tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post149686736429505967..comments2024-03-21T06:36:04.196-05:00Comments on The Idol-Head of Diabolu, a Martian Manhunter blog: Martian Sightings for March, 2011Diabolu Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-64809608932047414302010-12-25T01:45:27.373-06:002010-12-25T01:45:27.373-06:00Hal, Barry, Arthur and Carter Hall were all active...Hal, Barry, Arthur and Carter Hall were all active in the '70s & '80s when most current creators grew up, and were either largely unaffected or late adopters of Post-Crisis revision. Also, they all appeared in cartoons broadcast during that span of decades based on their Silver Age incarnations.<br /><br />Also, teen Captain Marvel comes from the '70s live action show and cartoon, while unfunny Plastic Man dates back to his terrible show. <br /><br />Most Wonder Woman writers still nod to Perez, but her TV appearances also skew her toward this weird middle ground.<br /><br />The vast majority of current creators had little to no exposure to Bronze Age Martian Manhunter, and there were no cartoons to reinforce the original model. Therefore, the "right" interpretation is the one they were introduced to by Gerry Conway, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis or even Grant Morrison.Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-70397837923426725522010-12-25T01:25:52.141-06:002010-12-25T01:25:52.141-06:00"and others still covet worlds like our own.&..."and others still covet worlds like our own." Now that's an interesting idea. Another displaced Martian protecting another world. That could be a pretty interesting tangent to explore. Sort of like a Martian Adam Strange/Green Lantern. Or a Martian in L.E.G.I.O.N.<br /><br />Miss Martian fighting the sci-fi battles and John Jones fighting the Earthly ones, with an occasional foray into his roots? I'm cool with that. Now that we both figured this all out, let's hope DC can do the same. A slim chance, but I can dream. What I don't get is why Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, and now Aquaman have all gotten the Silver Age treatment, but J'onn is stuck in a perpetual 90's loop.LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-51157962446316186212010-12-25T00:05:58.895-06:002010-12-25T00:05:58.895-06:00Well, to be clear, Mars is a dead world. I want Ma...Well, to be clear, Mars is a dead world. I want Mars II to have existed, but it need not continue to in the present. Perhaps some surviving Martians are still there, while others continue to roam, and others still covet worlds like our own. Rather than running off with J'en to make babies on Haven, J'Onn chooses to continue his life on Earth, often in its defense against the more misguided or plum evil examples of his race. Basically a return to the Silver Age dynamic, but with the added pathos and sophistication of the modern era. In fact, maybe Miss Martian can fight some of those battles on her own, while John Jones minds his own business until thge ghosts of Mars get in the way?Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-81715040887248612392010-12-24T22:51:20.583-06:002010-12-24T22:51:20.583-06:00Eh. Okay, maybe. Only if Miss Martian showed up ...Eh. Okay, maybe. Only if Miss Martian showed up <i>very</i> infrequently. Sure, she's around, but that doesn't mean she couldn't suffer a *cough* unfortunate accident...(or sent to repopulate Mars, if you like happy endings.) I'm just not a big Titans fan and sometimes I think Batman should be a solo act, too.<br /><br />There's some good reasoning behind your logic, and I hadn't thought of it that way before. That being said, I still like to think of his choice as between doing something (heroics) or nothing, or a choice beween life and death rather than Mars or Earth, similar to the push destiny gave Bruce Wayne. If Thomas and Martha were still alive, Batman's choice would just be one between two career paths: vigilantism or philanthropy, and which gets his full attention. If Mars were alive and J'onn chose us, that'd be one hell of a choice. It would be interesting to see, but I doubt any writer would be sophisticated enough to pull it off well.<br /><br />I like Bel Juz and Commander Blanx, et. al., (perhaps becuase they're so "human") so I'm torn between having them around and the quasi-amnesiac solitary Maritan Manhunter from American Secrets. Maybe someone can come along and reconcile those two separate visions. The only thing I can think of is a "Batman Confidential"-type title set in the 50's prior to J'onn joining the JLA.LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-44537460665734047422010-12-24T16:15:17.729-06:002010-12-24T16:15:17.729-06:00I'll give you that Gypsy might as well be the ...I'll give you that Gypsy might as well be the wiseass sidekick, but I'm just saying that once you've got a decent character with a following, why not try to realize their potential? She's here, so deal her in. Also, perhaps a more adversarial relationship would make her more appealing?<br /><br />I definitely want Martians around, because I don't want humanity to be J'Onn's consolation for his own dead race. I want him to choose us over his people, not to be stuck with us by default and abandon Earth every time a reborn Mars comes calling.Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-49244435061032185192010-12-24T15:57:15.803-06:002010-12-24T15:57:15.803-06:00Nah. If two Martians are living on Earth as human...Nah. If two Martians are living on Earth as humans, that's what the story would be about: how they relate to each other. That's why I disliked the whole Cay'an series, and same with Brightest Day.<br /><br />Why not just use Gypsy? Swap out Miss Martian for Gypsy as his smart-mouthed human friend and I'll be more than happy. To me, Miss Martian is a throwaway character created on a whim to impress some guy's girlfriend and not to enhance or compliment J'onn's premise, and they stuck her in the Martian Manhunter "family" because he's the only JLAer who was minor enough to do so. Besides, I'm tired of White Martians and the whole, "wait, one's still alive!" retcon.