Alan Moore's Killing Joke

Somehow in my discussion of the Barbara Gordon/Batgirl fiasco, I neglected to mention the story that started the whole thing.

Though the legacy of The Killing Joke is most resonant with Barbara Gordon, they actual story is really about the origin of the Joker and the line between him and Batman.  Barbara Gordon is only in a single sequence and what happens to her only happens to motivate the actions of other characters.  I don't hold this against the story itself.  The world portrayed in The Killing Joke is full of tragedy and nihilism.  When reading it again, I was struck by how different it is tonally than all the Batman comics published before or since.  Though some horrible things happen in the book, it feels like the book really takes place in its own little world, independent of the rest of DC's output.  With all that in mind, its surprising that the story eventually become "official" with the Joker's origin and the injuries to Barbara Gordon being carried over into the other titles.

Batgirl Returns

An interesting aspect of this whole DC comics reboot hullabaloo is that Barbara Gordon is apparently returning to the guise of Batgirl.  Normally I wouldn't really comment on a fictional character becoming another fictional character like this, but Barbara Gordon as Batgirl is something of a special case.

For the last 20 years, Barbara Gordon has been a highly visible character in a great many of DC's superhero books.  However, barring the occasional flashback issue, it hasn't been as Batgirl, but as Oracle. As Oracle, Barbara Gordon has led superhero teams, fought all sorts of supervillians, and anchored one of DC's most consistently good books.  Significantly, she did all this after surviving an attack that left her paraplegic.  Thus making her the only visible DC superhero with a physical handicap.

Green Lantern: Awful?

Yikes.  Green Lantern is already getting hammered in the reviews.  The majority of the reviews aren't in yet, but a less than 30% on Rotten Tomatoes?  Looks like Warner Brothers might have another Jonah Hex on their hands.

This "report" sums up my general feelings about how misguided the whole endeavor is.  Forgetting my own distaste for Green Lantern and the fact that the movie looks awful, Hal Jordan just doesn't have the popular appeal to justify a big summer blockbuster.

No.  I will not be paying money to see this.


'Green Lantern' To Fulfill America's Wish To See Lantern-Based Characters On Big Screen

Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE

The most exciting title in all of the Great DC Reboot of 2011... Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE.  

This series has been just rumors for about five years and I have been waiting for it for even longer.  For those who don't know, DC's version of Frankenstein's monster is something of a supernatural super spy who fights crazy monsters with steampunk weapons and bickers with his wife, all while quoting Paradise Lost.  In his introductory mini-series he was introduced as a hitman who rises from the dead to defeat an evil, sentient, universe and things got even crazier from there.  

Here he is after defeating some bugs (sent by humanity's future evil descendants, obviously) by burning down a school in a scene modeled after the last scene of Carrie.

The whole concept is just about the most ludicrous, most comic-booky thing ever.  I can't wait to see more of it.

Images from: Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein

By: Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke 

Magneto: Mutant Secret Agent

So I saw this over the weekend.  Overall I thought it was very good, if a bit uneven.  Though its unlikely given how this one ended, I'd really like to see a whole movie of Magneto running around doing spy things.



The first three quarters of this are mostly awesome.  The Magneto scenes especially are engaging, with Michael Fassbender more than making up for the acting black whole that is January Jones.  There are a few clunky bits of dialogue, but overall I really enjoyed everything before the last sequence.  The third act isn't bad per se, but doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie.  I don't want to spoil anything, but all the character development that slowly develops for the first two acts is settled in about 30 seconds at the end of the movie.  Its jarring, and it doesn't really work, but I guess it was really necessary to maintain continuity with X Men 3.

Criticisms aside, I actually really enjoyed this.  The first two acts more than make up for the messy third.  Its silly, its over the top, its exactly what you'd expect from an X-Men movie that takes place in the 1960's and stars Kevin Bacon.  I wouldn't rush out immediately to the theater to see it, but it is certainly worth checking out.

The Great DC Comics Reboot of 2011

The majority of the titles for this crazy reboot thing have been announced now, with only the Superman books remaining.  Honestly, I think there is a lot to like about what has been announced.  There isn't anything particularly earth shattering, but for the most part there doesn't appear to be to many egregious mis-steps.

I like that the line has some diversity to it now.  There are supernatural/fantasy titles, action oriented titles, westerns titles, even the superhero titles appear to be quite diverse in tone.  The creative teams also seem quite diverse with several indie creators making the jump to mainstream titles.  We'll see how long all this lasts, I'm guessing some of the more interesting titles (Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE, Firestorm, Stormwatch) will get canceled after not too long due to low sales.  But maybe going digital will help save some of the more marginal books.  We'll see.

I don't particularly care for the influx of 90's era Marvel talent.  Scott Lobdell isn't the worst writer in the world, but I'm not sure why he got the call and Bryan Q. Miller and especially Brian Wood didn't.  Its a little strange that a writer who hasn't contributed to a Marvel or DC book in about 10 years is now in charge of three titles, but I suppose it could work out decently enough.  I really have no idea what could be motivating DC to put Rob Liefeld on a book in 2011 though.  I know there is an increasing nostalgia for 90's comics, and I'm all for a diverse comics line... but seriously?

