The New Frontier: The Review

So I was bound to be disappointed after how much I was looking forward to this DVD, and I have to admit I am. As is quite apt to happen, the source material is far, far better. But this movie did not suck in the slightest. It was a very good time, only it was far too short, clocking in at only 70ish minutes.

This is the problem with this new series of direct to DVD releases from DC, they are far too short and lose the expansive, epic nature of the source material. The Superman: Doomsday film was whittled down from 3 extremely large TPBs which stared nearly every hero in the DC universe, to a quite boring 80ish minute version bereft of any other hero. It took Superman out of his world and inserted him into a fairly bad cartoon version of it. The Death of Superman is the best selling graphic novel of all time. There is/was certainly an audience for this movie, but the implementation of it was extraordinarily weak.

The New Frontier does not suffer the same fate. This is an extremely fun movie that captures the core essence of the book, it just does not feel complete. There are so many story lines going on here that any of them could have easily been expanded on without making this film lopsided. The Martian Manhunter is easily the soul of the book. His story of wanting to get home and giving it up to save earth highlights the true nature of heroism. And while the film does not short him as much as a few other characters, his story here just does not seem complete. It is as if his journey starts sputteringly then bang he is at his destination, almost as if Dorthy's house were to have fallen on the witch, some munchkins sang her a song and then she woke up in her bed. And really his journey fails as it was so contextual to the development of the history behind the the story in the book. His newspaper clippings, provided a window into the snowballing ills of the time. The ills that called for heroes and heroism. Not following this thread also forced the view to miss out on one of the most powerful pieces in the book, the story of John Henry Irons. And while there is a brief mention of his fate in the film, the power of his story is lost. That said, the changes they made to the storyline to pare down the story mostly work extremely well. Forgoing the tale of The Losers sadly made a lot of sense. And framing the story around the creation of a comic book was a spark of genius.

The voice actors were above competent and the art and design flawless. I can easily see watching it again, and really look forward to the extras on the DVD. I just really think it calls out to be longer. And to repeat a previous critique, why was this not released theaters?

SCALPED: INDIAN COUNTRY

Scalped
VOL. 1: Indian Country
DC/Vertigo Comics

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: R.M. Guera
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Will Denis
Covers: Jock

I read the first issue on the Vertigo site a while ago, and really was not very impressed. The art made it very hard to understand at least the first half of the book. It was not bad, nor exactly out of place for the story, it just seemed a bit too free of hand, as I was not sure who was who, nor doing what to whom, until I reread it about 3 times. And after seeing some of Guera's other art, I will lay the blame on the colorist, as his other stuff is beyond gorgeous. His work here reminds me of the work of the late Jorge Zaffino, most notably his work on The Punisher Graphic Novel The Assassin's Guild, only with the red, orange and yellow shades of the expansive desert replacing the urban grit hues of blue, gray and black. I only wish his line work was a bit cleaner and offered more expression, though after reading the whole TPB, I can begrudgingly admit his art does echo the tone of detachment that is pervasive throughout the story.

But after my initial reading, I figured this would be a book I would skip and not worry about. But the praise that others in the comic industry have heaped on it and the strength of Aaron's other work I have read, The Other Side, which I completely and thoroughly enjoyed, made me rethink this. So I finally read the first TPB over the weekend to see if it improved.

Well the first issue was still hard to get through. Though the disorientation might have been intentional, as the introduction of the main character is as jarring to the reservation community as to the reader. As a single issue, i am not sure that it works, but as a part to the whole story, it sets up the story nicely. I just find it too bad that writing for the trade is the main thrust of comic bookdom . There are too many dangling pieces in the 1st issue, not really questions, as there are those as well, but just things that do not line up with the story, or at least it seems. A minor point really, as I am reading the trade, but it does echo another reason why I was dismissive of the story when I first read it.

Overall I am quite glad I opted to give this a second try, as the book plunges into a far grittier reality than I gave it credit for and while I am not exactly enamored by any of the characters, nor do I think I was intended to be, I am overly curious to what is going to happen to them. I will present the issues I had with the book first, get it out of the way, before I get to the good stuff, as other than the dusty pallor from the art, there really are not many problems with the book. The biggest is that even though it runs through two story lines (a 3 and 2 parter), there is no sense of an ending, as the ending is nothing more than a prompt to return to the buffet for seconds. And while I can understand the desire to reel in return readers, this just seems desperate. The story is compelling enough for me to want to return for more. This ploy just stank of over the top sloppy storytelling. The final few pages would have been amazing as the first few of the next story line, as they are exhilarating as the buckshot violence scattered throughout this book. It would have been akin to the first blast of a fire fight breaking up one of the numerous meth labs within this story. Here, it just falls flat, like an extraneous dead body in any of the aforementioned fire fights.

The other issues I have are really just questions about things that should become clearer as the story goes on. And in fact this issue of murkiness is really quite prevalent throughout this book. And really this story telling trick would make far more sense in a book taking place in a swamp than the dust bowl of South Dakota reservation life. It impinges too much on the central urgency of the book, which Arron really demonstrated well in the second and third issues, by framing it with linear jump cuts of ever increasing tension and decreasing time to a final hail storm of bullets. And while he really was able to aptly drive this portion of the story, the other elements, which to the main story are far more relevant drift off to the margins.

Aaron's construction of his main character, Dashiell Bad Horse, is the biggest strength this book possesses. While Bad Horse is far from a likable person, he is an amazingly compelling character. He could easily have been constructed as or fallen into a parody, as he is yet another prodigal son returning home. And of course he has baggage, all prodigal sons must have baggage... only his shines brightly in the sun and glistens with blinding reflection from his FBI badge. He is here to infiltrate his old tribe as it bores through its past and prepares to get rich off Casino Gambling. He also is the son of a Indian activist in the vein of AIM who was present when two FBI agents were killed, a'la the Leonard Peltier case. And of course, his FBI handler still holds a grudge that he was unable to put Bad Horse's mother or the away for the murders.

The plot, murkiness issues aside, is a compelling one. Bad Horse is there to enact his handlers forsaken justice and deal with his own scars from spending 13 years embedded in the Badlands. His twitchy impulse for violence, ready to implode at any moment, and near death wish force situations that could be paved over, like the desert for the foundations of the casino, to literally seep with tension. The next book in the series seems to deal more with Bad Horse's history, which I am sure will answer some questions raised in this book, but for now he plows through the land and the story leaving just enough of a semblance of what is going on.

One puts down the book eager to return to the reservation to see where the next dead bodies will land and just how an area as scared as the Badlands can heal if it were awash in Casino dollars. I will be back to read the next book at least.

The Current Crop is Soooo Much More Important than that Which Came Before, Obviously...

One of my first reads of every day is Journalista, the news blog of The Comic Journal. I have sort of mixed feelings about The Comic Journal. It really is the best source of print journalism for the comics industry, but it seems to stay in the upper echelon of high brow comics. And while it certainly has its place, I feel it could do well with spending more time on more of the mainstream stuff as well. And I have to admit I used to think I was above most comics, back when I gave up 95% of superhero comics in the early 90s, and I felt The Comics Journal was essential reading and pretty much alienated all my comic reading friends by telling them off for not even giving it a go or for reading Quasar or other "silly little books." And as I try not to remember those times that much, my days with whipping others with high brow culture engines is pretty much over. But Journalista is far too good a read to pass up. And really if you have limited or no interests in comics there is no reason why you would ever care about the daily blog. Or maybe even this post.....

Now I sit here wondering if that introduction is even justified and/or useful, but I am going to keep it. But, back to the issue at hand: Today on Journalista there was a link to Pop Candy's 25 favorite comic series. So I clicked to it to see what was being offered up on the alter of "hip and hidden" pop culture gems. I have to say I expected to be far more disappointed, but that does not mean the bar was raised very high either. So let me take a few minutes to go over this list.

I have only read parts or all of at least 16 of the 25 listed. Not bad, and really there are two books on the list that in no way shape or form will I ever read. The winners are: Marvel Zombies and Buffy Season 8. Now my aversion to Buffy might be a bit on the nonsensical/irrational side, but it is what it is. I have never seen an episode of the show, nor do I have any plans to for one simple fact: an old roommate of mine would watch the show each week whilst donning plastic fangs. I kid you not: Plastic Fangs! It was enough to be scared for life from ever even considering having anything to do with the show (and I live alone now, read into this what you will...). And as for Marvel Zombies... My hatred for zombies is so vast that if I was a planet I could easily eclipse the sun's light for months if not years at a time. Seriously, the shit is so played out. Back when Romero first used zombies there was a political point to them. Now, they are as useless as pirates, vampires, or ninjas in that over use has killed any commentary or purpose they might offer. They went from relevant to kitsch to useless at something faster than light speed.

So those two are out. The other books I have not read: The Walking Dead, Death Note, Ex Machina, Finder, Scott Pilgrim, Umbrella Academy. Two of these books I have never even heard of: Death Note and Finder. Death Note is manga and I have never had much use for it. Yes, I know entirely dismissive - that hardly sounds like me at all.... As for Finder, well sign me up. It sounds quite interesting. So if this list had no other use it at least prompted my knowledge of this book. The Walking Dead is yet another zombie book, by the same writer of the other zombie book above. Is it any wonder that to my knowledge I have never read a thing by him. Scott Pilgrim is a book I have flipped through and it never spoke to me. I did not dig the art at all and it just seemed to focused on juvenile humor. The last two, Umbrella Academy and Ex Machina are books that I have planned to read. Both are still ongoing (I think). I read a preview of Umbrella Academy when the 1st issue came out a few months back and I am seriously looking forward to the trade of this book. And I was in love with Y - The Last Man so much that I did not want to read another Brian K. Vaughn book concurrently. So now that Y has sadly ended, Ex Machina is in my sights.

Of the 16 books I have read at least some of I am seriously puzzled at the inclusion of these books: The Goon, Criminal, Girls, and Hellboy way either. The goon does have beautiful art, I'll give it that. Eric Powell is beyond a fantastic artist, but his stories are like dreading the river bottom for bodies, and not in good noir way. Girls is the same way, great art (not nearly to Powell's level though), but the story put me to sleep. Hellboy is just infuriating to me. I have never seen anything redeeming about it. And yes, I know I am an outlier on this issue, but I have never even been remotely smitten with Mignola's art. I read the first arc of Criminal and while it was decent, it was nothing above that. That this book somehow supplanted Ed Brubaker's and Sean Phillips's utterly amazing, far, far superior Sleeper is quite honestly the single biggest flaw on this list. That was a series that had any and everything one could ever wish for in it, well except if you wanted it to keep going (which it easily could have and should have).

The major flaw, that is far larger than the Sleeper slight, of this list is that it seems to forget anything before the 90s. Other than the impeccable Love and Rockets everything else is new. Please take this moment to review the title of this post again.....

Yep, you guessed it, this is just insane to me. I am pretty convinced that the writer of this blog is fairly new to comics, at least of the periodical, episodic kind, to leave out so many great series ( Frank Miller's Daredevil, Will Eisner's The Spirit, Jack Cole's Plastic Man, Dave Sim's Cerebus, Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, Howard Chaykin's American Flagg!, among many other worthy candidates). At least the same can not be said for her top 25 graphic novels where the medium is approached with a far larger scope and time frame. My guess is Ms Matheson enjoys the single serving graphic novel far more than episodic storytelling, to which she is clearly late to the table. And while there is no fault to that, it does lists like this the greatest of disservice.

Or maybe focusing on the old is just not in line with the blogs raison d'etre: "unwrapping pop culture's hip and hidden treasures". But it sure would seem like it. To help rekindle the love to a long forgotten (albeit collected) series would seem like a no-brainer for this blog. But no, I guess hip and hidden treasures have to have at least a bit of flavor of the month. Ugh, ugh, and triple ugh....

And now my fingers feel like they have carpal ranty syndrome. But letting this go without acknowledging Matheson's good to great choices would be a slight as great as hers, so without further adieu, the great choices:


All-Star Superman - While I have not read the whole run, the 1st trade was beyond amazing. This is Grant Morrison at his best. If one has ever had a passing fancy towards Superman this is the book for you. And seriously Frank Quitely's art is nothing less than magical.

DMZ - Brian Wood is a genius. This is just an amazingly visceral reading experience. An American Civil War breaks out and Manhattan is the major battle zone. It is far enough removed from reality that the commentary does not seem forced nor overbearing. I would say that this is the single book that could get more people into comics than anything else.

The Invisibles - Another Grant Morrison epic. It is not just coincidence that there is more than one of his books on this list. He is easily the most important writer going today. This comic does nothing less than pile drive shared reality. As Yosemite Sam would exclaim "there's gold in them thar hills!," well there is magic/magik in these thar pages. Leaving Morison's Doom Patrol off this list is a serious oversight as well.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Alan Moore is comic royalty. His work easily pushed comics further than anyone before him. And as much great work we have gotten out of Moore, we have gotten work from far lessor mortals trying to cop his style that is truly embarrassing. And if you saw the movie of this, well now you know why Moore refuses any cash from film adaptations. But this story weaves together great characters of English literature and imagines them as amazing adventurers. Fabulous stuff, and amazingly not even remotely Moore's best work.

Love and Rockets - I hate to admit that I wondered why the guys from Bauhaus that went on to form Love and Rockets the band needed their own comic. When I first read a book of this series, I then understood why the band decided to name themselves after a comic. Great characters, great stories, great comic. Read it!

