A comic book made me throw up today.
I was going to share with you all the happy happy things in the many comics I bought this week, which bought me hours and hours of joy today.
But it's more important that a comic book made me throw up today.
Not because it was bad. It wasn't. But rather, because it affected me so much emotionally, like watching someone you've known for over 30 years and care about, who is standing on railroad tracks staring at an oncoming train and realizing that you cannot possibly save him. Because that's where he wants to be.
Surprise had no part to play in my reaction. It was no surprise at all. In fact, I'd been waiting for it to happen for two years or so. But that didn't make it any better when it happened. It just made it that much worse.
Comics can be a powerful and passionate medium, and deserve to be. Like any good literature they can be fun and entertaining. But the flip side of the coin is that they can disturb and upset us as well. Someone once said that all people have the capacity to do good or evil; it's in their capacity for greatness of any kind that they differ. The same applies, I think, to literature.
So I'm very happy that most of my comics overjoyed me today. But I'm much happier that one of them made me throw up.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Myth of the Mad Hatter
Let's take a look at DC's Mad Hatter, one of its best examples of how comic myths grow.
It was very first obvious in his first story that the Mad Hatter was intended as a one-time, throwaway character; he's not even the central figure of the plot! The first Mad Hatter story is, in fact, Vicki Vale's story (Batman #49, Oct/Nov 1948). It introduces her as a Lois Lane manque for Batman, always snooping around trying to deduce Batman's identity. Vicki never caught on with readers; the secret identity games Superman played with Lois were needed to give him a challenge, but Batman readers were more interested in watching their hero catch crooks than evade reporters. Superman is essentially French farce; Batman, pulp fiction.
The Mad Hatter is merely a plot device in that story (although he is quite a pitcher). Not wanting Vicki's introduction to be overshadowed by the presence of a real member of Batman's rogues gallery, the writer, I'm sure, simply plucked a familar culture image out of a hat (um, no joke intended) and made a villain of it. At the end of the story the Hatter does have some thugs disguised as Wonderland characters infiltrate a costume affair, but mostly the Hatter's "theme" is pretty light. No interest in hats per se, either; he was after a yachting club trophy.
A yachting club trophy. Yes, I'd risk my life and freedom for such a prize. Ever wondered why crooks hang out in Gotham, despite the Batman's threatening presence? The answer is simple: the best darned fences of stolen goods in the world. No matter what obscure ridiculous crap you steal, the Insuperable Fences of Gotham will have it sold and converted into cash for you in under three business days.
"Whaddaya got? Priceless collection of Etruscan snoods? That'll be ready Friday by close of business. A trainload of chewing gum for the black market? Depends; if it's sugarless, I can get you top dollar." Name it: Batagonian Cat's Eye Opals, industrial size vats of caviar, pinched cruise ships. You can get anything fenced in Gotham City.
Since the Mad Hatter was a throwaway, it's no surprise he never appeared again in the Golden Age. But in the Silver Age, all characters were grist for the mill of reinvention (just ask Alan Scott and Jay Garrick!). And, thanks to googly-eyed foaming-at-the-mouth trendsetters like Joe Coyne, all you needed was a "crime symbol", a sort of theme around which to base all your crimes, and you could be a supervillain. I mean, this is the era of Signalman, Calendarman, and the Spinner.
Thus, the Mad Hatter, now drawn with dramatic red hair and moustache with unmatching black eyebrows, was reimagined as a sort of big game hunter of hats. He stole hats, using hat weapons. And, um, hat-related stuff. Thanks to the Insuperable Fences of Gotham, there's a living in that sort of thing.
Anyway, his two main stories involving getting revenge on the jurors who had sent him to prison and stealing Batman's cowl. Sure enough, these became the very plots of the Mad Hatter episodes on the Batman live action series in the late 1960s. The Mad Hatter was portrayed brilliantly by the underappreciated David Wayne. So deadly earnest was his acting that the Hatter was actually disturbing, threatening. Well, by the standards of the Batman show, anyway.
Here's where it gets interesting. Writers must have thought the comic version of the Mad Hatter too colorless or his various hat tricks to reminiscent of the Penguin's umbrellas. So they came with
"the super instant mesmerizer concealed in my top hat."
GODS, how I love saying that--daily. The top of his hat would pop open and little tiny glowing eyes would zap people in their eyes and, well, super-instant mesmize them. Ridiculous. Extremely cool. I remember trying to make one as a kid. I got the top to pop. I'm still working on the super instant mesmerizer part.
As is often the case in the evolution of a myth, there were variant versions of the Mad Hatter, waiting for a synchretic attempt to pull them into a unified whole. That happened in Detective 510 in 1981.
It was a high time for villains; the Joker, Two-Face, Dr. Death, Catman, the Scarecow, the Mannequin, the Pharoah. Everyone was making the scene. Cue the "new" Mad Hatter. Actually he was the original one, now portrayed as a genius in electronics and neuroscience who had invented "mindcontrol hats". Though the hats stifled individual thought they also unleashed hidden brain potential (an excuse for making the Hatter's slave extra strong and dangerous).
He also had a creepy attachment to his pet monkey. Where is that monkey? DC; bring back the Hatter's monkey, please. Monkeys and comic books are a natural together.
Who did write that story? I don't remember it as being very good, but it did pull together the appearance of the Wonderland character (from the Golden Age version), using hats as gimmick weapons (from the Silver Age version), and mindcontrol (from the TV version).
Those were all the elements needed for the folks at
Batman the Animated Series to craft the perfect Mad Hatter. Just as they had done with Mr. Freeze, they gave the character a backstory based in a love gone wrong that explained their descent into crime and madness. That, along with giving him an obsession with the Wonderland books, completed the picture. This powerful mythic amalgam, backed by Roddy McDowall's inspired voicing of the disturbed Jervis Tetch, finally pulled the Mad Hatter of their mists of the Third Tier of Batman villains and placed him solidly in the Second Tier.
Further portrayals have enriched the Mad Hatter myth. An unhealthy attachment with little girls (aped from the rumors about the author of the original Wonderland stories, Lewis Carroll) has been implicated (at least in Robin Year One and Arkham Asylum). And in case you're wondering why no one else uses his mind control technology it's because the feedback poisons the mind of the controller, contributing to the madness of the Hatter. Now all he needs is his monkey back.
Writers have on the whole done a good job combining the Hatter's various themes and elements in different ways to form stories (for example, when he gains control of the police department through a coffee service, a sort of modern twist on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party).
I wonder when we'll see him again!
P.S. Hi, Gail! Will you marry me?
It was very first obvious in his first story that the Mad Hatter was intended as a one-time, throwaway character; he's not even the central figure of the plot! The first Mad Hatter story is, in fact, Vicki Vale's story (Batman #49, Oct/Nov 1948). It introduces her as a Lois Lane manque for Batman, always snooping around trying to deduce Batman's identity. Vicki never caught on with readers; the secret identity games Superman played with Lois were needed to give him a challenge, but Batman readers were more interested in watching their hero catch crooks than evade reporters. Superman is essentially French farce; Batman, pulp fiction.The Mad Hatter is merely a plot device in that story (although he is quite a pitcher). Not wanting Vicki's introduction to be overshadowed by the presence of a real member of Batman's rogues gallery, the writer, I'm sure, simply plucked a familar culture image out of a hat (um, no joke intended) and made a villain of it. At the end of the story the Hatter does have some thugs disguised as Wonderland characters infiltrate a costume affair, but mostly the Hatter's "theme" is pretty light. No interest in hats per se, either; he was after a yachting club trophy.
A yachting club trophy. Yes, I'd risk my life and freedom for such a prize. Ever wondered why crooks hang out in Gotham, despite the Batman's threatening presence? The answer is simple: the best darned fences of stolen goods in the world. No matter what obscure ridiculous crap you steal, the Insuperable Fences of Gotham will have it sold and converted into cash for you in under three business days.
"Whaddaya got? Priceless collection of Etruscan snoods? That'll be ready Friday by close of business. A trainload of chewing gum for the black market? Depends; if it's sugarless, I can get you top dollar." Name it: Batagonian Cat's Eye Opals, industrial size vats of caviar, pinched cruise ships. You can get anything fenced in Gotham City.
Since the Mad Hatter was a throwaway, it's no surprise he never appeared again in the Golden Age. But in the Silver Age, all characters were grist for the mill of reinvention (just ask Alan Scott and Jay Garrick!). And, thanks to googly-eyed foaming-at-the-mouth trendsetters like Joe Coyne, all you needed was a "crime symbol", a sort of theme around which to base all your crimes, and you could be a supervillain. I mean, this is the era of Signalman, Calendarman, and the Spinner.
Thus, the Mad Hatter, now drawn with dramatic red hair and moustache with unmatching black eyebrows, was reimagined as a sort of big game hunter of hats. He stole hats, using hat weapons. And, um, hat-related stuff. Thanks to the Insuperable Fences of Gotham, there's a living in that sort of thing.
Anyway, his two main stories involving getting revenge on the jurors who had sent him to prison and stealing Batman's cowl. Sure enough, these became the very plots of the Mad Hatter episodes on the Batman live action series in the late 1960s. The Mad Hatter was portrayed brilliantly by the underappreciated David Wayne. So deadly earnest was his acting that the Hatter was actually disturbing, threatening. Well, by the standards of the Batman show, anyway.
Here's where it gets interesting. Writers must have thought the comic version of the Mad Hatter too colorless or his various hat tricks to reminiscent of the Penguin's umbrellas. So they came with
"the super instant mesmerizer concealed in my top hat."
GODS, how I love saying that--daily. The top of his hat would pop open and little tiny glowing eyes would zap people in their eyes and, well, super-instant mesmize them. Ridiculous. Extremely cool. I remember trying to make one as a kid. I got the top to pop. I'm still working on the super instant mesmerizer part.
As is often the case in the evolution of a myth, there were variant versions of the Mad Hatter, waiting for a synchretic attempt to pull them into a unified whole. That happened in Detective 510 in 1981.
It was a high time for villains; the Joker, Two-Face, Dr. Death, Catman, the Scarecow, the Mannequin, the Pharoah. Everyone was making the scene. Cue the "new" Mad Hatter. Actually he was the original one, now portrayed as a genius in electronics and neuroscience who had invented "mindcontrol hats". Though the hats stifled individual thought they also unleashed hidden brain potential (an excuse for making the Hatter's slave extra strong and dangerous).
He also had a creepy attachment to his pet monkey. Where is that monkey? DC; bring back the Hatter's monkey, please. Monkeys and comic books are a natural together.
Who did write that story? I don't remember it as being very good, but it did pull together the appearance of the Wonderland character (from the Golden Age version), using hats as gimmick weapons (from the Silver Age version), and mindcontrol (from the TV version).
Those were all the elements needed for the folks at
Batman the Animated Series to craft the perfect Mad Hatter. Just as they had done with Mr. Freeze, they gave the character a backstory based in a love gone wrong that explained their descent into crime and madness. That, along with giving him an obsession with the Wonderland books, completed the picture. This powerful mythic amalgam, backed by Roddy McDowall's inspired voicing of the disturbed Jervis Tetch, finally pulled the Mad Hatter of their mists of the Third Tier of Batman villains and placed him solidly in the Second Tier.Further portrayals have enriched the Mad Hatter myth. An unhealthy attachment with little girls (aped from the rumors about the author of the original Wonderland stories, Lewis Carroll) has been implicated (at least in Robin Year One and Arkham Asylum). And in case you're wondering why no one else uses his mind control technology it's because the feedback poisons the mind of the controller, contributing to the madness of the Hatter. Now all he needs is his monkey back.
Writers have on the whole done a good job combining the Hatter's various themes and elements in different ways to form stories (for example, when he gains control of the police department through a coffee service, a sort of modern twist on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party).
I wonder when we'll see him again!
P.S. Hi, Gail! Will you marry me?
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Crusade to Vindicate Vibe
Help! A horrible injustice has been done and I need YOUR help to fix it!
Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict is a fine and respectable site ... but it has committed a Grave Sin against one of the saints of the DCU.
"Lame Character Lists" are a staple of any comic book discussion form; we understand that. We also understand that, since not all intellectual palates are of such strength and distinction as to savor the special spice that is Vibe, the poor, departed Saint Paco Ramone will often find himself on such lists.
Greatness is often misunderstood and underappreciated. Alas.
We accept that. But what we cannot, will not, must not accept is this:
This must not stand. Call him lame all you like; but to claim that Vibe has "no cult following", that everyone wants to forget about him, and that he is thought of as a "stain on the legacy of the Justice League"...! Inappropriate; unwarranted; unacceptable!
Say what you will about his relative charms. But many think of him fondly, enough to consider his a "cult" following. My spies, in fact, inform me that some of the Pop Culture Addict staff are closet Vibe fans, cowed into silence by fear of public opprobium. Do not claim Vibe is forgotten or not missed. The Yazz is forgotten and not missed. Vibe is more popular now than he ever was when he was alive, as is so often the case with saints.
Vibe died a hero, trying to protect an innocent child and himself. That's not "a stain on the legacy of the JLA" in my book.
So, I charge you now, speak out! I have warned PCA to expect your messages and they await your feedback; contact them and let them know that the Cult of Vibe does exist, and ask them to recant.
Vibe may be "lame"; but he is no less loved for it.
Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict is a fine and respectable site ... but it has committed a Grave Sin against one of the saints of the DCU.
"Lame Character Lists" are a staple of any comic book discussion form; we understand that. We also understand that, since not all intellectual palates are of such strength and distinction as to savor the special spice that is Vibe, the poor, departed Saint Paco Ramone will often find himself on such lists.
Greatness is often misunderstood and underappreciated. Alas.
We accept that. But what we cannot, will not, must not accept is this:
It should be no surprise that Vibe was also killed, and never brought back and actually has no cult following at all. Everybody just kind of likes to forget about him. Vibe is thought of today as the stain on the legacy of the Justice League.
This must not stand. Call him lame all you like; but to claim that Vibe has "no cult following", that everyone wants to forget about him, and that he is thought of as a "stain on the legacy of the Justice League"...! Inappropriate; unwarranted; unacceptable!
Say what you will about his relative charms. But many think of him fondly, enough to consider his a "cult" following. My spies, in fact, inform me that some of the Pop Culture Addict staff are closet Vibe fans, cowed into silence by fear of public opprobium. Do not claim Vibe is forgotten or not missed. The Yazz is forgotten and not missed. Vibe is more popular now than he ever was when he was alive, as is so often the case with saints.
Vibe died a hero, trying to protect an innocent child and himself. That's not "a stain on the legacy of the JLA" in my book.
So, I charge you now, speak out! I have warned PCA to expect your messages and they await your feedback; contact them and let them know that the Cult of Vibe does exist, and ask them to recant.
Vibe may be "lame"; but he is no less loved for it.
Blah blah blah
Here, courtesy everyone's favorite recently cancelled title, Manhunter, is the kind of heroic haiku moment that only the teamwork of the JSA could provide:
"Blah blah blah; if you
wanna grab a beer, I'll be
in the gym." "Noted."
You can't exceed the JSA's coolness with your own haiku; but you can try.
P.S. Would you like a weekly e-mail that tells you what comics are coming out? Big Monkey Comics provides such a free service. Just go to our website and enter your e-mail in this box:
Don't worry. It's an automatic listserv thingie, so we can't use it to spam you, even if we wanted to. We just thought we might as well extend the service to everyone, whether they're our local customers or not!
"Blah blah blah; if youwanna grab a beer, I'll be
in the gym." "Noted."
You can't exceed the JSA's coolness with your own haiku; but you can try.
P.S. Would you like a weekly e-mail that tells you what comics are coming out? Big Monkey Comics provides such a free service. Just go to our website and enter your e-mail in this box:
Don't worry. It's an automatic listserv thingie, so we can't use it to spam you, even if we wanted to. We just thought we might as well extend the service to everyone, whether they're our local customers or not!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Visiting the Neighbors
The reason I seldom link-blog are :
(1) It seems lazy and sycophantic, even when it's useful;
(2) I spend more time writing on this blog than I do reading others;
(3) I figure you know how to surf the internet as well as I do.
That said, I will now link-blog anyway.
Joncormier at Hypnoray has one of the best posts I've ever read anywhere, about anything, ever. In it, he helped me vastly to understand: Identity Crisis, Countdown, and Infinite Crisis; how and why decompressed storytelling works; and why I like DC more than Marvel.
Devon at Seven Hells has posted one of the most, well, ballsy analyses on how to deal with women in a comic book store I've ever read. I hope the owner of his store appreciates him!
Ragnell at Written World has managed to make me confused about my sexuality. That's impressive. Fortunately, I have Dorian at Postmodernbarney to set me straight again. So to speak.
I'm not even looking at Blockade Boy's site today before refering you to it, because I know it's funny. Blockade Boy always make me laugh; he's the blogger I want to be when I grow up.
Huh; so that's what Batman looks like in fishnets. Dinah makes it look so easy.
I used to think Mallet was weak and girly. But now I idolize him for the ironman he is; HE is reading Infinity, Inc, the series that could make a strong man cry. Mallet, I salute you!
Harvey Jerkwater's efforts at Filing Cabinet of the Damned to pin down the elements need for iconification of characters are very enlightening and you deserve to read them.
Mister Fish tackles Stan Lee so you don't have to.
(1) It seems lazy and sycophantic, even when it's useful;
(2) I spend more time writing on this blog than I do reading others;
(3) I figure you know how to surf the internet as well as I do.
That said, I will now link-blog anyway.
Joncormier at Hypnoray has one of the best posts I've ever read anywhere, about anything, ever. In it, he helped me vastly to understand: Identity Crisis, Countdown, and Infinite Crisis; how and why decompressed storytelling works; and why I like DC more than Marvel.
Devon at Seven Hells has posted one of the most, well, ballsy analyses on how to deal with women in a comic book store I've ever read. I hope the owner of his store appreciates him!
Ragnell at Written World has managed to make me confused about my sexuality. That's impressive. Fortunately, I have Dorian at Postmodernbarney to set me straight again. So to speak.
I'm not even looking at Blockade Boy's site today before refering you to it, because I know it's funny. Blockade Boy always make me laugh; he's the blogger I want to be when I grow up.
Huh; so that's what Batman looks like in fishnets. Dinah makes it look so easy.
I used to think Mallet was weak and girly. But now I idolize him for the ironman he is; HE is reading Infinity, Inc, the series that could make a strong man cry. Mallet, I salute you!
Harvey Jerkwater's efforts at Filing Cabinet of the Damned to pin down the elements need for iconification of characters are very enlightening and you deserve to read them.
Mister Fish tackles Stan Lee so you don't have to.
My two pennies' worth
Frank Miller invented Alfred.
I think it's fair to say I'm not Frank Miller's biggest fan. Far from it, in fact. But one must give the devil his due.
Alfred began unspectactularly as just another Fat Funny Friend. He was well-meaning bungler, a wanna detective, and an intruder on the Wayne household.
How things change! Alfred skinnied up and grew a mustache to resemble his first movie counterpart, retconned his name from the comic "Beagle" to the dignified "Pennyworth", stopped speaking in dialect, and acquired responsibility for upkeep of the Batcave. That evolution saved Alfred from the fate of other comic relief characters of Golden Age. At some point (help me out on this one), he was retconned in as the family butler when Bruce was a boy, becoming a surrogate parent after the Waynes died.
But Alfred was still, on the whole, a colorless faithful retainer type for decades.
Until...
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller is credited with revitalizing, darkening, and solidifying the Batman. Pfah. What Miller really did was revitalize, darken, and soldify Alfred. In not too many scenes, Miller created the image of acerbic, painfully dry and understated retainer that is now Alfred. So right was Miller's characterization, so desperately needed to give Alfred the larger and deeper role readers have always wanted him to have. So successful was he in doing so, that not only did every writer afterwards follow his lead, but readers began to think that Alfred was always that way.
He wasn't.
Thank you, Frank Miller, for re-inventing Alfred as someone who could both "fight" Batman to a standstill and make Batman part of one of comics' greatest comedy duos.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Legionspeak 102
As previously mentioned,
my great admiration for the eloquence of Interlac moves me to study the great rhetoriticians of the 30th century, looking for phrases in Legion of Super-Heroes stories that I can incorporate into my daily life. Here are my latest ones...Polar Boy: "The planet Earth! I'm finally here ... where I hope to realize my dream!'
Check; I already say this every morning as soon as I wake up.
Night Girl: "Come on ... I know where to find others who were rejected!"
I can use that when I invite my buddies to go to the bar.
Brainiac 5: "I hated to leave him behind, but his power of super-bouncing wouldn't help much in a struggle like this."
I'll need some explanation for not inviting Big Monkey staffer Legba to join us.
Monster Master: "I want to exchange my Barakian 'living money' for liquid money of the world Althar!"
Well, that'll get the bartender's attention!
Bouncing Boy: "Come on, Mr. Earthquake Beastie, lash out at me with your tail!"
Because one does get tired of the same old pick-up lines, you know.
Chameleon Boy: "But what's this shapeless little animal? There seems nothing unique about it!"
And, no, you may not buy me a drink!
Cosmic Boy: "We of the Legion will come at top speed!"
Mmm. No, I don't really want to say that at the bar.
Saturn Girl: "The raider you disarmed grabbed up a native fish-spear and is charging you!"
That's about the time we should be leaving, I think...
I'll also learned a few for the comic book store!
Chameleon Boy: "Open the door of this place, or I'll blast!"
For when I show up at Big Monkey and Devon hides in his office.
Sun Boy: "I dazed him with radiance! Now the beast can't do any harm!"
Because the Assistant Manager can occasionally get uppity.
Mon-El: "I'll investigate that strange creature of far space that dies and then comes to life again!"
Oh, that's perfect for the next time someone asks when Green Lantern's coming out!
Sun Boy: "Your stupid meddling is the last straw! Leave this place and don't come back! You failures are interfering with our work!"
Hm-- I'm beginning to understand why Devon won't let me talk to the customers...
Erasing Cain
Okay, let's do this thing, even though I know it's gonna get ugly...!
This post is only for those of you who've read the latest issue of Robin. If you haven't, before you continue, please leave the house, get into your car, drive to one of Big Monkey Comics' convenient locations, buy it, read it, then come back.
Back now? Good.
Kalinara thinks the whole thing is a ploy so boldly hackneyed that no one can imagine it. She may very well be right. She probably is right.
But I hope she isn't right and I'll tell you why: I've never liked the new Batgirl.
Oh, I warmed up to her a little toward the end, when she got her own title, her own "Batgirl cave", and such. Her character filled out some. But on the whole, I didn't like her. Many of the reasons aren't "her fault", if you know what I mean; I don't blame her for my not liking her. But neither do I blame me for not liking her.
For one thing, her backstory is too eye-rollifying for me, especially since it so obviously smacks of editorial desperation. Perry White walks into the DC bullpen and shouts,
"Listen up! I need a new Batgirl by 5 o'clock today! She's gotta be a kick@$$ Asian ninja because they're the new gorillas. Give her some connection to part of Batman's history, a name that invokes the original Batwoman, and she needs to be immediately ready to kick criminal butt in her first panel without any tedious training sequences like we wasted on Sasha Bordeaux! Get to work, people!"
Or something like that. That brown, by the way? That's what your voice sounds like when you smoke cigars every day. So 4:58 = Cassie Cain.
Another strike against is her connection to David Cain, who's part of the needless filling in of Batman's "path to Batmanhood". Yawn. Maybe I'm just too "Golden Age" for all that stuff. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce Wayne mastered all the skills he need to become Batman in two panels of his origin, then sat down in his study to smoke a pipe and rest a bit. It's just a three-part process, people:
That's Who He Is and How He Came To Be. Anything more than that, for me, is just the modern equivalent of those Silver Age stories where we discover Thomas Wayne once wore a bat outfit at a costume party or that "Man-Of-Bats" used to fight injustice among american native tribes.
And David Cain. Ugh. See, he's named "Cain"; like the first murderer; and he's an assassin! Isn't that CLEVER? No; no, that's not clever. Naming Kite-Man "Charles Brown"; that's clever.
Oh, and the whole "trained in body language to be a killing machine" schtick? I'm just going to be nice and leave that entirely alone, pretending it doesn't violate linguistics, anthropology, psychology, physiology, and probably some ologies I've never even heard of.
Another strike against poor Cassie was the "turning a criminal into Batman's partner" trope.
It was a bad idea with Jason;
it was a bad idea with Kirk Langstrom;
it was a bad idea with Cassandra;
it was a bad idea with Azrael;
it was a bad idea with Bane;
it was a bad idea with Onyx;
it was a bad idea with Selina Kyle;
it was a bad idea with Harvey Dent.
As a general rule, it's a bad idea to do that.
It's a nice personality bit that "hardcase" Batman is the one hero who actually seems interested in and focused on helping criminals turn over a new leaf. But making them into a partner is not the way to go, Bruce; just pay for their therapy bills and go fight somebody on a giant typewriter.
Oh, and all those mean things Cassandra says to Tim at the end? They are completely true -- just not about Robin. They're true about her. On the whole, Batman just used her as a convenient chess piece; Batman did that because that's the same way the writers were using her.
I'll admit another thing I had against Cassie that's not her fault: I really liked Sasha Bordeaux. I did not want to like Sasha; but I could not stop myself from liking her. Like many Sashaphiles, it seemed "clear" to me that the editors were having her groomed to become the new Batgirl/woman. That may have been "clear" to us, but it sure wasn't clear to the editors, who did something, er, slightly different with her. So when this, this snip of a girl pops up out of nowhere and basically takes Sasha place... !
That's when the Secret Society of Sashaphiles was formed, and our wheels grind slowly but exceeding fine, mwu-hu-ha-ha. Guess who's running DC now, baby? Forget fumbling FEMA; we are the shadow government. That's why Bordeaux is a central figure in the blood-drenched tapestry of Infinite Crisis, while Cassie's been reassigned to chewing scenery as a Robin foe (Big Trouble with Little Shiva!), joining such luminaries as the Clock, the Joker's Daughter, and Crazy Quilt. Revenge is sweet.
Cassie's also not to blame for the stitched-over, no pie-hole mask. The problems with that have been hashed out enough on-line. Suffice it to say I think Cassie should partner with the Scarecrow. Only villains cover their mouths when they chew scenery. Yes, I'm looking at you.
The original Batwoman (and Bat-Girl and Batgirl) were daring, sassy, spunky, and independent. They were like brightly plumed jungle birds that poop on your tropical shirt then fly away mocking you to do anything about it. Cassie-Batgirl was just creepy, more like some skinny one-eyed alley cat that slices your jugular just to steal an anchovy off your pizza.
With a new more fiery/less psychotic Batwoman on the way, I'm betting Kalinara is wrong and that they really are clearing the decks for her. Because, gods forgive me, Cassie interested me more in two pages of psychofreakout screech party than she did in years and years and years of silent soldiering. So, so long "Batgirl", hello "Little Shiva!"
Of course, if Kalinara is right, well ... then forget I said anything!
This post is only for those of you who've read the latest issue of Robin. If you haven't, before you continue, please leave the house, get into your car, drive to one of Big Monkey Comics' convenient locations, buy it, read it, then come back.
Back now? Good.
Kalinara thinks the whole thing is a ploy so boldly hackneyed that no one can imagine it. She may very well be right. She probably is right.
But I hope she isn't right and I'll tell you why: I've never liked the new Batgirl.
Oh, I warmed up to her a little toward the end, when she got her own title, her own "Batgirl cave", and such. Her character filled out some. But on the whole, I didn't like her. Many of the reasons aren't "her fault", if you know what I mean; I don't blame her for my not liking her. But neither do I blame me for not liking her.
For one thing, her backstory is too eye-rollifying for me, especially since it so obviously smacks of editorial desperation. Perry White walks into the DC bullpen and shouts,
"Listen up! I need a new Batgirl by 5 o'clock today! She's gotta be a kick@$$ Asian ninja because they're the new gorillas. Give her some connection to part of Batman's history, a name that invokes the original Batwoman, and she needs to be immediately ready to kick criminal butt in her first panel without any tedious training sequences like we wasted on Sasha Bordeaux! Get to work, people!"
Or something like that. That brown, by the way? That's what your voice sounds like when you smoke cigars every day. So 4:58 = Cassie Cain.
Another strike against is her connection to David Cain, who's part of the needless filling in of Batman's "path to Batmanhood". Yawn. Maybe I'm just too "Golden Age" for all that stuff. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce Wayne mastered all the skills he need to become Batman in two panels of his origin, then sat down in his study to smoke a pipe and rest a bit. It's just a three-part process, people:
Lift barbell; examine test tube; smoke pipe.
Don't listen to the narrator, Bruce; I think those panties are darling.
Don't listen to the narrator, Bruce; I think those panties are darling.That's Who He Is and How He Came To Be. Anything more than that, for me, is just the modern equivalent of those Silver Age stories where we discover Thomas Wayne once wore a bat outfit at a costume party or that "Man-Of-Bats" used to fight injustice among american native tribes.
And David Cain. Ugh. See, he's named "Cain"; like the first murderer; and he's an assassin! Isn't that CLEVER? No; no, that's not clever. Naming Kite-Man "Charles Brown"; that's clever.
Oh, and the whole "trained in body language to be a killing machine" schtick? I'm just going to be nice and leave that entirely alone, pretending it doesn't violate linguistics, anthropology, psychology, physiology, and probably some ologies I've never even heard of.
Another strike against poor Cassie was the "turning a criminal into Batman's partner" trope.
It was a bad idea with Jason;
it was a bad idea with Kirk Langstrom;
it was a bad idea with Cassandra;
it was a bad idea with Azrael;
it was a bad idea with Bane;
it was a bad idea with Onyx;
it was a bad idea with Selina Kyle;
it was a bad idea with Harvey Dent.
As a general rule, it's a bad idea to do that.
It's a nice personality bit that "hardcase" Batman is the one hero who actually seems interested in and focused on helping criminals turn over a new leaf. But making them into a partner is not the way to go, Bruce; just pay for their therapy bills and go fight somebody on a giant typewriter.
Oh, and all those mean things Cassandra says to Tim at the end? They are completely true -- just not about Robin. They're true about her. On the whole, Batman just used her as a convenient chess piece; Batman did that because that's the same way the writers were using her.
I'll admit another thing I had against Cassie that's not her fault: I really liked Sasha Bordeaux. I did not want to like Sasha; but I could not stop myself from liking her. Like many Sashaphiles, it seemed "clear" to me that the editors were having her groomed to become the new Batgirl/woman. That may have been "clear" to us, but it sure wasn't clear to the editors, who did something, er, slightly different with her. So when this, this snip of a girl pops up out of nowhere and basically takes Sasha place... !That's when the Secret Society of Sashaphiles was formed, and our wheels grind slowly but exceeding fine, mwu-hu-ha-ha. Guess who's running DC now, baby? Forget fumbling FEMA; we are the shadow government. That's why Bordeaux is a central figure in the blood-drenched tapestry of Infinite Crisis, while Cassie's been reassigned to chewing scenery as a Robin foe (Big Trouble with Little Shiva!), joining such luminaries as the Clock, the Joker's Daughter, and Crazy Quilt. Revenge is sweet.
Cassie's also not to blame for the stitched-over, no pie-hole mask. The problems with that have been hashed out enough on-line. Suffice it to say I think Cassie should partner with the Scarecrow. Only villains cover their mouths when they chew scenery. Yes, I'm looking at you.
The original Batwoman (and Bat-Girl and Batgirl) were daring, sassy, spunky, and independent. They were like brightly plumed jungle birds that poop on your tropical shirt then fly away mocking you to do anything about it. Cassie-Batgirl was just creepy, more like some skinny one-eyed alley cat that slices your jugular just to steal an anchovy off your pizza.
With a new more fiery/less psychotic Batwoman on the way, I'm betting Kalinara is wrong and that they really are clearing the decks for her. Because, gods forgive me, Cassie interested me more in two pages of psychofreakout screech party than she did in years and years and years of silent soldiering. So, so long "Batgirl", hello "Little Shiva!"
Of course, if Kalinara is right, well ... then forget I said anything!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Musica expectatur
Hi-YAH, platter-fans!
Remember, as the "program director" at Big Monkey Radio, I'm always looking for new comic book related music.
If your neighbor's garage band has a superhero related song, send me an MP3 of it and maybe I can put in Big Monkey Radio.
Local DC band The Franchise did, and now BMR plays their songs, "Rohrshach" and "I Want to Be Your Superhero", every day...
Remember, as the "program director" at Big Monkey Radio, I'm always looking for new comic book related music.
If your neighbor's garage band has a superhero related song, send me an MP3 of it and maybe I can put in Big Monkey Radio.
Local DC band The Franchise did, and now BMR plays their songs, "Rohrshach" and "I Want to Be Your Superhero", every day...
Villains for the Top 50 List...?
The villains for the previously mentioned Top 50 list are below. I have room for six more and I'm listening for your suggestions.
But please don't waste your breath and my time on the shallow, ridiculous caricature that is "Darkseid". No matter how large you make a cardboard cut-out, it's still basically two-dimensional....
The Joker. The clown from hell.
Two-Face (Harvey Dent) . All of axiology wrapped up in one character.
Lex Luthor. Human ambition, vanity, and folly all in one package.
Mxyzptlk. He who uses the fourth wall to look IN at the comic book, as we do, instead of out.
The Riddler (Edward Nigma). The supreme intellectual challenger.
Dr. Psycho. He violates you from the inside out.
The Composite Superman (Joe Meach). The godlike janitor who kicked Batman and Superman's butts.
Starro. If you do not immediately understand the genius of a giant purple mindcontrolling starfish from outer space that eats atomic power, then may god have mercy on your soul.
Eclipso (Bruce Gordon). No one else is his own archenemy.
Gorilla Grodd. It's the juxtaposition of the gorillaness with the mindforce/scifi thing, ya see.
Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot). There is no rationale to fully explain the fabulousness of the Penguin. Yet there it is. Besides, what other villain can fight Firestorm to a standstill in one comic and get beaten up by Bullock in another without your batting an eye about it?
Catwoman (Selina Kyle). The real danger to society isn't evil; it's disinterested amorality, as symbolized by Catwoman.
Emerald Empress. The eye. THE EYE! AAAIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mister Mind. A world-conquering worm. Sheer genius.
Harley Quin. Because I, too, have had bad days and made bad decisions.
Killer Moth. The original Anti-Batman, the unlovable loser, and the avatar of all self-deluding costumed kooks.
The Crime Doctor. It's like "snakes on a plane".
Black Manta. Because ... well, because he's Black Manta, for Neptune's sake.
Ares (God of Conflict). A real god. Not a thundering Norse puppet character or a cardboard-thin fourth world "new god" or a wispy Endless One. A real god from the gods the founders of our civilization worshipped.
Paul Gambi. Tailor to the supervillains. Pure poetry, that.
But please don't waste your breath and my time on the shallow, ridiculous caricature that is "Darkseid". No matter how large you make a cardboard cut-out, it's still basically two-dimensional....The Joker. The clown from hell.
Two-Face (Harvey Dent) . All of axiology wrapped up in one character.
Lex Luthor. Human ambition, vanity, and folly all in one package.
Mxyzptlk. He who uses the fourth wall to look IN at the comic book, as we do, instead of out.
The Riddler (Edward Nigma). The supreme intellectual challenger.
Dr. Psycho. He violates you from the inside out.
The Composite Superman (Joe Meach). The godlike janitor who kicked Batman and Superman's butts.
Starro. If you do not immediately understand the genius of a giant purple mindcontrolling starfish from outer space that eats atomic power, then may god have mercy on your soul.
Eclipso (Bruce Gordon). No one else is his own archenemy.
Gorilla Grodd. It's the juxtaposition of the gorillaness with the mindforce/scifi thing, ya see.
Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot). There is no rationale to fully explain the fabulousness of the Penguin. Yet there it is. Besides, what other villain can fight Firestorm to a standstill in one comic and get beaten up by Bullock in another without your batting an eye about it?
Catwoman (Selina Kyle). The real danger to society isn't evil; it's disinterested amorality, as symbolized by Catwoman.
Emerald Empress. The eye. THE EYE! AAAIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mister Mind. A world-conquering worm. Sheer genius.
Harley Quin. Because I, too, have had bad days and made bad decisions.
Killer Moth. The original Anti-Batman, the unlovable loser, and the avatar of all self-deluding costumed kooks.
The Crime Doctor. It's like "snakes on a plane".
Black Manta. Because ... well, because he's Black Manta, for Neptune's sake.
Ares (God of Conflict). A real god. Not a thundering Norse puppet character or a cardboard-thin fourth world "new god" or a wispy Endless One. A real god from the gods the founders of our civilization worshipped.
Paul Gambi. Tailor to the supervillains. Pure poetry, that.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Age of Bronze interview
We all know I don't love DC's bronze age, but I do love Image's Age of Bronze..
Do you remember my post about one of my new favorite comic books, Age of Bronze?
The author of this critically acclaimed series was nice enough to grant me an interview, which is now available at Big Monkey Comics.
You deserve to know and love Age of Bronze. Oh, and the next time somebody gives you grief about comic books being crappy, stupid, or childish ...
Age of Bronze is the perfect thing to slap them in the face with.
Help Me Pick The Best of DC
Wise Tom at the Great Curve is surveying a bunch of bloggers so he can compile a list of the 50 Best DC Characters. Each blogger gets to pick a list according to his or her own criteria.
What a delightful challenge! I can't, in good conscience, simply choose the characters I like the most. I mean, not even I think the Penny Plunderer or Orca are among DC's 50 Best Characters, despite my affection for them. What's that, Todd? You forgive me? Thank you; thank you, Todd.
This may surprise you: Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern -- not on the list. As character concepts, no one's really figured out what Wonder Woman's about in over 60 years, Flash is a simple power held by a number of likeable guys, and Green Lantern might as well be Ibis the Invincible, Starman, Zatara, or any other "magic wand" guy. I like 'em; but that's not enough.
I can't tell you what the final blogosphere wide vote will be, but I can tell you what my votes are and why. Out of a perverse sense of fairness (or perhaps merely balance), I am forcing myself to divide my choices between heroes and villains equally. Some choices, like Batman & Superman, are pretty obvious and universal. Others are less so.
Here are some of the heroes I'm putting on my list, in no particular order (I'll post villains later).
Batman (Bruce Wayne). The hero who turns his tragedy into a triumph for others. The scary nighttime hero. Symbol of human heroic potential. How to maximum the effect of the power you have.
Superman (Clark Kent). Everyone's power fantasy. The friendly daytime hero. The personification of responsible use of power. A testament to the power of morality. How to minimize the effects of the power you have.
Captain Marvel (Billy Batson). Like Batman, a human orphan; like Superman, a superbeing of immense power. Like Batman, he is wise; like Superman he is invulnerable. Boys dream of giving up their current lives to be Batman or Superman; boys dream of keeping their current lives while being Captain Marvel.
Aquaman (Arthur Curry). Laugh all you want at Aquaman. No intellectual analysis of his limits in the world of fighting crime and villains can dismiss his elemental appeal. We humans live on a planet 3/4 of which is completely inhospitable to us, an environment that would kill us in under 4 minutes. We are all innately afraid of the sea. But Aquaman lives and rules there.
Plastic Man (Eel O'Brien). The crook turned hero. The slapstick absurdist hero. Ridiculous goofball; serious and nearly indestructible threat. If you'll pardon my saying so, the elasticity of the concept of Plas has done him well.
Robin. The kid sidekick. Every kid dreams of tagging along with his hero. Robin actually does.
Krypto. Anyone who doesn't understand why people love Krypto doesn't own a dog. Not only is he goofy fun, he serves as an occasional terrifying reminder of how grateful everyone should be that Superman has human morality.
Alfred Pennyworth. Bringer of dignity to both comic relief and personal pathos. I can't picture anyone boxing Batman's ears and getting away with it. Except Alfred.
Brainiac 5. He's not a smart character; he is the smart character. Which not only explains why he's in the Legion but why he experiences nearly constant frustration with everyone and everything.
Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane). It's not just that he's the Man of 1000 Talents; I mean, Batman's pretty much like that, too. It's that he was driven to suicide by boredom and found happiness in living only by devoting his talents to help other people instead of himself.
Vibe (Paco Ramone). ?Como no?
Simon Stagg. Mr. Over-the-top. Genius. Zillionaire. Scientist. Businessman. Supportive. Manipulative. Loving. Creepy. Good. Evil. If Dr. Doom moved to DC, he would become Simon Stagg. Simon Stagg is all things to all people.
Danny the Street. I'm quite capable of giving Morrison props when necessary. And his idea of a magically mobile sentient crossdressing street that speaks in old British gay slang, as it was fully realized in the Doom Patrol, is sheer creative genius nearly unparalleled.
Jonah Hex. Double espresso with whiskey is to Sanka as Jonah Hex is to cowboy. If you're not going to love Jonah Hex, what's the point of being an American?
The Question (Vic Sage). The idea that the hard part of life isn't answering questions but figuring out which questions you should ask is a fairly sophisticated one, and one that this character personifies perfectly. Oh, and he looks cool.
Chunk (Chester Runk). As previously discussed.
Impulse (Bart Allen). If you can name a character whose character was more fully defined and realized then Impulse as he appeared in his own title and could make you laugh and cry in almost every issue, then I'll owe you a cup of coffee.
Bouncing Boy (Chuck Taine). Acquired his ridiculous powers through his own stupid carelessness, powers that severly deformed his body. Instead of becoming bitter, he joined the most powerful heroes of his generation. Bouncing Boy isn't great despite the fact that he has stupid powers; Bouncing Boy is great because he has stupid powers.
Power Girl (Karen Starr). I think perhaps Power Girl works for the same reason Wonder Woman doesn't. Wonder Woman was based on her creator's idea that the "masculine" and "feminine" ways of looking at the world were incompatible; Power Girl is based on the idea that they are compatible. That's why everyone struggles with Wonder Woman, but can't help but like Power Girl.
What a delightful challenge! I can't, in good conscience, simply choose the characters I like the most. I mean, not even I think the Penny Plunderer or Orca are among DC's 50 Best Characters, despite my affection for them. What's that, Todd? You forgive me? Thank you; thank you, Todd.
This may surprise you: Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern -- not on the list. As character concepts, no one's really figured out what Wonder Woman's about in over 60 years, Flash is a simple power held by a number of likeable guys, and Green Lantern might as well be Ibis the Invincible, Starman, Zatara, or any other "magic wand" guy. I like 'em; but that's not enough.
I can't tell you what the final blogosphere wide vote will be, but I can tell you what my votes are and why. Out of a perverse sense of fairness (or perhaps merely balance), I am forcing myself to divide my choices between heroes and villains equally. Some choices, like Batman & Superman, are pretty obvious and universal. Others are less so.
Here are some of the heroes I'm putting on my list, in no particular order (I'll post villains later).
I still have room for a few more; any suggestions?
Batman (Bruce Wayne). The hero who turns his tragedy into a triumph for others. The scary nighttime hero. Symbol of human heroic potential. How to maximum the effect of the power you have.
Superman (Clark Kent). Everyone's power fantasy. The friendly daytime hero. The personification of responsible use of power. A testament to the power of morality. How to minimize the effects of the power you have.
Captain Marvel (Billy Batson). Like Batman, a human orphan; like Superman, a superbeing of immense power. Like Batman, he is wise; like Superman he is invulnerable. Boys dream of giving up their current lives to be Batman or Superman; boys dream of keeping their current lives while being Captain Marvel.
Aquaman (Arthur Curry). Laugh all you want at Aquaman. No intellectual analysis of his limits in the world of fighting crime and villains can dismiss his elemental appeal. We humans live on a planet 3/4 of which is completely inhospitable to us, an environment that would kill us in under 4 minutes. We are all innately afraid of the sea. But Aquaman lives and rules there.
Plastic Man (Eel O'Brien). The crook turned hero. The slapstick absurdist hero. Ridiculous goofball; serious and nearly indestructible threat. If you'll pardon my saying so, the elasticity of the concept of Plas has done him well.
Robin. The kid sidekick. Every kid dreams of tagging along with his hero. Robin actually does.
Krypto. Anyone who doesn't understand why people love Krypto doesn't own a dog. Not only is he goofy fun, he serves as an occasional terrifying reminder of how grateful everyone should be that Superman has human morality.
Alfred Pennyworth. Bringer of dignity to both comic relief and personal pathos. I can't picture anyone boxing Batman's ears and getting away with it. Except Alfred.
Brainiac 5. He's not a smart character; he is the smart character. Which not only explains why he's in the Legion but why he experiences nearly constant frustration with everyone and everything.
Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane). It's not just that he's the Man of 1000 Talents; I mean, Batman's pretty much like that, too. It's that he was driven to suicide by boredom and found happiness in living only by devoting his talents to help other people instead of himself.
Vibe (Paco Ramone). ?Como no?
Simon Stagg. Mr. Over-the-top. Genius. Zillionaire. Scientist. Businessman. Supportive. Manipulative. Loving. Creepy. Good. Evil. If Dr. Doom moved to DC, he would become Simon Stagg. Simon Stagg is all things to all people.
Danny the Street. I'm quite capable of giving Morrison props when necessary. And his idea of a magically mobile sentient crossdressing street that speaks in old British gay slang, as it was fully realized in the Doom Patrol, is sheer creative genius nearly unparalleled.
Jonah Hex. Double espresso with whiskey is to Sanka as Jonah Hex is to cowboy. If you're not going to love Jonah Hex, what's the point of being an American?
The Question (Vic Sage). The idea that the hard part of life isn't answering questions but figuring out which questions you should ask is a fairly sophisticated one, and one that this character personifies perfectly. Oh, and he looks cool.
Chunk (Chester Runk). As previously discussed.
Impulse (Bart Allen). If you can name a character whose character was more fully defined and realized then Impulse as he appeared in his own title and could make you laugh and cry in almost every issue, then I'll owe you a cup of coffee.
Bouncing Boy (Chuck Taine). Acquired his ridiculous powers through his own stupid carelessness, powers that severly deformed his body. Instead of becoming bitter, he joined the most powerful heroes of his generation. Bouncing Boy isn't great despite the fact that he has stupid powers; Bouncing Boy is great because he has stupid powers.
Power Girl (Karen Starr). I think perhaps Power Girl works for the same reason Wonder Woman doesn't. Wonder Woman was based on her creator's idea that the "masculine" and "feminine" ways of looking at the world were incompatible; Power Girl is based on the idea that they are compatible. That's why everyone struggles with Wonder Woman, but can't help but like Power Girl.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Things that made me happy today
Skeets' recommendations to the internet. I love Skeets. Booster Gold can be a pill but if Skeets is the cheese he's wrapped in, this dog'll swallow it every time.
Loeb's wrapping up Batman/Superman in a manner than made sense (well, 5th dimensional sense) and redeemed the series, something I would have thought impossible. In fact, when Devon told me so, I simply said, "Impossible." Then he showed me the Composite Superman-Batman, the Joker playing Heroclix, and the return of the one character they said would never ever return. Then he made me buy it because I'd already read most of it. Curse you, Jeph Loeb; you win this round!!! Next time, do this sort of thing in 3 issues instead of 3 years, okay?
The Red Inferno. Which is immediately fabulous even though I know nothing about it other than its name. I wonder whether it had a sidekick named Toro?
Speaking of characters they said would never return, I almost wet myself when I realized faithful Rex the Wonder Dog was doing the exposition in Shadowpact; welcome back, old pal. Oh, and Willingham writes a perfectly understated Superman; nice.
Todd Rice's boyfriend snarking on Atom-Smasher. Now I love him, too, Todd!
Ralph Dibny's polaroid.
Hey, Butthead; Jim Rook stays young by honing his sword; a lot. Heh. Heh heh.
The retcon on what Krona accidently created. I like it.
Thomas's television.
The card with Kate's flowers, as well as a special guest villain I surely would never have expected to see in any comic book. Even though they are cancelling Manhunter, I think Kate (and her fans) will be heading over to the new Justice Society book. What's that, Todd? You want me to subscribe to Justice Society? Yes, Todd. Yes, I will subscribe to Justice Society.
The sound of a lot people screaming when they read the end of Robin this week. Unhappily. While I giggle.
The Kilg%re. Nuff said.
Loeb's wrapping up Batman/Superman in a manner than made sense (well, 5th dimensional sense) and redeemed the series, something I would have thought impossible. In fact, when Devon told me so, I simply said, "Impossible." Then he showed me the Composite Superman-Batman, the Joker playing Heroclix, and the return of the one character they said would never ever return. Then he made me buy it because I'd already read most of it. Curse you, Jeph Loeb; you win this round!!! Next time, do this sort of thing in 3 issues instead of 3 years, okay?
The Red Inferno. Which is immediately fabulous even though I know nothing about it other than its name. I wonder whether it had a sidekick named Toro?
Speaking of characters they said would never return, I almost wet myself when I realized faithful Rex the Wonder Dog was doing the exposition in Shadowpact; welcome back, old pal. Oh, and Willingham writes a perfectly understated Superman; nice.
Todd Rice's boyfriend snarking on Atom-Smasher. Now I love him, too, Todd!
Ralph Dibny's polaroid.
Hey, Butthead; Jim Rook stays young by honing his sword; a lot. Heh. Heh heh.
The retcon on what Krona accidently created. I like it.
Thomas's television.
The card with Kate's flowers, as well as a special guest villain I surely would never have expected to see in any comic book. Even though they are cancelling Manhunter, I think Kate (and her fans) will be heading over to the new Justice Society book. What's that, Todd? You want me to subscribe to Justice Society? Yes, Todd. Yes, I will subscribe to Justice Society.
The sound of a lot people screaming when they read the end of Robin this week. Unhappily. While I giggle.
The Kilg%re. Nuff said.
Nuklon Smash!
Atom-Smasher is leading in the Heroclix Giants poll?
ATOM-SMASHER ?!?!?!?!?!
Interrobangs cannot suffice to express my combined confusion and outrage.
The latest DC Heroclix product is the "DC Giants set", consisting of larger-than-normal figures of Giganta, Validus, Rita Farr, Chemo, Colossal Boy, Alloy (a Metal Men construct that appeared in Kingdom Come), and Asim-Smasher.
Oh, sorry; I meant to say "Atom-Smasher".
My set arrived the other day, and they're purdier 'n a ploughed field on a Sunday!
"Oop. Glurb."
"And bigger than Giganta! Everbody tries, but can't-a..."
So, anyway, the HCRealms people are having a poll to see which of the Giant figures people like the most. And... and.. that murderer is winning.
That's obscene: it's VALIDUS who should be winning. He's got a see-through brainplate, shoulderhoses (even though you can't see that on the linked photo), and a range of 8.
Okay. I'm ... just going to pretend that on "New Earth", that whole dictator-squishing thing never happened, I guess...
ATOM-SMASHER ?!?!?!?!?!
Interrobangs cannot suffice to express my combined confusion and outrage.
The latest DC Heroclix product is the "DC Giants set", consisting of larger-than-normal figures of Giganta, Validus, Rita Farr, Chemo, Colossal Boy, Alloy (a Metal Men construct that appeared in Kingdom Come), and Asim-Smasher.
Oh, sorry; I meant to say "Atom-Smasher".
My set arrived the other day, and they're purdier 'n a ploughed field on a Sunday!
Lovely Rita, in her kicky lilac go-gos and ginchy gloves, with her patented Elasti-Girl pose that says, "Admire my biceps all you want, but look up my mini and I'll squash you like a bug."
Chemo is noxiously sexy, and (despite his opaque appearance below) is all clear green plastic, except for his beady red eyes. When I played him against Devon's JSA team, and I had him repeatedly spit toxic waste into Atom-Smasher's face. I didn't win, but I didn't care, either.
"Oop. Glurb."I was also able to reproduce the hair-pulling battle between Rita Farr and Giganta in IC#7. Who says gay people don't love a good catfight? Mee - oooW!
"And bigger than Giganta! Everbody tries, but can't-a..."So, anyway, the HCRealms people are having a poll to see which of the Giant figures people like the most. And... and.. that murderer is winning.
That's obscene: it's VALIDUS who should be winning. He's got a see-through brainplate, shoulderhoses (even though you can't see that on the linked photo), and a range of 8.
Okay. I'm ... just going to pretend that on "New Earth", that whole dictator-squishing thing never happened, I guess...
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Everybody, sing along!
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Haikuesday to bring you this message from the LORHP, sung to the tune of "The Pennsylvania Polka"...
Knocked off
her shoulders
by Superboy Prime:
the Rolling Head of Pantha!
Gone from
ridic'lous
to wholly sublime:
the Rolling Head of Pantha!
It's deader
than Spoiler
yet faster than Flash;
it's lamer than Black Manta!
Everybody tries
but can't-a
to catch the head
rolling off of Pantha!
Knocked off
her shoulders
by Superboy Prime:
the Rolling Head of Pantha!
Gone fromridic'lous
to wholly sublime:
the Rolling Head of Pantha!
It's deaderthan Spoiler
yet faster than Flash;
it's lamer than Black Manta!
Everybody triesbut can't-a
to catch the head
rolling off of Pantha!
Monday, May 15, 2006
In Praise of Marvel
I come today, not to bury Marvel, but to praise it.
To praise Civil War. In fact, to praise Civil War for precisely the same reason many people are damning it: because it's boring.
Arguments over legislation? Boring? Welcome to Washington, folks!
Like many other Washingtonians, part of my career has
involved participating in goings-on on the Hill (Capitol Hill, that is; the slaughteryards where tasty links of legislation are made). With all the political coverage on the teevee nowadays, you'd think anyone could develop a realistic sense of how this town works, without ever needing to live here, work here, or even visit here.
Yet, the many-headed media's fictional portrayals of Washington have more influence on most non-locals' idea of our national government than does any news coverage (which is sometimes fictional anyway).
People who don't live here but do watch movies and TV get silly ideas in their heads. That the president runs the government. That representatives have the nation's best interests at heart rather than their own. That the administrative branch is efficient enough and motivated enough to perpetrate large-scale, long-term conspiracies. That government is gripping and exciting. These are the kinds of things that make Washingtonians laugh long and hard.
Marvel, folks, is telling you like it is. Legislation is boring and vague. Frustrated that you don't know what the legislation is that the Marvel characters are arguing about because you haven't seen it? Ha! That's better than being frustrated that you don't know what the legislation is because you have seen it, which is exactly what happens when most normal people see a bill.
Irate because longtime comrades-in-arms are being put so easily at odds by a simple bill, because it seems unrealistic? Heh; sit in on a Republican discussion of illegal or legal immigration bills.
I read a description of the Big Two's big events this summer (on another blog, but I don't remember which one): Infinite Crisis is exciting but fantastically incomprehensible and Civil War is boring but excruciatingly realistic. Or something like that.
So, I applaud the realism of the honorable competition (for Quesada is an honorable man). I also applaud Marvel for doing what it does best: being different from DC, specifically, being more realistic.
Yes, I know a lot of you steadfastly turn a blind eye to any differences between the two companies, but fortunately that doesn't erase them.
In IC, all of DC's heroes stop fighting one another are start fighting all the villains; in CW, all of Marvel's heroes stop fighting villains and start fighting one another. DC is busy heightening the differences between heroes and villains and sharpening the contrast between Good and Evil; meanwhile, Marvel asserts there is no right or wrong in the problem its posing, that real issues are inherently grey. As ever, Marvel strives to reflect our world, and DC to illuminate it.
Both purposes are potentially good, useful, and interesting, by the way (even if I personally enjoy one more than the other).
So read Civil War. And if you find it boring, or it frustrates you because there's no simple answer ...
good. Because that is how the world is.
To praise Civil War. In fact, to praise Civil War for precisely the same reason many people are damning it: because it's boring.
Arguments over legislation? Boring? Welcome to Washington, folks!
Like many other Washingtonians, part of my career has
involved participating in goings-on on the Hill (Capitol Hill, that is; the slaughteryards where tasty links of legislation are made). With all the political coverage on the teevee nowadays, you'd think anyone could develop a realistic sense of how this town works, without ever needing to live here, work here, or even visit here.Yet, the many-headed media's fictional portrayals of Washington have more influence on most non-locals' idea of our national government than does any news coverage (which is sometimes fictional anyway).
People who don't live here but do watch movies and TV get silly ideas in their heads. That the president runs the government. That representatives have the nation's best interests at heart rather than their own. That the administrative branch is efficient enough and motivated enough to perpetrate large-scale, long-term conspiracies. That government is gripping and exciting. These are the kinds of things that make Washingtonians laugh long and hard.
Marvel, folks, is telling you like it is. Legislation is boring and vague. Frustrated that you don't know what the legislation is that the Marvel characters are arguing about because you haven't seen it? Ha! That's better than being frustrated that you don't know what the legislation is because you have seen it, which is exactly what happens when most normal people see a bill.
Irate because longtime comrades-in-arms are being put so easily at odds by a simple bill, because it seems unrealistic? Heh; sit in on a Republican discussion of illegal or legal immigration bills.
I read a description of the Big Two's big events this summer (on another blog, but I don't remember which one): Infinite Crisis is exciting but fantastically incomprehensible and Civil War is boring but excruciatingly realistic. Or something like that.
So, I applaud the realism of the honorable competition (for Quesada is an honorable man). I also applaud Marvel for doing what it does best: being different from DC, specifically, being more realistic.
Yes, I know a lot of you steadfastly turn a blind eye to any differences between the two companies, but fortunately that doesn't erase them. In IC, all of DC's heroes stop fighting one another are start fighting all the villains; in CW, all of Marvel's heroes stop fighting villains and start fighting one another. DC is busy heightening the differences between heroes and villains and sharpening the contrast between Good and Evil; meanwhile, Marvel asserts there is no right or wrong in the problem its posing, that real issues are inherently grey. As ever, Marvel strives to reflect our world, and DC to illuminate it.
Both purposes are potentially good, useful, and interesting, by the way (even if I personally enjoy one more than the other).
So read Civil War. And if you find it boring, or it frustrates you because there's no simple answer ...
good. Because that is how the world is.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
DC's Greatest Mother
Who's DC's greatest mother, in my book? No, not Hippolyta, although she sure is a close second, and I miss her.
