Dang, I really need to pick up that Charles Burns comic. Maybe next week.
Amazon has released their Editor's list of their favorite comics of 2010.
These days I don't tend to burn a lot of cycles criticizing these lists (unless the list is just really dopey) as I believe the motives behind the "best of" lists are pretty good, especially from editorial staffs. By January I always find two or three things to read by comparing and contrasting who said what was worthy, and I think if you look at a few particularly non-biased sources, you can actually get a pretty good picture. I am not going to complain that my favorite comic didn't appear, superheroes are underrepresented, etc... because that's not what's going on here.
I will say: it's the wild west out there, and you're very likely to find someone who has spent days and days assembling a list intended to give them impeccable and inscrutable credentials, but those lists generally cater to a very niche audience of about 20 people who all do the same thing and generally disagree with each other, anyway.
Instead, I'm just going to tell you what I know about the items on the list. Maybe there's no benefit there, but... what is life if I can't editorialize?
1) The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death
I'll be honest, I've picked up two very expensive Love and Rockets collections, and I'm just not a Love and Rockets guy (the comic, not the band. I quite liked the band circa 1988- college.) I don't know why Love and Rockets doesn't click for me. Perhaps if I'd read these as monthly or quarterly installments as they were released, then the Hernandez Bros. tendency toward an overtilt for character and design at the cost of story might be lessened ... but as a massive tome... it can get straight up tedious. That said, Jaime Hernandez is an amazing artist, so this is worth a look.
2) Batwoman: Elegy
I'm just a huge, huge fan of this book. When I talk about design and character balancing with story... I can't think of a better example. The art is absolutely mind-blowing, and the development of Kate Kane is the most satisfying origin for a DC hero in decades. This is likely a great superhero comic for folks who look down their nose at superheroes.
3) X'ed Out
This is the newest work by Black Hole auteur Charles Burns. Horus said some pretty great things about this, so it was on my reading list, anyway. And I allllllmost bought it two weeks ago at Austin Books. Probably next time.
4) Market Day
I've read and enjoyed one or two of Sturm's other books, and something about Market Day has sounded right. I've been waiting for a paperback release.
5) King of the Flies: Hallorave (Vol. 1)
So help me, I've never heard of this book before.
6) 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective
Well, its 40 years of one of the sharpest comics aimed squarely at adults you're going to find. That said... I'm not a huge Doonesbury nut. It always felt like it was aimed at my folks' generation, and so when I was likely old enough to really tune into Doonesbury, frankly, I wasn't reading a paper anymore. Thanks, internet.
I'm busily picking up the awesome IDW collections of Bloom County, which started off as a Doonesbury knock-off, if that helps.
7) Hellboy Volume 9: The Wild Hunt (Hellboy (Graphic Novels))
I am very, very surprised to see this book on the list. Hellboy is ten years gone from making big waves in comics either in sales or being the "hot new thing". Huh. This must be pretty good.
8) Acme Novelty Library #20
Another year, another list containing containing this year's Chris Ware offering. I haven't read any Ware since Quimby was released. I know I'm missing a decent experience by not picking up Ware's stuff, but its odd... I feel I get far more out of how Ware executes than what he ever actually has to say. (Yes, life can be lonely and depressing and we fill our lives with illusion. Got it.). But he does it so well. Its hard to argue with editors supporting the guy as one of the top 5 or 10 masters of the craft currently working, but... somebody give Mr. Ware a hug. Its going to be okay.
9) Picture This: The Near-sighted Monkey Book
Ah. Here's #3 of what I was going to pick up. This book has received some pretty darn good notices, but it looks like it wasn't even for sale to the mainstream market. My issue is that I'm not particularly a huge fan of Barry's strips, so... I dunno. Maybe in paperback?
10) Wednesday Comics
It won't be the same as picking up DC's weekly newsprint-based comic from the summer of 2009, but this was such a great grab bag of some of today's best artists and writers just going nuts. You won't love every part of it (Caldwell's Wonder Woman left me cold), but you'll find old favorites (for me, Metamorpho by Gaiman and Allred), and new favorites (Paul Pope on Adam Strange).
What's fascinating about the Customer Top 10 is that its obvious from looking at the list how easily numbers are swayed by other media making its way into comics.
In fact, I find that list mostly just really funny. (A) Because the stuff us comics geeks gripe and complain about in comics is a small blip on the radar in general when it comes to sales, ie: the biggest fans of comics apparently don't matter when Stephanie Meyer turns her eye, Sauron-like, upon the comics market and brings her legion of fans along. (B) Scott Pilgrim still kicked everyone in the shins this year. Which means something along the lines of: I am ooolllllllldddddddddddd. (C) I've never heard of "The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel". Frankly, it sounds like the worst fan-fic title ever.
Noting what sort of stuff is actually selling (and amazon would know), no wonder DC has decided OGNs are the way to go for the Earth One effort. I'd want a permanent place in that market, too.
For Hollywood, its got to be an interesting lesson. Scott Pilgrim was/ is a massive success in print, but at the cinema... didn't exactly set the world on fire. The folks who loved it as a comic loved it as a movie. And a whole lot of other people took a pass. So I wouldn't expect movie deals to peg to either of these lists.
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monthly stack o' comics has arrived
...which means I think I'm going to read some comics tonight.
