Chuckg

Re: DC's Best Martial Artist

... he *had* to have been sarcastic. Some of the best Babs characterization I ever saw was in Puckett's BATGIRL run!

Re: Comics that I miss.

A very depressing story, however, and I wish Kirkman was still doing the book.

Still, as you point out, it's not AVENGERS DISCOMBOBULATED. It actually holds together as a plot, 'tis just a very Iron Age plot.

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

What are you' date=' stuttering now? Or is that more vitriol coming out of your keyboard?[/quote']

 

You're doing an excellent job of trying to convince people that you are a mature and reasonable poster being harassed by a juvenile flame-baiter.

 

Really.

 

Absolutely dead-on perfect.

 

didn't revise anything, you're arguing conjecture and opinion and all I'm trying to do is establish a fact about a specific point. And at least you deigned to participate in that with your hair splitting masterpiece "at least six months."

 

Pointing out that the article you quoted wasn't the first time they said it is 'hair splitting' now?

 

Honestly, it wouldn't be very good news if it wasn't new when it was published, would it?

 

It wasn't "news" in the first place, it was advertising. Why do you think creators and editors give interviews and issue press releases in the first place? Because of their celebrity value? No, because they are trying to build -- or maintain -- or regain -- interest in the product being sold.

 

Your logic requires the assumption that nobody has ever repeated themselves in a series of interview over time, and said assumption is hard to maintain when the field in question (public relations) is the one that *INVENTED* the "give the stock answer to a stock question" tactic.

 

Let's try a hypothetical example:

 

"I promise to try and cut pork in government!" -- Senator Hypothetical, re-election campaign of 2004

 

Have I proven that Senator Hypothetical has been promising this for at least a year? Yes.

 

Have I proven that Senator Hypothetical has been promising this for *at most* a year? Hell no.

 

And a good thing too, given that Senator Hypothetical has made that same promise during every re-election campaign he's done in the past 19 years.

 

(While Senator Hypothetical is, of course, hypothetical, I'm sure every reader can supply at least one real-life example of him from their own experience.)

 

I won't enter into a debate with you about my personal theories and interpretations because they are diametrically opposed to yours, you get very nasty and I don't enjoy it.

 

One, I always find it puzzling (and several other things) when people who have been arguing with me repeatedly for an hour claim that they "won't enter into a debate with me", seeing as how for the conversation to get that far they not only already *have* gotten into one, but have then extended repeated and recurring effort into *staying* in one.

 

And two, the first person in our latest conversation to lower the tone was you, with your sneering 'well that's what you WOULD have said!' childish word game. I called such behavior 'contemptible' because that is precisely what it was. If you don't like being called on it, then either modify your behavior or use your Ignore List, because I'm not going to pretend it's not happening when you're (metaphorically) slapping me in the face with it.

 

So I'm really not very motivated to participate in a heated discussion about an issue I'm just not all that passionate about.

 

Odd, you seem to be *very* passionate just you, given that your replies to me only get longer and longer, and shout at me more and more heatedly. Hint: 'dispassion' is in the other direction. You know, the one where you stop posting.

 

PS -- I did not say that your POV was contemptible, I said that your ARGUMENT TACTIC(*) was contemptible. Learn the difference.

 

 

 

 

(*) To wit, making up whatever stupid stuff you wanted and then claiming that it's what I would have said anyway.

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

Amazing, given that you were saying it literally only five or six minutes ago.

Not admitting you may have misinterpreted what I said or (god forbid) misremembered something and instead obfuscating the point by making derisive commentary is weaksauce.

So again, what did I "misinterpret"?

Edit -- And no, posting those articles did not prove that they have held those positions for *only* six months. What you have proven is that they have held those positions for *at least* six months.

Given that I remember DC's panicked reassurances that 'it will get brighter! the darkness won't last! etc. etc. etc.!' coming about the time that the negative reaction to IDENTITY CRISIS started... which was before it was even halfway finished... your claim, even your re-re-re-re-revised claim, is still wrong.

Re: Comics that I miss.

Oh God, I forgot to list Meridian. One of the most wonderful stories I ever read (even if it did kill most of my desire to continue RP'ing one of my fave characters)(*), and they had to rush it to a half-assed 'stopping point' (it was nowhere near complete enough to be called a proper ending) in a few issues because that's how much lead notice they had that CrossGen was goin' down... with tons of story left yet to tell.

In my fantasy world, Disney turns the sucker into an animated series but has Studio Ghibli do everything creative with it, and just handles distribution. I know, dreaming, me.

(*) Watching how they wrote Sephie gave me an inferiority attack re: playing Starguard.

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

I think its very brave that DC has recognized that they may have gone too far in an effort to add emotional weight and resonance to their characters and are willing to comment on it in their comic books. I mean' date=' how often have we seen a comic book company say, "Oops, got a little carried away there, let's try something different." And it looks like that's the direction DC is going.[/quote']

 

I think when the dust settles' date=' things will be more balanced between lighthearted, optomistic storytelling and realism.[/quote']

 

Have you ever heard the phrase "It's always darkest before the dawn?"

