From: friedman@python.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark "Crimson" Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,rec.arts.comics.typical
Subject: Re: CYBER FORCE #1
Date: 11 Oct 92 23:05:38 GMT
Organization: NAIVE - New And Improved Virtual Environment

In article <1992Oct11.215611.4468@cs.unca.edu> mcmahan@cs.unca.edu (Scott McMahan -- Genesis mailing list owner) writes:
>That's typical? I wish!!! Here's a thought -- try Iron Man or the 
>West Coast Avengers and CF might stand out a little more!

I'm kinda torn...CF isn't all that bad, but I *really* wasn't
impressed by the first issue (what was it you said: comic of the
year?).

Of course, a lot of this is understandable, as they have the job of
introducing *everyone* in the first book or three.  This tremendously
cuts down actual story potential.  Sure, we have a few threads
*introduced*, but the rest was intro fluff, which, as I said, was
typical...but I suppose neccessary in a sense (although a clever
writer could work around it...).

>Silvestri was the person who first drew [L. Deathstrike].

Well, the claws are more like her, at least.  I just smell fish when I
think of a wild-man claw-wielder...

>Ah-hah! Go back and read it again - you must not remember it if you
>like it!

I did read it again...and it still left a sour taste in my mouth.
Maybe it's the fact that everyone *must* display their powers in the
first issue: it's in their contract!  ;-)

I still don't know about the dude with four arms...with three on one
side of his body!?!?  C'mon!  What kinda biophysics were they
thinking?  There's gotta be a *reason* why practically all life forms
are symmetrical!

It's the little things like this that spoil the fun.

>Well, the coloring *is* better than anything I've seen! And the art is leaps
>and bounds above the rest of comicdom. 

Ho ho!!!  Hee hee!!!  HAHAHAhahaha...you're kidding, right?  Leaps
and bounds?  Wow, you *really* like this book, eh?

Yeah, it may have been kinda purty, but (ahem) "Image" isn't
everything! (thank you, Andre Agasi) It just felt *sooo* incomplete on
the story half of the book...

>Even ElfQuest, the original B&W comic, is now in color! Time marches
>on, and things change. 

But is it *better*?  [This is philosophy, so we needn't discuss it at
this very moment...]

>Well, lower your standards!!

We *shouldn't* have to!  Is it too much for a book to have both image
*and* substance?  The moral: don't settle for less, and keep mailing
those letters to the editor.

>No wonder it didn't do anything for you.
>Go look at some Monet and leave comics alone!

The idea of comics is that it's both art *and* story-telling.  If one
side is weak, it tends to bring down the other.  As art only, CF #1
really couldn't stand on its own.  As a story it is still incredibly
flat.  Put 'em together and it's still only typical.

>You can't be serious -- that doesn't look anything like M.

Well, that's what hit me immediately. [shrug] I got out an old X-Men
to check, since I forgot Mystique's name: that was her.  One of my
friends even pointed that out when I had them side by side.

>: However, I do encourage people to take a look
>
>Why!?!?! you hated it!

Because no matter what I think about it in summary, it still may have
potential.  I by no means tell people *not* to get a book, ever!

Just because I find faults in a book doesn't mean it's *all* bad.  We
gotta learn to stop thinking in absolutes.  The only point *I* was
making was that this, by no means, is the best comic in print today,
as you seem to believe.  I think this assesment is quite unrealistic.

>Petty vindictive comments like this tend to shoot down any arguements
>you made previously!

Or rather, perhaps your sense of importance of your title lends doubt
to your judgement in other realms.  You may be Adamant Authority on
Everything in your own little world, but here you're just this guy,
you know?

>(the one & only band...)

Oh, puh-leeez!

							- Mark

-- 
Mark "Klone Crimson" Friedman is friedman@cis.ohio-state.edu .................
"There is nothing former   "Beat poets,    "If you put a hungry ferret in your
 about King Crimson."       not children."  trousers, he'll run around..."
 - Robert Fripp, 5/11/90    - anonymous     - Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)