Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Ooh baby. Preview of Marvel's The Order #1 [Slush Factory via Defenders Board (Tad Ghostal scoopage); Newsarama]
Looks awesome!

Neilalien creates a banner for the Defenders Message Board! [Go see it!]

Neilalien's Banner for the Defenders Message Board

A poster named Uncle Pyko is always on there asking for the Defenders to face Shuma-Gorath- so I made a banner of what that battle might look like.

Posted 31 January 02002 - Permalink

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Review of Ultimate Team-Up #12 (Spoilers)

Qualifier #1: I avoid character reboots. Doc fans know all about them. He's got a mask. Now he's got an eyepatch. Now he's young with long hair and sunglasses. Now he's got a Trenchcoat of Levitation and a gawdy shirt. Now he's got enough power to destroy the universe. Now he's too weak to teleport home after casting two spells. Now he's fighting Galactus in bright four-color. Now he's fighting street thugs and vampires in a Vertigo world. Neilalien says, just get a good writer and a good artist together, let them tweak Doc's look, his book's feel, and his power level a little bit to suit their interpretation of the character without changing him completely, and let them create decent stories, new stories, with only knowing nods to continuity in little editor boxes. When I heard Doc was going to be a young novice in the Ultimate line, I shuddered.
Qualifier #2: I've avoided the Ultimates line. I agree that we need comics that are accessible to new readers and young readers. But Neilalien has no interest, since he is neither new nor young.
Qualifier #3: I think Bendis is a great writer, but nothing to gush over.

Having said these qualifiers: Ultimate Team-Up #12 is excellent. I loved it. I was very surprised and impressed.

Posted 31 January 02002 - Permalink

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Expansive review of Defenders #12 [NegativePop]

Posted 30 January 02002 - Permalink

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Marvel and Alan Moore smoke peace pipe [Marvel apologizes and Moore accepts; via Newsarama]

Do you have a picture of yourself dressed up in spandex as a superhero? Share it! [The Heroes In Spandex Gallery via LinkMachineGo]

Posted 29 January 02002 - Permalink

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First mention of Doctor Strange on Usenet? [from Google's 20 Year Usenet Archive]
In "The Great Superhero Trivia Quiz." Posted 8 April 01982. I may be getting up there in years, but I think I was still reading Richie Rich when this was posted.

First Look at Ultimate Team-Up #12 [Mile High Comics]

If you think Neilalien is a neat palindrome, then you can use this Palindrome Checker to help make up one of your own [via Chronosquid, which Neilalien found via its cool name catching his eye on the Blogger Recently Updated List]

Posted 28 January 02002 - Permalink

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More From Moore In 2002 [Newsarama]
What about a Watchmen 2, Mr. Moore? "It would be really fucking boring... There isn't any more to Watchmen." Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention it: Moore also vows to never work for Marvel!

Comic Book Archers: Casualties Waiting to Happen [This Column Doesn't Have a...CLEVER TITLE! at SpinnerRack]
Hilarious essay about the lameness of Hawkeye and Green Arrow. Neilalien is in total agreement.

Neilalien has decided that The Operative aka Hannibal Tabu needs to be read by more of comic fandom. So go to SpinnerRack and read! (The link is to his latest column about Cage.)

Posted 26 January 02002 - Permalink

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How To Survive The Defenders Board [funny posting by Anti-Grimm on said Message Board]
Just in case any of you Doc uber-fans haven't jumped in there yet. Isn't it nice how people have come together after 9-11? Not.

Posted 25 January 02002 - Permalink

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Solicitation for The Order #3 posted [Defenders Message Board]
Defenders vs. Avengers! Yeah baby! BTW, the Defenders Message Board has been quite lively lately (link to Erik Larsen's Adios!).

Howard The Duck #1 Distribution Problems! [Newsarama]
History repeats itself... funny. But the rest of the issues ordered will ship next week- no rare collector's items this time.

Posted 23 January 02002 - Permalink

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Xanadu: The Marvel Comic [Only Olivia (Newton-John Fan Club site) via Metacene]

Posted 22 January 02002 - Permalink

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"Many comic book publishers hold you [Internet users] in disdain." [the last Loose Cannon column at CBR]
Aww, poor comic book companies no longer have absolute control over the public perception of their product, with the advent of the web-based spewer. Tough! Power to the peeps! We must communicate. Even if 80% of it is crap. Surely Neilalien is a wonderful little surprise toy in the Cracker Jack Internet, not an unpopped kernel, eh? :)

Tom Brevoort with some comic biz talk [Defenders Message Board]
Current comic materials can't go any cheaper to make the books cheaper. Marvel's been a freelance house since 1948: "The idea of the Marvel Bullpen was more of a promotional gimmick than a reflection of reality." Marvel gets about 40% of the cover price of a comic.

Posted 19 January 02002 - Permalink

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A gallery of Gene Colan's Doctor Strange covers [Gene Colan Official Site via Satana's Haunt of Horror]
Neilalien can't believe how, but he has never seen this Colan site nor linked to this gallery before!?

Ellis Exclusive With DC [Newsarama]
DC now has at least one decent writer.

Posted 18 January 02002 - Permalink

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Archie Entertainment to launch real-life music groups based upon The Archies and Josie and the Pussycats characters [Continuum]
Yoiks!

