Author Topic: EP348: Nemesis  (Read 20420 times)

CryptoMe

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Reply #50 on: July 06, 2012, 06:09:21 AM
Add me to the "liked it" camp. The characters rang true to me. And I have no problem with "the hot girl" liking "the geek". As she points out, he's smart! And some people do find that attractive. Also if she's been into him all throughout their childhood, she may see much more beyond the geek than your average hot girl who just met him.



eytanz

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Reply #51 on: July 06, 2012, 08:22:55 PM
I'm not a huge fan of superhero stories in general, and I was sort of holding off starting to listen to the superhero month stories, but I found that I liked this one a lot. Mostly because, at the end of it all, it wasn't about superheroics, its about how non-superheroes live in a superheroic world. Quite a few people in this thread commented on how they were glad the narrator decided not to become a supervillian, but I was also quite glad he decided not to become a sidekick. I feel like his main epiphany at the end was not that he could get the girl by being himself - though that was part of it - but rather that he can be the hero's friend without making his whole life be about the hero, either as support or as enemy. He has his own life to live, and he can be there for his friend without letting that dominate him.



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Reply #52 on: July 09, 2012, 02:00:58 PM
Quite a few people in this thread commented on how they were glad the narrator decided not to become a supervillian, but I was also quite glad he decided not to become a sidekick.

I completely agree.  I would've hated this story so much if he had taken his doormat traits to another level by becoming Adam Baum's sidekick.  Becoming a supervillain would've been better than that, at least I could understand the motivation for that even if it would be too predictable.



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Reply #53 on: July 20, 2012, 06:13:58 PM
I came out of this story saying to myself "That is going to turn UGLY when she dumps him for being too possessive".  Quentin has shown signs of being possessive, of putting his crush on a pedestal, and of being capable of truly nasty behavior when he thinks something is being taken away from him.  I just hope he matures somewhat before he and Linda break up, or there will be a new super villain in town.   

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Reply #54 on: July 22, 2012, 02:25:56 PM
Oh, and I was convinced throughout that his superhero name was "Adam Boy," which I thought was really dumb for keeping your identity secret and it wasn't until I actually read the comments that I figured out it was "Atom Boy." Makes a lot more sense now... :P




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Reply #55 on: September 06, 2012, 09:32:03 AM
So, for some reason superhero stories doesn't really click for me, I guess I need the visual part to really enjoy it. Now this was really a thinly disguised story about becoming yourself so I would judge it for that. And while the tone of the conversation and obsessiveness of his crush is well written (although not too original), I cannot help to find it a shame he didn't go somewhere more interesting with the story. It lacked a bit stakes I guess.

also this:

Quote
Oh, and I was convinced throughout that his superhero name was "Adam Boy," which I thought was really dumb for keeping your identity secret and it wasn't until I actually read the comments that I figured out it was "Atom Boy." Makes a lot more sense now...

I thought this was a joke (you know, taking the sillyness of Clark Kents glasses one step further), but I see now.



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Reply #56 on: September 06, 2012, 02:02:13 PM
I thought this was a joke (you know, taking the sillyness of Clark Kents glasses one step further), but I see now.

Well I think it still was a joke.  I mean, his real name "Adam Baum" sounds more dangerous than his superhero name "Atom Boy".  And the fact that he didn't bother to find a first name that sounded different.



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Reply #57 on: September 07, 2012, 03:46:10 AM
The chain of thought went:

1) Superheroes always have really stupid "real" names.

2) I need a cheesy-sounding superhero name, something a kind of doofusy kid would think up.  "Atomic Boy!"

3) Wait, if Kurt Busiek can have Samaritan's real name be "Asa Martin," then I can do him one better.

4) Adam Baum it is.  Shorten the hero name to "Atom Boy" just to make it ridiculously easy for someone to guess because that's how we roll in four-color town.

