More comics from the Mile High mystery boxes! (Shocked myself when I realized there are only two more batches to go through after this one! Time flies!)
Outsiders #46
“Pay As You Go,” an arc I somewhat remember, at least certainly the title, apparently dealing with the fallout, at least as of this issue, of Black Lightning being a part of President Luthor’s cabinet, now locked up at Iron Heights and requiring extraction. This incarnation of the team included his daughter, so yeah, there are a few passionate advocates for getting that done, although some of them, being superheroes, think it’s a bad idea. Pretty sure this was the end of this particular incarnation. The Outsiders in general have a somewhat nebulous history, periodically reverting back to Batman’s Personal Team, as it was in the ‘80s. Otherwise no one’s really managed to nail down what exactly makes them relevant. Seldom actually composed of “outsiders,” though leaning into that would be...relevant?
Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho and Aquaman
Didn’t notice when I was unpacking the boxes that this was written by G. Willow Wilson, who at this point in history was still known mostly for the graphic novel Cairo and Vertigo series Air, which only an obscure chap named Tony Laplume thought was brilliant. This one-shot leading to the next iteration of Outsiders allows Wilson, perhaps, to lean into her Muslim faith for the first time, although she needs a supporting character to do so, as neither Metamorpho nor this incarnation of Aquaman (who was quickly tossed to the scrap heap of history) can help out with that. I was reading these one-shots, and invested in that Aquaman, at the time, so there’s a chance this is a second read. But I experienced it as a first. This time more interested in Metamorpho, at any rate.
The Power Company #2
Kurt Busiek definitely wrote this more as a Marvel book than as a DC book, which might explain why it vanished so quickly (but as a rule, most modern new concepts go that way). Better appreciated, by me, for the Tom Grummett art. Grummett was a ‘90s Superman staple, but ended up being more closely associated with Superboy specifically, and in recent years has continued working with Superboy collaborator Karl Kesel, which I’m always happy to be reminded.
Robin #166
Sort of the awkward period where Tim Drake’s solo adventures had reached their zenith and no one wanted to admit it.
Ronin #1
Ah! One of the Frank Miller projects that used to be heavily touted! But eventually fell out of favor once Miller became best known for Daredevil, Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, 300, and fans hating him trying to do more with Dark Knight Returns! DC has long been very good at “evergreens,” keeping their celebrated and best work in print, probably something that sprang from ensuring Watchmen stayed in print. For the longest time Ronin was kept in print, too, and celebrated equally among Miller’s other achievements. I don’t know if it was the backlash alone to Miller’s later work that took it off the slate, or that it became harder to categorize, as it wasn’t part of the DC landscape nor connected to Vertigo nor a superhero tale in general, or DC just got caught up trying to redeem Miller’s reputation by fishing for a Dark Knight Returns sequel fans didn’t actively hate and legitimately forgot about Ronin, but forgot it was. And I never got around to reading it, nor getting any real idea of what it was.
Well, now I’ve read this first installment. As the title suggests, it’s heavily relevant to the Daredevil portions of Miller’s legacy, and the art style, since this began in 1983, looks more like his Daredevil than his later work (fans are always saying how his work degenerated over the years, but it was clearly always changing). And the story weaves between a past and a future, linked by a magic sword and two warriors locked in mortal combat (if this were a podcast I would be playing the theme song to a certain video game/movie right now). And it’s very interesting! And absolutely does not deserve to be forgotten. At some point I will read the rest of it. Miller’s a treasure through and through. The back cover includes praise from Klaus Jansen, Walt Simonson, and Will Eisner, all of whom champion Miller’s innovative instincts, an emerging master of the craft. That’s exactly how it began, folks. Eisner’s endorsement is probably the most significant, and out of everyone Miller probably came to see him in particular as his peer. And rightfully so. I later read a book of conversations between them. Priceless history and insight.
Seven Soldiers of Victory #1
The conclusion of Grant Morrison’s innovative modular team book, which in hindsight might even be considered a template of the MCU; both are composed of individual spotlights converging on limited team experiences. Morrison’s imagination can be overwhelming; it’s in full epic scale here, and I’m almost ashamed to admit I haven’t always been able to remember how great it is. I became a fan of Morrison only with JLA, and somehow found it easy to walk away from him as I did comics in general at the turn of the millennium. I knew all about the wild expectations for his New X-Men, which Marvel expected only to duplicate his JLA, but ended up being...more ambitious. The moment Morrison left Marvel gleefully deconstructed everything he’d accomplished. And I never felt overly compelled at the time to see what was happening. It wasn’t until Seven Soldiers happened that I became interested in Morrison again. A lot of fans were baffled by the whole thing. Morrison himself saw it as his take on Jack Kirby’s approach to the New Gods, multiple series presenting multiple viewpoints on the same general landscape. But Kirby’s New Gods famously got cut off before he could reach an ending, and creators (including Kirby himself at one point) have been chasing that ever since. In some respects Seven Soldiers was Morrison’s dry run at his own attempt, Final Crisis, safely obscured in the Mister Miracle material by the many other moving parts around it, but in hindsight it’s pretty obvious. But I don’t think Morrison has allowed himself to be this wild since, even with Multiversity, which is as much a shame as what happened to Kirby’s New Gods. But Morrison, at least, still has plenty of time and opportunity...
Shadowpact #2
Shadowpact #7
Funny how time can change things. I enjoyed reading this series at the time, but find now that it’s virtually impossible to get back into.
Showing posts with label Frank Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Miller. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Monday, January 20, 2020
Reading Comics 241 "Batman Annual #4, plus a few more comics"
Yeah. Now I'm sort of glad that this was the last one I read. I had attempted to order a copy late last year, but got the numbering wrong and ended up with Batman Annual #2, which is itself also a great read, but it left me still needing to read this one. And now I've read it after the last issue of Tom King's Batman. And it works extremely well as a coda.
Basically, Alfred's diary, as the cover suggests, details the daily exploits of the Dark Knight. Big adventures (dragons! and not the first time he's fought them, as Alfred duly notes!), small adventures. Basically, as if Tom King really needed to prove to anyone he was capable of conceiving a Batman story well beyond the scope of his very long meditation in the main run. Or if he really needed to prove, yet again, how consistently great he is.
A lot of writers, and I've read a lot of comics, and a lot of comics over the course of years from the same creators, are not this consistent. They just aren't. Even those who can hit truly high notes once or twice or even a half dozen times in their careers, they just aren't this consistent. Sometimes it may simply be a matter of my disagreeing with their personal tastes. But I've never had a comics writer I've so consistently admired as Tom King, since his breakthrough in the pages of Omega Men. His co-writing work with Tim Seeley in Grayson, it's something I'll have to revisit in full at some point (though I repeat, I repeat, King's solo work in Grayson: Futures End remains the first time I realized how great he could be), but that's really the only time I haven't been able to say, Wow.
A lot of fans quibble (and I use the term liberally) over his creative choices, but King, as far as I'm concerned, has achieved his greatness through his consistent use of creative choices, never being satisfying in "just" writing a story, but figuring out the best way to tell it. That's what truly great writing looks like, that's what I love the most about a story, in any medium, how it's executed.
