Let's get this out of the way up front--I loved Strange #1, it was great execution of a great story, a fine set-up for what looks to be an awesome mini-series (and nothing against Doctor Voodoo, but I would much rather see a Stephen Strange ongoing than a Jericho Drumm ongoing).
But, man, do I get anal at poor depictions of baseball in media. Seriously, nothing raises my blood pressure faster than seeing every goddamn baseball move of the past 20 years incorrectly use the "hidden ball trick"--the way they show it is illegal, and would award the runner a free base!! And don't get me started on Anthony Perkins portraying a major leaguer....shudder...
So I'm about to get hyper-nitpicky here, because I loves me my baseball...so if you really don't care, you might want to skip to the next post. Sorry.
Because, as much as I loved the Emma Rios art in this issue--and I did indeed love it--there's little evidence that she or anyone else involved in the production of the art has actually seen a baseball diamond, let alone an actual baseball game.
By the way, let me mention that not only did this issue feature Rios as "artist," it had Christina Strain as "color artist," Irene Y. Lee as "production," and Alan Fine as "executive producer." (What, is Marvel becoming like Fringe??!?) Along with an associate editor (Lauren Sankovitch) and an editor (Tom Brevoort), enough people were in charge that somebody should have been more on top of this...
And, yes, since demon-cast illusions are part of the story, you could argue that the following problems are actually supposed to be there. But then again, since these illusions are supposed to make it look like an actual baseball game, and none of the thousands of fans in attendance noticed anything askew, that answer doesn't hold any water for hyper-picky baseball lovin' snell.
Exhibit the first:
The Larks' field. Mostly a good portrayal, except for
A) Where, exactly, does the runner on first base think he's going?? Why is he standing a kajillion feet out of the basepath? Apparently the shortest route between two bases isn't a straight line...Plus, it's a surefire recipe for getting picked off.
B) What, exactly, are those white things at the edge of the infield grass?? Slip 'N' Slides? Some kind of odd basepath markers? I've never seen anything like them on any baseball diamond anywhere...
I show you this next picture because everything is (pretty much) right in it...
...and as a contrast to the very next panel:
Exhibit the second.
This is one panel later...our perspective hasn't shifted much...but suddenly we have chalk lines all over the danged place??
A) What the hell is this line? It seems to be running parallel to the line between first base and second, but across the outfield. WTF?? Is it the right field foul line, just horribly out of position? It wasn't there in either of our other two views of the field...
B) There's a line between first and second? Granted, in the days of crappy astroturf fields, they sometimes had one on the "grass" to illustrate the "basepath." But this ain't no astroturf field, and it wasn't there in the other shots. Still, at least this time, the baserunner is actually on the basepath...
C) Well, technically, there's nothing wrong with this line...(although you'll notice in the second picture, there it was a double line, which is inaccuurate...). But I just wanted to note that, based on the perspectives in this drawing, the distance between second base and third base is about 12 feet, and the baseball "diamond" portrayed is more of a rectangular, football field shaped affair.
I know, I know, like I said, hyper nit-picky. But that's all in just the first two pages of the story!! And with artists and producers and executive producers and associate editors and editors, you'd think somebody at some point might have actually looked to see what an actually baseball diamond actually looks like. I'm just sayin'...
(And no, Mark Waid doesn't get off the hook completely...the manager "not coming out of his office for the game" is unprecedented, and surely would not have gone unnoticed by the team, fans, press, etc. And if this demon team is so all-powerful, so Bugs Bunny funny-pitch making, so successfully cheating, why are they up by only 1 run in the bottom of the ninth, with the tying run on third? Really, with all the spells and demon-stuff, they're no better than a normal human team?!?!?!)
Again, let me assure you, I'm being ridiculously hyper-nitpicky. And I really did love the story a lot. Best part:
Someone calling Stephen Strange an asshat. Never thought I'd see that...
But, man, do I get anal at poor depictions of baseball in media. Seriously, nothing raises my blood pressure faster than seeing every goddamn baseball move of the past 20 years incorrectly use the "hidden ball trick"--the way they show it is illegal, and would award the runner a free base!! And don't get me started on Anthony Perkins portraying a major leaguer....shudder...
So I'm about to get hyper-nitpicky here, because I loves me my baseball...so if you really don't care, you might want to skip to the next post. Sorry.
Because, as much as I loved the Emma Rios art in this issue--and I did indeed love it--there's little evidence that she or anyone else involved in the production of the art has actually seen a baseball diamond, let alone an actual baseball game.
By the way, let me mention that not only did this issue feature Rios as "artist," it had Christina Strain as "color artist," Irene Y. Lee as "production," and Alan Fine as "executive producer." (What, is Marvel becoming like Fringe??!?) Along with an associate editor (Lauren Sankovitch) and an editor (Tom Brevoort), enough people were in charge that somebody should have been more on top of this...
And, yes, since demon-cast illusions are part of the story, you could argue that the following problems are actually supposed to be there. But then again, since these illusions are supposed to make it look like an actual baseball game, and none of the thousands of fans in attendance noticed anything askew, that answer doesn't hold any water for hyper-picky baseball lovin' snell.
Exhibit the first:
The Larks' field. Mostly a good portrayal, except forA) Where, exactly, does the runner on first base think he's going?? Why is he standing a kajillion feet out of the basepath? Apparently the shortest route between two bases isn't a straight line...Plus, it's a surefire recipe for getting picked off.
B) What, exactly, are those white things at the edge of the infield grass?? Slip 'N' Slides? Some kind of odd basepath markers? I've never seen anything like them on any baseball diamond anywhere...
I show you this next picture because everything is (pretty much) right in it...
...and as a contrast to the very next panel:Exhibit the second.
This is one panel later...our perspective hasn't shifted much...but suddenly we have chalk lines all over the danged place??A) What the hell is this line? It seems to be running parallel to the line between first base and second, but across the outfield. WTF?? Is it the right field foul line, just horribly out of position? It wasn't there in either of our other two views of the field...
B) There's a line between first and second? Granted, in the days of crappy astroturf fields, they sometimes had one on the "grass" to illustrate the "basepath." But this ain't no astroturf field, and it wasn't there in the other shots. Still, at least this time, the baserunner is actually on the basepath...
C) Well, technically, there's nothing wrong with this line...(although you'll notice in the second picture, there it was a double line, which is inaccuurate...). But I just wanted to note that, based on the perspectives in this drawing, the distance between second base and third base is about 12 feet, and the baseball "diamond" portrayed is more of a rectangular, football field shaped affair.
I know, I know, like I said, hyper nit-picky. But that's all in just the first two pages of the story!! And with artists and producers and executive producers and associate editors and editors, you'd think somebody at some point might have actually looked to see what an actually baseball diamond actually looks like. I'm just sayin'...
(And no, Mark Waid doesn't get off the hook completely...the manager "not coming out of his office for the game" is unprecedented, and surely would not have gone unnoticed by the team, fans, press, etc. And if this demon team is so all-powerful, so Bugs Bunny funny-pitch making, so successfully cheating, why are they up by only 1 run in the bottom of the ninth, with the tying run on third? Really, with all the spells and demon-stuff, they're no better than a normal human team?!?!?!)
Again, let me assure you, I'm being ridiculously hyper-nitpicky. And I really did love the story a lot. Best part:
Someone calling Stephen Strange an asshat. Never thought I'd see that...
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