Anyway, I like a lot more than I dislike about the revamped DC comics.  At least for now, it looks like they are making a genuine effort to cater to range of different fans.  I don't particularly care for some of the choices they've made, but not all of DC Comics' output is meant to appeal to me.  I'll probably be reading more DC books after the reboot than I am now which bodes well for the success of this whole thing I think.

Rebooting DC Comics #1

DC is rebooting every comic.  I'm not sure if this means they'll be starting every single comic with a new #1, or just the majority.  In either case, supposedly every comic coming out in September will feature stories designed for new readers along with new(ish) creative teams.  In conjunction with all this creative upheaval every will also, for the first time, be available for purchase digitally on the same day as they are released brick and mortar comic stores.

Predictably, this has led to an implosion of the comics-centric spaces of the internet (humorously illustrated here).  A lot of the worry seems to stem from fans losing "their" stories or from concern that the books they're collecting will suddenly "no longer count."  As I've previously mentioned, I think the whole notion these arguments are pretty silly, so I'm not really concerned about that aspect of all this.  I'm sure the amount of actual change will be relatively minimal.  But even if everything changes, the old stories will still exist to be read.  I'm also mostly unconcerned that DC is going to restart Action Comics and/or Detective Comics.  Action Comics is only a few years from 1000 continuously published issues, and Detective Comics isn't that far behind. Even if they do get renumbered, DC as a company seems far too focused on the past to ignore these numbers for very long.

Though few details have been released so far, I think this could actually be a pretty good move.  A lot depends on how everything is executed of course, but the decision to start releasing everything digitally is about 10 years overdue.  If the stories are good, and I'm sure some of them will be, then I think the creative shakeup is worth it.  If going digital actually gets people to read comics again, then almost any change is probably worth it.  Frankly, catering to new fans is what both major publishers should be focused on all the time.  Maybe if this works, they'll finally realize it.

Comic Book Art: We3

I complain a lot about poor writing and mediocre art in comics, but only because the medium is capable of so much.  Check out this sequence from the outstanding We3.  There is very little context provided in the actual issue, but the action is very engaging even without dialogue or panel captions.  Just look at it.  The entire narrative is conveyed with still images placed in sequence.  This is the type of storytelling comics are uniquely capable of.  I wish there was more of this type of thing and less money grabbing crossover nonsense.

Though the writing of these panels deserves mention, the art along with a substantial portion of the credit should go to the great Frank Quitely.

The Wolverine Trailer

So it turns out Darren Aronofsky won't be directing The Wolverine after all.  Marvel and Fox have just put out their short list of possible directors.  Some interesting choices on there, with Mark Romanek being the standout choice.  The rest of the list is made up of decent directors, though no one save Romanek has made anything I've been a particular fan of.

Gary Shore is probably the least known name on the list.  He has, however, already directed a trailer for the film.  I should note that no part of the movie has started production, so the trailer was probably made on spec as part of a campaign for the job.  Its interesting and may just be a preview for what the movie will ultimately be like.

Wolverine Vs The Hand from Gary Shore on Vimeo.

Star Wars- The Great Unknown

Arguments about the canonicity of various Star Wars stories are stupid.  Who cares if the novels officially account for what happens to Luke Skywalker and buddies after Return of the Jedi.  Most of the audience chooses not to believe that half the films don't count anyway, so I don't really understand the point over arguing about whether or not Han Solo and Princess Leia get married (spoiler?) or whatever.

With all that said, despite being published in a licensed Star Wars magazine, this story is probably not considered canon by anyone.  This, of course, does not matter at all.  The story is awesome and you should read it.  Is it the official fate of Han Solo and Chewbacca?  No, probably not.  Is it awesome?  Extremely.   Its also sort of depressing, so be prepared for that.

Abraham Lincoln: Secret Avenger

The context of this doesn't really matter.  It doesn't really make sense in any case.  All you really need to know is that Nazi robots are invading Washington D.C. and that the Smithsonian Institute, The Lincoln Memorial, and the ghost of George Washington won't stand for that.

Usually its pretty obnoxious when comics try to do politics.  At best, it comes across as stilted and pandering.  This isn't exactly subtle, but at least it embraces the ridiculousness of injecting politics into superhero stories.

Hal Jordan is the Worst Green Lantern

Warning: Inane nerd ranting ahead.

I think my criticisms of the forthcoming Green Lantern movie are well documented.  Other than my distaste for most things involving Geoff Johns, the main problem I have, even more than the trailer looking like a horribly animated cartoon, is that Hal Jordan is the worst Green Lantern.  Literally any of other characters who hold the Green Lantern moniker would make for a more interesting movie than Hal Jordan.

Seriously, John Stewart (superhero architect and former marine) has already been featured on television for years and Kyle Raynor (former artist adapting to his role as the last of the superhero policemen) is frankly the most interesting character to be featured in a Green Lantern comic.  Even Guy Gardener (angry dude that got punched out by Batman once) is more interesting than Hal Jordan, and he is one of the least interesting comic characters ever.  Any one of those characters (or any combination of them) could be featured in an interesting movie about alien space policemen fighting evil from beyond imagination.  Hal Jordan?  No so much.

