POLL: Silver Surfer (Volume 4) YES or NO?

[delekkerste]

I can see great things to come from Elektra... Gene, hate to say it but you

are just showing your true colors as a Natchios-hater...shame on you

 

Darth, it is precisely because I am such an Elektra fan that I hate to see her

character watered down so much. Her mystery & impact get more and more

diluted every month. Remember how bad the 1st ongoing series was...the

details aren't clear to me anymore as it has been some years, but riding on

motorcycles with Wolverine, some dance studio aerobicizing, etc...? Is that

what we want Elektra to be?

 

And the current series...the 1st Bendis storyline was OK at best and the art

was atrocious. And the Rucka storyline that just wrapped up was ghastly. I

bet Frank Miller, if he bothers to read the title, was blowing chunks at what

they did to his beloved creation the past several months. I know I was. I just

dropped the title...I too love the Greg Horn covers, but they are not enough

to hold my interest.

 

Getting back on track, Silver Surfer vol. 3 was less than a creative masterpiece

and to me really exposed the limitations on a long-running series for a character

better suited to guest appearances, one-shots and mini-series (like Elektra).

 

Gene

 

 

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

Getting back on track, Silver Surfer vol. 3 was less than a creative masterpiece and to me really exposed the limitations on a long-running series for a character better suited to guest appearances, one-shots and mini-series (like Elektra).

 

Gene, I agree with much of what I have heard you say about other topics, but you and a few other people seem to be missing a point. I have yet to hear someone say that Silver Surfer vol. 1 should have never happened. The same applies to vol. 2. Now, the basis for your point of view seems to hinge on creativity. A few have expressed that the last few years of vol. 3 were less than spectacular because of...creativity team change (Ron Lim's dismiss), and lack of guest appearances (which is arguable). As we know Marvel has gone through numerous creative team changes in the past 8 or so years (from Stan Lee to Joe Q.). So would it be reasonable to say that under the right creative team the Silver Surfer COULD be a sucessful ongoing title?

 

I have also answered the argument (Transformers anyone?) that Silver Surfer is so distant (Normin Radd is under the cosmic coating ya know?) and that we can't relate to him. Looking at current poll results, I must be blind in my favor for having a Silver Surfer vol. 4.

 

 

[Guest]

IMHO, Surfer isn't strong enough a character to carry an ongoing title. I'm afraid this is borne out by the lack of success of previous series'.

[blowout]

"I have also answered the argument (Transformers anyone?) "

 

...........i don't think you have answered my argument MOS, sure the transformers don't have a human element either, but will the series last or is it just a short term fad?

 

.....my arguement hinges on the fact that a character needs the human element that people can relate to in order to ensure LONG TERM success...........cosmic storylines just don't hold the attention long enough (witness other cosmic characters that could not sustain reg. series eg capt. marvel, warlock)..........and as another poster said the surfer was always too powerful when tethered to the earth...................although if you read ss v.1 you will find his most compeling tales were told when he was interacting with humans................

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

my arguement hinges on the fact that a character needs the human element that people can relate to in order to ensure LONG TERM success

 

To answer your question. Considering that during the time that the animated cartoons were airing the old Marvel series lasted but 7 years, so NO I DON'T THINK THAT THE TRANSFORMERS CAN LAST FOR 11 YEARS. But are the Transformers the only example of non-human element in the comic book industry? Futhermore, the Silver Surfer is actually more human than you give him credit for. Norrin Radd *sigh*

 

That brings up another issue, HOW LONG TERM does a title need to be to receive the honor of becoming an ongoing series? Forever? ! Do you think the comic book industry will be around forever? Maybe Silver Surfer should kick off the new TPB format? Oh wait we wouldn't want to see the market crash, would we?

 

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

Why has nobody admitted to being a post Silver Surfer volume 3 comic collector? Are we all a bunch of old coots?

[delekkerste]

Gene, I agree with much of what I have heard you say about other topics

 

Thanks! Not many will admit to it!

