Welcome to...

rec.arts.comics.reviews

The newsgroup for comic book reviews

Subject: Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Writing a Review
• Moderation Notes
• Other Resources
• Credits

Subject: Introduction

Welcome to rec.arts.comics.reviews! This is a moderated newsgroup.

The purpose of this newsgroup is to review:

• Comics books, strips, political cartoons, and their compilations
• Movie/TV/prose adaptations of comic-book characters and stories
• Biographies or histories of characters, pros, and the industry
• rec.arts.comics.creative "issues" or "titles"
• Industry-related publications and magazines
• Subscription companies and services
• Archival/collecting materials
• Cataloguing software
• Comics conventions

Things that are NOT reviews will be considered off-topic in this group. Advertisements, large binaries, SPAM, general announcements, and discussion and followup posts are not permitted and will be rejected. If a post begins with "Re: " then it is treated as a followup and will be returned. Additionally, reviews of things that aren't on-topic for rec.arts.comics.reviews will be returned.

Subject: Writing a Review

When writing a review, please make sure that it is more than a plot summary. Most often people will read reviews to either A) decide whether to buy the book, or B) see whether they agree with the comments you make about the dialogue, pencils, layouts, plot, editing, characterization, colors, and the like. Therefore, it's important to give more *critique* and *comment* and *praise* than simply restate the plot and be done with it.

Posts are most quickly posted if they follow a basic Subject Keyword format. Right now there are three standard Keywords that the bot looks for, as well as checking the newsgroups line: CAPSULES:, REVIEW:, and PREVIEW. Other subject-line keywords may be arranged with the moderator.

Please note that it's best to give *some* hint of which titles you're discussing in your review; don't just say "Mark's Reviews 11-2000".

If you will be crossposting your review to a non-comics newsgroup, like rec.arts.books.reviews, rec.arts.movies.reviews, or rec.arts.sf.reviews, please make sure that your review fits that newsgroup's review criteria. Crossposting is fine, and is even encouraged, but please make sure to read the FAQs of those groups so your reviews won't be rejected.

Subject: Moderation Notes

Followup discussion is NOT allowed here, but is instead redirected to the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroup in which the reviewed books are most closely centered. PLEASE check your Newsgroups and Followup-To lines before posting a review or a followup, and please make sure that you post followups ONLY to the proper newsgroups, trimming the Newsgroups line if necessary.

As of December 7, 1999, the following robo-moderation script is in place:

1. If the posting has a Followup-To:-header (FUT-header) that points anywhere but rec.arts.comics.reviews (racr), nothing is changed.
   
   
2. If the FUT-header points to racr and some other group, racr is removed from the FUT-header.
   
   
3. If the FUT-header points solely to racr or is not there at all, the robomod looks at the Newsgroups:-header.
   
   
4. If the Newsgroups:-header points to racr and some other groups, racr is removed and the FUT-header points to the other groups. (Meaning: If you crosspost your review to racr, rec.arts.comics.misc (racm) and rec.arts.comics.vertigo (racv), the FUT-header will point to racm and racv.)
   
   
5. If the Newsgroups:-header points solely to racr, the FUT-header will point to racm.

If you have any questions about the moderation, please direct them to the moderator, Peter B. Juul (mailto:racr-admin@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk). If you tried to post and cannot, either use a different account or post a short, polite message to rec.arts.comics.misc asking if Peter's been receiving any of your emails. For all we know, it could be his system that's temporarily down...

If you will be crossposting your review to a non-rac.* newsgroup, like rec.arts.books.reviews, rec.arts.movies.reviews, or rec.arts.sf.reviews, *please* make sure that your review fits that newsgroup's review criteria. Crossposting is fine, and is even encouraged, but please make sure to read the FAQs of those groups so your reviews won't be rejected.

Followups should be set to three or fewer discussion groups, either within the r.a.c.* hierarchy or within other *appropriate* hierarchies, not including the .reviews or .info newsgroups.

Subject: Other Resources

Following is a list of helpful hints and posting information. All new reviewers in rec.arts.comics.reviews are encouraged to read Mike's Arrogant Guide to Reviewing, as well as the FAQs for any other rec.arts.comics.* or *.reviews groups they are crossposting to.

Mike's Arrogant Guide to Reviewing
URL: http://users.rcn.com/kateshort/faqs/revguide.htm

This guide points out the differences between REAL reviews and mere commentaries or plot summaries. It's a very helpful guide, and is recommended reading for any fledgling reviewer. By Mike Chary.

FAQ for rec.arts.cooks.reviews
URL: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/faqs/books/reviews-faq

An essential read for anyone interested in crossposting book reviews to rec.arts.books.reviews (such as prose comics novels, coffee table books, biographies, and the like).

rec.arts.movie.reviews
There is no FAQ.

The current practice for posting movie reviews to rec.arts.movies.reviews is to list the subject as REVIEW: TITLE (year); a quick glance at other reviews in the newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews should provide all of the information you need.

Welcome to rec.arts.sf.reviews
URL: ftp://net.bio.net/pub/misc/sf-reviews/FAQ

While I am not sure if this document is currently updated, its Guidelines still stand. Individual issues of continuing comic books ARE NOT subject matter for r.a.sf.r. "Series-within-series," or full runs of such comics, are. Limited series (in whatever "format") ARE appropriate subject matter for r.a.sf.r. The Subject line of r.a.sf.r postings MUST include the title of the work and the creator's name.

Other rac.* Comics FAQs
URL: http://users.rcn.com/kateshort/faqs/

The rac.* FAQs (posted to rec.arts.comics.info and rec.arts.comics.misc) have a bunch of interesting and important info for any comics fan. Checking them out is never a bad idea.

Subject: Credits

The Welcome Keeper would like to thank:

* Peter B. Juul, for moderating rac.reviews,
* Mike Chary, for contributing his Arrogant Guide to Reviewing,
* Aardy R. DeVarque for critiquing everything under the sun for me,
* and all the RAC'ers who made rac.* a welcome place to begin with.

Welcome to rec.arts.comics.reviews! (a Reviews FAQ of introduction)
Mike's Arrogant Guide to Reviewing (a Reviews post on how to review)

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URL: http://users.rcn.com/kateshort/faqs/revwelc.htm
Last updated: 2004-01-19