No, I'm referring to the one, the only...
Mary West.
You know; Wally's mother.
Why is Mary West cool? Well, for one thing, she's a real person. She's not a prize-winning physicist, software company CEO, high-powered District Attorney, or tenured archeologist. She has no superpowers, not even any particular talents. She didn't put a pot on her head to keep her neighborhood safe during the depression. The Cosmic Control Rod was not needed when she gave birth. She is (or was) a "mere suburban housewife."
Oh, and she married a complete jerk, Rudy West. Who, aside from being a professional jerk and ne'er-do-well, also had a hobby as a collaborator with the Manhunters. Then he tried to drown Mary at sea. Mary sure can pick 'em.
Wally lied to her, remember, during his entire adolescence, keeping his Kid Flash identity a secret from her.
In fact, she's not even a very nice mom, really. Mary wasn't supportive of Wally's superheroics, didn't sew him a costume out of his baby blankets, and actively criticized him for focusing on other people's problems instead of his own. She was a shrill nag who freeloaded off of Wally when he became rich.
Then she started "borrowing" his JLI teleportation tube to go jet-setting all around the world, shacking up with some old Italian spy guy, and vanishing from Wally's life, which was fine by him, since he (punk that he is) didn't even want her at his own wedding.
GODS, I miss that woman.
Why? Because she was a realistic person, who, though flawed, loved her son and had his best interests at heart. Even though he never appreciated her, listened to her, or tried to understand her. And when it became clear that he was old enough to take care of himself (whether he did so or not), she said, "I've lived my whole life for my family, with little success of reward; now I deserve to live life for myself." And she did.
Mary West; Wally may not miss you, but I do.
Happy Mother's Day.
No, I'm referring to the one, the only...
Mary West.
You know; Wally's mother.
Why is Mary West cool? Well, for one thing, she's a real person. She's not a prize-winning physicist, software company CEO, high-powered District Attorney, or tenured archeologist. She has no superpowers, not even any particular talents. She didn't put a pot on her head to keep her neighborhood safe during the depression. The Cosmic Control Rod was not needed when she gave birth. She is (or was) a "mere suburban housewife."
Oh, and she married a complete jerk, Rudy West. Who, aside from being a professional jerk and ne'er-do-well, also had a hobby as a collaborator with the Manhunters. Then he tried to drown Mary at sea. Mary sure can pick 'em.
Wally lied to her, remember, during his entire adolescence, keeping his Kid Flash identity a secret from her.
In fact, she's not even a very nice mom, really. Mary wasn't supportive of Wally's superheroics, didn't sew him a costume out of his baby blankets, and actively criticized him for focusing on other people's problems instead of his own. She was a shrill nag who freeloaded off of Wally when he became rich.
Then she started "borrowing" his JLI teleportation tube to go jet-setting all around the world, shacking up with some old Italian spy guy, and vanishing from Wally's life, which was fine by him, since he (punk that he is) didn't even want her at his own wedding.
GODS, I miss that woman.
Why? Because she was a realistic person, who, though flawed, loved her son and had his best interests at heart. Even though he never appreciated her, listened to her, or tried to understand her. And when it became clear that he was old enough to take care of himself (whether he did so or not), she said, "I've lived my whole life for my family, with little success of reward; now I deserve to live life for myself." And she did.
Mary West; Wally may not miss you, but I do.
Happy Mother's Day.
What The Monkey Wants
The Monkey wants your opinion on comics' greatest mother of them all.The Monkey wants to know, "What's the stupidest thing Aqualad ever said?"
The Monkey wants your view on JLU and its final episode.
The Monkey wants your verdict on Peter David and Spiderman.
The Monkey answers the question, "Y?"
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The Joker
It was strange in a way that nothing of its kind has ever quite been:
the Joker.
Not the Joker; The Joker, a series starring the Clown Prince of Crime that lasted only 9 issues some 3o years ago.The Joker was part of the DC Explosion (now known more commonly by its cacophemism, "the DC Implosion"). Now, it's one thing to make an out-and-out villain the star of an on-going series; this was the first time DC did so. But to do so with DC's most infamous and utterly irredeemable villain?
Crazy.
To star in his own comic, the Joker had to make the biggest character shift of all: going from antagonist to protagonist. He's not the only character who had trouble making this shift, but we'll talk more about that as a broader phenomenon later.
Joker had to go to Serial Killers Anonymous to star for the duration of his book; why, he barely killed 2 or 3 people, I think, during the whole series. Well, at least one of them was an innocent nightwatchmen, burned alive by a trick cigarette lighter; that's gotta count for extra points.
Boy, don't you hate it when a perfectly bad villain is ruined, defanged just so they can have their own series?
The stories ranged from Bad to
Embarrassingly Awful, although some of the bad ones were fun, in a crazy sort of way. Fun guest stars, too: Luthor, Sherlock Holmes (!), the Scarecrow, the Royal Flush Gang, Catwoman.You'd think that the only meeting between the Joker
and the Creeper (that I know of, anyway) would be one of the greatest stories in DC's history (Joker #3). It is, in fact, perhaps the worst story I have ever read (and I've read the JLA Detroit) and proof positive (if further proof were needed) that Denny O'Neill really just cannot write. In one of DC's least comprehensible editorial decisions of all time, THAT was the story they chose to include in the "Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told". I can only assume they let the Joker himself edit that volume.
The series was hobbled by the Comics Code; at the end of every issue, the Joker had to be caught or his imminent capture implicated. If you think Arkham seems like a revolving door to you now, you should have seen it in 1975-76; the Joker had a secret hideout beneath his cell at the Asylum (mostly so he could watch TV, it seemed).
And the art, well, just by looking at the covers you can watch the deterioration. Such a pity; imagine what such a series might be like today.But the series had many ludicrous joys, such as the Ha-Hacienda, the Ho-Ho-Home-on-Wheels, crooked entymologists, mind-swapping, pet hyenas, and, of course, the Shadrach/Mischach/and Abendego of Denominated Henchman, Southpaw, Tooth and Blue
-Eyes.Maddeningly, the tenth issue of the Joker was never published. According to the letter columns, its story was to be titled "99 and 44/100 Percent Dead!", and it was to guest-star ...
the Justice League.
I cannot for the life of me imagine what that story would have been.
But I have lain awake nights for the last 30 years trying to.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Composite Composition
I've seen some pretty creepy things in comics: Vertigo horror scenes, Jonah Hex body counts, and the costumes designs of Todd McFarlane.
But I have never
ever
seen a panel that creeped me out more than this one, a panel that still haunts me decades after first seeing it:
That's not the Joker in the foreground; it's the nightmarishly powerful Composite Superman himself, disguised as a statue of the Joker housed in the Batcave.
You can criticize the drawing technique and anatomical accuracy of the Old Comic Masters all you want ... but they understood composition. Oh, yes.
But I have never
ever
seen a panel that creeped me out more than this one, a panel that still haunts me decades after first seeing it:
That's not the Joker in the foreground; it's the nightmarishly powerful Composite Superman himself, disguised as a statue of the Joker housed in the Batcave.You can criticize the drawing technique and anatomical accuracy of the Old Comic Masters all you want ... but they understood composition. Oh, yes.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
The Ultra-Dynamo's Super Power
Must ... have ... DRAMA!
Starman, as always, delivers. Dr. Doog, easily recognizable by his trademark Yellow Bathrobe of Doom, prepares to throttle up the old Ultra-Dynamo.
Even one such panel from the brilliant Jack Burnley can serve as a primer on Creating a Dramatic Comic Book Panel. Light from below and use chiaroscuro. Use severe changes in font size to impart power to phrases. Catch characters poised just on the verge of action. Mysterious machinery in the background is good, particularly if it has a hyperbolic name and unspecified powers. Proximity is frightening; always place evil nearby, such as in the next room.
But what really interests me in this panel is the use of the word "super power". It hasn't become one word yet, and it isn't being applied to a person's abilities. Still, it's the first use of that phrase I can remember (it's from April 1941); are there any earlier ones that you know of?
Starman, as always, delivers. Dr. Doog, easily recognizable by his trademark Yellow Bathrobe of Doom, prepares to throttle up the old Ultra-Dynamo.
Even one such panel from the brilliant Jack Burnley can serve as a primer on Creating a Dramatic Comic Book Panel. Light from below and use chiaroscuro. Use severe changes in font size to impart power to phrases. Catch characters poised just on the verge of action. Mysterious machinery in the background is good, particularly if it has a hyperbolic name and unspecified powers. Proximity is frightening; always place evil nearby, such as in the next room.
But what really interests me in this panel is the use of the word "super power". It hasn't become one word yet, and it isn't being applied to a person's abilities. Still, it's the first use of that phrase I can remember (it's from April 1941); are there any earlier ones that you know of?
Hal's Revenge on Me
1. Unlikely coincidence; or
2. The Big Monkey website has achieved a rudimentary sentience based on my own consciousness; or
3. Hal has used his ring to access the Earth Prime internet and monkey with my business website.
You be the judge:
Marv-elous
What's worse than Marv Wolfman's dialog?
His prose. Well, not really, but almost. In case you're wondering that's from the forthcoming novelization of Superman Returns. Who in their right mind let the DC's worst writer in the last 30 years novelize Superman Returns? Was Bob Haney not available?
"Kal-El was asleep when his world exploded. His only memories were
of shifting back and forth in the soft, protective confines of his
mother's womb, dreaming of the gentle sounds she made. They were
encouraging songs and tender coos that let him know how much he was
already loved. As she sang, he knew her hand would gently brush
against her swollen abdomen then come to rest on his small, bulging
stomach. He anxiously waited for that all-too-brief moment, hoping
that very soon he would look into her eyes and let her know he loved
her, too."
