I sensed something was wrong when PAD's wife, Kath, and daughter, Caroline, never replied to a fun questions thread that they'd started several days ago.
PAD is not only my favorite male writer, I also feel as though, through his openness and that of Kath, Caroline, and PAD's daughters from his first marriage, that he's a friend. Certainly a truer and more loyal friend than a lot of people I've actually met in person. He means the world to me.
Whether his writing is your thing or not, PLEASE pray for him and/or send positive energy to him.
Last edited by Fanfic Lady; 01/05/1702:41 AM. Reason: Simplifying thread title
My Brother-in-law got a weakness in his legs too. I forget what they said the exact condition was. He has made a complete recovery. His was quick too as they said that it could take up to 2 or more years for recovery.
This is not to say that this is what Peter David has. Just saying let's not start morning yet.
Whatever it is, I hope he makes a complete recovery.
Quis, JP, thank you both from the bottom of my heart. That's exactly what I needed to hear right now.
I had to leave work early. I got less than halfway through the day, until I felt myself to be on the verge of breaking into tears.
And I was in such a state when I made my first post that I'd forgotten that I not only *HAD MET PETER ONCE*, back in '97 at a convention in Orlando, but he was an absolute sweetheart to me, and he really seemed to genuinely appreciate how much I admired his sympathy for, and insights into, a gender other than the one he was assigned and presented as (though even I wouldn't have quite put it in those exact words back in Less Enlightened Times.) Even my *MOM* liked a few of his Hulk stories, especially the issues where Betty and Marlo cement their sisterly bond over a six-pack of beer and Betty drunkenly relates her loony life ("Once, I was the Harpy. I had wings and claws and stuff...I needed lots of backless dresses!!")
Point being, I have lost several *blood relatives* over the past 15-20 years, and *NONE* of their deaths left me feeling gutted the way that even the *possibility* of PAD dying within the next few days has gutted me.
Thank the Gods, I have a great boss who was totally understanding, even given the decidedly unconventional circumstances of my emotional distress, and the couple of co-workers I confided in were fully sympathetic. I've also talked to my best friend on the phone and to my parents in person, and after a lot of lengthy rambling about just *what* PAD means to me, and *why* he means so much to me, came around to understanding where I'm coming from (though, as usual, my father has clearly come around, while my mother still seems to be off in all hell of her own making inside her head.)
To summarize, Peter was is the awesome Jewish uncle that I would have had if my mother had had a brother along with my 2 aunts!!
That's all I have to say for now. I'm going to read the rest of the posts since I last logged off and then get in bed and cry buckets of tears.
Last edited by Fanfic Lady; 12/22/1609:55 AM. Reason: Changed "was'" to "is."
Back for a sec just to say that I visited Peter's blog just now to read the comments (no real updates from Kath as of this post, but hopefully no news is good news.) I also somehow managed to conjure up and post a comment. My handle on Peter's blog is RJA.
NOW I'm off to bed, and you all will be happy to learn that after making that post in the thread in Peter's blog, I don't feel like crying anymore, at least for the moment.
Keep those prayers and positive energy coming, Legion Worlders!!
I've already made a highly emotional and joyful post on the blog, so for the moment, I will only say that I am grateful that even in the deepest darkness, a light can still sometimes shine.
I just re-read my very spontaneous blog comment in the recovery thread. Heh. I guess I really am less a glam-punk and more a glam-hippie at heart, after all.
But that's OK. So are Todd Rundgren, Julian Cope, and a few other ladies, gentlemen, and people at all points in between, whose names escape me ATM. I'm in good company.
Hey, Pov, I've finally come around, spiritual brother of mine. The prodigal daughter and all that.
