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“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams

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ASPECT: The IRREPRESSIBLE Ant Man pt. 1

"So, how do you want to start this?"

"Well, Doc, you know I’ve always been a fan of Atom Ant"

"Atom Ant?"

"Not a fan of the classics? Atom Ant? You know, the super strong, flying ant? I really looked up to that guy… not literally, obviously."

"Not anymore, anyway."

"Good point."

"So, do you think that Atom Ant has any relevance to your current… um…"

"My current what?"

"Your current, shall we say, identity crisis?"

"No, I don’t think so. I’m a super hero. Atom Ant was a cartoon."

"You know, there is a thin line between a superhero, and a loony, don’t you?"

"Absolutely! You should meet some of the wack jobs I’ve had to work with!? Poodle Girl. Papier Mache Lad. Black Hitler. Slightly Off Kilter Boy. I mean, can you imagine?"

"And what’s your super hero name again?"

"Ant Man. They call me Ant Man."

"And why do you call yourself that again?"

"Because that’s what I am! Do I really have to go through this again, Doc?"

"I think you’d better."

"Alright… so, I was originally an ant, right? Just one of a colony. Invisible. Indivisible. Anonymous. Happy, right? So one day I’m foraging for some food with my ant buddies out by the nuclear facility when suddenly, without warning… WHAM! I got stepped on by a radioactive human."

"And yet you survived?"

"Damned right I did! Not only did I survive though, but I gained the proportionate size, strength and speed of… A HUMAN! From that day on, I was destined to be known as… ANT MAN!"

"Not Man Ant?"

"Don’t be ridiculous."

"So how did your parents feel about this."

"Not sure. In my rush to run home and tell them, I… uh, forgot about my proportionate human size and all."

"So what happened?"

"I stepped on them. At least, I think it was them. It’s so hard to tell one ant from another all the way up here, you know?"

"How did you tell each other apart when you were an ant?"

"Name tags."

"Right. So what happened then?"

"Well, I tried to make it as an ant for a couple of weeks, but it’s really hard to steal food from peoples picnics when you’re a six foot ant man with no discernible clothing."

"I can imagine."

"So I decided to pack up my things and say goodbye to the colony. That was when I became a superhero."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"Not too bad. I was in the Avengers for a while."

"Really?"

"No, not really. But I looked through their toilet window once. They’re not kidding when they say that Thor is the God of thunder, I can tell you."

"That’s a cheap joke."

"Hey, it’s a cheap life."

"Anything you want to add before the session ends."

"Just that I fight for truth, justice and anything sticky that falls on the floor."

"Thanks Ant Man."

"Pleasure, Doc."

NEXT - The IRRATIONAL Ant Man #2 - Teams

16 Comments

Why Are You Even READING This Crap!?!

A recent article on the main page by G-Man raised a very interesting question about how we read comics. It asked whether knowing that the hero was, ultimately, going to win in the end affected our enjoyment of the story. For decades, with heroes such as Batman and Superman, Spider man and Captain America, we have seen them placed in perilous and, seemingly insurmountable danger, only to see the overcome all obstacles. Why? Because as creative as these comic book guys get, coming up with a new sure fire hit character a month to replace the one you killed last month might be beyond even their reach (unless, of course, you were Stan Lee or Jack Kirby around the late 60’s-early 70’s where you probably could have done it in your SLEEP). Ultimately, none of the majors are going to kill their cash cows’ and the best you can hope for is an editorial enforced ‘hiatus’ of character so that you don’t get TOO sick of them. Moratoriums on characters can last years, but after decades of recycled story ideas and laboured stunts and events, even that can seem like too short a time. Another Batman/Joker epic anyone? Another phoenix resurrection? Wanna see someone else get killed in a Marvel summer event only to come back in the next issue or would you rather spend your hard earned bucks on this weeks DC reboot?

"I'm a two foot biker! No, biker! I said BIKER!"

Superman is a small cod in this one and Wonder Woman is a two foot biker!!!

But I digress (whilst secretly hoping that Grant Morrison is writing those series’ RIGHT NOW!).

The point I am clumsily trying to get to is that I don’t think anything can affect the enjoyment that comes from good story telling and let me tell you why.

Good writing makes you believe what the storyteller wants you to believe.

"Hate the game, not the playa, bitches."

I remember reading an interview with film maker Steven Spielberg where he revealed how Peter Benchley (the creator and writer of Jaws) and himself argued bitterly about the ending of the film where Sheriff Brody shoots the canister in the sharks mouth, blowing it sky high (if you haven’t seen Jaws yet then I apologise profusely and ask you to ignore what I just said and instead let me tell you that the movie ends with everybody having an ice cream in a 60’s themed diner. Thank you).

Benchley believed that it was too excessive and that no one would believe it, thinking that it too far fetched. Yet Spielberg was adamant that if he had done his job properly throughout the rest of the film, that he would have the audience in the palm of his hand and at that point, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted and the audience would go with him.

And remember kids, the first guano of the season is always the tastiest.
And remember kids, the first guano of the season is always the tastiest.

Of course, when the movie played to audiences, they went absolutely BATSHIT at the shark exploding (or eating ice cream in a 60’s diner) and Spielberg was proved right. Good story telling can take you anywhere because it allows you to believe. If a story has done its job properly (whether it be a film a book a joke or a comic) then you will want to believe that the Joker is REALLY going to kill the Batman this time. It will feel real as you will have engaged in a willing suspension of disbelief, because no writer can create tension on a page, they can only use their tools effectively enough to create it in your mind.

Ultimately, it is not the resultant victory that intrigues us, but what the hero goes through to get there, how they are changed or scarred, how it contributes to the characters evolution and the ultimate cost of the victory. The main thrill isn’t how the hero wins, but how he will get to that victory when all hope seems lost. The psychology of this runs deeply in all of us and ultimately ties into the same psychology that compels us to watch or read these types of fiction in the first place; the need for escape.

