So, recently learned that I still have all these issues from the 90's and have been reading through em. I really loved this series in High School and thought it was so badass and fun. But now.... eh.... not so much. DEFINITELY not as good as I remember. I'm not sure what the whole appeal of the series was besides, well, the art of the girls in the series. Is that the only reason it was popular?
From my perspective? Yes. When I was younger and lived a more sheltered life this was just about the closest I was able to get to porn... kinda pathetic, eh?
Seeing that the original series pretty much went kaput after Campbell left, I think we have our answer.
Gen 13 definitely started life as a T&A book, yeah. Personally, the only real interest I've ever had in it was Roxy's character design. I will say, though, that Adam Warren and Gail Simone's runs on some of the book's various incarnations were a lot of fun.
Most of Images work from the early 90s ran almost purely on the T&A + Gore factor. I mean seriously looking at most of those titles writing was not a high priority. I was a big Stormwatch ran, but mostly because some random character was going to die pretty much every issue.
Yeah, I think the main appeal of Gen13 was T&A and fan service...with the DV8 series adding gore to the mix. I think I read the first Gen13 series from issues 20 - 50 (or something like that) and the first year or so of DV8. They were OK at the time, but I doubt most of the stuff would have aged well. The exception, and the only Gen13 issues I still have, was a rather creative two-parter where Fairchild was pitted against a sentient pop song. Besides being a good story, it introduced me to the concept of "memes" long before that started to be a common term on teh internets.
They really haven't I still think I have of 1st issue of DV8 around. I love Humberto Ramos' work. Very exaggerated.
During the early 90's I think I collected every Image book. Gen 13 had a great artwork and good storyline. Plus they were kids of the Team 7 guys so that made it more interesting. I still have those comics till this day.
I mean a lot of the older comic books were really not that great just filling the standard comic book formula. So as the comics evolved and actually are more consistently better written( in general i mean) you see the faults of the older work. I agree the old Gen 13 was crap and it was prob as popular as it was because of the girls. But the standards of comics have changed over the years too.
Yea I love Ramos' art too and i think it has just gotten better over the years. I want to go back and read DV* because it is Ellis but im also afraid lol because of how bad it may be...
I genuinely feel that the Image years was a major set backwards at the time. The 80s had some pretty damn good storylines happening, but the 90s with its emphasis of art over story just destroyed all of that.
Yea well i think to make a good book you really need to have a healthy balance of both now. For me personally a great story can become unreadable if its accompanied by terrible art. I buy comics for the complete package not one half well done and the other half assed. So i do agree that the emphasis on art made those books far worse but i think it made the comic industry realize they should put good art into their books as well.
Just read gen 13 #13. Tony Robbins is in it. And then there's an ad in the back for his website. Fail.
I just started re-reading Spawn recently. I thought this was the most amazing comic around at the time, but now reading again I think the writing in the early issues is pretty terrible.
Gen 13 hype died shortly after the animated movie was never released and Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC. After that the writing got even lazier and the art which was the main selling point dropped off.
I think Wildstorm is much better off now anyway IMO. There have been some really strong titles in the Wildstorm universe in the past 10 years, like Sleeper if you have not read it go out and find it.