 

I can't imagine where I could possibly have gotten the idea that you were saying that DC was going to turn things around from the current darkfestorama. Nope, I was just making it all up and stuffing it in your mouth. :rolleyes:

Re: Comics that I miss.

re: the New Universe -- some of the ancillary comics had good characters and good premises, but sadly Marvel killed their golden goose by making Star Brand an essential part of the entire metaplot and reason for being, and while there have been suckier and less likeable characters than him, there ain't been many.

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

Please' date=' if they said it once you'd be saying the same thing.[/quote']

 

Making up stuff and then putting it in my mouth is contemptible.

 

(Edit -- for the record, the first time they said it, my reaction was 'God, I hope so.' Granted, that was over a year ago and on another board, so you wouldn't have known about it. Your error lay in assuming rather than asking.

 

The *second* time they said it, I went 'Didn't they promise this already?', and it went downhill from there.)

 

Have you ever heard the phrase "It's always darkest before the dawn?"

 

Yes, often -- usually as a cliche, invoked to try and lighten up a depressing situation that, more often than not, remained largely depressing.

 

"It's only darkest before the dawn" is reassuring if, and only if, you know beyond doubt that the sun will rise the next morning, and at least roughly at what time.

 

Sadly, however, DC Editorial is somewhat less regularly uplifting than the sunrise, in about the same way that a US Senator running for office is somewhat less honest than Captain America.

Re: Essential OHOTMU: worth it or not?

It's useful as a sort of Cliffs' Notes of Marvel history up to that time, especially the more obscure characters.

The "Powers" sections of the writeups, OTOH, are loose estimates at best and laughably inaccurate at worst. If you get it, then stick to the 'History' sections of the write-ups, those at least contain useful data.

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

That's what I was referring to. I've read articles saying they've been planting the seeds for the Crisis since two years ago' date=' not that Johns has been officially charged with leading the DCU into a new creative direction.[/quote']

 

John was one of the three big noises on the 2003 'steering committee' that came up with the whole Countdown/Crisis 'new direction' in the first place, so my point stands -- the dude you think will harbinger a change in tone away from this dark crap is one of the dudes who masterminded the *last* change in tone *to* the dark crap, so...

 

I think when the dust settles, things will be more balanced between lighthearted, optomistic storytelling and realism.

 

DC Editorial has been making this same promise repeatedly, over and over again, since about month #3 of IDENTITY CRISIS.

 

And over and over again, said promise has failed to deliver. Instead, it only got darker with every step.

 

I can only be told to 'wait and see!' so many times, and disappointed so many times, before I go 'tell it to the Marines, old comics fans ain't buyin' it.'

Re: All-New Iron Age Zoo Crew?

That's an awful big brush you've got there. The specific writer responsible for this Zoo Crew story is Geoff Johns. Now I think the general consensus on this guy is his heroes are heroic' date=' I've never sen him torture a sidekick or cripple anyone.[/quote']

 

Check out his latest TEEN TITANS run. Superboy (Kon-El) has just abandoned all his friends to the Crisis 'cause he's too busy going all emo over having DNA from Lex Luthor (and never mind how much /that/ plot twist is impossible to logically reconcile with the multiple DNA tests Kon had done before...).

 

Him also the same dude whose JSA run has recently had depresso fest 2005.

 

Geoff Johns used to write really good heroic comics, yes...

 

... several years ago.

 

They're making a big effort to enhance continuity by putting their top gun writers in charge of their creative direction and I think they've earned at least the benefit of the doubt by recognizing that things could be better and implementing new creative policies.

 

What new creative policies would these be again?

 

Please note, Geoff Johns, et al. were -- at least, according to the promotional materials for "Countdown To Infinite Crisis" -- handed the reins re: direction two years ago. So, if DC be believed, these are the very same people who plotted out "Identity Crisis", "Countdown", and "Infinite Crisis" in the first place!

 

So again, new creative direction of which? According to DC, everything that's happening now has been planned for years -- by some of the same people you're saying will save us from it.

Re: Marvel's Best Martial Artists

Yeah. Boomerang once gave Iron Fist a harder time at this, but that was largely because it's much harder to Missile Deflect things that detonate on contact, or magnetically attach your hand to them and kick in a jet thruster that sends it back up a couple hundred feet and then drags you on a mid-air tour of Greater New York.

Re: Marvel's Best Martial Artists

Also' date=' I'm pretty sure Iron Fist would clean Bullseye's clock in a straight-up weaponless fight.[/quote']

 

Well, throwing things at Iron Fist is usually a complete waste of time...

 

From POWER MAN & IRON FIST #50:

 

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3839/grsp30co.jpg

Re: Marvel's Best Martial Artists

Ummm, actually, the recent MARVEL KNIGHTS run by Chuck Dixon had Shang pulling off a Cassandra Cain-style Matrix-time bullet sidestep (again in clear stop-motion), so he'd be DQ'ed too.

Re: Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved

Well, yes, but those aren't edible enough to be a full meal, and require lots of cooking.

