Let's get the fights out of the way...
Match #5: The Thing vs. Colossus
Wait... is this a tournament of some kind? Both the Thing and Colossus have been involved in matches already -- and both won (or, they won according to the comic -- I still call that Colossus/Spider-Man match a time limit draw). I know this card isn't structured like a tournament, but wouldn't it be cool if it was? An unannounced tournament to determine who is the best out of all of the Avengers and X-Men... Then again, if you count fights outside of AVX: VS, we've already seen Colossus lose to the Red Hulk and the Thing have a rematch with Namor that ended with the Thing winning via Namor being embarrassed that wrestling involves two half-naked dudes rolling around and grabbing one another, and decided that walking away and losing again on a technicality is a lot better than someone thinking you're gay (that was the point of that fight, right?). So... here we are with the Thing's record of 2-0-0 and Colossus standing at 0-1-1, sort of. This match only confirms my idea that the Avengers are being portrayed as the villains in this story and the X-Men as the underdogs based on the pre-match attack by the Red Hulk as Colossus makes his way down to the ring. Clear heel faction tactic. He beats on Colossus and, then, throws him into the ring so the Thing can begin hammering on him in a weakened state. As does the Thing's response to Colossus's first attempt at offence: throwing what looks to be a piece of his rocky hide down the Russian's throat in a clearly illegal attempt at a choke. So, when Colossus takes the fight outside of the ring and uses that environment to his advantage, it's not cheating, it's giving the heel his proper comeuppance. While Colossus doesn't technically win as he never gets back in the ring, his beatdown of the Thing makes the double countout finish seem like a win. It's a moral win for the good guy underdog. Some solid storytelling on the card finally with a finish that wouldn't seem quite so bad if every other match wasn't booked with a similar sort of cheap non-finish finish. Still, a clear standout so far -- kudos to Loeb and McGuinness.
Result: Double countout [**3/4]
Match #6: No Disqualification/Falls Count Anywhere Match - Black Widow vs. Magick
In the ongoing 'card' that is the match line-up of AVX: VS, we finally had our first 'Divas' match. Okay, calling it that is somewhat dismissive. Three issues in and we see our first fight involving women (with two more next issue; though, those will be intergender matches). Nice to see that Marvel isn't afraid to show that women can fight just as well, if not better than, the men. And, surprisingly, it's the second fight of this issue to feature one of the Rasputin siblings. This match ranges all over the place, which isn't surprising given the obvious stipulation. They fight on the moon, in Limbo, and, surprisingly, finish back on the moon. Personally, I'm not a fan of Falls Count Anywhere matches that finish back in the ring after fighting all over -- nor ones that end with the Roll-Up victory. Both women gave it their all, but Black Widow had this thing won until BOOM! Roll-Up pin by Magick for the surprise win. It felt like a cheap win and undercut everything that came before. We all know that Limbo is where Magick is at home and no one has beaten her there before, but the Black Widow bested her there before putting her back in the ring to end things and booking things so she loses then... Well, why waste Magick not dominating in Limbo? For a swerve finish? That's bullshit, man. May as well had Colossus run in after leaving the Thing beaten...
Winner: Magick [*1/2]
Next up on the card looks to be Daredevil vs. Psylocke and Thor vs. Emma Frost in her first match since joining the Phoenix Force.
***
I'm not entirely sure what I think of Avengers #27 where Noh-Varr has betrayed the Avengers, then discovers that the Kree are fine with the Phoenix destroying Earth, decides that he kind of likes Earth and betrays the Kree (just like Mar-Vell did!) only for the Avengers to threaten him with death and give him the biggest backhand I've seen in a while before the Kree take away his Nega-Bands and we get one panel of him in his old costume.
I mean, no one is more excited to see that Protector bullshit dropped even though I had made my peace with it. To follow up on that narrative, Noh-Varr was basically put in a situation where his family's business made him steal company secrets from his job and, when he did it, he discovered that they were going to use those secrets to, like, kill baby seals or something, so he panicked. Instead of that making things better, he was fired from his job and his familar disowned him. We see him in the end wearing the shitty clothes he wore as a teenager, because... well, what else is there? He tried to be an adult and was put in a situation where he was going to either lose his job or his family and wound up losing both. Clearly, he will save the Earth from the Phoenix.
I don't know...
I did like seeing the old costume drawn by Walt Simonson. Even if it was for only one panel and kind of tiny.
***
X-Men: Legacy #268 is only superficially connected to Avengers vs. X-Men. It's basically a Frenzy solo story that happens because of the actions of the Phoenix Five. I found it heavyhanded and obvious. Fans of Frenzy might have liked it. Dunno.
Next week: Avengers vs. X-Men #6, New Avengers #27, Uncanny X-Men #14, Secret Avengers #28, and Avengers Academy #32.
Showing posts with label noh-varr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noh-varr. Show all posts
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Saturday, January 29, 2011
28: Reconsidering Noh-Varr Post-Morrison
I have an unnatural attachment to Noh-Varr. What a goddamn weird sentence to write. My first essay for this blog just under six years ago was on Marvel Boy and it remains one of the pieces I'm best known for. I've since been a vocal reader when it came to the character's subsequent appearances and a very vocal critic of his depiction in those appearances. The way that Brian Michael Bendis writes him, in particular, has drawn some very harsh words from me. You see, Marvel Boy was a big book for me. It was the first comic you could say that I 'got.' My first time reading the first issue, I was a little lost, but I worked at it and, by the end, I could see Grant Morrison writing about the entire Marvel Universe, about teenage rebellion, about the real 'ultimate Spider-Man' and everything else I discussed in that first essay. I'd never 'gotten' a comic like that before.
I was 17. Today, I'm 28.
Those two numbers are significant. When I was 17, I wasn't exactly what you'd call an 'angry young man,' but I wasn't far off. I was smart and I knew it. Worse, I was smarter than most of the people around me and I knew it. Worse than that, I wasn't smarter than a few people around me and I knew it. Arrogance, jealousy, and a little self-loathing all mixed together is not a fun combination. I don't think I've ever outgrown it either, if I'm being honest. I was in high school, of course, and would soon discover the internet. I would soon get the internet at home and would soon find ways to terrorise the world. I wrote a weekly column on my own geocities site. It was called "Shut Up and Listen." Ha. Yeah. I ranted and raved once a week for five years. I looked around at the world and I hated it all. I hated how bad everything was. This was after Bush got elected, after 9/11, too. I actually cared about what on around me, or thought I did. I was also horribly self-involved. For a while there, I had a running section devoted to trying to figure out how to get excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Eventually, I realised that it didn't matter, because just walking away was a lot easier and healthier.
It sounds a little stupid to say that I'd compare myself to Noh-Varr at this time, but there were elements of wanting to carve FUCK YOU into a city in my personality. I was just more apt to act within the boundaries set out by society. Be angry and say angry things, hate the world, while getting good grades and going on to university. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But, somewhere, I equated myself with Noh-Varr. He looked around and didn't see a civilisation, he saw ignorant stupid creatures that thought themselves the pinnacle of intelligence in the universe. Hard to be that age, a little bright, and not see the same thing when you look around. Of course, you're both right and wrong.
Today, I'm 28. I'm both that guy and not that guy anymore. I've graduated university, gone to grad school, had no job for over two years, fallen in love and moved in with a woman, found a decent job, review comics, and lead a pretty normal life. I don't write angry columns anymore. I don't pay attention to politics as much. I still get worked up, not so much on a daily basis. I've settled down some. And I couldn't help but notice that Noh-Varr has as well.
The Marvel Universe doesn't move in real time, but it's hard not to notice that where he is now is where I am now. He went to prison, learned a few lessons, had a crappy job, has gotten a better one, is dating a woman, and has calmed down quite a bit. I've attacked Bendis in the past for these changes, for saying that they're out of character, and now I'm not so sure. Maybe they would have happened more organically and maybe they make for a fairly boring character, but that doesn't mean that's not the way things go. Not everyone stays an angry teenager forever. I didn't.
I reread Marvel Boy last weekend at work. That seemed like an appropriate setting. I read it partly on my lunch and partly when things were slow. It's hard to see it as a comic anymore; it's more a memory. Something that I know, a familiar song that brings back a feeling, a time, a place, another me... How do you read a comic like that with anything other than a mixture of nostalgia, memory, and embarrassment? So much of my love for that comic comes from an emotional connection that was formed when I first read it and that connection is hard to recreate. It's still there, I just can't access it the same way. I read the comic with a purposeful eye to the past, to my younger self, to Noh-Varr's younger self, and where we've both wound up.
I've wound up wondering where Morrison would have taken the character. The only logical endpoint is somewhere near where he is now. He couldn't remain the abrasive, angry teen that he was. He couldn't take over Earth. He couldn't beat the system and reform it. The series points at his growth towards maturity and as a responsible protector of Earth. It's really only in issue three when he takes down Hexus, but that's only because his conflict with Midas gets in the way. Before he could become a true hero, he needed to deal with his personal villain, that angry figure of capitalism and greed, which also tied into Hexus. Both Hexus and Midas represent using people for survival and profit. Oddly, while Hexus is a 'living corporation,' its concern isn't with acquiring wealth, it's with obtaining the means to reproduce and continue its existence. It uses capitalism as a means of survival.
Midas, on the other hand, is a figure of pure greed. He calls himself a scavenger and a pirate. There are no pretences to his own brilliance beyond the repeated mantra that he turns everything to his advantage. He reacts, he uses, and he never innovates. He is the corrupt system, the one that feasts upon people, obsessed with only gaining more wealth, more power, not seeing people as anything but pawns and things to lord over. He's so rich and powerful that he can call in SHIELD for his own personal use and he still wants more. He's everything that a teenager hates. The corrupt, uncaring system of old people. More than that, he's also the evil father figure. As Oubliette's father, he's that prick of a dad that's overprotective and wants to interrogate you before you take his sweet, precious little girl out, and treats you like you're not good enough for her (because no one is). Even his daughter is just a piece of property that he covets and wants for himself just because he wants everything for himself. An ugly, sad man with no redeeming qualities. Almost an exaggerated form of evil, the sort that teens sometimes see adults as.
But, with that seminal figure of authority for a teenage rebel defeated, where would Noh-Varr go next? He defeated greed and capitalism and Daddy... or, at least, moved past those ideas. Came to terms with them in some way. He's still angry. It's not just that small stuff, it's the larger picture, the system that allowed people like Midas to exist. He got past his girlfriend's father and the story ends with him stuck, basically, in school. Prison is school. They say they'll break (educate) him in six months, he says he only needs five before he's running the place.
As we eventually saw, post-Morrison, that wasn't the case. He was broken, for a time, and eventually gained his freedom, taking over. Call his time in charge of the Cube 'college.' He's still in prison (school), but he has the illusion of freedom, of running the show. But he's not free, he's still there! He's learning lessons that being 'free' and 'in charge' isn't all fun and games, it's a lot of bullshit. It's actually not all that different from what came before. From there, it's heading to the real world where his sense of self-importance was still intact until he, basically, saw one of his professors get shitcanned for bad reasons (fake Captain Mar-Vell gives his life to fight the Skrulls), but win his respect in the process. Noh-Varr gets a job (the Dark Avengers), thinking it follows the example set by that beloved mentor/professor only to learn that it's an awful job full of weird office politics and a fairly evil purpose. Hey, it was his first real job, what did he expect? While on the run (unemployed), he meets a nice girl, wants to settle down a bit, tired of the constant rage and fighting, so he gets a bland set of clothes, and gets a regular job with a stupid title but a little bit of self-respect.
While I have no doubt that Morrison's plans for him would have been more interesting and more organic, I'm not sure I see a different end point. He was always destined to be a hero, a protector. Maybe I'm reaching here, looking for parallels between the two of us where none exist. Then again, it makes an odd amount of sense to me. Even the lack of Oubliette fits: the crazy high school girlfriend that he never sees again when he goes away to college.
Today, I'm 28 and I don't think I hate where Bendis has taken Noh-Varr so much anymore. I still find his interpretation of the character bland and uninteresting, but I understand it a little better.
I was 17. Today, I'm 28.
Those two numbers are significant. When I was 17, I wasn't exactly what you'd call an 'angry young man,' but I wasn't far off. I was smart and I knew it. Worse, I was smarter than most of the people around me and I knew it. Worse than that, I wasn't smarter than a few people around me and I knew it. Arrogance, jealousy, and a little self-loathing all mixed together is not a fun combination. I don't think I've ever outgrown it either, if I'm being honest. I was in high school, of course, and would soon discover the internet. I would soon get the internet at home and would soon find ways to terrorise the world. I wrote a weekly column on my own geocities site. It was called "Shut Up and Listen." Ha. Yeah. I ranted and raved once a week for five years. I looked around at the world and I hated it all. I hated how bad everything was. This was after Bush got elected, after 9/11, too. I actually cared about what on around me, or thought I did. I was also horribly self-involved. For a while there, I had a running section devoted to trying to figure out how to get excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Eventually, I realised that it didn't matter, because just walking away was a lot easier and healthier.
It sounds a little stupid to say that I'd compare myself to Noh-Varr at this time, but there were elements of wanting to carve FUCK YOU into a city in my personality. I was just more apt to act within the boundaries set out by society. Be angry and say angry things, hate the world, while getting good grades and going on to university. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But, somewhere, I equated myself with Noh-Varr. He looked around and didn't see a civilisation, he saw ignorant stupid creatures that thought themselves the pinnacle of intelligence in the universe. Hard to be that age, a little bright, and not see the same thing when you look around. Of course, you're both right and wrong.
Today, I'm 28. I'm both that guy and not that guy anymore. I've graduated university, gone to grad school, had no job for over two years, fallen in love and moved in with a woman, found a decent job, review comics, and lead a pretty normal life. I don't write angry columns anymore. I don't pay attention to politics as much. I still get worked up, not so much on a daily basis. I've settled down some. And I couldn't help but notice that Noh-Varr has as well.
The Marvel Universe doesn't move in real time, but it's hard not to notice that where he is now is where I am now. He went to prison, learned a few lessons, had a crappy job, has gotten a better one, is dating a woman, and has calmed down quite a bit. I've attacked Bendis in the past for these changes, for saying that they're out of character, and now I'm not so sure. Maybe they would have happened more organically and maybe they make for a fairly boring character, but that doesn't mean that's not the way things go. Not everyone stays an angry teenager forever. I didn't.
I reread Marvel Boy last weekend at work. That seemed like an appropriate setting. I read it partly on my lunch and partly when things were slow. It's hard to see it as a comic anymore; it's more a memory. Something that I know, a familiar song that brings back a feeling, a time, a place, another me... How do you read a comic like that with anything other than a mixture of nostalgia, memory, and embarrassment? So much of my love for that comic comes from an emotional connection that was formed when I first read it and that connection is hard to recreate. It's still there, I just can't access it the same way. I read the comic with a purposeful eye to the past, to my younger self, to Noh-Varr's younger self, and where we've both wound up.
I've wound up wondering where Morrison would have taken the character. The only logical endpoint is somewhere near where he is now. He couldn't remain the abrasive, angry teen that he was. He couldn't take over Earth. He couldn't beat the system and reform it. The series points at his growth towards maturity and as a responsible protector of Earth. It's really only in issue three when he takes down Hexus, but that's only because his conflict with Midas gets in the way. Before he could become a true hero, he needed to deal with his personal villain, that angry figure of capitalism and greed, which also tied into Hexus. Both Hexus and Midas represent using people for survival and profit. Oddly, while Hexus is a 'living corporation,' its concern isn't with acquiring wealth, it's with obtaining the means to reproduce and continue its existence. It uses capitalism as a means of survival.
Midas, on the other hand, is a figure of pure greed. He calls himself a scavenger and a pirate. There are no pretences to his own brilliance beyond the repeated mantra that he turns everything to his advantage. He reacts, he uses, and he never innovates. He is the corrupt system, the one that feasts upon people, obsessed with only gaining more wealth, more power, not seeing people as anything but pawns and things to lord over. He's so rich and powerful that he can call in SHIELD for his own personal use and he still wants more. He's everything that a teenager hates. The corrupt, uncaring system of old people. More than that, he's also the evil father figure. As Oubliette's father, he's that prick of a dad that's overprotective and wants to interrogate you before you take his sweet, precious little girl out, and treats you like you're not good enough for her (because no one is). Even his daughter is just a piece of property that he covets and wants for himself just because he wants everything for himself. An ugly, sad man with no redeeming qualities. Almost an exaggerated form of evil, the sort that teens sometimes see adults as.
But, with that seminal figure of authority for a teenage rebel defeated, where would Noh-Varr go next? He defeated greed and capitalism and Daddy... or, at least, moved past those ideas. Came to terms with them in some way. He's still angry. It's not just that small stuff, it's the larger picture, the system that allowed people like Midas to exist. He got past his girlfriend's father and the story ends with him stuck, basically, in school. Prison is school. They say they'll break (educate) him in six months, he says he only needs five before he's running the place.
As we eventually saw, post-Morrison, that wasn't the case. He was broken, for a time, and eventually gained his freedom, taking over. Call his time in charge of the Cube 'college.' He's still in prison (school), but he has the illusion of freedom, of running the show. But he's not free, he's still there! He's learning lessons that being 'free' and 'in charge' isn't all fun and games, it's a lot of bullshit. It's actually not all that different from what came before. From there, it's heading to the real world where his sense of self-importance was still intact until he, basically, saw one of his professors get shitcanned for bad reasons (fake Captain Mar-Vell gives his life to fight the Skrulls), but win his respect in the process. Noh-Varr gets a job (the Dark Avengers), thinking it follows the example set by that beloved mentor/professor only to learn that it's an awful job full of weird office politics and a fairly evil purpose. Hey, it was his first real job, what did he expect? While on the run (unemployed), he meets a nice girl, wants to settle down a bit, tired of the constant rage and fighting, so he gets a bland set of clothes, and gets a regular job with a stupid title but a little bit of self-respect.
While I have no doubt that Morrison's plans for him would have been more interesting and more organic, I'm not sure I see a different end point. He was always destined to be a hero, a protector. Maybe I'm reaching here, looking for parallels between the two of us where none exist. Then again, it makes an odd amount of sense to me. Even the lack of Oubliette fits: the crazy high school girlfriend that he never sees again when he goes away to college.
Today, I'm 28 and I don't think I hate where Bendis has taken Noh-Varr so much anymore. I still find his interpretation of the character bland and uninteresting, but I understand it a little better.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The Future is Mundane and Oh So Typical
I gave Dark Avengers annual #1 four stars in my CBR review. And I genuinely believe that, when read from an objective (or as objective as one can get) and within the proper context, it deserves that rating. Had I delivered my subjective review of the comic, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly, obtaining probably something in the 2-2.5 range. I'll admit that it didn't raise my ire as much as previous Bendis depictions of Noh-Varr, but it did irk me. It shouldn't have since it's been so obviously apparent that the Noh-Varr of Marvel Boy was long gone since Zeb Wells brought him back during "Civil War" to fight the Runaways and Young Avengers. Instead of the young, radical alien from a culture that legitimately is more advanced than ours, he was simply an angry young Kree that was sometimes from another dimension, sometimes not. There was no advancement of his cause to recreate Hala on Earth. No moral quandries. No sex and disgust for humanity. No sign of him being anything other than a misguided youth in need of a stern lecture from Representatives of the Status Quo. And they called him Marvel Boy.Marvel fucking Boy.
If ever there was a sign that people didn't really understand what they were dealing with, it was saddling the character with the title of the comic in which he appeared during which the words 'Marvel' and 'Boy' did not meet. Am I being nitpicky? Sure. Am I acting like an entitled fanboy, one who thinks he has some sense of ownership over the character? Probably. Is it just a fictional character, so getting upset or outraged is somewhat sad? I suppose so. But, I don't care.
What happens in Dark Avengers annual #1 isn't character growth, it's magic. Noh-Varr has grown a little bit over his time in the Marvel Universe, not quite so ready to take over and change everything, but his progression to that point was too quick. Wow, the Illuminati give him some bullshit speech about how his alternate reality caveman ancestor Mar-Vell was a good Kree between letting Namor sucker punch him... a Skrull imposter of Mar-Vell got Stockholm Syndrome... Noh-Varr couldn't figure out that he was on a team with a bunch of criminals despite learning extensively about human (specially American) history/culture upon his arrival...
