Robotika #2 - Taking a Comic Seriously

Whether one enjoys the work that Alex Sheikman is doing on Robotika, I think that one would have to admire how seriously he is taking the comic, and the execution of the comic. In #1, one of the problems that I had with the book (and I know a few other people had the same concern) was the odd dialogue Sheikman chose for one of the characters, having her dialogue appear top to bottom, rather than left to right. In this issue, Sheikman defends the practice, but at the same time, he clearly tries to adapt the process of making the dialogue by making her dialogue appear more clearly than it did in #1. He still does not want to back down from the artistic standard he has put into place (which is that the dialogue achieves the goal of making the reader ill at ease with her language, just like how someone learning a new language is ill at ease with the language), but he is willing to work on making his standards accessible. That level of thought is impressive.

Of course, on top of this, Robotika #2 is a cool book ANYways.

Archaia Studios Press was kind enough to send me a copy of #2 (along with a copy of Mouse Guard #1, which I had already reviewed here, but I still appreciated the copy, as I love Mouse Guard), and it is a real treat to read.

Sheikman's art, as usual, is the star of the show, but the story is not too shabby either! The art, though, along with Joel Chua's great covers (Chua also provides a nice cover) make the book just stunning to look at. The scene of Niko (our hero) climbing up the steps carved into a tall mountain? Breathtaking.

Also, through his art, Sheikman manages to convey a good deal of Niko's emotion, which is good, because Niko is mute. There is a fight scene, and in it, Niko quickly transforms from his normal, quiet self into a killing machine - the look in his eyes - wow. If only artists could convey Wolverine's blood frenzy so effectively!

In any event, at the beginning of this series, it appeared that Niko's search for a new organism (half alive/half machine) was going to be the spotlight of the series, but with some drastic actions in this issue, it appears as though we were mistaken to believe that that was going to be the case. And the drastic turn of events seems to be quite interesting, or, at the very least, very intriguing.

So, if you want to see an interesting samurai/futuristic story with some amazing fantasy art, then Robotika is the book for you.

Here's a bit I did on the first issue.

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Free swag!

In the continuing effort to bring our good readers comics that they might have missed, I search the Internet, yeoman-like, to find people giving stuff away. And lo! I have found someone else! Andrew Dabb, the writer of Atomika, which as you know I dig, is giving away the first six issues. All you have to do is follow the link and leave a pithy comment explaining why you want them.
If you're interested in reading some brief reviews of the six issues (for the first few three or so, I was quick, but then it got more interesting and my reviews got slightly more in-depth), here you are: issue #1 (which came out so long ago that Cronin hadn't even "discovered" my talent for pissing off large groups of the comics-buying public), issue #2, issue #3, issue #4, issue #5, and issue #6. It's a good book that has gotten better as it has gone along. And it's free, people! F.R.E.E.!

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Read my work. Validate my existence!

I have a new column up over at Buzzscope. It's time for us to consider the Bendis/Maleev epic on Daredevil! Go read it here. Enjoy!

What I bought - 22 March 2006

Fifteen pamphlets. That's what I bought on Wednesday. Dear Lord, I have a problem. Somebody may need to organize an intervention.

And they were, for the most part, damned fine reading. Truly we are in the Golden Age of Comics!

Before time runs out, I should mention that Jason Rodriguez is giving away a copy of Neil Kleid and Jake Allen's Brownsville, which is a very good graphic novel that I will review any day now! Go here for details. It's a very good book that costs almost 20 dollars, and Jason is giving it away! Visit today, because it's the last day to enter!

Anyway, on to the singles purchases! Our theme this week is "fun" comics versus "funny" comics, and why the former are usually better than the latter. Usually, but not always.

The American Way #2 (of 8) by John Ridley, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story, and Ray Snyder
$2.99, DC/Wildstorm

I know I said I was going to stop reading mini-series after the first issue until they were completed, but I was on the fence about continuing with this one, so I figured I'd read the second issue to help me make up my mind.

Well, now I'm decided. This is a big improvement on the first issue, and I liked the first issue. The second one, however, expands on the decent story that Ridley conjured up in the first one. After the death last issue of Old Glory, we get two consequences: first, the CDC needs a replacement, and Wes comes up with a brilliant idea: get a black man to replace him! This leads to some hemming and hawing among the government types, but they finally decide to go with it. A majority of the issue is trying to get Jason Fisher to agree with their plan, as well as a brief discussion about race in the early 1960s and the reveal that some of the superheroes are racist (yes, it's predictable, but it should be interesting to see the dynamic once Jason joins full time). The second consequence is that Johnny Lau, who played the part of Red Terror and was fighting Old Glory when he died, goes a bit crazy because he believes that he has superpowers (Old Glory actually died of a heart attack, but Lau doesn't know that). Meanwhile, the market researchers at CDC decide to send Pharos and Freya on a date, with disastrous results. The implication is that Pharos is gay, and it will be interesting to see the results of that little thread. (Okay, maybe you read it differently. Maybe I'm just a weirdo who sees homos everywhere. There's one under the bed! Right there! But I think that's the implication. We'll see.)

This is a strong second issue, and it makes the world of the early 1960s come more alive than the first. I'm on board for good, which means I'll read the complete mini-series around Thanksgiving.

Batman #651 by James Robinson, Don Kramer, and Keith Champagne
$2.50, DC

As a second of eight issues in this story arc, this is a bit disappointing, and certainly not as strong as the first one in Detective. The sense of mystery is still there, a bit, and Robinson introduces a character who will somehow intersect with Batman in the future, but he keeps it nice and vague, and Batman is working nicely with Robin instead of, you know, yelling at him, but it's still a bit of a disappointment. First of all, and I guess I should warn you that I'm spoiling the ending ...


But isn't Magpie dead already? I thought I read somehow (perhaps in the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies trade paperback?) that she was dead. It's a minor thing, because she's just dead as a plot contrivance, but it's nagging me.

Second of all, our heroes take care of Poison Ivy just a tad quickly. She says she's stronger than ever, but they beat her pretty easily. It's nice that Batman sets himself up as the bait while Robin does all the heavy lifting, but it still seems ... easy.

Those are just minor tics, though, because it is, after all, an eight-issue arc. I liked the first part a lot, so I guess I should expect a bit of a downer this issue. But our heroes better start detecting soon!

Catwoman #53 by Will Pfeifer, David Lopez, and Alvaro Lopez
$2.50, DC

Oh, that crafty Will Pfeifer! He starts out just okay on the title, then hits us with an excellent pre-One Year Later issue, so I had to come back for the post-One Year Later issue! Well played, Mr. Pfeifer!

He's getting better at it, too. This is certainly an intriguing issue, as Pfeifer sets up the One Year Later scenario - after killed Black Mask, Selina can't return as Catwoman, so she disappears. She comes back and has a baby. That was handy! In a great scene, Batman brings her a stuffed bear. Excellent! Meanwhile, Holly is running around dressed as Catwoman, and the Angle Man wants to kill her, but he doesn't know it's not Selina! Oh, the drama! So at the end, she's in peril. Of course.