Planetary - I read a random issue of this way back when and completely failed to understand the hype on this book. Figured people were eating lead paint chips with their salsa and forged ahead without bothering to look back. Then I happened on the first TPB of this at the library and decided to check it out, or at least it made it home with me. Well to say I was hooked would be an understatement. The hidden history of comics/pop culture is real, just outside of your peripheral vision. Warren Ellis will have a hell of a time ever creating a book as good as this.

Queen and Country - Imagine James Bond without the gadgets, relationships, and female. In this book Greg Rucka explores just what putting Queen and Country ahead of everything will do to a Tara Chace, his Bondian analog.

Sin City - Frank Miller's crime story opus. I really enjoyed the first few books but felt like it started becoming a parody of itself. The simple use of color in a overtly black and white book is amazing to look at though. And like Moore, this is not Miller's best work.

The rest were books that while good, I would not elevate to a top 25 list at any time.

And seriously, why did this bother me so much that i just went on an overly long rant that likely few will even finish (and i was not just procrastinating, really...). I wish I could blame being overly caffeinated or some such thing, but I've got nothing. Without a historical context, this list was just void of meaning and leaves out so many great series from all ages, and this really irks me. The "what have you done for me lately" mentality is as annoying as NIMBYism. And picking a list like this without history is just offensive.

Top 50 Works of Fiction

Since this blog mainly exists to discuss media products, ones that I am often quite critical of, I am going to periodically leave lists of things that i really enjoy, to give as wide a spectrum of my tastes as possible to the reader. Today I start with works of fiction.

This is in no specific order and I am sure 3 weeks from now it would be quite different as well....

1. Random Acts of Senseless Violence
2. His Dark Materials
3. Play It As It Lays
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Cathedral
6. Post Office
7. Breakfast of Champions, or Goodbye Blue Monday
8. Watchmen
9. The Portrait of a Lady
10. Snow Crash
11. The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles
12. The Grapes of Wrath
13. Underworld
14. The Fortress of Solitude
15. A Home at the End of the World
16. The Sandman
17. VALIS
18. Traplines
19. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
20. Invisible Man
21. The Lord of the Rings
22. The Middle Kingdom
23. Moby-Dick
24. To Kill a Mockingbird
25. The Invisibles
26. Invisible Monsters
27. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
28. Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp
29. Give Me Liberty
30. Skin
31. Native Son
32. Slapstick, or Lonesome No More!
33. The Dark Phoenix Saga
34. Jinx
35. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
36. V for Vendetta
37. The Beach
38. The Black Cauldron
39. The House on Mango Street
40. The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real
41. Maus: A Survivor's Tale
42. Amnesiascope
43. Moonshadow
44. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
45. Calvin and Hobbes
46. Skinny Legs and All
47. The Castle
48. Neuromancer
49. The Stranger
50. Blankets

y - the last man

There are only 4 more issues of this book left. And I am pretty sure I am going to cry when it is over. It has been one of my must read 1st for years now. And when 355 gave away her scarf this past issue, I so totally cried.

I can not wait to take 2 or 3 days and just read all 60 issues of this book in a row and really inhale Brian K. Vaughn's ever so delectable tale. I also plan to do a through analysis once it is done. But if you have not read this, get thee to the store/library and start picking up trades.

You need to be reading this.

manhunter 5

DC Comics
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Pencils: Jesus Saiz
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joan Hilty

The JLA. What. Are. They. Doing. In. This. Issue???

I can not blame Andreyko on this one, as it has all the look of editorial interference, but still it bugs the crap out of me. Yet after seeing the sales for JLA titles, I presume a little Martian Manhunter is bound to help sales, but it just felt inorganic. That said, the introduction of the JLA was very inspired.

Issue 5 opens quite nicely, with Manhunter training on an old movie set with Dylan made robots. That her 'danger room' is an old movie set is quite a nice nod to this book taking place in Los Angeles. We get 6 pages of action from the start. And while last issue seemed to set up a block of stories, we do not lose this element even though we see Manhunter kick robot ass. The self referential nature of her fighting a male Cheetah is both quite humorous and over the top. While fighting this oddly sexed robot, Manhunter - without any irony, i might add - thinks "The Cheetah? Thought she was a, well, a she. Hard to keep up with all the gender switching in the villain community." And yet two pages later she faces off with a Mark Shaw era Manhunter doppelganger. Now, I enjoyed the laugh, but it makes Spenser come off as someone who can see no further than herself to not see the problem with her sentiment.

The scene really works though, as it refers to her previous adventures, as it looks like she is falling off a roof again, Manhunter thinks "Way to stay focused, Kate. I friggin' hate getting knocked off roofs." That Andreyko pays so much attention to past actions makes this series ever more enjoyable. The series also is starting at a time where DC seems to be making a real effort to tie their world together in much the same way. And while the continuity police can be a real drag, this effort hearkens back to the comics i grew up on (and assume Andreyko did as well). Yet Andreyko really pushes his forward thinking in his writing, not just rehashing past plots/characters/wtfever as other notable creators are known to do.

Dylan and Manhunter's problematic dynamic also rears its head in this scene. The facial expression Dylan exhibits really show how much he had missed his niche. He is simply thrilled to be back in the game. And Spenser is quite happy to have his expertise guiding improvements to her equipment: "I can feel the difference. Its like a second skin. Nice." And for someone who is not seen giving anything resembling a compliment this is high praise indeed. Yet while she enjoys what Dylan can do for her, she still does not trust/like him, as we see when she sternly tells him that her "personal life is not a topic of discussion. Ever. Got it?" This is prompted when Dylan makes a crack about why she needs to put on the suit and go man hunting and tosses out a quip about her father. Hmmm, foreshadowing maybe....

We next see Spenser getting her ass handed to her by her ex. He got a temporary restraining order against her seeing Ramsey and she is less than pleased about it. And once again we see the control freak Spenser not able to control a situation. And she just seems like she is about to break. And since the Shadowthief is still out there, you don't think... Nah. But of course Round 2 is going to happen, but what would make him return to LA, as he normally stays at home in St. Rochs (DC analogue for New Orleans). Well it appears he returns to LA to be with his "only friend," who of course is not seen due to his shadows taking over. So will Manhunter have to face two villains in trying to spear Shadowthief? Well if she does, you would think she could use some help --- and enter the JLA. And really this is just sloppy storytelling. Provide a threat larger than ever - he did just kill Firestorm - and show that he has at least one person backing him up. And rather than Manhunter being able to go in for the kill and prove herself, just bring in the JLA to LA - who have not seen the city since Early in Grant Morrison's run when they fought angles (in Los Angeles, get it...). But again I can see this as an editorial mandate. And really it hurts for the reasons he is so good. It is just so unnatural and differs so much from the organic story telling that Andreyko excels at.