Where in this would it be entirely logical for him to care about humanity? I'm truly wondering. If anything, all of that should make him hate the simplistic and stupid thinking that abounds in humanity. They put thugs and criminals in charge! They think they're heroes! If that isn't a system in need of a complete overhaul, I don't know what is. No, instead, he wanders around and wonder what humanity wants... why? That is like me finding myself in past by several thousands of years with the ability to remake society in a superior manner and caring what they think. Who cares, they're backwards-thinking apemen who obviously don't know what they're doing! That is the mind of Noh-Varr... the End of the Way Things Are...
The only way to get him from that point to where he ends up is via the Supreme Intelligence of his universe (and to show how advanced he is, he builds the means to communicate with his homeworld in another dimension from spare parts), which declares that he will protect this Earth. I believe the Kree Empire of that universe deciding that, because their behaviour in Marvel Boy is very much of the benevolent protector, searching the multiverse for ways to make things better... and, thus, they transform Noh-Varr, alter him, make him something different...
Make him mundane and typical. A round peg in a round hole where once he was square. I won't even get into that awful, boring costume design that doesn't fit into the Kree designs we've seen to date...
In the end, he stops being Noh-Varr, he becomes the new Captain Marvel. To be fair, he stopped being Noh-Varr when he returned at the end of Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers #2. He was Marvel Boy then. He's since become Captain Marvel. And it's boring. If his journey had actually been that of the hero -- if he had actually encountered situations that caused him to mature and change his way of thinking, I would buy it. But, that didn't happen. In fact, the opposite happened as he encountered reason after reason to tear it all down... until he was transformed into thinking differently.
I used to get angry about this sort of thing, but I can't bring myself to care anymore. Writing this has just killed it. After a while, how could I not just give up? After all, the future was once x-rated and, now, here we are, nearly ten years on and it's just mediocrity and safe and boring... It's not my character; it never was, but, now, it most certainly is not. Enjoy your Captain Marvel. I'm done caring.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Could Marvel's Future Be X-Rated?
I received a lovely e-mail this morning from a guy/girl (the name given isn't a clear indicator) who had recently read Marvel Boy and came across my essay on the series (although, that essay makes me cringe and I keep meaning to update/rewrite it--same with my Codeflesh one), and wanted to know what I think of the recent use of Noh-Varr in the Marvel universe. I've discussed this a few times here in the past, but since it got me thinking, I figured I'd address it again in some detail.
My view on the Noh-Varr in Marvel Boy is that he's partially an invocation of Golden Age "heroes" like Namor and the original Marvel Boy, but also a reimaging of Spider-Man for the 21st century. The numerous similarities are too numerous to ignore from the colours/design of his costume and hair (the colours being the opposite colours of Spider-Man's costume), the death of a father figure, the survivor of a mother figure, the death of a girlfriend and getting a new girlfriend (note that their hair colours are red and blonde...), the general lesson of issue three is one of responsibility, the spider/cockroach powers... except Noh-Varr acts like an angry teenager with superpowers would: he carves swear words into cities, fights against authority figures, dates the wrong girl, learns everything he knows from TV, and wants to tear everything down so he can make the world "better." I still say that Noh-Varr captures the teenage experience far better than Spider-Man could ever hope to--better than any teenage superhero story ever has, I'd even say.
We'll never know exactly what Grant Morrison had in mind for the next two Marvel Boy series, but I get the feeling that, over the course of them, Noh-Varr would mature and grow, and no longer be an angry young man... because that's what happens. And that seems to be the direction that Brian Michael Bendis (with the help of Zeb Wells and Brian Reed) is taking the character. But...
But, it's too quick. There's no real reason for growth in the character. Since Marvel Boy, he been imprisoned, confronted by the Illuminati (in a godawful issue) as they tried to suggest that he should somehow help and protect the barbaric monkeys, brainwashed by the warden of said prison, taken over the prison and... yeah, not much. Where is the impetus for growth, to somehow want to take over the mantle of Captain Marvel as things seem to point to? He still comes from a civilisation thousands of years ahead of humanity--and the Kree of the 616 Marvel universe. As I said, the Kree may be more advanced, but it's by a few centuries, and Noh-Varr is beyond them all by a few millenia... he may feel affinity for the Kree of this universe, but not much. To put it another way, would you feel a whole of affinity for the homo sapiens of 150,000 years ago? How about even 10,000 years ago? They would barely qualify as human if your eyes because they're so less evolved. Now, is Noh-Varr that advanced? Debatable, but he is advanced enough that I don't see anything that Bendis/Reed/Wells has done that would suggest he would waver from his goal of tarraforming Earth and its cultures in an effort to recreate his homeworld of Hala.
Thinking that through, an idea occurred to me: maybe that's how Secret Invasion ends. Maybe after the Skrulls are defeated, Noh-Varr takes over and begins going about reshaping the world. Highly unlikely, but since the push to have him take over as Captain Marvel is so obvious, it would make sense that a curve ball be thrown. Maybe the "secret invasion" of the title is Noh-Varr's, not the Skrulls'. That would at least be interesting.
(I also want to say that despite his inclusion in the regular Marvel universe, I still read Marvel Boy as the first Ultimate book--the true updating of Spider-Man and other Marvel concepts for the 21st century... Morrison's reimagining of Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, the Punisher, and S.H.I.E.L.D. are all much more in line with the concept of the Ultimate universe in that they really do take the concepts and push them beyond their old limitations, making them more palatable for modern audiences. Just saying.)
So, that's that.
My view on the Noh-Varr in Marvel Boy is that he's partially an invocation of Golden Age "heroes" like Namor and the original Marvel Boy, but also a reimaging of Spider-Man for the 21st century. The numerous similarities are too numerous to ignore from the colours/design of his costume and hair (the colours being the opposite colours of Spider-Man's costume), the death of a father figure, the survivor of a mother figure, the death of a girlfriend and getting a new girlfriend (note that their hair colours are red and blonde...), the general lesson of issue three is one of responsibility, the spider/cockroach powers... except Noh-Varr acts like an angry teenager with superpowers would: he carves swear words into cities, fights against authority figures, dates the wrong girl, learns everything he knows from TV, and wants to tear everything down so he can make the world "better." I still say that Noh-Varr captures the teenage experience far better than Spider-Man could ever hope to--better than any teenage superhero story ever has, I'd even say.
We'll never know exactly what Grant Morrison had in mind for the next two Marvel Boy series, but I get the feeling that, over the course of them, Noh-Varr would mature and grow, and no longer be an angry young man... because that's what happens. And that seems to be the direction that Brian Michael Bendis (with the help of Zeb Wells and Brian Reed) is taking the character. But...
But, it's too quick. There's no real reason for growth in the character. Since Marvel Boy, he been imprisoned, confronted by the Illuminati (in a godawful issue) as they tried to suggest that he should somehow help and protect the barbaric monkeys, brainwashed by the warden of said prison, taken over the prison and... yeah, not much. Where is the impetus for growth, to somehow want to take over the mantle of Captain Marvel as things seem to point to? He still comes from a civilisation thousands of years ahead of humanity--and the Kree of the 616 Marvel universe. As I said, the Kree may be more advanced, but it's by a few centuries, and Noh-Varr is beyond them all by a few millenia... he may feel affinity for the Kree of this universe, but not much. To put it another way, would you feel a whole of affinity for the homo sapiens of 150,000 years ago? How about even 10,000 years ago? They would barely qualify as human if your eyes because they're so less evolved. Now, is Noh-Varr that advanced? Debatable, but he is advanced enough that I don't see anything that Bendis/Reed/Wells has done that would suggest he would waver from his goal of tarraforming Earth and its cultures in an effort to recreate his homeworld of Hala.
Thinking that through, an idea occurred to me: maybe that's how Secret Invasion ends. Maybe after the Skrulls are defeated, Noh-Varr takes over and begins going about reshaping the world. Highly unlikely, but since the push to have him take over as Captain Marvel is so obvious, it would make sense that a curve ball be thrown. Maybe the "secret invasion" of the title is Noh-Varr's, not the Skrulls'. That would at least be interesting.
(I also want to say that despite his inclusion in the regular Marvel universe, I still read Marvel Boy as the first Ultimate book--the true updating of Spider-Man and other Marvel concepts for the 21st century... Morrison's reimagining of Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, the Punisher, and S.H.I.E.L.D. are all much more in line with the concept of the Ultimate universe in that they really do take the concepts and push them beyond their old limitations, making them more palatable for modern audiences. Just saying.)
So, that's that.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I Bought Comics: Second Week of September 2008
[Random musings, thoughts, rants, whatever comes up... not reviews, not really, not at all, not at all... New posts when I buy comics.]
After a week off, I am back with two weeks' worth of books, so let's get to it...
Adam Strange Special
Um... yeah... er... not as strong as the Hawkman special, which everyone hated except for me because what the fuck do I care about Hawkman's past? This one as Adam Strange bopping through time for reasons not revealed and we get glimpses of the past and the future, including the destruction of Rann... I guess how we know how Holy War will end, eh? Otherwise, it's forgettable and only exists to add Strange as another of the "Aberrant Six," which even I can't get too enthused about. I love me some Jim Starlin work, but... Also, this special is weaker because Starlin doesn't provide the art (the cover lies, my friends). Rick Leonardi does a... mediocre job here; he flat-out gets some facial expressions wrong in some panels. Not a good comic at all, mostly because it's not a necessary comic. At least the Hawkman one served a purpose... this doesn't.
The Boys #22
...oh fuck me things are gonna go to shit for Hughie aren't they...
Criminal #5
The best part of this comic is Steven Grant's text piece at the very end on crime novelist Eugene Izzi's life and death. The comic is typically good.
Invincible Iron Man #5
"In which the issue ends with the obvious misleading cliffhanger that will be explained away in one month's time..." The fight between Stane and Stark is decent, but I tire of "you killed my daddy" stories as motivation for villains. I wound up watching Spider-Man 2 on Labour Day and found Harry's obsession to be stupid-as-hell... especially when he finds out Spider-Man is his best friend... it's like "Dude, your dad was a douchebag crazy and your best friend stopped him from killing people... THAT'S A GOOD THING, SO GROW THE FUCK UP!" At least Stane and Stark aren't best friends here. Otherwise, it's still rather pathetic--purposefully so, but... meh. And, what the fuck is up with Stane's girlfriend on the cover? We'll see how next issue turns out, because the second half of this arc has left me almost completely cold.
Pax Romana #3
"It's what you don't know that matters most."-—Bret Easton Ellis, Glamorama
Hickman picks and chooses his moments... he outlines the plan and that only gives scenes that show its failure... or maybe reasons why it may fail... success is not interesting! Watching it all go according to plan is boring! Creating a bigger, better world is hard work and people suck at hard work... love the bits on religion... kind of sad that Hickman didn't think beyond the modern conceptions of government, but that is also a limitation of the characters... the end of the issue is a really good cliffhanger... Hickman's art reminds me of Jeremy Haun's art sometimes... I think I should reread Paradigm... god, what a great book that was... and, yeah, I love my "FIGHT FOR THE SITCOM." t-shirt that I bought from Haun in Chicago some years back... still wear it a lot... because I also like sitcoms.
Secret Invasion #6
"I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'..."
Good issue.
Sub-Mariner: The Depths #1
Two words: Peter Milligan. An interesting take, but not at all original. Maybe Milligan will put a better spin on it as the series progresses. As it is, very mundane.
Young Liars #7
WHAT THE FUCK?
I dare you to predict what will happen next in this book. I fucking dare you. David Lapham is insane and what the fuck, it's still awesome. The first six issue story is over and now we get... another take on the same story? The way Sadie sees the world? The way she wants to see the world? Wow... I cannot remember another comic that has shifted gears so completely... Anyone not reading this series is missing out on one of the most exciting and insane books around. This has shades of earlier Vertigo series, but is still quite original. This is quickly becoming my favourite book.
Tomorrow, I will discuss one of these books more as my "book of the week." If you want one of these discussed more, just say so and I'll take it under advisement.
After a week off, I am back with two weeks' worth of books, so let's get to it...
Adam Strange Special
Um... yeah... er... not as strong as the Hawkman special, which everyone hated except for me because what the fuck do I care about Hawkman's past? This one as Adam Strange bopping through time for reasons not revealed and we get glimpses of the past and the future, including the destruction of Rann... I guess how we know how Holy War will end, eh? Otherwise, it's forgettable and only exists to add Strange as another of the "Aberrant Six," which even I can't get too enthused about. I love me some Jim Starlin work, but... Also, this special is weaker because Starlin doesn't provide the art (the cover lies, my friends). Rick Leonardi does a... mediocre job here; he flat-out gets some facial expressions wrong in some panels. Not a good comic at all, mostly because it's not a necessary comic. At least the Hawkman one served a purpose... this doesn't.
The Boys #22
...oh fuck me things are gonna go to shit for Hughie aren't they...
Criminal #5
The best part of this comic is Steven Grant's text piece at the very end on crime novelist Eugene Izzi's life and death. The comic is typically good.
Invincible Iron Man #5
"In which the issue ends with the obvious misleading cliffhanger that will be explained away in one month's time..." The fight between Stane and Stark is decent, but I tire of "you killed my daddy" stories as motivation for villains. I wound up watching Spider-Man 2 on Labour Day and found Harry's obsession to be stupid-as-hell... especially when he finds out Spider-Man is his best friend... it's like "Dude, your dad was a douchebag crazy and your best friend stopped him from killing people... THAT'S A GOOD THING, SO GROW THE FUCK UP!" At least Stane and Stark aren't best friends here. Otherwise, it's still rather pathetic--purposefully so, but... meh. And, what the fuck is up with Stane's girlfriend on the cover? We'll see how next issue turns out, because the second half of this arc has left me almost completely cold.
Pax Romana #3
"It's what you don't know that matters most."-—Bret Easton Ellis, Glamorama
Hickman picks and chooses his moments... he outlines the plan and that only gives scenes that show its failure... or maybe reasons why it may fail... success is not interesting! Watching it all go according to plan is boring! Creating a bigger, better world is hard work and people suck at hard work... love the bits on religion... kind of sad that Hickman didn't think beyond the modern conceptions of government, but that is also a limitation of the characters... the end of the issue is a really good cliffhanger... Hickman's art reminds me of Jeremy Haun's art sometimes... I think I should reread Paradigm... god, what a great book that was... and, yeah, I love my "FIGHT FOR THE SITCOM." t-shirt that I bought from Haun in Chicago some years back... still wear it a lot... because I also like sitcoms.
Secret Invasion #6
"I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'... I will get over calling Noh-Varr 'Marvel Boy'..."
Good issue.
Sub-Mariner: The Depths #1
Two words: Peter Milligan. An interesting take, but not at all original. Maybe Milligan will put a better spin on it as the series progresses. As it is, very mundane.
Young Liars #7
WHAT THE FUCK?
I dare you to predict what will happen next in this book. I fucking dare you. David Lapham is insane and what the fuck, it's still awesome. The first six issue story is over and now we get... another take on the same story? The way Sadie sees the world? The way she wants to see the world? Wow... I cannot remember another comic that has shifted gears so completely... Anyone not reading this series is missing out on one of the most exciting and insane books around. This has shades of earlier Vertigo series, but is still quite original. This is quickly becoming my favourite book.
Tomorrow, I will discuss one of these books more as my "book of the week." If you want one of these discussed more, just say so and I'll take it under advisement.
Monday, August 20, 2007
The Future is No Longer X-Rated . . . sadly
I like to pride myself on my attempts to remain dispassionate about characters. I like to delude myself into looking at the fans who post on message boards, screaming for the blood of creators who dare to fuck with their character. But, come on, I’ve been reading comics since before I could read and I tend to read mostly superhero books from Marvel and DC. I may not be exactly like them, but I’m not exactly different either.
Case in point: Noh-Varr, the protagonist from Grant Morrison and JG Jones’ series Marvel Boy. I am a fanboy when it comes to Noh-Varr and what I’m going to say in this post may devolve into ranting no more eloquent than that of a fanboy where my ultimate point will undoubtedly be “How dare you fuck with my character!” I will attempt to avoid such a devolution of discourse, but, hey, I do like to get angry and rant with many naughty words.
So, New Avengers: Illuminati #4.
In looking at this book, it really must be divided into two parts; the first in which the members of the Illuminati discuss women, and the second in which the Illuminati “deal” with Noh-Varr. Both are problematic for various reasons.
Part the First: Clea has left Dr. Strange, which prompts the Illuminati to discuss their problems with women. We learn Professor X has dated outside the species, which is a reference to Lilandra, an alien, but also is a reminder that mutants are a different species, meaning that Xavier has had sex with members of at least three species. He’s a kinky guy that Xavier. There’s also a delicious little joke about how Medusa never lets Black Bolt get a word in (Bendis and Reed are funny guys, oh yes they are). The dialogue here is that faux-realistic style that reminds you of how people talk, but isn’t actually how people talk. It’s also not how any of these characters have ever really talked. But, whatever, it’s at least interesting.
The part that caught my eye in particular came when Reed discusses his relationship with Sue and the fact that she has that habit of just leaving him to . . . does she actually fuck Namor? Has that ever been explicitly stated? I’ve always found that part of the Richards’ relationship problematic and very dysfunctional, especially when one of the big selling points of the Fantastic Four is that they’re a strong, tightly-knit family.
Except the mom may be fucking some guy on the side. Wholesome, no?
I reread the Waid/Wieringo run on Fantastic Four this weekend and noticed that Waid never did that. The closest he came to bringing up the idea that Sue will use Namor to get attention is in some back-up stories where Reed then does something similar with an ex-girlfriend, showing that maybe, you know, that sort of behaviour isn’t acceptable. Is Reed a dick? Yeah, but to just walk out and go see some other guy, that’s pretty cold and not at all healthy.
This scene, though, does something odd in that it normalises it. Reed states what happens as fact and doesn’t seem all that upset until Namor confronts him. It’s like Reed doesn’t blame Sue, he blames Namor. Or he doesn’t blame anyone. Namor tells Reed that Sue will never leave him for good and Reed responds that he knows that. Is Reed okay with Sue sleeping with Namor? Does Marvel’s First Family have an open relationship?
Am I the only one who finds this very, very fucked up?
That’s the first four pages of this comic. The remainder deals with Noh-Varr. I went in with a bias, knowing that B&R would fuck it up. They had to work hard to win me over and, fuck, it seems like they didn’t try. Much like the rest of the series, instead of working between the moments and with existing stories, B&R seem more content to alter what happened to fit their goals.
I can spot a few problems with the treatment of Noh-Varr on the first page he’s discussed. Now, I am saying these are problems in the sense that they do not jive with what is previously known about the character (actually, one is just a stupid mistake where the characters contradict themselves within the span of thirty seconds). These contradictions may very well be purposeful on the part of B&R, so let’s bear that in mind.
1) Noh-Varr was never called “Marvel Boy.” No one said those two words together in Marvel Boy. That was the title of the series, not the character, but Tony Stark calls him that.
2) Noh-Varr is Kree, but not from the Kree Empire of this universe. He’s from another universe. Now, it’s easy to see why these six idiots would make that mistake. They hear he’s Kree, they assume he’s their Kree, but later in the issue, Noh-Varr discusses Mar-Vell and the Kree/Skrull war as if he’s this Kree rather than another Kree. He wouldn’t know who the fuck Mar-Vell is and would especially not know that he’s considered a traitor. Of course, maybe he knows that because of his learning the history of humankind, which he may have done. He may even go so far as to relate to the Kree of this universe and consider him a traitor as well. That is possible. So, this may not be a mistake or a purposeful change, just something based on a few assumptions. Maybe. Although, Noh-Varr references the Kree empire in a way that suggests this isn’t the case. It’s subtle, but when we saw him before he was imprisoned, his intention was to recreate his Kree empire, not align himself with this one, because, based on what I know about it, it’s just as backwards and prehistoric as Earth is, really. Yes, it is more advanced, but not by much. It’s like saying people of the 1800s are more advanced than those of the 500s. When compared to someone from the year 5000, they both look relatively similarly barbaric. This is how I would suspect Noh-Varr would view the Kree of the Marvel universe. So, yeah, let’s call this a mistake, alright?
3) Tony: “...AND HAS DECLARED WAR ON MANKIND.” Thirty seconds later, Namor: “HE DECLARED WAR ON THE EARTH.” Tony: “YES.” Dr. Strange: “ALL OF IT?” Tony: “WELL, YES.” Can anyone spot where the problem is? Tony himself says that Noh-Varr declared war on humanity, not the Earth. In fact, haven’t at least two members of the Illuminati done the same thing? Namor is the most eager to “BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM” (or, it’s censored, but we all know what he’s saying) when he’s declared war on humanity, what, a good half-dozen times? This mistake I just find funny, because it’s a mistake that happens in plain sight and isn’t based exclusively on knowing what happened in Marvel Boy.
The rest of the issue is a laughably lame attempt by the members of the Illuminati to make peace with Noh-Varr by having Namor beat on him a bit, while the others make some speeches about how the Kree want to protect the Earth and how Noh-Varr should become the new Captain Marvel. Oh, they don’t say that, but, come on, it’s heavily implied.
Noh-Varr has very little character here beyond the most superficial of his asshole-like nature. He swears and has the ever-so-witty line where he tells Namor to put on some pants. Mostly, he just keeps asking what’s going on and has little respect for these people. All in line, technically, with his past, but not. It reads as if written by writers who missed the point and took only the most superficial elements from that series. I actually have a hard time believing Noh-Varr would remain so docile and questioning for so long; why wouldn’t he act more? Yes, there is surprise, at first, but beyond that? Hell, he barely gives Namor a fight, when, really, his physiology places him in a position to handle Namor, especially any of the hits Namor lands. Frankly, we’ve seen Namor get beat on worse and take it much better.
Of course, my ultimate problem is that I don’t think they should use the character. That’s a petty and unreasonable position, but that’s how it is. Nothing here (or in Noh-Varr’s other non-Marvel Boy appearance) shows that these writers have the skill or understanding to write this character without taking away the unique and interesting qualities in an effort to force him into pre-existing situations. I’ve argued that Noh-Varr is a character specifically of the current “age” of comics in that he builds upon what has come before and is more advanced than these characters. He comes from a society that is beyond this one by millennia. At least. He can’t work in stories with them, because he is better than them. He’s defeated versions of almost every Silver Age Marvel hero, himself being an updated Spider-Man (a more realistic Spider-Man, in my opinion).
Here, he’s just another alien invader that isn’t really a threat and will be converted to the opinion that the species he looked upon as barbaric and pre-civilised is somehow worth fighting for. It is unoriginal, mundane, typical, clichéd, boring, but, most of all, it’s completely and utterly unsurprising. It’s everything Marvel Boy was not, basically.
But, let us sum up in a dispassionate, detached manner:
This was a poorly written comic book in nearly every way. There is little story, little character advancement, and little point. It relies on prior knowledge, but contradicts all prior knowledge. It contains an opening and ending that does not actually fit any previous portrayal of these characters, and also breaks with the established flow of the series, and does not tie in thematically with the rest of the issue. There is no sense of unity or completeness. I honestly cannot see any purpose to this comic except setting up Noh-Varr to take over the Captain Marvel mantle, but it does so in a clumsy, inelegant manner that is neither convincing nor logical. As well, the cover of the issue has nothing to do with the contents except for the fact that these women are discussed briefly. That may be a minor problem for some, but it bothers me, because that makes the highly static and uninteresting cover not just those two things, but also a manner of false advertising, telling the potential reader that the comic is about one thing, but then is actually about something else entirely. I understand that the cover image is a play on a similar image featuring the members of the Illuminati, but the similarity is useless if not actually built upon in the issue. The entire thing is rather useless and, in that way, is indicative of the entire series up to this point: half-formed ideas that do contain potential, but go nowhere. It does not raise hopes for the fifth, and final, issue where the Illuminati is discovered.
Case in point: Noh-Varr, the protagonist from Grant Morrison and JG Jones’ series Marvel Boy. I am a fanboy when it comes to Noh-Varr and what I’m going to say in this post may devolve into ranting no more eloquent than that of a fanboy where my ultimate point will undoubtedly be “How dare you fuck with my character!” I will attempt to avoid such a devolution of discourse, but, hey, I do like to get angry and rant with many naughty words.
So, New Avengers: Illuminati #4.
In looking at this book, it really must be divided into two parts; the first in which the members of the Illuminati discuss women, and the second in which the Illuminati “deal” with Noh-Varr. Both are problematic for various reasons.
Part the First: Clea has left Dr. Strange, which prompts the Illuminati to discuss their problems with women. We learn Professor X has dated outside the species, which is a reference to Lilandra, an alien, but also is a reminder that mutants are a different species, meaning that Xavier has had sex with members of at least three species. He’s a kinky guy that Xavier. There’s also a delicious little joke about how Medusa never lets Black Bolt get a word in (Bendis and Reed are funny guys, oh yes they are). The dialogue here is that faux-realistic style that reminds you of how people talk, but isn’t actually how people talk. It’s also not how any of these characters have ever really talked. But, whatever, it’s at least interesting.
The part that caught my eye in particular came when Reed discusses his relationship with Sue and the fact that she has that habit of just leaving him to . . . does she actually fuck Namor? Has that ever been explicitly stated? I’ve always found that part of the Richards’ relationship problematic and very dysfunctional, especially when one of the big selling points of the Fantastic Four is that they’re a strong, tightly-knit family.
Except the mom may be fucking some guy on the side. Wholesome, no?
I reread the Waid/Wieringo run on Fantastic Four this weekend and noticed that Waid never did that. The closest he came to bringing up the idea that Sue will use Namor to get attention is in some back-up stories where Reed then does something similar with an ex-girlfriend, showing that maybe, you know, that sort of behaviour isn’t acceptable. Is Reed a dick? Yeah, but to just walk out and go see some other guy, that’s pretty cold and not at all healthy.
This scene, though, does something odd in that it normalises it. Reed states what happens as fact and doesn’t seem all that upset until Namor confronts him. It’s like Reed doesn’t blame Sue, he blames Namor. Or he doesn’t blame anyone. Namor tells Reed that Sue will never leave him for good and Reed responds that he knows that. Is Reed okay with Sue sleeping with Namor? Does Marvel’s First Family have an open relationship?
Am I the only one who finds this very, very fucked up?
That’s the first four pages of this comic. The remainder deals with Noh-Varr. I went in with a bias, knowing that B&R would fuck it up. They had to work hard to win me over and, fuck, it seems like they didn’t try. Much like the rest of the series, instead of working between the moments and with existing stories, B&R seem more content to alter what happened to fit their goals.
I can spot a few problems with the treatment of Noh-Varr on the first page he’s discussed. Now, I am saying these are problems in the sense that they do not jive with what is previously known about the character (actually, one is just a stupid mistake where the characters contradict themselves within the span of thirty seconds). These contradictions may very well be purposeful on the part of B&R, so let’s bear that in mind.
1) Noh-Varr was never called “Marvel Boy.” No one said those two words together in Marvel Boy. That was the title of the series, not the character, but Tony Stark calls him that.
2) Noh-Varr is Kree, but not from the Kree Empire of this universe. He’s from another universe. Now, it’s easy to see why these six idiots would make that mistake. They hear he’s Kree, they assume he’s their Kree, but later in the issue, Noh-Varr discusses Mar-Vell and the Kree/Skrull war as if he’s this Kree rather than another Kree. He wouldn’t know who the fuck Mar-Vell is and would especially not know that he’s considered a traitor. Of course, maybe he knows that because of his learning the history of humankind, which he may have done. He may even go so far as to relate to the Kree of this universe and consider him a traitor as well. That is possible. So, this may not be a mistake or a purposeful change, just something based on a few assumptions. Maybe. Although, Noh-Varr references the Kree empire in a way that suggests this isn’t the case. It’s subtle, but when we saw him before he was imprisoned, his intention was to recreate his Kree empire, not align himself with this one, because, based on what I know about it, it’s just as backwards and prehistoric as Earth is, really. Yes, it is more advanced, but not by much. It’s like saying people of the 1800s are more advanced than those of the 500s. When compared to someone from the year 5000, they both look relatively similarly barbaric. This is how I would suspect Noh-Varr would view the Kree of the Marvel universe. So, yeah, let’s call this a mistake, alright?
3) Tony: “...AND HAS DECLARED WAR ON MANKIND.” Thirty seconds later, Namor: “HE DECLARED WAR ON THE EARTH.” Tony: “YES.” Dr. Strange: “ALL OF IT?” Tony: “WELL, YES.” Can anyone spot where the problem is? Tony himself says that Noh-Varr declared war on humanity, not the Earth. In fact, haven’t at least two members of the Illuminati done the same thing? Namor is the most eager to “BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM” (or, it’s censored, but we all know what he’s saying) when he’s declared war on humanity, what, a good half-dozen times? This mistake I just find funny, because it’s a mistake that happens in plain sight and isn’t based exclusively on knowing what happened in Marvel Boy.
The rest of the issue is a laughably lame attempt by the members of the Illuminati to make peace with Noh-Varr by having Namor beat on him a bit, while the others make some speeches about how the Kree want to protect the Earth and how Noh-Varr should become the new Captain Marvel. Oh, they don’t say that, but, come on, it’s heavily implied.
Noh-Varr has very little character here beyond the most superficial of his asshole-like nature. He swears and has the ever-so-witty line where he tells Namor to put on some pants. Mostly, he just keeps asking what’s going on and has little respect for these people. All in line, technically, with his past, but not. It reads as if written by writers who missed the point and took only the most superficial elements from that series. I actually have a hard time believing Noh-Varr would remain so docile and questioning for so long; why wouldn’t he act more? Yes, there is surprise, at first, but beyond that? Hell, he barely gives Namor a fight, when, really, his physiology places him in a position to handle Namor, especially any of the hits Namor lands. Frankly, we’ve seen Namor get beat on worse and take it much better.
Of course, my ultimate problem is that I don’t think they should use the character. That’s a petty and unreasonable position, but that’s how it is. Nothing here (or in Noh-Varr’s other non-Marvel Boy appearance) shows that these writers have the skill or understanding to write this character without taking away the unique and interesting qualities in an effort to force him into pre-existing situations. I’ve argued that Noh-Varr is a character specifically of the current “age” of comics in that he builds upon what has come before and is more advanced than these characters. He comes from a society that is beyond this one by millennia. At least. He can’t work in stories with them, because he is better than them. He’s defeated versions of almost every Silver Age Marvel hero, himself being an updated Spider-Man (a more realistic Spider-Man, in my opinion).
Here, he’s just another alien invader that isn’t really a threat and will be converted to the opinion that the species he looked upon as barbaric and pre-civilised is somehow worth fighting for. It is unoriginal, mundane, typical, clichéd, boring, but, most of all, it’s completely and utterly unsurprising. It’s everything Marvel Boy was not, basically.