It's a nice issue, as Selina debates Batman about the wisdom of letting a youngster dress up and run around beating people up. And Slam Bradley shows up, looking fully recovered from his ordeal. And who's the father? I hope that becomes an important point in the near future, because it could be a fascinating storyline.

Anyway, it's not necessarily the best "jumping-on" point, but it's a good book. Oh, and the art is good. Not as good as Woods' was, but I like Lopez, and he knows what he's doing.

Daredevil #83 by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, and Stefano Gaudiano
$2.99, Marvel

That's pretty funny that Brubaker has everyone thinking that Foggy is actually dead. Good job, Ed!

He's not, of course. Come on, people! Dakota North, last page: "And then in the ambulance, I thought he'd be okay, y'know ... They said he was stabilizing ..."

Come on, people!

I'm not ready to pass judgment on this title quite yet, although I disagree with Brian that it's Miller-esque, and lean more toward T. that it's much more Bendis-esque. I suppose it would have to be, because Bendis stuck him in jail, after all, and Brubaker has to make it work. But the focus on Matt, specifically, and Urich's personality smack of Bendis. That's fine - I can deal with it as we transition. It's still an interesting predicament that Matt will have to get out of. And it's always good to see Matt kick some ass.

Not much to say about this. It's a (sigh) six-issue arc, so we'll see how it goes. And I don't much care who the new Daredevil is. It could be Spider-Man, sure, but we'll find out eventually. I'll say it's ... the Jester!

The Iron Ghost #6 (of 6) by Chuck Dixon and Sergio Cariello
$2.99, Image

The Iron Ghost finally wraps up after a hurricane-delayed schedule, and it's a fine, fine mini-series that you should look for in trade. It's another example of a lousy mystery in comics - the killer is revealed at the end of issue #5, and the only clue leading us to him is also revealed in issue #5, so it's a cheat by Dixon - but it's a good story that asks some important questions: Should we care about these characters, since they're all stinkin' Huns in the Second World War? Is the Iron Ghost a noble figure, or should he maybe have done something about this years ago? Is Josef Meier a noble figure, or should he maybe have done something about this years ago? In a weird way, this little mini-series from Image asks the same questions that (wait for it!) V For Vendetta does - if one is fighting against a monstrous government, is it necessary to become a monster oneself? Is the Iron Ghost insane or not? His motivation seems a little weak, so I would lean toward insane, but you could argue both ways. Is the Iron Ghost even a hero, because he's not really killing people simply because they're part of the Nazi regime, but they have done some horrible things. It's a very interesting story, and I hope the trade sells well. We need more Chuck Dixon War Comics! Go Buy Team Zero!

Nextwave #3 by Warren Ellis, Stuart Immonen, and Wade von Grawbadger
$2.99, Marvel

Here's an example of a fun comic that I didn't find particularly funny. Ellis' idea of funny, unfortunately shared by many in his audience, is to repeat the fact that Fin Fang Foom is wearing purple pants several times. And to have Tabitha and Monica call Elsa an "English ----" (I assume they're using the c-word, which I will not use - ever). And have a sign that reads: "Sink City Very Small School With Lovely Children Inside." Guess what, Warren? That's not funny. I still dig Nextwave, however, because it is a fun comic. It takes itself not seriously at all, it offers up interesting villains (Ellis is good at coming up with threats), and it breezes through the destruction of said villains. Here we have a crooked cop who somehow turns into a car-eating robot, and our heroes must defeat him. In the most brutal way possible, probably, and with a great deal of mayhem. A nice, fun comic about beating up the bad guys. What the hell is wrong with that?

Oh, and the letter in the letter column, deconstructing Toto? Now that's funny.

Noble Causes #18 by Jay Faerber, Fran Bueno, and Freddie E. Williams
$3.50, Image

And what do you know? The best superhero book around shows up this week! I told Jake that I would buy Invincible if he bought Noble Causes, so he better get to it! The Blackthorne saga continues to unfold, as the Blackthornes hire the wonderfully-named Widowmaker (who can, apparently, use sex as a weapon) to take out Race and Liz. When she is about to, however, the Blackthornes themselves show up and stop her! They become media darlings! Whatever could their plan be???? We also learn that although Race didn't kill Pierce Blackthorne, he thinks he's responsible, and feels really guilty. Oh, the angst!

As usual with books I really like, it's hard to say much about this. After the first twelve issues were all over the place, eventually coming together in a rousing climax, Faerber has kept things pretty tightly focused over the past six issues. Things are certainly brewing, but they're all brewing in the same place, generally, with the same group. So it will be interesting to continue to watch events unfold.

Buy Noble Causes, people. Would it really kill you?

Planetary Brigade #2 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and various artists
$2.99, Boom! Studios

This came out last week, but Ross Richie must have some kind of East Coast bias, because we Westerners got shafted and it didn't get here until this week! Confounded distributors! We in the West have rights, you know! Maybe it's time for ¡La Revolucíon!

Okay, where was I? Oh yes. Here's another fun comic that isn't particularly funny. This reminds me more and more of the early "funny" Justice League issues, when Giffen and DeMatteis were writing really good superhero stories that happened to have funny comments occasionally. You know, before KooeyKooeyKooey! In this issue, they fight that portal guy, from whom demons keep jumping, and they don't do very well. They make lots of pithy and witty comments, but none distract from the "drama" (so to speak) and they all work with what little we know so far about the personalities of the characters. Captain Valor, for instance, doesn't make funny sexist remarks about his teammates, but Mister Brilliant does. So it's a nice read because DeMatteis reveals the characters through their interaction.

Some might object to the depressing resolution to the book. It's a "fun" book, after all. But again, there's a difference between "fun" and "funny," and although this is often "funny" (more so than Nextwave, at least), it doesn't exist simply for the sake of slapstick. When things get serious, we appreciate the way these characters can joke around in the face of death and still get the job done. So the joking becomes something more - a defense mechanism, even. And, apparently, our heroes are going to need it.

This is a fine title. Mr. Richie and his East Coast Intellectual Liberal Bias is forgiven.

Rex Mundi #17 by Arvid Nelson and Juan Ferreyra
$2.99, Image

One of my favorite titles seems to be back on schedule, which is good news, because it's a pain waiting months for an issue to come out. This is the second issue with Ferreyra on art, and it's as strong as ever. One of the nice things about Ferreyra's art is he gives each character a distinct look, and we can easily see what each person is thinking through only their facial expressions. The issue, unfortunately, isn't one of the stronger ones, simply because it's heavy on exposition, as Julien and Genevieve follow the Duke of Lorraine to a chapel in the woods and discover yet more secrets about the Grail and the history of France. I like the book A LOT more when it doesn't tack so closely to ground covered in recent novels and "histories," and in this issue, it does far too much of that. However, there's a nifty fight with a golem, which mitigates that a bit.

According to Nelson, we're now about halfway through the entire epic, and it's good to see that we're proceeding with the same deliberate (not necessarily slow, just deliberate) pace and that things are unfolding in an organic fashion. As I usually write when an issue comes out, it's not for everyone, but Rex Mundi is the kind of comic book that shows the endless possibilities of the medium.

