Comic Book Resources

Well done, Sean

Kevin Smith was filming this for a new movie, right?

This is bull**** man!

Heh. Awesome.

You know what I think is funny? People who might have a legitimate complaint against the story are dismissed as cranks or nerds. Complainants are ‘portly’, ‘disheveled’, ‘live with their mothers’, ‘not normal’…

Is it not just possible that the story was bad and fans were genuinely upset?

Peter Gasston needs to get a funny bone. People who have been complaining about Spidey’s OMD stunt and still buy Spidey should be dismissed as cranks or nerds! That is funny!

Gotta say – I’m one of the fans who is annoyed and frustrated by Marvel’s decision here and I *still* thought this was hilarious.
I actually thought this was Onion-caliber writing.

Freaking hilarious.

“Nobody knows who fired the first shot, but within moments, the writer’s table was being pelted with DC Absolute Editions and Marvel Omnibuses. Thankfully, the volumes’ impressive weight combined with the general lack of athleticism amongst the protesters resulted in few serious injuries.”

That’s my favorite part right there. I spit up my pizza.

Sean, hats off. This was so funny.

The ambulance also picked up a writer at the shop, but not any of the Spider-Man crew. Fellow comic scribe Warren Ellis, who was at the shop signing copies of the fifteen different series he had coming out that day, collapsed at the scene in an apoplectic fit of laughter. He was taken away by EMS workers, mumbling all the while about cellular phones and “the nerd prom”.

HAHAHAHA

I wish i would of been there

Great job…

“Thankfully, the volumes’ impressive weight combined with the general lack of athleticism amongst the protesters resulted in few serious injuries.”

And flicking the light switch on and off to frighten the mob?

Hilarious.

Laugh out loud funny.

LMAO!!!!!

I think those same guys showed up at my LCS in Ohio this afternoon, pissing and moaning over how much they hate the three copies they just bought…

If you hate what they did, guys, don’t buy it…

The “Japanese manga” bit was intentional, right?

“The Ripple Effect” in progress.

This is worthy of a “Bwahahahaha!”

“One of them tried to tell me why the last Spider-Man movie was bad,” stammered a visibly upset woman, who had been perusing a rack of Japanese manga. “Even after I begged him not to.”

Haha! Brilliant stuff.

I blame Joe Rice. I bet this was all his fault!!!

Is it not just possible that the story was bad and fans were genuinely upset?

If a superhero story can ‘genuinely upset’ them, then they really are the cliche you are arguing against.

THAT is some serious shit. And it is so funny it should be mad into a comic or something. I mean it has everything – drama, adventure, thrills, romance. Too bad it ended to quickly because buildings should be demolished and cars set on fire on the streets.
If that riot really happened (and I weep I wasn’t there) then it can be safely said that Spider-story was a mistake. Maybe someday people will say it was a larger mistake than Iraq (although I don’t think Iraq is a mistake and I don’t want to offend anyone who thinks otherwise).

Umm. Wow. That’s just sad. Yeah OMD story logic is QUESTIONABLE. But really I like the fact that they call themselves Spidey fans and forget about Marvel’s sliding timeline. Only 10-12 years have passed in marvel years so Peter’s 25-27 years old. Hardly in his 30’s. Eh.

This story warms the frigid cockles of my tiny heart. Well done to all and sundry.

Haha, awesome. Though sadly now I have an unstoppable urge to go to a comic shop and swing nerds round by their ankles (launching them into the Manga racks) in tribute to this wonderful tale.

“the topics of discussion–held in loud, obnoxious tones–ranged from the Civil War to World War One, which they pronounced “Hulk”.”

This was by far my favorite part.

Somebody should make a bring back spider-man website…

A new story line that has Spidey fans climbing the walls.

Haha! I tip my hat to Sean for the whole article, you are a brave reporter, sir.

Brilliant stuff, Sean.

ah ah ah…

In 2020 it will be a Comic Book Urban Legend

“ah ah ah…

In 2020 it will be a Comic Book Urban Legend ”

And we can all pretend we were there.

Hilarious. My sides have split.

Good stuff Sean. Well-written with great humour.

Too bad Marvel didn’t let Sean write “OMD” and/or “BND” instead of JMS. It would have been better and funnier!

I never have thought JMS was a good writer for either TV, movies or comics. His storyline for “OMD” proves it despite what JQ has said about the editorial decisions to revise the script from its original plot.

Good stuff Seanagan.

I dunno, JMS stuff on The Real Ghostbusters was pretty good. I have to give him that.

Hilarious article though.

I loved Midnight Nation.

