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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 10:53am | IP Logged | 1
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Guardian *could* have been resurrected, though I would NEVER have used JB's way of doing it, as that was explicitly Delphine Courtney's lie to Heather. It was barely plausible and, once exposed as a lie, should have been retired.•• In fact, it was not even remotely plausible -- and that was as I intended. When Delphine/Mac tells Heather how s/he survived, the whole thing depends upon teleporting away a fraction of a second before the suit blew up. But anyone reading that scene would see (or so I thought) that after the suit blew Mac took a single step forward and managed to choke out "Heather…!" When I did the "resurrection" I expected to be raked over the coals in the following mail, by readers who had caught this, and assumed I had goofed. To my surprise, there was not one single letter. Nobody noticed, or if they did, they didn't write in. At the time I wondered if it was because they so wanted Mac back they were prepared to accept anything.
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Vinny Valenti
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8117
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 11:46am | IP Logged | 2
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"At the time I wondered if it was because they so wanted Mac back they were prepared to accept anything."
--
I'm guilty of that. I noticed the discrepancy but I just didn't care.
Which also can be used to explain why Heather didn't bother to question it, either!
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7526
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | 3
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It's entirely true--we did see Mac gasp out "Heather" as he was dying. I think readers (including me), much like Heather, wanted it to be true so much we were inclined to disbelieve our lying eyes. :)
It was a lovely bait and switch, though!
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Greg Kirkman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 15775
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 12:42pm | IP Logged | 4
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As I have previously noted, I read Nicieza's "real" resurrection story first, and thought it was awful. I later read JB's false resurrection story, and thought it was brilliant.
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Leigh DJ Hunt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 February 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1570
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 1:56pm | IP Logged | 5
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I'm pretty sure I knew the resurrection was false at the time. Even though I wished Mac hadn't died, any return would have diminished the power of that story - something that really affected me at the time.
I'd been fascinated by Delphine ever since that first appearance in AF7. I was so intrigued by who she really was and what the five words were that so ensnared Smart Alec. Actually thinking about it, so long since I read the run, what were the five words? Did we find out or was it left to our imagination?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 2:12pm | IP Logged | 6
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...Smart Alec...••• I know I've mentioned before that Mark Gruenwald really managed to tick me off when, without asking me, he used OHOTMU to establish Alec was short for "Alexander." Mark had a real bee in his bonnet about lengthening character names -- ironic, given how much he hated being called "Marcus". Mind you, someone at DC had the same tick, giving us Bartholemew Allen, apparently not realizing Barry, like Alec, is a perfectly legitimate name on its own.
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17699
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 4:53pm | IP Logged | 7
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Mind you, someone at DC had the same tick, giving us Bartholemew Allen,
apparently not realizing Barry, like Alec, is a perfectly legitimate name on its
own.
—
Thank goodness for small favors. If we didn't already have Bartholomew
Allen, someone would surely make it Bara…
Nah.
No one's that silly.
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Tim Cousar
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1666
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 5:26pm | IP Logged | 8
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Blackagar Boltagon. Ick.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 5:39pm | IP Logged | 9
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You had to remind me.......
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Joe Smith
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 August 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6666
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| Posted: 15 February 2017 at 11:16pm | IP Logged | 10
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I definitely knew in my heart that the original Guardian resurrection
story was some type of a ruse. Either it wasn't really him, or he was
going to turn into a bad guy, etc.
However, I wanted him back so badly that I fell for the whole thing and
it broke my heart again. It was truly one of the crossroads of my
insignificant life upon this planet… Would I have been a bit different
person had you brought him back!?
#NeverGiveThePeopleWhatTheyThinkTheyWant
#IWould'veBeenOKWithItIfYouHad
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17699
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| Posted: 17 February 2017 at 6:53pm | IP Logged | 11
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My copy arrived today!
The book looks great, and I look forward to reading it over the course of the
next few days.
I'm wondering if the stories I remember being among the most enjoyable ones
will still feel that way. I think the only issue I've read in the past few years is
Puck's solo hospital adventure, and that story might just be my favorite! (Then
again… There is Sasquatch's encounter with the Super Skrull… Hmmm...
I have just a few minor quibbles with the collection. (In fact, they're so small
that they might be better termed "quibs"…)
I wish these collections came without dust jackets. I've already removed it for
reading, but having that cover art printed directly onto the hardcover would be
nice. The information on the inner folds could go on the inside cover or an
interior page.
It would have been nice to see these stories reprinted on paper closer in
appearance and texture to the kind used for the big Jack Kirby collections
published by DC.
Oh, and I could do without the non-John Byrne stories that have been
included.
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Matthew Wilkie
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 09 March 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1139
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| Posted: 18 February 2017 at 8:49am | IP Logged | 12
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Mine arrived today and it is indeed a beautiful thing. Like Wallace, though, I do have some quibbles:
Why have they grouped together the origin stories? If there is an argument for doing so and placing them chronologically in the collection, then why not place them at the beginning? That said, I always figured that JB placed them in the main run to intentionally inform the main storyline and the timing was intended - the introduction of Jaxon coming some eight or nine issues before the Omega Flight storyline, young Elizabeth running from her father before her reintroduction twelve or so issues later and so on.
There is a suggestion that the stories have been placed chronologically, specifically as to when they were set, and I am largely cool with that (albeit I am less interested in non-JB AF material) but this is screwed up by placing the Two-in-one two parter before AF#1 - I recall JB writing in the letter page that AF#1 was set before this story to explain how the team were back together following their break-up in X-Men. (That all said, unless I'm mistaken, isn't the Namor / Sue extract in right place contrary to what was posted earlier?)
Big shame that the ROM issues couldn't be included because Marvel no longer own the title character. Would that really have precluded the JB covers being included at the very least?
And, finally, why include the 1998 X-Men / AF two-parter? It is horrible, was published way after JB's AF run (as were the new Classic X-Men pages of JB's run, the Brass Bishop flashback and a couple of AF flashback titles I recall and they haven't been included)and, crucially, contradicts JB's run as AF#12 quite clearly states that Snowbird cannot leave Canada.
So, having got that off my chest, I should reiterate it is a wonderful book. The art looks great - although Bob Wiacek's inks are far thinner than I recall - and the story really stands up.
And they corrected the colouring mistake on the cover of issue 19, finally getting Talisman's headband right!
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