43 comments on “OUT THIS WEEK: FNSM #19, FALLEN ANGEL #14, DARK TOWER #3”
FNSM: thank you so much for the Doctor Who ref. 🙂
Will read the other two this weekend.
Glad to see Lin again. I missed her. Like how you integrated her publishing history into her story.
Fallen Angel was awesome! We’re finally learning just how Fallen Angel relates to Linda Danvers.
I loved Benny’s reaction to seeing Lin back in Bete Noir.
The Doctor Who reference was only there for continuity’s sake – the alley scene was previously depicted this way in #10.
Nice issue, but it’s a bit of a shame it’s taken so long to resolve the storyline. I mean, #10 was left as a cliffhanger, and two quite unrelated story arcs took place before this got even addressed. I know things happened in those two arcs that played into this one, but I don’t think they necessarily needed to play out that way…
Also I’m a bit confused about how the retcon bombs work – Spider-Man 2211 was forgetting Hobby, everyone in her time would forget she existed, but Spider-Man and Chameleon 2211 in the “present” can remember her and everything she did? I kind of assumed that it would wipe her and everything she did out of existence.
The moment where Spider-Man detects more people present than there actually appeared to be in the school felt very Goblet of Fire-y.
I assume the next storyline wraps up everything else from the first two years of the book? What next?
Fallen Angel was good, though I was a bit confused when I first started reading, as I had kind of expected the storyline from #13 to continue. I’d also forgotten until reading one of the above posts that Linda Danvers would kinda sorta make an appearance in Fallen Angel (or had expected it to come several issues later); so for most of the issue, I thought the woman in the hospital was Lee, despite the different name (though in the back of my mind, I may have juxtaposed the “a” and “n” in Liandra to get “Lin”) and the lack of red hair. And perhaps because of the Buffy scene on the TV. I had to double check the number on the cover to make sure I hadn’t missed an issue. Even the reference to the demon boyfriend sailed past me.
But don’t worry. This inability to piece things together from obvious clues will not stop me from starting my own private detective agency. I mean, it’s not like you need to have an ability to accurately sift through clues to arrive at the correct solution in that business, right?
Right?
So, Lin is Lee’s predecessor, huh? That’s true enough in the sense that the one character came before the other; but what does that mean within the story? Her predecessor as the Fallen Angel, as Dolf seems to imply, or in some other context?
Also does Bete Noire exist in the same time/space continuum as the rest of the world, or can people from different time periods arrive in Bete Noire on the same date? The IDW Fallen Angel series jumped about two decades ahead of the DC one, yet Lin appears to be in her 20s. If Bete Noire exists in the same time/space continuum as the rest of the world, then Lin should look 20 years older.
Yes, I know Lee still looks like she’s in her 20s, but that’s only when she’s Fallen Angeling. During the day, as seen in the first issue of the IDW series, she looks like she’s in her 40s.
If Bete Noire exists outside the space/time continuum, then who knows (besides PAD, of course)? Maybe Lin comes from what Lee would consider the future in the “real world”; or maybe Lee and Lin would be considered contemporaries in the “real world”, but Lin’s tenure in Bete Noire took place in the “past.” A lot of it depends on how long Lin had the Fallen Angel job, if she did. She may have only been in that position for a short time.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Rick
P.S., speaking of stories (though completely off topic), I recently sold my short story “Ascension” to the science fiction and fantasy Audiozine SCYWEB BEM. As the word implies, they publish stories in audio format on CDs.
It should be published sometime in the next year.
I said it before and I’ll say it again:
FA #14? Best. Thing. Ever.
Oh Linda-not-Linda-Danvers-because-that-would-be-copyright-infringement, how I missed you.
No Fallen Angel here, although the list I check (Midtown Comics) has it shipping next week anyway, so this might be a case where it isn’t coming out all at the same time at all Diamond distribution points.
I don’t read it, but I have a nice little anecdote about Gunslinger. Customer who was gotten into a comic shop for the very first time because of Dark Tower comes up to the counter while the comics are being sorted into pulls, and asks when #3 is coming out. Seconds before, I’d noticed what comic was being put into pulls, so I got to reply, “It’s in her hand now, actually.” She smiled and held up the issue. 🙂
FNSM: Liked the Scooby Doo references, especially the one at the end of the comic.
I knew instantly that the “thousands of life forms” wasn’t a mistake by the helmet, but I’m still wondering who/what Arrow is.
Liked the poetic justice.
FA: Was confused, and worried what you were pulling, until the end. Liked how the doctor looked vaguely like you in one scene. Though I may be suffering from similar delusions as Lin.
One more thing:
FNSM: Ðámņ that helmet is powerful, if it was able to 1) know everything it needed to know 2) was able to physically accomplish what it needed to accomplish in order to carry out the poetic justice!
I hope Spidey keeps it – it certainly makes him more powerful. But since someone else has already brought up Goblet of Fire, let me say I know it’s dangerous to trust objects that appear to have a mind of their own.
