I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like the Bendis/Maleev run, it got me hooked on Daredevil and now has him as one of my favorite characters.

I think each writer has his specialties, I have followed some writers to new titles where I didn't like much of their new stuff :

• Loeb's run in Marvel is a far cry from his work at DC.
• Millar's run on Fantastic Four was not so great, but his Ultimates is amazing.
• Brubaker's Daredevil didn't compare to Bendis, but I really like his Xmen run.

Honestly, the only writer who I have enjoyed 100% of the time is Peter David.

I like the Hood and Sentry. It did take me a looong time to warm up to Bob, especially with the ending to WWH. Now each time I see Bob it has me wondering how long until that ticking time bomb goes off, so good.

Now this I completely agree with...

I wish I could say the same. His Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man and She-Hulk were dreadful.

I tend to find I've never read anything from Kurt Busiek that I didn't like (Avengers, Thunderbolts, Conan, Superman).

First, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who enjoys Bendis's work. And second, I'll explain why.

It was the X-Men that got me into comics, primarily a short one with claws. Well, combine four years of military school in BFE Alabama and a few more years with a woman who only would have independent 'goth' comics in her home, and imagine my surprise when I see an ad for an upcoming 'New' Avengers book. I looked at the silhouetted figures and clearly pick out Cap and Iron Man, so I start to think 'What makes this new? It's the same-' my thought is cut off by two of the silhouettes. First, I see what is most likely Spider-Man(another favorite at the time. OMD turned me off of him, though). Next, I see that short, clawed member of the X-Men. I'm officially sold and reading through Disassembled to see why a 'New' Avengers team is needed.

Fast forward to a year or so into the book's run. I'm now actually enjoying the characters who I couldn't have given two ####s about(Luke Cage, Jessica Drew) as much as the ones I was picking up the book for in the first place(Wolverine, Spider-Man). I soon started reading other Bendis stuff. Did I like everything I read from every single book? No(Ultimate Deadpool was a travesty and House of M had so much wasted potential). However, he managed to keep me wowed with everything else. Is this how everyone is going to react? No. And that's part of what makes us 'us'.

Oh, one more thing? Mark Millar was the mastermind behind Civil War, not Bendis.

First Bendis writes a crappy story, and doesn't understand why it isn't loved.

Then he bothers to generate a crappy reason WHY people didn't like it (other than the actual fact that it was awful).

This is obnoxious to the nth degree.

'Hey guys - I finally self-critiqued, and totally understand why you weren't happy - its fixed now.'

No soul-searching necessary - it was bad.

While we're at it, trying to write 'teen-Tarantino' dialogue in every issue, or having Spidey say 'Oy' all the time don't 'further your art' either.

Bendis has a good story or two in him per month. He seems to stretch his quality out pretty evenly among all his titles, with a noticeable drop when he is writing many titles.

He's also too event-driven for my taste. He seemed to have his idea for USM 100 by USM 40, and then mailed in 60 issues to 'build up' to an 'event' that was disappointing. Secret Invasion was a similarly interesting idea, spread too thinly, with little regard for the actual event title.

I'll take Millar over Bendis any day. He knows when he's full of it.
...or Fraction - he has GREAT respect for the characters he takes over (Iron Man, Iron Fist).
...or Brubaker (extremely character- and detail-driven)

Just my opinion, of course, but Bendis' writing always seems too 'nudge-nudge-wink-wink' to me.

Millar is just so dang slow though in his writing. I find this true of many writers today, but Millar (while quite good in many respects, hey I enjoyed the Ultimates overall, and would likely buy a regular series) is abysmally slow in telling the story (and I don't mean getting issues out on time, that's a whole different kettle of fish). I mean the fact everthing is so deconstructed down to the nth degree you eventually start thinking 'when is this guy ever going to get to the point'.

Everything doesn't have to be a 6 or 12 (in Millar's case 13) issue arc. Plot out your story and tell it, if it comes in at 3 or 4 or 5, fine. If it comes in at 7 fine...

