Had a phone conference the other day with Brian Bendis (as he mentioned on his own website) to discuss some matters tying in with both a project of his and a new project of mine. Went extremely well.
Went into Marvel today for further conferences about the Abomination limited series and talked with the editor of the new series I’ll be doing later in the year. It’s shaping up pretty well, I think. In a rare double-feature, I’ll be heading back into the city tomorrow for an advance Marvel screening of “Elektra.”
PAD
• 
Yeah, I’m interested in hearing what an actual pro thinks of this Elektra flick. Cause, to me, it looks like a rental at best (as does Constantine, for that matter).
I agree with Dave. I’m curious to hear your thoughts as I’ve been unable to find any reviews of it thus far. I’ll probably end up going to see it due to the Garner factor, although I may be convinced to settle for my weekly ALIAS fix until Elektra hits DVDs, if I hear enough mediocre responses from theatregoers.
Fred
oops, nealy forgot. PAD and BENDIS working creatively together… good stuff for sure.
Fred
Hmmm. Could talking with Bendis mean that Peter is taking over DAREDEVIL? Or perhaps ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN?
I’ll be curious to hear what you’re up to as well; what I’ve read of Bendis hasn’t really thrilled me, but the combination could be neat.
And I’ll admit that the 5-minute intro to Elektra I saw online looked downright okay to me. Not wonderful, maybe (and it’s not like I expect to have time to see it anytime soon), but not the dreadfulness others are mentioning.
TWL
Dangit!
Marvel keeps coming up with ways to get me to at least consider picking up (*yawn*) Bendis stuff…first, George Perez contributing to Avengers Finale, and now a possible collaboration with PAD.
Please…make it stop!
I saw the movie at the world premire here in Vegas, and wrote the first half of a review (while at work) for my blog, but couldn’t finish (as I unexpectedly wound up working at another hospital the next day).
The gist is that the movie is a disappointment in relation to what it could have been, but isn’t terrible. The main unavoidable problem is that they lose some of the spine of the Elektra character, and this is in large part due to Garner’s ability to look like she’s goind to break into tears at any moment (when she’s not actually crying or upset, which is often). They try to establish with the first scene (which kinda sorta a rip off of Bizarre Adventures 28) that she is a cold efficient killer (the old Hibbsean sexy Ninja Death), but even there, she gets a puppy-dog look on her face after the kill is done. They even find the need to turn the hit (even though she has just killed a number of other people in cold blood) into self defense.
The fight scenes aren’t too bad (especially the fight with all the sheets), but the early plot drags when there is no action. We are supposed to buy that the hand is a hugely powerful worldwide conspiracy, but they try to establish this using only has 2 “sets” (an exterior CG shot of a skyscraper-çûm japanese temple, and a boardroom set). The Mark Miller character has no life (and this is not really the ER guy’s fault), and the love stuff has zero chemistry. And there are a few really dumb moments (Stone, the Big guy foe who appears invulnerable, gets killed because he walks under a tree he himself knocked down, while Elektra runs up the trunk for no good reason). And Elektra is given, like, 5 scenes to establish that she has OCD (which I don’t remember from any of the comics), and this pays off in absolutely no way dramatically. The kid is not buyable as “the treasure.”
The movie is relatively well shot, and does move along. The Elektra kisses a girl scene got applause. And, besides the tree trunk, good fight stuff was there. The movie makes every effort to sever ties with daredevil, with her death being only eluded to in the resurrection flashback (which contains the black costume as the only holdover). Terrence Stamp, while not really playing the stick character from the comic (its a more generic stoic hardass mentor), is pretty good.
As I said – not terrible, but not that good, and I was only really bored at about the 25 minute mark when it was really dragging ášš. Then it learched into motion again. A resounding meh.
Todd Murry
Todd says:
“Garner’s ability to look like she’s goind to break into tears at any moment”
Thanks; you just put into words what it was that bothered me about Garner’s portrayal. They needed someone who could better portray the icy detachment that would make the character work…maybe Monica Bellucci(or it could be that I suggest Monica Bellucci for EVERY female role, up to and including ones that are wildly inappropriate, like the lead role in DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN or MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS.