Also, I am actually starting to feel better. Sure, I gave Jamie my cold, but she's a trooper. She'll sort through this.
But I look forward to feeling quasi-normal for the first time in several days.
Anyhow, off to read some Superman. Ya'll have a good one.
Also, I am actually starting to feel better. Sure, I gave Jamie my cold, but she's a trooper. She'll sort through this.
But I look forward to feeling quasi-normal for the first time in several days.
Anyhow, off to read some Superman. Ya'll have a good one.
So what the @#$% was Wootstock?
A while back CanadianSimon suggested I check out Wootstock when it came to Austin on November 2. There really wasn't much information about Wootstock online, but I considered it. After all, the hosts were to be TV's Wil "Wesley Crusher" Wheaton, Adam "Mythbusters" Savage and then some comedy/ musical guys I'd never heard of, Paul and Storm.
The tickets were actually fairly reasonable, but went on sale when I was in a bit of a crunch, so I didn't think we'd wind up going. Leave it to the great and giving The Dug to swoop in. "Merry Christmas", he said, and suddenly Jamie and I had two tickets to Wootstock (good seats, too!)
And while I heard that Wil Wheaton couldn't attend (for vague and mysterious reasons), he was replaced by Neil Gaiman, who most people remember from his role as "Neil" on the mid-1980's sit-com Monkey Shines, but who has subsequently dabbled in comics writing with Sandman and a bit of fiction, such as Anansi Boys (I loved that book, by the way).
Having actually now sat through Wootstock Austin 2010, I'm not sure I'm any better prepared to say what the show actually is other than what it contains. Its sort of an entertainment show for hardcore geeks, and the whole feel of the evening rang vaguely of a distilled day of web surfing. I don't mean that in a negative way, but when your show includes two sets by artists of novelty/ comedy songs, readings by Neil Gaiman, readings from a Windows support guy, dozens of Youtube clips, a conversation with the writer and artists of the newspaper strip Foxtrot, Mary Jo Pehl making an extended Crisis on Infinite Earths joke, Adam Savage telling random stories about life and working with Jamie Hyneman... It was the kind of stuff that folks spending their life in front of a monitor can develop a taste for.
Obviously I was part of the target audience as my face hurt from laughing and the unfortunate cold I've been carting around for a few days.
I figured this kind of show would bring out a certain audience, and the geeks do not disappoint. Geeks all over the chart and touching on multiple points of the geek Venn Diagram made an appearance.
Nerds have come up in the world and the era of the internet has given new confidence to nerds as they realize they're a community, not lone spazs getting wedgied by jocks in the hallway at school. In fact, I don't even know that younger geeks really understand that there was a time and place where you were unlikely to know many people who shared your love of comics, Dr. Who, Star Wars trivia, technology, etc... and there certainly weren't too many women who fell into that camp. All of that has, of course, changed. Viva la internet.
I have plenty of geek credentials befitting my generation. I'm a consumer of classic monster movies. I've watched my fair share of Star Wars and Trek. I can talk comics pretty much all day. I'm less credentialed in certain web celebrities, not at all in video games, BSG, and I'm "meh" on Whedon.
That said, I was wearing a Mister Miracle T-shirt, which none of the geeks I was talking to quite understood.*
Wootstock seems to rotate around, and I'll definitely attend again if they're in town or I'm in town where they're at. Honestly, it was a genuinely fun time, and a little weird to see all these folks in one spot (I forgot to mention the drummer of PUSA was their drummer). I recommend.
Anyway, it was a really fun time, and I think some of you guys are prime candidates for the audience at this thing.
Unfortunately, I was feeling pretty awful through the whole show, so I can't say I recommend showing up with a head cold.
*and I pity you if you do not know and love the wonder that is Mr. Miracle.
The tickets were actually fairly reasonable, but went on sale when I was in a bit of a crunch, so I didn't think we'd wind up going. Leave it to the great and giving The Dug to swoop in. "Merry Christmas", he said, and suddenly Jamie and I had two tickets to Wootstock (good seats, too!)
And while I heard that Wil Wheaton couldn't attend (for vague and mysterious reasons), he was replaced by Neil Gaiman, who most people remember from his role as "Neil" on the mid-1980's sit-com Monkey Shines, but who has subsequently dabbled in comics writing with Sandman and a bit of fiction, such as Anansi Boys (I loved that book, by the way).
Having actually now sat through Wootstock Austin 2010, I'm not sure I'm any better prepared to say what the show actually is other than what it contains. Its sort of an entertainment show for hardcore geeks, and the whole feel of the evening rang vaguely of a distilled day of web surfing. I don't mean that in a negative way, but when your show includes two sets by artists of novelty/ comedy songs, readings by Neil Gaiman, readings from a Windows support guy, dozens of Youtube clips, a conversation with the writer and artists of the newspaper strip Foxtrot, Mary Jo Pehl making an extended Crisis on Infinite Earths joke, Adam Savage telling random stories about life and working with Jamie Hyneman... It was the kind of stuff that folks spending their life in front of a monitor can develop a taste for.
Obviously I was part of the target audience as my face hurt from laughing and the unfortunate cold I've been carting around for a few days.
I figured this kind of show would bring out a certain audience, and the geeks do not disappoint. Geeks all over the chart and touching on multiple points of the geek Venn Diagram made an appearance.
Nerds have come up in the world and the era of the internet has given new confidence to nerds as they realize they're a community, not lone spazs getting wedgied by jocks in the hallway at school. In fact, I don't even know that younger geeks really understand that there was a time and place where you were unlikely to know many people who shared your love of comics, Dr. Who, Star Wars trivia, technology, etc... and there certainly weren't too many women who fell into that camp. All of that has, of course, changed. Viva la internet.
I have plenty of geek credentials befitting my generation. I'm a consumer of classic monster movies. I've watched my fair share of Star Wars and Trek. I can talk comics pretty much all day. I'm less credentialed in certain web celebrities, not at all in video games, BSG, and I'm "meh" on Whedon.
That said, I was wearing a Mister Miracle T-shirt, which none of the geeks I was talking to quite understood.*
Wootstock seems to rotate around, and I'll definitely attend again if they're in town or I'm in town where they're at. Honestly, it was a genuinely fun time, and a little weird to see all these folks in one spot (I forgot to mention the drummer of PUSA was their drummer). I recommend.
Anyway, it was a really fun time, and I think some of you guys are prime candidates for the audience at this thing.
Unfortunately, I was feeling pretty awful through the whole show, so I can't say I recommend showing up with a head cold.
*and I pity you if you do not know and love the wonder that is Mr. Miracle.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Austin Comic Con November 12-14
Nerds in Texas may want to know that the Austin Comic-Con begins November 12th. I've got my pass and will be going for a bit on all three days, I think.
I'd previously mentioned that Paul Levitz would attend the Con, and that no longer seems to be true. There's some talent showing up, certainly, but this blogger is a little sad to see Levitz struck from the list of attendees.
However, they've announced some additional guests.
Adam West AND Burt Ward!!!! That's worth the price of admission right there!
Bill Sienkiewicz! - if you guys knew me at all back in the day, you'd know what a fan I am of this guy's work.
Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner!
And the dude playing John Stewart in the upcoming GL movie: Nick Jones! That's cool.
Peter Mayhew!
Doug Jones! - he was Abe Sapien and the SIlver Surfer
Walter Koening!
The Soup Nazi!
Lee Leffingwell - Mayor of Austin? (no, I have no idea why)
Oddly, I have not been asked to do a signing or host a panel, which I find shocking. With readership as high as up to 18 readers, you'd think The Signal Watch panel would be a draw of up to 2 people, and that's gonna move some tickets.
Oh, well. maybe in 2011.
This thing is going to be absoludicrous.
I'd previously mentioned that Paul Levitz would attend the Con, and that no longer seems to be true. There's some talent showing up, certainly, but this blogger is a little sad to see Levitz struck from the list of attendees.
However, they've announced some additional guests.
Adam West AND Burt Ward!!!! That's worth the price of admission right there!
Bill Sienkiewicz! - if you guys knew me at all back in the day, you'd know what a fan I am of this guy's work.
Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner!
And the dude playing John Stewart in the upcoming GL movie: Nick Jones! That's cool.
Peter Mayhew!
Doug Jones! - he was Abe Sapien and the SIlver Surfer
Walter Koening!
The Soup Nazi!
Lee Leffingwell - Mayor of Austin? (no, I have no idea why)
Oddly, I have not been asked to do a signing or host a panel, which I find shocking. With readership as high as up to 18 readers, you'd think The Signal Watch panel would be a draw of up to 2 people, and that's gonna move some tickets.
Oh, well. maybe in 2011.
This thing is going to be absoludicrous.
I am sick
Bleh.
Saturday, during the horrendous loss of the UT Longhorns to the mighty Baptist Bears of Baylor, I began to feel a bit poorly. I assumed it was a mix of a day in which I'd been a been a bit lazy and the blues over the slipping fortunes of the UT Longhorns.
Anyway, despite a Wootstock-related energy surge last night, by the time we got home, I wasn't feeling good at all. Then I woke up, thinking I felt ducky, and went off to go get a filling repaired (a filling fell out at some point last week), and was making noise about going to work when I got home.
Ten minutes on the sofa, and the cloud settled again. I'm still feeling funky, and I am 95% certain I've passed this bug on to Jamie. I guess I should tell her I'm using her tootbrush when she's not looking.
I only get sick every so often, so at least I can check this one off the list for a while, I suppose. But I'll either be blogging a whole lot or not at all, illness dictating.
Saturday, during the horrendous loss of the UT Longhorns to the mighty Baptist Bears of Baylor, I began to feel a bit poorly. I assumed it was a mix of a day in which I'd been a been a bit lazy and the blues over the slipping fortunes of the UT Longhorns.
 |
| Jimmy's chart suggests things are going poorly |
 |
| Dr. Brunson is actually a lot nicer than this |
I only get sick every so often, so at least I can check this one off the list for a while, I suppose. But I'll either be blogging a whole lot or not at all, illness dictating.
Arriving 11/10/2010: Superman Vs. Ali
Signal Corps, I am so, so excited about this.
Several years ago I stumbled across an image of the original Superman vs. Ali comic online, and every since, I've really wanted to read/ own this comic. Like the Superman vs. Spider-Man comic I now have (hanging on my wall, thank you), this has been one of those collectibles that eluded me. Fortunately, DC is reprinting the comic in its original Treasury size (which I also think is a great format for superhero comics, by the way). Its about the size of an old Life magazine, and will come in two editions, so you don't need to choose to blow the bank to read it if you don't feel like it.
 |
| this cover (the original) is full of 70's-era celebs |
And, no, the comic does not end after Superman knocks out Ali with one punch.
What I absolutely can't afford is the limited edition Superman vs. Ali statue:
 |
| Yes, I would totally own this |
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tis' the Season for Food Porn
The holidays are coming up very soon. I'm sorry if this is the first you've heard of this, but Thanksgiving will occur this month, and then it'll be Christmas. So, yeah, we're in that stretch.
Over the weekend the first holiday catalogs arrived. An NFL merchandise catalog (with every item imaginable with your team's logo emblazoned upon it), an Oriental Trading catalog (cheap crap from The mysterious East, I suppose), and a Mrs. Fields catalog (oh, that sultry mistress of preservative-laden cookie goodness).
At League HQ, these catalogs are referred to as "food porn". Unlike the NFL catalog and Oriental Trading catalog, this catalog will not receive just a perfunctory glance to see what freak-show items we can find. Instead, this catalog will find a place on the coffee table for a few weeks so that, upon occasion, I can gaze upon the perfectly lit bouquets of delicious, snacky treats and indulge in dreams of what it would be like to have an endless supply of cookies.
It isn't just cookie catalogs that will be hoarded. Indeed, the Hickory Farms catalog is really my favorite. The photographers and editors of the Hickory Farms catalog are masters of their craft, assembling an amazing array of cheeses and sausages and all sorts of things that are death bombs of the American diet. All those cheeses and their creamy, salty goodness, tucked betwixt savory, delicious sausages in that festive holiday packaging? But, gosh darn, if they don't make that stuff look appealing.
This year the catalogs will be as close to much of this food as I am likely to get. At 6'5" and roughly the weight of a small Buick, your faithful blogger is trying to become a slightly smaller blogger. Apparently losing height isn't an option, so we're going for reducing circumference. The doctor says I'm less likely to keel over if I'm not sitting down and consuming an entire crate of Oreos in one sitting, and as I'd like to live long enough to bury my enemies, I figure I'd better start to do something about it.
Fortunately, having a catalog on your coffee table does not mean you have immediate access to an amazing array of meats and cheeses or beautifully wrapped cookies. So... I'll hang onto my food porn and ponder a moderated diet throughout the holidays, and I hope one of you out there will do me a favor and eat a beef stick for me.
Over the weekend the first holiday catalogs arrived. An NFL merchandise catalog (with every item imaginable with your team's logo emblazoned upon it), an Oriental Trading catalog (cheap crap from The mysterious East, I suppose), and a Mrs. Fields catalog (oh, that sultry mistress of preservative-laden cookie goodness).
At League HQ, these catalogs are referred to as "food porn". Unlike the NFL catalog and Oriental Trading catalog, this catalog will not receive just a perfunctory glance to see what freak-show items we can find. Instead, this catalog will find a place on the coffee table for a few weeks so that, upon occasion, I can gaze upon the perfectly lit bouquets of delicious, snacky treats and indulge in dreams of what it would be like to have an endless supply of cookies.
 |
| mmmm... cookies |
It isn't just cookie catalogs that will be hoarded. Indeed, the Hickory Farms catalog is really my favorite. The photographers and editors of the Hickory Farms catalog are masters of their craft, assembling an amazing array of cheeses and sausages and all sorts of things that are death bombs of the American diet. All those cheeses and their creamy, salty goodness, tucked betwixt savory, delicious sausages in that festive holiday packaging? But, gosh darn, if they don't make that stuff look appealing.
 |
| oh, baby |
This year the catalogs will be as close to much of this food as I am likely to get. At 6'5" and roughly the weight of a small Buick, your faithful blogger is trying to become a slightly smaller blogger. Apparently losing height isn't an option, so we're going for reducing circumference. The doctor says I'm less likely to keel over if I'm not sitting down and consuming an entire crate of Oreos in one sitting, and as I'd like to live long enough to bury my enemies, I figure I'd better start to do something about it.
Fortunately, having a catalog on your coffee table does not mean you have immediate access to an amazing array of meats and cheeses or beautifully wrapped cookies. So... I'll hang onto my food porn and ponder a moderated diet throughout the holidays, and I hope one of you out there will do me a favor and eat a beef stick for me.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Signal Watch Reads "Superman: Earth One"
DC recently released "Superman: Earth One". The book is a hard re-boot of Superman aimed at all-ages and intended for the book store market. The title itself holds clues as to this story's place in the DC Universe*, and as a sign to its own readership that this book indicates a major effort in how DC Comics hopes to reach the public going forward.
I recommend visiting Comics Alliance for a preview.
Why this book exists
Basically, Superman: Earth One exists as a "my very first Superman book" for today's audience. This strategy seems to have angered/ confused virtually every comic reader with an internet connection, who have pointed out (correctly) that DC literally just finished running a series called Superman: Secret Origin that also tells the story of the early years of Superman. However, they missed the part where the series was only available in comic shops and intensely tied to monthly Superman comics, which meant you kind of needed to be familiar with stuff that ran 15-40 years before I was born. That doesn't mean Superman: Secret Origin wasn't doing its job (it did just fine), but its a comic for longtime Superman readers.
I applaud DC's decision to put together a Superman comic I would feel I could hand to pretty much anyone interested in the character, especially folks only familiar with Superman from bumper stickers and t-shirt emblems.