But, let us sum up in a dispassionate, detached manner:
This was a poorly written comic book in nearly every way. There is little story, little character advancement, and little point. It relies on prior knowledge, but contradicts all prior knowledge. It contains an opening and ending that does not actually fit any previous portrayal of these characters, and also breaks with the established flow of the series, and does not tie in thematically with the rest of the issue. There is no sense of unity or completeness. I honestly cannot see any purpose to this comic except setting up Noh-Varr to take over the Captain Marvel mantle, but it does so in a clumsy, inelegant manner that is neither convincing nor logical. As well, the cover of the issue has nothing to do with the contents except for the fact that these women are discussed briefly. That may be a minor problem for some, but it bothers me, because that makes the highly static and uninteresting cover not just those two things, but also a manner of false advertising, telling the potential reader that the comic is about one thing, but then is actually about something else entirely. I understand that the cover image is a play on a similar image featuring the members of the Illuminati, but the similarity is useless if not actually built upon in the issue. The entire thing is rather useless and, in that way, is indicative of the entire series up to this point: half-formed ideas that do contain potential, but go nowhere. It does not raise hopes for the fifth, and final, issue where the Illuminati is discovered.
Monday, February 07, 2005
The Future Is X-Rated: Marvel Boy, The Modern World And The History Of The Marvel Universe
Marvel Boy has been a bit of a forgotten treasure in Grant Morrison's career. It was his first major work for Marvel following his acclaimed work on JLA, but was quickly overshadowed by his run on New X-Men. That's not terribly surprising considering the book is filled with new characters, big ideas and is really only the first book in a trilogy of books that will most likely never be completed. Basically, despite the high profile creators, it just isn't what mainstream superhero audiences are looking for. Despite its lack of popularity, Marvel Boy is probably Morrison's most complex piece of work for Marvel and is, in a way, his defining statement on the Marvel universe as a whole and on modern superhero comics.
In this essay, I will outline various readings of Marvel Boy, including how the book can be seen as the history of the Marvel universe contained within six issues, how the book can be seen as the first "ultimate" book Marvel produced (although not as a part of what is now the official "ultimate" continuity obviously), how the book is a statement upon modern superhero comics, and how it is also a statement upon the modern world, specifically the modern corporate world. One aspect of Marvel Boy that I will not be looking at is what Morrison described as "a fairly blatant supersigil invocation/download of the incoming current of Horus, the newly arriving Lord of the Aeon" (Ellis 126). While this may be an aspect of Marvel Boy's subtext, it is beyond my understanding and I wouldn't know where to begin talking about it.
Marvel Boy as the history of the Marvel Universe
Even a casual reading of Marvel Boy shows an extensive amount of Marvel concepts taken by Morrison and altered in some way. The entire book is steeped in Marvel history and ideas, and the three primary actors (Noh-Varr, Midas and Exterminatrix or Oubliette) are no exception, with each representing one of the "ages" of Marvel's history (Noh-Varr being the only exception as he represents two "ages," but in a way that shows the cyclical nature of comics).
Noh-Varr is the representation of both the "golden age" and what I will call the "modern age" for lack of a better term. In initial comments on the series, co-editor Joe Quesada points to both the "golden age" and "modern age" aspects of the character: "The name is a tip of the hat to Bill Everett, who created the first Marvel Boy [during the 1940s], but it's Grant's attempt at finally creating an angst-ridden, Marvel hero for the next millennium . . . Grant's Marvel Boy is a guy who walks in the grey area between good and evil, sort of constructed on the Sub-Mariner principle" (Brick 42). The comparison to the Sub-Mariner is an easy one to make as both he and Noh-Varr are outsiders who essentially declare war on mankind. While the Sub-Mariner attempted to flood New York, Noh-Varr simply destroys the UN's headquarters and carves the words "FUCK YOU" into Manhattan and justifies it by saying, "Because it was the likes of you and this whole murky, hypocrite race who powderized my guiltless crewmates for no reason better than profit and ignorance" (Morrison "Boy" 18). As for his representation of the "modern age", I will explore that more in-depth later on.
Midas represents quite obviously the "silver age". It is key to point out here that Midas is a superhero, not a supervillain. While Noh-Varr is the protagonist of the story and Midas the antagonist, Noh-Varr is the alien invader, of sorts, and Midas is the superhero protecting Earth and the status quo. The most obvious tip-off that Midas represents the "silver age" is his costume: Iron Man's second armour (the first being nearly identical, but in grey rather than gold). Midas is dressed almost exactly like one of Marvel's most iconic superheroes, but with the addition of a leather jacket. His business is to kill aliens and he does that for profit, which is a play on the fact that Iron Man's began as Tony Stark, weapons profiteer. Also, if you look at Midas' allies in the story, you will find that they are all concepts or groups from the "silver age": SHIELD, the Bannermen (combinations of Captain America and the Hulk), the Mindless One, and even his attempt and success to become the Fantastic Four. Midas is most definitely a modernized superhero from the "silver age".
And finally, Exterminatrix represents the "bronze age". She is a woman who runs around in black leather and kills things for her father, sort of a modern Punisher. She is also not quite accepted by her father in the same way that heroes from that time period weren't quite accepted by the heroes of the "silver age". She acts as the bridge between the "silver age" and the "modern age". Ultimately, she sides with Noh-Varr as one would expect.
Each character represents a particular time period in the Marvel universe's history and its progression: Noh-Varr to Midas to Exterminatrix to Noh-Varr again. While not a complete history by any means, the book gives the basic structure for it.
Marvel Boy as the first "ultimate" book
"Grant asked himself, 'If Stan [Lee] was the age he was when he created Spider-Man today, what would have he created?'" Quesada said of how Morrison went about creating Marvel Boy, and I contend that Noh-Varr is "ultimate Spider-Man." The basic similarities in the characters support this: both are orphans with only one figure of moral guidance left (Plex for Noh-Varr and Aunt May for Spider-Man); both are basically teenagers, both had their first great love killed by their nemesis (Merree killed by Midas and Gwen Stacy killed by the Green Goblin); both end up with redheads (Oubliette and Mary Jane Watson); both have similar powers (cockroach-spliced genes for Noh-Varr and bitten by a radioactive spider for Spider-Man); and even their costumes follow a similar design, but with opposite colours (green, yellow and white for Noh-Varr compared to red, blue and black for Spider-Man) and a lack of mask for Noh-Varr (notice that their hair are also opposite colours).
The two begin with similarities, but it is their differences that we see how Noh-Varr is the more "realistic" "ultimate" version. What is more likely behaviour of an angry, newly-orphaned teenager with superpowers: that he would dress up and stop bank robbers, or that he would blow up buildings and carve swear words into cities? Noh-Varr is a representation of the true teenage mindset of the time, which is what Marvel's "ultimate" titles soon became about: modern versions of old characters. Noh-Varr is exactly how Peter Parker would have acted in modern times: he'd blow shit up and try to change the world so that it fit with how he thought it should be.
Almost all of the other pre-existing concepts from the Marvel universe that Morrison uses are updated to be more "ultimate". Midas is a good example of this, as he basically is a modern version of Tony Stark (minus the suave playboy side of the character), focussing on his evil corporate side (sort of like how Stark would have acted if he hadn't come so close to death and had a change of heart (no pun intended)). The idea of supersoldiers who are essentially mindless and programmed with a set of UN directives is how a Captain America-styled project would be done. SHIELD also is more modern with its orbital platform and caters to business interests in an almost overt way (a cynical comment, of course). Plex is also an "ultimate" version of the Supreme Intelligence, while at the same time functioning as "ultimate" Aunt May.
The only main character that isn't an "ultimate" version of anything is Exterminatrix really. While she can be seen to be an "ultimate" Mary Jane, that is a minor characteristic best used just for comparisons between Noh-Varr and Peter Parker. Beyond that, she has no real "ultimate" role. That doesn't prevent the reader from looking at Marvel Boy from this perspective, it merely suggests that Morrison did not strictly adhere to the idea of modernizing concepts in that way (although, as said earlier, Exterminatrix is a modern "anti-hero" of sorts, just not one in particular).
Marvel Boy as a statement on modern superhero comics
This is a tricky area to deal with as the biggest definer of the modern superhero comic was Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority, which was only a year or so old at that point, so it's difficult to tell exactly how much it may or may not have influenced Morrison. Let alone the fact that Morrison's JLA was also a large influence upon the style and tone of the modern superhero comic. For those reasons, I will ignore those external influences and just look for aspects of the modern superhero comic in Marvel Boy as I see them.
Noh-Varr, as I said earlier, represents the "modern age" of superhero comics, which I think is just a cyclical rebirth of the "golden age". The extreme methods and "walking in the grey" are both characteristics of both "ages". By far the most modern thing about Noh-Varr is his desire to actively change the world. This has been an aspect lacking in all of the previous "ages," even the "golden age." The idea of a superhero--as while I called Noh-Varr a villain that was meant within the confines of traditional superhero/supervillain definitions, not within the more modern meanings of the term where the boundaries are less clear and seem to depend on whether or not the character is a protagonist--playing the role of supervillain in his methods and goals is a relatively new one. Noh-Varr has good cause to believe himself superior to humanity and decides to impose his views upon it. This aspect of the modern superhero would be seen later in The Authority when they took over the United States.
To accomplish this goal, though, Noh-Varr had to displace the old order, which meant he had to defeat Midas. He does this primarily by "corrupting" his daughter through his sexuality. The overtly sexual superhero is another characteristic of the "modern age" and this can be seen in issues four through six of Marvel Boy as almost every comment Midas makes in relation to the two is of sexual nature, and Noh-Varr uses this to taunt Midas: "She loved it," he says weakly as Midas is beating him in issue four and also "I took your daughter" in issue six. Through sexuality is how Oubliette chooses to relate to Noh-Varr. He appeals to her because of the oppressive nature of his father as the idea of sexuality had been repressed greatly in previous ages. While it was never entirely absent, it was also only permitted to a certain point.
The rejection of the old ways by Oubliette is best seen in his casting off of her mask, which Midas describes as "her face" (Morrison "Zero" 19). The mask being a large part of the old ways of superhero comics, and by her rejecting it, she sides with the modern superhero. This effect could later be seen at Marvel in various titles as their heroes one after another had their identities revealed to some extent or another. The concept of a secret identity and separating one's self into two is no longer seen as realistic. The modern hero has no need for masks.
Another indication of Noh-Varr, and later Oubliette, representing the concept of the modern hero overcoming the old ways is in their fight against the Mindless One, which is literally being killed by the future (Morrison "Mindless" 5). The creature is used to a slower, older environment and can't compete with Noh-Varr and Oubliette who can handle the faster, more modern world.
Hexus, The Living Corporation, the "villain" of issue three is the representative of the modern supervillain in that in the "modern age," conflicts are not just a matter of simply physical confrontations, but of ideological confrontations. Noh-Varr cannot beat Hexus just by blowing things up, he must use ideas to defeat it, because it is an idea itself. Hexus is also an especially capitalist idea, which tends to be the role of modern supervillains, in that they usually represent things like greed and oppression of people with what Marx called a "false consciousness." The hero is usually put in the role of the oppressive liberator, who dominates the populace in an effort to free them, or as the Kree philosophy is described in issue six: "Zen fascism" (Morrison "Mindless" 21).
Marvel Boy was both a follower and precursor of the modern superhero comic. It conforms to established ideas about the "modern age" while at the same time sets up a few others.
Marvel Boy as a statement upon the modern world
From what I can count, there are approximately nineteen corporate brands or products mentioned or shown throughout the six issues of Marvel Boy with the majority of them in the first three issues. I am hard-pressed to find another comic, even a modern one that has that many "product placements"; while the number isn't amazingly high--only an average of around three per issue--it is higher than nearly any other comic, and one must ask why that is. It obviously ties into the character of Hexus, who I've labelled as the representative of the modern supervillain, as Hexus is the Living Corporation. Hexus' methods involve taking over the corporate culture by creating an appealing brand. This means doing everything from cola to music, and the underlying message is clear: corporations control the modern culture. Now this may not be a big surprise to many, it is an idea foreign to most comics--especially a mainstream superhero one.
This idea is raised again at the end of the series where Exterminatrix begins her attack upon the modern culture on behalf of Noh-Varr by destroying Disney World. She doesn't attack political or military institutions, she attacks a beloved corporate, capitalist entity.
This hatred of the greed and capitalism is introduced right from the very beginning of the series where the entire conflict is brought about through the destroying of "The Marvel," Noh-Varr's ship because Midas wants to steal the technology and make a profit off of it. Let's not forget that Midas is also a representative of the corporate world, which highlights even stronger Oubliette's turning against her father. While she comes from a corporate culture, she prefers to rebel against it much like the youth today do. But much like the youth of today, Exterminatrix is also a hypocrite as when she declares war upon "the way that was," she re-dons her mask, this taking up the methods of her father. While the youth of today claim to despise their parents' culture, they often act in much the same way; they will claim to despise the inhumanity of the corporate world and then catch their breath by taking a drink out of a bottle of water that they paid four bucks for. Exterminatrix directly stands in for the youth who are trapped between a capitalist world and one of socialism, with Midas and Noh-Varr standing in for each.
Also, if you notice how Noh-Varr looks upon humanity, you'll see that he sees our culture as a virus, of sorts, and uses it against us. A piece of dialogue in issue two sums up this feeling best, as Plex says to Noh-Varr, "You spent a day in the ship's limbo suite learning their English for this? Noh-Varr, you know every word in their language."
Noh-Varr replies, "Too bad I have to stick to the simple ones they understand." Before attacking humanity, Noh-Varr takes an effort to learn about it and understand it. At the end of issue two, we see him return from his attack on New York to sit down and watch dozens of TV screens in an effort to learn more about humanity. He doesn't go to libraries or schools or even reads the paper to learn about humanity, he watches TV.
Also, in issue two, the "promotional video" for the United Nations Bannermen is done in such a way to show just how corrupted we are by the media. Instead of an informative report on the group, we are given lame voice-over and quick shots of action and meaningless posing. Our political systems no longer contain actual substance, they've been reduced to catch-phrases and Hollywood videos.
Conclusion
Marvel Boy is ultimately a book about the modern world, including the modern superhero comic. It is a book that while ahead of its time already seems dated because it was very much of its time. If Morrison went about trying to create this book now, it would look radically different--something that I don't think could be said about any of his other work for Marvel. It was his ultimate statement on the Marvel universe and his mission statement, in a way, for what he planned to do there. It can also be seen as the first "ultimate" book as Morrison literally tried to recreate what Stan Lee did in the early sixties, but for the twenty-first century--and I would suggest succeeded far greater than those who created the actual "ultimate" line of titles. He manages to capture the feeling of what it was like to be living in the year 2000, especially what it was like to be a teenager at the time. Sadly, it is not likely that we will see the sequels planned for it, but luckily, other creators--including Morrison himself--have carried on in the tradition of Marvel Boy--which is part of the reason why the comic seems so dated. Titles like Wildcats Version 3.0, Daredevil (under Brian Michael Bendis) and The Intimates seem to be direct descendents, in a way, of Marvel Boy and I believe it will be a lasting influence upon any other titles of the "modern age" however long that lasts.
Works Consulted
Brick, Scott. "Taking Aim: Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's 'Punisher' marks the major moves of Marvel Knights' second year." Wizard, October 1999, No. 98, pp. 40-44.
Ellis, Warren. "Come In Alone Twenty-Eight June 9, 2000". Come In Alone. San Francisco: AiT/Planet Lar, 2001. Pp. 121-127.
Lawrence, Christopher. "Marvel's newest boy." Wizard, May 2000, No. 104, pp. 20.
Lawrence, Christopher. "Marvel Boy: Will Grant Morrison end his comic career with a roar?" Wizard, July 2000, No. 106, pp. 60-61.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Hello Cruel World". Marvel Boy, August 2000, Vol. 1, No. 1.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Boy Vs. World". Marvel Boy, September 2000, Vol. 1, No. 2.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Digital Koncentration Kamp One". Marvel Boy, October 2000, Vol. 1, No. 3.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Exterminatrix!" Marvel Boy, November 2000, Vol. 1, No. 4.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Zero Zero: Year Of Love". Marvel Boy, December 2000, Vol. 1, No. 5.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Mindless: The End". Marvel Boy, March 2001, Vol. 1, No. 6.
In this essay, I will outline various readings of Marvel Boy, including how the book can be seen as the history of the Marvel universe contained within six issues, how the book can be seen as the first "ultimate" book Marvel produced (although not as a part of what is now the official "ultimate" continuity obviously), how the book is a statement upon modern superhero comics, and how it is also a statement upon the modern world, specifically the modern corporate world. One aspect of Marvel Boy that I will not be looking at is what Morrison described as "a fairly blatant supersigil invocation/download of the incoming current of Horus, the newly arriving Lord of the Aeon" (Ellis 126). While this may be an aspect of Marvel Boy's subtext, it is beyond my understanding and I wouldn't know where to begin talking about it.
Marvel Boy as the history of the Marvel Universe
Even a casual reading of Marvel Boy shows an extensive amount of Marvel concepts taken by Morrison and altered in some way. The entire book is steeped in Marvel history and ideas, and the three primary actors (Noh-Varr, Midas and Exterminatrix or Oubliette) are no exception, with each representing one of the "ages" of Marvel's history (Noh-Varr being the only exception as he represents two "ages," but in a way that shows the cyclical nature of comics).
Noh-Varr is the representation of both the "golden age" and what I will call the "modern age" for lack of a better term. In initial comments on the series, co-editor Joe Quesada points to both the "golden age" and "modern age" aspects of the character: "The name is a tip of the hat to Bill Everett, who created the first Marvel Boy [during the 1940s], but it's Grant's attempt at finally creating an angst-ridden, Marvel hero for the next millennium . . . Grant's Marvel Boy is a guy who walks in the grey area between good and evil, sort of constructed on the Sub-Mariner principle" (Brick 42). The comparison to the Sub-Mariner is an easy one to make as both he and Noh-Varr are outsiders who essentially declare war on mankind. While the Sub-Mariner attempted to flood New York, Noh-Varr simply destroys the UN's headquarters and carves the words "FUCK YOU" into Manhattan and justifies it by saying, "Because it was the likes of you and this whole murky, hypocrite race who powderized my guiltless crewmates for no reason better than profit and ignorance" (Morrison "Boy" 18). As for his representation of the "modern age", I will explore that more in-depth later on.
Midas represents quite obviously the "silver age". It is key to point out here that Midas is a superhero, not a supervillain. While Noh-Varr is the protagonist of the story and Midas the antagonist, Noh-Varr is the alien invader, of sorts, and Midas is the superhero protecting Earth and the status quo. The most obvious tip-off that Midas represents the "silver age" is his costume: Iron Man's second armour (the first being nearly identical, but in grey rather than gold). Midas is dressed almost exactly like one of Marvel's most iconic superheroes, but with the addition of a leather jacket. His business is to kill aliens and he does that for profit, which is a play on the fact that Iron Man's began as Tony Stark, weapons profiteer. Also, if you look at Midas' allies in the story, you will find that they are all concepts or groups from the "silver age": SHIELD, the Bannermen (combinations of Captain America and the Hulk), the Mindless One, and even his attempt and success to become the Fantastic Four. Midas is most definitely a modernized superhero from the "silver age".
And finally, Exterminatrix represents the "bronze age". She is a woman who runs around in black leather and kills things for her father, sort of a modern Punisher. She is also not quite accepted by her father in the same way that heroes from that time period weren't quite accepted by the heroes of the "silver age". She acts as the bridge between the "silver age" and the "modern age". Ultimately, she sides with Noh-Varr as one would expect.
Each character represents a particular time period in the Marvel universe's history and its progression: Noh-Varr to Midas to Exterminatrix to Noh-Varr again. While not a complete history by any means, the book gives the basic structure for it.
Marvel Boy as the first "ultimate" book
"Grant asked himself, 'If Stan [Lee] was the age he was when he created Spider-Man today, what would have he created?'" Quesada said of how Morrison went about creating Marvel Boy, and I contend that Noh-Varr is "ultimate Spider-Man." The basic similarities in the characters support this: both are orphans with only one figure of moral guidance left (Plex for Noh-Varr and Aunt May for Spider-Man); both are basically teenagers, both had their first great love killed by their nemesis (Merree killed by Midas and Gwen Stacy killed by the Green Goblin); both end up with redheads (Oubliette and Mary Jane Watson); both have similar powers (cockroach-spliced genes for Noh-Varr and bitten by a radioactive spider for Spider-Man); and even their costumes follow a similar design, but with opposite colours (green, yellow and white for Noh-Varr compared to red, blue and black for Spider-Man) and a lack of mask for Noh-Varr (notice that their hair are also opposite colours).
