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Well, this just supports my general feelings about the DCU right now. Unless you're prepared to buy everything, there's no point buying anything, because they'll just screw you over and turn it into a Countdown crossover. I despair of this company.

Amazons Attack was absolute garbage.

While I agree with you in theory, Brian, I can't help but feel some sadistic glee that the people who bought this didn't even get a real ending. It's tough love, but it's the only way they'll learn not to support shit.

I can't believe you read Amazons Attack Brian.
Even if you're on a comp list to review books or something, there's no excuse for that!

I read and know all.

OK then, what have I just jotted down?

Read and know - I didn't say TELL.

Brian Cronin said:

"I read and know all."

That's DC's target audience in a nutshell, isn't it?

I bet World War Hulk will have an ending

This post about the state of DC would have been timely like 3 years ago. Doing it now is like making a post revealing Paris Hilton is a spoiled idiot...

I don't blame Didio or DC anymore, I blame anyone that still gives the company money. And I know the popular knee-jerk reaction, because this is the internet and it's incredibly pro-DC for some reason, is to say that Marvel does the exact same thing. But from what I've seen, the two companies are nowhere close in terms of how egregious the wallet gouging and poor story direction is. And most of the moves Marvel has made in this direction have only been to keep up with DC, and they still have managed to exercise SOME restraint. Before Infinite Crisis, Marvel actually had very little crossover action, it only started ramping up around the time of House of M, and even then I was able to enjoy House of M and Civil War (okay, maybe I didn't enjoy the latter) without buying a single solitary tie-in. Infinite Crisis on the other hand was a total mess to follow, and you had to buy almost ALL of it to figure out what was going on. Plus there was a lot of dirty pool where they'd do things like have major events in a tie-in miniseries (OMAC) take place in ANOTHER tie-in storyline (Max Lord's death in Superman and Wonder Woman) without warning the readership.

I'm with you, Brian.

It's frustrating that this is so many people's first exposure to Pfeifer because he's got such a good body of work otherwise between HERO an underrated Aquaman run and a very good, very underrated Catwoman run.

Back in the Infinity Gauntlet/Armageddon 2001 days, the tie-in comics were designed to lure you into buying the main miniseries, and then after that the crossover books associated with it. DC nowadays seems to be making every book a main book, to the point where (As T. said) the central plot point in a spinoff miniseries didn't even happen in the spinoff miniseries but in a Wonder Woman spinoff to a Superman spinoff of the miniseries, which was itself a spinoff.

Hiding the wheat in the chaff hasn't worked for either Marvel or DC in the past. I'm curious if, despite the complaints, sales (or preorders) of the issues rise enoguh to make all this cross-continuity worth the time and effort to make. It's almost never worth the time to read.

Well, this just supports my general feelings about the DCU right now. Unless you’re prepared to buy everything, there’s no point buying anything

I don’t blame Didio or DC anymore, I blame anyone that still gives the company money.

Well, there is a defensible middle ground. I'm enjoying all the DC comics I'm currently buying (and in fact I'd buy more of them if I had more unallocated cash to throw around), but I'm not trying to chase DC continuity wherever it goes. I'm keeping up with the Legion in its two titles, and some of their guest appearances in other books. I'm getting Blue Beetle and The Spirit. I'm getting The All-New Atom despite its Countdown crossovers, and I'll similarly get the Captain Carrot miniseries. (I'm not getting Countdown, but I'll probably get Final Crisis because it's only seven issues and I'm intrigued by the idea that it might not be bad.)

If you're not worried about knowing everything that's going on, you can still find lots to enjoy at DC, and why shouldn't I do just that? I hope nobody's trying to make the argument that I should drop Blue Beetle just because Amazons Attack and Countdown (neither of which I've read a single issue of) are timewasting cash cows.

6 issues in service to one stupid pun. Lovely.

Although I would have to say that there's at least *some* prior connection between the Amazon and Apokoliptians. Didn't Byrne's run have Darkseid decimating (actually, more like halving) the Amazon population in battle? And wasn't the big D quite ready to eat the Greek Gods' lunch during War of the Gods/Godwave or whatever. Still doesn't make sense that Granny would send the Amazons to live normal lives on Earth as opposed to converting them to new Female Furies, though, unless that's just the SOP since the Seven Soldiers Mr. Miracle mini....