But, the introduction is at least written in a way that seems novel. Rather than have them crash through a window, we are given them through the perspective of a starstruck window shopper, Spenser's assistant. We find that the JLA - none of the big guns, just Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Vixen, and the Green Lantern, here John Stewart - are in town to find Shadowthief and are letting all law enforcement personal know of their presence. And while it was an inventive way (though not much different than the idea of JLA as ambassadors in the JLI era) of highlighting the JLA, it just seems out of place for a group that has shown it has carte blanche to intervene where needed anywhere in the country. Wouldn't it be more beneficial and efficient to have Martian Manhunter contact all law enforcement telepathically and have the team out searching for Shadowthief? But then we would not get the wonderful scene of the Green Lantern saving Spenser's coffee that she drops when she sees the team walking into her office: "Don't worry. Ms. Spenser, I've got it. I know how expensive those Lattes can be." And while that is funny it just seems out of character for the JLA to be acting this way.

So as Spenser knows the JLA are after Shadowthief as well, she must find and slay him quickly. And so we see a race between her and the team to get to Shadowthief. And as this is Manhunter's book, of course she gets to him 1st, but not before adding some light hearted barbs at her city, all the while distancing herself from Batman: "Now I know why there are so few active Metahumans in LA. Everything is so damn spread out. It's not like I can swing from skyscraper to skyscraper." If she were more self conscious she could see that this might be a point where she would question her sanity. But she is on a mission and needs to find Shadowthief fast. And she does, in a cemetery. If only the book could play some ominous music to go along with yet another ridiculously predictable locations for Round 2. And even though Andreyko uses a tried a true local for this fight he is able to make it interesting by having Shadowthief re-animate Copperhead's corpse with his shadows to fight Manhunter. And with this we find that his only friend was indeed Copperhead. Yeah, he is totally balanced and stable....

And so a quick fight ensues. Manhunter is attacked with shadows entering her nose and mouth, but defends herself with a knife made of light and essentially a flash grenade. And while it looks like she is winning, she issurreptitiously knocked into a mausoleum. At which time the JLA rain down and capture him, after getting a few shots in for Firestorm. And so once again Spenser 'fails'. She was out for blood. But rather the see it as a pure failure she sees it as an opportunity to bring the end to Shadowthief "the old-fashioned way. A trial. A verdict of death." I find it interesting that she sees her day job as old-fashioned. It is like she views her Manhunter identity as the ultimate upgrade, Prosecutor 2.0.

But that is the end of the TPB. And really, as I mentioned before, Andreyko is not writing for the trade, but it is just so abrupt a closure, really a lack of one, that you are left wanting more. And maybe that is the marketing angle, to get the reader to search out the single copies or the next trade, but I find the lack of any of the story lines unsettling and pretty poor form. This of course is a criticism of DC, as i am sure Andreyko was just happy to see his book get the trade treatment. But I do not want to get to much into a discussion about the 1st five issues as a whole here. I will explore them tomorrow in a recap of the trade.

On the whole this issue has problems galore. But the 1st scene alone makes up for these. Spenser is really growing into her role of Manhunter, even if she was not able to squash Shadowthief like she wanted. And the Ramsey subplot continues to click along quite well. I just wish we had more motivation from Spenser's ex. I just had to look up his name again - Peter - which should tell you enough about how slow and poor his development is. There is so much left unresolved and so many questions about what happens next that even a misplaced JLA appearance can not take the focus off a nicely running ongoing story. In fact the pacing of the series so far makes me wonder if Andreyko has spent anytime in TV. He really brings a cinematic perspective, noir in particular, to the page.

manhunter 4

DC Comics
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Pencils: Jesus Saiz
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joan Hilty

The contrite remorseful Kate Spenser we saw last issue is nowhere to be found in this issue. Also there is no mention of Ramsey, only an almost psychotic drive to make one portion of her divided life whole again (more on this aspect in a later posting). Once again the issue opens with the 1st panel highlighting a Batman villain, Two-face again. But unlike issue 2 he is not surround by Arkham escapes, but fodder for Blackgate, those no name helpers that are quickly smashed via Batman before taking about his main villain. Does Andreyko want to be writing Batman. Will Spenser somehow develop into female -- dare i say it??? -- Batwoman? I would say no, he is just establishing his characters in knowable contexts. Though this logic is immediately questioned by using Killer Frost and Black Manta as two other contextualizing villains. Oh, but that's right, DC only knows how to market itself to longtime DC comic readers. So anyone picking up this book will already know all three major villains. But who is this face in all three panels and why is Batman, Firestorm, and Aquaman kicking his ass? I guess Blackgate's doors open as liberally as Arkham's.

So we have the introduction of yet another major player in Manhunter's life, a "'Go-to' tech guy for psychotic killers and sadistic megalomaniacs," who is now in the witness protection program, of which Spenser help put him into. And Dylan's introduction is downright genius. We first unknowingly saw him in issue two, as he accidentally poured a milkshake down Spenser's suit. It was played for laughs, but it was here where Spenser realized who he was and that she could enlist him in being her tech guy. His more proper introduction is being beat by superhero after superhero and then browbeat by his wife. The 1st time we see him current day he is in full loser mode and mowing a very unkempt lawn and missing his old life. Here in his rundown home, with his disinterested wife, a bad haircut, and a wardrobe screaming for euthanasia, Dylan is shown at his most miserable. The genius comes in when Andeyko uses one of his sparsely used splash pages showing Dylan doing nothing but attempting to mow the yard. And by looking at the page, not doing a good job at that. In just a page we can see just what a malaise he is in. And while he is at his lowest point Spenser swoops in with an offer to give his life meaning again.

And with that offer Dylan's life changes instantly. His wife leaves him because "there is a part of your life you don't want to share with us, so I'm making it easy for you. I'm leaving." And out the door walks his mundane existence. He is ready to get back in the game. And while we are not really shown too much of his motivation, we can see that he is very different than Spenser. When his wife walks out with their toddler his only reaction is sarcasm and to watch them depart thinking to himself, "Well I guess that is over." And while he does not revert back to helping the criminal element, he goes back deep into his Metahuman tech role. This is the polar opposite reaction Spenser has when in issue 3 her ex threatens to claim full custody of Ramsey. She is willing to fight, Dylan is only able to revert back into a comfort zone he had been forced to give up. The difference in characters here (not to mention the already tense relationship) will likely lead to many moments of good fiction and a fun dynamic to watch.

While this issue seems mainly about introducing Dylan, and there is little action - hell, the Manhunter suit is only seen in the trunk of Spenser's BMW - the issue works quite well. It has nothing in it that will change the world, but it is a fun comic. If he is not careful, Anrdeyko is bound to create a highly sympathetic slime-ball in Dylan, as his ambiguous personality is so different that the rigid black/white perspective that the other leads take. Would he have gone back to the villain side if they approached him first? I would think so, as he is mainly interested in producing the tech. And for this it appears Spenser has found a boon like no other for herself.

The art again is much looser than issue 2 - what happened there anyway. And this issue ends with yet another rift on the darkness taking over Spenser's life. After enlisting Dylan we see Spenser in the DA's office looking up at large Metahuman's in near darkness. While she is silhouetted with only the light from the computer screen making her form visible, she hears 2 assistant DA's talk about how Shadowthief has killed Firestorm. And with this revelation the confidence is striped right off Spenser's face. Her inability to beat Shadowthief has lead to a death of a major - in powers, not in sales, obviously - hero. Her failure here has a direct effect just as her failure to put away Copperhead. And so the reader knows that Round 2 is coming.

I enjoy how this book is written with many story arcs meandering into one another and not for the trade paperback market. It has a very 80s story telling vibe to it in that way, but without the droning voice overs drowning it in verbosity. Anderyko really is excelling in telling a vibrant story about extremely flawed characters. So DC goes ahead and throws in an unneeded JLA appearance next issue. But more on that tomorrow....

manhunter 3

DC Comics
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Pencils: Jesus Saiz
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joan Hilty

After the let down of issue 2, issue 3 is a rolling good time, with some nice pumping action and tons of emotion that was totally void last issue. The set up here is that there are two streams of story to track, one eight hours ago, Ramsey at the hospital, and one right now, Manhunter and Shadowthief, round one. Andrekyo uses some deft footwork to bounce back and forth from each story to make the change overs flow extremely well, all the while leaving the reader with a strong desire to get back to the other action.

The cover of this issue is superb in capturing the darkness overcoming Spenser's life. It is obvious that it is Shadowthief trying to muzzle her, but the stark contrast between the red of Manhunter's outfit and the creeping darkness plays extremely well to the of the challenges Spenser experiences in the 3rd act in this story. Truly inspired.

And where issue 2 lacked any action, the first page here blasts forth with no less than a "KABOOM" from Manhunter's staff, firing off into the night. This echoes the explosion at the conclusion of issue 2 and her frustration with Ramsey's hospitalisation, that the reader is unaware of when just opening the book. But her inner monologue, far better this issue, does state that "an innocent child is fighting for his life." This is the 1st time Andreyko opens with the traditional splash page front and center, And here he uses comic book convention to aid his story in the best possible way. In fact he has been using the splash page quite judiciously, as a to focus on a jarring shift in point of view of a scene and to close both books with a violent bang. The reverberations of her attack here plays off these ending slash pages of so well. We see exactly what was able to pierce Copperhead's thick skull and just how badly injured Ramsey might be.

The next two pages provide us with the beginning of a great fight scene. As Manhunter rests on the top of a building, Shadowthief finds her and marvels at the notion that a woman killed "our friend" (for those who don't know, he is a bit deranged and talks to the many voices that live in the shadows he controls). The banter between these two characters resonates with a crisp bristling pulse that sets this issue apart from the previous two. Yet right as it seems he has her down for the proverbial count, we jump 8 hours previously to the Ramsey's ambulance arriving at the hospital and it is obvious that Spenser's concern has drowned out the confidence that will not swell again till she faces Shadowthief hours later. The expressions on her face as she realizes that she is helpless in helping her son are fantastically conveyed. I also like how Andreyko sets up a situation that more than resembles Spenser's powerlessness upon hearing Copperhead's not guilty verdict. Only this time, she has nothing to go get to make the situation 'right'. And thus the darkness from the cover begins to streak over her face, as her world comes close to collapse.

This also works to Andreyko strength of creating questions in the reader. Will he be ok? How will the take charge Spenser react to her helplessness? What is her ex going to say? etc... But before any of these questions can be addressed the reader is taken right back to the fight. As the punches fly back and forth, Andreyko makes light of one of the basest and damn near convoluted comic conventions ever, oh so smart verbal sparing as Manhunter thinks to herself: "The witty banter is hard to come up with on the spot. Maybe i should take an improv class at the Groundlings?" This is a damn neat perfect response to what is such an excepted fact of comic scripting. It is such an expected fact that, Andreyko does nothing to try and diminish the tit-for-tat, but just his sly comment on the act shows the reader than the writer knows this would never happen, but a fight in a comic without it just does not work. I also like to think that Andreyko uses this as a metaphor for Spenser's smoking. I mean how is she able to climb up buildings and go multiple rounds with Metahumans, all the while her lungs screaming for more air. But i have been known to project before....

And so after being nearly taken out by Shadowthief, Manhunter uses her staff as a flashlight to take away his shadows. And while i guess Hawkman should maybe just carry around a really strong flashlight, this would be a very bad ending to this fight. And Andreyko obviously understands this, and has the ever dastardly Shadowthief throw knifes at her to make her move her million dollar flashlight. And just like that, the action turns. Manhunter loses her staff and she precariously hangs on to the roof with just her fingers. So of course, a shift in the action to the equally compelling joust (verbal) with her husband at the hospital. And while their animosity for one another percolates at a ferocious pace, the best part of this scene is how Spenser's eyes are almost swallowed by darkness. You can see the guilt radiating off her face in every panel and the distress of not being able to do anything to help Ramsey is very evident. And when the Doctor states the injures and his unknowing if Ramsey will be ok, only prompts the darkness to overcome every space that Spenser is in. In fact when she and her ex are looking in on him, she is presented in almost silhouette. The art just stands out and makes this just such and emotionally compelling read. The art team does such a better job here than with the 2nd issue. The lines are not as thick and life nearly vibrates off the page, or sinks into it when it is called for. And as Spenser leaves the hospital her life seems to brighten up when she states: "at least someone likes me," as she reads a headline with those who approve of Manhunter's methods, 68 - 30%.

While she can not effect any change on Ramsey's condition, she is able to flee the scene and hope to do more good as Manhunter. Which leads up right back to the fight with Shadowthief, and Manhunter hanging on with just finger tips. And as he is quite sadistic, Shadowthief begins to remove one finger from the ledge at a time. Not a real original move by a villain, but one that surly drives a sense of urgency for Manhunter. But then Andreyko does something totally unexpected. And while he uses a massive dues ex machina coincidence to do it, it works ever so well. As Shadowthief's power is to command darkness and shadow, he can extend his limbs in much the same way Plastic-man can. Only as he removes Manhunter's fingers from the ledge, a searchlight form a helicopter separates his hand and fore arm from the rest of him. And Manhunter grabs it trying not to fall the many stories to the ground. And the best part about the next page is that Manhunter is falling off the building and Shadowthief is moving through the shadows down the building just as fast. But it is unknown who is screaming "AAAAAGGHHHH" as they move closer to the ground. It is such an effective way to convey the terror both must be feeling.

