Comicscape - October 20, 2004

By: Tony Whitt
Date: Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Hello, all... I'd originally intended this week to simply print the remaining responses to the Hal Jordan question and to move on to something else equally irrelevant to real life. (If you'd rather skip what follows and go directly to those responses, click here.) But then real life intruded with the news of Christopher Reeve's death. Normally I try to avoid the serious stuff in this column, but I felt it necessary to say something about my own impressions of Reeve, and why we've lost not just someone who played a fictional hero, we've lost a real hero, as well.

I was eight years old in 1978 when SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE hit our theaters, and

my family had just the previous year moved from the black-hole-in-progress that was Flint, Michigan to the small town my parents grew up in, which was Richlands, Virginia. At the time, Richlands had only one movie theater, a run-down and rat-infested little hole called the Flannery Theater which didn't always play the most popular first-run movies out there. (I recall seeing only one movie there, some unremarkable and dreadfully boring flick called BUFFALO RIDER.) Thus, by the time my eighth birthday rolled around in April of that year, the nearest place SUPERMAN was playing was in Tazewell, a good thirty miles or so away from Richlands. My parents had planned to take me there as a surprise I'd been begging to see the movie for months as only a bratty and spoiled little eight year old can but for some reason or other it never happened. Because of all this, until I finally saw the movie on HBO (I think) two years later, I knew nothing about the movie at all, except what I could glean from the many articles appearing in various DC Comics at that time about it and the fact that the leading man actually looked liked Superman.

That sounds like a pretty obvious thing to say now, but in 1978 it had to have been striking that Reeve was the youngest actor to play the role, especially as Superman had only appeared on-screen in two previous incarnations (not counting those wonderful Fleischer cartoons). Kirk Alyn (1910-1999) was already 38 when he played the Man of Steel in the first of the movie serials in 1948 (he's the young Lois Lane's father in the 1978 movie, by the way); and poor George Reeves was 37 when he first played the role in SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN in 1951, making him only 45 when he committed suicide at the end of that decade. By contrast, Christopher Reeve was a boyish 26, exactly the age we'd expect Clark Kent to be when he first joins the Daily Planet staff. Reeves and Alyn may have looked more like the comic book incarnation of Kal-El being drawn at the time by artists like Curt Swann, but Reeve looked like what I always thought Superman should look like.

Though I would never have been able to express it this way when I finally saw the movie in 1980, Reeve also brought a vibrancy and humor to the role that those two previous actors couldn't. Granted, the scripts didn't give them much of a chance, either, but Reeve took even the admittedly dumb humor infesting the SUPERMAN script and made it breathe. Hell, he made the entire character breathe. By the time I saw the second movie in theaters a few months later, this time in a now-closed theater in Flint, there was nothing more exciting and nothing kids my age were talking more about than being able to see Christopher Reeve on the big screen again (or, in my case, for the first time).

I find everything about the first movie except for Reeve difficult to swallow nowadays, but even with those enduring touches of dumb humor, the second movie still has every bit of magic for me as it did then. It's possibly the greatest testament to Reeve's ability to play the role, because it's here that we get to see Clark Kent without the glasses, without the public persona that makes Clark less a full person and more the outward face of one. Reeves actually plays three roles in that movie: Superman, of course; the buffoonish Clark that everyone else sees; and the real Clark that only Lois and his own parents get to see. That's the tripartite character we've come to know and love in the comics, but it's a character that didn't exist with quite such sharp contrasts until after the CRISIS made it possible to have such a multi-layered Man of Steel. We got him a few years early, thanks to Reeve.

As much as I despised SUPERMAN III, it's Reeve who makes that movie at all watchable. Same thing with the fourth movie, though by the time I wasn't interested enough to go see it in the theater. But there was something about Reeve's portrayal that had somehow made it the definitive one. When the god-awful John Haymes Newton and the somewhat better Gerard Christopher took to the small screen as Superboy in the syndicated series of the same name, they had a hell of a pair of shoes to fill Reeve's time in the role had changed the very nature of how the role had to be played, which is why Newton is nearly impossible to watch in that series and Christopher makes such a good stab at it. Dean Cain runs up against the same wall in LOIS AND CLARK - while his performance as Superman is very different from Reeve's, it's still informed by Reeve's. No wonder the SMALLVILLE series makes so many references to the film series, and no wonder Reeve's own appearance on that show strikes such a cord with us a guest-appearance by Cain, for example, wouldn't have nearly the resonance.

Because Reeve was so associated with Superman in my mind, seeing him in any other movies was always a shock, especially given the nature of the

projects he tended towards and how those projects were chosen to distance him from the part. Despite the initial cognitive dissonance of seeing the Man of Steel traveling back in time to find the woman he loves, SOMEWHERE IN TIME became (and remains) one of my all-time favorite movies; and if you really want cognitive dissonance, try watching Reeve in DEATHTRAP sometime. What's most striking about Reeve is that he didn't get typecast as the Man of Steel the same way that George Reeves tragically did in the 1950s and it's probably because Reeve had so much more scope than Reeves did. Look at the variety of characters he plays in GRAY LADY DOWN, THE BOSTONIANS, STREET SMART, THE ROSE AND THE JACKAL, NOISES OFF, and VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, and it'll become clear that this man never needed worry about being told he could only play super-powered aliens in blue and red tights. (This was also the guy who turned down the lead role in AMERICAN GIGOLO, remember just imagine what that movie would have been like with Reeve in that part.)

But while he was a hero to those of us who loved comics simply because he'd played Superman, what truly made him a hero was the role he played, both in his personal life and on-screen, after his tragic horse-riding accident in 1995 (which, ironically, came not long after he'd been doing a film on horse back riding safety). For anyone else, the accident would have marked the end of a career. For Reeve, it marked the beginning of a new one. He overcame his difficulties in the most remarkable ways, and through his tireless activism and his establishment of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, he made it clear to millions of people the world over that paralysis did not automatically mean the end of a fulfilling life. And while the acting work he took on after the accident was understandably less prolific than before, the roles he chose were geared towards proving that his paralysis had not affected his ability to portray a powerful character as his performance as Dr. Swann in SMALLVILLE ably proves.

By the time this column goes up, there will have been several similar tributes, and I fear the shock of Reeve's death will have devolved into the telling of tasteless jokes. But even if the memory of the pain is no longer fresh, none of us should ever forget how much of a hero we've lost, and how strongly his legacy will continue to resonate in our own lives.

OPINION:

Now, several of you still continued to write in about the Hal Jordan debate, and I find it very telling that I have gotten a very few strongly pro-Hal letter. Perhaps the folks over at H.E.A.T. just aren't reading my column?

Shane Hallaran wrote in support of Hal, for example, but even he's not the virulently anti-Kyle type: "I am surprised that no one had any good things to say about Hal's return. I remember when Hal went crazy and I always

felt that although it was a compelling story, it didn't sit well with me. For me, Hal was the hero in comics, Marvel or DC. I always felt that he was given the shaft by DC. I also feel that with the appropriate writer on the book, his return could be handled just fine. Ollie's return as Green Arrow was done well, and I think few people had a problem with it. By bringing Hal back, they can use his recent history (Parallax and the Spectre) as a means to deepen the character. Can you imagine the first time Hal comes face to face with Batman? That might be the single best moment in comics this year. Also, with Kyle just going away and not dying, they also have given Hal the opportunity to act as a mentor. This is an opportunity for both characters to grow. All in all, I welcome his return." You make many valid points here, Shane, and I appreciate your optimism about the possible positive effects it could have on the DCU - though I wonder how well Hal's mentoring of Kyle is going to go now that the poor kid's taken off for parts unknown again... Is it just me, or has Kyle spent far more time off in space than Hal ever did?

Hollis Monroe is also supportive of the return...I think...: "Short and sweet. At first, I didn't believe they could successfully bring Hal back... Then I saw what they did with Ollie! (Um...does that mean you think Ollie's return was not successful, then? TBW) Hal should be on OA, rebuilding the core, with Killiwog as his 1st Sergeant and training the recruits. It opens a world of possibilities and leaves the integrity of both (all?) the GL storylines unmuddled." Yeah, Hollis, but what if you don't like Killwog, either...?

