DeathBug

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Funny thing about the Goblins; for all the people who have claimed that title, who are the current Goblins? The originals. The reason Marvel kept changing them on us is that, no matter how much they tried, the second-tier Goblins just couldn't hold a candle to Roderick Kingsly and Norman Osborn. Harry Osborn, by the way, was doomed to die as soon as he first became the Green Goblin. This started the cycle of "Become Goblin because of trauma/stress-have Peter talk him down". That got old pretty fast, and errode him as a character. If he hadn't become the Goblin, he might still be alive today. The reason i hate Carnage is that he's all style over substance. Why is he a villain? He's always just been a villain. He was created when Marvel made the incredibly stupid move of trying to make Venom a hero. And, to be such a "Cool villain", he's never hit Spidey close to home. Think about: Venom threatened Mary Jane and hung out with Aunt May right in front of Peter, the Hobgoblin used up Ned Leeds and threw him away like a disposable razor, Doctor Octopus killed George Stacy, the Green Goblin's hit Spider-Man cllose to home so many times it's not funny anymore. Yet, for being a serial killer, does Carnage ever kill [b]anyone[/b]? Yeah, he kills extras. Basically, in the end, all Carnage is going to do is fight, then get beaten and re-captured. So, that's why I hate him: he was created to screw with Venom's character, hes' all style over substance, and he never does anything of importance. Oh, and because of "Maximum Carnage"; that story sucked so much, even the Marvel editors hated it.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Well, currently, I don't like Amazing. It's not that the Ezekiel storyline was bad, but...well, it's been three years, and JMS still hasn't wrapped the story up. He gives hints, then never follows up on it. It's a bit maddening. Also, I was personally disgusted with the wasting of Amazing Spider-Man #500. It should have been so, so much more than it was. And, of course, Peter's friends and family are some of the best part of the book. I actually wish they were used a bit more than they currently are. I mean, all we generally see are MJ, Aunt May, and...well, that's it.... In Spectacular, though, we get more of Pete's friends, as opposed to his family. It's a nice balance. I also love Venom, but his character was screwed over in the ninties when they tried to make him a hero. Yeah....Check out The Hunger, or Ultimate Spider-Man vol 6 for some kick arse Venom stories. Oh, and I hatehatehatehatehate Carnage. [/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='Rainier']The fact is, is that like how DB/Z/GT was dubbed, the great manga that Yuugiou is, is being turned into some "Pokemon-like" piece of dirt to fit the commercial aspects to target it towards pre-teens and whoever.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Sure it is. I don't like it, but 4Kids obviously felt that making these changes would result in greater profits. Takashi-san and Konami obviously felt the same way, because they allowed 4Kids to do it. The profits being earned by UDE, Konami America and 4Kids are also going to the Japanese productions, giving them further incentive to create the product. $$ in America = $$ in Japan = More Yu-Gi-Oh. I can handle that, especially when there are also avenues where I can find the original product.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Okay, guy, take deep, soothing breath. Now, what I'm about to say might disqualify me as a "loyal" Yu-Gi-Oh fan, but reality must intervene at some point. Now, why do you think Takashi-san wrote Yu-Gi-Oh, the original manga? Yes, it was his artistic vision, but a little motivation called "employment" was probably a factor. Why did he allow two anime series to be created based on it? Why did he allow the creation of an actual card game? Yen, baby. You act as if Takashi-san is being tied down and forced to watch as his characters are "Americanized". The word of the day is "residuals". He is recieving money from this film, just as 4Kids is. You act as though Konami recieves no money in Japan for YGO, and only the American companies are trying to turn a profit. Here's an idea: As Konami if they'd produce YGO materials for free. Ask Takashi-san if he would. Also, to say that the plot is 'laughable' based on what little information is cited is pretty weak. Someone with a Millenium Item trying to take over the world? Right, never seen that in the original manga. Revenge? Nope. Right Millenium Item? Sure, like there were only four Saiya-jin left...except for Tree of Might..... I have no plans to see this film, but I hope it does well, and I hope 4Kids makes a lot of money off of it. This, in turn, will result in Konami and Takashi-san making a lot of money, and thus creating more of a product I enjoy. It's called economics. I really don't see what all the fuss is about.[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade'] I used to be a pretty big Spiderman fan, especially during the early days of the Saturday morning Spidey cartoon. But I never got into the comics, because the ones I read really sucked. Spiderman it seems to me has been the victim of a horrendous butchery of continuity over the last decade or so. I don't know how many versions of the Venom saga there are out there, but there's more than one, that's for sure.