As I mentioned on another board…. great FNSM as usual, but very saddened by… um… certain turns in Roger the principal’s life. 🙁
Despite being destroyed in Issue No. 532 of The Amazing Spider-Man, Stamford, CT’s “A Timeless Journey” DID have Fallen Angel 14’s to spare.
~f
FNSM was really good, but FA blew me away. I’m with Queen Anthai; I really missed her.
Posted by: John at April 7, 2007 02:09 PM FNSM: Ðámņ that helmet is powerful, if it was able to 1) know everything it needed to know 2) was able to physically accomplish what it needed to accomplish in order to carry out the poetic justice!
You know, I’d just been thinking the same thing earlier. While it was very sweet to see such poetic justice enforced, what do you think the odds were that Spidey would end up cramming the helmet onto Chameleon 2211 at the exact moment they were about to fire up the electric chair to kill Sandman’s pop? Plus, yes, I was amazed that it was able to switch their places.
When FNSM made its way into the comments section of the last topic I mentioned that I laughed out loud at the strategically placed Scooby-Doo lines, but there was one other thing that got me to laugh: Sandman’s “I hate you,” when he was told who Scrappy Doo was. 😀
I’m really feeling sorry for poor Betty now, and look forward to finding out what the deal is with this Nurse Arrow that she can transform herself into all those spiders (and it just registered this second that in order to make Brant’s night hellish she must have been willing to climb into the toilet bowl! Gross).
There was a lot of stuff that went right over my head, such as who the Uncle Ben who got killed was and where he came from, why Chameleon 2211 gave him a gun and wanted him to use it instead of just killing him and ingesting his DNA at the start, what all these people from the future and/or alternate timelines had been doing in the year 2007 on Earth 616 in ths first place, and things like that. Are the answers to all of those questions in the back issues?
Anyway, overall it was a pretty good read. I think that guy with the van, Dennis, might be worth bringing back sometime, if only for comic relief.
About FNSM 19.
Solid issue again however the end came a bit rushed.
I would have one question to PAD. Is there any detail that ain’t important? I already wondered why the Janitor was shown in “I hate mysteries” but didn’t apeared later.
Makes me wonder what doctor Castillo is doing right now…?
To bad for the principal i liked him.
Also is Miss Arrow (the Other) now a solid body or is she still made up by spiders?
I really really liked FNS 19.
Everytime I read Peter’s line about “Just because we’re criminals doesn’t mean we go around breaking the law.” I have to laugh because it’s such a Peter thing to say. Esp. since it shows just how much he’s not a criminal.
It’s interesting to note that DT isn’t getting any comments. I think the buzz is gone. The mainstream comic book readers aren’t coming out for it, and the King fans aren’t staying.
I am enjoying it, with one big qualm this issue. The art is wonderful but Farson is not supposed to be a masked villain, he’s “the Good Man,” a fake people’s hero despite his allegiance to the dark side. The mask and head golf is all wrong.
I should note, though, that I am part of a circle of DT fanatics (though not one myself), and you’re starting to lose them. They don’t like your narration (which I love). They don’t like your take on Susan. And they feel it’s far too condensed. The only reason they are staying is out of loyalty to the original. I’m not sure if they are the only audience that you and Jae and Robin and Mr. King should be paying attention to, but they are the ones most likely to buy this now and in the collection.
That said, I feel the streamlined version of events is necessary. Wizard and Glass is my least favorite DT novel, in part becuase it runs far too long. The script is great. The confrontation between the boys and the Coffin Hunters is recreated to near perfection. And I think that you were born to write Cuthbert.
I had some time to kill, so I went into a comics shop that I usually don’t go into, it’s a BEAR to get out of there, and as I was looking around, I saw the Dark Tower cover.
“Gotta grab that,” I told myself. So, I grabbed three other books that I wanted at the other end of the shelf, went to grab it–
It was GONE.
Last @#$! copy of it, two minutes later, and it was GONE. I was FURIOUS. Mostly at myself. But the cover looked good. I guess I should’ve moved with more alacrity, but I figured, there’s only six other people in here, and I didn’t know there was only the one left. I’m so dumb sometimes.
“I should note, though, that I am part of a circle of DT fanatics (though not one myself), and you’re starting to lose them. They don’t like your narration (which I love). They don’t like your take on Susan. And they feel it’s far too condensed.”
With all respect to that circle, I don’t know what the hëll they’re talking about. They don’t like the narration? Okay, that’s something original I’m bringing to the series. But my “take on Susan?” Susan is just about the only character who every single line of dialogue is taken directly from the book. It’s King’s Susan, word for bloody word. So they don’t like the stuff I do that’s original and they don’t like King’s own dialogue. With that sort of reasoning, it doesn’t surprise me that they’d add “too condensed” to their litany of unreasonable criticisms. Yes, by all means, let’s adapt every single word so that instead of seven issues, it can run a hundred.
