The Avengers (2003)

Has anyone actually seen this? What a total disaster of a movie... the acting is just painful. A 200-meter submarine cruising through the canals of Venice? And a carnival in July?!
Just a mountain of nonsense...

I’m no expert when it comes to acting or movies, but I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews for the comic strip it's based on. Honestly, I'm just really looking forward to reading the comic strip.

I’m probably going to ask a stupid question here since I can't be bothered to dig through Google myself.

Does this have anything to do with that British show "Saturday Night Live"?

From what I gather, it’s tied to that Alan Moore comic strip of the same name.

Adam Wright56 said:I’m going to ask a rather foolish question since I can't be bothered to dig through Google myself.

Does this have anything to do with that British series "Saturday Night Live"?

YOK. The movie is (somewhat, unfortunately) an adaptation of an Alan Moore comic strip. Conceptually, it's similar to X-Men but with a delightfully Victorian steampunk twist: the story takes place in an alternate 19th century where a massive cellular bridge connects the United Kingdom and France over the English Channel, zeppelins are as common as cars are to us, Martians from H. G. Wells's war planet are planning an invasion of Earth, while Cavor concocts cavorite in his lab, and characters like Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Fu Manchu, Dracula, and various other figures from Victorian literature actually exist...

As for the main members of the "X-Men" team, they are:

Captain Nemo—do I really need to explain who that is?

Mr. Hyde—same here.

Hawley Griffin—the invisible man and mad scientist from the novel of the same name by Herbert Georg Wells Alan Quartermain.

Alan Quartermain—the hero of Haggard's "King Solomon's Mine"; essentially the American Indiana Jones from an era when Harrison Ford's grandfather was still just a twinkle in a milkman's eye.

Mina Murray—one of the central heroines in Stoker's Dracula (Mina Harker).

The idea of me being interested is strong, even if I haven't managed to track down and read the comic strips yet. I have a soft spot for steampunk; I devoured Wells, Doyle, and Vernea as a kid, and neither Haggard nor Stoker are strangers to me. I'll go see the film, if only because I enjoy steampunk and alternative history, and I'm fairly tolerant of trash as long as it's fun and has style. Still, I should probably try to get my hands on those comics.

http://members.tripod.com/~sonofthelizardking/cheat.jpg

casualotter21 said:YOK. The movie is (somewhat, unfortunately) an adaptation of an Alan Moore comic strip. Conceptually, the strip is similar to X-Menu but with a delightfully Victorian steampunk twist: the story takes place in an alternate 19th century where a massive steel bridge connects the United States and France over the English Channel, zeppelins are as common as cars are to us, Martians from H. G. Wells' war planet are planning an invasion of Earth, while Cavor is busy whipping up Cavorite in his lab, and characters like Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Fu Manchu, Dracula, and a whole host of other figures from Victorian literature actually exist...

Alan Quartermain—the hero from Haggard's "King Solomon's Mine"; kind of like an American Indiana Jones from back when Harrison Ford's grandfather was still just a twinkle in a milkman's eye.

I mean, I think the idea is great, even if I admittedly never managed to track down and read the actual comic strips. I love steampunk; I practically inhaled Wells, Doyle, and Vernea when I was a kid, and neither Haggard nor Stoker are strangers to me. I’ll probably go see the film, if nothing else just because I love steampunk and alternative history. I’m pretty tolerant of trash as long as it’s fun and has some style. Still, I really should try to get my hands on the comics.

http://members.tripod.com/~sonofthelizardking/cheat.jpg

Now that you've laid all that out, I feel like maybe I've heard something similar or perhaps even seen a trailer... who knows. 😕

It doesn't sound too bad, though... I guess, like you said, "if the trash has style and is fun."

But seriously, where on Earth did they dig up Quatermain...😁 😁 😁....LOL.
Is Sharon Stone in this somewhere too? 🙂

Oh yeah, that link isn't working. It just dumps me onto some empty Tripod page.

A dedicated fan site for the works of Alan Moore.

casualotter21 said:Mina Murray—one of the leads in Stoker's Dracula. (Mina Harker)

I don't think she was even in the comic strip, but this is Hollywood. What kind of Hollywood movie would they make without some hot femme fatale or a Vampire who can stroll around in the daylight? It’s going to be trash...

rapidstag74 said:I don't think she was even in the comic, but this is Hollywood—what kind of movie would it be without some hot vampire walking around in broad daylight? It’s going to be a disaster...

