Thursday, December 26, 2013

Ugly American - Why Do Comics People Hate Comics So Much?

One of my least favorite archetypes of the comic book realm is the Self Loathing Pro/Fan. No matter how many ground-breaking works are produced, no matter how deeply the medium penetrates popular culture and consciousness, there remains a segment (a significant segment) that just can't stop apologizing.

What's disturbing to me is that as the medium has grown out of its self-imposed, Wertham-inspired, artificially fabricated juvenile stage, ignorance about what comics are and what they accomplish seems to be getting worse, not better. And the bulk of this ignorant rubbish isn't coming from without, but from within!

The people who should know better about comics know the least. The people who owe the most do the most damage. Here are three items I've bumped into in just the past thirty days:

Alan Moore tells BBC News "Someone came up with the term graphic novel. These readers latched onto it; they were simply interested in a way that could validate their continued love of Green Lantern or Spider-Man without appearing in some way emotionally subnormal."

When the Metro had the gall to ask Nic Cage if doing animated features connected with his well-documented interest in comic books, he replied "Look, the truth is I'm not obsessed with comics. I don't read comics as a 49 year-old man. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I have other interests that are more in tune with where I'm at right now."

Vivek Tiwary is the writer of "The Fifth Beatle", a much-acclaimed biography of Brian Epstein. I recently listened to an interview in which he declared that his comic book is definitely not a comic book. "There's nothing comic about it", Tiwary explains.

I feel a bit weary having to explain this stuff 20 years after Scott McCloud published Understanding Comics, but apparently we need a refresher course, so here goes -

Comics are a medium, not a genre.

What does that mean? I think Neil Gaiman summed it up best, so I'll paraphrase him and say that comics are an empty glass, and you can fill it up with anything. It's just words and pictures, folks. You can do whatever you like with them, there is nothing inherently "mature" or "juvenile" about them. We've seen plenty of both ends of the spectrum.

Comics are simply a method of delivering information, usually in story form, because human beings are Story Machines. It's what we do, it's who we are. What would your reaction be if I said to you "Yeah, I'm 42 years old for crying out loud, I don't watch television any more." That would sound absurd, wouldn't it? When do you get too old to read novels?

These are just story delivery mechanisms, containing a wide variety of material amenable to "all ages and tastes" as Strange Adventures would put it. This is demonstrably true for all mediums, including comics, not that you'd get that idea from the nonsense pouring out of the medium's most notable figures.

Let's start breaking this ridiculous propaganda down, starting with the Alan Moore stuff. A few words about the credibility of Alan Moore as regards comics in general and superhero comics in particular - he has none.

That little BBC diatribe about "emotionally subnormal" superhero comics readers began with the admission that he hasn't read a superhero comic since he finished Watchmen. That was what, almost 30 years ago? If he hasn't looked at a thing in thirty years, how is he able to justifiably comment on it?

Alan Moore is the guy who wrote Lost Girls, in which he decided that what the world really needed was our favorite fantasy literary heroines penetrating each other with kitchen implements. So when Moore wants to opine about others "emotional normality", I'm not sure he's dealing from a very strong hand.

The real point is that he's demonstrably wrong about all of it. All of it. In the first place, to talk about "superhero comics" as though they're all the same thing is aggressively stupid. I'm not even talking about the wide diversity of comics material available, I'm talking about the incredible variations between Marvel superhero books sitting next to each other on the same rack.

Yes, Green Lantern is doing very different things from Chris Ware's Building Stories. But also, Hawkeye is doing very different things from Cable & X-Force. Young Avengers bears absolutely no resemblance to Avengers: Endless Wartime in terms of appearance, themes, target audience, or tone. To speak of superhero comics as a single thing with a similar focus is to speak from a position of profound ignorance.

Let's talk about the concept of The Superhero for a moment, shall we? Let me break your brain here and point out the obvious - there is nothing inherently mature or juvenile about them. Superheros are just symbols, shortcuts to pointing at things greater than ourselves. They are a convenient method of increasing stakes, elevating drama, and capturing the imagination of the audience.

If you want to talk about power and responsibility, Spider-Man is a good way to do that, because he's got heightened power, and therefore heightened responsibility. It's a good shortcut, or at least it can be. It certainly has been for a good portion of Spider-Man's existence. Spider-Man and his power set are a tool, a vehicle to get an audience to pay attention to stories and life lessons, because the extraordinary elements are fun and exciting. How is this a problem, exactly?

Superheros are not a new thing, by the way. If you shit on those comics, you must also shit on Homer, Ovid, Mary Shelley, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Do you think Alan Moore and his little cadre of Fuzzy Bunnies would dare utter a disrespectful syllable about the Gita? Never would they ever, because they are intellectually dishonest.

The only difference between The Authority and those ancient mythological texts are temporal. It's the same types of hyper-sigils offering shortcuts to the concerns of the authors/readers of the day. Does that sound immature to you?

So when Nic Cage says that he doesn't read comics any more because he's 49 years-old, I don't know what the hell he's talking about, and neither does he. When did he get too old for stories? He certainly doesn't seem opposed to making money on them.

I mean, wasn't that Nic Cage I saw recently butchering the character of Johnny Blaze in those Ghost Rider movies? I guess he's decided to he's too old to read the books, but his elevated sensibilities were perfectly capable of turning a good character into an Elvis clown caricature. I guess when you get old and wise enough, you're ready to be in tune with Elvis clown caricatures. Oh, and cashing big fat checks. Don't forget them! That sounds intellectually consistent and pregnant with integrity, doesn't it?

So, you'll forgive me if I don't hang on every word of Nic Cage's regarding the merits of the comic book medium or the superhero genre. It's just amazing to me that these comics have provided him with those big, fat, Hollywood checks and in return he publicly loathes them. "Not that there's anything wrong with that" is transparent code for "something's wrong with that."

Why can't he just shut his mouth, or simply admit that he doesn't read the books any more? There's no crime in that. I just don't understand the purpose in perpetuating the ridiculous myth that people outgrow comic books. The appropriate response to that question should have been - "You know what, I'm a poseur now. Haven't read the books in years. The end." I guess he just wanted that quiet comfort of showing everybody how much better he is than them, and how "above it all" he is. Consider me unimpressed with that.