 

I have yet to hear someone say that Silver Surfer vol. 1 should have never

happened. The same applies to vol. 2.

 

Ah, but that proves my point. Volume 1 was only 18 issues long and Volume

2 was a one-shot. Most of Volume 3's 146 issues were just painful (I haven't

read them all; I dropped the series well before the final issue).

 

So would it be reasonable to say that under the right creative team the Silver

Surfer COULD be a sucessful ongoing title?

 

In theory, you could say this about just about any halfway decent character. But

in practice, it doesn't always work. Just look at Captain Marvel - Peter David is

considered to be a great writer, but I think the sales figures show that Captain

Marvel is just not a character who should carry an ongoing regular title.

 

Sure, it would be great to see more of the Surfer...but I'm 100% convinced that

a Marvel Knights limited series would be a bigger commercial & creative success

than an ongoing series.

 

Gene

[Darthdiesel]

I agree with Gene here..

 

While Norrin "NOT SO" Radd may exhibit this human connection that you keep harping on, MOS, the fact is now, his chrome coating had covered more than his exterior. I really don't want to relive his pining away for Shall Bal or whatever its called. He fits in well as an integral part of the new Defenders series, why tamper with it and set him up for financial failure in his own series. Is surfing still in? Maybe that's why he was so appealing back then...60's, California Girls and West Coast lifestyle junk that I know nothing about...In this day and age, you want to revamp the Surfer and appeal to this generation, better make him Tony Hawk wearing a lifesized Emmy costume...

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

He fits in well as an integral part of the new Defenders series, why tamper with it and set him up for financial failure in his own series.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the series ended around the same time that Marvel was having finacial failure after filing bankruptsy. Marvel decided to end many ongoing titles, and heroes were "born" again into a volume 2. To attribute the ending of the series purely on reader interest, might be an oversight. I'm not saying the the Silver Surfer is anywhere near Spider-Man or Superman, but I do think he can compete with Iron Man.

 

One of the reasons for my interest in the Silver Surfer, is the VILLIANS that he faces. Especially, Thanos, Mephisto, and Galactus (boarderline villian). If you'll remember, the most popular issues in volume 3 were the Thanos appearances. The OS guide would help support my position on the popularity of those issues. Also I like some of the guest appearances like Adam Warlock for example, and Firelord (I think that's his name). Drax is OK, and how about the little guy that looks like a lepracon and puffs on a cigar?

 

Anyway, I don't keep up with new books, so I wanted to ask you (because I know you keep up with new books), has Marvel relaunched a new Silver Surfer title yet? If they have not, I still think they should at least give it a "let's see how it goes" trial basis.

[Kevin Boyd]

While the title was cancelled during the mid-90's Marvel implosion, sales on the SS were not great. As I understand it though, the decision to cancel the Surfer's ongoing were (a) to focus on the Galactus the Devourer mini-series of which the Surfer was an integral part and (b) relaunch the title with a new creative team.

 

I wish I could remember who was to spearhead the relaunch, it was decided that since sales on the Galactus mini were so poor that perhaps it was not the greatest time to relaunch the book and the Surfer has idled since.

 

Vol. 3 highlights for me were (a) Marshall Rogers on the first year (b) the rise of Ron Lim as series artist growing creatively until the arrival of © Starlin and Thanos. When Starlin left the series was losing it's steam, but died creatively when Lim left the book. There was some potential when (d) Bart Sears was brought in just before #100, but he did only one issue and was replaced by, I believe, Tom Grindberg's Mignola-esque art. The last gasp for the book was (e) the arrival of Ron Garney who did some fantastic work until he left to relaunch the Hulk. After that, Kent Williams less than stellar pencils and the lacklustre stories - along with huge gaps between issues being published - DID drive sales down.

 

Kev

[Crackandpresstoan11]

Surfer relaunch.....

http://www.newsarama.com/Surfertease.htm

 

I guess I'm in the minority in thinking that Tom Grindberg was one of the best surfer artists ever.... very underrated.