I originally posted this on the Hooded Utilitarian blog.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
When I learned that DC was releasing another animated movie, this one starring Superman and Batman, I was intrigued. When I learned it featured the triumphant return of Kevin Conroy (Batman), Tim Daly (Superman), and Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor) from the Batman and Superman animated series, I was excited. And when I learned it was based on a comic written by Jeph Loeb ... well, I was disappointed, to put it mildly.
There are some people who will claim that Jeph Loeb wasn't always a bad writer. Do not believe these people! Make no mistake, even Loeb's "good comics" weren't actually any good. But despite the fact that every comic he writes is worse than the last one, Loeb remains one of the most successful and sought after writers in the industry. Depressing as that may be, it comes as no surprise then that DC would turn one of his stories into an animated feature. Though it's strange that DC picked the opening arc of the "Superman/Batman" comic rather than one of Loeb's more famous works.
But saying Jeph Loeb is a terrible writer is like saying the sky is blue; no aesthetic judgment is actually being made. What about the animated movie itself? The animation style combines the simple line-work of previous DC cartoons with the character designs of Ed McGuinness, the artist of the "Superman/Batman" comic. The unpleasant result is that all the characters look puffy. Not in a puffy fat way, but as if they all have air pockets right on top of their muscles. They remind me of those inflatable muscle suits that people wear on Halloween.
If the animation is a little off-putting, the writing isn't any better. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies has a very simple story. Lex Luthor is President of the United States, having run successfully as an independent candidate. He's like a better looking, slightly less crazy version of Ross Perot. Things are actually going well for Luthor until a giant kryptonite meteor is spotted heading directly towards Earth (if I remember correctly, the meteor in the comic was a chunk of Krypton that brought Supergirl to Earth. No reference is made to Supergirl in the movie, which begs the question why the filmmakers decided to include this plot). Rather than swallow his pride and ask Superman for help, Luthor concocts a sure-to-fail scheme to destroy the meteor and frames Superman for murder. Batman gets involved because he's got nothing better to do, and the dynamic duo are forced to fight off both supervillains looking to collect a bounty and superheroes who blindly follow the President's orders. Quick synopsis: Awkward man-flirting between Superman and Batman, fight scene, more flirting, fight scene, Luthor goes crazy, fight scene, Luthor makes out with a morbidly obese woman, fight scene, more flirting until Lois Lane shows up and ruins the moment, the end.
While the plot is easy to follow, the movie is needlessly packed with cameos. Villains like Mongul, Grodd, Lady Shiva, and Banshee Babe (that's probably not her name, but it should be) show up out of nowhere with no introduction and are quickly dispatched. Then comes the parade of heroes, including Power Girl, Captain Atom, Black Lightning, Starfire of the Teen Titans, and the descriptively named Katana. The character selection is so utterly random it feels like they were chosen by drawing names from a hat. And at no point does the movie explain who these characters are, how their powers work, or what their relationship is to Superman or Batman. I actually have a great deal of familiarity with the DC Universe (or at least I thought I did), but I had a hard time figuring out who everyone was and an even harder time caring. Of course, most superhero comics do this sort of thing all the time, but those books are marketed to a fanboy audience that presumably has an extensive knowledge of, and affection for, Z-list characters. One would think an animated feature would at least try to appeal to a slightly broader audience.
Out of all the superhero guest stars, Power Girl is the only one who gets any significant screen time. Now, if I'm going to talk about Power Girl, let's get the obvious out of the way. Even by superheroine standards, Power Girl is famous for being well-endowed. I'm saying she has a big bust, mammoth mammaries, jumbo jugs. But there's no reason she has to be solely defined by her humongous hooters. This is 2009. Power Girl could be written as a strong, intelligent, and courageous woman who just happens to have brobdingnagian breasts. Unfortunately, Power Girl doesn't really do much here except look meek, follow other people's orders, and validate the moral superiority of our heroes. In other words, she's "The Girl" of the movie, including the obligatory moment where she's rescued by the strapping male lead. By the end of the story, the only thing remotely memorable about the character is emphasized by the hole in her costume. Like everything else in the movie, the filmmakers simply didn't put much thought into her. Power Girl only appears in the movie because she appeared in the comic.
The last point I want to make deals with age-appropriateness. Compared to the animated Wonder Woman movie, Superman/Batman is remarkably tame in its violence. There are quite a few fight scenes, but they consist of typical superhero punching and smashing. The onscreen deaths are bloodless and one of them involves a robot, and we all know that robots don't count. There's no sex either, unless you count Superman and Batman occasionally eye-fucking each other. But the filmmakers must have really wanted that edgy PG-13 rating, because they threw in some profanity. Nothing too hardcore, but Lex Luthor calls a woman a "bitch" at least once. Apparently, that's how you separate the grown-up cartoons from the silly kid stuff.
It's an odd movie. Far too much fan-service to be accessible to anyone who isn't religiously devoted to DC Comics, but the decision to make it a stand-alone story removes the continuity elements that were important to fans (like the re-introduction of Supergirl). Who is this movie for? And why this particular story? Surely there are better Superman/Batman adventures to pick from. There are probably better Jeph Loeb stories too.
In case you want a comparison to other DC animated features:
Superman: Doomsday < Superman/Batman < Wonder Woman
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
I see the future, and it is in MOTION!
Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD, Episodes 1-3
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew – Nicolette Reed
In my first foray into comics blogging, I thought I’d discuss something that doesn’t even technically qualify as a comic. Paper is for Luddites, motion comics are the future, so what does the future look like?
Short answer: a really cheap cartoon with an impenetrable plot.
Long answer:
After her solo title was canceled in 1983, Jessica Drew vanished into character limbo while the Spider-Woman name got passed around to various heroines, none of whom found any lasting success. In the mid-2000s, Brian Michael Bendis pulled Drew from obscurity and placed her on his high profile revamp of the Avengers. Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD is the first serious attempt at a Spider-Woman ongoing in more than 20 years, as well as Marvel’s first go at motion comics.
Considering that motion comics are sold through iTunes rather than the Direct Market, you’d think that Marvel would target the casual “I liked Downey, Jr. in that movie” fan. But Marvel is nothing if not predictable, and instead the story launches out of the last mega-crossover, Secret Invasion (also by Bendis). Jessica Drew was apparently kidnapped by Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien race, and replaced by the Skrull queen. So the Spider-Woman that readers had been following for the last couple of years in New Avengers was a fake. Now the real Spider-Woman is back and she’s understandably pissed. Lucky for her, Abigail Brand, director of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department), offers Spider-Woman a job hunting down Skrulls, thus allowing her to work out her issues and beat up illegal aliens at the same time. Spider-Woman’s first assignment takes her Madripoor, the crime capital of Asia. As these things always go, her mission quickly goes to shit and she’s on the run from HYDRA (like G.I. Joe’s Cobra, but no ninjas). And just when you think things can’t get more complicated, in episode 3 Spider-Woman is targeted by the Thunderbolts, a super-powered hit squad run by Norman Osborn, the Big Bad of Marvel’s current Dark Reign mega-crossover. In other words, it’s a story only a hardcore superhero fan could love.
Thankfully, Alex Maleev’s artwork is easier to appreciate. His penciling is fairly realistic and detailed, but he applies multiple layers of color to his work, causing every image to appear dark and washed-out. While the coloring can make certain details hard to see, it effectively establishes the mood and atmosphere of an espionage thriller.
