"It is always the nature of dreams to define reality"
November 2017
The craft that goes into weaving stories is majorly credited as the most astounding feat of the imagination, but it is also nonetheless laborious and altogether a vexing preoccupation. My own fascination for myths and legends started from an impressionable age which I pursued over the years ever since I discovered that I not only have an insatiable passion to read books but also an inclination to pen tales of my very own. And this is how Neil Gaiman's enduring series found me at the ripe age of nineteen. In 2009, I was also actively pursuing a scholastic career in writing as soon as I joined the student paper to become a literary writer. The current associate there then (who eventually became one of my best friends) introduced me to Neil Gaiman. He looked up to this author and even had a chance to interview the man himself and write a feature article for our magazine. |
Suffice to say, The Sandman shaped a lot about how I began to view the art of making myths and storytelling ever since I started to consume its eleven-volumed breadth years ago. The series was published by Vertigo comics, which is an extension of the DC universe with works that do not necessarily fall in the superhero genre, such as more adult-oriented storylines with fantasy and occult elements. Gaiman's rich tapestry of plots and characters which populated The Sandman was evident not only in the ensemble of artists who inked and illustrated each issue/collection, but also in how he mightily penned the dysfunctional anthropomorphic family called the Endless, and how they affect the lives of countless characters.
The Endless is essentially a family of timeless beings that embody seven core aspects of the universe's consciousnesss. The eldest is Destiny followed by Death, Dream and Destruction, then the twins Desire and Despair and finally Delight who later transformed into Delirium. Each Endless is responsible for the realm of their namesake, governing and facilitating everything. Their influence is far-reaching and not only limited to Earth. Destiny knows what happens to every life that was ever lived as his sister Death is sure to claim every single one. Meanwhile, Desire plays games and orchestrates drama and passion to make people aspire to have it all, as their twin Despair shows people what happens to desires unmet or desires not wanted at all. And then we have my personal favorite, Delirium, whose existence is the definition of joyous chaos; undiscriminating and inexplicable where madness is the only freedom. Chaos, however, only befell the realm of Destruction when he had decided to abandon his duties due to an incident (tackled in a later volume).
At the heart of The Sandman is, of course, the eponymous Dream himself, who rules the Dreaming and inspires the land of stories. Any living mind has a fertile imagination that can weave tales. After all, gods with their myths and legends were birthed through the dreams of the people who believe they must exist and therefore they do. This is then the realm which Dream protects and serves. As a character, the King of Dreams is as enigmatic as one would expect from a timeless being who rules the subconscious. Gaiman surely wrote him as someone who is a stickler for rules and duty, but one who is often prone to falling in love with mortals; a few of whom suffered the consequences of becoming a lover to an Endless. Such circumstances become pivotal points throughout the series' run which also explores the complicated dynamics involved between the Endless and specific humans whom they form deeper connections with.
The Sandman: Overture is a prequel to the original series. It's been years in the making and the finished product was just so motherfucking astounding! Gaiman's success with the publication of The Sandman had secured him a position as one of the most influential fantasy writers of all time, specifically for the comics medium. Sure, Gaiman had enjoyed some commercial accolades with his actual novels like American Gods, Good Omens, Stardust, Coraline as well as with his anthologies, but it is The Sandman which, for me, had immortalized him. This is his living legacy that will never be forgotten. And this was why a prequel was more than a welcome treat to his long-time readers and fans. Gaiman and the artists who worked tirelessly on this masterpiece had not disappointed at all. In OVERTURE, the events of this graphic novel were set before the premise of the first The Sandman story in which Dream of the Endless was held in captivity for ninety-five years by a cult whose leader actually wanted to detain Death but got the wrong sibling instead.
OVERTURE revealed the story as to why Dream was weak enough to get entrapped by a spell. It turned out that he had just come back from a space trip. That's right, the Endless also have intergalactic relations with many galaxies across the cosmos, all of which have a different version and interpretation of them. With six issues, The Sandman: Overture is an ambitious body of work, but one that managed to deliver a lot of promises in its limited bulk of pages. Each issue spans a fascinating tale about Dream's forced adventures to confront the many aspects of his own self. His mission in OVERTURE hinges on helping a star that has 'gone mad' and whose infection is spreading through other constellations and even nearby planets.
I wouldn't necessarily advice new readers to pick up this book without tapping into the original series first, but in case you are one of those people, I do feel the need to caution you that OVERTURE wastes no time on introductions and already opens with sprawling narratives that are interconnected only if you are familiar already with the mythos and these characters that have made appearances in the previous Sandman work.
That said, Gaiman's voice is ever engaging and mysterious, but it also felt more focused than it ever had been back when he began writing The Sandman. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that he had by now mastered his voice for this titular character and the overall arc of the story itself. The premise concerning an intergalactic adventure, however, has to be a new one for Gaiman to tackle based from the scope of The Sandman stories he had written in the past. Most of the standalone arcs in those early volumes were exclusively earth-bound (with the exceptions of events that occurred in dreams). The exception had to be the last volume which was an anthology concerning each Endless. The Dream-centric installment in it was set somewhere in a galaxy where planetary bodies and alien species attended a party, and Dream came with his first lover (and very first heartbreak), Kilala. I do not want to go into the specifics of what happened in OVERTURE especially since it only had six issues, but I will comment on the outstanding breadth of art and illustrations contributed by the main artist J.H Williams III. Aside from Gaiman writing The Sandman prequel itself, the second most commendable thing and selling point of this project was the artwork.
A collage of sprawling multi-colored landscapes and painfully intricate and boldly etched sceneries can be savored and enjoyed by the readers of OVERTURE who will experience a literal 'feast for the eyes'. The panel layout of the pages was creatively rendered that either emphasized a certain atmosphere for a particular dialogue or scene that was enclosed in it, or enhanced the symbolic representation of what that specific scene was trying to communicate as spelled out by Gaiman's prose.
Since I intend for this to be a spoiler-free review, I suppose all I can really do is to encourage anyone who wants to try their hand on the comics medium to pick up either this prequel or the original run of The Sandman itself. Hopefully, my praises for Gaiman's body of work would serve as enough incentive. It would change your life and the way you would view myths and legends in general in the context of your personal creed and culture when compared to the universal themes that are widespread not just in literature but in the history of stories themselves. I knew that The Sandman certainly challenged my own views and even enhanced my enjoyment.
The Endless is essentially a family of timeless beings that embody seven core aspects of the universe's consciousnesss. The eldest is Destiny followed by Death, Dream and Destruction, then the twins Desire and Despair and finally Delight who later transformed into Delirium. Each Endless is responsible for the realm of their namesake, governing and facilitating everything. Their influence is far-reaching and not only limited to Earth. Destiny knows what happens to every life that was ever lived as his sister Death is sure to claim every single one. Meanwhile, Desire plays games and orchestrates drama and passion to make people aspire to have it all, as their twin Despair shows people what happens to desires unmet or desires not wanted at all. And then we have my personal favorite, Delirium, whose existence is the definition of joyous chaos; undiscriminating and inexplicable where madness is the only freedom. Chaos, however, only befell the realm of Destruction when he had decided to abandon his duties due to an incident (tackled in a later volume).
At the heart of The Sandman is, of course, the eponymous Dream himself, who rules the Dreaming and inspires the land of stories. Any living mind has a fertile imagination that can weave tales. After all, gods with their myths and legends were birthed through the dreams of the people who believe they must exist and therefore they do. This is then the realm which Dream protects and serves. As a character, the King of Dreams is as enigmatic as one would expect from a timeless being who rules the subconscious. Gaiman surely wrote him as someone who is a stickler for rules and duty, but one who is often prone to falling in love with mortals; a few of whom suffered the consequences of becoming a lover to an Endless. Such circumstances become pivotal points throughout the series' run which also explores the complicated dynamics involved between the Endless and specific humans whom they form deeper connections with.
The Sandman: Overture is a prequel to the original series. It's been years in the making and the finished product was just so motherfucking astounding! Gaiman's success with the publication of The Sandman had secured him a position as one of the most influential fantasy writers of all time, specifically for the comics medium. Sure, Gaiman had enjoyed some commercial accolades with his actual novels like American Gods, Good Omens, Stardust, Coraline as well as with his anthologies, but it is The Sandman which, for me, had immortalized him. This is his living legacy that will never be forgotten. And this was why a prequel was more than a welcome treat to his long-time readers and fans. Gaiman and the artists who worked tirelessly on this masterpiece had not disappointed at all. In OVERTURE, the events of this graphic novel were set before the premise of the first The Sandman story in which Dream of the Endless was held in captivity for ninety-five years by a cult whose leader actually wanted to detain Death but got the wrong sibling instead.
OVERTURE revealed the story as to why Dream was weak enough to get entrapped by a spell. It turned out that he had just come back from a space trip. That's right, the Endless also have intergalactic relations with many galaxies across the cosmos, all of which have a different version and interpretation of them. With six issues, The Sandman: Overture is an ambitious body of work, but one that managed to deliver a lot of promises in its limited bulk of pages. Each issue spans a fascinating tale about Dream's forced adventures to confront the many aspects of his own self. His mission in OVERTURE hinges on helping a star that has 'gone mad' and whose infection is spreading through other constellations and even nearby planets.
I wouldn't necessarily advice new readers to pick up this book without tapping into the original series first, but in case you are one of those people, I do feel the need to caution you that OVERTURE wastes no time on introductions and already opens with sprawling narratives that are interconnected only if you are familiar already with the mythos and these characters that have made appearances in the previous Sandman work.
That said, Gaiman's voice is ever engaging and mysterious, but it also felt more focused than it ever had been back when he began writing The Sandman. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that he had by now mastered his voice for this titular character and the overall arc of the story itself. The premise concerning an intergalactic adventure, however, has to be a new one for Gaiman to tackle based from the scope of The Sandman stories he had written in the past. Most of the standalone arcs in those early volumes were exclusively earth-bound (with the exceptions of events that occurred in dreams). The exception had to be the last volume which was an anthology concerning each Endless. The Dream-centric installment in it was set somewhere in a galaxy where planetary bodies and alien species attended a party, and Dream came with his first lover (and very first heartbreak), Kilala. I do not want to go into the specifics of what happened in OVERTURE especially since it only had six issues, but I will comment on the outstanding breadth of art and illustrations contributed by the main artist J.H Williams III. Aside from Gaiman writing The Sandman prequel itself, the second most commendable thing and selling point of this project was the artwork.
A collage of sprawling multi-colored landscapes and painfully intricate and boldly etched sceneries can be savored and enjoyed by the readers of OVERTURE who will experience a literal 'feast for the eyes'. The panel layout of the pages was creatively rendered that either emphasized a certain atmosphere for a particular dialogue or scene that was enclosed in it, or enhanced the symbolic representation of what that specific scene was trying to communicate as spelled out by Gaiman's prose.
Since I intend for this to be a spoiler-free review, I suppose all I can really do is to encourage anyone who wants to try their hand on the comics medium to pick up either this prequel or the original run of The Sandman itself. Hopefully, my praises for Gaiman's body of work would serve as enough incentive. It would change your life and the way you would view myths and legends in general in the context of your personal creed and culture when compared to the universal themes that are widespread not just in literature but in the history of stories themselves. I knew that The Sandman certainly challenged my own views and even enhanced my enjoyment.
Legends of Red Sonja by Gail Simone Vol. 1
November 2016
I have no idea who Red Sonja is, to be honest, and that means I had to go online to research about the character's origin and publication history as a comic book series. From what I understand overall, she was a character created by Marvel Comics around 1973 when she first appeared in a Conan the Barbarian issue. There was also a movie about her at some point. She's the quintessential pin-up fantasy heroine from comics. What made me want to read this more recent Dynamite comics title is because Gail Simone (from DC's Batgirl) is the writer of this particular line-up. Also, there is something nostalgic about warrior women for me. I did after all grow up to Xena: the Warrior Princess (but I was nine and I don’t remember specific things about that show except that Lucy Lawless rocked and kicked ass). And so reading Red Sonja definitely gave me that kind of nostalgia.
The first volume of this revamped version from 2010 to 2012 entitled Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues reads more of an anthology with a sideline linear narrative. According to what I researched, this Red Sonja is a distant relative for the original She-Devil with a sword. Knowing this premise actually helped demystify some elements for this volume that seemed shaky and suspicious. Nevertheless, reading this collection had been enjoyable because of its action-packed moments and interesting blend of tall tales, feminist insight and sometimes clever subversion of tropes.
A group of warriors named Grey Riders are the 'protagonists' of this story as they are on a quest to capture or slay Red Sonja whose reputation and deeds make her very larger-than-life if not almost mythical. For every issue, the Grey Riders have to interrogate an array of colorful side characters who have a tale or two to spare about the legendary She-Devil with a Sword. And that's how this volume reads and develops as an anthology because of the interwoven separate an standalone stories that the Grey Riders have to hear and often have to figure out whether or not these tales are authentic. A lot of the stories emphasize the badassery and cunning of Red Sonja. Some are exaggerated to the point of absurd while a few are designed to inspire paranoia or discourage the Grey Riders on their quest to seek out the infamous fire-kissed warrior who seems to keep eluding them throughout the journey.
Simone has worked with many fantastic artists for this volume and the variety and quality of the artworks and illustrations are truly a feast for the eyes and a feat of the imagination. What stands out easily when it comes to the depiction of Red Sonja is her iconic bikini-style armor. It is so utterly gorgeous and in one issue Simone even had a self-aware flashback that acknowledges the deadly allure of a formidable fighter who happens to be a scantily dressed woman--and what that can do to unsuspecting fiends and rivals.
I had a great fucking time reading this volume. It's ridiculous yet witty, infectiously daring and unafraid in its exploits and small doses of dark humor, and visually interesting with the multiple collaborations of artists working together. The first volume included a script for one of the issues as well as gallery for the concept art. This is something that can be consumed by novice and veteran comics readers alike. So if you like your women fierce and written by a female writer, you can’t go wrong with Gail Simone and her work for the Legend of Red Sonja.
The first volume of this revamped version from 2010 to 2012 entitled Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues reads more of an anthology with a sideline linear narrative. According to what I researched, this Red Sonja is a distant relative for the original She-Devil with a sword. Knowing this premise actually helped demystify some elements for this volume that seemed shaky and suspicious. Nevertheless, reading this collection had been enjoyable because of its action-packed moments and interesting blend of tall tales, feminist insight and sometimes clever subversion of tropes.
A group of warriors named Grey Riders are the 'protagonists' of this story as they are on a quest to capture or slay Red Sonja whose reputation and deeds make her very larger-than-life if not almost mythical. For every issue, the Grey Riders have to interrogate an array of colorful side characters who have a tale or two to spare about the legendary She-Devil with a Sword. And that's how this volume reads and develops as an anthology because of the interwoven separate an standalone stories that the Grey Riders have to hear and often have to figure out whether or not these tales are authentic. A lot of the stories emphasize the badassery and cunning of Red Sonja. Some are exaggerated to the point of absurd while a few are designed to inspire paranoia or discourage the Grey Riders on their quest to seek out the infamous fire-kissed warrior who seems to keep eluding them throughout the journey.
Simone has worked with many fantastic artists for this volume and the variety and quality of the artworks and illustrations are truly a feast for the eyes and a feat of the imagination. What stands out easily when it comes to the depiction of Red Sonja is her iconic bikini-style armor. It is so utterly gorgeous and in one issue Simone even had a self-aware flashback that acknowledges the deadly allure of a formidable fighter who happens to be a scantily dressed woman--and what that can do to unsuspecting fiends and rivals.
I had a great fucking time reading this volume. It's ridiculous yet witty, infectiously daring and unafraid in its exploits and small doses of dark humor, and visually interesting with the multiple collaborations of artists working together. The first volume included a script for one of the issues as well as gallery for the concept art. This is something that can be consumed by novice and veteran comics readers alike. So if you like your women fierce and written by a female writer, you can’t go wrong with Gail Simone and her work for the Legend of Red Sonja.
Rachel Rising by Terry Moore
November 2016
The last graphic novel I reviewed just a week ago is about a woman who cannot be killed (Lazarus), and now I'm doing another one about yet another female character who is resurrected from the dead. It's a playful coincidence. The two stories have nothing much in common except that basic premise, however, and if I'm to be honest I think I much enjoyed Lazarus although that doesn't actually mean that Terry Moore's Rachel Rising doesn't hold up well as a series. If the first volume is any indication of how certifiably creepy and atmospheric everything is, then I will surely pick up the second volume someday. Rachel Rising is about the titular female character who was strangled and left for dead as she was buried in a shallow grave next to what seemed to be implied as a land where witches used to live and do evil stuff? It's all speculative for now. The very first pages opened with Rachel walking out of said grave with fragmented memories as well as possessing literally bloodshot eyes and very discernible rope marks around her throat. Moore's illustrations are minimalist and drawn in black and white. The panels certainly make you feel as if you could be reading this on a Sunday paper, in spite of the macabre and gore that would be happening next as the chapters progress. |
The story for the first volume The Shadow of Death unfolds in two ways. We have Rachel's side of the plot on one hand and this little girl character named Zoe on the other. Rachel sought the help of her aunt, Johnny, who is a mortician and her childhood friend Jet, to find out about her attacker and how and why in the fuck did she even get resurrected from death. Her character story as the heroine crosses with that of the secondary character Zoe's version of the events. Her side of the story is the more disturbing, filled with gruesome deaths. A malignant force in shape of a mysterious woman had taken control over Zoe's actions, making her do very bad things while she is still much aware of the deeds as she is committing them. At a crucial point in the narrative Zoe and Rachel finally cross paths but another awful tragedy strikes that would claim more lives than either of them could possibly imagine.
I like this series so far. The story is still half-baked and often shaky at best. Most of the time the evasive dialogue and lack of real action aside from people getting killed could get tiresome real fast, but just when the pacing and momentum feel like it's slowing down, Moore leaves readers with just enough incentive to keep them reading anyway, eager to solve the mystery surrounding Rachel's resurrection and whatever evil is about to spread in her hometown brought about by ritualistic sacrifices that heavily imply that this has all been a set-up for now and there is a storm that is about to come. Things may pick up by then. I think I would recommend Rachel Rising to anyone who is looking for something gothic and enticingly creepy. It's digestible enough if not momentarily baffling in some places. It's still missing a real hook for me which is why I'm giving it a safe rating.
I like this series so far. The story is still half-baked and often shaky at best. Most of the time the evasive dialogue and lack of real action aside from people getting killed could get tiresome real fast, but just when the pacing and momentum feel like it's slowing down, Moore leaves readers with just enough incentive to keep them reading anyway, eager to solve the mystery surrounding Rachel's resurrection and whatever evil is about to spread in her hometown brought about by ritualistic sacrifices that heavily imply that this has all been a set-up for now and there is a storm that is about to come. Things may pick up by then. I think I would recommend Rachel Rising to anyone who is looking for something gothic and enticingly creepy. It's digestible enough if not momentarily baffling in some places. It's still missing a real hook for me which is why I'm giving it a safe rating.
Lazarus by Greg Rucka Volume 1
November 2016
Comprised of the series first four issues, this debut volume written by Greg Rucka, and illustrated by Michael Lark with the colors done by Santi Arcas, is a dystopian science fiction story that definitely holds promises.
I actually liked it even if it's only a hundred pages long. My review for this graphic novel collection is positive enough although I can't say yet what is in store for the rest of the series, seeing as the four issues of Lazarus felt like watching a pilot for a TV show. With that comparison, I believe these issues hold enough weight on their own both as separate installments and as a singular story that unfolds efficiently well. Action-packed and well-balanced when it comes to exposition and dialogue, Lazarus: Family is something readers can easily consume in one sitting but it's also a substantial serving which would make them come back for more. Speaking of TV pilots, this series might actually be adapted for a television show, and based from what I have seen so far, I think it would work well. The plot of the story focuses on a futuristic setting where capitalism is the dominating status quo that had abolished real governments across the world. The wealthy and privileged reign as supreme rulers and each city in the states is governed by a 'Family' while the rest are deemed as Waste (not even kidding, it's that blunt). Essentially, the modern world reverted back to a brutal age when elitist rich families are considered the most valuable while everyone else are cattle and slaves. |
How demeaning is it that after that much progress humans societies have made throughout history that the shift of power had only moved back from what was once considered ancient and barbaric? But I digress. I can actually see this future happening someday because of frighteningly good reasons when you consider the widening chasm and disparity growing between the rich and the poor even to this day.
Now the heart of this socio-political is our protagonist Forever Carlyle, who serves as the 'Lazarus' of the Carlyle family. As the namesake implies, she can never die and can come back from any method of killing or death. She's reserved and obedient, but also quite inquisitive and kind. Forever (or Eve) had started asking questions about her purpose and calling which is something her 'siblings' and the man she calls 'father' are not so thrilled about. The first four issues delved in the beginnings of Rucka's world-building where the Carlyle family has some strained relationships with other feuding families from across the state lines and within their own parameters of territory. There is enough betrayal and deceit to go around with, and characters who will become main players for the narrative are fleshed-out enough to compel readers to look forward to their roles and participation in the future.
I get this vibe that Lazarus will have the sensibilities of The Sopranos and Game of Thrones since it is about the privileged families who are also engaged in organized crime. I think it's not a bad direction to go for, and I'd be interested to learn how Rucka would pull it off in the next installments. Lark's illustrations are detailed and particularly enjoyable to look at especially with scenes that have a weight of importance. I like the way each panels are positioned not only during action sequences but also during the quieter moments. Colorist Arcas had employed rather dark colors for his palette, but they worked exceptionally well to deliver the atmosphere of prejudice and power struggle which the characters are engaged in.
Overall, this is an impressive debut series with a satisfying first arc and a tantalizing heroine to match it. I look forward to the other volumes in the series!
