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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JonesyAZ
Valiant...it moved.
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Post by JonesyAZ »

dave wrote:I don't think that I'm familiar with the Darkstars, but he looks a bit like Darkseid with a few dreadlocks hanging off his head.
Good point!

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dave
Turok #12 is the 1st appearance of Turok
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Post by dave »

Solar End Run
You read how excited I was about issue 55. Tony Bedard started out quite strong, but it didn't last. Issue 56 was a quick wrap-up story that was nice, but could have filled half a comic with room to spare.
Now, I've got only tonight to finish my reviews before the release of Solar #1 from Dark Horse comics. It's a self-imposed deadline, but it is a deadline nonetheless.
Therefore, you are gonna get the same low-quality rushed production that is so common on late Valiant books. Hey, what can I say, when in Rome and all that.

Issue 56. Meh. The Americans are just as bad as the Chinese. Blah blah, how very original.

Issue 57. Special guest appearance by the Armorines!!!! Wait. You drew them all wrong! Whatsamatterwichu? Ah, never mind we don't have time to fix it. Have Solar say they look meaner or something.

Oh, and Gayle's not in this one so, I'm gonna need another female with protruding nipples, okay?

Issue 58. The Death of Superman series was such a big hit, let's bring back Doomsday. "You do know that DC owns-"
"It's okay, I'm friends with Dan Jurgens..."
"That is so wron-"
"Fine. Steal something from Marvel too, that way it'll be fair.
"I've always liked The Watcher."
"Great. We'll call him Atman, the Inquisitor. Run with it."

One good line: This guy must be a few electrons shy of critical mass...

"I swear to you Ivan (even though you're dead and I don't believe in an afterlife) I won't squander the lesson you taught me today (be kind to dogs). Seeing you face up to your past makes me want to find Gayle and...give in to the inner gravity of mine that keeps me in her orbit if you know what I mean."

When he came back for the dog, I felt this sob well up in my throat.... She was gonna be there... All alone...

I told myself I wasn't gonna do this.

I need a moment here.

...

...

Issue 59. Gayle. Gayle has always been attractive. According to the opening splash page she is so flaming hot that a guy let hsi cigarette fall out of his mouth while scoping her out while ignoring his girlfriend. Another old guy who looks like Danny DeVito in a wife beater can only gaze upon her lovely form, while a third man is stepping out into traffic because he is so mesmerized.

Wow.

Even Bruce, Solar's old friend hides in Gayle's bushes with night vision goggles. Just to check to see whether Phil has returned, mind you. Night after night, hiding there in the bushes. Anything for a friend, Phil.

Hmm. An ad for that "Sliders" show.

Bruce wants to be Robin to Phil's Batman.

Seriously, Bedard made a nice comeback here. Phil is talking to his old friend Bruce about humanity. Check out this tasty morsel:

Humanity is at its best when things are at their worst.

This is something widely recognized post 9-11, but at the time this was written, we had little experience in American devastation.

Phil tells Bruce that his being a sidekick is a big no-go, but he ends up doing the only thing Robin was ever really good at. Being a hostage.

Phil finally comes to terms with killing billions of people. For the seventh time. Veerhusen goes rogue and wipes out Texas. Sorry Chiclo, I had no idea.

This is Bedard's final issue on the run.

Next up is Valiant's very own fat lady, Keith Giffen. Get ready to stick a fork in 'em. They're done.

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dave
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Post by dave »

Solar 60 The End
Beautiful cover.

The art is quite good, though it is sparse when it comes to detail.

Many have complained about the art in the new Dark Horse release from FCBD. The art looks strikingly similar.

The story was not as bad as I had feared. I'm not sure how no one but Solar knew that our sun was on the verge of dying. To prove hos lack of humanity,he does the humane thing.

We have a sixth Phil Seleski appear and he argues with Solar. About entomology. This has been done so many times that it's hard to find anything exciting about it.

Who is he?

I am Solar. Let that suffice.
Fret not dear reader. Turok is making his way back to the shelves, so we'll be making our way through his 47 issues of Valiant!

Coming soon!

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400yrs
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Post by 400yrs »

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. But again...I still love the books...lol. What a conundrum!
I'm only 22 issues in, but I agree on the re-hashing. I've noticed it big time in Solar and Harbinger at this point.

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dave
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Post by dave »

Wait till you get to Turok. They just remade those old commercials where Sitting Bull or whoever cried because the white man was raping the earth. Once would have been preachy, but fine, but 5 or 6 times?

The end run of Solar was much better than I feared it would be though. Harbinger had no redeeming qualities at the end that I can think of. Mercy kill, maybe?

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xodacia81
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Post by xodacia81 »

400yrs 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. But again...I still love the books...lol. What a conundrum!
I'm only 22 issues in, but I agree on the re-hashing. I've noticed it big time in Solar and Harbinger at this point.
Solar and Harbinger didn't fare well toward the end, and neither did Magnus or XO. MOST of the rest either died before they got unredeemingly bad or were still pretty good in comparison to others. H.Corps is the exception. That book was AWFUL the last 5 or 6 issues and Shadowman had simply never been better than the last 4 or 5 issues.

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400yrs
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Post by 400yrs »

dave wrote:Wait till you get to Turok. They just remade those old commercials where Sitting Bull or whoever cried because the white man was raping the earth. Once would have been preachy, but fine, but 5 or 6 times?
Oh brother. Thanks for the warning.

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dave
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Post by dave »

I agree. "Better than I feared" should not be taken as "pretty good" by any means! It's just that, having read the end of Harby I thought that Solar would be even worse because Solar is a more difficult property to write imo. It ended up being not as bad as Harby, but still a far cry from good. :thumb:

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400yrs
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Post by 400yrs »

xodacia81 wrote:
400yrs 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. But again...I still love the books...lol. What a conundrum!
I'm only 22 issues in, but I agree on the re-hashing. I've noticed it big time in Solar and Harbinger at this point.
Solar and Harbinger didn't fare well toward the end, and neither did Magnus or XO. MOST of the rest either died before they got unredeemingly bad or were still pretty good in comparison to others. H.Corps is the exception. That book was AWFUL the last 5 or 6 issues and Shadowman had simply never been better than the last 4 or 5 issues.
I'm only 8 or 9 issues in on Hard Corps. It's pretty terrible so far.

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dave
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Post by dave »

What? You notice Turok on the cover right? And the Mickey Mouse guy?

Best stuff ever! :P

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chisumwomack
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Post by chisumwomack »

Nothing wil ever ever ever EVER EVER EVER be as bad as the last few issues of Hardcorps.

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Daniel Jackson
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Post by Daniel Jackson »

chisumwomack wrote:Nothing wil ever ever ever EVER EVER EVER be as bad as the last few issues of Hardcorps.
Then don't read the last parts of Magnus and X-O....

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myron
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Post by myron »

Daniel Jackson wrote:
chisumwomack wrote:Nothing wil ever ever ever EVER EVER EVER be as bad as the last few issues of Hardcorps.
Then don't read the last parts of Magnus and X-O....
word


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