Mission Debriefing: Ultimate Authority Discussion

[Deleted]

Here is the place to discuss current issues of the Authority.


The Authority will launch in the Authority/Planetary Special #1: Six Degrees of Century Babies and continue with its own #1 issue soon after.

Check solicitations for a teaser of the special.

-M

[Deleted]

Ok so I finished issue one of the Authority before I finished the special. Happens that way sometimes. Issue #1 is up.

Editor's note-anyone wondering what a bean sidhe is, its the Scottish/Gaelic name for a creature from Celtic folklore more commonly known as a banshee in English.

-M

[Drake]

Read it. Sorry to say it's only the second thing you've written that I've read, mostly due to me being unfamiliar and uninterested in Planetary (the concept) and its characters. I read issue 1 and was just kind of bored. I do plan on hopping on with issue 7 and am actually excited after wiki'ing the characters and concept.

I must say I really enjoyed it. The introductions to the characters were good and each one had their own unique voice. My only issue with this is...what's the point? Why have Planetary and the Authority? They're both very similar in concept. "Save the world in secret" and all that. What distinguishes the two groups other than their members?

8.5/10. I look forward to more.

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2013 21:48:11 GMT -5 Drake said:

Read it. Sorry to say it's only the second thing you've written that I've read, mostly due to me being unfamiliar and uninterested in Planetary (the concept) and its characters. I read issue 1 and was just kind of bored. I do plan on hopping on with issue 7 and am actually excited after wiki'ing the characters and concept.

I must say I really enjoyed it. The introductions to the characters were good and each one had their own unique voice. My only issue with this is...what's the point? Why have Planetary and the Authority? They're both very similar in concept. "Save the world in secret" and all that. What distinguishes the two groups other than their members?

8.5/10. I look forward to more.

As they move forward. Planetary and Elijah are more focused on discovering the secret history, while Authority is about fighting the battles on the front lines. But then, you could ask the same-what's the difference between Justice League and Teen Titans-its both heroes in costume saving the world and fighting bad guys, so what's different except the rosters...


It should always be the characters that define the work, not the concept-otherwise you only really need 2 or 3 super-hero books at all, solo super-powered hero, solo superior training hero and team book. Everything else is redundant or minor variations on a theme-oh so he has powers that come form magic not science? or he has a magic staff not a utility belt, or oh he has powers but operates underwater...oh superpowers but a female....really is there much difference if the characters themselves don't define and differentiate between the books?

-M

[Drake]

I understand, it's just the concepts, and the fact that they tie together, make them very similar. I see that will be changing going forward. And as for an argument, simply for the fun of it, about the whole JL/TT only 3 types of story things, that's not true, really. I was being more specific than just super team saving the world. Teen Titans is normally a story based around teens (sidekicks usually) trying to balance super heroics and everyday teenage life while having a place, together, to hang out with and meet other people in similar situations. Justice League as a concept is a book about seven (give or take) heroes banding together to save the world under circumstances that no single one of them could take alone.

And as sort of a neutral point, as Audre Lort said, "There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt." So, while things can be the same basic concept they can also be very different stories.

Anyway, keep it coming! I look forward to the Planetary/Authority Special!

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2013 22:29:09 GMT -5 Drake said:

I understand, it's just the concepts, and the fact that they tie together, make them very similar. I see that will be changing going forward. And as for an argument, simply for the fun of it, about the whole JL/TT only 3 types of story things, that's not true, really. I was being more specific than just super team saving the world. Teen Titans is normally a story based around teens (sidekicks usually) trying to balance super heroics and everyday teenage life while having a place, together, to hang out with and meet other people in similar situations. Justice League as a concept is a book about seven (give or take) heroes banding together to save the world under circumstances that no single one of them could take alone.

And as sort of a neutral point, as Audre Lort said, "There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt." So, while things can be the same basic concept they can also be very different stories.

Anyway, keep it coming! I look forward to the Planetary/Authority Special!