Which brings us to the nuts and bolts of the situation.

The bigger, overall question isn’t really if our enjoyment of this type of fiction is diminished by the knowledge that the hero will always win, but actually how can we enjoy these types of fiction when they are purely that; fiction?

These characters that we read about in the myriad titles available monthly do not really exist, the stories serving as purely hypothetical scenarios conjured up by whichever writer is hired at the time to fulfill the task. The comic book business is simply that; a business and the need to propagate these investments for as long as humanly possible is their only goal.

So why are you even reading this crap!?!

Speedball. Comics answer to diabetes.
Speedball. Comics answer to diabetes.

If the stories are simply rehashed and recycled ideas filtered through a hired hands instrument over and over again, why do we allow ourselves to be used, our hard earned cash taken from our trembling hands as we hope for the next Watchmen or Speedball series?

I would imagine that it might be for the same reason that I do.

It is because past the cynicism and fanboy negativity that we can oft times heap upon these characters we believe whole-heartedly in them.. I know sometimes what I read in a comic book seems more real that the world I physically inhabit. Other times it is just a comfort or a means of escape but it is never less than something I hold as a constant in my life. I have always read comic, as long as I can remember and even though I have seen those spandex freaks come out victorious time and time again, I never tire of it.

You know why?

Because I love it.

I don’t mean to get sappy and sentimental here, but I am so shut up. I love heroes. I love heroism. I love ideals that can’t be shaken. It is probably deeply rooted in a need for such idealism to exist in the real world and being content to see it exist somewhere, even in purely fictional form. I love the character of Batman, not the fact that he will never truly be defeated. I love the character of Spider-Man, not the fact that Doctor Octopus will never impale him on his tentacles. I want these heroes to win because I have known these characters all my life. There is no story of loss for these characters that could ever be as gratifying to me as the stories of their victories.

I will never tire of well told stories of characters that have been with me my whole life, will see me through to my death and then will continue their mad dance for whoever comes after. I find something very comforting in the unique perpetuity that this art form provides.

Why else would I be reading this crap?

25 Comments

MOST IMPORTANT INDIE COMICS EVER!!! (to me anyway)

Growing up, super hero comics were, obviously a huge influence on my reading and my life. Yet, my comic book reading history didn't begin with them and, instead, began with the independent market. Being Welsh and growing up in a small town, it wasn't until i visited the 'big city' in my later adolescence that i first saw the bright and shiny American comics. Until that moment i had found sustenance in the independent scene and comics like 2000AD. Independent comics to this day feed my soul in a way that mainstream comics never can or could. They are freedom, expression, an opiate of the senses, so, in the interest of piquing someone else's interests as i had my own, i thought i'd share with you the ten Indies comics that inspired me the most growing up.

Seek out the ones that grab you. Trust me, it will be worth it.

1. 2000 AD

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The importance of this long running series on my mind, my personality, my psyche and my tastes cannot be over stated. For my formative pre-teen years, every Monday, my dear departed Granny would come home from work with a copy of 2000 AD under her arm, ready to assault my eager young brain with subversion and genuine thrill power. Little did she probably know of what went on within those pages but every week I would devour the mind blowing antics of Judge Dredd and Slaine, Nemesis and the A.B.C Warriors. There were stories by Alan Grant, Pat Mills, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, art byDave Gibbons, Kev O’Neill and Glenn Fabry and if there was ever a comic better attuned to BLOWING the minds of young readers, I have yet to experience it.

2. EDDY CURRENT

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I bought my hardcover copy of Eddy Current off a friend of my ex-girlfriend when I was a teenager. He was a drug addled loon and wanted me to pay thirty dollars for it, even though I knew that this was a rip off. I paid the money, as i wanted to appear like a good guy in the eyes of my, then girlfriend and forever more after that, the drug addled loon would laugh and mock me every time I met him (which, thankfully, was not often) as he felt that he had successfully fooled me into parting with money beyond the worth of what I had bought. Fool. I would have paid him a hundred if I knew what was in that book. A rush of seedy underground comic book making at its finest, visionary and dark and funny as all hell, Eddy Current, to this day rocks my world.

And to that drug addled loon, wherever you be in this wild and crazy world; thank you, from the bottom of my crackling and buzzing black heart… thank you.

3. ZERO ZERO

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Published by Fantagraphics, Zero Zero was an anthology of independent comic book artists that opened my mind up the possibilities inherent, not only in the comic book world, but also within art in general. I think most generations of comic book readers have an anthology title which touches them, whether that might be Tales From The Crypt, Taboo or Marvel Comics Presents. For me, it was Zero Zero. It enabled me to experience, in one sitting the length and breadth of comic book talent, ranging from Richard Salato David Mazzucchelli and, of course, including my first introduction to the work of the next man on our list.

4. BIOLOGIC SHOW

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Al Columbia. I don’t know what to say. Perhaps the most unsettling work on the list (or on any list), The Biologic Show is a nightmare put on paper.

It is not the most violent, not the most graphic comic ever made, not even close, but its quiet and intense atmospherics leave you wishing you had waited until first light, whilst sitting in a crowded room to read it. I can’t even begin to tell you what it is about, but I can urge you, if you are one who seeks out experience, to find it and consume it heartily.

5. SIN CITY

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Who wasn’t influenced and blown away by Sin City when it first appeared? The art, the noir, the sheer black and white of art and theme, the pure grit and raunch of Frank Miller’s (now) seminal work was as revolutionary as it was a heark back to the traditional and potent power of the comic book page. The subsequent series may have sometimes been hit and miss, but for pure story telling power, you couldn’t go past the independent spirit of Sin City and its doomed inhabitants.

