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Post by Drake on Nov 7, 2014 23:51:55 GMT -5
Got it done faster than I thought. Ultimate Outlaws: Nightjay is up!
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Post by Drake on Dec 14, 2014 14:17:40 GMT -5
The finale will be up later tonight.
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Post by Drake on Dec 14, 2014 15:11:03 GMT -5
Got it done sooner than I thought. The finale is up!
NEXT: ULTIMATE KNIGHTS!
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Post by cross on Dec 14, 2014 23:27:04 GMT -5
After reading the final issue of Haven, I think you should post a "Yearbook" type info page to help list and showcase all of the major players in this story now. I'm forgetting so many people now that I have to go back and read issues to remember who people are.
For a final issue this was crap. Nothing was solved and everything was cliffhanger. For a final issue going into a continuing series this was great. Interesting cliffhangers, new players, and I'll be damned, I actually like The Riddler as a vigilante. Some of the dialog that Time had with Dragon was clunky but I can get over that. I have also decided that I am not a fan of Harper, Cullen, or the Red Hood Cult storyline. It's just not my type of story I guess. It feels out of place when put against every other story going on in these books. Also Harper getting angry and snapping was very uncomfortable to read. It kind of just popped in from nowhere. One minute she's fine, the next she is screaming that she's crazy. Also I'm not sure but I don't think crazy people scream that they're crazy.
I liked the issue though. It still continues to be my favorite thing in the Ultimate DC universe. Keep it up!
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Post by Drake on Dec 15, 2014 10:02:16 GMT -5
I'll catalogue the "who's" and the "what's" this weekend.
Thanks for the review! It's definitely a beginning, not an ending, hence the "just beginning" or whatever BS I threw out at the end.
Harper is slowly falling off the deep end, but basically she has a minor victim complex and is trying to get Cullen to pity her. Honestly, she's pretty messed up.
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Post by ericthepilot on Dec 16, 2014 18:43:20 GMT -5
Having read through the first three issues here (as well as the series that preceded it), I thought this was an interesting series of vignettes. You do have skill in capturing a moment in time well, though I didn't really feel much of a connection between the various vignettes (at least not in the sense that they were all taking place at the same time or in the same space). They all seem rooted very well in Bludhaven, which is clearly the strongest "character" in the issues, but they didn't seem tied together very well.
I liked Gar Logan's storyline the most out of the issues and you're clearly headed toward something there, equal parts action and pathos. The Riddler also promises to be interesting, I like the direction you've taken him in and always thought there was more potential to his character than was previously explored. I thought it was good how you didn't feel the need to overpower us with "riddles" the way some writers can tend to - though you definitely hinted at it in subtle ways.
The Red Hood storyline seems a logical extension of what's come before in the previous series, with various characters co-opting the name to suit their purposes. This new version certainly makes sense within the context of Bludhaven as depicted so far, even if they do remind me a bit of the Batman Begins version of the League of Shadows, right down to the trial.
I thought you did a good job in paralleling the story of Tim with the previous series' version of Jason, but you make him your own character and are able to show what he's good at without falling into the trap of turning him into a Mary sue. He's clearly different in skill set and temperament, and I thought you did a nice job of conveying those.
The only thing I really didn't care for in these issues was the jobbing out of a certain character (don't want to spoil anything for those who have yet to read it), never been a big fan of that as a way to establish a new "bigger" threat, but I'm certainly willing to see what the payoff to it is before I completely dismiss it as a bad idea.
Can't wait to see where you take this storyline in the future, and I'll be following over to the new series as well.
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Post by Drake on Dec 16, 2014 19:06:40 GMT -5
I purposely didn't connect any of the stories. It was supposed to show three (technically four or five) different characters with very different experiences in the city. Knights is where everything comes together as early as issue 3, although that's only primarily for Redbird and Cass Cain. Gar will join them shortly after.
I'm glad you noticed all of the Tim/Jason parallels, even though they aren't very subtle. They're two very different and very similar people.
The murder at the end was partially to get rid of some characters because I'm overwhelmed with them right now, partially to build up the threat, and partially because it's actually a hugely important part of the story. The "why" he was killed and "who" killed him is incredibly important, and the "who" may not necessarily be who you think it is. Or maybe it is. I certainly hinted at someone; the question is- was that a red herring?
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Post by Drake on Dec 24, 2014 17:29:49 GMT -5
The last Ultimate Outlaws is up! Please check it out! It's REALLY important to the story and is a fun holiday special!
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Post by ericthepilot on Dec 26, 2014 0:00:04 GMT -5
Not sure how I missed these Outlaw issues when I was reading through all the Batman stuff, but I'm certainly glad they were drawn to my attention with the release of the new one.
I liked the way they each focused on fleshing out a different character, doing more with some of the background players in the series that don't have the name recognition as the big guns, but are important to the story you are telling.
Each one was well written, and diverse from one another, which I thought worked really well. Too often these kinds of spotlight issues can get repetitive, but you avoid that here, by telling a story that's important to the character, but aren't held back by sticking to format.
Can't wait to see how they tie into the next big adventure for the Bludhaven and Gotham characters - they're clearly in the right hands.
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Post by Drake on Dec 26, 2014 11:35:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words! I can't take credit for the Outlaw issue idea. That's all Wachter, the creator of Ultimate 'Haven.
