ExNihilo

On 5/13/2023 at 7:38 PM, Axelrod said:

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I just thought this was meant to show the audience what the Guardians "hear" when Groot speaks, once you can understand him.  I do like the idea it is also Gunn's personal message to his cast though.

 

I read that it's supposed to be a nod to the audience that we now know these characters well enough to understand Groot.  I choose to believe that he still says "I am Groot", only that we can now interpret him ourselves.

On 5/14/2023 at 7:18 AM, Buzzetta said:

One thing about that Marvels trailer is that it did make me want to finally sit down and watch Ms. Marvel.

Was that any good?  She seems like a likable character. 

Ms. Marvel heavily caters to a particular audience demographic (teens/young adults).  As someone not in that demographic, I found the series to be boring and the characters didn't captivate me the same was as the other heroes I know and recognize.  Granted, Ms. Marvel is a new character and I quite literally don't own any books of hers.  Ms. Marvel was the first Marvel series I just straight up quit watching and the only reason I finished was because my friend said there was an end credit scene that tied into the movie.

The Marvels trailer does not look good at all.

On 5/12/2023 at 10:29 AM, lostboys said:

Theres a Cosmic Carnage?

 

Id heard about Spider Carnage but WTF is a Cosmic Carnage and why did we need one?

The Carnage symbiote bonds with Silver Surfer.  Surfer is so OP that feels like something that should never be able to happen.

On 5/12/2023 at 10:30 AM, Lightning55 said:

Another point of reference: https://www.keycollectorcomics.com/series/amazing-spider-man-3,5645/?page=4&groupBy=issue&orderBy=publishedDate

According to keycollector, every book is a key.

On 5/12/2023 at 10:06 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

There are a few that are that way, but are still fun to collect. 

ASM#: 410, 430, 431, and then vol 2 is considered the rest of the #400's I guess because when vol 2 is over then it goes back to $500, so of vol 2 there is #30  

AND a few other J. Scott Campbell covers  

I remember when I got back into collecting and learned 430 and 431 were more valuable than the surrounding books.  Still weird to me that 1st Cosmic Carnage has some inherent value.  I mean, should that be any different than 1st Red Goblin?  They're one time shticks.

On 5/7/2023 at 6:36 PM, gadzukes said:

Groot's last line.

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Never mind.... I'll discuss when more people have seen the movie.

 

On 5/7/2023 at 11:49 PM, Beige said:

@gadzukes 

Thats a spoiler, maybe delete it buddy.

If he used a spoiler tag, then there was nothing wrong with it.  You interpreting "last line" is you forming opinions based on the tone of the trailers and what others have said here.  Someone walking out of the theater could just as easily say "Mantis' last line", "Gamora's last line", "Drax's last line."  The movie has to end, the characters have to say something last.  Doesn't mean there's anything nefarious about it.

On 5/8/2023 at 11:56 AM, Bosco685 said:

The Critical Drinker just seems to dislike movies and TV shows. But he makes for a good laugh.

 

I feel early on his trailer reactions always rode the Marvel hype train HARD.  Like, he fanboyed excessively.  Has he turned heel and now craps on everything?  (sorry, didn't watch a 15 minute reaction video).

On 5/8/2023 at 3:44 PM, jsilverjanet said:

@Bosco685 what i really want to talk about is that Marvels trailer - oh my what a mess that is going to be

Might be the first MCU film I don't see in theaters.  Just haven't been a fan the way Carol is portrayed, nor do I like Captain Marvels power set.  Even less of a fan of Ms. Marvel which I stopped with 2 episodes to go and only finished because a friend said I needed to see the end credits as it tied into the movie.

On 5/10/2023 at 7:25 AM, Capn17 said:

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is why was the villain the same as the kid, Sid, from Toy Story that like to create weird version of toys. Instead of toys, animals. Didn't quite understand the goal of some of his animal "modifications".

 

I dunno, what was the goal of some of the Borg modifications?  Nature itself is about evolution.  You try one modification, realize it's ineffective, and then do another modification.  Eventually you come across something that works.  But you don't know what works until you do a bunch of stuff that doesn't work.

On 5/9/2023 at 11:56 AM, manetteska said:

Wall book prices these days -- from coast to coast -- are...aggressive.

I dunno what's changed but when I've seen the prices of wall books lately, they're all well above market.  Shop I went to over the weekend had keys on the wall that were 25% higher than eBay/Shortboxed app.  It's almost as though they expect there to be haggling so they increase the price and then the buyer haggles down to something reasonable.  There's good deals to be found rummaging through the boxes, but if you're looking for any key, it's hard to justify some of these prices.

On 5/9/2023 at 1:37 PM, lou_fine said:

Not so sure about this since he stated in his original post that he Paid to have his books sent in for pressing, cleaning, and then grading:  

Ah missed that.  Then yeah, a press likely isn't going to improve it anymore.