This is why I've been able to enjoy Busiek and Abnett and Lanning. They can do larger arcs, but they have a throw back to having stuff cooking on the back burner for a longer period while still kicking things up a notch in the actual issue. Some issues may be slow, some aren't, they pace it much better then many others (Fraction has done this on the few titles I've read by him as well).

Lots of different strokes/different folks support here. I'll side with Bendis. I know it's taboo to breach with many long-time Avengers fans but you might want to go back and reread the Busiek/Perez run from the 90s/early 2000s. It's dreadful in many, many ways: the heavy-handedness of the Triune Understanding and Triathalon (which still makes me wretch), Scarlet Witch and her Gypsy/Tramps/Thieves Hex magic that always seemed to do just what Kurt needed at the time, and the thread-bare Scarlet Witch/Vision/Wonder Man "love" triangle that just. Wouldn't. End. I stuck with it, but every month Avengers dropped a slot or two down my read pile.

I loved that Bendis upended the apple cart. Avengers became interesting to read again instead of just the same story tropes wrapped and rewrapped for us Avengers veterans. Avengers became the IT book for the Marvel U! And besides, it's comics. We knew than it would all circle back to where it was in time. It's taken awhile to get back to Thor/Iron Man/Cap, but I'm looking forward to the reunion. Each character is in a more interesting place now

BTW, I played Smokey Cap tonight in a 600 point tourney and he is incredibly fun. Nothing beats tossing his mighty shield over a building to whack two different targets for a click each (thanks AP!). He's my new favorite fig.

I find Peter David very, very consistent.

I never like his writing.

I am in agreement, in most of this! Joe Quesada has basically ruined Marvel Comics for me. For years now!! I have been collecting for 26 yrs now, Spider-Man my first comic ever, and he totally shot all that history away because he PERSONALLY didn't like Peter married.

Civil War, BND, and Planet Hulk all ended the same freakin' way! The Antagonist just "gave up!" What a load! Now they want to do "The Siege" starting next month?? Has anyone seen the preview for that? Lord it's an exact copy of what set off "Civil War!"

Now Secret Invasion wasn't too bad. Except a few points I was "hoping" for did not when everyone confronted each other in the Savage Land:

1: Hank McCoy, beast on our world... the stupid "cat beast freakin' Grant Morrison created" didn't turn out to be a Skrull. Morrison has ruined the X-Men to this very day!!

2: Spider-Man on our world. Was hoping he was a Skrull somehow switched out sometime after Peter and M.J. were married and then Spider-Man comics would be good again!

3: Hoping Emma Frost on our Earth was a skrull. See point #1; as her and beast seem to be the only 2 mutants with that "crappy 2nd mutation" around anymore. Angel loss his, and Morrison was quoted saying he did that to Emma so he could have a Colossus.

Now I thought The Avengers Disassembled was really good! Even though I hated Hawkeye dying, he went out as a hero. I liked this story so much, I even bought the Hardcover edition. The art was amazing besides. When New Avengers first came out, thought the same! The comments that Spider-Man would say were freakin' funny and awesome! :: everyone ends up naked in the Savage Land :: & while fighting the Wrecker :: watch out, tricycle! :: Just thought it was cool!

Now after Secret Invasion, rising the prices on The New Avengers and the new "Dark Avengers?" pft... &#^@! Joe Quesada! I read them at the stores lol. Don't waste the money. Got the first few issues of "Mighty Avengers," but got bored with that really quick.

Every time Marvel adds an extra buck on their titles, (like with the new Red Hulk launch), I drop the book! If they have to pay out extra for whomever is writing the book? Their problem for agreeing to it. I'm not going to pay it.

I personally believe if it wasn't for the jump that Marvel got in the "live action" movies, (and a few of them sucked!), they would be hurting more then they are now! JQ is bascially ruining them with his direction. Why titles are stopping, a lot of crappy one-shots are put out, along with limited series. They're trying to keep afloat. Hopefully Disney will see this and kick JQ out!

I still look at the New Avengers, they're not bad storywise. Just the art has dropped!

