So I Went and Read "Haunted" Again

[Chaos]

Thinking back to all our discussions on this arc and how it was heavier on the drama kind of like the current title, I was wondering how I would view this arc if I read it again after a few years of having it stored. If you'll remember, I was not a fan of this arc (hard to imagine with me, huh?). The second time around I found it to be much more enjoyable than when I first read it.

The pacing was better than I remember, but the arc still felt long winded. It almost seemed like the first half and the second half were different books as the original had less focus on the Mandarin. Still, the Knaufs did a good job of building things up, but I found the ending to bee to rushed as I feel the final fight and solution to the Mandarin's plans could have been longer.

I maintain the art suffered badly with poor coloring, especially in the issues drawn by Butch Guice. It had a drab and painted feel to it which I did not like. I know the arc was supposed to have a darker mood, but I still found the coloring ill fitting to the pencils.

So giving this arc a second go around I think it was definitely better than the first time, which I'm sure had some to do with having all the issues and not having to wait fourteen months to get them all (there was a two issue interruption for the World War Hulk event). The drama was far superior than anything Fraction has done and what was in there actually meant something and had relevance to the story. For all those that use the "slow burn" excuse for Fraction, the Knaufs did a far better job than Resilient, World's Most Wanted etc. There was very little wasted space and the action there was I found to be fulfilling. I would have liked to have seen what the Knaufs planned for the Mandarin next as I trust them far more than the current "writer."

I know I gave the Knaufs a lot of flak back when they were writers, so maybe I should read the rest of their stuff again and see how that goes.

[JDD01]

Well that's why I never criticize anyone's comic work because it couldn't be that bad.

[IronManKyle]

they had a good thing going there, until Marvel put Matt Fraction on the book

[Iron Mark]

I do wish Marvel gave as much respect and freedom they give Matt Fraction without forcing tie-in issues into their run. I STILL wonder what their Madame Masque arc would have been like.

[Iron Kaiser]

I believe I speak for everyone when I say that even those who didn't like the Knauf's like Chaos and me have, in retrospect, decided to say that maybe the Knaufs were quite good considering who replaced him.

[Chaos]

I believe I speak for everyone when I say that even those who didn't like the Knauf's like Chaos and me have, in retrospect, decided to say that maybe the Knaufs were quite good considering who replaced him.

A fair assessment. Knaufs still aren't close to my favorite, but they are light years better than what we have now.

[Typhon]

I do wish Marvel gave as much respect and freedom they give Matt Fraction without forcing tie-in issues into their run. I STILL wonder what their Madame Masque arc would have been like.

In Fraction's defense, most of his run has been forced by events.  "Resilient" was the first arc since his first one that was wasn't tied into some event.  Too bad it sucked monkey nuggets.   

[Iron Mark]

In Fraction's defense, most of his run has been forced by events.  "Resilient" was the first arc since his first one that was wasn't tied into some event.  Too bad it sucked monkey nuggets.   

I suppose that is true, I do believe that World's Most Wanted was drawn out to coincide with his involvement in Siege. But with Fraction, there hasn't been a sudden interruption in an arc for a superfluous event. As in, unrelated story and then BAM! Two or so issues marked as Siege Tie-ins that put Tony in an entirely different place and story unrelated to the current one. Though according to the April solicitations, we WILL be getting "Fear Itself" tie-ins, which is a Fraction penned project so perhaps the transition won't be as jarring.

[Borjigin]

I loved the Knaufs. The key difference between the Knaufs and Fraction is that the Knaufs thought of Stark as a hero. A flawed hero, but clearly a hero. The people he fought were the bad-guys.

Fraction thinks of Stark as the real villain. That's why he constantly has Stark commit metaphorical suicide. Look how every major story has ended: Stark destroys his company to stop someone who is using his inventions. Stark destroys his brain to stop the product of his political machinations. Stark destroys everything he ever built and literally kills himself in the future. It's always ultimately Stark's fault and he ultimately always uses a suicide metaphor to clean up his own mess.

In Fraction's mind, Stark is a villain who tries to do good, but ultimately is just too deeply ingrained in evil to succeed, so the only way he can do any good at all is suicide, and even that merely cleans up the messes he caused rather than truly making the world a better place.

[Chaos]

In Fraction's defense, most of his run has been forced by events.  "Resilient" was the first arc since his first one that was wasn't tied into some event.  Too bad it sucked monkey nuggets.   

That's just it: when Fraction finally got to do an arc without interference (5 Nightmares aside which was his first try which I think everyone should get a pass on), he dropped the ball in every way possible. Truly, there was nothing redeeming about the Resilient arc and it was easily his worst yet. I can't believe any editor actually read the script and gave it the ok to be printed.

Though according to the April solicitations, we WILL be getting "Fear Itself" tie-ins, which is a Fraction penned project so perhaps the transition won't be as jarring.

Will anyone on this board be reading the book by then? I think I am going to avoid that event; if it's based around heroes fears, what could possibly be the point of it? Those things have been covered numerous times in the character's own title. It sounds just like Fraction though: redundant and unoriginal.

[Iron Guy]

I have to agree with what's been said so far. Ever since the build up to Civil War it's been about his fears or apologizing for his mistakes & then paying a price to try to fix it. This has been the meme for, what, 3 years now? Frankly I'm sick of it! I WANT MY HERO BACK, DAMN IT! NOT this mewling, navel gazing wimp he's been turned into! In the past Tony did what he felt had to be done & if peoples feelings were hurt by it he'd apologize later & hope they'd forgive. BUT, if he had to do it again he'd do it the same way. As far as going the self-destructive route, only as a last resort, when everthing else had failed! Now I'm not saying that he shouldn't OCCASIONALLY have self-doubt. But lately there's just been way too much of it! 

[Iron Kaiser]

Yep, the whole "I'm sorry" version of Tony has been around for like 4 years now and there's no end in sight.  He's had his tech stolen 49 times and that's all he's ever faced since near the end of volume 4 through now.  It's old, and it must be stopped.

[Chaos]

Yep, the whole "I'm sorry" version of Tony has been around for like 4 years now and there's no end in sight.  He's had his tech stolen 49 times and that's all he's ever faced since near the end of volume 4 through now.  It's old, and it must be stopped.

Maybe that's why he's stupidly giving it away now? Because if everyone already has it, it can't be stolen! It makes perfect sense in the mind of Matt Fraction

[IronManKyle]

I think in a few years we will remember the Knaufs run as fondly as we now remember Busiek and Chen's run with early Vol. 3. . . .

[IMJ]

I think in a few years we will remember the Knaufs run as fondly as we now remember Busiek and Chen's run with early Vol. 3. . . .

I think that many people already do...