Most importantly, DC wrote this comic as a graphic novel. The 120 page book is not a reprint of a multi-issue series, but one, continuous novel. There are a lot of reasons for moving to the 120 page format. The current crop of younger readers have come up on comics in the manga format, which arrives in book-sized volumes, with some series running dozens of volumes. Its far more book-store friendly and book reviewer friendly.
I don't think DC's decision to make their first release arrive in a hard cover with a $20 cover price was a great call. A $13 soft cover was probably more in line with what people might like, and I'll get to my issues with the page count as we progress.
The Creative Team
I've been a fan of artist Shane Davis since reading his run on Mystery in Space with Jim Starlin, and figured at the time I read that series that DC would eventually move him to Superman (if you'd seen his version of Captain Comet, you'd know why). While DC doesn't really have a "house style", they do tilt toward a more illustrative approach when it comes to The Man of Steel. Davis' characters are pretty great, but he also handles the details of the background with such detail its a bit mindboggling. His page layout is fairly strong if a bit unspectacular, but maybe they don't need "experimental" when it comes to introducing DC Comics to a new readership.
Writer J. Michael Straczynski is best known for either his TV series Babylon 5 or for the script for the recent Clint Eastwood movie Changeling. He's written original comics series such as Rising Stars, and I was a fan of his work on The Amazing Spider-Man. He's responsible for the much-debated "Grounded" storyline in the regular Superman comics and the alternate history Wonder Woman that led to Wonder Woman's recent adoption of pants and a jacket as part of her costume.
Clark's Much-discussed Look
Had the non-comics press not had such a bizarre reaction to seeing a 20 or 21-year old Superman in casual-wear, it never would have occurred to me to spend much time discussing "the look" of Clark Kent when he arrives in Metropolis. Yes, he's wearing a jacket. Its not even, technically, a "hoodie" (which I think is a fleece sort of thing, right?). It actually looks like a standard-issue motorcycle jacket that has a hood. As per the "hipster" look? He doesn't wear ironic facial hair, nor is his hair particularly either elaborate or Bieber-ish, but it is age appropriate for guys that age from what I see on campus these days (but makes me wonder about the shelf-life of this book). And he wears jeans, which are also drawn in the current style, but not "skinny jeans". If anything, and I think this is what non-comics press is feeling but doesn't quite know it, is that this is not the same Clark Kent-in-a-suit Superman we've seen since Action Comics #1, striding into the offices of a crusading Major Metropolitan Newspaper and confidently claiming a job. This is a 20-year-old Kent coming to the big city to figure out what he's going to do with the rest of his life. For that, jeans, an oxford shirt and a jacket is exactly appropriate.
Curiously, this Superman is intentionally portrayed of average height and lean build. Likely all the better to hide an identity with, but I think that will cause some confusion amongst folks whose vision of Superman is 6'4" and 230 lbs.
And lest there be any confusion, as I discussed in a post dated October 26th, when it comes time for action, Clark puts on "the suit". While I've seen preview images for months and knew that Davis had not made any significant changes (really, only stylistic stuff that a Superman fan would take note of), its interesting to see that DC has decided that supporting the franchise does mean a constant look and feel to their staple characters.
The Story
Straczynski sets up our Superman in a way that will pre-empt the sorts of questions that you'd guess Clark Kent would ponder before putting on the cape, and that's the goal of the story's narrative, really. The passing of his adoptive father has led to him leaving Smallville and arriving in Metropolis to figure out what he's going to do with the rest of his life. Its clear Clark felt both life and opportunity were passing him, and his arrival in Metropolis is as a grieving, lost young man rather than as a jaunty, snappily dressed reporter.
Its clear from a very early age that Clark is unique, and despite the best efforts of his parents, he's had to live on the edge of his peers so as not to reveal his true abilities his entire existence. In this story, there is no Superboy, but its also not the slow appearance of powers. This child is capable of extraordinary things from his earliest days. He knows he is likely from space, but knows nothing of the familiar Kryptonian origin.
What he will do with his innate ability in a world that has never known superheroes isn't any more obvious to Clark, just as finding oneself with powers in today's world would be almost a non-starter. The comic follows Clark as he explores professions that match his abilities from pro-athlete to scientist, seeking to provide a comfortable life for the widowed Martha Kent. Clark's interest in The Daily Planet is an interesting character reveal as reporting is a genuine challenge for his abilities. Curiously, in this version, it seems to have been the vision of Martha and Jonathan Kent to see their son use his abilities to become something the world has never before seen.
The threat that hurdles Clark into action is not the downed plane that's been a staple of the story since Byrne and Wolfman's 1980's relaunch. Instead, its the arrival of an interplanetary threat.
JMS's Daily Planet seems a bit like a ghost ship, a newspaper trying to exist in 2010, rather than the multi-media news outlet that's been envisioned of late in Earth-0. While Lois and Jim Olsen are killing themselves trying to live out a noble vision of themselves as legitimate journalists, the paper struggles to survive.
I quite like this Perry, Lois and Jim, even if I can't quite sort out why Jim needs to be age-equivalent or older than Clark in this version. Lois is what she should be: bull-headed, confident to the point of recklessness and seemingly a good few years older than Clark (I've always thought Lois needed more general life experience than Clark for her to feel genuine amazement at seeing Superman), but we only see the first seeds of that relationship in this book.
