New Mutants/New X-Men

[tocryabout]

I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on back issues of this comic. Okay, the art is uneven and the dialogue is certainly uninspired, but I like the characters. Wither, in particular, is the kind of character I would invent. Lonely, withdrawn boy with father issues and unresolved guilt? Hell yeah. Dani and Karma are also great in the advisor roles -- I particularly like that Dani fails sometimes, and doesn't like everyone, and everyone doesn't like her. The "OMG QUESTIONING MY ROLE HERE" thing is getting old by #6, though.

I like Sooraya, too, but way to keep harping on ethnic stereotypes, Marvel. You were one step away from having her codename be Sand Nigger, weren't you?

Anyway.

Naturally, because very few people seem to agree with me on the awesomeness of Freudian dead-father guilt, Wither is all but ignored in the comics and may soon be written out altogether. Good job, writers. Are you TRYING to make me write fanfic? Fanfic that is not based in love? Frowny-face!

It seems like whenever I like comics, I really just like the germ of the idea -- the thing-in-itself is never enough. Homicide, for example, never provoked a fanficcy response in me, because I always felt it was good, it had achieved what it was going for. (The later seasons Did Not Happen, from Falsone onwards.) Comics feel more like a sketch that needs to be fleshed out into something deeper. This makes it easier to ignore certain flaws, but it also makes it feel like constantly reading movie synopses and never seeing an actual film.

(Question for comics-fags: how come Xavier can walk in this continuity? IT IS FREAKING ME OUT.)

PS next chapter of Aphanes will be along soon. Anything to keep from studying Heidegger.

Comments

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that I can't really comment on everything else. Though I have a humourous explaination for why he can walk...



However, I'm looking forward to this new chapter.

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

Are you actually reading it? I'm surprised.

So how come he can walk? DO NOT HOLD OUT ON ME, MAN!

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

I started reading it a few weeks ago. I was going to keep it a secret until I knew enough to give you a solid, potentially useful opinion.

Well, it's not an overly useful answer, I'm afraid.

Ooh, if I were Prof X I'd already know the answer!

[waterstrider.livejournal.com]

You are being a tease, sir.

Damn I want to be telepathic. It isn't fair.

Re: Ooh, if I were Prof X I'd already know the answer!

[ex-the-epic80.livejournal.com]

As a homage to the darkfic you love so much I answer:

"Because you touch yourself at night."

Thank you, thank you. I know it was worth the wait.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

"Comic-fags?"

I'm sorry, are we now using "fag" synonomously with "geek"? I missed the memo. While that works in my case, it would not be generally true.

Looking forward to new Aphanes as I am an, uh, Canadian-politics-flavoured Xmen-fanfic fag...

[to-cry-about.livejournal.com]

Less derogatory than geek, actually. Just a slang usage I picked up elsewhere, although I have no idea why homosexuality should be synonymous with devotion to knowledge. Maybe I could refer to things as "dykey" instead, to avoid causing offense to my homo brothers? That would be weird.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I like "geek" myself and never consider it unduly derogatory. It has a certain pleasant self-mockery to it that indicates a proper perspective on the fact that there is no great reason to know all the names of all the Star Trek episodes. For instance.

"Fag" is silly in this instance because even in a derogatory setting, it never means one with an obsessive and nerdish knowledge of an arcane area.

Taken collectively with the fact that "gay" has come to mean "lame," it is offensive in that it lumps any non-hetero, non-Leafs-loving neanderthal under the uber-heading of "loser".

"Dykey" old fail for similar reasons and it would be weird.

I am a geek, hear me roar.

[to-cry-about.livejournal.com]

Are we being prescriptive or descriptive? ;) I think you have to hang out at Portal of Evil for quite a while (or among a certain group of geeky and misanthropic people my age) to get the whole zen of the term "fag" as it's used there. It does indeed mean "obsessive and nerdish knowledge of an arcane area" there -- it's fairly common to read a post saying something like, "I bow to your superior history-faggery, sir; your Western Literature cock is clearly bigger than mine."

Which is offensive to women as well, especially since "cunt/vagina/pussy" is never synonymous with power or skill.

But yeah, in the rest of the world, geeks seem to be moving up in terms of admiration. If you're actually offended, you can call me a lesbo dogan cunt and we'll call it even.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Hmm, cultural difference you say. Okay, whatever. I'm not much into misanthropy; I try to be more of a celebator (although it wouldn't be hard to call bullshit on that claim. Hey, I can aspire...)

[youngest-one.livejournal.com]

I think it has something to do with the medium of superhero comics itself. I like them well enough, but it's based for the most part on action and large ensemble plots, which doesn't leave a whole lot of room for emotional development.

More Aphanes coming up? ALL RIGHT!!!