Loved your Hellblazer rant on reality and the massive suckitude of the past, spot on. I think the reason they see the future as dark is because even though they romanticize the past they haven't forgotten the horrible shit that happened.

I've got a website up for WOI now here:

http://www.jtillustration.com/woi/index.html

I've even done up some funky little promo animations.

Hope you'll swing by and check it out!

best,
James Turner

I guess. I suppose I'm just venting a bit, since I see this complaint all over the place, and no-one ever seems give them even the slightest benefit of a doubt. It's probably unfair to blow off steam about it here, since you're hardly the worst offender. Sorry about that, it just gets my goat a bit is all.

The issue of Air in March's chart (#7) was the $1 issue. I think that's a great idea for Vertigo--it got a lot more copies of this issue out at least. Maybe when they move to trades only they'll release one dollar samplers or something like the winter specials/first looks in which several first issues are compiled for a low price.

However ... the Kuberts have been slow for years. It's a tragedy that their mother died, but if it's affecting them that much, they shouldn't take assignments. Everyone would understand.

Also, I just have to say, I'm getting really irritated with hearing/reading people giving the Kuberts shit for slow work. It's less than a year since their mother died, I'm pretty sure they've got more important stuff going in their lives right now.

(There's a Philip K Dick short-short story, title escaping me just now, which has that exact thought as its punchline.)

Just because it's all good on average, and better than it was on average, that doesn't mean some people aren't still going to suffer. It's probably a good thing that the suffering people get to suffer on basically clean concrete streets as opposed to writhing in the mud. But you know these damn suffering people: they're always complaining about something.

The Mindless Ones have a post about Milligan's Hellblazer which discusses what he might be up to.

~ Gil

I didn't go three days in sophomore year of high school without hearing something from Check Your Head. Everyone had that album, it blew our minds, we all rushed out to get the allegedly superior Paul's Boutique, we scratched our heads, and then had our minds blown again. The Beastie Boys were a smart group.

I really liked the last issue of Y. The last image was pretty much perfect. Yorrick's world ended up battered but hopeful, even if he experienced great loss. He's named after a character in Hamlet, so I guess a happy ending was a little much to hope for.

I agree that the major death in the last few issues wasn't necessary, but it made for strong drama (not just shock, like when they kill off Teen Titans by the dozen). A character we cared about was killed. We got to see Yorrick make choices while grieving and angry, and see if he could rise above. It's entirely possible that the death in Y was more for shock value than storytelling, but I think Vaughan wrote with more intention toward the latter.

There's been rumblings that they're contemplating this publishing model... I would welcome it, I think.

Cheers,

B

I’m reading in trade, and I was pretty sure we found that out at the end of Dead Mothers ….

You are correct, sir. I finished that trade a couple weeks back, and the murderer is definitely revealed in the last couple of pages.

Since Cammo's drawing Dark Wolverine now, somebody's gotta take over, right? And, Sudžuka certainly has a history with Vertigo, filling in on Y the Last Man and Losers and such.

But, Cammo's still solicited as the Hellblazer artist through July...

Can he handle two ongoings? Can anyone these days?

Yeah... I figured as much.

I'm still grappling with my guilt over switching to trades this week. I decided to finally go to trades with everything I buy since it makes the most sense not only from a cost perspective, but also storage/re-reading... and the fact that these days it often takes a few months before I read the comics I buy anyway.

Scalped is the one comic I read as soon as I buy it, though (well... that, and Jonah Hex) and not only will I miss following it issue to issue, I feel like I'm abandoning the book when it really needs--and deserves--the monthly support.

I might have to make an exception here and buy BOTH the floppies and the trades here...

I love your columns and am always excited to see what you think of the weekly haul, but I have to gravely disagree with you on one point you made in your column, and it doesn't even involve a current comic--

You thought Y--the Last Man ended poorly? Why may I ask do you think that. Not that you aren't entitled to your opinion, but you are the first person I have come across who holds that opinion and since I respect your opinions, I'd like to know.

Granted, it won't change my opinion that Y # 60 was one of the greatest last issues of a title ever and possibly the second best after Starman # 80 (and yes, that includes Gaiman's end of Sandman, which I thought ended a bit weekly).

Anyway, just curious and always up for a good yet civil debate.

BTW, I totally agree that there is no justice in the world when only one Vertigo title sells above the 15,000 copy barrier (and most are well below) while the Dark who-ever drivel Marvel is putting out sells well more than ten times better than most Vertigo titles. I'm not saying that Marvel isn't publishing some good stuff, but I am worn out on the Bendis / Millar / Quesada approach of giant overarching events that take over every title, last way too long, and accomplish nothing. No justice.