Thursday Afternoon Recommendation

If the Question was one of the greatest beneficiaries of Hypertime, his Charlton cohort Captain Atom was one of its greater victims. While new versions layered interesting characteristics and interpretations onto Vic Sage, the same versions stripped whatever was interesting about Nathanial Adam away. DC already had a nuclear powered accident survivor by the time Captain Atom was introduced, as well as military men turned weapons of mass destruction, and soldiers from another era trapped in the present. And once it was clear how he wasn't like those people, he became defined by only one aspect, and, as Dave Campbell points out, it's not a very compelling one:

Captain Atom is a tool. Whenever writers need an asshole superhero, they get Captain Atom. He’s constantly trying to beat up other heroes on behalf of the federal government.

And that's basically it. His defining feature is that he's as powerful as Superman, but he obeys the authorities, and it's always the wrong choice to make. And since Captain Atom is also portrayed as honest and sincere, he comes across as insanely naive, if not a little mentally handicapped.

Which was why blasting him into the Wildstorm Universe in Will Pfeifer and Giuseppe Camuncoli Captain Atom: Armageddon (trade paperback on-sale this week) was so brilliant.


When the Justice League butts up against President Luthor, the reader knows the government is in the wrong and spends most of the time wondering what kind of stick is up Atom's ass that he can't see it too.

But when The Authority cuts a swath of destruction across the Washington Mall, leaving the charred corpses of thousands of terrorists and tourists in their wake, and the President is left wondering if there was anything he can actually do, well suddenly the idea of a gold skinned god who limits himself to the will of the electorate starts to sound pretty appealing.

Captain Atom: Armageddon is probably the best inter-company crossover I've ever read (which I know isn't saying much but...) because it actually contrasts the characters that meet, rather than the usual misunderstanding, fight and team-up model. The Wildstorm characters see the establishment asshole that Captain Atom is usually portrayed as. But from Captain Atom's point of view, he's trapped in a world ruled by amoral, hyper-violent superheroes who have terrified the populace into submission. There's no misunderstanding, they understand each other perfectly. That's why they fight.

The whole book could be read as a contrast between the morally rigid Marvel heroes of the 1960s (Steve Ditko was one of Captain Atom's co-creators) and the violent, morally ambiguous Image heroes of the 1990s, a pastiche Armageddon rings an almost literal death knell for. Having moved through the awkward adolescent rebellion phase of WildC.A.T.S. and the "I'm at college so I must be right about everything" false maturity of The Authority, a real adult, a crotchety old survivor of a forgotten era, has come to tell them that they are getting it wrong, and the world is in danger because of it.

And Captain Atom plays an interesting Ghost of Christmas Future. Like Mr. Majestic, he's a popular hero from a comics company bought by DC Comics. But while Mr. Majestic can still headline his own series (er, sort of), the Captain has been reduced to C or D-list status. His very presence screams "You may be a big shot in your own world now, but someday you're going to be a background cameo in Infinite Crisis on Infinite Earths. One day, I was like you. One day, you will be like me."

It suggests a model for future Captain Atom stories that could be interesting, the law abiding superhero in a world where the law isn't respected much, a walking conscience with the firepower to back it up. The Boys of the Wildstorm Universe proper, if you will.

'Course, he's not in the Wildstorm Universe anymore, and in the DCU our sympathy will always be with Superman and Wonder Woman over the man in the shiny skin, so either he should go back (if only to make some more time with the Engineer) or he should get some new "heroes" to play with.

Play up some of the aspects of his Watchmen analogue, Dr. Manhattan, his disconnect from humanity due to his powers, and how that hurts him, rather than coldly interests him as it does his blue-bald twin. Add in a supporting cast of government employees who work with him and aid him. Some he can talk to, rescue, be rescued by. Maybe one or two villainous, or at least venal, bureaucrats, so the whole thing doesn't read like government propaganda. An anarchic villain or two who maybe have an actually good cause but poor methods.

There's a really good character there. Pfeifer and Camuncoli found him. And the gauntlet is thrown for the next writer to make him great.

Or you could just keep writing the unlikable establishment tool with the stick up his ass. If that's your thing.

Tuesday Night Re-Recommendation #9

It has come to my attention that NextWave is one of Marvel's worst selling titles.

Which means not enough of you are listening to me. I mean, the book has humor, explosions, great dialogue, kicks to the face, Elsa Bloodstone, Fin Fang Foom, explosions, and Captain ****, whose name is so filthy Captain American beat the crap out of him just for mentioning it.

What more do you people want? How about dancing Mindless Ones?



Yes, we are one step closer to my dream of a superhero musical. And NextWave already has its own theme song!

Anyway, NextWave is a very FUN book. Possibly the most FUN book on the shelves. So, if you're looking to be entertained, you really need to buy NextWave tomorrow.

