“This Gravitar comic book is too hard to read.”

§ July 7th, 2015 § Filed under pal plugging, swamp thing, video games § 9 Comments

Just announced: a few other minis or whatever, plus Swamp Thing, a mini-series written by Swampy’s cocreator Len Wein and illustrated by Kelley Jones. It’s the same creative team as the Convergence: Swamp Thing mini-series from a couple of months ago, which…uh, well, didn’t really do much for me, but that’s more the result, I think, of Wein writing to editorial edict, having to tie othe story into a half-baked crossover event. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of Wein and Jones on a standalone series.

Okay, I’m looking forward to Gerry Conway on Firestorm, too, and, as a longtime fan of Sugar & Spike, and also as a longtime fan of outright evil, this update of Sugar & Spike as grown-up detectives just seems downright amazing. Especially given that Keith Giffen is at the helm. Good thing this is a mini-series because as an ongoing it would have the stink of death all over it, but I honestly can’t wait to see what’s going on here.

You know, if feels like as if a couple of my ideas from this post from a while back are coming to fruition, or at least close enough for horseshoes. …C’MON SOLO ALFRED COMIC.

• • •

In other weird-ass news, Dynamite’s made a deal with Atari to not only create new works based on its properties, but to reprint old Atari-related comics as well. While I’m sure most of you are looking forward to the deluxe hardcover treatment of the Yar’s Revenge cartridge pack-in comic that is surely coming, I’m more intrigued by the possibility of a fancypants edition of the old Atari Force series. Yes, at long last, Tempest and his power-mullet on high grade paper with computer coloring. Oh, and also one of most fun and beautifully-illustrated newsstand comics of the ’80s, featuring the work of Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Mike Baron and Eduardo Barreto, although good luck convincing anyone of that because it was named Atari Force, after all.

Part of me wants Conway and Garcia-Lopez to return and continue the story, but, well, “you can’t go home again, probably,” says the guy who was looking forward to the Swamp Thing comic just a few paragraphs ago. But boy, I sure did look forward to a new issue of Atari Force every month. That was one of my all-time favorites. …Ah, heck, I do want to see them back on the book. I can’t help it. We’re all fanboys about something.

Oh, and if you’re doing new graphic novels based on Atari properties, I volunteer to write this one.

• • •

So, hoo boy, how ’bout that Airboy thing, huh? I discussed the new Image series briefly on my site a little while back, and it seemed like most folks were into it, and then #2 came out and boy, did people turn on a dime. Twitter pal Charlotte took on the task of explaining just what went wrong and it’s definitely worth a read. And it’s good to see that the writer, James Robinson, released a heartfelt and thoughtful apology. A few folks have commented on Charlotte’s article not getting what the big deal is, not understanding that here, in what would ordinarily be the very future-sounding year of 2015, there are still human beings begging other human beings for the right to be treated as human beings, and maybe portrayals like in Airboy #2 aren’t helping the cause. A couple of the more egregious comments have been deleted since I last looked, thankfully.

Anyway, it’s certainly an unfortunate incident, but at least it’s resulted in good discussion such as Charlotte’s article. Hopefully some folks who need to will learn a little something from it.

• • •

Grant Morrison is the new editor of Heavy Metal, and blogging brother Tim O’Neil has just a few words about that particular development.

9 Responses to ““This Gravitar comic book is too hard to read.””

  • Bill D. says:

    An Atari Force collection (or collections) will be welcome indeed, especially if they include the mini-comics that came packed in with certain games since those are where the series officially begins with the younger Martin Champion and company.

    I wonder if they’ll reprint the Swordquest comics, too? The games were no damn good, but those comics looked gorgeous.

  • RDaggle says:

    “C’MON SOLO ALFRED COMIC”

    well, if they did one, it would only be a test for a movie version starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

  • John Platt says:

    Now lets get some affordable Sugar & Spike reprints!

  • swamp mark says:

    I gotta disagree, Mike. Even with the constraints on the story due the tie-in I think Wein managed to shine through and I keep going back to look at Kelley’s artwork. just beautiful stuff. any idea where DC printed the justice league united 8 page preview with swampy in it? thanx

  • Tenzil Kem, Esq. says:

    Swamp Mark,

    The JLU preview was digital only. I wanted it for the Captain Carrot appearance but didn’t see it in any of the Convergence issues.

  • swamp mark says:

    thanks tenzil
    that’s what I was afraid of. maybe it’ll make it into the trade.

  • AbsalomDak says:

    So people seriously looked at that Airboy comic and thought, “this character that sucks stranger’s dicks in a bar toilet isn’t being handled respectfully enough”?

  • Mikester says:

    No, that’s not what they thought. C’mon, dude, seriously.

  • Snark Shark says:

    “Sugar & Spike… Keith Giffen”

    I remember him referencing them in AMBUSH BUG.

    “Atari Force”

    Lopez’ art on that really was GREAT.