This is the first of seven issues for DC’s big 2008 crossover event, set to reboot the DC universe and clean up all the continuity mistakes that made the DC continuity editor put his head in his hands and apologize at New York Comic Con. Final Crisis is written by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones, and like the other DC Crisis events, it’s a grand space opera of ridiculous proportions.

As a primer issue, the story is set up for the rest of the series, but, as a single issue, it fails miserably. We have 32 pages where the narrative switches every 1 to 3 pages, each with its own protagonist or subsequent antagonist. Plus, we are given a new super team - the Alpha Lanterns - all with names we’re supposed to remember. This is a plot clusterf#$% designed to pry at fans’ hearts when they see their favorite character remotely instrumental in this cosmic event. It also reeks of a child’s desire to throw all their toys together and have the G.I. Joe, He-man, and Barbie super team, but hey, that’s comics.

While it’s too early to critique the strength of the whole series, this issue does show how comics are no longer meant to be individual issues and read as trade paperbacks. There was nothing of dire consequence introduced in this book that made it stand on its own. This one short chapter is meant to be in a novella. Again, not a bad thing, but it shows that the big publishers are no longer publishing comics - they’re publishing books.

Image courtesy DC

Lazy Narnia

People tend to compare the book to its movie adaption, so when coming out of theaters the first thing spoken is the comment about how the movie fared compared to the book. My friends, and other professional critics, have pointed out that the movie was very different from the book. For some, this is a point of weakness, but for me, that’s actually a strength.

The Narnia books are children’s books, and this is due to the immature use of fantasy characters and the allegorical nature of the text. J.R.R. Tolkein was a friend of C.S. Lewis, but he hated Narnia because it was a patchwork quilt of fantasy cliché for some reason - werewolves and minotaurs and fauns and centaurs and talking animals live in a 100 Acre Woods type forest with little sense of practicality and a functioning secondary world. The big secret is that the books are all Christian allegory, which isn’t a bad thing, but direct allegory is a thing of Aesop and Kipling, not more complicated fantasy like Tolkien or Neil Gaiman.

I’ve read all the Narnia books several times, but lucky for me that was awhile ago. I don’t really remember Prince Caspian exactly, so when I saw the film I wasn’t putting both side by side to see which was “better.” But, I found the film to be a great movie because it not only adapted the book to a post-LotR mainstream audience, but it was able to add depth to the secondary world that the book lacked. I mean that the movie had hundreds of people shown in some scenes whereas the book would list the exact number of characters present, which would usually be about ten to fifteen characters (which makes you wonder how a sparsely populated world was supposed to operate, which was one of Tolkien’s beefs with the books, as LotR went to great lengths to make Middle Earth a realistic place with towns and commerce and economy). The action scenes were unique and made up for the lack of action during the mandatory allegorical dialog downtime in the beginning. I actually found the movie’s violence adding to the credibility of the world.

I’m sure they will do more movies, though which books I’m not sure (probably Dawntreader, Magician’s Nephew and Last Battle), and I welcome them, even though I may have been hesitant to begin with, because in the end Dinsey could have done much worse.

Another person I met at NYCC was illustrator Tony Moore. One of the fun things about comic conventions is the chance to meet the creators behind your favorite titles - not just the writer, but the illustrators, too. Casual comic fans take illustrators for granted, not realizing the strength of every series is the way art conveys the story. The choices the illustrator makes can have a more profound impact on the story than the author intended.

Tony Moore has worked on several of my favorite titles in the past, like The Walking Dead and Brit, and currently is working on Vertigo’s Exterminators and Dark Horse’s Fear Agent series. Mr. Moore took the time to speak to me about his projects and work. Read the rest of this entry »

The X-Files Paradox Read the rest of this entry »

I read a lot of comics. And while I read a lot, there are a few titles I actually want to read. Avengers: The Initiative was written by Dan Slott (She-Hulk) and an excellent change of pace from most Marvel titles. The series focused on recruits to the registered super hero Initiative. These teens have to undergo a super hero basic training to be allowed to use their powers in public and to help people in need.

