tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10947402661404412052024-03-19T02:47:52.247-07:00Holy Heroes!!Religion in comicsElliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-9134732790401569972010-03-23T08:09:00.000-07:002010-03-23T08:15:59.930-07:00News, Marvels and MiraclesThis blog seems mostly defunct. I certainly haven't posted in a very long time.<br /><br />But it seemed an appropriate place to share this news. The long disputed Marvelman/Miracleman <a href="http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.11747.marvelman_returns_in_june">returns to shelves in June</a> (and it looks like he will be going by "Marvelman" again). I'm excited. How about you?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02096471933856066338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-1719067935695835972009-09-08T22:32:00.000-07:002010-08-09T15:38:46.873-07:00Jesus loves Superman<span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Warning! The following link may not be safe for work, particularly if you work at the Vatican! If images of grown men passionately kissing one another offend you, especially if one of them is Jesus and/or Superman, this link is probably not for you!</span></span><br /><br />...and apparently <a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/08/20/is-this-the-new-worlds-finest-duo/">Superman loves Jesus right back</a>.<br /><br />Racy stuff. Or is it? Maybe the artist is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_kiss_of_Judas">actually quite traditional and is suggesting that Superman will betray Jesus</a>.<br /><br />(Via the inimitable and nigh invulnerable Thomas of <a href="http://sayitbackwards.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-inside-of-bryan-singers-head-looks.html">Say It Backwards.)</a><br /><br />PS: Oddly enough, the <a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/08/20/warren-ellis-talks-supergod/">preceding blog post</a> on Newsarama features Warren Ellis belatedly trying his hand at the <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2008/12/crucifixion-in-work-of-grant-morrison.html">whole crucified super-hero thing</a>. The comic is called <span style="font-style: italic;">Supergod</span> and sounds like it has a few things in common with <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2007/06/superheroes-and-utopian-problem-justice.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Miracleman</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Summer</span></a>.Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-85796223524170519852009-09-08T18:52:00.000-07:002009-09-08T18:56:14.552-07:00Subtle faith in Strikeforce: Morituri<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNiHV1pn02JMMPlQh8oV3fqsgIZfLNYSReZLH1rgBiXiahpX_ogRtpya7UsxGlaipM84FaRSALcgjma0rPIUygIfPFUFT0uKeeRkfnNBLy4akwLc94YlVKn8i7JnUZJ9Pzp-saJ7XJH9-/s1600-h/morituri-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNiHV1pn02JMMPlQh8oV3fqsgIZfLNYSReZLH1rgBiXiahpX_ogRtpya7UsxGlaipM84FaRSALcgjma0rPIUygIfPFUFT0uKeeRkfnNBLy4akwLc94YlVKn8i7JnUZJ9Pzp-saJ7XJH9-/s200/morituri-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379280041772242946" /></a><br />Over at <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2009/09/the-many-pleasant-surprises-of-strikeforce-morituri.html"target="new">SF Gospel</a>, some thoughts on the overlooked '80s series <i>Strikeforce: Morituri</i>:<blockquote><i>The Morituri process gives [Adept] the ability to comprehend anything, from mechanical technologies to complex life-forms to abstract scientific concepts, if given enough exposure to them. She's also a Christian, and though the volume of her faith is perhaps a little bit louder than one usually sees in the real world (witness the cross motif on her costume), Gillis handles it with much more subtlety than most other writers would. It's an important aspect of her character, but it's not the only aspect of it, and it never becomes a punchline. </i></blockquote><br />Read more <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2009/09/the-many-pleasant-surprises-of-strikeforce-morituri.html"target="new">here.</a>Gabriel Mckeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06788065724877625817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-57917018776954867862009-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:002009-04-15T13:39:55.922-07:00Superhero spirituality at CornerstoneAn announcement: I've been invited to speak at this year's <A href="http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/" target="_blank">Cornerstone Festival</A> (in Bushnell, Illinois, from July 1-3)!</P><P>"But I thought that was a Christian music festival, and as far as I know you're not a musician!", you say? Well, you're correct. But part of the festival is the <A href="http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/imaginarium/2009/" target="_blank">Imaginarium</A>, which houses seminars on a variety of topics. This year's title is "Make. Believe. Heroes"—in other words, the religious aspects of superheroes. I'll be giving three one-hour sessions on the morality and ontology of superhero universes under the title "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility." The full summary:</P><P style="margin-left: 40px"><em>Despite the deconstructed superness of </em>Watchmen<em> et al., the original point of superheroes wasn't to make us wish we had superpowers -- though that certainly would be fun! -- but rather to make us wish for the clear moral discernment that allows superheroes to do the right thing. The creators of the most influential superheroes -- immigrants or children of immigrants like Siegel and Schuster or Jack Kirby -- used their creations to imagine a better world where the powerless had a stronger voice. This seminar explores superheroes as champions of the downtrodden, and notions of superhero morality.</em></P><P>Other sessions in the Imaginarium will cover Watchmen, moral grey zones in postmodern superheroics, and saints as superheroes. Check out the full schedule <a href="http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/imaginarium/2009/"target="new">here,</a> and perhaps I'll see you there!</P><P>In tangentially-related news, at Comics Should Be Good, Brian Cronin shares his <A href="http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/04/09/my-favorite-mid-90s-bad-ass-jesus-comic/" target="_blank">favorite Mid-90s Badass Jesus Comic</A> (to wit: <em>Glory/Avengelyne II: The Godyssey</em> #1).</P>Gabriel Mckeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06788065724877625817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-24973418133851415752009-04-06T17:53:00.001-07:002009-04-06T19:25:17.466-07:00Spiritual Solicitations Backlog Explosion!<i>I've been tearing pages out of Previews of things I've wanted to post here for four months or so now, but Assorted Factors have kept me from posting them until now. Some of these have been out for weeks or even months now; some won't be out until May. So now, in the order they are piled up on my desk (which is no order at all), here 's another batch of Spiritual Solicitations!</i><br /><br />Solicitation links courtesy of <a href="http://www.comixology.com"target"new">Comixology,</a> from whom Diamond could learn a thing or two about presentation!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8RJsVCKWzUic2aPnrutbaYXMj1LUtVjVosmYavggZKT8Tu16aJ0N36kh0HITnGqNEbBefRm6xNRWhhqwJxYGG0OHRuyUD5vBYyGr4GrK6Ae2ZpeuXZBjBhKyNMHKCTMKArSeygZAPm3F/s1600-h/Christ-Gun.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8RJsVCKWzUic2aPnrutbaYXMj1LUtVjVosmYavggZKT8Tu16aJ0N36kh0HITnGqNEbBefRm6xNRWhhqwJxYGG0OHRuyUD5vBYyGr4GrK6Ae2ZpeuXZBjBhKyNMHKCTMKArSeygZAPm3F/s200/Christ-Gun.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321746820079966690" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/JAN094045/Jesus-Christ-In-the-Name-of-the-Gun-MR-"target="new">Jesus Christ: In the Name of the Gun</a></b> <br /><br />Bad Karma Productions<br />Written by Eric Peterson and Ethan Nicolle, art by Ethan Nicolle<br /><br /><i>Jesus Hates Zombies. Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires. Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter.</i> And now, <i>Jesus Christ: In the Name of the Gun.</i> One wonders if the creators of edgy, irreverent comics about a butt-kicking Jesus know about the Christian men's movement, which is basically this minus the "edgy" and "irreverent"? In any event, I blame Garth Ennis. (Garth Ennis has been responsible for a lot of unfortunate things lately...)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x3_ObbFguAk0dl9cWOaeG0eWqaKu5d7Vm-Nw4AGO8_g4TwNBF89x2NI0wJQK_n3EeSaGspONS_vcxupX5pthvZsKKGIj6dT-R6joMGdCiqmoUn0rEC8GI6RavoUkNvIbaiR0KbqiWeAh/s1600-h/Pandora.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x3_ObbFguAk0dl9cWOaeG0eWqaKu5d7Vm-Nw4AGO8_g4TwNBF89x2NI0wJQK_n3EeSaGspONS_vcxupX5pthvZsKKGIj6dT-R6joMGdCiqmoUn0rEC8GI6RavoUkNvIbaiR0KbqiWeAh/s200/Pandora.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321747451653677858" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/JAN094087/Pandora-Box-Vol-1-Pride-MR-"target="new">Pandora Box Vol. 1: Pride</a></b><br /><br />Cinebook<br />Written by Alcante, art by Didier Pagot<br /><br />This is the first volume in a seven-part series about Greek mythology and the seven deadly sins; the "Pride" volume involves mysterious conspiracies, cloning, and the dangers of hubristic technology. I'm intrigued-- but not twelve bucks worth of intrigued, alas. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2bOcAe7KZKR2OXhW1bsAHQRxGlhEfA4_kCjLaiHMYCJv7GtKiMIpslTDbTHogD1xOg1jpdDz5cL3V9W9Ysl0UN2paEqu5TK4j_C7-2gD0nFMy3YYJcVOCWyotjab-BVp13UW5D4kXmo5/s1600-h/Wolverton.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2bOcAe7KZKR2OXhW1bsAHQRxGlhEfA4_kCjLaiHMYCJv7GtKiMIpslTDbTHogD1xOg1jpdDz5cL3V9W9Ysl0UN2paEqu5TK4j_C7-2gD0nFMy3YYJcVOCWyotjab-BVp13UW5D4kXmo5/s200/Wolverton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321747694332597538" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/OCT084158/The-Wolverton-Bible-HC"target="new">The Wolverton Bible</b></a><br /><br />Fantagraphics Books <br />Art by Basil Wolverton; Introduction by Grant Geissman<br /><br />Now <i>this</i> is exciting. Basil Wolverton, the delightfully deranged mind behind some of the strangest SF comics of the Golden Age and the most grotesque material from the early <i>Mad Magazine</i>, "was also a deeply religious man who over two decades created over 550 drawings illustrating the Old Testament." <i>Awesome.</i> But the real prize here may be 20 images illustrating the Book of Revelation, which must look pretty darned interesting through Wolverton's eyes. (But minus 10 points from Fantagraphics for calling it "Revelations" in their catalog copy!) I never would have guessed Wolverton was a closet Doré, but as someone who's a fan of the weird, the religious, and the weird religious, it's more than welcome news. <br /><br />Fantagraphics has made the book's introduction available online; you can read it <a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?age=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=1552&category_id=440&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1&Itemid=62"target="new">here.</a><br /><br /><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDgD4MT_lemSwfdpAeLIy1y2Ki2qnu6mrXA4g1Wmgo2G5JnOuktIggRKMgFIfOBV69xw3cw51XhMy_74jLWVoyTpdzowYCBugQnAK3jZ-_t70Ty2o8yBIOWUqIywNWsAg2-t-5b4NygBv/s1600-h/Chosen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDgD4MT_lemSwfdpAeLIy1y2Ki2qnu6mrXA4g1Wmgo2G5JnOuktIggRKMgFIfOBV69xw3cw51XhMy_74jLWVoyTpdzowYCBugQnAK3jZ-_t70Ty2o8yBIOWUqIywNWsAg2-t-5b4NygBv/s200/Chosen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321766179685490338" /></a><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/NOV082224/American-Jesus-Vol-1-Chosen-TP-MR-"target="new">American Jesus Vol. 1: Chosen</a></b><br /> <br />Dark Horse Comics<br />Written by Mark Millar, art by Peter Gross<br /><br />This is a collection of Millar's 2004 miniseries <i>Chosen</i>, which presents the story of a young messiah as a sort of origin story for a teen superhero. The book was an enormous missed opportunity-- but I can't say why without spoiling the ending. (I <i>will</i> say that "spoil" is an appropriate term when describing this story: the ending completely spoils what should have been a great story. It's still worth reading, but I can only really endorse the first two-thirds.) I've been hoping to write something about it here to expand on what I wrote in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-according-Science-Fiction-Twilight/dp/0664229018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221096744&sr=8-1"target="new"><i>The Gospel According to Science Fiction,</i></a> and now it looks like I may have good reason to-- that "Volume One" in the title makes it virtually certain that Millar will be returning to the young savior soon. I'll hold of saying more for now, but I will have more to say on this soon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLefLL5nmW7fhjRvQv6RYvIKzzMkykwTR00PfCb5tGtNxkyE_W4KgRXJ10duNcZpDN_4LyuQOdsfO_wRz90czfG0SCC4WJfrYshGo9fFlIYvUs-GJiGSkcfe4i0l25hEZ0qjpOtmClm1ID/s1600-h/Missingtheboat.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLefLL5nmW7fhjRvQv6RYvIKzzMkykwTR00PfCb5tGtNxkyE_W4KgRXJ10duNcZpDN_4LyuQOdsfO_wRz90czfG0SCC4WJfrYshGo9fFlIYvUs-GJiGSkcfe4i0l25hEZ0qjpOtmClm1ID/s200/Missingtheboat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321767381065367714" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/OCT082310/Missing-the-Boat"target="new">Missing the Boat</b></a><br /><br />Image Comics/Shadowline<br />Written by Wayne Chinsant and Justin Shady, art by Dwellephant<br /><br />The subtitle of this cute-looking tale is "The Offered Salvation and Inevitable Demise of the Churamane." The Churamane are a lazy species of animal that are invited aboard Noah's Ark, but arrive too late and are doomed to extinction in the Flood. Sounds fun, right?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveng7hRXC_Sm1wG81OC7sAZcdGz3YbunS1onv83bxj1Io4oZJBU0UAY8-e425dQ6gOYVvgJ0ZujIhdXZFTVYBU0N9EphQ87DI2ICVvRbWxx182QPTSQCcewkyG81HLzSc9XwMRuBUu_dK/s1600-h/rapture.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveng7hRXC_Sm1wG81OC7sAZcdGz3YbunS1onv83bxj1Io4oZJBU0UAY8-e425dQ6gOYVvgJ0ZujIhdXZFTVYBU0N9EphQ87DI2ICVvRbWxx182QPTSQCcewkyG81HLzSc9XwMRuBUu_dK/s200/rapture.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321769056319869522" /></a><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/MAR090044/Rapture-1-of-6-Oeming-Cover"target="new"><b>Rapture</b> #1</a><br /><br />Dark Horse Comics<br />Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma; art by Michael Avon Oeming<br /><br />The Rapture is about as overused an idea as butt-kicking Jesus (see above). But I really, really like this take: this series, helmed by Powers artist and all-around cool guy Oeming, takes place in a superhero world from which all the superheroes and villains have vanished. After a century of good and evil battling it out in public, just-plain-folks are left to sort out their confusing world. What happens when the gods no longer walk the earth? Yeah, I'll be reading this one.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOcleyFsX-mYoMH3pG2O1c0i6Jo56EhX3g-dWtKw28fg3iPG0G9Zi8suzTTh08LI-VcFc1X7R3dQpqZbKrW0s_hCZdJiOtWOp2tzvjhePqELMkZyjjt_koiY26SRyPd_s-s_mXx99MqRZ/s1600-h/promethea.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOcleyFsX-mYoMH3pG2O1c0i6Jo56EhX3g-dWtKw28fg3iPG0G9Zi8suzTTh08LI-VcFc1X7R3dQpqZbKrW0s_hCZdJiOtWOp2tzvjhePqELMkZyjjt_koiY26SRyPd_s-s_mXx99MqRZ/s200/promethea.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321767995750839394" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/FEB090241/Absolute-Promethea-Vol-1-HC"target="new">Absolute Promethea vol. 1</a></b><br /><br />Wildstorm<br />Written by Alan Moore, art by J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray<br /><br /><i>Promethea</i> is a darned good series. Not only is it Alan Moore's ultimate statement on magic, religion, art, and the nature of reality, it also features some of the best art ever to sport word balloons. (Have I mentioned lately that I own the original art for the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBrBj9YYPJtvm0JQGPw7zs_JOjMBSWBtwIY0JlMGnvO66gHG8xonYCc9USN1wiJeugmOK9t5H965PQ5WlyRNxOeZtq6gpemtcBr8QM4qRkdrItQq-m5t1LDPdx5Zf1ytkxB4I8fg46vh4/s400/promethea_page1121.jpg"target="new">Moebius strip page</a> from #15? Sorry-- I periodically need to brag about that.) So I'm pretty excited about the prospect of this series getting the oversized, super-deluxe Absolute treatment. What I'm not pleased about is doing it in three volumes instead of two-- compare this volume (twelve issues and 328 pages) to the first volume of Absolute Sandman (20 issues and 612 pages)-- both with the same $99 price tag. I'd hope for a slightly higher page count-- but it's hard to complain too much, given how great <i>Promethea</i> is going to look in this format. [See also: <a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/MAR090226/Absolute-Death-HC-MR-"target="new">Absolute Death</a>. Which sounds like a metal compilation, doesn't it?]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtkojgHxvAjdxOnHZiN46Lib4msAuYn7I8UyPZYvwApcVsySykcpZsK8nnT7JoMPxlzOoHUpZLIl5GdJ1LEID40Go8ykb_EDgNCADnKp6PRpNOz9tM0AFHpFfWhdWjDj55WNtwKDV15e1/s1600-h/BC.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtkojgHxvAjdxOnHZiN46Lib4msAuYn7I8UyPZYvwApcVsySykcpZsK8nnT7JoMPxlzOoHUpZLIl5GdJ1LEID40Go8ykb_EDgNCADnKp6PRpNOz9tM0AFHpFfWhdWjDj55WNtwKDV15e1/s200/BC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321768790710869154" /></a><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/MAR094583/I-Did-It-His-Way-Classic-BC-Religious-Strips-HC"target="new"><b>I Did It His Way: Classic B.C. Religious Strips</b></a><br /><br />Thomas Nelson Books<br />by Johnny Hart<br /><br />How can I put this diplomatically? I've always... been a non-fan... of Johnny Hart's religious strips. (And his non-religious ones, for that matter.) I'm tempted to read this book, if only to try to decide once and for all if their worst crime is being simplistic, offensive, or just plain unfunny. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tYIO0qJhxd0f4RGpL14CecUrSzinmVuqPUQBLrA99yCWzsx50Z24xR8JSPnqxYcuZPKNywnyFTcIw2KPK6v5fy7PgJUxbG3lNiv-pbWd3BBgytip8CDFIABNWGZFf8SKYio-t70xI1cD/s1600-h/Votan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tYIO0qJhxd0f4RGpL14CecUrSzinmVuqPUQBLrA99yCWzsx50Z24xR8JSPnqxYcuZPKNywnyFTcIw2KPK6v5fy7PgJUxbG3lNiv-pbWd3BBgytip8CDFIABNWGZFf8SKYio-t70xI1cD/s200/Votan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321768902626046498" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/MAR090082/Neil-Gaiman-Presents-Vol-2-Votan"target="new">Neil Gaiman Presents: Votan</b></a><br /><br />Dark Horse Comics<br />by John James<br /><br />Not-actually-comics alert! The "Neil Gaiman Presents" series is "devoted to returning to print long-unavailable works... chosen by Gaiman to represent the origins of his views on classic heroic literature." This one sounds like a pretty good satire; it's the story of a traveling Greek nobleman who is mistaken for a Norse god, and decides to play along.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98X0y86Rd13gT6QIh0R4unsXmA2nqWFexyg_8RIcGEx0GP7aXbFsNph_Hb6qIFhWsZsufG9E-q5-uWRbBJL6ijCaCv6i-qkBaG0ZvIWg3g7raad6GAzs85GlRJ7WeNCWtEIdEUiwS5tAz/s1600-h/sword.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98X0y86Rd13gT6QIh0R4unsXmA2nqWFexyg_8RIcGEx0GP7aXbFsNph_Hb6qIFhWsZsufG9E-q5-uWRbBJL6ijCaCv6i-qkBaG0ZvIWg3g7raad6GAzs85GlRJ7WeNCWtEIdEUiwS5tAz/s200/sword.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321769502996731778" /></a><b><a href="http://www.comixology.com/sku/MAR094308/Sword-of-My-Mouth-1"target="new">Sword of My Mouth</b> #1</a><br /><br />IDW <br />Written by Jim Munroe, art by Shannon Gerard<br /><br />Like Oeming's <i>The Rapture</i> above, this might be another exception to the general overdonneness of the (did I mention it's not scriptural, but was invented in the 19th century?) Rapture as a plot device. It's a sequel to Munroe's acclaimed-and-I-haven't-read-it-yet-but-I-want-to story from last year, <i>Therefore, Repent!</i> I've made an interlibrary loan request for the beginning of the story; if it's good I will definitely be checking out this sequel.Gabriel Mckeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06788065724877625817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-70309406405723180782009-03-27T07:52:00.000-07:002009-03-27T07:58:23.995-07:00Still no Confessor review part twoHey, remember <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2009/02/confession-review-and-analysis-with_08.html">when I posted the first half of a review of Kurt Busiek's <span style="font-style:italic;">Astro City: Confession</span></a>? And I said I would "continue with an examination of the character of the Confessor in my next post, later this week"? And remember how that was over a month ago? Yeah, sorry about that. It's still coming.<br /><br />In the mean time, check out my webcomic: <a href="http://thpam.com">Thpam!</a> I'm clearly still finding my feet, but I have plans, oh good gracious do I have plans.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02096471933856066338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-27904746412531603022009-03-24T07:02:00.000-07:002009-03-24T07:05:20.999-07:00WATCHING THE DETECTIVESHey y'all. I have a review of <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDZjNTJmOTc5NDg4MzMwY2VjOWI3ODYyOTFkM2RjYTQ="><em>Watchmen</em>-the-movie, here</a>, which touches on some of the existential/theological stuff from the comic; more, focusing on one very graphic scene, <a href="http://evestoryblog.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html#6507582532440526134">here</a>. Thought it might be of interest....Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10072598901082683876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-80841685037133240522009-03-21T06:22:00.000-07:002009-03-21T06:59:53.745-07:00Crucifixion Fixation ReduxRemember my post about <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2008/12/crucifixion-in-work-of-grant-morrison.html">Grant Morrison's frequent use of crucifixion imagery</a>? I found another example:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxOHtBHOz0dzi8yX978T_coi89RCoFl_B1OZ4OLSJ_bKgkwwCuzo4TZGJQJDHQp8sp5PvppvguLNFfm4-gr_ucpGTx-i13aWJqbENTTDe36V9sVlCsKET3LBNvJEbdxS9Hw0OSncSu-tO/s1600-h/Marvel+Boy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxOHtBHOz0dzi8yX978T_coi89RCoFl_B1OZ4OLSJ_bKgkwwCuzo4TZGJQJDHQp8sp5PvppvguLNFfm4-gr_ucpGTx-i13aWJqbENTTDe36V9sVlCsKET3LBNvJEbdxS9Hw0OSncSu-tO/s400/Marvel+Boy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315631573021010626" border="0" /></a><br />This is from August 2000, <span style="font-style: italic;">Marvel Boy</span> #1, pages 10 and 11. The art is by J.G. Jones. It was a mini-series from Marvel Comics with only six issues.<br /><br />Noh-Varr, depicted above, is a Kree alien (possibly from a different dimension). Early in the story he's captured for examination and exploitation by a supervillain named Midas, which is why he's hanging there in a force-field bubble. He (of course) gets away and decides to 'fix' our backwards, evil planet, by any means necessary. So for part of the story he sets himself up as a violent, vengeful messiah.<br /><br />The image is a clear reference to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_of_St._John_of_the_Cross">Salvador Dali's <span style="font-style: italic;">Christ of Saint John of the Cross.</span></a> Wikipedia tells me that it resides in Scotland, oddly enough, and in 2006 was voted Scotland's favourite painting. Morrison's a Scot; maybe he's a fan.Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-63095916772154944282009-03-10T19:17:00.000-07:002009-03-10T19:21:28.928-07:00Woot!If you liked what you saw <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2009/02/sita-sings-blues.html">in the excerpt</a>, you'll be excited to learn that you can now watch all of Nina Paley's <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Sita Sings the Blues</span> for free <a href="http://www.thirteen.org/sites/reel13/blog/watch-sita-sings-the-blues-online/347/">here!</a>Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-52880652512658103062009-03-05T11:45:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:50:49.895-08:00Elliot's Favourites in 2008Out of the forty-odd graphic novels I read in 2008, these ten were my favourite. Note that they weren't necessarily published in 2008; I just happened to get around to them in that year. I tried not to pick two volumes from the same series (if the other volumes are good I mention it.) Okay, counting down:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDpkVIuSXSYjv8T7Na7b8WNmhKaAh_vNsC2ZAK2N66_CCDn6QD8g1G7jLTVURq9KXWiIQbjOE-0vt8T3LomqqWIpiOTi98XxrxDvdih8m41UgATeiiQYDUtwslITJ4XteHVHmqXdD-4F/s1600-h/new+frontier+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299447749298976610" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 134px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDpkVIuSXSYjv8T7Na7b8WNmhKaAh_vNsC2ZAK2N66_CCDn6QD8g1G7jLTVURq9KXWiIQbjOE-0vt8T3LomqqWIpiOTi98XxrxDvdih8m41UgATeiiQYDUtwslITJ4XteHVHmqXdD-4F/s200/new+frontier+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DC-New-Frontier-Vol-1/dp/1401203507/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234233687&sr=1-1">DC: The New Frontier</a>, volume 1, by Darwyn Cooke.</span> 2004. 208 p.<br /><br />Cooke re-imagines the origins of the Silver Age DC universe in the Cold War Space Race. Fighter pilots-turned-astronauts jostle with G-men in the shadow of the Korean War and McCarthyism, and everyone's got that hard-drinking Rat Pack style. The art is striking - retro yet not outdated. Some of the storylines are brilliant: Steel, survivor of a lynching, stalks the Jim Crow South slaying members of the Klan; Hal Jordan (later to be Green Lantern) is a hot-shot pilot who refuses to kill ; the Martian Manhunter is endearingly humorous and idealistic. Unfortunately Cooke tries to include just about everyone from the Silver Age. All the old WW2 soldiers, fighter pilots, science-action characters, and murderously ruthless (but basically good at heart!) FBI and CIA agents blur together into one big puddle of square-jawed, buzz-cut testosterone-soaked chest-thumping All-American blah-blah-blah-who-gives-a-crap? This problem becomes unavoidable in the second volume; and the Big Threat revealed therein is kind of lame. So maybe just read the first one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RdxmigVHkGHrbarbo0S6hjhf22oyTSJu-ccXGxR_eEciF9KJX7rIEx0qOZY37kDt_bHnEBKGB6yoMSyBvLlIo8zV7YJQQmz3m1qTTiqZ5BHPzwL7AMiUT3__GvYi7ZY4ygnrgTmMdP3c/s1600-h/divided+we+stand.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299447744451968610" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 106px; cursor: pointer; height: 160px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RdxmigVHkGHrbarbo0S6hjhf22oyTSJu-ccXGxR_eEciF9KJX7rIEx0qOZY37kDt_bHnEBKGB6yoMSyBvLlIo8zV7YJQQmz3m1qTTiqZ5BHPzwL7AMiUT3__GvYi7ZY4ygnrgTmMdP3c/s200/divided+we+stand.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Divided-Stand-Mike-Carey/dp/0785132651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234233758&sr=1-1">X-Men: Divided We Stand</a>, by Mike Carey, et al</span>. 2008. 136 p.<br /><br />Ten short stories about individual X-Men, by a variety of authors and artists. The quality varies, but overall it's pretty entertaining. There are some real gems, including a theological-philosophical tale in which <a href="http://www.mutanthigh.com/scalphunter.html">Scalphunter</a> is visited by Nightcrawler in both his priestly and demonic guises. I posted a little about the book <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2008/12/beasts-god.html">here</a> and <a href="http://gravityandwaggery.blogspot.com/2008/11/walter-benjamin.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLDbKT0boZsosIzZBjlCgZ-LucfaM3UxSzyHoRbLb2dhMjAMlUWQcIvpZLEG7XcZtHPNj-q6fqjwY8iIzK0jvVxKTkKlNXBPo0EEFUQzoE3PQDcfnnh4OMi-7G8xRSnei_tJevvtNM0h1/s1600-h/bigfrankbook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445952817043234" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 155px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLDbKT0boZsosIzZBjlCgZ-LucfaM3UxSzyHoRbLb2dhMjAMlUWQcIvpZLEG7XcZtHPNj-q6fqjwY8iIzK0jvVxKTkKlNXBPo0EEFUQzoE3PQDcfnnh4OMi-7G8xRSnei_tJevvtNM0h1/s200/bigfrankbook.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Book-Jim-Woodring/dp/1560975342">The Frank Book</a>, by Jim Woodring.</span> 2003. 351 p.<br /><br />Plenty of writers and artists try to be surreal. Jim Woodring accomplishes it, maybe because he's not trying so hard. The younger Woodring experienced highly convincing hallucinations, and that's what Frank reads like: a kind of fevered dream that you can't shake off. Frank and his friends and enemies wordlessly wander through a mystical, wondrous and sometimes deeply disturbing (this book is not for kids) dimension that's part Krazy Kat, part early Disney and part oblique parable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfNBPPgZQ5QD5hIkgQ7RDUI3yo0OQF30CwvS_iag34NEBMWAdBW06aNduqhq2BIgO2BmTDEWPdV-75Zf6gJVDMiiYPZRkKwFVDOHpClUXHZ4livx-YTVRzekWJWfZTyX30XJDG2gFJ0zL/s1600-h/astonishingx-menvol1gifted.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445952943307746" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 130px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfNBPPgZQ5QD5hIkgQ7RDUI3yo0OQF30CwvS_iag34NEBMWAdBW06aNduqhq2BIgO2BmTDEWPdV-75Zf6gJVDMiiYPZRkKwFVDOHpClUXHZ4livx-YTVRzekWJWfZTyX30XJDG2gFJ0zL/s200/astonishingx-menvol1gifted.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Astonishing-X-Men-Vol-1-Gifted/dp/0785115315">Astonishing X-Men: Gifted</a>, by Joss Whedon</span>. 2004. 152 p.<br /><br />He's not Grant Morrison, but he is Joss Whedon, so he'll do. He picks up the New X-Men where Morrison left them, adds a character, and flings them into one exciting adventure after another. It's typical Whedon, so we get heaps of deadpan, witty repartee, some tough-as-nails women, plenty of relationship issues, lots of violence, and wouldn't you know it - dramatic twists and cliff-hangers! I quite liked the art. All four volumes are good. The drawback is that it's typical Whedon, and if you've seen enough of his TV work this will all start to seem kind of familiar. But enjoyable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvrQ3xgYlLBToppGEckIj2Z3SX5Dx86YRTzOoCaTWXQ3OdWBIK_XiFRAZbYmZg49lXP95lf6sP6Ch69iuMM8s5NtnqjxWEhF_fPh-wmI5W3G3gJMmfjbMmVoOd05IlSPI1zQdI8ohLzW7/s1600-h/supreme+story+of+the+year.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299447747235563362" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 133px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvrQ3xgYlLBToppGEckIj2Z3SX5Dx86YRTzOoCaTWXQ3OdWBIK_XiFRAZbYmZg49lXP95lf6sP6Ch69iuMM8s5NtnqjxWEhF_fPh-wmI5W3G3gJMmfjbMmVoOd05IlSPI1zQdI8ohLzW7/s200/supreme+story+of+the+year.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Story-Year-Alan-Moore/dp/0971024952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234339&sr=1-1">Supreme: The Story of the Year</a>, by Alan Moore.</span> 2002. 332 p.<br /><br />With Alan Moore, the expectations are high. <span style="font-style: italic;">Supreme</span> doesn't disappoint. Having started his career by deconstructing superheroes, Moore has more lately moved on to reconstructing them, to seeing how they work and celebrating what's great about them. With <span style="font-style: italic;">Supreme</span>, Moore revamps a lousy Rob Liefield character (or is that adjective redundant when talking about Liefield's work?) and uses him to do a lengthy and insightful meditation on all things Superman. He plays with the changing nature of superhero stories (all those retcons!) and casts an affectionate eye on the DC Golden and Silver Ages. The style and quality of art varies quite a bit throughout the volume (in part intentionally, to evoke different eras) but the writing is consistently good. (The second volume, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Return-Alan-Moore/dp/0971024960"><span style="font-style: italic;">Supreme: The Return</span></a>, is also pretty good and features a wonderful homage to Jack Kirby.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT7jPVI4lbkWN24gFXimOSmv_ZpYkiDDTM_jCchzkxY3zZUMro-mj8h0V3pMcUU-i9Gd0DRmG6g7OPMSZH36fz3voICiM3b3NCbmuQSmA_2oG-wtPlR4rJRvATCjooKB_ZtF_1Jn8GJpr/s1600-h/superman_birthright.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445310823828962" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 134px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT7jPVI4lbkWN24gFXimOSmv_ZpYkiDDTM_jCchzkxY3zZUMro-mj8h0V3pMcUU-i9Gd0DRmG6g7OPMSZH36fz3voICiM3b3NCbmuQSmA_2oG-wtPlR4rJRvATCjooKB_ZtF_1Jn8GJpr/s200/superman_birthright.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Birthright-Graphic-Mark-Waid/dp/1401202527/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234657&sr=1-1">Superman: Birthright</a>, by Mark Waid.</span> 2005. 314 p.<br /><br />A clever yet sincere up-dating or reboot of the origins of the Man of Steel. It never became canonical but it's still a great new window on the character of Superman, on his compassion and moral power. And it's got a cool vision of the Kryptonians. Click here for <a href="http://sayitbackwards.blogspot.com/2007/07/push-out-jive-bring-in-love-part-1.html">the brief review from Say It Backwards</a> that prompted me to read it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYNgI_sFvYk6W_T92ysehswZ0S3OWc5lC93x-JdB2QS_CENqmyQa7zxKd-zKBs5a7PwVEOR8hVXuPDPeTZ5jqBAmFjzOAQpXesfAtPY0rfZU1WdsJFn6J8CUxYTZqZBcg-xqjduOcT_SG/s1600-h/the_invisibles_vol__2__apocalipstick.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445308331766818" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 134px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYNgI_sFvYk6W_T92ysehswZ0S3OWc5lC93x-JdB2QS_CENqmyQa7zxKd-zKBs5a7PwVEOR8hVXuPDPeTZ5jqBAmFjzOAQpXesfAtPY0rfZU1WdsJFn6J8CUxYTZqZBcg-xqjduOcT_SG/s200/the_invisibles_vol__2__apocalipstick.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Invisibles-Vol-2-Apocalipstick/dp/1563897024/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234511&sr=1-2">The Invisibles, volume 2: Apocalipstick</a>, by Grant Morrison</span>. 2001. 208 p.<br /><br />The Invisibles is not for those with weak stomachs, and it's bound to offend just about everyone at some point or another. And Morrison admits freely that he was experimenting with drugs while working on the series. He also says that it was designed to be grasped on the second or third read, rather than the first. My first-read impression is that it's a massive sprawling haphazard thing with one big-clever-Morrison-idea piled atop another. They don't always fit together all that well. And I think he's used some of those ideas more effectively elsewhere. But there's plenty of brilliance: from Barbelith to Totep to Triple-U! It's challenging, mystical, cryptical, bad-ass, anarchistic and strange. I think this volume was the most consistently excellent, with a few powerful one-shot tales and with a story arc focusing on transvestite shaman Lord Fanny.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdtNR1Z1OLKuEHVisG3shcw0VVJpcg_0G6BmSt741PwOGNGDb9ZtV77cTPbyFvU30AC77bEuJyCdoyX9Ojol61DLkhrBEM7lXtVfUftRECsDcn2ABxJMct8APFo8UJ9K9pnDCbPlmOYlv/s1600-h/fourth+world+omnibus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445303896559842" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 128px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdtNR1Z1OLKuEHVisG3shcw0VVJpcg_0G6BmSt741PwOGNGDb9ZtV77cTPbyFvU30AC77bEuJyCdoyX9Ojol61DLkhrBEM7lXtVfUftRECsDcn2ABxJMct8APFo8UJ9K9pnDCbPlmOYlv/s200/fourth+world+omnibus.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Kirbys-Fourth-World-Omnibus/dp/1401213448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234736&sr=1-1">Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, volume 1</a>,</span> by Jack Kirby. 2007. 396 p.<br /><br />It's <span style="font-style: italic;">King Kirby</span>. Of course it's awesome. It's larger-than-life, exploding-off-the-page, primary-colour awesome. You can actually use this book as a sacred relic to destroy vampires, zombies, bankers and other evil creatures. Just hold it up and shout "<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">TAARU</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">!!!</span></span>" A blinding light, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Astro Force</span>,</span> will come forth, striking the evildoer and <span style="font-style: italic;">blasting</span> it to oblivion with a mighty <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.penciljack.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16461">Kirby Crackle</a><span style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;">!!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">BAZOOM!!</span><br /><br />Ahem. The other volumes (which I've been reading this year) are even better (if I were reviewing all four, they'd be at number one on this list.) Grant Morrison provides an almost-embarrassingly gushing introduction to this volume, in which he compares the Fourth World saga to the Bible, like, three or four times. I'm not sure I would have at first understood the awesome nature of the original New Gods if I hadn't been primed for it by Morrison's mythic interpretations of them. I might've been a noob and said: "Why is Jimmy Olsen trading quips with Don Rickles? Who are these newsboys? What the- death on skis??" But, really, you'd have to be blind to miss the raw primal creativity, the sheer cosmic wonder of it all: the flaming disembodied hand writing the commandments of the Source, the divine Mother Box, furious tormented Orion, forbidding majestic Darkseid, "TAARU!" and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Mountain of Judgment</span> and... and... GEE WHIZ! Any children I have will grow up in a nursery that has big, brightly-coloured Jack Kirby characters stenciled on the walls. They'll grow up to be hero-artists, awesome, mighty, and strange.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzKNx4pP7IJxsNugt_hNbT5_gHh3oCvMJBw7CK76y9u95_sBWoUHhRb0rRvcClX0v3PeHrVfL9KOq0NkWVQ2ML5nMQhzI5_yOfMPu2hkD6D-2F2YJMQrYMS7VNF7wKVmWTfRxMIYvdZd2/s1600-h/astro+city+confession.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445300962827426" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 128px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzKNx4pP7IJxsNugt_hNbT5_gHh3oCvMJBw7CK76y9u95_sBWoUHhRb0rRvcClX0v3PeHrVfL9KOq0NkWVQ2ML5nMQhzI5_yOfMPu2hkD6D-2F2YJMQrYMS7VNF7wKVmWTfRxMIYvdZd2/s200/astro+city+confession.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Astro-City-Vol-2-Confession/dp/1563895501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234809&sr=1-1">Astro City: Confession</a></span>,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> by Kurt Busiek.</span> 1997. 208 p.<br /><br />This book was electrifying. It knocked my socks off. The Confessor! The Cross-breed! The cover! I... wait, just read Paul's review <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2009/02/confession-review-and-analysis-with_08.html">here</a>.<br /><br />You should also read the first book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Astro City: Life in the Big City</span>, which is very good. And the rest of the series. But <span style="font-style: italic;">Confession</span> was my favourite. And it's got oodles of religious references. One of the most intriguing takes on religion that I've ever seen in a superhero comic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIw0vu6ySyGfvFgpRgkaQt7IjD2OqN-eo5QXQgDsAiZXUJwmafKvuWVE2hFm0bNdgnL9Sj7NdPXiYvQojcT5R5uaqVlKPFwwpvaNCuzAdv6ydQ4nwm27eKyJlUen45sHLfJIJvUhvHH9-u/s1600-h/top+ten+alan+moore.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299445302940092898" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 134px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIw0vu6ySyGfvFgpRgkaQt7IjD2OqN-eo5QXQgDsAiZXUJwmafKvuWVE2hFm0bNdgnL9Sj7NdPXiYvQojcT5R5uaqVlKPFwwpvaNCuzAdv6ydQ4nwm27eKyJlUen45sHLfJIJvUhvHH9-u/s200/top+ten+alan+moore.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Top-Ten-Book-Alan-Moore/dp/1563896680/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234234926&sr=1-3">Top Ten, book 1</a> by Alan Moore.