Weekly Comic Spotlight

This is the place to discuss the episodes of the Comic Book Page podcast, the Comic Book Page website or pretty much anything else of interest to the Comic Book Page community...

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fudd71
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by fudd71 »

Listening to the Weekly Comic Spotlight you guys brought up my feelings and reading habits on the Convergence event. I read Convergence #0-2 and decided I didn't want to continue with the series. I did read 5 of the week one 2-shots (Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Justice League, Nightwing Oracle and Titans) and enjoyed them much more than the main series. After hearing John and Drew along with others I know discuss how the #1s all became the same issue and knowing I wasn't interested in the main series I haven't bought any more DC titles since that first week and Convergence #2. What I haven't decided is if I want to get the five #2s that come out this Wednesday of the ones I already have the #1s of.
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by drew »

fudd71 wrote:What I haven't decided is if I want to get the five #2s that come out this Wednesday of the ones I already have the #1s of.
i am gonna give em a try (but on a very short leash)

i too have abandoned the event
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clobberin_time_bs
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by clobberin_time_bs »

Hey, loved this week's episode guys. I jumped on reading Hulk when Duggan took over (so about the time Drew jumped off) because I love the work he'd done on Deadpool, and this is the first time I've read a Hulk title consistently. I love the Dr. Green character and how he has to come up with ways to force Banner into giving control back to him whenever he losses it. I wonder if that will end with the final issue?

Before Convergence started the only DC title I was reading was Harley Quinn, but I gave Convergence #0 a try and wasn't impressed so I'm still at just one DC title a month. I have to admit though that there is a lot of love for the new Teen Titans on the internet. Another podcast I listen to did a whole New Teen Titans history a little while ago and with John talking about them this week my curiosity has been peaked. Is there a trade that you recommend I pick up or are they available digitally?

Keep up the good work guys!
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JohnMayo
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by JohnMayo »

clobberin_time_bs wrote:Another podcast I listen to did a whole New Teen Titans history a little while ago and with John talking about them this week my curiosity has been peaked. Is there a trade that you recommend I pick up or are they available digitally?
Either start at the beginning of the original Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans run or start with the Judas Contract (which was about 2 1/2 to 3 years in to the run). It is great stuff.
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clobberin_time_bs
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by clobberin_time_bs »

Hey guys, I just listened to this week's comic spotlight and wanted to say great job.

As far as good editors go, and you mentioned him in the episode, but I thought that Steve Whacker did a great job during the Brand New Day era of Amazing Spider-Man. Juggling all of those writers and artists without any huge hiccups or mistakes was a monumental task and he did a great job (although if you ever run into him on a comments board he is really confrontational, unapologetic about the titles he edits :twisted: ). I also think Ralph Machio did a superb job during the early days of the Ultimate Universe. Quality went down on those titles when he left.

I more or less agreed with you assessment of Fantastic Four #645. I thought it was a great issue but seemed like just a regular issue in the series, there was no finality to it. By the way, C.B. Cebulski has already stated in an interview that F4 will have a title post Secret Wars, so this is not really the end as the marketing would have you believe (shar.es/1gbBu9). Also, you hit the nail on the head as far as the studio wars over F4 and X-Men go. It is clear that Marvel Comics is under no mandate not to use F4 characters but Marvel Studios is. There are no licensing agreements for Fantastic Four characters right now which means no toys or t-shirts and Brevoort and other Marvel execs have said they're not going to focus on properties they don't own the full licenses to any time soon. It just sucks for us long time F4 fans because they're the ones that got themselves into the situation where the had to sell off the license properties and now the fans get punished because they don't want to promote them any more. Anyway, I did a F4 #645 review too if anyone is interested. Find it here: http://fourcast.libsyn.com/4cast-episod ... c-four-645

Keep up the good work!
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by NiklasJ »

Hello, love the podcasts, very nice to listen to serious comic book discussion! Found my way here from cbr a few weeks ago and I´m going through the catalog of comic spotlights.

Are you aware that you spend more time spotlighting the dc comic than the marvel one? At least for the last 6 weeks its been dc 15-20+ minutes and then barely 10 minutes on the marvel.
(Since I´m a marvel zombie this makes me terribly upset... who cares about comic book adaptations of videogames.)

Go make more weekly spotlights, monday cant come fast enough!
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by JohnMayo »

NiklasJ wrote:Hello, love the podcasts, very nice to listen to serious comic book discussion! Found my way here from cbr a few weeks ago and I´m going through the catalog of comic spotlights.

Are you aware that you spend more time spotlighting the dc comic than the marvel one? At least for the last 6 weeks its been dc 15-20+ minutes and then barely 10 minutes on the marvel.
(Since I´m a marvel zombie this makes me terribly upset... who cares about comic book adaptations of videogames.)

