I’m reading the Essential Uncanny X-men Volume 1, and so far have read the Giant-Size Issue and 94-101.

Basically, this is the X-men team, and series that made the mutant characters, and the X-men book popular. And X-men such as: Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and more were introduced.

Reading it, I must admit to being quite bored, and not in a good way at all.

Now I am all for “Suspension of Belief” in these types of stores.

But the LOGIC and MISUSE of Valid Science was so ridiculous!

I’m talking PURE bad Science used, as in things happening in the book, that cannot happen.

I mean really bad stuff.

I’ll point out a few examples, only cause I don’t want to read the issues again, and point out all the terrible ideas used in the issues.

In Giant-Size X-men 1 that introduces the new team:

-Basically the original X-men get captured and only Cyclops returns. So what’s Xavier do? Call the military with his connections? Call the Avengers and his other superhero connections?

No, he would rather travels the world, (but you know being a psychic he could’ve just saved time and done an astral plane talk) and from the corners of the world recruits a new team. Then the new team heads to the island that the original X-men were lost in.

And Cyclops the field leader basically admits: He has NO PLAN, doesn’t know where to go, or what to do to find the original team.

(WAY to plan ahead and think things out. Yes, Cyclops and Xavier would make great field leaders in battle. Just tell the troops to rush into enemy lines without a proper plan of action.)

The enemy is, get this, the Island itself has become alive and is feeding on the original X-men teams bodies for energy.

Yeah, like this villain didn’t put me to sleep half-way into reading this book. (No seriously, I put the book down my eyes were so heavy and fell asleep. Yes I know, a sign of great writing.)

Using mutant powers in weird ways, they launch a beam into the Earth’s molten core and thrust the Island into Outer Space! (No read that last line again, I’m not joking.)

As I said, I can suspend belief, but C’mon. Talk about kooky writing and logic. It was abound galore, in this the first issue of the new team.

Now to issue 94-95,

-The old team basically Quits and Walks out the Door!

- They fight the Ultra Boring Count Nefaria. The plot is the Count takes over a U.S. military base, and will use the U.S. missiles to target all nations of the Earth, unless he’s paid his ransom.

The new team arrives and there are various fights and Thunderbird is blown to pieces in such a cheap pathetic way.

And since Bucky is back, isn’t it time the Original Thunderbird was back?

Issue 96 is a stand alone with a Demon beast to fight.

Issue 97 a crazy issue of Havok and Lorna returning and teaming with Eric the Red to kill the X-men.

They fight in an airport with planes exploding.

Then in issues 98- 101

The Sentinels return, except this time they are led by Dr. Lang, he captures a few X-men and does not kill them right there. Though, his goal is to exterminate all mutants. (So the logic of just capturing them, you know, really plays out.)

Where does he put the X-men? Why in s Space Station above the Earth!
And he sends his Sentinels to fight in space, because the X-men are in a Space Shuttle to rescue their teammates.

Plus Dr. Lang builds X-Sentinel robot imposters of the original X-men, complete with the Original X-men’s powers! (Yes, read that last line again.)

In the chaos of battle, the space station is going to break apart, the Space Shuttle is out of manual control. And the only way back safely is for Jean Gray to pilot the ship back. So she taps the pilot, to steal his memory of how to fly the Space Shuttle and heads back to Earth. The Ship lands and crashes many times on the cement before flipping into the ocean, where the team lives and Phoenix appears from the water.

As I mentioned above, I am all for Suspension of Belief. But the combination of:

-Badly written stories

-Poor use of real world Science

-Boring villains and story pacing

-Unexplained things happening off-panel that affect the plot. With only a text caption saying what happened to off-screen relevant scenes.

Equal for me, a boring read so far. Hopefully it picks up in issue 108 when Byrne takes over. In fact I know it does.

I guess when it comes to comic books: These X-men stories HAVE NOT aged well, and held up to the test of time.

But the funny thing is: Works of quality, do Stand the test of Time.

I only have to look at all the great Marvel Silver Age material as mere examples.

Things like the early Spider-Man issues, the early Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and so many more are great examples of books I enjoy.

Of course quality and what is considered good and bad, is Subjective to the reader. What one reader likes, another may hate. And so forth.

But this is my view of the early X-men stuff so far. And a clear example, to me at least, that Marvel in the 70’s sure as heck lacked the CREATIVE JUICE that the 60’s Marvel had.

Thought I suppose, that’s a good topic for another day.

I talked about creative rights a few posts back and how basically, the Golden and Silver Age comic book creators, who made almost all of the lasting and great characters, still used today, never got a financial share of their creations.

The sad thing I find is that, even today, right now:

The big corporate companies are STILL MAKING MONEY off these comic book creators!

And guess who gets to keep all the profit? That’s right, the companies. And none of it goes to the creators. At the very least, legally their is no right. If they give a hand out, it’s up to the company, and I wonder how much of a share it is?

All you have to do is look at all the Marvel: Masterworks, Omnibus, Essential and other such books out now.

Or the DC: Showcase, Archives, paperbacks published now.

Basically in today’s comic market, the paperback and hardcover books are selling well. Not individual comics.

And more and more there is a drive to publish works by the greats, the likes of a Kirby or a Ditko.

We have $100 dollar books like the Omnibus series being made of the Ditko work. Or the Fantastic Four Omnibus that is all Kirby work.

Or the DC archive $50 books. Ranging from all of the Fourth World to even Kamandi.
While I must admit, part of me is excited and I want and buy these books. It’s because, not thinking about the company, I just appreciate these creators and the work they made. I want to have copies. And I want to read these stories.

A part is also sad, cause I know, these people are not financially compensated at all for this work. And a corporation only benefits.

And not only that, these books keep being reprinted nonstop over and over again. Which makes for nonstop sales for the company.

And that just does not seem right or fair.

As a business, I can understand why they do this, but from a deeper perspective, it’s sad cause most of these creators didn’t lead a good financial life. And many were broke. Yet there creations and stories, and art are making someone else money, and a share they never got.

And I know had this been in other media such as Books or Films, they would be rightfully millionaires.

For example:

You only have to look at someone like J.K. Rowlings who was poor before she wrote Harry Potter and is now a millionaire.

Or a director like Lucas, who gets a stake in all the Star Wars merchandise.

In the above cases, both the creators and their publishers and companies that help produce the work profit financially.

But make no mistake, had Harry Potter been made in the 60’s as a comic book, J.K.Rowlings would still be poor.

And Lucas would have had a comic book series, that he had no financial benefits from.

Yet there are comic book characters who Far Surpass that of the Harry Potter, Star Wars, and other media concepts.

I see a comic world where both the creator and the publisher can financially benefit, but as I said in a previous post, from a financial perspective the comic book history is a Shameful Disgrace in terms of how creators were treated. And in cases like this, it still shows.

Marvel has a new crossover series going on that just started called: Secret Invasion, written by Bendis.

It stars the shape shifting Skrulls. I’ll get back to the Skrulls in a minute.

And to be honest:

I’m getting worn out tired by all these recent crossovers and think both Marvel and DC are milking their audience for all their money. This is just like, the 90’s. But only worse cause cover prices cost more.

We got DC Comics and their non-stop Crisis related material.

And at Marvel we had things like: Civil War, World War Hulk, Annihilation and other crossovers I’m forgetting to talk about.

It seems to me a move of: Shoving multi-book crossover projects, just for the fact that it’ll make a bunch of money.

And it’s one thing to get the main issues. It’s another to be milked with related series like Civil War: Frontline. A book that in my view was not needed, and only their to squeeze out every last penny the reader has.

Back to Secret Invasion.

I’m not all that thrilled cause to me: The Skrulls were never much an interesting concept that held my attention. So to base a whole series off them, well simply put, while it’s great for some. This series won’t be great for me. Just average, cause of the premise.

And I got a vibe that Bendis might’ve taken the idea from Battlestar Galactica.

Basically the Cylons look human, and on the ship it’s a guessing game of who do you trust, and the person you think you know can be a Cylon. Also the Cylons are out to destroy the humans, and at the very least take them over and rule.

Now look at Secret Invasion, and read the above lines. Sound familiar? Or is that just me.

The best part though might be to use Skrulls to erase the bad history of some characters and say those terrible stories from a certain era were by Skrulls, and now the original hero has returned and gets a clean slate.

My prediction is all the A list characters, will just about be human.

All the 70’s fad characters, with no long term appeal, and can’t hold onto their own book for more then a few years, can turn out to be Skrulls. Besides, much of their history is nothing much to speak of or all that relevant. Their history you can pick and choose, and is probably what is going to happen.

I was thinking about creative rights and I wonder, and question Neil Gaiman’s rights in regard to Medieval Spawn and Angela.

Characters he created, or co-created for the Spawn comic book by Todd McFarlane.

