Comic Book Resources

Part of the difference could come from the fact that Messiah Complex will be a much bigger, more sprawling storyline than Resurrection. More legwork to do, perhaps?

That's not exactly a defense, though, because bigger and more sprawling isn't necessarily better, after all.

(Great to see I-Ching show up in Batman, though.)

Don't think that you should punish a comic for promoting acessibility given that this "site/blog/place I spend too much time at work reading" tends to harp so much on it.

While I didn't read these preludes, I can comment on a different pair: Ahniliation & Conquest. Both prelude one-shots set the stage, introduced key players, AND somehow managed to tell a story. They were both vrey well done.

Then there's the Planet Hulk storyline. It was extremely entertaining, while wholely intended to be a HUGE prequel to WWH. Surprisingly well done.

I think Messiah Complex's biggest problem is that the entire issue was devoted to setting up a plot that had been revealed months in advance. There was nothing surprising or unexpected, just the basic set-up that we all knew was coming. There's nothing wrong with this, it's an important start, if nothing else. But at the same time, we're not getting anything that we haven't already been told in interviews and solicits.

I was reading Brubaker's X-Men but dropped it because I don't want to follow umpteen other chapters through a dozen other X books. (Say what you will about Astonishing X-Men, but at least it's a stand-alone title.) And, since the same notion applies to how I feel about Batman — and since Morrison's run has been so hit-or-miss anyway — this multipart Ra's business gives me the perfect reason to drop the title for the next few months.

"But at the same time, we’re not getting anything that we haven’t already been told in interviews and solicits."

This may be true, but you can't assume everyone has read the interviews & solicits and not publish the material. Consider also that comics are frequently re-read later, or read for the first time 8 years fom now by someone who is now in 1st grade. Whether we have the information in hand now does not preclude the necessity of it's publishing.

I'm only buying the G-Mozz chapters of the crossover anyway, so it won't matter to me what happens. Alls I care about is the triumphant return of I CHING!!!!!

Hmm, I don't think I could disagree more. You have to remember that not everyone picking up Messiah CompleX #1 knows who all the main players are, etc. That setup you refer to as a "necessary evil" is exactly that - necessary. And since this book has been promoted as a good jumping on point for new readers I'm glad it's accessible. A different approach might have served to confuse new readers, and that is the last thing comics should do.

"This may be true, but you can’t assume everyone has read the interviews & solicits and not publish the material. Consider also that comics are frequently re-read later, or read for the first time 8 years fom now by someone who is now in 1st grade. Whether we have the information in hand now does not preclude the necessity of it’s publishing."

Oh, I'm not saying that it doesn't. Quite the contrary, I realize exactly how necessary it is. But that still doesn't preclude it from being a relatively dull read if one was already aware of what the plot was going to be.

Don’t think that you should punish a comic for promoting acessibility

He wasn't. He's just asking for a story in his comic, instead of just an info-dump.

He wasn’t. He’s just asking for a story in his comic, instead of just an info-dump.

Yeppers.

Accessible AND good is not too much to ask.

I remember really liking the prelude to Infinite Crisis with the Blue Beetle. It had a few messy bits where they tried to throw in the other three lead-in miniseries, but on the whole it was a really well-crafted and shocking story I thought.

Hmm, I don’t think I could disagree more.

That setup you refer to as a “necessary evil” is exactly that - necessary.

Sounds like you agree to me.

First appearance since #186... well, kind of.

I seem to remember an issue where they appeared... as a band in a club.