I don't think Vivek Tiwary is in that "I'm better than you boat" when he claims his comic isn't a comic. To be perfectly fair, I'm not sure what his intentions were with that comment. It's possible it was just a joke, and he meant that since Fifth Beatle isn't a humor book, it wasn't "comic" in nature.

Maybe, but I don't think so. I think he was juxtaposing his purely biographical work against his (entirely false) notion of what comics are - Sunday paper funny strips and juvenile superhero power fantasies.

I'm not angry with Tiwary, I honestly think he doesn't know any better. My issue is that Fifth Beatle is an exceptional work, it's gaining the kind of media attention that could help expand the comics customer base, and I feel like he's out there debasing the medium in general and promoting his book as an outlier of quality in a sea of childish dreck. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Just as an aside, I know that somebody out there is going to play Word Cop on me and say that Fifth Beatle isn't a comic, it's a true "graphic novel" because it's an original long form work and not a collection of previously serialized material. Congratulations on that, I guess, but a graphic novel is just a longer comic. The Fifth Beatle is a comic book. Sorry.

Comics are just words and pictures, people! Sometimes they're good, sometimes they aren't. Sometimes the subject matter is sophisticated and mature, sometimes it's not. If you want to decry bad comics because they're bad....to that I say "fine", and also "duh". But this thing where we pillory the entire medium or even the superhero genre as though it's all the same.....wake up! Maybe read what you're pooping on before you comment, and get it right. Go read McCloud, then read it again.

I find it particularly repulsive that the worst offenders of false comic book propaganda are those who have profited the most. Where is the gratitude? Where is the love? Consider it my fervent wish that we in the comics community make this our New Year's Resolution:

Let's get informed and stop hating ourselves. Please?

Also; did you know that 'The Ugly American' is now available as a 'Beautiful Chinese' product? Head over to the Wear Monsters Dwell swag page at Society 6 and pick up your very own TUAR mug.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Ugly American 2013 Year in Review: Comic Book TV!

Walking Dead
I haven't watched an episode of Walking Dead since Season 1. I don't even know what season the show is currently on, or whether it is currently on, or could it be on hiatus right now?

I don't know, and I don't care. Why don't I care? If I'm being honest, I pretty much loved every episode of Walking Dead from the first season. Loved em'.

I can't explain why I don't care, I'm way into horror, and I'm way into comics, and I have nothing but fond memories of the Walking Dead shows that I did see. But if you asked me:

"Ryan, would you rather watch a new episode of the Walking Dead, or this documentary on Olivia Newton John?"



I don't know what I'd pick. I'd probably go with Olivia Newton John. I'd be interested to know what the set was like on Xanadu, or the pitfalls of working with a young, pig-headed John Travolta. Plus, I want to get physical, physical, let's get into physical with her. 'Cause I'm Old School.

So I'll give Walking Dead a solid C, sight unseen. Does that seem fair? No. No, it doesn't. There is no "fair" here at the Ugly American. There is only Zuul.

Arrow
I watch Arrow episodes all the time. I call the show "Melrose Arrow", because that's what it is. It's a big fat Melrosey, Falcon Cresty ball of superhero soap opera.

I'm not particularly into Green Arrow, because he's generally portrayed as a tedious little lefty, which doesn't impress me. And I'm not a fan of soap operas, either. I should never, ever watch an episode of this TV show at any time. And yet, it happens a lot. Every time I get done finishing an episode of Arrow, I think to myself:

"Why do I watch this show?"

And then I sit down a bit later, scroll to see what's on the DVR and then gleefully exclaim:

"Oooh, an episode of Arrow!"

And then I watch it. I watch Arrow differently than you do, by the way. Every time they flash back to Ollie's tour on the island, I just hit the fast forward. Do not care. What's extra awesome is that it never interferes with my ability to absorb or appreciate those things happening in the present. No never, not once. All of those island scenes could have been scrapped....should have been scrapped.

Look, you're not Lost, OK? I'm not entirely sure that Lost was Lost. Just forget the flashbacks and concentrate on showing me guys without shirts, will ya?

Season 2 of Arrow is significantly different. Last year, Mr. Queen had a list of people his father didn't like, and his solution was to bury arrows in those people's faces until they stopped breathing. I was never quite sure how to feel about that. It seemed a little ballsy, and a little real, and I liked that.

If you were on a crusade to clean up your city, you'd probably do better just using your money to run for office and changing things straight up from the inside. But if you were to eschew that option, then the move is not to punch the villains in the solar plexus and wind them. You perforate their faces with arrows until they stop moving. That's reality, and that was season 1, and that felt.....unsatisfying, somehow.

This year, Ollie does his best to not kill anybody, and for a really stupid reason. It's some guilt-ridden jag he picked up in an epiphany over Tommy's dead body. I don't think the realization is earned, and it doesn't really make strategic sense... and I totally like it way better now that he doesn't kill people. I"m becoming a walking contradiction in my old age, I think. I just like the show better when he's not a murderer, even if it makes no sense.

This is a show of hot people doing hot things, and if you can just accept that fact and lay down for it, you're probably going to be OK. If you want to watch Stephen Amell with his shirt off, I totally understand. He's no Jensen Ackles...but he'll do.

I'm in it for Felicity Smoak. That girl is adorable. They have a running bit where she's constantly slipping double-entendres that betray her burning lust for Queen. It shouldn't work, but it really does.

Katie Cassidy is actually so hot it's annoying. What makes it worse is that her character is a train wreck with no redeeming qualities. I'm not interested in her waffling on relationships, I don't buy her leaning the other way as the ultra competent legal eagle, and I super don't care about her booze or pill intake.

Most of the people in the show are irritating, really. I should probably hate it. It's got a pretty strong sense of purpose, though. It's committed to its action elements, and they are strong, in my opinion. I skooch up in my chair and get primed every time he picks up that bow and overdoes his mascara. The fighting is great, (aside from those ridiculous super-strength effects) and especially in season two they've done a good job of ending on cliffhangers and escalating the plots.