Todd says:
“Garner’s ability to look like she’s goind to break into tears at any moment”
Bill replies:
>Thanks; you just put into words what it was that bothered me about Garner’s portrayal. They needed someone who could better portray the icy detachment that would make the character work…maybe Monica Bellucci(or it could be that I suggest Monica Bellucci for EVERY female role, up to and including ones that are wildly inappropriate, like the lead role in DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN or MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS.
My immediate thought for Elektra personified is Catherine Zeta Jones. Perfectamundo.
Fred
DAREDEVIL didn’t have too great an impact on me, so it isn’t too likely that I’ll be checking out ELEKTRA in the near future. (Although admittedly Jennifer Garner is hotter than Dante’s Inferno).
PAD’s doing an ABOMINATION limited series? I didn’t think the character was that interesting: Another villain with extremely similar powers to his nemesis. Go figure.
I’m curious about the ELEKTRA movie (and not just for seeing Jennifer Gardner in that red outfit — yow!). While I enjoyed the DAREDEVIL movie (solid entertainment, if not great), my friend Steve Willett pointed out that in the movie, Elektra was the most pathetic superhero ever. She jumped around on a see-saw, beat up some bags of sand, manager to beat up a guy who wasn’t fighting back, and got killed by the first villain she faced. Doesn’t get much worse than that…
Todd Murry posted: The main unavoidable problem is that they lose some of the spine of the Elektra character, and this is in large part due to Garner’s ability to look like she’s goind to break into tears at any moment (when she’s not actually crying or upset, which is often).
Funny, I seem to recall that Garner’s sad, haunted qualities were what made Frank Miller say that she was perfect for the role despite not being Greek. If she’s good enough from Frank — who created the character — she’s good enough for me.
But then, I liked DAREDEVIL more than most. I definitely plan to see ELEKTRA theatrically.
Dave Golbitz,
“Yeah, I’m in hearing what an actual pro thinks of this Elektra flick. ‘Cause, to me, it looks like a rental at best.”
On what are you basing this? The trailer looks far from terrible.
Besides, if a movie’s main selling point is going to be it’s lush sets/action-adventure/special-effects scenes, I’d much rather spend my $8 and get the full impact rather than watch it on the small screen.
Comedies, and even movies like “The Aviator”, simply don’t lose much when making the transition to the small screen.
And unless I start dating a comic book nut, chances are movies like “Anchorman” will be an easier sell than, say, “Blade 2” when making my weekend rental selections.
J. Alexander,
“Hmmm. Could talking with Bendis mean that Peter is taking over DAREDEVIL? Or perhaps ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN?”
Unless something’s changed, Bendis has said he is still juiced to do “Ultimate Spider-Man” for the forseeable future.
But he IS leaving “Daredevil” this year…a character he made more complex, flawed and ethically muddy with shades of grey.
Hmmmmmmm…indeed:)
Tim Lynch,
“I’ll be curious to hear what you’re up to as well; what I’ve read of Bendis hasn’t really thrilled me, but the combination could be neat.”
I think so. To me, Bendis’ stuff varies from good to great. And it’s usually the mega-hyped stuff (“Ultimate Six”, “Avengers”) that disappoints versus the stuff that is not as hyped.
But he seems to be in a groove with “Ultimate Spider-Man” again. He recently did a cool two-part story that has Wolverine and Spidey swapping bodies. It was a lot of fun, and wait until you see what CAUSED it to happen…
Also, while I felt his attempt to do his own “Death of Gwen Stacy” story was a letdown and a waste of an interesting character, his story immediately afterward, which has Pete and the gang dealing with her death in the best detention-centric story since “The Breakfast Club, was very powerful.
“And I’ll admit that the 5-minute intro to Elektra I saw online looked downright okay to me.”
Thanks for not being a cynic.
Nytwyng,
“Dangit! Marvel keeps coming up with ways to get me to consider picking up (yawn) Bendis stuff…first George Perez contributing to “Avengers Finale” and now a possible collaboration with PAD.”
