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Underground > Comic Books >

Filth review

19:01 / 26.12.02

Found this link
but I still haven't found the comic. Grrr.

19:44 / 26.12.02

Direct link. Pesky frames.

Loses credibility points for the mention of the Paperverse control crew as "a gang of continuity anarchists, no doubt Hand-opposed," which suggests the reviewer, though bursting with big theories, is not terribly observant—since it was made unmissably obvious that Moog Mercury's crew is itself a division of the Hand.

The Photographer in Blowup

20:43 / 26.12.02

Anyway, what do you guys think of the Filth, considering the six titles that have came until now?

For my part, i don't think the humour is reason enough to spend money on such a long series that isn't more than just an excuse to show sex and crazy masked supercops - still haven't seen a really thought-provoking, or intelligent idea since it began.

I thought Morrison was good with what he did, but The Filth is sort of disappointing - give me New X-men any day, at least until i don't buy his Invisibles series.

21:26 / 26.12.02

I still think The Filth rules. Obviously, GM isn't painting on as wide a canvas as he was with The Invisibles, but it's still a great series.

The paperverse itself, and its reasons for existing in the universe of The Hand, is a great idea in itself - and a typically absurd GM idea. We definitely need more Moog Mercury tho

The Photographer in Blowup

21:30 / 26.12.02

Maybe i'm just an ignorant who can't even understand a comic book, but i still haven't figured out the purpose of the paperverse - could somoene enlighten me?

22:23 / 26.12.02

Grant explains the Paperverse.

Briefly, the Hand farms ideas there: Moog and his crew write the ideas into the story, they ripen in the atmosphere of the Paperverse, and then Moog goes in and brings them back into "reality." In issue #3, Moog and Cameron brought back the "thermovolver"--now a real, solid weapon, usable by the Hand.

If the US government had had Jack Kirby and inkytech, every firefighter would wear a uniform of unstable molecules, Kennedy would've won the Cold War with the Ultimate Nullifier, and air cavalry would cruise the skies on atomic steeds.

Grant's CrackComicks website is a good resource for all things Filth: you'll have to poke around a bit, but there are some neat Easter eggs.

Rosa: some previous Filth discussion...

Filth #1 thread

Filth #2 thread

Filth #3 thread

Filth #4 thread

Filth #5 thread

Filth #6 thread

Dig it.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

02:08 / 27.12.02

"If the US government had had Jack Kirby and inkytech, every firefighter would wear a uniform of unstable molecules, Kennedy would've won the Cold War with the Ultimate Nullifier, and air cavalry would cruise the skies on atomic steeds."

This was one of the point of Millar's Authority run, wasn't it?

Mmmm... Kirbytech futures... I want my unstable molecules and atomic steeds.

And on the less threadrotish front:
Yeah, that's a really poor review. But then again a lot of people are having a hard time understanding this series. Not understand in the "Oh, they're exploring the themes of x, y, and z." but understand in the "Why are there three of the same person on page 1 on the first ish?"

I really don't see why some folks have such a hard time reading it. As for my thoughts on the filth and the excessive sex gore spunk and shit. If you think it's excessive, then you're missing the point of the series. (Or you get it and just think it's a silly point.)

The Photographer in Blowup

09:36 / 27.12.02

Aren't the three Spartacus just one actually, seen from different angles? I say that from looking at the guys' hands...

But what was that line of Spartacus: Anyone can be Spartacus Hughes... - and how come he returns in number 7? (at least that's what i read on a thread)

The series are funny, i'll grant that, but still haven't seen anything in The Filth remotely better than all the other Vertigo titles.

And what was that issue 4? is it just me or didn't that seem a bit out of place?

Anyway, favourites so far: number 3 and 6, perhaps because they focus on Greg Feely.

Notice how the aptly named mister Feely's getting his money's worth out of this marvelous educational tool they call "television", constable Tumbrel. - best line until now.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

14:40 / 27.12.02

I love the idea and I love the structure of the various different divisions of the Hand and what they do, I like the Ned Slade character, whoever he may be underneath it all (I can't help but think that there may be another personality underneath all that which is why he's had problems) but so far I haven't seen much in the stories to interest me. Other than the mundane aspects of Ned's life as shown in issue three I haven't seen anything that interesting. I've read the first two thirds of his Animal Man series, the second half of his Doom Patrol work, The Invisibles, JLA, X-Men to date, The Mystery Play and Arkham Asylum and this is by far his weakest work of the lot. Annoyingly it keeps promising that 'next issue' it'll improve but thus far hasn't.

No-one besides Ned has much by way of personality or depth, I'm rereading The Invisibles and finding characters with a lot more soul, even if I have my problems with that too. Issue 1 and 2 should have been one issue and issue 4 should then have been issue 2. You shouldn't have to wait four months for the raison d'etre for the series.The porn issues might have been just tolerable as one issue, seeing as they were an excuse for jokes about jism and dildos. "Why does Tex Pornoau hate women so much?" We never find out. Or care.

Since it's a year long I'm hoping that all these problems are deliberate and that the second half redeems the first.

If memory serves, Grant wanted to put this out without his name on it. If we didn't know it was him, would we have given it this much consideration? Or forgiven it so much?

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

22:44 / 28.12.02

"Aren't the three Spartacus just one actually, seen from different angles? I say that from looking at the guys' hands... "

My point exactly.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

22:48 / 28.12.02

"You shouldn't have to wait four months for the raison d'etre for the series."

When it's a finite limited series, I don't think that's true. When something has a beginning, a middle and an end, it should free you up to enjoy the unfolding of the story.

"If memory serves, Grant wanted to put this out without his name on it. If we didn't know it was him, would we have given it this much consideration? Or forgiven it so much?"

I don't think there's anything to forgive. I think it's ranged from mediocre to brillant and is my most eagerly awaited monthly read.

Of course I can't help but think that the fact I and a few others are so excited about this series might involve the meta narrative aspects involving magick.

And as far as characters go, yeah, most of them have been cyphers. But I think "Spartacus Hughes" is playing a far bigger part than earlier suspected.