Bendis On War Machine's Death, She-Hulk's Fate & Raising the "Civil War II" Stakes

[jackolover]

Jessica was usually wallpaller material when she appeared in New Avengers and the only memorable things she did was to complain and yell at Luke Cage, which ended becoming something boring and exhausting, and please in New Avengers during the heroic age, Luke Cage was pressuring her to become a hero again, even to use the alias of Power Woman. If Bendis wanted to represent a strong woman in Jessica Jones, she should have divorced Luke Cage, the man was more obsessed in being a superhero than a family man (nearly all their crisis during their marriage when Bendis wrote them were Luke's fault) Other writers used her better recently (Ewing, Kate Leth, the current writer of Power Man and Iron Fist make her even more likable than in Bendis New Avengers).

You make some good points about Luke, but I still think Luke behaved in a responsible way to his family. The saga of the Cages through the whole of NA showed the stresses and strains of family life as they grow in time. I enjoyed it and it rang true to me. I would almost suggest the Cages story was the backbone of the whole NA story during that period. I think Jessicca was the voice of Bendis a lot of the times.

[Johnrevenge]

Well I wouldn't say Bendis purposely throws female heroes under the bus specifically, but we'll agree to disagree.

Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Tigra, She-Hulk, Dazzler, Gamora etc. The list is long and he threw them under the bus to favor his plots.

[Johnrevenge]

You make some good points about Luke, but I still think Luke behaved in a responsible way to his family. The saga of the Cages through the whole of NA showed the stresses and strains of family life as they grow in time. I enjoyed it and it rang true to me. I would almost suggest the Cages story was the backbone of the whole NA story during that period. I think Jessicca was the voice of Bendis a lot of the times.

The rest of the Avengers cared for Jessica and Danielle more than Luke himself. Heck, even Danielle was safer with Jarvis Skrull than with Luke Cage. That marriage was a disaster during Bendis run of New Avengers, it proved that Jessica could be able to be a single mom and that Luke Cage was a bad father and a terrible husband (after Civil War, he practically forced Jessica to live as an outsider putting the life of their daughter in danger, Jessica did good when she moved to Stark Tower before Secret Invasion to keep Danielle safe). It took Al Ewing to save that marriage in his Mighty Avengers run, when Luke decided to appoint Monica as the field leader and he took a secondary role in the team to be with his family.

[Danny Wall]

It's nit picking to my mind bringing up reasons why posters ideas are better than the writers. We aren't writers. We are readers. Criticising a writer with credentials and plenty of hits to his name while we are only bystanders, is trivial. Why should he take notice of our rebuttals?

I'm not quite sure what you're saying. I'm not complaining nor by any means suggesting that I can do a better job. In fact, I actually said that I was OKAY with Rhodey dying as a plot element for Civil War II and that I understood the reasons for his choice.

And while I may be just reader, I'm a fan. So as a fan I was just speculating about "what ifs" which is a fine and tried and true tradition.

Any considerations that I wrote about was in response to the interview, which I thought read as if Bendis defended the decision to kill Rhodey as if the story itself demanded it and there was no other way. But as much as I will accept that decision, I will also call it out as being very "tropey" as others have also pointed out. It's not just that deaths don't mean much, and don't make events as shocking as they were. I mean, they DO, of course, but readers seem to expect a bit more sophistication these days to plot and it's too fine a line between "the story demanded it" and "the easy way out"

[Supermutant2099]

Can I pay you $5 to stop complaining about the material you say you're not following?

Really? Oh let me just give up on carrying about characters and the way they are being treated like pieces of crap by overrated writer. #Fail. Obviously you if you actually read what I posted you would have known I been following what's been going on comic pretty well. Welcome to digital age where you don't have to buy it to know what happens. There is twitter and comic book web sites so I don't waste 5 bucks on death porn that is half ads. But hey I guess you rather make badly snarky comments. Sorry to everyone else but these kinda comments are so annoying.

[Moral_Gutpunch]

Can I pay you $5 to stop complaining about the material you say you're not following?

What kind of logic is that? You have to pay to vocally disapprove of something?

