Comicscape - July 19, 2006

By: KURT AMACKER
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

We first encounter superheroes as children. Before we can read, we watch them in cartoons and movies. We play with their toys long before we ever learn about "mint condition" and the importance of leaving action figures in their original packaging. Think about that we learn about heroes before we can read. Only later, money and circumstances permitting, do we read comic books. When we grow up, innocence and awe dissolve, as we dissect and reassemble our childhood heroes. Beginning with the cynicism of adolescence and into responsible maturity, we come to understand superheroes differently. Their stark notions of good and evil lose their literal resonance when we realize that stopping a single schoolyard bully doesn't change the world. Maybe we stop reading comics for a while. And yet, when we return to heroes as adults in both movies and comics their personal struggles and defining flaws rekindle our interest.

As children, we loved Spider-Man because he stopped the bad guys. As adults, we love him because he agonizes over his shortcomings. His difficulties balancing a dual life as both husband and hero resonate more than his thwarting yet another bank robbery. Batman first appears to us as a powerful, even paternal, avatar of justice through Adam West and innumerable cartoons. But, he becomes a man tormented by the past, having relinquished his identity in reaction to his parents' murder. While few of us can relate to waging a vigilante war on crime, we've all had difficulty moving past tragedy. When we are young, we love Superman for his power and his unfailing commitment to truth, justice, and the American way. When we are grown, we recognize his struggle to relate to a race he closely resembles, but from which he remains unquestionably different.


Few people first love superheroes as adults. More often, they never stop loving them from childhood, or nostalgia draws them back to a comic shop. Every trip to the comic shop feels like a small fight to recapture that first feeling. My uncle presented me with a box of Marvel back issues when I was seven years old. That awe and wonder burned throughout childhood, as I loitered in neighborhood comic stores and dug through the quarter bin. By the time the 1990s boom rolled in, I was old enough to collect monthly titles. I performed extra chores to supplement my meager allowance, the entire time driven by the prospect of my then-bimonthly trip to the comic store in the neighboring suburb. Every time my beleaguered mother and I parked in front of Frank's Baseball Cards and Comics, I felt a Christmas-morning thrill. I'd spend the interval between trips reading and rereading a pile of brightly colored, holofoil-covered action-adventure stories, all the while wishing I could buy more. I spent virtually all of my money on this obsession, to the point where my parents pressed me to grow up and move on to something else. I caved in, and settled for the occasional graphic novel.

I never completely gave up comics, but like many of us, I didn't rediscover them until time and money permitted. And, feeling burned from the '90s boom, I avoided superheroes and focused on black and white independent titles. But, the spandex and cape set grabbed my attention when I realized that Marvel and DC cared about writers. While now, even I may occasionally scoff at that notion, it held true then and still holds truer than it did in the 1990s. But, my indie pretension having dissolved, heroes meant something to me again. Whereas I once sought simple thrills mixed with even simpler morality plays, I wanted then and now to know the characters behind the masks. Vigilante heroism means more when I understand why someone would risk their life to beat up criminals at night. Whether out of civic duty, lofty morality, or an undying desire for vengeance, I want to know these characters in all of their suffering and brilliance.

Despite that very adult perspective, few comics elevate me to that childlike, euphoric awe that I've often longed to recapture. I think we all want that. In fact, longing defines comic readers longing for childhood, strength, and a world where people put on flamboyant costumes to fight crime, simply because it's the right thing to do. You feel it. I do, too. It's the adrenaline rush of knowing that crime is wrong and someone should stop it. Don't wait for the police. Don't count on the system. Don't read them their rights. Get in there and put the wrong things right with your fists, if necessary. I think anyone that reads superhero comics wishes they had the strength and the audacity to do that. In our minds, we may recognize the importance of due process and a criminal justice system respectful of the rights of defendants. I don't decry that. But, deep down, part of us wants to fight not for the law, but good in its purest form. A few weeks ago here, someone ran out of Z'otz Café on Oak Street with $10 worth of tips. He'd ripped the bills from the hands of an 18-year-old Goth girl working the counter. Two doors down, someone at More Fun Comics saw the thief drive away. Without hesitating, he got in his car and chased him. He memorized the license plate number before the thief escaped. That same shop sells comics to at least one law enforcement officer that joined because of Batman. Never steal near a comic shop, because almost everyone there still wants to be a hero.

And yet, through the nostalgia-adrenaline haze, we recognize the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Few in their right mind really condone vigilanteism. Even if we did, one costumed hero or even a hundred can't rid the world of crime and injustice. As adults, pure and honest admiration gives way to suspension of disbelief in the name of vicarious thrills. Where once lived wonder and secular idolatry now dwells a broader understanding of symbolism, context, and the importance of modern folklore. If Batman stops one rapist, he hasn't stopped rape. But, in a literary context, we find his intentions meaningful. We enjoy reading about it, but we recognize the release-valve quality of superhero comics over any practical aspirations we may have once held. You have to grow up sometime.

And yet, many of us still long for childhood. Despite my ceaseless defense of comic books as a medium, sometimes I reflect and wonder if it's worth arguing for something I love only out of nostalgia. Perhaps I'm just rationalizing my arrested development. But, part of me can't let go of that simple innocence, fueled by an imagination that believed the good guys always won. A couple of week ago, a reader told me about the night his father took him to see the original SUPERMAN with Christopher Reeve. He was exhausted from working a long shift, but still took his son to the movies. To that boy, his father was Superman. Every boy sees his father that way. Part of me still does. Before we realize that our parents are only human, we see them as our unshakeable protectors from the outside world especially our fathers. As I've matured, I've realized that my parents were faced with the same uncertainties I would be, were I to have a son of my own. They were no better prepared than anyone else. And yet, my father was Superman. For better or worse, when faced with any dilemma, I still can't help but wonder how he would react. That instills me with a sense of honor, discipline, and moral fortitude. We love superheroes, because sometimes we miss the certainty and protection of our fathers.

Those of us that read comics into adulthood never stop feeling for heroes. We admire their power and sympathize with their struggles. When we are young, we want often want nothing more than to go out into the night and do good. Though our understanding of literature deepens or dampens our experience, part of us never loses that love of pure heroism. Through marriage, children, the mortgage, and divorce, we read comics to feel just a taste of that innocence we felt as children. We are never satisfied with the real world. Despite our cynicism, for their goodness, for their strength, and for their flaws, we still want heroes.

The Spinner Rack

By Al Brown and Kurt Amacker

DARK HORSE COMICS

Berserk Vol 12 TP (MR) $13.95

Blade Of The Immortal #115 (MR) $2.99
Al: Hey, y'all watch that Blade TV series? I was all psyched about it because a) Blade! and b) it stars Sticky Fingaz of the mid-90s rap group Onyx, whom I loved...but the series kinda sucks. It's not even bad enough to be funny, it's just sorta...eh. Deeply disappointing to me.
Kurt: I found your mother deeply disappointing. We watched Blade: The Series together and she loved it. I mean, seriously, what gives?

Conan #30 (MR) $2.99


Kurt: More Mignola for your money.

Star Wars Rebellion #4 $2.99

Sudden Gravity TP $10.95

Usagi Yojimbo Vol 20 Glimpses Of Death TP $15.95

DC COMICS

52 Week #11 $2.50
Al: Batgirl! Batgirl! Lesbians! Hot girl-on-girl action! Yes! Happy days!
Kurt: Here comes the inevitable 167 pages of comments about the evils of homosexuality. I think I'm going to write a column about this just to fan the flames.

Aquaman Sword Of Atlantis #43 $2.99

Batman Series 1 Mini Figures By Kotobukiya PI

Bite Club Vampire Crime Unit #4 (of 5) (MR) $2.99

Catwoman #57 $2.99

Checkmate #4 $2.99
Al: I can't take anything named "Kobra" seriously. I just keep picturing the meeting where they were coming up with names: "You know what would be really awesome? If we spelled it with a K!" "Totally! Like in that movie!"
Kreese: Sweep the leg!
Kurt: Al, you've officially stopped making sense.

Claw The Unconquered #2 $2.99
Kurt: Someone at DC decided they needed a piece of the Conan/Red Sonja pie. You know, Red Sonja and pie together just sounds kind of hot.

Crisis Aftermath The Battle For Bludhaven #6 (of 6) $2.99

Flash The Fastest Man Alive #2 $2.99
Kurt: In other obvious news, water is wet and you need air to live! Up next: the importance of brakes on your car!

Hellblazer #222 (MR) $2.99
Kurt: All right, I THINK this arc is finally over, so I can give you the yay or ney on Denise Mina. Jesus, this took a while.

Ion #4 (of 12) $2.99

Justice 3rd Ptg #5 (of 12) $3.50

Justice League Of America #0 $2.99
Al: Brad Meltzer begins to put the JLA back together again.
Kurt: Well, that didn't take long. Then again, after the craptacular last few issues of JLA, he has nowhere to go but up.

Justice League Of America Var Edition #0 $2.99

Man-Bat #4 (of 5) $2.99

Manhunter #24 $2.99
Al: Vs. Dr. Psycho, rapidly becoming the most awesome of DC's villains.
Kurt: No, you know what the most awesome DC villain ever is? The heroes' inability to truly relate to humanity while protecting it. Awesome.

Princess Natasha #2 (of 4) $2.25
Al: This week, she's an undercover cheerleader! I tried this once and it totally didn't work for me.
Kurt: Jesus, when you got to the locker room you must've had one hell of a tuck job going.

Recipe For Gertrude Vol 1 $9.99
Al: Sugar and spice? Are shallots involved?
Kurt: It's a recipe for cooking someone's churchgoing aunt.

Robin #152 $2.99

Rush City #1 (of 6) $2.99
Al: A new hero called...Rush? Seriously? Has anyone checked this with Geddy Lee?
Kurt: Yeah, I did. He told me that if I chose not to decide, I still would make a choice. Then, some windows cracked. Man, can that guy belt it out.

Scooby Doo #110 $2.25

Shadowpact #3 $2.99

Shazam Deluxe Statue $295.00

Silent Dragon TP $19.99

Sloth HC (MR) $19.99
Al: An original b&w graphic novel by Gilbert Hernandez (Love & Rockets). Some kid puts himself into a coma; a year later he wakes up in slo-mo. And there's a goatman, so there's that. I'm intrigued enough to flip through it in the shop.
Kurt: Man, they are plumbing the depths for new heroes, aren't they? It's Otter Man!

Supergirl And The Legion Of Super Heroes #20 $2.99
Kurt: After last issue's surprisingly mediocre murder mystery, I wonder if we can finally figure out what the hot little number in the red and blue is doing in the 31st century.

Superman Batman #28 $2.99

Superman Batman Vol 4 Vengeance HC $19.99
Kurt: Isn't that kind of redundant? I mean, have you ever known Batman to be out for anything other than vengeance? Like what, Batman: Bread and Milk?

Swan Vol 7 $9.99
Al: Watch as we use cutting-edge medical technology to turn Two-Face into a beautiful woman!
Kurt: You're still gay.

Teen Titans Go Vol 4 Ready For Action TP $6.99

Testament #8 (MR) $2.99
Al: I'm not sure if I dig this book because it's an interesting commentary on religion and modern Big Brother society, or just because it has lots of naked chicks. Actually, I don't really care, either.
Kurt: You were just disappointed that it didn't feature the influential thrash metal band of the same name.

Uncle Sam And The Freedom Fighters #1 (of 8) $2.99
Al: "Based on concepts by Grant Morrison" is the new "Produced by Quentin Tarantino." Whatever, a whole new team (because the old one got totally killed, as you may remember) promises to elicit as much excitement as, say, Scary Movie 6.
Kurt: Man, I wish I could get paid to just bang out loose ideas for other writers to work with. Must be nice.

