Detective #825

[infoghost]

I am surprised nobody is talking about this. I really enjoyed this issue, dare I say more than the last couple Dini's. Snappy dialog (loved the line about only the good people stay dead in Gotham) and a fun story. I remember quite a few people saying 'who is Royal McGraw' when it was announced he would fill in for an issue, but if this one-shot is any indication, I'd like to see him do some more.

Nice art, too.

[Gaspard]

So it's out?

[infoghost]

Yep, yesterday.

[Mike Marino]

I didn't think it was a bad issue, but I thought the dialouge was more cliched than Dini's so that got under my skin a bit.

Also, I didn't read the solict, so I wasn't aware that McGraw was going to be writing this issue. That sucked for me, because I felt like Dini could do something new and cool with Dr. Phospherous. I really loved Dr. P in Starman, and I thought Robinson made him incredibly cool, and had a really fitting death for the character, so I was hoping if they were to bring him back they'd do something equally interesting, but I thought the whole vengeful angry bad guy was a little blah.

[OverMaster]

So... they brought Rupert Thorne back, right? I hope they just didn't do it to kill him off. I always liked that guy.

[jaguarshark]

I thought the dialogue was unbelievably cliched and the art was reasonably stiff, but I think that's what they were going for- an old pulpy sort of feel. I wouldn't say I liked it more than Dini's issue, but I did love that the 'detective' work was more believable than some of Dini's stuff, and didn't leave us feeling like we'd been cheated of part of the puzzle.

Ironically though, the way Dr Phosphorous was ultimately defeated was quite reminiscent of Dini's 'Heart of Ice'.

[shadow of a madman]

I didn't much care for the dialogue.
So how come Dini didn't write this one?His run isn't over already,is it?

[the goddamn batman]

No, it's not.

[Tony Starkz]

I liked it.Dialogue was stiff in some places,but worth the 3 bucks.

[Sean Whitmore]

It was an okay issue, but Doctor Phosphorus was so cool in Starman. Why give him the basic look and M.O. of Corrosive Man? Why not just USE Corrosive Man if that's what they wanted?


SEAN

[Gaspard]

What is Starman?

[infoghost]

Maybe I like it because it had a pulp feel, nothing complicated or wordy. Hard to say, it just felt like it moved quickly and was a fun read. After some of the recent DC stuff, something simple, quick and to the point isn't a bad thing, imho.

[Mike Marino]

What is Starman?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starman_%28Jack_Knight%29

It's an incredible comic. The work James Robinson does with golden age mythos, DCU history and legacies, and turning a city into a character is honestly mind blowing. The characters are rich, and deep, and fairly original. Whoever isn't a new creation of Robinson, like the Shade, is totally reimagined. It probably assembels one of the most fun and interesting supporting casts in a DCU comic in recent memory. Up there with Hitman, no doubt.

I can go on for about 5,000 words on how enjoyable this comic is. It's a mixture of really cool and stylish one shots, and longer story arcs, but they are all important and they all build off each other. Certainly worth checking out. It gets a little verbose at times, but it's one of the most incredible series I've ever read.

[Gaspard]

Is that collected or ?

[brundlefly]

It was an okay issue, but Doctor Phosphorus was so cool in Starman. Why give him the basic look and M.O. of Corrosive Man? Why not just USE Corrosive Man if that's what they wanted?


SEAN

That was my problem with the issue, too. Doc Phosphorus was most awesome in Robinson's STARMAN, and McGraw even makes reference in this issue to Star City being where he was last seen, but then the Doc that we get here bears little resemblance to that STARMAN incarnation of the character and instead goes on the cliched 'revenge against those who made me a monster' rampage, with none of the sadistic sense of humor that he had displayed previously. I found it disappointing.

[Mike Marino]

That was my problem with the issue, too. Doc Phosphorus was most awesome in Robinson's STARMAN, and McGraw even makes reference in this issue to Star City being where he was last seen, but then the Doc that we get here bears little resemblance to that STARMAN incarnation of the character and instead goes on the cliched 'revenge against those who made me a monster' rampage, with none of the sadistic sense of humor that he had displayed previously. I found it disappointing.