The REAL cool part, is that if it is a TRUE collaboration, then some Bendis maniacs will “discover” PAD for the first time. Not to mention PAD sharing in the obligatory Newsarama and Wizard features and other buzz that accompanies all of Bendis’s projects right now…they could even do joint signings.
Bill,
“Todd says: ‘Garner’s ability to look like she’s going to break into tears at any moment.’
“Thanks – you just put into words what has bothered me about Garner’s portrayal. They needed someone who could better portray the icy detachment that would make the character work…maybe Monica Bellucci (or it could be that I sugest Monica Belucci for every female role, up to and including ones that are wildly inappropriate)”
Don’t worry Bill. Just thinking about Monica Bellucci conjures “wildly appropriate” thoughts in me as well. Keanu is one lucky guy (in “Matrix Reloaded”)
Fred,
“My immediate thought for Elektra personified is Catherine Zeta-Jones. Perfectamundo.”
While I think CZJ is possibly the most stunning woman on the planet and displayed the needed hard edge in “Traffic”, I think she looks a bit too regal and might be a bit too old.
I always thought CZJ would make a PERFECT Wonder Woman, far more suited than Gellar, Carpenter and the others mentioned on a frequent basis.
I would go with Angie Harmon, who played a steel-tough prosecutor on “Law and Order”.
But the most perfect choice for Elektra, as I see it, is someone who has a hard edge…who can play a convincing killer…who can do fight scenes…who is gorgeous…who is…………..
ELIZA DUSHKU.
Of course another possibility for the book connected with Bendis could be a totally new book in some way connected to the New Avengers title, Spider-Woman or may be Luke Cage? I for one am missing the old style Anevgers and do not like the new approach, hence why it has been struck from my pull list, leaving a handy space for PAD’s new book later this year!
Ian
“Anevgers” of course what I tried to say was Avengers.
Ian 🙂
My immediate thought for Elektra personified is Catherine Zeta Jones. Perfectamundo.
Fred
Sigh… Yes, she would have been perfect.
Regarding Elektra, I’m assuming that this film will suffer from overhype. Already I’ve seen two cable networks have specials about this movie. I could understand all the attention if it was on the level of George Lucas announcing that he’s re-shooting the prequel trilogy with attention paid to continuity and the noticeable (and fortunate)absence of Jar Jar Binks.
I think all the hype is more about Jennifer Garner being a pop culture star. I’m not trying to diminish Miss Garner’s abilities or accomplishments. I’m just certain that this film will be a let down because of all the hype. Which is too bad because, as with all Super-heroic-what-cha-ma-call-its, the character has enormous movie potential and I’m certain that Miss Garner can play the character extremely well.
I always worry about the Super-Hero movies. The vast majority of these super-power-types are a bottomless pit of fantastic story telling potential which has too often been turned sideways by Hollywood. I’m not too familiar with the character of Elektra but I get the feeling that this is what has happened this time out. And I really hope that I’m wrong.
Regards,
Mitch Evans
It’s nice to hear that you and Mr. Bendis seem to get along well. Not that’s there’s any reason you shouldn’t, the few comments I’ve read from Mr. Bendis gave me the impression he was a decent guy, and creatively he is impressive. Any collaboration between the two of you could be fun.
Maybe a little cross-pollination of fans could benefit the both of you as well.
It can be a little tiring(and sad)to hear that creator “a” and creator “b” can’t work together because they hate each other.
Then when internet message boards become a place to be rude and insulting to a comics-pro who is generously taking a little time to interact with the fans, it can make me wonder how any comics professional could put up with it.
You do very good work PAD and I for one, appreciate it.
are movies like “Anchorman” will be an easier sell than, say, “Blade 2” when making my weekend rental selections.
Well, if you’re gonna rent Blade 2, better find somebody who’s got an interest in semi-horror movies, because the vamps in Blade 2 are a little unlike anything you’ve ever seen. 🙂
I did go see Blade Trinity recently, and I enjoyed it. It starts out a little slow, particularly the character of Hannibal King, but it gets going, and Ryan Reynolds is pretty dámņ funny by the end.