Chris Canti, on the other hand, is a little less sanguine about Hal's return: "So Hal's coming back. Isn't that nice. If memory serves me he's tried to come back before when he wasn't dead, and it didn't sit well with the other heroes in the DCU then, so what's different now? I like Hal, don't get me wrong, but I agree that the character became much more interesting after his 'psychic break' when Coast City was destroyed. Now, a lot of people, Hal's people, may say that what happened to him was 'out of character.' I think it was human. For once, Hal did something we could relate to. His entire young life was Coast City. He grew up there, it was his home, it was completely wiped off the face of the Earth, and he has the power of God on his finger. How hard would it be for him to just move on? So he made a bit of a mistake using the ring to bring back Coast City - sympathize with the man. It's a lot to deal with, but the Guardians just push his buttons. By the time what he's done has sunk in, he already knows it's too late; he says it in issue 50. In the end, though, Hal made his peace and saved the world one last time. Fitting, I would say.

"On to Kyle. I like Kyle. I can identify with Kyle. Grant Morrison wrote him probably better than anyone, in awe of Superman and Wonder Woman. But the line he

wrote that got me was in "Rock of Ages" when Kyle is told he should not dwell on his predecessor. He says [that] everyone knows Hal Jordan was best. The reply is simple and holds all the potential Kyle's character is ever going to need. He has the one thing Hal didn't, the one thing [that will] make him a better GL one day: fear. So I looked forward to the day when Kyle, not Hal, was to be regarded as the best, ever. Period. Instead, Kyle and all his potential is brushed aside for a character whose time is gone. I see why some people relate so well to Hal - they can't let go of the past, either." Whew, and I thought I could be harsh... But I can't say I disagree with you, Chris the fact that Hal is coming back can still be interpreted to mean that it's nostalgia, not good story writing, that sometimes sells comics. This is going to be a pretty big seller, whether it's a good story or not. I do hope that Kyle gets to fulfill his potential someday, but he's not going to have the chance while he's off roaming the universe...

David Turner doesn't feel quite so strongly about the whole mess: "When it comes to the rebirth of Hal Jordan, I'm indifferent. Like you said, Hal wasn't portrayed as a deep character, and like another reader I enjoy the concept of the Green Lantern Corps rather than a single ring bearer (although I have to say that I like Jon Stewart in JLU). When it comes down to it, he and other returnees will succeed if the presentation is good. I haven't read ASTONISHING X-MEN to see Colossus's return, and I hope it's as good as you say. I enjoyed JLA's 'Tenth Circle' more than you but was still annoyed by Doom Patrol's 'first' appearance. The old Patrol could've been brought back better. Heck, the Spectre (Hal again) could have grabbed them an instant before they were killed....Will I read REBIRTH? I'll wait for the inevitable trade paperback or hard cover, as I do with many limited series (storylines). I just close my ears to the hype."

Pete Block makes several interesting points in his response: "I was horrified when I found out DC was bringing back Hal Jordan. I know that, in the world of Marvel and DC, dead is never dead, but I'd always thought DC handled death and succession better than Marvel. (You sure? This is the company that brought back Lightning Lad after he was dead for only three issues or so back in the 50s... TBW) I'm a die-hard Marvelhead, but DC was always better at handling their legacy characters. There have been multiple Green Lanterns, multiple Green Arrows, multiple Flashes, multiple Hourmans, multiple Mr. Terrifics, etc., etc. I loved that the characters' children, or sidekicks (i.e. Sand), were able to graduate to the big leagues. It made the DC universe that much more real. The older characters weren't thrown by the wayside, they were honored.

