| Author |
|
Stephen Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5835
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 1:57pm | IP Logged | 1
|
|
|
"this is classic byrne at his peak. a good balace of story, action and good art. the way heroes should be drawn."
SER: That never fails to annoy me. "At his (or her) peak" is a subjective term -- often used nonsensically -- in reviews.
There are (rare) instances in which a "peak period" can be assigned to an artist. Critics and fans agree that "Duck Soup" and "Night at the Opera" is the "peak" Marx Brothers period. But way too often it's used as a technical way to say "stuff I prefer." Why is there this need to make personal taste objective truth?
What could "Alpha Flight" possibly constitute as the "peak" for JB career-wise? Professionally, he left the title before working on SUPERMAN. Creatively, there's his work on X-MEN and FF (the latter Marvel's flagship title), which has had far greater impact on comics than Alpha Flight did. Play this game: JB never worked on ALPHA FLIGHT but did work on the other titles. He's still JOHN BYRNE. But let's say he ONLY worked on ALPHA FLIGHT. Yeah, hard to call that a "peak" then.
I remember when NEXT MEN was the "peak" for JB. But those arguments still come down to personal best.
Of course, the one consistent element is that when someone points out an artist's peak, it's always in the past.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
|
| |
Kevin Brown
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 8947
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:11pm | IP Logged | 2
|
|
|
Well, actually, just about every comic is a soap opera, regardless of the amount of action. There's always dramatic displays of emotion told in an opgoing format. Even if you throw a fight scene in there, it's still a dramatic display. Also, like soap operas on tv or radio, comics end on a cliffhanger, thereby causing you to want to "tune into the next episode".
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:11pm | IP Logged | 3
|
|
|
It's all about balance and I think you get it right, Mr. Byrne. Always have done, as have many great writers.
I always felt I got bang for my buck with the comics I bought. Yet when I picked up SUPERMAN #204 about six years ago, which contained an entire issue of Superman chatting to a priest (with flashbacks), I am reminded that all the decompressed and soap opera nonsense can be found in some modern books.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:15pm | IP Logged | 4
|
|
|
"this is classic byrne at his peak. a good balace of story, action and good art. the way heroes should be drawn."SER: That never fails to annoy me. "At his (or her) peak" is a subjective term -- often used nonsensically -- in reviews. •• Probably an instance where the word "best" would have worked better -- indicating this was primo stuff, without suggesting a decline since. But precise use of words is, alas, something we seem ALL to trip over from time to time. (Kicking myself whenever I use "very unique".)
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:16pm | IP Logged | 5
|
|
|
Yet when I picked up SUPERMAN #204 about six years ago, which contained an entire issue of Superman chatting to a priest (with flashbacks), I am reminded that all the decompressed and soap opera nonsense can be found in some modern books.•• That's exactly the kind of "writerly" stuff Wally Wood had in mind with 22 PANELS THAT ALWAYS WORK.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Eric Ladd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 August 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 4505
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:18pm | IP Logged | 6
|
|
|
Reviewer said.."too much drama and not enough action"
Translation.."too much story and not enough splash pages with bad anatomy or smoke and rubble blocking each figure's feet.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Flavio Sapha
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Brazil
Posts: 12912
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 2:58pm | IP Logged | 7
|
|
|
If anything, I thought that DOOM PATROL, BLOOD OF THE DEMON and, more recently, TRIO were a bit lacking in those pauses that help make the characters dear to the readers.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Petter Myhr Ness
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 July 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 3906
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 3:15pm | IP Logged | 8
|
|
|
COLD WAR is the most recent work of yours that I've read. Plenty of action, and characterisation.
There was more action in that first issue than the entire 12 issue run of JM Straczynski's GROUNDED, where Superman decided to walk across America.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Steve Jamrozik
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 December 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 80
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 3:34pm | IP Logged | 9
|
|
|
I didn't see it at first but considering the last ten issues:
1. Angel's story with his mother was like Hamlet's. Didn't the characters acknowledge this in the story?
2. The Promise mother was lost for years, then meets her adult son who rejects her.
3. The teasers of Xavier with the mutant child's mother who was interested in him were very reminiscent of soap opera storytelling where the characters are in an episode but the plot does not advance.
I can see where someone could think it in regards to those issues.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Shawn Kane
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 3239
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 4:55pm | IP Logged | 10
|
|
|
I read alot of comic reviews at the various websites. More often than not, I find that the reviewer that gives a Brian Michael Bendis Avengers comic a "4 star review" tends to be a Bendis fan. I would read the same comic and call it terrible due to the fact that I'm not a fan. In fact, there's one blog writer that I enjoy reading who makes no bones about the fact that he's a Grant Morrison fanboy. I feel sorry for him because if a comic isn't written in a Grant Morrison style, he tends to dismiss it. It's almost like he's lost the joy of being able to pick up a comic and just read it.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
James Howell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 363
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 5:55pm | IP Logged | 11
|
|
|
I don't bother with internet comic reviewers AT ALL. Usually they focus primarily on the writing, where premise trumps execution, like Jason Aaron's AWFUL run on the Incredible Hulk. Reviewers usually give a pass to all the "hot" writers, and barely mention the artists involved. I asked a very popular youtube reviewer why doesn't he interview more artists, and he told me that he doesn't know much about art, and wouldn't know what to ask...as if illustrators aren't involved in the storytelling process. Imagine that, so-called "die-hard" comic book fans, not understanding that comics are a VISUAL medium.That's like a fan of Bugs Bunny cartoons not wanting to talk to Chuck Jones..(if he was still alive).
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Wilson Mui
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4552
|
| Posted: 25 January 2013 at 6:43pm | IP Logged | 12
|
|
|
I didn't care for the "soap opera" stuff in XMHY and the three Generations stories, but enjoyed it in Namor with the Marrs twins.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Topic Closed)
