REVIEW: Supergods

Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us about Being Human.

Written by Grant Morrison

First published in 2012

Supergods

·         The whole of the work is Grant Morrison’s summary of the Golden Age, Silver Age, Dark Age and Renaissance of American comics, with his personal history and life-changing experiences interlaced with the narrative starting with the Silver Age/Dark Age.

·         A minor detail is that Grant Morrison overlooked that Mary Marvel mistakenly says “Captain Marvel” like Captain Marvel Jr. to become a hero, when she also says “Shazam” like Billy Batson except it’s to invoke goddesses for powers instead of gods like Captain Marvel.

·         A lot of American comics’ writers seem to be British by the influences that Grant Morrison states helped shaped American comics by the Dark Age.

·         He includes his details on his interpersonal relationship with the characters Animal Man and Superman, who are real people to him that happen to live in the DC Universe.

·         Periodically, Morrison includes pictures to tell his commentary, like the cover of Action #1 which he commentates on how people may react to seeing Superman for the first time during the early days of the Golden Age.

·         Jack Kirby is a consistent influence to Grant Morrison given his constant praise of Kirby’s creations showing up in his commentary or how cosmic comic events are constantly linked to Kirby by Morrison.

·         Morrison also happens to be responsible for a good number of Final Crisis and Countdown, which I happen to not very much, which he sees as art which I mostly vary in agreement save for the end of Final Crisis and the characters fighting the blank of the screen, ie their Armageddon.

·         Morrison also includes “real life superhero” phenomenon of real people in his final statements of both the original and paperback versions of Supergods. He uses this as justification that heroes are amongst us and how the line between fantastic heroic flare and real life is blurring. However, given my own knowledge of real life superheroes I don’t completely agree with this as real life superheroes do not necessarily help real causes as much.

·         Morrison includes a good number of Mark Millar titles to talk of the Dark Age and Renaissance where heroes are seen in a negative light. This may have been due to their previous friendship which let Morrison view his work more.

·         Despite talking of a good number about American comics, Morrison left out Will Eisner’s The Spirit in his book, who I see just as influential as Jack Kirby in using comics as an art medium.

·         The paperback book included commentary on Astro City and the Reeve’s Superman movie that were left out in the original print. Both were really good though I knew all the information of them already.

·         Overall, Morrison’s book Supergods was very informative of the history and culture of Comics. I would compare it to be the Sophie’s World of the Comic world, where as we go down the life of Morrison ‘s quest to becoming the known comics writer he is today do we also learn of the complete history of American comics and how it changed the more than half a century American hero comics have been around.

Bibliography

Morrison, Grant. Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us about Being Human. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2012. Print.

REVIEW: Astro City Confessions

Astro City

Written by Kurt Busiek, illustrated by Brent Anderson and Alex Ross

First published in 1997

Astro City: Confession

·         The story centers on a sidekick character for the majority of this installment of Astro City: the Choir Boy. He’s the sidekick of the Confessor, who is a Batman detective vampire character.

·         With the Confessor’s style of justice in the night, we see the night life and night crimes of Astro City, which is contrary to the bright and optimistic light of Astro City in the day.

·         Even Jack-in-the-Box, a superhero who has a gadget and acrobatics motif, isn’t as dark in tone as the Confessor’s stories.

·         The Confessor’s arc brings to mind that no matter what you are you can be a hero

·         The hero’s journey of Choir Boy brings an outsider to Astro City who wants to become a hero who in turn learns that there is more to being a hero than fame and respect, a trend Booster Gold in DC comics went through.

·         With the alien invasion to discredit the heroes being prevalent in the arc, we see why they included the alien spy arc in the first volume.

·         The fact that politicians choose not to bring heat to heroes in Astro City until this arc highlights how intergraded heroes are in the Astro City society, to the point that no one questions their motives or questions that the heroes could turn against the public

·         Again the art is beautiful and the design for the Confessor is well played, given that he allows his symbol to be a cross in order to self-punish himself so as to drive backs his bloodlust as a vampire and channeling his focus into fighting crime.