"Recently, however, I've noticed a huge change with DC, most noticeably with Geoff Johns. Now I love the guy. TEEN TITANS is amazing. JSA is amazing. FLASH is insanely amazing. But......he seems dead set on bringing back every single golden or silver age character in the DC Universe! We see the return of Hawkman, the return of the older Hourman (who, please note, seems to be replacing his son),

the return of Hal Jordan, the return of Jericho, etc. Now, I admit that I'm biased. I loved Kyle Raynor. The entire concept was genius. He wasn't a hero or a pilot, he didn't have great potential...he was just some guy Ganthet met on the street after Hal Jordan destroyed the Corps. Destitute, Ganthet gave the ring to the first person he saw, which just so happened to be Raynor. Whatever came afterward, Kyle Raynor earned it. He's the definition of a self-made hero. I don't care how much some people liked Hal Jordan, I think it's disrespectful and shameful to just shovel a popular character to the background based on what seems to be nostalgia. Please note that, in my comic shop, and on the web-sites I regularly visit, I don't see too many people happy with Hal's return. Most people I know prefer Raynor, and kinda liked the idea of Hal Jordan being the Spectre.

"Another thing that really irks me is that DC seems to be abandoning one of the basic tenets of super-heroism (and life). What I've seen recently tells me that no matter how hard a character works, no matter how good a hero is, no matter what he says or does, as long as he's the second person to wear the costume/use the name, he will eventually be discarded in favor of the original. Notice how the original Green Arrow is back. The original Hourman is back. The original Metamorpho is back. And now, the original Green Lantern is back. Based on these precedents, it's only a matter of time before Barry Allen comes back to replace Wally West (which is a really bad idea), and Mr. Terrific and Atom Smasher are thrown to the gutter in favor of their name-sakes. Again, I love DC, but the casual disregard for their legacy characters is driving me crazy. I'm sure I'll read REBIRTH in the store, but I'm done with GREEN LANTERN." I'm sorry to hear that, Pete, but I fear you may not be the only one who feels that way. Perhaps it won't be so bad, and perhaps it'll even give the franchise a shot in the arm (though it never really needed one) the way Shane hopes it will. Guess we're about to find out...

I'm going to be moving onto a completely new topic next week, but if you'd still like to sound off about Hal and Kyle, send your thoughts 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! In the meantime, here's this week's listings:

THIS WEEK:

Glad to

see that one of the offerings for kids this week, MARVEL AGE: HULK #2, is a completely new script and not a retelling of an old story and even more glad it's only $1.75! Meanwhile, MARVEL AGE: SPIDER-MAN #14 offers up Spidey's first encounter with Kraven the Hunter (and his first missed opportunity with M-J yeah, you forgot Stan was mentioning her that far back, didn't you?) for $2.25. Oh, well classics are always more expensive, aren't they?

Interesting why is the Man-Bat who appears in THE BATMAN STRIKES #2 ($2.25) a villain who escapes from Arkham rather than just poor Curt Langstrom after a particularly bad glandular reaction? Oh, well... The POWERPUFF GIRLS's continuity hasn't changed (what there is of it) as issue #55 ($2.25) will no doubt show your young'uns.

From ABC Comics this week comes the astonishing PROMETHEA BOOK THREE trade paperback for $14.95, while in TERRA OBSCURA VOL 2 #3 (Of 6, $2.95), bizarre time disruptions continue to result in odd effects like heroes coming back from the dead and...oh.

I'd try to come up with a joke about ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #633 ($2.50), but...well, now's not the time. Maybe next week.

OK, got your "War Games" checklist ready? Here we go... Act 3, Part 4 of our story takes places in ROBIN #131 ($2.25); Act 3, Part 5 is in BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #58 ($2.50); and Act 3, Part 6 takes place in BATGIRL #57 ($2.50). And no, that isn't the end yet, damn the luck. On the other hand, there's always the BATMAN: HUSH VOL 2 trade paperback for $12.95 and the DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN trade paperback for $19.95, if you prefer to wait it out...

Yes, "The Passion of the Cable" is still going on in CABLE/DEADPOOL #8 ($2.99)... Don't know if it's any better than X-FACTOR or not, but at least with Patrick Zircher's artwork we're not looking at characters that all look alike and have no noses... If you want to see if this series is decent, then check out the CABLE/DEADPOOL VOL 1: IF LOOKS COULD KILL trade paperback for $14.99 then come back and tell me, so I don't have to.