As for the rest, eh, I don't tend to do high stakes.  Just not my thing.  If my stories happen to involve a massive war or the fate of a world or something, it's going to be somewhere in the background while our main narrative focuses intently on someone having a minor personal revelation; that's what interests me, y'know?



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Reply #58 on: September 07, 2012, 02:16:07 PM
As for the rest, eh, I don't tend to do high stakes.  Just not my thing.  If my stories happen to involve a massive war or the fate of a world or something, it's going to be somewhere in the background while our main narrative focuses intently on someone having a minor personal revelation; that's what interests me, y'know?

This story did have high stakes.  They were just high PERSONAL stakes.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But I'd still call it high stakes.

Well, to some degree there was a potential of high worldwide stakes if this kid had decided to become a supervillain, but you get my drift.



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Reply #59 on: September 08, 2012, 08:07:39 AM
The world will tremble before... ART BOY.

Hm.

Anyway, I was trying not to be obstreperous and disagree completely with criticisms of the story.  (And really, I can't argue that this story isn't a relatively minor coming-of-age story with superhero imagery because that was pretty much what I set out to do when I wrote it.  That doesn't work for everyone, and I'm okay with that.)



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Reply #60 on: September 23, 2012, 11:34:19 PM
Fair enough, I did not really mean that there should have been high stakes in the sense of many people being in danger, but even something that would make it feel like a turning point in the protagonists life. I didn't quite get that, beyond whatever significance you want to put into teenage crushes.



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Reply #61 on: September 24, 2012, 01:02:38 AM
And you are one hundred percent correct in that, is my point.  :-D  It's not everyone's boat, and that's okey-dokey.



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Reply #62 on: September 24, 2012, 04:33:55 AM
For what it's worth, I am a big fan of the personal stakes and friendship drama. Coincidentally I really enjoyed this story. I'm feeling bad that I didn't chime in my enjoyment earlier, back when I had just listened to it and would have some more detailed commentary. Anyway, I don't want to go unheard in a thread where the critics seem to be speak up more loudly.

I found the decision at the end really tense. I confess, I'd probably have become a super villain. I'm glad the story took the other road.



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Reply #63 on: November 02, 2012, 05:23:07 PM
I confess, I'd probably have become a super villain.

You've now been added to a government watch list.  Enjoy!



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Reply #64 on: January 29, 2013, 05:57:10 PM
Oh, and I was convinced throughout that his superhero name was "Adam Boy," which I thought was really dumb for keeping your identity secret and it wasn't until I actually read the comments that I figured out it was "Atom Boy." Makes a lot more sense now... :P



The chain of thought went:

1) Superheroes always have really stupid "real" names.

2) I need a cheesy-sounding superhero name, something a kind of doofusy kid would think up.  "Atomic Boy!"

3) Wait, if Kurt Busiek can have Samaritan's real name be "Asa Martin," then I can do him one better.

4) Adam Baum it is.  Shorten the hero name to "Atom Boy" just to make it ridiculously easy for someone to guess because that's how we roll in four-color town.

As for the rest, eh, I don't tend to do high stakes.  Just not my thing.  If my stories happen to involve a massive war or the fate of a world or something, it's going to be somewhere in the background while our main narrative focuses intently on someone having a minor personal revelation; that's what interests me, y'know?

Huh, was I the only one who added the extra pun layer of "Att'em Boy!" particularly when he was previously compared to an eager puppy? Does that make me a bad person?

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


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Reply #65 on: January 31, 2013, 05:47:04 AM
Huh, was I the only one who added the extra pun layer of "Att'em Boy!" particularly when he was previously compared to an eager puppy? Does that make me a bad person?

I think Adam would, if anything, agree.



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Reply #66 on: January 31, 2013, 04:07:23 PM
Huh, was I the only one who added the extra pun layer of "Att'em Boy!" particularly when he was previously compared to an eager puppy? Does that make me a bad person?

I think Adam would, if anything, agree.

Good think I was paying attention as to where the gauntlet was abandoned. I'm not a big fan of blue raspberry fizz.

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