talking to. And please learn to write better dialogue than George Lucas (I mean did you try to read that Red Star/Duke comic or that piece of pointless crap that came with Shipwreck/Copperhead.) I think Hama is just running on his name at this point and needs to remember this isnt the Star Comics Imprint. And the stormshadow comic series was okay-- although I had trouble getting through the art alone, but I think the superhero level of Snake Eyes and Stormshadow is a major crutch. And I have a feeling the reboot isn't going to prevent that.(Beacuse obviously Hasbro wants those two characters as the focus.)
As far as the mini series-- I love how they state that the market dictates they release a bunch of number one issues. In reality the market dictates a well written storyline--if thats the case a comic can go on forever without renumbering. New #1s are only required when a comic sucks and by starting over they get fans to jump back on-- because maybe this time will be better.
And as far as peoples problems with their favorite characters getting killed of by DDP, I know it sucks but from the other side it make the comic more enjoyable because off the added element of realism. Everyone doesnt get to live happily ever after, I think the Lady Jaye death, at least showed how it can effect another character and they carried those character changes throughout the rest of the comic, Mainframes departure led to them showing the new major element of Cyberwarfare and the fact that they are using younger kids who can be the "elite" at what they do as well, Hawk in a wheelchair and having to come to grips with that, People had kids and marital problems, Bazooka got to fat to be a soldier anymore, etc. I think these changes made the comic great, you never new if your character was going to make it (unless it was S.E.) and it made for a more exciting read. I mean it was a comic about a group of 200 plus soldiers going into battle against an elite terrorist organization, somebody had to die at somepoint, miraculous escapes just dont happen everytime.
All I can hope for now is that IDW goes under and Dark Horse throws their hat into the ring. |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 10:42 AM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Golobulous: i would like to say this whole argument is silly and pointless as the book mr. hama will be writting for idw will be nothing like what comes in the comic two pack figures. those comics were written to appeal to 6 to 10 year olds. this new comic is for the older to adult reader. two totally different animals. hama wrote little comics on the back of figure checklists during the spy troops and valor vs venom era as well. but these had nothing to do with what he is capable of writting in a more "mature comic book" |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 11:16 AM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | Lo-Wan Bing: Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallA I would love to have him on board with the new Joe series, but as an editor... not as the primary writer. | nice idea. Goudos: Seeing we haven't read the new series yet only time will tell. I just think everyone shpuld remember they were (more than likely) six to ten years old when they read the Marvel GI Joe, so your memory of them is based on that fact. Since then I've found the any new GI Joe seris as starting off promiseing and then falling quickly (Cobra Reloaded was great, but three issues into the series and I no longer cared, the Devil's Due re-enstated idea didn't work for me either). So, I hope IDW and Hama can put out a strong book this time. A new storyline is fine with me if it is good. As far as the old books, well they don't disappear with the new ones so we'll always have Springfield. artiepants: Quote:
Originally Posted by stewbacca I still stand by my thinking that IDW kills any comic they release. | totally. IDW to me is become synonymous with overpriced, thin-storied books with mediocre-to-bad art (aside from Don's TF work), way too many covers and poor coloring (aside from Don's collaborator Josh). murphbri: I get the impression from reading the Q&A with Ryall that he went with a total reboot simply because it would be easier, and a lot less work for him.  It's a shame because there is a way to build on past continuity rather than have the attitude that you are chained to it--anyone familiar with Geoff Johns' work over at DC should know what I'm talking about. |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 06:51 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | murphbri: Quote:
Originally Posted by stewbacca I dont need full character exposition or lets see how many military acronyms we can fit into a story to show off how we are up on the military lingo. I think everyone is a little more military savvy and understands strategy a bit more, partially to his original run of comics.. And the stormshadow comic series was okay-- although I had trouble getting through the art alone, but I think the superhero level of Snake Eyes and Stormshadow is a major crutch. | It's funny but the things you mention that you don't like about Hama's writing are what I found unique and liked about his Joe books. I have plenty of grim and gritty from all the other Marvel/DC books I read, so his semi-serious material was always a breath of fresh air to me.