·         The introduction of the Crossbred, a religious themed group of heroes like the X-Men, brings to light the discrimination some groups of heroes may get for their beliefs. Incidentally, they are the most tolerant of the public’s discrimination against them during the manhunt for the heroes besides the Confessor.

·         When Choir Boy brushes off side hero plots like synopses of comic arcs, it highlights that super events in comics to the heroes that are part of the timeline barely note the happenings of others outside of general politics, similar to how real people know legislation and armed conflict in real life but do not put too much thought into it.

·         The story of the Hanged Man highlights that lives to get changed in timeline altering events in comics even if things seem to go back to normal, as one man feels empty after a day where his wife ceases to exist.

·         Choir boy becomes the new Confessor, with the public’s view of him being renewed as good after the original vampire Confessor sacrificed himself to save the planet.

·         Overall, I loved the Confession arc of Astro City, as it shows the underground that the daytime Astro City doesn’t show. It also shows how people get into the city hoping to get into the hero business and how dreams can be altered with growth in such a bizarre city of heroes.

Bibliography

Busiek, Kurt, Brent Eric. Anderson, Richard Starkings, John Gaushell, Steve Buccellato, and Alex Ross. Kurt Busiek's Astro City: Life in the Big City. LaJolla, CA: Homage Comics, 1997. Print.

REVIEW: We3

We3

Written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Frank Quitely

First published in 2004

We3

·         We3 centers around three pets who were turned into tools of war (I called them Cybermats from Doctor Who) with their wills in place. They are a bunny,  a cat and a dog (the dog being our focus for the story)

·         The beginning panels were minimalist in story telling (like the experimental comics that artists like Art Spiegelman work on) and conveyed the animalistic snapshots of conscious that the pets went through just doing things without dialogue.

·         The animals themselves have minimal cognitive processes though they do have a will that drove them in the story to leave the facility that is trying to kill them.

·         The fact that this series shows animals being used as military weapons could be a critique in itself about animal rights and the status of strays in the United States.

·         The only good humans in the comic are the Doctor who tested on them, who want to redeem her by getting the animals safe from the military, and the homeless guy who didn’t overreact to the dogs being weird and in fact was sympathetic that humans have been testing on them. The cat and the dog survive by the end to be in the care of the homeless man.

·         Despite the fact that we are supposed to sympathize with the animals, they do kill soldiers and people who want to get at them in the story. This may have been focused as being part of their conditioning as tools of war as opposed to their own sadistic sense of survival, as opposed to the humans who see them as game to shoot and kill for the sake of pay.

·         Had this series been in based in real life, PETA would have been all against the actions of the government using animals as drones of war, which is ironic given PETA’s own controversial stance on politics in the real world.

·         The animals show cunning by the end by getting rid of their armor and rigging it with bombs so as to blow up the soldiers getting at them. This is contrary to their animalistic tendencies and instincts that they had in the beginning of the series so this may convey growth of the characters.

·         The politician tried his best to cover up the bad things he has done to animals in the series, which ended up with him losing his credentials by the end.

·         The dog seems to be a strong moral character given his loyalty to innocent humans and those who don’t treat him horribly.

·         Overall, the story was okay for me. As I am used to Grant Morrison work redefining a concept, like All Star Superman, I was expecting to see a redefinition of how pets with mechanical powers could be seen. However, this was not the case with this work. However, it was an enjoyable read and I do recommend it to others.

Bibliography

Morrison, Grant, and Frank Quitely. WE3. New York: DC Comics, 2005. Print.

REVIEW: Tales from the Crypt

Jack Davis’s Tales from the Crypt

By Jack Davis

First published in 1950, reprint published in 2012

Tales from the Crypt

·         This reprint of the original Tales of the Crypt comic is in the same style as the 1950’s comic that was sold on the comic shelves during that time. This was printed as a Halloween special under Fantagraphics Books for promotion.

