Comments on: Joe Rice Media Review 2/12/07

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:46:53 +0000

Anyone with real life experience getting kicked in the bagyner knows it’s not a laughing matter, Joe.

By: Joe Rice

Joe Rice — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:28:14 +0000

“And yet somehow you ended up writing more about the former than the latterâ€¦ ”

Weird, huh?

Greg, I just can’t see how you’d take that seriously. It’s a taunt and a joke in a fight in a silly comic. They’re not real people.

By: Alun Clewe

Alun Clewe — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:29:49 +0000

Even when I enjoy it, New Avengers doesnâ€™t really spark the same amount of analysis as an Anders Nilson book.

And yet somehow you ended up writing more about the former than the latter…

By: Brit

Brit — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:50:00 +0000

It’s not actually the first time Bendis has done this, so I’m sure he must find it funny. New Avengers Annual #1 depicts Spider-man kicking Black Widow in the lady parts, although the sound effect there is a more understated “Pum!”. Now we’ve Sweet Christmas’ed our way up to a full on “FOOM!”

I anticipate New Avengers Illuminati #2 featuring Black Bolt opening his mouth followed by a 2 page spread of an exploding vagina.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:21:01 +0000

It’s insipid, it’s horribly ill-conceived, it’s not something Matt Murdock would do, it’s not something Luke Cage would do, it’s not something Luke Cage with a baby would do, it’s not funny, and it’s drawn ridiculously. Plus, like a lot of stupid superhero action, it would cause major damage to Elektra, which it doesn’t appear to do. Plus, it feels like Bendis came up with that moment, thought it was just about the funniest thing ever, and then built the book around it, which is idiotic.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:59:33 +0000

this is really great joe…now inject just a pinch of your classic vulgar irreverence and it’s PERFECT. something involving the word “anal,” please.

By: Joe Rice

Joe Rice — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:25:15 +0000

How so, Greg? In a deadly fight, one guy taunts one enemy personally and then goes for a cheap blow. It’s like a black Ric Flair match. It’s a light little superbook, not an examination of gender roles. What problem do you have with it? How does one joke destroy a book for you like that?

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:03:03 +0000

You write that a book in which Luke Cage kicks Elektra in the crotch because Matt Murdock told him to do it was “thoroughly enjoyable.” Really? There are so many things wrong with that one panel that it pretty much renders the entire book irredeemable.

By: Joe Rice

Joe Rice — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:03:46 +0000

Thanks, guys. It’s odd, really . . .the tone was a holdover from when I was just writing this for friends . . .friends that knew me enough to know I didn’t really think I was better than them. Odd that I didn’t realize this site would make them a bit more visible.

By: Mike Loughlin

Mike Loughlin — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:56:29 +0000

While I haven’t always enjoyed your reviews (mostly for their tone), this set of reviews made me want to try comics that are off my radar. I call your attempt to improve your own writing a success.

As a fellow teacher, I’m impressed by what you’ve brought to your classroom. The pictures were excellent!

By: Trebbers

Trebbers — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:00:08 +0000

The End is definitely my #1 of the year so far.

By: Dick Hyacinth

Dick Hyacinth — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 03:29:17 +0000

Big improvement over your previous columns. As I’ve already told you, I appreciate the attention to the role of art in the reading experience; your review of Shazam was particularly good in this regard. Good reviews of The Other Side, Punisher, and Midnighter as well.

A couple of quibbles: I’m not sure you’ve prepared your readers for what they’ll have in store should they seek out The End. One might assume it’s a conventional narrative of the grieving process, when it seems to be something more–not exactly an indictment or deconstruction of it, but certainly not an affirmation of it either. (I have to confess that I’ve only read part of it, so I don’t have a fully formed take on it.) You hint at the nature of it when you discuss the varying quality of Nilsen’s line, but perhaps more could be said here.

Re: New Avengers 27: You’re right in crediting Leniel Yu with some very interesting layouts, but I think you could have said a bit more about what makes them interesting. (For me, a big part of it is his breaking of panel borders, which ironically is exacly the sort of thing artists are often told not to do. I think it adds a great kinetic feel to his work. His irregular panel borders add to this effect.) Also, I’m not sure that you credited colorist Dave McCraig enough–much of the effective use of contrast appears to be his doing.

Overall, I think you’re making a good case for why fans of Marvel and DC should branch out to try some other things. In the future, I’d be interested in seeing the reviews of each issue flow into each other. Fans of Garth Ennis would surely be interested in The Other Side. And I’d really love to hear you speak about the seeming dichotomy of enjoying both New Avengers and The End. It might encourage some people to venture out of their comfort zone a little.

By: MarkAndrew

MarkAndrew — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:54:41 +0000

“I can honestly say I must have skipped a few â€œJulioâ€™s Dayâ€ chapters, because I havenâ€™t a clue as to whatâ€™s going on.”

I get that every time a Love and Rockets comes out SOMEWHRE. Who’s the Narrator supposed to be, here, again? Or wait… Hopey’s teaching WHAT now?

It’s a fairly major weakness of the book in issue to issue format.