Yes, Shadowthief gets his hand back, and Manhunter does not go splat on the ground. She falls hard, "SMASH," on a sign jutting from the wall. And as Shadowthief scrambles to recover his hand, he tells her that she almost has his "respect, " but she "better be dead." But in proper James Bond villain fashion rather than making sure, he just leaves her on the sign. This is the worst part of this issue. At least make it seem that he could not fight anymore, rather than he is just too stupid to check. But Manhunter is alive, and banged up along with her staff: "my weapon is toast." The reader finds that she knows about as much about her outfit as s/he does as she states: "At least now i know the costume is armored." This continues to show Spenser's arrogance. She just jumped into fighting crime without even considering how it would effect those around her. The last page of the book (not a splash page) shows that she is forced to think about that now, as she looks in on Ramsey's hospital room window from an adjacent roof and a tear finally runs down her face.

Yes she killed Copperhead, but she lost her case against him. She nearly lost her son. She nearly lost her life against Shadowthief. Not much good has happened to Spenser and she ends this issue with something that is likely foreign to her, she needs to ask someone for help. She is obviously not used to failing, but she did it on such a grand scale in the first 3 issues of this book that she is practically succeeding at it.

This was such a better issue than number two and captured so much more emotion than the first issue. By far the best so far and it will take some mighty good writing to better this. And just who is she going to look to for help repairing her damaged equipment?

manhunter 2

DC Comics
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Pencils: Jesus Saiz
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joan Hilty

While issue one opened with two unknown cops, issue two opens with the far more famous Batman's rouges gallery, Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Zsasz, and Two-Face causing much carnage. Nothing in the 1st issue suggests a Batman appearance, but he is all tied up and about to be opened up like a "pinata." Joker, as he is oft to do, has a killer line when he wonders aloud "What sort of candy do you think will spill put?" as he attempts to open Batman's secrets with a scalpel. Yet another comic book convention is upheld, right before Batman is 'sliced and diced', he is saved by Manhunter. Only Andreyko shows how Kate Spenser is not beholden to normal comic book conventions as she proceeds to slaughter Batman's foils, riding comicdom of them is 5 simple panels, far quicker than they are even able to escape Arkham.

Batman then becomes the moral conscious of DC comics (quite funny what with the downward moral spiral he was on prior to OYL) by attacking Manhunter and stating what it means to be a hero by nearly giving the verbatim premise of DC heroism: "What makes you think you're any different from those beasts you murdered? Who gave you the right to take a life? At least these villains acknowledge their bloodlust and don't pretend to play hero!" Again here Andreyko plays with the notion of being a hero. He has the most visible DC hero (yet one that is all but an urban legend in his books at the time - DC often times has a far too schizophrenic relationship to Batman wanting to pigeon hole him into a specific role, thanks Frank Miller, wasting much of his potential. But this is a story for another day...) 'teach' her that her way is not the way DC heroes act - that he will not allow a Punisher style hero to pollute the pool. To this Manhunter can only respond by saying: "B-but I'm a good guy -- I'm --." We see Spenser react to the admonishment rather than Manhunter in the same way she questioned the need to steal the Manhunter gear in issue one.

While this four page scene is quite gripping, though the art is not nearly as clean as it was in the 1st issue. In fact muddled would be a good descriptor. The next page pulls the stage curtain away as the reader realizes that s/he just sat through an eye-opening, taunt replaying of the Dallas shower scene. It was all a dream.... But rather than fall down and worship at the alter of Batman, Spenser just wants to light her cigarette. This is a very compelling way to show her distance from the 'normal' hero. She shows how green she is by noting that she needs a place to put her costume and wondering how other heroes do it. Andreyko tries too hard to deconstruct the image of a hero here. Rather than just present Spenser as her own brand of hero, he must compare her to Black Canary: "How does Black Canary do this in Fishnets and heels?" Yet she asks this when she is wearing skimpy sleeping attire and pretty much forgoing the 'different kind of female hero' attitude expressed in the book's introduction. But the scene in question does help establish Spenser as a seriously flawed character, unfortunately only in pitting her as diametrically opposed to other DC heroes, rather than through actual character development.

I also hate to say that the rest of the book sort of takes on an auto pilot vibe. And frankly I think this is because the lack of questions about the future it generates. The 1st issue really grabbed readers with hanging plot features making them wonder what would happen next. In issue 2, this is not explored in the same fashion, and is worse off for it. What we get is an acknowledgement that Copperhead had friends, well at least one: Shadowthief (which unless you are a long time DC reader you would have no idea of who this was or exactly what his power is). And the introduction is interspersed with a media talking head, yet another comic book convention and yet another thank you to The Dark Knight, discussing Manhunter's arrival on the scene. And frankly, Shadowthief's introduction is overshadowed by the news report. And for someone that demands retribution for Copperhead's death, this is just an abysmal way of highlighting his threat. And of course since he is a villain he must hang out in a dank, musty bar. This does not play to Andreyko's strength as a writer. Spenser is interesting because of her attitude and how she is not compelled to fall into the conventions of heroism. A guy who sticks his fork in a table seems quite a lazy way of saying he is bad.

And to follow more conventions (just not comic book conventions) we are next introduced to Ramsey, Spenser's shuttled child of divorce. How many times have we seen this on TV or in the movies. I remember watching (Bad Movie Alert) Little Giants over 10 years ago and one of the kid's absentee fathers was shown as a suit wearing, briefcase carrying, running late to the big game man. He had no dialogue, but you knew instantly who and what he was. So while it is fairly new for comics, Ramsey's introduction just fell flat. Spenser's ex, and one would only know his name was Peter if they read carefully, challenges her and her work-a-holic lifestyle: "Way to show your son he's a priority, Kate. This is the fourth time you have forgotten to pick him up." So Andreyko tries to change up who the 'bad' parent is, but it just falls flat. And while we can see that Spenser cares about Ramsey in her inner monologue about killing Copperhead: "And you can't convince me what I did was wrong. Dozens of families can sleep at night," it is quite obvious she is clueless in relating to him. She is all about work, positioning their day together only in ways that she can work straight through her weekend. And even suggests it would be fun for a child in the video game era to curl up with books that she likely enjoyed when she was young, Dr. Seuss and Judy Blume. Her narcissism quite evident, but is not enough to compel the story forward and the scenes with Ramsey are as awkward to read as it is likely to witness, but compelling comics this does not make.

We next come back to Shadowthief and get some proper characterization of him. He steals into the morgue where Copperhead's body is being held. After attacking and knocking out a mortician, he peals back Copperhead's strange metal tomb and views the carcass. He remarks with disgust and obvious bloodlust for Manhunter: "Good God. What did this 'Manhunter' do to you. Let's take your fangs to remember you by... And to plunge into your killer's temple after the Shadowthief beats him to a thick, bloody paste." Andreyko captures his need for revenge quite well and the reader wants to come back to see the fight that will ensue. Add this to the cliffhanger, Ramsey finding Manhunter's Staff (nicely following up the earlier set up of Spenser's wondering were to keep her tools), and it bursting with an explosive charge in his hands, and the reader should feel compelled to return for the next issue. But with the down tracking of this script and the art seeming less fluid and clunkier from issue 1, the next issue must be good to keep most coming back.