I've decided to start by demystifying some of the less flattering perceptions of PAD from people who don't know as much about him as I do:
DEMYSTIFICATION #1: THE FEUDS WITH THE IMAGE FOUNDERS
I already discussed this briefly with Cobie in the Image thread a while ago. In a nutshell, when I recently re-read the first of two volumes collecting the best of PAD's But I Digress column for Comics Buyer's Guide, I was struck by how even-handed, fair, and borderline-innocuous his first essay on Image Comics, from February '92, just before the initial launches, was. And I'm saying this as someone who inevitably has a pro-PAD bias in the matter of these feuds. I came to the conclusion that the Image founders, whose average age at the time was 25-30 compared to PAD's 35 going on 36 (and, yes, those few years really DO make a difference, trust me), acted like the thin-skinned, spoiled brats they were AT THE TIME (caps deliberate) and overreacted, and thus they, not PAD, were the initial aggressors. And that they would be even more thin-skinned than PAD is saying something, because as much as I love him, I am well aware of PAD's very human fallibilites, and that's one of them.
But I still stand by my opinion that it was the Image founders who "fired the first shot", so to speak, and that no amount of evolution and progress of Image into the admirable publisher it is today should completely excuse the founders' puerile behavior, nor should it excuse PAD's allowing himself to get drawn into the feud and come close at time to sinking to their level. I think PAD should have reasoned that when you take on a bunch of immature, exhibitionistic, testosterone-crazed, nouveau-riche brats, it's you who is going to end up suffering on many levels.
And, FTR, Cobie quite generously and helpfully pointed out to me that a few of the Image founders, notably Erik Larsen, who, at the time, was one of the loudest and most ignorant and obnoxious ("Who needs writers?") in my admittedly biased opinion, has publicly taken responsibility for his youthful errors in judgment.
Finally, here is the column that unwittingly started it all:
I wanted to note that in February 1992, I read that very first column and was glued to my seat every week, grabbing my father's CBG, flipping to the last page and reading But I Digress. I was only 11 years old and this was right around the exact time that I became the lifelong super-fan of comic books.
My Dad had been getting CBG for years at this point, and it was *the* premiere comic book fanzine / magazine out there. Wizard was for "kids" and speculators; CGB was for serious comic book fans and collectors. It was a newspaper format that came out weekly. PAD was already one of the most beloved and respected writers in comics over the last few years and his column surely contributed to CGB's popularity.
Just as I was starting to read just about everything my Dad collected (which was almost everything), I would read this too. In a lot of ways, PAD shaped those years and my entire comic book reading experience. (To a lesser extent so did Mark Evanier with his column and even lesser than that Tony Isabella, who I tend to find a bit annoying). PAD immediately became one of my top creators and I followed him religiously. More than that, I felt like I knew him personally, and I never missed a But I Digress column all the way up until CBG ended just a few years ago.
(As an aside, when I met PAD a few years ago, I told him I started reading his columns when I was 11. He was amused though he was really cranky that day. I wish it was a better experience for me, honestly. He didn't seem to want to be friendly to me or anyone else that day though, and I know he's like that sometimes. But I Digress.)
In those days I was 100% pro-PAD and 100% anti-Image. Even McFarlane, my beloved former artist of Spider-Man who I still followed couldn't way me even slightly.
A few things are notable:
- Erik Larsen was one of the biggest jerks but like Fanfie says, he really has mentioned many times how much he regrets it all, and realizes it. I've never been a huge fan of Larsen but I respect that.
- From all accounts, Jim Valentino was a true gentlemen and worked behind the scenes to try to nip this in the bud before it happened. He couldn't, but managed to walk away with the respect of PAD, the other founders, the Simonson's and many others who were involved.
- Still love that BID column where Walt lent his support to PAD to show the Hulk punching Spawn through a brick building. After all, it started when Liefeld made some shitty comments about Weezie.
- As expected, Liefeld was a huge dick the whole time while Jim Lee was respectful and above it all.
Y'know, there's been some discussion in the Legion forum about whether there have been any other superhero resources, besides "Secrets of the Legion", that were done as sequential narrative rather than the OHOTMU/Who's Who model.
Then, suddenly, it came to me:
Like, "DUH!"
PAD's wonderful "Atlantis Chronicles" mini-series from 1990, one of the first things he wrote for DC, and still one of his best for any publisher.
That's another one I never bothered with. I'm trying remember what Aquaman was like as a character at the time it came out. I possibly got the feeling that they were trying out a number of things to see if something stuck. I've never been taken with DC's takes on Atlantis really.
