[Rev] End of Month Reviews - June 2004

[Jesse Willey]

>      As is typical for Martin's work this story uses - and builds - on 
> quite a bit of past continuity. However, in addition to all the nostalgia 
> references there are also moments of satire. Particular favourites of 
> mine were the reference in part 1 of the way that stories so often seem 
> to depict alt.universes as much worse than the mainstream setting; and 
> the LOL acknowledgement that the XXXLooniverse doesn't seem to have 
> anyone under the age of 18 years old, and in any case no one risks 
> getting pregnant there despite all the sexual shenanigans.



>      As is typical for Martin's work this story uses
> - and builds - on 
> quite a bit of past continuity. However, in addition
> to all the nostalgia 
> references there are also moments of satire.
> Particular favourites of 
> mine were the reference in part 1 of the way that
> stories so often seem 
> to depict alt.universes as much worse than the
> mainstream setting; and 
> the LOL acknowledgement that the XXXLooniverse
> doesn't seem to have 
> anyone under the age of 18 years old, and in any
> case no one risks 
> getting pregnant there despite all the sexual
> shenanigans.

  My theory always was that they had kids and just sent them to
another earth to part of a hit cartoon called 'LNH Babies'.  Baby
Ultimate Ninja, Baby Sing Along Lass, Baby Cheesecaker Eater Lad...
and my personal favorite Baby Old Comics Man. They have super hero
like adventures in their imaginations.  but that's just me.  Martin,
if you actually write this (cause I won't) I want my name on the
credits.
 
> Vel #-5 through -2
> 'The Man I Never Was'  parts 1 through 4
> A Legion of Net.Heroes [LNH (LNH/LNH2)] miniseries
> By Jesse Willey
>  
>      Just a quick reminder on formatting for the casual reader: the 
> numbering on this series runs backwards from the negatives to zero.

   There may, at sometime in the future, be a Vel #1.  I don't know.

>      The half-human half-Dorf Vel is working as a disgruntled lab 
> assistant to Doctor Stomper, but leaves after a disagreement. Both the 
> Legion and Regal 13 are sent to capture him. In part 2 it becomes 
> apparent that there are two versions of Vel, while in part 3 one version 
> of Vel (the ex-lab assistant) and the net.heroine Jailbait are whisked 
> through a portal to the Dorfian homeworld some 5,000 years in the past. 
> Part 4 sees Vel and Jailbait surviving in harsh conditions, ending in a 
> cliffhanger when Vel is confronted with an accusation of murdering Johnny 
> Stomper from what is presumably the LNH2 future.

   Yep, issue #-1 and #0 were written BEFORE Mirror Cracked.  The
whole timeporter idea was mine.  Martin just borrowed it and released
it to the public before I did.  But that's okay... because he said so
in the credits.
   
>      Even before we get to the fight scenes, there's a lot of material 
> for dramatic conflict here. Especially in the first issue Vel comes 
> across more as a disgruntled teenager (angst and a grungy bedroom) than 
> as an alien psychotic, and there's a lot that can be done with his 
> confusion over his half breed identity (should he be civilised or is he 
> the monster that the security forces treat him as?)

   Or is he both?   Should he have to give up one aspect of himself in
order to 'fit in' to a society.  It's an aspect of the character that
really came as a surprise to me.  Because if you look at Flame Wars
VI, he is knowledgable in Dorfan language and culture, but is highly
articulate.  He doesn't necessarily care for it.  He likes pizza and
root beer, and skateboarding... and just wait till you find out what
his favorite movie is.  He can be as a decent and caring as any other
human.  But at the same time, part of him is a raging vicious animal. 
That part not only makes him a dorf... but human as well.


> I initially also had troubles with Ultimate Ninja's over-the-top
> characterisation, but the teaser questions for #-4 suggests that this is a
> plot point, so I would advise readers to simply persevere on that front.

  Yep.   All the clues start coming together next issue.