If you owned the Valiant Universe, what would you do?

[ManofTheAtom]

Are you classifying geomancy as a magic?

Geomancers exist in the 41st Century, so clearly their power isn't magic based

Their power is more like a form of telepathy and something else, I don't remember what it's called.

The Geomancers' powers are more mental in nature.

[RyanMcLelland]

This is an easy one.

I'd reboot the universe based on the VH-1 characters.

I'd try to keep things a little more level. No spider-aliens...at least not for the first 100 issues. Then I'd make their attack the big crossover.

I'd have alot of fun and keep things slow. I'd have Harbinger be the core book, have things develop slow, have alot of fun with the kids out in the world running from Harbinger.

I'd get rid of the costumes...like Shadowman. Try to keep everything more Earthbound.

Of course...if I had the Valiant universe...everyone would say, "RYAN YOU SUCK" and my titles would be cancelled after ten issues.

[graybola]

Sorry Knight. I thought they were companies he worked for or something.

Chris

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Publish, publish, publish. Get something out there for people to see.

And...I wouldn't call back Jim Shooter. As I said on the old board, I think Jim 'shot his wad' on Valiant, and it was the best he ever did, before or since. For some reason, the planets were aligned, the stars were crossed, the moon was full.....but everything just WORKED from roughly February of 1991 to about August of 1992.

That's a DAMN short time period.

And Jim's track record ain't so hot. Have any of you READ Secret Wars..? Yeesh. A Plotter, Jim ain't. A Scripter, Jim ain't. Even some of the pre-unity dialogue is sketchy. What Jim is BEST at (as is Jim Starlin) is CONCEPTS. He's good with 'big picture' type stuff, but should leave the nuts and bolts writing to actual WRITERS....Jim is a MUCH better VISIONARY, not artist, and anything plotted should be done (in my opinion) by a Mark Waid, or a Kurt Busiek, to keep things in line.

Dialogue should be by the best scripters the biz has ever seen, namely Bendis, Lobdell, Busiek, etc.

So, disregard what I said above about not bringing him back...just bring him back as chief creative consultant, have him come up with the BIG PICTURE...and then get him the hell out of the way.

Jim makes BEAUTIFUL frames.....but the pictures inside....ehh....not so much....

Thoughts?

[twofour]

I thought the Secret Wars was pretty good. Now Secret Wars II, now that's another story....

twofour

[magnusr]

Geomancers exist in the 41st Century, so clearly their power isn't magic based

Their power is more like a form of telepathy and something else, I don't remember what it's called.

The Geomancers' powers are more mental in nature.

I always felt Geomancy went well together with the picture painted in Unity of how all times co-exist. With that in mind, a Geomancer to me was someone who could feel (hear the whispers of) all times, present and future, and who could even influence which timelines became dominent. BUT, that's not what the Continuity Bible says. There Geomancy is declared one branch of magic, so that's what it is.

/Magnus

[magnusr]

What Jim is BEST at (as is Jim Starlin) is CONCEPTS. ... Thoughts?

He is also a master of "keeping it all together". It's not just the frames, he also puts in the foundation that makes it all believable. Let's then also recognice that at Valiant there were lots of people around who helped build the magic. Both with the foundation and on top of it. Both Jim and others often points out the group-effort at Valiant.

So, back to subject - what would I do? I'm one of the few that voted for going on from Unity 2000. I see no reason to ignore all the comics that are actually out there, whether they were good or not. They can be incorporated by a good writer, so that's what I'd do. Could actually Jim Shooter be tempted to contribute that would be wonderful, but first I would make that what is being made is good enough so it would be worth his time to even look at it. Ah yes, please note that I'm assuming I would have both the rights and also the money and pull to do something.

/Magnus

[Byrneout]

Geomancers exist in the 41st Century, so clearly their power isn't magic based
Their power is more like a form of telepathy and something else, I don't remember what it's called.

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I have to say that I disagree with you, on several counts.

1) Geomancy is referred to as magic in the Valiant universe.

2) When Shadowman (Jack Boniface) is catapulted into the future, he still has access to his "powers", which were derived from necromancy/Darque force - something he "destroyed" in 1999.

3) In Magnus, several different plot arcs revolve around mystics or seers - in fact, the Malev survive on "ectotheric energy", which seems to be a fuel for magic.

So, in my opinion, magic still exists after the Chaos Effect - it's just more "underground". But, as always, this is just an opinion.

[R Daneel]

I would like to change my vote to:

... hand it (back) over to Jim Shooter to do as he sees fit!

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

I am glad someone agrees with me. I know, I know... Shooter does have his faults, but I just like the books where he is DEEPLY involved. The dialogue might seem canned at times but I think that added to the feel of the book. At least him be in charge and maybe have Kurt Busiek take on some books... Kurt's Astro City stuff is simply awesome IMO.

Astro City was THE BEST title published in the mid-90's, bar none. There's not a single series published from 1993-1997 that will beat Astro City. You will not find a better set of 28 issues of a line ever. Too bad he was too wrapped up in Heroes Return to keep up with Astro....