Sheesh.
PAD
One of the few comics runs that I go back and re-read in it’s entireity is your run on Supergirl, in particular issues 1-50. Linda/Supergirl was such a great tragic hero. And that run was such an original, intelligent, and spiritual take on super-heroics.
And yes, I bought the DC run of Fallen Angel and called it ‘Linda v2.0’ in my mind.
So it was simply a treat to read FA #14 and see that brunette with the flame wings one more time.
She was somewhere … then in limbo … and now back. And I am grateful to read more of her story.
Thanks for bringing her back PAD.
YEAH! HÊLL OF A BUSY WEEK BEFORE EASTER.
Long weekends are the best… I bum and bum.
Somebody has to mention it… was the psychiatrist in Fallen Angel #14 intentionally modeled on PAD’s real-life appearance? If so, whose idea was it to do so? And were any of the other members of the staff intentionally modeled on real people?
Hmmm. I loved FA. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Just thought I’d let you know that this month’s new Playboy (with Anna Nicole) on the cover, has a short blurb about the Gordon Lee case on page 41, in the News section.
I think I can give a little more constructive criticism of DT than the other poster:
I’m finding just a bit too much “midworld-speak” in the narration, “do ya’s” and “cry your pardons” etc. were a little fewer and further between in the way the characters spoke in the books — mostly because the POV character is seldom Roland, and the books’ narration is not in that style. It gets a little repetitive to me, but it’s growing on me since issue 1.
I do agree that the choice of Farson’s appearance seems wrong — perhaps this is the cabal at the center, but what does he need a mask that echoes the Crimson King *for*? Is that solely Jae Lee’s design or did you have any input on that, PAD?
I was hoping to see more of what was merely alluded to in DT, I’m mostly getting Wizard and Glass and other bits put together sequentially that we didn’t see all at once. There’s an awful lot in odd corners of the DT cycle, can we see more of them?
Update: FA 14 is indeed on my store’s invoice for this week. 🙂
Regarding Farson, there is not–to the best of my knowledge–any physical description of Farson in the book. So I’m not certain why Jae’s rendition of him would be considered out of line. As for Farson’s smacking heads around…I’m really confused as to why that’s “all wrong” when page 378 of “Wizard and Glass” makes specific mention of Farson and his lieutenants using human heads for nightly polo games. Farson’s betting on the distance he could hit the heads is, in fact, far more restrained than depicting Farson’s men having a full blown polo game, I have to think.
PAD
“Somebody has to mention it… was the psychiatrist in Fallen Angel #14 intentionally modeled on PAD’s real-life appearance? If so, whose idea was it to do so?”
Mine. The following was my instruction to JK in introducing the Doctor:
“WE SEE the Doctor. He looks kind-hearted, early 50s. You could actually base him on me, but don’t make it TOO exact.”
“And were any of the other members of the staff intentionally modeled on real people?”
Visually? No.
PAD
FNSM was great, as usual. The banter between Sandman and Spidey was classic, I am enjoying the Arrow/Betty/Flash situation and the ending blew me away.
I also appreciated the point made about capital punishment. It was very nicely done, and i have no problem with political ideas/issues being presented in a comic unless I am really getting beaten over the head with it. As is PAD’s way, the end could actually be interpreted a couple of different ways. There’s the obvious, which are that mistakes are made in the application of capital punishment and therefore should be abolished. The other way to look at it is that, “See, in the end justice is served.”
Re: “Fallen Angel” this issue was great. From the PAD doc, to the Buffy scene, to Lin bringing back fond memories to the stunning last panel. Home run al the way.
I have not read “Dark Tower” yet, but I have been picking it up. Let me just say, at least from what i can see and hear, the book is incredibly strong and may actually be picking up steam. At my local Borders, the comic is displayed prominently under the cashiers’ aisle, so anyone making a purchase can’t help but see it and perhaps make an impulse buy, and my LCS has had to order a ton of second prints. So the “buzz” is still quite loud from where I stand.
Fallen Angel: Lin(da) is back. Happy days are here again! Is the next issure out yet? Oh, and please please please keep Lin(da) around after this arc.
FNSM: I really enjoy this title, unlike some of the reviews out there that think the plot is too “convoluted.” Now I’m no mind-reader, but I’m pretty sure that’s sort of the point to this book. Btw, any chance that we’ll see more of Deb Whitman?
Dark Tower: I’m starting to fall off on this title. Maybe if was more familiar with the series I would find it more interesting. It probably would read better as a trade though. Trying to get into a completely new setting through a monthy comic book probably isn’t the best way to go for a new reader.
FNSM: liking it very much. The helmet rocks. Now if we could only get Cheney to try it on….
Dark Tower. I love the Lee Isanove combination. Bringing those characters to flesh is quite an achievement. Also big ups for the background info ( saves me having to flip through my dog-eared copy on the bookshelf)
Farson- very creepy.