IMAGE COMICS

24 Seven GN $24.99
Al: The good news is that this has stories by practically everyone who's awesome, including Becky Cloonan, Adam Hughes, Alex Maleev, Mike Avon Oeming and Ben Templesmith. The bad news is that when someone writes a story about robot zombies, the zombie thing has officially gone too far.
Kurt: No way, there's still pirate zombies, chimp zombies, alien zombies, caffeine zombies, and a bunch more that are way lamer!

Afterworks Vol 1 GN $17.99
Al: And this is billed as "pure passion on the page," which we will hope is not as lame as it sounds. This also sounds worth flipping through in the shop, but between this, 24 Seven and Sloth I'm only buying one.
Kurt: Okay, with a tag like that, there better be jugs in it. I mean, "pure passion" just screams for boobs.

Afterworks Vol 1 GN (PP #710) $17.99

Ant #7 (RES) $2.99

Bearers O/t Blade Sp $2.99

Casanova #2 (MR) $1.99
Al: First issue was very cool and weird. And dense. I'm into this.
Kurt: Really? You told me you bought it for Heath Ledger. Then, you totally cried when he wasn't in it.

Elephantmen #1 $2.99
Al: Huh? Mammomax got his own series?Kurt: You know, I'm not even touching this one.

Girls #15 (MR) $2.99

Red Diaries TP $16.95
Al: Damn commies.
Kurt: Damn commies indeed, eh comrade?

Strykeforce 2004 WWLA Sketch CVR Sgn #1 $10.00

Top Cow 2006 Preview PI

Walking Dead Vol 1 HC (MR) $29.99
Al: I'm not gonna buy this because I already have all the trades, but I'm actually tempted. If you got $30 and you haven't experienced the glory of Walking Dead, I can't recommend this strongly enough. It's my favorite book currently on the market - and keep in mind, I read practically everything. There's just nothing I look forward to as much as this.
Kurt: Nothing except your weekly trips to the daycare center in your beat-up van.

Witchblade Choi CVR #100 $4.99

Witchblade Gonzo Animated CVR #100 $4.99

Witchblade Silvestri CVR #100 $4.99

Witchblade Turner CVR #100 $4.99
Al: Gosh, I just don't know which to buy! Wait, they're each five bucks. So, I choose none of them. (But if I had to choose, I'd probably go with the one that says "Gonzo.")
Kurt: Ah, gonzo the McDonald's of the porn industry.

Witchblade Vol 11 TP $14.99

MARVEL COMICS

Amazing Spider-Man 2nd Ptg #532 Cw (PP #723) $2.99

Annihilation Nova #4 (of 4) $2.99

Cable Deadpool #30 Cw $2.99Al: We've already seen Cable in Civil War #2, but here's what we haven't seen: Deadpool vs. the Great Lakes Avengers! I've never read an issue of this series and I won't be starting now, although that does sound a little funny. I just...I just really hate Cable.

Kurt: I like to think of New Mutants #87 as the beginning of the end of American comics.

Civil War #3 (of 7) $2.99
Al: The solicitations hint at the return of Thor. And if you don't want to see Mark Millar writing the return of Thor, then you really shouldn't be reading comics anymore.
Thor: Iron Man! We would have words with thee! Stop being a dick!
Iron Man: You know what you are...you're like...just...man, I am so wasted.

Civil War 1 For 75 Turner Sketch Var #3 (of 7) PI

Civil War Mcguiness Var Limit 25 #3 (of 7) PI

Civil War Turner Var #3 (of 7) $2.99

Civil War X-Men #1 (of 4) $2.99
Al: One of the things that irritated me about the Decimation fallout was the idea that the X-Men would put up with Sentinels hanging around their house. It's completely out of character for them. Hopefully this is where they'll finally kick 'em out.
Kurt: You know those Sentinels you sleep with 'em once and then they want to move in.

Daily Bugle Civil War Newspaper Special Cw PI

Daughters Of The Dragon #6 (of 6) $2.99Al: The only consolation I can take in the end of this fun-as-hell miniseries is that they'll be back soon in the new Heroes for Hire book. It's nice to see some comics that don't pretend to be anything other than fun. (Okay, okay: it's also nice to see nipples.)

