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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134275
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 6:07pm | IP Logged | 1
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Denny O’Neil made an interesting observation vis the New Universe. He said it was the first time a company had gone into competition with itself!
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Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 16130
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 6:19pm | IP Logged | 2
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At the time, it seemed an OK idea to me (and I collected Starbrand from the off and thought it was quite good back then). With hindsight, it was a strange concept. Not quite sure what the aim was -- and Denny's observation is on the money.
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Daniel Gillotte
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 11 October 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2712
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 7:54pm | IP Logged | 3
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I was of an age to be completely suckered by the New Universe. I believed Shooter's hype and took it hook, line and sinker. I bought every copy of every issue, even the undeniably execrable Kickers, Inc. I thought, as was promised by Shooter and co., that I was getting in on the ground floor of something special at the beginning!!!
Oof, what a lame thing to do to us poor, young and wide-eyed comics readers.
Ultimately every one (except maybe Justice) was some knock-off of a better superhero team. Why am I reading DP 7 when there is already plenty of mutant comics to read? Why the Merc when Punisher and Vigilante are already happily being sociopaths elsewhere?
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Joe Smith
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 August 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6696
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 8:20pm | IP Logged | 4
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I would read STARBRAND today if they would just make it Ken Connell
again. I dug the story.
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Michael Casselman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 January 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1266
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 8:45pm | IP Logged | 5
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I think I followed the New Universe for 3 or 4 issues of each title. With Star Brand I might have made it to #6.
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31542
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 8:51pm | IP Logged | 6
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I remember seeing the cover to the first JB issue and thinking “holy shit!
They got Byrne to do a New Universe book?!?” Seeing a big name like that
(as if Goodwin, JRjr, Williamson, etc… weren’t big-time names) gave it some
actual legitimacy for me.
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31542
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| Posted: 28 November 2023 at 10:40pm | IP Logged | 7
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I do believe I will dig these out for a re-read.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134275
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| Posted: 29 November 2023 at 4:32pm | IP Logged | 8
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DP7…One of the more subtle manifestations of Gruenie’s desire to turn Marvel into DC. Altho the official title was “Displaced Paranormals” he told me that he thought of it as “Doom Patrol”.
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31542
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| Posted: 29 November 2023 at 4:52pm | IP Logged | 9
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Were you approached at all when they were starting up the line?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134275
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| Posted: 29 November 2023 at 4:56pm | IP Logged | 10
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No.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16596
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| Posted: 29 November 2023 at 6:56pm | IP Logged | 11
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Even at the time it was announced, as part of Marvel's 25th anniversary (going by the first issue of "Fantastic Four"), I thought it seemed like Jim Shooter showing that he could create an even MORE realistic superhero universe than Stan, Jack, and Steve did. After all, Marvel's big contribution to superhero fiction was its realism. But, I thought then, and still do, if you take it to extremes, particularly with Shooter's "now newsworthy events" mandate, that would be so boring. And pretty much, it was.
I think about this when people talk about "grounded" superhero stories, particularly in other media. I like verisimilitude and the degree of realism Stan and the Bullpen brought to comics, but take things to the Nth degree and, say, Batman is no longer a superhero, but a just a normal guy who is a vigilante who does detective work. |
Edited by Matt Hawes on 29 November 2023 at 7:30pm
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Jonathan A. Dowdell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 July 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 445
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| Posted: 30 November 2023 at 9:33am | IP Logged | 12
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Matt, I agree. I SUPER in my super hero comics. That’s probably why the New Universe never got any of my teenage $$. Until Mr. Byrne jumped on Star Brand. And I think I only bought one of those issues.
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