Re-Read Solar

A week-to-week plan is available for re-reading VALIANT from the beginning...
start anytime, go at your own pace.

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ShadowRob45
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Post by ShadowRob45 »

I don't know... It's just y'know. We already had this heroic, human, and AMAZING character who loved everyone--- then all of a sudden, he turns heartless and all of a sudden GODLY X_x;;

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Post by BloodOfHeroes »

Well, his godly turn came after he ran away from his problems (something we saw more than once with Phil), and lived for billions (biiillions and biiilllions) of years tinkering with his pseudo-earth. I suppose creating life and being around since the dawn of life might give more than a few 'people' a god complex.

I think Jurgen's Solar was a logical evolution into the character we saw die in 4001. But that's just one, often-in-the-minority, opinion.

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Post by dave »

Solar realy was great-but the stories are so complex that I often get confused. That's why the others are my favorites. They're written more for me n my friend Forrest Gump!

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Post by dave »

Like many other jeenyuses I like to talk to myself.

Just started the a n o tpb today. I love the thoughts that run through phil's mind as he's trying to fix the problem...kids? Feet? Gayle was out on a date.

Many of you who are far more literate than I assuredly noted that in the beginning of part five Phil was trying to quote To Be or Not to be (questioning whether his existence is a good idea, or should he simply dissipate) and then when he can't finish he decides to maybe try Romeo and Juliet. He immediately spots Gayle coming out of a cab with flowers in her hand (and has to "be-head" Mrs Fluffpillow!)

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Post by dave »

JonesyAZ wrote: I'm finding that as I read the end of the various Valiant runs, my disappointment lies in either how the authors completely disregard the magic of the character(s) initial intention, or how they just re-hash old stories over and over again; this seems to be the case with Solar.
In retrospect this is what Valiant did time and time again after Shooter's departure. They tried things at times, but as sales slipped, I believe they tried to recapture the magic of Unity, by rehashing old stories, referencing Unity and returning to the lost land.

Think about the Turok series for a minute. It was nearly a year after Unity, but the series started with him falling out of the sky along with the bionasaurs right after Unity.

Oh, and I'm gonna try to read all the way through Solar now, just like I did with Magnus! Get ready to listen to me talking to myself again!

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Post by myron »

dave wrote:
JonesyAZ wrote: I'm finding that as I read the end of the various Valiant runs, my disappointment lies in either how the authors completely disregard the magic of the character(s) initial intention, or how they just re-hash old stories over and over again; this seems to be the case with Solar.
In retrospect this is what Valiant did time and time again after Shooter's departure. They tried things at times, but as sales slipped, I believe they tried to recapture the magic of Unity, by rehashing old stories, referencing Unity and returning to the lost land.

Think about the Turok series for a minute. It was nearly a year after Unity, but the series started with him falling out of the sky along with the bionasaurs right after Unity.

Oh, and I'm gonna try to read all the way through Solar now, just like I did with Magnus! Get ready to listen to me talking to myself again!
do it up!...liked looking at your thoughts on Magnus...IMO Solar didn't hold up very well either...

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Post by Daniel Jackson »

myron wrote:
dave wrote:
JonesyAZ wrote: I'm finding that as I read the end of the various Valiant runs, my disappointment lies in either how the authors completely disregard the magic of the character(s) initial intention, or how they just re-hash old stories over and over again; this seems to be the case with Solar.
In retrospect this is what Valiant did time and time again after Shooter's departure. They tried things at times, but as sales slipped, I believe they tried to recapture the magic of Unity, by rehashing old stories, referencing Unity and returning to the lost land.

Think about the Turok series for a minute. It was nearly a year after Unity, but the series started with him falling out of the sky along with the bionasaurs right after Unity.

Oh, and I'm gonna try to read all the way through Solar now, just like I did with Magnus! Get ready to listen to me talking to myself again!
do it up!...liked looking at your thoughts on Magnus...IMO Solar didn't hold up very well either...
Wasn't quite as bad as Magnus got, but still bad.

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Post by myron »

Daniel Jackson wrote:
myron wrote:
dave wrote:
JonesyAZ wrote: I'm finding that as I read the end of the various Valiant runs, my disappointment lies in either how the authors completely disregard the magic of the character(s) initial intention, or how they just re-hash old stories over and over again; this seems to be the case with Solar.
In retrospect this is what Valiant did time and time again after Shooter's departure. They tried things at times, but as sales slipped, I believe they tried to recapture the magic of Unity, by rehashing old stories, referencing Unity and returning to the lost land.