Both FNSM and FA were excellent reads.
Question regarding Fallen Angel. Was that Despero choking Linda in the beginning?
I loved all 2 of the 3 (I’m waiting till the 7th issue of dark tower to come out before starting to read them , but i’m biased to your stuff. You are 1 of a select few writers with whom i buy all books that are written (Warren Ellis, Matt Wagner and Neil Gaiman are the other 3) i’m soory i put that stuff on the why bush won’t compromise thread but this thread hadn’t come up yet and i wanted to let you know about that review on Comic Book Resources. He was brutal so i assumed he had actually read the book. I think i pìššëd øff one of the posters because i dared put this in the polital discussion so sorry again.
I like the poetic justice in the end with ben dying. i would have loved to have seen peter confront ben.
keep up the great work.
Fallen Angel –
I liked that you had the Buffy episode playing the background. The episode where Buffy is in the mental home wondering which existence is the real one was a great episode (I loved the ending of it)
FNSM – I like the art. I’m glad you got your Young Justice partner with you. Is that a permanent thing? Did you ask for him, or just happen to work out that way?
Othergrunty asked:
I would have one question to PAD. Is there any detail that ain’t important? I already wondered why the Janitor was shown in “I hate mysteries” but didn’t apeared later.
I think the better question is– did the new janitor look vaguely like Neil Flynn by happenstance or is it a vast conspiracy?
Regarding Fallen Angel #14:
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!
It is so wonderful to see “Lin” (again). And the shout-out to the Buffy episode was pure genius!!!!
I know it’s almost too much to hope that Lin can survive this arc and be a recurring character, but I can still wish.
Hmm, the creator of Ghost Rider is suing Marvel and everybody under the sun over the character saying he owns the rights.
Granted, I don’t know the ins and outs of this situation at all, but I tend to take a dim view of those who sue only after there’s possible substantial monetary gain to be had (this is commonplace with software patents).
Hmmmm. Craig, we do not know why Groovy Gary has chosen to sue now. For all we know, he has been looking for an attorney for years but it was only when the movie came out was he able to convince one to take his case.
We just don’t know the whole story yet. It is way to early to pass judgment.
“Dark Tower”, it was announced this week, will have a seond printing for it’s second issue. So, obviously, the buzz has not died down nearly as much as some posters here assert.
Ah, a marvelous Fallen Angel! So good to see “Lin” again… just waiting ’til our little girl is old enough to read the SG run that I’ve collected for her…
Back to the new issue – very intriguing, and while not much of Lee, it seems like it had a lot of Fallen Angel in it.
I’m very curious to see how Lin and Lee interact, since they both have had many words with the the Big Guy. And both have quite a temper. Will they be kindred spirits, if that’s the right word, or have strong dislike for each other.
Since intricate and non-cliché character growth seems to be the rule in this series (meaning: I always guess wrong about this series), I’m looking forward to next month’s FA!
1 Just one question about Fallen Angel;
Who is the person on the first page with the purple arm suppose to be? Should we know? Is it suppose to be someone from the Supergirl issues or just a character?
Okay…that’s 3 questions.
I love the twist about Ben and the Chameleon in Spider-man. I was one that was negative about Uncle Ben being used again and I apologize for popping off about a story line before giving it a chance to play out. I should have trusted that you have never failed to pull out a surprise no one was expecting.
“Who is the person on the first page with the purple arm suppose to be? Should we know? Is it suppose to be someone from the Supergirl issues or just a character?”
It’s no one you’ve seen. The answers will be forthcoming.
PAD
So when the issue of FNSM came out, I told you that I hated seeing an image of Uncle Ben killing someone, and you told me I was missing something.
Obviously, I was. But I have to admit I was underwhelmed at the solution you provided. This story didn’t work for me, overall. Sorry.
But I did really like the portrayal of Flint Marko. It’s a heck of a lot better than the past portrayals of him as a psycopath. My favorite Sandman story is the origin story from Marvel Two-In-One, where he comes into the bar with Ben Grimm and ends up rethinking his life. Your Sandman is a lot more in line with that characterization. Thanks for that.
I’m loving Dark Tower so far. I, for one, have no problem with Farson’s unsetteling appearence. In fact, I think that his look would be far more effective if other people throughout the tale actually begin refering to him as “the Good Man.” Converts to his “populist” cause would be in for a rude awakening upon coming face to face with the man and his methods.
While I’m loving Gunslinger Born and its Mid-World setting, my favorite Dark Tower stories were the ones that took place in the “real world.” The New York of Eddie Dean, Susannah, and Jake (not to mention Salazar and Co.) was where I really began to fall in love with the story and the characters, especially Roland. I’m all in favor of seeing Roland’s early years fleshed out up to and including the Battle of Jericho Hill, but I’d really love to see Roland have an adventure or two in New York or some other “real world” setting. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep reading.
