Anonymous writes...

Dear, Greg
I have a question regarding some strange postings I've recently come accross on amazon.com
They claim to be for the dvd releases of gargoyles season 2 vol 2 and season 3, are these really being considered by disney? There is no release date on the page either, but it looks like an official posting. Anyways these are the links, let me know what you think.

http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Season-Two-Vol-2/dp/B00198X0YA/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213772201&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Season-Three/dp/B001993Y7W/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213772201&sr=8-7

dph writes...

In the present day, let's say October 31, 1996, would you say the total world-wide gargoyle population - not counting eggs or gargoyle beasts - is somewhere between 400 and 600?

dph writes...

By the time of the French revolution, were there any gargoyle clans left on mainland Europe?

Durkinator writes...

This is question in regards to censorship in Spectacular Spider-Man. Back in the 90s series, there was an obnoxious amount of censorship (Spidey couldn't throw a punch?!) that sometimes hindered the story in obvious ways. Now, Spectacular Spidey is obviously a bit of a lighter tone, so I don't expect to see people dying all over the place or anything, but I am curious about how the censorship from the studios of this series differs from other shows you've worked on, like Gargoyles--which I think was great about being delightfully edgy whilst still obeying the censors. Gargoyles was much darker that Spider-Man currently is, obviously; I'm just curious as to how similar the rules regarding the amount of death and violence and such are and if it has changed a lot since your work in the 90s.

And just to be clear, I'm not complaining or asking for Spider-Man to be darker or more violent or anything, I'm very happy with how everything has been handled and balanced without getting too "gritty" thus far (and I'm usually a sucker for dark stories). I'm just curious, you know?.

Derek G writes...

Hi Greg,

I know you've probably gotten about a billion "When is Spectacular Spider-Man on DVD?!!" questions, which so far it seems you have absolutely idea about, but I do have a question in regards to it.

Just out of blatant curiosity, do you have any idea about (or choice regarding) audio commentaries on episodes on a future DVD? I imagine that's probably more related to Culver Entertainment or whoever, but I am just curious as to if you are planning on doing any commentaries, and if so, whether you have any idea what episodes you would (or would like to) do. Commentaries are my favorite features on any DVD, and your Gargoyles commentaries were absolutely fascinating and entertaining, so I know I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on any of the Spider-Man episodes.

Can't wait for Season 2!

Alberto Loera writes...

I just heard that Season 2 Volume 2 was now listed on Amazon.com, I checked and sure enough it was there. Has Disney contacted you about this or asked you to participate in any way? I really hope this pans out and gets released.

Anonymous writes...

who is sitting next to me?

Iago writes...

Hi Greg,

Hopefully I'm not beating a very dead horse here, but was wondering whether you'd seen- http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Season-Two-Vol-2/dp/B00198X0YA/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213507811&sr=8-5

It looks like Amazon's letting people sign up to be notified when Gargoyles S2V2 is released, and add it to their wishlists (of course, I'd scoop it up in a heartbeat if I could).

Do you know anything about this? Is there a good word on the much-anticipated release? At this point I'd even take barebones episodes (though I certainly wouldn't complain about commentary tracks).

Thanks for all the energy you've spent on this series, past and present.

avalon writes...

A spectacular SpiderMan question (one of these days you'll probably need to devote a separate SpiderMan Ask Greg! :))....some of the script and storylines are flat out funny and witty, I love it! Do you come up with these lines in your writing as well or is there a separate staff that does this?

Todd Jensen writes...

My comments on the season finale of "The Spectacular Spider-Man".

I enjoyed it, just like all the others. It had many fine moments in it. A few that I'll mention:

Spidey visiting Tombstone again to make it clear that the deal's off - after which Venom comes by, and Tombstone comments "I'll need to start locking the windows".

Venom's web with the words "Guess Who?" written in it (looking like a twisted version of "Charlotte's Web").

Spidey's spider-sense not working against Venom's attacks (which makes Venom all the more threatening).

The twist in making Venom's target Gwen Stacey rather than Mary Jane (which Peter and most of the audience would have initially suspected). And the part about Flash Thompson and his football buddies helping to rescue her.

The revelation that Aunt May had been writing a cookbook. (I definitely hadn't seen that one coming.)

Peter's disastrous attempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and the consequences of his disposing of the gene cleanser. (I laughed at that last one - it fits Peter's characterization so well.)

Thanks for an enjoyable first season, Greg.

Algernon writes...

I wish I could keep a bit more up to date with these Spider-Man reviews but time is a tad scarce for me at the moment…

S
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INTERVENTION
One of the reasons it's taken me over a week to review this episode is that it was so mind blowingly fantastic that when I first saw it I was left in a state of mind numbing euphoria! If you had asked me my opinion at the time it would probably have been something along the lines of "spidey, good!". So I decided to put it off for a few days before putting my thought in some sort of order.

I really liked the way you handled Pete's turn to the dark side in this story arc. It's been a subtle and gradual change, symbolized by the black suit's often evolving appearance. But it truly reaches a crescendo here with Pete viciously lashing out at his friends and even asking Tombstone for a job.

The "Journey to The Centre of Peter Parker" portion of the story is the real heart of this episode particularly with the rather surreal take on the classic origin. It was also a neat surprise to hear Ed Asner as Uncle Ben, I'm amazed you managed to keep that under wraps in the age of the internet. Liked the way you gave the symbiote More of an actual character here, hearing it talk to Pete in his own voice was particularly creepy. And I found the battle between the symbiote and the memory of Uncle Ben very dramatic.

I know I complained about Eddie Brock last time but I thought he was well portrayed here. His descent into homicidal mania is put in context, between losing his Job, education and the not so subtle influence of the alien.

Other random bits I liked…

A more three dimensional flash.

MJ telling Gwen to go for it.

"even Sally feels sorry for you.", so she does have a soul after all!

Curt Conners' rather cavalier approach to science, "genetically engineered super spider on the loose? What could happen?"

Thanks again, I'm looking forward to the season finale.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Nature Vs. Nurture"
So, a couple of days ago, I listened to a podcast interview of, perhaps my favorite Spider-Man writer, Roger Stern. Stern is perhaps best known for creating the original Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley), as well as the classic "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" story. He was also in the brainstorming sessions for the black costume story back in the 80s, and as a joke, suggested "it's alive." Stern then proceeded to apologize for Venom. As a non-Venom fan, that was very nice to hear.

So, drum roll...

I liked this. I liked it a lot. I actually liked Venom. I didn't expect to like Venom in this. I wasn't prepared to like Venom in this, but I did. I think that as long as this series avoids the traps the character in the comics fell into, he should be fine. So, no over-exposure. None of that "Lethal Protector" anti-hero nonsense, and we may have a winner here. He wasn't my favorite of the villains this season, but I liked him. Oh, and no Carnage. For the love of all that is holy, please, no Carnage.

So, in a sense, I think I finally get this version of Eddie Brock. Like he said, his and Peter's parents may have died together, but Peter had Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Eddie had no one, and from his point of view, Peter came off looking like this incredibly spoiled, petulant child who took all the good things he had for granted, and that was before he, from his point of view, screwed Connors over. I also think, that with the Connors' he was trying to fill a void, which is why he took it so damn hard. He wanted his own Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

I did enjoy the way Spidey beat Venom... right out of "Amazing Spider-Man #317." Nice homages to Venom's first two appearances in the comics, back when he was tolerable. Before Marvel decided to kill the golden goose... so to speak. The fanboy in me wishes that the Green Goblin was the first to unmask Spidey and use that to make his life a living Hell, but I am hoping for that in season two.

"We know who you love the most," yup, because we often tend to be the last people to realize when we're in love with someone. Peter/Gwen was built up really well over these thirteen episodes. Very subtly. I am sure some might complain that it came out of no where, but it really didn't. From my experience, a lot of people don't do subtle too well. I am also sure that the Mary Jane fans are upset, but to them I say, have patience. Gwen is the First Love. That is an important aspect of the mythos. While, MJ might be the one he is ultimately destined for, I think previous adaptions dropped the ball on it. She was The One in the 90s toon (with a tiny bit of Felicia Hardy as competition) and the movies declared MJ to be The One since birth. They'll get there, they just shouldn't be there yet. But in the mean time, I am definitely looking forward to seeing where and how things go with Gwen. The Gwen romance has never been done anywhere since the 1970s.

Oh, and I loved the "Romita's Pizza" nod.

As for the first season as a whole? The best "Spider-Man" we have gotten in any medium in a very, very long time. The movies weren't this good. The comics haven't been anywhere this close in a while either. I knew when this was announced that this series was in great hands. When you have the mind that created "Gargoyles", perhaps the best animated series of the last three decades, how can you go wrong?

Overall though, I think as far as this season goes, Tombstone was the greatest surprise. A nobody character in the comics, who I never cared about, is now a major character. A real break-out star. The three-episode Green Goblin arc was perhaps the height of it all for me, though I think that will also be a lot better in hindsight once we have a lot more Goblin material. As far as single episodes go, I think "Group Therapy" did it for me with their portrayal of Dr. Octopus.

But the real treat was having fun and admiring the work of two of my best friends. Greg Weisman, of course; and Post Production Assistant, Jennifer L. Anderson. Excellent work, you two. Excellent work, indeed. I wish I had the time and space to name everyone who contributed to the series, because this was great and I don't want to leave anyone out.

It's a shame to be getting off the roller coaster, but I can't wait to get back on it in the next few months. I can't wait for season two.

Aldrius writes...

"Nature vs Nurture" The Review!

I loved this episode. I loved the 'creepy thriller' vibe the scenes at the parade had going. (With Spider-man searching the crowds.) And I loved each character's moment, I liked Liz, I liked Gwen (I really liked Gwen in this episode), I liked Mary Jane, I liked Peter and Flash, I liked Rand, I even liked Eddie. Well, no, I didn't like Eddie, but I understood Eddie.

Which is quite a leap from '*grumblegrumble*Eddie's an idiot.*Grumblegrumble*'. I got it in this one. The Connors are his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and Peter was the one guy he thought he could really count on and depend upon. And then Peter hurt his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and the symbiote manipulated him into being hateful and desiring nothing but solitude. After his 'Aunt May' turned him away (because he thought more of their relationship than was actually true), and after it seemed like Peter was no longer worthy of his friendship. A lot of the stuff in this episode made more sense, Peter calling Eddie to apologize about his job, after being responsible for him losing it. Eddie's comment about Peter saving Gwen to 'be the hero', clearly shows what he thinks of Spider-man's heroics: just another way to get glory and fame, by helping people. This was all stuff that I had considered before, of course, but for some reason it all clicked in this episode. It all made a lot more sense. I didn't need that 75 on the jerkometer anymore.