Now the heart of this socio-political is our protagonist Forever Carlyle, who serves as the 'Lazarus' of the Carlyle family. As the namesake implies, she can never die and can come back from any method of killing or death. She's reserved and obedient, but also quite inquisitive and kind. Forever (or Eve) had started asking questions about her purpose and calling which is something her 'siblings' and the man she calls 'father' are not so thrilled about. The first four issues delved in the beginnings of Rucka's world-building where the Carlyle family has some strained relationships with other feuding families from across the state lines and within their own parameters of territory. There is enough betrayal and deceit to go around with, and characters who will become main players for the narrative are fleshed-out enough to compel readers to look forward to their roles and participation in the future.
I get this vibe that Lazarus will have the sensibilities of The Sopranos and Game of Thrones since it is about the privileged families who are also engaged in organized crime. I think it's not a bad direction to go for, and I'd be interested to learn how Rucka would pull it off in the next installments. Lark's illustrations are detailed and particularly enjoyable to look at especially with scenes that have a weight of importance. I like the way each panels are positioned not only during action sequences but also during the quieter moments. Colorist Arcas had employed rather dark colors for his palette, but they worked exceptionally well to deliver the atmosphere of prejudice and power struggle which the characters are engaged in.
Overall, this is an impressive debut series with a satisfying first arc and a tantalizing heroine to match it. I look forward to the other volumes in the series!
Low by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini
October 2016
The last Rick Remender graphic novel I read had been actually scheduled as the last X-Men series I read earlier this year for my X-Men comics diet. Suffice to say, I wasn't charmed by it so I only got to finish the first volume because I lost interest easily in the way the story was told. It just didn't click for me, is all. Now that was back in April or so, and now here I am just a few months later reading another work of his. As soon as I finished this, I have to say that this is comparably an improvement from Uncanny Avengers. That comparison would be unfair though, since they are of different genres, and I could tell (given the Afterword for every issue of this series) that Remender is quite passionate and proud about this work. I do think he should be.
LOW is a sci-fi comic book story set in an underwater world. It's also billions of years into the future, where our sun in the solar system has expanded to a toxic level of radiation, so it is more or less about to wipe out the world. The human race and other creatures migrated to the deep levels of the ocean and have made their homes there. One such place is Salus, and this is where the protagonist family of the story lives. Low is more or less about the mother Stel and her unabashedly stubborn positive way of thinking no matter the dreariness of her circumstances. Bundled into six issues, the series' first volume The Delirium of Hope is a thematic examination of what it's like to be an optimist in an often nightmarish landscape filled with despair. Over the course of said issues, Stel lost her husband, had her two daughters abducted, and her only son estranged to her because he resents her for being so inconceivably 'hopeful'. The conflict is more or less about Stel overcoming difficulties with the power of positive thinking. In a sense, I have to admire the tenacity of her self-belief. Stel is a mother who never loses hope which in a hopeless world should be a commendable thing.
Or is it? I think that's the challenge being presented for Low's narrative. Should a person always choose to believe in the adage that one is responsible for his or her own attitude when it comes to dealing with the universe, and that attitude will certainly shape the course of their destiny? Or is the universe truly a place without order and more leaning towards chaos, so however the person feels he or she has any control over how they would react, the universe finds a way to take them by surprise or overwhelm them anyway?
Based from this volume so far, the universe is not only winning, but s also being a dick about it. Although Stel has faith that her endeavors to rescue her daughter would not be for naught, and that her efforts will not be wasted so long as she keeps up her positive attitude, certain situations tend to disprove it otherwise. I actually do like this kind of story Remender has weaved because it feels very personal and heartfelt in a lot of ways. I enjoyed this for what it is in spite of not sharing the writer or his lead character's way of living their lives. I'm more of a pragmatist myself, right in that sweet spot between optimism and pessimism. There are advantages to forcefully clinging onto positivity because hope does spring eternal, but being too fixed about this perspective is just as damaging as being nihilistic and negative. Too much of anything is always a bad thing after all.
In addition, Stel reminds me a lot of Catelyn Stark from the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire series. Much like Catelyn, Stel is a mother struggling to unite her family, only to find that her will and efforts are constantly tested. I suppose I would read the next volume after this just to see how Remender handles the next arc of the series because once again another blockage is impeding Stel's way and I know there are possibly more to come, and I want to see how she would move past them with her power of positive thinking which Remender apparently is determined to campaign and drive home to the readers. I don't find it annoying because touchy-feely things okay for me since they have little impact on my own perspective anyway as a pragmatic. Besides there are quotable moments I did agree with.
I think Greg Tocchini is worth crediting alongside Remender (if not more so) because as the artist of this series, he has made the reading experience an exceedingly amazing one because of his lush sceneries of the aquatic disquiet present in the panels and specific scenes. I truly loved looking at the breadth of his illustrations and I believe that if another artist had drawn for Low, it would have changed the way I looked at this series altogether, and I may not be more forgiving of its story's flaws and its writer's ultimate bias about his heroine's personality and personal beliefs. His art style is just gorgeous:
LOW is a sci-fi comic book story set in an underwater world. It's also billions of years into the future, where our sun in the solar system has expanded to a toxic level of radiation, so it is more or less about to wipe out the world. The human race and other creatures migrated to the deep levels of the ocean and have made their homes there. One such place is Salus, and this is where the protagonist family of the story lives. Low is more or less about the mother Stel and her unabashedly stubborn positive way of thinking no matter the dreariness of her circumstances. Bundled into six issues, the series' first volume The Delirium of Hope is a thematic examination of what it's like to be an optimist in an often nightmarish landscape filled with despair. Over the course of said issues, Stel lost her husband, had her two daughters abducted, and her only son estranged to her because he resents her for being so inconceivably 'hopeful'. The conflict is more or less about Stel overcoming difficulties with the power of positive thinking. In a sense, I have to admire the tenacity of her self-belief. Stel is a mother who never loses hope which in a hopeless world should be a commendable thing.
Or is it? I think that's the challenge being presented for Low's narrative. Should a person always choose to believe in the adage that one is responsible for his or her own attitude when it comes to dealing with the universe, and that attitude will certainly shape the course of their destiny? Or is the universe truly a place without order and more leaning towards chaos, so however the person feels he or she has any control over how they would react, the universe finds a way to take them by surprise or overwhelm them anyway?
Based from this volume so far, the universe is not only winning, but s also being a dick about it. Although Stel has faith that her endeavors to rescue her daughter would not be for naught, and that her efforts will not be wasted so long as she keeps up her positive attitude, certain situations tend to disprove it otherwise. I actually do like this kind of story Remender has weaved because it feels very personal and heartfelt in a lot of ways. I enjoyed this for what it is in spite of not sharing the writer or his lead character's way of living their lives. I'm more of a pragmatist myself, right in that sweet spot between optimism and pessimism. There are advantages to forcefully clinging onto positivity because hope does spring eternal, but being too fixed about this perspective is just as damaging as being nihilistic and negative. Too much of anything is always a bad thing after all.
In addition, Stel reminds me a lot of Catelyn Stark from the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire series. Much like Catelyn, Stel is a mother struggling to unite her family, only to find that her will and efforts are constantly tested. I suppose I would read the next volume after this just to see how Remender handles the next arc of the series because once again another blockage is impeding Stel's way and I know there are possibly more to come, and I want to see how she would move past them with her power of positive thinking which Remender apparently is determined to campaign and drive home to the readers. I don't find it annoying because touchy-feely things okay for me since they have little impact on my own perspective anyway as a pragmatic. Besides there are quotable moments I did agree with.
I think Greg Tocchini is worth crediting alongside Remender (if not more so) because as the artist of this series, he has made the reading experience an exceedingly amazing one because of his lush sceneries of the aquatic disquiet present in the panels and specific scenes. I truly loved looking at the breadth of his illustrations and I believe that if another artist had drawn for Low, it would have changed the way I looked at this series altogether, and I may not be more forgiving of its story's flaws and its writer's ultimate bias about his heroine's personality and personal beliefs. His art style is just gorgeous:
In a nutshell, Rick Remender's Low is a commendable work I wouldn't mind speaking good things about, but Greg Tocchini visual contribution is the one thing I would probably give more praise. Whatever opinions I may have that contrast Stel's, I still think she was a character I can find myself caring about, and I'm interested to see how well she would fare, or how much she might change as the story progresses. I'll pick this series again soon enough.
Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison
October 2016
I don't know how to begin reviewing this graphic novel mostly because there is too much context that one needs to know if they ever decide to read this blindly, which I did, and it affected how I enjoyed the story a lot. The point is I could not recommend this to someone who is just getting into comics, because this is essentially a compilation inspired from another comics line which was Doom Patrol and which Grant Morrison himself has written for.
From what I can discern when I researched this story, Flex Mentallo as a character came from that series, created by Morrison himself in an issue, and who was then expanded as more than just a side character he originally appeared to be as. Now two years ago I had the distinct pleasure of reading through Morrison's semi-autobiographical book called Supergods, tracing the superhero myth and contextualizing it with his own experiences as a professional writer in the industry. I mentioned this book since it is critical in further explaining the roots for Mentallo. You see, he is just a part of an long string of 'fictional character who came to life' that Morrison has been doing for the past two decades or so, and also ties in with his other works like The Invisibles which I intend to read soon enough. Mentallo is a part of a roster of other characters written and drawn by a psychic child. According to the wiki, "The characters created in this child's youthful scrawlings, titled "My Greenest Adventure", apparently came to life. Amongst Flex's "Greenest Adventure" siblings were the villainous Waxworker and the heroic Fact." |
What you need to know in summary is that Flex Mentallo is also called the 'Man of Muscle Mystery' and he has the ability to affect reality by flexing his muscles. It sounds absurd, but purposefully so. He even has what is called a 'hero halo' above his head when he uses his powers, and it says "Hero of the Beach" which had something to do with his origin story about a swimsuit competition. It was never explained in this graphic novel, and I literally had to read his fictional biography online to understand this. So now that I have established that this GN is not newbie-friendly, let's talk about the content.
Artist Frank Quitely's style has been a personal favorite since Batman and Robin and Batman Incorporated, titles which he also collaborated with Grant Morrison. Visually speaking, Flex Mentallo is gorgeous. The illustrations are well-defined and rendered with great detail. The art is also as eccentric as the narrative, matching its absurdity and rather surreal scope. There is really no way for me to explain sufficiently what this GN is unless you are already familiar with the mythos about Doom Patrol, and Morrison comics in general. I'm going to try my best to comment on the content, however, because it had been an interesting read, albeit also a baffling one. My review isn't going to be helpful to a Morrison fan, I'm afraid, who may be reading this to compare notes with my personal opinion. But I sure want this review to prepare first-time readers who may be inclined to pick this up one day.
Artist Frank Quitely's style has been a personal favorite since Batman and Robin and Batman Incorporated, titles which he also collaborated with Grant Morrison. Visually speaking, Flex Mentallo is gorgeous. The illustrations are well-defined and rendered with great detail. The art is also as eccentric as the narrative, matching its absurdity and rather surreal scope. There is really no way for me to explain sufficiently what this GN is unless you are already familiar with the mythos about Doom Patrol, and Morrison comics in general. I'm going to try my best to comment on the content, however, because it had been an interesting read, albeit also a baffling one. My review isn't going to be helpful to a Morrison fan, I'm afraid, who may be reading this to compare notes with my personal opinion. But I sure want this review to prepare first-time readers who may be inclined to pick this up one day.
Flex Mentallo goes to investigate the whereabouts of his other friends, fictional characters who also came to life and are lost somehow. There's a whodunit element and some comedic action in between, spliced with genuine moments of suspense that lend its story enough levity. What is confusing are the scenes featuring the psychic child who created Mentallo and co. who apparently has become a mentally unstable junkie and a former rock star musician. His sense of self and his telepathic imagination are slowly unraveling as the pages continue, and his part of the narrative is important but also alienating for someone like me who isn't as acquainted with Morrison outside of his Batman works. That being said, the transitions do make sense and are often seamless enough to get the message across that this is a rather psychedelic meta experience that comments on the genre conventions of superhero storytelling. It would take readers like me a while to realize this until halfway through the climactic scenes, but the message becomes clear and substantial enough once finished. Unfortunately, it's also rather jumbled up, filled with references and allegories I am not familiar with.
In a nutshell, Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery is something you read as a true-blue comics aficionado who also knows a lot about Morrison's universe and body of work to fully appreciate what it offers and satirizes. For a new reader with specific taste in comics or only goes for one or two genres, this may not be the comic book you are looking for, at least at this point in time. I might re-read this again too once I'm more acquainted with a few more of Grant Morrison's works. Still, I could tell this a momentous celebration about superheroes. I can't really spoil the ending because it is the message of this story to begin with, but I will say that it has something to do with Morrison's thesis in Supergods.
"It seems where demons fail and monsters falter, angels may prevail."
September 2016
I'm coming to this version of Alan Moore's the Swamp Thing without any knowledge of his original creation by Len Wein, except of course with the brief appearances he had made during the Jamie Delano for Hellblazer: John Constantine. That being said, it had been a neat introduction to a comics icon. It was a rather baffling start at first, but one that is also beguiling enough to see through its finish.
This first volume had tons of spectacular potentials to be the masterpiece that I sure hope it would become by the next volumes. There are four volumes of Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing to look forward to reading, but for now I will content myself with the fact that I was able to read this installment which wasn't anything that I expected it to be. Monster stories, especially those steeped in classical roots, have been a lost art especially with the kind of horrors my generation respond more to. The Swamp Thing, however, at least in this Alan Moore version, can still live up to its reputation and capture the imagination. As the titular character, he demonstrates grit and depth to qualify as a thing of horror that could haunt you as a reader. But he is also a misunderstood creature trying to restore his humanity, clinging to a semblance of a series of fragile connections with others who may be just as lost and desperate as he had been ever since transforming into this wretched beast he never asked for. |
It's a familiar trope and symbolism that Alan Moore, as one of the most celebrated comics writers ever, refurbishes into something uniquely intimate for readers. I for one appreciated it for its plentiful charm. Before there was a Swamp Thing, there was only a man named Alec Holland who got into an unfortunate accident as well as one who is bereaved by a wife whose loss left a decisively permanent mark on his psyche and eventual ghoulish persona. I really do not know enough of Len Wein's original version to contrast it from Alan Moore, but from what I can discern, his version of the Swamp Thing opens the possibility that perhaps Alec Holland is truly no more, and he is just a hollow shell built around the ghost of this man he is trying so hard to become. That is the core of Swamp Thing's journey as a character in this first volume; he is trying to adjust and recalibrate his sense of identity and the ultimate invalidation of it. Some things about his conception as the Swamp Thing were also tackled.
I don't want to give any more specific spoilers but I did enjoy the arc about Wood-Rue, and his manipulation of Swamp Thing so he can unleash his radical environmentalism villainy on every human on earth, with the false belief he is the representative of the oppressed Mother Nature. I thought this particular arc was engrossing more so because it was a good character portrait and contrast between Swamp Thing and Wood-Rue. The latter truly believes he was doing the right thing while the former rediscovers why he must evolve from a simple, negatively perceived monster, and how to do things right not because he wants to reclaim his humanity, but because one's actions already testify to his or her humanity. Swamp Thing learns this through his encounters with Wood-Rue, and by reconnecting with an old friend, Abigail.
Another thing I enjoyed the most about this volume are the illustrations done by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben. Some of their panels have been really creative and cool to look at, especially the full-paged panels. I thought their choices of layout and the details they put in drawing characters were a worthwhile visual adventure that complemented Moore's literary voice throughout this first volume. The colors have mostly bright hues which are a feast to the eyes. They definitely enhanced my enjoyment for the stories.
I think it's also worth mentioning that I found an interesting allusion between this version of Swamp Thing to Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. Perhaps it's because both suffered a sense of disconnect and detachment from their previously held identities, and much like watching Capaldi Doctor find himself again as a new kind of hero in Series 8, I was also reading Swamp Thing embrace that whoever he was--that creature clinging to his lost humanity--should be left by the door for good so he can move on to better things. He and Capaldi Doctor little by little start to grow and accept that they don't have to be anyone's version of what a hero or monster people perceive to be; they only have to be what they are willing to achieve, and willing to evolve into. Abigail for me plays the companion Clara to Swamp Things's Twelfth Doctor, given that she seems to anchor him to the person he used to be (Alec Holland), while also accepting that he could never become that person again--but at least she is comforted by the knowledge her friend will be happy again, like Clara was for Twelve by Last Christmas.
That panel reminded me of the scene where Twelve asked Clara if he is a good man, and by the end of Series 8 he finally decides that he wants to be. Abigail inquiring for Swamp Thing's identity and then asking next if he is happy was a nice touch of poignancy because Swamp Thing shows her that he is content now of the creature he has decided to become from now on. Abigail is joyous as well and they celebrate it with a hug. Maybe it's really just the nerdy biases of the Doctor Who fan in me, particularly as one who adores the Twelve-Clara dynamic, but I can't help but see these similarities when I was reading this comic book.
I also think that the last arc for this volume focusing on children and fear is much like the Steven Moffat fable in Series 8 called Listen where it's a fable about fear and loneliness. In this case, the story featured here in this volume deals with a supernatural aspect and an issue concerning childhood trauma but the resolution is much the same as Listen with a few choice differences, of course. The message has a common thematic resonance between the two stories, highlighted by the fact that Swamp Thing--a supposedly thing of horrors--rises up to become the very guardian one will never expect children could have. He's just a sweetie pie, and I find him instantly endearing and I definitely hope to read more of him soon.
Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan Volume 1
September 2016
This comic book series has received rave reviews for its rather satirical premise concerning the idea of the extinction of all mammals with the Y chromosome, and how the female population supposedly tries to deal with this global crisis. I've been intrigued by this series for four years now, but put off reading it even after I bought an actual copy about three years ago. It's a Vertigo title which immediately guarantees it's promising.
Finally, I got to read the first volume Unmanned which collected the first five issues of the series, and as much as I wasn't completely invested yet in the story and characters, I have to agree that it's an interesting beginning. Y: The Last Man was published in 2002 with ten volume all in all, and its official run ended by 2008. It had received and won nominations from Eisner Awards thrice. That being said, this first volume is not something I would personally consider an instant masterpiece which was okay. Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes wasn't so hot either at least until The Sound of Her Wings closing issue, but that series eventually did become one as the story went on. To compare it with the other graphic novels I reviewed since last month, it's still a good entry but not something as magnificently appealing like SAGA or Sex Criminals had proven to be, whose first volumes were immediately so stellar and engrossing. |
I could even liken Y: The Last Man to Joe Hill's debut volume for Locke and Key which had all the proper elements of supernatural horror and drama and has definitely more potentials to sprout from. However, Y: The Last Man in its first volume Unmanned is off to a slow start with the build-up quite scattered among many placed and with different characters that hopefully will form a more cohesive ensemble once the plot progression settles in a more desirable and suspenseful pace. Hey, at least it wasn't The Wicked and Divine, a series I had so much hopes for but sorely let down in the end that I won't even bother posting a review about it. I also didn't bother picking up the second volume anymore because UGH.
But I digress. Illustrated by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr., penciler and inker respectively, Y the Las Man was visually efficient enough to convey the dystopic landscape of a man-less existence where women are clamoring for survival, power and politics. The tone of the narrative definitely portrays a satirical approach which calls into question and discussion the topics of female empowerment and the radical extremists who pursue a more vicious goal to assert it. Since all the male mammals including humans got wiped out, these feminazis are inclined to believe that nature has taken its course and now it's time to go Amazonian in such a ridiculously chauvinistic way that DC's counterpart of the real Amazons where Wonder Woman hails from would be ashamed to be associated with these women.
I can't help but be reminded of that last season of Veronica Mars about said feminazis becoming the villains of that supposedly empowering show. No wonder it got pulled after that season because it was extremely negative in its portrayal of feminist activists. Y: The Last Man, I feel, has a real possibility of crossing that line, but seeing as this was only the first volume and that it did last for ten more, I think I'll assume that the writer and editors of Vertigo found a balance and compromise in how they handled the feminist side of thing for this story. Here are some of the notable pages about it:
But I digress. Illustrated by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr., penciler and inker respectively, Y the Las Man was visually efficient enough to convey the dystopic landscape of a man-less existence where women are clamoring for survival, power and politics. The tone of the narrative definitely portrays a satirical approach which calls into question and discussion the topics of female empowerment and the radical extremists who pursue a more vicious goal to assert it. Since all the male mammals including humans got wiped out, these feminazis are inclined to believe that nature has taken its course and now it's time to go Amazonian in such a ridiculously chauvinistic way that DC's counterpart of the real Amazons where Wonder Woman hails from would be ashamed to be associated with these women.
I can't help but be reminded of that last season of Veronica Mars about said feminazis becoming the villains of that supposedly empowering show. No wonder it got pulled after that season because it was extremely negative in its portrayal of feminist activists. Y: The Last Man, I feel, has a real possibility of crossing that line, but seeing as this was only the first volume and that it did last for ten more, I think I'll assume that the writer and editors of Vertigo found a balance and compromise in how they handled the feminist side of thing for this story. Here are some of the notable pages about it:
The ongoing discourse about how feminists values and other pro-women movements have been portrayed for Y: The Last Man certainly invites critical arguments from everyone who has their own opinions about it, whether affirmative or cynical. I'd rather stay away from that and simply review and appreciate this as a work of fiction, no matter how politically heated it tends to become in the later issues. Protagonist Yorick and his monkey companion Amerstad are the only male left in the world (or at least as far as we know). Yorick's mother is a congresswoman who wanted him to take his role as mankind's last chance for procreation more seriously, but Yorick is more concerned to getting back to his girlfriend he had just proposed to over a long-distance phone call to Australia before all this extinction shit went down. It's contextually hilarious but also grim.
As far as first impressions go, I am lukewarm towards Yorick. I don't find him that interesting but he is the central character in an interesting situation. I certainly hope to get to know the other female characters who show a more promising depth but whose names I can't tell you on the spot because of how little time this volume spends presenting them and how thinly the entire storyline is spread across the five issues so far. I do hope I warm up to Yorick especially even if he's such a narrow-minded fool who is more concerned about seeing his girlfriend than discover why the hell has he survived the extinction? I'd be more excited to find that out if I was Yorick, but hey, that's only because I would rather solve a good mystery over any kind of romantic ties I may have.