And so we get this, which on the surface is pretty simple: a litany of fairly routines situations. By the end, King isn't even writing anything the reader will see, and his perspective still dominates. It helps to have Jorge Fornes (and Mike Norton) on art. Fornes has quickly vaulted to the forefront of deceptively simple stylists, and this might end up serving as one of his calling cards. Both in story and art, this is the definition of evergreen, something fans will be able to turn to for years.
The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child (DC)
In the tradition of the Last Crusade prestige format one-shot spin-offs, Golden Child focuses on Carrie, Lara, and Jonathan (the eponymous offspring for this comic) as they struggle to find their perspectives on the world and how they represent the legacies of their parents. It's a worthy addition to the saga, and really nice to see Frank Miller get to write solo again. The artist does a good job of embodying Miller's Dark Knight Returns work, notably with the Joker.
Event Leviathan #6 (DC)
This is something I'm going to want to check out in full, but had to read the final issue sooner rather than later thanks to the big reveal of who the new Leviathan is, one of the old Manhunters (not the robots, the several humans who have operated under the name over the years). I think Bendis has only further increased the value of his DC tenure with this one.
Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2 (DC)
Even though the Bendis ongoing has since launched, I was pleased to be able to catch the second and final issue of the preview, Rose (and Thorn)'s tour of DC future history leading up to the Legion itself. Brian Michael Bendis basically achieved the Moira MacTaggert reveal from Hickman's X-Men before Hickman, with the new version of Rose (and Thorn) an immortal who gives an innovative (in superhero comics) approach to the idea, and begging that he revisit her. But at his best, Bendis does that with every character he touches. \
The Wildstorm #24 (DC)
Figured I'd check out the finale of the Warren Ellis reboot. But I'm still not much more interested in the characters, or Ellis, than I generally tend to be.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Reading Comics 203 "Fourth Trip 2017"
Grant Morrison's 18 Days #20 (Graphic India)
I love to keep tabs on it. Would love to read the whole thing sometime.
Atomic Robo: The Temple of Od #4 (IDW) (2016)
Still an absolute pleasure to read.
Avatarex #3 (Graphic India)
This was the best issue of Grant Morrison's other Graphic India project to date. Issues seem to be released sporadically.
Batman #20 (DC)
Best issue of Tom King's run so far, ties a lot of stuff together, including some further personal reflections he'd hadn't gotten to yet.
DK III: The Master Race #8 (DC)
Can't help but feel as if Frank Miller envisioned this as a career statement, his current role and how he remains as relevant as Batman. Also, the Amazons are truly Amazonian basically for the first time ever. Wonder Woman has really joined the trilogy.
The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #4 (DC)
To say that Captain Atom has had an interesting publishing history would be an understatement. Cary Bates returns from the past, too, to co-write a thoroughly considered story.
Green Lanterns #20 (DC)
Checking in. Still loving it. Still am hugely pleased that someone is finally getting Green Lantern(s) right again.
Ninjak #25 (Valiant)
Here's a character who always seems so important when I see him in other Valiant titles. Despite the fact that Matt Kindt has been writing his solo adventures, I hadn't read them until now. A mistake.
Providence #12 (Avatar)
The conclusion of Alan Moore's latest comics vision, an ode to Lovecraft and those obsessed with him.
WrestleMania 2017 Special (Boom!)
The recent Boom! launch of WWE comics has placed an emphasis on retelling stories originally presented in WWE programming itself. There's a good bit of that to be found here, and it's done excellently. Plus the New Day!
Superman #7, 20 (DC)
I had a look at an older issue because I'd heard Tomasi/Gleason were up to their old tricks of telling personal, standalone stories again. I thought it was drawn by Gleason, too, but it turns out to have been Jorge Jimenez, who is typically excellent. The latter issue is also the newest one, and once again features guest-stars from Tomasi/Gleason's last project, Batman and Robin. You guessed it, Batcow and, ah who am I kidding? Tomasi/Gleason continue to be master storytellers.
Old Man Logan #20 (Marvel)
Jeff Lemire will be taking a trip down memory line in his final issues, and this one's the setup. A good one.
I love to keep tabs on it. Would love to read the whole thing sometime.
Atomic Robo: The Temple of Od #4 (IDW) (2016)
Still an absolute pleasure to read.
Avatarex #3 (Graphic India)
This was the best issue of Grant Morrison's other Graphic India project to date. Issues seem to be released sporadically.
Batman #20 (DC)
Best issue of Tom King's run so far, ties a lot of stuff together, including some further personal reflections he'd hadn't gotten to yet.
DK III: The Master Race #8 (DC)
Can't help but feel as if Frank Miller envisioned this as a career statement, his current role and how he remains as relevant as Batman. Also, the Amazons are truly Amazonian basically for the first time ever. Wonder Woman has really joined the trilogy.
The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #4 (DC)
To say that Captain Atom has had an interesting publishing history would be an understatement. Cary Bates returns from the past, too, to co-write a thoroughly considered story.
Green Lanterns #20 (DC)
Checking in. Still loving it. Still am hugely pleased that someone is finally getting Green Lantern(s) right again.
Ninjak #25 (Valiant)
Here's a character who always seems so important when I see him in other Valiant titles. Despite the fact that Matt Kindt has been writing his solo adventures, I hadn't read them until now. A mistake.
Providence #12 (Avatar)
The conclusion of Alan Moore's latest comics vision, an ode to Lovecraft and those obsessed with him.
WrestleMania 2017 Special (Boom!)
The recent Boom! launch of WWE comics has placed an emphasis on retelling stories originally presented in WWE programming itself. There's a good bit of that to be found here, and it's done excellently. Plus the New Day!
Superman #7, 20 (DC)
I had a look at an older issue because I'd heard Tomasi/Gleason were up to their old tricks of telling personal, standalone stories again. I thought it was drawn by Gleason, too, but it turns out to have been Jorge Jimenez, who is typically excellent. The latter issue is also the newest one, and once again features guest-stars from Tomasi/Gleason's last project, Batman and Robin. You guessed it, Batcow and, ah who am I kidding? Tomasi/Gleason continue to be master storytellers.
Old Man Logan #20 (Marvel)
Jeff Lemire will be taking a trip down memory line in his final issues, and this one's the setup. A good one.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Reading Comics 190 "DC Rebirth Week 3, 4001 AD, DKR: The Last Crusade, Dept. H, and catching up with Secret Wars"
4001 AD #1 (Valiant)
Valiant's latest event series takes a look at the future courtesy of the ever-resourceful Matt Kindt, imagining the tyranny of New Japan and the rise of a new Rai to challenge it. Once again Valiant has proven that its unique superhero vision, the first comprehensive ongoing revision of the 21st century, has incredible legs, where just about anything's possible, and it nearly always seems completely plausible, not to mention remarkably cohesive. It's not like others haven't tried, but it helps to have talent like Kindt and Jeff Lemire leading the charge.
Batman #1 (DC)
Tom King's first regular issue of the series once again demonstrates his remarkably analytical mind, as Batman and Duke Thomas pull back the curtain on what it takes to pull off the impossible. Of course, it's also Batman doing so at the expense of his own life, in yet another layer of King showing that Batman isn't like other superheroes. When an out-of-control plane threatens to crash in Gotham City, he can't just fly in and guide it safely down. No, for someone like Batman, it takes considerably more effort. If this were the movies, you might expect something like this from the show-stopping exploits in the Mission: Impossible series. Few writers would be bold enough to expose Batman's limits in this way. King is merely setting himself up for that moment you though you'd never see: some other hero calling Gotham his home, someone who can fly, who represents everything Batman can never be. This ain't no Superman. Is King preparing to White Martian us? Time will tell...
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade (DC)
This prequel to the original Dark Knight Returns depicts the circumstances in which Batman originally retires. It's in effect his last statement on Robin, the Boy Wonder, too. In the Dark Knight universe, Frank Miller offered up his judgment quite effectively: Dick Grayson goes insane. Yet there was also, before "A Death in the Family," a dead Robin to account for. The Last Crusade is a rephrasing of "A Death in the Family," actually, the Joker once again being responsible for the death of Jason Todd, under the same circumstances, the second Robin increasingly demonstrating that he isn't mentally prepared for Batman's crusade. And yet, unlike "A Death in the Family" and its follow-up, "A Lonely Place of Dying," Miller (along with co-writer Brian Azzarello, around so Miller can't go wildly out of control again) has determined that the problem isn't Jason's attitude, but Batman's notion of having a kid sidekick in the first place.
This was what he was getting around to explaining in All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, I think, and as I'd hoped, The Last Crusade is the finishing statement we'll probably never get from the earlier project. All Star Batman became a joke among readers for its brutish portrayal of the Dark Knight, a true maniac who was difficult to root for, in a story featuring Dick Grayson's initiation into crime-fighting. Miller never conceded that it was a good thing. Comics fans never really picked up on that, and they probably still won't with The Last Crusade, even though by this point his conclusions are unmistakable. The Batman of this story is aging, and his body is fast betraying him. He reveals that he hoped Robin would prove to be his successor. On the second try, he's proven brutally wrong. You can only duplicate so much of what created Batman.
It's an incredibly bold statement. I think the whole concept of the Dark Knight stories is creating a reality where Batman exists in a finite world, where he can't escape consequences. This can never exist in the ongoing comics, because fans will always clamor to see old favorites return, and creators will always be there to help them in that goal. In Miller's reckoning, Batman is human, and as such is completely fallible, and bad things happen as a result of his actions, whether to himself, to those around him, or in the world around him, not because of anything he does, but because that's just a fact of life.
As a summation, The Last Crusade may be the most crucial element of the most important Batman story ever told.
Dept. H #2 (Dark Horse)
Matt Kindt again, in his creative follow-up to Mind MGMT, his innovative look at the spy world. Dept. H seems to be an unrelated story, but Kindt is once again handling writing and art chores, so the look is the same, and so is the storytelling. In this second issue, someone has died, and someone else, burdened with a perfect memory, realizes that it could only have been murder. Clearly, Kindt continues to have the mind on the mind, and this continues to be a good thing.
Green Arrow #1 (DC)
I tended to skip Green Arrow in the New 52, but figured I'd give the guy another shot in the Rebirth era. Not only is Black Canary back in the picture, but so is Oliver Queen's moral compass. At his best, Green Arrow will always be the Batman whose inner Bruce Wayne dominates his goals more than his crime-fighting. This is one of those rich guy characters whose transformation into a superhero made him socially conscious for the first time in his life. This issue does a good job of bringing that back into focus.
Green Lanterns #1 (DC)
Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz don't play well together. They have conflicting mindsets, and as rookies, they both have plenty to prove. That rounds out to good Green Lantern storytelling, as we learn more of what makes Baz stand out (we now have him deemed the bearer of Emerald Sight), which is an important distinction for all these human Green Lanterns, as the new Red Lantern threat continues to unfold. I'm so glad DC is letting this franchise return to its recent Geoff Johns roots.
Secret Wars #9 (Marvel)
Flashing back to the last Marvel event, and its ending, we find Jonathan Hickman closing out the book on his Fantastic Four adventures, imagining the last conflict between Dr. Doom and Reed Richards. Doom had found himself in possession of ultimate power, and decides Richards is, once and for all, jealous of him, because he could never do as good as Doom. Someone decides to put that to the test, and so the Marvel landscape is reshaped (to its current state), and Richards retires from the superhero game to act as a kind of gatekeeper (thus allowing Marvel to remove the Fantastic Four from its lineup). Hickman was always a big game hunter, and I guess it was appropriate that he wound up telling the biggest Fantastic Four story ever, so we'd see what that finally looked like.
Superman #1 (DC)
Tomasi and Gleason reprise their Batman and Robin act, this time on the grand stage. Once again, a DC icon has a son struggling with his place in the world, and once again, Tomasi and Gleason are ready to knock it out of the park. I couldn't be happier for them. The story starts out pretty heavily focused on Superman, but then we meet his son Jonathan, who is struggling with his new powers. This was something Tomasi and Gleason touched on in Batman and Robin, when Damian briefly gained superpowers in the wake of his resurrection. It's one thing to have an indomitable youth on your hands. It's another when it's Superman's son. All these years, whenever someone wanted to tell a story about the young Superman, it was always the exception, and then more often than not something glossed over until he hit puberty and, in some continuities, became Superboy. This is the first time we'll see it play out in an ongoing capacity. Framed as Superman's son, this is an intriguing opportunity, and again, Tomasi and Gleason are well up to the task. They know when they need to provide dialogue, and when the story speaks for itself. Anyway, I'm hugely, hugely glad this is happening, no matter how long it lasts.
Titans: Rebirth #1 (DC)
The return of Wally West continues, as he reconnects with his oldest friends, the original Teen Titans, in a series of encounters that prove all over again how personal these DC stories are to these characters, and how they can connect on an emotional level with fans, too.
Valiant's latest event series takes a look at the future courtesy of the ever-resourceful Matt Kindt, imagining the tyranny of New Japan and the rise of a new Rai to challenge it. Once again Valiant has proven that its unique superhero vision, the first comprehensive ongoing revision of the 21st century, has incredible legs, where just about anything's possible, and it nearly always seems completely plausible, not to mention remarkably cohesive. It's not like others haven't tried, but it helps to have talent like Kindt and Jeff Lemire leading the charge.
Batman #1 (DC)
Tom King's first regular issue of the series once again demonstrates his remarkably analytical mind, as Batman and Duke Thomas pull back the curtain on what it takes to pull off the impossible. Of course, it's also Batman doing so at the expense of his own life, in yet another layer of King showing that Batman isn't like other superheroes. When an out-of-control plane threatens to crash in Gotham City, he can't just fly in and guide it safely down. No, for someone like Batman, it takes considerably more effort. If this were the movies, you might expect something like this from the show-stopping exploits in the Mission: Impossible series. Few writers would be bold enough to expose Batman's limits in this way. King is merely setting himself up for that moment you though you'd never see: some other hero calling Gotham his home, someone who can fly, who represents everything Batman can never be. This ain't no Superman. Is King preparing to White Martian us? Time will tell...
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade (DC)
This prequel to the original Dark Knight Returns depicts the circumstances in which Batman originally retires. It's in effect his last statement on Robin, the Boy Wonder, too. In the Dark Knight universe, Frank Miller offered up his judgment quite effectively: Dick Grayson goes insane. Yet there was also, before "A Death in the Family," a dead Robin to account for. The Last Crusade is a rephrasing of "A Death in the Family," actually, the Joker once again being responsible for the death of Jason Todd, under the same circumstances, the second Robin increasingly demonstrating that he isn't mentally prepared for Batman's crusade. And yet, unlike "A Death in the Family" and its follow-up, "A Lonely Place of Dying," Miller (along with co-writer Brian Azzarello, around so Miller can't go wildly out of control again) has determined that the problem isn't Jason's attitude, but Batman's notion of having a kid sidekick in the first place.
This was what he was getting around to explaining in All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, I think, and as I'd hoped, The Last Crusade is the finishing statement we'll probably never get from the earlier project. All Star Batman became a joke among readers for its brutish portrayal of the Dark Knight, a true maniac who was difficult to root for, in a story featuring Dick Grayson's initiation into crime-fighting. Miller never conceded that it was a good thing. Comics fans never really picked up on that, and they probably still won't with The Last Crusade, even though by this point his conclusions are unmistakable. The Batman of this story is aging, and his body is fast betraying him. He reveals that he hoped Robin would prove to be his successor. On the second try, he's proven brutally wrong. You can only duplicate so much of what created Batman.
It's an incredibly bold statement. I think the whole concept of the Dark Knight stories is creating a reality where Batman exists in a finite world, where he can't escape consequences. This can never exist in the ongoing comics, because fans will always clamor to see old favorites return, and creators will always be there to help them in that goal. In Miller's reckoning, Batman is human, and as such is completely fallible, and bad things happen as a result of his actions, whether to himself, to those around him, or in the world around him, not because of anything he does, but because that's just a fact of life.
As a summation, The Last Crusade may be the most crucial element of the most important Batman story ever told.
Dept. H #2 (Dark Horse)
Matt Kindt again, in his creative follow-up to Mind MGMT, his innovative look at the spy world. Dept. H seems to be an unrelated story, but Kindt is once again handling writing and art chores, so the look is the same, and so is the storytelling. In this second issue, someone has died, and someone else, burdened with a perfect memory, realizes that it could only have been murder. Clearly, Kindt continues to have the mind on the mind, and this continues to be a good thing.
Green Arrow #1 (DC)
I tended to skip Green Arrow in the New 52, but figured I'd give the guy another shot in the Rebirth era. Not only is Black Canary back in the picture, but so is Oliver Queen's moral compass. At his best, Green Arrow will always be the Batman whose inner Bruce Wayne dominates his goals more than his crime-fighting. This is one of those rich guy characters whose transformation into a superhero made him socially conscious for the first time in his life. This issue does a good job of bringing that back into focus.
Green Lanterns #1 (DC)
Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz don't play well together. They have conflicting mindsets, and as rookies, they both have plenty to prove. That rounds out to good Green Lantern storytelling, as we learn more of what makes Baz stand out (we now have him deemed the bearer of Emerald Sight), which is an important distinction for all these human Green Lanterns, as the new Red Lantern threat continues to unfold. I'm so glad DC is letting this franchise return to its recent Geoff Johns roots.
Secret Wars #9 (Marvel)
Flashing back to the last Marvel event, and its ending, we find Jonathan Hickman closing out the book on his Fantastic Four adventures, imagining the last conflict between Dr. Doom and Reed Richards. Doom had found himself in possession of ultimate power, and decides Richards is, once and for all, jealous of him, because he could never do as good as Doom. Someone decides to put that to the test, and so the Marvel landscape is reshaped (to its current state), and Richards retires from the superhero game to act as a kind of gatekeeper (thus allowing Marvel to remove the Fantastic Four from its lineup). Hickman was always a big game hunter, and I guess it was appropriate that he wound up telling the biggest Fantastic Four story ever, so we'd see what that finally looked like.
Superman #1 (DC)
Tomasi and Gleason reprise their Batman and Robin act, this time on the grand stage. Once again, a DC icon has a son struggling with his place in the world, and once again, Tomasi and Gleason are ready to knock it out of the park. I couldn't be happier for them. The story starts out pretty heavily focused on Superman, but then we meet his son Jonathan, who is struggling with his new powers. This was something Tomasi and Gleason touched on in Batman and Robin, when Damian briefly gained superpowers in the wake of his resurrection. It's one thing to have an indomitable youth on your hands. It's another when it's Superman's son. All these years, whenever someone wanted to tell a story about the young Superman, it was always the exception, and then more often than not something glossed over until he hit puberty and, in some continuities, became Superboy. This is the first time we'll see it play out in an ongoing capacity. Framed as Superman's son, this is an intriguing opportunity, and again, Tomasi and Gleason are well up to the task. They know when they need to provide dialogue, and when the story speaks for itself. Anyway, I'm hugely, hugely glad this is happening, no matter how long it lasts.
Titans: Rebirth #1 (DC)
The return of Wally West continues, as he reconnects with his oldest friends, the original Teen Titans, in a series of encounters that prove all over again how personal these DC stories are to these characters, and how they can connect on an emotional level with fans, too.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Reading Comics 181 "Always a Fan"
I went shopping again, in part because Christian Mock got a letter in a comic book, and so I'll be heaping further praise on Tom King's masterful Omega Men, plus some other thoughts.
First, a word on Comic Shop News. This is a free weekly newsletter you can find in most comic book shops (although I've had a rough time finding it in recent years with a lot of stores simply not making enough to give away stuff like this). It's basically the last print source for fans in the age of the Internet, which is probably what killed Wizard. While its interior content is more or less superfluous these days, its main articles are an excellent resource, the rare all-inclusive source for notable projects throughout the medium. Without it, for instance, I may never have heard of Andi Ewington's breakthrough 45. I'm talking about it at all because I picked up a copy, which turned out to be #1,500, which is a milestone if there ever was one. The cover feature this issue concerns Paul Dini's forthcoming graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story, which looks like an amazing project.
Before I get into the comics I bought, it's also worth noting that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is opening this weekend, and the merchandising blitz is in full force, including select cereal boxes including mini-comics. Most of these mini-comics aren't much to write about, but Jeff Parker's "Playground Heroes" turned out to be a pretty good one. In it, he explores Superman's impact on a boy struggling with how to respond to bullies. It's a worthwhile character study where these things tend to be fairly generic storytelling. Presumably, the other three mini-comics in the set are equally worth reading.
Plus, y'know, that movie they're technically hawking is a pretty big deal. As a fan of Man of Steel, I'm glad the Justice League franchise is spinning out of it. Even if fans still prefer the irreverent hijinks of the Avengers and Deadpool at the box office, this is still some of the best superhero material on the big screen, ever.
Anyway, onto the comics proper:
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #3 (DC)
I nearly bought the deluxe version of the second issue. In my more limited comics experience these days, I won't read the complete story until the eventual collected edition. I previously read the first issue digitally. As of this issue, I would equate DKIII with DC's previous Before Watchmen, with Brian Azzarello once again stepping up to help make it a reality. Frank Miller's voice is still there, but there's clearly a filter this time around. I decided to pick up this issue because the mini-comic this time features Green Lantern, apparently from the perspective of the ring itself rather than Hal Jordan. It's interesting stuff.
Martian Manhunter #10 (DC)
I figured I had to revisit this series when the cover boasts, "The Secret Origin of J'onn J'onzz," which otherwise means Rob Williams is getting around to explaining exactly what's been going on, and that's exactly what this issue is all about, a new version of Mars mythology and origin of the Martian Manhunter, how J'onn is involved, and why he ended up splitting himself up into a variety of guises, including Mr. Biscuits. I liked it. Should anyone be interested in expanding on these concepts, they could easily once again tie in Bloodwynd with the rest of it, as confused readers two decades ago...
The Omega Men #2, 4, 5, and 9 (DC)
While accidentally duplicating my print collection of #5, now I'm only missing #3, which I'd read previously in digital form. I can't get over how brilliant this series is. Tom King obviously got to write the greatest non-Geoff Johns Green Lantern story of the New 52 era by making the ostensible leads the terrorists/freedom fighters Omega Men, making alien politics as realistic and intriguing as possible, and featuring a heavy dose of Kyle Rayner to move the narrative along, including #9 finally featuring him reuniting with the white ring. I think Omega Men represents what DC has routinely done better than Marvel, which is to look deeper into the superhero narrative, looking for alternatives in storytelling approach. Marvel does it on occasion, like Frank Miller's Daredevil, Matt Fraction's Hawkeye, and King's Vision, but more often than not it clings to the tradition more than anything else, even in the Ultimate Comics experiments. DC, meanwhile, routinely pushes the boundaries of literature storytelling, not as exceptions but increasingly as the rule. It frustrates fans to no end. They want simplicity and familiarity above everything else. They want what they always had. Omega Men flies in the face of all the rules. Nine issues in and we're still waiting for Kyle to pick a side. Shouldn't it be obvious? Isn't it obvious? And yet King is writing something truly great here, buried in a series that has some of the worst sales of DC's whole catalogue, which DC itself saved from cancellation in order to give King the chance to complete his story. Because, as I've said time and again, DC knows better than the readers what it has with Omega Men, and King. Word is that King will be writing Batman once the full details of DC Rebirth are revealed. I couldn't be happier.
Robin: Son of Batman #5, 6 (DC)
These are the remaining issues under Patrick Gleason's creative direction (although I guess I missed #4) in the follow-up series to his and Pete Tomasi's brilliant Batman and Robin. The more issues I read, the more I'm convinced that Gleason had more creative input in Robin: Son of Batman's predecessor than previously thought, because he proves a deft hand as writer, so similar to and in the same spirit as it that it's a seamless continuation. These issues features Damian's reunion with his mother Talia, confronting the matter of what happened in Grant Morrison's Batman, Inc. while also exploring Goliath's secret origin and rounding out Maya Ducard's story. I have no idea why fans wouldn't embrace this series.
Superman #50 (DC)
Gene Luen Yang's final issue is a big one, concluding both the 'Truth" and "Savage Dawn" arcs. I follow two blogs that both savaged (heh) the issue, and weren't particularly keen on Yang's run in general. For me, putting aside my incomplete reading of it to this point, it was a natural extension of Geoff Johns' (it's rare when two different writers can do this; previously I can think of Chuck Dixon and Devin K. Grayson in the pages of Nightwing, and...really, that's about it, except for maybe Karl Kesel and Stuart Immonen in the Superman comics). The whole point of it, taking away Superman's powers, was to provide one of those extreme situations that the '90s did on a constant basis. And in fact, Superman lost his powers in the '90s, too (in the wake of The Final Night). This time, however, his identity was exposed at the same time. He began to feel hounded, and no longer knew who to trust. For a lot of readers, this didn't feel true to character. Yang's fight club, I think, was what most alienated readers. It's a common trope, but as far as I could tell from the issue that debuted it, Yang's version was uniquely positioned to explore Superman's insecurities, kind of like if he'd ended up in the Bottle City of Kandor instead, or some other environment where he had to rediscover what being Superman means. Because that's really what it was all about. It was a place where he was safe when he felt unsafe everywhere else, both because of the powers and the identity being compromised. So this issue has him dealing with Vandal Savage, who presents him with further options, ultimately forcing Superman to once again affirm what he does and why he does it. At the end of the issue, he's reunited with Lois (and Jimmy), who tell him, "Go be Superman!" and, "Go be Clark." Because far too often, there's confusion as to which he is. When he's really both. Which, again, was the whole point of this crisis. We've become too comfortable with the notions of Superman and his secret identity. The modern era has been trying to dismantle that for twenty years. I guess it'll have to keep trying.
All-New Wolverine #5 (Marvel)
Mock's letter appears in the letters column of this comic. It's one of those letters from a fan who has found a comic that's let them be a fan again. Mock as been a reader longer than I have. He's probably a different kind of fan than I am. Which is fine. This is another of the many Marvel series in recent years featuring a new character in a familiar guise. It's an old DC trick but one Marvel has only recently begun to embrace. A lot of them have been about switching the gender. This is one of them. Since Death of Wolverine (which some have interpreted as Marvel's campaign to undermine the X-Men movies by removing the most popular mutant from the comics landscape, except in the pages of Old Man Logan), classic Wolverine has remained dead. In his place is now the character formerly known as X-23 Laura Kinney. This particular issue reminds me a great deal of Valiant's Bloodshot Reborn, which features a character who is very much a Wolverine variant himself. I can't say I find this to be a bad thing, because it's always nice to see the big guys pay attention to the competition, and to have a comic that pays attention to mythology in general. I can't say the issue made me want to read the series faithfully (all told, I guess I'm more interested in Bloodshot Reborn), but it was certainly worth reading at least once. Cheers, Mock!
I guess, if there's an overall lesson to be learned from this particular post, it's that I'm always going to be a fan, no matter how my readership evolves.
First, a word on Comic Shop News. This is a free weekly newsletter you can find in most comic book shops (although I've had a rough time finding it in recent years with a lot of stores simply not making enough to give away stuff like this). It's basically the last print source for fans in the age of the Internet, which is probably what killed Wizard. While its interior content is more or less superfluous these days, its main articles are an excellent resource, the rare all-inclusive source for notable projects throughout the medium. Without it, for instance, I may never have heard of Andi Ewington's breakthrough 45. I'm talking about it at all because I picked up a copy, which turned out to be #1,500, which is a milestone if there ever was one. The cover feature this issue concerns Paul Dini's forthcoming graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story, which looks like an amazing project.
Before I get into the comics I bought, it's also worth noting that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is opening this weekend, and the merchandising blitz is in full force, including select cereal boxes including mini-comics. Most of these mini-comics aren't much to write about, but Jeff Parker's "Playground Heroes" turned out to be a pretty good one. In it, he explores Superman's impact on a boy struggling with how to respond to bullies. It's a worthwhile character study where these things tend to be fairly generic storytelling. Presumably, the other three mini-comics in the set are equally worth reading.
Plus, y'know, that movie they're technically hawking is a pretty big deal. As a fan of Man of Steel, I'm glad the Justice League franchise is spinning out of it. Even if fans still prefer the irreverent hijinks of the Avengers and Deadpool at the box office, this is still some of the best superhero material on the big screen, ever.
Anyway, onto the comics proper:
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #3 (DC)
I nearly bought the deluxe version of the second issue. In my more limited comics experience these days, I won't read the complete story until the eventual collected edition. I previously read the first issue digitally. As of this issue, I would equate DKIII with DC's previous Before Watchmen, with Brian Azzarello once again stepping up to help make it a reality. Frank Miller's voice is still there, but there's clearly a filter this time around. I decided to pick up this issue because the mini-comic this time features Green Lantern, apparently from the perspective of the ring itself rather than Hal Jordan. It's interesting stuff.
Martian Manhunter #10 (DC)
I figured I had to revisit this series when the cover boasts, "The Secret Origin of J'onn J'onzz," which otherwise means Rob Williams is getting around to explaining exactly what's been going on, and that's exactly what this issue is all about, a new version of Mars mythology and origin of the Martian Manhunter, how J'onn is involved, and why he ended up splitting himself up into a variety of guises, including Mr. Biscuits. I liked it. Should anyone be interested in expanding on these concepts, they could easily once again tie in Bloodwynd with the rest of it, as confused readers two decades ago...
The Omega Men #2, 4, 5, and 9 (DC)
While accidentally duplicating my print collection of #5, now I'm only missing #3, which I'd read previously in digital form. I can't get over how brilliant this series is. Tom King obviously got to write the greatest non-Geoff Johns Green Lantern story of the New 52 era by making the ostensible leads the terrorists/freedom fighters Omega Men, making alien politics as realistic and intriguing as possible, and featuring a heavy dose of Kyle Rayner to move the narrative along, including #9 finally featuring him reuniting with the white ring. I think Omega Men represents what DC has routinely done better than Marvel, which is to look deeper into the superhero narrative, looking for alternatives in storytelling approach. Marvel does it on occasion, like Frank Miller's Daredevil, Matt Fraction's Hawkeye, and King's Vision, but more often than not it clings to the tradition more than anything else, even in the Ultimate Comics experiments. DC, meanwhile, routinely pushes the boundaries of literature storytelling, not as exceptions but increasingly as the rule. It frustrates fans to no end. They want simplicity and familiarity above everything else. They want what they always had. Omega Men flies in the face of all the rules. Nine issues in and we're still waiting for Kyle to pick a side. Shouldn't it be obvious? Isn't it obvious? And yet King is writing something truly great here, buried in a series that has some of the worst sales of DC's whole catalogue, which DC itself saved from cancellation in order to give King the chance to complete his story. Because, as I've said time and again, DC knows better than the readers what it has with Omega Men, and King. Word is that King will be writing Batman once the full details of DC Rebirth are revealed. I couldn't be happier.
Robin: Son of Batman #5, 6 (DC)
These are the remaining issues under Patrick Gleason's creative direction (although I guess I missed #4) in the follow-up series to his and Pete Tomasi's brilliant Batman and Robin. The more issues I read, the more I'm convinced that Gleason had more creative input in Robin: Son of Batman's predecessor than previously thought, because he proves a deft hand as writer, so similar to and in the same spirit as it that it's a seamless continuation. These issues features Damian's reunion with his mother Talia, confronting the matter of what happened in Grant Morrison's Batman, Inc. while also exploring Goliath's secret origin and rounding out Maya Ducard's story. I have no idea why fans wouldn't embrace this series.
Superman #50 (DC)
Gene Luen Yang's final issue is a big one, concluding both the 'Truth" and "Savage Dawn" arcs. I follow two blogs that both savaged (heh) the issue, and weren't particularly keen on Yang's run in general. For me, putting aside my incomplete reading of it to this point, it was a natural extension of Geoff Johns' (it's rare when two different writers can do this; previously I can think of Chuck Dixon and Devin K. Grayson in the pages of Nightwing, and...really, that's about it, except for maybe Karl Kesel and Stuart Immonen in the Superman comics). The whole point of it, taking away Superman's powers, was to provide one of those extreme situations that the '90s did on a constant basis. And in fact, Superman lost his powers in the '90s, too (in the wake of The Final Night). This time, however, his identity was exposed at the same time. He began to feel hounded, and no longer knew who to trust. For a lot of readers, this didn't feel true to character. Yang's fight club, I think, was what most alienated readers. It's a common trope, but as far as I could tell from the issue that debuted it, Yang's version was uniquely positioned to explore Superman's insecurities, kind of like if he'd ended up in the Bottle City of Kandor instead, or some other environment where he had to rediscover what being Superman means. Because that's really what it was all about. It was a place where he was safe when he felt unsafe everywhere else, both because of the powers and the identity being compromised. So this issue has him dealing with Vandal Savage, who presents him with further options, ultimately forcing Superman to once again affirm what he does and why he does it. At the end of the issue, he's reunited with Lois (and Jimmy), who tell him, "Go be Superman!" and, "Go be Clark." Because far too often, there's confusion as to which he is. When he's really both. Which, again, was the whole point of this crisis. We've become too comfortable with the notions of Superman and his secret identity. The modern era has been trying to dismantle that for twenty years. I guess it'll have to keep trying.
All-New Wolverine #5 (Marvel)
Mock's letter appears in the letters column of this comic. It's one of those letters from a fan who has found a comic that's let them be a fan again. Mock as been a reader longer than I have. He's probably a different kind of fan than I am. Which is fine. This is another of the many Marvel series in recent years featuring a new character in a familiar guise. It's an old DC trick but one Marvel has only recently begun to embrace. A lot of them have been about switching the gender. This is one of them. Since Death of Wolverine (which some have interpreted as Marvel's campaign to undermine the X-Men movies by removing the most popular mutant from the comics landscape, except in the pages of Old Man Logan), classic Wolverine has remained dead. In his place is now the character formerly known as X-23 Laura Kinney. This particular issue reminds me a great deal of Valiant's Bloodshot Reborn, which features a character who is very much a Wolverine variant himself. I can't say I find this to be a bad thing, because it's always nice to see the big guys pay attention to the competition, and to have a comic that pays attention to mythology in general. I can't say the issue made me want to read the series faithfully (all told, I guess I'm more interested in Bloodshot Reborn), but it was certainly worth reading at least once. Cheers, Mock!
I guess, if there's an overall lesson to be learned from this particular post, it's that I'm always going to be a fan, no matter how my readership evolves.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Reading Comics 176 "DK3, Klaus, Legend of Wonder Woman, Superman: American Alien"
Some comics you just have to read. These are some of them. 2015 wouldn't be complete without them.
The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 (DC)
Frank Miller is back, this time aided by co-writer Brian Azzarello and Andy Kubert. I have a feeling that Azzarello will be given all the credit for the results, but Miller's influence is powerful, not only in Kubert's efforts to evoke his art (at least as seen in The Dark Knight Strikes Again), but in the storytelling, perhaps best in the Atom backup tale. Most surprising, perhaps, is how Master Race reads almost like a sequel to someone else's Dark Knight entirely, Christopher Nolan's. Remember how Batman was being hounded by police at the end of the 2008 film? That's where DK3 picks up. With a few twists, of course. I think it's brilliant. Atom, meanwhile, reads like Miller voicing his own thoughts on this last great adventure, his frustration and, yes, gratitude.
Klaus #1 (Boom!)
This is Grant Morrison's Santa Claus origin story. As of this issue, infinitely more amusing than Nameless, for which I'm very grateful to report. A Wildman returns to a town he's frequented in the past, only to discover that it's changed under the auspices of a new regime. Ironically, the main problem is a spoiled child who is ruining Yuletime and being disappointed by it at the same time. Morrison slips in his magic, and quickly sends Klaus toward his destiny. It'll be interesting to see how the story continues to unfold, but this is certainly a promising start.
Legend of Wonder Woman Chapters 1-3 (DC)
Superman: American Alien #1 (DC)
Both of these are origin stories that revisit the children at the start of iconic journeys. Renae De Liz, and her lush art, are perfect for the girl who would be Wonder Woman, as she struggles against the confines of a life meant to shield her from harsh truths. It's a story the Amazon Warrior has badly needed, and in recent years has been working toward, ever since Ben Caldwell's serialized Wednesday Comics adventure. American Alien, meanwhile, revisits Smallville, and fruitfully. Max Landis and Nick Dragotta bring a far more inclusive version of the young Clark (and family) discovering his powers than I've ever seen (except maybe in the pages of Tom De Haven's It's Superman!).
Certainly the comics featuring DC's Big Three are entirely welcome additions to their respective mythologies. Hopefully Morrison will be doing the same for Santa. They're all very much worth a look.
The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 (DC)
Frank Miller is back, this time aided by co-writer Brian Azzarello and Andy Kubert. I have a feeling that Azzarello will be given all the credit for the results, but Miller's influence is powerful, not only in Kubert's efforts to evoke his art (at least as seen in The Dark Knight Strikes Again), but in the storytelling, perhaps best in the Atom backup tale. Most surprising, perhaps, is how Master Race reads almost like a sequel to someone else's Dark Knight entirely, Christopher Nolan's. Remember how Batman was being hounded by police at the end of the 2008 film? That's where DK3 picks up. With a few twists, of course. I think it's brilliant. Atom, meanwhile, reads like Miller voicing his own thoughts on this last great adventure, his frustration and, yes, gratitude.
Klaus #1 (Boom!)
This is Grant Morrison's Santa Claus origin story. As of this issue, infinitely more amusing than Nameless, for which I'm very grateful to report. A Wildman returns to a town he's frequented in the past, only to discover that it's changed under the auspices of a new regime. Ironically, the main problem is a spoiled child who is ruining Yuletime and being disappointed by it at the same time. Morrison slips in his magic, and quickly sends Klaus toward his destiny. It'll be interesting to see how the story continues to unfold, but this is certainly a promising start.
Legend of Wonder Woman Chapters 1-3 (DC)
Superman: American Alien #1 (DC)
Both of these are origin stories that revisit the children at the start of iconic journeys. Renae De Liz, and her lush art, are perfect for the girl who would be Wonder Woman, as she struggles against the confines of a life meant to shield her from harsh truths. It's a story the Amazon Warrior has badly needed, and in recent years has been working toward, ever since Ben Caldwell's serialized Wednesday Comics adventure. American Alien, meanwhile, revisits Smallville, and fruitfully. Max Landis and Nick Dragotta bring a far more inclusive version of the young Clark (and family) discovering his powers than I've ever seen (except maybe in the pages of Tom De Haven's It's Superman!).
Certainly the comics featuring DC's Big Three are entirely welcome additions to their respective mythologies. Hopefully Morrison will be doing the same for Santa. They're all very much worth a look.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Reading Comics 173 "Holy Terror, Frank Miller!"
You may be wondering why I'm writing about this on a comics blog. Or, assuming you know what Holy Terror! is, you may know already. This was a 2011 graphic novel published by Frank Miller. It was originally conceived as another of Miller's Batman adventures. Miller made his name, in part, with the historic Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. His Batman wouldn't be terribly out of place taking violent retribution for 9/11. Clearly Miller himself rethought the concept, and repackaged it with an original creation.
Holy Terror! met an unfavorable reaction upon its release. As had become typical of his recent Batman work (Dark Knight Strikes Again; All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder), fans thought he'd lost his creative spark, gotten things horribly wrong, gone too far. In particular, his scorched earth response to terrorism was seen as insensitive to the vast majority of Muslims who would never in their lives consider violence as a response to the world around them.
And yet, there was President Hollande speaking in much the same terms. We'd become accustomed to different kind of talk in the years following 9/11. Americans engaged in two increasingly unpopular wars, and that seemed to be about it. Never forget, people seemed to say, but try your best to move on.
And yet, clearly radical Islam hasn't moved on. And they're kind of the people who count in this conversation. You might argue that we've provoked them, and one of the terrorists in Paris seemed to confirm this view when he shouted "This is for Syria!" in the concert hall. The Paris attacks were all about bringing what is unfortunately entirely common in the Middle East to the Western world: random chaos meant to spread, well, terror.
Every time they strike out, there's the response that says, well, we'll have our revenge. Radical Islam is not created from the minds of those who will sit at a table and negotiate. It's the product of an environment that breeds frustration, which leads to a thought process people elsewhere just won't understand. The governments of the countries where the radicals live can only do so much. At this point, radical Islam has begun to build its own state.
Which, in some ways, might be a matter of convenience, in terms of retaliatory actions. Miller's scorched earth response, President Hollande's scorched earth response, has a virtual playground to operate in as a result. Is this the best response? This is a conversation that seems to continue, and in the meantime, more tragedy unfolds...
When Miller published Holy Terror!, it was the last time he had total control over his projects. This month his collaboration with Brian Azzarello and Andy Kubert, The Dark Knight III: The Master Race, begins its serialized publication, and another Batman adventure, The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade with Azzarello and John Romita, Jr., was just announced.
It's odd that Miller became so unpopular among fans just as he was becoming a Hollywood It Boy (Sin City, 300, V for Vendetta). Such are the vagaries of fame. But then, maybe Holy Terror! is due for a comeback, and Miller's fortunes could change again. This is a crazy, mixed-up world. Anything's possible.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Digitally Speaking...48
Digitally Speaking...covers comics I've read from my comiXology account...
CBLDF Defender #1 (Creator Owned)
From April 2015.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund takes comics seriously, as in they champion creator rights, and the right for readers to have access to comic book material. It's basically the comic book version of the inexplicable banned book phenomenon. Banned books, as in the concept of allowing ninnies to censor what you're allowed to access. Mostly this takes place at schools and libraries, which means the very institutions intended for society to build itself up are in fact breeding ground for people to tear each other's potential down. This strikes me as wrong. This debut issue of a journal detailing CBLDF's activities and relevant discussions such as Neil Gaiman's experiences (via an interview) and the Charlie Hebdo controversy (in which one culture violently attempts to tell another what is acceptable, and the other responds with cartoon drawings) is pretty dry. Usually the Defense Fund enlists industry veterans to make actual comic book material out of the discussion first begun with Seduction of the Innocent (also covered in the issue, by the way), but for whatever reason chose not to do so here. Insightful material, but could use more innovative analysis. Personally, using more examples of challenged material would be more interesting. An excerpt from Persepolis is almost completely unreadable in even the greatest enlargement, which only enhances the size of the pixels. Alas, comiXology's Guided View is useless in this instance.
