War Of The Realms Event!

[Fokken]

The tragedy of this first issue was how little we saw Captain Marvel's gorgeous golden mane billowing in the wind.

Don't let me down, Dauterman.

[Prof. Warren]

Ya know, for someone who insists that this story is both a commercial and critical success, you seem to really overlook how basic it is.

Bad guys show up, get punched. Hell, Atlantis Attacks had a better plot (not by much).

What post are you even reading?

Let take a look at it together, shall we?

It's right here:

When you approach things from a standpoint of apathy and cynicsym, "meh" becomes the default response to everything.

You say you want someone to convince you should care about a storyline that you clearly don't have any interest in and yet you choose to meet the responses to your request with a "whatever" brand of dismissiveness. You seem more interested in proving how bored you are than in having any genuine curiosity about WotR.

I don't fault anyone for not being interested in a particular book or series - everyone has their own tastes - but if someone thinks something looks boring to them, I have zero I interest in convincing them otherwise. What's the point? I'm reading it and they're not. And that's fine.

As for WotR, if someone's not already invested in the story Aaron's been telling, I don't know why this would change that. As someone who is invested, I'm very keen to see how the events of this series affects Thor and his family and the other supporting cast members that have played a part in Aaron's run, like Jane and Roz.

In terms of the broader MU, I'm also interested in seeing street level characters - like Daredevil and Punisher - involved in a type of conflict they don't typically encounter. And, on a purely visual level, it's a major selling point to have Dauterman handling all these characters.

As a story it's one of those "all hands on deck" scenarios that's always fun to see play out, as heroes combine their might to beat overwhelming odds. Will it have a deeper resonance? Who knows. There's still plenty of story left to go.

And for anyone who chooses to sit it out, it'll all be done in a few months.

Ok, have we all read it together again?

Not once in that post did I mention a single thing about WotR's critical and commercial success, much less insist that it is either one of those things.

I don't care about that. It isn't the metric I'm judging it by. My statements were solely about explaining my own personal interest in the series and expressing my complete disinterest in changing anyone's mind who feels that it isn't for them. My enjoyment of WotR - or anything else - doesn't hinge on convincing other people to share my interest.

I also didn't "overlook how basic it is." If anything, I acknowledged that quality:

As a story it's one of those "all hands on deck" scenarios that's always fun to see play out, as heroes combine their might to beat overwhelming odds. Will it have a deeper resonance? Who knows. There's still plenty of story left to go.

That said, if you're going to be that reductive about WotR's embrace of the familiar conflicts that comics thrive on ("bad guys show up, get punched"), and regard vaguely similar stories with a dismissive "if you've read one, you've read 'em all" attitude, why continue reading superhero comics at all?

In summary, you have misread, misrepresented and erroneously responded to every point I made.

I imagine the excuse, if you bother to have one, will be that - oops - you thought you were responding to someone else's post.

Either way, your lack of attention and/or reading comprehension has done a great job of making my own point towards you for me:

You seem more interested in proving how bored you are than in having any genuine curiosity about WotR.

So...thanks.

[The Cool Thatguy]

That said, if you're going to be that reductive about WotR's embrace of the familiar conflicts that comics thrive on ("bad guys show up, get punched"), and regard vaguely similar stories with a dismissive "if you've read one, you've read 'em all" attitude, why continue reading superhero comics at all?

Like I said in my original post, I just expect the writer to meet me half way. To go a little beyond basic. Most writers can accomplish that.

Aaron's had 4 years to do the same. If he's not going to make that effort, then please don't come back with the whole 'critical success' defense that we see so often.

In summary, you have misread, misrepresented and erroneously responded to every point I made.

Hey, I was in a hurry and it was early in the morning

I imagine the excuse, if you bother to have one, will be that - oops - you thought you were responding to someone else's post.

Either way, your lack of attention and/or reading comprehension has done a great job of making my own point towards you for me:



So...thanks.

The strawman skills are strong in this thread!

[Prof. Warren]

Like I said in my original post, I just expect the writer to meet me half way. To go a little beyond basic. Most writers can accomplish that.

Aaron's had 4 years to do the same. If he's not going to make that effort, then please don't come back with the whole 'critical success' defense that we see so often.

