Comicscape - November 24, 2004

By: Tony Whitt
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I wish I could say I'm thankful for all the responses I got regarding last week's question, but because of the snafu that afflicted last week's column the one from the previous week went out first, along with a blank template for last week's releases I'm guessing some folks saw the same silly thing running again and figured it would stay up there. D'oh! About the only person who did read it was Chris Balda, who then proceeded to barrage me with smarmy little e-mails about denigrating my readers, being gay, and having a personal web site showing a picture with my shirt off. (Trust me, it's really not the sort of picture it sounds like - that one is on another site.) To all this, and to his two nasty e-mails strewn with [sic]'s all over the place to make fun of me marking his errors, my last word is: Dude, get a life. There are people I disagree with, and then there are people who really "don't get it." I'll let you guess which category you fall into and God bless. Have a great time with the turkey.

Obviously, I'm a bit stroppy over having received only that e-mail last week, so in the spirit of the holiday, I'm giving you all another chance to write in about what I consider a very interesting topic proposed last week by Alan Kercinik. He writes, "Having just finished IDENTITY CRISIS #6, I wonder over your thoughts about a recent trend that seems to be growing in popularity.

"Namely, that the hero did it.

"It might not have started with this, but we've had Hal's break down and evolution into Parallax, then the Spirit and back again to GL. Now we've got Scarlet Witch trashing the Avengers and a miniature assassin in the Atom. (Granted, there's still time for a mind control revelation in Issue 7...) Supershock cracked over in POWERS, but that seemed [to have less of an impact] because we were only introduced to that character in that arc. And while she's not a hero per se, we just found out that Gwen gave it up to Norman Osborn.

"I'm all for making heroes live in a more 'realistic' setting. (I don't necessarily equate that with gritty or depressing. But plausible, true to character stories, I can buy and truly enjoy.) But it makes me wonder about the motivation and the statement being made. Because if you look at all these things together, you could walk away with the feeling that:

"1) Villains really don't pose much of a threat to heroes, but heroes do[; and] 2) Current creators don't have much respect for old characters (excluding Mark Waid and Geoff Johns, of course)

"It's one thing to build to these revelations over time (I'm thinking of Superman taking on another identity after killing the Phantom Zone villains a few years back) as an evolution of character. But sudden, major changes like this seem little more than gimmicks. This isn't really much of a question, I guess. Just wanted to share the thought and wonder if you had any in reaction."

Personally? I do have to wonder why this trend has occurred, and I even wrote a column elsewhere talking about the subject. I didn't end up coming to any grand conclusions about it, but I did muse about whether casting the hero as villain reflects our own inabilities to accept heroes as heroes. The idea of altruism for its own sake and not for any other form of recompense (money, love, what have you) strikes us as an odd notion. Why would someone like, say, Superman, with all the power that the man has, put himself through the trouble of keeping the world safe when it would be so much easier to simply dominate it (if he went the extreme route) or even just to use his powers for personal gain? It's a question that's formed an undercurrent in comics for years now. Stan Lee (I think) was the first to examine it in Spider-Man's origin story, and the conclusion that Peter Parker comes to after the death of his uncle that with great power comes great responsibility has become the yardstick by which most heroes are judged. It brings up the same sort of questions about the very nature of heroism that Brad Meltzer is raising in his IDENTITY CRISIS miniseries - which, by the way, may be the specific reason he's writing it in the first place. If so, that explains the Atom's possible turn to the Dark Side (and if you didn't know about that already, I apologize, but the book has been out for a while now, so why haven't you picked it up???). But what about the others?

It's interesting, for instance, to note that in an interview conducted on The Slush Factory web site, Ron Marz says, "I never saw [Parallax] as a villain. I just saw him

as a guy who was completely convinced of the righteousness of what he was doing. That just happened to put him at odds with everybody else, but I didn't see him as a villain and he certainly never saw himself as a villain. I think a villain, in order to be intriguing, has to be pretty comfortable in his own skin." He also notes in that same interview that the directive came down from DC to do something to shake the character up and to boost the sales of the book, so Hal's development into the sort of character most would consider a villain was as much motivated by sales as anything else. This raises two questions on its own: can the darkening of these characters be considered a form of character evolution rather than devolution? And should that solution be considered a valid approach if a book's sales are flagging?

And to revisit another of Alan's points, here's yet another question: he asks about the motivation and sort of statement this trend makes, but is the darkening of these characters actually meant to make a statement? That's certainly the case in IDENTITY CRISIS, in which the agenda of questioning the concept of heroism is never far below the surface but does the sudden madness of Wanda Maximoff in AVENGERS have a purpose beyond allowing for a total reboot of the book? Pull up any interview with the Bendis about his favorite Avengers, and he'll list the Scarlet Witch every time. If the motivation to make her crazy (for a while) isn't coming from flagging sales or from a bone the creator wants to pick with the character, then why do it? In Bendis' case, the motivation seems to stem from the desire to give a character who has been buffeted back and forth in the winds of continuity some sense of actual continuity, and when one looks back at the path that character has taken, madness is the only logical conclusion. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, Brian, provided you're even reading this!) Is it valid, then, to make a character mad when one sees all the disparate plot points over the years leading up to that point?

Alan also suggests that perhaps heroes fighting heroes is more interesting than heroes fighting villains these days because villains are so much less of a threat. In a way, I can see this point: except in a few cases, such as Deathstroke, the villains in IDENTITY CRISIS are far, far less interesting than the heroes, and you have to wonder why these guys haven't gone down a lot more often since their powers tend to be far less...well, powerful than those whose Rogues' Galleries they inhabit. Even when they turn good, as we see two former villains discussing in that miniseries a few issues back, they're not too interesting. On the other hand, if someone like, say, Batman went rogue, or if Spider-Man were to decide he'd had enough of being considered a bad guy in the public eye and lived up to everyone's worst expectations, not only would the character development get some attention, but think of the battles that would ensue! Grant Morrison's version of JLA revealed that Batman knows the weakness of every one of his fellow Leaguers just in case they went rogue an idea that came back to bite him very squarely in his Bat-ass later on in the series' run so what would happen if Bruce decided to systematically take out his fellow heroes? Peter Parker is a brilliant young man, able to whip up webbing and a web-shooter faster than you can say "Tiger, you just hit the jackpot" so what would happen if he used that intelligence to pull out all the stops in a battle with, say, the Hulk, or Thor? (OK, maybe that's a bit too far, but you take the point, I hope.) Such battles, completely apart from the novelty factor, would be by their very nature more interesting than seeing Spidey face off against the Vulture (I mean, really), or watching the Batman square off against the Penguin, no matter how dark and villainous those genius writers like Brubaker can make him. Imagine if the Atom truly has gone rogue: this is a man who can conceivably kill someone by simply shrinking down to the subatomic level, stand in their bloodstream, and cause a blockage long enough to kill them. What else is he capable of? It's a fascinating question, and one which, even if it turns out that Ray's under someone's control after all, the fanboy in me really, really wants to see answered. Is that a possible reason for the trend?

And here's the big one to consider: Alan suggests that "current creators don't have much respect for old characters,"

meaning that a possible reason for the trend is writers just don't care about the basics of that character's personality enough not to send them hurtling into the abyss. But Marz obviously respects and like Hal Jordan; Bendis is an admitted Scarlet Witch fan; and, while Alan is right that she's an odd fit into this discussion, I doubt that the decision to reveal that Gwen Stacy slept with Norman Osborn comes as much from some disregard on JMS' part for the character as from the drive to tell a surprising story about a time in Spidey's life we thought we knew everything about. Does Meltzer not respect Ray Palmer, then? Was the revelation that Cosmic Boy was the Time Trapper all along before their whole continuity got reset by the events of ZERO HOUR motivated by some contempt for the core of Cos' character?

Obviously that's one hell of a lot of questions, but I'd like to hear your ideas about all of them, and then some. E-mail your thoughts about this topic to me via the web site contact address here or e-mail me directly by midnight, Saturday, December 4. Yes, that date is right you have a whole week and a half for this one, folks. Your responses will run the following week I have something different planned for the week to come. Please use CAPS when giving the title of a series you want to mention. And as always, don't forget our discussion boards! In the meantime, here's this week's listings:

THIS WEEK:

DC's the only one providing anything for your munchkins this week, with CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #3 ($2.95) and the latest super-powered antics in TEEN TITANS GO! #13 ($2.95). They can wait a week for the latest Spidey, surely but unless you want to discuss the birds and the bees a few years early, I wouldn't give them this week's copy of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN to tide them over...

Lord love a duck! First we lose my favorite series KINETIC last week which I didn't find out until the last page, by the way, and which just goes to show that even so-called comic book experts don't know everything but now ABC has gone and canceled TOM STRONG'S TERRIFIC TALES with issue #12 ($2.95)! Is there no just in a world where a series like this gets the axe and something like ALPHA FLIGHT goes on and on and on and on and on...?

The Thanagarians come swooping to Adam's rescue (as they do) in ADAM STRANGE #3 (Of 8, $2.95). Looks like DC will do anything to hawk this miniseries... Oh, ouch. That one hurt even me...

And speaking of deep pain caused by excessively bad humor, bad writing, and bad thinking... the ALPHA FLIGHT VOL 1: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME trade paperback is out for $14.99. Lucky us.

Anya's spidery and girly, but she's not Spider-Girl-y yet. That may change, though, as her origin story comes to a close in AMAZING FANTASY #6 ($2.99). What surprises does JMS have in store for us next? Well, a name for the character would be a nice touch...

And

why do I have the feeling that the end of the Stacy twins story arc in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #514 ($2.25) is going to make me weep like a little girl? I'll let you know if I did or not next week...

The Batgirl-Robin crossover continues this week in BATGIRL #58 ($2.50), while the whole "War Games" thing continues to have effects on the Dark Knight's world in BATMAN #634 ($2.25). Hell, this thing is so all-pervasive, I'm half-expecting to see the next issue of THE BATMAN STRIKES! making reference to it...

Y'know, I'm really starting to think that Nick Fury is edging up behind Wolvie and Spidey as Marvel's most overexposed character. We've seen him in AVENGERS, we've seen him in ASTONISHING X-MEN, and now we're going to see him in BLACK WIDOW #3 (Of 6, $2.99). Honestly when does this guy ever have time to fill out those dishonorable discharge forms?

Wanna see what sort of badass Blade was before Wesley Snipes came along? Then check out the BLADE: BLACK & WHITE trade paperback for $15.99, which includes some of the fantastic stories from the black-and-white magazines of the 70s. And all afro-free!

You know, I have to wonder whether the release of the CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS VOL 3 trade paperback for $14.95 means that the higher-ups at DC are finally starting to regret the whole CRISIS thing and are wondering if they took a wrong turn there... Could that be the impetus for that whole second Crisis thingee that's supposedly coming next year? It's one of those thingees that makes you go "hmmm"...

We're still getting to check out what the Kingpin was like before he discovered the joys of Hostess pies and Twinkies in DAREDEVIL #67 ($2.99). Say, did Spidey ever tempt the Kingpin with those in one of those comic strip-style ads that Hostess used to do in the 70s? Bonus point to anyone who can tell me!

Wowsers!

A Dark Horse JINGLE BELLE miniseries from Paul Dini? The hell you say! But here's #1 (Of 4) for $2.99, available this week! Of course, you could always opt for the MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST VOL 2 trade paperback for $17.95, or the ongoing adventures of that samurai bunny rabbit in USAGI YOJIMBO #80 ($2.99) but why would you, when there's Jingle Belle? Yippee!

And speaking of things you should think long and hard about before buying... The two-part "Robot Wars" concludes in John Byrne's version of DOOM PATROL, in issue #6 ($2.50). Hmph. And KINETIC had to end...

Still not sure what's going on in the penultimate issue of the ELEKTRA: THE HAND miniseries, but oh, well... Issue #4 (Of 5) is out this week for $2.99.

How did I miss that the latest story arc that ends in EXCALIBUR #7 ($2.99) this week is called "Food Fight"? Imagine all the puns that could have been made about that! But the moment has passed, the potatoes have been thrown, and it's all over but the clean-up... Kind of describes this whole series, though, doesn't it?

We discover the consequences of Barry Allen's own foray into tricky-dicky-hood as FLASH #216 ($2.25) concludes the crossover with IDENTITY CRISIS. Honestly, when this is all over, will we discover that any of our heroes didn't do something morally suspect, or erase the memories of those who didn't?

Oh, Image, Image, Image...if you'd only keep your web site up to date (and if I weren't too cheap to buy PREVIEWS), I could say more about BURGLAR BILL #1 (Of 6, $2.95), or THE DARKNESS VOL 2 #17($2.99), or INVINCIBLE #17 ($2.95), or MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 3 #7 ($2.95), or SMALL GODS #5 ($2.95), or SPAWN #140 ($2.50)... Actually, scratch that last one I doubt I'd say anything about SPAWN even if I had full-out plot synopses and panel-by-panel commentary...

And speaking of books that must be avoided at all cost: the JLA VOL 15: THE TENTH CIRCLE trade paperback is out for $12.95, collecting that brilliant storyline by Byrne and Claremont. Again, lucky us.

Wow,

new fodder for my yearly X-mas comics stories rundown! If you decide not to pick up the MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2004 this week for $3.99, don't worry I'll probably devote an entire column to it in a few weeks' time...