His Spidey stuff was sometimes good but sometimes (the twins) awful.

Don’t like Babylon 5.

FGJ: Can reading a comic mAke you genuinely happy? Then it can make you genuinely upset.
In the worldly scheme of things, what happens in a comic or a movie or a tv show isn’t important, but it can still upset the fans of it, and they have the right to be upset without someone (not you in this case) saying “How dare you be upset about spider-man while people are dying in Africa!” and so forth.

As someone who grew up reading Spidey, I am pretty upset by the crap that is called OMD. Upset enough that I’m no longer buying the title (in fact, I refused to buy the last issue of OMD), soon to be dropping New Avengers, and maybe all of my other meager pickings of Marvel superhero books.
I feel that I, and everyone else who is pissed off about OMD deserves to be, because we pay our hard-earned cash to be entertained by these books, not have our intelligence insulted by piss-poor storytelling.

That said, this was funny as hell! Good work!

-Mike-

are the police really trying to tie that silly string can to gang activity? that is hillarious.

This story blows, I want my free back.

Good thing this whole riot didn’t erupt over a DC book. That would have been a real CRISIS.

Is this all true. did that guy really get picked up by his mom.

In the worldly scheme of things, what happens in a comic or a movie or a tv show isn’t important, but it can still upset the fans of it, and they have the right to be upset without someone (not you in this case) saying “How dare you be upset about spider-man while people are dying in Africa!” and so forth.

Well I dislike the story, and think it unnecessary, and have had conversations with a friend about how silly it is, and it really shows the failings of comic writers that they can’t write an interesting marriage (crap on all you want about how it moves the book away from it’s core etc, if you’ve got real chops you could make it work), and all that jazz.
However, ‘genuinely upset’ isn’t how I’d describe myself.
Maybe we have different meanings for the phrase, maybe I just don’t hold fiction so close to my heart – if I don’t like the direction, I can just turn away and stop reading.
Not too sound insulting, but I think I used to get more angry when I was younger, but these days, as much as I enjoy a good fiction, it’s not so high on the list of priorities as to make me actually angry.

Is this all true. did that guy really get picked up by his mom.

Does The Onion get letters like this?

Now, that was a great piece of writing, obviously well researched by a great many visits to a great many comic shops. Surprisingly, not one “who’s stronger, Thor or the Hulk” argument made its way into the melee.

Again, good writing. I wish Marvel would fire a few doing their writing and hire you!

Sorry, missed this line before:

Can reading a comic mAke you genuinely happy? Then it can make you genuinely upset.

I think you need to either define what you mean by ‘genuinely happy’ or shift the standards of your life, mate.
A good comic can give me an emotional response, intellectual response etc
However, I wouldn’t call it genuine happiness.
I call it escapism.
I feel genuinely happy when I do a good job at work, get a promotion, have a good time with friends, see a girlfriend, have mind-blowing sex etc.
Not from reading a bit of fiction, even if it is quite enjoyable – because it’s not my life, it is fiction, and thus cannot bring about about ‘genuine’ happiness.

Is this all true. did that guy really get picked up by his mom.
Does The Onion get letters like this?
Probably. Several years ago I saw a letter to the editor in (I think) Reader’s Digest from a woman complaining about the coverage they were giving to JK Rawling, who was a self-admitted baby-killing, blood-drinking satanist who was trying to indoctrinate the youth yada yada yada. Her source: The Onion online. The RD editors had to inform her that it was a satiric website.

PS. Shouldn’t it be Omnibi, not Omnibuses?

FunkyGreenJerusalem said …
“A good comic can give me an emotional response, intellectual response etc
However, I wouldn’t call it genuine happiness.
I call it escapism.
I feel genuinely happy when I do a good job at work, get a promotion, have a good time with friends, see a girlfriend, have mind-blowing sex etc.
Not from reading a bit of fiction, even if it is quite enjoyable – because it’s not my life, it is fiction, and thus cannot bring about about ‘genuine’ happiness.”

I think that everybody responds differently to fiction, since it really does depend upon what you put into it. Or maybe what you want to put into it, I dunno.

Without a doubt, I’d say that fiction has provided a great deal of genuine happiness for me, and genuine anger, fear, triumph, all the emotions on the spectrum. Most of the time those emotions don’t last longer than it takes to read the story, but that doesn’t make them any less real. And the catharsis that good fiction can provide is likewise genuine.

Imo, what makes the story at the top of this page so funny is that most of us see a bit of ourselves in it. We’re all fans of something, and can feel passionately angry given the right circumstances

PS. Shouldn’t it be Omnibi, not Omnibuses?

