Doctor Strange

[Raiders]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211837/

Anyone know anything about this? A Neil Gaiman script directed by Del Toro? So far, seems like it could not happen (Del Toro "attached" and Gaiman "approached"), but this is a film I didn't even know potentially existed.

[D_Davis]

despite that fact that I don't like Gaiman or Del Toro, I was recently thinking that I would like to see a Doctor Strange film, and they would probably do a really good job. There are two comic books I would love to see as movies, simply because they could add so much more beyond what we are used to:

Doctor Strange
Cloak and Dagger (my favorite all time super hero comic book)

[Watashi]

despite that fact that I don't like Gaiman or Del Toro, I was recently thinking that I would like to see a Doctor Strange film, and they would probably do a really good job. There are two comic books I would love to see as movies, simply because they could add so much more beyond what we are used to:

Doctor Strange
Cloak and Dagger (my favorite all time super hero comic book)

Don't you love The Sandman?

[D_Davis]

Don't you love The Sandman?

Yes, I do like some of the Sandman books, and some of his comics...

Let me rephrase...

I like Gaiman as a writer of comic books, but I am continually baffled at the reception of his very mediocre novels and as a desirable screenwriter.

I like Mirrormask despite its incredibly lackluster script.

I think Gaiman is a good ideas man, and his style of writing works great when accompanied by pictures, on a page, in a comic book. But in other mediums I do not think it is very good.

Better?

[number8]

I completely agree. American Gods is so fucking overrated.

That said, I've been underwhelmed by a lot of Gaiman's comics outside of Sandman and Miracleman too.

[D_Davis]

I completely agree. American Gods is so fucking overrated.

That said, I've been underwhelmed by a lot of Gaiman's comics outside of Sandman and Miracleman too.

Yeah.

American Gods is NOT a good book.



I am so tired of seeing the phrase "Introduction by Neil Gaiman" on, what only seems like, every other book in the fantasy/SF section I pick up.

I recently noticed that he wrote an introduction to Bester's The Stars My Destination. Really? Gaiman? Since this book is often considered the genesis of the cyberpunk movement, couldn't they have gotten, oh I don't know, an author of cyberpunk fiction to write the introduction? You know, someone like Neal Stephenson, or William Gibson, or Rudy Rucker, or John Shirley, or Charles Stross?

And then I saw that there is a Neil Gaiman reader, as if his stuff is somehow worthy of great academic thought, ready to be canonized.

I just wish he'd stick with comic books.

I'm just tired of his over exposure, and I think there are other authors (novels and comics) out there more worthy of even a fraction of his success and fame.

Ugh.

Sorry.

Shouldn't rant.

Not good.

[megladon8]

I, too, will say that "American Gods" is overrated to hell.

But "Sandman" is a brilliant series.

I haven't really experienced enough of Gaiman's work to say whether I'm a genuine lover/hater.

"Coraline" was cute, but not as good as I had hoped.

[Sven]

To temper, I thought American Gods was pretty fantastic. Where's the beef?

[D_Davis]

To temper, I thought American Gods was pretty fantastic. Where's the beef?

I thought it was dull, the characters were uninteresting, everything seemed very contrived and storybook-like (Gaiman loves his fairy tales), and I just don't think his prose is worth a 500+ page investment.

I couldn't even finish it - I totally gave up about 1/2 through it.

I have read: Coraline, Smoke and Mirrors, Stardust, and Neverwhere, so I think I've read enough to pass judgment. I think I've read more from Gaiman than any other author I don't care for.

I've also read Good Omens, but I refuse to believe that Gaiman had much to do with the actual writing. That thing is full on Pratchett, through and through.



Gaiman's novels remind me of Clive Barker Jr. without the edge, pathos, subversiveness, emotion, and dense and beautiful prose.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, I really liked American Gods. Haven't actually read his comics, but what I have taken in, I've rather liked, including some short fictions, Mirrormask, and even Mehowulf itself.

EDIT: Should probably note that I love my fairy tales a lot, too.

[megladon8]

Clive Barker is amazing.

[EyesWideOpen]

So basically you guys dislike him because he's popular? That's the vibe i'm getting.

[D_Davis]

Clive Barker is amazing.

I cannot wait for the Scarlet Gospel. It's gotta be out soon. Please be out soon!

[megladon8]

So basically you guys dislike him because he's popular? That's the vibe i'm getting.

I thought "American Gods" was like 250 pages longer than it needed to be.

As a novella, it would have been great.

But I don't have any problem with Gaiman. As I said, I don't know enough of his work to really have an opinion either way.

[EyesWideOpen]

I thought "American Gods" was like 250 pages longer than it needed to be.

As a novella, it would have been great.

But I don't have any problem with Gaiman. As I said, I don't know enough of his work to really have an opinion either way.

You didn't say anything negative about him so why would you think i was responding to your comment? That sounds snarky but I don't mean it to be, just a question.

I meant it to the people responding basically saying they don't like Gaiman because he's overrated.

[D_Davis]

So basically you guys dislike him because he's popular? That's the vibe i'm getting.

Not at all. I don't like him because I don't think he is a very good writer of novels. Pretty simple really.

Allow me to quote myself:

I am continually baffled at the reception of his very mediocre novels and as a desirable screenwriter.

I think Gaiman is a good ideas man, and his style of writing works great when accompanied by pictures, on a page, in a comic book. But in other mediums I do not think it is very good.

I thought [American Gods] was dull, the characters were uninteresting, everything seemed very contrived and storybook-like (Gaiman loves his fairy tales), and I just don't think his prose is worth a 500+ page investment.

Gaiman's novels remind me of Clive Barker Jr. without the edge, pathos, subversiveness, emotion, and dense and beautiful prose.

And because of all of these reasons, I am surprised at the general acceptance and adoration he enjoys from the genre community, especially when there are authors out there who I think are much better and more deserving of the sales and praise.

I do not dislike him because he is popular (I am quite the populist in reality - it fills me with joy when the things I love are popular! I like The Sandman, and that is extremely popular), but I am shocked at the popularity of his novels because I don't think he's a very good novelist, and thus I am tired of his overexposure.

[Grouchy]

The only Gaiman novel I've read is The Anansi Boys. I thought that was very good, I like his sense of comedy and the dream-like atmosphere he casts over his story.

The Sandman is incredible, 'nuff said. 1602 is one step away from being illegible, but it's still the best Elseworld Marvel has ever had.

A Del Toro / Gaiman Doctor Strange movie would be the stuff of legend. A Dr. Strange movie is already pretty fantastic news. It could add a lot of diversity to the Marvel Film Universe having a supernatural hero on his own feature film.

[D_Davis]

It would be cool, especially with Del Toro, because they could explore a Cthulu-type mythos with Dr. Strange. Of course, this is just another excuse for Del Toro to do a Lovecraftian film with actually adapting a Lovecraft story, something I hope he does soon.

[number8]

I meant it to the people responding basically saying they don't like Gaiman because he's overrated.

I said American Gods is overrated, not Gaiman.

His prose (and sometimes dialogue) can be pretty damn bad, actually. He's really suited for storybook fables, and that's why some of the best stuff on Sandman were the one-shots (like the Baghdad story), and his Miracleman was great because he didn't try to continue Moore's epic saga and made each issue a self-contained story instead.

A lot of his graphic novels bore me.

[Dukefrukem]

Bwhahahaha

Trailer April 12th.

[Grouchy]

To continue the conversation we were having in 2008, yeah, American Gods is at least 300 pages longer than it has any right to be.

[Lazlo]

Scott Derrickson liked a reply I sent to one of his tweets. I'm like famous now, right?

[Skitch]

Scott Derrickson liked a reply I sent to one of his tweets. I'm like famous now, right?

In my book, yes.

[Dukefrukem]

Trailer tonight!

[TGM]

No, I seriously can't get enough of that new Doctor Strange trailer. Not since Guardians of the Galaxy have I so heavily anticipated one of these new Marvel flicks.