Unity #11 Discussion

[jmatt]

OMG, that's one of the few issues of World's Finest that I own!

( It turns out that those are robot mockups that Batman created and ran through an obstacle course of bad guys to see how they'd fare in the real world -- I LOVE those old tease covers!)

Wow, I grabbed that link at random. If I recall correctly, Bats has imperiled his friends and allies more than once with device tests. Origin of Prof. X's Danger Room, maybe. Make me wonder how many characters, plotlines and imaginary inventions in contemporary comics (and litfic) were prefigured in golden age-silver age DC books.

I found an image of my copy (that's how much I love that cover). I guess after like 30 years, you've told every possible story you can with the characters and then can start to get away with ridiculous come-ons like this.

Wow, I just figured out how to post images from OneDrive. Now to figure out how to shrink it... there, that's a little better.

[Aomalle27]

finally got around to reading this issue and unfortunately I was MIGHTLY disappointed Ninjak develops a solution to the GinGr drones 6 years before Armor Hunters?! It just reads like a cheap cop out And when did Ninjak become a all knowing techno genius? This was a poor finale to a story arc that read so good in the first 3 issues Man, if this is how the rest of AH is going to play out Ill consider dropping Valiant all together Shoddy, thrown together work I feel cheated

[lorddunlow]

You guys are being incredibly nitpicky. This is a superhero comic book.

Things happen Because Comics.

I really enjoyed this issue. Armor Hunters is just plain awesome!

[String]

For me, the best thing about this title so far has been the budding partnership/friendship of Gilad and Ninjak. Kindt has nailed some essential elements of both of their personalities that allows them to play off each other rather nicely.

But the 'team' aspect of this title has been lost somewhat. Livewire seems relegated to a secondary tech support status (yes, that's her power but I don't see or feel the same connection between her and the others as I do see between Gilad and Ninjak). And I thought Aric was going to finally be fighting alongside them here (even though he's on the cover.....)

I do like the hints of Ninjak's past, his Batman-moment here (yes, it seems far-fetched but hey, a ninja has to anticipate every contingency) but when did immortality = invulnerability? That seemed more far-fetched to me.

Still, their best AH tie-in issue.

[apainter]

Eternal warrior, running around with an axe, sword, and hood like he's back in Sherwood forest... is getting old, and makes little sense. I guess his distaste for technology from 4001 started a very long time ago.
It makes him seem like far more of a barbarian displaced in time than Aric...

Why does Ninjak seem to get a pass on this? Because he has a theme? At least Gilad uses a gun once in awhile. Ninjak took on alien hyenas with swords and throwing stars... why, exactly? Also, his costume has camo ability, but I can't imagine the design is very practical. The cloth panels around his legs and the belt sash would seem to me to be dangerous in battle; easy to get caught on something or become tangled on his legs.

And now I know Gillie self heals and all, but did I just see him fall out of a plane, plow 6 stories through a skyscraper and not take a scratch? The physics aside (he would have simply splattered against the side of the building, he doesn't have the speed, mass and non-deformity to penetrate multiple layers of concrete, rebar and steel decking), how is he not at least unconscious? When did he become Utterly Indestructible?

I know! He used that axe you guys are always complaining about to chop his way through the building as he was falling! Or maybe it's the Ladahkian Sacred Axe of Invulnerability, and that's why he always carries it around?

I didn't have a problem with the uber device Ninjak used. It looks like a weapon that would have multiple uses. It's not like the aliens made a nail and Ninjak just happened to have created a hammer; it's more like they created a nail and Ninjak happened to have a metal pipe. It gets the job done, but it wasn't necessarily created for that specific purpose.

Art

[kjjohanson]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

[lorddunlow]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

Especially if Villain Guy was the antagonist.

[jmatt]

You guys are being incredibly nitpicky.

We are. But like you said, it's comics. Fanboys nitpick. Somebody has to.

Each reader comes to an issue with a preconceived suspension of disbelief based on their experience with comics and superheroes in general, and with the universe and its heroes in specific.

I blithely accept that Ninjak has his flying hovercraft vehicle because his affinity for high tech is part of his character. Is it any more or less believable than an ageless, immortal warrior? I dunno. But that's what we're here to discuss.

In doing so, we effect each other's perspective and alter the preconceptions for our suspension of disbelief in future issues. This is especially true for characters in a relatively new universe, where there isn't 40 years of canon that must be hewed to.

In reading other opinions in this thread, for instance, I find myself agreeing with you that it's nitpicky to reject the idea that Ninjak might have had the technology to thwart Gin-GR's drones. It's his thing. And in future issues, I may find my preconceptions of his power-set altered not just by this issue, but by this discussion.

But as for EW's ability to plow through skyscrapers and not take a scratch (or at all, given the physics) -- I can't find my way to justifying that. That would mean that going forward, I would have to add utter invulnerability to his power-set of immortality and incredible healing. Villains could drop a small concrete building on his head and I wouldn't have to worry, he can simply shrug off such damage. That takes my preconceptions somewhere I don't want them to go. He's not Superman, he's Gilad Ani-Padda.