The two begin with similarities, but it is their differences that we see how Noh-Varr is the more "realistic" "ultimate" version. What is more likely behaviour of an angry, newly-orphaned teenager with superpowers: that he would dress up and stop bank robbers, or that he would blow up buildings and carve swear words into cities? Noh-Varr is a representation of the true teenage mindset of the time, which is what Marvel's "ultimate" titles soon became about: modern versions of old characters. Noh-Varr is exactly how Peter Parker would have acted in modern times: he'd blow shit up and try to change the world so that it fit with how he thought it should be.
Almost all of the other pre-existing concepts from the Marvel universe that Morrison uses are updated to be more "ultimate". Midas is a good example of this, as he basically is a modern version of Tony Stark (minus the suave playboy side of the character), focussing on his evil corporate side (sort of like how Stark would have acted if he hadn't come so close to death and had a change of heart (no pun intended)). The idea of supersoldiers who are essentially mindless and programmed with a set of UN directives is how a Captain America-styled project would be done. SHIELD also is more modern with its orbital platform and caters to business interests in an almost overt way (a cynical comment, of course). Plex is also an "ultimate" version of the Supreme Intelligence, while at the same time functioning as "ultimate" Aunt May.
The only main character that isn't an "ultimate" version of anything is Exterminatrix really. While she can be seen to be an "ultimate" Mary Jane, that is a minor characteristic best used just for comparisons between Noh-Varr and Peter Parker. Beyond that, she has no real "ultimate" role. That doesn't prevent the reader from looking at Marvel Boy from this perspective, it merely suggests that Morrison did not strictly adhere to the idea of modernizing concepts in that way (although, as said earlier, Exterminatrix is a modern "anti-hero" of sorts, just not one in particular).
Marvel Boy as a statement on modern superhero comics
This is a tricky area to deal with as the biggest definer of the modern superhero comic was Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority, which was only a year or so old at that point, so it's difficult to tell exactly how much it may or may not have influenced Morrison. Let alone the fact that Morrison's JLA was also a large influence upon the style and tone of the modern superhero comic. For those reasons, I will ignore those external influences and just look for aspects of the modern superhero comic in Marvel Boy as I see them.
Noh-Varr, as I said earlier, represents the "modern age" of superhero comics, which I think is just a cyclical rebirth of the "golden age". The extreme methods and "walking in the grey" are both characteristics of both "ages". By far the most modern thing about Noh-Varr is his desire to actively change the world. This has been an aspect lacking in all of the previous "ages," even the "golden age." The idea of a superhero--as while I called Noh-Varr a villain that was meant within the confines of traditional superhero/supervillain definitions, not within the more modern meanings of the term where the boundaries are less clear and seem to depend on whether or not the character is a protagonist--playing the role of supervillain in his methods and goals is a relatively new one. Noh-Varr has good cause to believe himself superior to humanity and decides to impose his views upon it. This aspect of the modern superhero would be seen later in The Authority when they took over the United States.
To accomplish this goal, though, Noh-Varr had to displace the old order, which meant he had to defeat Midas. He does this primarily by "corrupting" his daughter through his sexuality. The overtly sexual superhero is another characteristic of the "modern age" and this can be seen in issues four through six of Marvel Boy as almost every comment Midas makes in relation to the two is of sexual nature, and Noh-Varr uses this to taunt Midas: "She loved it," he says weakly as Midas is beating him in issue four and also "I took your daughter" in issue six. Through sexuality is how Oubliette chooses to relate to Noh-Varr. He appeals to her because of the oppressive nature of his father as the idea of sexuality had been repressed greatly in previous ages. While it was never entirely absent, it was also only permitted to a certain point.
The rejection of the old ways by Oubliette is best seen in his casting off of her mask, which Midas describes as "her face" (Morrison "Zero" 19). The mask being a large part of the old ways of superhero comics, and by her rejecting it, she sides with the modern superhero. This effect could later be seen at Marvel in various titles as their heroes one after another had their identities revealed to some extent or another. The concept of a secret identity and separating one's self into two is no longer seen as realistic. The modern hero has no need for masks.
Another indication of Noh-Varr, and later Oubliette, representing the concept of the modern hero overcoming the old ways is in their fight against the Mindless One, which is literally being killed by the future (Morrison "Mindless" 5). The creature is used to a slower, older environment and can't compete with Noh-Varr and Oubliette who can handle the faster, more modern world.
Hexus, The Living Corporation, the "villain" of issue three is the representative of the modern supervillain in that in the "modern age," conflicts are not just a matter of simply physical confrontations, but of ideological confrontations. Noh-Varr cannot beat Hexus just by blowing things up, he must use ideas to defeat it, because it is an idea itself. Hexus is also an especially capitalist idea, which tends to be the role of modern supervillains, in that they usually represent things like greed and oppression of people with what Marx called a "false consciousness." The hero is usually put in the role of the oppressive liberator, who dominates the populace in an effort to free them, or as the Kree philosophy is described in issue six: "Zen fascism" (Morrison "Mindless" 21).
Marvel Boy was both a follower and precursor of the modern superhero comic. It conforms to established ideas about the "modern age" while at the same time sets up a few others.
Marvel Boy as a statement upon the modern world
From what I can count, there are approximately nineteen corporate brands or products mentioned or shown throughout the six issues of Marvel Boy with the majority of them in the first three issues. I am hard-pressed to find another comic, even a modern one that has that many "product placements"; while the number isn't amazingly high--only an average of around three per issue--it is higher than nearly any other comic, and one must ask why that is. It obviously ties into the character of Hexus, who I've labelled as the representative of the modern supervillain, as Hexus is the Living Corporation. Hexus' methods involve taking over the corporate culture by creating an appealing brand. This means doing everything from cola to music, and the underlying message is clear: corporations control the modern culture. Now this may not be a big surprise to many, it is an idea foreign to most comics--especially a mainstream superhero one.
This idea is raised again at the end of the series where Exterminatrix begins her attack upon the modern culture on behalf of Noh-Varr by destroying Disney World. She doesn't attack political or military institutions, she attacks a beloved corporate, capitalist entity.
This hatred of the greed and capitalism is introduced right from the very beginning of the series where the entire conflict is brought about through the destroying of "The Marvel," Noh-Varr's ship because Midas wants to steal the technology and make a profit off of it. Let's not forget that Midas is also a representative of the corporate world, which highlights even stronger Oubliette's turning against her father. While she comes from a corporate culture, she prefers to rebel against it much like the youth today do. But much like the youth of today, Exterminatrix is also a hypocrite as when she declares war upon "the way that was," she re-dons her mask, this taking up the methods of her father. While the youth of today claim to despise their parents' culture, they often act in much the same way; they will claim to despise the inhumanity of the corporate world and then catch their breath by taking a drink out of a bottle of water that they paid four bucks for. Exterminatrix directly stands in for the youth who are trapped between a capitalist world and one of socialism, with Midas and Noh-Varr standing in for each.
Also, if you notice how Noh-Varr looks upon humanity, you'll see that he sees our culture as a virus, of sorts, and uses it against us. A piece of dialogue in issue two sums up this feeling best, as Plex says to Noh-Varr, "You spent a day in the ship's limbo suite learning their English for this? Noh-Varr, you know every word in their language."
Noh-Varr replies, "Too bad I have to stick to the simple ones they understand." Before attacking humanity, Noh-Varr takes an effort to learn about it and understand it. At the end of issue two, we see him return from his attack on New York to sit down and watch dozens of TV screens in an effort to learn more about humanity. He doesn't go to libraries or schools or even reads the paper to learn about humanity, he watches TV.
Also, in issue two, the "promotional video" for the United Nations Bannermen is done in such a way to show just how corrupted we are by the media. Instead of an informative report on the group, we are given lame voice-over and quick shots of action and meaningless posing. Our political systems no longer contain actual substance, they've been reduced to catch-phrases and Hollywood videos.
Conclusion
Marvel Boy is ultimately a book about the modern world, including the modern superhero comic. It is a book that while ahead of its time already seems dated because it was very much of its time. If Morrison went about trying to create this book now, it would look radically different--something that I don't think could be said about any of his other work for Marvel. It was his ultimate statement on the Marvel universe and his mission statement, in a way, for what he planned to do there. It can also be seen as the first "ultimate" book as Morrison literally tried to recreate what Stan Lee did in the early sixties, but for the twenty-first century--and I would suggest succeeded far greater than those who created the actual "ultimate" line of titles. He manages to capture the feeling of what it was like to be living in the year 2000, especially what it was like to be a teenager at the time. Sadly, it is not likely that we will see the sequels planned for it, but luckily, other creators--including Morrison himself--have carried on in the tradition of Marvel Boy--which is part of the reason why the comic seems so dated. Titles like Wildcats Version 3.0, Daredevil (under Brian Michael Bendis) and The Intimates seem to be direct descendents, in a way, of Marvel Boy and I believe it will be a lasting influence upon any other titles of the "modern age" however long that lasts.
Works Consulted
Brick, Scott. "Taking Aim: Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's 'Punisher' marks the major moves of Marvel Knights' second year." Wizard, October 1999, No. 98, pp. 40-44.
Ellis, Warren. "Come In Alone Twenty-Eight June 9, 2000". Come In Alone. San Francisco: AiT/Planet Lar, 2001. Pp. 121-127.
Lawrence, Christopher. "Marvel's newest boy." Wizard, May 2000, No. 104, pp. 20.
Lawrence, Christopher. "Marvel Boy: Will Grant Morrison end his comic career with a roar?" Wizard, July 2000, No. 106, pp. 60-61.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Hello Cruel World". Marvel Boy, August 2000, Vol. 1, No. 1.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Boy Vs. World". Marvel Boy, September 2000, Vol. 1, No. 2.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Digital Koncentration Kamp One". Marvel Boy, October 2000, Vol. 1, No. 3.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Exterminatrix!" Marvel Boy, November 2000, Vol. 1, No. 4.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Zero Zero: Year Of Love". Marvel Boy, December 2000, Vol. 1, No. 5.
Morrison, Grant, et al. "Mindless: The End". Marvel Boy, March 2001, Vol. 1, No. 6.
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