From: rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Team Titans #1's (Was: Re: Valiant sucks)
Date: 30 Aug 92 00:04:33 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

In article <BtrM3x.C83@news.cso.uiuc.edu> mlj44080@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Michael Lee Jacobs) writes:
>If I recall some postings a ways back they had debated whether to include the
>origins as in different #1's or as you proposed in the first 5 issues of the
>book.  But they decided that since 
>	a) the characters were somewhat unfamiliar to people
>	b) since the origin stories crossed-over into each other so much
>	
>that it would be better to put them all out at once.. I must say I agree
>with this practise since Titans has always had a lateness problem for the
>last several years (being lucky if it put out 10 issues a year due to delays)
>, and because I wanted to know who these characters are before we use em 
>heavily.  I would not have wanted to wait 5 months or more to see these 
>various issues, besides the fact that chars introduced in the origins keep
>popping up in the current run.  What Marvel did was really lame...they just
>changewd covers for collectors...DC actually had different stories in every
>issue of FULL LENGTH and you fault them because instead of putting out titans
>late...they put out all 5 at the same time.

You are confusing quantity with quality, my friend.  If the stories were good,
you mean to say you _wouldn't_ wait for them?  In this particular instance I'm
just playing devil's advocate, because I understand this reasoning, but I think
the people who wait diddley-ump months for the next issue of MiracleMan might
have something to say about stories being worth the wait.

And if developing the characters' backgrounds was so important, why not do it
*before* it became necessary to decide whether to do the multi-cover stuff?
(Again, more D's A-type thinking.)  Was it so important that it couldn't have
been done in issues of Teen Titans itself, without having to print (five, was
it?) issues of the same book to get it all in.

I think the main problem here is they wanted to stuff a lot of things into
one or two books (TT and Titans Classic) that really could've either waited
or been done beforehand.  I won't get into the issue of money; I've had my
say on that already, and fully expect to get flamed to death on it.  That's
fine.  What's important to me is that you _think_ about what I say, not 
whether you agree or not.  Knee-jerk flames, clever though they may be, are
all well and good, but I'll take a constructive criticism (like the one I
received from Roger) in the spirit in which it is given; I'll think about it.
Maybe he's right, and the books were well worth the money--for him.  I add this
disclaimer because I have a burning distaste for "gimmicks" over good 
storytelling, and have yet to decide that all five stories were worth the money.Once I've read them all, I may change my mind.  Of course, I'm biased against
the Terra story for the same reason I'm biased against the rebirth of Jean
Grey--same idea. "Well, the person who died is someone else."  Yeah, right.
The Mirage story I read just out of sheer curiosity about the relationship
between her and Dick II.  The rest of the characters just seem to fit the
mold of "generic superteam characters" you can see anywhere.  Although, I
always *have* been a sucker for a good vampire story...:) (pun intended,
I've been much too morose lately, I've gotta lighten up sometime)

As always, flames to /dev/null, constructive comments gratefully accepted,
and this little walrus is going to take a nap. :)
(see, I told you I'd lighten up)

The Walrus
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc