[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods]
“Life vs. Anti Life”
The allusions towards the 3rd Reich in Darkseid’s regime become more overt in Forever People #3. Darkseid’s followers ransack homes, kidnap men, women and children, and even go so far as an old fashioned book burning. Kirby also tackles suicide bombing, evangelism and just about every other evil thing humanity has done to force their viewpoint upon the masses. The resistance is led by the Forever People or more specifically fought by the ideals of love and friendship, two things that Beautiful Dreamer states “can NEVER die!”
The issue opens with Kirby’s parody of TV evangelists in Glorious Godfrey, another Apokoliptian who shares an alliteration with Granny Goodness. The splash page that introduces Godfrey and his troupe is a wild work of art with distorted organ pipes, brainwashing platitudes, and a podium symbol that resembles the wings of the eagle in the American Presidential podium. Godfrey is selling Anti-life, and the masses are buying. Godfrey’s version of Anti-life is produced through a justifier helmet that makes the wearer content, but without what Kirby defines as life, free will. Once again, a part of Final Crisis is cleared up for me by reading The Fourth World. I’ve gone on record in the comments section of the blog that Final Crisis was mislabeled as a DC Crisis event when it was truthfully Morrison’s riff on Kirby’s work at DC.
The story makes a jump cut to the new home of the FP (Forever People) where a Justifier of Godfrey’s is assaulting Donnie,the Tiny Tim-ish human mascot of the FP. With a little help from mother box and Beautiful Dreamer, the FP rescue Donnie and head for the hills as the Justifier has rigged himself to explode. However the bomb isn’t shown visually, it’s merely proclaimed by Big Bear that there must be one. In fact all of the FP are just shouting things they believe to be true as they run from the bomb’s explosion. They make it out safely and deduce that Godfrey is on earth and intends to hunt down any opposition from New Genesis. They rig their super cycle to follow strong emotions (which inexplicably will lead them to Godfrey) and jump to warp speed (even a little Trek in our Kirby comics).
Next we see the justifier troop terrorizing humans in a myriad of ways. These soldiers have a medieval religious look to them which might imply that the crusades also factor into Kirby’s motivations. The FP arrive at Godfrey’s home base and anticipate trouble so they combine to call upon their other dimensional alter ego, the Infinity Man. Infinity man has an infinite number of super powers which make his infiltration of Godfrey’s sermon anticlimactic. However I continue to enjoy his zen like platitudes such as “I master the expansion of atoms! They part, and allow me passage!” Infinity man gets the jump on Godfrey and destroys his organ used to sell the Anti-life message to the masses. But Darkseid and Desaad interrupt and break the Infinity Man down to the Forever People and then incapacitate them with a nerve beam. The Justifiers haul their lifeless bodies to the concentration camp - I mean camp of the damned, so sorry - in hope to find the elusive Anti-life equation in the noggin of Beautiful Dreamer.
The final two pages offer up an interesting theological debate between Godfrey and Darkseid. Godfrey becomes the first follower of Darkseid to question his lord and master. Godfrey, in a poetic twist, doesn’t have the faith that the Anti-Life equation exists and believes it can only be manufactured and sold to the masses. Darkseid is amused by Godfrey, but makes sure Godfrey knows his place. “I am the revelation!” Darkseid proclaims, “The tiger-force at the core of all things!”. The conversation devolves into Godfrey and Desaad bickering about who licks Darkseid’s boots better and we’re left with a cliffhanger and a fantastic pin up of Beautiful Dreamer and Darkseid.
Final musings:
If the secret to the Anti-Life equation does reside in Beautiful Dreamer’s brain, why her?
What’s the significance of Darkseid having pupils during his conversation with Godfrey?
Godfrey’s getup is very Doctor Strange-ish
I’d love to be the tiger force of anything!
[This anti-life stuff is all over the Slaves of Mickey Eye Seaguy series as well -- which I am starting to think is maybe a different version of his Final Crisis story and thus also a child of Kirby's New Gods]
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Free Form Comments
Say whatever you want to in the comments to this post -- random, off topic thoughts, ideas, suggestions, questions, recommendations, criticisms (which can be anonymous), surveys, introductions if you have never commented before, personal news, self-promotion, requests to be added to the blog roll and so on. If I forget, remind me. Remember these comments can be directed at all the readers, not just me.