"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
It's well worth reading, Thoth. Aquaman doesn't even appear until the very end. The story is a lot like what I've heard Game of Thrones is like, just without the obnoxiousness that permeates just about every modern-day TV shows I've ever tried to watch.
Funny you should mention DC's Atlantis, I have the same problem with almost every iteration of Marvel's Atlantis.
It's like the Sub-Mariner is a great character without a decent supporting cast or mythology or rogues gallery.
And Aquaman's the opposite, a bland cipher with all the accoutrements -- and if the latter are well-used, as I feel PAD did in all his Atlantis/Aquaman stories, then it still makes for good comics despite Aquaman.
I'll second the Atlantis Chronicles recommendation. He tries to capture the feel of mythology, not just in the individual stories, but the idea of a cursed family repeating its own history throughout the ages. PAD went on to give Aquaman two sons in his ongoing, and I'm sure if he hadn't left the book over creative differences we would have eventually seen another iteration. And as FL says, it's very Aquaman-light. And what we do see, makes it feel less like Aquaman reimagined into this framework.
Yeah, Gods, PAD's Aquaman ongoing had such an amazing first two dozen or so issues, and then...meh. I mean, it had its moments (I'm especially fond of the Maxima issue, and the misdirection of her cameo in the issue right before it, where PAD tricks the reader into thinking it's the return of Mera; let's just say I like Maxima a lot more than Mera, and leave it at that.)
I particularly consider the first 8 issues, which include the awesome confrontation with the Deep Six, to be an arc whose smooth pacing and sharp story-beats combine to make it near-flawless.
And speaking of PAD writing Kirby's DC characters, I really think he excelled at that -- I love the Supergirl arc where she fights the Female Furies (and I consider PAD's creation Twilight one of the few worthy additions to the New Gods mythos), and the use of Klarion the Witch Boy in the Sins of Youth event, and the Young-Justice-trapped-on-Apokolips arc was powerful and disturbing. And while I was initially disappointed at the lack of grandeur in the final YJ arc, involving Darkseid, I now find it rather refreshing in its understatement and the slyly underplayed irony of Greta's "happy ending."
I was surprised to see an Incredible Hulk by PAD Vol. 1 Omnibus (collecting Incredible Hulk 328 & 331-368, Web of Spider-Man 44, Fantastic Four 320 and material from Marvel Comics Presents 26 & 45) being shipped this month. Its solicitation totally escaped my notice! Needless to say, for someone who loves getting quality runs in Omnibus format, ordering that one thru In-Stock Trades was a no-brainer! It should be here in a few days!
I thought about it a bit and ordered the Todd McFarlane cover from the monumental issue 345. The other choice was the cover from issue 333 by Steve Geiger. It was a harder choice than I thought, even given Geiger's relative obscurity. It's pretty evocative.
So...there's the first issue of a new, PAD-written Maestro mini-series which is supposed to show the previously untold tale of the Hulk's transformation into the Maestro.
I don't know...I think some untold stories should remain untold, allowed to shine in each individual reader's imagination.
Put it this way, even if the flashbacks to the 7 Soldiers of Victory's fateful battle against the Nebula Man (in Stars and STRIPE) had been written by Len Wein instead of Geoff Johns, I still would've been annoyed.
But...PAD's my favorite writer, and I feel I should support him whenever I feel even vaguely intrigued by a new work of his.
So I have been following the Maestro mini-series. The first couple issues were kinda meh, but the third issue found PAD back on form. I'm guardedly optimistic that the conclusion two issues from now will be as good as the conclusion to PAD's previous go-round with these characters, the 2015 Secret Wars Future Imperfect tie-in mini-series (and one of the few decent things to come out of that awful Event.)
Oh, Marvel, you fooled me again! For the last time, I hope!
Overall, the Maestro mini-series was slightly above-average modern-day PAD product...except for one thing.
It's all setup for ANOTHER series, Maestro: War and Pax, still written by PAD and beginning later this month...but not to be purchased by yours truly.
I love PAD as a creator and a person, but I just cannot continue to partake of these stories with no endings. He's not to blame. The comics industry is.