If I have a story related gripe its that the book could have expanded out another 100 pages. I know that's a lot to ask for, but in an era of decompression (which this comic gladly indulges in), it seems that choosing a page count driven by publishing needs over the needs of the story has meant that we don't get as much development of characters other than Clark as would have befitted a true "novel", and that's a lot of potential for a satisfactory story lost. Hoping a Volume 2 is enabled by sales and that's where we'll expand upon the premise isn't a great sell.
So how does it work?
Straczynski manages to achieve the goal of starting Superman from square one, an effort that hasn't really been achieved in the comics since 1938. There are no echoes or winking nods to prior incarnations, no guest appearances by other DC properties, and the story is lean and clean in its presentation. Perhaps its because Straczynski is a Superman fan, he's heard the questions that pop up around the concept of a Superman (that aren't new to Superman, I might mention, and were part of the criticism of comics in general during the Senate hearings of 50-odd years ago). In many ways, answering those questions is the secondary part of the narrative, and as a fan, I can appreciate that JMS decided to take that head on, right out of the gate.** He doesn't provide easy answers, and I suspect that additional volumes of Superman: Earth One will continue to deal with these questions.
I have some reservations about Superman revealing himself as a planetary protector rather than as how Kal-El appeared as a populist protector in 1938 or a surprising guardian angel with the rescue of a space plane in Byrne's Man of Steel. Or... even as Lois Lane's rescuer in Superman: The Movie. There's something oddly circular about JMS's plotline (which is exactly the kind of self-contained stuff Hollywood loves, btw), and its something JMS addresses in the final pages of the book, which actually gives me hope for his plans for future installments, but... I've always found it important to the character that Superman's first appearance was something very earth-bound and tied to things that the reader could immediately understand as a threat. If Superman appears mid-alien invasion... it somehow dilutes the wonder of the character and what it means for the world.
I'm just not sure that JMS and Davis ever really sell that "gee whiz" moment you need for the debut of Superman, and if that doesn't happen in this volume, the moment is passed. Frankly, it's hard to top what Waid and Yu did in Birthright, which I still remember putting a genuine smile across my face (plus, you could totally see what a Superman would see in Waid's Lois).
I'm not sure its quite fair that news outlets couldn't allow this first volume to feature a broody, moody Clark Kent. This isn't a mopey vampire Clark Kent, this is a kid with serious issues on his mind. One of the stock criticisms of Superman is that pop-culture bloggers, et al assume that Superman never went through any decision making process, that he just knew he was a good guy and what he should do, and that makes the character unbelievable. Of course we know he's going to put on the cape (this is Superman), but the how's and why's are important, but there's no feeling of pre-destination, no Jor-EL floating head to insist on the super-lifestyle, only the haunting notion that Jonathan Kent wanted his adopted son to be all he could, and that's got some narrative weight.
So is it going to take the world by storm?
At the end of the day, its far more apparent to a comics and Superman enthusiast what DC is trying to do with Superman than it is to the people DC has tried to enlist to help promote the Earth One book publishing effort. I am uncertain if a single non-comics reader will be interested in picking up the book, and I strongly suspect a lot of any success will depend on word of mouth among the teenage demographic. Another Superman book tucked in amongst the dozen others on the shelf at Barnes & Noble isn't going to be a particular stand-out, so something else will have to give.
DC has played it very close to the vest regarding how often these books will hit the rack, and, frankly, I think anything less than every 4-5 months is going to be ruled a mistake. For a kid, a year is a very long time between volumes. Frankly, I would have really liked this book at age 13 (and I like it very well at age 35). But I cannot imagine having to wait an entire year for another installment. Not when you can walk into Borders and see 30-odd volumes of Naruto or Ranma 1/2 sitting in the shelf.
Content-wise, there is plenty to like, especially if you aren't coming to the books with preconceived notions. I do think DC has a very interesting book on their hands, and who knows what the kids will find interesting? Certainly the "conflicted" Clark Kent is more in line with the sorts of characters kids get starting in their cartoons these days, and that should definitely play better than the he-man, awesome-at-everything Superman in street and super clothes that Byrne and Wolfman launched in the 1980's.***
I sincerely hope this works out and DC can continue with this line. Its an intriguing publishing strategy, and its great to see DC taking steps to meet the marketplace where it lives. Moreover, I genuinely did enjoy the comic, faults and all. Its got some issues, but many are just things I see as a longtime Superman nut. When this thing comes to paperback, I hope you get a chance to check it out.
*DC has used the concept of parallel dimensions (ie: numbered Earths) since the late 50's. "Earth One" indicates that this book takes place on a different "Earth" than the one seen in the monthly floppy comics, which is currently designated "Earth Zero".
**similarly, I think JMS's "Grounded" storyline is well intentioned in addressing questions around Superman in standard-issue Superman comics.
***I prefer a sort of wacky take on Clark Kent, myself, especially the "me? Superman?" take of George Reeves.
I recommend visiting Comics Alliance for a preview.
Why this book exists
Basically, Superman: Earth One exists as a "my very first Superman book" for today's audience. This strategy seems to have angered/ confused virtually every comic reader with an internet connection, who have pointed out (correctly) that DC literally just finished running a series called Superman: Secret Origin that also tells the story of the early years of Superman. However, they missed the part where the series was only available in comic shops and intensely tied to monthly Superman comics, which meant you kind of needed to be familiar with stuff that ran 15-40 years before I was born. That doesn't mean Superman: Secret Origin wasn't doing its job (it did just fine), but its a comic for longtime Superman readers.