The main attraction though of Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD is neither the story nor the art, but the format. Each motion comic episode runs about 10 minutes, and consists of three types of visuals. The first type is a sequence of still images accompanied by dialogue and other sound. During conversation scenes, the same images are frequently re-used. The second slightly more sophisticated visual involves moving an image in the foreground while keeping the background still. The third type of visual, which is used for the vehicle chase scenes, is just low budget computer animation (which seems like cheating to me).
Many critics have accused Spider-Woman, and motion comics in general, of simply being low budget animation, and there's a pretty strong case for that. But comparing motion comics only to animation ignores their biggest flaw, namely that they sacrifice the communicative aspect of comics without replacing it with the advantages of actual animation. While it probably goes without saying, comics are a sequence of artistic panels accompanied by text. But there’s more to reading a comic than just proceeding from top-left to bottom-right. Artists can influence the pace at which the reader progresses through panels, sometimes by encouraging the reader to linger on a single panel or to move swiftly through a sequence. The layout of panels, their size, the level of detail, and the amount of text are all part of the communication between creators and readers. Motion comics take most of that away. Every “panel” is now just another background that fits the aspect ratio. And the pacing of the story is set by the motion comic producers rather than the artist and readers. Motion comics, in short, are something less than comics AND something less than animation.
Of course, motion comics do have one element that comics can never have: sound. The music and sound effects in Spider-Woman are used quite well, adding to the atmosphere of the story but generally remaining unobtrusive. The dialogue and Spider-Woman’s inner monologue are another matter. Bendis has a peculiar approach to the English language, which seems to consist mostly of repetitions, redundant statements, and pointless asides. Presumably Bendis is going for realism, but I can happily say I’ve never talked to anyone who speaks as strangely as the characters in this comic. I feel pity for the voice actors who had to read his lines and try to make them sound like something non-assholes would say. Nicolette Reed, who voices both Spider-Woman and Madame Hydra, doesn’t seem to quite know what to do with her lines, so Spider-Woman comes across as flat (and British?) while Madame Hydra quickly becomes obnoxious. But her performance seems Oscar-worthy compared to her co-stars. Particularly shameful are the “actors” who voice the Madripoor police detectives, who seem to take the Breakfast at Tiffany’s approach to portraying Asian men.
So the execution of Marvel’s first motion comic is not so good. Maybe a better example would change my opinion of the medium, but I doubt it. Still, it gave Marvel an excuse to come up with another corny character theme song. Behold, the Spider-Woman music video!
Update: the entire first episode is available for free for a limited time on Youtube. Check it out if you're interested.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew – Nicolette Reed
In my first foray into comics blogging, I thought I’d discuss something that doesn’t even technically qualify as a comic. Paper is for Luddites, motion comics are the future, so what does the future look like?
Short answer: a really cheap cartoon with an impenetrable plot.
Long answer:
After her solo title was canceled in 1983, Jessica Drew vanished into character limbo while the Spider-Woman name got passed around to various heroines, none of whom found any lasting success. In the mid-2000s, Brian Michael Bendis pulled Drew from obscurity and placed her on his high profile revamp of the Avengers. Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD is the first serious attempt at a Spider-Woman ongoing in more than 20 years, as well as Marvel’s first go at motion comics.
Considering that motion comics are sold through iTunes rather than the Direct Market, you’d think that Marvel would target the casual “I liked Downey, Jr. in that movie” fan. But Marvel is nothing if not predictable, and instead the story launches out of the last mega-crossover, Secret Invasion (also by Bendis). Jessica Drew was apparently kidnapped by Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien race, and replaced by the Skrull queen. So the Spider-Woman that readers had been following for the last couple of years in New Avengers was a fake. Now the real Spider-Woman is back and she’s understandably pissed. Lucky for her, Abigail Brand, director of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department), offers Spider-Woman a job hunting down Skrulls, thus allowing her to work out her issues and beat up illegal aliens at the same time. Spider-Woman’s first assignment takes her Madripoor, the crime capital of Asia. As these things always go, her mission quickly goes to shit and she’s on the run from HYDRA (like G.I. Joe’s Cobra, but no ninjas). And just when you think things can’t get more complicated, in episode 3 Spider-Woman is targeted by the Thunderbolts, a super-powered hit squad run by Norman Osborn, the Big Bad of Marvel’s current Dark Reign mega-crossover. In other words, it’s a story only a hardcore superhero fan could love.
Thankfully, Alex Maleev’s artwork is easier to appreciate. His penciling is fairly realistic and detailed, but he applies multiple layers of color to his work, causing every image to appear dark and washed-out. While the coloring can make certain details hard to see, it effectively establishes the mood and atmosphere of an espionage thriller.
The main attraction though of Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD is neither the story nor the art, but the format. Each motion comic episode runs about 10 minutes, and consists of three types of visuals. The first type is a sequence of still images accompanied by dialogue and other sound. During conversation scenes, the same images are frequently re-used. The second slightly more sophisticated visual involves moving an image in the foreground while keeping the background still. The third type of visual, which is used for the vehicle chase scenes, is just low budget computer animation (which seems like cheating to me).
Many critics have accused Spider-Woman, and motion comics in general, of simply being low budget animation, and there's a pretty strong case for that. But comparing motion comics only to animation ignores their biggest flaw, namely that they sacrifice the communicative aspect of comics without replacing it with the advantages of actual animation. While it probably goes without saying, comics are a sequence of artistic panels accompanied by text. But there’s more to reading a comic than just proceeding from top-left to bottom-right. Artists can influence the pace at which the reader progresses through panels, sometimes by encouraging the reader to linger on a single panel or to move swiftly through a sequence. The layout of panels, their size, the level of detail, and the amount of text are all part of the communication between creators and readers. Motion comics take most of that away. Every “panel” is now just another background that fits the aspect ratio. And the pacing of the story is set by the motion comic producers rather than the artist and readers. Motion comics, in short, are something less than comics AND something less than animation.
Of course, motion comics do have one element that comics can never have: sound. The music and sound effects in Spider-Woman are used quite well, adding to the atmosphere of the story but generally remaining unobtrusive. The dialogue and Spider-Woman’s inner monologue are another matter. Bendis has a peculiar approach to the English language, which seems to consist mostly of repetitions, redundant statements, and pointless asides. Presumably Bendis is going for realism, but I can happily say I’ve never talked to anyone who speaks as strangely as the characters in this comic. I feel pity for the voice actors who had to read his lines and try to make them sound like something non-assholes would say. Nicolette Reed, who voices both Spider-Woman and Madame Hydra, doesn’t seem to quite know what to do with her lines, so Spider-Woman comes across as flat (and British?) while Madame Hydra quickly becomes obnoxious. But her performance seems Oscar-worthy compared to her co-stars. Particularly shameful are the “actors” who voice the Madripoor police detectives, who seem to take the Breakfast at Tiffany’s approach to portraying Asian men.
So the execution of Marvel’s first motion comic is not so good. Maybe a better example would change my opinion of the medium, but I doubt it. Still, it gave Marvel an excuse to come up with another corny character theme song. Behold, the Spider-Woman music video!
Update: the entire first episode is available for free for a limited time on Youtube. Check it out if you're interested.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
So there's this guy with a ring...
Green Lantern: First Flight
Green Lantern, the red-headed stepchild of DC Comics, finally gets a movie. Of course, it's a direct-to-video animated feature, so don't get too excited.* For those not in the know, Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, a test pilot recruited by an intergalactic policing organization called the Green Lantern Corps. The Corps is run by little blue men from the center of the universe called the Guardians of the Universe. Each Green Lantern is equipped with a ring that can manifest any shape or weapon that the bearer imagines.
The movie breezes through Hal Jordan's origin story and immediately jumps into a plotline centering on a disaffected Corpsman named Sinestro. Lots of minor characters from the Green Lantern comic get cameos, but most are given only token characterization. The Star Wars influence is palpable, as the characters jump from location to location with a minimum of dialogue to get in the way of the action. And as action movies go, Green Lantern isn't half bad.
The movie uses the cartooning style and simplified character design pioneered by Bruce Timm. If you've seen an episode of Justice League or Superman: The Animated Series, the style will be immediately recognizable. While it may lack the detail that some animation enthusiasts crave, the characters move smoothly and the ring effects are particularly well done. The voice acting is also uniformly good.
But for anyone who isn't already a diehard Hal Jordan fan, the main character will feel very insignificant. In comic circles, Green Lantern occasionally gets grief as the epitome of the personality-free superhero of the 1960s. In fairness, the movie's Hal Jordan does have a personality, but it's the personality of a very dumb guy who's exceptionally lucky. While scenes at the very beginning hint at a character with a decent sense of humor, most of the movie consists of Hal looking confused while other characters explain the plot to him.
Overall, Green Lantern: First Flight is a decent sci-fi action flick. Just don't expect much more from it.
*Apparently, there is a big budget live action film in the works, starring the guy who played Deadpool.
Green Lantern, the red-headed stepchild of DC Comics, finally gets a movie. Of course, it's a direct-to-video animated feature, so don't get too excited.* For those not in the know, Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, a test pilot recruited by an intergalactic policing organization called the Green Lantern Corps. The Corps is run by little blue men from the center of the universe called the Guardians of the Universe. Each Green Lantern is equipped with a ring that can manifest any shape or weapon that the bearer imagines.
The movie breezes through Hal Jordan's origin story and immediately jumps into a plotline centering on a disaffected Corpsman named Sinestro. Lots of minor characters from the Green Lantern comic get cameos, but most are given only token characterization. The Star Wars influence is palpable, as the characters jump from location to location with a minimum of dialogue to get in the way of the action. And as action movies go, Green Lantern isn't half bad.
The movie uses the cartooning style and simplified character design pioneered by Bruce Timm. If you've seen an episode of Justice League or Superman: The Animated Series, the style will be immediately recognizable. While it may lack the detail that some animation enthusiasts crave, the characters move smoothly and the ring effects are particularly well done. The voice acting is also uniformly good.
But for anyone who isn't already a diehard Hal Jordan fan, the main character will feel very insignificant. In comic circles, Green Lantern occasionally gets grief as the epitome of the personality-free superhero of the 1960s. In fairness, the movie's Hal Jordan does have a personality, but it's the personality of a very dumb guy who's exceptionally lucky. While scenes at the very beginning hint at a character with a decent sense of humor, most of the movie consists of Hal looking confused while other characters explain the plot to him.
Overall, Green Lantern: First Flight is a decent sci-fi action flick. Just don't expect much more from it.
*Apparently, there is a big budget live action film in the works, starring the guy who played Deadpool.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
So you kinda liked Watchmen...
A few people have asked me to recommend comic books for them after reading Watchmen, which is kind of like asking someone to recommend movies for you after you've seen Casablanca. The question I always have to ask is, "well, what do you like?" If you're willing to do a little research, there's a comic book out there for you, and I don't just mean superheroes. There's Westerns, science fiction, crime drama, comedy, horror, autobiographies, romance, whatever you're interested in. And if you're in an international mood, you can find comics from the UK, France, Italy, Korea, Japan (lots and lots of stuff from Japan), and even far-away Canada!
After the so-so performance of Watchmen at the box office, DC Comics decided to release a list of comics aimed at older readers. You can look at their fancy website here. There are three problems with this list: it's too superhero-centric, it contains a lot of books that aren't actually good, and it only has books published by DC Comics (obviously).
But for those interested in getting their feet wet in comics, the After Watchmen list is as good a starting point as any. After trimming the fat, here's what I would put forth:
Saga of the Swamp Thing: Alan Moore is pretty much the only writer who ever did anything worthwhile with the character of Swamp Thing.
The Dark Knight Returns: Before Frank Miller became a walking parody of himself, he wrote really entertaining, noir-ish stories. This title effectively redefined Batman for an entire generation. You can see its influence in both the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan Batman films.
All-Star Superman: a recent work by Grant Morrison, it comes close to being the Platonic ideal of a Superman comic, and for one brief instant I understood why some people really like the Big Blue Boy Scout.
Animal Man: an older work by Morrison in the same deconstructionist vein as Watchmen. It also touches upon animal rights and violence in mainstream entertainment.
V for Vendetta: don't let the movie fool you, this book by Alan Moore was really good (and very British). This also holds true for From Hell and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Actually, anything by Moore is probably worth checking out.
Transmetropolitan: don't care about superheroes? What about a story by Warren Ellis where a crazed, junkie journalist (essentially Hunter S. Thompson) fights a corrupt government in the future?
Y: The Last Man: High concept pitch by Brian K. Vaughn: every mammal with a Y chromosome dies one day, except for one wannabe illusionist and his pet monkey. Hijinks ensue.
Sandman: Neil Gaiman's massive dark fantasy about the Lord of Dreams and the art of storytelling.
Preacher: Did you ever feel like punching God in the face? Well, so did Garth Ennis, and this book reads like one long "fuck you" to Christianity, but along the way it tells an exciting adventure story with richly drawn-out characters.
This list isn't meant to be exhaustive, and there are other titles on the After Watchmen site that are worth checking out if these books get you interested. I'd also recommend looking at the websites for smaller publishers like Dark Horse, Image, IDW, Dynamite, Oni, Fantagraphics, and Drawn & Quarterly. And of course, there's Marvel if you want more superheroes.
After the so-so performance of Watchmen at the box office, DC Comics decided to release a list of comics aimed at older readers. You can look at their fancy website here. There are three problems with this list: it's too superhero-centric, it contains a lot of books that aren't actually good, and it only has books published by DC Comics (obviously).
But for those interested in getting their feet wet in comics, the After Watchmen list is as good a starting point as any. After trimming the fat, here's what I would put forth:
Saga of the Swamp Thing: Alan Moore is pretty much the only writer who ever did anything worthwhile with the character of Swamp Thing.
The Dark Knight Returns: Before Frank Miller became a walking parody of himself, he wrote really entertaining, noir-ish stories. This title effectively redefined Batman for an entire generation. You can see its influence in both the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan Batman films.
All-Star Superman: a recent work by Grant Morrison, it comes close to being the Platonic ideal of a Superman comic, and for one brief instant I understood why some people really like the Big Blue Boy Scout.
Animal Man: an older work by Morrison in the same deconstructionist vein as Watchmen. It also touches upon animal rights and violence in mainstream entertainment.
