RARA-AVIS: Re: Noir comics (was: The Dark Knight, etc)

From: Gonzalo Baeza (gbaeza@gmail.com)
Date: 02 Aug 2008

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    O'Neil also wrote a novelized version of his Question series but it seemed to me he crammed a lot of plot into the book and not much character development or the other elements that I guess made his comic successful (I read it ages ago and don't know if I'd be up to reading it again).

    -Gonzalo B.

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Finn" <markfinn@...> wrote:
    >
    > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "caroli1975" <karabair@> wrote:
    >
    > > Oh, yes, O'Neil -- any discussion of noir comics has to include his
    > > fabulous run on 'The Question' -- the Steve Ditko-created character
    > > who was also the template for Rorschach in Alan Moore's 'Watchmen.'
    > > (I believe the two series actually came out concurrently with each
    > > other). O'Neil's Vic Sage is the only honest man in nightmarishly-
    > > corrupt Hub City (it makes Gotham look like a walk in the park); he's
    > > also a total apologetic son of a bitch, yet oddly charming -- and very
    > > moral -- all of which makes a great read.
    >
    > Hi Carrie:
    >
    > I loved O'Neil's Question series. Probably the best thing he wrote,
    > post-seventies Batman. Brilliant stuff, and wonderfully hard-boiled.
    >
    > > Have you read Rucka lately? I don't know about his early run on
    > > Batman, but his first issue would have been 8 or 9 years ago, and he's
    > > been working steadily since. He's done some Batman stories that are
    > > considered among the best contemporary work, and also collaborated
    > > with Brubaker on 'Gotham Central,' a series about Gotham cops, which
    > > is more police procedural than noir -- and would really be a great
    > > recommendation for anybody who enjoyed the law enforcement aspects
    > of TDK.
    >
    > I've unfortunately been driven from Batman (and most of DC) by the
    > editorial staff, the insistence on group-plotted projects, and a
    > bewildering foot-dragging tendency to stay mired in 1994's marketing
    > plan.
    >
    > When the Brubaker stuff hits collected form, I'll give it a look. I
    > like his take on stuff. But I really, really don't like what Rucka has
    > done with Batman. Just my personal tastes, I suppose.
    >
    > > And Ed Brubaker -- he manages to give just about everything he writes
    > > a flavor of noir, including Captain America. I'm not at all surprised
    > > about the Parker adaptation news, as the Richard Stark series and its
    > > various adaptations seem to be close to holy writ for a lot of people
    > > working in comics today. One of Brubaker's earliest superhero books
    > > was called 'Point Blank' and homaged (stole?) the structure and
    > > elements of the premise from that film adaptation of 'The Hunter.'
    >
    > That Cap story he did was bloody brilliant. Yeah, Brubaker has the
    > chops. His stuff has guts, which is a nice change of pace from what we
    > are usually served.
    >
    > Mark Finn
    >



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