I’m glad to hear you’re going to do a miniseries on the Abomination, Peter–while I’ve always liked him visually (looks formidable enough to at least present a challenge to the Hulk), his character hasn’t been developed to any great degree or with any consistency. Basically, I don’t think anyone has put any real thought into the Amobination beyond having him punch the Hulk in the face. Should be interesting.
The heck with the Elektra movie — I just wanna see the Fantastic Four trailer that’ll be running before the film starts!
With the exception of Amazing Spider-Man and Fallen Angel, I have stopped buying comics completely. It drives me crazy that Marvel is now the Bendis universe. One or two books fine but it’s gotten ridiculous. I just read the Ultimate Spider-Man issues where they switched U.Spidey & Wolverine and thought they were awful. Combined with Mary Jane’s comment at the end, saying something to the effect of “Regarding the other night, can we not try that thing until we’re older..” I’m paraphrasing but that was enough me for me to literally throw the book down and toss it in the recycle trash. Pure garbage.
I’ve haven’t seen Peter’s take on the Hulk again but I am much more anxious to read writer’s like Peter over hacks like Bendis & Millar any day.
drives me crazy that Marvel is now the Bendis universe.
Really? Well, I recall that he’s writing a couple of books, and now a couple more.
But I thought it was the Wolverine Universe now?
1 Hey Mr.David, It’s me, Collin. It was so great getting to talk with you on Fanboy Radio. Thanks again for putting my name in Abomination.
Julio –
I am one of the people who liked the Daredevil movie more than most did, but the one thing I didn’t like about it was the decision to have Elektra meet Matt and have her father die in the present (why not do a flashback?), and thus have her go from troubled daddy’s girl to ELEKTRA ASSASSIN in 2.5 seconds. I thought this did a great disservice to the character, especially in the disruption of the parallels between her arc and Daredevil’s. I guess I’m kind of viewing this movie (as unconnected as it is from Daredevil in a movie universe sense) as a continued compromise of the character.
As for Garner being a great Elektra due to her “sad, haunted qualities,” I can see where this comes from, but I disagree. Elektra is sad and haunted, but she is also hard. For the comic book Elektra, the troubled nature of her character is unstable and dangerous and the violence is an extention of the danger. For Garner’s Elektra, it always seems that the violent nature is imposed on her by something external (like cultural ideas of revenge – in either movie did it look like she was close enough to her father to be primally wounded by his death?), and her sadness is an expression of wanting to be something more normal, not that her sadness and hauntedness taint her, and and make her deadly.
It seems like I’m splitting hairs, but I think people who read the Miller Daredevil years ago, and developed an idea of the character, instinctively see a gap between the comic and the movie character. Comic Elektra is all death embodied who’s flaw (or redemptive characteristic depending on your point of view) is that she can still feel the girl she once was, and Daredevil brings these feelings close to the surface because he is tied to the part of her life that is now dead, and to which she cannot return. Movie Elektra is a weepy bundle of feelings who kicks ášš because she has to in order to survive the life she has been orphaned to.
Anyway, I really liked the Daredevil move except for the big, seemingly arbatrary change in the Elektra backstory. Coolio didn’t act very much in the director’s cut, though. Bummer
Todd
Marvel always seems to be in flux, whereas DC (even after a BIG EVENT like Identity Crisis) seems stable.
I’d be interested to see what sort of story brian bendis and PAD would work on together. though I appreciate both their sense of humor I find that their story telling style is very different.
by which I mean that there is a much different rhythym between the writers. Brian Bendis has a created a very formulaic approach to his work. the formula (dialogue, page layout, stock characters) is unique to bendis but if you read enough of his work you’ll recognize it. I used to be a big bendis fan but all his work started seeming the same to me. Now I only read Ultimate spider-man and daredevil. Bendis is good, but only in smaller quantaties.
PAD’s work is a little more fluid with the way he’ll structure a comic from series to series. I’m able to read more of PAD’s work than Bendis because of the variety of PAD’s styles.
I’d be very intereested to see how one will adapt to the other. I’m a little nervous it’ll be something of which I’ll be able to tell exactly what lines were written by whom and who had what idea for the story.
