CBR Review: Ultimate Hawkeye #1

I recently reviewed Ultimate Hawkeye #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "While he is the book's title character, Hawkeye is treated like a secondary player, to a degree. He gets to show off his skills a bit and is obviously Fury's proxy in the situation, yet the importance is placed more on the S.E.A.R. metahumans and what they mean to the 'arms race' of super-soldiers. The ending of the issue indicates future issues will focus on Hawkeye and show why he needs to star in this story. This is good, because right now, any anonymous S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would seem to do."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Infinite Kung-Fu

I recently reviewed Infinite Kung-Fu for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "There’s been considerable buzz building up to the release of Kagan McLeod’s monster of a book, Infinite Kung-Fu, and with its wide release this past week, it proves that all of that buzz and hype was completely on the money. Expansive, entertaining, and full of pretty much everything you could love about kung-fu stories, Infinite Kung-Fu is a page turner that’s hard to put down. And, when you do put it down, it won’t be for very long."

You can read the rest HERE!

Final Blogathon Total

The final tally for money raised for the Hero Initiative is a stunning $535, boosted by my promise to revive Random Thoughts over on Comics Should be Good. I would like to thank the following people for their donations: p0w, Raymond Conlon, Alec Berry, Dan Billings, Tim Callahan, Sandy Nevett, Andrew Doyle, Mario McKellop, Lee Merowitz, PerfectDru, Eric Newsom, Brendan Wright, Joshua Schroeder, Rainer Hoermann, Greg Schueller, Brian Estep, James Leech, Brian Cronin, and Joseph Macaluso. This is, by far, the most money raised in any of my Blogathons and I'm extremely grateful to those who donated and those who lent their moral support.

Thank you.

Sketch Reviews (August 25 2011)

Not much to add this week... let's get to it...

Batman: Gates of Gotham #5: Well, that was underwhelming. A decent ending, but fairly typical. I have no real complaints, no real compliments. [***]

Batman, Incorporated #8: And the new contender for 'worst issue from Morrison's run on Batman' is... My god, this is an ugly comic featuring mediocre writing. [*]

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #3: Three issues building up to... not a goddamn thing. What was the point of this book besides proving that DC really will publish anything no matter how fucking awful it is? No, really, get me the e-mail addresses of everyone who approved this piece of shit so I can ask them what point it served, because I sure as fuck can't see it... [-****]

Captain America & Bucky #621: The closest thing I have to buying a book primarily for the art. Chris Samnee is wonderful. The writing is okay, but this is a bit of a downgrade from the 'first' issue of this series. Will it actually go anywhere beyond "Bucky: Year One?" Let's see! [***1/2]

Flashpoint: Project Superman #3: This comic wasn't as funny as the second issue, but it was still pretty funny with its visual allusions and the constant look of "I... I think I wet my pants" on Kal's face. I don't know... I just couldn't take it seriously. It had none of the genuine humanity of the Azzarello/Risso Batman mini but all of the superficial crap... it's just a funny comic. I wish they'd gone all out and just did the parody of Action Comics #1 for the cover. [***1/4]

And a special bonus:

A Few Things You May Need to Know from Ultimate Fallout to read The Ultimates #1
* The man in the helmet on the first page is Reed Richards. He's escaped from the Negative Zone with the goal of creating an environment that will create the next generation of superpeople to help remake the world as he wants it. I think. Those people in the white Future Foundation-esque uniforms are his followers and they live by the code 'evolve or die.'
* Captain America quit at some point. It was mentioned briefly in Ultimate Fallout #6 with Steve Rogers last appearing in the second issue at Peter Parker's funeral. He got slapped by Aunt May. We've yet to be told why he quit, but I assume it has to do with Parker's death.
* Nick Fury was ordered to increase S.H.I.E.L.D. operations by 30% only to be told shortly thereafter that the budget is being cut by 30%. That has put him under a little stress.
* The threat in S.E.A.R. is a metahuman of some kind.
* Brian Braddock has cancer, so his brother has replaced him as Captain Britain.
* This may be important later: Tony Stark has been asked to take his brother Gregory's place in an organisation of 50 very wealthy and powerful (mostly self-made) people who are going to try to change the world from behind the scenes. We don't know if he's accepted yet.