She-Hulk #6 by Dan Slott and Will Conrad
$2.99, Marvel

If Marvel is trying to drive me away from a book simply because of the horrible covers, then they're doing a fine job of it with Greg Horn on She-Hulk. They're just awful. And still completely out of sync with the tone of the book. Blech.

She-Hulk is another book that is fun but not necessarily funny, and it works because of that. Sure, occasionally it's goofy and wacky and makes you laugh, but it's more a comic that makes you smile with appreciation of the ideas that are being presented and the way in which Slott executes them. Especially for someone like me, without a Cronin-esque knowledge of the Marvel U. and therefore doesn't know if Starfox has ever been sued for sexual harassment before and finds it interesting. The fact that it appears Starfox simply can't control whatever it is that oozes out of him and makes people fall head over heels for anyone who's around them is another interesting facet of the book. (Can he control it, people? I'm definitely not up on my "What's the extent of Starfox's power" bit.) So everyone around him is affected, and one wonders if they know, because that could be a problem when it comes to trial. How can he get a fair trial if everyone loves him?

Like I said, a lot of good stuff here. We wonder what Mr. Zix's agenda is. We chuckle when Starfox attacks Andy because he thinks our favorite android is a villain. We feel bad for Pug, because he keeps getting distracted when he tries to put the moves on Jen. It's very soap opera, but it works in a slight book like She-Hulk. A fun comic. Which is why you should buy it.

Supreme Power: Hyperion #5 (of 5) by J. Michael Straczynski, Dan Jurgens, Staz Johnson, and Klaus Janson
$2.99, Marvel

I had to write about this before Squadron Supreme, since it comes before it chronologically, even though it means I'm out of alphabetical order! Please forgive me, blogaxy!

Meh. This certainly wasn't as bad as the Nighthawk mini-series, but it wasn't anything special, either. It's like cold oatmeal: you'll eat it, but you certainly won't ask for more or tell everyone what a wonderful meal you just had. It sets the stage for the new series, and the fact that the group was in the future instead of an alternate present is interesting, but other than that, meh.

Squadron Supreme #1 by J. Michael Straczynski, Gary Frank, and Jonathan Sibal
$2.99, Marvel

Which is a shame, because as you know, I was a fan of Supreme Power, and now that Marvel has decided that we delicate fans simply can't handle Zarda's or Kingsley's breasts anymore and moved the title out of the MAX imprint, we get a new series. This is more like it - it appears that everything I liked from the first series, including the glacial pace, is back! Yes, the glacial pace is what turned everyone off the first time, and I have a feeling Marvel is publishing this simply to keep Straczynski happy and on their big books, but I like the pacing, because it's not necessarily written for the six-issue trade; it's more like it's written for the fifteen-issue hardcover, and that's fine. General Alexander assembles the two teams - one a public one, the other secret - but Mark Milton gives the names of the covert one to the press before it's even announced. You know, just to mess with the government. We meet a few new members to the team, and the government, surprisingly enough, underestimates and dismisses Nighthawk. Boy, I sure hope that doesn't bite them in the ass!

Frank's hiatus, presumably to get a long lead time for the new series, is over, and it's a good thing, because his art is typically gorgeous. I hope he's got a lot in the can so he can stay on schedule!

I really hope Straczynski has a couple of years plotted out and then ends it. This is a concept that really has to have a finite structure, and I doubt if the series sells terribly well, so I hope Marvel lets him tell his little story and doesn't push for an open-ended series. Because that would be foolish.

Supermarket #2 by Brian Wood and Kristian
$3.99, IDW

Here's a second issue that lives up to the promise of a decent but not spectacular first issue and raises the ante a bit more, making this a much more interesting series. This issue is rather speedy - it's basically a chase scene, with a few quiet pages interspersed - but it gives us a bit more insight into Pella and her parents and what the hell is going on. Since Mr. Wood nicely stopped by when I reviewed issue #1 and told me not to take it too seriously, I didn't, and he makes it easier by giving us more about Pella's character and how conflicted she is about her teenage rebellion. This is most noticeable on the full-page drawing of the food court, where she rails against the edible horrors that are served there and then, in a close-up at the bottom of the page, thinks "My God, I am so fucking hungry." That made me laugh, whether it was supposed to or not.

Pella is chased by Asian bad guys and Swedish bad girls (don't ask - just read the book!) and finds an ally, maybe, and learns more about who she is and who her parents were. Like I said, it's a speedy issue, but very fun. As usual with IDW, the price may be an issue for you, and I understand, but it's still an interesting comic with a lot of potential. Maybe someday I'll do a post about why I like certain Brian Wood books and not others. For now, this is firmly in the former camp. Let's hope it stays there!

X-Factor #5 by Peter David and Dennis Calero

Speaking of bad covers, what the hell? That's just weird. Not particularly ugly, just off. Somehow.

This was a bit disappointing of an issue, not because it was bad, but because after the frenetic pace of the first four, it was jarring to focus simply on two characters - Siryn and Rictor, and what happened to Theresa after she was assaulted last issue. She was dragged away to an abandoned theater, where an ex-doctor and ex-mutant is a bit peeved at her because she still has her powers. He's 'round the bend, of course, and is going to do nasty things to her, but not if Rictor can find her in time!

Uh, he does. Not to ruin it or anything. But what's interesting is the conversation the doctor and Theresa have about being a mutant and how the "decimation" has affected those mutants we don't know about. The contrast between the doctor, who is a bit nuts and has no friends, and Rictor, who has a network of people to back him up, is nice and, I'm sure, what David is going for. Well, he succeeds. The only problem I have with the issue is that I'm not sure we needed the whole issue to do it. The doctor is clearly nuts, and he rambles a lot, so I'm not positive he deserved all that time. It's a minor point, and I still liked the book.

Meanwhile, Sook is gone. Goodbye, Sook! Questions abound about who the regular artist will be! I hate to be a sourpuss, but when you launch a new series, is it really too much trouble to ask that you get an artist for at least six months or so? What the hell, Marvel?

X-Men #184 by Peter Milligan and Salvador Larroca
$2.50, Marvel

Well, the art in this issue is absolutely spectacular. Larroca is credited with "washes" in this issue, whatever the hell that means, but whatever it is, the art is gorgeous. Our good guys are "soft" in style, while Apocalypse is "hard," and it really makes the contrast between their agendas stand out. Interesting.

The story ... well, it's there. Gambit becomes Death, for some reason (he explains in the back-up story, but it's still muddled), and Ozymandias betrays Apocalypse and leads the X-Men into the sphinx for a big showdown, and mutants I thought long dead are there, but who knows who's dead or alive anymore, really. It's Apocalypse versus the X-Men. Do we really need to know any more?

This is a very frustrating title, and after this big story, I'm going to make a decision whether to stay when Carey comes aboard. We'll see. Milligan is pissing me off, because he writes small scenes so well, but none of his big stories has really been all that satisfactory. If he kills Gambit, all will be forgiven. Man, I hate Gambit.

Holy crap, that's a lot of books. Am I sick? Do I need help?

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Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #43!

This is the forty-third in a series of examinations of comic book urban legends and whether they are true or false. Click here for an archive of the previous forty-two.

