Busiek's Superman

[stealthwise]

So I just ordered the first two trades: Back in Action and Camelot Falls, and I expect to get them sometime next week. Are they pretty good? I remember hearing some great stuff about them, but I can't remember much else. Do they both contain complete stories within them?

[scratchie]

Back in Action is a complete story, I think. Camelot Falls actually hasn't been resolved yet in the monthly title since the book went off on some tangents, but it presents a complete "chunk" of the larger story, if that makes any sense.

Both are excellent. I love Busiek's writing on this title.

[stealthwise]

Cool, I ordered the books, then realized I didn't know what they were actually about! I quite enjoyed "Up in the Sky!" though.

[jerrymcl89]

I thought the Back in Action story was a lot of fun. Camelot Falls is also quite good, although the trade is only the first half of the story.

[rwe1138]

I loved the Camelot Falls trade. I need to pick up Back in Action.

[niall mc cann]

i really like Busiek's Superman; he walks a good line between a modern, down-to-earth sensibility and a Superman who's genuinely super.

[paulski]

I hate to say that I haven't enjoyed the book too much lately, but a lot of that's probably down to all those crappy fill-ins they've had over the past 3-4 months. We're back to the regular team now, but it's certainly soured me on the title, and not for the first time either. :(

[Scott Iskow]

So is DC ever gonna collect Busiek's non-Camelot issues? There are a few issues between the two parts of Camelot Falls, and some issues of Action, if I'm not mistaken.

[3D Master]

So I just ordered the first two trades: Back in Action and Camelot Falls, and I expect to get them sometime next week. Are they pretty good? I remember hearing some great stuff about them, but I can't remember much else. Do they both contain complete stories within them?

Why do I always see these questions: I just bought ... is is any good? Wouldn't it be smarter to ask whether something is good, BEFORE you buy them?

[paulski]

So, this book's back to being over a month late again, huh? I know Carlos' art takes time, but this is just ridiculous.

Looks like I'll be dropping it an issue earlier than I originally planned and not picking up #665 after all. :(

[Pinnacle]

I think Busiek's work has been solid but not great since "Up, Up, and Away." I still like him as a writer but I've not been overly impressed since, but I'm sticking with it since I know it can get better. Those two trades are okay just not the best in the world.

[riftt]

Just finished Camelot Falls and thought it was great.

Back in Action is another of Busiek's ode to the silver age. A fun but silly story, a bit too wordy. I probably liked the back-ups more than the original story

[stealthwise]

Why do I always see these questions: I just bought ... is is any good? Wouldn't it be smarter to ask whether something is good, BEFORE you buy them?

Just a question to kill the time while I waited for them to come in via mail.

Back in Action was good, but I HATED getting some old stories chucked in there. Just sell a damn three-issue next time, for less money.

Fall of Camelot was interesting, when does the second volume come out?

[bobmiq]

I was really excited about Busiek when he first joined, Up, Up, and Away I thought was fantastic.

But I can't stand this goofy silver-age crap. I can't really explain it, but it drives me nuts. I've read Superman straight since the death, and not even the electric thing bothered me as much as this does.

In Countdown 48 when Supes lets out a "Great Rao!" I wanted to scream.

So I guess to be fair, I still like Busiek, I just don't like the framework he is working in.

[Ilash]

I was really excited about Busiek when he first joined, Up, Up, and Away I thought was fantastic.

But I can't stand this goofy silver-age crap. I can't really explain it, but it drives me nuts. I've read Superman straight since the death, and not even the electric thing bothered me as much as this does.

In Countdown 48 when Supes lets out a "Great Rao!" I wanted to scream.

So I guess to be fair, I still like Busiek, I just don't like the framework he is working in.

I don't know, his Superman doesn't really seem that Silver-Agey to me. I'm not all that hot about a few Silver Age stuff that they have reintroduced into the Superman mythos but a) that's been going on for a while, b) tehy are only elements and the storytelling around them is usually pretty modern.

EDIT: Welcome to the boards, by the way!

[bobmiq]

It just seems like a huge step backwards. The Byrne revamp was completely different. Birthright took elements from the past, but had new stuff too.

This new thing seems tired I think. Like cherry-picking from the past, without any desire to move foward. I've never really liked when the mediums try to cross. Using the movie design philosophy is good synergy, but it seems kind of cheap.

And thanks, I've read these things for awhile and finally decided to sign up, why the hell not?

[stealthwise]

It just seems like a huge step backwards. The Byrne revamp was completely different. Birthright took elements from the past, but had new stuff too.

This new thing seems tired I think. Like cherry-picking from the past, without any desire to move foward. I've never really liked when the mediums try to cross. Using the movie design philosophy is good synergy, but it seems kind of cheap.

And thanks, I've read these things for awhile and finally decided to sign up, why the hell not?

Yeah, "cherry picking from the past" is really all that superhero comics have left in North America. Seriously, whether it's Superman, All-Star Superman, Invincible, etc, all of the comics are meant to be read by people who either have an intimate knowledge of the history of the genre and its conventions, with homages and past references everywhere, or those who are actually willing to become familiar with them.

[bobmiq]

I know right? It's like we're stuck at some sort of damn wall.

My professional goal in life is to write Superman. I'm on the path to be professional, so maybe in like 10-15 years, I'll be where I want. But where will there be to go by then?

What'll be left to write about? The Final Infinite Crisis of Multiple Identities? Seriously, how long can you beat a dead horse?

[stealthwise]

I know right? It's like we're stuck at some sort of damn wall.

My professional goal in life is to write Superman. I'm on the path to be professional, so maybe in like 10-15 years, I'll be where I want. But where will there be to go by then?

What'll be left to write about? The Final Infinite Crisis of Multiple Identities? Seriously, how long can you beat a dead horse?

Well, this particular problem is nothing new to writers of any specific genre. How can you write any science fiction and not end up (either accidentally or purposely) referencing classics like Bradbury, Verne, HG Wells, Heinlein, Shelley or modern films like Blade Runner or 2001? Same thing with fantasy or westerns.

Superheroes now seem to be blended with other genres, crime/noir, western, zombies, sci-fi, etc. Unfortunately, it's harder to pull off with something like Superman.

I think the biggest problem is that state that they want different things, but straying too far make them uncomfortable.

[Scott Iskow]

This new thing seems tired I think. Like cherry-picking from the past, without any desire to move forward.

Some characters, like Superman, you can't really move forward. All you can do is move them around in circles. He dies; he comes back. He gets a new costume; he gets the old costume back. He gets married...

Well, I guess there's no coming back from that, unless anyone wants a reboot.

I think a good Superman writer is one that writes more about who he is and how he interacts with friends and other heroes. Where he's going is not really important, because every major change in Superman's life (except for the marriage) has had him ending up more the same than different.

So I'm not really disappointed if writers choose not to move forward with the character, because ultimately there's nowhere to go. Right now, Jimmy Olsen has more potential for moving forward than Superman.

[bobmiq]

That makes a lot of sense, moving in circles. I think then it would be nice to have some closure before the next circle then.

Why can't we Byrne and Jurgenites have our own "Whatever Happened to the man of Tommorrow?" Then I could move into the silver age with peace of mind.

Or for that matter, since there are 52 universes again, howcomes they both have to be set in the same one? Why can't we have a silver age and an iron age thing going on?

But sadly, I think I will have to bow to the inevitable now, that circle defeats my many attempts to bitch.

[KAL-EL122881]

So is DC ever gonna collect Busiek's non-Camelot issues? There are a few issues between the two parts of Camelot Falls, and some issues of Action, if I'm not mistaken.
There were and I am wondering the same thing.:confused: