Of course, we also have to ask what requires that much shooting. Maybe someone was really insistent that they read her palm. All pulp characters hate palm-reading.
So Dynamite Entertainment is launching two new series in May: The Shadow and The Spider.
Both of these guys are classic pulp heroes with mostly similar modus operandi: dress up in a big coat and a hat, teriffy everyone regardless of if they're a victim or a criminal, shoot lots of bad guys.
What's different about The Spider is the sheer scale of his stories. In addition to his enemies killing hundreds of people on a regular basis, he's easily the most violent of the pulp heroes. There's Batman, there's The Shadow, and then somewhere high above John Rambo and Jason Voorhees, there's The Spider.
I'm excited for both series, but I'm marginally more interested in The Spider. His outfit has gotten an Alex Ross redesign (usually a very bad thing) and it looks pretty awesome: http://www.comiclist.com/media/blogs/news/prv11493_cov.jpg
The only thing I'm somewhat apprehensive about is the fact that it looks like it's being brought into the modern day. In all honesty I can't think of a reason why an update wouldn't work--people read The Punisher, after all--but, still. It'd be cool if The Shadow series takes place in its original setting and establishes that character as a forerunner to The Spider.
So, I'm gonna order The Spider vs. The Empire State tomorrow. It's a one volume reprinting of what might be The Spider's most famous story: the Black Police Trilogy, wherein an American Nazi Party turns New York into a fascist police state and The Spider aims to bring them down.
I'm sure that it's just as crazy as the rest of The Spider's stories, but it's a pretty heavy topic when you think about when it was written: 1938.
Plus, it's got the most badass cover/tagline combo ever:
I will double-post in this and you can't stop me. Le subject, she fascinates me.
Recently I took a second to ponder Captain Satan up there and realized something: it's totally bonkers. Shared wardrobe with Ken aside, why would Satan, Prince of Darkness, bother righting wrongs and avenging the innocent? Is it really Satan, or a guy who just kinda looks like Satan? Does he have devil-powers (probably not, most pulp writers seemed averse to giving their heroes actually supernatural abilities)? Is he slaying the worst of the worst to recruit them into Hell? Who the heck is Captain Satan and what does he do?!
Captain Satan was a short-lived pulp hero series from Popular Publications, only lasting for five issues. Written by William O'Sullivan, it featured a Robin Hood type, young rich man about town, who robbed from crooks. However, instead of giving to the poor, he divided the spoils between himself and a strange assortment of assistants. Oddly, except for his lieutenant, Slim, some of the aides disappeared after only one or two appearances. An F.B.I. agent suspected who Satan really was, but never caught him.
That's it. He's just another clone of The Shadow, albeit one with the gumption to name himself after the embodiment of evil.
Though in some ways, this just raises more questions. If Captain Satan was just a detective, what was his real name? Did that F.B.I agent suspect he was actually Satan?
Then I think about it, and there's so much wasted potential in Captain Satan, bringing forth the agonized tears of so many, that it becomes all too likely.
It's difficult to show how beautiful this book is in a still image. It's glossy with a cool wraparound design, and it's easy to see why it won those awards.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was a pulp throwback movie done in 2004, shot entirely on greenscreen. It had Jude Law, Gwenyth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie in a story about an adventurous aviator fighting a mad scientist.
Well, I thought it was really bad, but enough people liked it that I guess there's no harm in giving it a shot. Ebert compared it to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The trailer is a fan project, envisioning what a crossover between the big pulp heroes might be like(even if The Rocketeer and Sky Captain were throwbacks and not actually from the pulps).
It's been a while. Frankly, that's because there hasn't been much news to do with the pulps. The Shadow and The Spider have both launched, and I haven't read either; apparently both are doing well, which is good to hear.
So well, in fact, that this is happening:
Look.
Look.
That is The Shadow, The Spider, Zorro, the Green Hornet, and Kato. That is The Shadow, The Spider, Zorro, the Green Hornet, and Kato, on a team.
And who is that mystery man with the bat wings high above?
Could it be...?
No, it's not. That's Black Bat. He's Batman if he were blind, pretty much.
It's called Masks.
It's based off The Spider vs. The Empire State; the details mentioned so far explicitly refer to the Party of Justice taking over New York. It's a good choice, as it's one of the biggest and most compelling pulp storylines ever written (to my knowledge, only the Purple Invasion from Operator No. 5 beats it in scale).
What I'm most interested in seeing is how they differentiate the Shadow and the Spider. They're similar characters with similar methods and get similar results; I'd say the most significant difference between the two is the Spider's sadism and occasional self-doubt.
It's called Masks. And I have reason to start reading comics again.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was a pulp throwback movie done in 2004, shot entirely on greenscreen. It had Jude Law, Gwenyth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie in a story about an adventurous aviator fighting a mad scientist.