In a nutshell, Y The Last Man shows promise. It has a puzzle that readers can solve and watch develop across its ten-volumed span, and the feminist angle is certainly worth the merit mentioning as well, but it's not the first graphic novel I will be picking up anytime soon once I finished my scheduled GNs for this year. That place still belongs to SAGA, I'm afraid.
Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez Volume 1
September 2016
I had a copy of the first volume of this series since two years ago, but I finally only got to read it this year. Much like the first two volumes of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples' SAGA, I managed to finish this one under an hour, but it's equivocally a different experience. Granted, it was still a very good one because I was invested the entire time I read it. Writer Joe Hill brought a great horror story to life in graphic novel form with Locke and Key, there was denying it. It has all the right elements of the genre, and the storytelling is well-balanced enough to even warrant a possible movie adaptation.
I'm aware that it even got an unaired pilot which sadly never got to see the light of day. I think clips of its tailer are still available online. It's also worth noting that Joe Hill is the son of no other than prolific horror fiction writer Stephen King, and it's great to see he's following his father's steps while being completely unique on his own as a writer in the same genre. That being said, Locke and Key's first volume plays more of a psychological thriller in narrative with fantasy elements thrown in there as well, but I would still characterize it as a horror story because of the scope of its drama and characterization. I genuinely enjoyed this graphic novel. I wasn't exactly stimulated intellectually, but the mystery aspect of the story did get me interested enough to look forward reading the second installment of the series.
A family was recovering from a home invasion experience after the brutal murder of the father committed by the eldest son's school acquaintance. The mother, a rape survivor of the crime, decides to move her three kids to Lovecraft, Massachusetts so they can live in her late husband's family house called the Keyhouse. The three kids all try to cope from the loss of their father by dealing with conflicted feelings regarding their respective roles during the invasion. The eldest son Tyler tries to come to terms of how much of a failure he feels for perhaps indirectly causing his father's death in the first place while the daughter Kinsey suffers an identity crisis where she loses a sense of her individuality that she gradually kept shrinking away from social ties. Meanwhile, the youngest Bode finds a mysterious key that can open a door that could apparently turn him into a ghost.
What I like about this first volume is not so much as the story (which was good) but really more of the groundwork for the main characters. It's very easy to sympathize with the family as the victims of a crime, but also still view the potential growth of these characters in an objective way such as what roles they could contribute to an ongoing supernatural storyline that is still on its initial stage. Tyler, Kinsey and Bode are well-rounded enough, but both teens are still defined by their tragedies while Bode--the supposedly more central character since he was the only one aware of the supernatural (at least until we get to the end)--is not yet compelling to hold his own weight against the adult characters. I'm actually very curious about the mother Nina since she had been victimized with rape, and yet we never get to tackle this here. The first volume focused more on the kids and their inner conflicts. I think Nina may have her own issue in the next volume. I hope that's the case.
Now, the story itself did fine on it own; the alternating scenes between the past and the present (before and after the home invasion) were well-executed, maintaining a seamless transition. The inner monologues and the dialogues never clash, and Hill truly utilized them well in establishing the conflict and building up the suspense nice and slow until the climactic events in the last two issues collected for the volume. The villains of the series are composed of the mysterious 'girl in the well' who has compelled a boy named Sam Lesser to commit horrible crimes for the sake of having a second chance to restart his life. I found Sam Lesser really fascinating as a character himself, and his antagonistic role for the story is one that is chilling yet also still sympathetic. He's a rotten egg but one whose motivation is clear, and whose methods are as methodical as they are violent.
All in all, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft is a solid debut for the series itself. The pacing is remarkable; only a few stories I've read and reviewed are as careful and as precise as getting that perfect balance of narrative, character exposition and suspense, and the first volume of Joe Hill's Locke and Key was definitely one of them. I look forward to reading the next installment!
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona staples Vol. 1 & 2
August 2016
I read the first two volumes of this critically-acclaimed series in one sitting the other night and under two hours, maybe even less. Sometimes you just click with a comic book, you know, and this is definitely the kind of story that has both commercial and niche appeal. SAGA is a celebration and tribute to the hybrid elements of fantasy and science fiction, a rich and diverse tapestry of characters, themes and settings that leave readers awestruck and infatuated with the story very easily since the impact is just as long-lasting.
Published in 2012, SAGA has had numerous awards and recognition, mostly pertaining to its flexible range when it comes to ethnicity, sexuality, social and gender roles, as well as its commentary and sentiments towards war and conflict. Reading SAGA made me think of Joss Whedon's short-lived series Firefly. That show instantly clicked with me two episodes in, and that's exactly how SAGA felt like for me! It's a remarkable blend of everything I love in fantasy and sci-fi! The Vaughan and Staples team is an unstoppable force of nature!
The first volume opens by impressively burying the lead, and never bothering to ease the readers into the mythos and world-building in SAGA though this will still happen later on over the course of the story. This added to the suspense and thrill of the moment as the action occurs seamlessly throughout the pages that I can't stop turning and digesting every piece of dialogue and scenery therein. Writer Brian K. Vaughan's caliber is noticeably relaxed and caustic, employing a naturalness to his characters' speech that most authors in comic books tend to take for granted. His dialogue, I believe, is the most stellar part of this series; every retort between and among characters is beguiling and often raunchy and hilarious at that! And don't get me started with Fiona Staples' illustrations because they are quite visually striking in a sense that she captured emotions in expressions in fine details; a great way to accompany Vaughan's text which is just as dynamic and spunky.
What we do know about the plot is this: we have an unseen narrator speaking to us as an adult as she crafts the quixotic tale of adventure that is her parents' exodus: a star-crossed pair of dumb shits named Alana and Marko who are of different ethnic ties and whose species are at war with each other as they overcome obstacles to raise a family. These two suckers fall in love and now have to run with their newborn child Hazel across the galaxies while mercenaries and other concerned parties of an ongoing political strife are on their asses all the time.
The second volume opens with just as enough heart-pounding suspense and sublime comedic moments which never diminish the more serious and meaningful scenes and message of the plot. Everything about the second volume made me lose my shit especially with the climactic confrontations among our heroes and their adversaries. It's daring, sexy and funny.
Vaughan's pacing never slows down, enticing the readers to feel as if their own lives are endangered as well, and making them sympathize with Alana and Marko as they become more privy to the politics and atmosphere in SAGA. The largest planet in the galaxy Landfall is at war with its moon/satellite Wreath whose inhabitants wield magic. Other coalitions and even royal dynasties are caught up in this galactic war. Alana and Marko meet when Alana as a soldier was stationed as a guard where Marko, a revolutionist for his people, is being kept imprisoned. They escaped together and became fugitives, hunted by both sides especially since they have produced an offspring, a hybrid cutie pie named Hazel.
They meet a ghostly apparition named Izabel who is a casualty of the war when her village and family were massacred in one of the many battles being fought by Landfall loyalists and Wreath fighters. She soul-bonds with the baby Hazel and has since become the official babysitter. Marko's parents also join in the fun and the family drama is both entertaining and poignant to watch unfold as they try to deal with the fact that their son has shacked up with an enemy. Other supporting characters include the mercenaries or 'freelancers' who hunt down the couple and their child such as The Will who is a killer with his own unique sense of morality, accompanied by his sidekick Lying Cat who can telepathically tell when people lie.
I'm only two volumes in but this is already high on my list of comic books to keep reading as soon as my self-imposed list of graphic novels to read and review for 2016 have all been completed. SAGA simply has a full palette of flavors that I can't wait to experience completely. Staples' art style is also another spectacular thing about SAGA. Her landscapes and character designs, especially with the diverse ensemble of alien species, are truly creative and innovative. I could tell that he and Vaughan are having fun coming up with the appearances. Their collaboration on the ever-expanding mythos and how to put that best in print was a worthwhile accomplishment that is one for the ages!
So do yourselves a favor--stop whatever you are doing---and start reading SAGA instead!
Vaughan's pacing never slows down, enticing the readers to feel as if their own lives are endangered as well, and making them sympathize with Alana and Marko as they become more privy to the politics and atmosphere in SAGA. The largest planet in the galaxy Landfall is at war with its moon/satellite Wreath whose inhabitants wield magic. Other coalitions and even royal dynasties are caught up in this galactic war. Alana and Marko meet when Alana as a soldier was stationed as a guard where Marko, a revolutionist for his people, is being kept imprisoned. They escaped together and became fugitives, hunted by both sides especially since they have produced an offspring, a hybrid cutie pie named Hazel.
They meet a ghostly apparition named Izabel who is a casualty of the war when her village and family were massacred in one of the many battles being fought by Landfall loyalists and Wreath fighters. She soul-bonds with the baby Hazel and has since become the official babysitter. Marko's parents also join in the fun and the family drama is both entertaining and poignant to watch unfold as they try to deal with the fact that their son has shacked up with an enemy. Other supporting characters include the mercenaries or 'freelancers' who hunt down the couple and their child such as The Will who is a killer with his own unique sense of morality, accompanied by his sidekick Lying Cat who can telepathically tell when people lie.
I'm only two volumes in but this is already high on my list of comic books to keep reading as soon as my self-imposed list of graphic novels to read and review for 2016 have all been completed. SAGA simply has a full palette of flavors that I can't wait to experience completely. Staples' art style is also another spectacular thing about SAGA. Her landscapes and character designs, especially with the diverse ensemble of alien species, are truly creative and innovative. I could tell that he and Vaughan are having fun coming up with the appearances. Their collaboration on the ever-expanding mythos and how to put that best in print was a worthwhile accomplishment that is one for the ages!
So do yourselves a favor--stop whatever you are doing---and start reading SAGA instead!
Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky volumes 1 & 2
August 2016
The premise of this series pokes fun at but also celebrates a lot of things regarding sex and the relationships that develop around it, both platonic and romantic. Every human interaction is transactional after all, most notably when the business of 'doing it' is concerned. With the chemical tandem of writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarksy, Sex Criminals is a real crazy romp in the sheets that manages a feat like no other; it examines the troubles of relationship-building and intimacy in a way that is both comical and poignant, a biting yet introspective commentary on the nature of love and sex. I've read the first volume in passing and would have written a review about it last year, but other things got in the way. Now, I'm very pleased I also read the second volume right after re-reading the first one, because man, oh, man, these books. These. Fucking. Books. Let's talk about Sex Criminals, shall we?
Writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky have something special, and they understand each other very well as co-creators. Their chemistry is apparent in every panel and dialogue, in every careful yet also wacky developments between plot and characters. As a reader, I can tell that they're having fun with their creation, letting everything run wild yet also applying a great literary sensibility in regards of how they approached the sensitive topic of sex. But why is sex such a sensitive topic anyway, subjected often to secrecy and shame if it's about abstinence, and outright exaggerated hedonism if it's associated with sexual liberation and freedom? And why are other factors that are just as elusive, such as romance and dating, being treated by most mainstream media as nothing but a festival of good feelings and climactic confessions complete with a well-orchestrated music in the background? Fraction and Zdarsky provides a creative and low-key deconstruction of this in Sex Criminals.
~ VOLUME ONE: ONE WEIRD TRICK ~
Writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky have something special, and they understand each other very well as co-creators. Their chemistry is apparent in every panel and dialogue, in every careful yet also wacky developments between plot and characters. As a reader, I can tell that they're having fun with their creation, letting everything run wild yet also applying a great literary sensibility in regards of how they approached the sensitive topic of sex. But why is sex such a sensitive topic anyway, subjected often to secrecy and shame if it's about abstinence, and outright exaggerated hedonism if it's associated with sexual liberation and freedom? And why are other factors that are just as elusive, such as romance and dating, being treated by most mainstream media as nothing but a festival of good feelings and climactic confessions complete with a well-orchestrated music in the background? Fraction and Zdarsky provides a creative and low-key deconstruction of this in Sex Criminals.
~ VOLUME ONE: ONE WEIRD TRICK ~
Published in 2013 by Image Comics, this series is still ongoing and have currently produced three volumes in trade paperback and fifteen issues released. This is definitely more recommended for mature readers but anyone above eighteen can very much enjoy this a lot because of how humorous and quirky the storytelling mostly tackles its subject matter. Fraction provides many instances of breaking-the-fourth-wall as well as an off-beat narrative that naturally ebbs and flows because there never was a moment he made his characters take themselves too seriously.
Meanwhile, the illustrations deftly produced by Zdarsky are just astonishingly appealing; his panel choices were rendered a perfect complement to the fast-paced comedic style of Fraction's writing. Readers truly get the sense that this comic book is written by two people who are close friends, essentially telling this story because it is meaningful for them as well as buttloads of fun! Colorist Becka Kinzie also deserves much credit because there is a depth in the textures and harmony in her palette choices that bring about the freshness and vibrancy of the story across the pages. |
The first volume of Sex Criminals unfolds in two parts: respective point-of-views of the Girl and Boy of the story, Suzie and Jon. One can consider this comic book like a quintessential rom-com--but more honest and unafraid in breaking the long-held conventions and stiff opinions about what relationships should be about versus what they become most of the time anyway if you don't put enough work and compassion in communicating and sharing your life with the person you are in love with. But this examination happens later on in the second volume. For the first volume, we get acquainted with our protagonist couple, burdened by a magical power of being able to stop time when they orgasm.
Yes, let me repeat that: Suzie and Jon as individuals can stop time when they orgasm.
In One Weird Trick, readers become privy of their personal backstories. They get to know Suzie during her puberty as she tries to discover the strange things that are happening to her body, with the added bonus of the time-stopping orgasmic bliss she often finds herself in. She calls this piece of solitude as "the Quiet". Inside it, Suzie is alone and can pretty much do anything. She's also very passionate about books and learning new things, so after school she became a librarian. It's not an easy to keep a library open these days, what with the technological downside of e-books and other ways to read stuff easily online, so Suzie tries to save up enough money so that her library won't get closed by the bank. In doing so, she hosted a few charity parties and in one of these parties she meets Jon. And sex happens.
And then one mind-numbingly fantastic orgasm later:
Yes, let me repeat that: Suzie and Jon as individuals can stop time when they orgasm.
In One Weird Trick, readers become privy of their personal backstories. They get to know Suzie during her puberty as she tries to discover the strange things that are happening to her body, with the added bonus of the time-stopping orgasmic bliss she often finds herself in. She calls this piece of solitude as "the Quiet". Inside it, Suzie is alone and can pretty much do anything. She's also very passionate about books and learning new things, so after school she became a librarian. It's not an easy to keep a library open these days, what with the technological downside of e-books and other ways to read stuff easily online, so Suzie tries to save up enough money so that her library won't get closed by the bank. In doing so, she hosted a few charity parties and in one of these parties she meets Jon. And sex happens.
And then one mind-numbingly fantastic orgasm later:
Jon's side of the story comes much later on after the two kids discover that they share the same superpower. Thrilled that they have that thing in common, they began to talk about how Jon became aware of what he can do. Unlike Suzie who is pretty much tougher than she looks in spite of her difficult upbringing as a child of a an alcoholic single mother, Jon didn't fare as luckily as she did. He was diagnosed with an antisocial disorder, prominently manifesting in rebellious behavior even as an adult man now. He isn't a nihilistic, dangerous fiend, of course, but he does have impulses that can only be monitored through doses of drugs and therapy sessions. However, Jon had stopped medicating, mostly because the pills make him numb all over and affect his libido as well. Jon would rather live with his reckless compulsions than become a zombified version of himself, no matter how he seemed well-adjusted on the outside. I really found myself intrigued by Jon's personality and hardships while I also identify slightly with Suzie, particularly her zest for books, and how she treats them as her sole companions that armed her with self-knowledge back in her troubled times as a youth.
As for their chemistry, it's definitely a realistic one. It's not yet love since they are still strangers who are bound by their shared secret of time-stopping orgasms, but the potential to be something more is undeniable. Suzie and Jon have felt different and isolated all their lives. To be sexually intimate with people and yet also being capable of entering into a transcendental plane of reality alone after every sexual encounter that leads to orgasm? That can be the loneliest of experiences. Sex is supposed to be a union not just of flesh but of mind and spirit, and neither of them ever found a partner who can be with them in their quiet worlds of the afterglow...until now, that is.
For the first time in their lives, both Suzie and Jon found somebody else who understood this weird thing their bodies can do, and of course they'd be more than eager to be around one another, and discover new and better ways to be intimate and accepted together. Each relationship has to start somewhere, no matter how strange the origin. The protagonist couple are endearing and relatable enough, especially when they are remorseless in how they try to understand the other's insecurities and social hang-ups about their sexuality and experiences. I like them as people, and I like them to stay together because they're an engrossing pair, especially what comes after next:
As for their chemistry, it's definitely a realistic one. It's not yet love since they are still strangers who are bound by their shared secret of time-stopping orgasms, but the potential to be something more is undeniable. Suzie and Jon have felt different and isolated all their lives. To be sexually intimate with people and yet also being capable of entering into a transcendental plane of reality alone after every sexual encounter that leads to orgasm? That can be the loneliest of experiences. Sex is supposed to be a union not just of flesh but of mind and spirit, and neither of them ever found a partner who can be with them in their quiet worlds of the afterglow...until now, that is.
For the first time in their lives, both Suzie and Jon found somebody else who understood this weird thing their bodies can do, and of course they'd be more than eager to be around one another, and discover new and better ways to be intimate and accepted together. Each relationship has to start somewhere, no matter how strange the origin. The protagonist couple are endearing and relatable enough, especially when they are remorseless in how they try to understand the other's insecurities and social hang-ups about their sexuality and experiences. I like them as people, and I like them to stay together because they're an engrossing pair, especially what comes after next:
~ VOLUME TWO: TWO WORLDS, ONE COP ~
While the first volume introduces readers to the wacky sensibilities and grueling sexual histories of the protagonist couple Suzie and Jon, the second volume of Sex Criminals entitled Two Worlds, One Cop delivers a more well-balanced story arc which enhanced my appreciation and enjoyment of this series. It solidified my fan status for what writer and artist Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky respectively have accomplished. Suzie and Jon had just reached a breaking point after their misadventures last time when they decided to use their time-stopping orgasms to plan a heist and rob for the bank Jon is working for in order to save Suzie's library from being closed. As it turns out, they are not alone. Other people have the same ability and this is when they were approached by a unit of three people who call themselves the Sex Police. They are led by a woman named Myrtle Spurge whom Suzie and Jon fondly referred to as 'Kegelface". To save their relationship and get out of the Sex Police's radar, Jon decided to go back on his medication. Suzie was more than happy to have a normal relationship again except that she also began to understand that Jon is pretty immature and repressively angry in many ways. |
As for Jon, he admits readily in his POV issue that he was doing it all for Suzie which is not the kind of mindset someone with an antisocial disorder should have if he truly wants to get well, mentally and emotionally. As a gap grows between the two, a heated argument took place that drove Jon to commit something he will later forget. This second volume was amazing in both the subtlest and explosive of ways! Fraction's writing is not only just humorous and sardonic--it's also touching in a lot of places, given the depth he tackled Jon's depression and impulsive behaviors geared towards anti-authority. The issue focusing on Jon's struggles to be noticed after his parents have more than stopped caring about him even as a young boy is pretty fascinating and sad to see unfold. I really felt for Jon's solitude whenever he is in the Quiet (or the Cum World as he personally prefers it). Inside that transcendental plane of reality, there are no rules or rejection; it's just him being able to scream and kick and wreak havoc as much as he wants to. What I think was sympathetic about this is that Jon doesn't want to be some kind of a terrorist who hurts people; he just wants to express his anger and frustration over being abandoned in ways that are not dangerous per se but are still detrimental to his well-being as a person. |
Meanwhile, Suzie opted to take a break from Jon, assessing that as much as she cares about him, she has to look out after for herself first. In a panel sequence, she even expressed that she's not with Jon because she wants to fix him. She stresses that Jon should want to get better and seek help with his psychological difficulties, and I think this was a truly positive message to convey for a lot of young women who have this gratingly twisted way of perceiving themselves as life givers for the men they love. I've had friends and have met various women who think they can repair someone by the power of their love and support and that sucks balls because life begs to differ. Sometimes love isn't really enough for a person to get better and stop being disruptive in their personal lives. More often than not, we should all learn to cut off abusive people from taking advantage of our kindness and devotion, and I'm glad Sex Criminals and its creators made the right decision in making Suzie say these things to the readers because it's uplifting and empowering:
I won't be spoiling the crucial moments in this volume anymore because I would like to encourage EVERYONE to read this scintillating series, especially this volume in particular that has a lot of heart and guts. I'm pleased that a comic book like this got published. Fraction has instilled enough humor and self-awareness in Sex Criminals that can be valued a lot more than just its entertainment factor. Zdarsky's illustrations were also splendid, particularly on how he drew Suzie. She has curves in her body and is not that drop-dead gorgeous-looking either, much like Jon is typically just average-looking too. In a nutshell, Sex Criminals is a promising and important work that you should not missed out on!
American Vampire by Scott Snyder Volumes 1 & 2
August 2016
I probably like vampire-centric stories as much as the next person who had seen enough of it in movies and shows. In fact, two my current favorite 22 shows that I watch dutifully each season launch are about vampires (The Vampire Diaries and its superior spin-off The Originals). I haven't read any Anne Rice books but was familiar with her mythology because of a friend who obsessed about her work; I continue to regret to this day the the fact that I had read Stephenie Meyer's shit of a series, and I enjoyed True Blood, but only finished the first 2 seasons because I didn't like Sookie Stackhouse as the anchoring heroine of the show. So, you know, I like vampire-centric stories, but not to the point where I actively seek out the genre. If the formula works for a vampire story, it works. I'd watch/read it. Hell, I like the romantic melodrama of the Vampire Knight manga as well.
American Vampire is written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque. The first volume featured Stephen King because, apparently, he wanted to be featured because he had a compelling origin story to tell about the vampire asshole character. It worked.
I think Snyder had loved having him around, and that is why the first volume worked in a dual manner where Snyder handled telling the 'present' story in Hollywood America about a pair of aspiring actresses and friends Pearl and Hattie; while King paralleled it with a sweeping cowboy tale that gives the readers information about the vampire asshole named Skinner Sweet.
