You know I couldn’t let you guys go without pointing out something I didn’t like (possibly) about The Avengers: Infinity War. Right?
Prior to starting Cosmic Book News, I was a part of a group of fans – whom Marvel Comics editor Bill Rosemann dubbed the “rabid cosmic fans” – that petitioned the Marvel Comics offices to bring back Wendell Vaughn as Quasar with a Quasar cake, t-shirts, real letters and petitions and more, which eventually saw Quasar return as the Cosmic Avenger.
Bill Rosemann seemed to like us enough that when Cosmic Book News formed, we became Marvel Comics go to site for all things Marvel Cosmic. Marvel regularly gave us exclusive interviews, previews, solicits and art, and we also provided Marvel tips regarding creative elements for the characters (such as the rank of the Nova Corps).
So to say we’re hard core would be an understatement (check out the now locked CBN forums).
Yeah, I take this stuff pretty seriously (like many of you, and there is nothing wrong with that), and Bill Rosemann even said the Guardians of the Galaxy movies wouldn’t exist without us COSMIC fans (Sorry, Gunn. No matter how many names you call me on Facebook and Twitter, and as much as you hate it, it’s true! lol).
Fact is, without Cosmic Book News, myself, Timelord and uber fans like Doug Smith and his Nova Prime website (Doug even appeared in an issue of DnA’s Nova), the Abnett and Lanning line of comics would have went the way of Moon Knight–meaning six issues and done (how many times have we seen that from Marvel Comics?). The Marvel COSMIC line of comics actually bucked the trend of losing readers with each issue, and Rosemann confirmed when DnA’s stuff was canceled that sales were rock solid, and that the books averaged selling 35K (Marvel Comics wishes they could get that now). If DnA’s comics were canceled after six issues, Nicole Perlman would have never taken a liking to their Guardians of the Galaxy comics and would have never wrote a script, and Gunn would never have rewrote it (and the rest they say is history).
I’ll stop my little rant from there (we’ve gone over it many times here, lol), and get back to my thoughts on The Avengers: Infinity War.
EW.com posted an article earlier today about their behind-the-scenes set visit to The Avengers: Infinity War, where Thor’s new weapon name was confirmed (more on that below*), and with a scene mentioning Rocket Raccoon. As I read the article, I found myself stating, “Don’t do it!” But they did. Yep. Rocket Raccoon is on Earth. Read the snippet:
For instance, on the other side of the river, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, the former Winter Soldier now known to his Wakandan friends as “White Wolf,” is laying waste to Outriders while Rocket — in the form of Sean Gunn, wielding a puppet stand-in — distracts him with some offers he can easily refuse.
“How much for the gun?” the furry dealmaker asks, admiring the firepower clutched by Bucky’s mechanical limb.
“It’s not for sale.”
“Okay, how much for the arm? The arm?” Rocket persists. (He has a weird thing about prosthetics.)
Ughh! More cringe-inducing “Guardians of the Galaxy” dialogue and behavior (lol) where we see Rocket Raccoon is a “joke” character.
I know James Gunn reads everything I write and hates when I call his stuff “goofy,” but 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy writer Dan Abnett even thinks Rocket on Earth is goofy:
I think that’s why I’ve always loved the cosmic side of Marvel: placing super heroes in an [sci-fi] context means that it’s less about costumes and secret identities and integrating super hero roles into a ‘real world.’ These are characters [that] look and behave the way they do because of non-terrestrial technology, culture, and abilities. We get a sense of the whole universe, and the possibilities are vast and ingenious. Take Rocket, as an example. On Earth, he’d be a curiosity, a goofy “fun” character. Out in the universe, he’s non-human adventurer that we don’t have to qualify or excuse. We can just get on with enjoying his misadventures.
In other words, keep Rocket Raccoon (and the Guardians of the Galaxy) off of Earth! The characters don’t work on Earth because they come off as too silly–and too GOOFY!
That said, the MCU is obviously different than the comics. I get it, but I don’t have to like it.
*Now regarding Thor’s hammer name in The Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILERS), the EW article reveals it’s named none other than Stormbreaker! Yes! The hammer of Beta Ray Bill!
Now here is where I foresee a potential problem.
The look of Stormbreaker in the MCU is completely different than the comics and looks more like Thor’s battle axe from the comics, Jarnbjorn. If Stormbreaker in the MCU is different than the comics, why in the sam hell name it that? Only true comic book fans are going to recognize the name, so why bother changing things? It’s similar to Taika Waititi’s awful and goofy (yes, goofy!) approach to Korg in Thor: Ragnarok. The MCU audience is not going to know the difference between Korg, Kraglin, Kremsicle, Stormbreaker, Jarnbjorn, Whimsicle or what have you. Changing things just pisses me off and feels like a spit in the face. So Thor is using Stormbreaker, which is Beta Ray Bill’s hammer, but looks nothing like the comics, and in the MCU isn’t used by Beta Ray Bill? Why?? It’s not a cool nod to the fans. If anything, it’s telling the fans, “Hey! We are not using your favorite character! Hey! We are not using the comics!”
For a better analogy, it’s like, what would happen if after 40 years, Luke Skywalker comes back and does nothing and sits on his ass for an entire movie? Get it? Oh, wait (haha!).
Obviously, I am assuming Beta Ray Bill isn’t going to be in the MCU and hopefully I am wrong about that, but I think you get where I’m coming from (at least the comic book fans do).
Now I’m just crossing fingers they do Thanos right!
I’ll finish by stating that I know a lot of readers and fans get triggered when I voice my dissent toward the MCU, but I actually do love the material and only do so in hopes of getting the best possible out of Marvel!
Someone has to keep these guys on their toes!
“The Avengers: Infinity War” gets released April 27, 2018.
