PeterDavid.net

I appreciate any thoughts you're allowed to give on the FF movie. Since the trailer was released, the buzz has been astoundingly negative. Frankly, it was bumming me out a little bit.

Thanks for the update on the other projects as well. I'm especially intrigued by Starpoint Academy, and hope that some arrangement can be made re: Fallen Angel. Out of curiosity, who holds the rights to that property?

The problem with good jumping-on points for new readers is that they're often good jumping-off points for old readers.

Well, it beats not workin'.

I, too, hope things work out re: Fallen Angel.

I had a question in my head brewing about the FF movie, but it's gone now. Ah, well, July's only 6 months away.

WIth all the rumors going around, DC hasn't come back to you to say Yes or No whether Fallen Angel is actually coming back?

The FF trailer just gets bad buzz because the team isn't as popular as some of the other Marvel movies and that compounds the fact that the trailer looked like every other big summer movie trailer.

I'm not terribly excited about the movie but I'll probably go see it anyway.

1) I heard the ending of the FF original script was changed heavily after The Incredibles came out - can you comment on that or no?

2) Damnnation, I gotta friggin check this friggin book out already. Frig it. was flipping through the claypool website (so THAT'S the publisher! PAD, you gotta tell us these things, man!) and saw a clip from a review of issue 11 that had me laughin': ie. opening page of #11 is captioned "What if Soulsearchers and Company talked like 1960s Hanna-Barbera heroes?" and features Janocz being grabbed by a giant tentacle. Janocz is saying, "Kelly! A giant tentacle is going to grab me!" Kelly is saying, "Oh no! Janocz is being grabbed by a giant tentacle!" And a thought-balloon reaches to the tentacle, saying "Ha ha! I, a giant tentacle, have grabbed Janocz!"" That's pretty dangblasted funny.

Now, I'm just typin out of my ass here, but I think PAD's books have taken a somewhat darker turn lately (or maybe I just ain't readin enough of them) so I think it'd be cool to read something a bit lighter and flat-out silly, kinda like Sir Apropos and/or Vol. 3 of Captain Marvel.

Yes, I shall check this book out. Nay, I must.

3) I love to know as much as possible about this movie and script, up to and including who the characters are/ what the main conflict is / what is the tone of it (more comedic or dramatic) / how does it end. Stop being so stingy on the details, man, please? http://www.starpointacademy.net/ has a bit of info, but its ever so brief. Need more. So muc more.

4) I thought issue 18 would have been a perfect ending for FA. I don't want to see the book cancelled, heavens no, but I wonder how this 2 issue arc will play out as an "ending" for the book. Or if, at all. I've been reading Sachs & Violens to warm up for this arc, I think the dark adult sexual tone will fit with FA nicely. I hope that Barney dinosaur guy comes back, that dude was awesome.

Folks, he already told you, he can NOT by contract tell you about the story for the FF movie! Even if he wasn't bound by that contract, PAD has had several good (and I would guess lucrative) experiences doing movie novelizations. Why would he risk that to throw out tidbits to fanboys? And if you're fans of his, why would you even *ask* him to?
With all due respect to PAD (and I think he would agree with me here) he's the low man on the totem pole when it comes to these things. If plot points are going to be leaked, they ain't being leaked by him. What would be the upside in doing so from his point of view?
Sorry if this sounds snippy (and I'm feeling snippy so it probably *does*...) but I just think this is the kinda thing that makes a creator say, "See, this is why I don't tell anybody what I'm working on until it's about to be released..."
Show a little respect.

Finished the script for "Fallen Angel #20" which is, at the moment, the last one slated. After that, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe better.

Maybe you and Neil Gaiman could get together and do a meeting between Lee and Death...

Chill out, Pack. Of the seven replies before yours, only one person asked a question about the FF script, and it had nothing to do with plot details.

1 I realise you are busy Peter but an update on when the next New Frontier books will be out would really be appreicated, even if they won't be out for months yet.

ST:NF will probably be in the fall and I am betting late Fall (like in time for Christmas). Peter has done a rough outline but has had a few other projects that were/are priorities.

