Hitch is unquestionably a talented artist (tho his characters tend to stand in front of the light source a bit too much for my taste), but what principally separates him from Davis is that Alan usually stays on-model, while Hitch is very much from the Here's-How-I-Draw-These-Characters school.

Just taking his last two mainstream Marvel books, he did the Fantastic Four and Captain America: Reborn. He re-did the FF's costumes AND Cap's in both. Neither was an improvement.

Adam,

Thanks for the link.

I have a three point Bendis dislike:

1. I don't like his characterization of 99.9% of the Marvel Universe (Jessica Jones is fine, I guess).

2. I don't like how he conducts himself in interviews (where everything he comes up with is brilliant and never been done before and the fans that don't like his stuff just don't get it). He's almost proud of the fact that alot of classic Avengers fans feel like he's ruined the concept.

3. I don't truly believe him when he waxes nostalgically about loving Marvel Comics when he was growing up. He's talked about having a crush on Kitty Pryde and all the stories that he loves. Kitty Pryde was almost a forgotten character when Chris Claremont re-introduced her in X-Treme X-Men and then Joss Whedon basically took her from him for Astonishing X-Men. When Whedon wrote her, everyone at Marvel talked about loving her so much. Where was she up to that point?

I buy almost no Marvel right now. I'm going to look at the Marvel Now! titles when they come out (I mainly want to see if JRjr can polish a turd with that Captain America costume design) to see if they are comics that I want to read. I doubt my buying habits will change much but I can guarantee that I won't be buying Bendis' All New (Apparently Better Than Kirby) X-Men.

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The X-Men's original uniforms have been generally acknowledged -- at least by people whose opinions are worth anything -- as among the best costume designs superhero comics have produced.

Of course, Bendis is just too cool for school -- apparently literally in this case.

I'd like to know what Bendis thinks is Jack's Finest Hour. Of course, I'm sure he feels that he and whatever artist he's working with can improve on that as well. With all the big names going somewhat exclusive creator owned, why can't Bendis join them?

I also can't stand how he has characters reference stories by name: "There's a line in my script, I think Bobby says it: We used to remember 'Days of Future Past' being this mutant apocalypse."

Are his characters reading the same comics we are?

AND notice that his first references to describing his "take" on the X-Men are movies like Pleasantville and Peggy Sue Got Married, not any comic stories.

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…the hell?

Totally agree, but it seems that comment came from Stuart Immonen, not Michael Bendis.

Of course, Bendis is just too cool for school -- apparently literally in this case...

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Totally agree, but it seems that comment came from Stuart Immonen, not Michael Bendis.

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My error. Apologies to Bendis.

 I think it was not Jack’s finest hour

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While I usually dislike the changes current creators make to old characters, what bothers me the most is when they feel the need to insult the old to explain the new.

I also can't stand how he has characters reference stories by name: "There's a line in my script, I think Bobby says it: We used to remember 'Days of Future Past' being this mutant apocalypse."

Are his characters reading the same comics we are?

***

OMG, I wish you were joking. That's insane.  What's next, X-characters in-story, in-character discussing the Dark Pheonix Saga when Jean shows up? 

It reminds me of the lengths WEST WINGS scripts would go to shoehorn episode titles into dialogue.  And vysa vursa (as me mother would say).

••

…the hell?

**********

Now, THAT was funny.

Sadly it's not the only case. They've referenced Secret Wars, House of M, and Acts of Vengeance by name over the years.