The plots aren't particularly good or compelling, though....there's a lot of Occupy/99% excrement in the Sebastian Blood "Save the Glades" plot, and Summer Glau's talents are utterly wasted on sneering in board rooms for the "Corporate Raiders" plot. These things are moving forward, though. It's all very kinetic. That's what probably saves Arrow, I think. You may not agree with all or most of the choices, but it knows what it wants to do and then gets very kinetic with it.

I'm giving Arrow a B+ for its action and sex appeal. There's no real spiritual substance or quality about it, so I have hard time giving it an A. But it's executing its nonsense with aplomb, so I'll tip the cap as far as I can on that.

Agents of SHIELD
Well....it's not terrible. I feel like that's the only review anybody needs, but we all just keep gnawing away at the show trying to figure out exactly why it isn't fulfilling in any meaningful way.

In my opinion, this particular emperor has no clothes because it's all formula and no vitae. I don't think anybody actually cares about any of it...it's just checking things off lists:

obligatory Marvel easter eggs - check
obligatory Whedon-speak - check
obligatory dour bad-ass characters - check
obligatory "whacky" smart characters - check
obligatory flawed characters with "hearts of gold" - check
obligatory soft hearts growing out of their comfort zone - check
obligatory overlap with recently released film - check

And it just goes on and on and on like that. I never feel as though the writers are putting anything of themselves on the page. I never feel as though the show feels willing or able to take any creative risks, or pull any tricks for the sheer joy of it. I never get the feeling that any of these episodes was ever built on the foundation of "Wouldn't it be fun if we did something like this?"

Agents of SHIELD is a victim of our expectations. It dutifully checks all of them off a list, and by doing so fails at each because of the transparent nature of its false face. Its an expensive card from Hallmark with no personal notation - it's expensive, it looks right, it satisfies the minimum requirements of the social contract....but it has no soul. You set that card on the TV for a couple of days to keep up appearances, but really you just want to throw it straight in the trash where it belongs.

There's nothing unprofessional about an expensive Hallmark card with nothing personal scribbled inside. It's not terrible. But that's the best you can say about it.

I don't know if I blame Marvel or ABC or anybody else for producing that patchwork quilt of focus group fodder. That show has to be expensive to make, and I'm sure Marvel feels that there is a lot riding on it. If SHIELD succeeds, it could open the door for a lot more cash cows. If it fails, you run the risk of closing minds and shutting doors. It may not be rational, but I'm sure Marvel is desperately concerned that a SHIELD flop plants the idea that "comic books might work in movies, but they can't sustain a weekly audience" in executive's minds.

When the stakes get that high, you either go for broke or you play it as mathematically safe as possible. That's what Marvel did here. Like I said...I can't blame them, but the results are predictably uninspired.

On the plus side, Chloe Bennet is ridiculously hot.
I call her Chloe Wang, because we go way back, of course. And if I'm going to be perfectly fair, I do tend to enjoy the relationship between Fitz and Simmons, even if we've seen that playbook run 1,000 times before and know exactly where it's all going.



I'll give SHIELD one other nod - Peter Macnicol was absolutely fantastic as the Asgardian poonhound in the "angry stick" episode. That character resisted most expectations. I wish the show would do a little more of that.

I still watch the show when it's on, usually. Sometimes a couple of episodes will stack up before I can summon the energy to plow through them. It's definitely not something I anticipate. But it's not terrible.

Because it isn't terrible, I'm giving Agents of SHIELD a straight C. Because Joss Whedon is attached to the project, I also hold out hope that there could be a swerve down the road that redefines things. Maybe? Right now it looks like a C, though.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Ugly American 2013 Year in Review

2013 Book of the Year: Hawkeye
Marvel Comics
Scripts: Matt Fraction
Art: David Aja, Francesco Francavilla, Annie Wu, Matt Hollingsworth, others


Every time I get done reading an issue of Hawkeye, I set the book down with a puzzled look on my face and state out loud:

"I can't believe Marvel is publishing this comic book."

I kinda mean that in all the pejorative ways you think I do. I have a complicated relationship with Marvel comics. I respect their ability to make short-term profits while simultaneously pouring kerosene all over themselves and fumbling with matches. They produce wildly entertaining comics for the most part, and attract the best talent in the industry.

But finding Hawkeye at Marvel Comics is like discovering a 4 Michelin star chef at a Mos Eisley tavern.

It just doesn't fit. This is a "superhero" comic in which the superhero will wear anything except his costume, and balks at folks even mentioning his alter ego. It's a superhero comic that firmly believes that an Event is when Lucky the Pizza Dog gets his own issue.

It's hard to describe exactly how Hawkeye transcends Pop Art into Art Art. Easier just to show you, maybe. A great deal of the book is built upon the insanely complicated relationship between Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, who also carries a bow and the Hawkeye name. Here's a scene from issue # 13:


It's almost impossible to get at all the subtext buried in that little bit of elegance, but I'll try to unpack a bit of it.

Clint is a broken man with a good heart. He never actually means to do harm, but he can never be bothered to curb his impulses enough to avoid it. Particularly when it comes to women. He knows he ought not get involved with Kate, who is far too young for him. It feels sort of inevitable, though. He won't stop himself - that's his history, and he's still an emotional child.

As the physical adult and card-carrying Avenger, Clint is in the....I don't know, authoritative position? But here Kate is playing the part of wife, or maybe even mother. For most basic human interactions, (in this case they're preparing for a neighbor's funeral) Kate is actually in control.

Sort of. She plays the part of the young adult well..you can see her growing in that "fake it until you make it" way as the issues go by.. She's still a very young woman, though, working her way through confidence foibles and stumbling through a lot of bad decisions. Her pursuit of Clint being one of those bad decisions.

We'll blame Clint if and when that relationship does take an inappropriate turn, and we probably should. But Katie flirts as well. I remember a scene where Clint is packing boxes, and asks for tape. Katie hands him a Scotch tape dispenser - part of that was her being passive aggressive, but part of that was school girl flirting. Do you have a lot of comics in your stack that can build an indelible memory out of packing boxes? Do you have a lot of superhero comics doing that for you?

So there's Clint and Katie getting dressed for a funeral, figuring out how to love each other the best they can, taking turns pretending to be the adult of the situation, balancing their needs to rely on each other with their physical desires, wanting the best for each other while simultaneously waiting for the inevitable calamity.