Let's begin!

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Julie Schwartz once had to write a comic story in a day because of an mistaken cover instruction

STATUS: True, just that it was Bob Kanigher, not Julie Schwartz

Reader Dave Lartigue dropped me a line about a possible urban legend he was curious about,

I was fortunate enough to hear Julius Schwarz speak at a comics con. He basically reminisced about old times, and it was a very entertaining talk. He told one anecdote that has stuck with me.

He said that during his days at DC he was looking at the proof for a cover to a war comic. He felt that some element on it needed to be moved down, so he wrote on the proof "Drop One Inch". Someone misinterpreted his instruction, thinking there was a story called "Drop One Inch" in the book and changed the cover to announce this. The cover was then printed and Schwarz was alarmed because now it was announcing a story that wasn't inside. Consequently, he had to quickly write a story called "Drop One Inch" to cover the goof.

After doing some checking, I found that Julie Schwartz told this same story a few years back, but when speaking of the recently departed Robert Kanigher.

Said Schwartz then (in a press release DC Comics issues upon Kanigher's passing),

Longtime officemate Julie Schwartz considered Kanigher a fast and versatile talent. "There was one day when he was looking at a cover," Schwartz recalls, "and it didn’t look right, so he wrote a note on the side that said, ‘drop an inch,’ meaning to adjust the art somehow. Anyway, the page came back with a caption added that read ‘Drop an Inch!’ So Kanigher immediately sat down and wrote a story called ‘Drop an Inch.’ I think he did it over his lunch hour."

Looking into the matter, I discovered the following.

July 1958's G.I. Combat.



Right there on the cover, "Drop an Inch."

The first story? A nine-page Robert Kanigher story titled "Drop an Inch."

I think we can safely say that this one is true.

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: When Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Steve McNiven began work on their Fantastic Four run, it was intended to appear in the pages of the regular Fantastic Four

STATUS: False

A few years back, there was quite a bit of controversy when Marvel announced that the popular creative on their Fantastic Four title, Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo, were being replaced by a new creative team apruptly. The news came as quite a surprise, as Waid's Fantastic Four was gaining a good deal of critical acclaim, along with fine sales.



Ultimately, in a strange example of a reverse in position, Marvel announced that Waid and Wieringo were NOT going to be taken off the book after all. Instead, the creative team that WAS to replace them, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Steve McNiven, would have their own brand-new ongoing series, Marvel Knights: 4.



However, in another twist, Aguirre-Sacasa and McNiven were already working on the project BEFORE they were ever going to replace Waid and Wieringo.

Aguirre-Sacasa relates the story in Marvel Spotlight:

David Finch/Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Originally, I was hired to write a 12-issue miniseries called "FF: Working Class Heroes." Then that project got shuffled onto the mainline book, then we were put in the Marvel Knights line. I think I wrote the first issue thinking it was for the Working Class Heroes miniseries, and they suggested I keep moving forward. But then they said, "We're thinking of using your script for the regular FF title." Then I wrote two or three issues and then they said we're going with the Marvel Knights for this. Bill Jemas had wanted to write a more grounded FF, ste on Earth, essentially, so that was his idea, and they also wanted a book that was very different in feel from what Mark Waid was doing, which was more of the action-packed, cosmic adventure stories.

It must be a weird experience to write a comic for three different titles!!

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Dr. Strange has a daughter named Sofia

STATUS: Essentially True

Aguirre-Sacasa's situation, where the writer really had no idea where his story was going to end up, was very similar to that of the writers who were a part of Marvel's ill-fated Epic line of comics.

Initially, Epic was to be the place where Marvel would let creators introduce creator-owned talent that Marvel would own a piece of, in case the characters became successful. It evolved, instead, to becoming a place where lesser-known talent would work on a stable of established Marvel characters, giving old characters a new spin and hopefully the series would become successful for Marvel, and if not, Marvel would not be laying out a lot of money for the deals. However, when Marvel had an ownership change, the launch of the titles were dropped. Instead, the three finished books, Sleepwalker (by Robert Kirkman!), Young Ancient One and Strange Magic, were released in one big book, titled Epic Anthology. Marvel promptly cancelled the anthology after the first issue was released.



However, in that first issue, we met Sofia Strange, rumored to be Doctor Strange's daughter. I asked writer Jason Henderson what the deal was, and this is what he told me,

Uh, gosh, okay: so the question is, is Sofia Strange Dr. Strange's daughter?

Okay, this is the opinion of the creative team and Marvel then; what Marvel thinks now is anyone's guess.

Answer: Not just yes, but heck yes.

I mean, look at her: blue-paisley print in her jacket, streak in her hair....

How did this happen?

Once upon time there was a pitch: the hidden daughter of Doctor Strange. Greg Scott and I were working on SWORD OF DRACULA when we started putting this idea together, sending it to then-editor Stephanie Moore and Bill Jemas. Moore was busy putting the (new) Epic line together, which was supposed to be a line of niche-oriented books with new ideas and even new creators. Rather than let the pitch develop by itself, Marvel dovetailed it in with Epic. Made sense: Greg and I were pros but still very much at the start of our careers, so we could be shoehorned into Epic well enough.

Sofia Strange (as she eventually came to be named) was the daughter of Doctor Strange and his other-dimensional wife Clea-- and in fact, in an early script, the story begins not in New Orleans but in the Dark Dimension, where Queen Clea, Dormammu's forces closing in, sends the young Sofia and her nanny Vesper to Earth. But Sofia must remain hidden, especially from Doctor Strange, who does not know she exists. For various reasons, Clea doesn't want Stephen Strange roaring back to the Dark Dimension and making things worse.

Flash forward to today, where the issue actually does pick up, with Sofia coming to New Orleans (I love New Orleans. I wanted to cross this over with my ghost-hunter book SOULCATCHER) and getting used to using her powers. Another cut scene from Issue 1 showed Dr. Strange in Greenwich Village, getting up in the middle of the night for some milk, suddenly struck by a teasing sense that someone is being magically hidden from him, a great fog in his senses.

So there we had it: Dr. Strange's daughter, with all his powers, in New Orleans having small, magic adventures, conveniently hidden from the Marvel Universe so that we could avoid excessive entanglements with all the guys from New York.

Alas, we did one issue's art by Greg Scott, colors by JD Mettler, an AMAZING cover by Tony Harris. And then it all got folded into the Epic anthology, and the rest is history. Nothing attached to Epic survived.

I guess she's still alive out there, probably practicing magic in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Thanks, Jason, for filling us in!! Be sure to check out what Jason is up to now at his website, www.jasonhenderson.com!!

I'm pretty sure someone asked this question in ONE of the comments section, but I can't find it for the life of me, so please, if you did ask me this question (Does Dr. Strange have a daughter?), drop me a line so I can credit you.

Well, that's it for this week, thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to drop off any urban legends you'd like to see featured!!

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Free Previews Are Good! - Blurred Vision and The Five Fists of Science

We all love to read stuff for free, don't we? Luckily, here you have TWO cool free things to look at! First, James Sime gave me a heads up that he had a 10-page preview up of Blurred Vision (MAR06 3069 if you want to order it from Diamond), an anthology featuring some really interesting work (from the quick samples offered up at the link) from artists such as K. Thor Jensen, Matt Madden, Dash Shaw and many others. Click here for the samples.