American Vampire is written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque. The first volume featured Stephen King because, apparently, he wanted to be featured because he had a compelling origin story to tell about the vampire asshole character. It worked.
I think Snyder had loved having him around, and that is why the first volume worked in a dual manner where Snyder handled telling the 'present' story in Hollywood America about a pair of aspiring actresses and friends Pearl and Hattie; while King paralleled it with a sweeping cowboy tale that gives the readers information about the vampire asshole named Skinner Sweet.
|
Artist Albuquerque's visual style is commendable with a technique that offered enough variation in his depictions of both stories told in different periods, complementing both Snyder's and King's narrative voices. It was therefore a dream team that showcased American Vampire and, for the most part, the first volume was your standard fanfare of blood and gore coupled with the same kind of hedonistic sensibility and Shakespearean drama that I know and eat up when I do read/watch vampire-centric stories. American Vampire is no exception.
I wouldn't do it an injustice by calling it a rehash of the same things I saw already because anything could be called that; what should be notable is the execution and the believability and appeal of it. In that sense, American Vampire does its job being gritty, enjoyable and self-aware enough to be considered clever. But I wouldn't call it a masterpiece--at least not with two volumes read. There is potential in this series that I can't wait to get into! |
In Snyder's vignettes of Pearl and Hattie's story, he brandishes the same kind of hopeful voice in his characters amidst the backdrop of despair that they have to put up with as they go about their daily grind. Synder after all is the current Batman writer who gave us a Gotham City that is alive and thriving with either chaotic or neutral evil machinations, while his Bruce Wayne is actually more dreamy and introspective than any other version of Batman I have ever read. He employs that same thing when he wrote Dick Grayson as Batman in The Black Mirror, and he does it again with Pearl in her story of transformation from ordinary struggling nobody-actress to a vampiric hybrid, sired by the enigmatic Skinner Sweet due to nothing more but lucky chance. It actually reminded me of that scene in Hellsing manga where Alucard rescues a British policewoman by turning her. It's reminiscent of that.
As two standalone arcs, they complemented each other fairly well. The dusty landscape and gun-totting characters for King's Sweet origin story was action-packed and disconcerting, told in the perspective of a writer haunted by the upsetting evils he had seen when he personally witnessed Skinner Sweet's rampage as a newborn vampire of a different breed. Meanwhile, Snyder's quieter yet suspenseful tale focusing on Pearl Jones and her integration into the vampire lifestyle was a little heartbreaking and personable, where a good woman was given not only the unwanted curse of immortality because of Sweet's rare yet twisted moment of generosity, but also the package of ancient enemy vampires who want Sweet extinguished because they see him as a threat as the next step of evolution for vampires.
This volume was not perfect or an easily rewarding experience aside from the pivotal revelations and crackling action sequences that kept the story afloat for the most part, but Snyder certainly has a vision, and it's one that shows a lot of promise and creative endeavor along the way. I'm invested enough on Pearl as the heroine to root for, and I'm glad that Skinner Sweet is mostly in the shadows, still barely knowable, and that adds to his charisma, making him more of an intimidating figure in spite of the way he can be an utter goofball at times. I like this volume. It's inventive enough to be fresh and thrilling.
As two standalone arcs, they complemented each other fairly well. The dusty landscape and gun-totting characters for King's Sweet origin story was action-packed and disconcerting, told in the perspective of a writer haunted by the upsetting evils he had seen when he personally witnessed Skinner Sweet's rampage as a newborn vampire of a different breed. Meanwhile, Snyder's quieter yet suspenseful tale focusing on Pearl Jones and her integration into the vampire lifestyle was a little heartbreaking and personable, where a good woman was given not only the unwanted curse of immortality because of Sweet's rare yet twisted moment of generosity, but also the package of ancient enemy vampires who want Sweet extinguished because they see him as a threat as the next step of evolution for vampires.
This volume was not perfect or an easily rewarding experience aside from the pivotal revelations and crackling action sequences that kept the story afloat for the most part, but Snyder certainly has a vision, and it's one that shows a lot of promise and creative endeavor along the way. I'm invested enough on Pearl as the heroine to root for, and I'm glad that Skinner Sweet is mostly in the shadows, still barely knowable, and that adds to his charisma, making him more of an intimidating figure in spite of the way he can be an utter goofball at times. I like this volume. It's inventive enough to be fresh and thrilling.
The Man Without Fear Book 1 by Brian Michael Bendis
January 2016
This may be my second Daredevil book of this month but it's exactly the tone of narrative and kinds of storyline that strongly appeal to me. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and I have an enjoyable relationship so far in comics. I often do get invested in his X-Men titles particularly the first twenty-nine issues of All-New X-Men and his entire The Uncanny X-Men run, as well as that groundbreaking piece House of M. I only read Frank Miller's work before this one so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but I can say that this first book of Bendis' run for Daredevil has astonishing potentials, rife with insightful characterization, believable dialogue and very atmospheric plots which are only enhanced by the four artists who gave life to each scene, all with their distinct visual styles.
Hailed to be "one of the greatest creative tenures in Marvel history" by IGN, Bendis' Daredevil: The Man Without Fear truly lived to that praise with its first volume comprised of issues #16-19 and #20-40. The first story arc was illustrated by David Mack whose artwork was really aesthetically elegant that I took a while looking through the pages as I read the narrative. It wasn't even a Daredevil story per se, but rather a Ben Urich-centric piece. As a dutiful and noble journalist, Urich begins to investigate a case which centers an abused and traumatized child whose father was a costumed crook known as Leap Frog. The exploration of Urich's psyche and heartfelt insights were highlighted by artist Mack's expressive illustrations which also depict the many layers of the grimy and tortured world of Hell's Kitchen and its maltreated youth through the ironic use of beautiful watercolors.
This four-issued arc is exquisite in its stylish execution, and particularly stirring for its intimate portrayal of how crime and death affects an innocent soul. Thankfully, the boy in question, Timmy, wasn't corrupted even after that stunning revelation that unraveled the mystery of his father's death. Daredevil did appear right in the end to comfort the poor boy which was a great character moment for him, lending his vigilante persona the humanity it is often deprived of. Here are the pages that really spoke to me. Look at how gorgeous they are!
Hailed to be "one of the greatest creative tenures in Marvel history" by IGN, Bendis' Daredevil: The Man Without Fear truly lived to that praise with its first volume comprised of issues #16-19 and #20-40. The first story arc was illustrated by David Mack whose artwork was really aesthetically elegant that I took a while looking through the pages as I read the narrative. It wasn't even a Daredevil story per se, but rather a Ben Urich-centric piece. As a dutiful and noble journalist, Urich begins to investigate a case which centers an abused and traumatized child whose father was a costumed crook known as Leap Frog. The exploration of Urich's psyche and heartfelt insights were highlighted by artist Mack's expressive illustrations which also depict the many layers of the grimy and tortured world of Hell's Kitchen and its maltreated youth through the ironic use of beautiful watercolors.
This four-issued arc is exquisite in its stylish execution, and particularly stirring for its intimate portrayal of how crime and death affects an innocent soul. Thankfully, the boy in question, Timmy, wasn't corrupted even after that stunning revelation that unraveled the mystery of his father's death. Daredevil did appear right in the end to comfort the poor boy which was a great character moment for him, lending his vigilante persona the humanity it is often deprived of. Here are the pages that really spoke to me. Look at how gorgeous they are!
The next story arc is a major one that happened to have a twofold development; one is a gritty crime drama concerning mobsters and the law while the other is the repercussions dealing with the exposure of Daredevil's real identity as the visually-impaired yet brilliant lawyer Matt Murdock. I expressed before in my previous Daredevil review that I was a fan of Netflix's characterization of Wilson Fisk, otherwise known as Kingpin, and although he made an appearance for this volume, he was sadly cast aside (murdered Caesar-style, even) by a gangster named Sammy Silke who fancied himself as Brutus or some ego-trip shit like that. Anyway, he's irrelevant as a character I can sympathize with, and aside from his role in Kingpin's demise, he also became privy with a secret concerning Daredevil's alter ego. When Fisk's widow Vanessa took it upon herself to avenge Kingpin, Silke got desperate enough to reach for the help of the FBI by offering them the information about Matt Murdock.
What follows is a torturous process that made Matt question his life as a superhero and his calling for social justice. He gets into an exhausting argument with his long-time partner and best friend Foggy Nelson who tries to convince him to retire from being the Daredevil and just commit to their work as lawyers, as well as surprise visits from his ex-girlfriends Natasha Romanov (Black Widow) and Elektra which didn't really help him and their appearances only served as a painful reminder of his past failures. Now as much as Foggy disapproves of Matt's other life, he remains steadfast and dedicate to him as a fellow lawyer, citing that Matt is already a hero in his daily life as a litigator and so there really is no need for him to be the Daredevil in order to make a difference. He makes accurate observations that most of the losses and suffering Matt had undergone are also connected to his secret life and if he truly wants to move forward and be happy, he needs to give up that part of him that keeps him tethered to darkness and death.
Now hounded by the media, Matt almost loses his shit over the scandal and lies that are beginning to pollute his personal life. Even though he has supporters from other costumed heroes and civilians (Ben Urich for one, and Peter Parker/Spider-man), Matt feels lost and misunderstood, especially with all his critics forming very harsh opinions about the cause he is fighting for and what he's supposed to represent for the city he lives, fights and would die for. One of the most memorable sequential art featured in this arc was that sequence drawn by artist Alex Maleev where Matt as Daredevil runs on top of the rooftops, angst-ing away, while key moments of conversations in his past pops up on the sides, serving as memory bubbles. One that struck me particularly was those that feature his late girlfriend Karen whose death he still blames himself for. Matt has clear unresolved issues and later on, he gets so upset that he almost exposes himself as Matt without his mask to a crowd of journalists. Luckily, Spider-man gets him out of there and snaps him out of his momentary lapse of stupidity.
What follows is a torturous process that made Matt question his life as a superhero and his calling for social justice. He gets into an exhausting argument with his long-time partner and best friend Foggy Nelson who tries to convince him to retire from being the Daredevil and just commit to their work as lawyers, as well as surprise visits from his ex-girlfriends Natasha Romanov (Black Widow) and Elektra which didn't really help him and their appearances only served as a painful reminder of his past failures. Now as much as Foggy disapproves of Matt's other life, he remains steadfast and dedicate to him as a fellow lawyer, citing that Matt is already a hero in his daily life as a litigator and so there really is no need for him to be the Daredevil in order to make a difference. He makes accurate observations that most of the losses and suffering Matt had undergone are also connected to his secret life and if he truly wants to move forward and be happy, he needs to give up that part of him that keeps him tethered to darkness and death.
Now hounded by the media, Matt almost loses his shit over the scandal and lies that are beginning to pollute his personal life. Even though he has supporters from other costumed heroes and civilians (Ben Urich for one, and Peter Parker/Spider-man), Matt feels lost and misunderstood, especially with all his critics forming very harsh opinions about the cause he is fighting for and what he's supposed to represent for the city he lives, fights and would die for. One of the most memorable sequential art featured in this arc was that sequence drawn by artist Alex Maleev where Matt as Daredevil runs on top of the rooftops, angst-ing away, while key moments of conversations in his past pops up on the sides, serving as memory bubbles. One that struck me particularly was those that feature his late girlfriend Karen whose death he still blames himself for. Matt has clear unresolved issues and later on, he gets so upset that he almost exposes himself as Matt without his mask to a crowd of journalists. Luckily, Spider-man gets him out of there and snaps him out of his momentary lapse of stupidity.
It was revealed eventually that a disgruntled employee of the FBI was the one who leaked the truth about Daredevil to several media outlet for some easy cash. I thought this was a great plot point because there was no grand conspiracy trying to bring Matt Murdock down from the shadows--rather, it was a desperate action committed by a man who opted to sell him out because of reasons of self-preservation as oppose to malice. Still, the damage is done and Matt had no choice but to put his reputation on the line by suing a media newsprint for libel. The lawsuit would have been quiet handled with an understanding between Matt and the head of the company but said head was so annoyed by how smug Matt was to think he is above the law, and for calling him and his newspaper liars. Basically, his journalistic integrity was wounded and he wanted to punish Matt for it. So the newspaper in question, The Daily Globe, maintains what they reported was the truth, and Matt is going to have to adjust to the reality that his private life has been made public.
The last arc for this volume was a pretty disheartening one, actually. It had something to do with the costumed hero White Tiger being put into trial for murder and theft because of a misunderstanding, a situation which was all kinds of stupid and leaning on the side of racial profiling, mind you. I was angered by how the story was resolved too, not because it was terribly written, oh no, but because of the powerful message it settled for. Bendis decided to give us an ending that provoked some righteous indignation from the readers because what happened to White Tiger was depressing and unfair and even Matt himself was powerless to stop it. Some good did come out of the dreary circumstances because the real culprit did step forward in the end, though, so that's enough consolation, I guess.
In any case, this volume just made me so excited for the next installment! A rather brilliant, gritty and exciting exploration of the politics and repercussions of a life dedicated to crime and justice, Brian Michael Bendis' Daredevil: The Man Without Fear has proven itself to be an already a refreshing take on Matt Murdock as its titular figure with this tantalizing freshman volume.
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller
January 2016
My only connection to the Marvelverse comics for the longest time was with their X-Men. It was only recently--thanks to the movies--that I began to enjoy what other Marvel heroes could offer I go insane for Captain America LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. Now, like most people in the early 2000's, I barely remember the film adaptation of Daredevil starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner but everyone agrees it sucked major balls. All I can remember is that I did like its soundtrack sung by The Calling--and that was it. Years later, I binge-watched the Netflix adaptation for three days every morning before I went to work--and I was absolutely enthralled!
I knew I had to experience Daredevil in his original medium so I ventured on to look for the most recommended comic books from his line-up. I came across three that I will be reading for this year and I start with a Frank Miller work for January because this was was a collaboration between writer Frank Miller and artist John Romita Jr. I knew Miller from his work for The Dark Knight Returns, and I have fond memories of that particular Batman work. In line with that, my first impressions of the tonality and storyline of The Man Without Fear is that I think the fact that it was Miller who wrote this that it was unavoidable for me to make a little Batman connection. Though, admittedly, it probably only clicked for me like that by the last two issues. But then again, every brooding vigilante who is too committed to his ideals that he has no social life whatsover is immediately drawn parallels with to Batman (the CW's Oliver Queen is essentially very Batman-esque, and I ate it up to the point I no longer felt guilty demanding more servings of it). But Matt Murdock to me stood out on his own while reading this, mostly because I thought Charlie Cox was so amazing in the role and I already like him enough there so he was the one I'm imagining while reading Miller's version.
And that is where some disparities lie. If you're like me and you watched the Netflix series first, and then you picked this up, you will notice that there are some liberties that the series creator and staff took to, I suppose, 'soften up' their version in the show. Matt Murdock in Miller's story is far more brutal and often impulsive and reckless. In the show, his Catholic upbringing was more emphasized which for me was what made him so relatable and human because we get to see him in copious amounts of time talking to a priest or to that nurse as he feels guilty for his transgressions such as violence and killing, no matter how self-righteous they might be. He is apologetic but still pretty adamant that he must kill or punish criminals, and that is what makes his characterization so complex because inherently he knows he is losing a part of his soul that has a relationship to his God. But he feels it is a necessary loss--yet it still terrifies him so he goes to confessionals and tries to find a middle ground. I'm an agnostic who used to be a very devout Catholic myself so the show's characterization of Matt in that aspect really translates to me because it's intriguing to see him struggle with the religious upbringing still ingrained in him, while finding a cathartic release in hunting down and beating up thugs and truly abhorrent evildoers.
Meanwhile, in Miller's work--he's kind of a dick and this was only emphasized in his relationships with his supposed-to-be significant others. I can't say I didn't like him but I was perturbed by how callous he can come off most of the time. He was damn angry and even the death of his father didn't feel personal and sad; but more of only something to further drive him into taking up vigilantism to work out his severe rage issues. His relationship with his mentor Stick is also very impersonal so their falling-out wasn't so interesting because I was hardly invested in it as a relationship that shaped Matt into more than just being some fighter. His best friend, college roommate and fellow lawyer, Foggy, is present here but unlike in the show where their friendship and disagreements are integral to Matt's conflict and eventual development, Foggy here feels like he was only shoehorned in. His only memorable and intimate relationship is with the crazy Elektra who is just as messed up as he is so it's not a mystery they collided and eventually repelled. I found their violent courtship tango very amusing and sexy to watch unfold, but it was hollow and contributed nothing to Matt's growth except have him experience passion and heartbreak for the first time.
Before I discuss some other pertinent concerns I have about Miller's story, I just want to show you one of the panels in the last issue where we finally get to see Matt attacking one of the illegal child slavery operations of Kingpin, and his costuming here (as well as the action sequences) was the one we see adapted in the pilot of the series so it was a thrill for me to see this:
I knew I had to experience Daredevil in his original medium so I ventured on to look for the most recommended comic books from his line-up. I came across three that I will be reading for this year and I start with a Frank Miller work for January because this was was a collaboration between writer Frank Miller and artist John Romita Jr. I knew Miller from his work for The Dark Knight Returns, and I have fond memories of that particular Batman work. In line with that, my first impressions of the tonality and storyline of The Man Without Fear is that I think the fact that it was Miller who wrote this that it was unavoidable for me to make a little Batman connection. Though, admittedly, it probably only clicked for me like that by the last two issues. But then again, every brooding vigilante who is too committed to his ideals that he has no social life whatsover is immediately drawn parallels with to Batman (the CW's Oliver Queen is essentially very Batman-esque, and I ate it up to the point I no longer felt guilty demanding more servings of it). But Matt Murdock to me stood out on his own while reading this, mostly because I thought Charlie Cox was so amazing in the role and I already like him enough there so he was the one I'm imagining while reading Miller's version.
And that is where some disparities lie. If you're like me and you watched the Netflix series first, and then you picked this up, you will notice that there are some liberties that the series creator and staff took to, I suppose, 'soften up' their version in the show. Matt Murdock in Miller's story is far more brutal and often impulsive and reckless. In the show, his Catholic upbringing was more emphasized which for me was what made him so relatable and human because we get to see him in copious amounts of time talking to a priest or to that nurse as he feels guilty for his transgressions such as violence and killing, no matter how self-righteous they might be. He is apologetic but still pretty adamant that he must kill or punish criminals, and that is what makes his characterization so complex because inherently he knows he is losing a part of his soul that has a relationship to his God. But he feels it is a necessary loss--yet it still terrifies him so he goes to confessionals and tries to find a middle ground. I'm an agnostic who used to be a very devout Catholic myself so the show's characterization of Matt in that aspect really translates to me because it's intriguing to see him struggle with the religious upbringing still ingrained in him, while finding a cathartic release in hunting down and beating up thugs and truly abhorrent evildoers.
Meanwhile, in Miller's work--he's kind of a dick and this was only emphasized in his relationships with his supposed-to-be significant others. I can't say I didn't like him but I was perturbed by how callous he can come off most of the time. He was damn angry and even the death of his father didn't feel personal and sad; but more of only something to further drive him into taking up vigilantism to work out his severe rage issues. His relationship with his mentor Stick is also very impersonal so their falling-out wasn't so interesting because I was hardly invested in it as a relationship that shaped Matt into more than just being some fighter. His best friend, college roommate and fellow lawyer, Foggy, is present here but unlike in the show where their friendship and disagreements are integral to Matt's conflict and eventual development, Foggy here feels like he was only shoehorned in. His only memorable and intimate relationship is with the crazy Elektra who is just as messed up as he is so it's not a mystery they collided and eventually repelled. I found their violent courtship tango very amusing and sexy to watch unfold, but it was hollow and contributed nothing to Matt's growth except have him experience passion and heartbreak for the first time.
Before I discuss some other pertinent concerns I have about Miller's story, I just want to show you one of the panels in the last issue where we finally get to see Matt attacking one of the illegal child slavery operations of Kingpin, and his costuming here (as well as the action sequences) was the one we see adapted in the pilot of the series so it was a thrill for me to see this:
It's funny to be raising these concerns now because back while I was reading the five issues, and even after a few hours when I finished the entire story--I was very much into everything. But after letting some days pass before writing this official review, I realized that I much prefer what I watched in Netflix. It's weird for me to admit that because I do have some purist streak in me when it comes to comic book adaptations but I think this only goes to show that as much as Miller had all these great concepts which the show creators have borrowed from (I think The Man Without Fear is what the Netflix show is one of the major stories it was loosely based from ), these same concepts were improved upon in the other medium where the viewing audience I believe had a better experience with Matt Murdock than readers of this comic book. I think another point of concern for me was Miller's characterization of Wilson Fisk, the villain known as Kingpin, who is hands-down a favorite of mine in the show because his backstory and character-centric episode Shadows in the Glass have moved me deeply. In The Man Without Fear, however, the Kingpin serves no purpose but to play the bad guy who has no other dimension beyond than that, and who only appeared by the time the story wrapped up.
I think I can recommend Frank Miller's The Man Without Fear for someone who can't use the Netflix show as a comparison because I will say here that it was a more superior story than what I read here. It just was. Matt Murdock in Miller's story is so damn disagreeable and so consumed by his ego and anger management issues that I can't really sympathize for him because ultimately I wasn't able to get to know him beyond the premise of a chemically-blinded child whose boxer of a father was murdered by criminals, and then he was trained by another visually-impaired martial arts expert who seemed to be preparing him for some shady showdown in the future. Miller's prose is delicate and expressive in a lot of areas particularly when exploring Matt's psyche but as much as the language and style hooked me in, I was dissatisfied by how he characterized Matt Murdock who is really insensitive and excessively violent and cold sometimes. His relationships are not even secondary--they're kind of non-existent. The only deep connection he made was with a woman who was too unstable and fickle to even stick around until the end of the story itself. Anyway, here is how this comic book ended.