I just explained to you that I didn't mention a single thing about WotR being a critical success.

I re-quoted my own post to illustrate that.

So for you to say in response again "please don't come back with the whole 'critical success' defense that we see so often" leads me to think you don't know what words mean.

The strawman skills are strong in this thread!

You're quoting me reacting to you completely misrepresenting my original post. Let's go over it again.

In summary, you have misread, misrepresented and erroneously responded to every point I made.

I imagine the excuse, if you bother to have one, will be that - oops - you thought you were responding to someone else's post.

Either way, your lack of attention and/or reading comprehension has done a great job of making my own point towards you for me:

So...thanks.

The above is referring to the fact that you completely misread my initial post and gave a response that reflected that.

And in your follow-up post just now, you repeated the initial mistake.

Someone who has this much problem with reading comprehension shouldn't complain how anything is written. Sometimes the blame is on the reader.

[Snoop Dogg]

The tragedy of this first issue was how little we saw Captain Marvel's gorgeous golden mane billowing in the wind.

Don't let me down, Dauterman.

I'm living for his Black Panther, tbh. The all-black looks so striking alongside the others with Wilson's glowy colors.

[Fokken]

I'm living for his Black Panther, tbh. The all-black looks so striking alongside the others with Wilson's glowy colors.

omg who ISN'T? Is HOT.
The man makes everything fire.

Just gimme more locks. You know you got it in you, Dautz. Let them tresses toss!

[Personamanx]

I'm only here for the McElroys.

[JKtheMac]

I'm only here for the McElroys.

Have to say I had never heard of them. Seems the podcast world is so big now that I can’t keep up with everything. What exactly makes you excited about their book? Do they have a particular style? The short preview wasn’t something that would have piqued my interest if it wasn’t for the fact so many people seem excited by them. I didn’t really like the style, but it’s JitM so I am bound to read it.

[Personamanx]

Have to say I had never heard of them. Seems the podcast world is so big now that I can’t keep up with everything. What exactly makes you excited about their book? Do they have a particular style? The short preview wasn’t something that would have piqued my interest if it wasn’t for the fact so many people seem excited by them. I didn’t really like the style, but it’s JitM so I am bound to read it.

Well they're mostly know as a group for "My Brother, My Brother and Me" as well as "The Adventure Zone."

The first being a fairly standard comedy/advice show where listeners ask questions (or they just pull from Yahoo answers), and they give their ridiculous take. It's been around for a while, but since day one has been well liked for the chemistry and comedic timing that the brothers share.

The second is their Dungeons & Dragons role-playing series in which the youngest brother (Griffin) leads his older brothers (Justin, and Travis), and father in a game of DnD. As a life long role-player this is how I discovered them. It's a funny as hell fantasy series that is currently being adapted as series of graphic novels by FirstSecond.

If I'm being honest the adaptation left much to be desired, but that was more a failing on the artist being unfamiliar with the larger GN format in my opinion. The father Clint McElroy did some comics scripting work in the late '80s so he more or less is the one who composes the book.

I'm just excited to see how they play with this group of assorted characters. I honestly don't care about Thor or Loki or event comics in general, but I'm hoping this will be a fun read when all is said and done.

EDIT: It should be noted that the brothers are all adults in their early to mid thirties.

[JKtheMac]

Well they're mostly know as a group for "My Brother, My Brother and Me" as well as "The Adventure Zone." <snip>

Thanks for the very complete answer.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I just explained to you that I didn't mention a single thing about WotR being a critical success.

I re-quoted my own post to illustrate that.

So for you to say in response again "please don't come back with the whole 'critical success' defense that we see so often" leads me to think you don't know what words mean.

I do, actually, and it was a defense that JKtheMac was in defense of the crossover "it has universal praise on the various review sites and I have already stated I liked it."

The above is referring to the fact that you completely misread my initial post and gave a response that reflected that.

And in your follow-up post just now, you repeated the initial mistake.

Someone who has this much problem with reading comprehension shouldn't complain how anything is written. Sometimes the blame is on the reader.

