Rebelcomix.com

Read It Where You Want

// August 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, commentary

It seems that this coming Saturday (Aug, 28)  is “Read Comics In Public” Day.

It’s meant to foster closet comics readers into spreading their love and sharing it with the world.  Sorry, but this is bullshit.  I love the idea of comics gaining new readers, but the community needs to stop wasting it’s time trying to legitimize itself.

Making movies based on Batman rarely brings in new readers.  And certainly holding silly stunts won’t do it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m very supportive of other events like Free Comic Book Day and 24 Hour Comic Day. But that’s because these are actual events that foster the community.  Having an event that encourages comic lovers to read in public has one essential flaw.  It implies that comic readers generally don’t like letting people know who they are and what they read.

Every actual comic reader I know has no problem reading their books in public.  I do it all the time.  I won’t get on an airplane without picking up a new trade paperback, because the flight attendant can’t bitch at me that my “comic book isn’t supposed to be on during take off”.  I read comics in restaurants and occasionally bring my pulls to work on new comics day.  And I don’t do any of this to prove a point; I do it because I love reading comics and there is absolutely no reason that I should see it as shameful.

RCiP Day isn’t for people who read comics. It’s for hipsters who tell people they’re reading **”Graphic Novels”.  Again, I’m all for gaining new comic fans. The industry needs it.  But something like this brings in people who pretend to be fans because nerds are en vogue right now.

Howsabout this instead?  ”Read Comics Anywhere You Like At Any Time Because Comics Are Cool, Read Superhero Comics or Romance or Horror or Indie Comics, But Just Read Comics Because They’re Good”.

Too “on the nose”? Maybe a little wordy?

**Graphic Novels and comic books are not the same thing. A graphic novel is a hard cover comic featuring all new material in a self contained, long form story.  A comic book is the magazine style books  that have comics, be it reprinted or brand new, and often tell open-ended stories. GN’s are rarely published. Comics are not. In other words, while all GN’s are comics, the vast majority of comics are not graphic novels.

Will iPad Kill the Comic Store?

// April 5th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Comics, Rumor, commentary

This Saturday, April 3rd 2010, a revolution began.  Certainly an arms race of technology.  But in our small community it may be a war of a mediums.

It won’t be the first time some have suggested the death knell of comics.  Even my own generation saw the 90′s explosion and implosion.  It was sheer luck that the Big Two (Marvel and DC) survived the excess of the 90s, though it is questionable whether they would have taken the entire industry down with them.

This is a different kind of trauma, though.  Since the advent of high-speed internet and wifi, digital comics has stood in the background waiting for their time to shine.  For years, digital has been a less than viable format.   Whether through downloaded pdf files or online digital flip comics, the computer-based viewing is viewed by most as more of a pain than they’re worth.  Comics, after all, were never designed to be read on a screen that is wider than it is tall.  In fact, they have never been designed to be read in any other format.

All that may change though, with the advent of the iPad.

The iPad by look is a larger version of the iTouch.  Bigger screen and a little more unwieldy, but it performs many of the same functions, while at the same time trumping miniature “Netbooks” in terms of portability and visual quality.   The iPad offers a host of heretofore unseen options that the iPhone and iTouch could not deliver.  Chief among them is it’s use as a digital reader.

The Amazon Kindle has nearly had the e-reader market cornered for years, in spite of contenders like Barnes and Noble’s Nook and Sony’s (simplistically named) Reader.   E-reader’s have been marketed for book readers on the go; technology for people with lives in the fastlane and hearts in the past.  They offer easier storage and cataloging of your library, making your reading options available at a touch.  But what the Kindle, Nook and Reader have fostered, the iPad improves on and laps.

The lack of color and power has made digital comics an impossibility on E-Readers.  The iPad seems almost designed with comics in mind. Pursuant to this, Marvel has announced that their comics will be available for sale through Apple.  This action nearly insures their stand in the future of comics and also strikes a blow at Diamond Distributors, a company that has held a strangle hold on the industry for decades, by offering yet another method of distribution.

It sounds great, and theoretically it will lower costs for the consumer.  There’s only one problem.  What will this do to comic shops? If digital comics were to dominate the industry, it would mean the collapse of the comic shop system.  While such speculation is premature at this point, it is far from paranoid.   It wasn’t long ago that Apple’s iPod and other MP3 devices nearly eradicated record shops across the country.  Granted it’s a slightly different situation.  (Online music allows for a la carte song downloads; something inapplicable with comic sales.)  Still it’s a possibility that history  might repeat itself.   Science Fiction (the genre that gave birth to the popularization of comics) has been predicting for decades that society would move away from print mediums, and so far comics seem to be the last true holdout.

In the U.S. we have a (somewhat) Free Market Economy.  During good times, most businesses can piggyback on the rise even if they don’t function efficiently.  In an economic downturn, we become a Darwinian Economy.  Poorly functioning businesses will die quickly, while small businesses with the ability to evolve and adapt can survive and even thrive.   Currently comics cost an average of $3.50. Financial conditions may require readers to cut back, which means offering comics available cheaper through the iPad (and it’s eventual competitors) may be the exact kind of evolution Publishers have been looking for to stay afloat.

Unfortunately shops don’t have that option.  Some may turn to fringe industries like back issue sales, Trade Paperbacks and Graphic Novels or concentrate more on gaming.  Less imaginative shop owners would simply have to cut their losses and close.

So does that mean that comic shops are doomed?

Maybe not.

For one thing, the format is far from perfect.  For all it’s hype, even the iPad isn’t quite large enough to fully display a comic without having to zoom and adjust the panels in order to read them– also making artists’ splash pages basically useless.

There’s also the issue of cost.  Purchasing an iPad isn’t an option for everyone.  In the long term, it may save readers money, but in the short term, they might have to give up a lot to buy one.

E-Readers also lack safety for your library.   Whereas books are usually only threatened by fire, flood and age, E-Readers have other possible problems.   For starters, computer drives have shelf-lives.  Backing up your books is necessary.  But worse is the possibility that your purchases can be taken from you.   A year ago, Amazon found itself liable over the sale of the book 1984 by George Orwell.   They didn’t have the right to sell it.  So one morning Kindle owners woke up to discover their copy of the book erased without their permission.  Amazon credited their money back, but one must imagine Kindle owners were more than a little upset at Amazon’s Orwellian control over their property.  With books, Amazon would not have been able to take them back in this situation.  To be fair, comics probably wouldn’t have the same rights issues, but for some consumers such as myself, the possibility of having books disappear is enough to dissuade them from such purchases.

But in the end, the shops themselves may be what save them from the gallows.

Record stores died because, for all their glory and cool factor, they were just stores.  Comic shops are more than just a register and a few books.  Comic shops are our watering holes  our water coolers.  They are filled with our families and friends.  They are our last bastion against — forgive me– a world that fears and hates us.    When the people you love do not understand you, rest assured someone in a comic shop knows just how you feel.  Comic shops provide the one thing that the online world can only hint at- community.

At the end of the day, they’re the place “where everybody knows your name.”

*The above piece is purely op-ed. I’m not an economist, nor do I own an e-reader. If you disagree or you know something I don’t, please leave a comment. Do not under any circumstances be an ass. It’s an opinion. If I’m wrong, so be it.*

Headlines

// February 15th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Comics, Humor, Review, Rumor

I’m a little late for my Week in Comics segment, but I have a good excuse.  I’m incredibly lazy.  So let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Marvel seems to be the big winner on headlines this week.

This morning it was announced that Marvel is taking the adjective from Astonishing X-Men and making it into an entire line.  It’s supposed to be some sort of low continuity series line so that new readers can jump right into the Marvel world.  I liked this idea better when it was called their Ultimate line.

So far they’ve announced the new team on Ast. X-Men and one new series: Astonishing Wolverine/ Spider-man which is a team up book by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert.

Why does Cyclops look like a bouncer for a gay night club?

Warren Ellis will be joined by Kaare Andrews for his third Astonishing arc.  I’m fairly impressed with the designs even if Emma, Scott and Hisako look like rejects from FAME and Wolverine seems the doing his best impression of Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse. It may be worth noting that Beast looks a little closer to his original blue fur form.  That may just be an odd angle though.

Also? You can totally see Ororo’s boobs. Nice.

After recently announcing that they would be canceling the entire Avengers line, Marvel came back with a new line-up.  So far they’ve announced Hawkeye, Spider-woman, Bucky Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine and Spider-man.  They claim this isn’t the full line up and considering the guy girl ratio is 7 to 1, you can bet on Mockingbird and possibly Jessica Jones.   Bendis is on board, along with JRJR and Klaus Janson.  I’m a huge Romita Jr fan, but Klaus Janson is too dark an inker.  He works best with someone who has a lighter touch.   New Avengers has been a solid series under Bendis, so rebooted number aside, I expect this to be a great series.

Can the same be said for Secret Avengers?

Ignited by a series of cryptic roster silhouettes, the internet buzz has been heavy on this series by Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato Jr.  There’s been speculation that this is a follow up to Dark Avengers.  Personally, I’m nixing that guess.  One: it’s two easy. And secondly the only reason people think that is bc Deodato was the Dark Avengers artist and one of the promos resembles Venom.  The truth is there are about a thousand Spider-man clones out there, figuratively and literally.

The bigger tip-off may be the adjective.  I’m thinking Secret Avengers is going to be Fury’s team.  Brubaker is brilliant at spy stories, as evidenced by the last few years on Captain America.

Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until after Seige before we get any real answers.

Last but not least, Marvel is kicking off yet another cosmic event with the resurrection of the Mad Titan in The Thanos Imperative: Ignition. Thanos was killed by current Guardian of the Galaxy member, Drax the Destroyer.

I want this cover to have my awesome babies.

The Thanos Imperative comes on the heels of the non-event Realm of Kings and once again involves The Fault, a rip in time/space from which all sorts of Lovecraftian badness is coming.  In addition to Thanos, the event will also focus on Adam Warlock’s evil side, The Magus.  The Magus has sprung up in several different forms throughout the years, most recently as the half the embodiment of Warlock’s soul in  the Infinity War (mid-90′s).

No real solids on this series either, but this is now the fourth Cosmic event in as many years. Abnett and Lanning have left the cosmic end of Marvel in far better shape than the regular universe, but it’s still more event fatigue.   That said, it probably will be a good series, so if you can stomach one more cross-over, go for it.

Speaking of events, DC leads off with the covers to this Summer’s Return of Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne does Philip Marlowe? I'm SO in!

Each of the six covers illustrates the different eras that Batman will fight his way through as he battles back to the current timeline. We’ll see Bat-cave man (heh, i made a punny), Captain Bat Sparrow, Witch hunter Batman, Gunslinger Batman and Detective Batman… which isn’t all that conceptually different from regular Bruce, but looks awesome nonetheless.

Morrison has stated that this story doesn’t rewrite the DCU’s history so much as add definition to it.  Apparently Batman was getting things done.

I’m on the fence with this one.  It looks like a fun Batman story, but on the other hand Morrison has been seriously off his rocker since Final Crisis #1.  This may be the most polarizing of Morrison’s work yet… but not likely.

Another major story is in the offing over in the Superman corner of the DCU.  War of the Supermen will be known as the “100 minute war”.  The story is a four parter set in 25 minute increments by James Robinson and Sterling Gates, based on the plans of Geoff Johns.  According to Robinson’s twitter, DC Blogger Alex Segura came up with the concept of the 100 minute war.  Basically it’s a war fought in super-speed.

Okay… that’s just gorram cool.  I haven’t really been in with Supes since the New Krypton arc, but hot damn this sounds like it’s worth trying.

DC’s Brightest Day series has a few more details.  A new cover features the original Aquaman apparently reborn after the events of Blackest Night.   The character has been gone since a failed reboot of the series during DC’s One Year Later stories.

too much tequilla will do that to you, Arthur.

Also post- Blackest Night, the Green Lantern Corps will spin off a third series (fourth if you count Brightest Day).   Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors will star everyone’s favorite ring-wielding jack ass, Guy Gardner.  The series will be written by Peter Tomasi who is departing GLC.  Tomasi will in turn be replaced by Tony Bedard.

Okay, on the one hand that’s way too many Green Lantern series.  On the other, Guy Gardner is bad ass.  As for GLC, Tony Bedard is a really talented writer who seems to keep getting crappy jobs.  Hopefully Green Lantern Corps will turn that around.

Oh, and in other GL news, Ganthet goes from being Guardian of the Blue Lanterns to bitch-job of grunt ring-slinger for the Green Corps.  No idea why.

That’s it for this week.  I’ll try to be less lazy this weekend.

Politics In Comics

// January 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, Movies, Scifi, Television, short fiction

One of the things I’ve had to learn to accept as a Conservative writer is that I’m pretty much alone.

Not totally mind you.  There are others out there.  We have decoder rings and communicate through smoke signals (it’s the only way to be secure).

But regardless of what medium you operate in- books, movies, stand-up comedy or comic books-  writers tend to be liberal.   In and of itself that isn’t a problem.  It would be ignorant of me to suggest that no one should be allowed to express their beliefs in comics– ignorant, and to be sure, hypocritical. Good writing should affect you deeply and will always make you think, even if you disagree.

So I’m not talking about censorship.  I’m talking about ugliness.

More and more lately, I find myself having to make excuses for writers of whom I am a fan.  No, I won’t name anyone.  I read comments both online and even in comics that basically insult me as a fan and a consumer.   I realize that a majority of the writing community is left-leaning, but why do they assume that their audience is as well?  I won’t throw polls and statistics at you, but the majority of Americans are right leaning on some level (which isn’t to say totally).  But even if we were only 40% of your audience, why would someone want to insult us for a cheap laugh?  It’s the equivalent of going to a Klan rally and telling black jokes.  It may be funny to a few people who think that way, but to the rest of us, it’s just sad.

It’s hard to look at someone you used to admire and think that they have no problem with insulting you just because you disagree with them. When other people do it, I get angry.  But in these situations, well- it just makes me sad.

The Comics community is pretty insular.  These days everything feels like a war.  Like sides are trying to get you to choose between them in a violent, grizzly game of Red Rover, Red Rover.    Do we as fans and writers need to be like that?  Isn’t the industry on unstable ground as it is?

I’m not saying we should hold hands and hug or something.  But maybe we should leave the politics to the news networks.

Just saying.

The Week In Comics

// January 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, Humor, Review, Rumor

Well, DC has been fisting the community with news this week via their Source Blog.  Some exciting.  Some— well. Anyway. But their DEFINITELY  heavy hitter on comics news this week.  I’ll start with their competitors.

—The big news from Marvel this week comes courtesy of IGN.    Marvel has decided to end all of their Avengers titles after their Siege event.   Expect more news soon regarding these possible replacements.

New New Avengers

Avengers: the Cash Initiative

Mighty Predictable Avengers

and Captain America:  Publicity Stunts Reborn.

Can Marvel be any more predictable with this shit?   New number ones, followed in two years by original number reboots.  Wash, rinse, repeat.   It’s so tiring.  We all know this is just a reason to bump up cover prices on “special event” issues.   The current Avengers line is just fine by me.  Bendis and Immonen have been tearing. it. up. on New Avengers.  Stuart Immonen is a rock star.   And while Dan Slott’s Mighty Avengers is a mixed bag, it’s usually a mixed bag full of goodies.  I find his Robo-banging, bitch-slapping, cross dressing, Scientist Supreme Hank Pym to be one of the funner characters in comics right now.  And honestly, why doesn’t marvel have a shirt with him saying “Dr. Richards?  It’s on, bitch.”  I’d buy that. Dark Avengers is pretty crazy fun as well.  The only real strike is Initiative which I dropped when they became the Avenger counter strike too long a name should have stayed the New Warriors and why exactly is Tigra leading–  what was I saying again?

Marvel, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  But, hey- maybe we’ll get a proper Young Avengers title back.

—The other news that’s been hinted at is that their follow up to Dark Reign will be the Heroic Age.

ENOUGH.  Enough Marvel.  No more special events.  No more cover branding.  No more line-wide title connections.  Give us three years.  Just three years to rest up from event fatigue.  Allow your writers to tell their own stories.  Sales might actually go up.  Because I guarantee you this.  I won’t be reading any more events after this year. Not for a long while.  Enough is enough.

On to DC

—There’s going to be a comic series named Legends to compliment DC’s MMORPG that’s been long in the works.

I don’t care.  NEXXXXXXT!

—Geoff Johns will be penning Tiny Titans #25 with the regular crew, and bringing in Superboy.

This kind of pisses me off.  The regular Teen Titans series has been a mess since Johns left following the Titans East storyline.  That’s the series that needs a prominent writer coming aboard along with Conner Kent.  Not necessarily Johns, but somebody. Kid Eternity is a freaking Titan.  What the hell?

And speaking of Titans East…

— the adjective-less Titans series will be getting a revamp and a new roster headed up by Deathstroke.

This isn’t the first time Deathstroke has started a Titans team.  He did it in the afore-mentioned Titans East storyline.  That said, this series was utter shite since it’s inception.  Deathstroke and the Titans killing people sounds good to me. Rock on, people.

—The Birds of Prey are BACK!

WHAT UP!   Gail Simone and Ed Benes return Babs, Black Canary and company to glory.  Why was this series cancelled in the first place?  Fuck Batgirl.  I want my Birds!   Nobody writes strong female characters like Simone  —well, except maybe Whedon. But then he kills them.

—Paul Levitz back on Legion of Superheroes

I loved what Johns did with the legion in Action Comics and ESPECIALLY Legion of 3 Worlds.   Levitz is one of two legends when it comes to LoSH.  Add to that the spectacular art they’ve shown from new artist Yildray Cinar– I’m excited.  This is a book I definitely want to see.

—The Flash and JLA will be under the Brightest Day banner

I’ll be reading Robinson’s JLA, but I’m done with Flash.  I’ve been burned way too many times with this Barry crap.  Why did Johns bother bringing back Wally and Bart considering they’ve been COMPLETELY off the radar for the better part of a year?  And Barry suck.  Big time.

Dear DC, I’m on Team Coco and Team Wally.

And speaking of Brightest Day…

—DC creates two twice monthly series post- Blackest Night.

This is the big news of the week.   But… well,  remember what I said to Marvel about event fatigue?

This is the year that could break the camel’s toe.   Blackest Night is kicking ass right now.  I’m not in love with the execution, but I’m definitely digging the story.   So do I want to find out what happens in Brightest Day?  Absolutely.  The odds are it’s going to have a lot to do with the various colored corps  (I feel so racist every time I say that) and Dawn Granger: White Lantern (oh you KNOW it’s coming).   Still, this and Generation Lost effective constitute DC’s fifth weekly series.

And DC needs to let this shit go.  52 was uneven, but mostly good.  Countdown was so bad it made me want murder kittens.  And Trinity— UGH.  Sure, Wednesday Comics was pretty great, but now it’s time to be done with it.  Is there any reason Brightest Day can’t be constrained to Green Lantern and GLC? And Generation Lost- no one knows anything about it besides the fact that it stars the infamous JLI and is co-written by everyone’s favorite comics curmudgeon, Keith Giffen.   They sound good- so I’m withholding judgment. I’ll try them.  But after this-  I’m done.  Do you hear me, DC?  I’m done.

No more events.  no more mutants.  and no more events.

This has been the week in comics.

In Darkest Knight…

// November 14th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Comics, Review, Scifi

There are a certain number of comics that are considered required reading for the comic elite.   Alan Moore’s Watchmen is among them, as is anything from the Lee/ Kirby era and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.   But one of the most often mentioned among these titans has to be Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns.

I admit, it’s been so long since I’ve read it that it should be considered a crime.  Of course, the archetype of the aging, unrelenting Dark Knight is still vibrant.  But the depth of character, the nuances of the story were long since erased.

The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of an aged Bruce Wayne who has retired the Batman ten years previous.  Unlike other iterations, Batman is not portrayed as the true face of Bruce Wayne, but more like a split personality; ironically making him a more visually appealing flipside of Harvey Dent. Before long, Bruce’s addiction to this alter-ego becomes too tempting, his will too weak.   And soon the Batman re-emerges with a renewed hunger for both justice and violence.