Think about the Turok series for a minute. It was nearly a year after Unity, but the series started with him falling out of the sky along with the bionasaurs right after Unity.

Oh, and I'm gonna try to read all the way through Solar now, just like I did with Magnus! Get ready to listen to me talking to myself again!
do it up!...liked looking at your thoughts on Magnus...IMO Solar didn't hold up very well either...
Wasn't quite as bad as Magnus got, but still bad.
aayup

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Post by dave »

I find that odd, because I have preconceived notions that tell me Solar is going to be worse.

Of course, I'll approach it with an open mind, but I noticed a drop off in Solar well before Chaos Effect, while Magnus seemed to hold its own up to that point. It may have been the Malev War propping the title up, I'm not sure.

It is very different to read these things so far removed from their release date though. In response to Jersen's comments, Unblessed said that he feels he is more "jaded" than "elitist", and I can really relate to that statement. When these were coming out it wasn't as bad as reading it now, knowing where things ended up. Is that clear? It's hard to put into words, but I think we do look back and knowing that things ended badly, we maybe pick up on things-little shifts, slight departures and the like that maybe were not as clear back in the day.

One example of this is the excitement I remember having for Bloodshot #0. My wife and I were moving and we combined our move with a two week vacation since we were in the military. I remember being very worried that I would end up paying $10 for my copy, because I was sure that it was going to be a hot book. I was still waiting for the "next big thing" from Valiant and I hadn't noticed that they'd jumped the shark, so to speak (even though there were still some good stories to come)

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Post by BloodOfHeroes »

Bloodshot #0 was FAR from "shark jumping."

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Post by dave »

I was more referring to the company as a whole. Like I said, I not only liked Bloodshot at the time, I was anticipating its release each month. I was more referring to my own train of thought at the time that Bloodshot #0 might become the Harbinger 0 pink and take the industry by storm again, and the sad reality that those days were gone. That's all.

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Post by dave »

Solar #1

It's been quite a while since I've read Solar 1. I do not own the Second Death TPB so I usually only read the other half of the story when I'm feeling nostalgic.

The relaunch of these characters has me feeling that early nineties feeling so I decided to actually break out the individual issues. I've got 60 to go. I'm hoping to finish before the new Solar 1 is released by Dark Horse.

Let's see...Why am I here?

Where are my clothes.

I'm usually careful about my clothes...

From the very outset we're pulled in. Who is this guy? What does he mean he's usually better about keeping his clothes? How many times has he found himself disoriented and floating naked through space? Just what was in the drink last night?

I love stories that have high expectations of the reader.

When Phil returns to the Earth a hack writer would have blurted out, "What's this? Nothing is where it should be! I've got to get to the bottom of this immediately!"

We get, "everything's a little to the left...can't turn your back on this planet for a second."

We know that something's not quite right, but that's okay. We don't need to worry. If he can handle it with a shrug of the shoulders so can we.

He's rather nonchalant about finding himself naked, his town "moving" slightly to the left (did he blame Clinton?) And being attacked by a guy wielding an Einstein bust.

Does he realize he just met himself? Does he care?

I mentioned in another thread the way they capture Phil's character by these odd-ball thoughts he keeps having.

While attempting to bust up a prison riot, he gets stuck with a shiv. A nuclear fissure erupts from the leak and does incredible damage but he's thinking about his jacket. He's wishing he could use his powers to reweave its fabric.

This guy's slightly neurotic! Maybe that's why so many of us can relate!

The rest of the story is pretty violent-a pair of shoes get muddied and then his jacket gets shot. Far as I know the Russian with the sidearm misses his pants...

Part Two

The Sun Also Ariseth (Ecc 1:5)

It's a little weird that they made the Alpha and Omega story an insert. I suppose they had to in order for the centerfold to be part of the largest panel, but I don't like the way that it breaks up the story and then you'll return to the original...Solar's origin is confusing enough without adding any difficulties!

"Funny what goes through your mind at a time like this."

I like the set-up with Dr Dobson, "we've done everything but go in there and bang on the accelerators with a wrench."

After surveying the damage Phil decides that maybe he'll go bang on the accelerator with a wrench.