• 
FNSM: thank you so much for the Doctor Who ref. 🙂
Will read the other two this weekend.
Glad to see Lin again. I missed her. Like how you integrated her publishing history into her story.
Fallen Angel was awesome! We’re finally learning just how Fallen Angel relates to Linda Danvers.
I loved Benny’s reaction to seeing Lin back in Bete Noir.
The Doctor Who reference was only there for continuity’s sake – the alley scene was previously depicted this way in #10.
Nice issue, but it’s a bit of a shame it’s taken so long to resolve the storyline. I mean, #10 was left as a cliffhanger, and two quite unrelated story arcs took place before this got even addressed. I know things happened in those two arcs that played into this one, but I don’t think they necessarily needed to play out that way…
Also I’m a bit confused about how the retcon bombs work – Spider-Man 2211 was forgetting Hobby, everyone in her time would forget she existed, but Spider-Man and Chameleon 2211 in the “present” can remember her and everything she did? I kind of assumed that it would wipe her and everything she did out of existence.
The moment where Spider-Man detects more people present than there actually appeared to be in the school felt very Goblet of Fire-y.
I assume the next storyline wraps up everything else from the first two years of the book? What next?
Fallen Angel was good, though I was a bit confused when I first started reading, as I had kind of expected the storyline from #13 to continue. I’d also forgotten until reading one of the above posts that Linda Danvers would kinda sorta make an appearance in Fallen Angel (or had expected it to come several issues later); so for most of the issue, I thought the woman in the hospital was Lee, despite the different name (though in the back of my mind, I may have juxtaposed the “a” and “n” in Liandra to get “Lin”) and the lack of red hair. And perhaps because of the Buffy scene on the TV. I had to double check the number on the cover to make sure I hadn’t missed an issue. Even the reference to the demon boyfriend sailed past me.
But don’t worry. This inability to piece things together from obvious clues will not stop me from starting my own private detective agency. I mean, it’s not like you need to have an ability to accurately sift through clues to arrive at the correct solution in that business, right?
Right?
So, Lin is Lee’s predecessor, huh? That’s true enough in the sense that the one character came before the other; but what does that mean within the story? Her predecessor as the Fallen Angel, as Dolf seems to imply, or in some other context?
Also does Bete Noire exist in the same time/space continuum as the rest of the world, or can people from different time periods arrive in Bete Noire on the same date? The IDW Fallen Angel series jumped about two decades ahead of the DC one, yet Lin appears to be in her 20s. If Bete Noire exists in the same time/space continuum as the rest of the world, then Lin should look 20 years older.
Yes, I know Lee still looks like she’s in her 20s, but that’s only when she’s Fallen Angeling. During the day, as seen in the first issue of the IDW series, she looks like she’s in her 40s.
If Bete Noire exists outside the space/time continuum, then who knows (besides PAD, of course)? Maybe Lin comes from what Lee would consider the future in the “real world”; or maybe Lee and Lin would be considered contemporaries in the “real world”, but Lin’s tenure in Bete Noire took place in the “past.” A lot of it depends on how long Lin had the Fallen Angel job, if she did. She may have only been in that position for a short time.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Rick
P.S., speaking of stories (though completely off topic), I recently sold my short story “Ascension” to the science fiction and fantasy Audiozine SCYWEB BEM. As the word implies, they publish stories in audio format on CDs.
It should be published sometime in the next year.
I said it before and I’ll say it again:
FA #14? Best. Thing. Ever.
Oh Linda-not-Linda-Danvers-because-that-would-be-copyright-infringement, how I missed you.
No Fallen Angel here, although the list I check (Midtown Comics) has it shipping next week anyway, so this might be a case where it isn’t coming out all at the same time at all Diamond distribution points.
I don’t read it, but I have a nice little anecdote about Gunslinger. Customer who was gotten into a comic shop for the very first time because of Dark Tower comes up to the counter while the comics are being sorted into pulls, and asks when #3 is coming out. Seconds before, I’d noticed what comic was being put into pulls, so I got to reply, “It’s in her hand now, actually.” She smiled and held up the issue. 🙂
FNSM: Liked the Scooby Doo references, especially the one at the end of the comic.
I knew instantly that the “thousands of life forms” wasn’t a mistake by the helmet, but I’m still wondering who/what Arrow is.
Liked the poetic justice.
FA: Was confused, and worried what you were pulling, until the end. Liked how the doctor looked vaguely like you in one scene. Though I may be suffering from similar delusions as Lin.
One more thing:
FNSM: Ðámņ that helmet is powerful, if it was able to 1) know everything it needed to know 2) was able to physically accomplish what it needed to accomplish in order to carry out the poetic justice!
I hope Spidey keeps it – it certainly makes him more powerful. But since someone else has already brought up Goblet of Fire, let me say I know it’s dangerous to trust objects that appear to have a mind of their own.
