|
Post by Stephen Crosby on Jul 4, 2007 10:52:51 GMT -5
I'll forgo the usual writer praise, as I'm sure everybody here has read some of Rai's work in one form or another. When you have, you'll have noticed that a lot of the stories have a darker tone. Horror, crime, brutal super-hero fights.
Now we look at the Defenders, a title known for crossing all sorts of genres from high-cosmic to pure-camp, but has been consistent almost throughout for mystic horror. That was the direction I prayed Meriades was going to take, and praise Chython that is what we've got.
On the surface, this story seems standard for a team title's first issue: get the team together and introduce the main threat. As far as the team, we're only introduced to one thus far with hints as to the others in the form of mystical artifacts. We're also introduced to the on gathering this team, and while the identity isn't revealed we're left with a fairly clear idea.
First introduced: Stephen Strange, or rather Stefan Strang and that's only one of many terrific alterations Meriades makes throughout this story. Everyone knows the story of Doctor Strange, but Meriades did some tweaking and be prepared to gasp in utter disbelief. Characterization was consistent, with Strang(e) being the same physician ass we all know at first, with just the right glimmer that he'll become more. A small sub-plot is also opened telling us that, aside from the main threat, perhaps each of the individual team members will have their own demons to deal with.
And, whoa nellie do we have a main threat. Anybody familiar with the Defenders and Doctor Strange will have an idea of whom Meriades has reintroduced, but again its in unexpected ways. Its often forgotten that magic is a practice of ritual, but Meriades reminds us with the methodical description of what one villain does for a summoning spell. Just as we're introduced to Doctor Strange so too are we introduced to his nemesis, and we're under no illusions as to whom the bad guy is.
But as good as the story itself was, by far my favorite reading was the Author Note. Meriades makes his feelings on the Marvel Ultimate line, those Ultimate Defenders, and Mark f---ing Millar very clear. From this, I get the impression that we won't see Nighthawk set on fire or jailbait super-hero groupie Valkyrie sleeping with much older men.
Or at the least it will be written much better.
This review was brought to you by Stephen Crosby, new Director of SHIELD.
|
|
|
Post by hatakiyama on Jul 5, 2007 12:26:00 GMT -5
WOW! I loved this issue. I can not wait for more. I'm looking forward to the Ultimate titles rolling out. GREAT JOB!
|
|
Bowie
Too Much Time On Your Hands
Huzzah! Crime!
Posts: 88
|
Post by Bowie on Jul 5, 2007 13:03:22 GMT -5
This story was INCREDIBLE. Having received "Editor's Awards", I can say I am SHAMED to have earned them when compared to titles such as this; I feel like so much less of a writer in the presence of this kind of awesome.
Defenders was everything I hoped it'd be; when I originally brought together the idea of an Ultimate line, with my epic ideas for X and Avengers and all that, I polled some of the great fanfic minds to see if they'd be interested - and Meri was, to my distinct pleasure. He gave me these ideas for Defenders and I was floored at the sheer awesomeness, secrets I won't repeat here.
But the ideas couldn't compare to what showed up on paper. This has been by far my favorite fanfic read, as a diehard lover of the dark horror tales. Meri shows his veteran STRANGE TALES skills to the fullest here in a morbid thriller that felt more than anything like a story of the horrible sadism of Baron Karloff Mordo.
The sadism and horror that was evoked by his story, the way he was used by the shadowy and wicked council headed by the fire-wreathed Dormammu... it sent shivers up my spine, and pictured clearly in my mind the insanity of their appearance. They scared and worried me, and I wondered - above all else - where this was going.
This is an incredible job and a great start to the Ultimate line.
|
|
Bowie
Too Much Time On Your Hands
Huzzah! Crime!
Posts: 88
|
Post by Bowie on Jul 6, 2007 1:08:09 GMT -5
And congrats, Croz, on your 300th post! Woo! *banners fall from the sky.* *...they turn into Hulks on the way down.*
|
|
|
Post by Meriades Rai on Jul 6, 2007 7:51:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the reviews, guys.