"But that's why these stories are so great," sayeth the comics-industry apologists, "because there are no endings, just like in real life."
I say thee nay. I read superhero tales to ESCAPE from real life!
But I don't think I'll be buying any more new superhero comics from now on. I'll just be re-reading my old ones.
Famous last words, I know. We shall see what the future holds.
"But that's why these stories are so great," sayeth the comics-industry apologists, "because there are no endings, just like in real life."
Except for readers whose stories end after being crushed to death having inexpertly stacked all the crossover issues for one of these reading atrocities.
"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Glad you liked it, Stile. And, yeah, PAD could teach Bendis a thing or two about giving each character their own distinctive voice. Not to mention keeping the dialogue spare and to the point.
My reading of Hulk, Spiderman and Daredevil has been minimal, and certainly around the era this is set.
It's a solid enough issue. It introduces us to the key characters easily. A nice bit of craft is the airport scene. Spidey gives the reader infromation on the Hulk, while waiting in line. From what I know of Spidey, things don't often work out perfectly. Here, he will be charged for changing his plans, as The Kingpin arrives. That's a nice, unstated bit of character work. Spideys sense of responsibility comes at a price. Spidey sense tells you what a threat Kingpin is, and then one tracer bug later, we switch to Kingpin and his plans.
One quibble would be that Kingpin's bodyguards allowed Spidey to get close enough, to not only place a bug, but to have Kingin and Spidey have a face off. It did show us never to underestimate Spidey's resolve, but I was surprised that Kingpin moved on. Sure, he has other plans, but he does seem to have a massive ego. Perhaps a goon breaking that one up/ or having allowed Spidey to have been pushed into Kingpin (helping seal boyguard's later fate). Interesting to see early body-cam footage from back then too.
We don't get a lot of background as to why the Hulk is Mr Fixit in the story (the catch up in the text page was a nice, well placed touch). And that's just fine. Any internal dialogue from Fixit, would have undermined him as a Hulk controlled force in the story. Without him, his boss wouldn't have got rid of the Maggia, Without him, Kingpin would have arrived and gone about taking everything over. Without him, local residents would have been injured or killed by robbers. That he's working for what seems like a mobster also reinforces the moral position of this Hulk. He's not a rampaging monster. He's not a hunted irradiated scientist. He's not proactively using his power in the area. He's doing good things for bad people. It's an interesting mix, underenath a guy who looks and talks like a gangster movie stereotype.
Kingpin's undoing is balanced by a show of ruthlessness at the end. The solid build up of the characters' reacting to each other and changing their plans accordingly (craft points to PAD) leads to Kingpin's decision at the end. And it's somethign that's mroe than interesting enough to pick up the next issue.
Random thoughts:- The early Marvel Masterworks showed the early Hulk fluctuate through a number of variations of the Gamma born Jeckyll/ Hyde dynamic. Fix it, despite appearances, is a more subtle take on how one of those could have played out over an extended period. The pace and structure of the early Marvels, hinted at such possibilities, but didn't allow for that.
Dark Horse's The Goon may be a hilarious, twisted child of this period of the Hulk. If you've not read it, any issue is a good place to start.
I think I saw a mention of Hulk-as-Gangster back when it was published, or perhaps a mention in a Marvel Handbook. I would have just raised an eyebrow on the change, and moved on. But that goes back to my first line, about not having read much of the character (very early, disjointed reprints). The origins of this version are definitely in there.
"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Glad you mostly enjoyed it, Thoth. Your one quibble is valid and well-taken. I look at it like the Kingpin dislikes making a show of things in public. In private, of course, it's a whole other matter. My one quibble, as I already said in another thread, is that Cinar's hatching looked so sloppy in the first limo sequence that Kingpin appeared to have a combover. Or a bad hairpiece.
The parallels with the earliest Hulk stories are worth mentioning, and I'm glad you brought them up. PAD has always said that those issues are the cornerstone of all his work on the Hulk. For the record, the Jekyll Hyde stuff came from Jack Kirby, and the anger-induced transformations came from Steve Ditko, who replaced a busy Kirby early on, and pretty well developed the now-familiar Hulk formula himself (Ditko also created the Leader, the Hulk's archenemy.)