I am not a fan of the damsel in distress routine normally (even Lois Lane isn't really a 'damsel in distress' anymore), but here it kinda worked better for me. I think it was because Rand, Flash, Liz, Gloria, Mary Jane and even Sally helped out in rescuing Gwen. So she wasn't a 'damsel in distress', she was just someone who was in danger and needed helping out from her friends.

Loved the last scene too. Gwen finally works up her nerve and tells Peter how she feels (so to speak). All in the theme of 'responsibility' of course. Gwen not being able to date Peter has nothing to do with his ignorance, it has everything to do with her nervousness. She needed to take responsibility for her own feelings. And the theme of responsibility is prevalent in Eddie as well of course. He's allowed himself to be alone, because he's been too dependent on others for reassurance. He wanted the Connors to become his surrogate family, but they already had a family of their own. He wanted Peter to be his brother forever, but Peter had to grow up and branch out too. And that's Eddie's problem, really. He didn't look for another job after he lost his job at the lab. He didn't look for new friends after he 'lost' Peter. He just wallowed and wasn't proactive.

Where's Norman Osbourn to give an encouraging speech when you need him? "Man up!!"

And that really shows how different the stakes are here. With Gwen it's all about her romance with Peter. Her love of him. With Eddie it's all about his hatred, it's life or death. But both problems are equally important, because of the emotional stakes involved. It's just as important that Gwen tells Peter how she feels, as it is that Eddie kills Peter. And that's really good writing.

I did have some problems with this episode however. Nothing mind-shattering, as, as I've said before... I've enjoyed every single episode.

Problem 1 I had was that Peter still hasn't told Aunt May that he's Spider-man, but this is something that's always bothered me in any Spider-man story. The woman is supposed to be his surrogate mother, and yet he still won't be completely honest with her.

Problem 2 was that the 'Spider-man working for the Big Man' thing didn't really go anywhere, it just ended up being a set-up for Venom working for the Big Man. And now that Eddie's passed out on a roof top somewhere (was that resolved, by the way? If it was I must not have been paying close enough attention.) and the Symbiote is buried under a few feet of concrete, so that doesn't really seem to be going anywhere fast either.

But other than that, fantastic finale to a fantastic season, and I can't wait for next season. Let's hope it finds itself on a network that allows the show the same freedoms it was allowed on the KidsWB.

Edward writes...

I just started reading the comics there awesome.

I was just wondering how the gargoyles feel about the human race knowing they exist? Matt wants to cover them up, Xanatos wants to slowly expose them, and of course Castaway wants them all dead. But we don't really know what the Gargoyles want. They seem more concerned with their love lifes.

Alan Kistler writes...

Mr. Weisman, I am a journalist/reviewer for http://www.ComicMix.com and a big fan of your work. I will be attending the Gathering of the Gargoyles convention in Chicago and I wanted to ask if there would be anyway I could snag an interview with you for our readers. For your review, you can check out the kind of work we do at ComicMix.com and you can find previous interviews I've conducted at this link: http://alankistler.squarespace.com/journal/2007/11/20/alan-kistlers-interviews.html. My personal web-site is http://KistlerUniverse.com and my e-mail is KistlerAlan@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your time.

Simon Elst writes...

M. Weisman,

I'm a student soundengineering (final year) at the IAD (Institut des Arts de Diffusion de Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium ; http://www.iad-arts.be ). I take the liberty of writing you about my thesis. It had to handle on the role of sound in animationfilm. My ambition is to bring out the importance of sound in animation film, my passion in which I want to invest myself in the future. The fact is that the Gargoyles were my heroes wen I was young (thanks to belgian televisions to made it possible !).

I think Gargoyles would be an excellent example to analyse in detail for my thesis. To do so, I'd like of course your permission, but also, if possible, your help by means of a few questions to answer. Would you ? I can understand that answering all the questions may be heavy, so.. use the way you want ! :)

a) In your opinion, are there (or have there to be) differences in the aesthetic and the realism of the sound when handling on "live" film or animated film. If yes, wich ones, and why? If no, why?

b) What do you think about next three hypothesis :

1) "Reality Effect" : traditional animation film is, by essence, soundless : the elements (components) that forms the film (figures, objects, sets, …) are mostly "silent" and even if they could produce sounds, the fact of shooting image by image makes it impossible to record live. The artificiallity or virtuality of the elements on screen creates a lack of credibility : the audience isn't naturally absorbed in the represented world. In movies in general, sound permits to locate elements "off screen", to create a world of which a great deal isn't seen at the screen. It has to be the same in animation film. But, as the characters are artificial here, there presence and activity doesn't exist for the audience unless by a "sound confirmation".
2) "Sound inspires life into the virtuals worlds of animation film" : in the same way as the animator gives live to his figures, the soundengineer gives them a lively dimension (thanks to the voices, the presences and the interactions of the character with his environment).
3) Most of the animationfilms are shot at 12 frames per second. The result is tolerably well for the audience, but nevertheless less fluid than in a "live" film. Sound is a constant component that permits "to link up the frames", to put a smooth coating upon the frames, and so reduce partly the "jerky appearance" of the 12fps format.

Thanking you in advance for your answer, Simon Elst

evr4 writes...

(spectacular spider-man questions)
first let me say you are too good (for Gargoyles and for bringing back interest in spider-man)!
anyway,
1) did you watch "Intervention"? it was amazing and passed all my expectations of venom's origins. It was the perfect weave (of THE story (second most known history behind Peter's back story) I would think everybody knows) with a beautiful stylistic approach. All episodes so far, but especially this one, showed an approach with "we are going this direction with the storyline, but wait you (the viewer) were wrong because we are going to make a 180 degree turn and make you say, 'I can't believe they just did that!'" Genious...Utter Genious! My friends and I agree we can only dream the SEASON FINALE WAS A 2 PARTER. An interesting statement one of my friends made was Uncle Ben reminded him of Ben 10's grandfather. But one thing felt weird to me....was the episode's animation rushed or was it exactly how it was suppose to be...I can get the "it's in your (Peter Parker/Eddie Brock) mind" sequence so it resembles that of a "dream/fantasy" sequence....but during the episodes some of the lines didn't seem solid...and there was a scene where I think a screenshot stood still on Flash emotionless (though I do understand where the story was going with this) for an entire 1.5 seconds (AWKWARD)..but yeah was it rushed?

2) when Green Goblin has his first serious encounter with Spider-Man (after Spidey just saved Tombstone from Gobby), there was a scene where the glider went right through a building and GG acrobatically jumped over the building and landed on his glider, I saw this scene and immediately said, "TOO GOOD," and lowe and behold Spidey, says, "Okay wow, just wow." any information on who came up with Gobby performing the feat, and who wrote the lines, "Okay wow, just wow"?

finally, let me say, my circle of friends are either 20 or 21, and we love the direction spec spider-man takes every episode. One of my friend's girlfriends younger brother immediately hated the show when it came out but then changed his mind with the great direction and writing of the show (ironically he hated The Batman at first, then fell in love with it). And let me say for myself for one who notices all the smallest details and little intricacies of all your shows (not just Garg and Spec Spid), I will continue to say Greg Weisman is TOO GOOD!

save the shows writes...

i know this is not a question but it's a helpful way to save shows. if any one would like to save a show and get it aired again such as *hint hint* WITCH then go on this web http://help.savedisneyshows.org/ and follow the instructions also get as many people as possible to go on http://help.savedisneyshows.org/ and follow the instuctions (it says it was made by a greg, and im not sure if thats coincedental or the same person)
remember save great shows *hint hint* such as WITCH from not being aired ever again thank you

kyle tonarella writes...

well i actually have seen the joker episodes you've written and they are tureley works of art a shame that they could not make joker like that through the rrst of the series oh well anyone on to a new question i've heard molten man will be in the show and we he actaully have connections to Liz Allen like the comics is he part of the firs or second arc of season 2

Liz writes...

Hey! just wanted to know if you could talk to disney over making more WITCH or could i a fan do so, also wnated to know that if disney say no could another company make a differnt spin on witch such as jetix, 'coz back here in england WITCH is played on jetix not disney

any help would be appericiated
thanks Liz

ollie writes...

orry for the double comment but i just read the rules again, if i broke any sorry! i'm not looking for employment or mascarading any idea's i jus wanna know if W.I.T.C.H is ever gonna continue and if theres any specific reason or any reason at all why
sorry again if i've made a mistake Ollie

Ollie writes...

Hey Greg, im a fan of another programme you directed called W.I.T.C.H, and I've read the introduction to this website so i know there's a chance that you won't respond, but i might aswell give it a shot! I was wondering if you would ever continue the W.I.T.C.H series and if you would you could use the ideas from the comic books (i can't sure you if you deccide to use the comic ideas as i did not right them). I'm not sure if there is a specofic reason why the W.I.T.C.H series stopped and if it had anything to do wih ideas for the show, anyway i would be really greatful for a reply and if you need any story lines you can contact me (and i promise not to sue!) on my email; mrdudeman@live.co.uk
or if you want to reply to this message seperatly (as it has nothing to do with Gargoyles - which i totaly love aswell!)
Thanks Ollie

Charisma82 writes...

It's really late, but hey, better late than never, right? So here's the page-by-page review on Gargoyles #8.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building
Chapter Eight: Rock & Roll

Part 1 Pages 1-12

Cover: It's cool. Glad that Hudson got a front row seat on it.

Page 1: It's Griff! I was really excited when I found out Griff would be in the comics, and I'm so glad to finally get to see him in this comic. He's one of my favorite gargoyle characters. I like the estate that the London gargoyles have. It looks nice and very secluded. And I love the name: Knight's Spur. Cool.

Page 2: Another one of those pages that gives us a glimpse into the near future. I was glad to see Vinnie. I was also surprised to see Vinnie. I didn't think I'd see him for a while, but very glad at the surprise. He's a good guy to have around. Funny too. We see more about a bomb, which we still don't get much info on in this comic. We'll just have to wait for #9. And of course, at the top of the page we find Hudson duking it out with Cold Steel while exchanging harsh words.

Page 3: More of Shari's storytelling time. Thailog looks weird and creepy in the bottom picture on the page.

Page 4: Thailog thought he had one up on Shari, but then she gives her famous line "The story is told… though who can say if it be true?" I guess she has to cover herself by saying stuff like that so Thailog can't call her a liar.

Page 5: Arthur and Macbeth learn to play nice. They have a moment of doubt when they think the gargoyles will "be at each others' throats", but they worried for no reason. I really liked the two pictures of them being crowned as kings on the Stone of Destiny. They both have a connection to the stone (though in different time eras), and now, they'll have to work together to make sure it stays safe.

