Dark Times #3: The Path to Nowhere, part 3 (of 5)

We need an smiley that has this:


[image=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/SithStarSlayer/palpatinelightning9ui.gif]

 

watch, all the wait and at the end, its going to be subpar. Oh well, but what the heck its star wars.

 

Of course it's going to be subpar! They're saving all the climatic action for the epic duel between Dass and Mas in the next issue!

 

C'mon, Rouge, think creatively. There's dozens of stun weaponry, limited by only an imagination. Stargate Jaffa have that ball they toss, whose light drops you flat. Odourless inhalents, beeping moise droids thats uddenly slumber you. Jacen's zapping was a plot device, to show his new personality.

 

Yes, it was a plot device, but in the circumstances it still was a positive use of the lightning. And remember DN? Mara Jade used lightning there...

 

A second from being mandibled, heck, I would have too. And it was fuelled by exhaustion and the constant Forcing her body was using, not night side emotions.

There's a difference between Force "Sidious" lightning, and Force-generated lightning.

 

Excuses, excuses...

 

Well, I certainly deserve all of what has been said in this thread. I begrudge no one for their comments regarding my immediate dismissal. Your right, it has been too long. I except full responsibility. The delays have not been caused from lack of work, laziness or stupidity or else I would have been fired from the book. I'm not going to give you guy's excuses, I've been working really hard on the problem, and I've made significant progress, the book is back on track. For those of you who are hanging in there, I am truly busting my butt to give you my best work in a timely fashion, thanks for your understanding, it means a lot.

For those of you who want me fired off the book, well what can I say...I agree, I have taken a ridiculous amount of time on this book. I have had delays before, but never this severe, and in truth it scared the hell out of me, that said, there will be many more books, many more story arcs and all I can do is make sure this does not happen again. Thats it. That's all. Hang in there, I think it will be worth it. Re-read issues 1 and 2, 3 is out today, 4 and 5 will suffer no further delays, then the next story arc begins and I will get them to you before I turn 40

thanks,

Doug.

Here is a small unscheduled preview of issue #4 courtesy of Randy Stradley at DarkHorse and Lucas Film.

Havoc, thanks.
[image=http://images.darkhorse.com/darkhorse/index_images/news/dtfourpreview.jpg]

 

hey Doug,
Just wanted to say that your work is superb. I'll gladly tolerate delays if you keep providing your great art. You can't rush a masterpiece. People try, but still...I say take your time

 

This book is really great, it's just a shame that interest is sagging due to the delays, and I think that's the problem, Doug. The art is incredible, the writing is excellent, and the comic is on-track to be really great EU...I just can't get excited for the release of the new issue if, by the time it comes out, I've forgotten what happened in the last one. We'll buy it, but in the end delays hurt the comic, not the fanbase.

Issue #3 is excellent, by the way, and I'm happy to hear 4 and 5 won't be delayed, or at least, not because of the art. I really look forward to them.

The preview as AWESOME! Love the familiar faces there and...wait...is that a classic stormtrooper standing next to a clonetrooper?

SEEEE everyone? THIS is why Dark Times is going to be one of the best bits of EU out there. PT/OT overlap. Soooooo fanboy-drool-inducing.

 

thanks, but I'm still going to get the work to you faster, see next response

I agree completely, a store owner once told me he could sell anything if it came out on time. I get it. But I didn't want to try and give DarkHorse "anything" to sell, I wanted to deliver my best, there is no compromise, not when it comes to this book. I will not rush the work out just to get it to you on time, instead, I learned how to do it faster, but it wasn't easy. I had to work this out, and it's done and I'm confident there will be no more delays caused by the art department side of Dark Times. This was a one time only occurrence. In fact I'm excited for those of you who are sticking around, Harrison is freaking me out with where he is taking this title.

 

Okay, the months-inbetween were a little much, but for someone who had to suffer through the Dark times-years of 1986 to 1991, what's a few months with art and a story like this? I am glad you are back on track and eagerly await the future issues of this great new series!!!

edit... I just remembered: I also waited 16 years for Episode I!!! My life is intertwined with waiting for great stuff!!!!

 

The delays are a little annoying, but the result is fantastic. It's too bad that this story came out today, due to it being overshadowed by what happened in this week's Legacy, but it's good.

Preview Image: Vader's being arrested?!

 

Vis-a-vis the Classic stormtrooper standing next to the clone trooper in the preview image that was up briefly, I guess we have to wait until doug makes corrections to that before we can post it. That particular juxtiposition stemmed from a misunderstanding over what Mick Harrison wrote in a panel description.

After being told by LF that the clone troopers scrub the markings and camoflauge off their armor and adopt the name "stormtroopers" after the end of Episode III, Mick refered to the one "stormtrooper" commander as wearing plain-white armor. Doug, not being privvy to the LF memo, drew a Classic Era white stormtrooper. It's not time yet for the change over folks. And, I pray that it doesn't happen for awhile, and that when it does it is in response to some need the empire has, or some new challenge it faces. You know me, I depair over the fanboy desire some authors exhibit to be the one "to establish this," or to put their fingerprints "all over that." Have a care for the franchise you profess to love so much, boys and girls.

Anyway, maybe we can have another pre-preview when Doug gets his sith together...

 

In all honesty, the delays have been mildly irritating, but as a long-time comic buyer, it doesn't truly bother me much. Especially since the art is so good. Of course, i'd like to still be able to remember what's going on in the series each time a new ish comes out, but not really a big deal.

Actually, I'll go one better, Doug, and actually thank you for the delays. We Star Wars fans always need something to complain about!

Oh, and that preview image is awesome!

 

And now the corrected pre-preview is up.

Er, well, it was for a sec...

Please don't ask me to explain the mysteries of the Internet. I'm not even sure which end of the tube to put things in...

 

While I dislike delays as much as the next guy, I respect both Doug and Randy for owning up to it in this thread and Randy in the letters page in the latest issue. That's what makes this all the more tolerable. Some other creators from different companies have the attitude of "We'll get it out when it's ready, and till then quit whining!" but not you all. I, as a comic buyer, appericate that immensely. Thanks fellas.

 

I'll echo that. Makes me think of the recent hellish delays during Marvel's Civil War event. Marvel's solution to peeved fans seemed to be little more than putting out a few addtional supplemental one-shots that were very, very weak and essentially pointless.

Big Kudos to all at Dark Horse.

 

And that is just one more thing I love about you guys. You think ahed. I feel the little bit we've seen only a year or two after ROTS looks way too much like the OT. You seem to understand that it should take some time and have are reson other than "Hey look guys, it's the OT!"

 

Hey Randy, thanks for spoiling Legacy's big surprise! I was all excited coming home from school and heading to the comic shop, having read the interview with John about seeing some familiar faces in Legacy. I have time to kill, so I read the issues cover to cover, starting with DT. Thanks to your blabbing, all the initial excitement was drained from Legacy, and I only got to read it as the awesome comic it is, not as an awesome comic with a surprise cameo.

In the future letters sections, can you do something about Spoilers like that? Especially when the issues are out on the same day.

 

Because they weren't supposed to be out on the same day! Legacy was supposed to be out a week or two before Dark Times. Went through production on time, went to the printer on time, and then was mysteriously delayed -- allowing DT to catch up with it. Now, given the way things have been, who thought that would happen?

Anyway, I'll be more circumspect in the letcols from now on.

 

You should have delayed DT further.

 

The fanboys would have gone into a riot

 

Hey, just stating the facts.

Glad to hear things are on track, though. Can't wait for the TPB.