The pacing of this issue is odd (cramming in too much perhaps), and for it to start with such an eye popping dream sequence, the rest of this issue really seems a let down. And while I took issue with the last issue's fight scene, this issue could have used more action. And since this was by and large an issue to advance plot the reader should have a better clue where the story is going. Spenser's inner dialogue also dominated and while we did find out quite a bit about her, it was mostly once again from her being different than others, not simple strong characterization that the series is known for.

manhunter #1

DC Comics
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Pencils: Jesus Saiz
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Joan Hilty

"This book contains a female protagonist. Who smokes. Who is divorced. Who has slightly better maternal skills than Mrs. Bates. Who resides not in Gotham or Metropolis, but Los Angeles. Who isn't afraid to kill in the name of justice. And most shocking of all for a super-heroine, she doesn't wear a metal bra, stripper heels or a T-back thong while fighting crime."

- from Marc Andreyko's introduction to Manhunter: Street Justice

When i first read this introduction I wondered if this was going to be too precious a book for me. But I took the challenge and read all 5 issues of the 1st TPB. In one sitting. At which point I understood that Precious is not a term that should be applied to this book or most especially Kate Spenser herself.

The issue starts with some great noirish artwork by the team of Saiz, Palmiotti, Buccellato that conjures up memories of the criminally underrated Gotham Central. It begins with two Los Angeles cops at a grisly crime scene. There are no answers about what happened, only lots of blood and tiny specks of people. Andreyko really thrusts the reader into this book in these two simple pages that answer nothing, but leaves one with tons of questions. What happened? What is going on? Who did this? Where is the chick from the cover with blood on her hands? Does this Hero kill?

But rather than answering any of these questions, Andreyko piles on more by jumping right into a courtroom scene. Here we find Kate Spenser as a Los Angeles prosecutor trying to make the case for the death penalty for Copperhead. I find it extremely telling that her 1st bit of dialogue seems to convey her near sense of powerlessness of the regular citizen in the DC universe by highlighting what is missing: "There may not be any sound on this bank video but the terror and pain on these faces speaks volumes." She directs this statement to the jury, but seems to highlighting the lack of voice an average citizen has when faced with something far more than human. The victims of Copperhead's crime (12 dead, 3 comatose, and 2 "with severe post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to their missing limbs") are easily seen as appropriate stand ins to help drive Spenser to look for justice in another guise when her case falls apart - not guilty "by reason of genetic anomaly."

Andreyko is able to channel not only the near futileness of being a un-powered citizen in an ever challenging DC world where the Metahumans are seemingly multiplying, almost exponentially, but he is equally able to bring the reader into this sense of dread through a sense of frustration with our own legal process (dare I say how many people reacted to the verdict of OJ Simpson, the ever prevalent urge - misguided mind you - for tort reform, etc...). This is quite a task to accomplish in all of seven pages. But who reads comics for the trials of court room proceedings? And where is the chick from the cover?

As if oft to happen in any fiction, The story cycles back to the beginning where we learn that Copperhead is responsible for the crime scene from the 1st two pages as he escaped on his way to a seemingly tranquil "metahuman research facility" rather than death row. And when the utterly frustrated Spenser hears that the mass murderer she failed to put away has escaped and killed at least two more, even ingesting his victims, she makes the call that will add judge and jury to her already prosecutorial role. She breaks into some sort of evidence locker and steals the manhunter staff and wardrobe, all the while telling herself that there is no other choice: "This has to be done. This has to be done..." That she questions her decision, could easily make her into a self loathing caricature, but once Spenser dons the outfit, her mindset is firm and she knows she must provide the justice that escaped the system she holds dear. Andreyko has not crafted a waffling character here, but a powerful woman who knows what she is doing is more right than wrong.

So Spencer goes after Copperhead and settles the vendetta by taking him out of the next Secret Six pool. She leaves his body for the two detectives from the opening scene to find with a hole in his head and a splattering of blood that echos the pattern he caused 20 pages previous. She also leaves her calling card by etching the name Manhunter on the wall, making sure the criminal element and the police take notice. Yet before she kills Copperhead, we have the ubiquitous fight scene between the two. And as well as the beginning and end of the book bookended the story, the fight scene is where the story makes me ask far too many questions - not the good kind either. As we are given no other information about Spenser than she is a prosecutor, that she smokes, has a way with words, and knows where the manhunter outfit is, how was she able to effectively fight Copperhead, who tore through 17 people like a soggy cigarette? How was she able to use the outfit and staff with next to no training? And while it is obvious that Spenser is a tough capable "broad," these questions do not help the story like the questions the 1st scene prompted. They point to large gaps in the story that can not be hidden, even with evocative shadows of the art team's crisp dark noir.

Yet, even so, this is a great way to set up a nice story and a fairly competent 1st arc for the story, and a decent 1st issue of a series. There is quite a bit to want to come back for and plenty of compelling reasons for wanting to know more about this totally out of the norm hero.

This prompts me to state that one thing i really enjoy about most DC comics is that they seem to trend towards the idea of defining 'just what is a hero' (more on this in future posts). Obviously, there is not a single answer to this question, but this theme that flows though most DC books is quite the welcome development. And by evoking this so strongly and acutely in the 1st issue Andreyko firmly establishes his Manhunter within DC's pantheon.

andreyko's manhunter

So a month ago or so Marc Andreyko sent me the 1st two TPB Volumes of Manhunter. I had not jumped on the bandwagon for this comic, as i was never a fan of the earlier Manhunter versions. But upon yet another stay of execution from DC (For as good as the book is - a huge welcome surprise for me, it does not sell as they say: well. It constantly rests near the bottom of DC's books each month.), and Marc lighting a fire under my ass with his gracious gift, I will now be a regular Manhunter reader.

So I plan to read the TPBs again and the rest of the series and give them a fair critical assessment. So for the next 30 days (only 30 issues out till it restarts in Aug, I believe) or so I will write about Kate Spencer, her supporting cast, and the like. This will likely give my much opportunity to peer into the many issues of the current comic world and DC in particular (there will likely be some tough love handed out). My take on issue number one should be up later this eve.

spiderman 3 and free comic day

As you know, I went into Spiderman 3 with pretty low expectations. But as a good friend from CA was in town and really wanted to see it in NYC, who was I to begrudge. Plus, I knew I was going to see it soon.

So we met at the Union Square Theater at just after 9 this morning (just how much of masochists are we?). And as she finished her bagel and me my green tea, two other of her local (geek-type) friends showed up. And up to the balcony we went. This seriously was our coup of the day, as it did not get filled up like the bottom floor and next to no kids. What more could one ask for?

And after a tedious stream of movie/TV/wtfever promos the lights began to go down and bang a nearly endless stream of trailers. And let me take this time to state, does the world really need a surfing penguin movie or Shrek 3 (and really a Shrek 1 and 2 for that matter). The other previews were fairly unmemorable, but at least they did not leave the taste of manure in my mouth as the 2 above did.