Page 6: The gargoyles are having a good time seeing old friends and making new ones. We also see Xanatos looking sly, pulling out some sort of mechanism with a button, and then pushing it. Can't wait to find out what that's all about.

Page 7: This is one of the two pages that are my favorites in this comic. I love the idea of Macbeth and Arthur getting to know each other better and sharing past experiences, seeing as they've both been around for a while. I love the lines exchanged between the two of them and hope to see more of this in the next comic. My favorite line is from Arthur after Macbeth tells him he's been "sleep-walking" for 939 years. "Guess I got the better bargain." Loved it.

Page 8: More of Shari's stories about the Stone of Destiny as she plays chess with Thailog. Thailog and Shari are so much like Xanatos and Fox in this aspect, it's scary.

Page 9: Some new gargoyle introductions. I like Coco. She's a go to kinda gal. I like Hudson's line, "Watch who you're callin' a yank, lass…"

Page 10: And we meet Staghart, or Amp. How did he get Amp out of Staghart? I like the transition where it goes from Coco saying no one calls him Amp to the scene where Lex does call him Amp. I also like on this page how Griff is confused about the robots looking like Goliath. Honestly, after watching the show so many times, I don't even think of the robots as looking like Goliath, they're just known as the Steel or Iron Clan robots.

Page 11: More fighting, and Macbeth figuring out that Xanatos is in on the game now. And then Arthur mysteriously disappears. I just figured he walked off to go help fight or he saw something else that was suspicious, but others think he might have been kidnapped or something. That thought never crossed my mind while reading this, but then I wouldn't cross that off as something that could happen. You never know with people like Xanatos.

Page 12: More chess playing and more storytelling, except now Shari is telling the story of Arthur. She sure does know a lot. She must be a reader.

Soon to come, part 2! And hopefully I'll be getting Bad Guys #2 & #3 in the mail soon so I can do them too. Then I'll be all up to date.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Charisma82 writes...

Hey, Greg. Driving home today I was pondering over this question. In the episode "The Gathering Pt. 2" when Titania whispers to Fox, when you wrote this scene, did you have in mind what Titania was saying? I mean, did you know then when you were writing it, or did you, for mystery's sake, come up with what she said later on once the show aired on TV? Did you even think it would get that much attention, not putting in what Titania was saying to her daughter? Thanks in advance for the answer, and please do not think of this question as a way for me to figure out what exactly Titania said, because I'm really not trying to. I'm just curious about WHEN you decided what Titania said, just to ease my wondering mind.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Tay writes...

In the episode Long Way to Morning, when Demona, Goliath, and Hudson turn to stone, why does Demona's cannon turn to stone too?

Ernie writes...

I haven't seen it posted as a question yet, but Gargoyles Season 2 Vol. 2 is now listed on Amazon.com here:

http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Season-Two-Vol-2/dp/B00198X0YA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213057189&sr=1-4

for sign-up to be notified when it comes out and write reviews for it. I've heard before that if enough people show interest on Amazon they forward this on to the distributors and it can make a difference. Don't know if this is true or not or if you would know if this helps, but I thought it would be worth mentioning to the fans on this site in the hopes that maybe if enough people sign up to be notified and write reviews it will get Amazon's attention which will get Buena Vista's attention.

Matthew Roye writes...

Dear Greg.

I am an 18 year old comic book nut, one who's often been criticized by my friends or others for having differing opinions on what makes something great (My tastes never really went into the 90's "everything must be bad ass and with GUNS" attitude, so i didn't cling to wolverine or venom much into my childhood, not to offend anyone who did) so I'm used to getting into arguments to defend my stance on what i enjoy, but boy, did Spectacular Spider-man ever change that!

Not a single person I've met can say anything negative about this show, including me! You and everyone involved have crafted, what i believe, is the single greatest rendition of spider-man the world has EVER seen. i was so happy that a show with great emotion, dialog, action, and acting has been so loved by all who have seen it.

So i should probably get to the question huh? Well this stems from the FIRST argument I've had with my best friend about a certain identity mystery on the show... Tombstone/ The big man, now, I'm not asking for a straight answer, I'm pretty sure you not only can't straight out say it, but you really wouldn't WANT too, but I'm pretty frustrated at being called naive in thinking that the big man may be someone else pulling the strings... like a certain daily bugle reporter perhaps?

If you could, all I'm asking for, and you can outright reject... but all I'm asking for is a clue, something small, I'm good at picking up on little details. you could outright tell me I'm absolutely wrong but throw in a strange word like BAGEL or something non-sequitur that'll let me know something is off. I'm BEGGING sir, with a smile, but still begging.

If not, i would just love to let you know that 'spectacular' has become my favorite show of all time... and I'm a LOST fan, so... theres that...

-Matt

Todd Jensen writes...

A few comments on "Intervention".

The symbiote's tightening hold on Peter/Spidey was handled effectively in this episode. I was increasingly unsettled as he yelled at his friends when they tried to help him - and then decided to accept Tombstone's offer after all. (Tombstone's conditions that Spidey had to give up foiling ordinary criminals but was still allowed to face super-villains didn't make things any better. The man who murdered Uncle Ben was an ordinary criminal.) I'm looking forward to seeing what the consequences of that meeting with Tombstone will be.

I wasn't expecting a look back at Spidey's origin story, or an appearance (at last) from Uncle Ben, but I thought they worked well - and especially since they played an integral part in the struggle with the symbiote.

The ending is one of the most chilling moments yet: I can think of few things more dangerous for a super-hero than one of his adversaries finding out who his civilian identity is. That gives me one more reason to look forward to next week's episode.

Thanks for another great story, Greg.

Anonymous writes...

On the cover of Bad Guys; The Lost, a picture of yama is uploaded onto the screen of a "Weisex" computer. Does WEISex have anything to do with your last name, WEISman?

Canus Shamus writes...

It's great watching how the episodes in "Spider-Man" build off one another and create one coherent storyline. I especially liked Peter's line in the Sinister Six ep about Lizard and Goblin being absent, as it lets us know that what we've seen so far has been the complete story; and I was positively geeking out when I heard the voice of "Gargoyles" alum Ed Asner as Uncle Ben. I can hardly wait for the Venom-based season finale. Now, a moment of your time for a few questions:

1. You said in an earlier post that the reason Kingpin wasn't used as the Big Man was because you "didn't have the rights to the character." What?! Marvel owns both characters, how could you not have the rights? (Don't get me wrong: I've always hated the Kingpin character, and I think Tombstone is a much better choice. I'm just curious about what prompted the change.)

2. As Electro left the asylum, he referred to his therapist as 'Dr. Kafka'. Now, even though I've been a Spider-Fan my whole life, I came to the comics themselves relatively late. As a result, I remember that Venom's therapist/love-interest from the 90s series was also Dr. Kafka, but I've never seen her show up in the comics. So: comic book reference that I missed, or sly nod to one of Spidey's earlier incarnations?

Thanks again for your time and for the great show!

Greg Bishansky writes...

Intervention
Okay, first off, if Pete is going to get that ruthless under the influence of the symbiote, I'm glad they built up to it slowly and subtly. Far better than the 90s series, which turned him into a monster within a single day, and the less said about symbiote Peter's depiction in "Spider-Man 3" the better. I especially like how my expectations were completely played. I expected Peter to punch out Flash, to do something nasty to Sally. To beat the snot out of Tombstone. But, nope, the people he's cruel to are his friends. Speaking of Tombstone, I am looking forward to the consequences of Spidey's deal with him. Spidey realizing he's saying "we" instead of "I" was well done, and it's nice to see the now, iconic cathedral scene. Hmm, Saint Damien's Cathedral, Greg? ;)

Flash Thompson was the voice of reason. Wow. I really liked that, it makes Flash a strong character and not just a stereotypical jock/bully. He dislikes Peter because he thinks Peter is an elitist jerk. Under the symbiote's influence, Peter proved him right. Now,

Flashback time. Okay, I'm sure some people won't like it, but I'm enjoying the black and white. But the most pleasant surprise is Ed Asner as Uncle Ben. That's perfect casting, and I'm glad that was kept under wraps. Really enjoyed it. This was also a great way to present the origin, a nice combination of the original comic book origin, and the movie's origin.

Uncle Ben as Peter's conscience, and the symbiote as the devil on his shoulder. I like it. Lots of flashbacks, almost like a clip show, and yet it wasn't. I know some people aren't into that sort of thing, but I loved this episode. It wasn't just an origin, it was a character study. A very solid character study.

Fanboy moment, I loved the homage to the cover of "Amazing Spider-Man #100"

Finally, Eddie Brock becomes Venom. Allow me, if you will, my own tangent here. I never liked Venom and mostly because of Eddie Brock. This is a character who has never been done well in any prior incarnation, even the original comic books. He was poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly characterized... and became a super star character. He's the Michael Bay of comic book villains. After he first appeared, everyone it seems, tried to create over the top muscle bound villains with no depth who could kick the hero's asses worse than any of their pre-established nemesis. For Batman it was Bane; for Superman it was Doomsday... when those stories would better be told with pre-established villains like the Joker, Ra's al Ghul, Lex Luthor or Darkseid. I could go further, but there are entire essays on this. Personally, I think Venom is the poster child for everything that was wrong with comic books in the 90s, from the lack of creativity to the internal politics.

Now, all that being said, I liked this. It was definitely the best origin for Venom I have ever seen, and while that may not be saying much, I really did enjoy it. The symbiote itself was very well depicted. While I had misgivings about Eddie's behavior last week, he made a lot more sense today. He lost his job, his education, his future. Not to say he's absolved of responsibility. If he didn't let his hatred for Peter get in the way, he could have made the best of it, found another job and really worked for it. There are people out there who scrub toilets to pay for their educations. But then, when everything seemed okay, and the symbiote wasn't dead, Eddie released it and bonded with it. So, in the end, Eddie really screwed himself over. But it was done well, certainly better than the Sin Eater retcon in the original comic books. I have never been a fan of Venom, but I have accepted a while back that he's here to stay. The Green Goblin; Dr. Octopus and Venom... the unholy trinity.

Brilliant script, Greg. Brilliant episode. I am looking forward to next week's. Make me a fan of Venom.

avalon1178 writes...

Greg Weisman you are a GENIUS!!!! The Intervention episode, the one where SpiderMan had a flashback moment while he was under the influence of the alien is probably the best rendition of this storyline I have ever seen!!!! Great work! The storyline, animation....all I can say is superb! That episode is not going away from my DVR list that's for sure!

Aldrius writes...