</span> 2001. 208 p.<br /><br />Ok, I know I'll get flak for rating this above <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fourth World</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Invisibles</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Astro City</span>. Those are classic works. But for humour and deft, quick character development, <span style="font-style: italic;">Top Ten</span> was the most fun I had with a comic book in 2008. It's part of Moore's reconstruction effort which I mentioned above. In a city where everyone has superpowers, who watches the watchmen? The job falls to a motley group of officers at the 10th Precinct Police Station. Moore has a lot of fun with the backdrop, but it's the interactions amongst the police, and between them and "ordinary" citizens that make the book work. It feels like we're catching a glimpse of the diverse lives of some real people. Moore includes some fascinating religious characters, whom he treats with respect.<br /><br />You should read Moore's second volume, as well as his prequel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Top Ten: The Forty-Niners</span> (from 2006.) Don't bother reading Paul Di Filippo's contribution to the series, <span style="font-style: italic;">Beyond the Farthest Precinct</span>. It's not the worse comic ever, but after seeing what Moore can do with these characters, it's disappointing to have them reduced to idiotic two-dimensional caricatures - the religious ones most of all. And the plot is largely lifted from PKD's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch</span>. You may also want to skip <span style="font-style: italic;">Smax</span>, Moore's fantasy spin-off of <em>Top Ten</em>. It's got some good moments, but don't spend any money on it.Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-57562139050559336442009-03-04T07:09:00.001-08:002009-03-04T07:16:50.756-08:00Superman and the real best of Alan Moore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaZbQ-dguz_DJPDVfJAlXgeGIvIWRq4qehumd0pBi5dwv29ei0ytpxEf7S8buLjhJS3bTdiBFNigUm011Fs9I3g_nnqAsFEY2C7Q5YxpBpeRMajSntClRsSMolXj0c9v2pNqtXa_23ErM/s1600-h/SupermanRedemption.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaZbQ-dguz_DJPDVfJAlXgeGIvIWRq4qehumd0pBi5dwv29ei0ytpxEf7S8buLjhJS3bTdiBFNigUm011Fs9I3g_nnqAsFEY2C7Q5YxpBpeRMajSntClRsSMolXj0c9v2pNqtXa_23ErM/s200/SupermanRedemption.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309351728993334562" /></a><br />Two new things from me today: first, a guest post at Superman blog Say It Backwards on Clark Kent, alter egos, and incarnational theology:<br /><br /><blockquote><i>Superman disguises himself as Clark Kent. Right? It says it right there in the opening of the George Reeves TV series. "Disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper." Kent is the mask, and Superman is the identity.<br /><br />Or is he?</blockquote></i><br />Read the rest <a href="http://sayitbackwards.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-post-mondays-gabriel-mckee-and.html"target ="new">here.</a><br /><br />Second, at SF Gospel, a list of <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2009/03/4-alan-moore-stories-that-are-better-than-watchmen.html"target="new">4 Alan Moore stories that are better than <i>Watchmen</i></a>. Gods-on-earth abound.Gabriel Mckeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06788065724877625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-37445848210829857062009-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:002009-02-15T18:05:33.561-08:00Absolute Kingdom Come<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBQlPj8SSj-glMBFFhsBQ_8MCyz_-5AEiX4s0LfCtOXLzwuq4Paf3oWeOw546QwxB2GQE9uO-PpnGeom2g7pC2B-cZSJFOZnQequ8m1TTZSsy1Ah7JQ1cyyM8opvxyf3Qfu1fsrQ-nKTd/s1600-h/kingdom+come.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303201123743550050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBQlPj8SSj-glMBFFhsBQ_8MCyz_-5AEiX4s0LfCtOXLzwuq4Paf3oWeOw546QwxB2GQE9uO-PpnGeom2g7pC2B-cZSJFOZnQequ8m1TTZSsy1Ah7JQ1cyyM8opvxyf3Qfu1fsrQ-nKTd/s400/kingdom+come.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div>I wanted to point out the cover of the "Absolute" edition of <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Come_(comic_book)">Kingdom Come</a>, </em>which<em> </em>puts the story's religious symbolism right up front. It depicts <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(comics)">the Spectre</a> stepping out of a stained-glass window into the church pastored by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_McCay">Norman McCay</a>. (McCay is modelled on Clark Norman Ross, the artist's father and a real-life minister.) <em>Kingdom Come</em> is mostly centered on Superman, but the Spectre is an interesting character in his own right. Created by Jerry Siegel (one of the creators of Superman) in 1940, he has over the years become one of the metaphysical/theological mainstays of the DC Universe. If there's a big mystical story to be told, the Spectre will usually get involved somehow. I mean, c'mon: a guy who can dramatically step out of a stained-glass window without breaking it is pretty cool.</div>Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-2291577907561897832009-02-08T20:17:00.000-08:002009-02-09T14:20:23.383-08:00Confession: A review and analysis (with spoilers)--Part OneKurt Busiek's <span style="font-style:italic;">Astro City</span> is unfailingly excellent. The series tells stories about a city densely populated with superheroes, many of whom are analogues of iconic superheroes in other comics. In Astro City, Busiek creates characters who occupy a familiar iconic space, without necessarily reproducing the powers or character traits of existing heroes. Samaritan, for example, is the analogue for Superman. He is the apex hero, supremely powerful, and unfailingly benevolent and noble. Jack-in-the-Box is a colourful, wisecracking hero, a stand-in for Spiderman. Winged Victory is a Greco-inspired feminist heroine and stand-in for Wonder Woman.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Astro City: Confession</span> is a story about the Astro City analogue of Batman, told by the equivalent of Robin. Brian Kinney moves to Astro City with the hope of making something of himself and ends up as the apprentice and sidekick of the dark, intimidating, "Confessor".<br /><br />There is a lot to like about <span style="font-style:italic;">Confession</span>. It's clever, and thoughtful, and it's full of insight about the nature of heroism--treading some of the ground later covered in Marvel's <span style="font-style:italic;">Civil War</span>. And because of the way Astro City's characters are mirrors of DC and Marvel characters, a lot of the insights offered about the Confessor hold true for Batman as well. But some of the most interesting things going on here are about religion. Religion in <span style="font-style:italic;">Confession</span> isn't just a motif, it's a major theme, and Busiek's treatment of that theme is worth paying attention to.<br /><br />There is an aspect, of course, that all stories about heroes have religious undertones, in that they are about good and evil, they are about salvation, they are often about belief. In <span style="font-style:italic;">Confession</span>, all of these undercurrents are present, as are some more obvious and explicit religious concerns. The first heroes Brian meets in Astro City are a hero team called the Crossbreed. They believe that God has given them their power, and that they must respond by doing his service. Secondly and most obviously, religious themes come up the the character of the Confessor--not just because of his name and costume (emblazoned with a glowing cross), or because he makes his headquarters in the abandoned section of an old abbey, but even more because he is a vampire--and vampires always (say it with me now: ALWAYS) carry Christian resonance.<br /><br />First, though, the Crossbreed. The six member team consists of David, who is a giant, Daniel who is a lion-man, Joshua who has a sonic scream power, Peter who has the power to manipulate rocks, Moses, who can control rain (and possibly weather in general), and Mary who has wings and can fly like an angel. The biblical Daniel, of course, was not a lion, but <span style="font-style:italic;">survived a night with</span> lions. So while a lion named Daniel is an obvious reference to the story of Daniel and the lion's den, it is the antagonist's power and appearance that are manifested in the comic book character. Likewise, the biblical David defeated a giant, but the comic book David is a giant. Biblical Moses built an ark as protection from the rain, but the comic book Moses controls the rain. This suggests something about he character of the God who gave them these powers. Quite apart from the subversion of expectations that allows the most frightening, beastial character (Daniel, the lion) be the group's healer--a trope borrowed from X-Men and Beast--the Crossbreed's explicitly religious context suggests that these characters are about God's redemptive and transformative power. The antagonistic elements from their source stories are re-imagined as heroic. Even more, they are remade in God's service.<br /><br />Brian's first encounter with the Crossbreed is on the bus into Astro City, as the bus driver expresses both his cynical attitude toward superheroes in general (and this will be an important theme in the comic) and his disdain for the Crossbreed in particular:<br /><br />"It's the Jesus Freaks. Again. Why can't they pick some <span style="font-style:italic;">other</span> corner, just once? Just once? A different time of day? I am so sick of those jerks..."<br /><br />We see the Crossbreed evangelising on the street corner, handing out pamphlets and talking about judgment day. Brian is in the process of defending them, in his internal monologue, when Daniel confronts him:<br /><br />"Have you been saved?<br />Huh?<br />Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?"<br /><br />Brian stammers uneasily, until he is rescued by a passer-by, who tells him:<br /><br />"Don't worry. The J.F.'s are annoyin', but they're <span style="font-style:italic;">harmless</span> -- 'less you're allergic to Psalms and Preachin'!"<br /><br />It would seem, on page 18, that we have seen the character of religion in this comic: it is annoying but harmless. Religious people are the people who accost regular people as they're minding their own business. And too often, that would be the final word. But in Busiek's hands the story is not that simple, and it turns out that the friendly passer-by was in fact picking his pocket. The Crossbreed save Brian and return his wallet, sending him off with:<br /><br />"Welcome to Astro City, young man. God be with you."<br /><br />So the street evangelists aren't nuisances after all. They are shown here seeking the bodily, as well as spiritual salvation of the people of Astro City. And the man who is so quick to dismiss them as annoying-but-harmless is in fact the predator.<br /><br />The Crossbreed turn up twice more in this comic. They are seen being harassed by an angry crowd as anti-hero sentiment in Astro City rises. The crowd turning against their saviours would have been heavily resonant with the story of Christ regardless, but this resonance is highlighted by the explicitly Christian status of the Crossbreed. They are called the Jesus Freaks, and they, like Jesus, are rejected by the crowd.<br /><br />Finally, the Crossbreed turn up at the climax of the story, swooping in to save Altar Boy from the newly revealed alien menace. They are a sort of Deus Ex Machina, coming out of nowhere with no warning or foreshadowing to save Altar Boy after his mentor the Confessor has died. Now, Deus Ex Machina are a trope of superhero comics, and you could argue that that is how superheroes themselves nearly always function. Still, in this case the <span style="font-style:italic;">Deus</span> is a little more explicit than usual. There are any number of superheroes that could have showed up at the last minute to rescue Altar Boy, but the appearance of the Crossbreed signifies the intervention of God in this world. The Crossbreed, remember, believe that their power is a gift from God. So they are, at the least, a manifestation in this world of a certain kind of religiosity, and possibly even God's agents in the world. As Altar Boy is carried away by Mary, he muses: "I was saved by an angel".<br /><br />Busiek presents here in minuscule an idea more fully articulated in his Superman story "Superman: Angels", where the suggestion is that God sends his gifts to protect us, and to inspire us: that since Superman does both, he <span style="font-style:italic;">is</span> an angel--the agent of God on earth.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Whew. This is getting a little long. I think that for the sake of readability I'll leave it here and continue with an examination of the character of the Confessor in my next post, later this week.</span>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02096471933856066338noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-59034508824922212032009-02-08T17:17:00.000-08:002009-02-13T18:50:13.351-08:00Sita Sings The Blues<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZkyIh8Tdz4Bl0e7zwi9hyyZBr82dRx5WgVPWRNJGwwoWKI4PjTchbLT5gTojNxhaNHt6DoN9dYUEckCsePR3EZAB3XknVgE9K5uGCb175qO1F1NdKEbp6UlB2YCTyG9lUQ1KtGWrKmYe/s1600-h/05.RamSitaGods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZkyIh8Tdz4Bl0e7zwi9hyyZBr82dRx5WgVPWRNJGwwoWKI4PjTchbLT5gTojNxhaNHt6DoN9dYUEckCsePR3EZAB3XknVgE9K5uGCb175qO1F1NdKEbp6UlB2YCTyG9lUQ1KtGWrKmYe/s320/05.RamSitaGods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300604230591917826" border="0" /></a><br />So this isn't exactly a comic. But animation counts too, right? Right. Check out <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/brewtv/sita.html">this funky-fresh eleven-minute excerpt</a> from <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/brewtv/sita.html">Nina Paley's</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Sita Sings the Blues</span>, which is based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana">the Ramayana</a>. It looks great. I would snap up a DVD of this, but unfortunately the use of old jazz songs has created copyright problems and so the film's distribution has been delayed somewhat. Though <a href="http://blog.ninapaley.com/2009/01/30/sita-almost-free/">it sounds like they're making progress</a>.<br /><br />PS: Apparently Paley has faced opposition <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXmy5cr_cV8&feature=related">not only from copyright lawyers but also fundamentalist Hindu nationalists, who've threatened to hang her</a>!Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-3502623275759028972009-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:002009-02-07T19:27:53.222-08:00At the Edge of the Mind of GodWhew. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Crisis">DC's epic Final Crisis</a> event has come to a conclusion. I think it has certain flaws, but the main Grant Morrison storyline (laid out in Final Crisis & <a href="http://comics.ign.com/objects/142/14255877.html">Superman Beyond</a>) contains so many genius moments that I'll be re-reading it for years to come. One theme was divinity, and all the positive and negative variations of that concept. Morrison laid out some of his ideas in an interview over at IGN. Here are some of the more theological/metaphysical ones:<br /><br /><b></b><blockquote><b>GN Comics: So if you'd go so far as to say the DC Multiverse is as real and as organic as anything, would you say that the story of <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/923/923906.html">Superman</a> is its heart? </b><br /><br /><b>Morrison:</b> Yeah, totally. Because it all derived from Superman. I mean, I love all the characters, but Superman is just this perfect human pop-culture distillation of a really basic idea. He's a good guy. He loves us. He will not stop in defending us. How beautiful is that? He's like a sci-fi Jesus. He'll never let you down. And only in fiction can that guy actually exist, because real guys will always let you down one way or another. We actually made up an idea that beautiful. That's just cool to me. We made a little paper universe where all of the above is true.<br /><br /></blockquote>A bit further on:<br /><br /><b></b><blockquote><b>IGN Comics: I want to get to the Monitors and their overall role in Crisis and Beyond, especially the role played by Nix Uotan - am I saying that right? </b><br /><br /><b>Morrison:</b> It's pronounced "Wotan." Every one of them is named after writer gods from different cultures. So Uotan is named after Odin or Wotan from the Norse/Germanic tradition. Ogama is Ogma from the Celtic gods. Hermuz is after Hermes the Greek god. Tahoteh is after Thoth the Egyptian god. Novu is after Nabu from the Babylonian pantheon…there's a ton of them. The women's names, Weeja Dell, Zillo Valla, were inspired by the greatest lost love of them all, Shalla-Bal from Stan Lee's Silver Surfer.<br /><br /><b>IGN Comics: So that kind of answers my question, which is that the Monitors all seem like analogs for storytellers. There seems to be this never-ending cycle of the stories affecting the storytellers and the storytellers affecting the stories and on and on. </b><br /><br /><b>Morrison:</b> Yeah, it's a bit of that. It's also the idea that they're like angels as well. For me, the cool, essential idea of all stories being real creates this great cosmology to play with. It's the notion that the white page itself is a void, and in the context of the DC Universe, well that's God or The Source. In the white page, or the void, anything can happen, everything is possible. As I dug down closer to the very root of the activity I find myself engaged in as a career, I was thinking "what is the basis of the comic book story? What actually <i>is</i> it?"<br /><br />In the case of comic book stories, it's the war between white page and ink. And who's to say that the page might want that particular story drawn on it? [laughs] What happens if the page is a bit pissed off at the story that's drawn on it? So I thought of the page as God. The idea being that the Overvoid – as we called it in Final Crisis - of the white page as a space is sort of God. And it's condensing stories out of itself because it finds inside its own gigantic white space, self-absorbed pristine consciousness, it finds this little stain or mark, this DC Multiverse somebody has 'drawn'. And it starts investigating, and it's just shocked with what it sees, with all the crazy activity and signifying going on in there. It then tries to protect itself from the seething contact with 'story' and imagines a race of beings, 'angels' or 'monitors' (another word for angel, of course) to function as an interface between its own giant eternal magnificence and this tiny, weird crawling anthill of life and significance that is the DC Multiverse.<br /><br /></blockquote>Morrison goes on to talk about dualities (or symmetries) and unity:<br /><br /><b></b><blockquote><b>IGN Comics: You get into that in Superman Beyond #2 with the Superman and Ultraman dynamic. </b><br /><br /><b>Morrison:</b> Yeah. Again, on the very edge of the art and the edge of the mind of God there are these two big concepts fighting – Superman and Mandrakk, Predation and Protection, Greed and Preservation, Ugly and Beautiful, Youth and Age, Good and Evil, Black and White, Is and Isn't and all the others. Beyond that crumbling ledge in Monitor-World, those concepts don't exist and it's all non-dual Monitor mind, or God, or Kirby's Source, in which all contradictions are resolved into unity. It's funny, the more I talk about it, the more I'm getting into it!<br /><br /></blockquote>It's well worth reading - after you read the comics, of course!<br />[via <a href="http://upperfortstewart.com/">Ian</a>]Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-1788948245017994882009-02-05T17:55:00.000-08:002009-02-05T18:04:32.730-08:00Marvel's former president re-translating GenesisYes indeed. From the New Jersey Star-Ledger:<br /><br /><blockquote>To millions of Americans fascinated by comic-book superheroes, Bill Jemas of Princeton is an industry legend who helped breathe life into Marvel Enterprises by pushing the wildly successful "Ultimate Spider-Man" series that rejuvenated the company.<br /><br />These days, however, Jemas, a high-energy 51-year-old whose controversial four years as Marvel's president remain fodder for comic-book blogs, finds himself engrossed in a task far removed from dialogue balloons.<br /><br />Each morning before sunrise, for the last three years, the Rutgers and Harvard Law School graduate has labored over the Bible, specifically the Book of Genesis in Hebrew, the language in which it was first written.<br /><br />His goal is to write an English translation of Genesis that is truer to the Hebrew text than are widely used English translations like the famed King James Version. He already has completed the first chapter, available online and in his book "Genesis Rejuvenated."</blockquote><br />Later in the article we hear from a more conventional Bible scholar:<br /><br /><blockquote>"There are already Hebrew dictionaries, and there are plenty of translations of Genesis," said Bruce Chilton, a religion professor at Bard College in New York. "There are commentaries on Genesis. There are books on Genesis. But what Bill has done here that's innovative is, he's put the materials together in such a way that a beginning reader can see the Book of Genesis as being filled with possibilities of meaning, and not just limited to a single meaning.<br /><br />"What he is doing here is opening up the world of Genesis so that the reader is encouraged to read word for word, understanding that we're dealing with a major shift of language from Hebrew into English."<br /><br />Jemas, who was raised Roman Catholic, married a Jewish woman and now attends a Reconstructionist synagogue in Princeton. He said he makes no claim that his translation is more accurate than others. But he wants readers to consider the possibility that decisions of past English translators are not sacrosanct.</blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/comics_guy_sets_his_sights_on.html">Read the whole thing!</a> (via <a href="http://upperfortstewart.com/">Ian</a>)Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-84830360609946539422009-01-31T19:15:00.001-08:002009-01-31T19:37:59.070-08:00And Dick Grayson's preferred Bible translation is...In <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwing</span> #13, Bruce Wayne comes to visit Dick Grayson (formerly Robin, now Nightwing) at his new apartment:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJa7xns7eUZJXctZw6dvLgVd5gKQbATxzYLS54l70NIe9RQeWxk3GR6GSEQOzFBxI_HgQtmDjer_UpFh7KGV9xcPb7aVymumzVF7a200saIcNNvR66qejvngnE4tl5PlmjrHPT749ICdEb/s1600-h/Bible+version.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJa7xns7eUZJXctZw6dvLgVd5gKQbATxzYLS54l70NIe9RQeWxk3GR6GSEQOzFBxI_HgQtmDjer_UpFh7KGV9xcPb7aVymumzVF7a200saIcNNvR66qejvngnE4tl5PlmjrHPT749ICdEb/s400/Bible+version.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297663407774571250" border="0" /></a>Huh? Nightwing has a copy of the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Zondervan-Study-Bible-Kenneth-Barker/dp/0310929555/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233459231&sr=1-2">New International Version</a> - with a bookmark in it, even? Why? For research? It's true that some supervillains are not above leaving obscure scriptural references as clues. Personally, I think the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-Augmented-Revised-Standard/dp/0195288815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233459329&sr=1-1">Oxford Annotated NRSV</a> would be much better for research purposes, but I guess he's got to be prepared for those conservative Protestant supervillains who insist on using the NIV. Of course, he may be actually reading it himself...<br /><br />(Found in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Nightwing-Vol-2-Rough-Justice/dp/1563895234/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233459130&sr=8-1">Nightwing: Rough Justice</a>, 1999. Written by Chuck Dixon, penciled by Scott McDaniel, inked by Karl Story.)Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-84962555086297763932008-12-28T18:17:00.000-08:002009-11-12T12:34:28.356-08:00Crucifixion in the work of Grant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a masterful storyteller. One of his signature techniques is the use of evocative religious symbols to lend his tales more power and gravitas. Given its centrality in Western art and culture it's no surprise that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion_of_Jesus">The Crucifixion</a> is a motif he's employed. But it is striking how frequently he returns to it. Here's a quick tour through his body of work, beginning in 1989:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gicVkFFFyfHWp8uTbHder_V-5houir-O03TGDAWRgw7rLXKXZmzawiIBmvN01UDsBMsUwn2PM51Q0BCBKGTQbcDbJI0FgqwTn4YxzaeomdMtHWnBjsvV-PVQK0xClGWlMfaF9yi8zEsu/s1600-h/Animal+Man+5+-+Jan.+1989+A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gicVkFFFyfHWp8uTbHder_V-5houir-O03TGDAWRgw7rLXKXZmzawiIBmvN01UDsBMsUwn2PM51Q0BCBKGTQbcDbJI0FgqwTn4YxzaeomdMtHWnBjsvV-PVQK0xClGWlMfaF9yi8zEsu/s400/Animal+Man+5+-+Jan.+1989+A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287144209691171666" border="0" /></a><div>This is the cover of <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Man-Book/dp/1563890054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018890&sr=1-1">Animal Man</a> number 5, from January 1989. The issue is entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Coyote Gospel</span>, and it remains one of Morrison's better-known stories. Animal Man himself is not crucified in this story; that fate symbolically befalls a thinly disguised Wile E. Coyote:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IkgcI_K2pyG_GsT4zRePo3YtiaWrPMDAI5kQz1KpX_aVggT_UHJTnVNygpvSQ2o2-N6rUrsuAyF892k_AQC7m-rYmVvnw8NuZrMJsTYO2hkUX8z2QxJwj4beWuwfW7prCq41fOoMCQBm/s1600-h/Animal+Man+5+-+Jan.+1989+Closeup+A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 358px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IkgcI_K2pyG_GsT4zRePo3YtiaWrPMDAI5kQz1KpX_aVggT_UHJTnVNygpvSQ2o2-N6rUrsuAyF892k_AQC7m-rYmVvnw8NuZrMJsTYO2hkUX8z2QxJwj4beWuwfW7prCq41fOoMCQBm/s400/Animal+Man+5+-+Jan.+1989+Closeup+A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287144210484738450" border="0" /></a>The coyote gave himself up to suffer at the hands of his cruel creator in exchange for the safety for his cartoon animal brethren. We eventually find out that this situation somewhat resembles Animal Man's own in relation to his creator, Grant Morrison. It's all very self-referential, but well worth reading.<br /><br />Next comes the popular <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-Asylum-15th-Anniversary/dp/1401204252"><span style="font-style: italic;">Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth</span></a>, also from 1989:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdZq3W7hP_EkTfxK7S-m7jSi6gFXooDUZYAk5Um6xxfq0DBwfXtGVuuTda50vVM33nb4-P9LeJY-ObS2Wc6Pkiahcr-hYDS4NHSC3tcEYYqmQDxhqyNLQFbhjxneBg2_kvOIFz4aP7Qbi/s1600-h/Arkham+Asylum+1989+A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdZq3W7hP_EkTfxK7S-m7jSi6gFXooDUZYAk5Um6xxfq0DBwfXtGVuuTda50vVM33nb4-P9LeJY-ObS2Wc6Pkiahcr-hYDS4NHSC3tcEYYqmQDxhqyNLQFbhjxneBg2_kvOIFz4aP7Qbi/s400/Arkham+Asylum+1989+A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287144854857466706" border="0" /></a><br />Batman spears the villain Killer Croc and is speared in return. "What wounds are these? I am Attis on the pine. Christ on the cedar. Odin on the world-ash." On the next page Killer Croc jumps out of a window, the spear still in his side:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlqYXihE5FJZndcUOh6TyndtuHebuT-cXlmLJ4uhdR-2NnCvox10ERjW6rX4i2-6SiD7Zc4b9rF_SxfHW9o04pxp374RpvCsy8hW_lSIYbmMtIHr5zmlan96xJo_nZkXPzqW6AvEuzMkn/s1600-h/Arkham+Asylum+1989+B.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlqYXihE5FJZndcUOh6TyndtuHebuT-cXlmLJ4uhdR-2NnCvox10ERjW6rX4i2-6SiD7Zc4b9rF_SxfHW9o04pxp374RpvCsy8hW_lSIYbmMtIHr5zmlan96xJo_nZkXPzqW6AvEuzMkn/s400/Arkham+Asylum+1989+B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287144854437802786" border="0" /></a><br />Morrison's original storyboard notes:<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Croc is framed in the shattering window as it explodes beneath his weight. His arms are thrown wide, in an attitude of crucifixion. The broken spear juts from his side and the shattering glass creates a jagged halo around his vast, deformed head. He becomes the image of the Serpent/Christ (and also evokes Moby Dick, with the harpoon in his side) a medieval allegory which Jung interpreted as being symbolic of "an overcoming of the unconscious and, at the same time, of the attitude of the son who unconsciously hangs on his mother.""</span><br /><br />He added this commentary for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-Asylum-15th-Anniversary/dp/1401204252/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231009535&sr=1-1">15th anniversary edition</a>: <span style="font-style: italic;">"In Qabalistic numerology, Christ = Satan = Messiah, which is why Croc appears here in crucifixion pose, taking the place of Christ on this blasphemous cross. In this scene, Batman reunites Christ and Serpent, then confronts and overcomes his own attachment to his Mother in a perverse nightmare of lizards, lace and bridal embroidery. Much of this subtextual material was lost on the casual reader but that didn't seem to stop us from shifting mega-amounts of copies. I do believe that people respond emotionally to deep mythical patterns whether or not they actually recognise or "understand" them as such, but the fact that our book launched at the time of the outrageously successful Batman film by Tim Burton probably helped more than anything else."</span><br /><br />I tend to think <span style="font-style: italic;">Arkham Asylum</span> lays on the pop psychology a bit too thick, but Morrison's use of "deep mythical patterns" continues throughout his career. Here's 1990's <span style="font-style: italic;">Doom Patrol</span>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTk2mVyuDmZKk5y3lXNkLVwxNJSurjLRhashSFC2-TTuYog-Kt1GoDM69BReDDLjYLIYddoOxYN5Tf2fCw11gr15TboBTE-UgT1dRjRIpqdJ2qtifNkk6w4PqYzHU-YtO8ocJ9lDvKWe2/s1600-h/Doom+Patrol+30+March+90+Closeup.jpg"><br /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC0KXh4MvSiovrmNShcGspnPdfiZjJdZEw4GOaiHOvv03-Ecxh4tshcciZIlMWhmBVsxai-qZ6eHpHKM3lc0E8j1mKGtjDE5M9g7gbBkMzxOljsDVItvOqNZEX-H2tbc6o69OT85E0HlX/s1600-h/Doom+Patrol+30+March+90+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinC0KXh4MvSiovrmNShcGspnPdfiZjJdZEw4GOaiHOvv03-Ecxh4tshcciZIlMWhmBVsxai-qZ6eHpHKM3lc0E8j1mKGtjDE5M9g7gbBkMzxOljsDVItvOqNZEX-H2tbc6o69OT85E0HlX/s400/Doom+Patrol+30+March+90+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287145968254346162" border="0" /></a><div>(<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Doom-Patrol-Book-Painting-Paris/dp/1401203426/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018616&sr=1-2">Doom Patrol</a> no. 30, March 1990.) Cliff the robot-man takes a journey through his friend Jane's subconscious. Crazy Jane, aka Kay Challis, was sexually abused by her father, but managed to function by creating an alternate personality named Miranda and surpressing Kay's memories. After being raped and killing her attacker (in a church on Easter Sunday), Miranda was destroyed and 64 alternate personalities took her place, Jane being one of the most prominent. As the panel above explains, personalities like Stigmata exist to bear and absorb Kay/Jane's suffering. Cliff manages to help her somewhat, and later in the series, Jane seeks to heal and reunite her shattered psyche:<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-DNVZDcbTSpJn2RWiQZ-RsUofuT67yurPwjUQwMY5EE28PdTHxWYbHV0peBdmIs4bMxsShyDG5E7zbjNq8DNi7iWY7N5prKWVBPw-AfAt0qp1jVVTBgHp2IqrZtLPvI-LTcG8Tl7Krx6/s1600-h/Doom+Patrol+55+May+92+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-DNVZDcbTSpJn2RWiQZ-RsUofuT67yurPwjUQwMY5EE28PdTHxWYbHV0peBdmIs4bMxsShyDG5E7zbjNq8DNi7iWY7N5prKWVBPw-AfAt0qp1jVVTBgHp2IqrZtLPvI-LTcG8Tl7Krx6/s400/Doom+Patrol+55+May+92+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287145967869215618" border="0" /></a><p>(From <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Doom-Patrol-Planet-Love-6/dp/1401216242/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018616&sr=1-3">Doom Patrol</a> no. 55 May 92.) The crucifix symbolizes both the rape which sparked the fragmentation, as well as the immense pain which a reunited Jane would have to take back from personalities like Stigmata.<br /></p><p>Next up we have a series created from scratch by Morrison himself, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Invisibles</span> (language warning for these next two):<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1CVfl9z81bKhKuJmgFZsBzzdyJCPJKZv7emSBLECXof_Ujc7_E-0lJcCFiuMgSnMtN49cGr_QgoodcznvZD9r758V6XQTg34Euu3QVXjR-8ueB1JaeRLI_upz3BcGlraIRHl6atIWeBv/s1600-h/Invisibles+Vol.+1+No.+21+1996.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1CVfl9z81bKhKuJmgFZsBzzdyJCPJKZv7emSBLECXof_Ujc7_E-0lJcCFiuMgSnMtN49cGr_QgoodcznvZD9r758V6XQTg34Euu3QVXjR-8ueB1JaeRLI_upz3BcGlraIRHl6atIWeBv/s400/Invisibles+Vol.+1+No.+21+1996.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287146890207960978" border="0" /></a><p>This is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entropy-UK-Invisibles-Book-3/dp/1563897288/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018396&sr=1-3"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Invisibles</span></a>, vol. 1, no. 21, from 1996. Young Dane encounters Barbelith, which is... complicated. Basically, Barbelith is trying to help humanity liberate itself from the crushing burden of suffering and evil it is trapped under. (Personally I find this page to be a stunning and unforgettable existential statement about what Terry Eagleton calls the "recalcitrance" of the human condition. As Eagleton <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ-Revolutions-Terry-Eagleton/dp/1844671763">writes</a>: <span style="font-style: italic;">"The crucifixion proclaims that the truth of human history is a tortured political criminal."</span>) Later in the same issue Dane experiences the pain of humanity himself:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup7JuJUg8bD3xiF7txYf_mmremCQYWy83iWyGxJViWstElwJIrTVHcbGYzcIfd2y_zSHOuL5f8LPDbSHh05WdC2N16gXBd_hiXPDT3l66kVWYne0Irk-pm66S72LF7i4z1AoztMXmAGnH/s1600-h/Invisibles+Vol.+1+No.+21+1996+Closeup+B.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup7JuJUg8bD3xiF7txYf_mmremCQYWy83iWyGxJViWstElwJIrTVHcbGYzcIfd2y_zSHOuL5f8LPDbSHh05WdC2N16gXBd_hiXPDT3l66kVWYne0Irk-pm66S72LF7i4z1AoztMXmAGnH/s400/Invisibles+Vol.+1+No.+21+1996+Closeup+B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287146616708143234" border="0" /></a>Barbelith tells Dane that he must transform himself and the rest will follow - as above, so below. And, in fact, Dane will go on to be the saviour of humanity and the new Buddha. Morrison here mixes Christian, Gnostic, and Buddhist imagery (as he will later with Mister Miracle - see below.)<br /></p><p>I don't have the image for it, but another crucifixion appears later on in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Counting-None-Invisibles-Book-5/dp/1563894890/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018396&sr=1-7"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Invisibles</span> </a>(vol. 2, no. 20). A bug-eyed alien is nailed to a wall by the bad guys and forced to witness depravity, pain and death. The comic makes it clear that Morrison is expressing a Gnostic myth about the divine being trapped in its own creation. This is a major theme of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Invisibles</span>.<br /></p>Heady stuff! Back in the regular DC superhero universe...<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafyjlmBZhTrBGLUO85lZmii5kAzYXFEIqmu7KIYQK9I6sX6eCa1RukK4qpYdcXGTRrJ1GPPYFU8umjMqdyXRrUytnLHn3kjwWUWub1myKf1PBqhupu-HCNwbrsUd0JhOrGMfUdyvlh02I/s1600-h/Aztek+10+May+97+Closeup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285050286992998386" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 118px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafyjlmBZhTrBGLUO85lZmii5kAzYXFEIqmu7KIYQK9I6sX6eCa1RukK4qpYdcXGTRrJ1GPPYFU8umjMqdyXRrUytnLHn3kjwWUWub1myKf1PBqhupu-HCNwbrsUd0JhOrGMfUdyvlh02I/s320/Aztek+10+May+97+Closeup.jpg" border="0" /></a>Superman is crucified by Darkseid! From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/JLA-Presents-Aztek-Ultimate-Man/dp/1401216889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018254&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">JLA Presents: Aztek, The Ultimate Man</span></a> no. 10, May 1997, co-written with Mark Millar. Fortunately, this was just a simulation, meant to test Aztek's superhero skills and fitness for membership in the Justice League of America.</p>All of the above comics were for DC, but Morrison also wrote Marvel's flagship comic, <span style="font-style: italic;">The X-Men</span>. Here the symbolism is a little more oblique, but have a look at these two images:<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwjz6TFfdWWB-iu35vdsKTSmXIMREOukMMWhkxSsA_-4enM3oxOw77p6aQf5qTt0LbM2JPnena7zseAfdf9w-c6eD9sVtIdNo7VNpPsK7VPCEiQwW6m9lGa1Z9wFGFICwVFgGYxTLDkWt/s1600-h/New+X-Men+121+February+2002+A+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwjz6TFfdWWB-iu35vdsKTSmXIMREOukMMWhkxSsA_-4enM3oxOw77p6aQf5qTt0LbM2JPnena7zseAfdf9w-c6eD9sVtIdNo7VNpPsK7VPCEiQwW6m9lGa1Z9wFGFICwVFgGYxTLDkWt/s400/New+X-Men+121+February+2002+A+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287147843169435474" border="0" /></a>(From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-X-Men-Vol-Grant-Morrison/dp/0785132511/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231018210&sr=1-2"><span style="font-style: italic;">New X-Men</span></a> no. 121, February 2002.) In a mostly-silent issue, Jean Grey enters Charles Xavier's psyche. Morrison's storyboard notes: <span style="font-style: italic;">"The second tier is filled with Xavier faces, screaming, laughing, howling, crying guardians - extreme emotional defence systems to ward off telepathic invaders. Pointing, accusing, hiding their eyes, pontificating. A smaller figure of Jean spins away from us, down into the center. Splashing into the one face which is calm, Christ-like in its quiet suffering expression."</span> Further in, Jean sees this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LaramVGBNe5r5TV20Og6LTbkJRb8X88Qe4L778xN3n8uGBIBi5XTioDsLUcvqjXvPRJlTIy1IAiZv3rqJFeqHKa95eYTpjVSXuHEP9r0MR3ugtLnthxyS6QK10D3S_x7WtBg_y2ZrWBe/s1600-h/New+X-Men+121+February+2002+B+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LaramVGBNe5r5TV20Og6LTbkJRb8X88Qe4L778xN3n8uGBIBi5XTioDsLUcvqjXvPRJlTIy1IAiZv3rqJFeqHKa95eYTpjVSXuHEP9r0MR3ugtLnthxyS6QK10D3S_x7WtBg_y2ZrWBe/s400/New+X-Men+121+February+2002+B+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287147851334457890" border="0" /></a><br />Morrison wrote: <span style="font-style: italic;">"Charles Xavier in grotesque pose, holding his vast swollen dripping brain, like an Atlas. Xavier struggling with the gross weight of his own imprisoned thoughts, sunk to the thighs in bubbling slime and tar like some monstrous Blakean figure. As a nod to Dali, there's an exploded wheelchair hovering in bits around Xavier. The components hang in strange splendor - Xavier's own version of the hypercubist cross." </span><span>So, a bit more abstract, but not entirely unrelated.