Because if you don't, Marvel is going to cancel the book. And if THAT happens...

THEN I CAN'T READ NEXTWAVE!

And that would be bad.


p.s. I has also come to my attention that Gail Simone thinks asking "Why aren't you reading this book?" is smug. To which I have to say, "Yeah, well, you... you're a great writer!"

That'll show her.

Wednesday Night Recommendation #8

If you think comics should be more fun, tell faster, more action oriented done-in-one stories, less beholden to continuity and STILL explore the under used characters, be more kid-friendly and a great intro comic...

...basically, if you are PISSED OFF that Brad Meltzer is writing Justice League of America and Bruce Timm isn't...

Justice League Unlimited #25

WHY THE HECK AREN'T YOU ALREADY BUYING THIS BOOK?

C'mon, put your money where your mouth is and show Dan DiDio that light hearted comics do sell. Save superheroes from the doom and gloom.

Do it for the kids.

Tuesday Night Recommendation #7

Wow, double plugged by Ragnell and Kalinara (by way of Blog at Newsarama). My hit count went high tonight.

So I thought I'd try to restart a feature: THE TUESDAY NIGHT RECOMMENDATION. This is where I suggest to you, my (faithful? new?) readers a title you can pick up tomorrow that may take you a bit off the beaten path and save comics that need to be talked up.

Previous recommendations include:

FELL

SHE-HULK

JONAH HEX

JLA CLASSIFIED

MANHUNTER

and

NEXTWAVE

SO... looking at the Diamond Distributor list (via Kevin), I see that two of my previous recommendations are coming out tomorrow, Manhunter and NextWave, and of course you are instructed to buy both. But tomorrow's recommendation is something else, something new for me too:

CASANOVA #3

Why should you buy it?

1. It's cheap. Only 2 bucks!

2. Great reviews from reviewers you trust

3. It's DENSE! Like Essential Fantastic Four dense! And when you're getting it in 16 page chunks, instead of 500 page chunks, it's a little easier to digest.

4. It's ONLY two bucks!

5. Because I said so.

Tuesday Night Recommendation #6

Nextwave #6



Part parody, part satire, part surrealism, and part EXPLODO, NextWave has been Warren Ellis's most purely entertaining comic yet. You may not learn something, you may not feel any deep emotions or connections to the characters.

But you WILL laugh.

Basically, Warren Ellis has taken some of the lesser known and under used characters that Marvel had lying around, put them all on the same team, and unleashed them on some of the weirdest monsters in the Marvel Universe, which so far has included Broccoli Robots, a Corrupt Cop/Voltron giant, and Fin Fang Foom including the funniest page involving Fin Fang Foom ever drawn, until he topped himself the very next issue!

But don't take my word for it. Take Warren's.

BUY THIS BOOK!

Tuesday Night Recommendation #5

The one you've been waiting for.



Manhunter

Manhunter

Manhunter

Manhunter

Manhunter

Manhunter

Get it?

Tuesday Night Recommendation #4

JLA CLASSIFIED #22



Vibe, man.

Vibe!

and if you AREN'T Scipio...

JLA CLASSIFIED was the title that was my Justice League fix after JLA proper turned nigh-unreadable.

It is exactly what I think all comics should be. Self-contained stories that are only as much a part of continuity as they need to be: from the deeply grounded in history Gail Simone run to the possibly in continuity, possibly not Warren Ellis run, from the Seven Soldiers launching Grant Morrison run, to the tragic irony of the way WAY out of continuity Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatties run, this title has been a wonderful playground where the writers can play with the toys they want, without having to worry about sharing them (or BREAKING them).

And it really has been ALL STAR, as these top writers have been matched with some of the finest (if sometimes under appreciated) artists in DC's stable. While Ed McGuinness's name might move some issues, Butch Guice, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Kevin Maguire are MASTERS of their craft and turned out consistently top-notch work.

And this, I am sure, will be no exception. Comic book veteran Steve Engelhart is teamed with the criminally under-appreciated Tom Derenick to tell the story of JLA: Detroit, the ill-fated attempt at turning the Justice League into the Avengers. It didn't work, mostly because the writing wasn't there to support them before.

I have a feeling that will change.

So pick up JLA: CLASSIFIED to support different format for storytelling, to support two pros in the field are just not given enough props, to support a team of under-developed characters just waiting for the right writer to bring them to life.

But mostly, do it for Vibe.

meng.

Wednesday Night Recommendation #3

but first a few notes:

I got scared off recommending comics because the last time I recommended a comic, you fuckers actually listened to me and it was SOLD OUT by the time I got to the store! ...the Hell?

So great, go out, buy the comic I recommend and support quality work. But don't buy MY COPY!

