[Groop] Not OT.

[Mo orst]

> Well, there was always a message (moral) even going back to the Epic
> days.  Of course sometimes there's a lot of silliness (One Fine Day is
> my favorite story ever, and Groo doesn't appear till the last page!
> Even then, there was a message.).  I agree with Larry that the four
> issue arcs require a larger story feel.  I generally agree with the
> themes presented, so it doesn't bother me.  As long as we still get our
> Groo humor with it, I don't see an issue. 

I
definitely don't have a problem with the messages/morals. It simply
wouldn't be Groo without them. But in the classic era, the moral was
always on the periphery while the comedy was central, which was the
most genius element of all because if you can deliver a message with
comedic ease then you are a serious magician. Groo was center stage
where he belongs. He is almost like Batman in The Dark Knight now... a
secondary caricature. Only in this case the "Joker", who owns the
story, is the moral (global warming, modern medical practices, Etc.),
which really just falls flat. For my part, none of the last three or
four Groo stories has demanded a second reading. The only things I've
gone back to read of the recent stuff is The Alphabet and Groo For
Sale. I CONSTANTLY go back and read old Epic issues.

As for the
4-part story arcs, I think they just kind of lend themselves to the
types of stories that we've been presented with in recent years. It
worked in the past with stories such as The Wager of the Gods, which I
consider my absolute favorite 4-parter. But to be frank, I hope they do
away with them after the Conan crossover. Then again, the stand alone
story in the 25th Anniversary Special was
as heavy-handed and unfunny as anything in the Dark Horse run. But the
Epic stories were so much more interesting and fun because Groo had to
perform his antics and cover an "issue" within 22 pages. It kept it
crisp and fun, and consequently, the morals were far more memorable.
I'd rather see some one-shots, 2-part stories or a bi-monthly series. 

Above all, though, I'd like to see Groo the comic experience a return to form.
-Al
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