I didn't see Marion . . .

. . . the librarian, but the last three weeks have been great as I've rediscovered the local library. Since moving out to the sticks, the local library options have been limited. The town we live in has a small modular (read: trailer) home that manages to squeeze every book they can into the limited space. Unfortunately, there's not that much more room, and the offerings are a bit scant. One day after work, I drove through a part of town I hadn't been to before (I work in a metro area, but live in a bedroom community miles away) and discovered a branch of the metro library. I also discovered that anyone living in the county, not just the city, could become a patron. It's only been since November 28th that I discovered the library, but what a great three weeks. And here's the kicker. For those who know me, or read my blog back in ... what was it March? I had an article or two on the state of comics. I've read at least a hundred graphic novels and comic trade paperbacks since getting my card, and I'll tell you, I've found some new winners.



Ultimate Spider-man. Wow. When I first heard about it, I was part of the camp that wondered why in the heck Marvel wanted to throw out 40+ years of continuity to create a new universe for tweens to discover classic Marvel characters. I mean, yeah, the clone saga was pitiful, but we're talking Spider-man here! John Romita, Steve Ditko, Todd Macfarlane, Erik Larson, John Romita Jr, the list goes on . . . Spidey's the supreme example of what could happen to any of us if we got bit by a radioactive spider - life sucks, we try to make it better, but it's always a roller coaster. You don't mess with Spidey. Or so I thought. Cut to, what is it now, six years later, and boom, Ultimate Spiderman has just celebrated issue number 100. I've picked up the trades out of curiosity, and I've read them a bit out of order. I can't say I'm much of a Brian Michael Bendis fan, a lot of his stuff is too "adult" for my tastes, but he nailed Spiderman on the head. For me, it feels like a natural progression as Peter discovers his powers, loses Uncle Ben, finds love from Mary Jane, and disowned by Aunt May. It's great writing, great art (by Mark Bagley), and something a lot of books don't have - heart.



Another book that has heart is "Herobear and the Kid." This book has received a LOT of praise, and I even picked up the first issue a few years ago, but it's only been over the last few weeks that I've read the first volume. I've read "indy" books since the days of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I love "Bone." "Herobear and the Kid" reminds me a lot of what I found interesting about Bone when I first discovered it. Something about the black and white creates a sense of innocence and wonder in these books, and in this case enhanced by the animated pencils of writer/artist Mike Kunkel. In it's later issues, Bone got a little too serious, compared with its beginnings. I don't think that'll be the case with Herobear. It's loaded with heart, and dare I say whimsy. I can't wait for the next installment now.

One Month Later . . .

I'm...uh...taking a cue from DC comics and writing as if it's one month later, yeah, that's it, that's the ticket.

Over the past couple of weeks, DC's Infinite Crisis has led up to an interesting turn of events. Without going into too much detail, the multiverse of Earths has returned, Superman is the source of it all, and the DC Universe has jumped ahead one year in continuity. I've only read one of the "One Year Later" books, Detective Comics, which has Batman returning to Gotham for the first time in a year. Gordon is again the commissioner. I'm not sure how to describe it other than it was a great read. The Batman/Gordon interaction has been missing for about five years now. The issue was set almost entirely on the roof of Gotham's police department. A few hints are dropped about the past year (which will be fully revealed in DC's upcoming 52* maxiseries), and events are dated as "last year" and "nine months ago." Noticeably absent was Detective Rene Montoya. She is to be one of the main characters of 52*, and left the Gotham Police Force after her partner was killed by a rogue CSI agent (nope, it wasn't Gil Grissom). That partner, whose name escapes me at the moment, has become the new Spectre. Also, the issue did not show any aspect of stately Wayne Manor or the Batcave. No idea if Alfred survives the Crisis. And I've heard rumors that the Elseworlds tale Son of the Bat may have become continuity. Talia Head, the daughter of Ras Al Ghul, and Batman have a son, Ibn Al Xu'ffasch. A grown up Ibn was part of the seminal Elseworlds epic Kingdom Come. Current suspicion is that the reason Batman's been missing from Gotham is that he's been searching for his son. It's an interesting turn, especially considering the role that Talia had with the return of Jason Todd. And thereby hangs a tale. . .