6. HATE

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Peter Bagge should have some kind of award. I don’t know what it should be or why, I just believe he should. There are many great tomes that capture the times, the zeitgeist of our existence; the Great Gatsby, A Confederacy Of Dunces, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, Catcher In The Rye… oh, andHate. Damned straight I’m putting that in there as NO other book or comic captured the spirit and underlying ennui and emotion of my formative years as the adventures of Buddy Bradley and his cronies did. I laughed, I cried, I had a long hard look at myself in the mirror. Through the years that Hate came out, my friends and I grew with the comic and characters as they grew with me and as a mirror of my own sometimes sad and depraved existence, I have to hold Hate up as a classic, not only of comic book literature, but of literature. Period.

7. MILK AND CHEESE

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Mindless violence and addiction as portrayed through a rogue block of cheese and a subversive carton of milk. What was not possible in comics? Nothing, that’s what Evan Dorkin and his obnoxious creations told me. Then they beat me about the head with pipes, vomited in my mouth and told me to get out into the world and DO something, ya dorky fanboy you!

8. SOUTHERN SQUADRON

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Published by Cyclone Comics in Australia (where I do dwell) The Southern Squadron were the first really independent superhero title I had read outside of The Big Two. Australia has a veeery distinctive and wholly original sense of humour and outlook on things and it was ll here in the Southern Squadron. A fairly amateur group of heroes, the Squadron stories were filled with the laconic wit of the average Australian ‘bloke’ or ‘sheila’ and though it didn’t have the scope of their competitors, made up for it with pure heart, humour and independence. When all that was on offer were rather insipid American heroes, the warts and all approach of a very real and very independent comic book team and comic book company was a welcome reprieve.

9. FLAMING CARROT

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What the hell was going on? To this day, even when I go back I don’t know what is happening, why it is happening, or why the hell I find it so funny. And that was the draw of the Flaming Carrot. Anything that could entertain you as much as it confused you HAD to be a good thing, right? Far more aware of him as a concept and a name before I ever read the title, it was the Bill Plymptonesque art that first drew me in. The completely hilarious insanity was what kept me reading. Surreal insanity in the form of a vegetable headed crusader fighting against… uh, something?

Yes please. I’ll have some of that.

10. JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC/SQUEE

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Jhonen Vasquez has gone on to be somewhat of a poster child for the independent circuit, and rightly so as his earlier works were as brilliant as they were idiosyncratic. Completely cartoony (though I don’t think ANYONE could have foreseen him working for Nickelodeon when they first came out) Johnny was as hilarious as it was bone crushingly violent. A strange combination to be sure but one which absolutely suited the sensibilities of my friends and I. Johnny, of course, lead into the even stranger Squee series about the quest of one small boy to find some semblance of normality in his life. He is, of course, thwarted at every turn and in that, perhaps, I took some form of recognition of my, of all of our struggles to have the world recognize us, not as the weird freaks we truly are, but as human beings with real feelings, real desires and really really big knives..

11 Comments

Nobodies Fault But Your Own

Let’s face it, being a hero is a tough gig.

I AM A GIANT KNOB!
I AM A GIANT KNOB!

The job is mostly thankless, the toll on your personal life is unrelenting and the bill at the end for all those costume repairs nad public indemnity insurance is staggering. Many heroes are cursed to their situation, damned to being the protector of their people, their era by fate and destiny having a tango. Think of Ash from the Evil Dead series, destined to fight the Deadites when all he really wants is to share some sugar with a young lady of his choice until his dying day. Look at the fate of the Silver Surfer, poor Norrin Radd cursed to forever cruise the space ways alone due to his selfless act of heroism in the face of the cosmic tuning fork of doom, Galactus.

Yet, not all heroes are doomed to their cause, and let’s face it, a lot of them just make everything SUCK for the rest of us due to their heroic self appointment. So let us take a look at a few heroes and in one unified voice remind them that it’s NOBODIES FAULT BUT YOUR OWN!!!

BATMAN – Crime Escalation

Batman took on his mantle of fear as a means of fighting crime in the name of his murdered parents and ensuring that Bruce’s own horrific fate is not shared by others. Yet, how much good does the Batman actually do? How long has Bruce/Bats been policing the streets of Gotham? How many years has he attempted to eradicate crime, not form the streets of the world mind you, but just the streets of his own city? With all his billions, contacts, skills and detective skills, Gotham City seems to be in a worse state now than it ever has been and a big part of that is due to Batman himself.

Batusi? Piss Off.
Batusi? Piss Off.

How many psychopaths were there in Gotham before Batman showed up? How many COSTUMED psychos were there? A few, I will grant you, due to the presence of the original Green Lantern and the original Reaper and such, but nowhere NEAR as many hooded, masked and made up psychos willing to blow up half the city and pee on its remains since old Batface showed up. How many people you saved Batman? A lot? Good, because if you tally up the murders of all the psychos who have appeared because of you, you’re probably accountable as one of the greatest mass murderers of your time.

Let’s face it Bats, as a crime fighter, you suck.

SPIDERMAN – Uncle Murderer

With great power comes great responsibility. WRONG!

With cool spidey powers comes spending an incredible amount of time hanging upside dwon from ceilings and lifting cars above your head to impress the girls. But no, Peter had to go and ruin it all didn’t he? Desperate to make a few bucks (and I do mean a few) Peter becomes a pro wrestler, which is possibly why ninety nine percent of wrestlers become wrestlers also. Just like ninety nine percent of all wrestlers, Peter got screwed out of his earnings and whilst having a tantrum, lets a burglar go free when he could have stopped him. This burglar of course, then heavily ventilates Peter’s uncle with a pistol and Peter is forever cursed through guilt to be Spider-Man.

What a dick.

Hustle. Loyalty. Being a dick.
Hustle. Loyalty. Being a dick.

Still, it wasn't Peter’s lack of responsibility that lead to Uncle Ben’s death. No. It was his sheer lack of inspiration. Wrestling? Really? That was the best you could come up with, Pete!? And Spider-Man? Tell me, if you saw John Cena walking toward the ring to battle his newest opponent, The Spider-Man, would you be glued to your television set of would you hurl the nearest large, sturdy object at the tv screen hoping to end the pain? I agree. The latter I believe.