I have followed this court case, though admittedly, I don’t know, or have read all the details.

But the basic concept is this: Neil Gaiman wanted the creative rights to the character of Miracle Man, who Todd McFarlane thinks he owns, because he bought the publisher of the Miracle Man property.

And Neil Gaiman offered a fair deal of exchanging his creative rights to Medieval Spawn and Angela, for the rights McFarlane claimed to have over Miracle Man.

It’s also an offer, had I been there I’d have taken. It was more then fair. And besides, McFarlane had no creative hand in the creation of Miracle Man.

Whereas, I’m not sure if Gaiman supplied the visual design detail on Medieval Spawn and Angela? Though, in this case, Medieval Spawn owes his look, on Spawn. Cause it was the basis used. And therefore McFarlane had a creative hand in this visual design by default.

While Angela appears to have that Mcfarlane design work going on, and at the very least she is wearing Spawn earrings. A creative symbol not of Gaiman.

But being stubborn, Todd challenged it in court and Neil Gaiman, last I heard won, and owns full creative rights to both Medieval Spawn and Angela.

If this is the case, I wonder if that means Gaiman can publish and profit a hundred percent off of Medieval Spawn and Angela?

And if he doesn’t have the right to publish them. Then it throw into question, what having full creative rights is?

Yet, a bigger question to me is: If Neil Gaiman does indeed have Full Creative Rights to both Medieval Spawn and Angela, that this is not right.

If anything, Gaiman should have co-creative rights with Mcfarlane. But not full rights to the characters. And I question: How could he?

Medieval Spawn is a Derivative Work, that is based on the Spawn concept, which was wholly created by Todd McFarlane. Even the visual look in style, is owed to Spawn, a Mcfarlane creation.

And Angela, while a new character, she owes her basis and origin to the Spawn mythos. Cause she was created to work in that world. Basically she is a Spawn slayer.

Seeing as how both are tied to the Spawn mythos. How can both characters be said to be owned wholly by Neil Gaiman?

This to me calls into question, and opens the door to Derivative Works.

If this case is to stand.

And yes, I know this won’t happen because of lawyers, and well, it just wouldn’t happen, I know that.

But, let’s say Derivative Works do count and a creator can claim a hundred percent rights to such work.

What’s to prevent others from doing it? And why therefore legally can’t others make such derivative characters?

For example you can have a character called Ninja Batman, and say it’s Batman in a different era.

Or the Hulk, but make him a new color and say he’s a version form a different timeline.

Basically, the idea of a creator owning full rights to a derivative work, such as in this Spawn case, does not seem right or just.

If you make a character, and it’s not derivative, then sure, you should have full rights to your character. But if your character, is based off the origin and history of another characters creator, I don’t think you should be allowed to have full rights to your character.

But what’s the financial aspect a creator should pay for a derivative work? I don’t know. I’d say anywhere from ten to say fifteen percent. Those are my thoughts. And also the original creator must give approval before such a derived work could be published. That’s my view on the situation, and what would be fair. What do you think?

A case like this, if it stands can really impact creative character rights and who owns what.

For me, I think at most Gaiman should have some rights to Medieval Spawn and Angela. But NO WAY should he have Full Creative rights to these characters. As for what percent he owns, or McFarlane owns, I can’t say.

And I bet McFarlane might have thought when this case ended, he should’ve taken the deal he was offered earlier and just given up Miracle Man, and got the offer to get Full Rights from Gaiman on Medieval Spawn and Angela. It’s what I would have done.

I was thinking, what if there was no Marvel Comics made by the team of Stan Lee, Kirby and Ditko at Marvel?

I shudder and actually could picture it! And am thankful for the Silver Age of Marvel and for the creative talent of Lee, Kirby and Ditko who it is pretty much acknowledged were the 3 stone pier that held Marvel Comics up and made them great.

Without them, I feel Marvel would not be a great company and DC comics would still be number one.

I know this answer and can picture it because all I have to do is look at ALL the, in my opinion, Terrible concepts from the 1970’s and see this as: The creative juice the industry had back then.

Without the big 3 at Marvel back then.

-We’d be subjected to guys who got their powers from outer space beings. Like Nova

-Kung Fu and similar fad concepts like Iron Fist and Luke Cage

-Blatant second rate characters like Moon Knight

-Characters you can’t relate to or really feel much for such as Ghost Rider
and so many more.

To judge these characters, you only have to judge their staying power. Most of these 70’s characters, on their own merits can hold a book for a long run. Their series always get cancelled because of low sales.