On 5/9/2023 at 1:06 PM, stephenlev said:

Comic Description:
Thor 337 11/83 Marvel Comics Newsstand Edition

Grader Notes:
""Mark Jewelers"" insert.
small, multiple crease right bottom of front cover

Depending on the crease, it could potentially be pressed out so long as it's not color breaking.

On 5/8/2023 at 5:57 PM, thehumantorch said:

Most of these books I'd consider 'good' books and books that have had appeal for many years.  Hopefully you got  good grades on these.  I'd put them away and appreciate that they are the personal copies that you purchased many years ago and wait for the values to increase

Appeal?  Yes.  But enough to warrant grading?  Personal opinion, but I wouldn't have spent money submitting the Batmans, half the Sandmans, the IH 340, or the Wolverine.  IH 340 and Wolverine have taken off in recent years, much more than where they were 20 years ago.  I'm skeptical of books that don't have the history of popularity to back it.  Especially when the significance is "first ongoing series".  Or whatever IH and Wolverine 1 is.  I prefer my "firsts" to be something more substantial from a story perspective as opposed to something artificially manufactured by speculators to make something out as more important than it is.  So yeah, OP's books are certainly appealing, but appealing is one factor of many that someone should consider when spending money to slab books. 

(And the only reason I say this is because it's something I wish my younger self was aware of before spending a bunch of money on slabbed books.  I think a lot of people say slab what makes you happy, but there needs to be a real consideration to the financial costs.)

So many people enter the hobby and just think "slab this", "slab that".  Let this serve as a warning to any one new who would come across it as evidence that there are real costs associated with slabbing.  Take your time learning about the value of slabbing and when it's worthwhile and when it's folly.

me waiting for photos and updates: 

On 5/7/2023 at 8:10 AM, Buzzetta said:

While there may not be a 

While there may not be a Volume 4, keep in mind that certain characters are "infinite" like Chewbacca and can show up in many new projects for decades to come if Marvel so chooses.  All you need is someone to imitate their voice.   The Red Skull is a perfect example of this as Ross Marquand took over the role from a departing Hugo Weaving.  

Eventually I could see an "event" phase where we have a Galactus problem or like when Marvel Cosmic was involved with the Annihilation Conquest.  When that happens and you introduce Galactus and Silver Surfer and the Fantastic Four I would look for some of these characters to return.  Heck, I would look for a few Guardians to show up in Secret Wars. 

There just won't be a Volume 4. 

Basically Gunn is saying Marvel is free to do another movie, he just won't be the one behind the Directors chair (unless they pay him enough).  Same is true with the cast.  I imagine we'll get a break from GotG films, but eventually we'll get another.  It certainly won't be titled "Vol4" and will most likely be titled Guardians of the Galaxy and have a sub-title (a la: Thor: Love and Thunder, or Avengers: Endgame, etc).

On 5/6/2023 at 3:24 PM, media_junkie said:

I'm guessing he is talking about him and his wife/girlfriend 2x $15 for $30.  

That makes way more sense.  

On 5/6/2023 at 6:49 AM, 1Cool said:

This is the 1st movie that the price has made me not go.  It will be $30 for tickets and then another $20 for popcorn and a snack and just can’t do it.  I may be down to just going to the theaters a couple times a year at these prices.  I’ll watch it in a few months when it’s available at home

Where are you going that tickets are $30?  I feel $20 for XD/IMAX or whatever the high resolution/quality screens are is about the norm.  Standard viewings were like $15.  Also, paying concession prices is a choice.  I don't think I've paid at a concession stand in 30 years.

On 5/5/2023 at 12:26 PM, comic_memories said:

Saw it last night and we both liked it, very funny and deep moments. The only thing I would change is how Warlock is portrayed. Beyond that its very entertaining and goes perfectly with a ton of popcorn.   

I'll add I wish the Sovereign weren't so easily dismissed.  Especially High Priestess Ayesha, but I think it's because I like Elizabeth Debicki and wish she had a deeper character to work with beyond the very simple side character we were given.  There was potential for Warlock to have a profound and emotional moment of character development towards the end, but nothing came of it.

On 5/4/2023 at 6:47 PM, Xenosmilus said:

Non-spoiler review

I liked it. It was my least favorite of the 3 but that doesn't mean it was bad. It was defiantly the best out of Phase 4/5. That said, the rewatchability is low but it had it's momments.

Agree with this take.  It's the worst of the 3, but to me, that's like saying "which is the worst of the first 10 Pixar films".  They're all good when compared against other movies, but compared amongst themselves, there's always a winner and a loser.

On 5/2/2023 at 4:23 PM, rexinnih said:

I did not know that. Thanks

Same.  That's the first I've heard of this.  Historically it's been different tiers = different shipping.