Review of Spectacular Spider-man Episode 12 :"Intervention"

I loved this episode. Hated Eddie. Loved this episode. And what made me love this episode instead of just liking it? Ed Asner, Jim Cummings, and Robert Constanza. Three of my favourite voice talents of all time. Even if Jim just had a bit part.

I love the fact that Spidey took up Tombstone's offer. It took the influence of an evil black suit, but he still went through with it, and I'm eagerly awaiting the consequences. I love the fact that Eddie so obviously went to see Aunt May in the hospital JUST to piss Peter off, rather than out of any genuine care for Aunt May. I loved Mary Jane in this episode, despite not being a big fan of Mary Jane in general, she's assertive, she's the queen bee of sorts. Same goes for Gwen, the two characters are really coming into their own rather than just being the 'girlfriend' and the 'wet blanket who worries a lot'.

I loved Flash in this episode, he's certainly come a long way from the stereotypical jock he was in episode 1. He's actually *gasp* put some thought into why he harasses Peter. It's not JUST because he's 'smart' or a 'nerd' or because he doesn't value the same things but because he thinks he's got a weak character. Maybe Flash believes in Nietzsche's teaching of 'whatever doesn't kill him makes him stronger'? And if Sally feels sorry for you, you know you've got problems.

Again, loved Ed Asner, loved Costanza and Cummings. Loved the whole flashback really, blatant ripping off of the movie aside. The symbiote seems to be a villain in itself here.

Nothing much more to say, but the flashback of Spider-man saving all those people was really touching. Such a simple thing, pointing out how many times Peter's pulled someone out of the fire, was really effective, and showing all the people in Peter's life that he's touched and enjoyed the company of. (Of course, Black Cat and Norman aren't quite the buddies he thinks they are, but everyone knows that.) And it really shows how strong Peter's supporting cast is. (Even shows him saving Eddie)

Which brings me to my points on Eddie. He's being a numbskull. I can't get behind his motivation to want to destroy Spider-man and Peter at all. Now obviously he's allowed to be a jerk, he's a character, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy or understand it. If he took 3 seconds to THINK instead of feel, then he'd realize that all of his reasons for hating Peter are completely ridiculous. Now HE'S the one who's stolen the symbiote. Now he's costing himself his OWN job.

To interject something for a second, I love Mrs. Connors in this show too. That's just dawning on me. She's the businessmind behind the scientific brilliance. She owes Peter nothing, she owes Gwen nothing (speaking of which, is Gwen still working there? I guess not.), she owes Eddie nothing, she's just their employer.

Spider-man's saved Eddie and others a bunch of times (of course the symbiote didn't show him that), and because he destroyed an obviously dangerous symbiote, Eddie hates him for it. Of course, it's kinda Spider-man's fault for not EXPLAINING why he was going to ruin Eddie's chances at an education and a job (did he even LOOK for another job, though?) But still, none of the flashbacks of Peter being a 'bad guy' did it for me either. Oh well, everything else was fantastic, so I can hardly fault it for that, despite being a critical moment.

There's still time for all of this to make sense to me, though. Maybe Eddie will have an epiphany in the next episode and actually come to his senses. I'll just have to wait and see.

Donald writes...

can you give me the lyrics to the new spiderman cartoon? i was skeptical if i was gonna like it but i love the theme song, it's perfect!!

tori writes...

what color is my hair

Chris writes...

Now that gargoyles is out in comics I want to mention how I heard somewhe that they were toying with the idea of making Lexington a gay character. The voice actor was interested in it but the idea was considered innappropriate at the time. Nowadays however it seem portraying gay characters and their relations is not as taboo anymore (as portrayed in Exiles with Mariko and Spider Woman). My question is, might they toy with the idea of making Lexington gay in the comic continuity?

Antiyonder writes...

My third review round:

Episode 7- Catalysts
- Everyone's reaction to Peter's date, priceless. Especially since we get a mention of his bet with Flash.
- Though I feel bad for Gwen, good to see that she got a smile after seeing MJ with Flash in Peter's absence.
- Like everyone else, I'm certainly not a fan of Sally.
- Leaving Mary Jane to help Tombstone. I'd say this is my favorite example of The Parker Luck. Good thing that MJ takes Peter's departure well, and that he gets the last dance.
- Too bad that Harry was dumped, but at least Flash and the gang got a bit of karma. Don't dump the guy with the limo indeed.

Episode 8- Reaction
- I'm always a sucker for romantic moments, and that scene with Spidey saving the guy and gal satisfied that feeling.
- Given that the early comics are the basis for the series, I wasn't really surprised that Pete and MJ weren't in a serious relationship. Though a good number of viewers thought otherwise. Makes sense considering that we all relate to Spidey in our own way.
- Though Ock's personality change did seem fast, it still feels natural.
- Was waiting for Liz to warm up to Peter since her expression around the end of episode 2. Their date didn't disappoint.
- Can't really see the Goblin being anyone else, especially with Norman's smirk at the end.

Episode 9- The Uncertainty Principle
- I thought that the 90s Series did well in humanizing Jameson, but this as well as episode 7 and 11 do a better job. Plus, it helps to have a definitive reason for him to be labeling Spider-Man as a menace.
- I can't see how anyone believes Gwen to be a copy of Debra Whitman, considering that her stare can be intimidating to Peter.
- Peter's Halloween costume choice, gave me yet another Amazing Friends flashback.
- Favorite Line #1 (Liz): You can web me up anytime, Petey.
- Flash Thompson as a cheerleader. Much more frightening than any Halloween creature could ever be.
- Favorite Line #2 (Spider-Man): Trap. (Tombstone): Trap.
- So, Harry is the Goblin. Or is he?

marek writes...

Where did lhikan lives when he was a matoran?

Matt writes...

Since Bronx would not have even hatched yet when Dark Ages starts, did you have any plans to feature another gargoyle beast or two among the main cast of that spinoff?

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, to follow up on someone's Montana/Shocker comment, Montana's real name is Jackson W. Brice. What is your reason for Montana becoming Shocker rather than using Herman Schultz.

sean writes...

Recently Amazon.com placed a link on their site, which will alert fans when Gargoyles: Season 2, Volume 2 becomes available. Have you heard anything on upcoming DVD releases? And if more Gargoyles DVDs are on the way will you be involved at all?

brooklyn fan #1 writes...

he grag what made won't to hAVE BROOKLYB HAVE TWO KIDS WHY can't he and katana just have nashville

Matt writes...

Gargoyle Beasts

1. Back before humans became a serious threat to gargoyle clans, like lets say 5,000 years ago, did most/all clans have beasts members?

2. Why exactly did gargoyles "domesticate" the beasts? Did they actively bring them into the clan or have the two species always kinda stuck around together?

3. We've seen a beast member among the Ishimura Clan. From dialogue we learn that the clan has lived peacefully with humans for some time. Given that beasts reproduce sooner and more than gargoyles, why is the beast population of Ishimura so much smaller than the gargoyle population?

4. Did beasts evolve from winged gargates, merely losing their wings to become more terrestrial at some point? You've said before that beasts may have vestigial wing bones or something.

Thanks Greg!

Benji writes...

Hi Greg. What's up? I know you've gotten swamped with questions about Season 2 Volume 2 and Season 3 of Gargoyles coming out to DVD, and you've been telling us all that Season 2 Volume 1 didn't sell enough copies. I have a new question however, has Disney changed their minds? The reason for this question is, I was just on Amazon.com and just happened to type in Gargoyles, and Season 2, Volume 2 and Season 3 are now listed. Right now it's currently saying the items aren't available but it's the first time I've ever seen them listed on there. Is Disney thinking about releasing the rest of the series? Maybe around Christmas time like they did the previous two releases?

Aldrius writes...

I was gonna post my ramble on the last three episodes of Spectacular Spider-man, but I get the feeling that the irreverent style in which I do them is mis-interpreted and not appreciated (not to sound like I'm 'bitching', mind you). So I might as well just write up ye olde fashioned review.

The Uncertainty Principle was a fantastic episode. Right from the opening scene with Green Goblin smashing into Hammerhead's car. I liked that completely incidental driver and her silenced gun. She was awesome. Which Spider-man character from the comics is she and (due to this being a non-wasteful Weissman series) when will be seeing more of her? Just kidding.

Though given the way the series is going, I wouldn't be surprised if the answer to both questions is 'yes'. But to move on, I really liked the dynamic between Tombstone and Spider-man in this episode. It's like Spider-man's got his own 6 foot tall walking slab of concrete of an amoral businessman for a side-kick. Tombstone has his own agenda, and Spider-man is part of that, but then Spider-man has his own agenda as well, and Tombstone can be part of that too, even though Spider-man is too naive to realize it. But maybe manipulating the Big Man's criminal empire is too much power and too much responsibility for the webhead.

But not too much for the goblin, of course. And what a goblin we have here. He didn't strike me as anything too special in Catalysts or Reaction (not to say he was bad). But here he was a beast. I loved the fight scenes in this episode, just to compliment you for one second, I think these are a vast improvement over any of the fight scenes in Gargoyles, and what little I've seen of Witch. There was some real energy to them, and the words meshed perfectly with the action.

Anyway, as I said, I loved the Goblin in this episode. He was both hilarious and dangerous, reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series' Joker or Reboot's Hexadecimal. Even some very simple straightforward dialogue is brought to life by Steve Blum. (I love the part where he just expositioned who

And I of course, like everyone else, have my own theories and thoughts about the Green Goblin's identity. I think it's Norman who set Harry up to take the fall back at the mansion, but I would not be entirely surprised if it actually is Harry. Gotta keep an open mind when it comes to these things.

Then there was Persona. Another GREAT episode. If the Goblin is my favourite villain (regardless of who's behind the mask), then Black Cat is my favourite 'love interest' for Spider-man. I thought the actress did a fantastic job being sultry and dangerous. But still tough and resourceful.

I liked the Chameleon too, and the dynamic between the Black Cat and the Chameleon even though they don't have a single scene together. They're both 'using' spider-man to get what they want. Chameleon is using his identity as a cover and for some reason he's trying to incriminate him. I'm not going to pretend I understood why they were smearing Spider-man's reputation. I guess maybe, like the big man, he wanted him distracted while he pulled off his master crimes.

The quinten beck and the other guy cameos were fun too, and fitted well with the Chameleon's 'stage-esque' personality. It's all just smoke and mirrors, and the old school use of that was really fun.

I'm not a big fan of the movie-type black suit. I think the older one is a lot sleeker and looks much better on spider-man, but I liked his design regardless. You can barely see the lines, and I didn't notice any change, but apparently there was some in the latest episode.