And, not that this has anything to do with anything, but look at Quicksilver's face in the final panel of the preview for Ultimate X-Men #1. Isn't that just fucking awful?

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Later

CBR Review: The Ultimates #1

I recently reviewed The Ultimates #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Hickman walks a fine balance between jumping right into plots that had their foundation laid in the shorts he contributed to in Ultimate Fallout and making sure that anyone who skipped that mini-series can follow along fine. For the most part, he pulls it off by rehashing the three big global threats that first popped up in Ultimate Fallout #5, albeit progressed by a day so it isn’t a simple retread. At the heart of the issue is a simple plot: the world is falling apart around Nick Fury and he doesn’t know what to do exactly. However, until the end of the issue, that may get a little lost under a lot of details, sadly."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Daredevil #2

I recently reviewed Daredevil #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "In the solicitation for November’s Daredevil #6, the copy reads, 'The most critically acclaimed new series of the year continues!' Given that only one issue of the relaunched series had been released when that sentence was written, that’s a bold statement to make and, yet, one that’s hard to disagree with. The first issue of the new Daredevil was highly acclaimed and rightfully so. It was entertaining, stylistically inventive, able to reconcile the character’s recent past with the desire to push forward, featured a strong, distinctive take on the characters, and was absolutely gorgeous with art from Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin. Good news: the second issue is more of the same (minus Martin’s art)."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Ultimate Fallout #6

I recently reviewed Ultimate Fallout #6 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The weekly Ultimate Fallout series hasn’t exactly flown under the radar given the extensive media exposure to the fourth issue where the new Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales debuted, but it also hasn’t garnered much attention aside from that portion of the fourth issue. It’s been an odd hodgepodge of a comic, pulling in two directions as it provides an epilogue/coda to Peter Parker’s life and looks to the relaunch of the Ultimate line beginning with next week’s Ultimates #1. More an anthology series featuring shorts that looked to the past or the future (rarely the present) than anything else, it’s left many baffled about its point and purpose."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (August 18 2011)

As you can imagine, one of the last things I really feel like doing this week is writing about more comics. But, I love the stupid things. And CBR pays me to write about comics. Anyway, the Blogathon was fun and the window for sponsoring me/donating to the Hero Initiative is open until 9am Tuesday morning (not that you can't donate after that...). I've even sweetened the pot a but by promising the return of Random Thoughts if the total tops $500. Considering the number when I made that promise was $350, the heavy lifting has been done by the generous donators that did it before the Blogathon itself ended. Now, onto new comics...

Avengers #16: Steve Rogers is James Kirk... also, Captain America is the Spirit of America. A weak tie-in that felt forced and like Bendis was trying to address Bucky dying without stepping on Brubaker's toes. Whatever. [**]

Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #2: This issue held together better than the first until Butcher got himself tossed out of the marines. That felt rushed and almost like a means to an end. The battle scene was just well done on all fronts. [***1/4]

Captain America #2: Okay, this shit got fucking goofy. And that's pretty awesome. Everything else surrounding this comic felt tedious, but the weird dream world that a little boy can access and the Allies were using as a way to sneak up on Nazis? I can dig that. And, damn, that's some 'all over the map' inking. [***]

Flashpoint: The Outsider #3: Man, you know the Martian Manhunter is a badass, because he wears a leather jacket and leather pants. That's... that's actually pretty fucking weird. I did enjoy how this was basically a story about how the world fucks you up and makes you worse than you would have been otherwise. I'd be surprised if the Outsider doesn't show up in the regular DCU. [***1/2]

Journey into Mystery #626: You know how you know Loki is fucking awesome at what he does? Everyone tells him that they know he's a liar and they won't trust him... and, then, they go ahead and make a deal with him and trust him anyway. He's that damn good. [***3/4]

X-Men: Schism #3: My favourite part: "I don't understand... why are they smiling?" Best line of the whole comic. I do dig a methodical takedown of the bad guys, especially when it's teased with a big hero comeback via Emma. Also, this felt like a more natural cause of the beginning of a Logan/Scott rift than we've seen yet. I'm digging this. I'm not sold on picking up any of the relaunched books yet -- we'll see how the final two issues of this play out. [***1/2]

Also, I picked up Hellblazer: Bloody Carnations, 'Breed II: The Book of Ecclesiastes, and the WE3 hardcover (the new pages suckered me in). Because they all had to come out today, of course...

Later

Blogathon 2011 Archive Post

Here is a complete archive of the Blogathon 2011 posts:

Blogathon 01: Good Morning
Blogathon 02: Superheroes
Blogathon 03: Who is Superman? Part One
Blogathon 04: Who is Superman? Part Two
Blogathon 05: Who is Superman? Part Three
Blogathon 06: Who is Superman? Part Four
Blogathon 07: Who is Superman? Part Five
Blogathon 08: Who is Superman? Part Six
Blogathon 09: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #1
Blogathon 10: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #2
Blogathon 11: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #3
Blogathon 12: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #4
Blogathon 13: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #5
Blogathon 14: Joe Casey Comics: Iron Man: The Inevitable #6
Blogathon 15: The Eternal Return Part One
Blogathon 16: The Eternal Return Part Two
Blogathon 17: The Eternal Return Part Three
Blogathon 18: The Eternal Return Part Four
Blogathon 19: Random Thoughts! Part One
Blogathon 20: Random Thoughts! Part Two
Blogathon 21: Random Thoughts! Part Three
Blogathon 22: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part One
Blogathon 23: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Two
Blogathon 24: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Three
Blogathon 25: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Four
Blogathon 26: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Five
Blogathon 27: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Six
Blogathon 28: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Seven
Blogathon 29: Dreaming Us Part One
Blogathon 30: Dreaming Us Part Two
Blogathon 31: Dreaming Us Part Three
Blogathon 32: Dreaming Us Part Four
Blogathon 33: Dreaming Us Part Five
Blogathon 34: Raymond Chandler's Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story: New X-Men - Murder at the Mansion (Part One)
Blogathon 35: Raymond Chandler's Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story: New X-Men - Murder at the Mansion (Part Two)
Blogathon 36: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part One
Blogathon 37: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Two
Blogathon 38: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Three
Blogathon 39: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Four
Blogathon 40: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Five
Blogathon 41: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Six
Blogathon 42: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part One
Blogathon 43: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Two
Blogathon 44: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Three
Blogathon 45: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Four
Blogathon 46: From Hell to Heaven Part One
Blogathon 47: From Hell to Heaven Part Two
Blogathon 48: From Hell to Heaven Part Three
Blogathon 49: Good Morning Again

Thank you. Enjoy.

Blogathon 49: Good Morning Again

Well, I made it through. While I had no doubt that I would make it to nine am, I wasn't sure what sort of content I'd be putting over the 24 hours. Not everything was fantastic, but I'm happy with what I wrote.

As for the Hero Initiative, we're sitting at $349.99 raised so far. As always, I'm keeping the sponsorship/donation window open for a week. If you wish to sponsor me, there are a variety of options:

* Direct donations to the Hero Initiative
* Purchasing products from their site, including annual memberships
* Purchasing products from their eBay store

If you do, let me know in the comments section or via e-mail (chevett13[AT]yahoo[DOT]ca) so I can keep track of how much is raised and give proper thanks.

Later today, after I wake up and do whatever I need to do around the house, I'll post an archive of all of the Blogathon posts like I have in the past.

What I'm impressed with is how well the post count worked out. I got through almost all of my prepared topics with the only remaining ones there more as back-ups than anything else. There was a bit of unity with the comics I discussed even though I chose books based solely one what I felt like writing about.

Thanks for all of the support, tweets, comments, donations, and kind words. Now, to bed. Finally. Good morning, good night...

Blogathon 48: From Hell to Heaven Part Three

[Concluding my discussion of the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."]

With Ben dead and the Fantastic Four branded traitors to the US because of their actions in Latveria, things look pretty down when "Hereafter" begins. One of the most heartbreaking moments I've ever seen in a comic is a scene showing what happened after Ben died: Reed using a giant defibrillator to try and save him and, when he's pulled off, he talks about how they don't have much time only to be told that he's been trying for an hour. He has this look of disbelief of his face in a silent panel; in a repeat of the panel he simply says "What?" The effect of Ben's loss is profound on the group, but Reed sees only one solution: storm the gates of Heaven and get their friend back.

It's such an absurd idea and one that really only works in a comic like Fantastic Four. They've been everywhere else, why not Heaven, too? They push through every obstacle: angels, a broken path, even Ben and his big brother who are waiting for them, because Ben can't actually enter Heaven itself. Reed is keeping a tiny part of his body alive and that's stopping Ben from moving on. Now, that's probably for the best, because what are the odds that you're going to convince someone to come back to Earth once they've actually been to Heaven? There's something incredibly touching and selfish about them even going to get him. When Ben breaks through the door seemingly made by Reed's technology keeping him from crossing over, there's orange rock underneath and Ben realises that he's been keeping himself out. He's not ready to die, he's not ready to leave his family behind.

And, then, the Fantastic Four meet their creator... Jack Kirby.

That moment is why I consider this the high point of the Waid/Wieringo run on the book. You can't top the build of Doom's attack/Reed's response/Ben's death/the trip to Heaven/the team meeting Jack Kirby where he fixes Reed's face, turns Ben back into the Thing, and sends them all home with a drawing of their eventual happy ending as old people. Like I said, I enjoyed what came after, but this may just have been a 'get off the stage' moment. Waid and Wieringo delivered some nice adventures and funny moments, none of which matched the power of these issues. These comics we so steeped in emotion and character, so tied into who the Fantastic Four and what they mean to one another in such a big story that I'm not sure anything on the title could top it. For my money, these two stories (maybe with the actual encounter with Doom) comprise the best Fantastic Four story. The Lee/Kirby stuff was great, but even they could hit the emotional heights that are hit here.

Sure, it's a return to the status quo, but it's an earned return to the status quo. It's the logical end point of the story. And damned if it isn't fantastic (pun intended).

In 30 minutes, I take my bow and get off the stage.

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 47: From Hell to Heaven Part Two

[Continuing my discussion of the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."]

Reed's plan in Latveria is much more extensive than simply disarming Doom's castle: he installs himself as the new leader of the country and sets about doing his best to destroy everything Doom had left: his reputation with his people, his wealth, his weapons, even the portrait of his mother isn't safe from Reed's wrath. And, make no mistake, it's pissed off anger-fuelled revenge that drives Reed here. He's had enough of Doom always coming back and screwing with his family and he's going to make sure that never happens again. In the process, he alienates Sue, Ben, and Johnny, and pisses off the global community who simply can't allow a private citizen to take over a country like that.

It's easy to see why this story appeals to me so much. It's exactly what I want out of a superhero comic: smart writing that breaks out of the usual superhero mould. A hero actually thinking about the patterns he's been locked into and doing something to break free of them. You know it won't last or work entirely, but that's doesn't matter. It's that brief moment of 'enlightenment' that makes it worthwhile. And had Waid stuck with the above, I would have been satisfied. Instead, he pushes things further...

Reed purposefully drove his family away so he could enact the final part of his plan: rescuing Doom from Hell and locking them both in a room with no exit for eternity so he can make sure Doom never threatens his family again. The ultimate sacrifice and, as both men seem willing to recognise, the ultimate act of hatred. I don't know if Reed was even shown to absolutely hate Doom like this before. Doom had gone too far and was stuck in a room with no escape for etern--

Oh shit, the rest of the Fantastic Four just opened the door so they could rescue Reed from his foolish decisions. Doom uses a mental trick to transer his consciousness to Sue and escape. Then, it becomes a fight where one of the FF is always at risk while Doom's consciousness may not be. Ultimately, he takes over Ben and Reed is forced to kill him. Yeah, kill him. Doom managed to hurt Reed and his family even more. How could Waid possibly follow that up?

(Unfortunately, this story was drawn by Howard Porter instead of Mike Wieringo. That will always bug me...)

In 30 minutes, I'll discuss how Waid, teamed back up with Wieringo, manages to follow up on "Authoritative Action" with "Hereafter."