Peter, I think it’s a good thing your Uncle died of a gunshot wound, because if he hadn’t, the shame would have killed him in the end.

HULK – Emotionally unstable

The Hulk has long been labeled a monster, but let’s face it, the real monster here is Banner himself. Much like Frankenstein is truly the villain of his own particular malady, so too is the emotionally unstable world view of Dr. Bruce Banner. The Hulk is purely and simply and expression of Banner himself, the outward manifestation of his rage toward his father, the way he was treated growing up and his general resentment toward the world. I mean, for all the Hulks we have seen, there are many we haven’t (and i'm not making this stuff up), such as the ‘Guilt’ Hulk, the ‘Beast’ Hulk and the ‘Devil’ Hulk who represents the base hatred Banner carried around with him that wants to destroy the whole world.

Um, hello? Can anyone else say ‘Psych Evaluation?’

I have a PHD in being a CRYBABY!
I have a PHD in being a CRYBABY!

Banner is a loon. I mean, can you imagine what have happened if the Dalai Lama had been irradiated? How much damage could the Incredible Llama do to the world? A buffed up super strong Buddhist is not nearly as scary an image as a pent up eternal adolescent with daddy issues now, is it?

No.

If the military, the government, the Avengers nad the breathing world really want to stop the Hulk, all they need is Bruce Banner and a crate full of ecstacy.

Problem solved.

THOR – Schmuck

How bad can things be in Asgard? Twenty four seven orgies of drinking, gorging, fighting and buffed and buxom wenches and fellas as far as the eye can see (which is quite far if you’re Heimdall). You don’t die, you don’t get sick and with nothing but the occasional Ragnarok to deal with your days can be spent sipping on a fresh brew of mead and skimming pebbles off Lokis’ massive cranium.

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But no, this wasn’t good enough for Thor, was it? He had to strut around Asgard acting like an ass, so much so, that his Dad ended up kicking him out of home. Jerk. Do you have a teenager for a son? I do, and I know the temptation to do the same. Teenagers are hard work, man and when they’ve got a license to carry around a bloody great hammer with them everywhere they go, doubly so. Not only did Odin kick Thor’s mooching, couch surfing arse out of Asgard, he also turned him into a cripple. Okay, so, a little harsh maybe, but when you get home from a hard days godding and you find you find that your sons taken the last soda, has his hammer on the coffee table again and is still wearing that stupid winged helmet you told him to get rid of… well… we all have our limits I suppose.

Thor. God of annoying teenagers. I hate you.

21 Comments

New DC WHO'S WHO?

Back in 1985, there was no such thing as the internet and when you wanted to know something about a comic book, you had to (SHOCK! HORROR!) actually READ the comic book! Amazing, i know. There were no wiki's no Comic Vines, no forums, HELL, you couldn't even look at porn whenever you felt like and had to find some that others had discarded in a bush next to the local railway tracks (if you're British, or a Spaced fan).

But that's somewhat off the topic.

DC Comics answer to this lack of online, streaming information was to release the collosal WHO'S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE. This was a 24 issue series that served, when combined as an exhaustive character Encyclopedia, featuring new art from favourite artists and tickling the funnybone of many a salivating comic fan.

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Two year later they released a shorter update series and then a year later yet another. Marvel had made a similar series a few years previous though in recent years they have favoured an online approach. DC, on the other hand have been fairly lax with their updating of their own properties histories and origins.

So with the launch of The New 52 well and truly up and running, i was wondering if DC had considered releasing a new version of their Who's Who? This thought came to me while i was pondering whether Commisioner Gordon and Batman met under the same circumstances dictated in Batman: Year One whilst in the bath. It struck me that i had no idea and for that matter, probably no one else did either. As much as i love jumping in at the deep end with a title, i think at some point, it would be in the company and the readers interest to know what has gone before. There is a resounding hollowness in the New 52 titles that i just can't shake and for me, it comes down to the fact that these stories and these characters seem to have no historical roots.

I have no problem with DC changing the game plan completely, i think bold ideas should always be attempted, but i think that some time needs to be taken now to start building the foundations of these books and characters and that perhaps a Who's Who type comics series might be the answer.

Of course, this kind of series could only be created if DC had an actual and definite idea of what the foundations of their new universe are and laying out each characters history would involve them showing exactly how forward planning they have been all along. I mean, surely they wouldn't know their own characters new histories now, would they?

DC Co-Publisher Dan Didio has been seemingly forthright in answering questions regarding which events have or haven't happened in the New 52, but are DC willing to be even more forthright in stepping forth and telling us exactly WHAT has gone before?

The real question then would be , would we want them to?

What do you think? Do you want to know hte new history of teh DC universe? Or are you happier to just let it play out as it is?

Would you buy a new DC encyclopedia series or should it be presented as an online wiki made by DC themselves?

21 Comments

LOVE AND HATE # 1

Like most of you, i can read an awful lot of comics each month, so i thought i might share with y'all a couple of things in this wacky four colour world we inhabit that i love about this medium and that i hate. I'm not usually in the habit of reeeally bad mouthing comics (not in a public forum anyway) but here is where i'm gonna let my bile fly, so stand back in the front rows. It might be a comic, a character, a creator or a pot plant in the background of the next issue of Archie.

This month i'm going with a series and an issue.

LOVE - AKIRA

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I know that we don't really talk about manga here, but i've just been re-reading this seminal series and every time i revisit it i am reminded about the scope that only comics can provide. Alan Moore always said that Watchmen was written specifically to highlight the strengths of comic book story telling. As a medium i don't believe there is any other that can compare to the depth that comics books can cover when done right. Akira is a fantastic example of this, combining art, character, plot and the sheer length of the series to tell a story that is as complex as it is brilliant. The scope of the comic is staggering and when it kicks into its many action sequences, not only are they eye poppingly beautiful to look at, but have a real sense of danger and import on the story.