Pack, I appreciate you defending my interests in the matter, but I'm suspecting you misinterpreted the previous post. TallestFanEver (jeez, I wish everyone just used their real names) in his (3) post wasn't asking about FF, if I'm reading it correctly. He was asking for plot and details about "Starpoint Academy"...which, by the way, I also can't go into great detail about at this time, but since I hadn't implicitly stated that, his asking wasn't out of line.

PAD

Yes, yes, yes.

But still no Cowboy Pete Round-Up.

;)
(only kidding. I mean, you do need sleep like mere mortals, yes?)

John M

Okay, bizarre "brain filling in for partially glimpsed stuff" moment. I initially read "Roddenberry's Starpoint Academy" as "Strawberry Shortcake Academy." And then envisioned a Brikar at said academy.

Slacker.

Unless I missed it, FA 20 wasn't in the April solictations. Is this like the last two months, or did I just miss it? Sucks that we're basically getting two issues of FA (seemingly the last two) spread out across 5 months.

I'm one of the people who, based on all the negative info, have been approaching the upcoming F.F. film with the worst expectations, and actually found the trailer to be a little encouraging when I finally got to see it (online) back on Jan 21st.

Chiklis definitely appears to be the one to watch, between the early Kirby-esque body makeup and his being a professed lifelong fan of the characters. Victor Von Doom's character still appears to have been put through the meatgrinder and is what I expect to be the most disappointing aspect of the film. Still, the big plus for me was, as you note, seeing that it wasn't the action comedy we kept hearing it would be. At this point I'm hoping it's at least internally consistent, and so not a disappointment the way that Daredevil pastiche-by-committee was.

Before I go, I wanted to give another thumbs-up to the launch of your return arc on Incredible Hulk. While I get my comics via a mail service - so I won't see next week's #78 probably until a week or two later - I have made a point of ordering the issues. I know #77's old news to those who buy weekly at the comics shop, but I do want to take the time to mention that I enjoyed it and am interested to see where you take this bizarre mix. The title, punning on the latin tempus fugit by crossing it with The Tempest, and landing Bruce on Monster Island... that alone is a blend I appreciate seeing. I'm avoiding trying to second guess where you're going with this, instead taking it and enjoying it as it comes -- and hoping the powers that be allow all this to be the start of a new, long run with the character.

Dammit. Well, it wouldn't let me preview the post (kept bouncing me back to the edit window and making me re-enter all my ID info... so I missed a couple html errors. ::sigh::

Damn shame about Fallen Angel. I'd heard the trade was selling well. Since you made no DCU references, is there a chance you could find a home for her at another publisher?

By the way, what's this stuff about bad buzz over FF? I really liked the trailer, and the word-of-mouth reaction I'm getting is mild surprise that it looks like it "might be good after all".

joeyfixit wrote...
By the way, what's this stuff about bad buzz over FF? I really liked the trailer, and the word-of-mouth reaction I'm getting is mild surprise that it looks like it "might be good after all".

I thought that the actual movie aspects of the trailer looked decent enough, but that's easy to miss given that the trailer is pretty crappy. The whole "4 will be good" nonsense was just painful, as was the music used. Now, these have nothing to do with the actual movie, so I'm still hopeful. It's easy to see where the negativity is coming from though.

PAD,

Any chance you'll do a "live blog" of the State of the Union Address a la the debates? Perhaps a drinking game of same?

People, if you like Peter at his most humorous, pick up SOULSEARCHERS AND COMPANY. If you like the high level of the insanity of NEW FRONTIER, check it out.

Any chance you'll do a "live blog" of the State of the Union Address a la the debates? Perhaps a drinking game of same?"

None whatsoever. It's my bowling night.

PAD

I noticed that startrek.com does not have a book chat schedualed yet. Any chance that you will do it?

Tape it and do a commentary al a your debate coverage?

You made the debates watchable/tolerable, since you knoew going in what the robots were programmed to say...

TallestFanEver (jeez, I wish everyone just used their real names) in his (3) post wasn't asking about FF, if I'm reading it correctly. He was asking for plot and details about "Starpoint Academy"...which, by the way, I also can't go into great detail about at this time, but since I hadn't implicitly stated that, his asking wasn't out of line.

Yah, I didn't think I'd get an answer on the FF movie, but thought I'd give it a shot. Didn't know you couldn't shell out details on Starpoint either, but teases of info are always fun.

Anyway, I picked this nick about a few weeks before there was a posting asking people to use thier real names. But I already had this nick, I kind of think its funny, and I'm too lazy to change it. But, just for sharing: my name is Albert Leonard DeSantis, I live in Stoney Creek, Ontario Canada and I'm 6 foot 6. I like long walks on the beach, holding hands by candlelight and, oh yes, I really HATE yo-yos.

Albert Leonard DeSantis:

>*snip*.... and, oh yes, I really HATE yo-yos.

HeeeEEEeeeyy!!! I heard that.

I can't wait for the Fantasic Four movie or book! Sorry about the hectic week.

Just heard that ENTERPRISE got cancelled.

So, now that that's that, PAD, is there a chance you might add ENTERPRISE to your TV Roundup? Or at least finally give your opinion on the series?

The news on ENTERPRISE'S cancellation is truly sad. This season the show finally got watchable, but it was too late. Two weeks ago, the show had one scene with Hoshi(sp) that gave her more characterization than she had in the first three years of the show.

TallestFanEver, if you're actually signing in with TypeKey to post here, they have an options section that gives you the option to display your real name by default. That way you'll only have to do it once =)

PAD,
If it makes you feel any better, I've had a busy two weeks, too, and I've been REALLY busy catching up on and reading and buying your stuff!!
Much like comics, since i am usually busy and have so many novels to read, I usually read stuff from a specific author back to back.
Woodward's "Bush at War" and "Plan of Attack" are an example of this.
Anyway, in the past two weeks I finally was able to hunker down and read "Cold Wars (Gateways Book Six)", "Death After Life (Gateways Conclusion)", "Being Human", "Gods Above" and the "Stone and Anvil" Hardcover I had bought a while back.
I was so thoroughly enjoying reading your writing, I then went down to my local Borders and got "After the Fall", "Sir Apropos of Nothing", "Knight Life", "One Knight Only" and "The Woad To Wuin".
Needless to say the cashier was quite happy.
I had approached "After The Fall" with some degree of trepidation about the three year gap. I was afraid you might lose momentum.
I was silly to worry.
You exceeded my already high expectations of your work and The New Frontier novel series by miles, and I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! I skipped shows I usually watch, etc.
The characters, which I thought you were continually bringing to new heights, seemed more than refreshed. They seemed more vital and more interesting and ALIVE than ever. Tremendous, tremendous stuff.
There's an air of electricity and mystery to your current arc, and I for one hope it doesn't stop, ...until you decide to blow us away with another curveball of course.
Toss in "Madrox #5" and it was an awesome two weeks of reading highly entertaining stuff.
Thank You. I can't wait to start on the "medieval paperbacks".

"Enterprise" is cancelled?
While I don't relish the thought of anyone involved with the show losing their job, let's just say I'm not shedding a tear over this bit of news and leave it at that.

It sounds like I've really been missing out on the New Frontier series. I didn't get on-board when the series started up, and my interest in the Trek universe has been fairly low since DS9 ended. Once my financial situation improves a bit, I'll have to check these books out.

Just heard that ENTERPRISE got cancelled.

About time.

Personally, I would love to see a TV series based on "New Frontier". Mr. David knows Trek way better than any of the hacks screenwriting it right now. Though I don't think Ashley Judd could be gotten for even a "Friends" or "Seinfeld" salary. But how about a cartoon? If "Super Friends" could be redone as the excellent "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited", then why not a new Trek toon of the same quality?

On a separate note, I'm currently reading "Stone and Anvil" and I loved the reference to "My Favorite Martian". Very subtle, but very funny nonetheless.

Well I'll be damned, it's true, Enterprise has been cancelled.

No big deal for me personally, I didn't like it from the start and bailed midway through the first season. Still, I've heard it improved over time, and it's pretty shocking to hear about a Trek series being cancelled.

I'm in the camp that thinks they should give it a rest with TV series and movies. Once they've recharged themselves creatively, let's see what they can bring to the table.

I just found this site in my search for 'Fallen Angel' tpb info. #4 has me worried... I hope it's not the end. 2004 was a bad year for the comics I collected. Almost every title I liked ended and I hope 2005 doesn't end the two remaining titles I love. :(

Ahhh, so YOU'RE writing the Fantastic Four movie novelization?