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Post by cross on Dec 26, 2014 13:36:09 GMT -5
I was not expecting Hush to be introduced this way. Very "Ultimate" way of handling the character. I will say that there was some drama and lines in this one that kind of made me cringe. Ted crying was one of them. The way Ted has been presented in the Ultimate Universe so far has pretty much been him being the hardest of hardasses. No one is as tough as Ted Grant. So I wasn't really a fan of him breaking down. That being said, this is back in time so I guess him being this soft makes sense since in the future he's a tough SOB. Ok so I pretty much just talked myself out of my only negative so there's that. This was a really cool spotlight issue for Hush. I enjoyed seeing him in action and seeing the original Outlaws and The League! Very fun issue.
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Post by Drake on Dec 26, 2014 14:02:41 GMT -5
I was not expecting Hush to be introduced this way. Very "Ultimate" way of handling the character. I will say that there was some drama and lines in this one that kind of made me cringe. Ted crying was one of them. The way Ted has been presented in the Ultimate Universe so far has pretty much been him being the hardest of hardasses. No one is as tough as Ted Grant. So I wasn't really a fan of him breaking down. That being said, this is back in time so I guess him being this soft makes sense since in the future he's a tough SOB. Ok so I pretty much just talked myself out of my only negative so there's that. This was a really cool spotlight issue for Hush. I enjoyed seeing him in action and seeing the original Outlaws and The League! Very fun issue. I'm glad you liked it! It was supposed to be a fun one off issue that spotlights Hush. The question is: is the modern day Hush him, or, like the mantle of Red Hood or Redbird, has it been passed down? Moreover, is Hush the killer? Sure, we know he's bad because of the 'Haven vol. 1 Annual, but who knows? Maybe he didn't kill the others. Then again, maybe he did. I want you to keep thinking, and never assume you know everything. The way I see Ted nowadays is he's nearly impossible to break. I think he's gotten harder over time, but I do think he was tough back then. The difference is Hush was his best friend. I was hoping that scene would show some of their bond and the relationship they'd shared. I know it can't have its full effect as you haven't seen them together before that point, but what I was trying to convey was the two's friendship and how that was possibly the only death in the world that could drive Ted to tears. If I wrote him nowadays, I admit he probably wouldn't cry. Jason's death was probably the last straw for him, driving him to isolation and brokenness.
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Post by adrini on Dec 26, 2014 14:43:45 GMT -5
Ted has always been a hardass, and we love him for that. But he's human. There are precious few people he really cares for, so there aren't many windows for tears or open concern. He keeps a distance to make that not happen. This being said if it's one of the few of his inner circle I think it's very reasonable.
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Post by thetrueelec on Feb 20, 2015 1:27:28 GMT -5
So I'll comment on two issues here, using stream of consciousness.
First Nightjay: I find it a bit ridiculous that after two years of going out and fighting crime in Haven of all places Nightjay can still forget to bring rope, if he was that incompetent he would have been dead in a month. The scene between Kirk and Aaron was well done, giving us knowledge of their relationship without feeling like an exposition dump.
The haven Finale: I'm not sure how it's paranoid for Tim to not trust a guy who just assaulted and insulted him and only eased up when faced with turrets. The Cullen and Harper scene seemed very rushed, but maybe that's just because it's been so long since I've read the first two issues. Red Dart mentions using a baseball bat to kill people, but then says she likes easy when Harper picks a gun, that seems contradictory. The blood symbolising a tear works a lot better in a visual medium, because writing it out just draws to much attention to the symbolism for me.
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Post by Drake on Feb 21, 2015 14:48:37 GMT -5
So I'll comment on two issues here, using stream of consciousness. First Nightjay: I find it a bit ridiculous that after two years of going out and fighting crime in Haven of all places Nightjay can still forget to bring rope, if he was that incompetent he would have been dead in a month. The scene between Kirk and Aaron was well done, giving us knowledge of their relationship without feeling like an exposition dump. The haven Finale: I'm not sure how it's paranoid for Tim to not trust a guy who just assaulted and insulted him and only eased up when faced with turrets. The Cullen and Harper scene seemed very rushed, but maybe that's just because it's been so long since I've read the first two issues. Red Dart mentions using a baseball bat to kill people, but then says she likes easy when Harper picks a gun, that seems contradictory. The blood symbolising a tear works a lot better in a visual medium, because writing it out just draws to much attention to the symbolism for me. Thanks for reviewing! That's a really good point and I don't know why I never noticed that. It was supposed to be humorous, but having gone back and reread that scene, it's definitely embarrassing and odd. I'll pay more attention to details like that in the future. I don't think I said anything about Tim being paranoid in the chapter. Reread it and nothing's there. As for Red Dart, that's a fair point but she does add on "too." People sometimes like a variety of things. What she prefers to use may not necessarily be what she prefers to deal with during a ceremony. Lastly, the tear is definitely a visual thing. You can tell I'm a screenwriter when things like that leak into my prose work. Again, thanks for reviewing! Hope you check out Knights soon!
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Post by thetrueelec on Feb 23, 2015 20:00:31 GMT -5
So the final issue, I don't really have much to say about it other than it was a good look into a character who we may or may not have seen 'before.' I liked his improved plan, and that Ra's still had tricks up his sleeve. Seeing some of the outlaws when they were younger was fun as well, I understand we couldn't have gotten a lot of them but what we got helped show some character.
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Post by Drake on Feb 23, 2015 22:05:56 GMT -5
So the final issue, I don't really have much to say about it other than it was a good look into a character who we may or may not have seen 'before.' I liked his improved plan, and that Ra's still had tricks up his sleeve. Seeing some of the outlaws when they were younger was fun as well, I understand we couldn't have gotten a lot of them but what we got helped show some character. Thanks for reviewing! Keep in mind that issue plays an important role in the future of Knights.
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