As I mentioned on another board…. great FNSM as usual, but very saddened by… um… certain turns in Roger the principal’s life. 🙁
Despite being destroyed in Issue No. 532 of The Amazing Spider-Man, Stamford, CT’s “A Timeless Journey” DID have Fallen Angel 14’s to spare.
~f
FNSM was really good, but FA blew me away. I’m with Queen Anthai; I really missed her.
Posted by: John at April 7, 2007 02:09 PM FNSM: Ðámņ that helmet is powerful, if it was able to 1) know everything it needed to know 2) was able to physically accomplish what it needed to accomplish in order to carry out the poetic justice!
You know, I’d just been thinking the same thing earlier. While it was very sweet to see such poetic justice enforced, what do you think the odds were that Spidey would end up cramming the helmet onto Chameleon 2211 at the exact moment they were about to fire up the electric chair to kill Sandman’s pop? Plus, yes, I was amazed that it was able to switch their places.
When FNSM made its way into the comments section of the last topic I mentioned that I laughed out loud at the strategically placed Scooby-Doo lines, but there was one other thing that got me to laugh: Sandman’s “I hate you,” when he was told who Scrappy Doo was. 😀
I’m really feeling sorry for poor Betty now, and look forward to finding out what the deal is with this Nurse Arrow that she can transform herself into all those spiders (and it just registered this second that in order to make Brant’s night hellish she must have been willing to climb into the toilet bowl! Gross).
There was a lot of stuff that went right over my head, such as who the Uncle Ben who got killed was and where he came from, why Chameleon 2211 gave him a gun and wanted him to use it instead of just killing him and ingesting his DNA at the start, what all these people from the future and/or alternate timelines had been doing in the year 2007 on Earth 616 in ths first place, and things like that. Are the answers to all of those questions in the back issues?
Anyway, overall it was a pretty good read. I think that guy with the van, Dennis, might be worth bringing back sometime, if only for comic relief.
About FNSM 19.
Solid issue again however the end came a bit rushed.
I would have one question to PAD. Is there any detail that ain’t important? I already wondered why the Janitor was shown in “I hate mysteries” but didn’t apeared later.
Makes me wonder what doctor Castillo is doing right now…?
To bad for the principal i liked him.
Also is Miss Arrow (the Other) now a solid body or is she still made up by spiders?
I really really liked FNS 19.
Everytime I read Peter’s line about “Just because we’re criminals doesn’t mean we go around breaking the law.” I have to laugh because it’s such a Peter thing to say. Esp. since it shows just how much he’s not a criminal.
It’s interesting to note that DT isn’t getting any comments. I think the buzz is gone. The mainstream comic book readers aren’t coming out for it, and the King fans aren’t staying.
I am enjoying it, with one big qualm this issue. The art is wonderful but Farson is not supposed to be a masked villain, he’s “the Good Man,” a fake people’s hero despite his allegiance to the dark side. The mask and head golf is all wrong.
I should note, though, that I am part of a circle of DT fanatics (though not one myself), and you’re starting to lose them. They don’t like your narration (which I love). They don’t like your take on Susan. And they feel it’s far too condensed. The only reason they are staying is out of loyalty to the original. I’m not sure if they are the only audience that you and Jae and Robin and Mr. King should be paying attention to, but they are the ones most likely to buy this now and in the collection.
That said, I feel the streamlined version of events is necessary. Wizard and Glass is my least favorite DT novel, in part becuase it runs far too long. The script is great. The confrontation between the boys and the Coffin Hunters is recreated to near perfection. And I think that you were born to write Cuthbert.
I had some time to kill, so I went into a comics shop that I usually don’t go into, it’s a BEAR to get out of there, and as I was looking around, I saw the Dark Tower cover.
“Gotta grab that,” I told myself. So, I grabbed three other books that I wanted at the other end of the shelf, went to grab it–
It was GONE.
Last @#$! copy of it, two minutes later, and it was GONE. I was FURIOUS. Mostly at myself. But the cover looked good. I guess I should’ve moved with more alacrity, but I figured, there’s only six other people in here, and I didn’t know there was only the one left. I’m so dumb sometimes.
“I should note, though, that I am part of a circle of DT fanatics (though not one myself), and you’re starting to lose them. They don’t like your narration (which I love). They don’t like your take on Susan. And they feel it’s far too condensed.”
With all respect to that circle, I don’t know what the hëll they’re talking about. They don’t like the narration? Okay, that’s something original I’m bringing to the series. But my “take on Susan?” Susan is just about the only character who every single line of dialogue is taken directly from the book. It’s King’s Susan, word for bloody word. So they don’t like the stuff I do that’s original and they don’t like King’s own dialogue. With that sort of reasoning, it doesn’t surprise me that they’d add “too condensed” to their litany of unreasonable criticisms. Yes, by all means, let’s adapt every single word so that instead of seven issues, it can run a hundred.