ALSO. You can use this space to re-ask me questions you asked me before that I failed to answer because I was too busy.
AND you can use this space to comment on posts that are old enough that no one is reading the comments threads anymore.
You do not have to have a blogger account or gmail account to post a comment -- you can write a comment, write your name at the bottom of your comment like an e mail, and then post using the "anonymous" option.
WRITING FOR THIS BLOG. If I see a big free form comment that deserves more attention, I will pull it and make it its own post, with a label on the post and on the sidebar that will always link to all the posts you write for this blog. I am always looking for reviews of games, tv, movies, music and books.
ALSO. You can use this space to re-ask me questions you asked me before that I failed to answer because I was too busy.
AND you can use this space to comment on posts that are old enough that no one is reading the comments threads anymore.
You do not have to have a blogger account or gmail account to post a comment -- you can write a comment, write your name at the bottom of your comment like an e mail, and then post using the "anonymous" option.
WRITING FOR THIS BLOG. If I see a big free form comment that deserves more attention, I will pull it and make it its own post, with a label on the post and on the sidebar that will always link to all the posts you write for this blog. I am always looking for reviews of games, tv, movies, music and books.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Jason Powell on Uncanny X-Men #224
[Jason Powell continues his issue by issue look at Claremont's Uncanny X-Men run. For more in this series see the toolbar on the right or the labels at the bottom.]
“The Dark Before the Dawn”
The “Fall of the Mutants” trilogy beginning next month will wrap up several threads at once, decisively enough that – as Patrick has pointed out here – it will almost feel like an ending for the entire Uncanny X-Men series. But Claremont decides to ease us into the narrative tour de force of issues 225-227 with this prologue/character-study.
The prologue bit feels well-and-truly redundant, as Storm once again fights demons on her way to the long-anticipated encounter with Forge, just like in the previous two installments. It ends with a bang, granted, with Ororo realizing – only after she’s stabbed the man she loves – that she’s been manipulated by Naze all along. Still, that twist could have come earlier.
On the other hand, the character bits are lovely all around. Claremont can of course get a little histrionic with his characterizations; melodrama often seems to be the author’s natural state of being. But here, the tone of much of the story is refreshingly subdued. Rogue’s encounter with Mystique has a disarming naturalness to it, for example: an estranged mother and daughter having their first one-on-one conversation in years. (When I read the bit now with Rogue quoting the Mick Jagger lyric “You can’t always get what you want,” I can’t help but think of the series premiere of “House.” And of course, in a bit of Claremontian coincidence, Bryan Singer – director of the first two X-Men films – is the executive producer of that series.)
The dynamic in the Longshot/Havok sequence is also shrewdly handled. Just departing a movie theatre after having viewed a film titled “Raiders of the Lost Temple” (which was also the title of the Conan pastiche in Uncanny X-Men #191), Longshot points out excitedly that according to the end credits, “There was a stuntman in the movie with the same name as me!” This is a reference to the Ann Nocenti/Art Adams miniseries, wherein Longshot did indeed get a job as a stuntman. Of course, as of X-Men Annual #10, he remembers none of the events of the Nocenti mini. The idea that Longshot just happened to see the movie he worked on two years ago is a rather inspired little Easter egg for readers. (The image contained on the movie placard that Longshot leaps over in Uncanny #224 is a miniature version of the cover of Longshot #3.)
Silvestri’s use of body language is again in fine form, contributing as much to the characterization as Claremont’s words. Note how when Havok – still depressed over the way his world has come apart in the wake of the Marauders two-parter -- blasts the getaway car of some generic thugs, his other hand remains tucked lazily in the pocket of his ill-fitting suit. That visual detail, combined with his understated line, “I melted your car,” is laugh-out-loud funny. The way Claremont writes Alex Summers – as introverted and tormented as his older brother, yet handling adversity with a contrastedly deadpan nonchalance – is truly inspired.
An issue like this – with its leisurely biding of time before the story’s true kick-start a month later – probably frustrated readers following the series in real time back in 1987. Now, with the chapters available for immediate consumption one after the other, “The Dark Before the Dawn” stands as a prime example of Claremont at his subtle best, enriching the characters and their world in a few deft strokes to ensure that, when the fiery climax does at last arrive, we care about the outcome that much more.