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No mindless slugfests in this one.

If you've only seen the movie version (which is a major achievement in itself) then you're missing an awful lot. Short of making a three day long film, there is no way that the complexities of the comic could be translated into film, though they certainly gave it a good try. Akira is disturbing, compelling, exhilarating and a must read for any self respecting comic fan. I'm stopping myself short here before i end up doing a full review but if you haven't checked it out, don't be put off by the manga element and pick yourself up a copy.

HATE - DARK X-MEN: THE CONFESSION

What a steaming pile of crap.

I think i could very easily have included the entire Utopia series into this section as the whole thing was a confused, badly written turd, but this particular issue was the worst of the lot.

Ab. Solute. Shit.
Ab. Solute. Shit.

I've dipped in and out of X Men since the late 80's and i've always been willing to give whatever creators are handling them at any given time a chance. With Matt Fraction, even more so as i know that a lot of people hate his writing (and as an extension, the man himself it seems). So i went out of my way to read his stuff, to prove people wrong and to make up my own mind as i hate to feel swept along by any kind of herd. I definitely didn't hate his stuff, but i could certainly see why people had problems with a man lauded as a 'Marvel Architect' when his ability seemed to be no more than mediocre. His plotting was uninspired, his dialogue cliched and though he wasn't terrible, he was far from great.

Then i read Utopia. It was rubbish. The writing was rubbish. I'm not a fan of Terry Dodson so i thought the art was rubbish. Everything was rubbish.

Okay. Fine. Just my opinion. Put the comic down and go back to your old man's cave and dust off your old copies of Ambush Bug, four eyes.

But then i read this excrement. Though not written by Matt Fraction, i assume that he must have had his hand in the plotting of this issue as it fits under the whole Utopia arc. I can imagine that the plot meeting went a little something like this;

"Hey, i know, let's take everything interesting about the Summers/Frost relationship and piss all over it! Hey, that sounds great! We can turn the intricacies of their involvement into a vapid, two dimensional snore fest which makes The Hills look like it has depth! Cool! Now, let's spend another hour patting each other on the backs."

Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle should hang their heads in shame for being party to this. When Emma Frost was reintroduced into the X Universe as an uneasy ally and lover to Cyclops, she was interesting because of her differences from the rest of the X characters. Marvel, apparently didn't like this and have since tried to subvert her to being nothing more than a trophy, an accessory to Cyclops arc. This story was the last nail in the coffin.

R.I.P. Emma Frost. You were once interesting.

7 Comments

What IS a strong female character anyway?

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to divulge into a rant on sexism in comics as I’m SURE we’re all talked out on that particular subject.

Yet I have heard a lot of talk around the site about strong female characters and the subsequent lack, or misuse of them. So I got to thinking; what is a strong female character and more to the point, WHO is a strong female character anyway? To narrow the playing field, let me state that i’m just talking about characters from the Big Two here (as I would love to do a future blog on indie female characters).

To define the term a little more, the term “strong” to me is a character who is clearly defined, intriguing, layered and capable of holding your interest even without their powers, clothing, gravity defying figure, groovy weapons etc, etc.

They are a character who has character. That’s it. A character who has character.

So, as I thought about female characters who I considered to be “strong” characters, I found myself faced with conundrums, doubts and contradictions of character. Part of this may be due to the fact that the majority of female characters are written b males, as the majority of comic creators ARE male. So the more I thought about it, this fact along with many others made me wonder which female characters ARE actually well conceived and written. To better explain, let me share this short list of female characters I considered to be strong and the problems that I’ve pondered regarding them.

SHE HULK

SPECIFIC CREATOR: John Byrne

PROS: The 80’s run of She Hulk that John Byrne wrote and drew definitely stands up as one of the most entertaining comic series of all time with it’s humour, action and art reinforcing my love of comics at the time. Of course, the star of the show was the Sensational She Hulk and what I loved about her was that she was funny, powerful and obviously smart. In the first issue she re-caps her origin and for a couple of panels you see what Jennifer looked like before she became the Shulk and I was floored. Not only had I never seen or thought that there was a powered down, ‘human’ version of She Hulk, but I also completely believed that this jade powerhouse actually had that ‘normal’ looking woman inside her. Byrne humanized the She Hulk and not only gave her back her mind, but also her profession as a lawyer, which had fallen by the wayside at the time. This version of She Hulk is the version that comic book creators continue to use as the mould today in epics such as Civil War.

CONS: Ahead of the curve, John Byrne obviously sensed the coming of the 90’s and the trend toward scantily clad, physiologically impossible women as he

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seemed to have Jennifer have her clothes ripped off nearly every issue. No gratuitous nudity as such, but an awful lot of running around in underwear and such. Sure, it was all in good fun but there were also full page spreads of Jennifer trying on different outfits and fainting in the presence of dreamy men as she searched for a boyfriend. Now, I don’t see these things as sexist necessarily, after all, it is a proven fact that a lot of women do wear clothes, trying on several variations before deciding on one and it has also been proven that some women do date men. Astounding, I know, but there you have it.

The thing that doesn’t sit right about these scenes though is that they are clumsy as all hell and are very obviously written by a man who is writing how he THINKS a woman acts and it therefore comes across as false. Can Mr. Byrne help this? Short of taking a trip to Mexico for a back alley sex change operation, no, and even then he couldn’t have a female/male brain transplant. It’s not John Byrnes fault that he falters with female dialogue and action (a lot of comic book writers struggle with HUMAN dialogue and action) it is just a slight failing in the strength of the character along with her penchant for having her clothes ripped off (a trait Byrne also used in his Fantastic Four when Shulks’ only feature story revolved around her being photographed topless in Fantastic Four 275).