V for Vendetta: don't let the movie fool you, this book by Alan Moore was really good (and very British). This also holds true for From Hell and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Actually, anything by Moore is probably worth checking out.
Transmetropolitan: don't care about superheroes? What about a story by Warren Ellis where a crazed, junkie journalist (essentially Hunter S. Thompson) fights a corrupt government in the future?
Y: The Last Man: High concept pitch by Brian K. Vaughn: every mammal with a Y chromosome dies one day, except for one wannabe illusionist and his pet monkey. Hijinks ensue.
Sandman: Neil Gaiman's massive dark fantasy about the Lord of Dreams and the art of storytelling.
Preacher: Did you ever feel like punching God in the face? Well, so did Garth Ennis, and this book reads like one long "fuck you" to Christianity, but along the way it tells an exciting adventure story with richly drawn-out characters.
This list isn't meant to be exhaustive, and there are other titles on the After Watchmen site that are worth checking out if these books get you interested. I'd also recommend looking at the websites for smaller publishers like Dark Horse, Image, IDW, Dynamite, Oni, Fantagraphics, and Drawn & Quarterly. And of course, there's Marvel if you want more superheroes.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Superheroes as Vigilantes
I know everyone is sick of talking about Watchmen, but one of the more interesting plot points from both the comic and the movie was the fictional Keene Act, which outlawed unlicensed crime-fighting. The act didn't affect either the Comedian or Dr. Manhattan, who were already working for the government, but it did push Nite Owl II into retirement and turned Rorschach into an unlawful vigilante. Alan Moore was obviously commenting on the long history of superheroes as vigilante crime-fighters, but that begs the question, why were so many superheroes, particularly prominent ones such as Superman and Batman, operating outside the law to begin with?
The fact that most superheroes work outside the legal system is so normal to readers that few even notice it today, but there's no reason why superheroes can't be government agents (a few of them are), or lawful adjuncts of normal law enforcement (Batman was a deputized officer of the Gotham police for a few years in the 60s) , or otherwise answerable to some political authority. In real life, few people would tolerate private citizens dressing up like circus strongmen and fighting crime whenever they felt like it. And yet, such behavior is the standard in the superhero genre.
The popularity of the vigilante superhero is most likely rooted in the creation of the first superhero, Superman. Most people are probably familiar with the story of how two Jewish immigrants, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, introduced the character in the pages of Action Comics #1 (1938). The politics of their early stories were unquestionably left-wing, with Superman basically behaving like FDR on steroids, helping the little guy while beating up crooked businessmen. However, one notable difference between Superman and FDR (besides the polio) was that the former pursued his objectives without any legal sanction. Siegel and Shuster may have admired FDR, but they wanted their hero to be unconstrained by bureaucratic red-tape or self-serving politicians.
Siegel and Shuster's creation was thus less a socialist ideal than a populist one. Superman embodied two related themes in American culture: individualism and a distrust of government. The central figure of American myth is the frontiersman, a rugged individualist and alpha male who deals with problems in a direct and uncompromising fashion. This guy doesn't care for sissy stuff like talking out problems and reaching a compromise. God gave him only one mouth but two fists, and he's gonna use 'em! But while Americans respect the frontiersman's aura of authority, they distrust any authority that comes in the form of government. After all, government is everything the frontiersman is not; complicated, corrupt, indecisive, and ineffectual. And there's the fact that nobody likes being told what to do.
Superman offered the perfect empowerment fantasy for American boys who were eager to escape a reality in which they were powerless. Here was a character who fixed problems, whether it be crime or run-down tenements, and he did so in a way that was immediate and concrete. More importantly, he took orders from no one, letting only his personal sense of justice dictate his actions.
The commercial success of Superman quickly inspired imitators, and the vigilante-as-hero became a genre convention. Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and later heroes such as Spider-man, Thor, and the X-Men all fought crime (and caused plenty of property damage) without permission from any governmental authority. Even after the birth of the Comics Code, when superheroes were supposed to be upstanding citizens who supported lawful authority, they never completely went legit. And in the post-Watergate era, even Captain America gave up on the government and became a nomadic biker (the heyday of his book, honestly). Then came the 80s, and the more the hero violated from the law, the better.
But we live in a post 9/11 world. The heroes who saved lives at the Twin Towers were not vigilantes, they were cops and firemen. Iraq wasn't liberated by Superman, it was liberated by U.S. soldiers. Surely there are people out there interested in reading about heroes who maim the bad guys with government approval.
Yet the two largest superhero publishers, DC and Marvel, still churn out the same superhero-as-vigilante stuff. This isn't because they're all anarchists who hate the government, rather both companies cater to nostalgic fanboys. Nostalgia is, for better or worse (actually, just worse), a major force in superhero comics. New heroes have trouble gaining fans in a market that's already saturated with decades-old characters with established fanbases. And older fans prefer reading comics that remind them of the comics they read as a child, in other words, comics about vigilante superheroes.
In 2006-2007, Marvel published a miniseries titled "Civil War," which affected numerous titles set in the Marvel superhero universe. Civil War ended with most of the heroes agreeing to work for the government-sponsored Initiative, headed by Iron Man. A handful of heroes, including Captain America, refused to submit. Civil War could have been the beginning of a shift away from vigilantism, but instead it was little more than a brief interruption in the usual status quo. As of 2009, the Initiative is now run by Norman Osborn, formerly the Green Goblin, Spider-man's archenemy. All the true heroes are now outlaws, and those who still work for the government are not simply sell-outs, they're villains!
So is the continued vitality of the vigilante superhero a bad thing? Probably not. It is just escapism, after all, and we haven't seen spandex-clad lunatics fighting crime in real life just yet. On the other hand, there is this guy.
The fact that most superheroes work outside the legal system is so normal to readers that few even notice it today, but there's no reason why superheroes can't be government agents (a few of them are), or lawful adjuncts of normal law enforcement (Batman was a deputized officer of the Gotham police for a few years in the 60s) , or otherwise answerable to some political authority. In real life, few people would tolerate private citizens dressing up like circus strongmen and fighting crime whenever they felt like it. And yet, such behavior is the standard in the superhero genre.
The popularity of the vigilante superhero is most likely rooted in the creation of the first superhero, Superman. Most people are probably familiar with the story of how two Jewish immigrants, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, introduced the character in the pages of Action Comics #1 (1938). The politics of their early stories were unquestionably left-wing, with Superman basically behaving like FDR on steroids, helping the little guy while beating up crooked businessmen. However, one notable difference between Superman and FDR (besides the polio) was that the former pursued his objectives without any legal sanction. Siegel and Shuster may have admired FDR, but they wanted their hero to be unconstrained by bureaucratic red-tape or self-serving politicians.
Siegel and Shuster's creation was thus less a socialist ideal than a populist one. Superman embodied two related themes in American culture: individualism and a distrust of government. The central figure of American myth is the frontiersman, a rugged individualist and alpha male who deals with problems in a direct and uncompromising fashion. This guy doesn't care for sissy stuff like talking out problems and reaching a compromise. God gave him only one mouth but two fists, and he's gonna use 'em! But while Americans respect the frontiersman's aura of authority, they distrust any authority that comes in the form of government. After all, government is everything the frontiersman is not; complicated, corrupt, indecisive, and ineffectual. And there's the fact that nobody likes being told what to do.
Superman offered the perfect empowerment fantasy for American boys who were eager to escape a reality in which they were powerless. Here was a character who fixed problems, whether it be crime or run-down tenements, and he did so in a way that was immediate and concrete. More importantly, he took orders from no one, letting only his personal sense of justice dictate his actions.
The commercial success of Superman quickly inspired imitators, and the vigilante-as-hero became a genre convention. Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and later heroes such as Spider-man, Thor, and the X-Men all fought crime (and caused plenty of property damage) without permission from any governmental authority. Even after the birth of the Comics Code, when superheroes were supposed to be upstanding citizens who supported lawful authority, they never completely went legit. And in the post-Watergate era, even Captain America gave up on the government and became a nomadic biker (the heyday of his book, honestly). Then came the 80s, and the more the hero violated from the law, the better.
But we live in a post 9/11 world. The heroes who saved lives at the Twin Towers were not vigilantes, they were cops and firemen. Iraq wasn't liberated by Superman, it was liberated by U.S. soldiers. Surely there are people out there interested in reading about heroes who maim the bad guys with government approval.
Yet the two largest superhero publishers, DC and Marvel, still churn out the same superhero-as-vigilante stuff. This isn't because they're all anarchists who hate the government, rather both companies cater to nostalgic fanboys. Nostalgia is, for better or worse (actually, just worse), a major force in superhero comics. New heroes have trouble gaining fans in a market that's already saturated with decades-old characters with established fanbases. And older fans prefer reading comics that remind them of the comics they read as a child, in other words, comics about vigilante superheroes.
In 2006-2007, Marvel published a miniseries titled "Civil War," which affected numerous titles set in the Marvel superhero universe. Civil War ended with most of the heroes agreeing to work for the government-sponsored Initiative, headed by Iron Man. A handful of heroes, including Captain America, refused to submit. Civil War could have been the beginning of a shift away from vigilantism, but instead it was little more than a brief interruption in the usual status quo. As of 2009, the Initiative is now run by Norman Osborn, formerly the Green Goblin, Spider-man's archenemy. All the true heroes are now outlaws, and those who still work for the government are not simply sell-outs, they're villains!
So is the continued vitality of the vigilante superhero a bad thing? Probably not. It is just escapism, after all, and we haven't seen spandex-clad lunatics fighting crime in real life just yet. On the other hand, there is this guy.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Comics Reading List
Just one this week...
Jonah Hex #41 (DC)
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: David Michael Beck
In the last issue, Hex had been captured by a serial killer who cut off a couple of his toes, then managed a painful-looking escape before being rescued by an old flame. This issue wraps up the story, and it's no surprise that Hex and his gal pal meet out some gruesome vengeance. Not much actually happens in this book, but everything that does happen is just so damn cool and violent. Now I need to go watch some Sergio Leone films.
Beck's realistic style of art is attractive despite the gritty subject matter, and his gunfight panels are quite stylish. Unfortunately, the coloring on this title remains a little too dark.
Jonah Hex #41 (DC)
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: David Michael Beck
In the last issue, Hex had been captured by a serial killer who cut off a couple of his toes, then managed a painful-looking escape before being rescued by an old flame. This issue wraps up the story, and it's no surprise that Hex and his gal pal meet out some gruesome vengeance. Not much actually happens in this book, but everything that does happen is just so damn cool and violent. Now I need to go watch some Sergio Leone films.
Beck's realistic style of art is attractive despite the gritty subject matter, and his gunfight panels are quite stylish. Unfortunately, the coloring on this title remains a little too dark.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Comics Reading List
Rex Mundi v.2 #16 (Dark Horse)
Writer: Arvid Nelson
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
To make one thing clear up front, this is not a jumping in point, especially considering that the book is ending in a couple issues. But for those who've been following Rex Mundi since back in the day when it was still at Image, there's quite a bit of plot progression, and multiple surprise deaths. Apparently, the solicitations stupidly gave one of them away, but this book still packs its fair share of "holy shit!" moments. The last few pages left me wondering how the Duke of Lorraine will be stopped absent God Himself intervening.
Ferreyra's art is fairly typical for mainstream American comics, but he does very nice facial expressions, and the colors seem to enhance the pencil work rather than muddle it.
Hack/Slash #20 (Devil's Due Publishing)
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Kevin Mellon
Another title that merits a warning that this is not a jumping in point. Seeley continues to explore several ongoing subplots, including the relationship tensions between Cassie, Georgia, and Vlad. Cassie also faces trouble with the law, because she's been wrongly accused of murdering multiple slasher victims, thanks to the machinations of a certain slasher who can manipulate people's dreams. This issue also introduces a new group of villains known as the Black Lamp Society. Altogether a busy issue that sets up some interesting new directions for the comic.
But there is one big problem with this book: Mellon's artwork is simply terrible. Ugly faces, unappealing cheesecake, confusing layouts, washed-out colors. The writing in a comic should never have to struggle to rise above the art. The wildly uneven quality of the art from one issue to the next has been a major drawback of this title.
Dynamo 5 #20 (Image)
Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
This issue works well as one of those filler stories where the superhero team takes some downtime while the writer sets up future plotlines. However, Faerber is savvy enough to throw in a some nice character moments and plenty of action. Visionary, the youngest member of the team, gets a date with the cute heroine Firebird, while the other team members are either re-settling or dealing with their own romantic problems. In the B-plot, a ditzy super-villain couple gets into a lover's spat that tears up downtown Tower City, and Dynamo 5 intervenes. In yet another plot, an old enemy of team (but not that old, since the team hasn't exactly been around that long) is ready to get some payback. None of this is going to revolutionize comics or the superhero genre, but Dynamo 5 remains consistently solid entertainment, and that's all too rare in the comics industry.
Asrar's traditional, superheroic art goes well with Faerber's scripts, and he adds some nice touches like amusing facial expressions and cheesecake that's actually fun to look at.
Writer: Arvid Nelson
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
To make one thing clear up front, this is not a jumping in point, especially considering that the book is ending in a couple issues. But for those who've been following Rex Mundi since back in the day when it was still at Image, there's quite a bit of plot progression, and multiple surprise deaths. Apparently, the solicitations stupidly gave one of them away, but this book still packs its fair share of "holy shit!" moments. The last few pages left me wondering how the Duke of Lorraine will be stopped absent God Himself intervening.
Ferreyra's art is fairly typical for mainstream American comics, but he does very nice facial expressions, and the colors seem to enhance the pencil work rather than muddle it.
Hack/Slash #20 (Devil's Due Publishing)
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Kevin Mellon
Another title that merits a warning that this is not a jumping in point. Seeley continues to explore several ongoing subplots, including the relationship tensions between Cassie, Georgia, and Vlad. Cassie also faces trouble with the law, because she's been wrongly accused of murdering multiple slasher victims, thanks to the machinations of a certain slasher who can manipulate people's dreams. This issue also introduces a new group of villains known as the Black Lamp Society. Altogether a busy issue that sets up some interesting new directions for the comic.
But there is one big problem with this book: Mellon's artwork is simply terrible. Ugly faces, unappealing cheesecake, confusing layouts, washed-out colors. The writing in a comic should never have to struggle to rise above the art. The wildly uneven quality of the art from one issue to the next has been a major drawback of this title.