That's not a quippy piece of pop art...Fraction routinely aims for Art Art, and he nails it in this book again and again and again. Depth. Subtext. Emotion.

There's enough emotion in that scene that Clint can't take it, and has to bail. "Great, now I got another thing to worry about I never worried about before", he says, tugging uncomfortably at his collar.

What he's actually saying is "You taking care of me feels too good, and I don't love myself enough to accept that, and I know this ends with me hurting you any way...so I'm going to skip right to it and say something to break the spell right now." So he does. And it works. He hurts her enough to cut the tension, she leaves in a huff, and he feels like crap.

And that's Hawkeye, the Ugly American 2013 Book of the Year. I can't believe Marvel publishes that comic book, and I can't believe it's a big seller, but kudos to us for recognizing that great stories don't necessarily have anything to do with Thanos trying to take over the universe. This is a special comic, and my greatest hope is that it frees up Marvel to allow creators to take more sophisticated chances.

And please don't misunderstand - I'm not going all froofy on you, here. Not every book has to be Hawkeye. I just like the idea of living in a world where we can rack Hawkeye in with Amazing X-Men and Marvel just trusts that we're capable of handling a variety of approaches.

Other Great Books In No Particular Order

Saga, Image
Another book very comfortable with subtext and sophistication, but dressed in the gaudiest of genre trappings. It's also a book very comfortable with uncomfortable things. Like the child sex trade. Or just regular sex. Or debating the value of "pulling the wagon" for the 99%.

To be honest, Saga is basically the best porn on the stands. The problem with most porn is that it gets so excited about being able to give you the sex that it forgets there are other things in the world, and so it comes off as obsessive and unbalanced. Saga is as dirty as life is, and that's pretty dirty, thank God!

Fiona Staples is a marvel, just in case you weren't aware. I could look at Alana all day long. Don't be surprised if this comic takes the top spot in 2014.

Nowhere Men, Image
This is such a weird little gem. Nowhere Men is supposedly about a world in which science is the "new rock-n-roll", and it does pay some attention to the ramifications of a world in which science is infected with celebrity. It's "Fab Four" scientists are by far the least interesting characters in the book, however. It's possible that the enigmatic Mr. Walker might buck that trend, but we never really see him "on camera", and the only things we know about him are what we learn from other people's perceptions.

It's also possible we never get to see Thomas Walker, and Stephenson just holds him as a legend and a MacGuffin. He's doing the same thing building up Peter Panic, who we've also yet to meet on the page. I'll say this for Nowhere Men - it implies a very large, very strange world. Eric Stephenson builds in a lot of magazine-style interviews and advertisements and such that are just spot-on, lots of fun, and really help you feel immersed.

What else to say without ruining it? I don't want to say much about the plot itself, best to just go and read without too many preconceptions. If you like science fiction with a dollop of horror, this is perfect. If you liked X-Files, yes, come on in! If you like reading creators that take chances telling big stories with big worlds, you should absolutely spend the pittance it will take to buy the first Nowhere Men TPB. Retail is $9.99, and you can certainly find it for less. I don't know exactly where this is going or whether it will pay off. I don't know if the ever-slowing production schedule is going to bog this into oblivion. I do know that the Nowhere Men comics that came out in 2013 were more interesting than 93.8% of what's out there.

Ballistic, Black Mask
This is another science fiction gem from something called Adam Egypt Mortimer and a guy you may have heard of named Darick Robertson. You probably haven't heard of Ballistic, though, largely because it came from Black Mask publishing. I bet your LCS just spaced it.

Ballistic is a delicious little imagination bomb that can't be stopped. A lot of comics writers get very precious with their ideas, as if they're only going to have about five in their whole life. So they dole out the good ones one per issue, or one per arc. Adam Egypt Mortimer trusts his Muse, because he lets a brain bomb rip about every other panel.

This comic looks great, and it's kinetic at a level rarely attempted, much less achieved. Pick up an issue, any issue, and tell me you aren't instantly infected by Ballistic's charms!

Afterlife With Archie
Can you even imagine how good this comic would have to be to crack my Best of 2013 list while shipping only two issues?

You'll never believe how strong a horror story this is until you pick it up and experience it. Whatever your feelings about the Archie universe might be...I'm telling you...do not discount this comic until you've had a chance to see it for yourself.

I'm awestruck at how adeptly Aguirre-Sacasa was able to integrate lame little Riverdale into a straight horror story, and the Francesco Francavilla art is to die for.






Harbinger
Harbinger has now solidified itself as the best of the Valiant Universe, in my opinion. Most of the Valiant titles are strong, so that's significant.

I don't hear many people talk about Josh Dysart as an ascendent talent. That's a mistake. Between his work on Unknown Soldier and now this, Dysart's work is just smarter and edgier than than the pack. Whatever Dysart puts his name on...that's a mandatory test-drive for me at this point.

What shines on Harbinger are the characters and the twists that recharge the plot. You do not know what's coming....trust me. You do not know what character is going to be driving the A plot at any given moment, because Dysart knows and loves them all so much, there's no choice but to take turns. Toyo Harada is now one of the more interesting characters in the medium, as well.


Avengers Academy was a standout surprise treat this year. Superior Spider-Man is so, so good...why can't they sell that for $2.99? I would ride horses through the streets with a trumpet announcing to the world how good that book was if they just charged a reasonable rate.

East of West has supplanted Manhattan Projects as my go-to Hickman fix. That thing is raw ambition. It suffers for its lack of a rooting interest, but the assholes are certainly interesting, and the scale of that book defines epic.

Snyder and Capullo's Batman is prime cut, and never fails to entertain. When this generation remembers Batman and his supporting cast, it will be Snyder's Batman they remember. The only other DC book that stands out in my mind was Injustice: Gods Among Us. When creators are allowed to do what they want with the toys, good things happen. Tom Taylor did some remarkably fun things with those DC toys.

That's my very brief take on the best of 2013 - which books were your favorites?

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Ugly American: Market Spotlight Edition!

It's been awhile since we've stooped to worrying about profit around here. I start to feel wrong if we don't sully ourselves with greed from time to time, so here goes.