I beg to differ, sir! Based on what I managed to glean from an article in Wired and a few dead links floating around the web, she actually *is* an essential part of the story. It's just that, unlike the movie version, she isn't some action-hero vampire in the original; she's just a regular woman. Honestly, that's one change from the source material that doesn't bother me at all. 😁

On the other hand, they turned Griffin into some random invisible man, tossed in Dorian Gray (which I can live with), and then added Tom Sawyer (WTF?!!).

I stand corrected. 😁

No, according to www.thetrailertrash.com, this movie is worse than Blade II, and I trust thetrailertrash.com. I was there and read that Mina walks around during the day http://www.thetrailertrash.com/summerscorecard3.html

casualotter21 said:Then again, they basically turned Griffin into some generic version of the invisible man.

I honestly think it was just a copyright thing; they probably weren't allowed to use the hero's actual name.

Justin Patel 56 said:Hey, can anyone tell me where I could pick up any comic strips by Moore here in Washington, D.C.?

morecomics

They have 7 of his comic strips. Along with The Avengers, I’d definitely recommend checking out Watchmen and V for Vendetta too. The prices are pretty reasonable.

You might want to check them out here as well.

grandpa the du du monkey said:Morecomics

He has 7 of his comic strips. Along with The Avengers, I’d definitely suggest checking out Watchmen and V for Vendetta. The prices are actually quite reasonable.

you could also take a look over here

One hundred and twenty bucks for the first issue of LoEG? I'm not so sure about that... For eighty bucks, I could probably just pick up a book at Algorithm... though it might be worth making the trip to Morecomics. If I manage to survive another year of college, I might actually get around to it.

Well $40 that sounds reasonable. On the Mississippi River, it comes out to about $21 including shipping. You might be able to snag one used, though from what I can tell, they’re pretty hard to find around here lately.

For those $40, you're scoring the entire Volume 1 run—that’s the first six issues—plus a gallery of covers, some extra goodies, and even "Allan and the Sundered Evil" (which is a written story with some illustrations, not a comic itself). Honestly, it’s a steal. If you just want a sneak peek at the art style, there’s one issue from Volume 2 over at More Comics, but fair warning: once you see it, you're gonna be dying for 🙂
. Volume 1 is killer—it’s this pure, old-school adventure set in a steampunk world. It doesn't try too hard, isn't tacky, and definitely avoids that childish vibe you might get from the movie. Moore is top-tier, and the artwork? Absolutely stunning. Scenes like the Nautilus surfacing for the first time actually take your breath away.

By the way, Mina is totally fine walking around in broad daylight in the comics. In Volume 1, she’s basically just an ordinary woman, though she always wears a scarf or something to cover her neck. I haven't really kept up with how her character evolves down the line.

You can also find Watchmen in the algorithm for $63 (More Comics should have it listed for $160, though I didn't see it on the shelves myself, so go check if you're interested), but honestly, skip it if you aren't a fan of superheroes. Plus, it doesn't feel nearly as revolutionary today as it did when it first dropped, mostly because everything since then has been ripping it off.

As for the movie, it looks like it'll be a fun ride, and frankly, that’s enough for me. Yeah, it’s going to be pretty different from the graphic novel, but who cares?

amberfalcon172 said:As far as the movie goes, Forspän looks like it'll be entertaining enough, and that’s all I care about. Sure, it's going to stray from the comic, but who cares?

Americans will take anything with even a shred of depth—and in American comics, "depth" just means you don't have characters getting slaughtered for thirty-five pages straight to make room for ten ads—and turn it into some kind of vampire kung-fu mess.

BTW
The story is set in 1899, yet the characters are driving convertibles. Let's call that "creative liberty."

So, if you've got any other comic recommendations, hit me with them! I'm open to anything.

Hmm, you should definitely check out Sandman and/or Preacher. I've also heard good things about Outlaw Nation.

rapidstag74 said:BTW
The whole thing takes place in 1899, yet the characters are cruising around in convertibles. Let's just call it creative liberty.

I mean, yeah, they added cars (even though they aren't in the actual comic), but honestly, it wouldn't be that weird for a world where this kind of stuff happens. Though, realistically, they probably should have gone with steam-powered engines or some kind of crazy hovercar—something equally out there. But hey, when you've got massive submarines and giant flying zeppelins flying around, a car is the least of anyone's problems. 🙂

As for comic recommendations—totally off-topic, I know, but let me throw my two cents in...