I applaud DC's decision to put together a Superman comic I would feel I could hand to pretty much anyone interested in the character, especially folks only familiar with Superman from bumper stickers and t-shirt emblems.
Most importantly, DC wrote this comic as a graphic novel. The 120 page book is not a reprint of a multi-issue series, but one, continuous novel. There are a lot of reasons for moving to the 120 page format. The current crop of younger readers have come up on comics in the manga format, which arrives in book-sized volumes, with some series running dozens of volumes. Its far more book-store friendly and book reviewer friendly.
I don't think DC's decision to make their first release arrive in a hard cover with a $20 cover price was a great call. A $13 soft cover was probably more in line with what people might like, and I'll get to my issues with the page count as we progress.
The Creative Team
I've been a fan of artist Shane Davis since reading his run on Mystery in Space with Jim Starlin, and figured at the time I read that series that DC would eventually move him to Superman (if you'd seen his version of Captain Comet, you'd know why). While DC doesn't really have a "house style", they do tilt toward a more illustrative approach when it comes to The Man of Steel. Davis' characters are pretty great, but he also handles the details of the background with such detail its a bit mindboggling. His page layout is fairly strong if a bit unspectacular, but maybe they don't need "experimental" when it comes to introducing DC Comics to a new readership.
Writer J. Michael Straczynski is best known for either his TV series Babylon 5 or for the script for the recent Clint Eastwood movie Changeling. He's written original comics series such as Rising Stars, and I was a fan of his work on The Amazing Spider-Man. He's responsible for the much-debated "Grounded" storyline in the regular Superman comics and the alternate history Wonder Woman that led to Wonder Woman's recent adoption of pants and a jacket as part of her costume.
Clark's Much-discussed Look
Had the non-comics press not had such a bizarre reaction to seeing a 20 or 21-year old Superman in casual-wear, it never would have occurred to me to spend much time discussing "the look" of Clark Kent when he arrives in Metropolis. Yes, he's wearing a jacket. Its not even, technically, a "hoodie" (which I think is a fleece sort of thing, right?). It actually looks like a standard-issue motorcycle jacket that has a hood. As per the "hipster" look? He doesn't wear ironic facial hair, nor is his hair particularly either elaborate or Bieber-ish, but it is age appropriate for guys that age from what I see on campus these days (but makes me wonder about the shelf-life of this book). And he wears jeans, which are also drawn in the current style, but not "skinny jeans". If anything, and I think this is what non-comics press is feeling but doesn't quite know it, is that this is not the same Clark Kent-in-a-suit Superman we've seen since Action Comics #1, striding into the offices of a crusading Major Metropolitan Newspaper and confidently claiming a job. This is a 20-year-old Kent coming to the big city to figure out what he's going to do with the rest of his life. For that, jeans, an oxford shirt and a jacket is exactly appropriate.
Curiously, this Superman is intentionally portrayed of average height and lean build. Likely all the better to hide an identity with, but I think that will cause some confusion amongst folks whose vision of Superman is 6'4" and 230 lbs.
And lest there be any confusion, as I discussed in a post dated October 26th, when it comes time for action, Clark puts on "the suit". While I've seen preview images for months and knew that Davis had not made any significant changes (really, only stylistic stuff that a Superman fan would take note of), its interesting to see that DC has decided that supporting the franchise does mean a constant look and feel to their staple characters.
The Story
Straczynski sets up our Superman in a way that will pre-empt the sorts of questions that you'd guess Clark Kent would ponder before putting on the cape, and that's the goal of the story's narrative, really. The passing of his adoptive father has led to him leaving Smallville and arriving in Metropolis to figure out what he's going to do with the rest of his life. Its clear Clark felt both life and opportunity were passing him, and his arrival in Metropolis is as a grieving, lost young man rather than as a jaunty, snappily dressed reporter.
Its clear from a very early age that Clark is unique, and despite the best efforts of his parents, he's had to live on the edge of his peers so as not to reveal his true abilities his entire existence. In this story, there is no Superboy, but its also not the slow appearance of powers. This child is capable of extraordinary things from his earliest days. He knows he is likely from space, but knows nothing of the familiar Kryptonian origin.
What he will do with his innate ability in a world that has never known superheroes isn't any more obvious to Clark, just as finding oneself with powers in today's world would be almost a non-starter. The comic follows Clark as he explores professions that match his abilities from pro-athlete to scientist, seeking to provide a comfortable life for the widowed Martha Kent. Clark's interest in The Daily Planet is an interesting character reveal as reporting is a genuine challenge for his abilities. Curiously, in this version, it seems to have been the vision of Martha and Jonathan Kent to see their son use his abilities to become something the world has never before seen.
The threat that hurdles Clark into action is not the downed plane that's been a staple of the story since Byrne and Wolfman's 1980's relaunch. Instead, its the arrival of an interplanetary threat.
JMS's Daily Planet seems a bit like a ghost ship, a newspaper trying to exist in 2010, rather than the multi-media news outlet that's been envisioned of late in Earth-0. While Lois and Jim Olsen are killing themselves trying to live out a noble vision of themselves as legitimate journalists, the paper struggles to survive.
