Has anyone here been watching this show? I have, and it’s been pretty good so far. I’m surprised no one has started a discussion of it yet, but I’m particularly surprised after this week’s episode (which I watched just last night). The fourth episode, “City of Heroes,” deals with comic books and New York City, both pre- and post-9/11, and a newspaper article by Andrew Smith, our own Captain Comics, is prominently featured in one shot. These are the episode that have aired so (with the fifth set for Monday, December 4):
Episode 1: “The Mighty Misfits Who Made Marvel”
Episode 2: “The Truth About Wonder Woman”
Episode 3: “The Trials of Superman”
Episode 4: “City of Heroes”
Episode 5: “The Color of Comics”
Episode 6" "Image Comics: Declaration of Independents"
Kudos to Andrew for the nation-wide shout out on AMC!
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I never knew this existed. I'm going to record it beginning with episode 5. The first four are available on demand. I'll begin watching them shortly.
I'm just hearing about this myself. Sounds interesting.
I saw the first one, which was fine. There just really wasn't anything in it I didn't already know, and I'm not even a Marvel fan. And part of the second one. I knew something about Marsten's history, but there were details I didn't know. So for me it's pretty well done, but not especially compelling. I should check out the one on coloring, though.
I found that each episode has revealed something to me I didn't know before. I like discussing it with my wife. I knew much of the Seigal & Shuster case and Tracy knew some of it. "The Trials of Superman" brought tears of rage to her eyes. She was physically shaking at the injustice of it. "City of Heroes" gave me a whole new perspective on Marvel's first Civil War. The interviews often give me cuse to rethink my opinions (preconceived notions) about certain creatiors (mostly writers). "The Truth About Wonder Woman" made me regret procrastinating seeing Doctor Marston and the Wonder Women in the theater. It didn't do well and wasn't lout for long, but I still want to see it. The DVD is slated for JAnuary release, I believe. There are also vintage clips and viseos and interviews and the like I have never seen before. I find it well worth my time.
"I should check out the one on coloring, though."
I gather that one's going to be about ethnic and racial diversity in comics.
I was aware of it through commercials on other AMC shows (The Walking Dead, for example), and set my DVR to record it. There's so much to watch, though, that I haven't gotten around to it. After next week most of the shows I watch are on hiatus until mid-January, so I'll have a chance then.
Monday’s episode was not about racial diversity in general; it was about the history of DC’s “Milestone” imprint in particular. If I have learned at least something from every episode so far, I learned a whole lot about Milestone I never knew before. As with many new lines from the ‘80s or ‘90s, I wasn’t particularly interested in following a whole new flight of comics. I bought a few of the first issues, all of the “World’s Collide” and that’s about it. Years later I bought most of the run of Icon at a quarter sale, but I never got around to reading them. After watching "The Color of Comics" I just might.
I missed Milestone back in the 1990's so it was interesting afterwards to follow up on the imprint. I've since had the opportunity to read both Icon and Static, and I'd say they are well worth your while.
Of the three I've seen so far, the Wonder Woman episode was the one I learned the most in. The Siegel/Shuster episode was good, but at the same time, skipped important beats like Sheldon Meyer's involvement with the purchase and early years of publishing Superman, and Jerry Robinson's involvement in the efforts to get Siegel & Shuster recognized. Both men should have gotten at least a mention, and it would have been nice to hear the names of some of the other artists Siegel & Shuster brought into their studio, too.
I don't have much enthusiasm to see the 9/11 episode, but will keep it on the DVR for a while. The Milestone episode is one I'm sure I'll learn a lot about -- and am really grateful to have a show focusing on it. I hope this show gets another season, where it can get granular about a few more topics. (A Batman-focused show seems like a lock for the second season, if there is one. For a more esoteric episode, I'd love to see one about the shift from the newsstand to the direct market, too, capped off by the more recent rise of digital comics.)
Episode 6 will be about the birth of Image comics.
"I don't have much enthusiasm to see the 9/11 episode..."
It's really more NYC-centric than it is 9/11-centric, but after building a case that Metropolis and Gotham are NYC (not to mention Marvel's NYC), the episode had to address how 9/11 was reflected in comics. that's not the main thrust of the episode, but there is some footage of that day.
I'm all caught up through episode 5. They have all been good. In most of the episodes I don't learn a lot of new information, but I'm glad they are presenting it for those who know little. The Milestone episode provided me with the most new information. The Siegel/Shuster episode probably left out some details because there was so much information to cram into the episode. There were missing details in others also, but what is presented is accurate. I'm looking forward to the Image episode (is this the last?) and also hope it returns for a second season.
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