It is important to note that the Dark Knight represents more of an aspect of the Batman mythos than a pure representation.   In creating his vision, Frank Miller embraced the idea that Bruce Wayne is completely removed from any sense of reality; a disturbed man who believes himself a General in a War as real as any fought by the military.   And in this world soldiers deaths may be tragic, but acceptable in the name of justice.

DKR is in many ways a war of  ideologies.  Batman represents an old, unwanted school of thought.  He believes in Justice, and more importantly, he believes in taking action.  Yet he represents an anachronism.  The world has moved past him.  Frank Miller’s Dark Knight universe feels almost prophetic in it’s representation of a Politically Correct, ultra-sensitive, media-coddled society.  As Batman ramps up his war on crime, the rest of society (represented by ordinary, ultra-liberal citizens, government stooges and media) blames him for creating an endless cycle of violence where he creates or inspires the criminals he faces.  To society, Batman is the villain, while the criminals he apprehends are victims of his blood-thirsty ego.  The contemporary relevance of these themes are almost painful.

In fact the more I read, the more I became convinced that Frank Miller has some kind of psychic clairvoyance.   The book is littered with events and themes that have imitated it’s art line for line.  A porn actress becomes accepted into the mainstream. (Jenna Jameson, Traci Lords, Stormy Daniels.) The president of a television network proclaims that a television writers strike won’t affect the continued production of shows.  (Perhaps he increased production of “Reality shows”?)   The same network President (Jimmy Olsen) is given an award for spinning the Economic Crisis in the US Government’s favor.  Even the unseen President of the United States could easily be mocking the public persona of George W Bush! (Though he is actually meant to be a mockery of Reagan.) But perhaps the most chillingly– nearly obscenely– prescient moments occurs when the mayor of Gotham attempts to negotiate with the leader of the terrorist gang The Mutants who have over-run the city, bathing it in crime.   As I watch the news and see Nidal Hasan and the September 11th planners being shown leniency and sympathy they would never reciprocate… as our Commander in Chief calls to negotiate with men like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong-Il… the chill that runs up my spine lingers in my mind.   The Mayor of Gotham displays the admirable desire to find redemption in the most contemptible of men.   He appeals to the humanity in the Mutant leader.  The problem is that sometimes when you look deeper in such men, all you find is the beast within.   Miller makes his feelings known as a news anchor gleefully announces that the Mutant leader ripped the Mayor’s throat out.  Later, they promise to air the exciting footage of the man’s gruesome death. Of course our own news media aren’t as literally blood-thirsty as Miller’s, but the metaphor doesn’t feel that far off.

The children who make up the mutant gang are essentially lost souls influenced by the strongest personality.  When the Mutant leader is defeated, some form the Sons of Batman, still engaging in violent behavior, though this time in the service of “Justice”.   When the Joker goes on a killing spree, a few other Mutants model themselves after the his visage.   Of course, this prediction is far less amazing.  When the Dark Knight Returns was written, gangs were on the rise.  But the subtext, the idea that as the old school and the new battle, the children are the ones left behind-  that never changes.

The climax of these ongoing battles is the famous fight between Batman and Superman.  To the casual viewer (and pop culture fanatic) Superman has always represented the American dream, and its no coincidence that his color scheme so closely resembles the Flag. In the Dark Knight Universe however, Superman is merely a puppet of government, a whipped cur.   If Superman represents the strength of the United States, Batman represents the spirit of it’s people.    The Man of Steel obediently follows the directives of the President, in fear of the consequences. He even gets involved in wars.   (Some would even argue the similarities to our police action in Iraq.)   The Dark Knight is a stark contrast. He separates the concepts of Justice and Government; finding them to be occasional allies (such as Jim Gordon), but never one and the same.   Batman never entrusts the machine to act on its own.

The difficulty is in judging the ending.  Does the allegory end with Superman triumphant?  With Batman being forced to change tactics to deal with the demands of this new world order?   Or does Bruce’s survival suggest that the the ideals he represents will endure no matter the circumstances?

That is, of course, the fun of great fiction.   Interpret it as you will.  The characters, the motivations… it is all in the eyes of the beholder.   But whether reading deeply or enjoying it as a great, old comic, there’s no denying the brilliance of The Dark Knight Returns.