djtrudeau

Name: Dan Trudeau

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djtrudeau's Recent Comments
August 26, 2013 2:07 pm I've been reading comics since 1984, so I'd like to think I have perspective on things. What that perspective tells me is we're in a renaissance period for comics. It can be easy to get jaded but I think us fans often can't see the forest through the trees. Here are my reasons: 1) Comics sales have reversed their long decline. Sure they're not selling in the millions (per book) but do you know how hard it is to reverse that trend? There are things threatening this (like fizzling interest in the New 52) but there will ALWAYS be threats to growth. 2) Someone above mentioned Image and I have to tell you, they've gone a long way to restoring my faith in the industry. The fact that they can rise up at the same time as more corporate-driven books is very encouraging. Between them, Dark Horse, Vertigo, and others, we're seeing books that wouldn't have been considered viable many years ago. 3) The comics industry is producing stories that can only be found in our medium. Do you see Manhattan Projects as anything but a comic? Hell, do you think any Hawkeye movie will give you what you get out of the current book? This is important because with all the other entertainment out there, the only thing that will keep people reading comics is if the medium is bringing us experiences you can only get here. 4) We've become a legitimate art form in the eyes of the public. I started reading comics in the last years of "those things are bad for you." I had the rare parents that said "reading is reading" but being a comics fan was something you were supposed to hide. Now the elementary school my wife works at has graphic novels on the shelf. The stigma is gone, which opens more doors going forward. There are probably more that could be named, along with some bad trends going on, but things are never perfect.
August 22, 2013 11:37 am Man, I am mixed when it comes to MoS. That said, a lot of the negative response to the movie seems over-the-top to me. I hate saying that, because who am I to say someone else's response to it was wrong, but what I see as a flawed execution, others see as a betrayal of the character. The whole point of the story was that Superman made the decision on his own, not dictated by his parents, to serve mankind. When given the choice between his bloodline and his humanity, he chose humanity. The problem was in an attempt to top movies like the Avengers, they set up an excessive final battle that ran against what they were trying to convey. The Jonathan Kent scenes, to me, were also bungled in their execution. What they were trying to show you was that Jonathan Kent wanted his son to take time to find his own path in the world. If he revealed himself too early, that path would be chosen for him. First he had to find out where he came from. But because of the way they executed it, the message conveyed was, "Keep your head down, no matter who has to die." At the end of the day, if you follow the character path, it's a story of someone with special abilities who learns to follow his heart and help the people of Earth. Because the failure was in the execution, they could easily fix the issues in a sequel. That includes killing Zod. I'm still of two minds on the scene but I can see it working if Superman uses it as a deciding point to never again take a life. If done right, it would be even more compelling than him saying he doesn't kill because he's Superman and Superman doesn't kill. Modern audiences want a dramatic reason for decisions like that. Unfortunately, I think they may have blown the opportunity by making it a Superman/Batman movie. We'll see.
August 20, 2013 3:17 pm Can't a 45 year old enjoy a fun book? Where is it written that being adult means only liking dark and serious stories? That's why you can't let executives call all the shots. They often don't understand the audience half as well as they think they do. You can write comics for adults without sucking all the joy out of them.
August 13, 2013 3:23 pm I'm not trying to side-track off the real issues being discussed here but to me, this is just another reason why Millar's work has become so dull. Rape, baby murder, and other atrocities are just this issue's SHOCKING event to create a rise in the reader because it's, you know, shocking. There's no human dimension left. It's lazy writing and it's a shame his ridiculous comments can grab as much attention as they do. He's wandered into Frank Miller-level self-parody.
February 11, 2013 11:08 am Is it me or are the people of Woodbury the biggest lemmings in the history of broadcast TV? One minute they're howling for blood as two brothers beat themselves to death, the next they're desperate to get out, and one middling speech is enough to get them to calm down and go home. If this show wants me to feel any sympathy for these people, it's got its work cut out for it going forward.
February 11, 2013 11:06 am If someone brought my wife into a small room, made her take of her clothes, gave her a slimy once over, and kept the threat of rape in the air, I'd want to put a bullet in his head too. Just because he didn't physically assault her doesn't mean it isn't a horrible violation.
January 17, 2013 12:58 pm SiP is a long-lost unfinished read for me. I was reading the series as it originally came out and drifted away, never to return. I don't feel that guilty about it, however. It just wasn't doing it for me any more. That said, Moore is a great artist and I've really got to catch up on some of his other stuff. Ex Machina seems to have a problem in that many people like the concept and execution yet don't find it compelling enough to keep going forward. This includes me. I've had the first trade for forever and have never picked up the second.
January 17, 2013 12:54 pm Stick with Scalped as it doesn't get really good until the third trade and it's excellent from that point through the conclusion.
January 10, 2013 1:27 pm I'm joining the Neal Adams chorus, though it was a tough decision to come to. In the end, it's not just the look of his Batman but how he moved. Adams is the master of making static images look dynamic. I can't think of any other character with more "definitive" artists. The amount of talent Batman has attracted over the years is unmatched.
August 14, 2012 3:23 pm One of the negative things the internet has done is to elevate the battle of "moral superiority" that drags any sort of conversation into the muck. How many times has a potentially interesting discussion about something been ruined by people who spend most of their energy on pushing their right-ness in your face? The internet, due to its ability to give anyone a wide platform, draws these people in like moths to a flame. I'm sorry I ever saw the article you're referencing. Even with the Paterno references removed, it's yet another self-righteous blogger using an occasion, in this case the death of a comic book great, to parade their moral superiority. It's an empty, but immediately gratifying, way to make yourself better than others. And in the meantime, what has this person done? While he's patting himself on the back for his righteous tirade, has anything been accomplished for creator rights? I doubt it because actually creating some good takes a lot more work than tearing down a professional who not only helped build the industry this person "loves" and, as a bonus, passed his knowledge to several generations following him. If someone is so morally appalled by Before Watchmen, then just deny them your money and attention. Those are the only things that count to the folks at DC anyway.