Remember how I joked last week about the lack of a STAR WARS title in last week's offerings from Dark Horse? Spoke too soon... Luckily, though, even though we're getting STAR WARS: EMPIRE #25 ($2.99), we're also getting CONAN #9 ($2.99) as well as the HELLSING VOL 3 trade paperback for $13.95; NAIL #4 (Of 4, $2.99); SHI JU NEN #2 (Of 4, $2.99); and the TRIGUN VOL 2 trade paperback for $14.95. It stills seems like Dark Horse is using the Force to drain your wallet dry, though, doesn't it?

Less an "Avengers Disassembled" tie-in and more a preview of a new Galactus saga about to be unleashed upon us, FANTASTIC FOUR #519 ($2.99) reminds us of what we already knew: Sue Storm is the strongest member of the team, enough to make even the enemies of Galactus scared. You go, gurl!

Ever

wonder what happened to Ronnie Raymond? Well, judging from the fact that the revelation occurs in FIRESTORM #6 ($2.50), an IDENTITY CRISIS tie-in, I have a feeling you're not going to like the answer...

I've been told it's the folks who originally followed the adventures of those FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE who have most been affected by Sue Dibney's death. Thankfully, the poor thing isn't even mentioned in the trade paperback collecting the hilarious miniseries for $12.95. Try to forget about it for a while...because nothing else coming out of DC at the moment will allow you to...

After asking you to write in to tell me whether the new GAMBIT series is worth reading or not, I've gotten a ton of responses saying "nay" which, of course, means I'm going to have to read it anyway, just so I can throw off this rep for liking everything I read... Man, it's hard to be agreeable. Anyway, issue #3 is out this week for $2.99, so I guess now's as good a time as any...

Y'know, I though I'd heard that H-E-R-O was coming to an end, and if that's the case, it's a real shame that damn H-dial has never been so exciting. Anyway, issue #21 is out this week for $2.50.

Did you blink and miss IDENTITY CRISIS #1 the first time? Never fear: the 2nd printing is out this week for $3.95, and it's not even got gold foil on the cover or anything! Then you can immediately pick up IDENTITY CRISIS #5 (Of 7, $3.95) and see who's up next for the chop...

And speaking of being for the chop...IDENTITY DISC #5 (Of 5, $2.99) is also out from Marvel, thus ending that miniseries. Allah be praised.

From Image this week: a fallen angel is given a chance at redemption (no, not Rob Liefeld) in Mark Texeira & Jordan Raskin's PSCYTHE #2 (Of 2, $3.95 ); while the WICKED WEST graphic novel for $9.95 has something to do with the west...and I think it might be wicked. Yeah. (Great press releases, there, Image...)

I've

read that the new INVADERS began "Because you demanded it!" Um, does that work for getting rid of series, too? Anyway, issue #3 of this somewhat confusing and difficult to look at series is out for $2.99. Take it or leave it.

And speaking of leaving it... the JLA: ONE MILLION trade paperback is out for $19.95. I don't know why. Why are you asking me, anyway? I just work here...

Lord Dynamo offers the world answers to all of its problem, but only if Green Lantern gives up his ring and Starman gives up his...um, his rod in JSA: STRANGE ADVENTURES #3 (Of 6, $3.50). Take it from someone who knows, giving up the rod isn't as easy as it seems... There's also JSA VOL 6: SAVAGE TIMES trade paperback for $14.95, if you'd rather watch the team shuffle around in time for the equivalent of six issues...

You'd think Jaime's attitude towards having one of his duplicates murdered would be "Kill all you want, we'll make more," but it isn't, as we discover in MADROX #2 (Of 5, $2.99).

Another IDENTITY CRISIS tie-in, this time in MANHUNTER #3 ($2.50) as the DCU's newest masked vigilante runs into trouble. Low sales, perhaps?