“The Dark Before the Dawn”
The “Fall of the Mutants” trilogy beginning next month will wrap up several threads at once, decisively enough that – as Patrick has pointed out here – it will almost feel like an ending for the entire Uncanny X-Men series. But Claremont decides to ease us into the narrative tour de force of issues 225-227 with this prologue/character-study.
The prologue bit feels well-and-truly redundant, as Storm once again fights demons on her way to the long-anticipated encounter with Forge, just like in the previous two installments. It ends with a bang, granted, with Ororo realizing – only after she’s stabbed the man she loves – that she’s been manipulated by Naze all along. Still, that twist could have come earlier.
On the other hand, the character bits are lovely all around. Claremont can of course get a little histrionic with his characterizations; melodrama often seems to be the author’s natural state of being. But here, the tone of much of the story is refreshingly subdued. Rogue’s encounter with Mystique has a disarming naturalness to it, for example: an estranged mother and daughter having their first one-on-one conversation in years. (When I read the bit now with Rogue quoting the Mick Jagger lyric “You can’t always get what you want,” I can’t help but think of the series premiere of “House.” And of course, in a bit of Claremontian coincidence, Bryan Singer – director of the first two X-Men films – is the executive producer of that series.)
The dynamic in the Longshot/Havok sequence is also shrewdly handled. Just departing a movie theatre after having viewed a film titled “Raiders of the Lost Temple” (which was also the title of the Conan pastiche in Uncanny X-Men #191), Longshot points out excitedly that according to the end credits, “There was a stuntman in the movie with the same name as me!” This is a reference to the Ann Nocenti/Art Adams miniseries, wherein Longshot did indeed get a job as a stuntman. Of course, as of X-Men Annual #10, he remembers none of the events of the Nocenti mini. The idea that Longshot just happened to see the movie he worked on two years ago is a rather inspired little Easter egg for readers. (The image contained on the movie placard that Longshot leaps over in Uncanny #224 is a miniature version of the cover of Longshot #3.)
Silvestri’s use of body language is again in fine form, contributing as much to the characterization as Claremont’s words. Note how when Havok – still depressed over the way his world has come apart in the wake of the Marauders two-parter -- blasts the getaway car of some generic thugs, his other hand remains tucked lazily in the pocket of his ill-fitting suit. That visual detail, combined with his understated line, “I melted your car,” is laugh-out-loud funny. The way Claremont writes Alex Summers – as introverted and tormented as his older brother, yet handling adversity with a contrastedly deadpan nonchalance – is truly inspired.
An issue like this – with its leisurely biding of time before the story’s true kick-start a month later – probably frustrated readers following the series in real time back in 1987. Now, with the chapters available for immediate consumption one after the other, “The Dark Before the Dawn” stands as a prime example of Claremont at his subtle best, enriching the characters and their world in a few deft strokes to ensure that, when the fiery climax does at last arrive, we care about the outcome that much more.
Monday, June 01, 2009
A few lingering Star Trek complaints
I spoke to some friends who had some complaints about Star Trek that I had not thought of, and -- though I have not looked around that hard -- did not come across on the internet either. They are barely budging my high opinion of the movie but I think it is worth giving them some space.
Why didn't Eric Bana, after traveling back in time 139 years, go back to Romulus and
a) Warn the planet that this star is going to go supernova as whatever he changed about this timeline should not change that and
b) hang out with his wife and child, depending on how long Romulans live (Vulcans seem to live a long time)
Also: Leonard Nimoy's plan was to use the red matter to keep this star from exploding and destroying Romulus, but it accidentally sent them back in time. Was it going to send the exploding supernova back in time as well, destroying Romulus back then? (this one is maybe less of a complaint that something I am just sort of unclear about).
Why didn't Eric Bana, after traveling back in time 139 years, go back to Romulus and
a) Warn the planet that this star is going to go supernova as whatever he changed about this timeline should not change that and
b) hang out with his wife and child, depending on how long Romulans live (Vulcans seem to live a long time)
Also: Leonard Nimoy's plan was to use the red matter to keep this star from exploding and destroying Romulus, but it accidentally sent them back in time. Was it going to send the exploding supernova back in time as well, destroying Romulus back then? (this one is maybe less of a complaint that something I am just sort of unclear about).