EMMA FROST

SPECIFIC CREATOR: Grant Morrison

PROS: Grant Morrison was, inarguably the writer who brought the White Queen, Emma Frost out the shadows and turned her into not only one of the most popular females in comics, but also one of the most popular characters. He turned a sometimes one dimensional villain into a seductive, razor sharp anti-hero and, in my personal opinion, revolutionized the X-Men landscape. No other character better represented Morrisons’ radical reinvention of the X-Universe than Ms. Frost and his introduction of her into the Scott Summers/Jean Grey relationship not only shook years of history to its foundation, but was so popular that it still lasts today over ten years later. Emma was a truly contemporary reinvention. Bold. Brilliant. Stunning.

CONS: Emma is, in the simplest, bluntest terms a fanboys wet dream. Seemingly written as an extension of Grant Morrisons Invisibles research, Emma is, at times a stereotypical seductress (the fantasy) sexually preying on and then falling in love with the eternal schoolboy/repressed hero, Scott Summers (young Grant Morrison/99.9 percent of comic book readers). There are almost laughable moments (sometimes intentional) where Emma is almost a caricature of herself, or of the image of the liberal minded, sexually charged modern woman.

And that outfit?

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Well, maybe it could be explained by her mental powers, the same ones that made her look like a voluptuous stripper in her early days before she had the surgery (all true as explained in Morrisons’ run). There are moments in Morrisons run and since where Frosts sexuality has been exploited, used as the entirety of the character and that’s a pity. What is a bigger shame is that since the end of her initial reintroduction, it seems that the majority of writers don’t know what to do with her, relegating her to the status of Cyclops doting shadow, proving that there are no small parts, only small minded comic book writers.

LOIS LANE

SPECIFIC CREATOR: Various

PROS: Lois Lane was one of the first ‘modern’ women in comics. The actual best interpretation of the Golden Age Lois can be found in Max Fleischers fantastic animated Superman series which first aired in 1941. This Lois was a firecracker, hot headed, intelligent, stubborn, brave, fearless and many other adjectives too. Just like a real woman (or my wife, at least). At her best, Lois is the equal of Superman or any other hero, sure, not in the power department, but in the fact that she is just as resourceful, heroic and determined as the super heroes. Also, like Commisioner Gordon, she stands equal, not ready to take a back seat to super heroism as she knows, like Gordon, that what she does in the real world is every bit as brave and every bit as difficult (if not more so) than what the heroes do. The addition of Lois’ father to her mythology and the addition of traits like martial arts training (taught by her father, a U.S Soldier) only enhanced the character and the fact that she is considered Clarks’ superior in journalism has always been a brilliant touch (brilliantly captured in the original Superman movie by Margot Kidder).

CONS: She’s the eternal damsel in distress. When handled badly, even in the modern day arena, Lois plays like Penelope Pitstop, tied to the tracks as the train hurtles forward, waiting to be rescued. This oft used tact uses a fantastic character as nothing more than a plot device, ignoring her potential as an active and crucial protagonist. Also, it is an artists right to reinterpret a character to fit their style, But Mr. Carlos Pacheco, I wonder what mood you were in when you interpreted Lois as this;

Lois Does Krypton?
Lois Does Krypton?

and this;

STARFIRE

Oh wait... Sex And The Bottled City.
Oh wait... Sex And The Bottled City.
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SPECIFIC CREATOR: Marv Wolfman and Scott Lobdell

PROS: Marv Wolfman

CONS: Scott Lobdell

Look, I’m nit picking with a lot of these details, I know, but there are a dozen, a hundred more characters you could do this with, but, hey, I’ve got a wife and two kids and time is at a premium.

My point (and I do have one) is that it’s easy to see characters as being written poorly if you look hard enough, especially female ones. Essays could be written (and have) about how poorly written and sexist Namor is, but the point here is the representation of an entire sex.

So to cut it down a little, I think that a great character is a great character, whatever there sex may be. What goes for a male character goes for a female; good dialogue, good characterisation, real emotion, real interests, real character.

So which writers have got it right and with which characters. I’d love to hear some examples from past comics as well. Who were the strong, well written female characters of the 50’s? The 60’s? The 70’s? The 1900's!?!

Personally, my current vote goes to JH Williams Kate Kane, the new Batwoman and Greg Ruckas Renee Montoya, otherwise known as the Question. Renee Montoya I think is especially well written as I was a huge fane of the Denys Cowan, Denny O’Neil Question of the 80’s/90’s and hated the idea of a new female version. I thought it was a gimmick and washed my mouth out for MONTHS after reading what Rucka had done with the character. Amazing. I didn’t think of her as a female character or a female version of the Question. She just WAS the Question. She was just a great character.

My eternal apologies to Greg Rucka for doubting him (as I’m SURE he loses hours of sleep over the fact that I doubted him).

So let me know what you think. Agree with what i've written? Let me know. Disagree? REALLY let me know. And tell me what works for you and what doesn't. Let’s celebrate some female representation in comics for a change.

You know… until the next issue of Red Hood And The Outlaws comes out.

28 Comments

The DEFINITIVE Punisher

Frank Castle.

What can you say?

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It seems you either love him or you hate him and that not only applies to us readers, but also to the majority of the characters in the Marvel Universe (and a few from DC's unverse too).

Long disregarded as a Batman rip off after his creation, it was the 1986 mini series by Steven Grant and Mike Zeck, that really brought Frank into his own, though it was definitely a series of dubious quality and character reasoning. The Punisher, though, has since gone on to become a fan favourite, with stand out runs by John Romita Jr, Chuck Dixon, Klaus Janson and, of course, Garth Ennis.