At least your comment has the merit of giving me a segue into the worst part on Civil War II no one's mentioned yet.

Just like your 'Pay to use free speech' comment, we readers (and the characters should, given their occupations) know who is right and who is wrong already. Unless anything from cold reading to future sight to being from the future to not adhering to a linear timeline--all untested and unfounded--are suddenly a probable cause for a warrant in the Marvelverse, going after someone before they commit or announce a crime is 100% illegal.

Kids know this. Anyone who has seen anything from Law & Order to Judge Judy knows this. People who read She-Hulk definitely know this.

[Supermutant2099]

What kind of logic is that? You have to pay to vocally disapprove of something?

I'm guessing he and there are others less vocal that probably tired of my criticizing and poking holes in the story. Asking for real answers and not "Buy book" answer. When you consider the books are giving you few answers themselves.

[Moral_Gutpunch]

I'm guessing he and there are others less vocal that probably tired of my criticizing and poking holes in the story. Asking for real answers and not "Buy book" answer. When you consider the books are giving you few answers themselves.

That's probably Bendis's (I'm pretty sure it's Slott's--he's been angry peopel didn't stop) hope too. 'Hey, if they get tired of complaining, I win at writing!'

[DiceRoll]

What kind of logic is that? You have to pay to vocally disapprove of something?

It's a vicious cycle. Have complaints/grievances while buying? Don't buy it, then. Have complaints/grievances while not buying? Don't talk if you didn't buy, then. It's basically designed to block any form of disapproval/criticism.

[theoneandonly]

The battle depicted between thanos and the Avengers looked like they were ill prepared for this battle and a guided missile missing its target just because a flesh and blood Medusa rammed into his armor seems pis. After all the sophisticated computers guiding systems and artificial intelligence tony has invented he could not have invented a missile with some code or program which could correct the trajectory if it went off target path is just unbelievable. Maybe it was really old armor he was wearing or maybe they were just too damn close. Still it's hard to swallow. They also seemed to lack a battle plan which was strange considering there were a queen and a king who is a master strategist and two milatry professionals with extensive combat experience.

[dragonmp93]

Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Tigra, She-Hulk, Dazzler, Gamora etc. The list is long and he threw them under the bus to favor his plots.

Basically the only female characters that havent been thrown under the bus in his writing are Magik and Teen Jean.

[Johnrevenge]

Basically the only female characters that havent been thrown under the bus in his writing are Magik and Teen Jean.

Those two and Kitty were Mary Sues when Bendis wrote them.

[Tony Stark]

Those two and Kitty were Mary Sues when Bendis wrote them.

So not only does he throw female characters under the bus, but now he writes some as Mary Sues?!?! LOL. You're about as unbiased as a Fox News report.

[Supermutant2099]

So not only does he throw female characters under the bus, but now he writes some as Mary Sues?!?! LOL. You're about as unbiased as a Fox News report.

I'm not bendis fan these days but even I wouldn't go that far with his writing of kitty. I mean if you going anywhere talking Shadowcat I say he turned her into Hypocritical rhymes with witch. The only reason I'm glad she stayed in space not to be in idiocy the x-men books are now.

[DurararaFTW]

We still haven't seen the resurrection of Black Goliath since his death in CW1, so from that it looks like nobody wanted him back. Certainly his nephew never took up his legacy as was indicated. The nephew just faded away. And the original Nova still hasn't returned, and he was beloved. So maybe Rhodey is gone forever? Not everyone who dies makes a comeback, so if this is Marvel giving Rhodey his swansong I would be disappointed. I guess nobody wants a Lone Ranger like Jim Rhodes was in Secret Invasion and Dark Reign. I do.

I have no idea if Jim Rhodes as Lone Ranger would work in the MU. Nova did it in the whole universe and was fine until now he's dead. Now they killed the other Lone Ranger specifically stuck on Earth, War Machine. What is wrong with Lone Rangers?

There's a difference between Rhodey and Goliath or Nova. War Machine is the most prominent Ironman supporting character, and they will never stop pitching new Ironman solos with new writers. Even if Bendis fully intends to stick to this death the chance that eventually one of those Ironman writers will restore James Rhodes to the book is near 100%.