Meanwhile, Matt Fraction is offering the first 20-odd pages of his upcoming graphic novel, The Five Fists of Science (MAR06 1824), which I have been looking forward to for what seems to be an eternity (ever since I first heard about it, many moons ago), for us to take a gander at. Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla fight for the fate of mankind?!? AWESOME!! I am actually not going to click on the preview, as I do not want to ruin it for myself, but if you are not sure if its your cuppa, please check it out! Click here for the preview.

Daredevil #83 - Like Miller's Run - In a Good Way!

I can't help it. I would pick a different comparison if I thought it was appropriate, or if comparing it to Miller's run was INappropriate, but I can't help it - the best comparison for Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark's run on Daredevil is Frank Miller's Daredevil run. And that, to me, is a good thing, as issue #83, the second issue of the run, continues the excellent standard begun by the first issue, with, of course, the one big caveat.

The one big caveat, of course, is the seeming death of Foggie Nelson. I don't like it. Don't think it's a good idea (if it is not a trick, which it still could be), and I do not even think it is necessary to tell the story Brubaker wants to tell. However, from this point on, how about we just file the complaint and leave it alone, okay? What's done is done - so let me judge the rest of the issue, which was very good.

The Miller reference is to how there a number of subplots all being carried on in the story at the same time, all independent, yet tied in together ultimately. In addition, like Miller's run, there is a great deal of story in each issue - it is practically anti-compression. Finally, Brubaker writes the best Ben Urich since "Guess Who!"

As an aside, I like Stefano Gaudiano and all, but isn't it kinda weird to be known as "The dude you get if you want someone to draw just like Michael Lark"? I don't even know if I can tell which pages were done by Gaudiano, that's how Lark-ish he is!!

Meanwhile, pretty much every aspect of the plot is spot-on, in my opinion. Brubaker manages to basically make Daredevil an engaging:

1. Prison drama

2. Lawyer drama

3. Reporter drama

4. Superhero drama

And it totally fits!! No aspect gets short-shrift, as Brubaker balances each plot masterfully, while maintaining engaging characters with interesting dialogue.

I enjoyed Brian Michael Bendis' Daredevil.

I enjoyed Ann Nocenti's Daredevil.

I enjoyed DG Chichester's Daredevil.

I enjoyed Karl Kesel's Daredevil.

I even sorta enjoyed Kevin Smith, Joe Kelly and Denny O'Neil's Daredevil.

I think Brubaker will end up being the best Daredevil run since Frank Miller.

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This Comic Is Good - Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini

Graphic Classics has now done more than a dozen comic collections adapting the works of great writers, and each one has been highly entertaining and quite affordable ($12) for the amount of story contained in each volume. Their most recent entry, devoted to the work of Rafael Sabatini, is no exception to this trend.

As usual, I will refrain from judging the stories themselves, as that falls upon the long deceased Mr. Sabatini, not the good folks at Graphic Classics (who were so kind as to send me a copy of this volume), who WILL be judged on how well they adapt the stories (although this volume has a rare exception to this rule!).

The volume opens (after a stunning painted cover by John F. Naprstek) with a nice illustration by Hunt Emerson of a pirate song by Sabatini.

The first adaptation was a fine choice by editor Tom Pomplun, as it is the origin story of Sabatini's most popular character, Captain Blood. The story was adapted by Rod Lott, with art by Carlo Vergara. The story is good, although it takes a whopping FORTY pages to adapt (which is an eternity for a Graphic Classics story), so perhaps there could have been some corners cut. The art by Vergara is good by itself, but in a sequential sense, I believe it loses some flair. There are moments where he stands out, but for the most part, I think his work needs some more polish. I noticed in the credits that this is his first published work in the US, and I wish him the best. He certainly has some talent - it just needs to be honed a bit.

The second story is a depatured for Graphic Classics, but one that I think is quite helpful for a work like this. Writer Mort Castle writes "Desperately Seeking Sabatini," a biography of Sabatini, which is most useful for a writer who many readers are unfamiliar with, and I am sure more than a couple of readers would ask "Why am I reading a comic devoted to this guy?" Kevin Atkinson provides very nice artwork to go with Castle's accomplished narrative of Sabatini's life.

Pomplun himself adapts the next story, with unique art by Stanley Shaw. It is a mystery that Pomplun manages to translate to the comic form with ease. Sabatini is clearly vibing on Poe here, and Shaw's artwork manages to evoke a little bit of Poe, as well. I really enjoyed it.

The highlight story for me, though, was the next story, also adapted by Tom Pomplun, with artwork by Roger Langridge (my fav'rit). I am so pleased that Graphic Classics continues to use Langridge, as he is both an excellent artist, and an excellent SEQUENTIAL artist. He manages to tell the story of a spirtualist (and perhaps swindler) so well, that it is just a joy to read.

Perhaps because of the high standards set by Langridge's work, the next story, drawn by longtime inker Gerry Alanguilan (and also adapted by Pomplun) tends to glow a little less bright. The story is similar in plot to the Langridge story, except not as charming, or as well told, I believe. Alanguilan's art is at times utterly gorgeous, but also a bit stiff.

Milton Knight brings his own sense of flair to his story, a tale of a Jester making the ultimate sacrifice for love. Knight's stories are like little universes to themselves, and are a lot of fun to see his crazy style of art take hold, and still effectively tell a story.

Antonella Caputo adapts the next story, with art by Jackie Smith. The adaptation by Caputo is good, as is the case usually for Caputo's work in Graphic Classics, by Jackie Smith's art left me a bit disappointed. There was some good work involved, but at times, it almost seemed like Smith took the easy route, layout-wise, not committing to drawing the best panels and more making it look like characters thrown together - almost like a collage of individual drawings, rather than a natural feel.

Finally, Pomplun adapts one last story, with art by Rich Tommaso, challenges Langridge for best illustrated story. The story itself is fairly blah (about thirty pages for a story that seemed to deserve only fifteen), and I would have like Pomplun to choose a better one, but Tommaso's art makes the story worth the time. I remember thinking, "Well, at least I get to see more Tommaso art!" His individual work is cartoonish and sparse, while still evoking feeling and emotions quite well, and his storytelling was top notch. A real treat for the eyes.

All in all, this is yet another winner for Graphic Classics, although perhaps less impressive than some of their previous efforts. Still, the volume is worth it for Langridge and Tommaso alone!

You can buy the comic at Graphic Classics website here.

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Hey, look, everybody! It's Ambush Bug!

(Click on image to enlarge)

(I have no point of this post. I just figured our readership needed some frivolity. Don't get me wrong, the comments are very good and interesting, but before we go from figuratively rending each other limb from limb to literally rending each other limb from limb over a movie, we should all look to Ambush Bug! Just as some things divide us, some things - like Ambush Bug - bring us together. Right? Right?

This is from Ambush Bug Nothing Special by Giffen, Fleming, Gordon, Sprouse, and Wray from 1992. Damn it's funny. If you ever see it in the back issue boxes, pick it up. You will laugh. Hard.)