Andy Bentley on The New Gods 11: Mister Miracle 2
[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at the New Gods. For more in this series see the toolbar on the right or the labels on the bottom.]
“X-Pit”
In this second issue, we find Scott Free has settled into his escape artist role with the help of his assistant, Oberon. These initial pages are structured intricately with Kirby gadgetry filling the gutters between panels and even intruding into them. Scott himself is constantly wired beneath his clothes with his protector, mother box, resting on his right shoulder. These opening panels also have text from a disembodied threat scrolling through the page. The voice is revealed to be Overlord, a monstrosity out to destroy Mr. Miracle. Luckily, Overlord destroys a “follower”, a robot duplicate of Mr. Miracle that mimics the owner’s movements. Scott’s mother box is damaged in the blast and Scott “pours out his love” to make it respond again. The spiritual bent to mother box continues to increase and serves as a parallel towards our fascination with technology as a culture.
The story shifts to reveal that Overlord was sent by a lieutenant of Darkseid, Granny Goodness. I’m familiar with the character from her appearances in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League and I have to confess I’m not a fan. She seems to be a take off on our witches and evil stepmothers from Disney films. I find the “granny” type dialog between her and her “boys” creepy. Although not physically intimidating, we’ll soon see her hold on Mr. Miracle is more mental than physical. Granny sends her troops to capture Scott Free who is setting up another escape act. Oberon has become increasingly curious about Scott’s origin and gadgets. Scott remains cryptic, but does reveal his (and the 4th World’s) central concept: to escape tyranny and oppression to become an individual. Granny’s raiders arrive soon after and capture Oberon and by mistake, Scott’s follower robot. Scott gives chase with the aid of aero-discs, flat circles that adorn his feet that allow him to fly. These discs are a trademark to the Mr. Miracle outfit and give an already wild costume more flair.
Granny is berating her Raider’s for the mix up when Miracle makes his grand entrance. He zips through the raiders, snatches Oberon, and is about to escape when Granny throws the switch opening her X-Pit. Miracle’s discs become neutralized and he and Oberon fall into a elaborate deathtrap (which we all saw coming). The X-Pit is a clear cube which has several cycles which emits fire and electricity to torture Miracle and Oberon. The last cycle fills the cube with mud which seems to doom its inhabitants.
Next we see Granny feigning sadness for Mr. Miracle who she assumes is dead. A Raider brings her a gift from Darkseid to comfort her: a magic box which grants wishes (akin to the box Ben describes to Locke in season 3 of LOST). A blinding flash occurs and there stand Mr. Miracle with Granny’s guards down for the count. Mr. Miracle drops more hints of his past by referring to Granny’s “institution” that he escaped. We then get the obligatory escape explanation: Mr. Miracle used mother box to send an energy wave through the torture circuits in the X-Pit to destroy Overlord who was operating the pit. Miracle shows Granny Overlord’s charred remains inside her magic box which only infuriates her more. Granny promises vengeance as Miracle and Oberon escape into the night.
There wasn’t much substance to this issue other than gaining a bit more knowledge of Miracle’s past. The “big wig on Apokolips sends a flunkie to destroy a New God” plot is starting to wear thin. The deathtrap was fairly bland and the Overlord character was bizarre but unfulfilling. I couldn’t tell if it was alive or a robot, why it died and then shrunk, or why it was in this box of Granny’s that gave her her hearts desire. It felt David Lynch-ish to a degree.
Showing and telling moment: Granny screaming “a blinding light!” when clearly a blinding light is seen in the panel.
Half baked prediction: There’s something more to Oberon. Maybe even something sinister
Next issue: “The Paranoid Pill” sounds like a good one
[I like Mister Miracle's theme and design and idea -- cosmic escape artist on earth -- so much I feel bad about not being into the execution: it is the most formulaic of the New Gods books, which is ironic given that it is about the incarnation of freedom, and the reveals are always extremely unsatisfying -- there is always some hidden circuit that gets him out of the scrape in some absurd "mother box can magically do whatever is necessary" thing. There are some good issues upcoming -- especially the Lump -- but this is one of the things about the comic that feels stale and old fashioned, or maybe geared toward a younger audience.]