Final Secret Crisis of Infinite Identity Wars II #0

I'm a comic book fan. I have been for the last twenty years. Sure, as I kid I read the occaisional Superman or Spiderman comic. In junior high, though, through the encouragement of my best friend and the local comic book club, I soon discovered the plethora of titles from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Fantastic Four. I still have my almost complete collection of Marvel trading cards from 1990. My entry into the comic world came in 1987, two years after the massive Crisis on Infinite Earths, and one year after the relaunch of Superman, and "darkening" of comic themes in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. The next few years were seminal, with the death of Robin (Jason Todd), the rise of superstar artists such as Todd Macfarlane, the creation of Image Comics and the publication of Wizard Magazine, the Death of Superman and Knightfall storylines, the boom of the speculator market, and the rise of independent publishers.
By the mid 90's, the industry seemed to reach it's zenith, with everything from the whimsey and fantasy of Jeff Smith's Bone to the dark themes of Neil Gaiman's Sandman creating fan frenzy and mainstream appeal. Somehow, amidst all the success of the early 90's, everything seemed to fall over a precipice and the publishers began to reach for straws. Marvel declared bankruptcy. Superman turned into an electric blue entity. Spiderman was no longer Peter Parker, but a clone named Ben Reilly (or was he?). Captain America and the Fantastic Four dissappeared from Marvel continuity for a time. Hal Jordan fell from being the heroic Green Lantern to the cosmic villain Parrallax, before finally becoming the vengeful Specter.
Creators and publishers were reaching for any sensational idea that might win back readers. One comment I often hear is that creators want to find new avenues and ideas that will both push the envelope but allow the character to retain their staus quo. For perhaps the first time in the medium's history the base of readers has been the same for at least the last 10-15 years. The fans have grown up with these books and characters, and rather than move on to other forms of literature, they continue to follow the stories. They want to see their favorite characters grow with them, yet they raise a call to arms should the precious status quo be affected.
I believe that publishers and editors have heard the complaints and have taken steps over the last few years to find ways to allow their characters to grow, yet maintain the core of the character. For example, shortly after the Spider-Clone saga (see Ben Reilly above), Marvel hired filmmaker Kevin Smith to write an arc of Daredevil. That storyline led to the highest readership and sales numbers the book had seen in years. Smith parlayed his success with the ressurrection of DC's dead hero Green Arrow, who wasn't a top tier character even before his death. Others took notice of what Smith had accomplished and began to look outside the industry for talent. Since 2000, Hollywood creators, such as J. Michael Straczynski and Joss Whedon have made their mark on comics. Novelists Greg Rucka and Brad Meltzer and independent creators like Brian Michael Bendis have brought new insights and situations to comics that might not otherwise have been considered. Even author Stephen King is bringing his Dark Tower saga to the comic page. Artists like Alex Ross have their pick of projects, from a post-history of both the DC and Marvel characters in Kingdom Come and Earth X. The medium is again at a high point. The past few years have seen a resurgence in storytelling that keeps getting better each year. Today's creators are now looking to use continuity to create stories the fans can enjoy. Hal Jordan is again the heroic Green Lantern. 2004's Identity Crisis took situations from 30 years ago and made them relevant to today's audience. DC's current mega-crossover Infinite Crisis is attempting to make all of DC's continuity, including pre-Crisis, relevant and understandable. Even Marvel is looking to their past. I think it really began with Origin, which delivered on it's promise, to give fans the unkown history of Wolverine, which is currently affecting the character. The Ultimate line takes well known characters and storylines from 40 years ago and has updated them for a new, younger audience. Last year's House of M and Winter Soldier storylines took events from the past and turned heroes into villains. Sure, there are some complaints, but the stories are good, and we keep buying. It's a good time to be a comic book fan.