I think I can recommend Frank Miller's The Man Without Fear for someone who can't use the Netflix show as a comparison because I will say here that it was a more superior story than what I read here. It just was. Matt Murdock in Miller's story is so damn disagreeable and so consumed by his ego and anger management issues that I can't really sympathize for him because ultimately I wasn't able to get to know him beyond the premise of a chemically-blinded child whose boxer of a father was murdered by criminals, and then he was trained by another visually-impaired martial arts expert who seemed to be preparing him for some shady showdown in the future. Miller's prose is delicate and expressive in a lot of areas particularly when exploring Matt's psyche but as much as the language and style hooked me in, I was dissatisfied by how he characterized Matt Murdock who is really insensitive and excessively violent and cold sometimes. His relationships are not even secondary--they're kind of non-existent. The only deep connection he made was with a woman who was too unstable and fickle to even stick around until the end of the story itself. Anyway, here is how this comic book ended.
Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself
May 2015
In the beginning, many of the answers ended up being 'LOKI'.
Kieron Gillen took on the task to write a rather young version of the trickster Norse god Loki for this quaint long-time series, Journey Into Mystery. His run lasted from issues #622-645 starting with the first arc entitled Fear Itself. I'll try to contextualize where this continuity falls in the Marvelverse but only very briefly since I've only researched about it and not actually read it myself.
From what I understand, Gillen's series starts right after the events in the major crossover event SIEGE where Loki tricks Norman Osborn into doing something catastrophic which has resulted with the 'Void', and as that clusterfuck takes the toll, Loki suddenly grew a conscience midway through it, and needed to repent for what the Void had transpired (which I think wiped out realms across time and space or something). He tried to undo the damage but the Void 'sensed' it and attacks him viciously right before Thor's eyes. Loki sincerely apologizes to Thor under his dying breath.
Basically, it was much like what happened in the last few scenes of Thor: The Dark World, only Loki in SIEGE really bit the dust and his brother was heartbroken for a while until he discovered that Loki--being Loki--managed to erase himself in the Book of Hel which allows him to cheat death, so that his soul just gets reincarnated (I assume for eternity) each time he dies. So Thor searches for the reincarnation who turned out to be living as a street vendor/thief in Misgard (our realm). Thor confronts him and gives him back his old identity though Loki still remains in the same form of that child. Understandably, NO ONE IS PLEASED ABOUT THIS, and they have every right to it. Iron Man was probably ready to kill this young Loki if it wasn't for Thor passionately defending his reasons why he brought his brother back. Even Odin was not happy about this development. But everyone just kind of left it alone rather than face the wrath of the god of thunder. After all, to a lot of people, it would be morally unnerving to execute a boy of ten or twelve for the crimes his old self had committed. So, reluctantly and with some mistrust, everyone decided to just give the boy a chance to prove them wrong. Hence, Kid Loki is born. This is where Gillen's series picks up.
Now I think Al Ewing's Loki: Agent of Asgard can be considered the second act (or sequel) to Gillen's own run where the latter has a twenty-something Loki still trying to wipe his ledger of crimes clean but his time by going on missions as assigned by the All-Mother who currently rules Asgard. I liked that series so far but it's still untidy in a lot of places (especially the second volume) which is not something I could say for Gillen's Journey Into Mystery.
This was well-paced, thoughtful and tons of fun. Kid Loki has become my new Damian Wayne (current Robin of DC's New 52). There are parallels to their journey; both are young boys who are heavily misunderstood as a whole because of their dark backgrounds (Kid Loki is a reincarnation of a monster while Damian Wayne was raised by the League of Assassins to one day replace the Demon's Head), and in spite of this darkness they are still pretty much 'children' whose youth and determination to fight back against the prejudice that their lives have been defined with is what makes up and sustains their emotional character arc for their respective series.
I suppose I just have a thing for badass kid characters so Kid Loki was once again a resonant figure for me. I find him adorable in a lot of ways since Fear Itself began but this doesn't lessen the seriousness of the story arc itself. Here Kid Loki tries to do something about his bad reputation by using his cunning and tricks for the good of everyone; even if the very people he wants to save and protect don't believe he is ever capable of change.
And that's the central theme of Kid Loki's arc (and, to some extent, Ewing's Agent of Asgard): he either CHANGES or DIES, seemingly until he gets it right. After all, he's immune to the permanence of death and will be reincarnated over and over. The irony is not lost to me; reincarnation by virtue is change but Loki's greatest challenge remains the majority's overall perspective of who he is. Is he forever bound to be cast in the role of villain? Won't his new good deeds ever erase the rotten ones--the atrocities--in the past that he has committed?
Much like AoA, Gillen's Kid Loki is almost a meta-commentary of the narrative for a villain archetype itself, a criticism of the stifling concept of black and white morality and humanity's tendency to pigeonhole bad guys to a doomed cycle of evil and misdeeds. Fear Itself is still the first arc of this run but Gillen effectively addresses this issue through the way he writes and portrays Kid Loki who so desperately wants to prove he can be a good person--but perhaps this is only possible if people will also allow him. It's not a one-sided journey which is unfortunate for Loki. Luckily, his brother Thor does have faith in his capacity to grow and evolve into a hero.
And maybe this time Loki earnestly wants to be a HERO. Just once. You could tell how much he craves for it and how much he will work hard to prove he can be worthy of such esteem. My favorite issue for this volume is the Spotlight one where Kid Loki spies into the various conversations of the people in Asgard concerning their opinions about him. What he found has not been encouraging and yet Thor promises him this:
From what I understand, Gillen's series starts right after the events in the major crossover event SIEGE where Loki tricks Norman Osborn into doing something catastrophic which has resulted with the 'Void', and as that clusterfuck takes the toll, Loki suddenly grew a conscience midway through it, and needed to repent for what the Void had transpired (which I think wiped out realms across time and space or something). He tried to undo the damage but the Void 'sensed' it and attacks him viciously right before Thor's eyes. Loki sincerely apologizes to Thor under his dying breath.
Basically, it was much like what happened in the last few scenes of Thor: The Dark World, only Loki in SIEGE really bit the dust and his brother was heartbroken for a while until he discovered that Loki--being Loki--managed to erase himself in the Book of Hel which allows him to cheat death, so that his soul just gets reincarnated (I assume for eternity) each time he dies. So Thor searches for the reincarnation who turned out to be living as a street vendor/thief in Misgard (our realm). Thor confronts him and gives him back his old identity though Loki still remains in the same form of that child. Understandably, NO ONE IS PLEASED ABOUT THIS, and they have every right to it. Iron Man was probably ready to kill this young Loki if it wasn't for Thor passionately defending his reasons why he brought his brother back. Even Odin was not happy about this development. But everyone just kind of left it alone rather than face the wrath of the god of thunder. After all, to a lot of people, it would be morally unnerving to execute a boy of ten or twelve for the crimes his old self had committed. So, reluctantly and with some mistrust, everyone decided to just give the boy a chance to prove them wrong. Hence, Kid Loki is born. This is where Gillen's series picks up.
Now I think Al Ewing's Loki: Agent of Asgard can be considered the second act (or sequel) to Gillen's own run where the latter has a twenty-something Loki still trying to wipe his ledger of crimes clean but his time by going on missions as assigned by the All-Mother who currently rules Asgard. I liked that series so far but it's still untidy in a lot of places (especially the second volume) which is not something I could say for Gillen's Journey Into Mystery.
This was well-paced, thoughtful and tons of fun. Kid Loki has become my new Damian Wayne (current Robin of DC's New 52). There are parallels to their journey; both are young boys who are heavily misunderstood as a whole because of their dark backgrounds (Kid Loki is a reincarnation of a monster while Damian Wayne was raised by the League of Assassins to one day replace the Demon's Head), and in spite of this darkness they are still pretty much 'children' whose youth and determination to fight back against the prejudice that their lives have been defined with is what makes up and sustains their emotional character arc for their respective series.
I suppose I just have a thing for badass kid characters so Kid Loki was once again a resonant figure for me. I find him adorable in a lot of ways since Fear Itself began but this doesn't lessen the seriousness of the story arc itself. Here Kid Loki tries to do something about his bad reputation by using his cunning and tricks for the good of everyone; even if the very people he wants to save and protect don't believe he is ever capable of change.
And that's the central theme of Kid Loki's arc (and, to some extent, Ewing's Agent of Asgard): he either CHANGES or DIES, seemingly until he gets it right. After all, he's immune to the permanence of death and will be reincarnated over and over. The irony is not lost to me; reincarnation by virtue is change but Loki's greatest challenge remains the majority's overall perspective of who he is. Is he forever bound to be cast in the role of villain? Won't his new good deeds ever erase the rotten ones--the atrocities--in the past that he has committed?
Much like AoA, Gillen's Kid Loki is almost a meta-commentary of the narrative for a villain archetype itself, a criticism of the stifling concept of black and white morality and humanity's tendency to pigeonhole bad guys to a doomed cycle of evil and misdeeds. Fear Itself is still the first arc of this run but Gillen effectively addresses this issue through the way he writes and portrays Kid Loki who so desperately wants to prove he can be a good person--but perhaps this is only possible if people will also allow him. It's not a one-sided journey which is unfortunate for Loki. Luckily, his brother Thor does have faith in his capacity to grow and evolve into a hero.
And maybe this time Loki earnestly wants to be a HERO. Just once. You could tell how much he craves for it and how much he will work hard to prove he can be worthy of such esteem. My favorite issue for this volume is the Spotlight one where Kid Loki spies into the various conversations of the people in Asgard concerning their opinions about him. What he found has not been encouraging and yet Thor promises him this:
In a nutshell, Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself is recommended for all you closeted and avid Loki fans out there who want to get to know more about this enigmatic character in the comics medium. I find that both writers (Gillen and Ewing) are taking interesting turns in trying to unravel Loki's role as a villain and whether or not it's possible for him to establish and re-define himself with whatever 'label' he chooses to be identified with. I think that we all do that in our lives. Loki's story helps us further internalize the discussion as to whether or not we can truly be the masters of our fates; the captains of our souls.
Loki: Agent of Asgard [Trust Me; I Cannot Tell a Lie
May 2015
Back in the day, comics-Loki is an ugly piece of shit villain who is also an eternal prankster and an exponentially talented liar whom you will damn well assume never gets invited to family reunions (but is probably there for the really dangerous parties).
Thanks to the lovely British actor Tom Hiddleston making his mark with the cinematic role version, I could never look at this comic book character in any way, shape or form that doesn't portray him anything less than hunky and a tad bit emo-tastic. Like a good quarter of the Tumblr population, I may or may not have fantasized Hiddleston as the Norse trickster god Loki every time I take hot showers. I also may or may not have gotten so fed up one day that I was forced to get myself acquainted with him in comics just so he'll appear less in my dreams at night. I needed to read Loki in the medium he came from because I'm steadily losing grip of my mental faculties the more I delay this. But I want to read him not as the shriveled, serpentine bastard he had been portrayed as for as long as the Thor stories have been around.
So I picked yet another recent depiction of him here in 2014's LOKI: Agent of Asgard. Now this Loki is pop-punk rock pretty. Aesthetically-speaking and in a shallow sense, I guess one could say that I consider him as my own Justine Bieber--if this comparison also means I get irrationally turned on just looking at him in the pages of this comic book...which I DON'T (most of the time). But if the comics-Loki everyone is used to is a skinny, vile, untrustworthy grand deceiver of a character (though he was even a woman at one point?), then how do we explain the appearance of this teenage-looking Loki in this continuity? Well, that's the beauty and the disadvantage of reading Agent of Asgard.
Every issue does provide a summary of events just so new readers like me can get the context and gist of what happened in the previous titles related to this 2014, one but it's pretty much going in blindfolded as you eagerly expect to sample the wonders of the highly-anticipated orgy party you've recklessly invited yourself into--MY MIND GOES TO VARIOUS SEXUAL PLACES WHEN I TALK ABOUT LOKI, I'M SORRY. Let me start over. EHEM.
Thanks to the lovely British actor Tom Hiddleston making his mark with the cinematic role version, I could never look at this comic book character in any way, shape or form that doesn't portray him anything less than hunky and a tad bit emo-tastic. Like a good quarter of the Tumblr population, I may or may not have fantasized Hiddleston as the Norse trickster god Loki every time I take hot showers. I also may or may not have gotten so fed up one day that I was forced to get myself acquainted with him in comics just so he'll appear less in my dreams at night. I needed to read Loki in the medium he came from because I'm steadily losing grip of my mental faculties the more I delay this. But I want to read him not as the shriveled, serpentine bastard he had been portrayed as for as long as the Thor stories have been around.
So I picked yet another recent depiction of him here in 2014's LOKI: Agent of Asgard. Now this Loki is pop-punk rock pretty. Aesthetically-speaking and in a shallow sense, I guess one could say that I consider him as my own Justine Bieber--if this comparison also means I get irrationally turned on just looking at him in the pages of this comic book...which I DON'T (most of the time). But if the comics-Loki everyone is used to is a skinny, vile, untrustworthy grand deceiver of a character (though he was even a woman at one point?), then how do we explain the appearance of this teenage-looking Loki in this continuity? Well, that's the beauty and the disadvantage of reading Agent of Asgard.
Every issue does provide a summary of events just so new readers like me can get the context and gist of what happened in the previous titles related to this 2014, one but it's pretty much going in blindfolded as you eagerly expect to sample the wonders of the highly-anticipated orgy party you've recklessly invited yourself into--MY MIND GOES TO VARIOUS SEXUAL PLACES WHEN I TALK ABOUT LOKI, I'M SORRY. Let me start over. EHEM.
Volume 1: "Trust Me"
Reading Loki: Agent of Asgard without getting acquainted first with other publication before can get confusing at times but in a fun way. If you are reading Loki here for the first time and nowhere else in the meantime, then a struggle to understand contexts in between issues is unavoidable. See, about sixty percent of the time I had to piece things together by myself with limited knowledge of the old storylines being referenced, but the rest is still easily enjoyable because there is a charm and humor to the way Al Ewing writes Loki as a titular hero as we follow him on his quest to redemption. Artist Lee Garbett also illustrates him in the scrumptious ways that make me tingle. The first volume (issues #1-5) makes him likable and dynamic enough for readers to stay interested. By now if the strongest association you have of Loki is his movie version, then this Loki will be reasonably pleasant enough. It's really hard to get into the meat and bones of the actual storyline for this series without probably alienating anyone reading this review--but I'll try. |
First off, DON'T READ THIS THE WAY I JUST DID. Say you don't share my itchy lust to get to know Loki (because of Tom Hiddleston)--this could be either a good thing or a bad thing. If you do like Loki as a character in the movies as I do then you will find the smallest things about this comic book worth experiencing; it'll serve as enough motivation for you to try and understand the rather complicated and helplessly ambiguous and layered storytelling of the issues as a whole because you already like Loki. Now if you're not primarily interested him as a character foremost then Agent of Asgard is not going to be a casual read. It can get very self-referential and at times, and rather excessively narrative-oriented (I'M TALKING VOLUME 2 WHICH I WILL GET INTO). Your attention span may not handle it well if you don't latch onto Loki as a character you want to see grow throughout the story.
If that is the case, then maybe you shouldn't read this series--not until you follow my instructions:
LEARN (OR READ) MORE ABOUT KID LOKI. Who is Kid Loki? To save you the trouble from looking up Loki's exhaustive comics profile and history in Wikipedia, I'll just keep this brief. Some time during the Thorverse, old, grumpy and deceitful Loki allows himself to die (debatable) and gets reborn as a boy to wipe his slate clean. Kid Loki is his second chance at redemption. There are various hints and vague flashbacks in Agent of Asgard that touch upon this thread but it won't be enough which is why you need to actually read said issues to understand it more.
I've personally tracked them down and were able to read them so I might just re-read the second volume of this series before posting a review for that since I can finally properly contextualize the events after reading these key issues:
- Journey Into Mystery issues #622-645
- Thor #17 [his origin]
Now these issues serve as some kind of "prequel" to the ultimate plot relevance of Kid Loki in Ewing's own 2014 series, as well as the implications of the sort-of retcon that occurs in the second volume concerning Kid Loki. I don't want to post that spoiler here because you're not going to get it or be grateful in any way especially when you are intrigued to pick up this series one day. I still think you should. Loki: Agent of Asgard can be fun and endearing in a lot of ways, but only if you visit those key issues I've suggested before thoroughly browsing this series.
[A complete listing of all Kid Loki issues are found here]
Volume 2: "I Cannot Tell a Lie"
I'm presently reading Journey Into Mystery issues which focus on Kid Loki this week, but I know I had to review this volume sooner rather than later because I've delayed it for an entire month now. I actually forgot some of the stuff that happened for Agent of Asgard, most probably because as interesting and as potentially riveting the idea of a newly-minted Loki in his twenties trying to make amends and rewrite his bad-guy reputation, there are certain aspects to this series that would make it unreadable in general especially when you're not a Marvel comics reader like I was so there are so many stuff that got past me because I was just inherently unfamiliar with them. So I had to re-read issues 6-10 of this collection just a few hours ago and it just occurred to me how uneven it was that I had to change my perfect five-star rating from my initial one last month. I remember enjoying what I read because it was woven with compelling mythology elements, but the more I thought about certain plot points in this volume, the less incomprehensible they got and that lessened my enjoyment upon re-reading them again. |
The first volume comprised of the first five issues were fun; it introduced this version of Loki quite nicely--he was young, hip and eager to change opinions of the people he had wronged. The redemption angle of AoA prove to be a selling point that hit my sweet spot,; one that is beguiling for me whose only connection and knowledge about Loki is mostly movie-based as portrayed by the painfully orgasmic Tom Hiddleston. This was why Agent of Asgard easily appealed to me on that shallow surface; I like looking and reading about a pretty-faced Loki and his antics and shenanigans. I continue to be hopeful for the development of his characterizations and his relationship with this "walking human detector" Verity Wills whom he was growing increasingly fond of even when he shows it in confusing ways. I can certainly detect a genuine friendship developing between both sides which should be challenging for either of them, considering what they are as individuals. It's delicious irony to pair the self-made God of Lies with a woman who could always see through any deception. I think this is mostly why Loki likes her company; in a weird way, he knows she has the ability to keep her true, and all throughout this volume she's definitely giving him a hard time every time she knows he's withholding things from her.
The best part of this ordeal is that readers can see Loki tries to form some kind of trust with her which might come off uncharacteristic for him but to me it's rather endearing to see him vulnerable around Verity especially when he doesn't even know that he is.
Now, no matter how I look forward to more Loki-time for this series, this second volume left a bitter aftertaste because four out of the five issues collected here are tie-ins to the crossover AXIS event in Marvelverse. Here Loki gets confronted by Doctor Doom, Thor is a bad guy, etc. It's just damn confusing for someone who doesn't follow other titles so I'm not nearly invested in crossovers unlike with DC whose crossover stuff I always try to keep track of when they affect my Batman comics even if I have yet to read them completely myself. The second volume suffers because of these woefully unnecessary tie-ins to Agent of Asgard. It would have been so much better if they kept everything about this series standalone for now. This version of Loki is developing as a character and it's reckless endangerment to throw him at whatever convenient storyline he could fit in and rather poorly at that as seen here in AXIS. Heck, he even made an appearance in a Ms. Marvel Valentine issue which was cute and nonsensical fun, but again, it's fanservice for the sake of pleasing female fans who totes want to hang pin-up posters of this hot twenties Loki.
Now, I'm not saying I don't belong to that crowd because I probably do, but I much prefer this character to be well-written and interesting in the long run. This was why the second volume was a complete let-down because it's as if the writers won't let this version of Loki have his time in his own spotlight and in his own series to figure out how he will grow and progress as a titular hero. It's sad, really. However, the silver lining does come up by the tenth issue which finally switches back to something standalone and intimate for Loki. See, once Al Ewing focuses his lens back on actually telling a Loki-centric tale woven with fantastic mythological elements from the Norse lore, this series really does shine and hold up as a riveting piece of fiction. The next issues that will be compiled in the third volume (11-13; it's ongoing at this point) hold promise because ever since then, no stupid crossover is being pushed down my throat as I read this series and I want that to stay that way. So, this second volume was a drag but good things do come to those who wait and I know I will have a more positive review for the next volume of Agent of Asgard soon enough.
I think I'm going to have to post reviews for Journey Into Mystery issues that are Kid Loki-centric this week. Those are guaranteed to be filled with spoilers because I plan to analyse Loki there as a character and his relationship with his brother Thor which is something I really enjoy watching in the movies unfold. Overall, put this series on your TO-READ list and keep it there in the meantime.
If you like Loki (and even intensely desire him as far as you can want a fictional character), then this comic book may be for you.
The best part of this ordeal is that readers can see Loki tries to form some kind of trust with her which might come off uncharacteristic for him but to me it's rather endearing to see him vulnerable around Verity especially when he doesn't even know that he is.
Now, no matter how I look forward to more Loki-time for this series, this second volume left a bitter aftertaste because four out of the five issues collected here are tie-ins to the crossover AXIS event in Marvelverse. Here Loki gets confronted by Doctor Doom, Thor is a bad guy, etc. It's just damn confusing for someone who doesn't follow other titles so I'm not nearly invested in crossovers unlike with DC whose crossover stuff I always try to keep track of when they affect my Batman comics even if I have yet to read them completely myself. The second volume suffers because of these woefully unnecessary tie-ins to Agent of Asgard. It would have been so much better if they kept everything about this series standalone for now. This version of Loki is developing as a character and it's reckless endangerment to throw him at whatever convenient storyline he could fit in and rather poorly at that as seen here in AXIS. Heck, he even made an appearance in a Ms. Marvel Valentine issue which was cute and nonsensical fun, but again, it's fanservice for the sake of pleasing female fans who totes want to hang pin-up posters of this hot twenties Loki.