Here's the thing: why release MARVEL MUST-HAVES: AVENGERS #500-502 for $3.99 unless you're just trying to piss off all the people who paid full price for those three issues separately? Meanies!

The two-part Spidey-Wolvie team-up concludes (where else?) in MARVEL TEAM-UP #2 ($2.25). Now, if they really want to make this title worth its salt, they should do what the old series used to do and include team-ups with characters you never get to see anywhere else. I vote for Brother Voodoo, Man-Wolf, and Ego the Living Planet, myself.

MYSTIQUE is caught between two masters (and feelin' like a fool, no doubt) in issue #21 ($2.99). Say, how about a team-up with her? That would be one way to get some T&A on the cover of a Spidey book, anyway...

So, the dissolution of the Earth's Greatest Heroes leads some of the Earth's Greatest Villains to form a new superhero team? Nah, not buying it unless Busiek's writing it, and since he is, guess I'm picking up NEW THUNDERBOLTS #2 ($2.99) after all. Don't you just love being privy to my very thought processes on what I'm going to buy and why? No, me neither.

So, will Uatu finally wake up and find Bobby Ewing in his shower in POWERLESS #6 (Of 6, $2.99) this week? Damn, I hope not I'm sure Patrick Duffy has better taste than going for bald guys with huge heads and itty bitty bodies...Not too far removed from Victoria Principal, I grant you, but still...

And will Deena Pilgrim discover herself to suddenly have more in common with her partner, power-wise, in POWERS #6 ($2.95)? Don't know about you, but that's what I consider a Marvel Must-Have Bendis Book...

Y'know,

they should really rename the series RICHARD DRAGON as something like DC TEAM-UP and have done with it, shouldn't they? Batman's in issue #7 ($2.50) this week. Guess Richard's not quite ready for a book of his own after all...

Let's see...DC gave little to no promotion of the original SUPERMAN: RED SON miniseries, and now that the trade paperback is out for $17.95, there's no promotion this time, either. Blink and you'll miss it (again)! He's faster than a speeding bullet, don'tcha know.

Not quite sure why I can't find a listing for SUPREME POWER #13 ($2.99), but buy it anyway. It's JMS, and he's like spinach he's good for you, and he'll make you super-strong.

What did the one servitor robot say to the other robot? No, it's not a joke it's the set-up for the TECHNOPRIESTS VOL 2 trade paperback for $14.95. No, really!

If you're of the Ultimate persuasion not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you then this week is a wallet-breaker: you've got ULTIMATE ELEKTRA #4 (Of 5, $2.25); ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #13 ($2.25); the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 2: LEARNING CURVE trade paperback for $12.99; the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 3: DOUBLE TROUBLE trade paperback for $17.95; and the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 4: LEGACY trade paperback for $14.99. Think of all this as ULTIMATE POKEMON: gotta buy 'em all!

Obviously, someone though the story arc in VENOM #s 14-18 was worth collecting, as the VENOM VOL 3: TWIST trade paperback for $13.99 does just that. Lucky us cubed.

As usual, there's a veritable cornucopia of adult goodness from Vertigo this week (and you ever notice how you rarely ever heard the words "veritable" and "cornucopia" without each other?). This week, we get the still blessedly Keanu-less HELLBLAZER #202 ($2.75); the equally Keanu-less LOSERS #18 ($2.95); the PREACHER VOL 3: PROUD AMERICANS trade paperback for $14.95, which has a little Keanu and some spam in it; the SGT. ROCK: BETWEEN HELL AND A HARD PLACE softcover for $17.95, which would be even more fun if we could watch Keanu Reeves getting blown up in it; the SWAMP THING VOLUME 4: A MURDER OF CROWS trade paperback for $19.95, which strangely has no Adrienne Barbeau in it; and WITCHING #6 ($2.95), which really should have Adrienne Barbeau in it. Sorry, I just couldn't keep up with the whole Keanu thing even making fun of him gets tired...

The Authority discovers that those superhero teams from Philly are real bad news (as we all knew, really) in Wildstorm's AUTHORITY: REVOLUTION #2 (Of 12, $2.95). There's also fun to be had with

SLEEPER SEASON TWO #6 (Of 12, $2.95) and it's Ed Brubaker again! Damn, life is good.

And

finally...wow, no X-titles apart from the standalone character series, so this week's final entry is the sensible WILL EISNER COMPANION hardcover for $19.95. Wow again. Is the fact that I couldn't end this column with a single X-joke a sign of the Apocalypse or sumthin?

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think by e-mailing us here!

Comicscape is our weekly Comics column.