Back in the regular story, "our" Phil thinks he's having a nervous breakdown. Dr Pierce accuses him of being a psychochicken and Phil complains to his shrink that the man who stole his clothes is not being very careful with them!

Lots of fun dialogue as we unravel the mystery of just who this guy is.

What have we learned? He wants to use his power for good. He disarms nukes, and he provides heat to the homeless. In this way he's an everyman and we can relate.

He doesn't have much success with the ladies, and most comic readers can relate there as well!

The issue arouses my curiosity and makes me want to continue to read-which is the best thing a first issue can do!

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Post by dave »

In describing #1 I already got confused and made a "mistake". Sort of. Maybe.

The guy on the first page isn't Phil Seleski, exactly. He calls himself Sol and then introduces himself as Mr Blackwell to Dr Dobson in book two. Doctor Solar came bursting out of his head and Sol tried to get him back in. You could say that he is Phil, he's "future Phil" or is he "past Phil"?

I would like to be able to define these guys, but it's hard. Sol is altruistic and appears to be hoping to prevent another version of himself from killing anyone.

He does not appear to be entirely stable however.

It could be said that the Doctor Solar persona is the heroic side of Sol who is willing to face up to responsibilities, but Sol hasn't shown that he himself won't. In fact it was his rage against Dobson shirking his own responsibilities that sent him over the edge.

Perhaps he sees too much of himself in Dobson which is why he cannot control his temper.

I just noticed that when Doctor Solar changes that bolt into gold the light reflects off of his face, turning his skin green. Nice.

It seems that the lines are purposely blurred between these characters. Each of them uses the words of the others and has attributes of the others.

Doctor Solar appears to be only a manifestation of Sol's subconscious with "memories" of things that only appeared in Gold Key comics. However, he appears when Sol isn't around and performs tangible acts in the presence of others.

Speaking of others, I love the cast of characters who will play important but small roles in the first few books. Earl, Dwight, Eddie and O.D. All too often comic book heroes only interact with other heroes and villains and the real world makes only cameo appearances!

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Post by dave »

Solar 5, 6 and 7
I re-read 5 and 6 a while ago, so my memories of the issue are not exactly fresh.

Issue number 5 was very very good to me.

My favorite part of issue six is the stellar line, "Solar squad-Attack!"

Yeah, baby!

These issues introduce us to the threat of the gruesome Spider Aliens. They were hideous, intelligent, advanced and powerful. They were also here on Earth carrying out clandestine operations. Only Bubba out in Nebraska truly knew what they were up to-but no one's listening to him.

In issue 7 we are shown the fantastic power of the X-O class armor that Aric the barbarian is using over in the X-O Manowar title. How cool! If you are only reading X-O you will get a slow introduction to the armor as the series progresses. If you are reading it along with Solar, you'll get a little "advance warning" of the suits capabilities, and yet you are not forced to buy them both in order to understand what's going on. They are complimentary rather than dependent. Refreshing!

The alien warrior very nearly takes Solar out, which really makes you wonder just how powerful that suit is.

The series is really picking up steam!

Most of the stories have been very intellectual. Solar found a group of captives who had given up on life. He talked to them, encouraged them, and gave them hope. Not until issue 7 did we see a real slug-fest. Even then, Phil is trying to out think, rather than out-muscle his opponent.

Great stuff!

no one named Bubba was actually harmed in the making of this post...

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Solar #8

Post by dave »

Solar #8!
Harada! The last time we saw Toyo Harada he very nearly trapped Solar in a little bubble in an attempt to "squeeze" him out of existence. It makes sense that he would be trying to keep tabs on him. Toyo finds Solar to be a danger to himself, and the world.

Which brings us to another major difference between Valiant comics and your standard company of the day.
Harada was one of their biggest villains, and yet he is simply trying to keep peace in the world. He has altruistic motives. We'll learn later about some of his extreme methods, but for now we see a very relatable character who is trying to do "good" as he sees it.

Doesn't that describe most of us? The biggest jerks I know don't think they are jerks. They are doing what they think is right. Occassionally I've met borderline sociopaths who purposely seek to hurt others, but people of that persuasion are the exception rather than the rule.

Too many comic book villains are just psychotic killers. It makes for rather unbelievable stories. Especially when an evil person bent on destruction can never manage to really ever hurt anyone. Lex Luthor has never managed to maim any of the "lessor heroes" in the Justice League? Magneto couldn't kill Jubilee or Gambit anybody? Even though they've fought thousands of times? How powerful are these guys then?