Dynamo 5 #20 (Image)
Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
This issue works well as one of those filler stories where the superhero team takes some downtime while the writer sets up future plotlines. However, Faerber is savvy enough to throw in a some nice character moments and plenty of action. Visionary, the youngest member of the team, gets a date with the cute heroine Firebird, while the other team members are either re-settling or dealing with their own romantic problems. In the B-plot, a ditzy super-villain couple gets into a lover's spat that tears up downtown Tower City, and Dynamo 5 intervenes. In yet another plot, an old enemy of team (but not that old, since the team hasn't exactly been around that long) is ready to get some payback. None of this is going to revolutionize comics or the superhero genre, but Dynamo 5 remains consistently solid entertainment, and that's all too rare in the comics industry.
Asrar's traditional, superheroic art goes well with Faerber's scripts, and he adds some nice touches like amusing facial expressions and cheesecake that's actually fun to look at.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
I Hope the Movie Doesn't Suck...
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe (Oni)
Writer/Artist: Bryan Lee O'Malley
There's a certain futility in reviewing the fifth book in a series of six. Presumably, everyone has already made up their mind as to whether or not they like Scott Pilgrim and its mix of action, melodrama, and liberal references to Claremont era X-Men and 80's video games. While it's a bit much to call it a zeitgeist comic, it unquestionably captures the spirit of the ascendant geek culture, and you're either part of that culture or you're not.
Setting all the in-crowd stuff aside, this is the best book yet in an already outstanding series. As usual, Scott must do battle with Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends (twins, this time), but the real action involves how the core characters are growing up as individuals, even as they grow apart as a group. Other reviewers have noted that O'Malley's story went much darker in this installment. But what makes this book so impressive is that it follows through on the experiences of its characters in a natural and logical fashion. Everything that happens to the characters in this chapter feels earned, and O'Malley has perfectly captured the messiness of growing up.
The bar has been set very high for the next and final book.
Writer/Artist: Bryan Lee O'Malley
There's a certain futility in reviewing the fifth book in a series of six. Presumably, everyone has already made up their mind as to whether or not they like Scott Pilgrim and its mix of action, melodrama, and liberal references to Claremont era X-Men and 80's video games. While it's a bit much to call it a zeitgeist comic, it unquestionably captures the spirit of the ascendant geek culture, and you're either part of that culture or you're not.
Setting all the in-crowd stuff aside, this is the best book yet in an already outstanding series. As usual, Scott must do battle with Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends (twins, this time), but the real action involves how the core characters are growing up as individuals, even as they grow apart as a group. Other reviewers have noted that O'Malley's story went much darker in this installment. But what makes this book so impressive is that it follows through on the experiences of its characters in a natural and logical fashion. Everything that happens to the characters in this chapter feels earned, and O'Malley has perfectly captured the messiness of growing up.
The bar has been set very high for the next and final book.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Comics Reading List: Better Late Than Never
The Walking Dead #58 (Image)
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard
In recent years, zombies have become as overplayed as superheroes in comics. But both genres still have a few quality titles that, while not reinventing the game, at least manage to tell a decent story with interesting characters every month. The Walking Dead is the old gray man of zombie comics, but it continues to be an entertaining read, especially now that Kirkman has teased the reader with the possibility that we'll learn where the zombies came from. This issue, however, follows multiple digressions as we learn a bit more about the new character Abraham, we're reintroduced to a character who last appeared nearly 5 years ago, and establish new tensions that might split the survivors. Also, Adlard's art retains its distinctive, black-and-white bleakness.
At this late stage, the comic isn't terribly welcoming for new readers, but those trades are available at your local bookstore.
Batman #686 (DC)
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Pencils: Andy Kubert
Having lost interest in Batman for most of R.I.P., I felt like jumping back in after Batman's big "death" in Final Crisis. This is the first half of a two part aftermath storyline dubbed "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" There's a lot going in this comic, and Gaiman clearly has no intention of writing another Batman beats up bad guy story. We see Batman's funeral, or an interpretation of what his funeral would be like if everyone, even the villains, were invited. And we see a version of Catwoman and a version of Alfred reminisce over events that never took place in any Batman comic I know of. I think I'll hold off saying anymore until after the second half comes out.
I still don't see why so many people love Kubert's artwork. Sure, it effectively conveys the story, and several of the panels have a lot of nice detail. But it's still basically the standard superhero style a reader would expect from DC. But, it's worth mentioning that Kubert is far superior to the terrible Tony Daniels.
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard
In recent years, zombies have become as overplayed as superheroes in comics. But both genres still have a few quality titles that, while not reinventing the game, at least manage to tell a decent story with interesting characters every month. The Walking Dead is the old gray man of zombie comics, but it continues to be an entertaining read, especially now that Kirkman has teased the reader with the possibility that we'll learn where the zombies came from. This issue, however, follows multiple digressions as we learn a bit more about the new character Abraham, we're reintroduced to a character who last appeared nearly 5 years ago, and establish new tensions that might split the survivors. Also, Adlard's art retains its distinctive, black-and-white bleakness.
At this late stage, the comic isn't terribly welcoming for new readers, but those trades are available at your local bookstore.
Batman #686 (DC)
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Pencils: Andy Kubert
Having lost interest in Batman for most of R.I.P., I felt like jumping back in after Batman's big "death" in Final Crisis. This is the first half of a two part aftermath storyline dubbed "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" There's a lot going in this comic, and Gaiman clearly has no intention of writing another Batman beats up bad guy story. We see Batman's funeral, or an interpretation of what his funeral would be like if everyone, even the villains, were invited. And we see a version of Catwoman and a version of Alfred reminisce over events that never took place in any Batman comic I know of. I think I'll hold off saying anymore until after the second half comes out.
I still don't see why so many people love Kubert's artwork. Sure, it effectively conveys the story, and several of the panels have a lot of nice detail. But it's still basically the standard superhero style a reader would expect from DC. But, it's worth mentioning that Kubert is far superior to the terrible Tony Daniels.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Comics Reading Time
Another light week for me, though I may pick up "Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe" when I have more free time.
Possible spoilers below...
Jonah Hex #40 (DC)
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: David Michael Beck
I have little attachment to DC's line of superhero comics right now, but Jonah Hex continues to be a must-read for me every month. While this comic tends to tell complete stories in every issue, this issue differs in that it's the first half of a two-parter, and has a surprise cameo by a character who was introduced earlier in the series. The story is decent, with Hex being hired to track down a serial killer who is a 19th century knockoff of the real-life Josef Mengele. Unfortunately, there's a somewhat hackneyed plot twist that leaves Hex in a tough spot, but the next issue looks promising. The realistic art by Beck is very attractive, though the colors can get a bit muddy.
Dynamo 5 #19 (Image)
Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
This issue completes a storyline that feels like it began years ago, thanks to the book's erratic publication. For those unfamiliar with the title, Dynamo 5 is a high concept series that asks the question, "what if Superman was a philanderer who had five bastards running around the U.S.?" Each of Captain Dynamo's (the Superman knockoff of this book) lucky accidents inherited one of his powers, and after he was murdered, his widowed wife found the children and put them together as a team.
The appeal of a high concept never lasts long, but Faerber can write the type of competent, entertaining adventure that seems so scarce at DC and Marvel. Issue #19 wraps up a plotline where the team had broken up. It's barely a spoiler to mention that the team gets back together by the end of the issue, but Faerber manages to keep things action-packed while working in a few nice character beats. At this stage, though, it's a little disconcerting that only about half the cast seem to have defined personalities.