The differences you point to come down to characters not concepts though. Characters in Teen Titans are trying to live a normal life, without that aspect of character it's still heroes in costumes fighting bad guys. Then there are all the times when its not about that but about the sidekicks trying to prove they can play in the big leagues with the JL and that they are heroes in their own right able to fight badguys just like the League does. There's a reason they earned the name the junior Justice League in many of their incarnations.

Then we won't even get into thee Justice League books, 4 Batman books, 3 Superman books-plus Supergirl and Superboy, umteen X-books, who knows how many Avengers books, etc.

Many of these current books blur together because they try to differentiate themselves on concept alone but when you read them the characters are interchangeable and therefore so are the books. If your characters don't stand out, neither will your book, even if it has the smartest most interesting concept, because people are people, not ideas, and they relate to the (fictional) people in the stories they read, that's why they invest and enjoy the concepts, and why they are loyal to characters (or loyal to writers who create characters they relate to and invest in).


And yes, Planetary and Authority come from the same concept, Authority is very much a spin off of Planetary, as will be apparent in the Special. They share the same tapestry and headspace, but ultimately Planetary is a team of archaeologists of the imagination who are opposed in their efforts to reveal the secret history while the Authority is a cell of secret freedom fighters opposing those who try to rule the world from behind the seats of power.

Of course the secret history is the history of those with the unseen hands, so there are strong tied between them.
-M

[Stardrifter]

It was a kind of average start for you. Your average is many writers great, so don't take it the wrong way. For me, I just think the issue, as an introduction, was lackluster. You set up the characters a bit, but I would have liked more. I think this goes more into your opinions about origin stories as you've discussed in other threads. I would have liked a bit more origin.

Still, it was a good issue. Keep em coming.

[Stardrifter]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I thought the Joker cameo was a bad decision. He shouldn't be making his first appearance in a non-Bat title.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 17:44:38 GMT -5 Stardrifter said:

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I thought the Joker cameo was a bad decision. He shouldn't be making his first appearance in a non-Bat title.

I asked Chris to use Arkham for the scene, he said, yes, while you are at it use the Joker too, so I did, but the initial plan was just an Arkham reference since it is the most notable locale of the insane in the DCU. Chris did read the entire scene (not just the Joker bit) and gave his ok, so I ran with it.

-M

[Ultimate Silentking]

It was a good read, but it got very hard to follow near the end. I think I am starting to unravel what happened, so I won't dock too many points. But still, it was the kind of confusion that would turn most people off instead of making them more interested in something. I will continue to read more and hopefully I will be able to understand what I should have understood already. Also, does Buck approve of the Joker scene now he is in charge? 8/10

[Deleted]

Sorry you were confused.

I talked to buck about the scene a while back, when he and Chris were discussing the change in titles, and buck had read the scene long before it got posted so he was well aware of it, so there are no issues on that front.

-M

[Ultimate Silentking]

It is okay. Your Authority/Planetary Special is clearing things up. I will review that in the Planetary thread. But I will say that it is good from what I read so far.

[Deleted]

Authority #2 is up.

-M

[Drake]

It was very good. There were some noticeable grammar errors, but 90% everything was perfect. 8/10.

[Ultimate Silentking]

I agree with Drake on this. I was also able to enjoy this issue much more than the first now I understand what is going on. 8.2/10

[Stardrifter]

It was a solid issue. I like the dynamic between J'onn, Jenny, and Ray. I hope the cast doesn't get too big and take away from that. Its still a bit early to tell, but I'm enjoying this more than Planetary. Keep em coming.

[buck]

What an issue. The Ray, J'onn Jenny dynamic is really coming along. Loved seeing Hawksmoore and the Engineer.

Definitely doing a better job of incorporating wildstorm then DC managed to do.

[Deleted]

Authority #3 is up, a shorter issue featuring a look at the opposition..

-M

[Stardrifter]

Not a bad issue. I think it was too soon to cut away from the main team, but what's here is good. Nice character bits. The ending was a surprise. Keep em coming.

[liquidsword34]

May have been a bit soon to move away from the main team, but I enjoyed it. Well written and good characterization.