Score! I'm very glad that you are. Can't wait to read it.

When are you going to work on the Psychotic Mass Murdering Hulk?

Really, by far, the best Hulk stories ever, came out of your run on the title. Those were good stories. I remember all the images of the different Hulk's in Banner's mind, and esp, the psychotic one. A mass murdering Hulk.

Wouldn't that make a fantastic mini series?

Banner is pushed ot the edge of insanity and frustration and out comes the muderous psycho Hulk. And he has access to Banners knowledge. I imagine the first thing he would do, after gloating and killing a few innocents, would be to round up a few other villains and explain that he wants to murder the rest of the Superhero population. And then for eleven issues you have the Marvel version of Doomsday slam dunking Superheroes left and right and laughing the whole time.

Who could really oppose a no holds barred murderous Hulk with Banner's Intellect?

No one.

Well, maybe Captain America, the God of Winning.

Jamie

Interesting how publishers do this whole "Jumping On Point" deal. Around here we also talk about Jumping Off Points.

This is usually when a good creative team is replaced with a poor team who have no feel for the characters and in some cases don't appear to have read the previous issues of the comic.

I don't think most publishers would be quite so keen to advertise them, though.

Count me as another person who will be jumping on. Now that Madrox is over, for the moment, and Fallen Angel, unfortunately, appears to be grinding to a possible halt, I'll need something for my monthly PAD fix.

Just in passing:

In concept, a Fantastic Four movie should be the greatest Marvel movie because it is THE FANTASTIC FOUR, the comic book that started it all. However, while this script might be very good, the production of this movie has been very fast. The Spider-Man films have been helped by the long pre- and post-production times. I think some may hold lower production values against the movie instead of appreciating what it is for what it cost to make. In other words, because Chilkis may look like a man in a Thing suit rather than the Thing, the movie won't be enjoyable.

2. "Jumping on point" always sounds so pandering. Dag-nabbit, when I was a kid, we bought comic books that featured the third part of a five-part story and we didn't complain. We just worked to figure it out. The thinking that believes jumping on points are necessary is also the same thinking that has forced recap pages to replace splash pages or to renumber series every few years. If a potential reader wants to read a certain comic book after the series has started, he should read the comic book and do the work. My God, nothing is that complex that who is who can't be determined with a little reasoning. And checking on the Internet if need be.

I am desperately hoping to like the FF movie, as they are THE TEAM. I rank them at the top, above even Spidey and any X-Team...but I'm getting a strong "Batman & Robin" vibe from the trailer and general buzz....

I just don't think anyone looks the way they should. J. Alba may be hot, but she's not Sue Storm/Richards. Maybe Sue's cute/hot little sister. Thing looks...well, maybe they went for a more original Kirby "lumpy" look, rather than his later "rocky" look, but which is the more recognizable look? Rocky for me.

Reed doesn't look like reed. At. All. And Johhny's too buff.

Doom...well, takes more than a mask to be Doom! Fools.....

I'll see what the reviews say. I enjoyed Van Helsing despite bad reviews and cheesy writing.

"And then for eleven issues you have the Marvel version of Doomsday slam dunking Superheroes left and right and laughing the whole time."

See John Byrne's run. 315ish to 319ish. He leveled a whole city in Colorado or someplace.

Personally I'd like to go a more far-out psychedelic route. I like the world-hopping Hulks of Lee and Mantlo. From PAD, though, I'd love a whole arc that takes place primarily in the Banner's head. Cook up a reason for the Hulk to be drifting in space for a while (literally); when he drifts into a coma PAD can be set loose to play with the demons of Banner's psyche for a while.

I sincerely hope that DC continues with the Fallen Angel series! Thanks, Peter, for all of your writing - be it in the comics, movies, novels or blogs.

I hope Fallen Angel doesn't get cancelled. There are damn few good reads in comics these days--especially from The Big Two--and we can't afford to lose any of the few we have left.

"Really, by far, the best Hulk stories ever, came out of your run on the title. Those were good stories. I remember all the images of the different Hulk's in Banner's mind, and esp, the psychotic one. A mass murdering Hulk."

That's not actually ringing any bells with me. I'm getting the feeling you're recalling issues that Paul Jenkins wrote.

