Television: The New Frontier for Comic Books

Gerbil2309 · January 2010

I always thought that the ideal treatment for Daredevil would be an hour long episodic tv show - do it like Bendis' (and subsequent writers) run, emphasise the crime/noir elements, downplay the superhero stuff. Plot wise, make it something like Damages (both in terms of the lawyer stuff but also in terms of a single ongoing plotline over a season).

Abracadaniel · January 2010

Bogey wrote: »

I still want to see the Global Frequency pilot they made a while back.

It was pretty neat.

Fedora · January 2010

Framling wrote: »

Man, Walking Dead I just stopped caring about once I realized any character could die at any time and there was no point getting invested in any of them.

And Preacher wasn't that good.

But I fucking love Powers.

Yeah, I stopped reading Walking Dead for the same reason. Every issue shouldn't feel like "You know what, Game Over man, Game over!".

A comic book series shouldn't be depressing as hell every issue for over 2 years. That's just...monotonous sadness.

Teth · January 2010

I rather liked the way The Walking Dead kind of turned things on its head that way in serial fiction. I'm pretty sure some TV series are already doing this (Lost, right? I never watched that but I heard the cast changes all of the time).

Framling · January 2010

Fedora wrote: »

Framling wrote: »

Man, Walking Dead I just stopped caring about once I realized any character could die at any time and there was no point getting invested in any of them.

And Preacher wasn't that good.

But I fucking love Powers.

Yeah, I stopped reading Walking Dead for the same reason. Every issue shouldn't feel like "You know what, Game Over man, Game over!".

A comic book series shouldn't be depressing as hell every issue for over 2 years. That's just...monotonous sadness.

I think that's the flaw of the experiment. Kirkman wanted to write a comic that follows the survivors for longer than the 2 hours of a movie. But the problem is that surviving, a lot of the time, is some tedious shit. The one thing the characters want is stability, but that's the worst possible thing that could happen from a narrative standpoint. So to keep it interesting, horrible things have to keep happening.

Teth · January 2010

On the other hand, dude lost his hand. That hit me harder than if he had died.

Antimatter · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

IS SOMEONE TALKING SMACK ABOUT MIKE OEMING IN HERE

wouldn't dream of it

Goatmon · January 2010

DrIanMalcolm wrote: »

Wikipedia wrote:

HBO announced in November 2006 that they commissioned Mark Steven Johnson and Howard Deutch to produce a television pilot. Johnson was to write with Deutch directing. Impressed with Johnson's pilot script, HBO had him write the series bible for the first season. Johnson originally planned "to turn each comic book issue into a single episode" on a shot-for-shot basis. "I gave [HBO] the comics, and I said, 'Every issue is an hour'. Garth Ennis said 'You don't have to be so beholden to the comic'. And I'm like, 'No, no, no. It's got to be like the comic'."

Johnson also wanted to make sure that one-shots were included as well. However, Johnson refrained his comments, citing new storylines conceived by Ennis. "Well there would be nothing new to add if we did that so Garth [Ennis] and I have been creating new stories for the series," he said. "I love the book so much and I was telling Garth that he has to make the stories we are coming up with as comics because I want to see them." By August 2008, new studio executives at HBO decided to abandon the idea, finding it too stylistically dark and religiously controversial.

Johnson would've been terrible

I find it reeeeaaallly hard to believe that this sort of thing would have been too controversial for HBO of all networks.

Also, too stylistically dark? That's an odd thing to take offense at.

What, would generic dark have been more acceptable?

Bogey · January 2010

Smart Hero wrote: »

Bogey wrote: »

I still want to see the Global Frequency pilot they made a while back.

It was pretty neat.

How did you get to see it?

DrIanMalcolm · January 2010

Framling wrote: »

Fedora wrote: »

Framling wrote: »

Man, Walking Dead I just stopped caring about once I realized any character could die at any time and there was no point getting invested in any of them.

And Preacher wasn't that good.

But I fucking love Powers.

Yeah, I stopped reading Walking Dead for the same reason. Every issue shouldn't feel like "You know what, Game Over man, Game over!".

A comic book series shouldn't be depressing as hell every issue for over 2 years. That's just...monotonous sadness.

I think that's the flaw of the experiment. Kirkman wanted to write a comic that follows the survivors for longer than the 2 hours of a movie. But the problem is that surviving, a lot of the time, is some tedious shit. The one thing the characters want is stability, but that's the worst possible thing that could happen from a narrative standpoint. So to keep it interesting, horrible things have to keep happening.