I said the exact same thing. I'd rather have a villian that cares more about being able to enjoy a cigarette again than his powers, than some dude going around killing off the men who made him what he was. Even though he wasn't in it often, Phosphorus was just so stylish and bad ass in Starman, and his death was totally perfect.

It kind of read like a stock story in that you could have put any sort of deformed villian in there, or a totally new character and it would have worked. Plus at last check, I thought Phosphorus' powers had changed and were different than what was shown anyway.


To Gaspard: Yes, Starman is collected. All the TPB should be out.

[stealthwise]

Shit, Dini didn't write this issue? I just assumed he did and picked it up, then was wondering what the hell went wrong... until I picked up some back issues of Fell and forget all about it. :)

Yeah, the dialogue is cliched, the plot is... the whole thing seems very Silver Age-ish. If the art was done in a more traditional manner, and a few alterations were made (ie, how graphic the burnings were) then this story wouldn't be out of place in a Showcase volume.

[The Shadow]

Is that collected or ?
Starman is collected (for the most part anyway).

Here's a thread on Starman by James Robinson. (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=137225) I LOVED it... IMO it's one of the best comics of the 1990's (with Preacher and Sandman) to come out of DC.

[steeler80]

Speaking of Starman, does anyone know where I could pick up the 3rd trade? I've found the first two fairly easily but the third is virtually nonexistent on eBay lately and Amazon prices for it are beyond crazy.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Yeah, the dialogue is cliched, the plot is... the whole thing seems very Silver Age-ish. If the art was done in a more traditional manner, and a few alterations were made (ie, how graphic the burnings were) then this story wouldn't be out of place in a Showcase volume.

I'm not supposed to poo-poo comics on here so I'll just sit here quietly.

[Jaye]

I'm not supposed to poo-poo comics on here so I'll just sit here quietly.


You can poo poo comics all you like. Just do it in a civil non-insulting manner, and have a little substance in your posts rather then smug one liners and random photos. You'll notice most of your posts stay, its the ones like I describe here and in several private messages that get deleted.

[TheTen-EyedMan]

Okay.

I don't believe the overt violence described in stealthwise's review of Detective is necessary. I've always used comics as a way of escaping the day to day unpleasantness that permeates the world. When that unpleasantness seeps into the comics I read, I start to question why they comics professionals write comics that are essentially unpleasant and not good distractions.

I look upon it as arguing with a mistress...I'd stay with my wife if I wanted to argue.

Comics are my mistress...btw.

[sly_kat]

Speaking of Starman, does anyone know where I could pick up the 3rd trade? I've found the first two fairly easily but the third is virtually nonexistent on eBay lately and Amazon prices for it are beyond crazy.

the third trade ran slowly out of print, and they never did print enough for the re-release like the others. I got my ages ago, but now id suggest buy.com or something like that... you'll probably only find it used though' (its become almost like the 2nd trade of jsa)

[stealthwise]

Okay.

I don't believe the overt violence described in stealthwise's review of Detective is necessary. I've always used comics as a way of escaping the day to day unpleasantness that permeates the world. When that unpleasantness seeps into the comics I read, I start to question why they comics professionals write comics that are essentially unpleasant and not good distractions.

I look upon it as arguing with a mistress...I'd stay with my wife if I wanted to argue.

Comics are my mistress...btw.

Yeah, I pointed that part out because it seemed so out of place with the story. I really thought that Dini was phoning it in until I read the credits again. Then I kicked myself for buying the issue in the first place.

Had I paid closer attention to solicits, I wouldn't have expected a Dini/Williams run for the first year, and wouldn't be so let down.

[Gaspard]

Didn't like the art too much, nor the paisanos :D

[Tony Starkz]

I've been reading this one alot.It's just a fun story.