Which brings me to just that. Group Therapy. This one was like two episode in one for me. One I loved, and one I almost couldn't stand. I loved the dynamic of the sinister six. They all had their goals, and they were all clear. But Doctor Octapus (who I found rather unmotivated in his original episode) made for a commanding and powerful presence to unite them against the spider-man. Though I'm still not sure I know WHY he's after spider-man. Though I do think the dynamic of the man who desperately wants to be noticed and lavished with attention (octapus) vs. the man who just wanted to disappear (octavius)is very clear, and maybe he just snapped. Still a great character and I love Peter McNichol.

Having said that, all the other villains' motivations were very clear. Shocker feels a sense of responsibility to the Big Man, and wants to deal wih Spider-man for him, electro wants to be normal, and sees Doctor Octapus as a way to do that, plus he just doesn't like Spider-man. Rhino is an animal, and he wants revenge, wants to prove how tough he is. Sandman just wants money, doesn't really care about Spider-man. And Vulture wants to go after Osbourn. Like Octapus, he kinda just wants to be noticed and recognized I think.

Actually, in that regard Octapus and Vulture are very similar. They care a great deal about etiquette, about manners and recognition. They're like two scientists who wanted to get the noble peace prize (and deserved it) but were denied it.

Also want to comment on how fun it was seeing all six villains get equal screentime. The villains you chose allowed for a lot of 'doubling up' (with the shocker and electro both blasting Spider-man at the same time, stuff like that) and I'm glad Octapus got the final confrontation with him, being the lead bad guy and all that.

There were two lines I found rather strange in this episode. One was 'Lizard and Goblin have knick's tickets'. Considering the Lizard was his ex-boss (maybe Peter does capatalize off of the Conners' pain with jokes!), and the Goblin was his crazy best friend, that seemed in rather poor taste, but it was still funny so that made up for it for me anyway.

The other was 'peter is twice the man you are' by Mary Jane. If she knows he is spider-man then this line is perfectly understandable but as it stands it strikes me as a rather odd comment for a sixteen year old girl to make when she barely knows Eddie (not that he wasn't being a complete creep, but I'll get to that in a second) and she's gone on one date with Peter and run into him a couple of times afterwards, at least it seems that way to me. It works in regard to the story, but it seems weird for it to be coming from Mary Jane to me.

Whereas Mary Jane almost seemed to be a bit too insightful and too wise, Eddie just seemed to be a judgmental fool to me in this episode. Jumping to every conclusion without even letting Peter speak up for himself or explain himself. It's true to life, but for the narrative it struck me as rather sudden, and it was almost as if he went from 50 to 100 on the jerkometer in a single episode. While I feel that there could have been a 75.

At least that's how it seemed to me at first, but I've watched it a second time and it actually occurs to me that he wasn't really doing anything other than being a HORRIBLE conversationalist and a crazy driver. And if it wasn't for that 'funny little plane accident' comment complete with the 'I'm a psycho' look, I wouldn't say he was that out of line. I think it's more that comment earlier about making 'Peter suffer too' that made me think that he was going to kill Mary Jane or something. But in hindsight, looking at that scene again, he was just a frustrated guy trying to make what he saw as the cause of his frustration a little jealous who might have taken it a little too far in the moment.

In hindsight, I didn't dislike the Mary Jane and Brock scene as much as I did initially, but it was still probably the weakest subplot of the 10 episodes we have had thus far.

All in all, these are probably my three favourite episodes of the lot so far, barring Eddie in 10, but we're obviously getting some episodes on that over the next two weeks, so maybe it'll be put into perspective for me.

Little Roma writes...

When is the second half of the second season going to come out? I've already got the first season, the first half of the second season and I'm making sure as hell to buy the comic books (both coming from the show and the Bad Guys one) but there are many episodes that I would like to watch again. Sadly they weren't on any of the DVD's that I have. Also, there is an episode where it shows re-caps of how Cold-Stone was made, but you never actually SHOWED the actual episode. What happend?

Algernon writes...

While I'm at it, more Spectacular Spider-Man.

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Another great episode, admittedly I was slightly worried that the story would be a bit crammed with both the Sinister Six and the alien costume story, but once again this you guys manage to make the most out of your allotted twenty minutes.

The six themselves were played fantastically. This episode does a good job of show casing what a villainous mastermind Doc Ock truly is. It's interesting how he's apparently taken Electro under his wing. I especially liked his warped sense of chivalry regarding May and Anna. Ock may be a homicidal maniac but he is also a gentleman.

Speaking of may, I really liked that she stood up to the Six for Spidey. The whole "that awful Spider-Man" routine in the comics always made her really unlikable to me. I do hope that they don't overdo May's ill health, it's okay here but in the comics it's devolved into a borderline running gag.

I really liked how you've been developing the symbiote, very creepy and very subtle. I especially liked the way Symbiote Spidey literally beat the Six in his sleep.

The only thing that did bug me was Eddies sudden turn from a seemingly okay guy whose understandably pissed at Peter to creepy psycho. I understand how losing you clan or crippling your brother might drive you round the bend. But Eddie thinking Pete is a jerk doesn't seem quite eternal vengeance worthy to me. Still I'll reserve judgment till the current arc is over.

In short: 95% greatness and 5% "meh", still great stuff. The promo for the next episode looks creepy as hell.

TTFN

Greg Bishansky writes...

Group Therapy
In our latest misadventure, the Sinister Six comes to town.

First off, this was almost a Where's Waldo of previous characters. Let's see, who's in this episode?

Dr. Octopus; Vulture; Electro; Montana/Shock; Sandman; and Rhino. Our Sinister Six. But Hammerhead; Fancy Dan; and Ox also make appearances. I think Quentin Beck and Phineas Mason were also seen in Rikers Island.

Really, Green Goblin; Lizard; and Chameleon were the only ones missing. Goblin and Lizard apparently had Knicks tickets; I'm guessing Chameleon is a hockey fan, and hoping Black Cat is into jello wrestling ;)

Okay, first off, I loved the prison scenes. Especially Rhino and Sandman's cells. How does Rhino go to the bathroom? Kudos for the Dr. Ashley Kafka cameo. I enjoyed Electro and was glad to see he was the catalyst of their escape. I didn't expect Ox and Fancy Dan to join in the escape, but nice to see they're off with Hammerhead and I'm sure we'll see them again doing the Big Man's bidding...

... While I'm on the subject. One of the many things that annoyed me about the 90s series was that the Sinister Six.... er, "Insidious" Six (apparently, Sinister was a no no word for Fox Kids) were nothing more than Kingpin's glorified goon squad, with Doc Ock as the leading lackey. For a moment, I was afraid we'd see the same here, with Tombstone in the Kingpin's role. But, I'm glad that's not the case. While they may have coordinated, the Sinister Six is Doc Ock's show.

And what a show it was. Ock was cold, ruthless, sadistic and had all the best lines. Yup, that's the Doc Ock I know and love. I loved the dinner scene, hell, if I were locked up for a while, first thing I'd want is a four star meal at the best Italian restaurant in town. "Gentlemen, and Rhino," I loved that line.

The fight scenes were brutal. The first one, where Spidey got his ass kicked, and the second one where the Six got torn apart. Ock was just vicious, what with all the talk about impaling (heh, only character I foresee getting impaled wasn't in this episode) and peeling the symbiote off.

Finally, I'm glad the symbiote didn't make Peter over the top ruthless and vicious like the third movie and the 90s series did. While, I'm no fan of the story, I still liked the nod to the symbiote taking Peter out for a joyride.

The only thing about this episode I did not like was the Eddie Brock and Mary Jane scene. Okay, his first scene with Peter was fine. I can believe the guy drives like a maniac... he's crazy enough to tackle the Lizard. But, I just can't see the guy we have previously seen doing that to Mary Jane. I can't. Personally, I think this is an intrinsic problem with the character of Eddie that goes back all the way to his comic book debut. There is no logic at all to what he becomes. I hope I am proven wrong, and so far this show has done nothing but hit everything right as far as I'm concerned. But this here, by itself, just fell flat to me. Aw well.

Good show.

Algernon writes...

One more belated Spectacular Spider-Man Review

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Another jam-packed episode, giving us the alien costume, Black Cat, Chameleon & our first real look at Captain Stacy. I really don't know how you do it Greg, I have to check my watch to make sure these episode are really twenty minutes long.

I think it's interesting how you've chosen to go with the classic alien version of the black costume as opposed to the Ultimate "cancer suit". Particularly since your version of Brock draws heavily on his Ultimate incarnation. This show does a good job of blending elements from Spidey's various incarnations.

This episode also introduces two new antagonists into Spidey's world. Black Cat is a lot of fun. And before anyone else says it Felicia was doing the whole "amoral-cat-burglar-with-the-hots-for-our-hero" thing back when Catwoman's schemes mostly involved using black magic to turn Superman into a house cat. The Catwoman that Black Cat supposedly ripped off didn't really exist before Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, so there.

We also meet Chameleon. I liked that you went with the more old school master of disguise version, as opposed to the more Mystique style shape shifter he's become in recent years. He's also the man behind my favorite line in the episode…

"My insectoid early warning system is tingling!"

I'd go on but there are only so many different ways to say "I liked that" without it sounding repetitive. Looking forward to the Sinister Six.

Todd Jensen writes...

My ramble/review of the most recent episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man".

This is a minor detail, but I was astonished when Aunt May and Anna Watson were talking about Falstaff in the play that they were going to see. I can't fully explain why at present (because of the "no ideas" rule), but we were discussing "Bad Guys" a couple of days earlier in the comment room, and part of the discussion turned on Dingo's real name being Harry Monmouth (a name also borne by Prince Hal) and its implications. (Though the play that Aunt May and Anna Watson were going to see was apparently "The Merry Wives of Windsor" - which I like to think of as the Falstaffian equivalent of the "Goliath Chronicles", incidentally, except that Shakespeare wrote that one - rather than one of the Henry IV plays.) At any rate, I was surprised at the timing.

I hadn't thought at first that Peter's sleepiness, and his silence during the final battle with the Sinister Six, was due to the alien symbiote, but that made a great revelation at the end. I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops in the upcoming episodes.

J. Jonah Jameson had another human moment when he discovers that Aunt May had a heart attack (I'd suspected, incidentally, that we'd see that coming when she had a faintness spell at the start of one of the earlier episodes - I think it was the Chameleon one).

The Sinister Six definitely came across as a threat - and I liked how they were all handled with their familiar characterizations (Sand-Man is still more interested in making a big haul than in getting revenge on Spidey, for example).

innyj writes...

help! i need facts on medieavl gargoyles where can i go

Dennis Knipper writes...

in the state of fla does the court consider the spouses, new spouses income in their calculations in fiquiring out how much child support is owed and is the law changing under the new regulations

Chris Velazquez writes...