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] Uh...no, there's just one. What are you talking about? Spidey's had continous continunity since the beginning, although he also has an "Ultimate" title. (Which [really needs to go, in my opinion.) The Spidey cartoon that ran in '94 to...whenever, started out well. However, after the first season, it began to fall aprt. Spider-Man's show should not be dominated by vampires, for God's sake. And why in the heck did Morbius have more appearances than Venom? Sheesh. [/color][/font][/size] [quote name='ScirosDarkblade'] I don't think I've run into any decent Spiderman TPBs, either. I usually go for the graphic novels, because the mothlies tend to fall apart and I can't keep them in a shelf or anything.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] You should look for: Venom, Coming Home, One Small Break, The Death of Jean DeWolfe, Origin of the Hobgoblin, Revenge of the Green Goblin, The Death of Gwen Stacy, The Wedding, Murder By Spider, Clone Genesis, or The Very Best of Spider-Man.[/color][/font][/size] [quote name='ScirosDarkblade'] In short, I like Spiderman as a character but that alone. I hate his universe, his ridiculous continuity, and most of the supporting characters.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Ridiculous continunity? Wasn't the original reason that Lex Luthor hated Superman was because he caused him to be bald?[/color][/font][/size] [quote name='ScirosDarkblade'] And the villains all strike me as extremely uninteresting and rather similar. There's no Joker or Luthor in Spiderman. There's a Luthor wannabe, but that's it. But that's just how I see him.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Now, I think that's interesting, because most comic fans I know feel that Spider-Man has the best group of villains in the Marvel Universe, with Batman having the best in the DC Universe. You're not interested in Norman Osborn, the Kingpin, the Hobgoblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, the Lizard, the Shocker, the Vulture, the Sandman, Mysterio, the Jackal, the Rhino, Morbius, Fusion, the Scorpion? 'Tis your perogative. And, there is a "Luthor" in Spider-Man: Norman Osborn/Green goblin. He was an evil businessman in the sixties, while Lex Luthor was still running around in tight green pants. Luthor wasn't a cool business guy until John Bryne's retcon of Supe's origin in the '80's. [/color][/font][/size]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Seeing as there's a Batman thread,I thought I'd start a thread about the greatest comic book super hero of all time, the Spectacular Spider-Man. Created in the sixties, Spider-Manh as become [b]the[/b] staple character of Marvel Universe. He's been in all media forms, spawned countless toys, and set a record with his recent movie debute. (Sequel comes out thiss ummer.) The best era of Spider-Man, in my opinion, was the 80's. There, you had two high-quality comcs each month with some top-notch creators. Roger Stern, Peter David, JM DeMattis, Tom DeFalco, etcetera. The Amazing Spider-Man focused on Peter Parker's life as a photographer in the Daily Bugle, while Spectacular focused on his student life at ESU. Thems was good times. Sadly, they weren't to last. A change in the industry brought on by the vastly over-rated Todd McFarlane lead to the decay of quality in all Marvel Comics, Spider-Man included. It was a period of wretched excess, with five inter-related titles every month, plus countless guest-stars and cross over events. And, of course, this was the time of the dreaded Clone Saga, created to compete with the infinatly more stupid Death of Superman debacle. Originally, the Saga was only supposed to last six months, but a combimnation of interference by both marketing and the editorial staff streatched the damn thing for over two and a half years. I'm one of those who will say that it wasn't all bad, but I can certainly see why so many people hated it. The titles limped along in the period between '96 and '99, with only Spectacular Spider-Man being really intense, high-quality stuff, (although I have a soft spot for the goofy action of the sensation Spider-Man), until the event even more appaling than the Clone Saga: the reboot. It was'nt that the idea of restarting the titles was really that bad (lthough it was still pretty stupid), it was that the quality of writing dropped so, so very much that the books were insultingly bad. How bad were they? They resurrected Aunt May from the grave. Frickin' Aunt May. Fortunatly, the storm passed, and Spidey is in a revival. t Hevastly overrated JMS (in my opinion) and Paul Jenkins (great, great writer) helm the main titles. Brian Micheal Bendis and Mark Bagly (One of my favorite Spidey artists of all time) head the reinterpretation of Spider-Man's past in Ultimate Spider-Man. Mark Miller and Terry Dodson will start up the new Marvel Knights Spider-Man title in April. Things are coming up roses. So, who else here loves the amazing adventures of Spider-Man?