Now, I'm not saying I don't belong to that crowd because I probably do, but I much prefer this character to be well-written and interesting in the long run. This was why the second volume was a complete let-down because it's as if the writers won't let this version of Loki have his time in his own spotlight and in his own series to figure out how he will grow and progress as a titular hero. It's sad, really. However, the silver lining does come up by the tenth issue which finally switches back to something standalone and intimate for Loki. See, once Al Ewing focuses his lens back on actually telling a Loki-centric tale woven with fantastic mythological elements from the Norse lore, this series really does shine and hold up as a riveting piece of fiction. The next issues that will be compiled in the third volume (11-13; it's ongoing at this point) hold promise because ever since then, no stupid crossover is being pushed down my throat as I read this series and I want that to stay that way. So, this second volume was a drag but good things do come to those who wait and I know I will have a more positive review for the next volume of Agent of Asgard soon enough.
I think I'm going to have to post reviews for Journey Into Mystery issues that are Kid Loki-centric this week. Those are guaranteed to be filled with spoilers because I plan to analyse Loki there as a character and his relationship with his brother Thor which is something I really enjoy watching in the movies unfold. Overall, put this series on your TO-READ list and keep it there in the meantime.
If you like Loki (and even intensely desire him as far as you can want a fictional character), then this comic book may be for you.
Thor: God of Thunder [ The God Butcher and Godbomb ]
May 2015
I honestly only watched the first Thor movie last year, four years after its release in 2010. Like I said, not a Marvel fan in general, but I got to admit that of all the movies Marvel Studios have released so far, the first Thor film is my most favorite next to the first Iron Man. Admittedly, I love mythology stories which was why I stumbled upon this 2013 title, God of Thunder rather easily (also, it's written by Jason Aaron who is writing Wolverine and the X-Men which is a part of my comic diet this year). Much like with Ms. Marvel, I went into reading this unaware of the content I was being served with and it was only when I finished the two volumes, The God Butcher and Godbomb, that I've done some research just to see how my experience is comparable to that of other people; and I was pleased to see that a lot of them were just as positive as mine had been.
The truth of the matter is that I immensely enjoyed God of Thunder in a scale that I didn't expect since I only read it with the mindset of someone who has only encountered the titular character in the films. I know just enough about the original Norse mythology it was based on, and watching 2010 Thor was almost reminiscent of the Hercules television show I was very fond of as a kid. I suppose that was the draw of Thor's characterization in that movie; that he was an arrogant god who could not see past his war-advocating aggression until his own father banished him and stripped him off his powers to teach him a valuable lesson. And then a hero's journey follows where he has to claim his own powers back by proving that he has learned the importance of temperance and the meaning of leadership. It's an archetypal narrative I have a strong penchant for.
Now I wouldn't consider Thor as a favorite character (nor Loki, even though Tom Hiddleston's portrayal is painfully orgasmic for me), but I'm invested enough in the general atmosphere of his mythological story to want to read him in the actual comics medium, so I selected something that was fairly recent and something of a standlone from the rest of the roster. And it pleases me to no end I chose God of Thunder. I think this is a comic book story that is digestible for a first-time reader of said character so anyone can pick it up because it's actually a rather intimate tale that follows a detective story structure while it also blurs the timelines among past, present and future.
"The God Butcher"
In God of Thunder, long-time Avenger Thor is patrolling the galaxies when he encounters a small nation living in a planet where one of its young citizens claimed that they had no gods to pray to which was why they sought his help instead. Naturally disbelieving this, Thor decides to visit the planet's own absentee gods in their kingdom so he could possibly chastise them for slacking off and ignoring their worshipers' calling. Upon arriving to said land, Thor was shocked to find that all of its godly inhabitants were gruesomely disposed of; disfigured and hacked corpses littered every corner of the palace, prompting Thor to investigate what and who could have possibly murdered these gods.
Meanwhile, in the distant future, a worn-down and ancient Thor, now the last king and remaining survivor of Asgard, which is now being relentlessly attacked by soulless entities who seek to bring him down, tries to hold off the evil forces by his lonesome. We then jump back to the past where an axe-wielding and strapping young Thor, who is as reckless and as fun as anyone expects from an adolescent jock, accompanies the Vikings on earth as they pillage and loot across the lands.
These transitions would feel slightly abrupt at first until we slowly find out in the present that Avenger Thor's encounter of those mutilated deities is only the beginning of a horrific cycle that will touch upon different levels of reality where the god of thunder himself is at the eye of its storm. The first volume is a bleak and serious murder mystery set in a mythological landscape that hit my sweet spot just right. Comprised of the first five issues of the series, The God Butcher is a sweeping epic that manages to be very personal and character-driven at its core in spite of its seemingly expansive premise. In it, three versions of Thor seeks out a madman by the name of Gorr, a serpentine black-hearted rogue whose shade of darkness is only matched by the vivid ink streams he is often depicted with in the pages. He is on a personal mission to wipe out every living god in existence, and he is not going to stop until he accomplishes this. |
Back in the past, it seems like a young Thor has encountered Gorr before but lacks the self-awareness and wisdom of his Avenger's version in the present, and therefore unable to comprehend the possible horrors that Gorr would be committing someday. The stakes increase significantly once present-Thor and future-king-Thor finally collide and join forces with the past-Thor. But this set-up will be expounded more by the second volume collection which also provides a more detailed background about Gorr, his origins and the driving motivation for his ultimate goal.
Artist Esad Ribic's visual style and illustrations are phenomenal and consistent for each issue; each panel has great fluidity and substance. My most favorite moment that showcases Ribic's dynamic fight scenes as they unify alongside Aaron's storytelling is the scene in issue #2, featuring the confrontation between past-Thor and Gorr. It was a chilling narrative concerning Thor's memory from childhood when he meets certain type of killer he could not understand. If these weren't enough to get you excited, I don't know what will.
Artist Esad Ribic's visual style and illustrations are phenomenal and consistent for each issue; each panel has great fluidity and substance. My most favorite moment that showcases Ribic's dynamic fight scenes as they unify alongside Aaron's storytelling is the scene in issue #2, featuring the confrontation between past-Thor and Gorr. It was a chilling narrative concerning Thor's memory from childhood when he meets certain type of killer he could not understand. If these weren't enough to get you excited, I don't know what will.
"Godbomb"
The second volume collection of the continuing God-Butcher epic/murder mystery is Godbomb which revealed the accumulation of all of the villain Gorr's plan from the beginning ever since he started his personal crusade of wiping out every living god in existence. Comprised of issues 6-11, Godbomb has all the essential elements to increase the stakes and fairly conclude this arc, and some of its important parts did manage to deliver a solid ending; but there are details across said issues that make less sense once examined more critically. Still, this volume is what the first one's set up was eluding to: it was brisk and exciting filled with great action sequences and small crowning moments of awesome among the three versions of Thor.
The sixth issue focused primarily on Gorr's origin which was emotional and believable enough to accept. He was an ordinary being from a harsh environment who lost his wife and unborn child to unfortunate circumstances. Even with the worsening conditions, his wife remained faithful to the higher powers, often lecturing and assuring him that the gods are looking after them. Already an aspiring atheist, Gorr questions her religious allegiance and after her tragic death, he began to outwardly and passionately despise the concept of gods in general and so began his lifelong hunt to exterminate every kind of deity across the universe. The one god who struggled to find a way to prevent this is Thor and all his past, present and future incarnations gathered together because each version feels responsible about Gorr in some way, and the strength in their number should be enough to overcome the god-butcher's ill-intentioned and widespread hate-mongering disease.
All three of them--though initially uncomfortable with each other--arrive to a common goal to destroy Gorr and his malicious plan to render all godly creation null with this 'bomb' he created as reinforced by the surviving gods he had managed to acquire and enslave for his own personal use. His personal army, the Black Berserkers, meanwhile, face the Thors from every counter point holding them back until the climatic confrontation with Gorr himself.
Thor: God of Thunder is spectacular because it was every bit of fantasy and mythology fiction that I have always wanted from a character I am slowly and steadily growing to love and look forward to. The story was uncanny and unlike anything I would have believed is possible to read in a Thor title. It was a haunting tale about the myth of gods and why people need to believe in a higher power; as well as what happens when that faith is taken for granted and betrayed such as the case with Gorr. I didn't personally connect with him as a villain but I thought he served his role well enough for the plot. The three Thors fighting alongside together was always a hoot and I especially love future-Thor the most. I like glimpsing into the possible king and leader Thor will become someday. He was a prissy, cranky old man, sure, but you can tell he knows what he's doing and why he must do it. The overconfident version of him as the past-Thor was oddly endearing, though, and present-Thor was possibly the Thor I'm most closest to because I do believe he's in the middle of an important transition at this point, and seeing him interact with his past and future is rather intriguing.
It's an eye-opening moment for both Thors. Young Thor aspires to be just like Odin, his father, but the future-Thor invalidates this and tells him for his own good that he will never be the son Odin wants him to be and there's nothing to fear or be ashamed of in understanding this truth. Future-Thor is also admitting this for himself; for so long, whatever kind of man he shaped himself to be was dictated by what his father wants but not this time, and he hopes his past version would fare better by imparting him this knowledge. Perhaps Thor needs to come to terms with this by himself though.
I'm so excited to read the next issues for this series (there are 25 of these by now). Overall, The God Butcher and Godbomb are worthy installments that you should pick up if you like mythology stories that feature the Mighty Thor. Somehow, his characterization for this series needs more work but I'm confident that both Aaron and Ribic's collaboration will have more ways to move forward and improve.
Ms. Marvel [ No Normal and Generation Why ]
May 2015
I was initially unaware of the hype surrounding this particular title at first because I never considered myself a Marvel Comics fan in general. For a very long time, the X-Men are the only superheroes I love from the Marvel line and since I started my comics diet for this year that centers strictly around them, it's often unavoidable for me to encounter other current Marvel titles online as I do my research of specific X-Men series to read, particularly when they are included in crossover events. So now I've expressed interest on four ongoing Marvel titles which are Thor: The God of Thunder, Loki: Agent of Asgard, She-Hulk and this one, Ms. Marvel. I don't know anything about the Captain Marvel character except that the last one was Carol Danvers and I think she used to be a pilot(?). That's really just about it but I did encounter the actual character when she made a cameo appearance in Chris Claremont's The X-Tinction Agenda storyline from The Uncanny X-Men. Much like everyone else, I think what convinced me to pick up this series was because the titular heroine is a Muslim teenager (a Pakistani American, to be specific) which means she was supposedly created to offer something more culturally diverse than her predecessors. Honestly, I used to be such a big Spider-Man fan, and the idea of teenage superheroes has always been an alluring one for me (the realization of that fixation was something I found in the cartoon program, Young Justice which is all kinds of awesome).
So, 2014 Ms. Marvel is something I instinctively wanted to read for those obvious preferences cited. When I did manage to get around it, I was pleasantly intrigued by a lot of its aspects in its first five issues as collected in this volume, No Normal.
Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona, the character of Kamala Khan is notable initially because of her lineage and youth and for a time in the five issues compiled for No Normal, those qualities seem to be the only thing going for her as we follow her misadventures upon her own discovery that she possesses shape-shifting abilities. We can thoroughly argue that whatever made Kamala special as a superheroine in fiction is the fact that this is the first time we ever had a Muslim female character with her own solo title in comics and so everyone wants this series to succeed and meet the expectations and hype it was build up to become from the start.
And much like anything hyped in a pop culture medium, it proved to be just another simple, quaint and charming tale about yet another teenager struggling to find her place in the world of adult responsibility and consequences. But just in case you haven't been paying attention in my introductory remarks, then let me state it once again: I LOVE THE IDEA OF TEENAGE SUPERHEROES and it's mostly because they uniquely display qualities such as vulnerability, uncertainty and identity crisis until the eventual acceptance of their roles. We've all been in that age of trying to figure out what we want to be and if we even like what we were back then--add the burden of having superpowers and you get yourself a compelling coming-of-age story, and that's why I can't help but eventually fall for Kamala. For me, the story of Kamala Khan is an uplifting journey. Eventually, this awkward, introverted yet defiant and shrewd teenage girl will learn that (in her very own words):
So, 2014 Ms. Marvel is something I instinctively wanted to read for those obvious preferences cited. When I did manage to get around it, I was pleasantly intrigued by a lot of its aspects in its first five issues as collected in this volume, No Normal.
Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona, the character of Kamala Khan is notable initially because of her lineage and youth and for a time in the five issues compiled for No Normal, those qualities seem to be the only thing going for her as we follow her misadventures upon her own discovery that she possesses shape-shifting abilities. We can thoroughly argue that whatever made Kamala special as a superheroine in fiction is the fact that this is the first time we ever had a Muslim female character with her own solo title in comics and so everyone wants this series to succeed and meet the expectations and hype it was build up to become from the start.
And much like anything hyped in a pop culture medium, it proved to be just another simple, quaint and charming tale about yet another teenager struggling to find her place in the world of adult responsibility and consequences. But just in case you haven't been paying attention in my introductory remarks, then let me state it once again: I LOVE THE IDEA OF TEENAGE SUPERHEROES and it's mostly because they uniquely display qualities such as vulnerability, uncertainty and identity crisis until the eventual acceptance of their roles. We've all been in that age of trying to figure out what we want to be and if we even like what we were back then--add the burden of having superpowers and you get yourself a compelling coming-of-age story, and that's why I can't help but eventually fall for Kamala. For me, the story of Kamala Khan is an uplifting journey. Eventually, this awkward, introverted yet defiant and shrewd teenage girl will learn that (in her very own words):
"Good is not a thing you are, it's a thing you do."
Given my sincere emotional attachment to the idea of teenage superheroes, I had no qualms going through the usual formula of such stories involving them, which typically followed Kamala as she copes and tries to control her transformative abilities and how that reflects her inner self. She steadily gains a sense of self-worth and confidence once she realized that she could use her powers to help people. She admits that being able to save someone from harm was a rush to her; her first rescue may be that of some spoiled, bratty schoolmate of hers whom she doesn't have any kind of relationship with, but Kamala treasured that experience anyway because it made her feel in control while she was able to keep someone safe. Since she idolized Captain Marvel, Kamala figured she could just shapeshift into that bombastic blonde heroine and no one will know better except for her.
But over the course of her trial and error, Kamala was also becoming less of a person by imitating another, and thanks to a conversation with her father where he explained why she was named "Kamala" (which means "perfection" in Arabic), our teenage heroine proudly reconciles with herself that:
But over the course of her trial and error, Kamala was also becoming less of a person by imitating another, and thanks to a conversation with her father where he explained why she was named "Kamala" (which means "perfection" in Arabic), our teenage heroine proudly reconciles with herself that:
"I'm not here to be a watered-down version of some other hero. I'm here to be the best version of Kamala."
Now how many teenagers her age can actually look at herself in both a critical and confident manner like she just had during that precise moment? I'm twenty-five now but I still remember being sixteen very well; to be that paradoxically scared and fearless all at once, and so reading Kamala Khan in No Normal has made me very nostalgic about my own issues and challenges as a teen. This was why I enjoyed seeing Kamala face her fears as she asserts herself during dangerous situations with a quick and agile mind and reflexes. She only had one friend to aid her in her quest and there was nobody else to help her figure out what she wants to do with her powers and how she can enhance them--it was all up to her to train and improve herself. It's like seeing your kid sister grow up and accomplish something worthwhile. With G. Willow Wilson's great writing and Adrian Alphona's dynamic illustrations, I can't help but root for Kamala to succeed every step of the way.
No Normal is a basic narrative about a likable heroine still finding her way and still at odds on how to best define herself, but it's a riveting read that you should all keep going forward with. Sure, she's catered to be a representation of a certain minority and that may come off as pandering to some but that's not all she is. She will grow over the course of the issues and for me that does happen in Generation Why, the second volume collection that proves to be a stronger installment of the series. |
In Generation Why, Kamala learns more about the nature of her powers. It turns out she's not completely human. After her encounter with Wolverine during a rescue mission, she became more curious of her possible origins. Her newly formed role as New Jersey City's superheroine has called the attention of some other interested parties who want to safeguard her so they sent a super-powered watchdog named Lockjaw to protect and aid her in her missions. Of course, any superhero must have a villain to battle it out with, and for the second volume Kamala goes head-to-head with what she considers as the "boss" monster to fight (being a gamer herself, this is a reference Kamala is often fond of making; it's just a personality quirk of hers).
The choice of villain for this story was in line of the general forces Kamala faces in her own life as part of the youth which is the seemingly shallow adversity of how teenagers of her generation are discriminated against by the previous one because they are viewed as a self-entitled, lofty, unambitious flock who would rather numb or entertain themselves with their gadgets and other reclusive preoccupations. I thought this is a worthy theme to tackle for her series, seeing as generation gap is not a new thing by itself but a rather recurring theme we see in our own lives between parents and their children, so it's only natural to discuss this in a comic book series which stars a teenager who is also inquisitive enough to admit to the flaws of her generation but not necessarily condemn nor excuse them either.My favorite moment in the volume comes in issue #10.
The choice of villain for this story was in line of the general forces Kamala faces in her own life as part of the youth which is the seemingly shallow adversity of how teenagers of her generation are discriminated against by the previous one because they are viewed as a self-entitled, lofty, unambitious flock who would rather numb or entertain themselves with their gadgets and other reclusive preoccupations. I thought this is a worthy theme to tackle for her series, seeing as generation gap is not a new thing by itself but a rather recurring theme we see in our own lives between parents and their children, so it's only natural to discuss this in a comic book series which stars a teenager who is also inquisitive enough to admit to the flaws of her generation but not necessarily condemn nor excuse them either.My favorite moment in the volume comes in issue #10.
In this issue, it was revealed that a horde of teenagers just volunteered themselves to serve as "batteries" to the villain's scheme, stating that it was the only way for them to make up for their simple crime of being your average teenager who is apparently perceived to be a burden who has wasted all of his or her potentials away. Understandably, this outwardly angers Kamala, and she passionately refuses to believe that she and her fellow teens are a lost cause; that they are as unimportant and as vain and neglectful as they are portrayed in media and such. She gives an unexpected yet rightfully timed speech, expressing her most earnest sentiments regarding the passivity of the other teens around her, and that she's no longer going to contribute to that number--and neither should they.
It's a great self-aware and crowning moment for Kamala's character which only solidified my growing admiration for her. I hope they keep this up because Kamala Khan is slowly but surely proving herself to be a wonderful, awe-inspiring role model. So go on and pick up Ms. Marvel and see for yourself what you've been missing out on. And you are missing out on a lot if you don't read this today! RECOMMENDED: 10/10
|
The Dark Phoenix by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
February 2015
Midway through reading this classic Claremont tale, I understood its significance to the X-Men mythology instantly, and I also wondered if it had some kind of impact on the role of the female superheroine in comics back then and today. That's because I consider Jean Grey in this story to be a very empowered representation of what a comic book heroine can become and be undone for at the same time. I would like to try and touch upon that subject matter in this review. This is quite possibly the most popular and enduring comics story arc in recent memory that any self-respecting fan of the medium will immediately associate the X-Men with, and The Dark Phoenix Saga is deemed with such high esteem and praise for many good reasons.
One thing that I think we all should remember about reading classic storylines from comics that defined and shaped the continuity or characterization of a particular title is to curb our expectations and adjust our preconceived notions about it to something more realistic. In my experience, some of these classics can exceed expectations while some are just relics that were overhyped. A few of which actually do require further contemplation after finishing them in order to garner a more nuanced appreciation. I can honestly say that The Dark Phoenix is one of them. It was a memorable story in itself because the ambiguity in which it was resolved was definitely worth the discussion.
Though it may have been groundbreaking during its time, I think it better serves as a commentary of what female superheroines represent in comics before, as well as the limited roles they used to play or may continue to play. I don't want this to be some kind of feminist review because I don't have enough credibility to start a dialogue like that here. In general, I usually stay away from gender discussions particularly in fiction but it's hard to ignore the implications and symbols present in this story concerning Jean Grey both as herself and the manifestation of the Phoenix.
I just thought such a discussion is noteworthy. [SPOILERS AHEAD!]
One thing that I think we all should remember about reading classic storylines from comics that defined and shaped the continuity or characterization of a particular title is to curb our expectations and adjust our preconceived notions about it to something more realistic. In my experience, some of these classics can exceed expectations while some are just relics that were overhyped. A few of which actually do require further contemplation after finishing them in order to garner a more nuanced appreciation. I can honestly say that The Dark Phoenix is one of them. It was a memorable story in itself because the ambiguity in which it was resolved was definitely worth the discussion.
Though it may have been groundbreaking during its time, I think it better serves as a commentary of what female superheroines represent in comics before, as well as the limited roles they used to play or may continue to play. I don't want this to be some kind of feminist review because I don't have enough credibility to start a dialogue like that here. In general, I usually stay away from gender discussions particularly in fiction but it's hard to ignore the implications and symbols present in this story concerning Jean Grey both as herself and the manifestation of the Phoenix.
I just thought such a discussion is noteworthy. [SPOILERS AHEAD!]
Overview
The saga itself is composed of ten issues from The Uncanny X-Men starting from #129-138 which follows the corruption and fall of Jean Grey after she succumbed to the dark and twisted force of her Phoenix power. But before that, a short background: Some time during the run of said series, a mission in space exposes Jean to a deadly radiation of solar flare which seemed to amplify her mutant powers which therefore made her attain the highest potential of her telepathy/telekinesis. She returns to Earth with a new identity and costume. She becomes known as the "Phoenix" since. As she becomes noticeably stronger, Jean as the Phoenix was also more lenient in using her powers and various teammates of hers, especially Cyclops and Wolverine, notice that she's freely using her skills without the usual measured caution that the old Jean Grey had. They would only later find out that this observation is just a symptom of Jean's inevitable downward spiral.
The Dark Phoenix arc also served as the introduction of the infamous and exclusive inner circle of the Hellfire Club led by Sebastian Shaw, and two iconic characters: Kitty Pryde, future Shawdowcat and one of the most memorable X-Men members; and Emma Frost, a formidable villain of telepathy who is also dubbed as the White Queen. The X-Men's primary mission only begins when the Hellfire Club (through Emma Frost) wants to acquire Kitty Pryde who is just starting to become fully aware of her mutant potentials. Pryde was also a candidate for the X-Men so when Professor X, Storm, Wolverine and Colossus visit her at her home, Emma Frost took advantage of the situation and decided to abduct these X-Men on a public location much later on. Kitty manages to escape and warn the other X-Men of their comrades. But before all of this, Cyclops, Phoenix and Nightcrawler are on a mission to find another mutant whom they encounter in a disco club. I'm referring to Dazzler who is just so ridiculous that I can't take her seriously while I was reading. Anyway, the meat and bones of the action start by the time the remaining X-Men rescue their captured friends with the help of the newly recruited Kitty.