The Authority Still 'Figures' In DC's Plans [Newsarama]
The future of the book is in doubt, and hated by Paul Levitz, but in the meantime, check out the Authority's "mightiest member."

Posted 17 January 02002 - Permalink

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Generate Your Superhero Name! [via Weblog Wannabe]
Neilalien is... The Weird and Wacky Crusader.

Firings, layoffs and departures at Marvel [this week's All The Rage via Splash]
Includes the guy who was supposed to whip Marvel's schedule into shape, the Marvel Dog guy, and the woman who originated the Marvel Authorized Fan Site Program. Most Marvel.com features will no longer be updated.

Meanwhile, Marvel the Comic Growth Winner in 02001 [ICv2]

Another great Erik Larsen weigh-in about the comic book business [Defenders Message Board]

Posted 14 January 02002 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange Fans around the world demand to know: Where is the Essential Doc TPB?!

Posted 12 January 02002 - Permalink

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Legendary Marvel artist John Buscema dead [Official Site, with links to tributes via all comic book sites; Newsarama item, discussion; Stan Lee reaction on Comic Wire]

First Look: Marvel Mangaverse #1 [Comics Continuum]
"Dr. Strange is a Victorian doctor with Tigra as his sidekick."

Marvel has promoted Mr. Jemas to Chief Operating Officer [Comic Book Resources]
Geez, what was this guy's title before? Didn't run the place already?

Posted 11 January 02002 - Permalink

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02001 Neilalien Awards

Best Comic of 02001: Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
Well, duh. Did this come out in 02000? Well, the Guardian award was for 2001. Hey, let it win for multiple years- it's that incredible.

Runner-Up, Best Comic of 02001: Spider-Man: Lifeline #1-3
A dark horse! To paraphrase the review and add my own comments: A retro, refreshing, fun, fast-paced Spidey story with cool Steve Rude art, a nice Dr. Strange appearance, and great stuff from the viewpoint of the villains. There was some strong material re: Top 10, Authority, Powers, Rising Stars, etc. this year- but these three books got read and enjoyed more than a couple times over the past year.

Best Dr. Strange Appearance of 02001: Defenders #8
One of the better Defenders issues and competent portrayals of Doc... Sigh. It's not like this year had a Flight of Bones or anything else to consider.

Runners-Up, Best Dr. Strange Appearance of 02001: Top 10 #11 (props to Alan Moore), Mystic #15 (props to CrossGen), Comics Buyer's Guide #1436 cover by Fred Hembeck, Spider-Man: Lifeline

Best Eye of Agamotto Appearance of 02001: Captain America/Nick Fury: The Otherworld War

Worst Dr. Strange Appearance of 02001: Marvel Knights #9
It's the climactic issue of a three-issue story arc starring Doc and the opponent is Nightmare. Doc did absolutely nothing.

Largest Insult to Dr. Strange Fans in 02001: No stories in Marvel's Top 100 of All Time

Posted 10 January 02002 - Permalink

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Listen to yesterday's Talk of the Nation segment on comic books [NPR (Real Audio) via Splash]

Stan Lee has a new book out, with a Cylon, called The Alien Factor [this week's All The Rage]
Also included in that link: more fascinating, politically-correct alterations to recent Authority art! And more here [30 December All The Rage]

Posted 10 January 02002 - Permalink

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Marvel's cut from movies using its characters will be better in the future, but not great [current Splash]
Marvel got zip for the X-Men.

Posted 9 January 02002 - Permalink

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The Neurotic Superhero: Stan Lee & his human Marvels [LA Weekly via I Love Everything]
"Stan Lee is the originator of the idea that possessing superpowers can really suck."

The Rational Shaman: Watchmen creator Alan Moore's adventures in magic [LA Weekly via LinkMachineGo]

Posted 5 January 02002 - Permalink

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Arrogant dumb New York Times article says manga comic books are popular in Japan due to high illiteracy rates (which Japan doesn't have) [AP story on controversy; A Wizard of Animation Has Japan Under His Spell; original NYTimes story (reg req'd); via current Splash]

Where are J. Michael Straczynski's books? [Newsarama]

Posted 4 January 02002 - Permalink

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Beautiful covers for Transformers G1 #1 in April [Decepticons (my fave); Autobots; Aerialbots combined as Superion fighting the Constructicons combined as Devastator; battle scene; via Comics Continuum]

Posted 3 January 02002 - Permalink

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Writer Bruce Jones Talks The Hulk, Comics, and Writing [CBR Comic Wire]
Very good read. Almost makes me want to pick up the new Hulk comic, which says a lot.

Publishers Make Free Comic Book Day Choices [Newsarama]
The choices are too boring and mainstream for the comic book in-crowd- and as one poster in the discussion forum notes, how are these books going to get outside the in-crowd?

'Marvel Comics #1' Nets $350K, Sets Record [CBR News]
Whoo! A near-mint book from 1939.

Posted 2 January 02002 - Permalink

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Defenders #12 reviews [SpinnerRack.com (positive)]

Missed this: Defenders #9 review [SpiderFan.org]
Neilalien should have known, because SpiderFan is even sicker than Neilalien: A full synopsis and review of a Defenders book because Spider-Man appears in one panel. Excelsior!

Posted 1 January 02002 - Permalink

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