I didn't read Amazons Attack. DC lost me a year or two ago by pulling the same thing. I followed eight issues of Adam Strange, only to have it end with a "To Be Continued." I read Identity Crisis with all its red-herring clues that were really only set-ups for other spin-offs and tie-ins. And then there was OMAC Project, with its surprise insertion of a four issue continuation between issues three and four, and the Power Girl series in which nothing actually happens except to establish her as a character with screwed up continuity and then stick a cliffhanger onto it. I read Villains Attack, which I appreciated because it actually had a beginning, a middle, and an end. All these books I wanted to read because I like the creators, but they all let me down by ultimately just being a con game designed to get me to pick up EVERY SINGLE DCU book they publish.

I haven't sworn off DC forever or anything. I still read books like Spirit and and Brave & Bold and All-Star Superman and sometimes Batman(I was reading Blue Beetle too, but lost interest). But for the most part, I'm waiting for their editorial strategy to shift so I can go back to reading superhero books without worrying they are going to be shanghied for some editorially-driven event.

Has anyone read "Silent War"? A great underated mini-series, by the way.

But it didn't end! Is a part II in a trilogy? Marvel didn´t made it clear.

And there was no mention of it in WWH. Hulk beats Black Bolt like nothing has happened before.

So it´s no just a DC problem...

In response to the title: Yes, I remember when mini-series had endings. They were self contained stories, and it was great. They either couldn't be told within the pages of the book the character appeared in (Nightcrawler, Vision/Scarlet Witch), featured characters without their own titles (Hercules, Jack of Hearts), or told a big story featuring characters from many different books Secret Wars). Sometimes they had lasting results, sometimes not.

I have fond memories of all the minis that came out in the mid-80's. They were a great way for both readers AND creators to "try on" characters. It was also a great way to try out new talent.

Crossovers were uncommon at best. When they happened, it was significant. Now, they're what happens in the summer.

Now, there are more minis in support of sweeping, company-wide crossovers than there are just to tell a story. The mini has become a part of the larger whole, designed to dig deeper into our pockets. It's disgusting. The entire thing is a slap in the face, showing contempt and disrespect to the very people they're trying to gouge.

I assume the assignment was try to end the event in the most random manner possible. I applaud the outstanding job done fulfilling this.

And I know the popular knee-jerk reaction, because this is the internet and it’s incredibly pro-DC for some reason, is to say that Marvel does the exact same thing.

Are you kidding me? Lately the internet groupthink has been virulently anti-DC.

Bashing all things DC has become ridiculously over the top on news sites and message boards, especially among people who claim not to be reading any of the "crap" they delight in condemning.

You can argue the merits of Amazons Attack, but calling the internet "incredibly pro-DC" is laughable.

I like it better when mini-series have endings.

For those of us who don't read and know all, it might be handy to put together a list of mini-series that didn't have real endings.

The only one that I can recall buying was the "Adam Strange" mini-series, which ended on a cliffhanger that led into "The Rann-Thanagar War" mini.

I also read the entirety of Amazons Attack, and I can't figure out what Pfeiffer was thinking. His HERO book was excellent, and his Catwoman has been consistently good, but this thing was six issues of nonsensical fighting, and then a lot of talking, and then, instead of a huge battle at the end, we get an anti-climax, and a LITERAL deus ex machina, and then a final page reveal that has nothing to do with anything.

I'm baffled by the decisions made in this series.

I’ll probably get Final Crisis because it’s only seven issues and I’m intrigued by the idea that it might not be bad.

Boy, that just about sums everything up. I'll get it because it might not suck.

Ugh. I'm glad Brian made this post so I can vent. No, this is not just me hopping on the "Bash Amazons Attack" bandwagon (or the "bash DC wagon") without having read the work in question.* The rest of you who've hopped that wagon can commence snickering at me already, because yes, I did indeed waste my time and money on this dreadful miniseries.

In hindsight, of course, I wouldn't have. But going into it, I had what seemed like good reasons: I really enjoy Pfeifer's writing. (I love his Catwoman — probably my favorite mainstream DC book.) And I'm a booster of Wonder Woman as a character (though I'm not currently buying her title; the last time it was really good was when Rucka wrote it). And the Attack art by Pete Woods is gorgeous, so at least I had something pretty to look at as the story quickly flew off the rails. Early on, I figured, "Well, fair enough for a mini called Amazons Attack to tie into Wonder Woman," even if I wasn't buying those other issues. I was OK with that — at first.