Asrar's artwork is in the conventional style of superhero comics, with muscular men and busty women. But it's worth noting that his designs are clean and, forgive the pun, dynamic, and the layout makes the narrative easy to follow.
Possible spoilers below...
Jonah Hex #40 (DC)
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: David Michael Beck
I have little attachment to DC's line of superhero comics right now, but Jonah Hex continues to be a must-read for me every month. While this comic tends to tell complete stories in every issue, this issue differs in that it's the first half of a two-parter, and has a surprise cameo by a character who was introduced earlier in the series. The story is decent, with Hex being hired to track down a serial killer who is a 19th century knockoff of the real-life Josef Mengele. Unfortunately, there's a somewhat hackneyed plot twist that leaves Hex in a tough spot, but the next issue looks promising. The realistic art by Beck is very attractive, though the colors can get a bit muddy.
Dynamo 5 #19 (Image)
Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
This issue completes a storyline that feels like it began years ago, thanks to the book's erratic publication. For those unfamiliar with the title, Dynamo 5 is a high concept series that asks the question, "what if Superman was a philanderer who had five bastards running around the U.S.?" Each of Captain Dynamo's (the Superman knockoff of this book) lucky accidents inherited one of his powers, and after he was murdered, his widowed wife found the children and put them together as a team.
The appeal of a high concept never lasts long, but Faerber can write the type of competent, entertaining adventure that seems so scarce at DC and Marvel. Issue #19 wraps up a plotline where the team had broken up. It's barely a spoiler to mention that the team gets back together by the end of the issue, but Faerber manages to keep things action-packed while working in a few nice character beats. At this stage, though, it's a little disconcerting that only about half the cast seem to have defined personalities.
Asrar's artwork is in the conventional style of superhero comics, with muscular men and busty women. But it's worth noting that his designs are clean and, forgive the pun, dynamic, and the layout makes the narrative easy to follow.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Comics Reading List
This was a light week for me, as I didn't have any interest in Final Crisis or 90% of the crap that DC or Marvel are selling. A new Northlanders and Umbrella Academy came out, but I've adopted a wait-for-the-trade strategy with those.
Battlefields: Dear Billy, Part 1 (of 3) (Writer: Garth Ennis, Pencils: Peter Snejbjerg)
Ennis continues his World War II anthology series with a story that takes place in South Asia. Set during the opening months of 1942, the comic focuses on the war with Japan from the British perspective, and is narrated by a Royal Army nurse who suffered brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese. The "Billy" in the title is an RAF pilot who was badly injured (in his case, by a bunch of Japanese bayonets), and he and the narrator meet at a hospital in India. Far more so than the typical two-fisted tales found in most war comics, Ennis captures the almost casual brutality of the war, and draws attention to the fact that women are especially vulnerable targets. Thankfully though, this is not a story of victimization, but rather one of survival and love. The art in this title is not particularly memorable, but it effectively lays out the narrative and there is an excellent use of color to convey mood.
New Avengers #49 (Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils" Billy Tan)
I never claimed to not be a hypocrite. After opening this post by dissing Marvel, here I am reviewing one of their big titles. This is another Avengers issue by Bendis, which means a lot of "realistic" dialogue, a lot of unnecessary violence, and not very much actually happening to advance the plot. All that being said, I liked this issue if for no other reason than it has Luke Cage out-smarting the Green Goblin in the most obvious way possible: by being a dirty-fucking liar. Unfortunately, a decent-enough story is nearly undone by the terrible art of Billy Tan. He seems to be trying too hard to ape the style of regular penciller Leinil Yu, with the result that everything seems both over-drawn and yet oddly out of proportion.
Battlefields: Dear Billy, Part 1 (of 3) (Writer: Garth Ennis, Pencils: Peter Snejbjerg)
Ennis continues his World War II anthology series with a story that takes place in South Asia. Set during the opening months of 1942, the comic focuses on the war with Japan from the British perspective, and is narrated by a Royal Army nurse who suffered brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese. The "Billy" in the title is an RAF pilot who was badly injured (in his case, by a bunch of Japanese bayonets), and he and the narrator meet at a hospital in India. Far more so than the typical two-fisted tales found in most war comics, Ennis captures the almost casual brutality of the war, and draws attention to the fact that women are especially vulnerable targets. Thankfully though, this is not a story of victimization, but rather one of survival and love. The art in this title is not particularly memorable, but it effectively lays out the narrative and there is an excellent use of color to convey mood.
New Avengers #49 (Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils" Billy Tan)
I never claimed to not be a hypocrite. After opening this post by dissing Marvel, here I am reviewing one of their big titles. This is another Avengers issue by Bendis, which means a lot of "realistic" dialogue, a lot of unnecessary violence, and not very much actually happening to advance the plot. All that being said, I liked this issue if for no other reason than it has Luke Cage out-smarting the Green Goblin in the most obvious way possible: by being a dirty-fucking liar. Unfortunately, a decent-enough story is nearly undone by the terrible art of Billy Tan. He seems to be trying too hard to ape the style of regular penciller Leinil Yu, with the result that everything seems both over-drawn and yet oddly out of proportion.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Comic Reading List: Catching up with last week
Jonah Hex #39 (Writers: Gray/Palmiotti, Pencils: Garres)
DC Comics continues to publish the best of the comic Westerns, which admittedly isn't saying much since there's only about four of them. Hex delivers the goods every month, and is one of the few mainstream comics that is actually designed to be read on a monthly basis, rather than in a trade volume. This month, Hex helps a novice sheriff deal with a band of violent fugitives, while at the same time trying to protect his favorite watering hole from the temperance movement.
The artwork of Rafa Garres is quite different from the usual mainstream artwork found in this title. There's a deliberate murkiness to the panels and a lack of clean lines. It is as if Garre is trying to capture the moral ambiguity of the Jonah Hex universe, with its noticeable lack of clearly defined, black-and-white morality. On an aesthetic level it works, but on a narrative level, the art is often too murky. I often had difficulty figuring out who was speaking to whom, and in what direction characters were heading.
Still, if you like Westerns, Jonah Hex remains the bright spot in the comic book industry.
DC Comics continues to publish the best of the comic Westerns, which admittedly isn't saying much since there's only about four of them. Hex delivers the goods every month, and is one of the few mainstream comics that is actually designed to be read on a monthly basis, rather than in a trade volume. This month, Hex helps a novice sheriff deal with a band of violent fugitives, while at the same time trying to protect his favorite watering hole from the temperance movement.
The artwork of Rafa Garres is quite different from the usual mainstream artwork found in this title. There's a deliberate murkiness to the panels and a lack of clean lines. It is as if Garre is trying to capture the moral ambiguity of the Jonah Hex universe, with its noticeable lack of clearly defined, black-and-white morality. On an aesthetic level it works, but on a narrative level, the art is often too murky. I often had difficulty figuring out who was speaking to whom, and in what direction characters were heading.
