This episode, the guys talk about X-Men: Second Coming, The Venture Bros., go to Somewhere Cold with a discussion about Brian Michael Bendis' Avengers comics, discuss their favorite scary movies, then look into the near FUTE-CHA for Scre4m.
Fanholes Episode # 6: Come, X-Chickens! Download this episode (right click and save)
I would like to chime in to say that I think Venture Bros is one of the best shows on television. I'm proud to say I have gotten a few friends into the show. And now, it's time to get down to business, Bendis business.
ReplyDeleteI have a soft spot for Bendis, because he pretty much got me into reading comic books regularly. I have always had a familiarity with this and that, but it was my decision to grab a few trades of Ultimate Spider-man that opened the floodgates. The writing was thoughtful but not overly heavy. And it was nice for a newcomer to not have 40+ years of history or continuity to think about. That is when I began to branch out. First, slowly, with other Ultimate titles. Then I entered 616 with Bendis' Avengers: Disassembled.
Now, it seems that the major opinion here is "screw that," but here is why I think Bendis' runs are a success. Bendis is pot. He's the gateway drug to larger titles. He's an easy read, he throws a number of characters at you, there is plenty of action (read: ninjas), but the plots are pretty straight forward. He does just enough to pique a newcomer's interest in other characters that you branch out into other titles. He opened the door to 616 for me, and from there, it was limitless.
I know it's hard to take off the nerd-glasses, and to not think in terms of retcons, continuity, and your favorite iterations of characters from the last 25 years. Sometimes you need to think about how this might look through the eyes of someone just trying to get into the medium. I remember how overwhelming it was to look at a comic rack and see 50 titles in the same crossover event. Bendis is well suited for those of us who don't visit the comic book store weekly, but instead pick up a few trades ever month or so. Sometimes simplicity is nice. And Bendis is definitely that.
That said, I don't think he needs 2 on-going team titles, because they do come off almost identical in tone and cast. But, if it gets more people interested in his cast, I guess I can deal with it.
-HP
How dare you come here and pose a thoughtful and well-constructed argument, Chris!
ReplyDeleteBeing rational is NOT what the Fanholes are about!
Chris, clearly I am a drug fiend! :)
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that does it for me anymore is a shot of heroin straight in between the veins in my toes.
Unfortunately The Headman got me and Lt. Falcon hooked on SPARK! long before Bendis came around.
Thanks for listening!
Chris, I would say be thankful you started with Ultimate Spider-Man and not his Avengers run, or you might have sworn off comics forever!
ReplyDeleteAll kidding aside, I did really enjoy Ultimate Spider-Man as well. And I even had his Avengers on my pull list, although over time I grew to like it less and less and finally removed it from my pull list.
In the end though, it is great that he got you into comics. Hope you're still enjoying the ride.