![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Also reviews for the latest episode of Kite Man, Hell Yeah!, and Suicide Squad Isekai.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Aug. 1st, 2024
Weekly talkback for Gilda And Meek And The Un-Iverse! Read an issue and discuss it here!
Weekly article below.
WHAT IS A "FAMOUS UN-IVERSE TALKY ISSUE"?
Some of the slang and shorthand I use when discussing the saga can be frustratingly insular (no doubt a future essay will discuss what I'm referring to when I call the first 90 issues of the saga "The Un-Iverse Proper".) I'm sure I've mentioned The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues here and there, but perhaps people don't understand what I'm referring to.
A Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue falls into a subgenre of rare Un-Iverse stories, that are also rare because you won't see them anywhere else. So far as The Un-Iverse Proper goes, there are exactly THREE issues that fit this specific designation.
--Gilda And Meek #21 "The Apple" (Un-Iverse #33)
--Gilda And Meek #29 "All Blood Things...: Step Three: Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences" (Un-Iverse #43)
--Otterman: Quest For The Conduit #3: The Terran Wars: Chapter Thirteen: "Eddie Explains It All" (Un-Iverse #84) (This one is a future story and hasn't been published yet).
These are the Holy Grail of Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues. The Famous Talky Issues usually involve different stages of the story but they have a few notable things in common with each other, if no other issues.
1. The main drama is not action based. It is an extended conversation, literally using "Talking Heads", something utterly frowned upon by every single comic book creator in existence whose initials aren't M.Z.. The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue break every shred of comic book decorum and taboo.
2. There is never really an adventure in The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues. Or if there is, the issue itself is a pause from it. None of the heroes are ever in mortal peril in a Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue. Sometimes a problem must be worked out through talking ("The Apple"). Sometimes it's simply a way for the characters to become closer to each other. ("Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences.") And in the case of the upcoming "Eddie Explains It All" look for an info dump revealing a LOT of the saga's larger secrets via an extended riveting conversation.
3. The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue is always one of the best issues in the entire saga. That is part of me thumbing my nose at purists decrying talking heads and extended prose. It is my opinion "The Apple" is the single best issue of Gilda And Meek. And if "Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences" isn't actually the BEST issue of the five-part Mistress Augatha Arc Finale "All Blood Things..." it's certainly the most purely enjoyable. And I am willing to be bold enough to say "Eddie Explains It All" will literally be the best Un-Iverse issue of all time, past and future. And I knew that when I wrote that outline 8 years ago, and nothing has changed that belief. It's coming, and will knock your socks off.
The quality of The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue is always high because I want to prove to people who think I abuse the comic book format that the comic book format is a LOT more flexible than most artists are willing to admit. I think the comics industry has gotten stagnant because there really hasn't been a comic book in decades that challenges the entire format, or even questions what kinds of stories are not just possible, not just acceptable, but maybe wonderful too. Comics are in a self-imposed rut. I would love to blame fandom for that entirely, but the truth is most professional comic book artists don't like ruffling feathers either. They feel threatened by somebody saying there are multiple ways to use the format, and are very possessive about what a comic should and shouldn't be.
Matt Zimmer is no threat to ANY of those artists and writers. With the notable exceptions of Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie (who has passed) none of them have ever even HEARD of me. Which is why I can get away with this. While The Un-Iverse remains one of the best kept secrets on the internet, I can break those kinds of storytelling rules. I think The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues each being riveting proves that while every other comic creator insists on "Show, Not Tell", I think maybe the reason that "Ironclad" rule happened at all was because in the short monthly page counts of comic books, no publisher could afford to make a good talking head sequence. Pages are money, conversations need time to breathe, thus "Never do talking heads" is a rule. My Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues are way longer than comics printed on paper are ever allowed to be, because I publish the entire thing on my blog all at once, instead of as a strip a day format. "Late Night Conversations" is 80 pages long, and the pacing is still so tight and precise you can set your watch to it! I time and board each conversation like a movie, and they feel organic and not remotely rushed. And thus riveting and cool.
I have a confession to make. Before the issue came out, I incorrectly labeled the issue F.I.S.H. #8 "Vulgaris Returns" (Un-Iverse #62) as a Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue. In hindsight I regret doing so. Not just because there IS an adventure around the conversations, and the heroes are in mortal peril at several points. But because while it's a passable issue, it sure as hell is not a fantastic one. It doesn't fit the designation, and I feel embarrassed offering it up as such ahead of time.
There is an argument to be made that the upcoming issue UnComix Tales #3: The Terran Wars: Chapter Nine "Bottomfeeders" (Un-Iverse #80) may well fit that designation too. The main drama there IS indeed a series of riveting conversations. And it WILL be a pretty great issue too. The reason I'm a little hesitant to label it as such is because there IS a ton of action and mortal peril present. If I decide to give it that designation after it comes out, it will be the Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue outside of those others for that reason.
The Archive on BlogSpot
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2020/02/welcome-to-gilda-and-meek-and-un-iverse.html
Latest Issue:
10. Lace Doilies "Death Time" (Un-Iverse #67)
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2024/06/10-lace-doilies-death-time-un-iverse-67.html
Weekly article below.