I'm typing this on Cyber Monday, which isn't really a thing, it's just something we're told is a thing, so we bend over and make it a thing rather than "miss out" on something. Mostly we miss out on things that actually are things (i.e dignity, self respect) with that kind of neurotic mental gymnastics. But on the plus side, I made 8 sales on Amazon today, which is pretty robust even by the Ugly American's lofty standards.

I even sold a book to James Tynion IV this week. I won't tell you what it was, because you never know who reads this damn column, and for all I know the book was a gift. So we're going to keep that info on the down low. Tynion writes Talon for DC Comics, if you didn't know.

So that's my brush with fame this week. Not nearly as impressive as attempting to boot Tom Fowler out of the Foggy Goggle because you're having an art event... but that's pretty good for me.

I've been upping my game, folks, gearing up for the Christmas selling season. I recently went on a research rampage, complete with a Rocky theme-laced montage in my head. Did you know that Ebay refuses to show more than 10,000 auction results on a search? I was unjustifiably proud of that little feat. Did you beat testicular cancer? Pffft. I did enough research that an auction site turned off the faucet on me. How am I still single? A world wonders.

Point being, I have a lot of market info banging around in my brain right now, and will now share a few bytes of it. Why? Because I care about you. You know another comics blog that's going to help you earn some money for your insane Christmas shopping this year? Didn't think so.

Preacher
Word on the street is that AMC is feeling the loss of Breaking Bad and looking for a real ass kicker to pick up the slack.

Enter Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Preacher. Now, we've heard this song and dance before, as far back as 1998. The difference this time is that shadowy sources are claiming that AMC have ordered a pilot. When people start spending money, you know they're serious. It's certainly no guarantee. Global Frequency actually got their pilot made, it was good, and the show still got scrapped. But this is looking like it might actually happen.

Collectors are noticing. This summer, you were able to grab copies of Preacher # 1 in stated NM for $25-$50, and a CGC 9.8 was in the $200-$225 range. As of this week, raw copies in NM have been selling for between $200 and a staggering $385! I also watched a Preacher # 1 in CGC 9.8 achieve a $649.99 closing price.

A few years ago DC produced some $1.00 comics in conjunction with the Watchmen film release. They were supposed to function as cheap gateways into other DC material for folks who liked the Watchmen movie so much they just had to find other comics.

I'm not sure that ever happened, but I do know that I just watched the $1.00 Preacher: Special Edition comic sell for $17.00 last week. Not sure how replicable that is, it looks like an outlier. On the other hand, it's only going to cost you a buck to stash that away and see if the AMC show really takes off. There is precedence for this underdog reprint kind of thing working. Remember when Walking Dead Weekly # 1 came out and you just laughed at it? That's an easy sell at $25, and often goes much higher.

I'm pleasantly surprised to hear the AMC pilot news. The Walking Dead contains violence and some dark/mature themes...but there's nothing incendiary built into the concept. The 21st Century loves its false piety, political correctitude, and heaping piles of bullshit. Preacher is NONE of those things. If they build the show with the comic's foundation, (and why option the property unless you want the foundation?) there will be angry letters. Oh yes, there will be letters. I will be very curious to see what happens then. Other than me clapping and jumping like a six-year-old at his birthday party, that is.

New 52 Hardcovers
Have you noticed how hard it is to find most of the Volume 1 New 52 books in hardcover? They're gone, baby, gone. DC is lagging on going back to press on these, and the results are surging prices in the secondary market. Here's some current Amazon mins for HCs in new condition:

Justice League Vol 1: Origin $60+
Aquaman Vol 1: Trench $60+
Wonder Woman Vol 1: Blood $50+

Batman & Robin: Born to Kill looks poised to be the next big winner, and the Detective Comics Vol 1 seems legitimately scarce and simmering as well. Batman books in particular have a habit of becoming solid earners in the secondary market - it will pay to keep an eye on those books.

There's always a danger that DC could go back to press at any minute, and that instantly smashes the profit potential, at least for new material like this. It's pretty weird to me that DC wouldn't have scads and scads of the Justice League HCs available. Your creative team on that book is Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. They are running the publishing firm. How in the world do they let their own work lapse out of print? Very weird.

Journey Into Mystery TPBs

Here's a bulletin for you - the ladies love Loki. Tom Hiddleston does more moisturizing in one hour than aloe vera does all year. If you have a uterus, you looooooove Loki. As you should. I'm right with you.

Now, the ladies don't necessarily love all Lokis equally. What they really love is Hiddleston, of course. There isn't really a direct Hiddleston corollary in the comics, but the Keiron Gillen young Loki is in the heart-throbby ballpark, and certainly seems to be sufficing. That's where the Journey Into Mystery stuff comes in.

So young Loki shows up in Journey into Mystery # 622. That might be one to have. Did you know that Marvel produced a variant of that issue with Tom Hiddleston on the cover? Huh. If you like money, I might look into that one. Seems like it might have a future.

In the here and now, though...some of the Journey Into Mystery trades are rather scorching. It's the even numbered volumes you're looking for:

Journey Into Mystery Vol 2: Fear Itself Fallout
Journey Into Mystery Vol 4: Manchester Gods

I sell a lot of books, and you kind of get a feel for how desperately hot certain books get by how long it takes to sell them. I've had three copies of Manchester Gods now, and when I price them competiively, (within 5% of the current min) they don't make it more than an hour or two. That is a RABID fan base, and I attribute it largely to women.

Women are a powerful force in the comics economics landscape. You won't hear that from any comics creator or the pundit sites, because nobody claps when you speak truths like "women actually do haves some agency within the medium". You only get to hear clapping when you say "women are oppressed and sad creatures, and we should all be sad for them."

Here's some truth for you - The Harley Quinn Phenomenon is exceeded only by Batman and Spider-Man, in my opinion. That's women that are driving the Harley Quinn bus. There are men on it, but the women are driving it. About 38% of them are applying eye shadow while driving said bus, and I'm not into that. But they're doing it, and I'm making money on it, and yay!

Long story longer, JIM Vol 2 is a $50 sale in nice condition, and JIM Vol 4 is a super easy $60+ sale. These books could be sitting in your local comic shop right now! Go and conquer!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Ugly American: IMAGINE Agents Review!