Brian and others have elaborated on why it was so dreadful, and how the ending made it even worse. An ending as bogus as that made it feel like a Meltzer comic! I'm certain Pfeifer was just hitting the marks demanded of him by his bosses, but sheesh.

The only "event" mini/maxi-series that's been any good recently is "52," and — take note, Marvel and DC! — that was self-contained! No crossovers necessary. I bought precisely 52 issues and that was that.

I'm not buying Countdown. I'm not buying World War Hulk. I dropped Brubaker's X title because I'm not interested in a multi-title X-Men crossover, and I'll do the same soon with Morrison's Batman when the Ra's thing starts up. I made a mistake with Amazons Attack based on the creators (and, to some extent, the characters) involved, but I've re-learned a painful lesson. I'm tempted to say "never again," but that wouldn't be quite true: DC has trumped me with Final Crisis, and that's only because of Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones.

Still, I'll continue to enjoy Catwoman, Blue Beetle, Birds of Prey, All-Star Superman. I'll give McDuffie's JLA a try; ditto for Simone on Wonder Woman. (Does that make me a sucker?)

And if I thought I could get any return on my investment at all, I'd eBay those Amazons Attack comics immediately. But they're probably better off in a recycling heap.

* Do we really have try to reduce this, T., to a Marvel vs. DC thread? Because they're both guilty. House of M was a mess, and Civil War even more so. (I bought the latter; read someone else's copies of the former.) Especially in the case of CW, there were plenty of story beats left out of the main seven issues. Ugh.

Matthew E (14), that seems really sensible, but it works best when your tastes happen to skirt around the major events. Similarly, I avoided Civil War, and a lot of my Marvel comics did, too (Daredevil, X-Factor, Iron Fist, etc.). I don't know if it's just luck I was drawn to these, or if there was something in the writing that reassured me the comics would maintain quality and avoid getting bogged down in crossover.

I feel mini-series have an obligation to be discrete units. It says right on the cover '1 of 4', not '666 of until it stops making money'. I choose to buy these comics with the knowledge of what I'm getting into. I also expect mini-series with, say, a Countdown to Infite Crisis header to be more interwoven, while an ongoing with a defined arc to be able to work without much more investment. If that information is misleading or I misunderstand, it can be irritating.

Do we really have try to reduce this, T., to a Marvel vs. DC thread?

The reason I preemptively bring it up is because in one of these threads, someone inevitably says "Well Marvel is just as guilty," and really, they aren't. The obnoxious amount of tie-ins leading to Infinite Crisis alone were ridiculous, and they took it one step further this year by creating a 52-issue tie-in to the next Crisis (Countdown), and THAT tie-in has it's OWN tie-ins (Countdown to Adventure, Sinestro Corps, the 4 one-shots with Red Hood and company, Gotham by Gaslight) and then some of THOSE tie-ins have tie-ins.

"For those of us who don’t read and know all, it might be handy to put together a list of mini-series that didn’t have real endings."

Well, someone cited "Villains United" earlier as an example of having a beginning, middle and end. However, the big mystery character was revealed as someone who (technically) never appeared in the series previously and was significantly altered (mostly motivation, plus a little bit of his appearance) from all previous appearances. The ramifications of the reveal on characters and plot were dealt with in Infinite Crisis. So I'd say that "Villains United" didn't have a real ending.

(BTW, my comments may reveal that I'm still not clear which version was Mockingbird and which was leading the Society. The fact that I don't care much tells you all you need to know about how these crossovers affect readers)

Scavenger: Well, I was mostly joking. But my experience with such crossovers has been with Crisis on Infinite Earths which I enjoyed even though it wasn't that great, and Infinite Crisis, which I enjoyed even though it wasn't even as good as Crisis on Infinite Earths. So I'm sure I'll enjoy Final Crisis too, and it has a fighting chance at being better than those other two put together.

Dan (other Dan): I guess. I think it's something in the titles involved; there seem to be some comics that don't get drawn deeply into crossovers, and others that do. Not sure why that would be, exactly. Maybe it is the writers.

It really seems like DC is working towards publishing one title, 520 issues a year. DC Comics - Gotta read 'em all!

Er, what exactly *was* the non-ending? For those of us who have been smart enough to avoid reading or buying Amazons Attack?