In the end though, you're right, it's just comics. I enjoyed the issue.

[lorddunlow]

In the end though, you're right

I think it moved...

[jmatt]

In the end though, you're right

I think it moved...

[comicsyte95]

finally got around to reading this issue and unfortunately I was MIGHTLY disappointed Ninjak develops a solution to the GinGr drones 6 years before Armor Hunters?! It just reads like a cheap cop out And when did Ninjak become a all knowing techno genius? This was a poor finale to a story arc that read so good in the first 3 issues Man, if this is how the rest of AH is going to play out Ill consider dropping Valiant all together Shoddy, thrown together work I feel cheated

The way I took it as he has a plan for most any circumstance he is in.That is why he is one of the greatest weapon masters on earth.He saw the need for it and took years to build the device.He probably has other devices each with a different purpose.

[comicsyte95]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

[slym2none]

Holy *SQUEE*, this title has gone to issue #11? How many... no, wait, maybe I don't want to know.





-slym

[jmatt]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

Closest I can think of is this.

[kjjohanson]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

Closest I can think of is this.

I didn't click yet, but I'm going to guess rocket-propelled chainsaw?

[kjjohanson]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

Closest I can think of is this.

I didn't click yet, but I'm going to guess rocket-propelled chainsaw?

Okay, you were thinking literally the closest reference to that exact thing. I was thinking similar feel:

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Rock ... d_Chainsaw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jmatt]

"Villain Guy has unleashed giant monsters only vulnerable to bees, but never fear because Hero Dude just happened to be working on a gun that shoots bees!"

I would pay good money for an issue of Hero Dude where he wields a gun that shoots bees.

Closest I can think of is this.

I didn't click yet, but I'm going to guess rocket-propelled chainsaw?

Okay, you were thinking literally the closest reference to that exact thing. I was thinking similar feel:

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Rock ... d_Chainsaw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How is it that i haven't seen that in a zombie movie yet?

[grendeljd]

In the end though, you're right

I think it moved...

:barf:

[grendeljd]

I found this issue... mildly disappointing overall.

And it wasn't anything in the writing, I have to say I did not enjoy the art much at all here. This was an issue that had some fill-in artistic assistance, and that unfortunately took me out of fully enjoying the book. I like Segovia's work generally, I think he tries really hard to create dynamic action but sometimes the perspective, panel flow and composition are a little off which I also find jarring to the reading experience. A lot of the inking felt rushed & rough to look at. I hate to criticize a solid pro artist, but there it is.

As to the writing - tons of great ideas in here - I don't find it to be a weak shortcut to delve further into Ninjak's mental abilities as Matt did. Its nowhere near Archer's akashic record access - its simply mental training to perfect his own photographic memory. He only has access to recalling things he has learned, and he happens to be a bit of a genius in that he can piece divergent ideas together to problem solve very quickly.

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

[lorddunlow]

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

QFT

[grendeljd]

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

QFT

Thanks, but... aren't you on vacation right now? You realize that when you go on vacation, we all get a vacation here, right?



Hope you enjoy yourself, BTW.

[lorddunlow]

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

QFT

Thanks, but... aren't you on vacation right now? You realize that when you go on vacation, we all get a vacation here, right?



Hope you enjoy yourself, BTW.

Sure am!

We already rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (twice!) and Toy Story Midway Mania. We love Disney.

[ilzuccone]

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

QFT

Thanks, but... aren't you on vacation right now? You realize that when you go on vacation, we all get a vacation here, right?



Hope you enjoy yourself, BTW.

Sure am!

We already rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (twice!) and Toy Story Midway Mania. We love Disney.

tower of terror is awesome

[lorddunlow]

My impression of the device he came up with to stop the drones was not that he previously spent years building a device that he just happens to need for this moment, but rather he had a creative flash & made something spur-of-the-moment out of various separate components/devices he keeps on his person - each of which was developed on its own, to its own purpose, at different times in his past. There is room to abuse this idea, for sure, but I didn't find anything too far fetched about it here. Its pretty cool actually. It does kind of equate Ninjak to the Batman/Iron Man/ tech genius stereotype... but he is a ninja. A NINJA! Thats just really cool.

QFT

Thanks, but... aren't you on vacation right now? You realize that when you go on vacation, we all get a vacation here, right?



Hope you enjoy yourself, BTW.

Sure am!

We already rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (twice!) and Toy Story Midway Mania. We love Disney.

tower of terror is awesome

I was nervous my son would be scared (he turns four in October and just hit the height requirements for many rides recently), but he loved it and begged to go again.

[jmatt]

We already rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (twice!) and Toy Story Midway Mania. We love Disney.

Whoa, you're on vacation again? Have fun! Gonna do universal? I'm not a huge fan of the series, but that new Harry Potter ride was perhaps the best I've ever been on.