That was the main plot of the first five issues or so of the saga but the developing subplot in the sidelines is that of Jean Grey who has been experiencing "timeslips" where she is being manipulated telepathically by Mastermind to prove his worth in the Hellfire Club he wishes to become a part of. He tries to get Jean to turn against the X-Men and for a short time during the story, he did manage to turn her into his Red Queen during a climactic confrontation between our heroes and the Club. Thankfully, Jean has embedded Scott with a psychic link so while Jean was presently ensnared by Mastermind, Scott tries to win her over through a duel in the astral plane, but he fails.
Still, it was enough to shake Jean back into reality and upon discovering the damage that Mastermind has done, she becomes visibly angry--almost vengeful--in a way we have not seen her before. This is one of my favorite chilling exchanges in the comic book [1] [2]
The Awakening
I thought that this was an important moment because of the build-up established from the previous four issues. Throughout the earlier installments, we saw Mastermind charm his way inside Jean's mind and heart, providing her with a beautiful romantic illusion where she was a noble woman from the past, enaromored with a gentleman named James Wyngarde. He opened her up and then pushed her further into embracing the depths of her desires, captivating her with needs she never realized she's always had: to have all the love and power in the world as well as glory as she rules next to a man she considers her equal. Jean Grey allowed this fantasy to claim her but once it was shattered she was left with so much self-loathing and dread which she subsequently inflicts to the fiend who fed these desires.
I don't think Claremont and co. knew back then how impactful this speech could resonate now for readers like me who live in an era where the influence of female empowerment continues to grow. I would like to believe that a lot of us women in this generation have more control over our agencies, choices and self-expressions than the women in the earlier generations who have limited options back then. Jean Grey's speech addressed to an oppressive, overbearing man who fancies himself as the one who holds power over her is just damn cathartic to read.
"You came to me when I was vulnerable. You filled the emotional void within me. You made me trust you. Perhaps even love you. And all the while you were using me!" is a statement I know a great number of women in the past and present can relate strongly to; any woman who has been marginalized, abused and enslaved at one point in their lives can definitely attest to the freeing strength of this kind of righteous rage which Jean exhibited at this point.
What comes next is terrifying though because Jean is determined to show Mastermind the price to pay for taking advantage of a woman and using her as your personal puppet.
As impressive as Jean was for taking control of that situation, it was ultimately the last catalyst that unleashes the disruptive and wild force known as the Dark Phoenix in issue #135. This extreme manifestation of her powers is ironically the very creature that robs her off her free will and agency. She becomes entitled, arrogant, selfish, hedonistic and uncaring as the Dark Phoenix, even going so far as attacking her own friends, believing that they are the ones holding her back in the first place. She left them completely devastated as she roamed the outer space, looking for something to devour because of this insatiable hunger inside her. She picked a random planet where five billion lived. She did not even bat an eye with this atrocity that seemed to only come naturally for her. This casual genocide attracts the attention of the Shi'ar empire ruled by Lilandra, Professor X's long-time alien girlfriend. After DP had that satisfying meal, she went back to Earth to visit her old home where her parents and sister lived. They were happy to see her, of course, but the dormant Jean also felt their fear which was a primal instinct that DP picked up on and she lashed out on them, feeling as if they were threatening her newfound independence and freedom. The X-Men luckily came back for another brutal second encounter and it was Professor X who eventually managed to lock the Phoenix away from Jean's subconscious. The victory was not meant to be savored though because Lilandra and the Shi'ar are determined to bring Jean Grey to trial for the genocide she just committed previously. This was the falling action of the grand arc that is The Dark Phoenix Saga.
Empowerment and Absolute Power
There is a true brilliance to Claremont's narrative and progression of this story from the moment Jean Grey was transformed into the Dark Phoenix. I have only vague recollections of the cartoon adaptation of this arc in X-Men: The Animated Series and I haven't gotten far from my re-watch of said cartoons just yet, so everything about reading this was fresh for me. Two things I liked about this saga are the tonality and approach of its writing when it comes to the roles of the female characters. As Kitty Pryde's first appearance, I found that she was a surprisingly adaptable and brave young girl in the cusp of realizing her potentials as a mutant and aspiring superhero. She wasn't portrayed easily as a damsel in distress.
In fact, it was her resoluteness to help the captured X-Men that enabled the other members to rescue them in the first place. At thirteen, her world was turned upside down but she coped with it rather impressively. Instead of running away, she found the courage to stand up for strangers she did not even know that well but believed that they are good and therefore worthy to be saved. At the end of it all, she did break down into tears but that was only a natural reaction to the dangerous life she has yet to know will be her daily existence from that day forward. Still, for a first introduction, Kitty Pryde already holds promise as a capable heroine who tried to make good choices out of the worst scenarios she faced.
In contrast, Emma Frost is a self-made, strong and cunning villainess who may ultimately answer to a domineering male group (Hellfire Club) but she certainly possesses loftier ambitions of her own and seemed to commit heinous acts not because she was forced to do them, but rather because she is motivated by her own greed. Her allegiance to the Hellfire Club's men is attached to the fact that they are also enabling her to pursue whatever personal goals she may have on the side. It wasn't explicitly shown but I get the sense that she could very much decide to leave the men by themselves if she wasn't getting what she wants from them in return and the men may be aware of that arrangement as well.
She was defeated by another woman (Jean Grey), and it was another bonus for me to see that when her role in the story abruptly finished, it wasn't because a man did not find her useful anymore. Now I'm very interested to read about Emma Frost from this point on. To have another competent and powerful female telepath offers possibilities and I definitely want her to come back.
But empowering female characters in this story was sadly not very consistent though. The appearance of Dazzler was baffling to me especially her role in helping the X-Men. I do not understand her motivation in doing so anyway, let alone her relevance which was why I was uncaring that she was there. The same can be said for Ororo Munroe (Storm) who spent almost all her time in the story being a lesser superheroine next to Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix. It was understandable for Jean to overpower Storm during their confrontations especially in her DP form but it also places Storm in a very unflattering way where her capabilities are diminished. There was even that passing scene in Mastermind's illusion where Jean was a noble woman and Ororo was a servant in her household who tried to escape and so Jean had to whip her. It just made me shake my head because I really didn't think that should have been put there. It's jarring and slightly insensitive to see a supeheroine of color be portrayed like that. It just wasn't necessary to the story anyway, and it only adds to the diluted effect of Storm's rather passive role in the narrative. Well, at least they did get to manage Storm to kick ass again at the later pages as the story comes to an end so I'll just take comfort in that. Speaking of said later pages---
The Impossible Choice
The second climax of this saga arrives when the X-Men (Wolverine, Nightwalker, Storm, Angel and Colossus with recent Avenger-ed Beast) face Shi'ar warriors in a "trial by combat" arrangement to save Jean from punishment. There are at least twelve pages of great action sequences that these combats provided. It was visually engrossing which made me imagine seeing them on screen (and that only made me dislike X-Men: The Last Stand further. We really should have gotten The Dark Phoenix instead.). But before all that, I would just like to share this favorite set of panels where Jean Grey puts on her old Marvel Girl costume. It was nostalgic and appropriate. It shows that there is still light and humanity present in Jeannie, and she embraces the heroine she was at the beginning at this moment to demonstrate that her friends, especially her boyfriend Scott, have not lost her.
And she is not ready to be lost herself.
In the end, it was only Scott and Jean who were left standing and together they fought their way for Jean's pardon and freedom. Scott was injured during the battle and seeing her beloved in danger has once again awakened the Phoenix in Jean. Tragically, the possibility of her going dark and twisted because of the Phoenix is just something her relationship with Scott and the rest of the X-Men cannot withstand. And Jean knew this from the moment Professor X was able to put some temporary restraints on her powers which are ultimately infinite and uncontainable. So in a quiet last scene between the lovers, Jean informs Scott of her decision to extinguish herself in order to save all of them. That conversation was done rather beautifully for me. In the heat and determination of everyone especially Scott to save Jean from her doom, they did not anticipate that perhaps she herself is giving up control and choosing to lose the battle instead by righteously as well as selflessly letting go of her powers. That's how I interpreted that final scene because it makes sense for Jean's character to choose death in order for others to live. It's who she is as a person.
It's why she's one of my all-time favorite superheroes. She recognized the devastation and havoc she had caused when she committed mindless genocide as the Dark Phoenix and she would rather die a mortal than live as a goddess with unbridled passions and a lack of awareness and concern for life. It's a choice we all should commend her for.
The Verdict
"The X-Men may never realize it but this is the day they have won perhaps the greatest victory of their young lives. Jean Grey could have lived to become a god. But it was more important to her that she die a human."
I understand why this story is considered an important classic because it does define a lot of future arcs concerning Jean Grey, and the effect of the Phoenix as an unstoppable sentient force in the Marvel Universe. But I have my personal reasons why I think this is simply a comic book story you should find time to read. Since I began writing this review with the intention on discussing the role of female characters as the heart of the conflict, climax and resolution for this story, I want to end it now by recommending this to other young women who will read this review.
Often, I've made this subconscious decision to ignore the underlying sexist themes and small moments I may encounter every now and then in superhero comic books if they only get in way of enjoyment of a great story (in spite of such flaws). I understand that superhero comic books have been majorly written by men in the past (and present, with a few exceptions) so old classics like this one can be very dated in the most negative sense possible. This is why The Dark Phoenix for me was uplifting to read because I found the way they portrayed Jean Grey (and, to a lesser extent, Kitty Pryde) to be most admirable. Most sites will tell you to pick this up because of its posterity and value as a classical tale.
But personally, I want you to read this because it's a meaningful story about one woman's emotional and psychological journey through the joys and burdens of power, and the ultimate sacrifice she chooses to make, all for love and humanity.
Often, I've made this subconscious decision to ignore the underlying sexist themes and small moments I may encounter every now and then in superhero comic books if they only get in way of enjoyment of a great story (in spite of such flaws). I understand that superhero comic books have been majorly written by men in the past (and present, with a few exceptions) so old classics like this one can be very dated in the most negative sense possible. This is why The Dark Phoenix for me was uplifting to read because I found the way they portrayed Jean Grey (and, to a lesser extent, Kitty Pryde) to be most admirable. Most sites will tell you to pick this up because of its posterity and value as a classical tale.
But personally, I want you to read this because it's a meaningful story about one woman's emotional and psychological journey through the joys and burdens of power, and the ultimate sacrifice she chooses to make, all for love and humanity.
God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
February 2015
This is the comic book that inspired some of the important elements featured in the groundwork for the arguably best X-Men film from the first trilogy franchise, X2. This is why reading God Loves, Man Kills will certainly be recognizable to a reader who has seen the said film adaptation first. With a total of sixty-four pages and illustrated by artist John Byrne, Chris Claremont took the task of tackling hard issues such as racial discrimination and religious persecution in this story. As a lapsed Catholic from a developing Asian country, I'm inherently curious of how fictional mediums handle social issues with meaningful messages so this particular comic book got me intrigued. Its premise had a lot of promise and potential but I would also assert that the delivery can certainly get awkward in some of the pages.
The connections it aimed to make is one concerning that of prejudice against mutants which could be liken to that of racial intolerance. When this was written, the civil rights movement being pushed through at that time was the plight of the African-American community (much like the circumstances in X2 reflect the gay rights movement). There was even that moment seven pages in to this comic book where Kitty Pryde, after standing up to a man who was a "mutantphobe", was reprimanded by an older female black friend. This is when Kitty lashes out at her, claiming that she would be more furious if that man used the N-word against her. The book actually does spell out the actual word, much to my shock. I was just as shocked with the opening two pages where we see two black children being gunned down because they were born mutants.
Claremont quickly establishes early on that this story is not going to be an easy walk-in-the-park. It was written after all to question and challenge the brutality, hatred and ignorance that people of color have suffered, and how much they have strived to fight and rise against it. To do so, he likens that to the prejudiced situations mutantkind itself faces daily from humans, and the X-Men's role in standing up against this blatant discrimination. To represent that opposing side, Claremont also creates the character of Revered Stryker who is hell-bent on purging mutants, believing that they are impure and unnatural, and therefore deserve to die. As an affront to God Himself, mutants are the scourge of the earth that Stryker and his followers have to cleanse. The terrifying implications of a religious order (particularly that of a Christian sect) using brute force and moral panic to advocate and sustain their crusades are uncomfortably familiar, especially if you have my background. However, as much as I enjoyed the honesty and appreciated the straightforward and cringe-worthy delivery of such a social issue, a part of me also doubts that God Loves, Man Kills has aged well. If you pick this up now, you might find it offensive or pandering, depending on your upbringing and personal politics.
Personally, I can accept and even commend the effort to discuss a social issue within the confines of fiction and in a comic medium at that. It certainly can give weight to said medium as a source of insight and meaningful discussion (much like Alan Moore's Watchmen which satirizes the symbol and meaning of superheroes in a world where they were real and have participated and influenced certain milestones in human history). Nevertheless, using the civil rights movement of the African-American community and equating it with the struggles of a fictional group such as the X-Men and mutants in general can seem like a manipulation of sentiment and emotion., if not a disservice to the former group's own genuine hardships during the time this was written. Is it too far-fetched, or is it going too far to liken and compare both parties? That is not for me to say conclusively. This is a rather polarizing story for anyone who has read it. One can argue, however, that X-Men is supposed to be a representation of any diverse and oppressed group of people who wish to have equal rights with the majority. That's how I choose to view them and since I don't live in America and can understand the nuances or feel the aftermath of the Africa-American civil rights movement, I can't make criticisms concerning whether or not God Loves, Man Kills gave it a dignified portrayal or not.
What I can give a more informed opinion of is the treatment of religious groups for this comic book specifically with Reverend Stryker. As a character, he was completely despicable and even irredeemable to the very end. I would argue that this has been a constant misrepresentation of the Christian community in general. Though there are fanatics both in the past and the present who force-feed their own set of beliefs especially those that condemn and persecute minorities of race, sexual orientation, etc., it's bordering on lazy writing to utilize such a one-dimensional character that also reinforces an unfortunate stereotype. A good story requires a villain to serve as the evil force which the heroes must fight and defeat; but an excellent one requires a villain whose intentions and motives may be disagreeable but who should be just as well-developed (and perhaps even slightly sympathetic) as the protagonists in order to make a compelling conflict work which then make an emotionally satisfying resolution. In this sense, God Loves, Man Kills fails to deliver because the issue was tackled one-sided and interpreted in black-and-white terms. Reverend Stryker was simply unrelatable.
Speaking of believable villains, Magneto does take part in this story as an ally and whose help is something that the X-Men reluctantly accepts. They have a common enemy in Stryker and with Magneto in the pages, Stryker's flaws become more pronounced that it's very easy to choose to the devil you know. In this case, it's Magneto, and he is almost always single-handedly incapacitating the rest of Stryker's "purifiers"; these armed men and women who are avid mutantphobes and are unquestioningly torturing and killing mutants. I was really happy with Magneto's participation in this story as well as the pay-off in the end when he once again argues that humankind cannot be trusted and that the X-Men should stand with him and not waste time protecting a species that denounces them. It was Cyclops who maintains that peaceful co-existence is still possible between their kind and the humans, emphasizing that (and I will use a Once and Future King reference here because I just finished reading said novel last week, and the film did use it as both Xavier and Magneto's favorite book) 'Right should be established through Right and not Might.' It is notable though that Professor X almost wanted to go with Magneto
Y'all should know by now that I SHIP IT and that I always look forward to referencing just how much Prof X and Mags LOVE EACH OTHER BEYOND ANY OF US CAN COMPREHEND, so let me grab this opportunity and talk about Cherik for a moment. It's interesting that Charles almost concedes and takes Magneto's hand in those panels. I'd like to believe that he must have unconsciously recognized that this was the moment he's been waiting for; to be reunited with his former best friend and fight by his side JUST AS WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE STARS. However, he is also quickly reminded that he has an obligation as the founder, mentor and surrogate father of the X-Men so choosing to be with Magneto means abandoning them. That's the kicker. That's probably the only thing preventing Charles at this point to take the hand of his beloved "bookend-soulmate" (HEY IT'S BEEN QUOTED BY HIM) and FLY OFF SO THEY CAN FINALLY TIE THE KNOT. I don't think it's even his principles he cares about anymore at this point. He has witnessed and experienced first-hand (and in the most gruesome way during this comic book) the evil that men like Stryker can inflict on their kind so he might have been convinced just a little bit that now is the time for some of that Might that Magneto has been advocating from the beginning.
But Cyclops gives this speech that reminds him that he's not just the sole dreamer of peaceful co-existence anymore. The X-Men share that dream and want to do everything they can to see its fruition. Kitty, amazingly, invites Magneto to JOIN THEM instead but Mags is just as stubborn in his own set of beliefs so he declines. He does, however, genuinely wish their team can succeed in achieving a democratic treaty with the humans because once they don't, he will come back into the picture and reinforce something more radical and long-term to accomplish mutant supremacy. Now that's a highly-developed and engrossing villain who continues to grow and surprise us, and often we find ourselves agreeing with him even with his severe methods.
Overall, God Loves, Man Kills provides a channel for discussion concerning the real-life implications of prejudice and ignorance against minorities of different cultural backgrounds. It can be viewed as a cautionary tale. It can be considered as a crucial story that solidified the X-Men as THE group of marginalized superheroes that are also champions for the sectors in our society who are denied the same rights as everybody else just because they are different from the rest. This was the driving narrative for the X2 film after all, and this was the comic book which helped build that version which I maintain is the better one of the two. So go ahead and pick up God Loves, Man Kills.
It's considered a classic important work to some and if you are an X-Men fan in a way where you think their class struggle resonates with you then this might appeal to you. The violence and cruelty is very hefty though so I feel like I should warn you about that.
The connections it aimed to make is one concerning that of prejudice against mutants which could be liken to that of racial intolerance. When this was written, the civil rights movement being pushed through at that time was the plight of the African-American community (much like the circumstances in X2 reflect the gay rights movement). There was even that moment seven pages in to this comic book where Kitty Pryde, after standing up to a man who was a "mutantphobe", was reprimanded by an older female black friend. This is when Kitty lashes out at her, claiming that she would be more furious if that man used the N-word against her. The book actually does spell out the actual word, much to my shock. I was just as shocked with the opening two pages where we see two black children being gunned down because they were born mutants.
Claremont quickly establishes early on that this story is not going to be an easy walk-in-the-park. It was written after all to question and challenge the brutality, hatred and ignorance that people of color have suffered, and how much they have strived to fight and rise against it. To do so, he likens that to the prejudiced situations mutantkind itself faces daily from humans, and the X-Men's role in standing up against this blatant discrimination. To represent that opposing side, Claremont also creates the character of Revered Stryker who is hell-bent on purging mutants, believing that they are impure and unnatural, and therefore deserve to die. As an affront to God Himself, mutants are the scourge of the earth that Stryker and his followers have to cleanse. The terrifying implications of a religious order (particularly that of a Christian sect) using brute force and moral panic to advocate and sustain their crusades are uncomfortably familiar, especially if you have my background. However, as much as I enjoyed the honesty and appreciated the straightforward and cringe-worthy delivery of such a social issue, a part of me also doubts that God Loves, Man Kills has aged well. If you pick this up now, you might find it offensive or pandering, depending on your upbringing and personal politics.
Personally, I can accept and even commend the effort to discuss a social issue within the confines of fiction and in a comic medium at that. It certainly can give weight to said medium as a source of insight and meaningful discussion (much like Alan Moore's Watchmen which satirizes the symbol and meaning of superheroes in a world where they were real and have participated and influenced certain milestones in human history). Nevertheless, using the civil rights movement of the African-American community and equating it with the struggles of a fictional group such as the X-Men and mutants in general can seem like a manipulation of sentiment and emotion., if not a disservice to the former group's own genuine hardships during the time this was written. Is it too far-fetched, or is it going too far to liken and compare both parties? That is not for me to say conclusively. This is a rather polarizing story for anyone who has read it. One can argue, however, that X-Men is supposed to be a representation of any diverse and oppressed group of people who wish to have equal rights with the majority. That's how I choose to view them and since I don't live in America and can understand the nuances or feel the aftermath of the Africa-American civil rights movement, I can't make criticisms concerning whether or not God Loves, Man Kills gave it a dignified portrayal or not.
What I can give a more informed opinion of is the treatment of religious groups for this comic book specifically with Reverend Stryker. As a character, he was completely despicable and even irredeemable to the very end. I would argue that this has been a constant misrepresentation of the Christian community in general. Though there are fanatics both in the past and the present who force-feed their own set of beliefs especially those that condemn and persecute minorities of race, sexual orientation, etc., it's bordering on lazy writing to utilize such a one-dimensional character that also reinforces an unfortunate stereotype. A good story requires a villain to serve as the evil force which the heroes must fight and defeat; but an excellent one requires a villain whose intentions and motives may be disagreeable but who should be just as well-developed (and perhaps even slightly sympathetic) as the protagonists in order to make a compelling conflict work which then make an emotionally satisfying resolution. In this sense, God Loves, Man Kills fails to deliver because the issue was tackled one-sided and interpreted in black-and-white terms. Reverend Stryker was simply unrelatable.