Also, Manhunter has been uncancelled! Yay! That means you now have a chance to be a hero. The next issue comes out in two weeks. In the meantime, pick up the trade. It's a good intro to the main characters, and you get to watch her male secretary openly hit on Hawkman. Plus, if it sells well, they might put out a second trade, which might sell well, and the whole series could be saved by the trades.

But getting back to this week, there's not a lot I can safely recommend that actually needs help, so I'm going to recommend something a little different.

Jonah Hex #8



Not only is it an easy book to get into, considering each issue is a self-contained story, and all you need to know about Jonah Hex you get by just looking at him.

But it's also NOT a superhero comic. It's an honest to goodness western comic about a bounty hunter in the old west put out by one of THE major comic book publishers. If it does well, it might encourage DC to try even more genres. Sure they'll stay in the pulp adventure range to begin with (crime fiction, space adventure, war stories, maybe even some pirate yarns) but maybe it will lead them to branch out (hospital dramas, medieval romances, low-key character comedies).

So support diversity. Buy Jonah Hex!

Or else he'll shoot you.

Tuesday Night Recommendation #2

She Hulk #8

Why should you buy it?

a) It's a Civil War tie-in! Those are always fun. Uh yeah, ignore that one.

a) Dan Slott. Marvel's answer to Geoff Johns. The man knows continuity, knows superheroes, and knows how to find that quirk, that angle, that makes you look at them in a whole new light.

b) She-Hulk! She's a seven foot tall, drop dead gorgeous looker, who is also a green giant of infinite strength, who is also a lawyer specializing in the vagaries of superhero and superpowered law! How can you beat that?

c) The Thing. Which was excellent. Which was also written by Dan Slott. Was cancelled. Because of you. Because you didn't buy it. Murderer.

Don't let another excellent Marvel book die. Because you know they'll just replace it with another X-book.

(maybe they should re-title the book X-She-Hulk, but maybe that sounds too transsexual.)

Tuesday Night Recommendation #1

For my first Recommendation, I'm going to give you an easy one.

Fell #5

Why should you buy it?

a) It's only $1.99. You can't even get coffee at Starbucks for $1.99.

b) It's a done-in-one story. So even if you haven't picked up the book before you can get in at the beginning of the story, and ALSO get the ending. All for $1.99!

c) It's by Warren Ellis. The man has a good track record for thought provoking, boundary-stretching material. So you not only support a good comic, you support the effort to expand what comics can be!

d) It's a really good series. Detective Fell is the last good cop in a bad part of town. There is literally a crime going on everywhere he turns, and he seems to be the only one left that cares. Dark moody art contributes to the haunting atmosphere, but the book is really carried along by the sharp dialogue. Even in the muck, it seems, you can't lose your sense of humor.

e) Because I told you to. Really, that's all you need to know.

So, when you head down to your local comic book retailer this week, your mission, whether you choose to accept it or not, is to buy a copy of Fell #5 and read it.

Because saving good books is too important to leave to someone else.

Where Was I Again?

Huh, look at that. A month and a half.

If you've been wondering where I've been...

Okay, you haven't been wondering where I've been, because if you're reading this you probably followed a link from a comment I left on your site. It's easy to post a comment from work (shh) but more difficult to write a real post, particularly if I want to use images. Still trying to figure my blogging schedule (one a day, right?) and wondering if I should get a scanner.

But enough blogging about blogging. Today I want to talk about the "unjustly" cancelled. Two titles I enjoy, two titles I learned about because other bloggers recommended them, were cancelled today. The Thing and Manhunter.

Now, am I upset that these titles are cancelled? Yes. They were fun, and knowing that I won't have much more fun with them is disappointing. Am I upset with Marvel and DC for canceling them? No. Both titles had abysmally low sales despite critical acclaim, and despite the opinions of some, comic book companies are not in the business of keeping your imaginary friends alive. They are in the business of making money.

Do I even blame the fans who bought every X-Men comic, just to complain about how horrible their X-Men comics are? Nope. Because they don't know better. I blame myself. Why?

Because I didn't do enough to get other people to buy these books. I could have recommend them. Well, not here, 'cause no one's reading yet. But on my other blog, which some people read. (Eeek, I need to update that, too).

I have friends who are only sorta-kinda into comics. I could have told them about it. Spammed my friends with the latest book they just had to try. Heck, I could have been the crazy guy in the store, shoving copies of Ex Machina and Y-the Last man into people's hands. (Okay, those books don't need my help, but they're quality books nevertheless).

So once a week, I'm going to make my Tuesday Night recommendation. I will look at what's coming out tomorrow, and based on mostly pulling things out of my ass, I will tell you what to get. Just one issue. All it'll cost you is 3 bucks. That's like giving up half a Big Mac. For quality entertainment, it's not a bad investment.

Besides, you could lose a few pounds.