Essential Marvel Team-up Vol 1 TP New Ptg $16.99

Essential Marvel Team-up Vol 2 TP $16.99

Eternals #2 (of 6) $3.99
Al: I know reaction was mixed on the first issue of this. I was a fan. While I still have doubts about the Eternals fitting into the Marvel Universe, this is shaping up to be about the best shot at it I could've hoped for.
Kurt: Given Gaiman's penchant for reworking mythology, the idea of his working on Marvel's ancient history is just freakin' brilliant. I'm onboard with this one.

Eternals Romita Jr Var #2 Of(6) $3.99

Excalibur Classic Vol 2 Two Edged Sword TP $24.99

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #10 $2.99

Halo Graphic Novel HC (MR) $24.99
Kurt: "And that Wednesday, a resounding, 'I don't give a damn!' echoed throughout Uptown New Orleans, as Kurt purchased his weekly comics."

Haunt Of Horror Edgar Allan Poe #3 (of 3) (MR) $3.99
Kurt: This...this just reeks of awesomeness. I give a damn about this.

Iron Man Extremis Premiere HC $19.99
Al: I'm sure this will be a lot more fun to read in collected form, but I really don't like hardcovers. They're cool if they collect a whole ton of issues - the 18-issue Runaways vol. 1 hardback, for example, or the Walking Dead book I was gushing about above - but if it's just six issues, I feel like Marvel's trying to rip me off. Give me a paperback trade, guys. It's easier to read on the subway.
Kurt: What the hell do you do in the subway?

Jack Kirbys Galactic Bounty Hunters #1 $3.99
Al: I'm all for some stories resurrecting what apparently were some of Jack Kirby's leftover crazy ideas, but just because she's his daughter doesn't mean Lisa Kirby can write. Color me skeptical.
Kurt: When we hand out the Unnecessary Awards later this year, this is definitely nominated.

Marvel Adventures Avengers #3 $2.99

Marvel Westerns Western Legends $3.99

New Avengers Illuminati Special 2nd Ptg (PP #723) $3.99

New X-Men #28 $2.99
Al: Nimrod was the villain of one of the first

X-Men stories I read - I think it was #206 - so I kinda dig him. But this book has been kinda missing a heart since Kyle and Yost took over.

Planet Hulk Gladiator Guidebook $3.99
Al: Dude, we don't need a guidebook. Hulk lands on planet. Hulk smash. That's pretty much the size of it.
Kurt: But, there are so many more dimensions to smashing than that!

Runaways #18 $2.99
Al: Was the death in last issue for real? Or is it someone else who actually dies? I suspect someone else. I friggin' hope so, because I really, really love the character who apparently died last issue. Frankly, I'm deeply invested in all of them and I'd just as soon not have any more death at all. Why you gotta do this to me, Vaughan?
Kurt: Yeah, if my girl actually dies, I'm going to have words with Vaughan. Something like, "Please, please, please, please don't do this to me! I'll do anything you want, but bring her back! Oh God, you monster, what must I do to make you understand!?"

She-Hulk 2 #9 $2.99

She-Hulk 2 2nd Ptg #8 Cw (PP #723) $2.99

Thunderbolts 2nd Ptg #103 Cw (PP #723) $2.99

Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol 2 HC $29.99

Ultimate X-Men #72 $2.99

Uncanny X-Men #476 $2.99

Wolverine 2nd Ptg #42 CW (PP #723) $2.99

Wolverine Origins Directors Cut (PP #718) $3.99
Kurt: Come the hell on. This series has picked up in the last couple of issues, but the first one was strictly setup and not worth a "director's cut." What, does it have Wolverine's nude scene or something?

X-Factor #9 CW $2.99
Al: Continuing what may be the best take on Civil War aside from the Civil War series itself.

X-Men Fairy Tales #3 (of 4) $2.99
Kurt: Al and Northstar run hand-in-hand to Hogwarts, with Captain Jack Sparrow merrily swishing behind.

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