Speaking of believable villains, Magneto does take part in this story as an ally and whose help is something that the X-Men reluctantly accepts. They have a common enemy in Stryker and with Magneto in the pages, Stryker's flaws become more pronounced that it's very easy to choose to the devil you know. In this case, it's Magneto, and he is almost always single-handedly incapacitating the rest of Stryker's "purifiers"; these armed men and women who are avid mutantphobes and are unquestioningly torturing and killing mutants. I was really happy with Magneto's participation in this story as well as the pay-off in the end when he once again argues that humankind cannot be trusted and that the X-Men should stand with him and not waste time protecting a species that denounces them. It was Cyclops who maintains that peaceful co-existence is still possible between their kind and the humans, emphasizing that (and I will use a Once and Future King reference here because I just finished reading said novel last week, and the film did use it as both Xavier and Magneto's favorite book) 'Right should be established through Right and not Might.' It is notable though that Professor X almost wanted to go with Magneto
Y'all should know by now that I SHIP IT and that I always look forward to referencing just how much Prof X and Mags LOVE EACH OTHER BEYOND ANY OF US CAN COMPREHEND, so let me grab this opportunity and talk about Cherik for a moment. It's interesting that Charles almost concedes and takes Magneto's hand in those panels. I'd like to believe that he must have unconsciously recognized that this was the moment he's been waiting for; to be reunited with his former best friend and fight by his side JUST AS WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE STARS. However, he is also quickly reminded that he has an obligation as the founder, mentor and surrogate father of the X-Men so choosing to be with Magneto means abandoning them. That's the kicker. That's probably the only thing preventing Charles at this point to take the hand of his beloved "bookend-soulmate" (HEY IT'S BEEN QUOTED BY HIM) and FLY OFF SO THEY CAN FINALLY TIE THE KNOT. I don't think it's even his principles he cares about anymore at this point. He has witnessed and experienced first-hand (and in the most gruesome way during this comic book) the evil that men like Stryker can inflict on their kind so he might have been convinced just a little bit that now is the time for some of that Might that Magneto has been advocating from the beginning.
But Cyclops gives this speech that reminds him that he's not just the sole dreamer of peaceful co-existence anymore. The X-Men share that dream and want to do everything they can to see its fruition. Kitty, amazingly, invites Magneto to JOIN THEM instead but Mags is just as stubborn in his own set of beliefs so he declines. He does, however, genuinely wish their team can succeed in achieving a democratic treaty with the humans because once they don't, he will come back into the picture and reinforce something more radical and long-term to accomplish mutant supremacy. Now that's a highly-developed and engrossing villain who continues to grow and surprise us, and often we find ourselves agreeing with him even with his severe methods.
Overall, God Loves, Man Kills provides a channel for discussion concerning the real-life implications of prejudice and ignorance against minorities of different cultural backgrounds. It can be viewed as a cautionary tale. It can be considered as a crucial story that solidified the X-Men as THE group of marginalized superheroes that are also champions for the sectors in our society who are denied the same rights as everybody else just because they are different from the rest. This was the driving narrative for the X2 film after all, and this was the comic book which helped build that version which I maintain is the better one of the two. So go ahead and pick up God Loves, Man Kills.
It's considered a classic important work to some and if you are an X-Men fan in a way where you think their class struggle resonates with you then this might appeal to you. The violence and cruelty is very hefty though so I feel like I should warn you about that.
"How easy for a mask to be a blindfold"
July 2014
I'm going to level with you now: you must pick this up one of these days and read it. You'll be glad you did. I spent about a week reading and reviewing each issue included for this stellar graphic novel written by the current Batman writer for New 52, Scott Snyder, and illustrated by artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla alternatively. Comprised of ten issues from Detective Comics #871-881 from the old DC continuity, The Black Mirror is set right after Bruce Wayne's supposed death and so, in his absence, the role of Gotham's Dark Knight was filled in by no other than Dick Grayson, the first Robin. Though it's not Wayne underneath the cowl, Dick as Batman is definitely a daring and compelling one.
In Snyder's stories about him being Batman and as illustrated by Jock, Dick faces questions similar to a person who is having an identity crisis, particularly on the aspect of his roots. Though intimately familiar with Gotham's horrific landscapes and feels personally obliged to protects its people, Dick never felt that he belonged in this city of nightmares and most of his character conflict stems from the fact that he's a bird constantly trying to be imprisoned in a cage by forces which he could not always comprehend but nonetheless fights back with much vigor and resilience.
In Dick, we get a Batman whose contemplative monologues are as self-centered and personal as they could get with some touch of vulnerability and self-doubt here and there, the likes of which we have never seen in Bruce Wayne before (though Snyder will go on to write Bruce in a more humanized sense in Zero Year for New 52 later on).
His issues follow him in his investigations and findings pertaining to Gotham's usual scum and criminal element yet more often than not he gets caught up in a cycle of deception and greed that forces him to re-examine the way he views Gotham and his role and participation in all of its endless stream of violence and despair. I found Dick to be remarkably admirable yet pitiful as well especially in those quiet moments when I see glimpses of the Boy Wonder who is still lurking somewhere in the more matured and fiercer fighter Dick has become after leaving the Robin persona behind. It gives his Batman a presence that lacks the hardness that Bruce placed into it but still manages to be just as formidable. Jock's art and illustrations of Dick gliding across pages or diving into places remind you that this is the Robin we all love and who is now all grown-up and yet someone who remains as an adventurous aviator who longs for freedom and can only achieve it when he's flying over the dark city he is bound to serve.
In fact, those brief moments he soars in the skies are the happiest that Dick has ever been, right until he lands back on earth and faces the evils and malevolence that is required of the Dark Knight he now has to embody.
The secondary key character for the other half of the issues is Commissioner Jim Gordon. His issues are illustrated wondrously by Francesco Francavilla whose limited color palette of dark colors (hues of orange, red, blue and purple) make the stories a chilling visual adventure as it is able to echo the depths of horrors that Snyder's writing purposefully and, at most times, masterfully brings out with atrocious clarity. In these issues, we see Gordon stumble upon an enigma he could never seem to get a hold of in solving, one whose dark nature perplex and wound him most: his own son James Jr. whose psychosis brings devastation wherever he goes. Now that he's back in Gotham, James Jr. has unleashed uncomfortable memories that his father had buried for so long. Each issue builds up to the ultimate collision and, just like with Dick, Jim Gordon needs to meet the reflection he sees in the glass and recognize that its potential for evil has gotten stronger and he may not have enough time to stop it.
The Black Mirror may as well be Snyder's audition for becoming the current writer for New 52 Batman and if that is the case, then it was rewarded graciously with much deserved praise in the end because this was such an impressive body of work, I must say. His poetic prose when describing Gotham City as a living character and not just a setting piece in his stories is something we can now read and appreciate in his The Court of Owls storyline. I would recommend this to anyone, long-time Bat-fan or novice.
This is a rather moving yet very tragic story about the inconvenient truths in people's lives and how chaos can be the most undiscriminating force of nature that often rules the choices we make; and that the ideals we cling onto and comfort ourselves with may be more fragile than we are led to believe--much like the people we love the most can be the very ones who will have the ability to betray and destroy who we are.
"To fallen heroes who fight for another day"
April 2014
In every list of the greatest Batman stories ever written, this is always on top of the pile (rivaled once in a while by his other work, Year One, if not followed closely by Alan Moore's The Killing Joke). Naturally, I was excited to start reading this although I cheated on myself a little because I did watch its animation adaptation last year. But having the chance to read the source material myself, I started to understand why this was such an important work when it was released about the same time Watchmen was in the late eighties. I was unfortunate enough to be born in the nineties so I wasn't there to see firsthand how Batman's narrative evolved in the comics and I was quite envious of those who were there to witness what Frank Miller accomplished when he wrote The Dark Knight Returns; considering how much of its impact still echoes in the modern interpretations of Batman and his villains to this very day. |
Still, that also means that I can view this piece of literature objectively without being swept away by its legacy. I can honestly say that this was a challenging work visually. Klaus Janson's art is at times incomprehensible to look at. In the course of the story, that could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how it was utilized by Miller's narrative. At its best, the art manages to haunt the pages, giving it a fragmented yet lingering imagery, all the while capturing both the dissonance and melancholy of the plot quite effectively. At its average, the art tends to confuse readers because it doesn't have the refinement most mainstream comics now possess. Some pages may come off as draft sketches of what the actual scene is supposed to look like in a more finished template. I suppose that is Janson's artistic style and it mostly appealed to me in the course of my reading, but there were a few moments that I don't know what I'm looking at and I had to pay extra attention to the scenery in case I overlook or miss something very vital.
As for the writing, Miller has clearly created something meant to last even when you're only at the first ten pages or so. This may have been groundbreaking at its first publication, yes, but I believe that for someone in my era, this could still be appreciated casually even if you are not familiar of its historical importance. This is not the kind of Batman story where it's just another action-oriented adventure featuring theatrical villainy and clear-cut resolutions. The Dark Knight Returns stands out because it tried to break down what Batman is supposed to represent in our own fragile psyches and build up the suspense and drama from there. Miller's Batman is an old man who retired from vigilantism to give way for Gotham to thrive as a society; only to watch it fall apart to chaos when a new breed of juvenile delinquents pollute the streets. Probably the most interesting piece of narrative device Miller used in TDKR is the media coverage panels. It certainly feels like you are a part of the ordinary citizens of Gotham tuning in to your television screens and watching the violence and mayhem escalate right outside the comfort of your homes. I certainly felt like that.
Additionally, Batman is not a noble, sympathetic hero in this book--nor does he need to be. I believe that only the truest Batman loyalist understands that the Dark Knight earned his place in comics not because he is always a good little soldier but because Batman is the kind of warrior who is resilient and resourceful and always at his best when cornered by the worst; and who ultimately makes the right choices even if the results are not always going to be in his favor. That is the overall message I got from The Dark Knight Returns as someone who considered him as a childhood hero. I related strongly to the female Robin of this book, Carrie, who I believed recognized that the man she idolizes is not someone who always deserves such tenacious admiration but is still someone worthy of the good fight when push comes to shove. There are a couple of instances in TDKR that Batman truly repulsed me but Miller never forgets to make sure that readers can at least understand why he had committed such actions and that they may be the only course of action left to do in the grand scheme of things. Batman never hesitates to always walk into that abyss; to dare go where no sane, self-respective 'hero' would.
Another thing to discuss is that significant moment that further made The Dark Knight Returns memorable; and that is the all-out battle between Batman and Superman which would make any fan of either or both heroes who have yet to read this pick it up if only for those scenes alone. It is an intriguing take on the strained relationship between Superman and Batman who couldn't be more different and at odds with each other than in this book.
* Deftly written with a candor and appreciation that does not patronize nor belittle what Batman is all about, Miller and Janson incorporated some of the darkest yet still optimistic themes in this arguably the greatest Batman story ever written.
As for the writing, Miller has clearly created something meant to last even when you're only at the first ten pages or so. This may have been groundbreaking at its first publication, yes, but I believe that for someone in my era, this could still be appreciated casually even if you are not familiar of its historical importance. This is not the kind of Batman story where it's just another action-oriented adventure featuring theatrical villainy and clear-cut resolutions. The Dark Knight Returns stands out because it tried to break down what Batman is supposed to represent in our own fragile psyches and build up the suspense and drama from there. Miller's Batman is an old man who retired from vigilantism to give way for Gotham to thrive as a society; only to watch it fall apart to chaos when a new breed of juvenile delinquents pollute the streets. Probably the most interesting piece of narrative device Miller used in TDKR is the media coverage panels. It certainly feels like you are a part of the ordinary citizens of Gotham tuning in to your television screens and watching the violence and mayhem escalate right outside the comfort of your homes. I certainly felt like that.
Additionally, Batman is not a noble, sympathetic hero in this book--nor does he need to be. I believe that only the truest Batman loyalist understands that the Dark Knight earned his place in comics not because he is always a good little soldier but because Batman is the kind of warrior who is resilient and resourceful and always at his best when cornered by the worst; and who ultimately makes the right choices even if the results are not always going to be in his favor. That is the overall message I got from The Dark Knight Returns as someone who considered him as a childhood hero. I related strongly to the female Robin of this book, Carrie, who I believed recognized that the man she idolizes is not someone who always deserves such tenacious admiration but is still someone worthy of the good fight when push comes to shove. There are a couple of instances in TDKR that Batman truly repulsed me but Miller never forgets to make sure that readers can at least understand why he had committed such actions and that they may be the only course of action left to do in the grand scheme of things. Batman never hesitates to always walk into that abyss; to dare go where no sane, self-respective 'hero' would.
Another thing to discuss is that significant moment that further made The Dark Knight Returns memorable; and that is the all-out battle between Batman and Superman which would make any fan of either or both heroes who have yet to read this pick it up if only for those scenes alone. It is an intriguing take on the strained relationship between Superman and Batman who couldn't be more different and at odds with each other than in this book.
* Deftly written with a candor and appreciation that does not patronize nor belittle what Batman is all about, Miller and Janson incorporated some of the darkest yet still optimistic themes in this arguably the greatest Batman story ever written.
Twelve Singular Mindscapes
April 2014
This thick deluxe edition caught my attention for the sole reason that it featured Adam West' wacky Batman in his most iconic pose. I was definitely more than intrigued and I knew even before I ever found out about its contents that I must possess it, sooner rather than later. When I did get to purchase it, I was stunned by the range and depth of this collection which featured a promising roster composed of talented men who are said to be 'twelve of the greatest artists in comics'.
The body of work that is featured and scrumptiously presented in SOLO: The Deluxe Edition does not disappoint at all. If the aim of this anthology is to provide even the most novice of readers an array of self-contained stories featuring their own original characters and some DC icons, then I think it had exceeded such expectations in more ways than one. |
Furthermore, the noble intention to help any curious newb to appreciate what the comics medium has to offer has really impressed me. I only recently started consuming comics about five years ago myself, but my life has never been enriched the same way ever again because this medium is not just kid stuff, no matter what mainstream media tells you. The twelve artists, accompanied by well-known writers like Jeph Loeb, Neil Gaiman, Brian Azzarello and many others, have been given 48 pages of their own canvass--and anything can happen.
A few sets are hard to get into upon initial reading, but most of them are accessible and completely riveting to read. These twelve singular mindscapes have a lot to offer and gain from, and it would be a shame not to travel them.
The best thing about SOLO is that it's a banquet and you are welcome to try all samples and decide which one satiated your tastes. With its impressive range, you can get engrossed with whatever floats your boat; that could either be Western, romance, horror, psychedelic surrealism or superhero parodies. They're all kinds of ridiculous, heartfelt, exciting and baffling. And if the stories don't do it much for you, the breadth of tantalizing artwork that encompassed this large container of creative endeavors might just do the trick. Each page of SOLO is rife with a stylish variety of color palettes, artistic techniques and unforgettable landscapes.
I came for Batman foremost (and he is featured in at least eleven stories) but what I got in the long run was something more than a stroke of luck or easily attainable pastime reading, and I was left with a newfound appreciation for the comic medium once again. I enjoyed the servings by Darwyn Cooke, Paul Pope, Damion Scott and Sergio Aragones the most, but all twelve distinct voices have made SOLO such a special enterprise and I'm really pleased that DC pursued such an invigorating project. Granted, the bulk of this anthology can be slightly intimidating, but therein lies the most promising challenge. Unfortunately the deluxe edition is quite pricey but there are hopefully online copies by now that you can download.
A few sets are hard to get into upon initial reading, but most of them are accessible and completely riveting to read. These twelve singular mindscapes have a lot to offer and gain from, and it would be a shame not to travel them.
The best thing about SOLO is that it's a banquet and you are welcome to try all samples and decide which one satiated your tastes. With its impressive range, you can get engrossed with whatever floats your boat; that could either be Western, romance, horror, psychedelic surrealism or superhero parodies. They're all kinds of ridiculous, heartfelt, exciting and baffling. And if the stories don't do it much for you, the breadth of tantalizing artwork that encompassed this large container of creative endeavors might just do the trick. Each page of SOLO is rife with a stylish variety of color palettes, artistic techniques and unforgettable landscapes.
I came for Batman foremost (and he is featured in at least eleven stories) but what I got in the long run was something more than a stroke of luck or easily attainable pastime reading, and I was left with a newfound appreciation for the comic medium once again. I enjoyed the servings by Darwyn Cooke, Paul Pope, Damion Scott and Sergio Aragones the most, but all twelve distinct voices have made SOLO such a special enterprise and I'm really pleased that DC pursued such an invigorating project. Granted, the bulk of this anthology can be slightly intimidating, but therein lies the most promising challenge. Unfortunately the deluxe edition is quite pricey but there are hopefully online copies by now that you can download.
Deliriously twisted tales of sci-fi horror
April 2014
Alan Moore is probably my favorite comic book writer EVER solely because Watchmen remains a personally influential work for me (and, to a lesser extent, his erotica Lost Girls). I didn't know what I was going to get when I bought this, but my faith in anything Moore has written had allowed me to risk purchasing this almost obscure work of his, at least as far as I know. The Complete Future Shocks is an anthology of comic strips, ranging from one-spread stories to at least four to six pages of narrative. Originally, it was also "a long-running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970 (source)." |
There has been a handful of successful writers who wrote for this series and one of them is Alan Moore and this collected edition proves just that. Collaborating with a roster of some of comics' great artists, Moore has created dimensional and self-contained stories exploring the many hilarious and disturbing possibilities of alien invasion, entanglements of theoretical time travel, and the campy adventures of a man with a two-storey brain.
The anthology is divided into three collected series: (1) Tharg's Future Shocks that mainly covers extraterrestrial contact sprinkled with literary allusions to the tropes of horror and sci-fi genres while dressed as cautionary tales; (2) My personal favorite Time Twisters which is composed of the often distressing if not nearly tragic complications about time travel; and (3) Abelard Snazz, a series of convoluted adventures concerning a genius with a literal two-storey brain. Moore's sardonic dark humor is ever-present in this installment, perfectly depicting the absolutely absurd hero who ends up damaging anything he encounters even if his intentions all along is to fix problems.
Some of my favorites are the ones which have a tinge of sadness to them despite their comedic tone like the The Wages of Sin, One Christmas During Eternity, The Reversible Man, and Chrono Cops. Others are just plain disturbing like Eureka, Ring Road, The Startling Success of Sideways Scuttleton, Dad, The Lethal Laziness of Lobella Loom and The Last Rumble of the Platinum Horde. Still, the rest of the strips are always engaging and funny which only show the caliber of Moore's writing depicted by the wonderful artwork of artists like John Higgins, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Eric Bradbury.
The anthology is divided into three collected series: (1) Tharg's Future Shocks that mainly covers extraterrestrial contact sprinkled with literary allusions to the tropes of horror and sci-fi genres while dressed as cautionary tales; (2) My personal favorite Time Twisters which is composed of the often distressing if not nearly tragic complications about time travel; and (3) Abelard Snazz, a series of convoluted adventures concerning a genius with a literal two-storey brain. Moore's sardonic dark humor is ever-present in this installment, perfectly depicting the absolutely absurd hero who ends up damaging anything he encounters even if his intentions all along is to fix problems.
Some of my favorites are the ones which have a tinge of sadness to them despite their comedic tone like the The Wages of Sin, One Christmas During Eternity, The Reversible Man, and Chrono Cops. Others are just plain disturbing like Eureka, Ring Road, The Startling Success of Sideways Scuttleton, Dad, The Lethal Laziness of Lobella Loom and The Last Rumble of the Platinum Horde. Still, the rest of the strips are always engaging and funny which only show the caliber of Moore's writing depicted by the wonderful artwork of artists like John Higgins, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Eric Bradbury.
Down, down the rabbit hole...
November 2012
I should state from here on out that I intensely identify with Lewis Caroll's Alice and that I've considered her as a fictional counterpart, most especially Alan Moore's re-imagining of this character in Lost Girls.
Last year, while working late night at our student publication's office, I came across a manual for artists which belong to the art section, and it listed Bryan Talbot's Alice in Sunderland as one of the references. I was immediately intrigued because it was an Alice-based graphic novel, and I knew Talbot from his illustrations in The Sandman volume 6. I was able to download a .cbr copy and I only scanned through the pages and realized that it was not a linear narrative structure but more of a historical thesis in sequential art form. |
It was only in the Manila International Book Fair that September when I was happy to see a singular hardbound copy of this book. I took it home and began to read. Alice in Sunderland is a challenging visual experience; it's engrossing in many parts but nevertheless an often historical lecture on the origins of Caroll's creation of the Alice/Wonderland lore that could be very trying for one's attention span. The stylistic language and presentation of this book resemble what Alice might have felt when she fell down the rabbit hole, and readers will get to experience the same stressful effect because reading through this is overwhelming at times. One thing I can guarantee is that this piece of work is not bland even when it's confusing. The writing is quite schizophrenic; one moment it's a documentary with an omniscient third-person narrator talking to the audience and the next it's split into anecdotes and flash fiction weaved into several disjointed arcs.
What I can suggest when consuming this book is to take a break every once in a while and don't attempt to read this in one sitting or it will dilute your appreciation for both its form and content. Talbot infused this tapestry of stories with pages and pages of allegory, alliteration and every kind of figurative language that it's often indulgent and verbose for its own good. Nevertheless, one can forgive the book's unreliable narrator, and truly enjoy the scope of Alice in Sunderland as an exceptional work of the imagination. The book also attempts to juxtapose Sunderland's history and the history of comics as influenced by Caroll's Alice legends.
This is not the kind of book a reader should expect emotional pay-off from. Upon finishing it, all that is left is the realization that Alice is Sunderland has better parts than its entirety, but it is nonetheless audacious and thrilling. The visual landscapes and setting are some of the best drawings and illustrations I have encountered. Those alone should be enough to make this book a worthwhile occupation.
What I can suggest when consuming this book is to take a break every once in a while and don't attempt to read this in one sitting or it will dilute your appreciation for both its form and content. Talbot infused this tapestry of stories with pages and pages of allegory, alliteration and every kind of figurative language that it's often indulgent and verbose for its own good. Nevertheless, one can forgive the book's unreliable narrator, and truly enjoy the scope of Alice in Sunderland as an exceptional work of the imagination. The book also attempts to juxtapose Sunderland's history and the history of comics as influenced by Caroll's Alice legends.
This is not the kind of book a reader should expect emotional pay-off from. Upon finishing it, all that is left is the realization that Alice is Sunderland has better parts than its entirety, but it is nonetheless audacious and thrilling. The visual landscapes and setting are some of the best drawings and illustrations I have encountered. Those alone should be enough to make this book a worthwhile occupation.