And hasn't Kirkman said that he doesn't really want the series to end? At least if the readers knew that there'd be an ending in sight then that'd bring some hope that things would get better

World as Myth · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

Balefuego · January 2010

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

World as Myth · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

I have never noticed it so egregiously before!

Bloods End · January 2010

Human Target is so fun. And so far every episode has had a cast member of BSG

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

that's a bendis thing?

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

that's a bendis thing?

of course it's a Bendis thing.

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

that's a bendis thing?

of course it's a Bendis thing.

seriously?

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

that's a bendis thing?

of course it's a Bendis thing.

seriously?

yes. seriously.

Balefuego · January 2010

yes thank you Sars

anyway you should keep reading WaM.

Forever is one of my favorite comic book stories of all time. Thats the 7th trade though.

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

yes thank you Sars

SweetdaddyG · January 2010

the tick needs to come back

Lost Salient · January 2010

Suuuuusan?

Olivaw · January 2010

I will never understand why Gotham Central is not a TV show yet

Balefuego · January 2010

Olivaw wrote: »

I will never understand why Gotham Central is not a TV show yet

Powers is kinda close to this

but better

Sars_Boy · January 2010

Balefuego wrote: »

Olivaw wrote: »

I will never understand why Gotham Central is not a TV show yet

Powers is kinda close to this

but better

Bale Gotham Central is the best crime/superhero comic.

Balefuego · January 2010

look I love Gotham Central

but Powers is better

Bloods End · January 2010

Powers lacks Harvey Bullock.

And Batman.

Abracadaniel · January 2010

Bogey wrote: »

Smart Hero wrote: »

Bogey wrote: »

I still want to see the Global Frequency pilot they made a while back.

It was pretty neat.

How did you get to see it?

Way back when it was first leaked Ellis threw a link up

It's available, if you know where to look

DrIanMalcolm · January 2010

I need to read Gotham Central still

DE?AD · January 2010

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Sars_Boy wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Balefuego wrote: »

although to be honest, much like Fables the first arc of Powers is a little weak on it's own. (There's a later story that ties back into it and makes it way better)

yeah plus I have heard the art gets better (and what's drawn isn't bad at all, I like it) but there is some serious frame recycling in that first book and that drives me totally crazy

I thought you said you liked Bendis

that is a Bendis thing

that's a bendis thing?

of course it's a Bendis thing.

seriously?

yes. seriously.

Bendis-dialogue not helped in Powers by some truly god-awful lettering.

Also, there is no reason for a two-page spread of tiny panels in a square grid, yet it happens about three times in the first trade alone. It just muddies up the panel order and serves essentially no purpose. Knock that shit off.

Abracadaniel · January 2010

The lettering and organization of speech bubbles was really bad in Powers, but the book itself is great.

Abracadaniel · January 2010

Also Bogey check your facebook wall

at least, I hope that was you

CorporateLogo · January 2010

I hear Powers smells

But Oeming did Stormbreaker so I am torn about him

Quoth · January 2010

i haven't read much of ex machina but i think i can agree that it would be a good show

sort of like the west wing meets batman or something

Abracadaniel · January 2010

i too would like to see Ex Machina developed into something awesome

well

live action awesome

Quoth · January 2010

it seems like it would make the transition easily

stuff like sandman or hellblazer or fables would require more special effects i think

i mean, look what happened to the dresden files tv show

Jordyn · January 2010

CorporateLogo wrote: »

I hear Powers smells

But Oeming did Stormbreaker so I am torn about him

Some day I am going to arm wrestle Mike Oeming and win some Powers art

lostwords · January 2010

Powers would be a fun tv show. Also monkey sex

I basically want all of the vertigo comics to be a tv show. Hellblazer, sandman, northlanders, fables, DMZ, the unwritten, etc etc

and I want hbo to make a tv show based on The Goon

Balefuego · January 2010

CorporateLogo wrote: »

I hear Powers smells

But Oeming did Stormbreaker so I am torn about him

Powers smells

Delicious

CorporateLogo · January 2010

It smelled like dead skunk to me but to each his own

Speaking of The Goon, Chinatown is some heartbreaking stuff

Penny Arcade

Television: The New Frontier for Comic Books

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