PAD

"Reed doesn't look like reed. At. All. And Johhny's too buff."

And Michael Keaton looks completely wrong for Bruce Wayne.

And the movie studio was lobbying for Heath Ledger for Peter Parker and was certain that Tobey MacGuire simply couldn't cut it.

When it comes to Hollywood, you don't know anything. And I say that not as an insult. I'm just quoting William Goldman, author of "The Princess Bride," who said that when it comes to Hollywood, NOBODY knows anything. Even the people in Hollywood. Movies with top flight creators can come out awful, while films for which no one has any hope whatsoever can rake in huge bucks.

If there's one thing I've learned about movies, it's that it's a complete waste of time to try and render judgments on them based on anything other than what's up on the screen. I've read scripts which read like sure winners that were flops, and read weak scripts that, once the moviemakers were done, were thundering crowd pleasers.

PAD

So true, Peter. One would think that films written by a number of different screenwriters would be terrible. But then look at CASABLANCA.

There are no rules that are consistent.

Not that it matters to a lot of fans. They're so set in their ways, that even when an actor does a superlative job in a superhero role, they won't acknowledge it and still call them unfit for their roles. I'm sure no matter what kind of job Chiklis, Alba, etc. do, they're going to call them imcompetent...

Jeff Lawson,
"It sounds like I've really been missing out on the NEW FRONTIER series."

Yes, you have. It's great, can't-put-down stuff.

"I didn't get on board when the series started up"
I started slightly late, too. But I've learned to at least try anything that had PAD as the author,especiallt Trek books and I am SO glad I did.

"My interest in the Trek universe has been fairly low since DS9 ended."

Same here. I looooooved DS9. But near I stopped watching "Voyager" fairly early. I even gave then a shot with the last five episodes or so to have a real cool ending, and they didn't even do that right.
But if you look at the "Homecoming" two-part novel, by Christie Golden, the characters are actually fleshed out and interesting.
As always, it's not the characters, 'it's the writing stupid!' (I really wish could say that to Rick Berman:)

"I'll have to check these books out"
You'll be glad you did. And for those not in print, you can always check your local library:)

Craig Ries,
"Just heard that ENTERPRISE got canceled."
'About time.'

Heavens, Craig. We agree on this. One. Hundred. Percent.

Peter,

The message below is something I posted on another message board (Millarworld) while participating in a discussion about attracting more women and girls to comics. I wanted to share it with you, too -- I think you'll understand why.:

You know, I witnessed something interesting this week along these lines.

My wife, Leticia, who never reads comics, has no interest whatsoever, etc., comes out of the bathroom the other day (a.k.a. Tom's reading room) and informs me that she really likes the comic I have in there -- "The one with that red angel girl," she says.

She was talking about Peter David's "Fallen Angel" TPB. Now, look, to hear my wife say she was reading a comic, let alone that she LIKED it, nearly floored me, but to find out it was this one that she liked was a real eye opener.

David's "Fallen Angel" is great, and if they cancel it, it's a crime. But I also had Oni's "Love as a Foreign Language Vol 1" sitting in the bathroom, too. "Love..." is a fantastic little comic, and it's the kind of romantic story I thought might pursuade my non-comic reading wife (a girl) to take a chance on the medium. I was wrong.

"The one about the guy in Korea is okay," she told me. "But the one with the angel is really good. I really like that girl in the story. The one with the red robes. She's tough."

What did I learn? I learned that my wife doesn't want the "Let's get even with our ex-boyfriend" type story that was mentioned in an earlier post, nor was she smitten with J. Torres/E. Kim's manga-style book from Oni (which, personally, I highly recommmend) -- no, my wife wanted to read a story about a strong woman/avenging angel with a haunted past who, for most of the story, was covered with flowing garbs, not skintight spandex.

Perhaps my wife is the kind of person this industry needs to take a closer look at -- a woman/girl who can be convinced to read comics if given the kind of story SHE likes, NOT what a bunch of dudes in suits THINKS she will like.

I know I'm paying attention.

Tom Waltz
Writer: CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE
www.shootingstarcomics.com

I'm definately interested in buying the FF novelization. I'm happy PAD wrote it, since I've read two of his previous novelizations and enjoyed them. I also can't wait to see the movie!