Here's a gentle reminder that The Girl in the Bay #3—with art by the wonderful Corin Howell—is out from Dark Horse/Berger Books on April 3rd.
And, on that very same day, you can pick up the cosmic conclusion of IDW's Impossible, Incorporated, with art by one of my all-time favorite collaborators, Mike Cavallaro.
I'm very proud of both these series and I hope you'll check them out. (And, yes, there will be collected editions coming soon: I.I. in May and Girl in August.)
All that having been said, I doubt anything will truly match the original TZ, aside from being Serling's vision, there are a lot of variables.
ReplyDeleteActing styles were different in TV, movies, and radio back ten (more attune to the theater), they adapted workd by prose writers, and even tapped them to write for the show. Sci-Fi was just starting to be a thing, so there was more leeway. Smaller budgets pushed for more character.
Still... if the feel can be approached, we shall soon see.
Jack
Smaller budgets forced them to depend more on suggestion, leaving the viewers imaginations to fill in the blanks. Which is incredibly effective.
DeleteI'll be watching tonight to see how this new version plays.
I hope my Twilight Zone response went through, but while we are talking about symbolic tomes...
ReplyDeleteDenny O'Neil wrote an interesting story that I believe was a comment about how Batman has become too brutal in recent years, in issue 1000 of Detective comics.
Seems up your alley.
Jack
If there was a TZ comment other than the one above, Jack, it never got through. Sorry!
DeleteDenny's story does indeed sound "up my alley"!
Good God, my computer sucks.
DeleteSo two didn't make it through/.
My analysis on the new Twilight ZOne...
I'll probably wait until the whole season is done to watch it, and take advantage of the one week free trial.
However they did put up the first episodeon the Youtube.
Having seen only one epidoe, I can speak only to that, and not the rest of the season (the vast majority unreleased).
So, "The Comedian"...
It certainly looked like a Twilight Zone episode. It was shot very well.
It was pretty good, the ending was predictable, but I always say that is fine as long as the ride getting there is enjoyable.
I have pros and cons about the episode, but there is one that makes me think there could be an issue.
It felt a little flabby. I think making it an hour was a mistake.
Obviously, ,this could have changed in later episodes, but this is the one they led with. It is also important to note that teh original TZ was an hour long for one season.
While there are some episodes in those seasons I really like, even they could stand to lose some time.
I'm not sure you can get that one-two punch in that time period.
All said, I more or less enjoyed the episode. I think the worst case scenario is that it will be like the 1980s and 2002 versions (one that deserves a little more love), an enjoyable anthology that falls a bit short of teh TZ.
BUT, it could reach those hights... or as much as possible. It is still early.
I AM at least interested in the rest of the season.
Jack
The second episode that aired last night was just a little over thirty minutes, so it seems they're using different lengths, depending on the story, which is also what the 80s ZONE did.
DeleteI think that the ideal TZ works at the shorter length.
As I said to David, elsewhere on this page, I'm going to wait to see more episodes; don't want to draw a conclusion about the series based on just two stories. But I'll absolutely be watching, so that says something right there.
Too bad they can't do 'em in black and white.
They can do them in black and white, its legal.
DeleteLike I said, I am at least interested in seeing the rest.
Jack
I think using modern cinematography techniques and doing the episodes in black and white would be pretty amazing.
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing what they have coming.
I'm not sure how modern they are, and I mean that literally, I don't know.
DeleteThere was a certain Film Noir vibe to the Comedian, which was also present in several of the old TZs.
Most notably, it reminded me of "Passage of a Trumpet," and "The Dummy," which admittedly may have been subconscious, since all three have to do with the dark side of show business.
But, all three used close up shots, made good use of the grittiness to the city outside with back alleys, and back stage areas that were a far cry teh glamour they of showbiz, and after hours where entertainers were visibly defeated.
And I mean that, visibly. It was done a little different, but it was done all the same.
There was focus on how the buildings they performed them engulfed them, making them their real world, with teh out side seeming alien.
Admittedly, as a Film Noir fan, I have seen a lot of such tricks done a lot of times. Not a knock, they are used a lot for a reason, they are effective.
Interesting side notes. Narrator/producer Jordan Peele's former comedy Partner, Detroit native Keegan Michael Key, shares a birthday with (among other notable people) TZ mainstay William Shatner. He is also Dwayne McDuffie's half-brother.
Jack
William Shatner to Keegan Michael Key to Dwayne McDuffie. That's quite a chain!
DeleteI think they've done a great job capturing the tone of the original series. The production values are amazing, but used in service of suspense, suggestion and character development. Especially "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet"--the cinematography is phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteThey also struck the right balance of gravity, optimism and levity IMO. That's what will really separate TZ from other anthologies on the market, which tend to be bleak and cynical by comparison.
On a critical note, the profanity (especially in "The Comedian") was unnecessary and was the only thing that felt off about the tone. When you read interviews with all the people involved with the show, they seem to always gush about how much they loved it as children, so I'm kind of baffled as to why they would exclude that audience.
On another note, the intro changes "between the summit of man's knowledge and the pit of man's fears" to "between the summit of one's knowledge and the pit of one's fears." I approve of making it gender neutral, but I'll admit I always thought in this context "man's knowledge" and "man's fears" was meant as a universal term. So I think it might have been more accurate to switch to "between the summit of human knowledge to the pit of humanity's fears." But that's just how I always read the line, and it's not a big deal. My argument is that the Twilight Zone is a PERSONAL experience, but a UNIVERSAL possibility.
--David
I'm going to reserve judgment until I see a few more episodes, David; but good to know you liked it.
DeleteI totally missed the change in the intro speech. You've got good ears!
On another note, it looks as though tomorrow is a good day to be a J M DeMatteis fan and a bad day to be my wallet. :)
Delete--David
It's just two books...unless there's something else I don't know about!
DeleteJust the two that I know of. You'll forgive me for being hyperbolic. Seriously, though, it's a great day for comics. Look forward to reading them after work tomorrow.
Delete--David
You're forgiven, David! Hope you enjoy our IMPOSSIBLE finale and the penultimate GIRL IN THE BAY.
DeleteThere's so much to talk about regarding IMPOSSIBLE, INC. but I don't want to get too spoiler-y. So I'll just say that I really love the intersection of sci-fi and mysticism. It is a beautiful story with heroes who are explorers/adventurers seeking creative non-violent solutions to the problems they encounter. I love that. The names for places and concepts are brilliant, taking complex ideas and boiling them down to their purest essence while simultaneously enlarging their scope. Mike's art gets to the heart of everything being expressed and pops off the page. And the resolutions to the various conflicts are clever and satisfying.
Delete--David
Thank you so much, David! You clearly got out intentions for the series.
DeleteI'm hoping the collected edition does well enough to warrant more stories.
Fingers crossed!