That’s what I thought too. But Firefox red-flagged “omnibi” and didn’t seem to have a problem with “omnibuses”, so I went by that.

[...] A great & hilarious piece at Comics Should Be Good!about the fan reaction to OMD/BND and other Spidey related acronyms [...]

Yeah, take that Yo La Tengo fans!

Oh, sorry, this isn’t that Onion article, just a note-for-note rip-off of it.

Most of the time those emotions don’t last longer than it takes to read the story, but that doesn’t make them any less real.

Okay, but reality shouldn’t dictate importance. I mean, when I’m stoned silly, everything’s wonderful and the world is at peace. My cigarette gives me a sense of euphoria.

But that doesn’t mean that those are moments of genuine happiness or truth. They’re just physical reactions to something disposable.

My favorite bit was when the kid assaulted the officer with silly string. I could just picture a older teen jumping out of a crowd wearing a spidey mask and street clothes. Then holding the spray can like a web shooter uttering some stylized jib only to get cracked in the face. I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.

As a side note, while I thought that the whole Brand New Day/One More Day retconning being something more in DC’s bag o tricks, it does have its good points. Now we’re done with the whole Spider-Spirit-Arm-Spike-Fang whatnot. But I’m worried about what they’re hinting at about MJ and this Luck based super heroine that’s appeared.

Apodaca said …
“Okay, but reality shouldn’t dictate importance. I mean, when I’m stoned silly, everything’s wonderful and the world is at peace. My cigarette gives me a sense of euphoria.

But that doesn’t mean that those are moments of genuine happiness or truth. They’re just physical reactions to something disposable.”

But isn’t everything disposable? I think the “importance” or “nonimportance” of an emotion really depends upon what you’re looking for. In the end all emotions – heck, all thoughts – are just chemicals and neurotransmitters and electicity zinging around in the brain, and we make what we will out of that. For one person an experience can be profoundly transformative, while for another it might be just a temporary good feeling. The processes going on inside their heads might be exactly the same, but each individual interprets it in different way – and each of them is right.

Thanks Sean, I laughed so much, the wife kept wondering if I was ok over here.

Great Stuff man.

But isn’t everything disposable? I think the “importance” or “nonimportance” of an emotion really depends upon what you’re looking for. In the end all emotions – heck, all thoughts – are just chemicals and neurotransmitters and electicity zinging around in the brain, and we make what we will out of that. For one person an experience can be profoundly transformative, while for another it might be just a temporary good feeling. The processes going on inside their heads might be exactly the same, but each individual interprets it in different way – and each of them is right.

No, see, if you want to go with the “everything counts” argument, then nobody’s right. If there’s no wrong, nobody’s right. And therefore, if everything counts, then nothing is important or meaningful. For something to be “genuine” or “true”, there has to be a converse to it. Feelings that are false, basically.

And no, I don’t believe that everything is disposable. I think there’s a significant difference between an emotion generated in response to interaction with another person and an emotion generated in response to an interaction with an object. The main difference being that, when you interact with a person, there are two perceptions present, and the occurence of them being in synch and responding to one another is visceral and unique. But when you interact with an object, it’s just you. Regardless of what you are interacting with, it’s all interpreted and defined by you.

And I happen to think that the interaction of two or more people is more meaningful than one person reacting to an object.

Geez the story stunk but who cares it is a comic book. Its not like they are changing the ending to Gone with the Wind. Those are nerds who should spend time with ladies instead of their comic books.

Its not like they are changing the ending to Gone with the Wind.

Which is just a movie.

[...] January 15, 2008 in Internet Links HAHAHAHA!  Worst riot EVER!  Hilarious article. [...]

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I am picturing Comic Book Guy from “The Simpsons” right now.

violence is never the way to go.

so true celeb

pretty funny lol.

its suppose to be funny not violent

one word, lol.

Brilliant stuff. Thanks for the share, was a pleasure to read. Expect more please!

Wow. That’s just sad. Yeah OMD story logic is QUESTIONABLE. Peter Gasston needs to get a funny bone. Is this all true. did that guy really get picked up by his mom.
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A comic story in the comic book shop! great! i guess when the creators went for the public meeting, they expected a bit different the things. Well, cant have all your happy fan!

lol, Hey mom, u wanna go ride… Good read

LOL, that was funny, why would they fight for something like comicbooks story?

Gotta say – I’m one of the fans who is annoyed and frustrated by Marvel’s decision here and I *still* thought this was hilarious.

Cool Must be readed I readed some quality content in the past, but this is better!

Enjoyed the read, will bookmark.