Comments
I can dig this
ALL PULP NO OJ
JUST UNADULTERATED ACTION UP IN HERE
>enter thread
>picture of an angry woman shooting things with a machine gun
hell yeah. B)
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
"What a quack."
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
Captain Satan?
All of Ken's clothes fit him?
I keep wanting to call him Doc Satan.
Though I guess that would be these guys:
Both of these guys are classic pulp heroes with mostly similar modus operandi: dress up in a big coat and a hat, teriffy everyone regardless of if they're a victim or a criminal, shoot lots of bad guys.
What's different about The Spider is the sheer scale of his stories. In addition to his enemies killing hundreds of people on a regular basis, he's easily the most violent of the pulp heroes. There's Batman, there's The Shadow, and then somewhere high above John Rambo and Jason Voorhees, there's The Spider.
I'm excited for both series, but I'm marginally more interested in The Spider. His outfit has gotten an Alex Ross redesign (usually a very bad thing) and it looks pretty awesome:
http://www.comiclist.com/media/blogs/news/prv11493_cov.jpg
The only thing I'm somewhat apprehensive about is the fact that it looks like it's being brought into the modern day. In all honesty I can't think of a reason why an update wouldn't work--people read The Punisher, after all--but, still. It'd be cool if The Shadow series takes place in its original setting and establishes that character as a forerunner to The Spider.
I can only assume there aren't any bullets and it's just eight lasers of hot death.
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
it better be lasers.
It better be.
If it's not lasers
I will lasers.
So, I'm gonna order The Spider vs. The Empire State tomorrow. It's a one volume reprinting of what might be The Spider's most famous story: the Black Police Trilogy, wherein an American Nazi Party turns New York into a fascist police state and The Spider aims to bring them down.
I'm sure that it's just as crazy as the rest of The Spider's stories, but it's a pretty heavy topic when you think about when it was written: 1938.
Plus, it's got the most badass cover/tagline combo ever:
"They said it couldn't happen here."
"Then they said one man couldn't stop it."
Recently I took a second to ponder Captain Satan up there and realized something: it's totally bonkers. Shared wardrobe with Ken aside, why would Satan, Prince of Darkness, bother righting wrongs and avenging the innocent? Is it really Satan, or a guy who just kinda looks like Satan? Does he have devil-powers (probably not, most pulp writers seemed averse to giving their heroes actually supernatural abilities)? Is he slaying the worst of the worst to recruit them into Hell? Who the heck is Captain Satan and what does he do?!
The answer will probably disappoint you. That's it. He's just another clone of The Shadow, albeit one with the gumption to name himself after the embodiment of evil.
Though in some ways, this just raises more questions. If Captain Satan was just a detective, what was his real name? Did that F.B.I agent suspect he was actually Satan?
This will continue to haunt me.
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
Then I think about it, and there's so much wasted potential in Captain Satan, bringing forth the agonized tears of so many, that it becomes all too likely.
i get so angry sometimes i just punch plankton --Klinotaxis
It's difficult to show how beautiful this book is in a still image. It's glossy with a cool wraparound design, and it's easy to see why it won those awards.
Maybe I'll do a video.
Maybe.
There are only two problems with this: it'll never ever get made, and Sky Captain totally sucked.
It tanked. This was because it was terrible.
Critics loved it.
Anyway, I mean, what is that trailer?
The trailer is a fan project, envisioning what a crossover between the big pulp heroes might be like(even if The Rocketeer and Sky Captain were throwbacks and not actually from the pulps).
Well, I'll put that on my List of Movies to Maybe Watch, which seldom gets any shorter.
Actually, now I recall, my sister did see it. She seemed to think it was okay.
"Egads! He's dead!"
"Yeah, and the economy is in a slight kerfuffle."
So well, in fact, that this is happening:
Look.
Look.
That is The Shadow, The Spider, Zorro, the Green Hornet, and Kato. That is The Shadow, The Spider, Zorro, the Green Hornet, and Kato, on a team.
And who is that mystery man with the bat wings high above?
Could it be...?
No, it's not. That's Black Bat. He's Batman if he were blind, pretty much.
It's called Masks.
It's based off The Spider vs. The Empire State; the details mentioned so far explicitly refer to the Party of Justice taking over New York. It's a good choice, as it's one of the biggest and most compelling pulp storylines ever written (to my knowledge, only the Purple Invasion from Operator No. 5 beats it in scale).
What I'm most interested in seeing is how they differentiate the Shadow and the Spider. They're similar characters with similar methods and get similar results; I'd say the most significant difference between the two is the Spider's sadism and occasional self-doubt.
It's called Masks. And I have reason to start reading comics again.