[Groop] Not OT.

[Mo orst]

> Indiana Jones 4 sucked. Would
it still have sucked if it came out when you were the same age as Raiders or
Temple of Doom? 


Yes, and to invert this point I would argue that Raiders and Temple of
Doom are better than most of the blockbuster adventure films that have
come out in the decades since those two movies were released. Just
because many fondly remember mediocrity such as Sword and the Sorcerer
& Ladyhawke as acceptable entertainment back then does not mean
that I'm judging Crystal Skull too harshly when I call it tripe or when
I say that it should have been rated "GB" for graphic banality. Quality
is quality, and the same is true for substandard work.  



Is my enjoyment of old Groo simply a function of nostalgia? Heavens no.
That stuff is amazing and as relevant now as it was then and perhaps
even prescient for it's time. I don't get the same disconnect reading
old Groo the same way I do when I read other comics of that era (such
as Star Slayer or Elf Quest) which seem absolutely dated and
uninteresting. It has nothing to do with sentiment. Issue 12 where he
becomes an actor is timeless. Same with the ivory merchants in 7, the
slavers in 5, the Grooella & Rufferto sagas later on, all the way
up to issue 100 where he learns to read. Perhaps there were a few duds
along the way, but for the most part there is nothing dated or cliche
about that decade of Groo. 



> I personally really like it when the Groo stories delve into  
> important/serious issues. 



Well, all of them tackle social issues. That's certainly not my
complaint. It's the heavy-handed delivery of the stories released by DH
that have created these disappointments I'm airing.



> For instance, I really liked  
> the Garbage issue (though I forget the exact title right now). Another  
> issue I found intriguing was the one with the puppet theaters, which I  
> considered a delightful way of bringing up the implications of mass  
> media as well as violence being depicted on it. 



Seriously, those issues are brilliant and memorable. I haven't read the
Garbage issue in a few years, but I can recall it easily because it was
well-done. Both of those issues are prime examples of the way Mark and
Sergio used to let the stories/social issues serve the identities and
progressions of the characters instead of taking over. 

 
> In any case one reason I would attribute the "deeper" and longer story  
> lines Sergio & Mark are producing these days is time. By that I mean  
> in the past they probably felt pressure to put out a comic every  
> month. Now Sergio probably felt an urgency to do Hell on Earth and  
> such because current events inspired him to make a story he felt was  
> important to tell. 



Ultimately, I don't think the length of the story lines has any bearing
on the quality of the craft. As with any medium, it's what you do with
the space provided that counts. I'm not disappointed with any of the
topics that they've tackled via Groo, and I have complete confidence
that they could address any topic or theme they want with hilarious and
relevant results. My point is that what they've done in the last
handful of mini-series has been substandard. Especially when compared
with their older work. 


> Since Sergio is not pushed by monthly deadlines he can focus on what  
> he feels is more important or at least more interesting, rather than  
> just the classic Groo humor.


I would argue that without the classic Groo humor, it's no longer the
same comic. Adventures with identifiable characters, superbly executed
situational comedy and running gags is what the best Groo was always
about. 



-Al
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