I applaud you, David.

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So freakin true

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That made me laugh, too.

....gonna seriously piss some others off, though.

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Bah. The truth stings.

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Right on!

Unfortunately very true. To match the quality of the Devil's Due output, especially America's Elite, all they have to do is blindfold Larry Hama, tie one hand behind his back, and give him a ouija board then take notes.

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I suppose there is some truth in this, but on the flip side, look what happened with the Reloaded series. They changed a lot about the characters and people hated it too. Keep it the same, people hate it. Change it, people hate it. No matter what, people hate it. But then again, some like it. So far I like the new book. Can't say I really cared for Reloaded though.

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I think the thing is, you can change the story and change characters, but you have to have some depth and feeling to them. Reloaded failed at this. I can't speak for everyone, but the reason I didn't care for it was that the characters went from being somewhat unique to cookie-cutter representations of every other pseudo-military comic book out there. That and killing people just to be killing people, instead of using it to drive the story, were my two big gripes with the last couple of attempts at a Joe comic. I haven't seen the new comic (local shop doesn't carry it, and after Reloaded and AE, I just couldn't bother myself to track it down), but if it really tries to give some characterization, I wouldn't care if it made Duke a closet transvestite and Snake-Eyes some burn-out junkie who imagines himself the greatest ninja on the planet while really being a reject who never even made the cut.

As someone who loves joe lore in a passing way (i like to hear about new characters, and stories just not enough to substitute somebody else's day to day happenings with the characters for my imagination)

as far as I can tell, Larry Hama was a good writer who was saddled with selling kids toys, and products in a creative way. I.e. you need an accountant in a bird suit because you think Birdman sells? Ok, here ya go

Thanks Larry.

I mean I guess what are they trying to do? Sell the same lore to the same generation 20 years removed from their childhood and the illusion that Destro can actually breath in that thing, or get a new generation hooked on the story with the same sort of,
"oh a Wrestler is popular? Here is Sgt. Slaughter," or "Rocky 4 you say? How about Big Boa," and "Miama Vice is Chuckles stuff?"

I don't know. Write a Vin Diesel into the story somewhere. Make hi tech killer mercenaries.

It just depends on what the overall goal of the people paying the checks is for the line and thereby the lore. The writers IMHO probably have little leeway into the overall strategy, I could be wrong though.

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Don't forget, Larry is actually writing the origins book along side these guys.

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Willis is a Transformers guy, and we all know that those fans are all whackjobs, so what does he know? ......

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The truth.

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Which part, Transformers fans being whackjobs, or Dave Willis knowing the truth?

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Transformers fans are whackjobs obviously. Oh and Dave Willis too, becsue he's a Transfan. Or Transcollectual if you like.

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Sure, a Navy Seal with a penchant for racing cars, is good with weapons, likes silver sunglasses, great with kids, and wants to get into voice-over work once he gets out of the military.

Let's see, how about a suitable codename.

Can't use Triple X, people will think he's a former Bond girl...

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