During my reading of Bad Guys #3, one of the things I liked seeing the most was watching the clock tower being reconstructed (along with the absolutely psychotic expression the artist gave Robyn during the flashback of her blowing it up). Anyway, watching the clock tower being reconstructed reminded me also of Owen mentioning about being tired of overseeing the constant reconstruction of the castle due to the battles there. So, my question being, after the events of The Reckoning, is Coney Island being reconstructed? I'm quite curious about it, as Coney's quite a special place for both me and an aunt of mine (she's in her sixties of age and also a huge Gargoyles fan).

Anonymous writes...

I just wanted to note something from one of your previous question/answer entries. Laura aka 'ad astra' asked "about Titania and Oberon's son and daughter....Have we met them in some shape or form seemingly totally unconnected?" You answered "No. Not to my knowledge. (I thought I was sure.) I know who they are, but they did not appear in the first 66 episodes."

Here's my question. Have Oberon and Titania's son or daughter (Not Fox or Merlin, I mean the son and daughter Oberon and Titania had TOGETHER) appeared in some shape or form in the current issues of the comic series?

Mathew writes...

Hi everyone, just wanted to start off by saying I love the 2 current gargoyle arcs out right now and hunt for them religiously at the comic store i go to so please dont stop! Also ive noticed pretty much every comic (from Marvel and DC to Image and Star Wars comics) has come out with an "official handbook" of one sort or another to give readers a look at all the characters bios and stats. Thus i was wondering if you might have anything in the works like this or might ever consider doing a handbook as i would love to know more about not just the main characters but also the lessere knowns such as the gargoyle clans on avalon, japan, and south america, and other characters that might of only been given an episode or less in goliaths avalon travels. Well thanks again for the show and the comics and for issues yet to come!

She Who Shall Remain Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg! I was wondering, which character would you say is the one the audience is supposed to identify with? I would guess Brooklyn, or maybe Elisa.

Meg writes...

-First of all, I have to say, I think if one issue of the Bad Guys mini had to be drawn by a fill-in artist, this was the right issue for it. I really like Karine Charlebois' stuff, but her pencils tend to be more technically perfect and "cleaner" than Chris Jones', and I think his darker, grittier look suited this particular issue very well, especially in the crypt scenes.
-Man, Hunter has some serious gymnastics skills. She's got to be on par with some of the Bat family over in DC.
-I love how Yama speaks so formally. It suits his character very well, I think, lends him a certain appropriate dignity.
-Oh, Dingo. You so TOTALLY have the hots for Hunter already. Don't even try to deny it. ;) Matrix shows some serious respect for Hunter, too. I'm confused, though-I can't decide if Hunter just didn't show up to training that particular day or if she's been absent for the whole month. They make it SOUND like she's been absent the whole month, but if they're training as a team that makes no sense, and it begs the question of what SHE'S been up to....
-When you see how Charles Canmore died plus the Canmore children's encounter with Demona in the catacombs, you can suddenly understand much better their obsession with her.
-On that note, I find the dynamics of the Canmore siblings very interesting. After the second issue, I wondered to myself if it wasn't that Jason fancied himself the leader, Jon was perpetually caught up in his personal self-important angst, and Robyn was the one who ACTUALLY got stuff done. Robyn certainly seems to be the heart of the sibling team, both in the past and present. Interestingly, Jason makes it sound as though the siblings didn't always act as team, as though sometimes they went their separate ways and did their own thing. I wonder if that'll be explored in the future, and whether it ever caused tension within the siblings (knowing Jason and Jon, I'm sure it did). As far as the conversation with Jon goes, the lines about Canmore money intrigue me. I want to know where that money comes from, who controls it, and whether they have any other surviving family members.
Robyn is very different with Jason and Jon. With Jason, she's strong and silent and lets him talk out his frustrations, but with Jon, she's super talkative and confrontational. Speaks volumes about her relationships with both, but actually, I find the Jason and Robyn dynamic absolutely fascinating. Jon and Robyn are more eh, but Jason and Robyn seem so COMPLICATED. He's so angry, but not, as he's rehabbing, and she won't give him anything in a clear sign she doesn't totally TRUST him; they obviously don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things but they also obviously love each other, whereas Jason seems to care about Jon more because he HAS to. Robyn, on the other hand, clearly loves Jon a lot. And yet they are all in some ways emotionally detached from each other; I guess growing up emotionally damaged and knowing any one of you could die at any time does that to you.
-Love how Robyn is so nonchalant about blowing the police station up, even as we know she's thinking about it. Girl has some awesome self-control.
-I have some strong suspicions about who owns Bushido Concepts.
-Dingo is no lightweight, that's for sure.
-Jon is really, truly gone when Robyn shuts the door behind her. Forget Hunter's Moon III; Jon and Robyn are done and Jon has passed irrevocably the point of redemption right here when he brushes her off as inconsequential. Boy, do Jon and Demona deserve each other.
-Yama and Hunter make a great team. But I do wonder if Dingo and Matrix actually left early because they got bored, or if something more is afoot here....

BAD GUYS is definitely heating up, and I LOVED the backstory on the Canmore sibs, but I'm really ready to see the "main plot" develop, after three issues. Still, a really solid issue with tons of good nuggets of information. Can't wait for #4!

kyle tonarella writes...

sorry to bug you once again but i need questions answered will be seeing green goblin in season 2 and more crime bosses such as silvermaine in the gang war storyline you said you were doing for season 2
and will we be seeing more of black cat in the series as it goes on and last but not least will the lizard return

Kristin writes...

Gargoyles when always turn to stone to 'sleep' but Why? and what sort of effect does the removal of such sleep (such as Puck's 'human form spell on Demona) do to their bodies? Demona turned into a Gargoyle when the sun went down, but does it mean she has a human or a Gargoyle sleep cycle, or does the change 'restore' her body as if she slept?

A friend of Greg Bishansky writes...

Hello, Greg! This certainly as been a while since I came by this forum and ask you a question. But I've certainly been following your recent work as of late, your time-travel episode of the Ben-10 series, and your current work on the latest Spider Man cartoon series; which I must commend you for. The plot twist regarding Harry Osborn being the Green Goblin was certainly a nice surprise to be sure. But would also like to say how sorry I am regarding the Gargoyles DVD series, I myself would have liked to see your series be completely transferred onto DVD at last...

Now onto my question, since you did work on the time-travel episode of Ben 10; I was wondering on its continuity. After watching the first 6 episodes of the Ben 10 Alien Force series, I noticed a change in Kevin Eleven's demeanor, and doesn't seem to hold that much of a grudge against Ben Tennyson. To which the case is different for your Ben 10 episode; is it because the episode wasn't meant to be taken into the official storyline, or is it a prelude of things to come? Well, I'm very curious to hear from you on this, I know you very busy in your work, and I can only wish you the best of luck in them, especially your work on Spiderman. Take Care!

P.S. - Here's hoping we get a Gargoyles Movie in the future! ^^

Sincerely,
SN

Algernon writes...

Sorry this took me so long, I've been up to my neck in exams. Fortunately that's all behind me now and I can finally play catch up with these reviews.

S
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The Uncertainty Principle
First off, I liked that this was a Halloween episode. It's always been my favorite holiday and it's particularly appropriate considering who this weeks villain is.

Speaking of which, this episode really did a good job of illustrating what always made the Green Goblin such a menacing villain. Behind that apparently deranged visage there lurks a cold and calculating intellect. Steven Blum's voice work was again top notch. I especially liked the "lets see which breaks first" line, the Goblin has an appropriately ghoulish sense of humor.

On the civilian front we see Harry descent into self-destruction reach a climax. A pity that Pete's too busy trading punches with costumed lunatics to really notice. Fortunately Gwen's still there to try and save Harry from himself. I have to admit I never really cared for the comic book incarnation of miss Stacy but you guys have done a great job of investing the character with a lot of strength, nicely done. On a lighter note, was anybody else suprised by how comfortable Flash seemed in that cheerleader outfit?

As for the mystery of the Goblin, personally I think that this "revelation" still leaves too many questions unanswered. How did Harry get his hands on the goblin juice in the first place? What the heck is Norman hiding behind that secret passage? I definitely think we haven't heard the last of the Green Goblin.

Anonymous writes...

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Peaseblossom writes...

You have created such a fantastical universe with so much depth. Kudos to you. I've heard Xanatos mention the Star of Arabia (during Her Brother's Keeper I do believe.) My question is what is the star of arabia and how did Xanatos acquire it?

dph writes...

My Review of Bad Guys Issue #3
I loved seeing the battle continue in the present and am looking forward to learning how we got to that point. Matrix attaching himself to Dingo is always interesting.

Then, we flash back to two weeks ago in Paris, where the team has been training for a month. Dingo's right, the team wasn't exactly slackers, but on the other hand, I have to wonder how much dependency Dingo had placed on Matrix in battle. I appreciate the use of the different font for Matrix's speech. It seems appropriate in its own way. It's interesting to see the depth of emotion in the memory of Hunter. Despite being black & white, I clearly see and feel the emotions in the expressions of the Canmore children following the defeat of their father. Seeing them head into the catacombs after Demona makes sense and I am looking forward to seeing how that confrontation ended. It's nice to see that Dingo has done his homework and learned that he's not the only one who has to be careful in New York, New York. The team landing on top of a hotel is again laying more pipework for how connected Hunter's boss really is. It's nice to see the briefing on Sevarius and confirmation on Sevarius's activities. I'm beginning to suspect that Hunter's boss is no ordinary person. All the info that Hunter has repeated from her boss leads me to the conclusion that the boss belongs to the one of the most exclusive groups on the entire planet. I confess that I never really thought Sevarius raising capital to achieve some end. It's nice to see what the team is doing on their time off. That Robyn Canmore could get inside a prison without anyone going after her says a lot about her boss. One would think all the staff around Jason would have committed to memory the face of his siblings for future purposes. I appreciate the humor in the names of the player in hockey game, even though only one name caught my eye right away. That both Jason and Robyn recognized Jon right away makes me wonder how Jon Canmore is going to stay out of jail. Robyn's confrontation with Jon was interesting and makes me wonder if she's ever going to report Jon Castaway's little secret to her boss. I'm a little surprised to see that Dingo and Matrix left early to go after Sevarius on their own. I wonder if Robyn Canmore will be able to see that what she encountered isn't a gargoyle but a mutate.

Chip writes...

I was just curious...is there anything that happens on the Gargoyles Timeline on March 23 (of any year)?

Greg Bishansky writes...

For GargWiki purposes, what are the dates of the events of Bad Guys #1 and #2?

