Re: Essential Ghost Rider Reviewed

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:10:40 -0500, "Jason Michael"
<jwmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>>> This purity of vision and direction for the book is
>>> something that is only found in a handful of comics from
>>> that era.
>>
>> The notion of a "purity of vision" was introduced into this
>> thread by you, in that post, and doesn't have anything to
>> do with what I was discussing. Put away the caricatures
>> and we'll get along much better.
>
> I thought it was you who introduced the topic of vision for
> the book, but looking back I see it was Samy Merchi.
> Sorry about that.

No, I wrote about vision in my review, but it wasn't some
fanatical "purity of vision" thing. I was pointing out the
early book's lack of direction. That's a legitimate criticism,
and made no less legitimate by caricaturing the person
offering it.

>> Very few of the books of
>> that era survived that *didn't* feature some underlying
>> vision and a sense, by their creators, of what made them
>> unique.
>>
>>> Frankly, I don't think you should be reading Silver Age
>>> comics when you have such exacting and highly
>>> refined standards.
>>
>> "Ghost Rider" definitely isn't a Silver Age comic. I love
>> Silver Age comics; they're an entirely different breed,
>> though.
>
> Ah,nitpicking because I made a mistake. Okay, then
> substutute Bronze Age. My point still stands.

I'm not nitpicking at all--that we aren't, in fact, talking
about a Silver Age book is why your point doesn't stand
at all. You have to appreciate something for what it is.
Silver Age books are a wonderful melange of
anything-can-happen anarchist spirit, kookiness (at times
extreme kookiness), a sense of parody, and enough
pathos to keep it interesting. The industry had moved
beyond that sort of approach to the books before Ghost
Rider's debut, and you can't judge it by the same
standard by which you'd judge Haney's Teen Titans or
Hulk #2. As I said, I took the book as seriously as it
expected to be taken.

>> Take my remarks--or leave them--for whatever you
>> think they're worth.
>
> Hey, the whole point of these threads is to debate.
> Otherwise why did you post such strong views?

I'm happy to discuss these matters--that's why I posted
the initial article here. What I dislike is being caricatured
as some sort of "purity of vision" literary snob (or fanatic)
who tries to apply Pulitzer prize standards to silly Silver
Age products for children, and told my approach to
reviewing the book is entirely illegitimate based on that
caricature. Trying to preclude discussion is the opposite
of discussion. I'm not a fanatic. I'm not applying
inappropriate standards. Take (or leave) my remarks for
whatever you think they're worth.

(BTW, I know what my remarks are worth--my broker is
E.F. Nuttin'.)

>>> But looking for "theme", "vision" and "what the book
>>> is supposed to be" is silly. It's corporate product
>>> designed to cash in on then-current fads.)
>>
>> You don't build something to last when you construct it
>> around momentary fads. For that, you have to have
>> theme and vision--the sorts of things Marvel's other
>> success stories featured.
>
> That's my point- I don't think Ghost Rider was built to
> last. As I posted earlier, the book was a cash-in on fads
> of the day. It was Evel Kneivel meets the Exorcist. So
> knowing the book was built on such a lame premise,
> why would you expect so much from it? Your comments
> sound like someone who was betrayed.

No, I don't. I sound like someone who was a fan of the
much more solid book that developed a little later in the
run, and was disappointed with the early issues' lack of
the elements which made those later ones good. Exactly
as I said.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Essential Ghost Rider Reviewed
    ... >> something that is only found in a handful of comics from ... >> that era. ... > The notion of a "purity of vision" was introduced into this ... I don't think you should be reading Silver Age ...
    (rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe)
  • Re: Essential Ghost Rider Reviewed
    ... > something that is only found in a handful of comics from ... > that era. ... The notion of a "purity of vision" was introduced into this ...
    (rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe)
  • Re: Why Comics fail.
    ... And that is why comics are failing, every writer and artist in town is ... Comics were not burdened with Star artists visions and big paychecks, ... > to hew to their vision for a book, ...
    (rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe)
  • Re: [COMICLIST] New Comic Book Releases List for 07/20/2005
    ... 2005 by Charles LePage with information from Sun Coast Comics. ... VISION ... > Medieval Lady Death Belladonna #1/2, ...
    (rec.arts.comics.misc)