His prose. Well, not really, but almost. In case you're wondering that's from the forthcoming novelization of Superman Returns. Who in their right mind let the DC's worst writer in the last 30 years novelize Superman Returns? Was Bob Haney not available?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Spin-Off Heaven!
Inspired by Blockade Boy's amusing catalog of the contents of Tony Stark's briefcase, I'm soliciting your help in compiling a list of what one-shots and miniseries from the whole Infinite Crisis hoo-ha we demand from DC. Because, heaven knows, one can never have too many ancillary tie-in books. As my Great-grandmother Ostendorf used to say, "When you milk a cow, milk it dry."
Here, in no particular order, are my Top Ten IC Spin-offs I Feel I Deserve for seven months of faithfully shelling out sheckels to watch Old Superman and Crazy Superboy act like self-centered jackasses:
1. "Waughed Out!", with every excruciating detail of the Venom-doped, V9-hopped Penguin's breakout from Blackgate.
2. The Rolling Head of Pantha, the Animated Series.
3. Limbo Boys Power Happy Sharing Time, the 500-page manga novel of what really happened when Alex Luthor disrobed in order to share his power with Superboy Prime.
4. The Power of Nyuck!, a Parobeckian romp in which Black Adam joins with Captain Marvel and CMJunior to form a Three Stooges tribute act.
5. Dr. Psycho's How to Control Friends and Eliminate People, in which Dr. Psycho embarrasses characters that readers take too seriously, then makes them jump off a building. C'mon; tell me you wouldn't enjoy seeing Deathstroke think he's a chicken... .
6. The Secret Sex. DCU's mysterious cadre of superpowered drag queens raid the closets of the recently exploded Looker. But what is Alan Scott's real agenda...?
7. DC's Fiction 500. Every issue is a mock annual report from one of DC's fictional companies, featured so charmingly on the 52 website.
8. The World Famous Mr. Orca, a light-hearted domestic comedy about a geeky amateur detective, his buxom supervillainous wife, and their circle of wacky gay friends.
9. Full House, the on-going adventures of Amos Fortune, his gal pal Roulette, and their rowdy brood of Royal Flush Gangsters.
10. The Green Lantern Bore, a monthly series with nothing but scenes of the 50 GLs who guard Superboy Prime talking to each other about regulations, sector gossip, and how their butts look. I won't buy it, of course, but I want the GL fans to suffer... . More, I mean.
Care to add any to the list...?
Here, in no particular order, are my Top Ten IC Spin-offs I Feel I Deserve for seven months of faithfully shelling out sheckels to watch Old Superman and Crazy Superboy act like self-centered jackasses:
1. "Waughed Out!", with every excruciating detail of the Venom-doped, V9-hopped Penguin's breakout from Blackgate.
2. The Rolling Head of Pantha, the Animated Series.
3. Limbo Boys Power Happy Sharing Time, the 500-page manga novel of what really happened when Alex Luthor disrobed in order to share his power with Superboy Prime.
4. The Power of Nyuck!, a Parobeckian romp in which Black Adam joins with Captain Marvel and CMJunior to form a Three Stooges tribute act.
5. Dr. Psycho's How to Control Friends and Eliminate People, in which Dr. Psycho embarrasses characters that readers take too seriously, then makes them jump off a building. C'mon; tell me you wouldn't enjoy seeing Deathstroke think he's a chicken... .
6. The Secret Sex. DCU's mysterious cadre of superpowered drag queens raid the closets of the recently exploded Looker. But what is Alan Scott's real agenda...?
7. DC's Fiction 500. Every issue is a mock annual report from one of DC's fictional companies, featured so charmingly on the 52 website.
8. The World Famous Mr. Orca, a light-hearted domestic comedy about a geeky amateur detective, his buxom supervillainous wife, and their circle of wacky gay friends.
9. Full House, the on-going adventures of Amos Fortune, his gal pal Roulette, and their rowdy brood of Royal Flush Gangsters.
10. The Green Lantern Bore, a monthly series with nothing but scenes of the 50 GLs who guard Superboy Prime talking to each other about regulations, sector gossip, and how their butts look. I won't buy it, of course, but I want the GL fans to suffer... . More, I mean.
Care to add any to the list...?
The Plot Threads of Damocles
Okay, it's been years now, but thanks to Mike at Progressive Ruin, I can't hold back any longer.
Mike points out that there's a dangling plot thread in Superman and one in Swamp Thing that drive him crazy. My personal plot thread of Damocles is the one where Lois's mother has a fatal disease for which -- duhn duhn DAH!-- only Lex Luthor has the cure. Once idea that was established, it was completely forgotten. Did Lois's mother die? Did Superman pull an all nighter with Kelex at the Fortress, whipping up an miracle drug? Did Lois put on a French maid's costume and table dance for Lex just to save her mom? I will never know.
Abruptly abandoned subplots, unsolved mysteries, and disappearing characters are the annoying manifestations of one of my big gripes with today's comics: writers are changed too frequently and editors do t0o little to ensure continuity when the shift is made.
In fact, sometimes change becomes the point. i understand that this may lead to a short-term spike in sales, but it damages the long-term mythmaking of the character. Much of the Batman and Superman mythoi were developed during long periods with the same writer/editor. Nowadays, a writer is brought on to tell "his arc" and then shuffles along.
This may work for more established characters like Batman and Superman, but this phenomenon keeps undercutting the long-term development of characters like Wonder Woman, Flash, Hawkman, and Aquaman. Wonder Woman and Flash change their entire supporting cast every time they get a new writer, for goodness sake.
"Aquaman" is now the common name of what is essentially four of five different characters (Topo's Pal, the King of Atlantis, Hookhand, Waterhand, and Sword Guy), putting "his" fans at odds with one another. Now, that kind of thing can happen with a Batman, too ("I like happy Batman"; "I like psycho Batman"), but I feel that those difference are more ones of degree than of kind.
In the Green Lantern realm, instead of letting a character grow, editors just replace him with someone else. 1940s Entrepeneur/Action Hero Alan Scott is replaced by 1950s/60s Company Man Hal Jordan is replaced by 1970s Liberal Rebel John Stewart is replaced by 1980s Bad-Ass Guy Gardner is replaced by 1990s Party Boy Kyle Rayner.
When a good writer is tasked to revitalize a character (like GA, GL, Hawkman, et al.), what do they do: they go back and start at the last point when the character was the result of long-term consistent mythmaking. Hal Jordan has to be brought back to the Top Gun shtick, Ollie Queen returns to millionaire philanthropist and civic figure, and Hawkman becomes Carter Hall, tough guy archeologist.
Is it so hard to learn a lesson from all this? Do not change the myth; the long term problems it causes for the character outweigh the short term gains.
Instead, expand the myth so that it contains more elements that more people can identify with. Batman remains a popular figure because he can credibly be Detective Batman, Streetfighter Batman, Superhero Batman, Spooky Batman, and Head of the Batman Family from one moment to the next without it seeming too jarring; Batman is all those things.
Anyway, back to what this post was originally supposed to be about (which is basically stolen from Mike...):
what are the dangling plot threads for your favorite characters that have been driving you crazy all these years?
Mike points out that there's a dangling plot thread in Superman and one in Swamp Thing that drive him crazy. My personal plot thread of Damocles is the one where Lois's mother has a fatal disease for which -- duhn duhn DAH!-- only Lex Luthor has the cure. Once idea that was established, it was completely forgotten. Did Lois's mother die? Did Superman pull an all nighter with Kelex at the Fortress, whipping up an miracle drug? Did Lois put on a French maid's costume and table dance for Lex just to save her mom? I will never know.
Abruptly abandoned subplots, unsolved mysteries, and disappearing characters are the annoying manifestations of one of my big gripes with today's comics: writers are changed too frequently and editors do t0o little to ensure continuity when the shift is made.
In fact, sometimes change becomes the point. i understand that this may lead to a short-term spike in sales, but it damages the long-term mythmaking of the character. Much of the Batman and Superman mythoi were developed during long periods with the same writer/editor. Nowadays, a writer is brought on to tell "his arc" and then shuffles along.
This may work for more established characters like Batman and Superman, but this phenomenon keeps undercutting the long-term development of characters like Wonder Woman, Flash, Hawkman, and Aquaman. Wonder Woman and Flash change their entire supporting cast every time they get a new writer, for goodness sake.
"Aquaman" is now the common name of what is essentially four of five different characters (Topo's Pal, the King of Atlantis, Hookhand, Waterhand, and Sword Guy), putting "his" fans at odds with one another. Now, that kind of thing can happen with a Batman, too ("I like happy Batman"; "I like psycho Batman"), but I feel that those difference are more ones of degree than of kind.
In the Green Lantern realm, instead of letting a character grow, editors just replace him with someone else. 1940s Entrepeneur/Action Hero Alan Scott is replaced by 1950s/60s Company Man Hal Jordan is replaced by 1970s Liberal Rebel John Stewart is replaced by 1980s Bad-Ass Guy Gardner is replaced by 1990s Party Boy Kyle Rayner.
When a good writer is tasked to revitalize a character (like GA, GL, Hawkman, et al.), what do they do: they go back and start at the last point when the character was the result of long-term consistent mythmaking. Hal Jordan has to be brought back to the Top Gun shtick, Ollie Queen returns to millionaire philanthropist and civic figure, and Hawkman becomes Carter Hall, tough guy archeologist.
Is it so hard to learn a lesson from all this? Do not change the myth; the long term problems it causes for the character outweigh the short term gains.
Instead, expand the myth so that it contains more elements that more people can identify with. Batman remains a popular figure because he can credibly be Detective Batman, Streetfighter Batman, Superhero Batman, Spooky Batman, and Head of the Batman Family from one moment to the next without it seeming too jarring; Batman is all those things.
Anyway, back to what this post was originally supposed to be about (which is basically stolen from Mike...):
what are the dangling plot threads for your favorite characters that have been driving you crazy all these years?
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