Still, if you like Westerns, Jonah Hex remains the bright spot in the comic book industry.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Comics Reading List
Hack/Slash #19 (Writer: Tim Seeley, Pencils: Kevin Mallon)
This title continues to be the only good thing coming out of Devil's Due Publishing. This issue wraps up the lingering plot thread involving Pooch, introduces a new villain, and potentially sets up a new status quo for Cassie and Vlad. One of the things that continues to impress me about Tim Seeley's writing is that, even as he utilizes longterm subplots, he's actually able to tell a full story within a 22-page periodical, a talent that most writers from DC/Marvel seem to have lossed. And I would be lying if I didn't admit to enjoying the cheesy exploitation in the story, from the slasher homages to the lesbian fanservice. Not for readers with good taste, but everyone else should give this title a try.
Battlefield: The Night Witches, Part 3 (of 3) (Writer: Garth Ennis, Pencils: Russ Braun)
This is the conclusion to the excellent short story about the Night Witches, a WWII era Soviet bomber group composed entirely of women. Garth Ennis doesn't re-invent the wheel on war comics, but he does hit all the expected marks with an unquestionable competence. There's doomed lovers, innocence lost, and a frank depiction of what war does to ordinarily decent people. Ennis brings an authenticity to the characters and the violence that is often lacking in war stories, and Russ Braun's artwork effectively captures the ugly reality of Stalingrad. Certainly worth buying if you already have the first two chapters.
100 Bullets #99 (Writer: Brian Azzarello, Pencils: Edward Risso)
I think I'll hold off discussing this until the next, and presumably final, issue comes out.
Mysterius the Unfathomable #1 (Writer: Jeff Parker, Pencils: Tom Fowler)
Jeff Parker made a name for himself at Marvel by writing kid-friendly superhero comics that kids would actually want to read. This title is his first notable shift away from superheroics, instead focusing on a mystic and his new assistant. Given that this is the first issue in a new series, it carries the burden of making a lot of introductions through a lot of expositionary dialogue. Still, Parker manages to given the reader a strong grasp of the main characters and sets up a story for next issue. Tom Fowler's artwork is very cartoony, and it works perfectly for Parker's tongue-in-cheek script.
Justice League of America #29 (Writer: Len Wein, Pencils: ChrisCross)
This was fucking terrible. I wouldn't even steal this comic, it's so bad. I would discuss why it's bad, but that would require thinking about it, and I just can't bring myself to do it.
X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 (of 4) (Writer: Chris Yost, Pencils: Dustin Weaver)
I have a soft spot for Marvel's cosmic heroes, and as a long-time X-men fan, this book would seem to be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I still can't stand the character of Vulcan, one of the most obnoxious ret-cons in comic book history. Even if Vulcan was tolerable, this story is clearly just treading water until War of Kings begins.
The Might Avengers #21 (Writer: Dan Slott, Pencils: Khoi Pham)
If you've read enough superhero comics, then you've read one of those stories where the writer tries to convince you that the weakest, most useless member of the team is, in fact, the lynchpin that holds the team together. Those stories invariably suck, for the obvious reason that nobody but the writer (and a few obsessed fanboys) actually care about the crappy character in question. So it is this weak with Hank Pym, aka the Wasp, aka Ant-Man, aka Giant Man, aka Goliath, aka Yellowjacket. Dan Slott spends the better part of an issue trying to convince the reader that Pym really isn't the C-lister that he's been for 40 years. At least the Scarlet Witch is back, and not quite as crazy as before.
Dark Avengers #1 (Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils: Mike Deodato, Jr.)
Brian Michael Bendis gets to write whatever the fuck he wants at Marvel. As with the Dark Reign one-shot, this issue is one long, tedious set-up. I could bring up how Bendis wastes an inordinate amount of space on splash pages, or how his characters say far too much and do far too little, but I'd just be spitting into the wind. The guy sells books. At least Deodato's art seems a little less porn-lite than usual, though he does work in an ass-shot or two.
This title continues to be the only good thing coming out of Devil's Due Publishing. This issue wraps up the lingering plot thread involving Pooch, introduces a new villain, and potentially sets up a new status quo for Cassie and Vlad. One of the things that continues to impress me about Tim Seeley's writing is that, even as he utilizes longterm subplots, he's actually able to tell a full story within a 22-page periodical, a talent that most writers from DC/Marvel seem to have lossed. And I would be lying if I didn't admit to enjoying the cheesy exploitation in the story, from the slasher homages to the lesbian fanservice. Not for readers with good taste, but everyone else should give this title a try.
Battlefield: The Night Witches, Part 3 (of 3) (Writer: Garth Ennis, Pencils: Russ Braun)
This is the conclusion to the excellent short story about the Night Witches, a WWII era Soviet bomber group composed entirely of women. Garth Ennis doesn't re-invent the wheel on war comics, but he does hit all the expected marks with an unquestionable competence. There's doomed lovers, innocence lost, and a frank depiction of what war does to ordinarily decent people. Ennis brings an authenticity to the characters and the violence that is often lacking in war stories, and Russ Braun's artwork effectively captures the ugly reality of Stalingrad. Certainly worth buying if you already have the first two chapters.
100 Bullets #99 (Writer: Brian Azzarello, Pencils: Edward Risso)
I think I'll hold off discussing this until the next, and presumably final, issue comes out.
Mysterius the Unfathomable #1 (Writer: Jeff Parker, Pencils: Tom Fowler)
Jeff Parker made a name for himself at Marvel by writing kid-friendly superhero comics that kids would actually want to read. This title is his first notable shift away from superheroics, instead focusing on a mystic and his new assistant. Given that this is the first issue in a new series, it carries the burden of making a lot of introductions through a lot of expositionary dialogue. Still, Parker manages to given the reader a strong grasp of the main characters and sets up a story for next issue. Tom Fowler's artwork is very cartoony, and it works perfectly for Parker's tongue-in-cheek script.
Justice League of America #29 (Writer: Len Wein, Pencils: ChrisCross)
This was fucking terrible. I wouldn't even steal this comic, it's so bad. I would discuss why it's bad, but that would require thinking about it, and I just can't bring myself to do it.
X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 (of 4) (Writer: Chris Yost, Pencils: Dustin Weaver)
I have a soft spot for Marvel's cosmic heroes, and as a long-time X-men fan, this book would seem to be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I still can't stand the character of Vulcan, one of the most obnoxious ret-cons in comic book history. Even if Vulcan was tolerable, this story is clearly just treading water until War of Kings begins.
The Might Avengers #21 (Writer: Dan Slott, Pencils: Khoi Pham)
If you've read enough superhero comics, then you've read one of those stories where the writer tries to convince you that the weakest, most useless member of the team is, in fact, the lynchpin that holds the team together. Those stories invariably suck, for the obvious reason that nobody but the writer (and a few obsessed fanboys) actually care about the crappy character in question. So it is this weak with Hank Pym, aka the Wasp, aka Ant-Man, aka Giant Man, aka Goliath, aka Yellowjacket. Dan Slott spends the better part of an issue trying to convince the reader that Pym really isn't the C-lister that he's been for 40 years. At least the Scarlet Witch is back, and not quite as crazy as before.
Dark Avengers #1 (Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils: Mike Deodato, Jr.)
Brian Michael Bendis gets to write whatever the fuck he wants at Marvel. As with the Dark Reign one-shot, this issue is one long, tedious set-up. I could bring up how Bendis wastes an inordinate amount of space on splash pages, or how his characters say far too much and do far too little, but I'd just be spitting into the wind. The guy sells books. At least Deodato's art seems a little less porn-lite than usual, though he does work in an ass-shot or two.
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