Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[HalloweenJack]

I honestly did not expect to see Danger Girl here

do Crimson next or be labeled a coward!

I'd say do Battle Chasers after that but....I'm not sure there were enough issues to justify anything beyond an annotated write up.

[Jabroniville]

I honestly did not expect to see Danger Girl here

do Crimson next or be labeled a coward!

I'd say do Battle Chasers after that but....I'm not sure there were enough issues to justify anything beyond an annotated write up.

It would be more true to Battle Chasers to do a big preamble, spend several paragraphs describing it, then do two builds and then completely stop and never mention it again.

[drkrash]

Are you going to complete the T&A section of Image builds with Witchblade?

[HalloweenJack]

I honestly did not expect to see Danger Girl here

do Crimson next or be labeled a coward!

I'd say do Battle Chasers after that but....I'm not sure there were enough issues to justify anything beyond an annotated write up.

It would be more true to Battle Chasers to do a big preamble, spend several paragraphs describing it, then do two builds and then completely stop and never mention it again.

DO IT COWARD!

[Jabroniville]

I honestly did not expect to see Danger Girl here

do Crimson next or be labeled a coward!

I'd say do Battle Chasers after that but....I'm not sure there were enough issues to justify anything beyond an annotated write up.

It would be more true to Battle Chasers to do a big preamble, spend several paragraphs describing it, then do two builds and then completely stop and never mention it again.

DO IT COWARD!

Battle Chasers can eat my ass . I've never so much as read a single issue. I don't feel like putting any money in the pocket of a guy who'd do something as shitty as build up all this work and then quit without a word and leave his fans hanging.

But man the publishing wing of Image is a confusing mess. Wildstorm is an imprint of Image... but Cliffhanger! is an imprint of WILDSTORM? How the hell does THAT work? Is it just because none of that stuff is in continuity with Wildstorm (which was then in continuity with Image)?

Also this reminds me of that Steampunk book (with art by Chris Bachalo- like Humberto Ramos, he was a prominent "Joe Mad"-inspired guy for the time- to this day, his art is more or less a "less weird Ramos" variant). That one was a LEGENDARY mess- I remember when the first issue came out and the near-universal criticism was that nobody could figure out what in the hell was GOING ON. The writer was like "Oh well, you won't have all the answers right away", but it was complete garbage- like this totally inexplicable story that immediately painted the series in a negative light. Seems like they didn't realize that the most important skill a writer can have is CLARITY. You can be funny, dramatic, clever or epic, but if none of it makes sense, then you have nothing.

[Jabroniville]

Are you going to complete the T&A section of Image builds with Witchblade?

Yeah- that was set to be next, but I had to segue into Danger Girl at the last minute because I realized it was super-linked to Gen-13 thematically and creator-wise.

It's funny how often Image books did the "It was a huge hot-seller and people loved it, then the main artist left, so...". WildC.A.T.s fell apart without Jim Lee and damaged the brand irreparably. Gen 13's sales and industry clout faded as soon as J. Scott Campbell left. Danger Girl did the same.

It's like another weird example of "Artist's Disease"- their inability to focus on any one thing (the cause of creating like 27 characters for each opening Limited Series) leads the artists to create this distinctive, iconic thing... and then once they've settled in, bail and move on, leaving the product to flounder. In a mercenary sense, it seems like Lee, Campbell, etc., just wanted to create big new characters like Marvel & DC had, and make money off of other artists using their guys, while they went and created hot, NEW things... forgetting that without their guiding hand, and with such new characters, none of that matters.

And now most of those artists are just doing Pinup Covers and the characters in WildC.A.T.s, Gen 13, and Danger Girl mean nothing.

[greycrusader]

Yeah, Sydney Savage...that's Catwoman after she let her hair grow out. Complete with jumpsuit and bullwhip.

Battlechasers (I won't honor it with italics)...Joe Madeirura may be a brilliant artist, but taking four years for nine issues, and then just leaving the industry without finishing the series. Total disrespect for fans. Heck, at least Ellis and Cassady had the professionalism to finish Planetary (though Cassady is WAY too slow to do even a bi-monthly comic on a regular basis).

[Woodclaw]

As far as I can remember most of the characterization in Danger Girl was done by establishing the skill areas of the main characters.

Abbey: use pistols, expert in archeology and speaks a ton of languages.
Sidney: use whips, expert in surveillance, occasionaly opererates as sniper.
Natalia: use knives, expert in interrogation, betray the team, then dies, then comes back to life and rebuild the team.
Sonya: use bow and arrow, expert in survival, Sidney's sister.
Val: no weapons, teenager, computer genius, major in nerd stuff.
JC: use blunt weapons, mechanical genius, exists only in the PS1 game.

Aside from that the characters were mostly defined by their (limited) personal interactions.

[Jabroniville]

That's an... odd place to put an opening in the pants.

SONYA SAVAGE
Created By: Andy Hartnell & J. Scott Campbell
First Appearance: Danger Girl: Revolver #1 (Jan. 2012)
Role: Miss Fanservice, Spy Chick
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: Nobody Specific (Charlie's Angels, really)
'90s Ratio: 7/10 (sexy spy girl with no clothing)
Group Affiliations: Danger Girl
PL 8 (132)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 7
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 11 (+14)
Deception 4 (+8, +10 Attractive)
Expertise (Spy) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 5 (+8)
Persuasion 3 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 2 (+12)
Stealth 5 (+10)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 1 (+8)

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Attack, Equipment 4 (Bow & Arrow +4, Spy Gear), Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Guns), Improved Initiative, Luck 2, Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 3, Second Chance (Falling), Takedown

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Bow & Arrow +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Fun)

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 12 (132)

-Sydney's sister is another Danger Girl member, and is the most athletic and is good with a bow & arrow- sometimes, these are "comic book"-ized to be explosive. She is the last addition to the team, showing up later.

[drkrash]

Huh. She showed up about 10 years after I stopped buying this. Didn't know there were any new characters.

[Jabroniville]

SILICON VALERIE (Valerie Evans)
Created By: Andy Hartnell & J. Scott Campbell
First Appearance: Danger Girl #1 (March 1998)
Role: Nerdy Girl, Spy Chick
Marvel Character Most Ripped Off: Nobody Specific (Charlie's Angels, really)
'90s Ratio: 3/10 (just an attractive hacker)
Group Affiliations: Danger Girl

-The "Homebase" character of Danger Girl, Valerie is a hacker who is "too young" to go on missions (despite having the same body type and face as everyone else). She reminds me of a nearly-identical character on Pamela Anderson's show V.I.P.- the whole "Girl Hacker" thing has been a cliche all the way back in 1998!

[HalloweenJack]

JC: use blunt weapons, mechanical genius, exists only in the PS1 game.

There was a game?

[drkrash]

Yup. It was adequate, but not good. I imagine trying to play it now would be pretty frustrating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhWb7lWbl_M

[Ares]

Yeah, the young redhead girl hacker with glasses is definitely still a thing. There's Kinzie Kensington from the Saints Row and Agents of Mayhem games that is basically that exact stereotype ... but kinkier.

[HalloweenJack]

...Go on.