"Superhero" Trademark FAQ

Since Boing Boing did a piece on it recently, the whole "DC and Marvel have a registered trademark on superhero" thing has been making the rounds in the blogosphere (I did a bit on it awhile back here), so I figured, while most of you probably already know the facts of the situation, some of you do not.

So I figure this would be a nice place to do a little FAQ about it, and open the comments section up for myself (or for other folks) to answer any remaining questions about it. Let's begin!

Q: What does it mean that Marvel and DC have a trademark on the word "Superhero"?

A: It means that companies cannot enter certain areas of commerce with the word/phrase "superhero"/"super-hero" as part of their product name.

Q: What products does this apply to?

A: Publications, but basically comic books and magazines. Also, cardboard stand-up figures, playing cards, paper iron-on transfers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, pencils, notebooks, stamp albums, and costumes

Q: Does this affect our ability to use the word superhero?

A: Only if you want to make a product that fits into those categories and sell it. So if you want to sell (you can make it for your own personal pleasure) a comic book called "Star Spangled Superhero Stories," you would not be able to. But if you want to refer to your characters as superheroes WITHIN the comic, you can do so. This is what allows DC to refer to their character as Captain Marvel WITHIN the comic, but they cannot use the name Captain Marvel in advertising or as the name of the comic, because Marvel has a registered trademark on that name.

Q: When did Marvel and DC do this?

A: 1979. They recently re-filed the trademark.

Q: How can Marvel and DC jointly own a trademark?

A: Essentially, what it came down to was that Marvel and DC, as they realized the amount of money available out there in licensing their works, they decided to trademark the word. However, both companies understood that they wouldn't have a chance by themselves, as both companies use the term. So they decided to work together against any other company out there trying to use the term.

Q: How do you GET a trademark on the word superhero?

A: Besides filing for a trademark, what Marvel and DC had to demonstrate was that, when consumers thought of the word "superhero," that they thought of DC or Marvel. Surveys would have proven this. Therefore, it was considered to be reasonable that if some other product called itself "Superhero," that a consumer would think the product came from DC or Marvel, which, in my opinion, is a reasonable claim. The original basis for trademarks were to protect consumers from bogus products that they were confused into thinking came from a more famous company. Over the years, it seems like it is instead protecting companies from their competitors, but the basic premise is "Would a consumer think this product came from Company A if it uses this name?" and if the answer is "You betcha," then it is likely that Company A will get a trademark on that word.

Q: Can't Marvel and DC just let some minor companies get away with the use? Does it really matter?

A: One of the problems with trademarks is that companies HAVE to defend the use of the term, or else risk losing the trademark protection. So if Marvel and DC began letting companies call their comics "Superhero ____," they would risk a court ruling that the term was no longer protectable, which was the case for such famous words as cellophane and kerosene, both once product names, but ultimately became known as generic words that any company could use (The most famous company who vigorously defends their trademark is Xerox, who love to insist that you use a Xerox copy machine to MAKE a copy, not make a xerox!").

Q: Are Marvel and DC evil corporations, trying to keep the little man down?

A: Perhaps, but their use of the trademark laws are really quite standard operating business for corporations. Now, that doesn't mean corporations aren't evil, but that's a whole different FAQ.

Thanks to Greg Schnieke, who recently posted an EXCELLENT reply on this topic on the Digg website. It said all the things I always tell people when this topic comes up, and the framing of his response heavily influenced how I framed this FAQ. Check out his blog here.

If there are any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section!

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How the Wachowskis screwed up, why Alan Moore needs to shove his head right up his butt, and why V For Vendetta is brilliant

I saw V For Vendetta yesterday. Yes, it's a movie, but it's based on a comic book, so I will dissect it here! Brace yourself - I'm going to get extremely political and there will be MASSIVE SPOILERS!!!! If you haven't read the book or seen the movie and are planning to, you might want to skip this post, because I'm leaving nothing out!













Are you still here? I'm totally serious about SPOILING EVERYTHING!!!!


Okay, fine. Let's begin:
First, the right wing has been going into a bit of a lather over this movie. This review and this review give the movie a nice evisceration. And then there were the problems with production and Alan Moore, nicely summarized here. All of these links are from two posts at Avi Green's blog, which is certainly an interesting read even though he often makes me angry (politically, we're almost opposites). The right wing nuts focus on a few things in the movie and get all bent out of shape about them, and I'd like to address those items.

First, the United States. In the movie, the U.S. has collapsed into what we're supposed to believe is a decades-long civil war, prompted by Bush's War on Terror. The United Kingdom has arisen as a power because they turned to brutal fascism to control things, implying that because Americans had freedom to question the government, things fell apart. So the right wing crazies are saying that Wachowskis are anti-American because they inserted this into the movie.

And they're right.

This is a serious miscalculation by the Wachowskis. It adds, quite literally, absolutely nothing to the main story, and it's stupid and un-subtle (not much about the movie is subtle, but this is less so than the rest) and guaranteed to do one thing: make Americans angry. Americans can deal with watching a political satire about a foreign country, especially those uppity Brits. Hell, they might not even get that it's an allegory about Bush's America! By inserting the fate of the U.S. into this movie, the Wachowskis shot themselves in the foot, I think. Right-wing crazies can whine all they want about how Adam Sutler (Adam Susan in the book, played by John Hurt) is obviously George Bush. And left-wing crazies can fire back, "It's only a movie, right-wing crazies!" But by putting America into the book, the level of allegory is lowered into the realm of pedantry, and that gives the right-wing crazies a target.

Then there's the Koran. At one point, Stephen Fry (gay in the movie, but not in the book) takes Natalie Portman down into his basement, where he keeps all sorts of forbidden treasure (that's right - booty!). He is proudly displaying a Koran, and he talks about its beautiful imagery. This exchange takes about five seconds, but the right-wing crazies have latched onto it the way Brad Curran has latched onto Nextwave, and again, they have a point. If Muslims are mentioned in Moore's original (I honestly can't remember), it's only as yet another sub-section of society that is oppressed by the fascists. By singling out the Koran (why not a Catholic Bible, as the dominant Christians in England are very much C. of E.), the Wachowskis are again making pointed and dull-witted commentary about the Bush Administration. And it's not even particularly accurate - Bush may hate Muslims, of course, but I like to think of him in much more Machiavellian terms - he likes anyone that helps him accrue power to himself, and if that means holding hands with Saudi princes, go nuts! What this brief moment in the movie does is give the right-wing crazies who DO hate Islam - and there are plenty of them, and they proudly admit it - more grist for the mill. Guess what, right-wing crazies? You're right - Muslims have been responsible for many horrible crimes in history. Guess what, right-wing crazies? So have Christians. Do you really want to start a tally sheet?