Yeah, I remember when mini-series had endings, but the best ones were never these "event" series like crisis ad nauseam or secret wars. They were self-contained stories that usually had nothing to do with anything else, like the Hercules series in space, or The Phantom Zone. Those were the days.

Okay, Tim, since everyone is skirting the issue so they won't "spoil" the awfulness, I'll spoil it (I read the thing for free, so I don't feel bad for spending money on it): Athena shows up and simply ends the war by sending Circe to Hades and then dispersing the Amazons into the world with (presumably) no memory of their Amazon past (I say "presumably" because it will return at some point - it's just a given). War over! Yay! But then we see that Athena isn't really Athena, she's ... Granny Goodness. Yes, Granny Goodness. And when one of the gods asks her who she is to speak of justice being served, she says, "But you must admit ... Goodness has certainly triumphed!!" That's the last line of the mini-series. So yes, six issues to set up a pun. Everyone at DC should be ashamed of themselves.

...

Wow.

Wow, that sounds fucking reprehensible, Greg.

What a waste of Pete Woods.

On 30 Aug 2007 at 10:09 am 29.The Mutt said …

"It really seems like DC is working towards publishing one title, 520 issues a year. DC Comics - Gotta read ‘em all!"

That works for me. Imagine the scope of a story you could accomplish like that. It would just have to be done well.

The lead in to Infinite Crisis was done very well. I think in my 15 years of reading comics, the first half of 2005 was probably my favorite six months of reading comics ever.

The execution since then has been pretty poor though.

Jesus. So it's not only a shitty non-ending, it's a deux ex machina shitty non-ending.

I bet World War Hulk will have an ending

Isn't it part 2 of a trilogy?

Countdown was just too much for me. I had to stop with issue 40. DC stopped making sense long ago and I kept getting angry with every book I read. Superman has way too many fill-ins. Wonder Woman just stopped making sense inthe middle of the relaunch. I love the Flash so i stuck it out for Bart's series, but that was awful. After buying 15-20 DC's a month for the last 5 years i am down to only 4 (Flash, Brave & the Bold, Green Lantern, JSA).

I thought 52 was boring and was not sure why they did it. Infinite Crisis stunk.

Stop trying to lump Worl War Hulk into this discussion. it has not ended. Marvel does end their comics. Planet Hulk ended. Civil War ended.

Isn’t it part 2 of a trilogy?

Yes. It's been established since Planet Hulk that it would be a trilogy.

Civil War sort of had an ending, but only because it didn't really have a middle(re: story).

Yes. It’s been established since Planet Hulk that it would be a trilogy.

I just find it funny that people are trying to use the middle part of a trilogy as an example of something that comes to a definite conclusion.

Paul O'Brien said:
"Well, this just supports my general feelings about the DCU right now. Unless you’re prepared to buy everything, there’s no point buying anything, because they’ll just screw you over and turn it into a Countdown crossover. I despair of this company."

Hear, hear! Sums up my feelings right now entirely. I manage to enjoy a handful of DC books but I don't have the inclination or money to buy all 25+ books every month, including all these ridiculous Countdown crossover mini-series. My interest in Final Crisis is essentially dead at this point...

Last week's Amazing Spider-Man featured the last chapter of "Back in Black". How did it end?

... It didn't. It instead urged readers to pick up the next arc: "One More Day".

DC is hardly alone in doing this type of crap to its readership. This philosophy of having story arcs and minis that resolve themselves in these kind of non-resolutions seems to be shared equally among the writers and editors at both of the major comic book companies.

It tends to lessen my enthusiasm for supporting the monthly "floppies", as well. At least you have a chance in hell of avoiding tricks like this when you "wait for the trade".

Really, this is the state of comics these days. Just a few years ago the vogue was for continuity to be seen as a nuisance, something to be hated and avoided. Wolverine was on four teams at the same time. Nick Fury made dozens of guest appearances in some titles while others insisted he'd disappeared. Asgard floated over Manhattan, which was also completely destroyed by Magneto without Spider-Man, Daredevil, et all ever noticing any of it.

Now the pendulum has swung the other way, and the Big Two are in continuity overload. It has become editorial mandate for each story to serve a lead-in to the next story. The downside to a story "that matters" is that it isn't complete, because the consequences will necessarily have to be dealt with later. You can't seal your cake in mylar and eat it too.