<br /><br />J'onn's a lens through which to view humanity, and I think he's the most interesting when observing and seeking to understand us (e.g. DC: New Frontier, American Secrets) and relating to his human "family" and friends (e.g. Justice League International.) If he's not relating to humans, then he's not living up to his original intent of a Martian forced to live among humans. I don't want to see two Martians sitting around talking about Mars, the Plague, recreating Mars, or what have you, because that's all backstory.<br /><br />I'll be flogging this dead horse forever until I see "American Secrets: The Ongoing Series."LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-85052536639225655482010-12-24T03:42:47.056-06:002010-12-24T03:42:47.056-06:00That's just it: M'gann and J'Onn still...That's just it: M'gann and J'Onn still have a tenuous non-relationship. She's relatively autonomous. However, she could easily be brought in if given a bit more of an attitude and some transgressive elements (tattoos, piercings, riot grrrrl hair.) She could be Lisbeth Salander to John Jones' Joe Friday, or more to the point, an updated Gypsy.<br /><br />I referred to a presumptive Martian Manhunter spin-off series, probably by Peter Tomasi. Nothing confirmed yet, but I don't want either of the <i>Brightest Day</i> guys writing such a beast. John Arcudi, Tom Peyer, or Len Kaminsky would be by far preferable.Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-90480120812864085982010-12-24T02:30:35.809-06:002010-12-24T02:30:35.809-06:00Ehhhh. Letting J'onn have a family is too Bro...Ehhhh. Letting J'onn have a family is too Bronze Age for me, and too similar to Superman for me. Then again, you know that nothing short of stripping him down to his Silver Age roots will make me happy. For me it's less aliens, not more, and down-to-Earth stories with only a hint of the fantastic that make him interesting. And simplicity.<br /><br />I'll take Bel Juz and Commander Blanx, and <i>maybe</i> Miss Martian if a good writer comes along and gives J'onn a recurring human alias and lets him be a detective like he was meant to be. Why Geoff Johns can't give J'onn the Hal Jordan treatment, I don't know.<br /><br />You put "Martian Manhunter" in italics....did I miss an announcement that there's a solo series coming along with the Aquaman one?LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-20227660843420842812010-12-24T02:14:27.558-06:002010-12-24T02:14:27.558-06:00Martian Manhunter as the adopted uncle to a White ...Martian Manhunter as the adopted uncle to a White Martian with multiple personality disorder who decapitated her own evil future self? That is full of win, because it builds the Martian Manhunter Dynasty as a unique and gamier alternative to the Superman Family. I increasingly lover Miss Martian's look, and having missed the <i>Young Justice</i> pilot, I'm anxious to see how she works in animation. Honestly, I have no problem with J'Onn being "overshadowed," because he belongs in the back alleys, not the spotlight. Also, she's one step closer to bringing back the other Martians of the Silver and Bronze Ages. I want my B'rett, Bel Juz, and Marshal back!<br /><br />I'm looking forward to <i>Aquaman</i>, dreading <i>Martian Manhunter</i>, and hoping for a return to the glory days of the pantheistic <i>JLA</i>. I will be happy to avoid future (bi-)weeklies, though.<br /><br />PAD Aquaman was such a colossal disappointment, and only children of the '90s would think otherwise. A pox on their houses and Golden Mullets in their gaming systems!Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-38388561131594805362010-12-24T02:01:30.508-06:002010-12-24T02:01:30.508-06:00There's a part of me that just wants Miss Mart...There's a part of me that just wants Miss Martian to be forgotten and go away already. If she turns out to be a flop, she'll muddy up J'onn's "dynasty." If she winds up being a hit, she'll overshadow him. J'onn's a character already suffering from major premise issues, so why add another half-baked element to the mix? She's a round peg in a square hole that's already inside another round peg. If that Young Justice cartoon takes off, J'onn will be forver known as "Miss Martian's uncle" and not the other way around, just like Ted Kord is now the guy who was Blue Beetle before Jaime to younger fans.<br /><br />Brightest Day is pretty dull and pointless at this point. I really wanted DC just to bring back some fan favorites and get back to business as usual, not lead right into another crossover/year-long series. Which will probably conclude by kicking off ANOTHER year-long series.<br /><br />After reading a whole slew of comments on Facebook today ripping on Aquaman and how he was only "cool" when he had the "bad ass" hook-hand and the long hair I want to go cry in a corner and/or put my fist through a wall. These are the fans DC is pandering to, and no meaningful or thoughtful story is going to come out of that strategy.LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-76737723352015776422010-12-23T11:34:55.963-06:002010-12-23T11:34:55.963-06:00It'll be interesting to see, especially in lig...It'll be interesting to see, especially in light of the <i>Young Justice</i> cartoon whether Miss Martian ends up being to Supergirl what J'Onn J'Onzz is to Superman. That is, the inheritor of abandoned characteristics once associated with the more famous character. Until Sterling Gates, Kara Zor-El v2.0 was an obnoxious, rebellious, yet directionless bimbo. If there's another opening in the super-smart, capable, futuristic and respectful super-heroine department, M'gann should take it.Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-11016867814546037702010-12-23T11:20:35.155-06:002010-12-23T11:20:35.155-06:00Re: Brightest Day
Yeah, I wanted to love it, and ...Re: Brightest Day<br /><br />Yeah, I wanted to love it, and I still like the art and a number of aspects of the story, but D'kay has underdelivered on interesting direction and overcompensated with the grotesque JLA-icide. It ain't over yet, but it'd have to cure cancer in the remaining issues to get a gold star from me at this point.<br /><br />I second the lamentation that JLI has not included J'onn nearly enough in these hindsight issues. He, Gardner and Beetle are the only ones on the cover of both the first and last issues of Giffen and DeMatteis's run. Some respect is due.<br /><br />Also, Supergirl Miss Martian Team up is pretty much a dream book.mathematicscorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15439579069513071094noreply@blogger.com