THE CHARACTER

First introduced in The Amazing Spider Man #129, the Punisher was created by Gerry Conway, who wrote and designed the basic concept, John Romita Sr, who refined the costume's design and Ross Andru who drew the first comic book appearance. Though there was no doubt that the Punisher was a vigilante, there was a certain heroic nobility to those earlier Frank Castle appearances, a reluctance to be damned as being cut from the same mould as the villains and a responsibility to the heroes he worked along side. This side of Frank would change over time to a far darker tone and an almost maniacal drive and acceptance of the dark deeds that he must commit in the name of punishment. In those early Spider Man issues, Frank was almost a protector, a colleague to Spider Man, though a homicidal one at best (their first meeting with Moses Magnum still ranks as one of the best comics EVER). Frank Miller used Frank to contrast the differences between heroes in his acclaimed Daredevil run. Mark Millar used the Punisher as the wild cannon in his Civil War epic; the one hero who could never fit, too wild for either heroes or villains.

Frank had always played well as a support character in others stories, a fantastic peripheral character in the marvel universe, and though popular enough to warrant numerous solo titles, seemed destined to have all his classic moments relegated to others titles.

Then, Garth Ennis entered the picture.

THE SETUP

Fresh of his acclaimed run on Preacher, Garth Ennis took over the writing reins of the relaunched Punisher in the year 2000, 12 part maxi-series simply titled The Punisher. It was with this run that Ennis wiped years of muddled continuity, not by means of a major reboot, but by succinctly and forcefully refocusing Frank back into everything that made him a fan favourite. This was a no messing around Punisher and a series that introduced a concept no other Punisher series had ever really considered; humour. As Ennis once said in an interview on the subject, "the last thing you want to do is take this kind of thing too seriously." Yet, it seems that Mr. Ennis did not take his own advice and take Frank seriously is exactly what he did, which leads to our defining moment.

THE DEFINING MOMENT

One. Hard Bastard.
One. Hard Bastard.

Long, Cold, Dark.

Beginning with issue 50 of volume 6 of The Punisher, this was the storyline that took Frank more seriously than any story before or since and was all the better for it. Not only did it exhibit a tone that very few stories, or mediums for that matter could match for visceral violence and dark tone, it also reintroduced the villain Barracuda as, quite possibly, the most terrifying adversary to ever grace the pages of a comic book.

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Having appeared twice before in an earlier Punisher tale and a spin off mini series, Barracuda was, in essence, the anti Punisher. Somewhat comical in his previous stories, this Barracuda was out for blood, but not just the blood of Frank Castle. No. This time he was also out for the blood of (Did i mention there were major spoilers in this article?) Franks' daughter!

That's right, unbeknowst to Frank, a past liaison had produced a baby girl and, unfortunately for Frank, Barracuda found out first. Having kidnapped the baby, Frank is forced into places he has never had to go before and face the entire nightmare of his family being murdered all over again.

What follows is one of the most compelling, harrowing, ultra violent, sometimes hilarious, utterly enthralling stories ever to feature a man with a giant skull on his jumper (which, by the way, rarely makes an appearance here).

It makes us realise that Frank Castle, the Punisher is not a hero, never mind a super hero. His tale is one of tragedy, no tragedy being greater than the life Frank has chosen for himself. Like with opera, his story will never end happier than it began and Franks journey can never end well. It is marked with pain and sacrifice, suffering and violence. Frank's life is a commitment to death which will ultimately end in his own. Yet, when faced with the task of protecting an innocent, an innocent who may represent all his failings in saving his first two children, something triggers in the story and in Frank himself that seems to change things. Perhaps hope is evident. Perhaps justice. Perhaps redemption.

Or perhaps not.

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Having done what he needed to do, Frank gives up his baby daughter and ensures that she will never know who her father was, for her own safety. Having faced down the embodiment of the life of violence he has chosen in Barracuda and come out victorious, though horribly beaten, Frank leaves, back onto the highway and on to the next mission.

He shows no remorse. Asks for no forgiveness. Bears his burden with out thanks or self pity.

That is the defining moment for me.

After all the blood shed and gun play, we are left not with the Punisher, but with Frank.

He is not a hero. His path is not one of made of justice, or redemption or even revenge. It is a path that leads to death. When Frank became the Punisher he committed to a never ending task that grace nor kindness nor violence or pain could stop. Only death would stop it.

Judging by news of the upcoming end of the current punisher series, it looks like Frank may finally find his ending.

Until then, please let me know what your definitive Punisher moment is.

31 Comments

OVERLOOKED: Ann Nocentis' DAREDEVIL

We all know Frank Miller wrote and drew Daredevil and it has been well documented that he resuscitated a character in dire need of saving.

Yet what many people don't know is who the follow up writer to Frank Miller was and what happened to the character next. Surely not an envious position, following Millers epoch making run, where not only were the intricacies of the character redefined, but also the look and feel of his world. A grossly unappreciated and overlooked arc, Ann Nocentis' run on Daredevil was the one that followed in the shadow of Millers and is one well worth delving into.

FOLLOWING MILLER

You Know You're In For A Good Yarn When There's A Devil Dribblin' On Ya!
You Know You're In For A Good Yarn When There's A Devil Dribblin' On Ya!

Truth be told, what actually followed were a couple of fill in stories with issues 234 and 235, but it was with issue 236 that Nocenti wrote her first Daredevil story proper (drawn by the legendary Barry Windsor-Smith) and only two issues later with issue 238 that she became the regular writer (featuring a VERY early cover from Arthur Adams).

VERY early Art Adams cover.
VERY early Art Adams cover.

Her begins were interesting, suffering from the usual verbosity that writers first tackling a new character suffer, but presenting a Daredevil who drew more from Frank Millers’ last Daredevil arc, involving the character Nuke and the hidden machinations of the government on its people, than from the previous dread machinations of the Stilt Man, which had stifled the character for years.