You stepped in the middle of my response to JKtheMac to say nothing of much worth, so you'll forgive me if I got a little confused.

Allow me to bring this back around to my original point and elaborate further.

To wit, why should we care about War of the Realms?

As the cliche goes, we know the heroes will always win. We suspend disbelief, because it's the journey we care about, the how of it all.

What's the journey here? Why should we suspend belief that the heroes might lose? The writer at least should meet us half way, and yet I don't see that here.

Because again, I'm not really seeing why we should care. Every villain/general is one step above a cartoon villain. They all but tie puppies to their feet so they can keep on kicking them. Not a one of them elicit an ounce of sympathy. We know that they'll do anything (murder, eating their own young), so really, nothing is interesting.

Where is the meaningful conflict for the heroes?

Where is the dramatic tension that makes us wonder how things will be resolved? I mean, all the creatures invading have their own home, so they don't have a great deal of skin in the game.

We had 4 years to get to this point, and I'm hard pressed to see how it would have been any different if they'd resolved this 3 and a half years ago.

[jackolover]

We will see, but very clearly there will be room for quite a few characters to take the spotlight, and crucially Thor should be in the spotlight. Indeed he is already structurally taking his place as a key protagonist in #1. It is him that receives the ‘war is coming’ message, and it is him that is being tested most thoroughly, and strategically removed from the main board so can’t turn the tide of the main contest.

Then we have the way Aaron led into the event. A story focused on his relationship with his father followed by a story focused on his relationship with his mother. Again that suggests the key structural elements will be Thor and his family, and as a contrast Loki and his.

We also see a focus on Mjölnir in both. In the first Thor is seeking hammers and exhausting Odin, in the other he is searching in the sun. I would be surprised if Mjolnir is not part of the story. Thor will run out of hammers, indeed that may be Malekith’s plan here. Take away Odin as the source of the enchantments and deplete his supply with the Frost Giant attack.

On the other hand, we know Aaron brought his Jane story to a head prematurely, when Alonso took a punt on making everyone focus their books on their central premise. It is probable that around this stage Aaron and Marvel set the plans to aim towards this event. Meaning this may also be the end of Jane’s heroic arc.

Yes, I can see the end of Janes arc, but, I think there needs to be some acknowledgement that Jane had superiority over Thor and Odin and a definition of why that was so.

I do think Mjolnir will survive in a sun, and will reappear out of a sun. I think we saw something similar at the start of Fear Itself when Cull summoned hammers from 7 suns in the sky and shot them to Earth, so I can see Mjolnir doing the same when summoned.

[GodThor]

Because again, I'm not really seeing why we should care. Every villain/general is one step above a cartoon villain. They all but tie puppies to their feet so they can keep on kicking them. Not a one of them elicit an ounce of sympathy. We know that they'll do anything (murder, eating their own young), so really, nothing is interesting

On the subject of villains, let's see what their motives are:

Malekith - he wants to wage biggest war in history of wars because some...reason...yeah...

Sindr - she wants to kill Thor for killing Surtur (wow revenge how original...)

Amora - no idea because Aaron forgot about her but presumably she wants Thor

Queen of Angels - because she was paid handsomely

Ulik - because... something

Female Kurse - no idea wtf is she suppose to represent

Yep, villains suck.

[The Cool Thatguy]

On the subject of villains, let's see what their motives are:

Malekith - he wants to wage biggest war in history of wars because some...reason...yeah...

Sindr - she wants to kill Thor for killing Surtur (wow revenge how original...)

Amora - no idea because Aaron forgot about her but presumably she wants Thor

Queen of Angels - because she was paid handsomely

Ulik - because... something

Female Kurse - no idea wtf is she suppose to represent

Yep, villains suck.

You forgot Dario Agger (their likely traitor), the CEO as written by a stoned HBO Game of Thrones writer.

[GodThor]

You forgot Dario Agger (their likely traitor), the CEO as written by a stoned HBO Game of Thrones writer.

Haha he is not even worth mentioning.

Meanwhile, incredible wisdom from God of Wisdom and War + Rest of the Gods use their immortal power and resources to create paper hammers which literally, no joke, get broken in a single hit.

Such is the wisdom of thee!!!