EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Azzarello's "Wonder Woman" #10

[slvn]

Thanks. When Samuel Johnson said "puns are the lowest form of humor" he was referring to Shakespeare and I agree with that assertion. I just read an entire list of his puns and enjoyed none of them. For me wit is predicated on a quick response and it's delivery, and comedy is about finding the humor in situations. Puns rely on too many contrivances to be anything more than mildly amusing at best, and they're very rarely even that. You get so big an impression of the writer's thought process at work it drives the humor out of the story. It's similar to how having to explain a joke makes it instantly unfunny.

Wait--what did you just say about Samuel's "johnson"?

Sorry. See, now, THAT was a bad pun. "Split happens" (in context in WW 4) is a good one. It puts a clever, purposeful spin on a something familiar.

Dr. Johnson also said “If I were punished for every pun I shed, there would not be left a puny shed of my punnish head.” So, you know, if Johnson himself, as well as shakespeare, could stoop so "low," why shouldn't Azzarello?

He also said, in "Preface to Shakespeare," that "A quibble is the golden apple for which he will always turn aside from his career, or stoop from his elevation." So, see?--if puns are golden apples, it's appropriate for at least Strife to use them. :)

What you say about "so big an impression of the writer's thought process at work," that's an interesting point--but what if we're getting an impression of the character's min at work, not just the author's? Azz doesn't just spread the puns evenly among the characters--you don't see Wonder Woman herself punning that often, for instance; the way characters play with words shows you something about how they think, and it shows you very concisely.

[Gaelforce]

Fair. But why did you felt the need to write this?

I'll take a stab in the dark and say he/she wrote it 'cause it's a message board where folks discuss their opinions, but also 'cause Becca asked folks to discuss it? ;)

How a casual joke (tasteless as it might be) from the writer makes the entire comic aimed at immature teenagers?

I can see how it can be interpreted this way - tweets are aimed at your followers, and so if you're writing at a level that you see from high school boys, then I can understand why you might think he considers that his target audience.

I don't necessarily agree, but I at least can understand this interpretation/opinion.

[liopleurodon]

Wait--what did you just say about Samuel's "johnson"?

Sorry. See, now, THAT was a bad pun. "Split happens" (in context in WW 4) is a good one. It puts a clever, purposeful spin on a something familiar.

Dr. Johnson also said “If I were punished for every pun I shed, there would not be left a puny shed of my punnish head.” So, you know, if Johnson himself, as well as shakespeare, could stoop so "low," why shouldn't Azzarello?

He also said, in "Preface to Shakespeare," that "A quibble is the golden apple for which he will always turn aside from his career, or stoop from his elevation." So, see?--if puns are golden apples, it's appropriate for at least Strife to use them. :)

What you say about "so big an impression of the writer's thought process at work," that's an interesting point--but what if we're getting an impression of the character's min at work, not just the author's? Azz doesn't just spread the puns evenly among the characters--you don't see Wonder Woman herself punning that often, for instance; the way characters play with words shows you something about how they think, and it shows you very concisely.

This is my favorite type of smack-down, a well-researched one.

[Auguste Dupin]

So, huh, now people are raging against a stupid tweet from Azzarello and how it ruins everything?
For reasons that might be hard to understand for anyone that isn't following the French actuality these last few days, I found this to be completely hilarious.

[Gaelforce]

So, huh, now people are raging against a stupid tweet from Azzarello and how it ruins everything?
For reasons that might be hard to understand for anyone that isn't following the French actuality these last few days, I found this to be completely hilarious.

You have mischaracterized people here - who is raging? I see people discussing, offering opinions, but I see no anger, no caps, no bold/oversized letters, no multiple exclamation points.

Are you suggesting that no one should offer any contrary or negative opinions about something a writer said? So long as the discussion is civil (and it is), there is no reason for people not to talk about it, especially since the tweet in question is hashtagged for Wonder Woman.

I'd appreciate it if you stick to the topic and not those posting here, especially when you speak of folks in broad and, so far as I can see, inaccurate generalizations.

It's sort of a forum rule ;)

[slvn]

This isn't about a tweet, so I hope it's not off topic. :) But BleedingCool has an interesting blurb on #10:

Wonder Woman #10 is even more nuts that previous issues. A god wedding with a noose around the neck, a massive fight scene with god on god action, all wrapped up with a redefinition of who Wonder Woman is and how she sees the world. And weirdly, it’s suddenly not inconsistent with how she’s portrayed in Justice League. In fact it may enrich those stories remarkably.

(http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/06/...il-and-elepha/)



Anyone read it yet? I don't see a blog from Mart yet; I know he said something about quitting after last time, but I hoped he might change his mind.

[Don-Jack]

I already can see people saying Lennox and gods ("god on god action") are getting more light than Diana herself...

[Gaelforce]

I already can see people saying Lennox and gods ("god on god action") are getting more light than Diana herself...

Again, folks, can we please (pretty please?) stop with the generalizations and assumptions?

If someone has a legitimate thing to say about a book, be it positive or negative, they are free to say so. That's what this forum is all about.

Please don't try to generalize/assume what folks are going to say and instead respond to messages WITHOUT DISCUSSING THE PEOPLE POSTING IT.

<fills up the watering can just in case>

:)

[americanwonder]

Thanks Gaelforce.

Fair. But why did you felt the need to write this?

Why did you feel the need to write this? It's a discussion forum, comments and replies are what we do, no? I think it would be a pretty dull place without comments and replies. And, honestly, I think stupid comments deserved to be called stupid.

How a casual joke (tasteless as it might be) from the writer makes the entire comic aimed at immature teenagers?

I wasn't talking about the entire comic - I was talking about the tasteless joke aimed at promoting the comics.

[Shimarenda]

First of all, this is the 10th issue, not 11th.

Secondly, i dont buy that she can love everyone, even this Hades. You cant love everyone, and you cant love villains. If you love everyone then you're a lunatic, then your love doesnt mean anything. It's like the quote "when everyone is special, nobody is special".

I can understand compassion, and sympathy, and all those good emotions, but come on, loving everyone?

The love in question is that which was encompassed by the long-forgotten English word "charity." Its broad and indiscriminate nature was
the very essence of the word. Whether the word or the concept first faded into obscurity, I don't know. The imperfect substitution of the word "love" does allow Azzarello to play with the concepts to great effect in this issue, but on the level of the entire culture, we are impoverished by the loss.