·         The reprint was given as part of Halloween goodies for people who trick-or-treated. Given that Hurricane Sandy happened for New York City however, the comic was given as part of thank you present for those who donated canned food and water to their local comic store. In my case, it was Forbidden Planet, NYC.

·         The series was originally started by William Maxwell Gaines and Albert B. Feldstein. The printed comic viewed, however, focused on Jack Davis’ work.

·         The stories are the same as other horror and terror and supernatural stories in that they are introduced by a narrator, who in this comic is the Crypt Keeper. In the comics, the Tales from the Crypt stories may have been part of an anthology of other horror comics as the Crypt Keeper usually hands over the comics’ continuation to “an old witch” who is not part of the print.

·         The Crypt Keeper himself has a back story that is part of the printed comics’ tales as the child of an Egyptian mummy and a two headed horror.

·         Apparently, books like Tales from the Crypt were part of the justification of Fredric Wertham, M.D. as part of his writings in “Seduction of the Innocent” as comics being the cause (not correlate) to the moral decay of the American youth.

·         This comic has the mark of “An Entertaining Comic” as its seal. Ironic given that the Comic Code Authority was born from debate over titles like this and which’s seal was on comics for half a century since until its debunk in 2011.

·         In my modern eyes, the comic wasn’t that terrifying or morally disturbing, making it overrated as the comic series that placed censorship on all comics at the time. This may have been due to my contemporary cynicism and desensitization though.

·         As the Tales from the Crypt is supposed to be horror based, most stories understandably end in tragedy and deaths of characters save for the Crypt Keeper’s origins.

·         Violence is included with the death of women and the mutilation of characters. However, most deserved their horrible fates in their comics.

·         Overall, I enjoyed Tales of the Crypt though the hype of it being morally haunting may have been promoted too much by the doctor. In my opinion, this comic series wasn’t that terrifying even for kids at the time. Perhaps one day I’ll read the doctor’s work “Seduction of the Innocent” and see if it holds true as a good psychology paper by modern standards. Tales of the Crypt, on the other hand, is a great anthology of horror comics.

Bibliography

Davis, Jack. Tales from the Crypt. Seatte, WA: Fantagraphics Books, 2012. Print.

REVIEW: Criminal-Coward

Crime: Coward

By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

First published in 2007

Crime: Coward

·         The comic dives into the crime genre, a genre that was a major contributor to the Comics Code Authority back in the 1960’s which created censorship in comics due to the media being called as the source of corruption in America during the time.

·         As this comic was published in 2007, several years before the Comics Code Authority was debunked and no longer prevalent in Comics censorship, this being allowed to be published by Marvel comics is noted of the CCA’s dropping authority to comics.

·         This tale is somewhat like a noire story, only from the perspective of a criminal as opposed to a private eye or a cop.

·         Like a Noire story, the major part of the plot centered on contraband, heists, mystery murder and a woman who is nothing but trouble. However, this is centered on the criminal element.

·         Leo, the protagonist, comes from a crime family. As this is the first in the Crime series, it is not made prevalent that the stories told later are intertwined with the concept and that they all happen to hang out in the same speakeasy. He only takes jobs he knows he can succeed in.

·         Close to everyone dies in the cast by the end: including the two corrupt cops, the single mother, the grandmother, the father of Leo, the thugs, and Leo himself. Only an acquaintance of Leo, a black woman who is also of a crime family and the mother’s daughter survive by the end.

·         They interplay the story with clippings of Frank Kafka, which serves as a story within a story. Incidentally, the plot elements for the detective in Kafka match with the ‘real’ situations of Leo as the plot moves along.

·         It is not clear to whether the cops set up Leo or were just incompetent at the heist by the end, even with the same goal being that they take the contraband to the drug lord anyway.

·         Child prostitution and child rape are noted in the plot, even when they are not acted on let alone shown thank goodness.