Sheesh.
PAD
One of the few comics runs that I go back and re-read in it’s entireity is your run on Supergirl, in particular issues 1-50. Linda/Supergirl was such a great tragic hero. And that run was such an original, intelligent, and spiritual take on super-heroics.
And yes, I bought the DC run of Fallen Angel and called it ‘Linda v2.0’ in my mind.
So it was simply a treat to read FA #14 and see that brunette with the flame wings one more time.
She was somewhere … then in limbo … and now back. And I am grateful to read more of her story.
Thanks for bringing her back PAD.
YEAH! HÊLL OF A BUSY WEEK BEFORE EASTER.
Long weekends are the best… I bum and bum.
Somebody has to mention it… was the psychiatrist in Fallen Angel #14 intentionally modeled on PAD’s real-life appearance? If so, whose idea was it to do so? And were any of the other members of the staff intentionally modeled on real people?
Hmmm. I loved FA. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Just thought I’d let you know that this month’s new Playboy (with Anna Nicole) on the cover, has a short blurb about the Gordon Lee case on page 41, in the News section.
I think I can give a little more constructive criticism of DT than the other poster:
I’m finding just a bit too much “midworld-speak” in the narration, “do ya’s” and “cry your pardons” etc. were a little fewer and further between in the way the characters spoke in the books — mostly because the POV character is seldom Roland, and the books’ narration is not in that style. It gets a little repetitive to me, but it’s growing on me since issue 1.
I do agree that the choice of Farson’s appearance seems wrong — perhaps this is the cabal at the center, but what does he need a mask that echoes the Crimson King *for*? Is that solely Jae Lee’s design or did you have any input on that, PAD?
I was hoping to see more of what was merely alluded to in DT, I’m mostly getting Wizard and Glass and other bits put together sequentially that we didn’t see all at once. There’s an awful lot in odd corners of the DT cycle, can we see more of them?
Update: FA 14 is indeed on my store’s invoice for this week. 🙂
Regarding Farson, there is not–to the best of my knowledge–any physical description of Farson in the book. So I’m not certain why Jae’s rendition of him would be considered out of line. As for Farson’s smacking heads around…I’m really confused as to why that’s “all wrong” when page 378 of “Wizard and Glass” makes specific mention of Farson and his lieutenants using human heads for nightly polo games. Farson’s betting on the distance he could hit the heads is, in fact, far more restrained than depicting Farson’s men having a full blown polo game, I have to think.
PAD
“Somebody has to mention it… was the psychiatrist in Fallen Angel #14 intentionally modeled on PAD’s real-life appearance? If so, whose idea was it to do so?”
Mine. The following was my instruction to JK in introducing the Doctor:
“WE SEE the Doctor. He looks kind-hearted, early 50s. You could actually base him on me, but don’t make it TOO exact.”
“And were any of the other members of the staff intentionally modeled on real people?”
Visually? No.
PAD
FNSM was great, as usual. The banter between Sandman and Spidey was classic, I am enjoying the Arrow/Betty/Flash situation and the ending blew me away.
I also appreciated the point made about capital punishment. It was very nicely done, and i have no problem with political ideas/issues being presented in a comic unless I am really getting beaten over the head with it. As is PAD’s way, the end could actually be interpreted a couple of different ways. There’s the obvious, which are that mistakes are made in the application of capital punishment and therefore should be abolished. The other way to look at it is that, “See, in the end justice is served.”
Re: “Fallen Angel” this issue was great. From the PAD doc, to the Buffy scene, to Lin bringing back fond memories to the stunning last panel. Home run al the way.
I have not read “Dark Tower” yet, but I have been picking it up. Let me just say, at least from what i can see and hear, the book is incredibly strong and may actually be picking up steam. At my local Borders, the comic is displayed prominently under the cashiers’ aisle, so anyone making a purchase can’t help but see it and perhaps make an impulse buy, and my LCS has had to order a ton of second prints. So the “buzz” is still quite loud from where I stand.
Fallen Angel: Lin(da) is back. Happy days are here again! Is the next issure out yet? Oh, and please please please keep Lin(da) around after this arc.
FNSM: I really enjoy this title, unlike some of the reviews out there that think the plot is too “convoluted.” Now I’m no mind-reader, but I’m pretty sure that’s sort of the point to this book. Btw, any chance that we’ll see more of Deb Whitman?
Dark Tower: I’m starting to fall off on this title. Maybe if was more familiar with the series I would find it more interesting. It probably would read better as a trade though. Trying to get into a completely new setting through a monthy comic book probably isn’t the best way to go for a new reader.
FNSM: liking it very much. The helmet rocks. Now if we could only get Cheney to try it on….
Dark Tower. I love the Lee Isanove combination. Bringing those characters to flesh is quite an achievement. Also big ups for the background info ( saves me having to flip through my dog-eared copy on the bookshelf)
Farson- very creepy.
