And while creators are entitled to their own storytelling decisions, I chalk up the almost total disappearance of thought balloons to insecure writers who want to make comics more like books.  I don't quibble with any one creator who doesn't like them, but the fact that their use has been so widely abandonded is wrong.

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I like thought balloons, and while I think the "war journal" thing worked great in Dark Knight and Year One, I'm sorry to see it spilling over to everything else.

People have made argument that since comics are a visual medium (like cinema), it is a "cheat" to rely on anything that's not visual to move along the story.I would agree -- I don't like talking heads -- except that the internal monologue is a great deal of what makes Spider-Man work! (I think it's something that is glaringly "missing" in the films, as well). He's a character who is always in his head and that's one of the things I found so relatable about him.

I remember picking up a copy of Ultimate Spider-Man and seeing Peter working through issues with Mary Jane, who knew his secret, and saying, "There's no one else I can talk to about this sort of thing." I put down the book at that moment. That just didn't ring true to me.

I like thought balloons, and while I think the "war journal" thing worked great in Dark Knight and Year One, I'm sorry to see it spilling over to everything else.

People have made argument that since comics are a visual medium (like cinema), it is a "cheat" to rely on anything that's not visual to move along the story.I would agree -- I don't like talking heads -- except that the internal monologue is a great deal of what makes Spider-Man work! (I think it's something that is glaringly "missing" in the films, as well). He's a character who is always in his head and that's one of the things I found so relatable about him.

I remember picking up a copy of Ultimate Spider-Man and seeing Peter working through issues with Mary Jane, who knew his secret, and saying, "There's no one else I can talk to about this sort of thing." I put down the book at that moment. That just didn't ring true to me.

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The notion of Spider-Man having a female confidante prevents him from "confiding" to the readers, the way he used to.

And, regarding the Spider-Man movies, I think it might be possible to have voice-over-type "thought balloons" and make it work. It works when they do it on sitcoms and soap operas from time to time, when characters suddenly reveal their inner monologues in voice-over...

In the movies we got, there was a distance between the audience and Spider-Man in costume. The intimacy of the comics was missing.

Spider-Man used to be the most specifically-defined character in superhero comics, in terms of his personality, morality, etc.

Now, he's a stranger, a corporate mascot broken into 127 different versions, one for each age bracket and taste.

I don't see CSI fans asking for ten versions of Grissom, only 3 of which like bugs...

"Many people consider the changes that Simonson made to Thor some of the greatest work in the charachter's history. Walt certainly eliminates many of the key aspects of the original Thor stories. He got rid of Don Blake, possibly the single most defining charachteristic of the original Lee/Kirby stories, and he also got rid of Odin, the second biggest cornerstone of the original stories. Both of those things led to great stories. Wouldn't it be a shame if editorial mandate decided that he couldn't deviate from those two "laws of Thor"?"

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Illusion of change. I think knowing what is "illusory" change and what is "real" change is almost a talent in itself. Everything Simonson did could be "put right" (if you deemed it necessary) within a story arc. Spider-Man's problems are such that it would take a major reboot to fix. That's the crime.

Granted, a good deal of it could just be ignored -- put him back in school without mentioning that he taught high school and you can reclaim the "student" vibe. Same goes for his insane new powers. But the marriage? Aunt May knowing his identity? How do you fix that? Those are major changes to the status quo.

"That would be answered in the first sentence you quoted.  He likes the comic book format for telling stories, ie. words and pictures.  You don't get that with a novel.  As to whether or not he can make a living with his creator-owned stuff, he can't.  Pretty much no one can at this point.  So he supplements the income from his creator-owned stuff with work-for-hire at the big two companies.  All of this was addressed in the post you quoted from, by the way."

People shouldn't be allowed to say such-and-such is bad, except I have to make a living and therefore it's okay for me to do it.  It's not about what Ellis likes or doesn't like.  If he's just doing the work-for-hire super-hero stuff for money...why not do something else for money that wouldn't invalidate all his vociferous bitching?  Why do something you have such immense distaste for if there are other options?  Other comic writers have done novels, they've done movies, they've done TV.  For Ellis to choose to do something he has such profound distaste and such little respect for instead of pursuing another course, strikes me as odd.

Even if Warren Ellis never, ever wants to do anything else but write comics...given that the only way he can make money at comics is to write stuff he doesn't like and doesn't respect, why not at least try and find some less offensive way to make money to support his comic writing?

Which leads me to suggest that some acclaimed comic creators today really enjoy being big fish in a very small pond and maybe couldn't quite hack being smaller fish in the larger entertainment ponds out there.

Mike

"I prefer thought balloons to captions, but I seem to be in the minority (yet again)."

Be assured that you're only in the minority within the very small number of folks reading comics today.  I'm not sure the wider world would have any problem with thought balloons.

Mike

Be assured that you're only in the minority within the very small number of folks reading comics today.  I'm not sure the wider world would have any problem with thought balloons.

Mike

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What are you talking about??? Thought bubbles are for stupid little kids! They ain't KEWL! Comics aren't for kids!  LMOAAMOLOL!!!!!! :);)

(Sarcasm chip now deactivated.)

Some interesting views about comics from Mr. Ellis:

http://www.popimage.com/apr00/attitude/warrenellis.html

Interesting article and I agree with at least half of what he says. I think the other half is nonsence though. I think what a lot of people fail to understand about the medium of comics when it comes to superheroes is that no other medium can do superheroes properly. As much as I enjoy non hero books like The Losers, Preacher, Gotham Central et al, they can be done on the TV screen for the same price of any decent show. Superheroes on the other hand require huge budgets to look right. that is why they are dominant in the medium of comics. they were made for each other.