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></p><p>Back in the DC Universe, a few years later, we're back to basics:<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_vH54tVVLGUab-ETShGH27gfSh8U_8sHVhY_IxrB6PtP7sufh_qZjTsMkSK5jUoDc0lnPKK2FB3KJNTVtXI49Ul6P0E_bhv6mtx5N6I8dmKTfD9PkOILj9cCuiWLOeAwIFWo5aWPUUFm/s1600-h/Seven+Soldiers+of+Victory+Mister+Miracle+1+2005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_vH54tVVLGUab-ETShGH27gfSh8U_8sHVhY_IxrB6PtP7sufh_qZjTsMkSK5jUoDc0lnPKK2FB3KJNTVtXI49Ul6P0E_bhv6mtx5N6I8dmKTfD9PkOILj9cCuiWLOeAwIFWo5aWPUUFm/s400/Seven+Soldiers+of+Victory+Mister+Miracle+1+2005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287149786003868322" border="0" /></a>This is from the cover of <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Soldiers-Victory-Vol-3/dp/1401209769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231017732&sr=1-1">Seven Soldiers of Victory</a>: Mister Miracle</span> no. 1, 2005. Miracle is originally one of the New Gods from Jack Kirby's Fourth World pantheon. In Morrison's introduction to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Kirbys-Fourth-World-Omnibus/dp/1401213448">volume one of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Fourth World Omnibus</span></a>, he refers to the original <span style="font-style: italic;">Mister Miracle</span> comic as "the New Testament strand" of Kirby's mythology. Here Miracle is the evocatively named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Miracle_%28Shilo_Norman%29">Shilo Norman</a>, who descends into a black hole attached to the cross-shaped restraint pictured above. (In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:7_soldiers_miracle.png">original image</a> the cross is upside down.) He eventually escapes but not before finding his way out of Darkseid's false reality of degradation and suffering, a storyline which incorporates Christian, Gnostic, Buddhist and Norse elements. Part of it involves being betrayed by everyone, beaten, burnt, castrated, and left humiliated, hopeless and crippled. (See also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_53">the Suffering Servant</a>, etc.) Note the crucifix pose from this scene in a later issue:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMPU7-NIBi3K-bEH_xnymoJIrwiaBTeS1FIZJ4EU7YU9mCO2dB3TTgLMWs56j1wRU37Zxxsl_aHW4e9yVZ2gEljfqGgTVsp7S5gRNjDyaWSPFsreojiUfjBElM0gnSUX-R2CBAtdksR0R/s1600-h/SSoV+Mister+Miracle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285069132051667746" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 190px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMPU7-NIBi3K-bEH_xnymoJIrwiaBTeS1FIZJ4EU7YU9mCO2dB3TTgLMWs56j1wRU37Zxxsl_aHW4e9yVZ2gEljfqGgTVsp7S5gRNjDyaWSPFsreojiUfjBElM0gnSUX-R2CBAtdksR0R/s400/SSoV+Mister+Miracle.jpg" border="0" /></a><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Soldiers-Victory-Vol-4/dp/1401209777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231017899&sr=1-1">(Seven Soldiers of Victory</a><span style="font-style: italic;">: Mister Miracle</span> no. 3, 2006.) After escaping Darkseid's hell, Mr. Miracle returns to reality and, like Christ giving himself up in ransom for Adam, exchanges himself for Darkseid's prisoner Aurakles, the first super-hero. Darkseid tells him his victory was meaningless, takes him into a basement and shoots him in the head. The very last page of the entire <span style="font-style: italic;">Seven Soldiers of Victory</span> series, however, shows a deified Miracle reaching out of the ground. In Morrison's <span style="font-style: italic;">Final Crisis</span>, Miracle will go on to tell a friend: "Then three days later, I crawled out of my own grave. The whole world thought it was Mister Miracle's biggest ever stunt. But it was real. What I did was impossible."<br /><br />Speaking of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Final-Crisis-Grant-Morrison/dp/1401222811"><span style="font-style: italic;">Final Crisis</span></a>, Morrison's ongoing DC project:<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4xrz2RXvVXHqk5Ni6HiwizWxaeLfWc67llvZa6aeUz8HQi3jCi2CF9-oCsRNzo42waJjjhJ888ZjP7O8yyUY_AzY109rceoqHSOpvI7s0yomPHS_dyZG74AYg19ZsE-NjqoE4jHVjNGF/s1600-h/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+B+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4xrz2RXvVXHqk5Ni6HiwizWxaeLfWc67llvZa6aeUz8HQi3jCi2CF9-oCsRNzo42waJjjhJ888ZjP7O8yyUY_AzY109rceoqHSOpvI7s0yomPHS_dyZG74AYg19ZsE-NjqoE4jHVjNGF/s400/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+B+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287150802561152258" border="0" /></a></p><p>This is from the cover of <span style="font-style: italic;">Final Crisis</span> no. 2, August 2008. <a href="http://upperfortstewart.com/about/">Ian</a> described it to me as "Batman crucified on a piece of New Gods Kirbytech" and that's pretty much what it is. Early on in the heavily theological series Batman is captured by the evil minions of Darkseid. This page provides more details:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroWA0Y52-_JLjcqDQDr_R0mURpWc7tsBdSP6b1gJvlteXsRdLDnTdI9s7BWMUXPeGxrZwny1ZZT2IWXGErJtnX9cpnQCuv4bALTZQf7uHqtvcz_cGuhDYk1pouhMxcrLl0shVEgJJhalu/s1600-h/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+C+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroWA0Y52-_JLjcqDQDr_R0mURpWc7tsBdSP6b1gJvlteXsRdLDnTdI9s7BWMUXPeGxrZwny1ZZT2IWXGErJtnX9cpnQCuv4bALTZQf7uHqtvcz_cGuhDYk1pouhMxcrLl0shVEgJJhalu/s400/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+C+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287150803018796114" border="0" /></a></p><p>Is that syringe-studded helmet standing in for a crown of thorns? Anyways, Batman is not the only one to be crucified in that issue. Green Lantern John Stewart is nailed to a wooden crate by a mysterious assailant:<br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXealCKJhwE3Sa3qIaOgkTOls_Srrg9HTu8rbgzUM3p2-u7VT4xqe_tTALCgJt0D3lkJAGNp6glH0Ct2B4UZmxBm6jmGb45KhDJPbBQuWQMdHZD4LLtI04DeaOfZqLEbQTp2LhwfXexxQ/s1600-h/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+A+Closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXealCKJhwE3Sa3qIaOgkTOls_Srrg9HTu8rbgzUM3p2-u7VT4xqe_tTALCgJt0D3lkJAGNp6glH0Ct2B4UZmxBm6jmGb45KhDJPbBQuWQMdHZD4LLtI04DeaOfZqLEbQTp2LhwfXexxQ/s400/Final+Crisis+2+August+2008+A+Closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287150806671981490" border="0" /></a></p><p>In <span style="font-style: italic;">Final Crisis</span> the Justice League is faced with the doom foreshadowed in <span style="font-style: italic;">Aztek</span>: defeat and torment at the hands of Darkseid. I'd heartily recommend following it, though it might be a bit confusing if you don't know the DC universe.<br /></p><p>Whew. I'm sure there some examples I've missed, so this tour may not be exhaustive, but it has been kind of exhausting! Anyways, hopefully this helps shed some light on the recurring themes, and brain, of Grant Morrison.</p><p>[PS: for an image from 2000's <span style="font-style: italic;">Marvel Boy</span>, which I discovered a few months after completing this post, <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2009/03/crucifixion-fixation-redux.html">click here.</a>]<br /></p>Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-36880697786961325502008-12-15T20:39:00.000-08:002009-01-03T14:09:01.248-08:00The Beast's God<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQM5rr0C1iWzqmJ66B2CmCwZ4E5r7Mw13LsnO5U0pklC4OTr4bJnRL7e8hVmNlj7MXiiB13mmk_SIZs9vOTK6nsnEZ4ZW37G-W22mxlD6-kHJbUpIIvdVY09bhNGlebjxWeZZ9FvzSfIz/s1600-h/Beast_0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280244028537710306" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 225px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQM5rr0C1iWzqmJ66B2CmCwZ4E5r7Mw13LsnO5U0pklC4OTr4bJnRL7e8hVmNlj7MXiiB13mmk_SIZs9vOTK6nsnEZ4ZW37G-W22mxlD6-kHJbUpIIvdVY09bhNGlebjxWeZZ9FvzSfIz/s400/Beast_0002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A beautiful, elegaic moment from Mike Carey and Scot Eaton in <em>X-Men: Divided We Stand</em> #2. Hank McCoy, aka Beast, is standing in the ruins of Xavier's school, casting the ashes of his top secret files to the winds. Xavier's not dead, exactly, but after nearly dying has been remade into someone new who doesn't remember much about the past. <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Divided-Stand-Mike-Carey/dp/0785132651">Divided We Stand</a></em> features ten short tales about the scattered X-Men, by a variety of writers and artists, and they're surprisingly good.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Newton and Einstein tended to mean very different things when they used the word "God," but it still works. We know Beast is a scientist, and he's expressing a scientist's spirituality.</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div>Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-26089127378837915992008-11-20T07:29:00.000-08:002008-11-20T07:33:46.265-08:00Why Grant Morrison is wrong about religion (and right about ontology)How did I miss this one? At <A href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/100831-Morrison-Superman8.html" target="_blank">Newsarama</A>, Grant Morrison talks about religion, spirituality, and God. It's a bit annoying, frankly, mostly because he starts out with this:</P><P style="margin-left: 40px"><em>I think religion per se, is a ghastly blight on the progress of the human species towards the stars. At the same time, it, or something like it, has been an undeniable source of comfort, meaning and hope for the majority of poor bastards who have ever lived on Earth, so I’m not trying to write it off completely.</em></P><P>But it soon becomes clear that when Morrison says "religion" he means "church." Unsurprisingly, he doesn't like hierarchy, but he most certainly does believe in transcendence.</P><P style="margin-left: 40px"><em>As I’ve said before, the solid world is just the part of heaven we’re privileged to touch and play with. You don’t need a priest or a holy man to talk to “god” on your behalf just close your eyes and say hello: "god” is no more, no less, than the sum total of all matter, all energy, all consciousness, as experienced or conceptualized from a timeless perspective where everything ever seems to present all at once. “God” is in everything, all the time and can be found there by looking carefully. The entire universe, including the scary, evil bits, is a thought “God” is thinking, right now.</em></P><P>Which is, in my mind,is pretty spot-on. It's an old idea called panentheism (not to be confused with pantheism), and it's been appearing in writing—<em>religious</em> writing—for centuries. What are process theology, Kabbalah, and Sufism if not religious? Morrison, it seems would call them "spirituality"—and he argues that "Religion is to spirituality what porn is to sex."</P><P>I've always found the distinction between "religion" and "spirituality" unsatisfying. It's like people who argue that they hate science fiction, but that they love Orwell (for instance), or Margaret Atwood. <em>1984</em> and <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em> aren't SF, and why? because people who aren't SF fans like them. Their picture of SF is a caricature, just as the picture of "religion" as a cruel hierarchy is a caricature (and a mostly outmoded one at that. The most politically conservative churches have <em>no</em> hierarchy.) </P><P>To Grant Morrison, to all those who draw a line between religion and spirituality, I say: it's okay. "Religion" is bigger than you think. There's room in here for lots of ideas. Just as the universe, in a panentheistic system, is part of God, spirituality is part of religion.</P><P>He talks about <em>All-Star Superman</em> some, too, and whether or not Superman is a Christ figure. Read that segment of Newsarama's 10-part interview <A href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/100831-Morrison-Superman8.html" target="_blank">here</A>.</P><br /><br /><i>This post previously appeared in an ever-so-slightly different form at <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2008/11/heroes-and-mythology-grant-morrison-on-religion-and-god.html"target="new">SF Gospel.</a></i>Gabriel Mckeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06788065724877625817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-14594516299815733132008-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:002008-10-16T14:04:59.713-07:00Please forgive me, Kurt BusiekI went to Manitoba Comic Con this weekend, and I had a good time.<br /><br />The highlight, for me, was meeting the person who is fast becoming my favourite comic book writer--Kurt Busiek. I tried to think of intelligent things to ask him, but I fear most of my questions were more along the lines of: "Did you know that you're Kurt Busiek?" or "What's it like to be so awesome?"<br /><br />I see Busiek in many ways as an anti-Stan Lee; where Lee is responsible for humanizing and psychologizing super heroes, Busiek seems to be always working with Ironic heroes, and writing about them mythologically and even theologically. When asked, he said that what he wanted to do with Superman was to "do Superman right". He didn't want to do a twist on Superman--Superman the <span style="font-style: italic;">journalist</span> or Superman the <span style="font-style: italic;">alien</span>. He felt that those twists only work if you have a strong center to draw your tangents from. If the center isn't strong enough--if people aren't familiar with the <span style="font-style: italic;">iconic</span> Superman, then none of the twists work either.<br /><br />And I couldn't agree more. I love Kurt Busiek's writing, and my secret hope going to Manitoba Comic Con was to persuade him to become my best friend.<br /><br />And then I told him that he wrote my favourite Superman comic--Superman Redemption. Except for three little details. Kurt Busiek didn't write "Redemption", I haven't read it, and I believe Gabriel McKee's review <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2007/05/action-comics-848.html">here</a> when he says that it wasn't good.