[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='ArgolisDragon'] Yay, Deathbug. You acuse me of elitism when half of the English CCG playing duelists do it themselves. [/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Wow, you've met every single English CCG player and made note of their attitude? Cool! Or maybe you had a bad experience in your area with English players and decided you do'nt like them. That's no reason to show disrespect to the English players here. [/color][/size][/font] [quote name='ArgolisDragon'] How typical and hypocritical of you. [/quote] Beg pardon, but "hypocritical" means that I'd have had to have been a disrespectful elitist myself. If I've done so, please inform me. [quote name='ArgolisDragon'] People who recognize Upper Deck as the leading authority regarding YGO and only the Eng. CCG as if it were the only version of the CCG out there is pathetic and rather annoying to say the least. [/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Gasp! There are folks who didn't bother to learn the full history of a card game before it was translated into their native language?! How can such people be allowed to exist?! Besides, UD only prints the darn things in English; Konami of America makes all rulings, translations, and edits.[/color][/size][/font] [quote name='ArgolisDragon']So what if Duel Masters was created to offset YGO? [/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]No shame in that; Digimon was imported to capitalize off of Pokemon, and digimon was a vastly superior program. [/color][/size][/font] [quote name='ArgolisDragon']YGO's metagame is stale currently and only a few archtypes of decks are competitive,while only a few types are supported, being dark, earth, and light. On the other hand, Duel Masters is fairly balanced and the amount of competitive archtypes are far more than Duel Monsters.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] Okay, then play Duel Masters. Or Duel Monsters. Or both. Or niether. I don't care about archetypes or support as long as I'm having fun. Hmm, wonder why? Maybe because it's just a game...? [/color][/size][/font] [quote name='ArgolisDragon']Currently, Duel Monster's competitive tourney level decks are control and Chaos, and only really good players get the aggro, but Duel Masters offers far more variety. [/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] Only three viable deck types in YGO? Gee, but what about Warrior, Dark Magician, Buster Blader, Demon, Angel, Burner, Machine, Fusion, Dragon, Gravekeeper, Amazon, Harpie, Water, Beast, Exodia, Ouija Board, Zombie, or toon? If the metagame in your area is stale, then play a different deck and change it. Or, quit the game. Whatever. Just stop dissing the english game and its players on this board. You're taking a card game way too seriously.[/color][/size][/font]

[QUOTE=Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New] It's almost scary when you think about how a substantial number more of people voted in American Idol than in the last election. o_o[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] "Next up, on Fox: American President! Can George W's rendition of "Gone Country" beat out John Kerry's "War"? Or will Ralph Nadar's "Independent Women" throw them both for a loop? Join us and our panalo f judges, Micheal Moore, Bill O' Rielly, and Simon, as we determine the fate of the US!" Ahem... I used to encourage others to vote, but I soon realized that the fewer people vote, the stronger my vote becomes. (There's something to think about). Granted, I still encourage people in my age bracket to vote, so that we will be recognized as a voting block and thus be pandered to by politicians.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sas ms]I personally find pornograpghy repulsive, and wouldn't mind at all if tht entire industry shriveled like a used condom. (Appropriate similie, no?) However, this is America, so as long as it's kept out of the general public eye, and passed between consenting adults, I don't really care.[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='Darius_Stomu']*Sigh...* You don't get it much do you? It's a game created by Wizards of the Coast. It might even have the same people that worked on M:TG. Of coarse most of the consept is going to be the same. It's so that dedicated WotC fans don't think that they're going chibi-ish on us. They WANT the gameing to remain difficult. Unlike Yu-gi-oh which can make it so you're invincible (God cards...phht!). I'm sure that if Konami, the makers of YGO Trading Card Game, make another card game, they would have nearly the same things as YGO has: Sacking monsters for monsters, traps, magic, stuff like that.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Watch your manners, hot shot. Of course they're the same, based on the same gameplay. My point is, if I were interested in Duel Masters, I might as well go right to the source and play Magic. And God cards aren't invincible, or even legal. They suck.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Gotjhika is one of the worst pieces of trash I've ever had the misfortune to view. Halle Barry can't act, the plot was predictable and stupid, and there were far too many lapses in logic to forgive. I was also unfortunate enough to see it in a theater with a girl, whom informed me that same day that we should "just be friends". At least the rejection wasn't as painful as Barry's acting.