tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post5019186391005220142..comments2024-03-21T06:36:04.196-05:00Comments on The Idol-Head of Diabolu, a Martian Manhunter blog: Final Crisis: Requiem #1 Doug Mahnke & J.G. Jones CoversDiabolu Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-300901165321913922008-08-10T13:18:00.000-05:002008-08-10T13:18:00.000-05:00My scan of the Jones variant came out a bit too da...My scan of the Jones variant came out a bit too dark, but better than nothing, I figure. Glad you liked it and the Vile Menagerie. VM is one of my favorite features to do, so the week long run was a thrill. The problem is they're really time consuming, and I often lack color reference on the Detective Comics villains. I went quite a while without posting any VMs, but I'm trying to get back to doing at least one a month.<BR/><BR/>Y'know, Stan Lee to a large degree created what we consider to be continuity today, in part because it was easier to write one story if there was another story to prop it up. Since he and his brother Larry were writing pretty much the entire Marvel line in the beginning, it wasn't too hard to keep up with, either. When Stan left his writing and editorial duties in the 70's, one of his successors fretted about how they were going to keep track of all this stuff. Stan basically said look, let the writers use what they like, and ignore the rest. <BR/><BR/>I used to get really hung up on continuity, and I'm still perfectly willing to use it as a bludgeon against a bad script. In truth though, I came to take Stan's philosophy to heart, and see continuity as one glorious buffet. If I don't like a story, as I didn't with most of Ostrander's Manhunter work, I leave it next to the hummas and asparagus (unless I find myself craving something different.) If I like a story, no matter how many editorial reversals tell me otherwise, I've still got the comics right where I left them in a longbox. They happened, and all words to the contrary are Newspeak.<BR/><BR/>So yeah, part of the mission of this blog is to cover continuity, but only so far as it remembers good stories, criticizes bad, and hopefully helps prop up more of the former than the latter. I already have a pet idea that "fixes" that business with the Burning Martians without negating the story and while employing previous continuity. That's what I'm talking about!Diabolu Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685199809207954223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620698560611640068.post-17273053798364193892008-08-10T12:12:00.000-05:002008-08-10T12:12:00.000-05:00I have to admit, yes, I was burning for a detailed...I have to admit, yes, I was burning for a detailed recap of the Mandrake series, if only to know it was still in continuity. J'onn's had so many retcons since the 80's, including some that took place after the Mandrake series (the Guardians created the martians? How does that work when the Martians pre-date them?) it was a relief to see them trying to be consistent for once. You're right that they could have trimmed a few panels to cover older elements like VULTURE or the martian robot space ghost but on the whole I was satisfied by the flashbacks. Of course, I've got a soft spot for that old series so I'm biased. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for posting the Jones variant cover BTW. Can't wait to see the Vile Menagerie entries on Dr. Light and Effigy. The VM's probably my favorite feature.Matthew McKinnon-Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16706982039825275300noreply@blogger.com