Episode 1492 Talkback - Off the Racks: Savage Hulk #1/Superman #32/TheCityontheEdgeofForever #1
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
Witness here one of the last legacies of late CGS producer Jamie D: an Off the Racks episode featuring reviews of Superman #32 from DC; Savage Hulk #1 from Marvel; and most Jamie-approved of all, the first issue of IDW's adaptation of Harlan Ellison's original script for the classic Star Trek episode, 'The City on the Edge of Forever.' (1:12:38)
Listen here.
Listen here.
Comments
The Hulk story was kinda "meh" but it harkens back to my wheelhouse era of the late 70s, so I enjoyed it. Especially the X-Men costumes from back in the day. Like Peter, I too found of interest the panels where they allude to Hulk's vision being so powerful that he's able to see distant stars, etc.
Not a huge Star Trek fan, but I recall the Joan Collins episode from when I was a kid. Enjoyed the first issue and will definitely be back for issue #2.
And just to throw my two cents worth into something that Adam brought up; I think the idea of an introspective, brooding Superman, can certainly make some interesting stories, but I really don't think I can empathize that much with big blue. I get that he may wonder what might have been, or what Krypton might have been like. But he arrived here a toddler, with no experiences or memories what-so-ever of Krypton to lament. He was raised as a human, looks exactly like a human, and and aside from a few artifacts, Krypton is in no tangible way, a part of his life. For all intents and purposes, he's just as much human as any one of US. He really fits in in every way, other than having powers which he could have chosen to use or not. Not to mention, he's a relatively attractive, white male, living in the United States. He may reasonably wonder about his heritage, but it's not really like he's completely alone, or even that much different from the average person in any may meaningful. His physical powers, though impressive, are merely superficial to who he is as a person. It's time for Kal to get over it. It's not like he's Martian Manhunter, who, in his true form, doesn't fit in with humans at all, and really did lose his species in a very personal way. But then again, I might just be a cold, heartless jerk....
Why did the scientists have their baby with them at work?..especially a lab working with such terribly dangerous energy. Maybe babysitters are really expensive in that dimension?
And allow me to also hop on the MODOK bandwagon as well. His interactions with Maria Hill have skyrocketed him up my list of favorite characters in all of comic-dom. I'd buy a comic book that featured nothing but the 2 of them sitting around the coffee table shooting the shit. Come to think of it ... an issue where the 2 of them get drunk together would be EPIC!
STAR TREK: City On the Edge of Forever #1: - BUY: I'm really regretting that I didn't order all of these. I'll have to go to some recent back issue sites and look for the next few issues.
SAVAGE HULK #1: BORROW - Yes, the art was good and the Easter Egg-type touches were good, but the story seemed like something that's been done before. Maybe it's just me. I read the original X-Men #66 when it came out and as I was reading I thought "Why do I wanna go all the way back there again?" The reason I thought "again!" is that, as Murd said, Byrne did X-Men: The Hidden Years so I already re-visited that era once before.
SUPERMAN #32:BUY-ROW - I think I ordered the first few issues and was hesitant to order more. I was sort of surprised that I liked this a lot, but maybe not as much as I could have. I just think it could be better. And maybe it will get better. Loved the artwork and some of the updates to the characters (Jimmy Olsen in particular) and the new character.
GRAYSON: Looking forward to it!
DAREDEVIL: I think it's okay, but I thought recently that it's a bit decompressed.
SILVER SURFER: I don't think it is "flawless" but it does has some entertainment value and giving the Surfer's board a name amused me quite a bit.
First, I haven't read the issue. My comic shop ... kinda sucks, and I've not been getting new comics for a while now (a financial decision). I suppose I should not have counted on the shop having any copies of issue 1 two days after it was released, so that's on me. But I have seen the art for issue 2 (managed to snag the last copy when I was in getting a longbox the other day) and I have to agree, J.K.'s art is phenomenal in this. We already knew the man could freakin' draw, but his likenesses are so spot on - it's amazing.
As to the controversy. Without giving much away, yes, cutting out the drug addiction subplot was a problem for Ellison. Though, as those on the episode noted, it's understandable how the change to McCoy from the faceless Beckwith could have been made. Ultimately, the biggest areas of contention dealt with the ending (I won't go into it, but the motivation in the aired episode is decidedly "heroic" while Ellison's was more "human") and the fact that Ellison was not consulted about the rewrites.
I read the published edition of his teleplay, which also included a long opening essay from Ellison detailing the creation of the episode and the acrimony that followed, and I distinctly remember him discussing the fact that, contrary to popular belief, he's a writer who is willing to compromise when the need arises and if it does not hurt the work. He cited his episode of The Outer Limits, "Demon With a Glass Hand," as an example - the production company did not have the budget to have Robert Culp's characters chased across town in the episode, so Ellison rewrote it to happen all within the Bradbury Building. It was this apparent disrespect of him, as the writer of the episode, and the secretive manner with which the rewrites were made (Ellison didn't know until decades later who had done the majority of the rewrites - I think it was D.C. Fontana). You can argue whether he was in the right and whether he would have made the changes asked, but I don't know that you can argue against the fact that he should've been asked.
Anyway. Any time Ellison comes up, I always feel a need to chime in. Thanks for all the work you guys do. It's much appreciated.
chris