Why? Because plain and simple, the creative juice and energy is not there.

I picture a Marvel where if not for Lee and company, we’d have a comic universe with concepts like that seen in the 1970’s.

Which from my view, are pretty much lackluster characters with no real staying power. Characters who are good for small term use. But none really having that juice, that extra special edge that could make them great.

And from a personal view, outside of the Superman concept. I really don’t like the whole: Person got his powers from an out of space alien encounter. (Remember reading the Savage Dragon origin and it just totally lost my interest big time when i found out what he is.) That idea has always seemed science fiction and not science fantasy for me. And just not interesting. I’m more interested in the characters that I could relate with, or feel for their situations.

I guess that’s why I like the Silver Age Marvel Comics creations so much, cause those characters had that appeal. Call it charisma, call it magic, or just call it luck. But most all of the Stan Lee creations with Kirby and Ditko, had that appeal and edge that made them great.

And if it easy to capture this process, then we’d have thousands of more characters of similar caliber by now in comic books. But we really don’t. Since Marvel’s Silver Age, no company has produced so many popular characters that have stood the test of time, lasted with continuous series, and held an appeal with each new generation of readers.

The Silver Age Marvel struck Gold, or make that Silver when they had Lee, Kirby and Ditko working for them. And they have not seen the likes of it since.

I was in the bookstore and saw the book: Kirby King of Comics by Mark Evanier. While I was there, I read some of it. It’s a great book and at $40 cover price, though you can get it cheaper online, it is worth buying. Good job by Mark Evanier, from what I read.
:-)
I’ll probably get this some day, but as it is I got a big list of other books I hope to buy first. So Ugghh it’ll have to wait.

Reading this book though it made me think on a topic, the writer did not outright say. But from my own thoughts I use an example, and that is: You have to watch your own finances! I’ll get to what I mean in a minute.

With Kirby it’s stated, that basically his whole career, from the start of it until the end, he was from what I gather worrying about having enough money to pay next months rent and mortgage bills.

A great example was in the 70’s when Kirby was back at Marvel, he was getting a page rate for the Captain America book, that was almost the same as he made decades ago. It was like he returned full circle in terms of his financial cycle. Or that, for the most part it didn’t change.

Here is Kirby, arguably by the 70’s one of the most talented and respected creators in the comic book medium. And yet the guy is still worrying about paying the bills and his mortgage. And yet, the characters and stories he made, or helped make are bringing in hundreds or even millions of dollars annually.

Are you sensing that something is not right here?
My guesses are: In the law of what you think about most becomes your reality. And how your beliefs shape your world.

It basically states, what you deep down believe is what you’ll get. Kirby came from an era where all he knew and grew up with was financial struggle and that you lived from one pay check to the next months paycheck. And that you had a mortgage to pay off.

And you know what? That’s exactly what he got. He lived by the next paycheck and worrying where he would get it. I think deep down this belief was in him and a big reason why he never achieved financial freedom and a well off income.

I also believe that it’s a great example that: Despite your talent in a field, it is up to you to watch out for your financial income and what you make.

If you are not thinking long term about your financial stake, you will end up living from one paycheck to the next.

Just because you have great creative talent, in whatever field you are in, if you are not wise enough to learn the skills of good finance. All the talent in the world, will not make you rich and financially well, if you don’t think long term about building your income.

This is a lesson I indirectly thought of and learned from reading this book.

Kirby was a truly great creative guy that influenced the comics medium in America, he should have been a multi millionaire. But he wasn’t.

The lesson for me is:

1. Where you deep down belive where you belong financially, is where you will end up.

2. All the talent in the world will not make you rich, unless you properly think long term and plan out how to grow your income. Get advice, check your rights in whatever contract you sign. And that lack of financial knowledge will cost you.

Hi All,

I hope you hit your local comic book shop because it was Free Comic Book Day! The day where comic book shops “give back” to the public.

The store was packed, but I got many great issues and I hope you did to.

The one I went to first read and really liked was Dynamite Entertainment with there Daredevil cover and story.

Also Aspen delivered again with another good book. This company is still in my opinion pretty low profile in the industry. With all their art talent, I’m surprised they haven’t made a bigger impact yet.

Marvel had a nice offering this year and so did DC, for anyone who missed the first issue of the Morrison Quitely issue.

I could go on, but I’m sleepy now. But I hope you went to the store and picked up some good free stuff.

Rob