Finally, there's the attack on the elementary school and the water treatment plant. This exists nowhere in the book, and it is completely unnecessary to the story. It's not difficult to believe that a country could slide into fascism, but it's a bit more difficult to believe that they would kill 100,000 of their own citizens to achieve power. Not impossible, mind you, just difficult. By using this idea, the Wachowskis again imply that the Bush Administration would do it, or perhaps has done it. Listen, left-wing crazies: Muslim terrorists killed all those people on September 11th. Yes, George Bush and his government was completely incompetent in stopping it or in finding the mastermind behind it, but he didn't do it. Stuff like this has been done before - anyone remember the Reichstag fire? - but in my opinion, Bush is far too stupid to have masterminded something like this. Actually, the right-wingers I've read defend their boy the same way. They point out that the fascists in the movie are so much more competent than Bush's cronies that the comparison is invalid. That's a good way to defend your boy - he's too stupid to be this evil. That makes me feel better.

So the Wachowskis get a bit ham-fisted at times. They cleave rather closely to the source material, which is why Alan Moore needs to stick his head right up his butt. Listen, I love Alan Moore. I think V For Vendetta is one of the best comics ever written, not only the story and the way it unfolds, but because of the structure and the innovation (no sound effects or internal narration, that sort of thing). Moore has been burned by Hollywood before, and the disinformation that the studio spread about him loving the script was crap, but if this is the script Moore read and called bullshit, then nothing will ever make him happy and he's just turned into some crazy-haired crotchety old man who paints his face blue and rambles on about the good old days - meaning, for him I suppose, the Ice Age, when man was in touch with his primal nature and sacrificed virgins to volcanoes and lived until he was 30. Thank you, but I'll pass. Moore can keep writing comics (or not, if we believe his retirement talk) until he's called back to the mothership, but like a lot of celebrities, he should just shut up. Actually, everyone needs to stop asking him questions, and then maybe he'll shut up. Guess what, Alan? From Hell was a pretty decent movie. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sucked huge donkey dick, sure, but it's still better than Catwoman or Elektra or Batman & Robin (which is in the running for worst movie of all time) in the pantheon of comic book movies. As for V For Vendetta ... well, this is a great movie.

Yeah, I said it. A. Great. Movie. This is without a doubt the best comic-book movie I've ever seen (granted, I haven't seen Ghost World or A History Of Violence, but I have seen Unbreakable, which up until now was the best comic-book movie ever), and with time, it may become one of my Top Ten (I'd have to think about it). This is the most I've been affected and thrilled by a movie since, I think, Fight Club, which was a long time ago. V For Vendetta is often brilliant, and for most of it, it's completely gripping and enthralling.

That's not to say there aren't problems. The ones I've mentioned above, even though the anti-Americanism and the Koran make up about three minutes of the running time. The idea of the government poisoning its own people is a bit more problematic, but the point is, it's perfectly conceivable within the context of the movie, and more importantly, we can easily find examples of it throughout history. Yes, even here in the glorious United States, although the examples from other countries are probably more numerous. There are some other problems. When we first meet V, he launches into a rather silly speech laced with alliterative uses of "v"-words. It's difficult to understand and goofy, but luckily, he doesn't do it throughout the film. The ending is rather cinematic, sure, but it just doesn't fit very well. V sends Guy Fawkes masks to citizens all over London, and on the night of 5 November, they all come out to the Parliament building wearing them, in a bold show of solidarity with their new hero. I'll get back to that. Portman's British accent isn't horrible, but it's kind of all over the place. And, of course, they had to lose quite a bit from the book, some of which would have been nice to see in it. One of the things we lose that I think hurts a bit is how very pathetic the Leader (Susan or Sutler, take your pick) really is. In the book, he's supposed to be all-powerful, but we see how banal evil can be and how he has done horrible things but he still thinks it's for the good of the country. He can't even see the dissolution around him, and although it doesn't make Susan a sympathetic character, it does make him a comprehensible one. In the movie, John Hurt is seen only once not on a video screen, and he's never a fully realized character. More than one person has made the comparison between Hurt going from playing Winston Smith in 1984 to Adam Sutler in this movie, and I wonder if the filmmakers were consciously trying to draw that comparison with the overbearing and gigantic visage of Sutler dominating his underlings. Maybe, and although I understand why they cut out the parts of the book in which we learn more about Susan and his government, it makes his small arc in the movie less potent. Just a minor thing, I suppose.

Another place the Wachowskis screwed up is with the ending, as I mentioned. It's not that everyone showing up at Parliament with their Guy Fawkes masks on is particularly bad, it's just that it feels like a "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" thing. V still dies at the end, which is nice, but has the populace really learned anything, or have they traded their devotion to Adam Sutler for devotion to V? I may be reading too much into it, but I wonder if the Wachowskis are subtly undermining their own message and saying that conformity will triumph over all. I hope not, but that's what it felt like to me. At one point, Stephen Rea (playing Inspector Finch) mentions that V has wrought chaos, which tracks with the book. However, the Wachowskis never allow V to explain his theory of anarchy in the movie, which is what he really wants. They imply that V wants this mass destruction, when what he really wants is people to think for themselves and live together without a government. We can argue the semantics all we want, but it's clear in the book that the chaos is just a prelude to people learning to construct new social forms in which government is unnecessary. We never learn, in the movie, what might come next.

However, I still stand by my conviction that this is a great movie. Portman is excellent, and Hugo Weaving brings V to life with astonishing clarity and vision. Even though I knew it was coming, the scenes when Portman is broken by V and reads Valerie's note are brilliant and heart-wrenching, and speak to the true message of the movie - living your life without fear, and never giving up your integrity. The action is very well done, without most of the theatrics of The Matrix, and it feels like a real time and place. It's only two hours long, but the filmmakers pack a lot into the time. The problems that the right-wing crazies have with the movie are ridiculous, because the parallels are much closer to Nazi Germany than Bush's America. Perhaps the right-wing crazies are so angry about it because they recognize far too many truths in the rise of the British fascists? The movie makes it clear that the people are complicit in their fate, and that Sutler didn't come to power in a vacuum. The populace will watch anything that is spoon-fed to them on television, and when V shows up to stir the pot, it's just another program. The parallels between Stephen Fry as Gordon and V are nicely laid out, as both have underground lairs where they store great works of art. Fry is V without the imprisonment and experimentation, and he stands up to the government in his own way, despite its futility. Right-wingers are also upset about Bishop Lilliman and his pederast ways. Yeah, because in real life priests never sexually abuse people! Maybe it's a cliché that all churchmen in movies have to be perverts, but the point is not that he's Christian, but that's he's powerful. That's the point that right-wing crazies don't want to accept about this movie - that power does corrupt, and it is necessary to take power away from those whom it does corrupt. They can easily point to someone like Bill Clinton, who was quite obviously corrupted by power, but not George Bush. Why are only conservatives immune to the lure of power? What V For Vendetta says is, quite simply, that we must find what defines us, what makes us free human beings, and never let it go. Not in the face of ruin, not in the face of torture, not in the face of death. V becomes free when the people running Larkhill take everything away from him. Evey becomes free when V takes everything away from her. Gordon becomes free when he stops hiding behind his television show and does something meaningful. Valerie becomes free when she stays in England with Ruth instead of fleeing the country. Finch becomes free when he decides that he cares more about justice than the corrupt law. It's a message that we sometimes lose sight of, and this movie helps remind us of this. You can support George Bush all you want, but you can't deny that in the past few decades we have given up more and more of our freedoms to feel safe. I'm complicit in this as much as the next guy. If you don't think we have, try getting on a plane without being searched. Why are you being searched? It's unconstitutional, after all. You're being searched because you want to feel safe. What this movie suggests is that the British people wanted to feel safe, and for the most part, they are. V is a terrorist, yes. The movie doesn't make him quite as insane as the book does, but he's still a terrorist. What we should ask ourselves is, what kind of terrorist is he? Is he a terrorist like the 9/11 terrorists, who flew planes into buildings filled with people who were just trying to live their lives? Is he a terrorist like Herschel Grynszpan, who shot a Nazi in Paris in 1938 and ignited Kristallnacht? Is he a terrorist like Samuel Adams, who published outright lies about British troop abuses in order to spur the colonists into revolution? The movie wants us to ask these kind of questions - is he a terrorist or freedom fighter? Right-wing crazies, apparently, want to tell you what he is. Another big deal made about this movie is the destruction of Parliament - it's too close a parallel to the World Trade Center. Even Roger Ebert, who liked the movie, is disturbed by it. As V points out in the movie, a building is just a symbol, and sometimes symbols need to be destroyed. This is actually a subtle shout-out to the American people (not the American government, mind you) - the British people are unconcerned with the destruction of their national symbol, because they are more concerned with making a better world, just as the American people were not crippled by the loss of two buildings, but simply got back to work making their lives better. V For Vendetta makes the point that they're only buildings - beautiful and historical buildings, to be sure, but they're not more important than the people.