I actually read that Bendis idea for the whole Secret Invasion was supposed to be confined to the Avengers titles. BUT... per usual, Joe Quesada while on a retreat w/ the Marvel gang, decided that it should be a whole Marvel Universe event! Meaning more $$$$$.

I actually met both men at a Chicago Convention. Believe it was ... 2004? Anyway, Joe was a "you know what," while Bendis, even though he had to leave for a panel, came back with one other person (current artist on Uncanny X-Men I believe) from the whole table who said they would to sign comics, talk, and even let me take pics! He apologized to each of us, as there were about six of us left in the line when the whole group had to take off, and was very nice. He kept his word about coming back an hour later, at the end of the Con.

I agree with your miller points.

Again, I can't stand anything that Morrison does anymore! I still talk to people about D.C.'s "Final Crisis," and not a single one can make out what he was going for. Heck I've read the whole series three times, and it still doesn't make much sense! I joke with everyone saying, either Morrison has to hand out free samples of what he is smoking with every comic you buy which he writes; or ... they need to publish a book called, "How to Understand Grant Morrison's Writing!"


Anyone going to read "The Siege?"

Good points! Secret Invasion: Inhumans and even the other Inhuman limited series, (which escape my mind at the moment), in the years post SI were good. I usually do not follow the "cosmic" events.

As for the Beyonder, I remember riding my bike all the way into my small town to get the First Secret Wars from the only place that had comics. Some of the best covers I have ever seen in all my time collecting comics! Especially with Doom's armor all messed up, (Issue 10??).

What I did NOT like was Secret Wars two, when he was in that white disco suit lol. That kind of sucked.

What Bendis did to the Beyonder in "The Illuminati," ... eehhh, still not quite sure how I feel about that. I loved the whole Illuminati series, (wish they would touch back on the subject of the Infinity Gems aspect, who still had what ...especially during the Civil War and if Black Bolt was a skrull at the time)... but I kind of miss the whole "who is the beyonder" thing. I really liked him as a "cosmic enitity."

BTW, would like to see a "What If..?" story: "What if Thanos fought the Beyonder with the Infinity Gems?"

I am not certain that anyone has criticized Bendis on these forums more than I had about 3 years ago. I hated Avengers: Disassembled. There were a few other things he wrote around that time that turned me off. But what really upset me about him was a few interviews where he showed his disregard for a lot of things I liked. I also found him to be very arrogant.

Now, I read the Avengers in the late 80's for awhile. Around the time Dr. Druid was on the team and they were fighting Dire Wraiths-I believe after the Under Seige story line. My intrest did not last long.

The stories were boring, the characters were lame. I didn't want to read about most of them. Mantis, Dr. Druid, Triathalon, Jack of Hearts-these are not the Avengers I want to read about. I find them to be characters who dumb down the team.

My disclaimer: I am a person who likes mainstream heroes, and generally am more forgiving with villains. The more upper echelon the heroes are, the more I like them.

Another disclaimer: I am and have always been a fan of the X-Men. Around this time, there was no better comic as far as I was concerned. Claremont was a god among writers at that time. So the Avengers were at a severe disadvantage.

Fast foward to Avengers: Disassembled. I picked up this story because I was interested in how the Avengers were going to be torn apart. While the story serves its purpose, it was poorly done. Even as a non-Avenger fan, I could sense who awfully done this team's demise had been done. What a shame this was my first exposure to BMB.

As I stated, I read several things by BMB from around that time, and while it was hit and miss-most of what I read was miss.

I read some comments by Realmsers about New Avengers when it came out. Mostly by some who I have come to trust and who were critical of Bendis' work. I guess I was already intruigued because the line up for NA was impressive, by my standards.

I got the Breakout trade and was hooked! Desppite the talking heads moments and the lack of action at times, the book worked for me. It made the Avengers relevent to me, and showed me the importance of the Avengers in relation to the major events in the Marvel Universe.

I still believe he's a jerk. I also believe that he is overrated. But I won't deny that I like some of his work.

Oh God, my gag reflex just went off... :speechles