On 4/21/2023 at 5:38 AM, Bosco685 said:

One of the elements I strongly dislike is the whole 'ship' mentality of forcing characters together.

I thought this was the important part.

On 4/21/2023 at 6:53 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I really tried on Andor, I just couldn't get past the first episode

I think as someone who watched Clone Wars and Rebels, I've seen firsthand the benefits of a slower, more plodding storyline, and how when done correctly, can lead to some very excellent finales.  I commented in the Picard thread that a lot of shows these days are very focused on being engaging from episode 1 onwards, but a lot of those slow, early episodes are there to develop characters.  If I jump headlong into the action, then I'm not as emotionally invested when something goes wrong.  But if a character background is developed and I see the progression, then when all hell breaks loose in act 3, the payoff is so much more satisfying.  I guess in comic terms, it's like skipping all the character arcs in Jonathan Hickman's epic Marvel (FF/Avengers/Secret Wars) run. Maybe I just read Infinity and Secret Wars, but I'd be doing myself a disservice by not reading FF first.  Andor's the same way.  It's a ball rolling down a hill.  It starts off slow, builds steam, and just runs you over by the final episode.

On 4/21/2023 at 5:38 AM, Bosco685 said:

One of the elements I strongly dislike is the whole 'ship' mentality of forcing characters together.

There was a period where a Tony Stark/Steve Rogers ship was popping up frequently. I had to learn how to mask such topics from my timeline. And nothing against same-sex relationships. But this topic had the craziest images floating around.

To me "shipping" isn't just referring to romantic relationships, it could simply be bromances.  "Shipping" Tony and Steve (or Steve and Bucky or Steve and Sam) is about the contrasting personalities and the fun interactions that could potentially occur by matching them up and sending them off on adventures.  For example with Falcon and the Winter Soldier.  People "shipped" Bucky and Sam and it led to some fun back and forth.  No one's looking for anything sexual, just something entertaining akin to having a buddy cop.

On 4/19/2023 at 9:38 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I'm not rote in much of TOS, but TNG seemed to really embody what the Star Trek universe was to be like, and it gave us a consistent view of the philosophies, behaviors, conduct and expectations of the citizens in and out of the Federation. I really hope that if they reboot the show, they capture that time in the Federation that made the 24th century special.

My concern is that shows like TNG just don't work in todays world where viewers have short attention spans and prefer action and conflict over science and one off episodes.  TNG never carried over many storylines.  Sure, some elements like Locutus and Q and Worf's background would re-emerge from time to time.  But for the most part, each episode was fully contained.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVED TNG.  Some of the best Star Trek episodes are one offs.  If you go back to TOS you have City on the Edge of Forever, and the Trouble with Tribbles.  If you look at TNG, you've got Darmok, Yesterdays Enterprise, Cause and Effect, etc.  But I see fans these days complain about how slow episodes of Andor are.  Or how Bad Batch has "filler episodes".  It's a shame because all those "filler episodes" is where characters are developed.  And that's how we fall in love with these characters, and how we wind up heartbroken when bad things happen to them.  So I worry that any TNG reboot might lose the essence of what the original was.

On 4/20/2023 at 11:27 PM, jimjum12 said:

... and to think I started out hating him. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Shaw's death is probably the "worst" thing to have happened this season.  I imagine the writers didn't realize the fans would gravitate towards him so much.  And I guess they needed a death to make it feel like there were actual stakes.

On 4/20/2023 at 8:20 PM, sfcityduck said:

I wouldn't say she was horrible.  Her "acting" was sort of in the mid-range for a fan service show.  They should have recast the part. She blew up her own career, but they didn't need to blow up the character.  Having said that, I don't think she or the character were really good romantic prospects. Gina could probably get work from Great American Family if she had any romantic talent, but it does not appear that she does. I like the current potential romance for Mando much better.  And Ahsoka was a much better direction to go for another show.

Romance?  You mean Bo?  No thanks.  At no point during Clone Wars or Rebels does the character have any glimmer of a romantic relationship with anyone.  She doesn't need to fall into that kind of trope.

On 4/20/2023 at 9:27 AM, Dr. Balls said:

Love the aerial fight scenes - something we haven't seen before (at least I haven't) which was really cool. Great wrap-up. Still mad that Gina Carano is gone.

Gina's "acting" was wooden from the very beginning.  Her departure from the show isn't any loss.  It'd be better if they had recast Cara Dune and used the new actress instead of Captain Teva.

On 4/19/2023 at 7:23 PM, Buzzetta said:

It will tie it in to Ahsoka as she is already in the trailer for the show. That in turn will tie it to Thrawn and then tie to the Star Wars movie that has probably been planned well before we were aware of it. 

 

Was that the special trailer they showed at Star Wars Celebration?  Because she doesn't appear in the teaser trailer that was publicly released 2 weeks ago.