Has an issue of a comic ever made you angry

Sometimes in fiction there comes a time when something happens that you dislike so much, an editorial decision, a change in style of art or perhaps a plot element you disagree with. Has this ever happened in one of your comics. Why did it upset you so much? Did you ever go back to the title later on?

The only time I got angry with a comic was in the '70s when Jack Kirby had to put SHIELD and the Hulk in the Eternals to bring them into the 'Marvel' fold. And he was Editor too! It was clear at the time and still is, that the Eternals were going some other place than New York...and they it was axed anyway...so why spoil it? AAAAAAAAARGH!! It STILL makes me angery!!!

...or even ANGRY!!!

Every issue of Judge Dredd Megazine after the excellent Life On Mars began which failed to mention it, instead concentrating on US crap like Lost and 24 for the TV reviews column. They eventually mentioned Life On Mars in a footnote to an article giving an overview of TV detectives in general... i bought it no more.

Also the "re-launch" where they scrapped loads of excellent features like Charley's War, The Dredd files and the brilliant British Icons for unfunny "top twenty" articles irritated me greatly too, maybe some of us liked paying more for something that could be used to fill up many hours of interesting reading?

They're always fannying around with the Megazine! And they don't care what people think, but rub their faces in it by printing endless letters of complaint.

There have been plenty of dumb editorial changes of direction in Marvel comics, but in UK comics the common anger/irritation has been at economic decisions, when a favourite comic has been cancelled... or usually merged ('great news' indeed!).

So I wasn't happy when Speed merged with Tiger, although that turned out okay, and it was worse Scream merged with Eagle, because IIRC only two strips survived, one of which was the dreary 'Monster'. The other one was 'The 13th Floor', but still...

The one comic story which infuriated me was a story I should have loved, which was ruined by one line. It was published in the late 1970s in a DC Special, and it was 'The Untold Origin of the Justice Socirety of America', my favourite super team.

The first page opens with 'it is 1941, and World War II has not yet begun. Because while Europe has been fighting the Nazi menace for two years, America has yet to enter the war...'

So, it can't be a world war if America hasn't decided to join in yet? Bloody arrogant yanks...

Some comics seem a bit of a let down at times, and I've often felt that I'd certainly not got my money's worth after what amounted to a bad story/bad art/ bad editorial policy. But the only time I ever got angry was with an American Marvel Comic. I was, still am, a big fan of their character Daredevil, and really enjoyed the relaunch of the title back in the late 90's, in particular the Guardian Devil storyline that kicked off the relaunch, written by Kevin Smith.

Apparently the artist, Joe Quesada, who went on to be the EIC at Marvel, had promised Smith first go at any rematch in the title between DD and arch foe Bullseye. As the later regular scribe Brian Bendis seemed to be bringing the character back, Smith apparently went sulking to Quesada moaning about a broken promise. The result was a 'mini series' called 'Daredevil,Bullseye:Target' which thankfully lasted for just one issue. It was easily the worst excuse for a comic book I have ever read, written by a writer with nothing really to say, full of overblown post 9/11 empty rhetoric, badly drawn, and a complete waste of time. Smith had gone from being a respected writer on the series, producing a controversial yet satisfying story arc, to a spoilt brat who threw his dummy out when someone else started doing their own thing, and produced something that should never have existed in the first place. I think I spent £3.99 on this thing. I regret it to this day.

There has never been an Issue 2, and as far as DD fandom, marvel themselves, Smith himself, or anyone else involved in the whole sorry affair it lookes like there never will be. I've kept my copy, as it serves as a reminder of just how low even the great and the good can go.

I have that issue, too. The whole thing was a fiasco from start to finish. It came out around the same time as Daredevil: Father and a couple of years after Spider-Man/Black Cat: the evil that Men Do, both of which took several years to complete after being abandoned unfinished. Totally unprofessional, in my opinion. Marvel do this kind of thing far too often these days.

tony ingram wrote:I have that issue, too. The whole thing was a fiasco from start to finish. It came out around the same time as Daredevil: Father and a couple of years after Spider-Man/Black Cat: the evil that Men Do, both of which took several years to complete after being abandoned unfinished. Totally unprofessional, in my opinion. Marvel do this kind of thing far too often these days.

This is why a lot of people my age dont get into comics, theres this bad rep that the story wont end or will just be rebooted.

It's a comparatively new thing, only really started in the 90s, and it has, I think, a lot to do with the growing tendency to see the writer or artist as a celebrity. In the old days, if an artist constantly failed to get pages in on time, they'd be replaced. Now, a 'hot' artist (or writer) is hailed as a conquering hero before they arrive on a book, and if they abandon it three issues into a six issue series because someone's made them a better offer, the company will simply roll over and say 'oh, well. finish it when you can'. That's ridiculous. If the reader has bought the first half of a series, they have a right to expect it to be concluded, I think. Barring obvious scenarios like the 'DC Implosion' or the creator's death, anyway.

I also remember, not so much being angry per se, more anxious or perplexed perhaps, at Marvel UK very early on when they dropped the Daredevil strip. I would have been five or so when I was bought my first copy of MWOM, #20, which happened to include a reprint of the very first DD by Lee and Everett, as well as some great Ditko Hulk and Kirby FF stuff.

I mean, Valliant was great, Whizzer and Chips was stellar, but this...this... was something else. It became the only comic I craved on a weekly basis and, being limited to two a week, it was always MWOM and one other from now on.

Then, after some great Hulk, DD, FF issues up to about #31, they dropped DD in favour of two Hulk stories. I mean, my perplexed five year old psyche took a right battering!! I mean, this big Green Guy, he's OK, y'know. But surely he's not more popular than the great DD himself.

It seemed that way as the weeks went on, Ol' Greenskin became the sole occupant of the cover, a domain usually shared, the font of the 'MWOM' itself began to shrink, the wording of 'starring the Incredible Hulk' became larger. (to this day sellers on ebay mistakingly try to flog copies of MWOM calling it 'Hulk Comic', and to this day it annoys me. maybe I should get out more) He was taking over, and boy was I mightily...well...annoyed. He'd gone and got rid of Daredevil, the Best Thing Ever.

Funnily enough, I didn't drop the title, something my fickle young self often did with most titles I tried out. I stuck with it, kind of enjoying the Hulk, still quite liking the FF, and hoping, praying for a return of DD.

The letters page of MWOM did start to print missives calling for his return, the editors did promise that it would happen, and it did eventually in Jan '74, issue #69. All I can say is, seven months felt like seven years to my then six-year old self.

I agree. But having returned, he then stayed a permanent fixture until the eventual demise of 'Marvel Comic' (MWOM's subsequent incarnation), outlasting ol' greenskin by quite some time. That seemed only fitting, to me.

Oh, any comic with a superhero in it does the trick for me!!!

happyhooker wrote:Oh, any comic with a superhero in it does the trick for me!!!

You're not Marshal Law, are you?

When Desperate Dan left the Dandy It annoyed me that much.... I still can't bring myself to talk about it

Saying that though. Is he back?

3hZ wrote:Saying that though. Is he back?

Depends how you look at it. Someone purporting to be Desperate Dan is in Dandy Xtreme. That's as far as I'm prepared to go...