Amazons Attack was not very good, I absolutely agree, and the fault rests strictly with the editorial mandate. Will Pfeifer and Pete Woods were given the assigment of setting up an Amazon invasion using Allan Heinberg's incomplete Wonder Woman superspy setup, plus Darkseid had to be behind it. That they were able to pull it off as well as they did speaks volumes about the creators, but a terrible idea done well is still terrible.

I am so happy to read so many posts that are echoing what I have been feeling and saying for almost a year now.

"The lead in to Infinite Crisis was done very well. I think in my 15 years of reading comics, the first half of 2005 was probably my favorite six months of reading comics ever."

Couldn't agree more!

They have turned what was a very clever and imaginative story build into a colossal money-grab.

I have been asking myself for sometime now, "Is this the pay off for having followed them this long?"

I may be heaping too much praise on the writing from 2005, to say make this analogy, but once you've driven a Ferrari on the Autobahn, this last year has been like taking a Greyhound from Flushing to Denver!*

*with a small child kicking the back of your seat the entire journey.

"Last week’s Amazing Spider-Man featured the last chapter of “Back in Black”. How did it end?

… It didn’t. It instead urged readers to pick up the next arc: “One More Day”."

Todd, you do realize that Back in Black wasn't a mini-series, right? It's a serial who's purpose is to get you to pick up the next issue.

A better example of Marvel doing the same thing would be, what...Son of M, or Silent War. Both of those ended with cliffhangers leading into (hopefully in Silent Wars case) another series.

Cheers!

And when one of the gods asks her who she is to speak of justice being served, she says, “But you must admit … Goodness has certainly triumphed!!” That’s the last line of the mini-series. So yes, six issues to set up a pun. Everyone at DC should be ashamed of themselves.

Holy shit sticks thats bad!
I tells ya, Pfifer downed a few the night he finished that script - and still had trouble meeting his gaze in the mirror.

Really, this is the state of comics these days.

No it's not.
That's the state of MU and DCU books these days.
I'm managing to read plenty of comics without reading anything to do with this mess.
It's tied in to She-Hulk which I read, and Blue Beetle spun out of it - oh, and I picked up The Atom the other day, so I'm sure there will be a tie-in somwhere - but other than that, I read a shit load of comics that have nothing to do with all of this.

I think all you newly apathetic Marvel and DC readers should use this as an oppurtunity to try something new.
Noble Causes, Dynamo 5, Invincible, All Star Superman, Marvel Adventures, Madman, Cassanova, Savage Dragon... that's just off the top of my head, and it's limited to only superhero books.
If you vote with your wallet and just stop buying - the 'big two' think the markets just in a slump - but if you take that money and spend it on other titles, they'll notice the change (and you'll get a good read too!)

"I bet World War Hulk will have an ending

Isn’t it part 2 of a trilogy?"

Part two of a trilogy can still have an ending. Any story where the characters are alive at the end could be said to not having an ending. I think some of you folks are being unfair.

The ending of Amazons Attack sounds pretty bad, but it does end the story of the Amazons Attack(ing).

Okay, fine, this is the state of the majority of comics these days.

Look, just because I'm participating a discussion of mainstream comics, don't assume I don't read anything else. I love my Jay Faerber and my Mike Mignola. I was ecstatic to discover Local #10 the other day. It doesn't mean I have to be limited in what else I can read and discuss.

Oh, I'm aware that "Back in Black" was just the latest chapter in a serial, Matt. I wasn't harboring any illusions of seeing Spider-Man's story "end" with this month's issue.

However, it's naive to say that even these open-ended monthly titles aren't divided into neat six-issue arcs with cute titles because they are written almost explicitly for the trade these days. The TPB market has ensured the monthly publication of one new chapter in an endless chain of six-issue mini-series sold as Amazing Spider-Man. Each of these "series within a series" fits neatly within a standard-sized TPB, as luck would have it.

"Back in Black" will undoubtedly be one of the next Spider-Man TPBs available, and though I'm sure that most folks who purchase the book will be aware that this is simply the latest chapter in the never-ending story of this character. However, the lack of even a partial resolution to even some of the events in this part of the story makes me wonder how many of these fans will think twice about dropping money on any future Spidey trades.

A story arc should have a beginning, a middle and an end of some sort. Following the story after this arc should enhance one's enjoyment of the title rather than being a necessary supplement to what one has already purchased.

