Amazing, Spectacular

It's rare that an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man is poignant and claws at your insides the way the most recent one did. Bot that Spider-man is not well written and consistently enjoyable, but it's generally that lighthearted and delightful Ol' Webhead. This... well, this was different.

When last we left our hero, J. Jonah Jameson's wife had been killed by Alistair Smythe. Smythe had long been seeking vengeance on Jameson and Spider-man, and finally exacted a little piece of bloody revenge. This issue finds Spidey in mourning, coping with yet another loss.

Spider-man, like many superheroes, finds himself coping with death a lot. He is an orphan motivated to heroism by the death of his uncle and father figure at the hands of a criminal he failed to stop. His girlfriend was murdered (or perhaps he killed her). He has killed a woman before. In short, he is surrounded by death and frankly is unable to cope with it on a serious level.

This issue is incredibly well drawn and paced. A lack of dialog and text of any kind in the first pages clearly shows the emotional weight placed on Peter and the incredible sadness. It's hard to read and hard to describe.

I just really want to commend the writers and artists on this one. I've never read anything like this, especially in Spider-man. Bravo.

Monsters and Morrison

So thanks to my roommate I've been on a total Hellboy kick. I had seen the movies and dabbled a little bit, but never really read anything seriously. Now I can't put it down. I also finally got around to reading some more of Grant Morrison's work outside of the mainstream, specifically The Invisibles. I'm not sure what I think about it yet. It's very good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure just how much I like it.

I want to go back to Hellboy. I think if anything, Mike Mignola has a gift for characterizing without actually just telling everything. One of the interesting things about comics and characters is that because of the format (few words, lots of pictures, short issues, etc) you don't just say a bunch of things about Hellboy or Hal Jordan. Comics are the epitome of the creative writing doctrine "show, don't tell". Telling is waste a space, plus with someone like Mignola who prefers to let his panels do the talking.

I can say a lot about the character of Hellboy. It's an incredibly impressive undertaking.

On Rebirth

I've written about comic book death before. It's weird, to say the least. People never really stay gone. Of course, they're missed but there is always the possibility of their return. It's a nice thought; that the people you love will be brought back by a Kryptonian regeneration chamber or Lazarus pits. I keep coming back to a Boondocks strip I saw a long time ago. Huey and his friend Caesar are talking:

Caesar: Hey man, are you ok?

Huey: A friend of mine back home just died...I never got to say goodbye, you know? I keep wishing he'll come back as a blue ghost, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's so much I want to say to him. [sigh] Why can't life be like Star Wars?

Caesar: Well, then Jar-Jar Binks would be real, and there'd be a bunch of Ewoks running around everywhere - nobody wants that.

Huey: A small price to pay if the people you love could come back as blue ghosts.

It's a poignant point. What would you give to live in a world where death was impermanent?

This is something that has been on my mind a lot. My grandmother was diagnosed with cancer a bit back, and it is terminal. It's weird that I keep coming back to this idea. Perhaps it's a form of denial or maybe I have been reading too much Geoff Johns, but I keep wanting this to be undone by some sort of cosmic magic or mystical power. I know it's futile and probably not healthy, but damn it would be nice.

But on the other hand, the impermanence of life is what makes it valuable. The impending, resounding end is a constant reminder of how we must cherish the little time we have. In these last few months I have become closer with my grandmother than ever. I wish I had earlier, but that's life. You never have as much as you want. C'est la vie, as the French in France would say.

I'd wager I'm just ranting out of hurt or fear, but it's something I think it's hard to rationalize. In an era of instant respawns and extra lives, actual death is hard to come by in the average nineteen year-old's life. It's pretty scary. It'd be a lot easier if the people you love came back as blue ghosts.

DC Universe Online Diary 3 and Other Stuff

So, after nigh a month of traipsing through Gotham and Metropolis and getting up to level 28 on my main hero, I have realized what DCUO really reminds me of.

There is an elseworlds, Kingdom Come, written by Mark Waid and Alex Ross which details a world full of metahumans. It is violent and horrifying for normal humans who cower on the ground below as the "champions" of humanity do battle in the sky. DCUO is a world filled with thousands of metas of immense power fighting in the streets. People flee in terror. The vast majority of cities or overrun with violence and crime. Superheroes and Villains fight constantly.

In short, it is a brutal world. Gangsters and hostile aliens lay waste to cities. Demons from hell rise with the mass of new evil sorcerers. In short, it is a world in dire need of heroes where there is little to no normalcy to counteract the fact that the cities are essentially war zones. I just feel bad for all of the people who are just trying to go to work when the Sinestro corps decides to level city hall or something.

And other stuff

My personal sleeper hit of 2010-11 is Knight and Squire. The new book comes out on Wednesday and I am pumped.

Also, I keep coming back to Nightrunner, the Batman of Paris. I want more of him. I think the cultural context is amazing and that the character design is absolutely flawless. If I could pick one character at DC to write right now, it would be him.

This I Believe

I'll say this right out: I believe in Superheroes. This is all figurative, of course, and as much as I'd like to believe in magic rings and mutant x-factors I'm quite aware of the impossibility (though still hopeful). There is no literal Batman, no Metropolis, and as far as we know no S.H.E.I.D Helicarrier. What I do believe in is the ideas represented in the panel of their stories.

I believe in the Green Lantern Corps. They keep peace as bright beacons of courage and honor throughout the galaxy. Theirs is a story of overcoming fear and tragedy to become something more than just an interstellar police force, but as symbol of the the inexhaustible potential of willpower and imagination. They represent a light cast over the cold black of space "In brightest day, In blackest night".

I believe in Superman. He is an immigrant from beyond the stars. He is the best of humanity despite not being human. Superman is literally a big blue Boy Scout, and despite internet flame wars and how awesome Batman is Superman is the greatest hero of earth. He was sent here by his father from beyond the stars and has given his life to save the world (sound familiar?). He is the answer to the question "what if God was one of us?"

I believe in Peter Parker. He truly enjoys being a Superhero. Sure he has a lot of teenage angst, but who doesn't?

I believe in the Flash: a man who can run faster than death and yet still slows down to make small talk.

I believe in the X-men. People everywhere are persecuted for being different, whether it's skin color or X-factor.

I believe in Captain America and the ideals of our nation.

I believe in Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic, and the wonders of Science.

I believe in the Spectre and Deadman and the infinite mysteries of God.

I believe in Batman. He's Batman.

I believe in Lois Lane, and the magic of true love.

I believe in Bruce Wayne, and that there is nothing a man cannot accomplish given the time and the effort.

In short, I believe men can fly. I believe that a person can becomes something more than just human. The most important aspect is not the Super or the Bat or the Woman, but the man and the woman. While they may be gods in our eyes or in canon they are innately human. They face the same choices we do with what they can direct their energies towards, and yet these all-powerful beings chose to work towards the betterment of mankind. I believe in a world where we use our powers to aide our fellow man rather than use out strength for personal gain.

There are days when it seems like it's easier to believe that wealthy industrialists will secretly fund vigilante justice than people will be decent to be one another, but I believe in not only humanity, but or potential for super-humanity. For every Lex Luthor there will be an army of Bruce Waynes and Tony Starks to set things right. An international force of heroes will come to the aid of the world to prevent crimes against humanity and relief after natural disasters. Is that to much to ask? I don't believe it is, because I will always believe that anyone can be Super.

DCUO Diary 2 and other things

I've gotten up to level 23 with my main, and the game is still very fun. Yes, there are still issues with the game, but at the same time the action-based combat and story based missions make it far superior to other more traditional MMOs. The best part of the game is feeling like you are actually in the DC Universe. You are constantly working with famous heroes or villains to accomplish something and take down your enemies. So far I've fought the Joker, Bane, and Sinestro among a legion of others.

So far for me the best thing has been fighting with the Green Lantern Corps against the Sinestro Corps. It's a PvP area swarming with lanterns including Arkillo and Kilowog. For someone who loves the GLC as much as I do it's great to fight alongside them and take down Sinestro with John Stewart alongside me. You actually feel like a hero. I guess that's the point.

I wanted to also note something that happened this week that I'm not happy about. I love Captain Marvel. I love the innocence and ideas he represents. Yes, he may be a "big red cheese" but he's also a representation of the magic of the golden age. This week, DC released the 1st issue of Power of Shazam and I was very disappointed in it. It was heroic age violence and angst and not the magical Marvel that I love. I'm looking to read Billy Batson and the Power of Shazam because I've heard it's more like that.

Once final thing that I wanted to hit on- Mark Millar needs to release things. I know he's busy being awesome but to be a big shot comics writer you need to actually release something. I just want my Kick-Ass.

DC Universe Online Diary: Entry 1

As a kid (and adult) who grew up hoping (and still hopes) that I would somehow receive awesome superpowers and be able to fight crime on the gritty streets of Winston-Salem. Naturally, when DC Universe Online was released I felt an overwhelming urge to try it out. Finally, at the urging of my wonderful girlfriend, I gave in and downloaded it.

For those who haven't seen any of the trailers or cinematics, go watch them. They are actually pretty impressive/intense. It's all very heroic age with intense battles and the violence. But, because these are characters we as readers already care about, we feel involved in wanting to help them.

Anyway, characters start aboard Brainiac's ship and you fight your way out. Heroes are guided by Oracle, and villains by Calculator. At the end of the level, Superman or Lex Luthor come in and helps you out. After, you teleport into the hub of your mentor and enter the world.

After, you are transported to the area of your mentor, who gives you quests and assignments. The voice acting is very good, and while a lot of the quest kind of get the same, a decent variety of enemies and encounters, a plethora of lore, an amazing travel system, and above all that I am taking orders from BATMAN means that game is actually really quite enjoyable.

So far I have two characters. One is Changeling, a gadget-wielding, acrobatic martial artist with Batman as a mentor. With him I've been bounding around Gotham, and taken down Scarecrow and Bane with the aid of Batwoman and Nightwing. My other is Dr Infernus, a tuxedo-wearing fire villain under Circe. I've fought Dr. Fate and run all over Metropolis' Chinatown. It adds a lot to the game, when you're fighting or recruited by a character you know. It makes you feel like a cog in a big machine, and actually accomplishing something instead of the standard MMORPG quest of "bring my 9 hyena livers". You're taking weapons from science police and most missions are large chains that end in a climactic fight. It's pretty awesome.

PvP (player versus player) is very fun as well, with massive battles erupting in the middle of cities. It sucks to get ambushed at random by higher level characters, but it adds to the feel of being part of the world.

I have a few complaints, one is that the interface is still a bit messed up and needs a retool. Different hotkeys help a lot. The cities are also pretty stagnant. There isn't a lot of traffic or people walking, despite the cities having populations in the millions. The graphics aren't anything to write home about, but the the environments are sprawling and truly enjoyable to run or climb all over.

It's really fun, in short. I'll keep posting as to how it goes.