Comic Rantings from a Hateful Bitch.

[fenderlove]

F-list, I apologize for yet another comic-related thing to fill up with your page with woe and angst, but I want to rant too. Everyone else is getting to have so much fun with it! Yeah, I'm fairly hateful about the S8 comics. I've actually read 'em though I refuse to buy them because why should I pay good money for something that I'm just going to mock? The one positive thing that you will ever hear me say about Joss Whedon is that he does have a small bit of integrity in that he tells the story he wants to tell and fuck everyone else. Trouble is he's still a wanker.


The only problem is that he's a trope of himself and spiraled down into near parody of badness. I don't believe Joss panders to any one set group of fans 'cause I believe that he couldn't give a flying fig because he's got a pretty hardcore fanbase that's hard to shake. I mean, you throw massive amounts of unnecessary character deaths/resurrections, rapes/attempted rapes/sexual assaults/forced prostitution, faux!feminism masquerading as the genuine article, and enough plotholes to sink a Winnebago, and the fans don't go away. Even the ones who are severely disappointed don't go away. There's something to be said for that, I suppose. He gives you glimpses of the things you once enjoyed about his programs only to take them away or to twist them into an unrecognizable tangled mess of stinking offal. I wish I could bond with him over a shared sense of sadism (I do enjoy causing a bit of pain), but I fear he's far more deranged than I. I don't ship, and his need to stir up a shit-storm at random is just so played that it annoys the frak out of me. In a way, how freeing it must be to Joss Whedon. To have the kind of following to fund what he wants to do, to have the pull to get the deals that allow he to have total artistic freedom, yet he can't seem to help but joss everyone. It'd be laughable if it wasn't pathetic... Oh, wait, it's still laughable. The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors that came together in perfect harmony to create a lasting story with compelling characters that withstands the years. A fluke, perhaps? There are definitely times I wonder.

Also, Scott Allie is a douche and a bully. Jack Kirby should rise from the grave and beat the daylights out of that man for being such a sad martyred sack of old oats. He's like the Felix the Cat of stupid parlor pander. "Oh, I accidentally posted this... Oh, you weren't supposed to see that!" pulling the same kind of crap that would get even a high-up-than-intern employee fired. I've lost all respect for Dark Horse though I honestly cannot say that I was that impressed with much of their titles (though hats off to them for breaking through the Big Two to get closer to the top of the heap and opening the doors to other smaller labels). Comics are taking such a major leap backwards, and I blame the massive amounts of franchise comics struggling to tease out even five more points out between a built-in audience that may not exist and an audience of already comic-buyers, praying that this quarter will be better than the last. This isn't the Modern Age of Comics; welcome to the Brass Age, baby.

Comments

[dontgetanyolder.livejournal.com]

this is the first rant on my f-list that didn't chastize people for not appreciating Joss and Allie enough. THANK GOD.
I don't like Scott Allie. I agree. Douchey.
Nice to know I'm not alone in that belief.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

The one positive thing that you will ever hear me say about Joss Whedon is that he does have a small bit of integrity in that he tells the story he wants to tell and fuck everyone else. Trouble is he's still a wanker.

Hee! {{hug}}

[nonothrthnme.livejournal.com]

Werd

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

"The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors"

I have never understood why everyone attributes so much of the BTVS/ATS goodness to Joss, ESPECIALLY ATS, with which he was virtually hands-off for 90% of it.They were good IN SPITE of Joss's presence.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

I think he is losing his audience. Look at the fallen and falling numbers of the comic and the telly shows. More and more of his audience are realising the emperor has no clothes.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

"The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors"

Yeah, funny that. *g*

[thedabara-cds.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of comics, or of Anne Rice, but the hubby and I bought all the Anne Rice comic books when they first came out, and still have them. They are one big reason why I just could not stand the Jossverse comics. Look at both sets of comic art and there's just no comparison. Most of the S8 comic art sucks donkey balls. And don't even get me started on the plot lines that make the "Lost" writers look like they had a coherent story arc well-planned out from the beginning...

Although it must be said, Innovations comics (who made the Anne Rice comics) did very high quality comics, so much so that when they experienced their first slump in sales they went bankrupt very quickly. But even if Dark Horse didn't want to spend as much on very expensive printing processes, it wouldn't have killed them to hire some better artists. Not that they were all bad, but Dark Horse seems to re-hire the worst artists and let go the good ones. Go figure.

[sentine.livejournal.com]

I don't ship, and his need to stir up a shit-storm at random is just so played that it annoys the frak out of me.

Thank you for translating so clearly my brain :)

[treadingthedark.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this.

"The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors"

And emmy winning, catchy songs, NPH or not, Dr. Horrible's ending just made me roll my eyes with it's special brand of Jossian triteness at the end. Get a new idea!!!!

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

*THIRTY-MINUTE STANDING OVATION* \o/

[mulder200.livejournal.com]

Word to all of this!

I mean I tried to give S8 a fair shake and kudos to those who ACTUALLY enjoy it but this sucks!

The artwork is crappy, the storyline sucks and the pacing is so fucking slow it's just ridiculous!

[xeelia.livejournal.com]

Bows to your succinct wording of what I think! I like the idea of BtVS and AtS, I like the original outlines of the characters, I like the potential the characters had, I HATE what Joss did with them. I HATE the loopholes and the way a character's characterization morphs...in the same episode/issue.

I think Joss is a great outliner and character idea guy, he's a horrible story teller.

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying what we're all thinking! Seriously. Oh, and no one says because everyone's afraid that poor Allie will have his ickle feelings hurt. :P

[angearia.livejournal.com]

The only explanation for why BtVS and Ats were originally so compelling was just a magical happenstance of other writers and directors and actors that came together in perfect harmony to create a lasting story with compelling characters that withstands the years. A fluke, perhaps? There are definitely times I wonder.

Well, yes of course. That's the creative process and the beauty of collaboration. Of which he's a part of and certainly not a bad part so...

The (implied?) argument for the shows being good despite Joss' influence doesn't make sense, imo, but I think I'm not the target audience for your rant. :P

Oh, fandom. We're all so dramatic. :D

*uses bitch icon*