Both FNSM and FA were excellent reads.
Question regarding Fallen Angel. Was that Despero choking Linda in the beginning?
I loved all 2 of the 3 (I’m waiting till the 7th issue of dark tower to come out before starting to read them , but i’m biased to your stuff. You are 1 of a select few writers with whom i buy all books that are written (Warren Ellis, Matt Wagner and Neil Gaiman are the other 3) i’m soory i put that stuff on the why bush won’t compromise thread but this thread hadn’t come up yet and i wanted to let you know about that review on Comic Book Resources. He was brutal so i assumed he had actually read the book. I think i pìššëd øff one of the posters because i dared put this in the polital discussion so sorry again.
I like the poetic justice in the end with ben dying. i would have loved to have seen peter confront ben.
keep up the great work.
Fallen Angel –
I liked that you had the Buffy episode playing the background. The episode where Buffy is in the mental home wondering which existence is the real one was a great episode (I loved the ending of it)
FNSM – I like the art. I’m glad you got your Young Justice partner with you. Is that a permanent thing? Did you ask for him, or just happen to work out that way?
Othergrunty asked:
I would have one question to PAD. Is there any detail that ain’t important? I already wondered why the Janitor was shown in “I hate mysteries” but didn’t apeared later.
I think the better question is– did the new janitor look vaguely like Neil Flynn by happenstance or is it a vast conspiracy?
Regarding Fallen Angel #14:
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!
It is so wonderful to see “Lin” (again). And the shout-out to the Buffy episode was pure genius!!!!
I know it’s almost too much to hope that Lin can survive this arc and be a recurring character, but I can still wish.
Hmm, the creator of Ghost Rider is suing Marvel and everybody under the sun over the character saying he owns the rights.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070410/media_nm/ghostrider_dc
Granted, I don’t know the ins and outs of this situation at all, but I tend to take a dim view of those who sue only after there’s possible substantial monetary gain to be had (this is commonplace with software patents).
Hmmmm. Craig, we do not know why Groovy Gary has chosen to sue now. For all we know, he has been looking for an attorney for years but it was only when the movie came out was he able to convince one to take his case.
We just don’t know the whole story yet. It is way to early to pass judgment.
“Dark Tower”, it was announced this week, will have a seond printing for it’s second issue. So, obviously, the buzz has not died down nearly as much as some posters here assert.
Ah, a marvelous Fallen Angel! So good to see “Lin” again… just waiting ’til our little girl is old enough to read the SG run that I’ve collected for her…
Back to the new issue – very intriguing, and while not much of Lee, it seems like it had a lot of Fallen Angel in it.
I’m very curious to see how Lin and Lee interact, since they both have had many words with the the Big Guy. And both have quite a temper. Will they be kindred spirits, if that’s the right word, or have strong dislike for each other.
Since intricate and non-cliché character growth seems to be the rule in this series (meaning: I always guess wrong about this series), I’m looking forward to next month’s FA!
1 Just one question about Fallen Angel;
Who is the person on the first page with the purple arm suppose to be? Should we know? Is it suppose to be someone from the Supergirl issues or just a character?
Okay…that’s 3 questions.
I love the twist about Ben and the Chameleon in Spider-man. I was one that was negative about Uncle Ben being used again and I apologize for popping off about a story line before giving it a chance to play out. I should have trusted that you have never failed to pull out a surprise no one was expecting.
“Who is the person on the first page with the purple arm suppose to be? Should we know? Is it suppose to be someone from the Supergirl issues or just a character?”
It’s no one you’ve seen. The answers will be forthcoming.
PAD
So when the issue of FNSM came out, I told you that I hated seeing an image of Uncle Ben killing someone, and you told me I was missing something.
Obviously, I was. But I have to admit I was underwhelmed at the solution you provided. This story didn’t work for me, overall. Sorry.
But I did really like the portrayal of Flint Marko. It’s a heck of a lot better than the past portrayals of him as a psycopath. My favorite Sandman story is the origin story from Marvel Two-In-One, where he comes into the bar with Ben Grimm and ends up rethinking his life. Your Sandman is a lot more in line with that characterization. Thanks for that.
I’m loving Dark Tower so far. I, for one, have no problem with Farson’s unsetteling appearence. In fact, I think that his look would be far more effective if other people throughout the tale actually begin refering to him as “the Good Man.” Converts to his “populist” cause would be in for a rude awakening upon coming face to face with the man and his methods.
While I’m loving Gunslinger Born and its Mid-World setting, my favorite Dark Tower stories were the ones that took place in the “real world.” The New York of Eddie Dean, Susannah, and Jake (not to mention Salazar and Co.) was where I really began to fall in love with the story and the characters, especially Roland. I’m all in favor of seeing Roland’s early years fleshed out up to and including the Battle of Jericho Hill, but I’d really love to see Roland have an adventure or two in New York or some other “real world” setting. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep reading.