These things can be munched raw and provide the same nutritive value as hardtack. So, the fantasy Bread Acorn.

Re: Golden Age Day Jobs

Well, yes. It sounds much better when you're bragging to a girl in a bar, for one thing.

Re: Golden Age Day Jobs

So what would the job description be for a character who made his money collecting the bounties offered by the government on Osama Bin Laden types?

Well, given that those rewards don't require you to actually drag in the sucker yourself(*), but merely provide "information leading to the arrest and conviction of", the technical term would actually be 'snitch'.

For example, the aforementioned Osama reward -- you don't have to haul him in yourself to collect that $25 million, you merely have to tell the US government where he is, and be accurate enough that Osama is still there when they get there.

(*) Although if you *did* do that, they would presumably still pay you. After all, 'He's right here in front of you.' is a valid piece of information.

Re: Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved

Pyramid subscribers really need to read this article in last week's pyramid, it's chock full o' ideas I already mentioned one, the insect-repellent plant dye.

http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/article.html?id=5746

Some others...

* A variant oak tree that grows edible acorns. Perfect self-preserving field rations!

* A gourd that can be boiled to produce a sweet-tasting syrup... that guarantees that insects will ignore any food flavored with it. The perfect low-tech preservative! Make it scarce enough and it'll be worth as much as gold!

* A quasi-magical flower that produces a wine (like dandelions can be used to make dandelion wine) that is as effective an antibiotic as penicillin!

The changes any of these would make to a medieval society are obvious.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

From last night's UNITY Prime session, which I DM:

-----------

*While the team is at a press conference, Astroman picks up a vague indicator from his Danger Sense*

Astroman -- *I've got a bad feeling...*

Rand Valor -- "Oh, look, if something happens, something happens, we'll just make it wish it didn't if it does. Until then, enjoy being admired."

-----------

*First question at the press conference!*

Reporter -- "Jason Bernstein, New York Times. Mr. Secretary-Marshall, could you please tell me..."

(he fades to a stop and looks up at the sudden shadow falling)

"... why the sun is going out?"

-----------

*NPCs snark at each other! Specifically, POTUS dressing down the CIA director.*

President Westfield -- "Director, if it hasn't occured to you yet that /we/ are the obvious first suspects here, I strongly suggest you drink more coffee before coming to work."

-----------

*The team plots grand strategy!*

Rand Valor -- "First, we end the current mess. Then, we take a moment to smile about doing so. Then, we figure out who was behind it. Then, we kick their heads in."

-----------

*A new supervillainess is revealed!*

Jack Frost -- "Wow, a supervillainess that has never yet tried to kill me. I am amazed, I didn't think there were any."

-----------

Re: [Campaign] UNITY Prime

BTW, we apologize for the minor continuity error of referring to Field Marshal David Ben-Gurion as "Ben-Gurion" and "Ben-David", interchangeably. Minor DM brain fart.

Re: WWYCD?: One Night At The Opera...

Find Weakness w/ Mental Attacks... and lots and lots of Extra Time modifiers.

Even better for representing a "can eventually worm through any mental barriers" telepath than gobsmacking Cumulative does.

Re: Golden Age Day Jobs

Bounty hunter is an under-used logical Superhero job. There are a few' date=' but really, how much would the federal government offer for the capture of some lunatic who'd stollen a few nukes or built a death ray?[/quote']

 

Zero, actually -- bounty hunters aren't paid by the government, they're paid by the bail bondsmen who would otherwise be out their money if Dr. Death skipped his bail, and the bounty hunter fee is set as a percentage of said bail. (i.e. -- the bondsman would rather keep 75% or 90% of the bail, losing the rest to pay the bounty hunter, rather than be out all 100% 'cause the dude bail jumped.)

 

The US government probably doesn't let Dr. Death *have* bail... at least, not if he's stolen nukes or built a city-smasher-gun.

Re: [Campaign] UNITY Prime

Session #1:

"Number Two Million Sunblock, Part 1": The premiere episodes starts off with a shocker when, during UNTIL's press conference to announce the formation of the team, the sun goes out and the sky turns pitch black for dozens of miles around! Follow UNITY into space and from coast to coast, as they try to track down the mysterious cyberkinetic villainess who's been rebuilding satellites, altering the ozone layer with nanite catalysts, sticking mind-control discs on people, and in general just leaving a horrible mess behind her wherever she goes for other people to clean up.

Re: [Campaign] UNITY Prime

Session logs here:

http://chuckg.schtuff.com/session_logs

Re: This week on "Champions"...

Wednesday, 7pm

UNITY Prime -- "Number Two Million Sunblock, Part 1": The premiere episodes starts off with a shocker when, during UNTIL's press conference to announce the formation of the team, the sun goes out and the sky turns pitch black for dozens of miles around! Follow UNITY into space and from coast to coast, as they try to track down the mysterious cyberkinetic villainess who's been rebuilding satellites, altering the ozone layer with nanite catalysts, sticking mind-control discs on people, and in general just leaving a horrible mess behind her wherever she goes for other people to clean up.