IMAGINE Agents
Boom! Studios 4 issue mini-series

Scripts: Brian Joines
Art: Bachan
A few weeks ago some guy you might be familiar with named Mike reviewed some comics on the Where Monsters Dwell radio program and recommended a Boom! title called IMAGINE Agents. I had seen the solicitation copy and cover images for the book, and it looked like a forgettable little cartoony fluff piece that wouldn't interest me. Mike seemed so pleasantly surprised with it...I just had to see for myself.

After reading the first two issues, count the Ugly American as also heartily endorsing IMAGINE Agents.

You had an imaginary friend as a child, right? Well, the IMAGINE Agents are tasked with keeping these "notional entities" in line. Think "Men in Black", with a more specific jurisdiction.

Agent Dave Slatern (the grizzled, jaded vet) and rookie Terry Snowgoose (hapless comedic relief) are drowning in cases. Seems a a wayward notion named Dapple has a revolution in mind, and he's recruiting other rowdies with an eye toward interacting more directly with the tangible world. Caught in the crosshairs of all this mayhem are a host of colorful notions and regular folks like little Elliot and his mother Rebecca.

This is an all-ages book in the truest sense. You can hand this to just about anybody, and they'll find something to grab hold of. The reason to do a book like this is to dismantle the governor on a creator's imagination and just let it rip. IMAGINE Agents does not disappoint on that front. The main Notional is Furdlegurr, who looks like a fat teddy bear, and there are plenty of other cutesy creatures if you're into that sort of thing.

Blounder is a pink blob who really takes an emotional beating in this comic and steals every scene he's in. The visuals run the gamut - some of the Notions are ill-conceived amalgamations (their forms are influenced by the undeveloped minds of children) that lean toward the creepy and bizarre. My favorite is Jupert,
the "wild west" tyrannosaurs acting as deputy sherrif of the district where the diaspora go when their children can't see them any more. I don't know what a "Bachan" is, but they're doing a bang-up job selling interesting looking characters.

What draws me to IMAGINE Agents is that it's deeper than it's cartoon exterior. Agent Slatern (who clearly has a checkered emotional history with his own childhood Notion) forces Blounder to confront the idea that his unnaturally sweet relationship with Molly might cripple her ability to form relationships in the real world.

Not all the Notions have that syrupy bond with children, however. Pono got saddled with a kid who quickly got bored with him, tossed him in the corner and promptly forgot him. Joines has a very solid structure in place for the Notional world and the rules it plays by. Notions take a form that is chosen for them. What a drag, even if you found the box you were placed in aesthetically pleasing! It's a narrative demonstration of how part of what we are is
constructed by other's perceptions.

Pono being stuck inside that weird plant sells the idea of societal influence more powerfully and with more subtlety than 99% of the comics on the rack today, who think jamming propaganda down your throat with a dirty plunger is storytelling.

It works in IMAGINE Agents because it's built into the story organically, and serves the story in terms of motive. Some of the Notions are just destructive people who enjoy breaking things. But many of the Notions find Dapple's plan attractive simply because they've grown attached emotionally to the "real world" and want to be a part of it. How would you feel if everything in your life was stripped away from you because the person you cared about most happened to turn 8 years old? That's the life of an imaginary friend.

So there's a lot to like about this comic. It looks fantastic, it has heart, and it's extremely tightly plotted. There is exactly zero fat in Joines script - every word and image serves a purpose, and the pace is quite brisk. I honestly wouldn't mind if the script were allowed to meander a little more, because the character moments are so strong. I think it's smart, though, especially in today's market to err on the side of less decompression and more story density.

Not for nothing, but Elliot's mom Rebecca also has the highest MILF quotient in comics. That's important.

And hey, for you Market Spotlight folks...I would say that IMAGINE Agents has higher-than-average investment potential, because this property is absolutely begging to be made into an animated feature.

Now, the "movie option" game is a bit played out, and the windows for that game are getting incredibly short. This is different, though. Not everything that gets optioned is actually good. If exposed to a larger audience, IMAGINE Agents will really grab hold of some hearts and stick. It deserves a shot in your reading pile, for sure.

PS: the imaginary friend bit is an inspired hook, I would say. Most of us have experience, yes? Or am I the weird one?

As a child, I had two imaginary friends running simultaneously: Mark and Guggees. Guggees rhymes with "juggies", only with a "guh" sound at the beginning, if you're curious. Mark was a bit of a bad seed. If I threw a Hot Wheels car at the dog.....that was probably because Mark thought it was a good idea, not because I was a little asshole. He was sort of like the devil on my shoulder.

Some people have a little angel on their other shoulder to balance things out. Not me. I had Guggees. He was an impulsive but hilarious lunatic. So if Mom laid out my clothes for an exciting day at kindergarten, I might switch things up and wear two different colored socks to school. That would be the Guggees Factor.

Everyone, please try to contain your shock that my two formative phantom influences were a sociopath and a certifiable nut bag. I think Mark and Guggees had pretty much left by the third grade, so I think the 8 year rule feels about right to me. Now it's all me. If I throw a Hot Wheels car at your dog? I'll own that. The point is, keep your dog in line and nobody gets hurt.

Next up: I think we'll start tackling the 2013 year in review!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Ugly American: Decisions, Decisions!

After sifting through this month's Previews...I might be done with Marvel Comics, and I hate that. I hate that I'm even forced to consider it, because I love Marvel Comics, and I'm not a quitter, and I don't want to be 'That Guy'.

This all started when I zipped to the Marvel section of Previews, looking for the new X-Factor book. Layla MIller is my favorite character in comics, so first I needed to confirm her presence or absence in the new line-up. She is absent. That's not a good start.

Then I needed to confirm that Peter David was scripting, and he is. I don't even remember who the penciller is, because it doesn't matter. If I can tolerate PAD X-Factor scripts rendered by Larry Stroman, then I can tolerate anything. So Peter is in, and that's critical, because at this point X-Factor to me kinda IS Peter David.

They've titled the new rendition "All New X-Factor"
, which I loathe. This musical adjective game Marvel likes to play is silly. lazy, random, and ultimately destructive. When a dozen different titles juggle a dozen different adjectives, those adjectives stop creating distinctions and start creating chaos.