Now, the science. Solar flies deep into space chasing the aliens away. Meanwhile back on Earth, people are missing him since he's been gone nearly a year. How cool. Spider-Man can fly off into space, go to the jungle, swing around in New York and time travel all in the same month and yet he's never "gone" anywhere.

I like it that Phil has John for a friend, and John worries about him, tries to check up on him. He even gets into trouble with his own wife, since he's trying to guard a secret and she suspects he's pining for some other woman. Real world issues.

In this issue we get our first real clue that something is going on with Erica Pierce as well. What could it be?

In the A and O insert, Dr Dobson finally grows a backbone and stands up to Phil. He says someone will have to stand up to him. I feel that this should have been followed up. I'd love to see Dobson as a villain. He saw all of Phil's notes. He could've built his own "wish machine" or whatever.

I just found out that I should have been, I dunno, switching bags or something? The insert page rests right on an ad for Wizard magazine. On the next page you've got an Archer and Armstrong ad. The ad has rubbed off and you can read "Valiant" and "coming in April" on the last page of the insert. There goes my retirement fund...

So...Harada and Solar form "an uneasy alliance" to defeat the Dragon Woman and all ends well.

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Post by dave »

Solar 9!

The greatest foe Solar Man of the Atom has ever had to face-a baby made of pure energy! Is Phil politically correct enough to make the right decisions?

Of course, it didn't mean anything back then, but today I love it that Gayle keeps calling him "Doctor Phil".

In the Origin insert we get Phil's great monologue on the universe. It's pretty inspiring even in a credible theological context for our day:

Pierce asks him if we simply imagine the world. He answers:
No. We fail to imagine and we are punished with reality. We fail to imagine and so there is matter, with edges and hardness, length, breadth and depth.

We fail to grasp our oneness with spacetime, which is matter, which is us, and so, the world is imposed upon us.

Soon after Erica asks, "We...are energy?"

All is energy, we give meaning to it...or fail to.

The funny thing is, it's true. At least in a sense. Without the "you" to be there for your life, none of it would matter. There is unlimited potential in every human being! Go for it! Y'know?

Unfortunately, not everyone can handle this kind of mind freeing thought. Especially those with low self esteem. Erica begins to shrivel and comes out rather whacked, feeling violated and knowing that Solar must be killed.

Back to the main story. Where's the baby? Apparently Erica told her to maybe wait for her at her house? Her husband Bert scares the little one off, and she flees to the sun. Now, she's pretty powerful. How powerful you ask? Why powerful enough to blow your face off Doctor Solar! Boom!
It's kinda like the baby from Dinosaurs. She's smacking Solar around, "Not the mama!"

But when push comes to shove, Solar doesn't mess around. We get treated to quite possibly the only panel in comics history depicting a grown man punching out a baby! Pow!

Followed by a kick! Take that! For such a sensitive "man of the nineties" type of guy, he sure took to beating babies quickly!

The worst part of this book though, is that while he's getting his butt kicked by a newborn, and while the streets are littered with human wreckage Solar contemplates taking baby and mother to a remote world to raise it. He then blesses us with this pun:

That would give new meaning to "Nuclear Family".
Nice.

Erica is right. He must be killed.

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Post by dave »

So, I dunno if I mentioned this before, but I have a blog. I try to post both places. I'll post the Solar 10 here Thursday or Friday. I'm kinda outta the office for a few days.

My blog is usually light, but I sometimes delve into deeper subjects, like my faith and really good comics...

If you'd like to check it out it's at:

Capnkjv@blogspot.com

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Post by dave »

Of course, that's not a real link apparently, that's just to e-mail I guess, but that's the url.

It's called Pastrami and it's probably the best blog out there. That I write.

My mom says it's hot.

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Post by chisumwomack »

Well, it's KINDA hot.

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Post by slym2none »

Does your mom also tell you that you have handsome legs?

:|



-slym

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Post by JonesyAZ »

slym2none wrote:Does your mom also tell you that you have handsome legs?

:|



-slym
My mom used to tell me I had women's legs, and that she was jealous of them.

Not sure why I just shared that....hahahahaha. But at the same time, it's humorously and embarassingly awesome :)

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Post by dave »

slym2none wrote:Does your mom also tell you that you have handsome legs?

