And this link may have already been posted in an earlier thread. . .I don't care. Reading this page is just that important.

It really hammered down alot of what was behind the disillusionment I felt with the DDP continuity. But I totally agree with this guy. He's got some solid reasons that I myself was unable to express until now. Maybe it'll clear up some things for you. . .

http://toynewsi.com/index.php?itemid=5956

-PJ

I'd say that Brandon Jerwa wasn't 100% terrible - there were occasional moments that were well-done. Cobra Commander's exploding helmet trick against Serpentor, for example, is actually really ingenious, and showcases serpentor's biggest flaw - his stupid arrogance - with the fact that CC is, indeed, cunning (he had to have rigged his helmet just for this event. I doubt that he always wires his head to explode).



But yeah, 99% of the time, Mr. jerwa was.... sub-par.

Cobra Commander's helmet has always been lined with plastic explosives. His battle armor helmet was as well. There is a digital combination you have to enter prior to removing the helmet...if you just yank it off without entering the combination first, it will explode. Check out Marvel GI Joe #24 and #86.

Wow... pretty solid review. I do disagree, though, that J. Blaylock can't write at all. He really drew me in with the "reunion & nostalgia" stuff. It was when all of that was put on the back burner, and then everyone "de-aged" that I felt kind of betrayed (not personally, but from a "I have invested time in caring about these old coots and now they're not old anymore!" character standpoint)... Oh, well. Change is always either good or bad, and only hindsight determines which. Like the article said, we'll see what happens in Summer... :cool:

Great article. However I thought he was too harsh on Blaylock. I just think he is in over his head.

I am tempted to agree with Dreadnok4life. Blaylock was bashed a bit too hard in the articles, and I feel that he did make some very smart moves with the series--it became DDP's flagship title, right? While he doesn't always deliver as much as I would hope, I think he is trying hard to listen to fans and incorporate their thoughts into his books.

He seems to be going in the oppisate direction though.

Wow, that guy has issues. Way to poop all over Blaylock. Agreed, the BAT story & the reunion in the bar were kinda dumb, but I enjoyed many other issues. This tool simply added some effluvient vocabulary to the age old "I FeLLaTe LaRRy HaMA!!!!11 & DeVils-D00 iS teh sUxx0r!" debate in this fandom.

IMO this little 'reader editorial' is thoughtful and very well-written. It seems that maybe the author of the 'editorial' struck a nerve, considering that artful cursing has resulted.

Why does Jerwa get a pass though? (or is he praised by this article?) Jerwa's writing led me to stop buying... I thought Blaylock's was better - not good, but better.

I dissagree totally with the author's assumption that there were too many characters... One can write a good story with multiple characters if one trusts the audience (and if the author knows how to tell a story... or knows how to create a story...). Why not write with multiple characters to develop (a la X-men), and at times treat us to a 'mission' with a full roster (as in the original series invasion of Springfield.

I guess I stopped reading the comic b/c we (as readers) were 'treated' to themes without story.

I just finished reading Blaylock's run on GI Joe (while waiting for the Super Bowl). I haven't had time to read them since the first four issues, but I made time yesterday. I guess I'm in the minority here as that I enjoyed Blaylock's run on Joe. I admit there were a few stories that weren't great or lasted too long (the Bat story), but on the whole, I think that his run was pretty good. There was character development (Lady Jay/Flint ..... Baroness..... Snake Eyes/Scarlett) and tons of action. I also like the fact that greenshirts got killed and some characters, as that combat is deadly. I think the main criticism of Blaylock is that he is not Larry Hama. Most fans, I believe, came to the new Joe book out of nostalgia and were worshippers of Larry Hama (don't get me wrong, I think Hama is the man). However, with that viewpoint, nothing could really satisfy them. There was no second coming of Hama (except his brief run in Frontlines). Blaylock gets a raw deal with being compared to Hama. Blaylock had 25 issues to work with, Hama had over 150. With such a long run, Hama had time to more fully explore different characters and different topics. Having read the article criticizing the new Joe series, I think the author had some points. But my main impression is that the author is one of those frustrated wanna-bes who desperately wants to get into the comic biz but lacks the talent or ambition or both. If you don't like the series, fine. Write some fanfiction or create some dio-stories and post them on the net. I've read some amazing dio-stories since getting back into Joe. I personally cut some slack to those who actually create the comics or run a business. It takes a lot of work and sacrifice to get something going. If I don't like a comic or product, I don't buy it. But I respect the effort it took to get that product or service out. I run my own business, and I can't tell you how many times I've had somebody lecture me on how I should run my business or change this or that. What frustrates me is that they have no clue on what it takes to run the business or the time and effort I have put into it. Until they walk in somebody's shoes who have actually done something, then I think they are just whistling in the wind. Again, constructive criticism is fine, but harsh put-downs are not. Anyway, I'm sorry about the lenght of this post, but I wanted to put my two cents in.