<br /><br />What I have read, and Kurt Busiek did write, and I did actually like is Superman "Angel", which Gabriel McKee reviewed <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2007/03/post.html">here</a>, and which review I completely agree with.<br /><br />Now I'm sure that Busiek isn't sitting around all tortured that some random fan in Winnipeg thinks he wrote an issue that he didn't. It's even possible that he liked Fabian Nicieza's "Redemption" comic, and that he's flattered that someone thought he wrote it. But even so. I feel the need to apologize.<br /><br />So, Kurt Busiek, if you happen to be googling yourself and you happen upon this blog, I'm sorry. I actually liked the comic you wrote, not the one you didn't. Sorry. Please forgive me.<br /><br />And be my best friend?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02096471933856066338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-2806632685538959902008-10-13T08:34:00.000-07:002008-10-13T08:44:44.712-07:00Camassia on The Dark KnightCheck out these two posts:<br /><br /><a href="http://notfrisco2.com/camassiablog/?p=615">The Dark Knight</a><br /><br /><a href="http://notfrisco2.com/camassiablog/?p=618">The dream of completion</a><br /><br />In which Camassia muses insightfully about idealism, superheroic transfiguration, and the sex appeal (or not) of the Joker.Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-55118313846983699602008-09-24T19:04:00.000-07:002008-09-24T19:08:29.006-07:00Superman, Christ and Morrison<blockquote>Superman’s job is to fight for and inspire those who cannot fight for themselves. His job is to make this world a better place and to help all men realize their potential as supermen. Further to this, it’s important to keep in mind the Superman/Christ parallels WITHOUT being obvious and heavy-handed about them. Superman has to think differently from us, and when we see into his head, we should be shocked by the clarity and simplicity of his brilliance and compassion. This is a god sent to Earth not to suffer and die but to live and inspire and change the face of the galaxy by his deeds and reputation.</blockquote><br /><br />More on what Timothy Callahan, writer of "Grant Morrison: The Early Years", calls "the essence of Morrison's Superman" and how the recently completed All-Star Superman fits in with Morrison's attempts to reboot Superman in 2000 at <a href="http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18185">Comic Book Resources</a>.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04835961878179211453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-70225387928472056032008-09-17T16:40:00.000-07:002008-09-19T20:39:52.135-07:00Review: Mecha Manga Bible Heroes #1: David vs. Goliath<a href="http://www.mmbibleheroes.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247140104146740098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oUFHztp_XpvX2m1j0ZwZ75Vjm4LrjXBRAesRgU_2VTYPI_S2GAs14YIpOa0zbJIITA4LI3NF217si-8o3j33EBE2Q3G3ajBb-QwPI3Z85cfXi2j53veWn4KTvgd46VWTHpbsyX5a4HY/s320/mecha1cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>I don't get it.</strong><br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.mmbibleheroes.com/">Mecha Manga Bible Heroes</em></a> #1: "David vs. Goliath," written by Tom Hall and Joey Endres. Illustrated by Thom Pratt and Daniel Bradford. Backup stories by Dean Rankine. JMG Comics (Flanders, New Jersey): Summer 2008. $2.25.<br /><br />Some time ago, I posted the <a href="http://holyheroes.blogspot.com/2008/02/mecha-manga-bible-heroes.html">press release</a> for this. Because I refuse to be a mere advertiser for anything simultaneously Christian and sf-related, I followed that up in private with some (negative) predictions about the series that somehow ended up getting posted at <em><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/2008/02/news-from-fish-bowl-addendum.html">The Sci Fi Catholic</a></em>. Now the first issue is out and its creators, in thanks for the earlier postings, have generously sent me a copy for review.<br /><br />First of all, it's only fair to point out that the target audience for this is clearly very young, as indicated by the general tone. The series retells stories from the Old Testament with almost no alteration besides a dumbing-down of the dialogue and the addition of a few sf flourishes, especially walking robots and powered armor suits, apparently for the purpose of convincing young males to read the Bible.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7r_2AerYz7DPDfESlJJGf2QV4zxFn1O61r3XFp0rfwtQaq6yyOq3iL4eljnFQoIVe3L33Ac1Q2xVnYPik3dkIXoNDVaDi8tXE-CIMorYzZtMmWCyiBLnozVNNkjm4WmtBF5PvtDEW9c/s1600-h/MMBH_pg19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247938902134497714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7r_2AerYz7DPDfESlJJGf2QV4zxFn1O61r3XFp0rfwtQaq6yyOq3iL4eljnFQoIVe3L33Ac1Q2xVnYPik3dkIXoNDVaDi8tXE-CIMorYzZtMmWCyiBLnozVNNkjm4WmtBF5PvtDEW9c/s400/MMBH_pg19.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><strong>Ten bucks say Goliath gets p0wned.</strong></div><br /><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">After reading this first issue, I'm still asking the same question I was asking when I first heard of this project: "Why?" This issue, "David vs. Goliath," follows 1 Samuel 17.1-58 faithfully except for the additions of the aforementioned sf flourishes, which as a result look like intrusions. Truth be told, I don't get it; it would make better sense to me to create a comic that not only tells the Bible stories faithfully but also attempts to faithfully depict the world in which those stories took place, or else to create sf stories that use the Bible as starting points but take greater liberties with the text.<br /><br />Because the sf elements are decoration and and not an inherent part of the story, I find them jarring and confusing. For example, when young David relates how he has saved sheep from bears and lions, the illustrations depict him tending <em>robot</em> sheep and fighting <em>robot</em> bears and lions. While reading this, I find myself asking, "What is the purpose of a robotic sheep? Where do robotic lions come from?" In a fully developed sf world, I would expect these questions to be answered sooner or later, but in <em>Mecha Manga Bible Heroes</em>, I'm almost certain they never will be, which again leads me to ask what the point is of putting them in at all.<br /><br />The only answer I can come up with is gimmick. It's a gimmick designed to coax youngsters to read their Bibles. While I'm certainly in favor of encouraging children and youths to read the Bible, I suspect most of them could detect the gimmick of this comic and would take it as an insult. I also suspect it would give them the wrong idea, suggesting as it unintentionally does that the Bible is too dull or unpalatable to read without a few artistic touch-ups.<br /><br />The artwork, though not great, is good. The writing is competent enough, but the flow of the comic seems to be off; a few inserted jokes are poorly timed, and I found myself having to stare at some pages for quite a while in order to figure out what's going on. On the whole, the quality is good, but this first issue contains nothing memorable. The two backup features by Dean Rankine, "Bee-Attitudes" and "Green with Envy," are nuisances.<br /><br />Although this first issue of <em>Mecha Manga Bible Heroes</em> is worth a few minutes' entertainment, it contains nothing compelling and nothing to make me want to continue reading the series. I'd rather go read my Bible instead.</span>D. G. D. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00346583340543997976noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094740266140441205.post-32190487668339101202008-09-06T19:24:00.000-07:002008-09-08T16:13:54.601-07:00Three funerals<div align="left">My friends, on this mournful occasion, let us begin with a spoiler warning. This post contains spoilers regarding DC's <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Crisis">Final Crisis</a></em> (August 2008), <em><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52906690">Top Ten</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38428408">JLA: American Dreams</a></em>, and the film <em><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/76945901">Stranger Than Fiction</a></em>.<br /><br />Still here? All right, Final Crisis: the Martian Manhunter is dead, and issue two gives us this glimpse of his funeral on Mars: </div><div align="left"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOuV9_UClmkUipO32qpvuW4pE37XYcE5auSfJ8xtHVgoC8lMDKz9PHn1L4mUofoINV_rFrVcWJnqGMN784X4eTsbddRDtWiPFp9x1ue57JiewjINzA7V94Nu3w1P9wySHGfpHie9o63MU/s400/Martian+Manhunter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243162233798573394" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOuV9_UClmkUipO32qpvuW4pE37XYcE5auSfJ8xtHVgoC8lMDKz9PHn1L4mUofoINV_rFrVcWJnqGMN784X4eTsbddRDtWiPFp9x1ue57JiewjINzA7V94Nu3w1P9wySHGfpHie9o63MU/s400/Martian+Manhunter.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>A solemn scene from Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones. Superman says: "J'onn J'onzz was my friend. Always there, always strong, always reliable... He was someone I could confide in. Someone who understood what it was like to lose a world and find another. We'll all miss him. And pray for a resurrection."<br /><br />"Pray for a resurrection" is strikingly traditional (though Superman was raised by Methodists, after all), but there's a touch of humor about it. It acknowledges that we the readers know that superheroes, like soap opera characters, frequently die, but rarely stay dead for long - Superman being the most prominent example. The implication here is that the superheroes know it, too, adding an odd twist of realism and gravity to the proceedings.<br /><br /><p>In <em>Top Ten</em>, Alan Moore put a more openly humourous spin on the idea (art by Gene Ha):<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243158601563414002" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrvOH5NCqqi3NH4bAA2SHnOH-0B0UySSat5rdGUoSYLHAQXN7iG-sGC9C-z6cdOV-pRn6jD8xw_b9h58BHrviJ3koU9HlNA8JZk1Y_GJhJLO9653g1wxzhcUpiUFBW-a0s5i48Fb2Ppxb/s400/Girl+One.jpg" border="0" /></p>The late superhero in this case is Girl One, an android. The Top Ten multiverse is one where pretty much everyone is a superhero and Moore gets a lot of mileage from subtle and not-too-subtle twists on the concept. (Like the exterminator who unwittingly provokes a cosmic continuity-altering Infinite Crisis crossover war between mice and cats... But I digress.) In this context the characters are even more aware of the superhero tropes they live by.<br /><br />Grant Morrison's run on the Justice League of America predated both of these stories. Here's Superman (during his ill-advised electrical phase) at the funeral of Metamorpho the Element Man: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243159666035023394" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsRSwo4NO6FCsvgcOCRQCVQscVPS_WEPscheiEqq0awh_5TUuE83jjpP_2iTxmgE144qw_9M4spFwiG1swUxQnlc5m5LulAOh4d0I0bNELen1ENvREqseO_FWuiMb_5pe4IF8gqSt17d-/s400/Metamorpho.jpg" border="0" /> <p>This is the most frank expression of the theme and includes an interesting twist at the end. Does Superman (and Morrison?) wish that fallen superheroes really could rest in peace? Do they always have to be recycled to drive up nostalgia-induced sales? Witness the current hype surrounding the return of Barry Allen, who's been mostly dead since 1985.</p><p>A less cynical interpretation of superhero resurections might go something like this. The eulogy for Girl One also included mention of her "giving of her life so that others might live." Superman says of Metamorpho, "In the end, he gave his life to save his friends." The film Stranger Than Fiction involves a doomed fictional character who gets a second chance at life. His creator muses: "But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway, dies willingly, knowing he could stop it, then, I mean, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?" Over at SF Gospel, <a href="http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2006/11/stranger_than_f.html">Gabriel's commentary on the movie</a> read, in part:</p><blockquote><em>It's unsurprising for a movie about the ways in which authors manipulate their character's lives to compare the writer to God. What's more interesting here is the messianic tone that this approach then lends to the character in question. Here God, the third person omniscient narrator, can't see the point in needlessly killing his favorite character, so he gives him a second chance. It's an aesthetic theology of the resurrection—Jesus as the character who was too darned nice to have a sad ending. It's also a critique of Vonnegutian authorial cruelty in which the author toys with fictional lives simply because he can. The characters, fictional or otherwise, are in some way alive and worthy of respect—and of a happy ending.</em></blockquote><p></p><p>The same might be said of most noble, self-sacrificing superheroes. Of course, maybe the world can do without Metamorpho the Element Man. But once an artist has put enough work into a character, and fans have grown sufficiently attached to him, death becomes just a temporary trauma.</p><p>And I do hope the Martian Manhunter returns to us someday.</p>Elliothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08144417439505262113noreply@blogger.com2