Comicscape - November 3, 2004

By: Tony Whitt
Date: Wednesday, November 03, 2004

By the time this column appears on the web site, America will either have a new President or will have re-elected a previous one. In either case, the proverbial fecal matter is probably already hitting the fan, as I don't expect either one, even the one I voted for, to take a defeat without starting at least one lawsuit about it somewhere. Despite that, I offer my congratulations to whomever got the most votes, and I make a sincere request of that person: please don't screw us more than we've already been screwed.

Now, even if I were to go on and talk about comics for the rest of this column, without making a single additional reference to the election, I could guarantee I'd have at least ten or fifteen angry e-mails taking me to task for talking about politics when the focus of this column is comics. (More often than not, what they're taking me to task about is espousing my own liberal and Democratic views, since I have yet to have a card-carrying Democrat write in with such a complaint, but let's table that fact for the moment.) This attitude has always taken me aback, and the one time I (unwisely) responded to one of these letters by stating that it was my right to write whatever I felt in the column and mentioning something about my rights under the First Amendment, I was informed that my job was only to address the world of comics and to leave my political views out of it because the two had nothing to do with one another.

And as I always do when I hear this point of view, I thought: "Is he f***king kidding?"

Quite a while back, we here at COMICSCAPE did a couple weeks of columns about the role politics plays in comics, and some of the conclusions you the readers came to were that the real world of politics does indeed play a huge role in that of the comics world sometimes, admittedly, too much of one and that there is indeed a mostly liberal bias in the comics industry. (I was in fact rather surprised to see the latest issue of Antarctic Press' DICTATORS on the shelf, especially when I read the intro and saw how strongly pro-Bush it appeared to be such books are something of a rarity on the shelves, for good or for ill.) Because of that previous column, we don't necessarily need to rehash the discussion of whether comics have anything to do with politics it's pretty clear they do. What's at issue is whether or not political discussion has any place in the discussion of comics.

One of my personal heroes seems to feel they do, and he doesn't even try to make his discussions of politics particularly relevant to the discussion of comics. Steven Grant over at Comic Book Resources is the sort of columnist I want to be when I grow up, and in his weekly "Permanent Damage" column it's rare when there's no mention of the "Hand Puppet" (his phrase for [former? President-elect?] Bush) or of the war in Iraq. It doesn't seem to bother his readers. Of course, I also don't see the e-mail that Steven gets when he writes about such things, and I have to assume it's even more vitriolic than the odd ten or fifteen I get when, say, I criticize Captain America or Superman, but it also doesn't stop him. Can we then say that Steven is using his column for nefarious purposes, that he's not doing his job of covering comics when he uses a good third of his column to criticize the way our world is being run? Really, it could be much worse both he (and I) could have used our respective columns as all-out platforms to induce our readers to elect Kerry, and we didn't. But would even mentioning something like this (as I've just done) constitute "not doing out job"?

Oddly enough, I got much the same reaction when I suggested a few months back that the recent darkening of the major comics universes could possibly be traced back to September 11th (and as many good arguments as I heard stating that this darkening extends even further back than that, I still stick to my guns on that one. Things were never quite this bad, folks, even at their worst). A few people said it was "tacky" to mention that tragedy in relation to comics, and since we're all reading comics to escape our daily lives, why try to bring the real world into a discussion of a fictional one? Well, that may be your reason for reading comics, but personally I read them not only for entertainment but to see how well they reflect our own reality and lately, they've been doing that a great deal more, both in politics and in other areas. Anyone who thinks the real world has no relation to comics should consider where Greg Rucka sent Lois Lane on her recent overseas assignment in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, or, to a lesser extent, why Judd Winick decided to have a major character be diagnosed as HIV-positive in GREEN ARROW. If it's escapist literature, then why does the real world impinge upon it so much?

Anyway, I may be thinking about all this because, at the time of this writing, we've just had a videotape from our greatest enemy telling us that it doesn't matter who we elect if our nation's policies don't change (cheeky bastard, isn't he?), and the outcome of the election is still not a clear thing. Hell, it's probably not even a clear thing at the time you're reading this. Surely those anxieties can be expressed in comics and in forums about comics without people erroneously saying "This isn't the appropriate place for such talk"?