Five years from now when everything a customer wants to read has worn an Uncanny, an Amazing, and an All New on its masthead, who will remember which is which? How will that customer find what they're looking for in a sea of spines at their local comic shop? It's just bad business. Such a practice is marketing suicide...and any college intern could tell you that. How do they not know this?

That wasn't the deal-breaker, though. All New X-Factor is priced at $3.99, so even if it did have Layla Miller in it, I'm out. I'm just out. That makes me sad, because I would dearly love to support a Peter David title, even though in this case it looks like he's going for the tedious and played out "corporations are bad" bit. I trust that he'd handle it with some degree of subtlety and humor, and that would probably take some of the gag reflex away from the southpaw medicine. But I won't be around to find out, because I'm not spending $3.99 on a Marvel comic. That's been the law, at least for me.

Trouble with that is, there isn't much left at the House of Ideas for $2.99, and what's left is not long for the world. Marvel just doesn't believe in titles running longer than two years. Here's your list of regular Marvel books at the $2.99 price tag in this month's Previews:

Avengers A.I.
Daredevil
Deadpool
Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Thunderbolts
X-Men: Legacy
Young Avengers


There were a handful of other odd items in there for $3 as well, like the all-ages books, some clearance items they found lying in a warehouse, and the Daredevil Dark Nights mini. But we're down to about a half dozen titles, none of them will be around in their present form a year from now, and when they do come back? They'll be $3.99, just like the All New X-Factor.

So that's it. The rubicon has presented itself, and now I must decide if I'll cross. There will be no more $2.99 Marvel books soon - do I re-write my laws and fudge a little, do I simply admit defeat and just buy anything in direct defiance of all that I hold true and dear...or do I say good-bye to Marvel Comics?

It's a complicated beast, and it probably has more to do with petty psychology as it does economics. I'll let you in on a little secret: the #1 thing preventing me from kicking Marvel to the curb is the fact that I self-identify as a "comics guy", and I don't think you can be a "comics guy" and not have some intimate contact with Marvel. They're too big, and too important.

Some of my readers will reject that notion, and God bless you all. There's more to comics than superheroes, for sure. I'm not suggesting that avoiding Marvel eliminates you from being a fan of comics. That's just silly.

What I'm saying is....this is so bizarre...comics are kind of My Thing. I write a column about them. I did a weekly podcast about them for more than five years, and still crank one out occasionally because I love it, and because I just can't stay away. On my days off, I'm researching and reading and buying comics for my side business, which is selling comics. That "side business" makes my life possible, by the way. Without it, there's no way I make ends meet. In a very real way, comics are my life.

So the idea that I might simply ignore the medium's (for better or worse) dominant entity...how can I do that? How can I do that and still be a Comics Guy?

I suppose one answer is that I can re-define myself. I don't have to be a Comics Guy. Some people might call that growth, actually. I call it a heinous fate worse than death, but I'm admittedly prone to hyperbole. Maybe it's not as bad as all that, and maybe I'm already there and just not ready to admit it to myself? The last Marvel event that I read front-to-back was Civil War. That was what, 7 years ago?

Amazing Spider-Man flipped over to $3.99 in the summer of 2010. Can you really be a Comics Guy and abandon Spider-Man for three years? The $3.99 price point has chased me out of nearly everything - I've never read an issue of Hickman's Avengers. I've been priced out of most X-Men titles for years. I don't know...maybe I'm already that "out of the loop" character I'm afraid of becoming.

So what to do? I've been partially in the loop via my public library. Most Marvel titles are available to me for free shortly after they hit the stands. I've been able to keep my thumb on the pulse of Superior Spider-Man and
Thor: God of Thunder in that way. I could expand that program. Somehow that just doesn't feel right. I'm not truly current, (should that really matter?) and why should I have to go through the extra hoops and waiting because Marvel's pricing sucks? Seems more fitting to just leave it alone.

Honestly, there is such a wealth of material out there already published, I could probably happily just explore back issues and collected material and never run out undiscovered gems. I've never read the Legion Great Darkness Saga, for crying out loud. I have hundreds of gaps like that. I could just do that and not even worry about new issues, from any publisher.

But again, there's that identity thing again. Ever listen to a podcast and the host or supposed "expert" guest wants to opine about comics, but openly admits they haven't picked up a book in years? Fair or not, those people have no credibility with me. You left. You don't know. You can choose to spend your money how you want, and you can leave the fold any time you want. But your words have no credence unless you're in the muck with me. That's what I'm considering becoming - a guy with no comics credence. Insert shudder here.

Maybe it is time to wave the white flag on price. Prices do rise over time, I'm not oblivious to that. I think the price of comics has risen in a manner that's completely out-of-whack with general inflation and in a completely irresponsible and arbitrary manner, is the thing.

How do I know that, you ask? I can prove to you that comics don't need to be $3.99 rather easily. If Bryan K Vaughan can make money with Saga at $2.99, and Robert Kirkman can make money with Walking Dead at $2.99, then Marvel absolutely, positively, 1000% does NOT need a $4 price tag to make money with their comics. It should be noted that Robert Kirkman sleeps on a bed of money, and none of it comes from his television deal. He uses the TV money to construct his 1:1 scale replica of Castle Greyskull in the back yard. It should also be noted that Kirkman and Vaughan's $2.99 comics show something unique in the industry called "growth", while the $3.99 material always suffers standard (or worse) attrition. I don't think that's a coincidence.

But maybe that doesn't matter. The $3.99 price point may be arbitrary, unnecessary, and destructive, but the fact of the matter is that common sense failed and short-term greed won. Maybe it's time to just own the defeat and buy whatever Marvel books I like as budget permits. I would really like to be current with Superior Spider-Man. I would like to be reading Jason Aaron's material, and Jonathan Hickman's new stuff.

The downside there, is that my limited budget means adding those grossly expensive and double-shipped Marvel books will inevitably result in my dropping books from other, more responsible publishers. Does that sound like a good result? It feels like there is no winning here, no matter what path I take.

I sincerely don't know what path I'm going to take. All I know is that the decision is no longer a thought experiment. $2.99 is going away, here in the Marvel NOW!

So I'll ask you, dear reader...what shall I do?

