From: albert@chain.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu (Rick Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Marvel Bashing, if you please!
Date: 9 Sep 1992 19:53:18 GMT
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tx

In article <92253.102258U16244@uicvm.uic.edu> U16244@uicvm.uic.edu writes:
>Well, I've discoverred a certain attitude that isn't helping Marvel
>or any comics company really.  It's called "I refuse to sponsor the quality
>stuff that's put out because those bastards put out such crap otherwise."
>(You know who you are...)

	Well, that's shooting yourself in the foot.  If you want to
encourage the comics industry to put out quality comics, you do it with 
your dollars.  Rob Leifeld, whatever you may say about the quality of
his work, is doing an excellent job at appealing to the fanboys.  And
they support him with their bucks.   If you ignore the good stuff Marvel
produces, just 'cuz it's Marvel, then they have no incentive to change.
If, we buy their good stuff (Hulk, ferinstance), then Marvel knows that
we like Hulk, and they'll try to encourage similar titles.  Now, the
problem is that Marvel has limited resoures, so they try to produce what
sells best.  If crappy mutant books sell, then buy [sic] Ghu, that's what
they'll produce.  So, we have to buy what's good, or they won't print it.

[Now, I realize that this doesn't always work out.  Some of our favorite
titles get cancelled all the time (Suicide Squad, Hawk and Dove, Boo$ter
Gold, JSA, etc), but if you never try, then that's one less reader they
have to lose before they do get cancelled.  Or worse, they let Rob Leifeld
take over the comic.]


>Ruining old stories.  Like the death of Phoenix was any lessened when you
>read that Jean Grey is now alive and well.  It was still a tragic moment,
>something that affected the readers.  That's like saying that the Silver Age

	Well, it does lessen the impact now, when I read it, because the
little voice in the back of my head is grumbling about how Marvel brought
back Jean for monetary reasons, and not to tell a good story.  (If they
had some sort of good explanation other than the kludge they used, and 
a good reason for doing it, I wouldn't mind so much.)

>But I'm getting off the point.  Just because certain comics piss you off
>doesn't mean that you have to swear off every fucking thing they put out.
>As far as I'm concerned, New Warriors, Spider-Man, Hulk and X-Factor are
>off in a nice, safe corner of the universe where things are going fine.

	Not entirely, X-factor is participating in the annual fall X-over,
but usually, they're off by themselves.  And, we did have to suffer through
an Infinity War crossover into New Warriors.  Your main point is correct,
however.  If you like a comic, buy it.  They need all the help they can get.


>It's also the same reason why I pick up certain Image comics, instead of
>others (read: Liefeld's crap, Cyberfarce, ShadowSpinebreaker) because I

	Ditto.  I gave WildCATS a try since I like Lee's art, and was willing
to give him a chance at writing.  I've been unimpressd with Leifeld and 
McFarlaine's work in the past, so I gave them a miss.  Just cuz it's Image
doesn't necessarily make it crap.
-- 
Rick Jones				Systems Support Center
albert@bcm.tmc.edu			Baylor College of Medicine
Voice: 713-798-7352			standard disclaimers apply
"I'm the Chosen One.  And I choose to go shopping."-Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc