Comic Book Resources

Cephus · 03-03-2005, 12:26 AM

Am I the only one who is horribly disappointed and disgusted by this thing? I'm wondering why I wasted a couple years of my life waiting for this turd pile to come out.

I mean... where did any of this nonsense come from? They nuked almost the last of the Pederson Specials out of existence and suddenly, the world is a happy place, full of chirping birds and daffodils? Heck, why didn't they just kill all the Specials in the first issue and save all the trouble? And Poet running off to another planet to start the whole process over again seemed extremely contrived.

Now granted, I thought Rising Stars jumped the shark about 8-10 issues ago, but this was just ridiculous. As much as I normally love JMS' writing and thought Rising Stars was wonderful when it started, I'm really wondering where he pulled this ending out of.

Sharcque · 03-03-2005, 01:13 AM

Yeah --- what he said!

I think that JMS didn't have an ending mapped out for this from the beginning, and when it came time to end it, he couldn't think of anything better.

matt levin · 03-05-2005, 10:56 AM

The ending was basically what I'd come to expect-- that once all the specials were in concentrated form, so to speak, they'd blast off and enchance (infect?) another world, leaving ours better for their having been here.

What I object to is the high price for a short, tag-on ending, with sketchbook filler and... a preview of another title? No thanks. Yeah, it was, alas, over all, a let down.

Matt

mgs · 03-05-2005, 05:15 PM

thank goodness, thanks for the reviews people, I took a quick look at this book at the store and decided to put it down b/c it did not look too good.

Karl J. Barnes · 03-05-2005, 05:28 PM

Disappointment and anger color my views of this last issue of Rising Stars. The story inside did not merit the price on the cover. If you are only going to give us a regular sized story then don't charge me 4 dollars for it. I saw the thickness of the book and thought,"Oh Goodie!!". Then I opened the book, not so "goodie!".

And to agree with Matt, it did kind of seem the only end for the "Specials" and predictable, when you think about it.

Sean S · 03-05-2005, 10:40 PM

It feels really oddly paced. There's so much that needs to happen and no space to do it in. Like the first Act...brilliant stuff. Just really really good. Then as artist trouble and fighting with Top Cow began to ensue the book kinda veers off and gets really crappy. Finally we get to the end and we're thinking okay...there's a lot left to happen and only one issue. How are we going to end it? Captions! Yes! This issue read like part of the pitch of the third Act instead of the final issue. In fact, the last couple of issues read like that.

It's a real shame. I never bought the trade paperbacks, because I was going to buy them all at once and now I see there's no point. The last 4 or 5 issues are just awful.

Sean

Morpheus · 03-06-2005, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean S

It feels really oddly paced. There's so much that needs to happen and no space to do it in. Like the first Act...brilliant stuff. Just really really good. Then as artist trouble and fighting with Top Cow began to ensue the book kinda veers off and gets really crappy. Finally we get to the end and we're thinking okay...there's a lot left to happen and only one issue. How are we going to end it? Captions! Yes! This issue read like part of the pitch of the third Act instead of the final issue. In fact, the last couple of issues read like that.

It's a real shame. I never bought the trade paperbacks, because I was going to buy them all at once and now I see there's no point. The last 4 or 5 issues are just awful.

Sean

This last story arc feels so rushed, and a total disappointment, which is a dame shame after the quality of the Fire & Ash storyline, with the issues of Jerry and Jason's deaths which were excellent. The last issue wasn't so bad through the first twenty or so pages, but when you see those aliens playing baseball, you just want to say, "What the fuck?"

edhopper · 03-08-2005, 07:51 AM

I liked it :D

Karl J. Barnes · 03-08-2005, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morpheus

but when you see those aliens playing baseball, you just want to say, "What the fuck?"

Exactly! That was pretty bad. I get what JMS was doing the whole "full cycle' thing,but aliens in ball caps?

Archer · 03-08-2005, 09:33 AM

Normally I love JMS (hell, Midnight Nation is my favourite ever comic and I even enjoyed Sins Past), but Rising Stars just seemed to slowly deteriorate. The first act was oustanding, the second act was okay, and this is just . . . WTF? It just *stopped*. No matter how I tried, I couldn't sum up even a tiny bit of emotion or empathy for Poet. Bah, what was the *point* of any of this series?

Chris Thomas · 03-08-2005, 11:53 AM

agreed. this comic series had some amazing peaks in quality and creativity only to crash land. perhaps the steepest fall in quality I've ever seen (in any media!) it went from a '10' to a '0.'

what the hell happened? maybe someone will create and alternative ending to this series and publish it on the web somehow.

yech. painful.

Arvandor · 03-08-2005, 12:52 PM

Keeping in mind the problems this series had in getting finished at all, the legal troubles and everything - I suspect JMS just lost all enthusiasm for the story.

Unprofessional, but can't be helped.

Cephus · 03-09-2005, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arvandor

Keeping in mind the problems this series had in getting finished at all, the legal troubles and everything - I suspect JMS just lost all enthusiasm for the story.

Unprofessional, but can't be helped.

Supposedly, JMS had the whole thing written very early on, he just didn't turn in the scripts for the last couple. It has nothing to do with enthusiasm, the story just sucked.

DDX · 03-09-2005, 11:21 AM

It's the only ending you could do - anyone who didn't see that coming when waaaaaay back they had established the specials' powers were tailor made to colonize/develop an alien planet... It was always clear that Poet was going to be the last special. My only complaint is that the last panel is basically the same as Camelot 3000.

Chris Thomas · 03-09-2005, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDX

It's the only ending you could do - anyone who didn't see that coming when waaaaaay back they had established the specials' powers were tailor made to colonize/develop an alien planet... It was always clear that Poet was going to be the last special. My only complaint is that the last panel is basically the same as Camelot 3000.

we certainly knew poet was the last special--he told us so in the first issue I believe.

but it was not clear they were there just to move "the force" to another planet. were they not on earth to enhance the planet? how did they end up doing that? looks like the planet was a mess until the magic 'happy ending'

bottom line for me: it is not the plot of the final arc--but the very poor excution of the final arc. not often that I read the ads with more interest than the main story

03-03-2005, 12:26 AM	#1
Cephus Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,914	Rising Stars Am I the only one who is horribly disappointed and disgusted by this thing? I'm wondering why I wasted a couple years of my life waiting for this turd pile to come out. I mean... where did any of this nonsense come from? They nuked almost the last of the Pederson Specials out of existence and suddenly, the world is a happy place, full of chirping birds and daffodils? Heck, why didn't they just kill all the Specials in the first issue and save all the trouble? And Poet running off to another planet to start the whole process over again seemed extremely contrived. Now granted, I thought Rising Stars jumped the shark about 8-10 issues ago, but this was just ridiculous. As much as I normally love JMS' writing and thought Rising Stars was wonderful when it started, I'm really wondering where he pulled this ending out of.

03-05-2005, 10:56 AM	#3
matt levin government's watching you Join Date: May 2004 Location: western Massachusetts, USA; rural, river valley Posts: 661	The ending was basically what I'd come to expect-- that once all the specials were in concentrated form, so to speak, they'd blast off and enchance (infect?) another world, leaving ours better for their having been here. What I object to is the high price for a short, tag-on ending, with sketchbook filler and... a preview of another title? No thanks. Yeah, it was, alas, over all, a let down. Matt __________________ Walking Man Comics 10 years mini-comics monthly Favorites: Age of Bronze, Astro City, All Star Superman, Amelia Rules, Boneyard, Conan, Colonia, Castle Waiting, Daredevil, Fables, Fell, Hellboy, Jack Staff, Jonah Hex, Lone Wolf, Mouse Gaurd, Next Wave, Powers, Spirit, Strangers, Usagi, Wolff & Byrd. Up'n'coming: Criminal, Echo, Fire and Brimstone, House of Mystery, Mde. Xanadu, Mercy Sparks, Top Ten II, Welcome to Hoxford, Young Liars, Zorro

03-05-2005, 05:15 PM	#4
mgs mind-bottling Join Date: May 2004 Location: New York Posts: 11,697	thank goodness, thanks for the reviews people, I took a quick look at this book at the store and decided to put it down b/c it did not look too good. __________________ "Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable." I heard a little girl, And what she said was something beautiful…To Give your love no matter what, is what she said, I love all of you, Hurt by the Cold, so Hard and Lonely too, When you don’t know yourself *For hearts long lost and full of fright,* *for those alone in blackest night,* *accept our ring and join our fight,* *Love conquers all with violet light!*

03-08-2005, 09:33 AM	#10
Archer Triple Distilled Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 634	Normally I love JMS (hell, Midnight Nation is my favourite ever comic and I even enjoyed Sins Past), but Rising Stars just seemed to slowly deteriorate. The first act was oustanding, the second act was okay, and this is just . . . WTF? It just stopped. No matter how I tried, I couldn't sum up even a tiny bit of emotion or empathy for Poet. Bah, what was the point of any of this series? __________________ SUPER NORN IRON!!!!!!

03-08-2005, 11:53 AM	#11
Chris Thomas Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 578	agreed. this comic series had some amazing peaks in quality and creativity only to crash land. perhaps the steepest fall in quality I've ever seen (in any media!) it went from a '10' to a '0.' what the hell happened? maybe someone will create and alternative ending to this series and publish it on the web somehow. yech. painful. __________________ "You owe me nothing. But one day you will 'pay.'" My friend Peter...the puffer fish...is calling me

03-03-2005, 01:13 AM	#2
Sharcque Chicks Dig Me! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,733	Yeah --- what he said! I think that JMS didn't have an ending mapped out for this from the beginning, and when it came time to end it, he couldn't think of anything better.

03-05-2005, 05:28 PM	#5
Karl J. Barnes Ninjas wear feety PJs Join Date: May 2004 Location: kansas Posts: 7,677	Disappointment and anger color my views of this last issue of Rising Stars. The story inside did not merit the price on the cover. If you are only going to give us a regular sized story then don't charge me 4 dollars for it. I saw the thickness of the book and thought,"Oh Goodie!!". Then I opened the book, not so "goodie!". And to agree with Matt, it did kind of seem the only end for the "Specials" and predictable, when you think about it.

03-05-2005, 10:40 PM	#6
Sean S New Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 13	It feels really oddly paced. There's so much that needs to happen and no space to do it in. Like the first Act...brilliant stuff. Just really really good. Then as artist trouble and fighting with Top Cow began to ensue the book kinda veers off and gets really crappy. Finally we get to the end and we're thinking okay...there's a lot left to happen and only one issue. How are we going to end it? Captions! Yes! This issue read like part of the pitch of the third Act instead of the final issue. In fact, the last couple of issues read like that. It's a real shame. I never bought the trade paperbacks, because I was going to buy them all at once and now I see there's no point. The last 4 or 5 issues are just awful. Sean

03-08-2005, 07:51 AM	#8
edhopper Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 661	I liked it :D

03-08-2005, 12:52 PM	#12
Arvandor Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sheffield, England Posts: 1,240	Keeping in mind the problems this series had in getting finished at all, the legal troubles and everything - I suspect JMS just lost all enthusiasm for the story. Unprofessional, but can't be helped. __________________ virtue untested is innocence I agree with equal rights for gays - including gay marriage. Racism is wrong, as is sexism. All men and women are equal, and should be treated that way. Drugs should be legalized, and taxed heavily. Guns should be illegal for civilians, in all countries. I am opposed to the death penalty, usually. There is no such thing as God, or the Afterlife. All religions are equal - equally stupid. But don't ever call me liberal.

03-09-2005, 11:21 AM	#14
DDX Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 160	It's the only ending you could do - anyone who didn't see that coming when waaaaaay back they had established the specials' powers were tailor made to colonize/develop an alien planet... It was always clear that Poet was going to be the last special. My only complaint is that the last panel is basically the same as Camelot 3000.

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