:|
-slym
:cry: My mom tells me I have chicken legs, thanks for pouring salt onto an open wound. She also pulls my leg hair! :| :lol:

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Post by dave »

Let's start with the cover.

Wow.

It says so much, while saying nothing at all.

It is amazing to me that Barry Windsor Smith has so little positive to say about Jim Shooter. BWS had worked at Marvel and hated the mistreatment artists received there. He saw Jim work to change a policy that allowed writers a share of the artwork produced for the books. He had enough confidence in Jim to freelance for Valiant for a while and then sign on as key contributor/architect of this fledgling universe.

Imagine the contrast between what he saw at Marvel, were Jack Kirby was told his work was a company asset, and therefore their legal property and Valiant, where he was paid for autographing the all-black Solar 10 cover.

I'm not sure I've ever read a real Solar 10. I got trades when the book was still a high dollar item, and by the time I got a real #10, I had a second print that was a little beat up. That's my reader copy.

Is there a any difference? The indicia doesn't even indicate a second printing. Odd. It's got Jim's write up in the back, so I'm assuming there isn't any difference aside from the II on the cover.

It's easy to joke about the cover today, but I still remember seeing that cover on stands, always with a hefty price tag.

The cover worked. It stood out from all the others on the rack. It made you curious. "What is that?"

You also know it worked when you saw every #1 issue Image comics put out for the next year being mostly black.

That aside, we all like good stories, and we get two great ones! Here we meet Uncle Buck who basically abducts young Geoffrey McHenry and takes him on a walkabout. If you want to know where he went and what he did, you'll have to ask Slym, as I'm pretty sure that he retraced their steps on his last walkabout. If you bug him long enough about it, he'll tell you.

We also meet Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. Valiant expected their readers to be smart. They didn't come right out and explain who this guy is/was. They gave us little clues though. "It's all right, Joe. I've got lots of time."
Great line.

The exchange between Gilad and Solar is great. The last thing Gil expected was for Solar to release the boy without a fight. Remember, this is a guy who has pretty much seen it all. The Harbinger kids had tried to pull a maneuver on him to no avail. It was a very subtle way to demonstrate the extreme nature of Gilad's confusion later.

The last line, "I bet you know a man named Harada, Just a hunch." That's got to be one of the best cliffhanger endings the series has seen thus far.

We've also got the Solar Origin story. Wow. Seriously. I did not expect that. I remember the first time I read it, I was confused. I knew what I'd just read, but I thought it had to have been a mistake.

"Doctor Pierce, before we lock on...are you sure you want to risk getting him mad?"

My confusion makes its triumphant return as well. If the world's largest comics panel is the last image of the origin story. How does it fit? If I understand Solar's origin correctly we have an earth that is for all intents and purposes identical to our own. On this planet, Phil Seleski builds a device that eventually fails. The result of which should be the death of, at the very least, everyone in the adjacent area, possibly more. Phil tries to correct the error and finally in desperation throws himself into the reactor. He does not immediately die. He wishes it would all stop. It does.

He somehow absorbs all of the energy, making the area clean and saving everyone in the area. He has been changed into The Man of the Atom. He's got a ton of power.

He learns to manipulate the power, and we eventually find that Doctor Erica Pierce has learned to shift energy also, and she wants to kill him (as does some govt group). They try to kill him, he loses focus and...

That's when I get confused. On the one hand, I thought he "ate the world". "He killed everyone" right? Or did he just blow that huge crater in the Earth? I guess it could be both. First the crater, then he creates the black hole (Jim calls the cover to ten the symbolic bridge to Solar 1) and then Phil is floating in space with no clothes.

Huh. I guess I'm not confused. Thanks for letting me talk it out. You've been great, how much do I owe you?

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dave
Turok #12 is the 1st appearance of Turok
Turok #12 is the 1st appearance of Turok
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Valiant fan since: Bloodshot #1
Favorite character: Rai
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Location: Hiding in the fetal position

Post by dave »

http://capnkjv.blogspot.com/

is that better? I fergit how to do it right...

Did you guys really read it? :P :oops:

(Napoleon voice) Yessssss!

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chisumwomack
You gotta have Faith!
You gotta have Faith!
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Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:47:06 am
Location: Bryan, TX

Post by chisumwomack »

I did. Like I said, KINDA hot. Seriously, I liked the bit about your daughter. My daughter is due on the 25th, and that kinda scares the hell out of me, but I am very much looking forward to it.


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