KingCobra_582 writes...

Gargoyles: Bad Guys #3

**SPOILERS**

Like last time, I'll just keep my review simple and to the point. There were so many good things (beside the fact that it came out so soon after #2 did) about it.

It starts off like the last 2 issues did. A present day (well, if present day was still 1996) battle that jumps back into flashback mode. This time, it's Robyn's turn, and she does it well. Never thought I'd say this, but her presence alone made this a great issue.

Great way to start the next bit of action. Go back REALLY far, to 1980 and in Paris. Having seen Hunter's Moon Part 3 too many times to count, I knew what was coming, but thanks for adding more to it. I was in suspense when young Robyn and Jon encounters Demona.

For some reason, Matrix just being a puddle on his hotel bed cracked me up. I dunno why.

I loved the interaction between the Canmore siblings, especially between Robyn and Jason. That line about Jason trying to work his 'ass off'. Hell, I never would've expected THAT to get Disney's approval. Nice little surprise.

And while I'm thinking about it, nice little touches with the 'hockey players' (Bader, Spiner, Bennett, Belushi, Tagawa, Devane, Cummings, Cumming, and Cleverdon) there as well. Gave me a few chuckles. Very amusing.

The scene with Robyn and Jon, though, I didn't like so much. It wasn't a bad scene, and I definitely felt their bond ("If the hunter's not hunting demons... I've got no time for her.") breaking. The expression on Robyn's face spoke volumes. And the panel(s) with the closing/closed Quarrymen door? How symbolic. The problem I had with it was how short it was. Could've been longer.

I can just imagine Jon's reaction to his own sister working with a Gargoyle.

Hmmm, what does their mission have to do with Sevarius, exactly?

And, for that matter, why is Fang attacking them?

So many questions, so few answers.

Great story, good plot developments, and nice usage of flashbacks. Definitely the best BG issue yet. Can't wait for issue #4.

End review.

See you at the Gathering next month.

Blaise writes...

GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS
ESTRANGED

I suppose I should get my negative points out of the way first--or rather, my one big negative point: there just weren't enough pages.
Like everyone else, I just wanted to see so much more of the Canmore siblings. What we got was good, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't feel like enough. Oh well....

I was a little surprised that we didn't pick up the "Now" teaser with Yama being saved from his predicament (that's probably kicking off the NEXT issue), but when I saw Robyn was a focus, I knew her danger would be the new "present cliffhanger."

Back to the main story in the past. We get a cross-section glimpse of the Redemption Squad's hideout beneath the Eiffel Tower. Some pad--even comes complete with its own "danger room." I loved Matrix as a little helicopter. I also enjoyed Yama's statements about appreciating the "discipline of training" but being more interested in reclaiming honor.

Yeah, seeing Charles Canmore's mangled body in a pool of his own blood (even if from a high-angle distance shot) was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. Actually, there were a fair amount of more "mature" elements here that would never have made it into the TV show. I mean, Robyn calls Dingo a "damn fool" and Jason says "ass" not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES inside of two pages. The edge seems a lot sharper in this series.

I'm glad we finally got to see the lost "catacombs sequence" (modified to take place after Charles's death). Kudos to Chris Jones on Robyn's "terrified" expression--the panel of her face surrounded by tumbling skulls is especially memorable.

Dingo's been doing his homework. Robyn now has a very scary (rather than scared) expression on her face in the flashback to her blowing up the Clock Tower.

"Casablanca Hotel"...okay, there's got to be some significance to this, but color me clueless.

Wow, when Robyn says "Briefing in ten," she really means "in ten." We get a little slide show about Sevarius (including a shot of Wolf the mutate). Apparently his "Fred" disguise didn't fool...whoever the hell was spying on him. More and more we're getting additional pipe laying regarding the true boss here.
Given Yama's reaction to "Bushido Concepts" I can probably guess who's head of that company (and it's nice that we finally know the name). Also, the origin of the two thylacines is explained (or at least hinted at).

It's interesting to compare and contrast the members in their various rooms. Yama's the only one (besides the absent Robyn) with his curtains open to let in the sun. I noticed he was still facing inward, as per his customs. I also noticed he removed most of his clothing, something we have not seen him do before. I believe this is because the clothes in question are actually his Redemption Squad uniform, and as such, he does not yet consider them as "his" clothes. Meanwhile Matrix is a puddle, and Dingo's watching celebrity hockey while surrounded by empty bottles (just what was he drinking--beer or root beer?).

The conversation with Jason went well. I actually like the description of the whole "ass-for-legs bargain" he made with God, as well as the parallel shots of Jason hugging Robyn in the past with Robyn hugging Jason in the present. Jason's canny enough to realize that Robyn's now working for someone, so good on him.

Mr. Greg Weisman, you are just having too darn much fun with the voice-actor names. ;-)
I especially liked the bit about Cumming (John Castaway's voice from "The Journey") being blindsided by Cleverdon (Jon's voice in "Hunter's Moon"--as well as Castaway's voice in his other two TGC appearances).

I share Robyn's surprise at her fugitive brother appearing on TV, bold as you please (and I liked the shocked looks on her and Jason's faces). Robyn actually chastises John for calling the gargoyles demons--something I found very interesting. Even stranger, though, is that John doesn't outright...well, "demonize" her for doing so. He's confrontational, yes, but he's...well, he's not the raving lunatic we got in his last two TGC appearances, that's for sure. The contrast between his adult self's determination to kill all gargoyles and his child self's plea to "forget the gargoyles" was well done. And I loved his "I'm not Jonny Canmore/I'm John Castaway now" bit. As I read this, I heard him speaking in his original Scottish voice up until this line, at which point he shifted into his Castaway voice for the remainder of the scene.

I must say, John's got some very good ears on him. I, too, can appreciate the irony of Robyn holding a conversation with a gargoyle while in the same room as John Castaway. He also seems to have a reaction to hearing Robyn referred to as "Hunter." It's sad the way he just casually disregards her at the end. The Quarrymen door closing on a picture of a young and happy Robyn and Jon is especially poignant.

"Ding-bat"? Never heard Dingo called that before. I like it. :D

You'd think Robyn would have learned that when you're searching for something underground, you do NOT split up! I do find it a little funny, though, that so far the one member of the team she seems to have the best (or at least the easiest) working relationship with is the gargoyle.

The final page where Robyn's "current" predicament with Fang echoes her past one with Demona is just cool. I don't think we've seen Hunter with that terrified of an expression on her face (her adult, masked face, anyway).

Three last notes: 1) Chris Jones did an excellent job with the art, leaving me with only a few nits (Jason's face looked a little off to me in one panel), but overall showing solid work. 2) I agree with whoever said that the cover for this one looks like it came from the desk of the Director--who apparently prefers to use "-eisman" brand legal pads. It looks like that mug shot of Robyn was taken fairly soon after the final battle of "Hunter's Moon." And 3) Demona may finally get her first line in the comic canon here, but she's always obscured in shadow. Still, it just shows what a strong presence she holds via the impression she leaves.

Having such a short wait between issues #2 and #3 has kind of spoiled me, because now I don't want to wait for issue #4.

Matt writes...

My Review For Bad Guys #3, "Estranged"...

I greatly enjoyed this issue. We really got into Hunter as a character and it was a lot of fun and very interesting. In "The Lost", we got this great broken romance between Yama and Sora, now we see what love and conflict can do between siblings. I couldn't help but think of my family as Hunter was reminiscing and encountering her own. Like the Canmore kids, I too am the product of a boy-girl-boy birth order (as is my friend Ryan who is going to attending the Gathering with me in a month or so). I can appreciate how the relationship between Jon and Robyn changed from their childhood into their adulthood as it is very much like my relationship with my sister. I don't want to get too personal with this review, but suffice to say that "Estranged", much to my surprise, got me thinking about my siblings and made me get a little sad and made me want to call them up and chat. A very poignant and touching issue. Kudos to Greg on the great writing.

- I think the cover by Greg Guler and Robby Bevard is the best Bad Guys cover to date. It seems to be the most dynamic, I guess. And the coloring is gorgeous.

- And lets not forget the main artist for this issue. Christopher Jones does a great job filling in for Karine Charlebois. I particularly liked how he drew Hunter throughout the issue, most especially during the scene with Castaway. Hunter's silent and sad stare after John tells her he has no time for her is just breathtaking. Great stuff. I hope we see Christopher's work again either in Gargoyles or in a spinoff book.

- So, on to the story itself. We start back in the future at "Robot Island". Part of me was expecting to find out what Yama's fate would be after the cliffhanger (so to speak) from last issue, but instead we go back to see what Hunter, Dingo and Matrix are up to. Hunter does some more of her crazy-fun acrobatics and takes out a 'bot only to be snatched like teammate Yama was. Guess we'll have to wait and see how they both escape now.

- But we are off for a flashback in Paris mixed in with a flash(way)back in Paris. One of the best things about the Gargoyles comics has been the leeway we've seen on certain words and visuals. This issue contains a couple creepy glimpses of Charles Canmore that probably would never have been seen in the television series. We also have Jason throwing the word "ass" around a bit, which seemed so natural and realistic and is only remarkable because such language would've never gotten on the air. One more reason I often wonder if Gargoyles is more suited for comics.

- I like the extension on the Notre Dame scene from what we saw in "Hunter's Moon". The body of their father, the journey into the Catacombs, The Demon crawling across piles of human skulls attacking children. You can feel the creepiness and understand why these kids were so traumatized into devoting their life towards hunting gargoyles.

- The mission briefing scene was great. The thing about Sevarius is that in most shows/comics he would be a useful plot device. Fun and all, sure, but just there to enable the plot. But Gargoyles makes him more than just the "mad scientist type". He is a person with his own goals and motivations and all his work for others in the series has really been to raise cash for his own schemes. As for what he is up to, again, we'll have to wait and see...

- The Celebrity Hockey bit was fun. I laughed out loud in particular at "Puck's recovered by Spiner... Bennett checks him... loose puck!" Greg sure knows how to have fun.

- There were a lot of great little things that I loved in "Estranged". Yama's impatience to restore honor. Matrix as a mini-Redemption helicopter. Demona calling the Canmore kids "little hunters". The Clocktower in mid-restoration. The mention of Bushido Concepts and the Thylacines. Dingo relaxing in his hotel room. Yama sleeping in his underwear with his clothes and weapons neatly placed aside. And of course all the neat parallels throughout the issue ending in the great cliffhanger ending with Fang and Hunter. Great stuff. Very much looking forward to "Louse".