WHAT IS A "FAMOUS UN-IVERSE TALKY ISSUE"?
Some of the slang and shorthand I use when discussing the saga can be frustratingly insular (no doubt a future essay will discuss what I'm referring to when I call the first 90 issues of the saga "The Un-Iverse Proper".) I'm sure I've mentioned The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues here and there, but perhaps people don't understand what I'm referring to.
A Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue falls into a subgenre of rare Un-Iverse stories, that are also rare because you won't see them anywhere else. So far as The Un-Iverse Proper goes, there are exactly THREE issues that fit this specific designation.
--Gilda And Meek #21 "The Apple" (Un-Iverse #33)
--Gilda And Meek #29 "All Blood Things...: Step Three: Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences" (Un-Iverse #43)
--Otterman: Quest For The Conduit #3: The Terran Wars: Chapter Thirteen: "Eddie Explains It All" (Un-Iverse #84) (This one is a future story and hasn't been published yet).
These are the Holy Grail of Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues. The Famous Talky Issues usually involve different stages of the story but they have a few notable things in common with each other, if no other issues.
1. The main drama is not action based. It is an extended conversation, literally using "Talking Heads", something utterly frowned upon by every single comic book creator in existence whose initials aren't M.Z.. The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue break every shred of comic book decorum and taboo.
2. There is never really an adventure in The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues. Or if there is, the issue itself is a pause from it. None of the heroes are ever in mortal peril in a Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue. Sometimes a problem must be worked out through talking ("The Apple"). Sometimes it's simply a way for the characters to become closer to each other. ("Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences.") And in the case of the upcoming "Eddie Explains It All" look for an info dump revealing a LOT of the saga's larger secrets via an extended riveting conversation.
3. The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue is always one of the best issues in the entire saga. That is part of me thumbing my nose at purists decrying talking heads and extended prose. It is my opinion "The Apple" is the single best issue of Gilda And Meek. And if "Late Night Conversations And Other Equally Important Occurrences" isn't actually the BEST issue of the five-part Mistress Augatha Arc Finale "All Blood Things..." it's certainly the most purely enjoyable. And I am willing to be bold enough to say "Eddie Explains It All" will literally be the best Un-Iverse issue of all time, past and future. And I knew that when I wrote that outline 8 years ago, and nothing has changed that belief. It's coming, and will knock your socks off.
The quality of The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue is always high because I want to prove to people who think I abuse the comic book format that the comic book format is a LOT more flexible than most artists are willing to admit. I think the comics industry has gotten stagnant because there really hasn't been a comic book in decades that challenges the entire format, or even questions what kinds of stories are not just possible, not just acceptable, but maybe wonderful too. Comics are in a self-imposed rut. I would love to blame fandom for that entirely, but the truth is most professional comic book artists don't like ruffling feathers either. They feel threatened by somebody saying there are multiple ways to use the format, and are very possessive about what a comic should and shouldn't be.
Matt Zimmer is no threat to ANY of those artists and writers. With the notable exceptions of Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie (who has passed) none of them have ever even HEARD of me. Which is why I can get away with this. While The Un-Iverse remains one of the best kept secrets on the internet, I can break those kinds of storytelling rules. I think The Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues each being riveting proves that while every other comic creator insists on "Show, Not Tell", I think maybe the reason that "Ironclad" rule happened at all was because in the short monthly page counts of comic books, no publisher could afford to make a good talking head sequence. Pages are money, conversations need time to breathe, thus "Never do talking heads" is a rule. My Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issues are way longer than comics printed on paper are ever allowed to be, because I publish the entire thing on my blog all at once, instead of as a strip a day format. "Late Night Conversations" is 80 pages long, and the pacing is still so tight and precise you can set your watch to it! I time and board each conversation like a movie, and they feel organic and not remotely rushed. And thus riveting and cool.
I have a confession to make. Before the issue came out, I incorrectly labeled the issue F.I.S.H. #8 "Vulgaris Returns" (Un-Iverse #62) as a Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue. In hindsight I regret doing so. Not just because there IS an adventure around the conversations, and the heroes are in mortal peril at several points. But because while it's a passable issue, it sure as hell is not a fantastic one. It doesn't fit the designation, and I feel embarrassed offering it up as such ahead of time.
There is an argument to be made that the upcoming issue UnComix Tales #3: The Terran Wars: Chapter Nine "Bottomfeeders" (Un-Iverse #80) may well fit that designation too. The main drama there IS indeed a series of riveting conversations. And it WILL be a pretty great issue too. The reason I'm a little hesitant to label it as such is because there IS a ton of action and mortal peril present. If I decide to give it that designation after it comes out, it will be the Famous Un-Iverse Talky Issue outside of those others for that reason.
The Archive on BlogSpot
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2020/02/welcome-to-gilda-and-meek-and-un-iverse.html
Latest Issue:
10. Lace Doilies "Death Time" (Un-Iverse #67)
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2024/06/10-lace-doilies-death-time-un-iverse-67.html