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 46: From Hell to Heaven Part One

[Beginning my discussion of the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."]

I won the Waid/Wieringo run of Fantastic Four in those three hardcovers that Marvel put out and, for me, the best stuff is the second hardcover if you ignore the final two issues included, which comprise an entertaining Human Torch/Spider-Man story albeit one that's forgettable and doesn't stand up to the two storyarcs included in that hardcover. The third hardcover feels a little more throwaway. Again, nothing gets bad; it's that none of it feels essential and necessary. A horrible word, I know. The first hardcover is a nice build to the Dr. Doom story, particularly the issue focusing on Doom and the love from his youth. I can see why some would see that Doom story as the high point. I liked those comics. I didn't love them and got the second hardcover because that first hardcover was good enough to keep up with it. The second hardcover, though, was when Waid really hit his stride and put his mark on the book for my money.

I'm actually surprised that I even picked up the first hardcover, because I wasn't a fan of the first issue of their run, the nine-cent issue. Like much of the first hardcover, I thought it was fine. It was inoffensive and left me fairly cold. It must have been all of the positive word of mouth. Enough people talk something up and you're bound to check it out. I'm glad I did.

The first hardcover culminated in a story where Doom attacked the Fantastic Four with an emphasis on magic. That alone was a smart idea. The magic of Doom has been around for a long time, but never really played up in his fights against the Fantastic Four. His skin armour was genuinely creepy and more than any other time, Doom came off as a threat. He really seemed like he was a dominant force that may be too much for the Fantastic Four. Although defeated and sent to Hell, he had a lasting effect on the family when he sent Franklin to Hell and left Reed's face scarred. While there were two issues between that story and "Authoritative Action," the kick-off story for the second hardcover is a definite follow-up to Doom's attack.

In "Authoritative Action," Reed Richards takes the Fantastic Four to Latveria seemingly to disarm Doom's castle and make sure if he returns he won't have the same resources that he always has. I love that idea. It's an active way to approach the problem of Doom, something right up my alley. Where the story goes after that, pushing things even further, made me love it even more.

I'll talk more about this in 30 minutes...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 45: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Four

[Concluding my discussion of The Programme.]

A lot of The Programme is spent shifting characters around and building to something without getting anywhere. It does eventually, but so much time is taken up with Max struggling against what's required -- so much time is eaten up. I was surprised at how long it took for the Dolls to rescue their creator from the Gulag. I remembered it as happening in, like, issue three when it's much later. They don't hit America until issue seven. The drawn out nature of the pacing isn't as problematic when reading the series as a whole, but when it was first coming out sticking with this series was an act of faith, of trusting Milligan to stick the landing.

Except he doesn't.

The ending isn't a clean one, but it's not dirty enough to really provoke thought. It falls somewhere between the two. Some of the Russians get away and the US is under martial law (which I mentioned previously). What's lacking in the conclusion is an idea of what the larger point of the series was. What was it really about with an ending like that? Max's journey is complete to a degree with him becoming the pawn of the government he was meant to be -- or was going to be before Hinks altered his programming. But, what does this say about America? Or even superhumans? While The Programme reminds me stylistically of Pynchon's writing, that the series never adds up to anything holds it back from that comparison completely.

I've long wanted to discuss The Programme and, getting that chance, I realised I didn't have much to say. I thought when I started to dig in, there would be a lot there. There isn't.

In 30 minutes, I'll begin my last topic: the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 44: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Three

[Continuing my discussion of The Programme.]

Max is an argument against the validity of free will. First, he's a liberal hippie type despite that being his programmed personality. Yet, that's who he is, it's all he's ever known himself to be. It's what he defends and what he sacrifices when he realises that it's not doing him any good. When he's reprogrammed, it's like that other Max never existed. He becomes everything that the United States government wants him to be and he keeps on being that, doing things he would have never done before and hate anyone else for doing. He perceives nothing wrong with, though. No matter what they program him to be, that's what he is. It's a recognition that an absence of free will would not actually affect a person; as far as he's concerned, he has free will even if he consciously knows he's been programmed to behave a certain way -- because the programming makes him think it's his choice!

Senator Joe, on the other hand, struggles with his programming quite a bit. He breaks free of it in a sense. His struggle with what he should do, who he should be is never finalised. Even when he shows up to back up Max in the fight against the Russians, there's not a feeling that that's his final choice of who he is. He shows up because he thinks it's the right thing to do. That doesn't mean he sides with the US government ultimately. But, his showing up to fight the Russians is his choice. Too bad he dies in the fight.

The Dolls function in the same way. They were programmed to embody specific ideals and some of them do struggle with it or take those ideals to a strange logical conclusion like Stalingrad's insistance on raping an American woman because that's what the Red Army did. Mostly, they are completely loyal to their maker and their ideals.

Everything is politics in The Programme. It's not necessarily a traditional argument about free will, it's simply about ideology and politics with these constructions as pawns. Max was meant to be the German superman, was taken by the Americans at the end of World War 2 before he was grown, meant to make him the American superman, and, instead, some random guy turned him into a liberal pacifist. He never had a chance, honestly. None of them did. They represent the fictional constructs we have that exist to justify and embody specific ideas. Max is basically a character that is written one way by someone and, then, that writer is fired and his personality shifts to suit the new needs.

To be continued in 30 minutes...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 43: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Two

[Continuing my discussion of The Programme.]

The intricate plot of The Programme is one of details that paint a fairly clear picture: when Russian artificial superhumans are discovered, they begin to attack American forces in Talibstan. Really, it's just one, but that leads to the others and they go to find their maker in a Gulag where he lives in constant fear of rape. In response, the Americans decide to bring back to their attempt at creating supersoldiers. Max being their main hope, but his programming was altered by Michael Hinks so he would be a hippie pacifist basically. He doesn't know how to even access his superpowers. There's also another superhuman prototype: a black man that thinks he's Senator Joe McCarthy. When he learns what he is, he runs away, wanting nothing to do with a government that would do things like take his mother and use her to create him. The coming of the Russians gives excuse for some ignorant rednecks to start a race war, basically meaning that, instead of unifying to fight the Russian superhumans, America has decided to tear itself apart. Only Max can save the day... maybe...

This is the stuff of Supergod. Superhumans created to solve problems and fight wars, not treated as gods but programmable tools. One is screwed with to be a bleedingheart and the other is made to think he's Joe fucking McCarthy. On the Russian side, they're full of Marxist and Leninist ideas. One of the strangest moments is when the powerhouse of the group begins to rape a woman, not because he wants but because he's been programmed with the knowledge that the Red Army that defeated the Germans was a rapist army. And, yet, it's perfectly logical.

That sort of twisted logic is apparent through The Programme. Never mind that lives are in danger, Max, worry more about your girlfriend cheating on you. When he finally decides to join the fray, he gets his ass handed to him because he doesn't know how to fight. He has the power but not the knowledge. He actually has to request reprogramming to save America. Whereas Senator Joe is talked into abandoning the cause by the man who created the Russian 'dolls' and eventually helps only because he can't shake his patriotism.

Ultimately, it's a battle of ideals that come off as bad jokes. Old ideas come back to haunt us. Old conflicts, both internationally and locally. That a race war actually starts is one of those moves that complicates the plot further and makes you wonder what the fuck Peter Milligan is doing until it pays off in the end when the Russians and the race war are used as an excuse for the new president to enact martial law, using the newly programmed Max an his enforcer. The man goes from hippie to facist in no time flat... he saves America so it can be everything he used to hate.

To be continued in 30 minutes...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 42: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part One

[Beginning my discussion of The Programme.]

When I read The Programme, I'm reminded of Thomas Pynchon's writing. I had that feeling ever since the second issue where Michael Hinks recalls what turned him from a cog in the American military industrial complex to a liberal peaceloving anti-American. He was at a party and met a woman that changed his whole perspective on everything. She introduced him to drugs, free love, and opened his eyes to the facist state he lived in. So, in his duties as a member of the project to build an American superhuman, he reprogrammed Max to be just like him, effectively ruining the program. While not really like Pynchon's story "Entropy" in content, the feel of the two struck me as similar. There was something about the mixing of '60s counterculture, the military, black humour, and a myriad of plots that all weave together in the past and present that seemed to connect the two.

Stylistically, CP Smith draws The Programme the way I imagine Pynchon's novels would be illustrated. They reflect the sometimes obtuse nature of his writing. You can see what's happening, but it's not entirely clear. Some things are obscured. Things don't exist in realist terms. Colours are skewed to match the mood and tone of the scene. A panel in the first issue where Max, our failed superman who doesn't know he's superman, is telling his therapist about his failure to get an erection and his girlfriend's reaction is absolutely how I'd picture something in Pynchon's work: a shot of her coloured in a pinkish red with pale green cucumbers on her eyes as she says, "MAX, YOU ARE ONE WASHED-UP IMPOTENT OLD FART! BOY, YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE A EUNICH ALL THE GOOD YOU ARE TO ME!"

It makes sense that, if there was an influence on The Programme it would be Pynchon. Of all the writers to look to if you were doing a comic book about the consequences of superhumans created during the Cold War now active and looking to live out the reason they were created, and the various bits of black humour that come out of a complicated plot like that, Pynchon is your man. The absurd comedy of Gravity's Rainbow is set against the backdrop of World War 2, offering a mixture of reality and surreality that's both remarkably touching and slightly offputting.

The Programme isn't as grand as Pynchon's work. It isn't as big or as deep or as funny, but the influence is there. After all, where else would you expect to find a hippie superman, a black superman who thinks he's Joe McCarthy, and a group of four Russian superhumans whose existence causes a race war in America?

To be continued in 30 minutes...

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Blogathon 41: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Six

[Concluding my discussion of Warren Ellis's superhuman trilogy from Avatar Press (Black Summer, No Hero, and Supergod).]

The most interesting superhuman in Supergod is Dajjal, a creature that forms a humanoid shape but seems to be made out of pieces of purple metal with glass goggle eyes. He has 'tactical perception,' the ability to see time. He can see time and decide which path to take, knowing where it will lead. It's like perceiving the timeline as a road map. Except it's a map that is constantly changing because the territory is always changing. It's a more advanced version of the Midnighter's ability to play out every possible scenario in his head. There, it's still theoretical and limited by his knowledge of the situation. With Dajjal, there are no limitations. And what that means for his mind is that he is without sanity: "It is said that human sanity is the best set of reactions to the structure of the perceived world." With no set structure since time is fluid and changing, how could he be sane? It's not insanity either, which is almost like a faulty set of reactions; there are no set reactions in his case. In the end, he decides that the only path he wants to take is one of destruction and his death. Again, not considering what a superpower would mean: if you can see every outcome, every scenario, would life offer any excitement or meaning?

The questions of what these powers and altered perceptions would entail is something that I have a hard time letting go of. To me, that's more interesting and worthwhile that symbolic meaning or escapism or any of those other things that superhero comics tend to embody. If anything, there's a progression from one book to the next in this trilogy: a rising awareness of what superhuman powers entail and the characters' acceptance of that awareness. John Horus lives in ignorance, clinging to his humanity and ideas of justice and unwilling to embrace his power; Carick Masterson doesn't recognise that living forever and not aging means that he has to look at the world in a different way that just as a means to comfort; and the superhumans in Supergod think differently and perceive humanity as truly beneath them, willing to kill and destroy if it suits their goals. But, there's something they have in common: all roads lead to death. At least for humanity. Contact with superhumanity means contact with the next step in human evolution, whether natural or unnatural, and that means the first step towards extinction. That's the unseen danger of superhumans, one addressed only in specific superhero comics often. They are the inevitable and our destruction is also inevitable. You can't fight the future.

In 30 minutes, I'll begin discussing The Programme...

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Blogathon 40: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Five

[Continuing my discussion of Warren Ellis's superhuman trilogy from Avatar Press (Black Summer, No Hero, and Supergod).]

