I don't fully think Loeb/Way/Aaron's Wildchild is the greatest (or the greatest design) but it fits in with his original Byrne persona more than the Lobdell version did, and I feel it's a better use than the depowered version after M-Day.
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I don't fully think Loeb/Way/Aaron's Wildchild is the greatest (or the greatest design) but it fits in with his original Byrne persona more than the Lobdell version did, and I feel it's a better use than the depowered version after M-Day.
We hardly got to know Byrne's Wildchild, though. He was a fantastic character design, but what little we saw of him was while he was under a type of mind control. So we know he was smart, and feral, but we don't know if he was really a bad guy or just Courtney's victim like Lil. Him and Lil seemed pretty friendly at least, which makes me think he was at least sociable some of the time, and then there's that retcon later where Madison says they were best buddies before the flight program was disbanded. And you're ignoring all the character development that happened between Byrne Era and Post-M-Day. His history is convoluted, but there were some lovable parts. Now he has no depth, they treat him as filler. Just something for Wolverine to beat up again.
I'm not ignoring everything between Byrne and M-Day, I just mean that to me the Loeb/Way/Aaron version that's slightly feral yet smart, cunning and intelligent enough to beat Wolverine in a fight (cos let's not forget that in Wolverine:Evolution and Wolverine Origins #38 Wildchild beats Wolverine. It's Omega Red that kills him in #39.) is more in line with Byrne's version than Lobdell's heroic and handsome Weapon Omega was.
The feral but smart part is in line with Byrne's Wildchild, I'll agree to that. His skill is actually in line with Weapon Omega/Wild Heart, technically.
I miss all the character development that made him a deeply conflicted and interesting character who fans could sympathise with, though. I took Romulus' henchman Wildchild as being more manipulation and mind control techniques at work. I have to at least credit Tieri with establishing that Wildchild is so damaged that others can shape his identity easily. (yes, I just said Tieri did something right. Hell hath frozen over.) Though that is tragic as ****. At least that leaves an out for anyone who wants to redeem him.
I always found that version - the original and best - to be unique and interesting; a wild, Wolverine-style character with claws and presumably a healing factor, who looked different, but in a real-world plausible way; and most of all who, despite all this, was eloquent and verbose.Quote:
Originally Posted by EccentricSage
Everyone since has ignored all that and made him just another of those Wolverine clones that cropped up all over the place in the 90s. (I mean that in terms of how he was written, not a literal clone).
- Le Messor
Debbie Jellinsky: I'll be leaving the country very soon.
Ticket Agent: Will you be traveling alone?
Debbie Jellinsky: Yes, I'll be a widow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-aWMQuoS4Quote:
not a literal clone
I'll agree with you on that wholeheartedly. I think any writer who cares about his craft could easily bring back Byrne's Wildchild and simply amalgamate most of the different personas he's had into aspects of who he is. They could easily go sympathetic villain or redeem him into a hero. He's naturally have a lot of the type of rebelliousness, edginess, snark, and wit that people like as a result of his history, without it being forced. (unlike Marina)Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Messor
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I really need to do a FINISHED drawing of him. But boy is he fun to doodle.
Hey! Nice art!
Yeah, it'd be so easy to do it right.Quote:
Originally Posted by EccentricSage
And, like FP: Nice art!
- Le Messor
"Ignorance transcends architecture."
~ James Gaskin
ES, you got some real skills there! Not only do you need to finish a drawing of Wild Child, but you should do so SOON, and then post it here immediately, if not send it directly to Marvel with your job application. I'd buy a one-shot Wild Child Special with you as artist!
Double post. sorry. The website likes to log me out every time I try to submit a post, an image, etc.
Aw, thank you! I'm still working on things like anatomy, drawing people from different angles, interactions of anatomy in scenes, page layout... I've got a ways to go before I could pencil professionally. I might apply for an inking position, though... I've gotten pretty fast at that.
BTW, what became of Romulus? Did Wolverine kill him or is he still lurking in the shadows? I mean, when Wildchild came back into the picture as his henchman, his identity seemed pretty defined by his status as Romulus' favorite, or at least it seemed that way from what I could find online in blogs and on 4chan. Weather or not Romulus is still in the picture could effect a lot now that Wildchild isn't dead (with no explanation).
This thread has made me go back and re-read Amazing Heroes #76 and the article bout the Byrne/Mantlo switch...
It's strange how even then, Byrne's almost-venom comes out in his words with regards to what he wanted to do with the title... and how some of Mantlo's ideas seemed really good on paper and some, even then, seemed doomed to fail...
Completely tangential I know...
Romulus is currently in a shadow-dimension (or something) via Cloak (of Cloak & Dagger) and chances are he'll be back in Loeb's follow up arc.Quote:
Originally Posted by EccentricSage
Wildchild was never shown as dead, it was just assumed, so him being back doesn't need explaining and there's a chance that Aaron put him in the background in Sabretooth's party because Loeb plans on using him, so wanted to remind people he was still about/show he was alive.
I've not read it, but it sounds interesting!Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
Cloak accesses the Dark Force dimension (like a lot of Marvel characters - there was even a crossover based on it), so that's probably it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
Wasn't he dumped in molten steel?Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
That's not the kind of thing you walk away from, and Lord knows I've tried.
- Le Messor
"I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don't always agree with them."
~ George Bush