There's little reason to divide the stories in these ongoings into arcs at all if there's not even the barest attempt at any resolution to the events within them, no?

For anyone that wants to take in the true horror of the ending of Amazons Attack, go here:

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/3938714.html#cutid1

Mind bendingly, brain breakingly awful.

Okay, fine, this is the state of the majority of comics these days.

But it's not the majority of comics - it's some of two companies out put.
Sales wise they may be ahead, but in sheer number of comics released?
Plenty more bang for your buck elsewhere.

I agree about "Back in Black", actually. Of course, nobody expects Spider-Man stories to be completely self-contained. But most story arcs in recent years have at least been somewhat self-contained - they have a complete narrative arc of their own.

"Back in Black" doesn't. It has a beginning and a middle, and nothing even vaguely resembling an end.

There was an end to the attack on Aunt May story. Just because the condition of Aunt May has yet to be determined doesn't really mean we don't have an end. Spider-Man hunted down the bad guys and faced the Kingpin. That was the story being told there.

Now Aunt May's condition is a story following from that.

As for the tie-ins, only Sensational tied into Amazing in any real way. It had stories in the hospital and about Aunt May. FNSM just went about its business, put Spidey in a different costume and had some nonsense about an image inducer.

Sorry Todd, I was always taught never to assume, so I just wanted to make sure.

But about 'Back in Black', how did it not have a satisfying ending?

Now I'll freely admit that I haven't really read ASM since Romita left because I felt like JMS was finished with his big storyline, but I try to keep up via messageboards and what-not. From what I understand the story of 'Back in Black' was Spidey enacting revenge on those who shot his dear Aunt. That story had a begining (She was shot on the first page of part one, right?), a middle, and an ending (the fight with Kingpin). Aunt May in a coma (the subplot of Back in Black) is a larger plotline that will then be the central focus of the next arc, One More Day. Did I miss something there? Please let me know.

Further, my major assertion in my original post was that your response Todd seemed misdirected. The subject of the article was about mini-series with no endings where as you cited an serial with a storyline that had some dangling plotlines. They just didn't seem to match up, and in my head played like typical Marvel bashing where it wasn't appropriate. Like I said, a better example would probably be Son of M which ended on a big cliffhanger with nothing pointing you to where to go next.

True, my initial comment may have been misdirected. The thread asked readers' opinions on the current trend of Marvel and DC mini-series that culminate in non-endings. To my mind, there is still negligible difference between a by-the-book "2 of 6" mini-series and a "Such and Such part 2 (of an inevitable TPB-sized 6)" story arc that runs through a regular monthly, but this thread is less about my own interpretation of the topic than it is the question as read. My apologies for that.

I can't quite see where any of my posts would come across as "Marvel-bashing", though. I buy more Marvel books in any given month than I buy DC books (especially under the current gotta-buy-em-all regime at DC) and I enjoy just about everything I buy. I guess this reaction is natural in a comics blogosphere that leans so heavily toward DC's books that it can make many of us Friends of Ol' Marvel feel a bit overprotective of the House of Ideas (no matter how badly they may fumble the ball at times).

My point about Back in Black is that it not only did very little to advance the post-Civil War story that was running in Amazing Spider-Man, but that it all but admitted as much in it's last-page blurb for One More Day that it was little more than filler between Civil War and One More Day. The Civil War arc ended with Peter in a sniper's sights. Back in Black ended with "Please read One More Day" (paraphrasing).

Honestly, which ending is more likely to bring you back for more?

Back in Black had not even the faintest whiff of a resolution, even given the monthly super-hero comic book's version of a resolution, which is more an advancement of a character's story than a bona-fide ending. It ended with Peter realizing that he had become the very thing that he had spent years fighting against: a criminal.

Thing is, he was already a criminal at the end of the Civil War arc. What's worse is that both Peter and the readers knew it then, too.

Kind of tough for a protagonist's "moment of clarity" to pack any punch if the character in question has been aware of it for the entire arc.

It's an incomplete product, and a product that will look even more incomplete to any poor sucker who buys this story in trade. After having been strung along by this arc for the past six months I see nothing wrong with venting my spleen about it.

Apologies again if this was not the best topic under which to vent said spleen.

I do agree with your (more on-topic) assessment of Son of M, though. The non-ending that mini sucked on ice.

Cheers!