Ultimately, the question comes down to what does being superhuman mean. What is the proper use of power? I've already said that, for humanity, the perfect amount is where you're the Powers That Be's bitch. Do the dirty work, don't ask questions, and don't rock the boat. Be Superman (er, most of the time). But, even then, Marvel and DC have implied conceptions of what being a superhuman means. Black Summer is a Marvel conception twisted, while No Hero is DC twisted. Marvel features superhumans that are too human; DC features superhumans that are inhuman often -- near lifeless icons. That's where Supergod stands out. There is no natural conception of the superhuman as non-human, as something completely divorced from all human thought and inner life. And, yet, it seems so natural and obvious when you stop and think about it. I mostly wonder if it would be possible to establish a shared universe populated by superhumans that are non-human.

Then again, to relate this to an earlier conversation: would Superman actually qualify under these conditions? Does, for example, Grant Morrison's Superman actually think like a human? His viewpoint of the world is skewed and different from most humans. Ellis applies the conception of non-human superhumans to the idea that they would be destructive or consider humanity irrelevant. That's not guaranteed, though. Isn't it possible that non-human thinking could lead to the view that all life is sacred and worth protecting? That every life is irreplaceable and all important? That even those who try to destroy you are worthwhile and should be treated with kindness and meant to be reformed? After all, I made the joke about that version of Superman basically being SuperJesus and wasn't Jesus meant to be God? Ellis draws heavily on the Old Testament conception of God but ignores the New Testament. Must a God be destructive?

Superman doesn't fullfil the role, honestly, because he chooses not to occupy it. He's much more like Carick Masterson: superhuman in nature, but human in his brain and heart. He's limited by his humanity, which is why he occupies a state of inhumanity. He is above and equal. I said that Clark Kent is the balance and that's his limitation.Whereas, a hero like Spider-Man is rooted in humanity. If both were to take their ideals too far, Superman would conquer the world, while Spider-Man would take down figures of authority. It's not simply a matter of the scope of power, it's a matter of perspective. No Hero is almost a remix of Squadron Supreme, a book with a group based on the Justice League, you'll recall. Those characters are so powerful and shiny and perfect that they're stuck in that inhuman position, not human and human. No wonder Marvel is the company that people 'relate' to: it's heroes are so rooted in humanity.

To be continued in 30 minutes...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 39: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part Four

[Continuing my discussion of Warren Ellis's superhuman trilogy from Avatar Press (Black Summer, No Hero, and Supergod).]

Krishna is created by the Indians to help solve its problems. Embued with radical powers, it looks at the population problem in India and begins killing people. It allows a nuclear weapon to be detonated because nuclear winter will cool the planet down. To save India, it will tear it down and rebuild it. Three astronauts return to Britain fused as a spore alien god that people have to take medication when near because fungi will grow in them. Scientists worship the three-headed fungus god. It's not a simple matter of these things being gods, it's that we turn them into gods. When the Indians built Krishna, they designed him to be their god. In an extended speech in issue three, the three-headed god delivers a speech about his role, summing up an argument that there's a genetic need in humans to create gods, something that activates a pleasure centre in our brains that will bring us together and help us to work as a community. He summarises the argument as such: "I am your stash." It's a disturbing idea.

That superhumans would be seen as or treated as gods is nothing new. That they would think differently isn't new either. What sets Supergod apart is the degree to which Ellis applies these ideas. They seem inescapable: there is no situation where we would not treat superhumans as gods and no situation where they would not think radically different from us. Even someone like Jerry Craven, the American super-soldier, is something that's alien. He's eventually sent to kill Krishna, but looks around, decides that Krishna has done right and that he wants to stay with Krishna. He was a man treated as a god and, as such, he didn't react or act as expected.

I've been struggling to figure out exactly how the ideas of Supergod could be applied ever since it came out. Ellis presents a fairly direct story that leads to the end of the world because superhumans think so differently. But, where else could this sort of story lead? If superhumans are so alien, so different in thought and deed, what story could possibly be told featuring this conception of them? In a similar limitation to Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. His apathy and distance is what makes that story work to a degree. If he took a more active interest in the events unfolding, the story would fall apart.

Then again, one can rarely apply radically or new ideas to mainstream superhero comics. That doesn't mean that other comics can't benefit from the lessons of these three comics.

To be continued in 30 minutes...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]