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1 (Marvel)
From 1993.
This issue begins Frank Miller's origin of Daredevil alongside artist John Romita, Jr. This was years after Miller's famous work on the character, and it shows, how well he knows Matt Murdock, calling back to mind things Miller had done previously. By the end of the issue, Matt's father has refused to throw a fight (this is depicted in the movie released a decade later) and been murdered for it, following Matt's blinding and subsequent training under Stick, although his interest in the law and even nickname "Daredevil" is presented as predating all of this. Romita has a distinctive style that is already in full evidence, pretty much exactly as seen in his current Superman work. Perhaps tellingly, it looks much like Tim Sale's work. And hey! speaking of which...
Daredevil: Yellow #1 (Marvel)
From 2001.
After years of telling Batman stories together, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale went over to Marvel and started a series of character sketches there, too. Their Daredevil read a lot like Frank Miller's, and looked like it, too. Probably not a coincidence. Miller's work paved the way for Loeb, who always seemed to have an instinct for superhero psychology and an intuitive grasp of their personal narratives. Later he'd bring this to his greatest success, Superman/Batman, which began life as a series of dueling monologues straight out of the work he'd done in Batman: The Long Halloween and Daredevil: Yellow, among others. Yellow is another origin story, and the first issue covers the same fateful sequence concerning Matt's father as detailed above. Yet repetition, as always, creates resonance, especially when covered by expert hands. One master to another...
The Defense Fund could find a lot of illustrations in Matt Murdock's story. Miller depicts the formative days of the boy who would become Daredevil as full of delinquency and fallen heroes. Yet this only serves to create the man who would become a hero best known for never giving up. Surely a message worth spreading? Comic book fans, especially superhero fans of the Marvel persuasion, are always arguing that this is a medium that celebrates triumph over adversity. Isn't that the CBLDF mission statement?
Django/Zorro #5 (Dynamite)
From 2015.
Django/Zorro, and Grant Morrison's Annihilator, became the first time I read a comic book first-run digitally. I haven't made that clear until now. My local comics shop is supposed to have the series (both of them, actually) pulled for me, but then, the guys who run this store are always screwing up. So I didn't even realize I hadn't read this particular issue yet until I checked in on my comiXology account. I don't always have time to read the material there, which is why my alphabetical journey through it has taken such a long time. As it turns out, this is the issue of Django/Zorro I've been waiting for all along, the moment the Quentin Tarantino in the story really pops. Not just because the late Dr. King Schultz makes a cameo, or that Don Diego de la Vega (a.k.a. Zorro) pulls off the same trick Schultz does in Django Unchained concerning revealing the identity of someone he has a bounty on, or that gunfire irrupts abruptly. Okay, maybe a combination of all these is enough. It's the first time Matt Wagner seems interested in more than a superficial juxtaposition. Here he's making a clear effort to evoke not just the spirit of Tarantino's movie but its feel as well. And this is a good thing.
(I've also added Descender to my subscriptions. Where will I strike next???)
CBLDF Defender #1 (Creator Owned)
From April 2015.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund takes comics seriously, as in they champion creator rights, and the right for readers to have access to comic book material. It's basically the comic book version of the inexplicable banned book phenomenon. Banned books, as in the concept of allowing ninnies to censor what you're allowed to access. Mostly this takes place at schools and libraries, which means the very institutions intended for society to build itself up are in fact breeding ground for people to tear each other's potential down. This strikes me as wrong. This debut issue of a journal detailing CBLDF's activities and relevant discussions such as Neil Gaiman's experiences (via an interview) and the Charlie Hebdo controversy (in which one culture violently attempts to tell another what is acceptable, and the other responds with cartoon drawings) is pretty dry. Usually the Defense Fund enlists industry veterans to make actual comic book material out of the discussion first begun with Seduction of the Innocent (also covered in the issue, by the way), but for whatever reason chose not to do so here. Insightful material, but could use more innovative analysis. Personally, using more examples of challenged material would be more interesting. An excerpt from Persepolis is almost completely unreadable in even the greatest enlargement, which only enhances the size of the pixels. Alas, comiXology's Guided View is useless in this instance.
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1 (Marvel)
From 1993.
This issue begins Frank Miller's origin of Daredevil alongside artist John Romita, Jr. This was years after Miller's famous work on the character, and it shows, how well he knows Matt Murdock, calling back to mind things Miller had done previously. By the end of the issue, Matt's father has refused to throw a fight (this is depicted in the movie released a decade later) and been murdered for it, following Matt's blinding and subsequent training under Stick, although his interest in the law and even nickname "Daredevil" is presented as predating all of this. Romita has a distinctive style that is already in full evidence, pretty much exactly as seen in his current Superman work. Perhaps tellingly, it looks much like Tim Sale's work. And hey! speaking of which...
Daredevil: Yellow #1 (Marvel)
From 2001.
After years of telling Batman stories together, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale went over to Marvel and started a series of character sketches there, too. Their Daredevil read a lot like Frank Miller's, and looked like it, too. Probably not a coincidence. Miller's work paved the way for Loeb, who always seemed to have an instinct for superhero psychology and an intuitive grasp of their personal narratives. Later he'd bring this to his greatest success, Superman/Batman, which began life as a series of dueling monologues straight out of the work he'd done in Batman: The Long Halloween and Daredevil: Yellow, among others. Yellow is another origin story, and the first issue covers the same fateful sequence concerning Matt's father as detailed above. Yet repetition, as always, creates resonance, especially when covered by expert hands. One master to another...
The Defense Fund could find a lot of illustrations in Matt Murdock's story. Miller depicts the formative days of the boy who would become Daredevil as full of delinquency and fallen heroes. Yet this only serves to create the man who would become a hero best known for never giving up. Surely a message worth spreading? Comic book fans, especially superhero fans of the Marvel persuasion, are always arguing that this is a medium that celebrates triumph over adversity. Isn't that the CBLDF mission statement?
Django/Zorro #5 (Dynamite)
From 2015.
Django/Zorro, and Grant Morrison's Annihilator, became the first time I read a comic book first-run digitally. I haven't made that clear until now. My local comics shop is supposed to have the series (both of them, actually) pulled for me, but then, the guys who run this store are always screwing up. So I didn't even realize I hadn't read this particular issue yet until I checked in on my comiXology account. I don't always have time to read the material there, which is why my alphabetical journey through it has taken such a long time. As it turns out, this is the issue of Django/Zorro I've been waiting for all along, the moment the Quentin Tarantino in the story really pops. Not just because the late Dr. King Schultz makes a cameo, or that Don Diego de la Vega (a.k.a. Zorro) pulls off the same trick Schultz does in Django Unchained concerning revealing the identity of someone he has a bounty on, or that gunfire irrupts abruptly. Okay, maybe a combination of all these is enough. It's the first time Matt Wagner seems interested in more than a superficial juxtaposition. Here he's making a clear effort to evoke not just the spirit of Tarantino's movie but its feel as well. And this is a good thing.
(I've also added Descender to my subscriptions. Where will I strike next???)
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