Right-wing crazies will no doubt wonder why Hollywood doesn't make a movie showing a Muslim government driven to excess and totalitarianism. Why doesn't Alan Moore (or another comic book writer) write something like that? Well, Frank Miller seems well on his way to doing that, but one of the reasons why I think both Moore and the filmmakers choose to make something familiar totalitarian is because of that - the familiarity. It's easy to write a Muslim regime as becoming intransigent and oppressive - just do a documentary on Saddam's Iraq or Khomeini's Iran. What a movie like V For Vendetta does is show us that it could easily happen anywhere. Too easily, in fact. Berlin in the 1920s was a pretty Bohemian place, full of those strange queers and artsy types and probably a bunch o' Commies. I wonder if the conservative section of the blogosphere had been around back then, they would have called for someone to come in and clean up the joint! Okay, that was a cheap shot, but my point is, this rather liberal environment wasn't enough to stop the Nazis from taking over in a very short time. It COULD happen here, and it's a question of whether we will allow it or not. V For Vendetta simply posits a place where it has happened, and it shows us that it doesn't really need much to happen. That's why both the book and the movie fall slightly short - Moore points out in his late-1980s introduction that he no longer believes a nuclear war is needed to push Britain toward fascism, while the movie overdoes it with its viral threats. But that's a minor point.

Right-wing crazies are ignoring the beautiful message of the movie, personified by Evey. V is and always will be a cipher, but Portman's performance holds the movie together and shows us how we can overcome the terrors we face in life. She runs from V more than once - at the very beginning, when it's perfectly plausible, and twice more. However, when V commandeers the television station to tell the people of London what he's doing, Evey saves him from Dominic, the policeman, by macing him and getting knocked unconscious for her efforts. Her true epiphany comes later, but this small act of rebellion shows us that even an all-powerful government cannot break its people's spirit completely. Anyone who's read the book will know that Evey flees when V kills the bishop, and she seeks shelter with Gordon. This false security comes to a violent end, but it's interesting that even after Evey has begun to learn a bit about V and about what the government is doing, she still runs. She turns away because she doesn't want to confront her complicity and the crimes that the government has committed. Even with what she knows about the fate of her parents, it's safer to run and hide. When this is no longer an option, she finds Valerie's note and refuses to betray V. This frees her, and it allows her to flee from V a third time, this time to discover herself on her own. V can't do it for her, and this is why Evey's story is the heart of the movie, and why the ending is a bit of a disappointment. Everyone in London, it is implied, needs to go through a transformation like Evey's, but it seems like the filmmakers don't follow through on that. It doesn't change the fact that Evey is the pulse of the movie, and Portman's wonderful performance carries us through.

This is an excellent movie, one that does more than most movies in that it challenges us to believe in something and to think more clearly about our lives and what we are doing with them. It also shows (to bring it back to comics, since that is our mission here) the power of comic books. The most obvious comparison to the original book is Orwell's 1984, and it's interesting when you read both how much more vivid V For Vendetta is, because of its graphic nature. 1984 is a masterpiece, but it's not always clear exactly what London looks like. Comics are a wonderful medium for expressing these sorts of ideas, because we're more inclined to believe in fantastic worlds when we read comics. Therefore, a "hero" like V doesn't seem so out of place. This allows comics to challenge the status quo and ask questions that might seem ridiculous in mainstream fiction and also offer solutions that might seem forced in mainstream fiction. It will be interesting to see if people actually seek out the original graphic novel after seeing this. I doubt it, but if they do, they'll be in for a treat.

V For Vendetta certainly isn't the perfect movie. It is, however, a great movie. Not for its somewhat corny anti-Americanism or paranoia, but for its heart and its belief that people are always better than they seem to be. All they have to do is prove it.

(I stole some of these pictures from Nik, because I can. Thanks, Nik!)

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Brad Curran's "Top 10 Comic Book plots that could be used to write Marissa Cooper out of the OC"

Enjoy.

These might happen, because all the writers on the OC are comic book nerds. I love the OC but hate Marissa. I often fantasize about ways for her to go away and make the show perfect. Many of these involve her ridiculously violent death. I do not know what this says about me. I have a hunch, I just don't want to know.

1. She becomes Dark Phoenix, sacrifices herself, but no one finds her at the bottom of the Hudson River or whatever.
2. Fin Fang Foom eats her.
3. The same as above, but she survives in his stomach, but Machine Man squashes her on his way through FFF's bowels.
4. She catches a zeta beam to Rann and is never seen again.
5. She dies on the way to her home planet. Which is Rann. Okay, I'm padding.
6. Jason Todd starts impersonating her to prove he's better than Batman. And she gets run over by a bus.
7. She goes to college. On the Moon. With the Watcher. And Crystal and Quicksilver's kid. If she is still alive. Also, Lockjaw will be there. They could make a sitcom out of this. I would not watch.
8. The Sub Mariner takes her as his wife to his undersea kingdom. And she drowns on the way there.
9. She joins the Teen Titans as whatever dumb superhero Seth made her in his comic. And they are immidiately cancelled.
10. She fucks off to do movies. And her first film is X4: We Still Have Some Mutants to Kill. She surives unscathed.

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I wield such power!

I got an e-mail from Jon Katz, who asked very politely if I could give his blog a shout-out. I checked it out and thought - what the hell. It's Marmaduke Can Vote, at which he takes Marmaduke panels and rewrites the captions with political humor. Pretty funny, if you ask me. I know it's only tangentially related to comic books, but I figured Brian wouldn't mind. I live in fear of The Cronin, so I hope he won't mind!