Maybe in the 1950's professional test pilot with no fear was enough of a characterization to get by, but in 2011 I think we deserve a little more depth from our superheroes.

With all that said, click behind the cut to read about one of the best Green Lanterns.

Thor!

Half of a good movie with a heck of a lot of overacting. See the 2-D print as I can't imagine the 3-D will add anything.



Half of this movie takes place in a little sleepy town in New Mexico. The other half takes place in a technicolor Jack Kirby-esque version of Asgard. This makes for several jarring shifts in tone as the movie goes forward. One scene will feature Natalie Portman and friends complaining about the loss of their research equipment (something I can relate to) and the very next scene will feature Anthony Hopkins giving an insane speech about frost giants or rainbow bridges or whatever. It makes some sense in context, but its more than a little awkward when the two world collide. Especially since everyone in Asgard talks like Stan Lee writes.  Norse god aliens like their exclamation marks apparently!

Grant Morrison's X-Men

I've been thinking a lot about what comics would be good to share with someone who has never read any comics before.  Mostly I think the answer depends on individual taste.  If someone likes the Spiderman movies, give them Spiderman comics.  If they like sci-fi, give them something by Warren Ellis.  The list is really endless.

Because of the prevalence of X-Men related media out there, and the diversity within the X-Men line, introducing someone to comics via X-Men comics is not the worst idea.  The monthly titles are (still) mostly a mess, but some of the collected editions are actually rather new reader friendly.

Batman vs The Internet

Comic books are serious business.  To demonstrate this, here is Bruce Wayne (and his bat shaped eyebrows) fighting crime by trolling people on the internet while his former sidekick and former sidekick's current sidekick watch and drink coffee. 

From Batman Incorporated #6

By Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham

Superman vs. America!

This is really stupid.  The "controversial" Superman story where superman renounces his American citizenship is really rather unremarkable.  The theme isn't Superman renouncing America, but embracing the world.  Its an interesting idea, one that could be the focus of some interesting stories.  This isn't one of them.

Generally throwing Superman into the middle of a real situation just cheapens the reality of what is really going on, and this is no exception  There is a lot that can and should be written about the pro-democracy protests happening accross the Middle East and Northern Africa.  American superhero comics, though, might not be the best outlet.

I've put some of the story behind the cut if anyone's interested.  Its certainly the least of the stories from the issue its printed in (both the main story and the vignette by Damon Lindeloff/Ryan Sook are pretty good) but you should take a look to see what the fuss is about.  Its hokey, but the art isn't so bad in spots.

Those 60's X-Men

The more I see of this, the more I like it.   I am cautiously optimistic.

Truth, Justice, Mike Huckabee, and Superman

Everything about this "controversy" makes my head hurt.  Silliness aside, the Siegle and Shuster estates have A LOT more to upset about than Superman renouncing his American citizenship for eight pages.



More later.

Moebius vs Galactus

I'm always seeking out new, interesting things to read or watch.  After reading Blacksad (which is outstanding) and seeing all kinds of TinTin stuff around Montreal, I've been trying to get into European comics.  Its sort of intimidating.  Not only is (mostly) everything not in English, but the system of publication is completely different, and I don't know enough about the creators to get any sort of reference.

So far, I've found the works of Moebius to be a good entryway into European comics.  Not only is he prolific across multiple genres, but he is so well known that a fair amount of his work has been published in English. His style is also rather familiar given how much influence he has had on the look of American comics (and American sci-fi movies) over the last several decades.  

Incidentally, Moebius was responsible for the art on my favorite thing ever written by Stan Lee, Silver Surfer: Parable.  Its out of print at the moment, but I really can't recommend it enough.

Swamp Thing vs Geoff Johns (Revisited)

I can admit when I'm wrong.

Rebooting Swamp Thing's entire character from scratch isn't the worst way to make this work.  I really isn't.  I think the character deserves better than being dragged through a silly Geoff John crossover, but I actually sort of like where this is going.  For now it seems like the essence of the character is being preserved, while the some the baggage that comes along with it is being quietly ignored.  The (re)introduction of John Constantine into the mix is surprising, but encouraging.  The Constantine/Swamp Thing dynamic is an essential part of the best Swamp Thing stories, so I'm glad to see it return.  Its still don't necessarily agree with bringing these characters back, but at least its being done (sort of) well.

Of course, I don't see how all this couldn't have happened without canceling the China Mieville series.  Marvel seems to have no problem trusting their readers to differentiate their more adult oriented books from the all ages fare (though neither D.C. or Marvel's mainstream books are exactly suitable for children at the moment), so I'm not sure why the two books couldn't coexist.  And really, D.C. isn't canceling Hellblazer, even after bringing John Constantine.  Oh well.  For now, I'm just hoping that the new Swamp Thing series will feature a good creative team.  Blatantly stealing from Alan Moore is only going to get D.C. so far.