Them there Last Defenders

[Erik Burnham]

I tried to post on this last night, but after composing for several minutes my computer blocked my attempt to put this on the forum. Sheesh.

My thoughts anew:

So Marvel is doing a new Defenders series, and the team is comprised of only one former Defender -- Nighthawk.

Lots of D-fans in a tizzy (the mighty baker's dozen! I kid.)

Now me, I don't mind. It's a different take, and it could provide some fun character interactions (the other three members being Blazing Skull, Colossus, and She-Hulk.)

Personally, I think I would've made the team a magician, an emotional powerhouse, a member with ties to Marvel royalty, and a noble wanderer -- just as the famous "Big Four" of the old days were.

But I'd mix up the roles. Scarlet Witch or Enchantress or Doom as the magician may give you an idea of the fun you could have looking around to fill the job.

But hey, that's just playing with something established as opposed to going the other "non-team" way with it.

Back to my reading.

[PatrickG]

The team is supposed to feel a bit random, I guess.

I'm not sure the classic team works organically or that an attempt to mirror the classic team would be wise.

But these guys are so third string for the most part that it will be an uphill battle.

I'd probably play off the name. I like the Doom idea.

With the title being "The Last Defenders", I like the idea of a lineup that says, "These are our heroes? We're screwed." But still with big enough characters that there's a name draw.

Honestly, I think it probably would have been better to make Ellis' T-Bolts the Defenders... And then make the T-Bolts into even more of a rehab team, focusing on blue collar types like Sandman who had a history on both sides of the law with somebody like Sabretooth or Bullseye as the wildcard.

[Paul McEnery]

T-Bolts is The Defenders.

Think about it.

All the characters are villains.

(Even the exception, Dr. Strange, was a name originally given to a villain.)

The Last Defenders is a book that should never be published.

[Cayman]

The Last Defenders is a book that should never be published.

Why is that?

[Erik Burnham]

Why is that?

Well, it is different and therefore a blight on all that has come before.

Silly.

[Paul McEnery]

Why is that?

It's a crap idea, that's why.

I mean, Mr. Burnham makes it sound like fanboy rage, and I suppose it is, in a way.

But most it's just disgust at Marvel milking old properties into the ground while not in the least understanding what it is that makes them work.

If you look at Warren Ellis's New Maps of Hell story for JLA Classified, you see someone examining each of the characters closely to find out what makes them tick, then combining them to create organic interactions. It's textbook analysis. Not a great story, particularly, but a demonstration piece on the craft of using brand name characters.

If you can't demonstrate at least the level of skill to figure out the core concept, then you should leave the damn thing alone.

And this project sounds like reforming Jefferson Airplane around the percussionist to play rockabilly standards.

[NickThompson]

Blazing Skull. Looking forward to it :D

[Erik Burnham]

It's a crap idea, that's why.

I think the Defenders is the type of title to pull this kind of stuff with -- that's a reason it intrigues me. The specific execution could be crap. Dunno. This type of a book being readily available on the newsstand near me is second in likelihood only to the YABSers uniformly campaigning for a third term of Dubya. (Yes, even that would be more likely.)

I mean, Mr. Burnham makes it sound like fanboy rage, and I suppose it is, in a way.

Just having some fun with it. I've seen far more vitriol elsewhere on the idea, to be honest. "Not a Defenders concept I want to read" makes perfect sense. Fanboy rage would be not buying it because it has a mutant in it and isn't labeled an "X" book, and how unfair is it that Whedon brought Colossus back just for him to be shuffled to another team and Blazing Skull is a TOTAL ripoff of Ghost Rider (yes, Skull did come first! lol) and She-Hulk totally has the wrong hairdo. Throw in some expletives. Mix well. THAT'S fanboy rage. On the lighter side, anyway.

But most it's just disgust at Marvel milking old properties into the ground while not in the least understanding what it is that makes them work.

Well, the Defenders has had two warring concepts at its core; unofficial alliance of loners who didn't really want to be a team, and family of lesser-powered characters who did. "Non-team" is fairly open to interpretation, though, so that's why I think it's ripe for experimentation.

I am curious as to what it is about the property that you feel works, and why.

And how Manslaughter got in with that mask. (;

I'd love for it to be an Avengers quality team of C-Listers... because there are some great concepts in Marvel's C-List that could be brought up a notch with the right care and attention. (See, for example, Iron Fist.)

In any case, what's the concept to you?