Hi, Stephen.
ST> From what I've seen flipping through the books in the comics
ST> shops, it looks like Joey's the only one LEFT anymore!!
DH> Ummm... I hate to tell you this, but as a direct result of events
DH> in the Trigon story (NTT Volume 2 #1-5), Jericho became "tainted"
DH> by Raven's darksoul and much later, ended up being the guy behind
DH> the whole "Titans Hunt" mess.  He was killed at that story's
DH> conclusion.
ST> That's too bad! He and Kole, along with perhaps Wonder Girl, were
ST> among the most appealing Titans...Donna for her clean good looks
ST> and healthy manner, Kole for her vulnerability and Joey for his
ST> gentleness.
     I must admit thatI never really liked Jericho that much.  I
thought he had an interesting power... but I never grew to appreciate
him as a character, in the same way I did other Titans characters.
Donna Troy, like all 5 of the original Teen Titans was always one of
my favorite characters in that book... and I'm interested in what they
choose to do with her next (apparently new super-powers are in her
future).  Since I absolutely refused to buy the Deluxe "New Teen
Titans" series when it came out (having invested a lot of time and
money in the original NTT book which was going to reprint those
stories a year on anyhow)...  I never really got much exposure to
Kole.  Next thing I know, she dies trying to protect the Earth-2 Robin
& Huntress from Shadow Demons (which she was unable to do... and all 3
perished) in the "Crisis On Infinite Earths" maxi-series.  Alas poor
Kole... I hardly knew ye.  Her crystal powers seem interesting (and
different) enough... but perhaps she didn't go over as big with Titan
fans as DC had hoped she would?  The only thing I know about her is
that she wasn't there very long.
ST> I hate to keep hearing how some of my favorite characters going
ST> bad or dying!
     Join the club...  My favorite DC characters were and still are
Batgirl & Aquaman.  Batgirl was crippled by the Joker back in "The
Killing Joke" one-shot (now she's Oracle)... and Aquaman is such a
dark, brooding character these days, that I find him almost
unrecognizable from when he was a member of the original Justice
League Of America (the hook on his left hand doesn't help either).  My
all-time favorite Marvel character, the original Swordsman, has been
dead for almost 25 years now.  Mantis (another of my favorites) was
last seen partnered with Kang the Conqueror... the villain the
Swordsman died protecting her from.  At least the Vision is still,
personality-wise, the Vision (and I like his new look too).  And the
Human Torch remains true-to-form too.
ST> Like I said, I stopped buying comic books regularly about 13 years
ST> ago and have next to no clue as to what's happening with my old
ST> buddies aside from what I hear secondhand. I can't believe 90% of
ST> what I'm hearing, either!
     To each his own, I suppose.  As much as I grew to love a number
of DC's books before the Crisis, it was rather exciting "getting in on
the ground floor" of their newly-amalgamated universe/continuity back
in the mid-to-late '80s.  IMO, it was a little like what it might've
been like for the fans who became interested in comics in the very
early 1960s (except, of course, it was only DC who revamped their
universe).  That's a big part of the reason I still prefer post-Crisis
DC to the pre-Crisis DC... I've been able to experience as much... or
as little as I wished to... and at cover price too!...
     A lot has been done with a lot of DC's older characters (and
Marvel's for that matter)... but I tend to see the changes,
specifically the changes to do with creating a new generation of
characters, as generally positive ones.  As I said before...  it's
difficult to the point of being impossible to make a new character
successful using an old name with the old incarnation(s) still around.
You'll notice that back in the '60s, DC didn't publish solo titles
featuring the golden age Flash, Green Lantern, Atom, Superman, Batman,
Wonder Woman or Hawkman.  I believe that was to force readers to
accept the silver age versions... and avoid it becoming a popularity
contest (which the newer versions may not've automatically won).
That's why I believe that whatever happens... Connor Hawke HAS to be
front-and-centre in any "Green Arrow" series DC publishes... even if
Ollie returns and they share the spotlight.  Ditto for Kyle Rayner in
"Green Lantern" and Wally West in "Flash".  I really liked the silver
age incarnations.  Heck, I loved the golden age incarnations too...
but I also really, genuinely like the modern age versions.  They HAVE
to be kept prominent in the DC Universe.  You can't bring Ollie back
and send Connor packing to his own solo book.  That won't work.  Older
fans will re-embrace Ollie's book... and abandon Connor's out of spite
(leading to it's cancellation, IMO).  I think if comics are to survive
in the long-term... we older fans have got to start embracing these
newer characters.  Otherwise, it's only going to be us supporting
them.  I believe we can't keep ramming our favorite old characters
down the throats of newer comic fans indefinitely... before they lose
interest completely.  Characters like Ollie Queen, Hal Jordan and
Barry Allen were a product of their time... just as are Connor Hawke,
Kyle Rayner and Wally West.  I wouldn't expect Hal & Ollie, should DC
decide to bring both back full-time, to stay relevant to the younger
crowd the way they did back in the late '60s & early '70s.  The
"Flower Power" mentality of Hal & Ollie is not the same as Generation
X.  That's why I think it's important that Kyle, Connor & Wally stay
prominent in the DC Universe (and not just in the Justice League).
ST> Whatever happened to the Barbara Walters-type, Bethany Snow, that
ST> was supposed to be one of his disciples??
     I don't honestly remember... which is to say, I remember the
character (vaguely)... but I don't know what happened to her.
DH> Mike Grell being inspired by Neal Adams is not, IMO, a bad thing.
ST> The way HE executed it, it was!! (g)
     Your opinion based on your taste in art.
DH> Grell being inspired by Neal Adams is not, IMO, a bad thing.  It
DH> may look like a "poor copy" to you... but to me it's what's called
DH> "personal style"... Mike Grell's personal style.
ST> It was NEAL ADAMS' personal style as filtered THROUGH Mike
ST> Grell!!!
     Making it Mike Grell's personal style.  Thanks for comin' out.
DH> unreasonable to me.  And Grell isn't the only Neal Adams-ish comic
DH> book artist out there either.
ST> Yes, but just about everybody ELSE did it better, (with the
ST> exception of Irv Novick, who was blander than dirt!) Mike Nasser,
ST> Berni Wrightson, Bill Graham, Frank Brunner....ALL did it better!!
     And you'll notice something about every single one of the artists
you named... none of their styles were either identical to Neal
Adams... nor were they identical to each other.  Each drew upon Neal
Adams for inspiration in different ways.  Whether some did it better
than others... well, that's a matter of personal opinion and taste.
     Actually I happen to like Irv Novick's art.  He was my favorite
silver age Flash artist...  and I always enjoyed seeing his name in a
comic's credits.  See... differing tastes.
DH> Second, just because their art style doesn't appeal to you...
DH> that hardly makes them "HACKS".  Dick Dillin is, was and always
DH> will
ST> OHHHHHH yes it does!!
     No it doesn't... not without an "IMO" in front of it.
Talk to you later.
David
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