·         Though the narration is supposed to be focused on Leo, there are moments where Leo as the narrator doesn’t make sense as with the experiences with the single mother and the cops being shown regardless of Leo’s presence.

·         It is left unclear by the end of the comic if Leo survived however.

·         Overall, I thought that “Criminal” was a good read though somewhat bleak by the end. Given that this is a noire story that is supposed to be the case. It being published during the dying CCA’s Authority over comics shows that censorship in comics was being drowned by the desensitization that people are now experiencing as opposed to comics years ago.

Bibliography

Brubaker, Ed, Sean Phillips, and Tom Fontana. Coward. New York: Marvel, 2007. Print.

The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival

The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival

An event held in Brooklyn, NY

Took place November 10, 2012

The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival

·         The panels were held a few blocks from the exhibit hall, which was in a church

·         In the church, the top and bottom floors had tables with independent artists and comic persons.

·         Notably the works displayed on the tables were predominantly aimed towards an adult audience or experimental phase of art, unlike the more kid friendly and slightly more mainstream MoCCA Fest (Museum of Cartoon and Comics Art).

·         The two panels I saw were “The Architecture of Comics: Mcguire, Spiegelman and Ware” and “Art/Comics/Sexuality/Pornography.” (Antico, Benjamin and Negron were the artist on the program for the latter)

·         I got a picture with Spiegelman at the end. :D

·         The first panel I saw talked about how formats used by the artists aimed towards the experimental phase as they played with how panels could be read or how space and time can be played with each panel.

·         The second and last panel talked mostly on the artists’ opinions on pornography in the current media and how they feel about their own depictions of sexuality in art

·         The first panel had a lot of people, so much so that people had to sit on the floor and stand around to fit in the room. The second did not have as much though notably no children were permitted in the second one.

·         A noted quote in the first panel was “Architecture is Frozen Music,” said by Goethe

·         The second panel about pornography had sexual tones but to a more grotesque form: with the art being violent or saddening sex, stressed weight of women like R. Crumb and just biographical tones depending on the author.

·         Two of the three artists in the second panel admitted that Japanese erotic art, like woodblock paintings and Sailor Moon somehow, were inspirations for them to have sexual tones in their art

·         The works sold in the exhibit hall were cheaply printed and cheaply priced, a reflection on the independent nature of the works made by the artists. This can be contrasted with the industrial market of Comic Con where all things are fifty dollar and above priced goods.

·         While leaving the church for the Festival, regular church services were being held right next door. This is ironic as some of the art sold in the church’s exhibit halls were indeed pornographic and sometimes blasphemous in nature

·         Overall, I liked the festival though wished for it to be in a central building like other conventions (Comic Con having its own Convention center and MoCCA Fest in the Armory). My major complaint is just that. Otherwise it was enjoyable and free though I did not buying much myself.

REVIEW: Wreck-It Ralph (Spoiler Free)

Wreck-It Ralph

A Disney film directed by Rich Moore

Released 2012

Wreck-It Ralph (Spoil Free Review)

·         The movie was fun to watch as a gamer, as I felt like it was actually written by people who played arcade games or video games in general

·         Ralph is a likeable protagonist who unfortunately is the bad guy from the game he is from.

·         The supporting cameo characters of other video games, like Dig Dug and Zangief, gives this film a Who Framed Roger Rabbit feel to it as the background of game characters brings life to this movie.

·         I like how they got Ryu and Ken’s voice actors from the Street Fighter series to cameo voice in the beginning.

·         The lack of appreciation of Ralph’s home game characters for him seems discriminating and uncalled for as him being part of their lives for thirty years in story seems unprovoked given all characters recognize that their base personalities are given by the programmers and are not their true selves.

·         The beginning’s Pac Man scene was beautiful with villains meeting to a help counsel within a Pac Man game.

·         Nintendo notably didn’t sell Mario’s cameo to Disney as it was too high priced. He was, however, mentioned in the movie

·         The movie past the first arc relied heavily on being in Sugar Rush, a racing game with little girls: which dominated the film for too long in my opinion.