The Defenders has always meant mystic horror to me too, mostly because of Strange's involvement. That said, as the series progresses there'll be a even three-way-split between superhero action, horror and magic. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the ship steady. With regard to Mordo and The Cabal, well, as anyone who's ever read anything I've written knows, villains are 90% of my focus. Those introduced in issue # 1 - and others who'll arrive in the coming months - will pretty much share the spotlight with the heroes for the duration.
I've got no real axe to grind with Mark Millar - I actually quite enjoyed the first Ultimates arc - but to my mind he's at the forefront of a common undercurrent in modern comics that anything pre-Quesada is just there to be ridiculed. It was all too obvious from Millar's take that he thought The Defenders and their 70s ilk were a joke compared to mature Nu-Marvel. Apparently Matt Fraction (who is allegedly writing a fabulous take on Iron Fist) has recently made similar comments about The Champions. And Bendis has always made it clear that whilst he's happy to strip-mine the 70s and 80s he couldn't care less about continuity or having a giggle at the expense of fans who regard that era so fondly.
I just find it depressing that, given the chance to re-imagine classic Marvel for a modern audience, a professional writer in Millar was more inclined to make characters like Valkyrie, Son of Satan and Hellcat into a three-page joke that to actually try and build a new mythos for younger fans to enjoy. But, anyway. (I've never liked Nighthawk, so I may set him on fire just for the hell of it, but we'll see).
Bowie - any chance you'll get back on the horse so far as Ultimate X is concerned? I remember you were really hyped about that last summer.
|
|
Bowie
Too Much Time On Your Hands
Huzzah! Crime!
Posts: 88
|
Post by Bowie on Jul 6, 2007 17:45:45 GMT -5
Yeah, Meri, there's a chance. Not for a little while, though, unless someone else snatches it up; my mind is FRIED out here, and I can barely write anything. This warzone here is accompanied by serious stressors.
Working on finishing Midnight Sons #3, then finishing the AVI story, then MS #4.
Finished up my stuff at DCI. Finishing my stuff up here. Got two commitments past that, HURRICANE over with MK and CAP AMERICA with WWOH imprint... but I think I'm waiting on return to the states before I do those, either.
I really want to fit Ultimate X in there though. And "X Marks the Spot", your idea full of asskickery...
|
|
|
Post by fracture on Mar 12, 2008 15:36:47 GMT -5
Hey, group -- my name is Steve Seinberg, and while I do write fanfic here and there (most recently at AV2K and FDC), I don't write at M2K...so as I said in my inaugural post last night, I hope it's okay for a non-M2K writer to weigh in on these boards. No one's told me to stifle it yet, so I'll press on...
I just wanted to add my praise for this series. After a long, well-intentioned, but largely fruitless phase of meaning to catch up on Meri's reworking of the Defenders, I've finally gotten myself all caught up, including the latest, issue #5...and man, this title *really* delivers. As noted earlier in the thread, Meri focuses in on the mystic horror feel that really was the essential core of what the Defenders team and book were always about, and he does it in super-fine style. Descriptions are lovingly rendered for people and places, and as with the best horror, Meri also delivers humor, chills, and some thought-provoking passages here and there (check out Satana's dark monologue delivered to a doomed human bartender in the latest issue to see the kind of disquieting stuff Meri can relate). The choices for characters on both sides of the good/evil fence are pretty inspired, too, even if a couple almost demanded to be made (you can't have a true Defenders book without Dr. Strange, and in my mind, that also goes for Valkyrie). Some of the action is disturbing, and likely to induce shivers and/or the old gag reflex, but that's part of the point.
No real complaints, either. Sure, I'd rather see a Meri-reenvisioning of Nighthawk rather than Blade, but that's just me. I'd only put forth an observation: this isn't goofy super-hero action stuff. Meri's going for a much more mature and unsettling feel, and anyone expecting slam-bang, four-color standard superheroics will probably be sent fleeing out the nearest exit. There is some blood and gore, and it gets related with some profanity -- I don't mind any of that at all, especially when it's delievered with such assurance, but I thought it might be worth it to get that small cautionary word out there. This title reads much more like a well-done horror novel being posted in sections -- in fact, part of the reason that it took me so long to get caught up on it is that unlike a huge percentage of fanfic, you *can't* just kind of speed-read it and wolf it down on a coffee break at work while half-doing some other task. This is some writing that demands (and rewards) the reader's full attention.