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Ah, Batman, my favorite hero from a comic universe where I don't like most of the heroes. I can't say I've read many of his comics, (Can't afford him [i]and[/i] Spider-Man), but I'm an avid follower of his various cartoon programs. The thing I've always liked about Batman is that there's an aura of insanity around him, at least in the cartoons. I think he's mildly schitzophrenic. In one episode of "Batman: Beyond:, (one kick-arse show), Shriek was trying to conivnce Bruce that he was insane, by beaming a voice into his head. The reason Bruce held it together, as he later told Terry, was that the voice kept calling him "Bruce", and, in his mind, that's not what he calls himself. ^__^ I have absolutly no interest in reading "Hush", because I strongly dislike Liefeld. Ugh. Now, here's a question: is there currently a Batmn comic that chronicals his adventures, yet doesn't crss over to the other titles? I'd like to read up on 'em, but I simply can't afford to buy all these titles.[/color][/size][/font]

[QUOTE=ArgolisDragon]Damn straight man. I've been looking for someone here who would finally bring that point up. The American YGO franchise is pathetic compared to the JP YGO CCG/Anime/Magna or w/e. I can't stand some of these Eng. CCG players who sometimes think that the Eng. TCG is superior just because now the cards are in English. [/QUOTE] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Yay! Elitism! :rolleyes: Duel Masers has obviously been imported to take advantage of Yu-Gi-Oh's popularity, but I doubt it will be as successful. The anime seems...lacking. The card game might be interesting (I haven't played it), but the fact that it's based almost directly on MTG seems like a deturrent to me. I'd just as soon play MTG if I were interested in either of them. I do think that the name...well, it sucks. "Duel Masters" as compared to "Duel Monsters"? That'll make it aw ee bit difficult to assert that they're not cashing in on YGO's popularity.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Wrist cutter wins because of Sienfeld quotes. I fear my own mind. Last week, I was driving down the road at night, and my own brain statrs piling on these illogical and horrifying scenarios. What if my car breaks down, and I pull over, and am attacked by wolves? What if there's a killer in the backseat of my car? What if I loose control and swere into a ditch and die? It seems my own pysche delights in taking the most inopportune times to torment me with horrible thoughts. My imagination, which has brought me such success, has a venemous downside I never appreciate.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]So...what is this thread about? Pullution? Over-population? Morality? Either way, it's bloody morbid, and rather short sighted in my opinion. Human beings don't have the capacity to destroy Earth. We simply can't do it, and it's pretty arrogant to think we can. Sure, we can screw with a few species (and, yes, to keep things in perspective, human beings have caused the extinction of an incredibly minute percentage of species from Earth's point of view), but the Earth was here before us, and will be here long after us. And critters will still be living on it. Let me tell you a story about some little algae plants. These tiny single-celled plants began to spew a highly corrosive waste product into the atmosphere. As they multiplied, the ammount of waste being given off increased until the entire ecosystem had been altered to house it. This deadly, highly corrosie waste product is known as oxygen. Let's keep things in perspective: humans can kill ourselves, but all life? The Earth? Yeah, right. We're just a mild zit as far as she's concerned.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]I'm not critisizing DotD for violence. [spoiler]If it were an adult zombie doing the exact same thing, I really wouldn't care. It's the fact that it's an eight-year old girl that bothers me.[/spoiler] And I'm not trying to condem the film. I'm just saying that, like you said, it rubbed me the wrong way, and I don't want to see it. As for zombies being cool villians, that's a matter of taste. Zombies are frightening, sure, but interesting? I don't see it. They have no personality, they're not particularly bright, they have no motivation, and, when you get down tro it, they're not particularly evil or villanious. They're just hungry. [/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='cloricus']Off topic. Or should we look at the thousands America, or other western countries that have the death penalty, put to death each year?[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Enlighten me; how is my statement 'off topic', when your statement that prompted the rebuttal wasn't? OIr maybe things are only 'off topic' when they fly into the face of your own claims? And HC beat me to rebutting your statement regarding the death penalty. (Was that statement 'off topic', by the way?)