While the series broke my golden rule, manufacturing random, new heroes just because, the series’ use of Marvel continuity as it’s backbone allowed the series to stand as a major part of the Marvel Universe, and not just a random super team travesty, like The Twelve or The Order. The characters grew on me and the various plots, which took the team into World War Hulk and the beginnings of Secret Invasion, fully utilized Slott’s action and drama writing abilities. Read the rest of this entry »

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to complain about a show and expose it for what it is, I find myself compelled to speak on good taste’s behalf.

There is a show that you haven’t heard of called Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim, randomly aired, for 9 to 11 minutes a few times a week. Basically, Tim and Eric, the hosts, deliver a dozen short skits involving a green screen and some walk-on cameos. The show’s first season is available on DVD and well into it’s second season. Tim and Eric also contribute to the humor video site SuperDeluxe.com.

The show is not funny. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the comic writers/artists I spoke to at NYCC was Jerry Ordway. For the past 20 years, Mr. Ordway has worked in the comic industry as a writer and artist, working mainly for DC on titles like Power of Shazam and Superman, though he has also worked for Marvel on occasion. Currently, Mr. Ordway is working on illustrations for Brave and the Bold.

Mr. Ordway took time to talk to me about his past work and his reaction to alterations made to the characters he’s written for. Read the rest of this entry »

Following Kevin Smith’s run on Green Arrow must have been intimidating for Judd Winick. Smith resurrected Ollie Queen, introduced the new Speedy (a teenage girl of the streets) and reunited him with his estranged son and as well as his former lover, Black Canary. Winick was able to sustain the quality of writing Smith brought to the series.

While the plots may be editorially mandated or somewhat cheesy (like the current arc where Gerrn Arrow’s son has been brain wiped and kidnapped), there are enough plot twists and well-written character interaction through dialouge that each issue stands alone as one of DC’s better books.

I am worried though, as I am with all DC series I read, about what Final Crisis will do to the plots of its comics, including this one. They could easily alter something “just because” and change the entire run. Oh well, I’m reading a comic, so what exactly am I to expect?

Image courtesy DC

Skrulls and Crumpets

Following Chris Claremont’s run on New Excalibur, Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, Wisdom) takes over Britain’s premier Marvel super team. The Skrulls are invading, and Captain Britain and Wisdom’s team from Wisdom are fighting the Secret Invasion Skrulls as they attempt to conquer Avalon, the source of Britain’s magic.

Cornell has already proved himself a clever, witty writer with Wisdom where he created fun, unique characters like the Skrull Beatles and Captain Midlands. This kind of wanton absurdity, treated seriously, is a fun way to explore comics. Also, as a British writer, Cornell does not use this issue to name drop and establish the non-American setting and writers more about the super hero action.

All in all, a fun book. One of the only comics I’m looking forward to read each month.

Images courtesy Marvel

BOOM! Studios continues it’s expansion by hiring big names in the entertainment industry. Following the appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief last year, and Chip Mosher as Marketing and Sales Director, last month BOOM! appointed Wendy Wallace as General Manager.

According to the press release:

“Ms. Wallace started out at Universal Studios in the cable television department, ultimately becoming involved with the development, production, and distribution of many television series, movies-of-the-week, miniseries, and DVD releases. Some of her efforts include USA Network’s MONK and PRANCER RETURNS, as well as The Sci-Fi Channel’s INVISIBLE MAN series and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA mini-series. Since leaving NBC/Universal, Ms. Wallace has worked on such diverse projects as UPN’s AMISH IN THE CITY, USA Network’s DC SNIPER: 23 DAYS OF FEAR and the cable comedy hit, PSYCH. Most recently, she served as Co-Producer on The Sci-Fi Channel’s number one series to date, EUREKA. She has also functioned as a producer and consultant for feature films, music videos and various Internet-exclusive and print projects.”

The folks at BOOM! were kind enough to allow me to ask Ms. Wallace a few questions about her work and future with comics. Read the rest of this entry »