Kudos aplenty, Meri -- thanks for the great read, and I hope you keep the book coming.
|
|
|
Post by Cory W. on Mar 12, 2008 19:36:36 GMT -5
Hey, welcome to the board, Steve. Don't worry about posting here - the board's open to anybody and everybody who isn't trolling us for shits and giggles. Who knows? Maybe we can even rope you into writing something for us if you become a fan of what you see...
Also, I agree with you on all points about Ultimate Defenders and am ecstatic that Meri's decided to make M2K its home.
|
|
|
Post by fracture on Mar 12, 2008 21:14:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome, Cory, I appreciate it! And I actually have spoken to Meri off-line about ideas for some things I could maybe prop at M2K. I'm pretty swamped with work right now, and not getting any writing done at all, but I'm definitely toying with some possible notions for later. I've always lurked on your boards, and followed a good selection of titles here, and I really like that you guys always seem to be involved and producing and keeping up the fun chatter here. But as for the main thread topic here: Meri's ULTIMATE DEFENDERS really is pretty outstanding. It sure blows doors on any of the various incarnations of the team that Marvel itself has tried to put out over the last twenty-five years or so (in my own humble opinion, of course!)...
|
|
|
Post by Meriades Rai on Mar 15, 2008 14:53:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the review, Steve! Glad you had the chance to sit down and read the issues so far and that you enjoyed it. I've always been rather ambivalent towards Nighthawk and wanted to have some vampire action in UD so Blade was a more obvious fit from that point of view, but I see where you're coming from. To make up for it I promise a scattering of familiar Defenders names in months to come...
Issue # 5, with the team united for the first time, was more of a heroes-in-costumes story, but the horror will be back on track next time out as Mordo begins to stitch his Order of the Damned together.
Nice to see you around at M2K! Expect an email soon with some possible future plans...
|
|
crutey
Bill Gates Recruit
Posts: 168
|
Post by crutey on Mar 16, 2008 17:11:14 GMT -5
Hey just managed to read the issue (sorry everyone for such late feedback I've been having a hectic time).
This as I have said previously is an awsome series. the characters let alone the different ideas for their ultimizations sparkle and really draw you in.
I too would have rather seen a cool ass Nighthawk (perhaps keeping his evil vision) rather than Blade but hell if Blade is what it takes for this series than it's cool by me.
I love the dark horror title and this one is delivering in spades at the minute.
My favourite thing at the moment is the completely different Strange. I've written him a lot and I've always loved the intelligent, distant and yet totally human character and yet seeing him still being the big A he was all those years ago is astounding...I'm expecting to see change in him as he grows.
Oh incidentally as for Defender's villains I want to see...The HEADMEN!
|
|
|
Post by fracture on Mar 16, 2008 19:34:41 GMT -5
I too would have rather seen a cool ass Nighthawk (perhaps keeping his evil vision) rather than Blade but hell if Blade is what it takes for this series than it's cool by me. That's well said, and pretty much sums up the sentiments I was trying to express. I hope I didn't come off like I was griping heavily about you subbing Blade in for Nighthawk, Meri, as I think the author should always write what's most exciting to him or her (especially in fanfic when the work itself is about the only reward us unpaid laborers are likely to receive...). As far as villains go, I'd also be down for seeing the Headmen return (although how you'd describe that thing that Chondu ended up as...good luck!). And while I hate to push anything from Xenogenesis for selfish reasons -- ie., if I ever get off my ass, I'd like to reference some of those characters and concepts myself -- I'd love to see your take on any or all of that material, too. I'd personally also get a kick out of seeing an appearance by Dollar Bill, although I realize I'd probably be the only one (I think Chris Munn used him and killed him off in fanfic somewhere, though). Maybe a reimagined Scorpio/Zodiac, too? Anyway, these are all just wish-list things, as you certainly don't need any real help with the title -- you clearly know what you're doing with this stuff! And I'll keep a watch out for your e-mail...funny, 'cause I've slowly been trying to put one together for you -- see who gets there first, I guess!
|
|