Comments on: Review: Project Superpowers #0-#3, FCBD Special http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/ Never Safe For Work Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:37:35 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Don MacPherson http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-67628 Don MacPherson Tue, 20 May 2008 01:39:35 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-67628 Chris wrote: <I>The first issue reeeeeeeeeally had a Watchmen vibe that put me off a little, but it was still well done enough that I gave the rest of it a go.</I> OK, good, the heavy <I>Watchmen</I> vibe with the first issue wasn't just something I imagined then. :) I think <I>The Twelve</I> still has a lot in common with <I>Watchmen</I>, such as the issue-by-issue focus on different characters, but the new book is definitely distinguishing itself more with each new issue. Chris wrote:
The first issue reeeeeeeeeally had a Watchmen vibe that put me off a little, but it was still well done enough that I gave the rest of it a go.

OK, good, the heavy Watchmen vibe with the first issue wasn’t just something I imagined then. :) I think The Twelve still has a lot in common with Watchmen, such as the issue-by-issue focus on different characters, but the new book is definitely distinguishing itself more with each new issue.

]]> By: Strannik http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-66973 Strannik Thu, 15 May 2008 21:44:40 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-66973 I am familiar with most of the characters involved thanks to my interest in public domain comics, but that doesn't really help. The key problem, as you rightfully pointed out, is that Ross and Krueger never bothered to give any of the characters anything approaching proper characterization. While the story is competent, they don't really give me any reason to care about any characters involved. The Twelve, on the other hand, has fairly compelling characterization and equally compelling plot. So... motto? I am familiar with most of the characters involved thanks to my interest in public domain comics, but that doesn’t really help. The key problem, as you rightfully pointed out, is that Ross and Krueger never bothered to give any of the characters anything approaching proper characterization. While the story is competent, they don’t really give me any reason to care about any characters involved. The Twelve, on the other hand, has fairly compelling characterization and equally compelling plot.

So… motto?

]]> By: Chris http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-66904 Chris Thu, 15 May 2008 17:03:16 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-66904 Don- The first issue reeeeeeeeeally had a Watchmen vibe that put me off a little, but it was still well done enough that I gave the rest of it a go. It's moved in a very different, and unexpected, direction since then. Don- The first issue reeeeeeeeeally had a Watchmen vibe that put me off a little, but it was still well done enough that I gave the rest of it a go. It’s moved in a very different, and unexpected, direction since then.

]]> By: Chris http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-66902 Chris Thu, 15 May 2008 17:01:52 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-66902 Joe- Fair enough. I don't feel like I was prescribing any particular motivation to Ross, but I see your larger point. Mine is that this story really needed an actual editor (and none was credited), and perhaps I didn't make that clear enough. I read the first issue of Avengers/Invaders, and honestly, it's pretty firmly in the Ross Krueger pantheon. I felt like the writers were trading on the iconic weight of the heroes to get a reaction out of readers instead of generating anything from the characters themselves... I didn't bring it up in the review because I've only read the first issue and didn't want to judge the whole series without getting a bigger dose of it... Joe- Fair enough. I don’t feel like I was prescribing any particular motivation to Ross, but I see your larger point. Mine is that this story really needed an actual editor (and none was credited), and perhaps I didn’t make that clear enough.

I read the first issue of Avengers/Invaders, and honestly, it’s pretty firmly in the Ross Krueger pantheon. I felt like the writers were trading on the iconic weight of the heroes to get a reaction out of readers instead of generating anything from the characters themselves… I didn’t bring it up in the review because I’ve only read the first issue and didn’t want to judge the whole series without getting a bigger dose of it…

]]> By: Don MacPherson http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-66872 Don MacPherson Thu, 15 May 2008 14:23:23 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-66872 I couldn't agree more. While my reaction to the first issue of <I>The Twelve</I> was a lukewarm, its strengths became much more apparent to me with subsequent issues. I'm more interested in the title as a series of character studies, but the larger, underlying plot draws one in as well. Interesting observation about the tension between Dynamic and Wonder... I couldn’t agree more. While my reaction to the first issue of The Twelve was a lukewarm, its strengths became much more apparent to me with subsequent issues. I’m more interested in the title as a series of character studies, but the larger, underlying plot draws one in as well.

Interesting observation about the tension between Dynamic and Wonder…

]]> By: J. Rybandt http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/comment-page-1/#comment-66860 J. Rybandt Thu, 15 May 2008 13:09:26 +0000 http://comics212.net/2008/05/15/review-project-superpowers-0-3-fcbd-special/#comment-66860 "I guess when you’re Alex Ross you don’t need an editor to point out huge flaws in your storytelling…which would explain why no editor is listed in the credits page." Just would like to point out that a lot of the motivations ascribed to Alex and his work (and his way of working), both here and elsewhere, could not be further from the truth (at least from the last three years I've been working with him). The bit I snipped out of your thoughtful piece on Project Superpowers seems to be a running theme when it comes to Alex, and not that you'd know this but he’s not a fully functioning dictator in the creative process as statements like the above can paint (ha!) him out to be... While we don't list particular editorial credits, there is a conference on all story points between Alex, Jim and Dynamite and daily communication between Alex and myself on this and the other projects we’re working on. He’s always been open to other voices and ideas… the lack of a particular editorial credit does not mean that there’s not an editorial voice in the process on Dynamite’s part. This is not intended to call you out Chris, or to turn into a hyper-defensive reaction to your comments, it’s certainly not just you that has this view, for whatever reason, about Alex and how he works, but all of this is a very long way around of saying if there are issues from your perspective with the storytelling, we're all to blame... I hope you keep reading though to see if the issues you find present in the opening, continue through to the end. And all of this being known and now stated, I'd be curious to know what you thought of Avengers/Invaders, which is put together in a very similar fashion... /joe “I guess when you’re Alex Ross you don’t need an editor to point out huge flaws in your storytelling…which would explain why no editor is listed in the credits page.”

Just would like to point out that a lot of the motivations ascribed to Alex and his work (and his way of working), both here and elsewhere, could not be further from the truth (at least from the last three years I’ve been working with him). The bit I snipped out of your thoughtful piece on Project Superpowers seems to be a running theme when it comes to Alex, and not that you’d know this but he’s not a fully functioning dictator in the creative process as statements like the above can paint (ha!) him out to be…

While we don’t list particular editorial credits, there is a conference on all story points between Alex, Jim and Dynamite and daily communication between Alex and myself on this and the other projects we’re working on. He’s always been open to other voices and ideas… the lack of a particular editorial credit does not mean that there’s not an editorial voice in the process on Dynamite’s part.

This is not intended to call you out Chris, or to turn into a hyper-defensive reaction to your comments, it’s certainly not just you that has this view, for whatever reason, about Alex and how he works, but all of this is a very long way around of saying if there are issues from your perspective with the storytelling, we’re all to blame… I hope you keep reading though to see if the issues you find present in the opening, continue through to the end.

And all of this being known and now stated, I’d be curious to know what you thought of Avengers/Invaders, which is put together in a very similar fashion…

/joe

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