The 2nd issue of Joe Fixit is even better than the first! The artwork looks more assured, and PAD continues to show great form. I sensed from the start that this is exactly what he prefers to write nowadays, this kind of comedy-noir.
While I greatly enjoyed the 3rd issue of Joe Fixit on first read, I began to see on second read that PAD has fallen into a trap common for superhero comic book writers with a large and loyal following.
Namely, if the reader is not already a hard-core PAD fan with extensive knowledge of his previous Hulk stories, this issue might be difficult to understand.
I hope at least some readers stick around until the end of this miniseries. But in the end, while it might not win PAD many converts, it's certainly a great pleasure for the faithful.
I hadn't recalled that there was a PAD thread out there. I'm going to chime in somewhat belatedly with extreme love for his Young Justice. Great stories with great humor and also capable of gut-wrenching emotion as well. The man had RANGE. I also very much liked his Supergirl, and I will single out issue # 23 of that run, which has possibly the best exploration of freedom of speech that I've ever seen (the last page being especially brilliant).
And I will add my vote of praise for The Atlantis Chronicles. Brilliant stuff.
In a desperate search for fresh creative inspiration, I dusted off my X-Factor trades.
Now I'm writing again, and, at the same time, having one of the most fun re-reads of all my life! I'm already up to Volume 7, which begins with the "birth" of the "baby" and the subsequent repercussions.
Thanks, PAD.
On a somber note, PAD has been dealing with still more serious health problems since late last year. I contributed to the GoFundMe campaign, and get every update that is posted by Kathleen David. Last I heard, PAD was able to stand up for the first time in months. That's a great relief.
In a desperate search for fresh creative inspiration, I dusted off my X-Factor trades.
Now I'm writing again, and, at the same time, having one of the most fun re-reads of all my life! I'm already up to Volume 7, which begins with the "birth" of the "baby" and the subsequent repercussions.
Thanks, PAD.
On a somber note, PAD has been dealing with still more serious health problems since late last year. I contributed to the GoFundMe campaign, and get every update that is posted by Kathleen David. Last I heard, PAD was able to stand up for the first time in months. That's a great relief.
At the time of the whole baby Sean arc, I had the notion that Madrox can, at least unconsciously, summon specific dupes (like the one that hates him) more than once, so that it seems entirely possible that *someday* he might accidentally summon baby Sean again (or learn to do so deliberately). Who knows if Sean will still be a baby on that day, or conveniently aged up to toddler, at least...
It could even be clarified / retconned that Jamie's power had nothing to do with baby Sean's disappearance, but that baby Sean, like his daddy, is a 'killcrop,' mutant-from-birth, and his disappearance / merging with Jamie, was *his* mutant power manifesting for the first time, and not Jamie's! (Either he merged with Jamie and has no idea how to 'turn it off', and is now a passenger inside Jamie, which, given the last 9 months of his life was being a passenger inside of Theresa, and he's just a baby, might be his idea of 'the way things are supposed to be', or, plot twist, he didn't merge with Jamie at all, Jamie just felt a tingle and misinterpreted it, and instead baby Sean was kidnapped by Tryp or something, and is going to be raised in an alternate universe by Jamie's worst enemy to hate him and be sent to kill him someday... Cause that's stupidly convoluted super-villain 101!)
So next week, something's out that I didn't know was forthcoming--a Captain Marvel/Genis-Vell Omnibus, by PAD of course. It collects PAD's entire run in one $150 package, which I may be able to get as much as a 50% discount on--or very close to it.
I've never read the whole run. In fact, I dropped it at some point during the initial series and again shortly after the relaunched series started. The only runs of PAD's I can remember picking up and dropping were Spider-Man 2099 and his second run on X-Factor. One significant run of his I never really gave a chance was Young Justice. I later revisited X-Factor and learned that it was very worthy of the effort. 2099 and YJ are on my radar to pick up at some point. So what about his work with Genis-Vell? It's hella tempting, especially because it continues with Rick Jones and Marlo where PAD left off with them on his Hulk run. Otherwise.... ...especially because of Genis' overall unlikability and, well, what appeared to be a big time heel turn on his part, as a major element of his arc.