First off, Bone. It’s probably the best comedic fantasy series you can find in any medium right now. And it’s actually the perfect time to jump in because the series should be wrapping up by the end of this year (three trilogies, totaling 9 books or 55 issues, plus 2 extra books that sit outside the main plot. You can grab everything at Barnes & Noble; the first four volumes are even available in paperback).

Next, if you're into solid space operas, check out The Metabaron Saga. Also over at Barnes & Noble. I haven't read it myself, but word is it's absolutely mind-blowing.

If we're talking Moore's work at Barnes & Noble or Amazon, you've also got Prometheus, Top 10, The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones, Tom Strong... I think he might even have Swamp Thing lying around somewhere. I don't know, maybe more (plus the usual suspects like V for Vendetta, Watchmen, and The Avengers, obviously). Everything is worth a look. Just Google them if you want to dig deeper; I really don't feel like typing a whole encyclopedia here.

Sandman and Preacher are absolute musts. You can find them both at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. I haven't tackled Preacher yet, but for Sandman, you might actually be better off starting with the second volume. You can always circle back to the first one later, but if you start there, it might actually turn you off the rest of the series because it's a bit different (and arguably worse) than what follows. All the setup from the first book is pretty much recapped in the intro to the second, so you won't be lost. Gaiman (the creator of Sandman) is still one of the most imaginative and gifted writers in the game, so definitely give him a shot if you like a good story.

One of the sleeper hits this year was 30 Days of Night. It’s about this tiny town in Alaska where the polar night sets in—meaning the town is stuck in darkness for 30 straight days. When the night finally hits, a pack of vampires descends on the place and starts a massacre, leaving an old sheriff and his wife as the only things standing in their way. (Sheriff? 🙂). I haven't read it yet, but I ordered it, and you'll probably need to hunt it down too since it's hard to find locally.

If you want a more serious take on superheroes, you usually pair Watchmen with Miller's The Dark Knight Returns (available at Barnes & Noble)—another legend that basically redefined the genre back in the mid-80s. I’d also highly recommend Enigma. It's a brilliant Milligan and Fogelson story and hands down my favorite superhero comic ever. Honestly, it isn't even a "superhero" book in the traditional sense; by the end, everything flips on its head and gets explained in a way that's almost entirely rational. It used to be stocked at Amazon; you could probably ask someone to track it down for you.

Of course, "unserious" superhero comics can be great too, provided they're well-made. There's plenty of that stuff over at Barnes & Noble.

[Just a quick heads-up regarding Amazon: they sometimes put used or slightly damaged comics on the shelves without labeling them. They're priced lower than the mint copies, so watch out—I've been burned twice already. Not that it's a huge deal, since I saved some cash and they usually don't look that beat up, but keep an eye out. I'm not sure if they're actually used copies or if they just got banged up during shipping.]

Alright, if you’re looking to get into the heavy stuff, check out Maus over at Algorithm. It’s a two-part epic about the Holocaust, and honestly, most critics treat it like the absolute pinnacle of what graphic novels can achieve. It even snagged a Pulitzer, though I still need to actually sit down and read it myself.

You can find something somewhat similar at Midtown Comics called The Siege of Sarajevo: War in the North America 1992-95, but they don't seem to have it in stock anymore, so you'll probably have to order it online. It's journalism in comic form—super precise, intense, heartbreaking, but also manages to be human and even a bit witty. Honestly, it hits harder than most non-fiction books written about conflicts in that region. It’s a beautiful comic about a horrific subject.

While you're browsing Algorithm, you could also grab Pedro & Me. It’s a true story about a guy who took part in an MTV reality show called Real Life, where he meets Pedro Zamora, a young man living with AIDS, and ends up becoming his friend. Supposedly, it’s incredibly moving.

Now, if you want something truly special, just order Cages by Dave McKean. Just a heads-up: be prepared to cough up $133 a serious chunk of change for a massive, 400-page hardcover. It is hands down the most magnificent piece of comic art I’ve ever physically held—pure high art in every single frame. It’s also definitive proof that the guy who wrote that review of The Avengers on TrailerTrash was a complete moron.😛

Anyway, I won't ramble on forever—there’s plenty more good stuff at Midtown and Algorithm (think Tintin, The Crow, Amy Racecar, Hate... etc.). Just wander through those shops, see what catches your eye, and then do some digging online or just ask the clerks. Personally, I am feeling... sleeeeepyyyy...