REVIEW: Russell's Reviews Volume One # 5

[Lalo Martins]

Also spracht Tom Russell (Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:35:48 +0000):
>    Now, I've come up with LNH story ideas since then,
> but I don't really know how they'd fit into the grand scheme of things. 
> I find myself with ideas that I'm afraid to execute.  And, though I'm
> not going to name names, I know from private conversations that I'm not
> the only one suffering from this kind of paralysis.
...
>    Now, the LNH will certainly persevere.  After Beige
> Midnight, the status quo will probably change back to something
> resembling "normal" for the Looniverse.  No more superhero registration
> nonsense, no more leadership crises, no more continuity porn.  And what
> I'm basically going to do is I'm going to wait it out.
>  When things get back to normal, I'm certain that my
> love for the Legion, both as a reader and a writer, will return.  But
> that's still some ways off.

Well... since we're already having a bit of fun making a DC-like 
continuity mess (58.5 being posted at the same time as Beige Countdown, 
skipping issues, skipping a whole year for that matter)... feel free to 
just start placing your stories after Beige Midnight.  I don't see a 
problem with that.

The LNH/Looniverse is what you make of it.  It wasn't wReam's when he was 
at his top, it isn't Arthur's, and most certainly it isn't mine (being 
relatively a newcomer).

> 58.5 # 21 [JAN 27, 2008], Martins
...

Thanks for the very detailed review, it was much appreciated, and the 
good points raised were noted.  The funny part is, the second half of the 
"Beige Twilight" arc already has recap boxes.  (It's mostly already 
written, but I don't think it's a good idea to post 6 issues in a week!)  
I suppose I'll add one to issue 23 too, then (which is the next one to be 
posted).  It just dawned on me last week -- and it's exactly what you 
make your main point of -- that someone might pick it up from this point 
and not have all the background.

Most of all, I'm happy that you still found it enjoyable, despite all the 
problems with lack of context.  I hope you can find the time to keep 
reading it, although with your time constraints and the schedule I'm 
planning to post it from now on, I understand it might be hard.

And as Arthur said -- it's not really related to Beige Midnight, although 
there are a few connections now and then.  It's just some good fun I'm 
having, using Infinite April as a playground -- the concept of a "year in 
a month" in which most of the LNH is absent, allowing me to explore the 
consequences of a world without them.  Something like the Evilverse 
invasion would probably have been kicked out really fast if the heavy 
hitters were around; and that is, although I don't say so explicitly at 
any point, the very reason why they decided to invade.  "Wow, here's an 
universe where the LNH is missing!  Let's take it over before they come 
back, mwahahaha!"

There's some irony here, I guess.  In my first go at the LNH, I was 
severely impaired by a fear of misusing characters (like you don't have 
time to read all of 58.5, I could never possibly find the time to read 
all the LNH stories ever posted).  And when I did use an existing 
character (New Look Lass in Minority Miss), I messed it up pretty bad.  
So I guess I could say, the ideas of having a big cross-over with well-
defined players, of having a period where most "important" characters are 
away, and of having the authors list, were very encouraging and a big 
component of making me get to writing again.  So I guess -- good and 
bad :-) as in most things.

best,
                                               Lalo Martins
-- 
      So many of our dreams at first seem impossible,
       then they seem improbable, and then, when we
       summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
                           -----
                  http://lalomartins.info/
GNU: never give up freedom              http://www.gnu.org/