I enjoyed his run on Wolverine, his run on Batman was so-so, but I haven't read the more-recent SS series or comic pack stuff yet (been procrastinating on SS, & I just found wave 4 comic packs yesterday) so I can't give an opinion on that just yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallA That's an excellent point that I didn't even pick up on the first time I read the Q&A (probably because I was already so upset about the reboot & about Hama as the new writer). And you bet your ass I'm familiar with Geoff Johns' work. My only question is, how does Johns do it? He writes so many books and they are all so damn good. I think he writes the classic superhero tale better than anyone else in comics today. | Yep, Geoff Johns is incredibly talented, and I hope Didio stays out of his way. Reading through your other posts in the thread, I get where you are coming from. I started reading/collecting comics back in '88 with Transformers/G.I. Joe. My first job was at a comic store in '93, and I've been buying $100+ of many different kinds of books monthly since then. I was also disappointed with Furman's return to Transformers, which I remembered loving as a kid. Made me think of the "you can't always go home again" cliche.
So while Larry's work doesn't really compare to Moore, Miller, Morrisson, etc. I have a history with it, remembered loving it for what it was, and if it turns out like I remember it being I am willing to read it as long as it lasts. |
" target="_blank">View Post 07-09-2008, 10:35 PM
| | RandallA | | Post Deleted by on 12-31-1969 07:00 PM | murphbri: Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallA I also love the original 155 issue GI Joe run. It defines a certain part of my childhood. But I'm curious, have you been following the in-continuity GI Joe run since Image/DDP relaunched it in 2002? And if so, did you read "GI Joe: Frontline" by Larry Hama? | I've bought all the Image/DDP stuff. I've read all of Frontlines, Reloaded, etc., but I haven't read the 7 issue SS series yet, or any of the comic packs, and I had to take a break after that awful (imo) Baroness four-parter in AE. Once I get issue 36 in the mail (I mail order all my stuff to save 35%) next week I am going to knuckle down and read it all.
I only read the Hama four-parter that launched Frontlines once, and that was however many years ago, so I can't remember it too well other than I thought it was OK and that he was trying to tie up plotlines from the abrupt cancellation of the Marvel Joe. What didn't you like about it? artiepants: Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallA And if so, did you read "GI Joe: Frontline" by Larry Hama? | i did and don't remember it at all, which may say something :p however, i thought GIJoe Declassified was amazing and really caught the old magic. Shin Densetsu: Quote: |
I enjoyed his run on Wolverine, his run on Batman was so-so, but I haven't read the more-recent SS series or comic pack stuff yet (been procrastinating on SS, & I just found wave 4 comic packs yesterday) so I can't give an opinion on that just yet.
| His writing on SS is vastly different than that on the comic packs. I was very surprised by how different they were, once I read the wave 3 comic packs. The writing on SS is closer to the way he wrote Declassified, and the comic packs are a whole different animal.
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IDW to me is become synonymous with overpriced, thin-storied books with mediocre-to-bad art (aside from Don's TF work)
| While I think Don is their best TF illustrator, sequentially I think EJ Su is superior. As for colors, I think that colors are important but should not dictate what the penciler does. I think IDW's best colorist is EJ Su. Its rare that we see his colors since IDW tends to save those up for his covers, but they are great.
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I get the impression from reading the Q&A with Ryall that he went with a total reboot simply because it would be easier, and a lot less work for him.
| I got what he was saying in the q/a. If he did build off of what DDP and Marvel did there would be people pissed off that he was "ruining" it, tarnishing the legacy so to speak, if the book had a storyline that turned off a lot of people, hell even if it was a good one that most people liked, people would still be pissed. His direction may have been different than the DDP writers had intended before their license ended. I get the impression he wanted to start new to respect the old material and not mess it up. Not pull a in continuity "brand new day". It is easier to start from scratch in the aspect that there is no loose ends that need to be tied, nothing that a new story needs to adhere to. With the Marvel continuity it ended with WWIII, and in doing so, that continuity is preserved, left untouched; respected. |
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