Newsarama review of Solar #1

[Todd Luck]

The Newsarama review seemed to ignore Solar #1 was the first part of something and wasn't familar with Shooter's work at all. I chuckled reading the speculation that using characters created from someone's imagination was "Shooter’s attempt to get down with that self-referential style all the kids are into these day" LOL Anyone familar with Shooter's work knows it's a reaccuring theme in Shooter's work he used in VALIANT Solar, Defiant Comics and Til Death Do Us Part at Broadway.

I've actually never read a comic review in my life before the reviews of Solar #1 posted online and I can't imagine why anyone would want to judge a modern comic on the first issue. Modern comics are very serialized and it's very hard to judge a first issue without the rest of the storyline. To give an example, the first issue of a BPRD plotline is ALWAYS my least favorite comic that I get for that entire month. But by the time I get to issue 4 or 5 in the miniseries it's usually among my favorite that I'm reading. That's because it's got a "weak" first issue that doesn't mean anything unless read in contest of the miniseries. Other series have strong knock-out first issues (but often fizzle when they get into the meat of the storyline). Solar #1 is somewhere in between.

If I did have to review a first issue (as stupid as that seems to me) I would hope I would be familar enough with the writer and the storytelling format to acknowedge where it's going, which is what the CBR guy did.

[dave]

This is from my blog:

I've read two reviews of the issue already as well as reading it myself. One review was quite positive (Scoop) and the other equally negative (Newsarama). No one seems to be overly impressed with the art. I do not see what the extreme problem is. Apparently those at Dark Horse aren't that impressed either, as the third issue of the book will be drawn by a new artist.

I'd like to address the negative review on Newsarama. His biggest beef seems to be that the story is a re-hashing of things we've seen and heard before. He has a point. Now ask yourself, what was he expecting? This is the third or fourth "incarnation" of the super hero known as Solar, or Doctor Solar. This is a new interpretation of him. Obviously, any retelling of an established character is going to have familiarities with the older stories. If there were none, you would have a brand new character. This is not a brand new character so it logically must be a re-hashing of that which has come before. Secondarily, wise King Solomon told us thousands of years ago that there is nothing new under the sun, so it should come as no surprise that this story has been told before.

The Walking Dead is one of the hottest books on the market today. It is the story of some people fighting for survival in a zombie-filled world. It is by no means original. In fact, the story being told within that frame work is quite repetitive. Find a safe place, zombies come, run away to find a safe place. The story does not change all that much, and yet people are eating it up, pun most certainly intended. Why? Because it is a story that is being told well. It has fun, excitement and some scary aspects. It is a human tale, therefore people can relate to it.

Jim Shooter has always written stories about real people. I am already intrigued by the people he has introduced me to and I am looking for to reading their stories.

Isn't that the whole point?

[Ryan]

Anyone familar with Shooter's work knows it's a reaccuring theme in Shooter's work he used in VALIANT Solar, Defiant Comics and Til Death Do Us Part at Broadway.

Good points. Solar #1 did remind me a lot of some of the early Broadway books. A little more light-hearted than Valiant and a lot of playing around with how the imagination comes to life. I remember thinking some of the early Broadway books were a little cheesy, but when the story started to come together I thought it was some of the best stuff Jim's done.

[damien308]

dont care what any reviewer says , i read it and i like it.

[Daniel Jackson]

dont care what any reviewer says , i read it and i like it.

That's what really matters. There are a lot of things critics have panned over the years that turned out to be pure gold.

[superman-prime]

it was pretty good for a start ill give it that lets see how it builds

[dave]

I like the bit about that super heroine smelling "musky". Some really good stuff in there!