Go make more weekly spotlights, monday cant come fast enough!
I'm glad you are enjoying the podcast case and I assure you that we aren't trying to short change Marvel in the reviews.

I hadn't noticed that we spend more time talking about DC than Marvel. Sometimes there is just more to say about one comic than another. Sometimes it is because one book is just better than another. Ironically, that often means we spend more time on the not so good one discussing how/where it failed for us and either why other people might like it or how it could have been improved.

Some of it also comes down to the amount of plot in a comic. Note the use of the word plot and not story. I've read some comics that were fairly long and enjoyable but the plot was fairly basic and I just didn't find much to talk about in the issue. It happens.

As for comic book adaptations of video games, Injustice: Gods Among Us has been brilliant and it very superior to what I expected out of both a comic book adaptation of a video game and out of most comics in general. I try not to dismiss a comic just because of who published it or where the source material came from. If a comic isn't for you, fine. But I try to go into comics with an open mind and have often been very pleasantly surprised by some comics.
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drew
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by drew »

NiklasJ wrote: Are you aware that you spend more time spotlighting the dc comic than the marvel one? At least for the last 6 weeks its been dc 15-20+ minutes and then barely 10 minutes on the marvel.
sometimes our DC (or Marvel or Indy) review continues into what is this publisher doing right or wrong...and lately DC has been misfiring and giving us plenty to discuss...I am fairly confident it will even out over time...thanks for listening
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NiklasJ
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by NiklasJ »

JohnMayo wrote: As for comic book adaptations of video games, Injustice: Gods Among Us has been brilliant and it very superior to what I expected out of both a comic book adaptation of a video game and out of most comics in general. I try not to dismiss a comic just because of who published it or where the source material came from. If a comic isn't for you, fine. But I try to go into comics with an open mind and have often been very pleasantly surprised by some comics.
Yeah I understand that, I´m just trying to limit my shopping a bit... Ive read lots of good things about the injustice and arkham comics but I would rather have good Batman, Superman, JL comics in the "regular"(?) comic universe than a multiverse of different versions. I probably shouldnt have poked the bear like that since I currently read three versions of spider-woman/gwen/silk, while i have no special interest for the different super/bat-men.

Throwing stones in glass houses? Yes!
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NiklasJ
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by NiklasJ »

drew102e wrote: sometimes our DC (or Marvel or Indy) review continues into what is this publisher doing right or wrong...and lately DC has been misfiring and giving us plenty to discuss...I am fairly confident it will even out over time...thanks for listening
Probably so, Secret Wars are coming for example...
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by doctormo »

This is regarding your discussion of editors on the podcast. The editor of Convergence, Marie Javins, was a former Marvel editor. Though I primarily remember her as a colorist. According to comicbookdb.com, she edited a lot of stuff in Marvel's Epic Line. Recently she co-edited Stuart Moore's EGOs comic. If Bleedingcool is considered gospel (*snicker*) Tom DeFalco was supposed to edit Convergence but it was handed off to Marie Javins (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/04/30/ ... nvergence/).

Turning to examples of good editors, I put forth Shelly Bond editor of the Fables line and Scott Dunbier editor of Alan Moore's ABC line. I also like Mark Doyle the current editor of the Batman line.
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by drew »

doctormo wrote: I also like Mark Doyle the current editor of the Batman line.
although we have noticed some inconsistencies regarding the look and contents of the batcave across publications, that may be artistic license and beyond an editors control
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by MichaelCastle »

Let me first say I love the Weekly Comics Spotlight definitely my favorite comics podcast out there right now. Thanks for reviewing Tithe #1 I didn't preorder but had to go get the first issue after the review. I somehow missed preordering it and that's what makes the podcast so good. Postal has been a great series also so maybe a review of #5 in July would be great. Just wondering with all the new #1 issues springing from Convergence will you have whole episodes dedicated to DC? Love Previews spotlight as well it's really neat to hear what other people are looking forward too.
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by drew »

MichaelCastle wrote:Let me first say I love the Weekly Comics Spotlight definitely my favorite comics podcast out there right now. Thanks for reviewing Tithe #1 I didn't preorder but had to go get the first issue after the review. I somehow missed preordering it and that's what makes the podcast so good. Postal has been a great series also so maybe a review of #5 in July would be great. Just wondering with all the new #1 issues springing from Convergence will you have whole episodes dedicated to DC?
Thanks, I loved Tithe; interesting Post-convergence DC special idea...
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fudd71
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Re: Weekly Comic Spotlight

Post by fudd71 »

It has been done. If you go back in the archives to September and October of 2011 Publisher Spotlight #6-9 covered all of the DC New 52 books. It would be a ton of work for John and Drew but I would love to hear it. Same thing with the books coming out of Secret Wars.
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