It would have been nice if someone had mentioned that to the readers. ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN was a long time in the making (I remember it being previewed in MARVEL AGE years before it came out), so I just assumed that it took place in the past when it finally was released. The fact that it didn’t match up with Ann Nocenti’s run didn’t phase me in the least, and I don’t think it bothered many (if any) people, either.

Let’s face it: for many readers, when it comes to DAREDEVIL, Frank Miller is the gold standard. To say that one of his stories doesn’t count because it didn’t happen in the monthly is pretty silly to me. All these years later, what do people remember more: ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN or Ann Nocenti’s run on DAREDEVIL after John Romita, Jr. left the book? They both had Bullseye in them, but one is easier to find today than the other, and I don’t have to say which is which.

I think it would benefit editorial (then, now, and always) to remember that stories are usually accepted at face value by the reader, and that “reader” isn’t short for “mind-reader.” In other words, we don’t know what editorial knows, and it’s not realistic to assume that we do. So if a story gets published, it counts, otherwise we can all just pick and choose what counts and what doesn’t, and that way lies madness!

Kevin: This 256-page hardcover collects the first eight issues of Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson’s Dark Age miniseries, which delves into the history of Astro City.

Was this any good? I haven’t read Astro City since the second volume ended.

As I understand it, Frank wasn’t told anything by “management”, but was promised certain things by his editor–things that the editor wasn’t really in a position to guarantee on behalf of the company, especially since there was turnover at the top, and no actual agreement of any sort was in place. In terms of the out-of-continuity stuff, I was around when ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN was being produced, and everybody knew that it was out of continuity–it didn’t match up at all with what was then going on in DAREDEVIL, but because it was a stand-alone graphic novel, and Frank, everybody just kinda said, “Sure, let Frank do what he wants, but it’ll be outside of continuity.” And ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN was released through the Epic line, which would at least throw its canonality into question.

>But I do think Gerber did express repeatedly the desire to work on Howard the Duck again and that certainly wasn’t honored–the corporate agenda wants what it wants.>

Not that it really matters at this point, but at the time of his passing, Steve was working on a new HOWARD project for me.

Tom B

Oh yes, because FC’s 3 miniseries and couple of one-shots are SO numerous compared to Secret Invasion.

But I do think Gerber did express repeatedly the desire to work on Howard the Duck again and that certainly wasn’t honored–the corporate agenda wants what it wants.

Strange that Man-Thing, Howard and Omega have all been pretty bad when Gerber did not write them, maybe nobody else should have touched them–maybe I’m just being sentimental. But I think a critical look at the new latest Omega issue, the last Howard mini and the last Man-thing run will prove otherwise.

Steve simply felt that nobody else should be able to write OMEGA either–a strange sentiment from a guy who made his bones on DEFENDERS, DAREDEVIL, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE and MAN-THING–but the heart wants what it wants.

Tom B

That must be why they trail behind in sales every month, EXCELSIOR!