I quite like this Perry, Lois and Jim, even if I can't quite sort out why Jim needs to be age-equivalent or older than Clark in this version. Lois is what she should be: bull-headed, confident to the point of recklessness and seemingly a good few years older than Clark (I've always thought Lois needed more general life experience than Clark for her to feel genuine amazement at seeing Superman), but we only see the first seeds of that relationship in this book.
If I have a story related gripe its that the book could have expanded out another 100 pages. I know that's a lot to ask for, but in an era of decompression (which this comic gladly indulges in), it seems that choosing a page count driven by publishing needs over the needs of the story has meant that we don't get as much development of characters other than Clark as would have befitted a true "novel", and that's a lot of potential for a satisfactory story lost. Hoping a Volume 2 is enabled by sales and that's where we'll expand upon the premise isn't a great sell.
So how does it work?
Straczynski manages to achieve the goal of starting Superman from square one, an effort that hasn't really been achieved in the comics since 1938. There are no echoes or winking nods to prior incarnations, no guest appearances by other DC properties, and the story is lean and clean in its presentation. Perhaps its because Straczynski is a Superman fan, he's heard the questions that pop up around the concept of a Superman (that aren't new to Superman, I might mention, and were part of the criticism of comics in general during the Senate hearings of 50-odd years ago). In many ways, answering those questions is the secondary part of the narrative, and as a fan, I can appreciate that JMS decided to take that head on, right out of the gate.** He doesn't provide easy answers, and I suspect that additional volumes of Superman: Earth One will continue to deal with these questions.
I have some reservations about Superman revealing himself as a planetary protector rather than as how Kal-El appeared as a populist protector in 1938 or a surprising guardian angel with the rescue of a space plane in Byrne's Man of Steel. Or... even as Lois Lane's rescuer in Superman: The Movie. There's something oddly circular about JMS's plotline (which is exactly the kind of self-contained stuff Hollywood loves, btw), and its something JMS addresses in the final pages of the book, which actually gives me hope for his plans for future installments, but... I've always found it important to the character that Superman's first appearance was something very earth-bound and tied to things that the reader could immediately understand as a threat. If Superman appears mid-alien invasion... it somehow dilutes the wonder of the character and what it means for the world.
I'm just not sure that JMS and Davis ever really sell that "gee whiz" moment you need for the debut of Superman, and if that doesn't happen in this volume, the moment is passed. Frankly, it's hard to top what Waid and Yu did in Birthright, which I still remember putting a genuine smile across my face (plus, you could totally see what a Superman would see in Waid's Lois).
I'm not sure its quite fair that news outlets couldn't allow this first volume to feature a broody, moody Clark Kent. This isn't a mopey vampire Clark Kent, this is a kid with serious issues on his mind. One of the stock criticisms of Superman is that pop-culture bloggers, et al assume that Superman never went through any decision making process, that he just knew he was a good guy and what he should do, and that makes the character unbelievable. Of course we know he's going to put on the cape (this is Superman), but the how's and why's are important, but there's no feeling of pre-destination, no Jor-EL floating head to insist on the super-lifestyle, only the haunting notion that Jonathan Kent wanted his adopted son to be all he could, and that's got some narrative weight.
So is it going to take the world by storm?
At the end of the day, its far more apparent to a comics and Superman enthusiast what DC is trying to do with Superman than it is to the people DC has tried to enlist to help promote the Earth One book publishing effort. I am uncertain if a single non-comics reader will be interested in picking up the book, and I strongly suspect a lot of any success will depend on word of mouth among the teenage demographic. Another Superman book tucked in amongst the dozen others on the shelf at Barnes & Noble isn't going to be a particular stand-out, so something else will have to give.
DC has played it very close to the vest regarding how often these books will hit the rack, and, frankly, I think anything less than every 4-5 months is going to be ruled a mistake. For a kid, a year is a very long time between volumes. Frankly, I would have really liked this book at age 13 (and I like it very well at age 35). But I cannot imagine having to wait an entire year for another installment. Not when you can walk into Borders and see 30-odd volumes of Naruto or Ranma 1/2 sitting in the shelf.
Content-wise, there is plenty to like, especially if you aren't coming to the books with preconceived notions. I do think DC has a very interesting book on their hands, and who knows what the kids will find interesting? Certainly the "conflicted" Clark Kent is more in line with the sorts of characters kids get starting in their cartoons these days, and that should definitely play better than the he-man, awesome-at-everything Superman in street and super clothes that Byrne and Wolfman launched in the 1980's.***
I sincerely hope this works out and DC can continue with this line. Its an intriguing publishing strategy, and its great to see DC taking steps to meet the marketplace where it lives. Moreover, I genuinely did enjoy the comic, faults and all. Its got some issues, but many are just things I see as a longtime Superman nut. When this thing comes to paperback, I hope you get a chance to check it out.
*DC has used the concept of parallel dimensions (ie: numbered Earths) since the late 50's. "Earth One" indicates that this book takes place on a different "Earth" than the one seen in the monthly floppy comics, which is currently designated "Earth Zero".
**similarly, I think JMS's "Grounded" storyline is well intentioned in addressing questions around Superman in standard-issue Superman comics.
***I prefer a sort of wacky take on Clark Kent, myself, especially the "me? Superman?" take of George Reeves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)