So I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on all this, so e-mail them to me via the web site contact address here or e-mail me directly. Please use CAPS when giving the title of a series you want to mention. And as always, don't forget our discussion boards! Next week, I'm going to address a reader's concern about relaunches and how both Marvel and DC seem to think that the only way to get more readers into a book is to start it from the beginning. In the meantime, here's this week's listings:

THIS WEEK:

Bugs and Daffy are raising money to benefit People With No Sense of Humor in LOONEY TUNES #120 ($2.25). Hmm, wonder if I can get a grant from that outfit...Either that, or you could check out JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #3 ($2.25) and get a new adventure of the animated series even faster than Cartoon Network itself seems to be putting them out... (I mean, really how many damn times can they run that episode where they turn into kids, anyway?)

It's time

for the team to meet the Puppet Master for the first time in MARVEL AGE: FANTASTIC FOUR #8 ($2.25); we get to meet the most beautiful girl in the world and the geek who loves her in the MARVEL AGE: MARY JANE VOL 1: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS digest trade paperback for $5.99; said geek meets the Daredevil in MARVEL AGE: SPIDER-MAN #15 ($2.25); and the MARVEL AGE: SPIDER-MAN VOL 4: GOBLIN STRIKES digest trade paperback for $5.99 collects some very recently published adventures with the Goblin for less than the combined original issues would cost. Gosh, kids are lucky, aren't they?

From ABC comes a double-whammy of fun with the release of the TOM STRONG BOOK FOUR hardcover for $24.95 and the premiere of
WILD GIRL #1 (Of 6, $2.95), about a girl who can talk to the animals, walk with the animals, squeak and peep and squawk with the animals...well, you get the idea.

Blame Canada. That's all I have to say. Oh, yeah, ALPHA FLIGHT #9 is out this week for $2.99, if you can't find anything else to buy. It's something about time travel, which means I should pick it up... Nah.

It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for, in AVENGERS #503 (or #88 if you're pathetic, for $3.50). And if you want to see what was happening when it all began, then check out AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES #1 (Of 8, $3.50), which tells us what we never knew about the formation of the original Avengers. See? Some good had to come out of all this Disassemblage...

Meanwhile, the Bat-Universe is rocked by two titles this week (and neither of them 'War Games'-related!) with CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME #2 (Of 6, $3.50) and the landmark DETECTIVE COMICS #800 ($3.50). (Oh, OK, that one is semi-related to the crossover event, but I just didn't want to admit any good came out of that, either...)

In CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #9 ($2.99), we learn the origins of M.O.D.O.K., while the government refuses to drop charges against Sam. Proof that the system is out to keep the brothas down, if ever I saw any...

The

Dark Horse grab-bag's pretty impressive this week, featuring the beginning of a miniseries featuring everyone's favorite paranormal team in BPRD: THE DEAD #1 (Of 5, $2.99); something called KARAS ($2.99); the RING VOL 4: BIRTHDAY trade paperback for $12.95; and for all you grown-ups who still play with inflatable light sabers (and no, I don't want to know what other uses they have), there's STAR WARS: EMPIRE #26 ($2.99).

Things are coming to a head yes, again - in FALLEN ANGEL #17 ($2.95). Want to know why? Then buy it. What am I, your personal comics taster or something? (Oh, right, I am, aren't I?)

The best miniseries I never read (or so I'm told) concludes this week with GUARDIANS #5 (Of 5, $2.99). C'mon, trade paperback!

It's romance in Cell Block H in HARD TIME #10 ($2.50) and no, I don't mean that Ethan gets hooked up with a big fat man named Bubba...

It's Round Three of the smackdown inHULK AND THING: HARD KNOCKS #3 (Of 4, $3.50). We don't need no steenking plot...

The best thing coming out of Image this week is the long-awaited RISING STARS #22 (Of 24, $2.99). I suppose if that's not enough for you, you could read CASEFILES: SAM & TWITCH #11 ($2.50), or FORSAKEN #3 ($2.95), or SYLVIA FAUST #2 (Of 4, $2.95), or the SYPHONS trade paperback for $14.95 but why?

Lots

of Justice League crap...er, I mean masterpieces this week, as the JLA: ANOTHER NAIL trade paperback becomes available for $12.95. Meanwhile, Grant Morrison returns to the team he made interesting (until other people screwed them up) in JLA: CLASSIFIED #1 ($2.95).

Will the Strange Visitor from Another Universe (even though there aren't supposed to be any post-CRISIS) make it back to his own world in MAJESTIC #4 (Of 4, $2.95)? Well, what do you think?