YJ definitely yes. I'm glad to hear you plan to pick it up.
Spider-Man 2099 I think is just okay, but I admit I've never read the full run. A lot of it is down to my dislike of Rick Leonardi's art style. I don't hate him, but he definitely turns me off. I don't think we've ever discussed him, so I don't know if you like him or not.
Genis Omnibus I have to say no. Especially because of the heel turn you already mentioned. To put it another way, that is the only extended PAD run that I got rid of. And that wasn't a decision that came lightly. If I'm generous, I can say there's two or three storylines that almost make the grade. But that's still not worth even 75 dollars, much less 150, in my opinion.
Same advice as above. The YJ run is just good irreverent fun, except when it has a few heavy moments, but PADs exploration of Genis never really worked for me, and I like the character (mainly from his Thunderbolts and Avengers Forever appearances).
YJ definitely yes. I'm glad to hear you plan to pick it up.
Spider-Man 2099 I think is just okay, but I admit I've never read the full run. A lot of it is down to my dislike of Rick Leonardi's art style. I don't hate him, but he definitely turns me off. I don't think we've ever discussed him, so I don't know if you like him or not.
Genis Omnibus I have to say no. Especially because of the heel turn you already mentioned. To put it another way, that is the only extended PAD run that I got rid of. And that wasn't a decision that came lightly. If I'm generous, I can say there's two or three storylines that almost make the grade. But that's still not worth even 75 dollars, much less 150, in my opinion.
Originally Posted by Set
Same advice as above. The YJ run is just good irreverent fun, except when it has a few heavy moments, but PADs exploration of Genis never really worked for me, and I like the character (mainly from his Thunderbolts and Avengers Forever appearances).
I think you two have helped slam the door on any crazy impulse I might've had to pick up the Genis Omnibus! I think, now, the only way I'll pick it up is if it ever gets discounted down to 70-80% down the road. We'll see.
I was hoping that because it ran so long between the two volumes, that the overall arc might redeem the heel turn and make it all make sense. I was enamored with the character when I met him in Avengers Forever, so I thought this might become a signature PAD series when it was announced. This seems like it was a real puzzler in PAD's portfolio, which matches my interaction with it.
Would anyone care to provide some Rick & Marlo spoilers from this run? I honestly don't know whatever became of Marlo during and after this series.
With YJ, I'm just waiting for an Omnibus or some other attractive collection to come along.
Spider-Man 2099 is getting renewed appeal from me because MIguel is a major character in Across the Spider-Verse, the second of the terrific Miles Morales movies that me and my sons both love. An Omnibus of PAD's Miguel stories was released earlier this year, and I've held off on it to this point. I remember liking Spidey 2099 at first. I can't remember whether I fell off because of disinterest or whether it coincided with the closing of my original CBS. I think the former, but I'm unsure.
RE: Rick and Marlo in the Genis-Vell Captain Marvel series, his adventuring absences put a strain on their relationship, and she left him for Moondragon. I think Marlo also ran a comic book store. That's all I remember off the top of my head.
And regarding YJ, I just had a quick look at the availability of the six volumes that were released a few years ago. They seem reasonably priced if you can find them, and they do collect the entire run.
Did anyone read the new Genis-Vell mini he wrote last year?
I read it, but I wish I hadn't. It's a downer.
Marlo becomes the new avatar of death or something like that. I suppose, given her long-form character arc, that it was a logical outcome, but it still left a bad taste. Poor Rick, he just can't seem to have anything go right for him.
Honestly, Marvel should just pay creators like David, Ann Nocenti, J.M. DeMatteis, what they're owed instead of assigning them to these nostalgia bait minis as a means for quick cash.
Of course in DeMatteis's case, everyone's now saying he should be on AMS instead of Zeb Wells.
Honestly, Marvel should just pay creators like David, Ann Nocenti, J.M. DeMatteis, what they're owed instead of assigning them to these nostalgia bait minis as a means for quick cash.