I assume that the only people who would buy the MARVEL MASTERWORKS: UNCANNY X-MEN VOL 4 2nd edition hardcover for $49.99 are the ones who either lost their copy of the 1st edition or never had it to begin with. Really, that's all I can think of to say about it.

I guess if you're going to appear in every single Marvel title ever published, you'd need a whole handbook devoted to you for a single calendar year. Otherwise, I can see as little point to the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK MARVEL UNIVERSE: WOLVERINE 2004 ($3.99) as I can to that hardcover I just said nothing about. Oh, wait, it's his anniversary. Yeah, that's reason enough...

Plas has something to do with Homeland Security in PLASTIC MAN #11 ($2.95). Explain one hell of a lot, doesn't it?

Rogue's life is a nightmare (literally) in ROGUE #4 ($2.99). Oh, c'mon now, I know some people don't like Rob Rodi's writing, but really...

Yup, it's Sasquatch who's appearing in SABRETOOTH #2 (Of 5, $2.99) and not Logan. Isn't there a clause in the Constitution forbidding Sabretooth from appearing without Logan? Hell, isn't there a clause in the Constitution forbidding any Marvel book from being published without Logan right now?

The quickly mutating Spidey is given help by you guessed it one of the Avengers in SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #20 ($2.25). Otherwise it wouldn't be an "Avengers Disassembled" tie-in, don'tcha know.

Wow...Roy

Thomas and Dick Giordano returning to finish their adaptation of STOKER'S DRACULA, with issue #1 (Of 4, $3.99) appearing this week? And only two weeks before I'm due to teach that novel to my students? Maybe I've been a bit too hard on Marvel lately...

See the second half of JMS' long lead-up to the birth of a new(-ish) superhero team in the SUPREME POWER VOL 2: POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES trade paperback for $14.99, reprinting issue #s 6-12 of the series.

Geez, you just can't turn your back for a minute or in the Titan's case, a thousand years without things going to hell in a handbasket, as the team discovers in TEEN TITANS #17 ($2.50) when they come back from their sojourn with the Legion and are deposited ten years into their own future. And wait till you see the team line-up of 2014...

Wanna see how ASGARD: 90210 began? (Or should we call it BALDUR'S CREEK?) Anyway, the THOR: SON OF ASGARD VOL 1: WARRIORS teen digest trade paperback is available for $7.99, just in case you'd rather read it than having your kids do so.

Wolverine's in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #67 ($2.25). Color me surprised. What was that about Constitutional amendments?

Lots of stuff from Vertigo this week, including BOOKS OF MAGICK: LIFE DURING WARTIME #4 ($2.50); Part 2 of "The Second Coming" (ok, quieten down up there in the back) in HUMAN TARGET #15 ($2.95); the LOSERS: ANTE UP trade paperback for $9.95; a special edition of LUCIFER #55 ($2.50); and a reprinting of the SANDMAN VOL 5: A GAME OF YOU trade paperback for $19.95, just in time to show us by contrast how much less accomplished BOOKS OF MAGICK: LIFE DURING WARTIME is turning out to be...

From Wildstorm this week: some creepy things lie beneath in Warren Ellis' OCEAN #1 (Of 6, $2.95); whereas the AUTHORITY: HARSH REALITIES trade paperback for $14.95, the COUP D'ETAT trade paperback for $12.95, and the PLANETARY: CROSSING WORLDS trade paperback for $14.95 collect runs from those series, and oddly enough, I can't find a damn thing about which issues are actually in them. Oh, well if you like them, you'll buy them no matter what I say, right?

And finally...Logan

may not be in NEW X-MEN #6 ($2.99), but boy, is he ever in UNCANNY X-MEN #451 ($2.25), and would it really be an issue of X-MEN UNLIMITED without him? Of course not so they're giving us two Wolverine stories in #5 ($2.99). No, really.

Sigh. Would that we could use that old "It's Children's Day every day" defense our parents used to use when it came to deciding whether we should celebrate Wolverine's anniversary by featuring him everywhere...Can you say "He's so overexposed I want to take an adamantium claw to my wrists," boys and girls? I knew you could...

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

Comicscape is our weekly Comics column.