But I’m going to buy it (whatever it is going to be) cause I’m a sucker for good writers.
Charles,
How could you? Throw those copies of Ultimate Spidey in the trash, I mean. I actually thought the story was goofy and FUNNY, something all too rare in this age of “gritty” and “realistic” comics with “edge”.
But while one mans trash is another man’s treasure, how could you just throw it away? Why not give t to a kid, teen, adult or somebody who might enjoy it?
You might have brightened somebody’s day instead of filling a landfill recycling center with an edition of an art form you didn’t happen to like.
What a waste.
“Hey Mr.David, It’s me, Collin. It was so great getting to talk with you on Fanboy Radio. Thanks again for putting my name in Abomination.”
Hey, Collin. No problem.
As a matter of fact, I put your name into the book of the Fantastic Four movie that I’m writing, just ’cause I can (and in case, God forbid, I forget about putting you in the Abomination comic.)
PAD
“Marvel always seems to be in flux, whereas DC (even after a BIG EVENT like Identity Crisis) seems stable.”
There was me thinking it was the other way around. I’ve never been able to take the DC universe seriously, a universe that re-invents itself when they bog themselves down with a incomprehensable back history. Not for me Iam afraid.
DC characters just don’t look interesting enough. Cue the onslaught of replies slagging me off:
Ian
Sadly no young person I know reads comics. Trust me I’ve broached the topic before and I don’t want to appear creepy by pushing comics especially those with themes I’m not comfortable with in U.Spidey. Comics are overall more worthless than they were 30 years ago so I find I throw them away more than I ever would. I just can’t keep something that is worthless in the hopes that my children will grow up and want to read them. As it stands now, they have thousands boxed and ready to go. I don’t really have the capacity to keep any more.
Selling doesn’t even to be much of an option. I’m trying to sell a NM Superman 625 for a penny + $3 shipping and I have no takers. Even more reason to drop monthly comics and pick up the occasional trade that I can resell at Amazon immediately after I’m done with it.
Does anyone really think comic books in their current form are practial anymore?
Does anyone really think comic books in their current form are practial anymore?
I’m starting to wonder.
I had subscriptions going for about 8 months, but I’m backing out again – it’s too expensive a hobby (compared to, say, novels) for what I’m getting out of it, and there’s far too many titles to deal with.
I’d almost consider a monthly fee subscription from somebody like Marvel to read everything I want in a digital format…
I agree about the digital format. A local comic shop had a display with the new Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron-Man, & Captain America CD-ROM’s. A good start but for the most part I’m not interested in these stories from the ’60s that I’ve seen a hundred times. I bought the Amazing Spider-Man collection which is great.
Hopefully your coordinating with Bendis works better than it did with Priest, who coordinated, then had major developments ripped out of his series so that the Bendisvengers could be set up. bleh.
If you’re missing old time Avengers like stuff..check out Thunderbolts.
I don’t think I’ll ever go digital. I don’t stay at the computer for very long at one sitting, while I can relax and read for hours on end. There is nothing like holding a book, comic, trade, PB or HB. When I try to read anything of any length on the computer, I get tired of the format really quickly. Of course, I may be a dinosaur and the revolution is passing me by….
Karen,
No. You’re not a dinosaur, at least as far as this is concerned:)
To me, there is NOTHING like holding a book/magazine/comic in your hands.
If we ever do go to all digital, all the time, I will be crushed.
My guess for the new PAD monthly is X-Factor (tie in with ‘House of M’, anyone?), but I’m hoping for The Pantheon. If it is New Avengers related, I hope it’s Spider Woman or Cage, just not a Sentry title. Sentry is way too much like Captain Marvel for my tastes and I’d like to see PAD go somewhere rather foriegn (ala Fallen Angel). Oh, by the way, Wizard reported that when Spectacular Spider Man ends its current run that Mark Waid and Ringo will be launching a new Spidey title, sort of a Spider Man team-up book.
Charles,
“Sadly, no young person I know reads comics.”