“X-Pit”
In this second issue, we find Scott Free has settled into his escape artist role with the help of his assistant, Oberon. These initial pages are structured intricately with Kirby gadgetry filling the gutters between panels and even intruding into them. Scott himself is constantly wired beneath his clothes with his protector, mother box, resting on his right shoulder. These opening panels also have text from a disembodied threat scrolling through the page. The voice is revealed to be Overlord, a monstrosity out to destroy Mr. Miracle. Luckily, Overlord destroys a “follower”, a robot duplicate of Mr. Miracle that mimics the owner’s movements. Scott’s mother box is damaged in the blast and Scott “pours out his love” to make it respond again. The spiritual bent to mother box continues to increase and serves as a parallel towards our fascination with technology as a culture.
The story shifts to reveal that Overlord was sent by a lieutenant of Darkseid, Granny Goodness. I’m familiar with the character from her appearances in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League and I have to confess I’m not a fan. She seems to be a take off on our witches and evil stepmothers from Disney films. I find the “granny” type dialog between her and her “boys” creepy. Although not physically intimidating, we’ll soon see her hold on Mr. Miracle is more mental than physical. Granny sends her troops to capture Scott Free who is setting up another escape act. Oberon has become increasingly curious about Scott’s origin and gadgets. Scott remains cryptic, but does reveal his (and the 4th World’s) central concept: to escape tyranny and oppression to become an individual. Granny’s raiders arrive soon after and capture Oberon and by mistake, Scott’s follower robot. Scott gives chase with the aid of aero-discs, flat circles that adorn his feet that allow him to fly. These discs are a trademark to the Mr. Miracle outfit and give an already wild costume more flair.
Granny is berating her Raider’s for the mix up when Miracle makes his grand entrance. He zips through the raiders, snatches Oberon, and is about to escape when Granny throws the switch opening her X-Pit. Miracle’s discs become neutralized and he and Oberon fall into a elaborate deathtrap (which we all saw coming). The X-Pit is a clear cube which has several cycles which emits fire and electricity to torture Miracle and Oberon. The last cycle fills the cube with mud which seems to doom its inhabitants.
Next we see Granny feigning sadness for Mr. Miracle who she assumes is dead. A Raider brings her a gift from Darkseid to comfort her: a magic box which grants wishes (akin to the box Ben describes to Locke in season 3 of LOST). A blinding flash occurs and there stand Mr. Miracle with Granny’s guards down for the count. Mr. Miracle drops more hints of his past by referring to Granny’s “institution” that he escaped. We then get the obligatory escape explanation: Mr. Miracle used mother box to send an energy wave through the torture circuits in the X-Pit to destroy Overlord who was operating the pit. Miracle shows Granny Overlord’s charred remains inside her magic box which only infuriates her more. Granny promises vengeance as Miracle and Oberon escape into the night.
There wasn’t much substance to this issue other than gaining a bit more knowledge of Miracle’s past. The “big wig on Apokolips sends a flunkie to destroy a New God” plot is starting to wear thin. The deathtrap was fairly bland and the Overlord character was bizarre but unfulfilling. I couldn’t tell if it was alive or a robot, why it died and then shrunk, or why it was in this box of Granny’s that gave her her hearts desire. It felt David Lynch-ish to a degree.
Showing and telling moment: Granny screaming “a blinding light!” when clearly a blinding light is seen in the panel.
Half baked prediction: There’s something more to Oberon. Maybe even something sinister
Next issue: “The Paranoid Pill” sounds like a good one
[I like Mister Miracle's theme and design and idea -- cosmic escape artist on earth -- so much I feel bad about not being into the execution: it is the most formulaic of the New Gods books, which is ironic given that it is about the incarnation of freedom, and the reveals are always extremely unsatisfying -- there is always some hidden circuit that gets him out of the scrape in some absurd "mother box can magically do whatever is necessary" thing. There are some good issues upcoming -- especially the Lump -- but this is one of the things about the comic that feels stale and old fashioned, or maybe geared toward a younger audience.]
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