Then it was time to see the opening credits and some awesome Alex Ross paintings. Oh wait, I guess Mr. Ross had the same opinion on the 2nd instalment as me, as we got clips from movie one and two and not wonderfully rendered paintings. I was instantly ready to throw my thumb down on the whole shebang due to this slight alone. But my green tea addled self helped me prevail over my utter dread. So I sat back and waited for the next bone crushing misplacement I was sure to see in the film.

But guess what, It was not nearly as bad as I figured. Sure there were a few scenes that made me roll my eyes - ie. i do not need man on the street, let alone kid on the street comments throughout, i never would have figured venom infused Peter Parker as a fan of Staying Alive, and the first time we see Flint Marko running from the police seemed more like a scene from Law & Order than a multi-multi-multi-million dollar picture. But for the most part the film captured many elements from the comic source while changing a few (undoubtedly causing fanboys around the world to cringe) to transfer the film from episodic pacing to a 2+ hour film. And while the notion of Marko slaying Ben Parker, all be it unintentionally, seemed a bit too much roll-my-eyes coincidence, I will not hold it against the film.

The end fight scene was obviously the coup d etat for the film, I think I enjoyed the 1st fight between Spiderman and Harry Osborn (even on his ultra strange flying snow board no less) quite a bit better. It packed far more emotional resonance for one, and maybe this was because you have 2 previous films to understand his motives. Yes, he is out for revenge, just like Eddie Brock jr, but Harry's motivation does not rely strictly on his douchebaggery (see Brock, Eddie above). Plus the scene was just more fun not having to share it with an audience of extras that foolishly put themselves in harms way to watch "Is this the end of Spiderman" as an overly heavy handed newscaster proclaimed during the last fight scene.

I also enjoyed how NYC went from the Disneyfied lighthearted Times Square in its jovial opening Act to a far darker, almost gothic, Venom black drenched if you will, panoramic as Peter's world seemed to fall apart. And yet in his darkest hour the yellow of the suspended cab, searchlights, and downright hopefulness of new building construction helped cut through Gotham and make it once again more real New York. For this you Mr. Raimi you get a jolly good show. And while i have seen plenty of other better films in my day, this one was fun and even had some great toasts to the geeks to warm my heart. Nuff said...

And how perfect was it that right across the street from the theater was a Forbidden Planet outpost. You know they are going to be thrilled with the spill over traffic that should help drive many sales over the next few weeks. But today was Free Comic Book Day, so rather than go straight to eat we geek 4 simply walked in and picked up a few free books - well after waiting in a long line and me salivating over the shelves upon shelves of graphic novels. I got a grab bag of 5 comics, your basic quarter books, though i seemed to score a Invisbles #1 (which i already have, but now i have a hankering to read the entire epic again), A spectacular looking First Second book (I have really been meaning to check them out) by Eddie Campbell The Train was Bang on Time, a real fun looking Drawn and Quarterly Lynda Barry Activity Book, and an Arvid Nelson, in house, no less, signed copy of Dark Horse's Zerokiller.

I really liked how I got some non-super hero stuff, which i normally pass up. I flipped through the Eddie Campbell book on the way home and I have to say I now want the entire "Fine picture novel" (as First Second - as in 0:01 and not 1st, 2nd, 3rd as I had previously figured - calls their graphic novels).

All and all a really nice way to spend a Saturday and after a Fantastic brunch @ Curly's it was time to enjoy the wondrous weather that NYC has been sorely lacking for too long. It is almost as if the city took a cue from the proper representation seen in the movie and made it a great day to celebrate. Ok, so maybe not, but synchronicity has happened before.

the character of cities in comics

So today Spiderman 3 arrives in theaters. Not only is the is beginning of the summer movie season, it is what appears to be the final chapter in Sam Rami's Peter Parker trilogy (if this one is not better than the 2nd one we can only hope).

And like all good comic fans, I will see this film, just not tonight. Actually, i have tickets to see it tomorrow morning at 9:45. It will be like Saturday morning cartoons all over again, well minus the animation, old 21 inch TV at my moms, etc...

But I dare say I am not hoping for the best. The first movie was great. I left the theater with a smile and the need to get some Spidey comics, and found the wonderful world of Ultimate Spiderman, one of the only Marvel comics I bother with (my lament for the current state of Marvel Comics will be another post). I connected to the film and really had a great time. I also eagerly awaited part two. Then it came and I exited the theater stamping my feet, fist raised in the air, and cursing like 30 sailors. What had they done?

And after some reflection i realized that Peter Parker is a NYC character through and through. His adventures happen in the city. Stan lee and Steve Ditko created stories that celebrated NYC. They used actual landmarks that fans can go and touch. In fact, I would call Spiderman a tactile NYC experience in comic book form. And then Bam, the 2nd film goes and distorts NYC and makes it not real, wtf?

The scene with the subway had me practically crying. Um, that was the el train, in Chicago. And thus a major character was abused and discarded from the film. And don't get me started on how many people now know Peter in Spiderman in that film. "Don't worry, we won't tell." Yeah that always works out best for the hero (see Daredevil, etc...). But this is about the cityscape as a character in comics, not about unneeded reveals, so....

I think the other two characters that are easily associated with a city as a character are Batman and Superman (and how strange is it that Firefox's inner spell check acknowledges Batman and Superman as real words, but not Spiderman. Hmmm, looks like Firefox is coded by DC fans.). And while Gotham and Metropolis are stand-ins for NYC, they represent more of our collective fears (Gotham) and hopes (Metropolis) of urban life. And is it any wonder that Miller's Dark Knight came out during the Reagan years and the mass exodus from urban centers those years represented. And while each of
those cities are equally important to the stories as NYC is to Spiderman, they are constantly re-imagined in ways that they are ever changing (see the story lines from 1999/2000 from both books, Gotham collapses in an earthquake to be rebuilt anew and Metropolis is infected with a future technology and becomes the true "city of tomorrow").

I feel each of these three cities works equally as well in the comics, but they need to translate to screen in the same way. And the last Batman movie really took the down and out, grim cityscape to heart. Sure it was not NYC, but it never tried to be. Sure it was different than comics, but as aforementioned, it is utterly malleable; thus, not a problem. The latest Superman flick was filmed in Australia and the next could be filmed in Malayisa and it would still work. Spiderman has to be in NYC and it as to be true to NYC. And Spiderman 2 was not. It failed.

Yes, it was not as huge a change as What if... May Parker died rather than Ben, but it was a change that simply was unconscionable and made for a poor viewing experience.

Maybe, as a transplanted New Yorker, I take the city to heart too much. Maybe if you have never been to NYC it would not bother you. But with the respect payed to other characters both the 1st two Spiderman films showed, I expected more.

Now for tomorrow, i am expecting: not so much.

A full recap of the film tomorrow.