Y'know, if Marvel and DC ever got their act together for a follow-up to JLA/AVENGERS, I'd want to see a one-shot devoted to that battle featuring the Batman and the Punisher we never got to see. Any takers? Anyway, THE PUNISHER #13 ($2.99) features Frank going to Russia, which I'm sure will have its moments, too.

Rick Veitch writing QUESTION #1 (Of 6, $2.95)? Could it ever have worked with anyone else? But the enigmatic man of mystery isn't limited to Chicago this time around he's on his way to Metropolis. Whoo boy.

If you ever wondered what happened between the pages in the first storyline, then the ROAD TO PERDITION 2: ON THE ROAD trade paperback should answer those questions for you for a measly $14.95. Better than waiting for another movie, isn't it?

Oh, Petey, how our little girl has grown! Not only has SPIDER-GIRL made it to issue #80 ($2.99), it's a standalone issue, no less! How could you not be proud?

Speaking of things you have to question being proud of... SPIDER-MAN/DOCTOR OCTOPUS: YEAR ONE #4 (Of 5, $2.99) is out this week, as is the increasingly inaccurately named SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #6 $2.99. (I'm sorry, but a real "unlimited" series would be more akin to DC's SOLO, and this ain't it.)

Remember the good ol' days when we all were silly enough to think that Kara Zor-El might return? Heh. That's funny even now... Anyway, the SUPERGIRL: MANY HAPPY RETURNS trade paperback is available for $14.95, if you want to relive the glory and crushing defeat of those halcyon days. (No, not the drug, you tard.)

Wanna

see what would happen if a real person named Clark Kent gained all the powers of the fictional one? Oh, you have already. Well, even so, buy it again! The SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY trade paperback is out this week for $19.95, which is bound to make someone who didn't read it the first time happy...

Dead people coming back from the grave, dead people eating living ones, and dead elephants helping out dead young men who still have their brain power goodness, what could be next? Find out in TOE TAGS FEATURING GEORGE ROMERO #2 ($2.95)!

Blade's trying to prevent Dracula from becoming a vampire god in TOMB OF DRACULA #2 ($2.99). Um, isn't he kind of one already, really? He's the only one anyone ever seems to write about anymore, after all...

Having exhausted the use of his extendable...um, limbs, Reed wants to go into the N Zone and reverse the process in ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #12 ($2.25). Sure, like that's gonna happen. Meanwhile, the FF's Johnny Storm decides to go back to high school in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #68 ($2.25) and guess where he's decided to matriculate? (Do high school students do that, or is it just college students? I'm so confused...) And if you missed it before, check out the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 11: CARNAGE trade paperback for $12.99 to see how the Bendis managed to bring this unaccountably popular villain back without resorting to all that "Secret Wars" madness...

And speaking of madness, VENOM VS CARNAGE #4 (Of 4, $2.99) marks the end of that miniseries. No offense to Peter Milligan, but...whew.

Speaking of whew, Vertigo's got some good stuff this week, including the 100 BULLETS VOL 1: FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL trade paperback for $9.95; SWAMP THING #9 ($2.95); Y: THE LAST MAN #28 ($2.95); and what appears to be a reprinting of the Y: THE LAST MAN VOL 2: CYCLES trade paperback for $12.95. All well worth digging in the couch for spare change for.

From Wildstorm this week: at the Seminary, aspiring teenaged superheroes learn the tricks of the trade in INTIMATES #1 ($2.95). Think of it as FAME meets MUTANT X.

And finally,

tons of X-citement (and only a little bit of X-crement) this week as Joss Whedon brings his first astonishing storyline to a close in ASTONISHING X-MEN #6 ($2.99); the EXILES get a standalone issue (and a Danish!) in #54 ($2.99); JUBILEE gets to go on yet another month with #3 ($2.99); the NEW X-MEN VOL 6: PLANET X trade paperback for $12.99 collects one of the most incomprehensible storylines ever; Sasquatch escapes from ALPHA FLIGHT to find himself in a decent book in SABRETOOTH #3 (Of 5, $2.99); and (horrors!) the only Wolverine we get to see this week is in UNCANNY X-MEN #452 ($2.25), and he's not even the focus of the story! Wow, the world must be coming to an end...maybe Bush did get re-elected after all...

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