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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133711
Posted: 14 December 2024 at 6:35pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Whose “track”?

You old geezers with fond memories of my time on UNCANNY think that’s the best times. But X-Men sales went up and up after I left, and for forty years of readers I am a historical footnote.

Much of the X-Men’s success came from market manipulation. The DSM was coming into greater and greater power. Those fans who had made the X-Men a cult book were running the shops. (Remember, Paul Smith was lofted to the godhead before he’d even drawn a page.)

For decades, I’ve said Marvel needs a sweeping RESET, taking the books back to when they were at their best. But when was that? Not the same time for all.

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Scott Gray
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 August 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 45
Posted: 14 December 2024 at 6:50pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Spider-Man is the superhero that will probably have the longest lifespan for a number of reasons, but crucially because Steve Ditko's costume design is timeless. It's over 60 years old and it could have been created yesterday.

Edited by Scott Gray on 14 December 2024 at 6:52pm
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Trevor Smith
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3554
Posted: 14 December 2024 at 6:52pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

It would take someone with both *enormous* confidence and
talent to take on the task, and I don't know the currently
working crop of pros well enough to even begin take a stab
at who the candidates might be. Potentially fun to watch
unfold though. Edit: musing about JB's post at the start
of the page.

Edited by Trevor Smith on 14 December 2024 at 6:53pm
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6550
Posted: 14 December 2024 at 7:04pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

See, there’s the other side of the coin again. If we look at the history of
readers, the question of “who has time been kindest to” is another way of
saying “who has been the least redefined by the change-over from
generation to generation of readers”?

The ones who have remained truest over the years seem tied to a more ir
less “common understanding” of what their best days were and how that
guides them still.

But, on the other hand, no character is more than one issue away from
reappearing in the form of their glory days— whatever days those happen to
be in your opinion.
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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1416
Posted: 15 December 2024 at 9:31am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

I really do not like much of what has been done to Spider-Man in comics over the years. This has spilled over to the movies - leaving the character far from the one I fell in love with.
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Kevin Brown
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 31 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 9034
Posted: 15 December 2024 at 3:23pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

I can't think of a one where time has been kind to... It seems that every creator feels the need to put their own "mark" on a character.  And by doing so, it's like death by a thousand paper cuts at that point.  It's the rare creator that can stay true to the character while still doing their own thing.
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Brian Floyd
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 07 July 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 8684
Posted: 15 December 2024 at 3:38pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

I really do not like much of what has been done to Spider-Man in comics over the years. This has spilled over to the movies - leaving the character far from the one I fell in love with.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One More Day/Brand New Day was the end for me. I bought some comics with Spider-Man in them after, but gave up entirely on actual Spider-Man titles.

What has done to him since just makes me nod my head in disbelief and disgust.


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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133711
Posted: 15 December 2024 at 3:46pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Over the span of my career I’ve said many times that writers tend to fall into two groups. One group, offered the job on Captain Amazing will ask “Can I tell good Captain Amazing stories?” The other will ask “Can I use Captain Amazing to tell my stories?”

Spider-Man has been visited a lot by the second group.

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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1100
Posted: 15 December 2024 at 4:50pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

I'm wondering if a lot of this "in my day"-ism isn't just unique to the "glory days" of comics. A lot of what is said here could easily apply to popular music as well. Better tools, bigger audiences, bigger platforms, yet suffering quality.
I also wonder if the superstars of the Silver age of comics felt the same consternation about the moves of the Bronze and Modern ages, or were they just thrilled to see their modest creations balloon into the international pastimes they became?
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William Costello
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 30 August 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 759
Posted: 18 December 2024 at 2:05am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

John Byrne:" - - -I’m not really comfortable with him in supernatural settings -  -"

I didn't think it would work well, either, but JMS, in my opinion, keeps the story line somewhat - grounded - while bringing in some supernatural elements.


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Paul Kimball
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Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 2215
Posted: 18 December 2024 at 3:30am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

I feel like Cyclops is a totally different character than
the original.
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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1100
Posted: 18 December 2024 at 3:31pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

I feel like Cyclops is a totally different character than 
the original.
.......
I know it's a spurious fixation to call this out over all the other costume affectations (ugh, the 1990's belts everywhere!) , but that medallion on his chest really gets on my nerves, as does Jean Grey's (relatively recent) head gear. 
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