[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Well, I haven't seen either the original DotD or NotLD; I'm really not a fan of zombie flicks. I don't find zombies interesting as movie antagonists; niether do I identify with the whole "us against the world" type of catastrophe flivck. Nothing against the genre, but it's not my cup of tea. I also find that I have odd standards for children in horror movies. Apparently, I have no problem with "The Omen", but that scene from the preview apparently crossed my personal line. I'm not sure exactly what my personal standards actually are, though; I just know I think sometrhing's crossed the boundaries of taste when I see it. Then again, there's no acounting for test. ^_^;[/color][/font][/size]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Well, that actually makes it slightly less disturbing. But it's still freaky, and I saw that second part. Sorry, but [spoiler]evil zombie kids that maul people[/spoiler] cross the line of what I'm willing to watch in horror movies. And I have a high tolerance for horror movies. Also, I don't even [i]want[/i] to know what was up [spoiler]with the pregnant lady[/spoiler]...[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='cloricus']Oh I'm sorry, we'll just ignore the ten thousand plus Iraq civilians that died as result of the American invasion. *Sweeps under the carpet, it's all good!* :)[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]As opposed to the tens of thousands found in Saddam's mass graves all over the country?[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]42 I liked the first book, and plan to read the others when I have time. While the pace and wit is enjoyable, the thing I remember most about it is how quateable it is. There's a qute in HGttG that covers durn near everything. ^__^ "Good bye, and thanks for all the fish!" "Don't panic." And my personal favorite, "Earth: Mostly harmless." [/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]The preview for this movie, [spoiler]showing an eight year old girl becoming a zombie and mauling her farther right in front of her mother[/spoiler], disturbed me in a way that a horror movie has never disturbed me before. Seriously, it's been two weeks, and I'm still disturbed by that image. So, while not making any value judgement of the film, I can safely say that I won't be seeing it. I'm sorry, butt hat juist ain't right.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]I do'nt necessarily have to relate to the characters in an anime to enjoy it. Currently, I'm watching Yu yu Hakusho on Toonami, and I don't really relate to any of the main characters. However, I still enjoy it. Part of the reason might be because I like some of the characters; if Kuwabara were a real person at my school, I'd hang with him. Also, just because you relate to a character doesn't mean you like them. If I weren't me, but I knew me, I wouldn't want to hang around me, for example. A character in an anime that's exactly like me wouldn't appeal to me. But, as was said before, you'e got to like some of the characters, or empathize, or you simply remain disconnected from the story.[/color][/size][/font]

My heart goes out to the people of Spain. The tradegy they underwent is horrible; however...in their election process, they did exactly the wrong thing. They allowed terrorists to alter their public policy, and this will only embolden Iraq in the future. This is a bad precendent to set, and it endangers Europe in the furture.

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet] I was going to comment on a buinch of other stuff from your first post, but after reading this, I find my comments would be better suited here. [b][i][u]HOW DARE YOU[/u][/i][/b] come here and say that soldiers who are dying over in Iraq are dying for a good cause? Hell of a lot of good that does their families knowing that. [/color][/QUOTE] Both of my parents and two of my uncles are in the military, and they all believe that the conflict in Iraq is a good cause. My father has been deployed twice to orcehstrate telecommunication for Iraq. He believes it is a good cause, and is prepared to die for it. so are the vast majority (read: all but three) of the officers I've come into contact with support the effort in Iraq, and I have no doubt that they would be willing to die for that cause. Do I enjoy the idea of my father or the people he works with dying? No. However, he believes in the cause, and I believe in him. How dare [i]you[/i] tell [i]me[/i] what will do me good, or how I should feel about the war. If you don't believe the war is neccessary, that's fine, and that's your business. But don't assume that everyone else feels the same way. [QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet]As for being a necessary battle- tell you what,go and talk to some families who have lost loved ones recently during this war. Better yet, keep telling me this war is necessary.[/color][/QUOTE] This war is neccessary, and my father has risked his life several times for the effort. Like I said before, he believes in it, and I believe in him. And that's enough for me. [QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet][b]People who think this war is a good thing[/b]- I think I've already demonstrated that I dislike these kinds of people. Here's my question to everyone who is so for this war on Iraq-why aren't you at the recuiting office trying to join up?[/color][/QUOTE] I tried; they turned me away because I was asmathic.