Jay

January 20, 2011 6:11 pm Maybe the era of Bane that Nolan is looking at is his time working with Ra's and Talia?

Would make sense as the closer to a trilogy that started with Ra's and the league of shadows. Maybe a revenge story of sorts for what happened in BEGINS. Take the basic idea that kicked off KNIGHTFALL- That Bane is a mysterious tactitian trying to bring down Batman- add in some elements of the PREY storyline, and throw in Selina as a distraction.

Could Nolan be really ballsy, and pull the Ra's reveal for the third time in the trilogy? 

November 13, 2010 1:32 pm

Was great to have Paul and Joey on the show.

We really covered a lot of ground, lots of love for SCALPED and CRIMINAL. The second episode will have some debate on SIN CITY, and some talk about great crime films. 

September 25, 2010 9:57 am

Very interesting question. 

Someone above posed the question, 'did watching THE WIRE make you stop watching TV?' And to be honest, for a long time it did. But not forever. Sometimes the right work combines with the right medium, and it gives you enough to digest that you need some time off. I went a long time without watching TV, and then was drawn back by season 5 of DOCTOR WHO and by CASTLE. Both of which are well written and fun, and both are a world removed from THE WIRE.

I would guess if you're brand new to comics and you read WATCHMEN, then maybe you could miss out on a few layers like Wood has said, and you'll want to try other things because your first experience was so good. If you try it and you GET all of those complexities, then maybe you'll get a full meal. Maybe you'll not need another for awhile, but there will still always be something that will draw you back in, because there's just too much variety out there.

The other thing; we ask these questions about TV and comic books. Do we ask them about novels? Has anyone asked "does reading THE MALTESE FALCON ruin all other books?" I'm just curious, because i've never seen that kind of discussion outside of comics and (occasionally) TV, and winder if that speaks to a deeper insecurity? 

June 20, 2010 1:35 pm

Interesting article, and the comments that followed. Good to see the different points of view.

I'm a reader. I don't bag and board, and if i like a comic its liable to follow me round in my back pocket or get passed on to someone else to try and get them interested. 

I think for folks like me, the easy/lazy assumption is that everyone who "collects" does it with a value in mind.  But that is a lazy assumption. Not everyone collects, bags and boards for that reason, some just like to keep their stuff in good condition. Nothing wrong with that.

I can't get my head round the value side of things. I can't see the point in keeping a comic for that reason, in the same way that the novels on my shelf are there because i like them, NOT because they might make me or my family some money one day.

But even then, if thats what people want to do, the all power to them. One way or another, we ALL collect. 

November 19, 2009 7:13 pm

@Race,

 Seems like a million comments ago that you replied t to me. Just wanted to comment. 

Fair point about the blank page, and i can see that point of view. It's not one that fits with my writing style all that much -i have (so far, touch wood) had no issues with block and see the blank page as something to fill- so for me the first draft really is the easy part. For example; just today finished the first draft of my latest manuscript. It's taken three months at a steady pace and only a few periods when i needed to stop and let my brain figure things out.

The REAL work for me will begin this weekend when i sit and start on it again at page one and start stripping the meat from the bone, moving things around and deciding which characters are surplus to requirements.

But thats just me and my process, it's a fair point that many other people see things differently. 

November 18, 2009 10:43 pm D'oh, and then i read back to see that Race, Paul and Daccampo have already been discussing the points i mentioned. Damn my haste. I'll get my coat....

November 18, 2009 10:39 pm

I don't have anything against Nano, because a lot of my friends do it. Hell, a couple of published novelists that i know of are doing it, so its clearley something that works for a lot of people.

It's not for me, though. It doesnt really work with my writing process and generally i dont need a community event like this to write because i do it most of the year anyway. Who knows, maybe one year i'll give it a go to see if it changes the way i write.

My only worry about nano is that it actually teaches very little about writing a novel, and cuts out the most important parts; the first draft is the easy bit. The hard work starts when you've got 50-100,000 words and you need to wade into them and wrestle with it until it looks like a novel. I almost feel as if there should be a follow up event in december or january thats about turning your first draft into a novel.

But that probably sounds more snippy than i mean i to. I'm enjoying following everyone's progress this month, and like i said, i may to a full 180 some day and try it myself. 

October 26, 2009 1:54 pm @JayStringer

August 26, 2009 7:09 am "I've heard some dumb questions in my life, but that takes the cake." CLASSIC.

August 23, 2009 11:30 am

just to say... i agree with the larger point that Sonia makes about american writers attempting british dialogue.

 But  both 'on yer bike' and 'store' were commonly used in the sense Rucka uses them where i grew up.

Sonia's from a different part of the UK though, and one closer to the setting of Q&C, so fair enough.