Agreed. All three (among many others) have contributed so much that, not only should they be financially compensated, they should be allowed to publish creator-owned projects with Marvel promoting them. I so wish PAD could find a new venue for Fallen Angel!
Originally Posted by Sarky
Of course in DeMatteis's case, everyone's now saying he should be on AMS instead of Zeb Wells.
I was going to add, "and PAD should be on Fantastic Four instead of Ryan North," but then I remembered that I hate the F4 because of what Jonathan Hickman did with them.
I just finished rereading PAD's Green Lantern feature in Action Comics Weekly 608-621 and was surprised by how little I liked it despite it have an interesting premise - Hal learns he has never really been fearless and suddenly has to cope with fear while doing his duty. It could be the 8-page serialized format; although, other features were good and made good use of it. Or maybe it's that I generally find Earth-bound GL adventures underwhelming. If anyone else has read this, I'd be interested in their thoughts.
Can't help you there, Rob. Sorry. PAD's Green Lantern has always been one of those "I'll read it someday" things to me. It's not just that I have misgivings about it, some of which are reflected in your review -- the other problem I have is that, to my knowledge, PAD has never discussed his GL run, on his old blog or anywhere. And he's usually forthcoming about his past runs, even the ones which were not pleasant experiences...which leads me to imagine it must have been a really bad experience, maybe even his worst.
I honestly forgot that PAD wrote the GL feature, at least for part of its run on ACW. I was certainly aware of him by then, so that's surprising. I remember that though GL was one of my favorite features, I hated Katma Tui's violent slashing death by Star Sapphire. Was that PAD's script, or had that already happened when he took over?
Lardy, I hated Katma Tui's death, too. Thankfully, it wasn't PAD's script; it was Christopher Priest under editorial pressure from Denny O'Neil, who I would like to think was also under pressure from those he answered to, because I like Denny. Whatever the true circumstances, it was a very unfortunate event.
Fun Fact: PAD's artist on GL was Tod Smith, who would go on to do what I consider some very underrated work on issues 26 through 50 of Marvel's Darkhawk.
Lardy, I hated Katma Tui's death, too. Thankfully, it wasn't PAD's script; it was Christopher Priest under editorial pressure from Denny O'Neil, who I would like to think was also under pressure from those he answered to, because I like Denny. Whatever the true circumstances, it was a very unfortunate event.
Fun Fact: PAD's artist on GL was Tod Smith, who would go on to do what I consider some very underrated work on issues 26 through 50 of Marvel's Darkhawk.
Years later, when Johns took over GL, he slightly retconned Katma Tui's death by saying she was killed by *A* Star Sapphire but not Carol Ferris.
The Christopher Priest (then James Owsley) GL bookends around PAD's Action Comics Weekly run weren't particularly good either. It really felt like no one knew what to do with Hal but DC felt they needed to publish some GL stories.
On a side note, Mark Bright drew some of those Priest GL stories. I remember liking Bright's art but I didn't remember his style being so reminiscent of John Byrne.
...On a side note, Mark Bright drew some of those Priest GL stories. I remember liking Bright's art but I didn't remember his style being so reminiscent of John Byrne.
A further aside, Byrne worked with Bright on a FF Annual...I distinctly remember the cover being signed "Byrning Bright".
I have to admit to being a little jealous of your Peter David Hulk run collection. I picked up a few of those at the time and they were great reads that I appreciate more now in retrospect.
I have to admit to being a little jealous of your Peter David Hulk run collection. I picked up a few of those at the time and they were great reads that I appreciate more now in retrospect.
Thanks, Stile.
Yes, that run is quite an accomplishment. And I've said this a couple times before in other threads, but it bears repeating here: one of the reasons it was so good was that Peter was not a Hulk fan before he started his run. So he had the all-important distance that I think a writer needs for such an assignment. Total fearlessness to explore, and a lack of sentimental attachment to any tropes.
Also, Marvel has done an unusually good job in piecing together the run for consumers. The Hulk Epic Collection trades are now close to collecting the entire run.
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...especially because of Genis' overall unlikability and, well, what appeared to be a big time heel turn on his part, as a major element of his arc.