·         Humans in the film are notably not important to the plot besides the arcade owner, with them not necessarily interacting with the characters as much as Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

·         Given the modern nature of how games are less in the arcade setting, the arcade this is based in is notably successful for our contemporary times: something that takes a while to overlook in the whole of the film.

·         Given how characters interact within the limits of the arcade, in theory with the film there are multiple Ralphs and other characters in different arcades as the characters being who they are isn’t universal: though I don’t think the writers intended this flaw in the film’s logic.

·         Noted side characters that aren’t made for the movie are: Zangief, the bartender in Tapper, Ryu from Street Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog (who was there to lay down the in rules of death for game characters), and Q Bert.  All other characters had extreme minimal roles.

·         A major flaw in the film’s plot is that should Ralph been more direct in wanting to be appreciated this film would not have happened. Also, the antagonistic forces throughout the film save for Sugar Rush’s villain were all his fault.

·         The true antagonist in the film, who I will not name to not spoil, seemed forced and rushed midway in the film. (Hint: “Going Turbo,” which as a term stated by M. Bison was confusing until they explained it didn’t have anything to do with Street Fighter)

·         The cameos of the game characters last only through the first and second arc: past that it the plot is centered solely on Sugar Rush and had no room to include the other game characters.

REVIEW: Astro City

Astro City

Written by Kurt Busiek, illustrated by Brent Anderson and Alex Ross

First published in 1995

Astro City

·         The story notably centers on a city and its environment as opposed to a central hero: like Eisner’s Spirit for some of its publications.

·         The focus of the first publication “Life in the Big City,” focuses on heroes as well as criminals and civilians. The first was on Samaritan, a Superman analogy who can only dream of enjoying his powers as he constantly has to save people. The second was on a reporter who kept a classified hero conflict up to a point. The third is on a criminal who finds out a hero’s identity and is haunted by the prospect of the hero getting him. The fourth is a lady who is admirer of a feminist superheroine. The fifth one is on an alien invader who watches the heroes to decide if he should invade. The last is on a date between heroes while they are in costume: Samaritan and Winged Victory.

·         Astro City has the feel of a Silver Age comic series in background where great things happen all the time but people treat it as happenstance and don’t make big political moves to deal with superheroes or villains.

·         The third story was a good psychological tale of a criminal who finds a hero’s identity: with his fears of the hero and the mob who may betray him a good point to why normal civilians who even figure out hero identities rarely take advantage of it.

·         The good nature of the heroes in Astro City indicates that the heroes are not a violent, Image Comics bunch. Instead, it seems to focus on Silver Age like storylines where things are goofy and crime happens but there are no repercussions to heroes or daily people.

·         With the civilians save for the common criminal, despite them getting into danger and almost dying the prospect of heroes in a city draws common people to Astro City: thus indicating that those who would bother to stay in a city of heroes have more of an adventurous, bold part of their personality.

·         In the trade copy, there is a map of the layout of Astro City, thus indicating that the creators had a specific idea of how Astro City should be unlike Metropolis or Gotham City where it is left to the interpretation of every succeeding artist to decide the geography of what the city looks like.

·         The hero date seemed conspicuous on the last story as it would have made more sense for them to go not in costume. However, given how old Samaritan looks out of hero form it may have been done to the benefit of Winged Victory.

·         Overall, I liked the story though with Alex Ross as part of the team I thought it would have been even better if he did the actual artwork for the comic and not just character designs and covers. The take on superhero life in a functioning city and how the culture of that mirrors musings like Plato’s Republic and Thomas Moore’s Utopia in picturing a society to an ideal form: in this case it is of an ideal society catered to heroism.

Bibliography

Busiek, Kurt, Brent Eric. Anderson, Richard Starkings, John Gaushell, Steve Buccellato, and Alex Ross. Kurt Busiek's Astro City: Life in the Big City. La Jolla, CA: Homage Comics, 1996. Print.