Oh Marvel

So I finally broke down and actually read all my books from the past couple of weeks, and by Jove they were pretty darned good! Which makes Marvel's idiocy about Hydra and Captain America even more infuriating. How can a company that is creating such fabulous books as Ms. Marvel, Doctor Strange, Thor and Squirrel Girl, also coming up with such utter drivel as Cap being evil?

And not apparently, under a spell, or mind control either. He was just always evil.

Right.

Sometimes retcons work. This... is not one of those times. And blaming more diversity in your books for the plummeting sales is cowardly and disingenuous at best. I know I am not buying this crap, because I am fond of Cap, and I don't think Nazis are good except as punching bags.  Or as talking dinosaurs... that works too. Marvel has just been astonishingly tone-deaf y about this whole Hydra thing, and I am quite disgusted.

It was the last issue of Hellcat, which made me sad, but it was funny and silly, and had a happy ending, so there are worse ways to go I suppose. 

The thing with the evil internet was resolved nicely in Ms Marvel. Not my favorite story line, but still head and shoulders above a lot of books.

More about Rip Hunter, who has gone back... or ahead... in time to save the Green Lantern Corps.  Hal is an utter jackals... even more so than usual. When Kyle says that Rip couldn't have made his own ring, Hal preens and just can't resist pointing out that HE can ! Oh Hal. John pontificates, Kyle is busy hitting on Soranik, because he apparently forgot how they broke up in the first place, and there is a sad lack of Guy.

Guy was tight with Booster. Would he have known who Rip was, I wonder?

Doctor Strange was fabulous. Damn I do like this book. Wong is saved. The good Doctor is still arrogant, but comes through when the chips are down, and they will need a new fridge.

Thor and assorted Aesir deities all work together to defeat the Shi'ar God's... and bot howdy, do THOSE two have an inflated opinion of themselves!  They manage to piss off their own worshippers with their hubris, but also manage to summon the Phoenix, which is never a good thing.  good stuff as usual, and gosh, the art is so pretty.

Arches was great as always, and I am STILL in shock over typing those words.

And finally, I picked up the new Nick Fury book out of curiosity... and liked it! The artist seems to be channeling Stefano, and pulling it off quite well. It was fast paced, bright, and had lots of explosions. Not bad at all!

Oh Sweet Spring

The daffodils are blooming, the leaves are budding... and we are of course doing yard work in preparation for warm weather.

Which is why I am currently covered in poison ivy. In my defense, I had no idea that there were vines mixed in with the leaves in the flower bed, and... and I am just one itchy mess.

Damn this would be the perfect weapon for a super villain!

"scratch, scratch"

Trailer for Ragnarok

By Odin's Ravens!  I just saw the new trailer for the third Thor movie, Ragnarok, which comes out on November... and I have to admit to being fairly well blown away. 

I absolutely loved the first Thor movie and the Avengers, which I also like to call Loki I and II. Thor, the Dark World... not so much, mainly because Odin and Thor were such douches in it. But this one... looks pretty amazing so far.  Although, it could use more Loki.

I would have it here except I don't know how, but it IS on U-Tube, and it is awesome. Oh, and the Hulk, Valkyrie and Hela are all pretty awesome as well.

I have to admit that I have been enjoying the Marvel movies so much more than the DC one, although Gal Godot as Wonder Woman does look amazing. I am dying to see the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and apparently they have started filming Infinity War as well.  I wonder if they had any idea what they were starting way back when?

Woot!

Marvel and Diversity

So... Marvel's apparent slump in sales is because telling stories about women, teens and non-white males is chasing away readers. Or something.

Seriously?

I can only speak of my own reading habits, but it was because of those fun quirky books that I came slithering back to the Marvel side of the aisle, after having been chased away by the horror of Civil War I.  Frankly I adore Ms Marvel, and Squirrel Girl and Hellcat, and the Champions,  and Groot and Howard the Duck.  And the Young Avengers, whom I still miss terribly.

You know what I don't read? All those damn, never-ending crossovers and "Events".   Civil War, part deaux was awful... and pointless. I love Captain America, but I Will Not Read about him as a secret Hydra Agent, because that is just a bloody stupid idea.  I also don't need twelve Avenger books. I like the Avengers, but that's just insane.

The Thor books are good. Need more Loki though.

Here's a thought Marvel. Get some good writers (which you have) and pair them up with some good artists (which you also have) and let them tell the tales that they wish to tell about their characters WITHOUT having to suborn their ideas to yet another gawdawful Twelve Issue Crossover!

Oh, and maybe stop raising the price by 50% every few months as well. Couldn't hurt.