There is an air of paranoia and insecurity in these early stories, illustrated by the likes of Sal Buscema, Todd McFarlane (yes, THAT Todd McFarlane), Louis Williams, Keith Giffen and Rick Leonardi. Some of these issues are good, but for the most part they tended to steer towards more traditional superhero fare, albeit with a decidedly more mature bent. It was with issue 250 though that Nocenti really hit her stride, perhaps inspired by her pairing with artist John Romita Jr., a pairing that would last the majority of her run. John Romita Jr., of course, is the son of the legendary John Romita, and having followed in his fathers’ footsteps had worked on everything from Spider-Man to Iron Man and the X-Men. With the decidedly darker tone of Daredevil though and coupled with the beautifully expressive and atmospheric inks of Al Williamson, Romitas' art took on a different, more accomplished tone than previous and with Nocenti, began to craft a Daredevil that was more original than what might have otherwise been.

Even when burdened with the compulsory ‘event crossover’ issues, such as Fall Of The Mutants or Inferno, the team found a way to use the event to elaborate more on the current tale. It was through this run that Matt Murdock went back to the streets, operating a free legal aid clinic in Hell’s Kitchen. It was this run that introduced Bullet, Ammo, Bushwacker and, of course, Typhoid Mary who would go on to not only be a fan favourite, but also to break the hearts of not only Daredevil, but the Kingpin.

One of the highlights, though, was one of the truly great confrontations between the Man Without Fear and the Punisher.

A Man Without Fear

Godzilla's In The Bay With A Bullet 'Tween His Eyes.
Godzilla's In The Bay With A Bullet 'Tween His Eyes.

Ultimately, the main crux of the arc is almost a mirror of Frank Millers’ BORN AGAIN, which sees Nocenti and Romita Jr. strip Daredevil of everything he loves, including his standing, his sanity and his true love, a seemingly recurring theme in Daredevils life to this day. This leads Matt Murdock on an exodus, a walkabout of lost purpose and empty revenge, which turns, in a somewhat surreal fashion, into a super powered road trip. The later stories trip over themselves frequently, with the introduction of such characters as the Inhumans, Silver Surfer, Ultron and even Doctor Doom threatening to topple the normally grounded tales of Daredevil into the realms of the ridiculous. These touches are redeemed somewhat by the main threat of a truly evil Mephisto and the introduction of his son, Blackheart, yet the story seems to become increasingly disjointed as John Romita Jr. wrapped his run on the book.

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Ann Nocentis’ Daredevil run worked best when dealing with the existentialism of life on the edge in the devils clothes and the minutiae of life in Hell’s Kitchen. It sparked with a great support cast, my favourite being Butch, the crash helmet wearing street kid who is the one, truly unbreakable character in the whole book. Talk about a kid with no fear!

Daredevil, though surrounded by demons and fighting through hell itself at times, has rarely been portrayed more realistically as a character, nor more flawed. Here is a truly fascinating protagonist and in Nocentis’ writing, we see a forbearer of the style of writing that was later to become mainstream fodder; involved, mature, gritty and humane stories of real consequence to the character and the readers themselves.

It was recently announced that Ann Nocenti wouold be returning to comics after a long hiatus as the new writer of Green Arrow. If it even only touches on the highs of her Daredevil run, it will be a welcome return.

24 Comments

The DEFINITIVE Superman

As often happens, my comic addled brain was thinking on those wacky creations we laughingly refer to as 'super heroes' the other day and i got to thinking about their definitive moment. I mean, if i had to choose one moment that, for me, would be the single moment i would use to show someone else and say, 'there... that's what that character means to me and that's why i read comics' what would it be? I thought maybe there would be one definitive moment for all heroes, but it was just too much damned fun to think on them all individually. I thought i'd share my first (maybe of many) definitive moments with this guy;

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Obvious, I know, but what better place to start?

Let's face it, he's the original, the most known, the beating heart of mainstream comicdom and without his spit curled, insanely powerful self, comics wouldn't be what they are today (and you can take that any way you want to). Yet, for a character just shy of being eighty years old, how do you pick a defining moment?

THE CHARACTER

Born on Krypton, hurtled toward earth while his planet was destroyed in a catastrophic explosion, discovered by simple folk, raised of value and spends his spare time saving the world and being slightly superior to us all. Let's face it, even the most vehemently opposed to comics could reel off the history of Superman without even thinking about it. Yet he has lasted for 79 years and though his popularity may dip and wane at times, he remains an icon, a legend. Why does he maintain his hold on the publics imagination? Well, we all have our theories, i'm sure but for me it's two things.

a. Super powers. Let's face it, as a kid, it was all you aspired to. I mean, what else are you going to be? Superman can do everything. Anything. He is hte all in one, no need to shop twice stop for superpowers. Simple.

b. We haven't caught up with him yet. When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster invented Superman, they created something that was beyond most peoples imaginings, something so wonderful and fantastical that it became the breakthrough hit that launched a million comics and rightfully so. In this day and age, where so much is jaded and cynical, Superman is still an amazing and magical concept, not just the powers which still defy belief, but the character himself; the undying optimism, unbreakable spirit and selfless heroism which, while much criticised, marks Superman as something unique. Many now balk at the idea that someone could be so noble and pure... heroic i think they used to call it. Yet as comics become increasingly dark and violent, as heroes become that much more like the dystopian visions presented in stories like Kingdom Come, Superman remains a light. He is unchanging in his purpose; to help those who need it. To aid those not as blessed, and it's that quality, that real heroism that brought me to my defining moment.

THE DEFINING MOMENT

Blink and you might have missed it. Sure, we all know that Grant Morrisons' ALL STAR SUPERMAN is an amazing story, filled with amazing moments that seemed to crystallize Superman down to his essence. But there was one little moment that for me defined the character.

Issue 10. Page 13.

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It was such a throw away moment, superfluous to the over riding arc of the story, but there it was; massive, unimaginable power turned to the simple, unnoticed act of saving a young girls life, not by lifting a mountain or smacking Brainac one MILLION in the teeth, but by simple kindness and attention.

That's Superman to me.

Humanity. Grace. A person beyond our people showing us how our people should act.

He is a bastion of our spirit, a reminder of all that could be good in this world.

Superman.

So please let me know, what do yo consider Superman's definitive moment?

42 Comments
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