Really? Where do you live? Because while the common perception seems to be kids just “Into” comics anymore, I have found from my personal experiences, especially in Philadelphia, that the opposite is true. Many kids LOVE comics. Many just don’t seem to be near a comic shop or someplace else that sells them.
A few examples you may or may not find interesting:
1.) During a Career Day at a Grade School in Philly, I thought I would reward kids who participated and asked me questions with a Free Comic Book Day Edition of “Justice League Adventures” #1. So many kids (and we’re talking 6th-8th graders) were excited and wanted one I couldn’t limit it to that, and I gave all of them away extraordinarily quickly – at least 60 copies.
2.) At the Free Library branch in Philly near where I lived, I had some extra copies of an “Uncanny X-Men” issue (I believe it was #394) with Northstar on the cover,that were given to me by a real cool comic dealer with the express purpose of giving them out. Teens, ESPECIALLY black teens, who I recognized as usually stopping by only for DVDs or to use the computer, scooped them all up and were telling everybody else they were there with how cool it was that the library was giving such “cool” stuff out.
3.) At an Open House at the same library, where we were trying to form a Friends Group, had a long box of cool titles, ranging from PAD’s “Supergirl” to “Spider-Girl” to Free Comic Book Day stuff.
Well, you would swear I was handing out food in Ethiopia or something. The young kids were more excited by the free comics than Ronald McDonald, and the teens only found Miss Pennsylvania USA more interesting.
Together, both groups almost broke the longbox, grabbing as many as they could and totally cleaned me out.
“I don’t want to appear creepy by pushing comics”
Why care so much about what people MIGHT think if you KNOW you only have GOOD intentions?
“especially those with themes I’m not comfortable with in U.Spidey”
Still don’t get why you had such a problem with that story, but to each his own. If you really feel that way, why not just tell the library to see that they only give the comics to those who are teens or older, like they do with “Buffy” novels, for example? They would take it. And SOMEONE would read it.
“Comics are overall more worthless than they were 30 years ago so I find I throw them away more than I ever would.”
Worthless in what respect? With writers ranging from PAD to Joss Whedon to Bendis to Mark Millar to Greg Rucks to J. Michael Straczynski to Mark Waid to Grant Morrison and Vertigo titles like “Y: The Last Man” you can’t find ANYTHING today that you truly enjoy?
“Selling doesn’t even seem to be much of an option. I’m trying to sell a NM Superman # 625 for a penny + $3 shipping and have no takers.”
Then, if you really have a bunch of comics you don’t want, why not give them away to a library or adult literacy program and GET A TAX WRITE OFF FOR THE COVER PRICE.
I do this all the time. I buy a bunch of comics in my local comic store’s quarter bin, then I donate them to local libraries. It’s good for my local comic shop. Good for me. Good for the libraries. Good for the people who get to read them.
“Does anyone really think comic books in their current form are practical anymore?”
Yes, because it’s a lot easier for many to try out a book at $2.25, $2.99 or even $3.50 than to buy trades at $15-$25 apiece.
If we ever do go to all digital, all the time, I will be crushed.
Oh, I would too, but you have to wonder if the medium itself will eventually become cost-prohibitive.
Either way, it could be an option for those of us that still want to read and not fill our closets with comics that will never be worth anything, or are willing to use our pcs to read comics on a need-to-read basis.
Much as I appreciate Bendis and you, Mr. D., just be careful if he says he wants to use you in an episode of “Powers.” Look what he did with Warren Ellis…gave the guy a mutated, melted face and put him in a situation where he had to kill.
Knowing Bendis, and knowing that he’s Jewish too, he’ll probably force your comic book version to eat moo shu pork…or turn your face into moo shu pork…or something hideous.
Always love it when two great writers get together.
Hmmm. Just read an interview with Bendis. His last issue of DAREDEVIL is due out at the end of this year. He indicated that he is consulting with the new writer who he would not reveal.
My guess now is that Peter David is the new writer of DAREDEVIL.
Bendis indicated that he does not intend to return things to the way the title was before he took over so my guess is that Peter will be writing this ala FALLEN ANGEL rather than ala SOULSEARCHERS & COMPANY or YOUNG JUSTICE.