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, I have a bunch of questions for you that are Spider-Man-related:

1. If "The Spectacular Spider" is successful, will there be any plans for a season where Spider-Man will meet other heroes and even help them face off against some of their enemies in the episode he first encounters them in?
2. Why use Montana of The Enforcers as the Shocker instead of Herman Schultz? That's what I've been wondering.
3. If Kingpin isn't going to be included in the show, what will this mean if there are plans for Silvermane, Owl, and Caesar Cicero since Kingpin is much powerful than them? I didn't mention Hammerhead since the series has him a servant of Tombstone and I'm not familiar with Top Man (whom Hammerhead succeeds over)!

Todd Jensen writes...

My thoughts on "Bad Guys" #3, which I bought yesterday.

First, I immediately recognized the Canmore trio's pursuit of Demona to the Parisian catacombs from the Hunter's Moon radio play at the 2001 Gathering. First Coco and Amp, now this - you definitely know how to hang on to the ideas that you weren't able to immediately use and bring them in eventually!

The catacombs flashback was well-handled - especially the way you compared and contrasted the Canmores' actions and interactions with each other in 1980 and the present. Also, Demona was truly nightmarish in those scenes.

Dingo turns the tables on Hunter when he reveals that he's discovered what *she's* wanted for in New York! (And I liked the glimpse of the clock tower being repaired.)

So Sevarius was behind those thylacines back in #1? Not that I'm surprised; I suspected that Anton would have something to do with them. After everything else that he's already done, bringing extinct animals back from the zoological graveyard, "Jurassic Park" style, would be just his kind of thing.

I also enjoyed the meetings between Robyn/Hunter and her brothers: Jason rebuilding his life, Castaway heading into the darkness. I'd especially looked forward to seeing more of Castaway, after his appearance in #3. His television commercial was well-done; he makes himself seem like a friendly, reasonable, reassuring man who just wants to help frightened people. He might be a madman, but he's a shrewd madman.

You mentioned once that the Director in "Bad Guys" was in opposition to the Illuminati; while that's still canon-in-training at the moment, there were a couple of moments in the comic that tied in with that. Hunter and Castaway both wonder about the other person's backer in exactly the same way ("I know it's not Canmore money"), and the name of the Hotel Casablanca echoes that of the Hotel Cabal.

The Celebrity Hockey scene was great! Lots of in-jokes there; among the best were "Puck's recovered by Spiner, Bennett checks him", and "Cumming is blindsided by Cleverdon!" You must have had a ball writing it.

Yama's description of Dingo being "bored" was another great moment.

And we end on a real cliffhanger (all the better because it ties in with the demons - both external and internal - in Hunter's past). Now I'm looking forward to #4 (and #9 of "Gargoyles", too).

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Bad Guys #3
Again, my scattered thoughts instead of a review.

I was expecting to learn how Robyn was recruited, and I'm still hoping to see it in a future issue. She's understandably not telling her brothers who she works for or how they found her, but this is the first indication I've seen that she is not the ultimate moving force of the Redemption Squad -- both on the cover and within the issue. We also see a little more about her thoughts about gargoyles. She isn't reading a script the Director gave her nor working under his/her orders, when she speaks with Castaway. She doesn't think of gargoyles as demons anymore, though that does not at all mean she has no prejudice or dislike for them, or that she'd willingly work with one if the Director wasn't blackmailing her. The details of hers and Jason's change of heart, which was only vaguely shown in Hunter's Moon, is not elaborated on. I still wish to know what managed to turn around the very strong convictions and emotions they had. She and Jason do not discuss gargoyles or hunting at all.

Castaway essentially disowns her. I expected him to maybe try and convince her to join him, or something. It seems he already realizes she has abandoned the hunt against gargoyles. What a twisted and messed up man. He is deliberately pushing away the last people who care about him and can help him through hatred and fear (and secret guilt), but he is digging his own emotional hole. When he speaks of "feeling alone in a world that terrifies you" he's really talking about his own feelings.

Robyn's flashback is very dramatic and truly shows how terrifying the experience was for her. I think she must have been traumatized by this, not just from losing her father but also Demona's attack on her. Very well done.

At the end it looks like she thinks Fang is a gargoyle. And when she discusses Sevarius, there's no indication that she knows about the Labyrinth mutates. Dingo doesn't know about them, but the Director must if he's planning to recruit Fang. Or maybe Fang isn't part of the plan yet?

The hotel room scenes are nice characterizations. Matrix is just a puddle on the bed, which looks hilariously out of place, and I doubt that it actually sleeps. Yama takes off his clothes and weapons to sleep, which surprises me. I would expect that he'd consider these things his and would sleep with them. Then there's Dingo, staying up (after working out all night?) watching Celebrity Hockey, and by the empty bottles he's either drunk or hopped up on caffeine.

Jason seems to be in denial still about being paralyzed. After getting his spine completely severed, he can't possibly use his legs again.

I really love the exchange when Robyn finds out that Dingo left. He was "bored". Hehe. This I think is part of his and Robyn's difficulty getting along with each other, and possibly deliberately antagonizing each other. I see it also in the opening when she refuses to either give him orders or tell him her battle plan.

When Robyn exclaims "That's what I get for recruiting a" I wonder what the end of that sentence is. TV star? Actor? Felon? Man? Australian? Robot? Moron? Idiot? Superhero? Maybe finishing her sentence could become a contest.

Chip writes...

IF, and I emphasize the "if", Gargoyles: Bad Guys is collected into a Trade Paper Back would it be colored or remain in the black & white?

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Bad Guys" #3, "Estranged" picks up where #2 left off and brings us to the familiar territory of the "Gargoyles Universe" version of Manhattan. It's a comfortable setting that we know quite well, and still manages to not detract from the more global setting this book is going for.

Hunter gets a lot of, much needed, fleshing out. For us long time fans, we already knew who she was and where she came from. But for new readers, or those who've been gone for a while, this is something they needed. Especially with Season Two Volume Two not yet on the horizon. While the plot doesn't move at the pace the first two issues did, this issue is all about character development, and that is not a bad thing. Hunter was my favorite member of the team ever since I first saw the leica reel back in 1998.

I loved the flashback, and watching them chase the demon into the Paris catacombs. Very creepy and atmospheric. It also sets up her relationship with her two brothers quite well. Although, I think a brief flashback to Jon accidentally crippling Jason was needed to give newbies more of a glimpse into Jon... whoops, I mean John's pathos.

The scene with Hunter and Jason was touching, and Jason's attitude was commendable. Yeah, he's not happy to be paralyzed, but he's not whining about it. He cowboyed up and is making the best of it.

Hunter and John Castaway, I loved. But the scene was way too short, I wanted more. But then, I get the feeling Hunter did to. But, she got called away. Like a professional, the mission comes first. I do look forward to their next meeting, assuming there is one.

Let's see, who's playing Celebrity Hockey on TV? Why it's (Sheena) Easton, (Diedrich) Bader, (Brent) Spinder, (Jeff) Bennett, (Jim) Belushi, (Cary-Hiroyuki) Tagawa, (William) Devane, (Jim) Cummings, and (Scott) Cleverdon. Or rather, the voice actors for Hunter, Jason, Puck, Matrix (leica reel), Fang, Yama (leica reel), the Director (leica reel), Dingo, and John Castaway. Except for Puck and the Director, everyone of those characters appear in this issue.

Finally, we begin to see the plot thicken. We know Castaway is being funded by the Illuminati, but we get a very strong hint that Hunter has a boss, too. Someone's backing her, and as Castaway said, it's not Canmore money.

Good issue. Looking forward to the next one.

Chip writes...

More of a note to Matt than a question. My copies of BG#3 have Robyn's birthdate listed as June 19th, not Feb 20th.

Chip writes...

Review for Bad Guys #3: Estranged.

Ironically my store still hasn't gotten Issue #2: The Lost. Good thing I got a copy from another store.

I was hoping to find out what happened to Yama at the beginning of this issue, but no, just some cool panels of Robyn blowing stuff up. AWESOME!

Then we flashback, not to two months ago...but two weeks, some time has past. We see Yama and Dingo work well together...sort of, and Matrix makes a mini-Redemption Helecopter. His statement about Hunter being logical is ironic considering her EMOTIONAL trip down memory lane. Oddly enough...the artist in the background if front of Notre Dame looks just like a fanfic character of mine...weird.

I enjoyed more on the Canmore's past...it helped flesh them out and let me get to know them better. Also...give it up for Demona's first line in the comics...she's appeared before, but she never spoke till now.

On to NYC, and Dingo's gone and done his homework. *Pause for evil laugh*
Welcome to the Casablanca Hotel...I wonder if it's near the Hotel Cabal. Well...Sevarius explains how the Tasmanian Tiger got Thylacines...they were clones. And Sevarius didn't artificially age them because their coloring (as far as I could tell in black and white) was normal. So TT must have raised them from pups.

Bushido Concepts? That HAS to be Taro's company. Wonder what Vinnie's up to? I just realized...While we're at it what was Sevarius doing for Taro?!?! I can think of several possibilities and I don't like any of them.

And we get to see Yama in stone sleep for the first time in the comics. Robyn goes and sees her brothers (That hockey game made me laugh out loud in the comic shop, the storekeep stopped and asked what was so funny) Jason...who's definitely gotten himself some perspective...and Jon. Who's lost his mind, and disowned his family. I can see why the Monmouths and Castaways will still be fueding in the future. I just love that the Hunter...the mantle that was used for gargoyle genecide...now fights on the same side as gargoyles and even protects them. Poetic Justice.

More irony from Yama...if Jon had any idea who was at the other end of that radio. And Dingo was..."bored". That also made me laugh.

And Fang's assult on Hunter echoing Demona's attack on Robyn...that was just well done. I can't wait for Issue #4...I don't doubt it will leave me breathless. I also can't wait for Gargoyles #9 & 10. Especially 10! Greg Gular as guest artist WOO-WHO!!!

Peace,

Chip

Matt writes...

I know you've said the covers of the comics are not canon, but I thought I'd ask this anyway.

The cover of Bad Guys #3 lists Robyn Canmore's birthday as February 20th. Is this accurate?

Kinda pointless, I know. Just wondering.

Mary C. writes...

Hi Mr. Greg! Long time fan, first time submitter :) I don't have a question for you this time, but I wanted to share some info I though you'd find cool. I've seen alot of comments about G:BG issue #1 and the Tasmanian Tiger and is real life extinct companions. Today I found this article online about scientists transplanting a tasmanian tiger gene to a mouse. It's funny how odd things like this always seem to pop up at a relevant time, here's the link to the Yahoo article for ya: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080520/sc_afp/scienceanimaldnaaustralia;_ylt=An3qxdBHbEV4ht9_yAJgwcd4hMgF