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Ugly American Report: Miracle-Whipped!

This week I thought I'd jam my hand into the mailbag to see if it still bites. What I got was this letter from Miracle Keith, who wants me to speculate on the future of Miracleman. Keith writes:

I wonder if Ryan could comment on the Marvel announcement regarding Miracleman? Apparently, the Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman issues will be reprinted in their entirety, with the possibility of Gaiman finally finishing his storyline. The hilarious part of the whole thing is that the solicitations contain the writer credit: “The original author” and Mick Anglo. In other words, Moore is such an unbelievably obstinate grudge-holder that he has requested his name to be struck from the reprints. I understand that he is donating all royalties from any first printings be donated to the Anglo family (which stands to be a pretty huge chunk of change), so his philanthropy should be admired. If Ryan could just quickly comment on 1) what collectors of the old Eclipse issues should do with their back issues (i.e. – sell now before it’s too late or keep on hangin’ on) and 2) what he thinks the future will hold for the character after Gaiman (ostensibly) finishes out his story arc.

Thanks, ya puke

MiracleKeith

Just to get everybody caught up, Miracleman was a much lauded series penned by Alan Moore in the 1980s, revising and maturing Marvelman, one of Britain's most popular superheroes from the 1950s. The series began as a black-and-white strip contained in Dez Skinn's "Warrior" anthology magazine before Eclipse took over and started publishing the series in color. Alan Moore left after 16 issues and then passed the baton to Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham. That team went for 8 more issues before Eclipse finally declared bankruptcy, leaving the Gaiman/Buckingham arc incomplete.

At that point chaos ensued as to who actually owned the rights to the character. Dez Skinn was pretty sure he bought the rights from original Marvelman creator Mick Anglo, Eclipse was pretty sure they bought the rights from Skinn, and Todd McFarlane was pretty sure he bought the rights from Eclipse. It's a long convoluted, painful story, but the story ended with the relevant courts deciding that Mick Anglo had always owned the rights to that character. And then at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, Joe Quesada announced at the "Cup O' Joe" panel that Marvel had, in fact bought the rights from Anglo.

For some, that announcement was a big deal. Miracleman is regarded as a seminal work, on par with Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns in terms of quality and historical importance. If you want to watch comics grow up on the page, Miracleman was a critical part of that process. And it's a damn fine read.

The difference, though, is that Watchmen and the Dark Knight have always been in print. If you want to read that work, you can walk into any comic shop at any time and find it. If for some bizarre reason your LCS doesn't carry those books, Amazon or Barnes & Noble will. The Eclipse bankruptcy made sure that the Miracleman comics were not and could not be in print, leaving only the back issues. The early issues of Miracleman are plentiful and relatively cheap. Many of the later issues, particularly issue # 15 (still one of the most gruesome, raw comics in history) are very expensive.

Alan Moore is a hallowed writer, and Miracleman a canonized classic that almost nobody has had access to. That Miracleman announcement at SDCC 2009 was the equivalent of saying "Hey, we found this lost Beatles album in the archives of unreleased material from the White Album era, and it will be on the shelves soon."

And then we waited.

And waited.

My prediction after a year of waiting was that Miracleman was caught in Legal Hell, and forever. In my opinion, if the Disney lawyers couldn't cut through the red tape, it was tape that couldn't be cut. This month's Previews took a giant poop on my crystal ball, because Marvel begins reprinting the Alan Moore Miracleman comics in January 2014.

Keith is correct, though, they can't say "Alan Moore", because he's like the Candyman at this point. If you print his name, Tony Todd shows up with a swarm of bees, a meat cleaver, and an attorney, and nobody needs that. Bees are irritating.

It is in fact quite hilarious to see his work credited as "the original author", especially when you consider all the delicious little ironies. Like the fact that his Miracleman work is built on Anglo's work, which was a direct British rip-off of Fawcett's Captain Marvel. Alan Moore is a genius-level talent and deserves his elevated status in comics history, but let's face the facts - his greatest achievement (Watchmen) stole its plot from an episode of the Outer Limits, and his longest running empire (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) is built entirely with bricks borrowed from other great writers. So yeah, Alan Moore. Talented? You bet. Original? Ahhhhhhhhh.....no.

So why isn't Alan Moore's name on the Miracleman reprints? Well, the short answer is that he's bat shit crazy. Well, that's not true. Poor people are crazy, Alan Moore is astoundingly eccentric. He just doesn't live in the same world that you and I do. He lives in Alan Moore World, conveniently parked between Earth 2 (helloooooo Power Girl) and the mental space that Prince inhabits.

If you want to know how out of touch he is with reality, I give you this from the Wizard of Northampton:

"It's always seemed to me that the majority of the comics field, if you had to place them politically, you'd have to say centre-right. That would be as far towards the liberal end of the spectrum as they would go."

That is actually the least true statement uttered in human history. The guy simply does not intersect with any known reality. Perhaps this is a strength for a writer of fiction?

Moore seems like the kind of cat who is quite charming if you sit down and spend an hour or two with him. Nobody seems capable of withstanding extended exposure, however. Give him time, and Alan Moore will concoct a reason based upon available evidence to boycott you forever. That evidence can be real or imagined, it all comes out the same in the end. Eventually Alan Moore will cast you out into the lake of fire, and you won't be coming back. Either he's the unluckiest person in the world who just continues to bump into a never-ending series of traitors and back-stabbers, or maybe the problem actually lies with the guy wearing a Glycon ring and an absurdly large beard. I know which direction Occam's Razor is leaning.

So yes, Marvel does have the rights to the Alan Moore material, but he doesn't want his name on anything he doesn't own. He doesn't want any comp copies, he isn't doing any interviews for the product, and he doesn't want any of your damn money, either. He's giving that to other creators.

And you know what? Keith's right, he does deserve credit for that. He might be a crazy asshole, but damned if he's not an entertaining and principled one. More crazy assholes could learn a thing or two from Alan Moore.

Before I get to the horrifyingly bad news about Marvel's handling of the Miracleman property, let me give them credit for a couple of positives. Firstly, I give them credit for pulling an about-face and titling the material "Miracleman". That's what the material is known as, and it's been known that way because Marvel's laywers made it that way. I think it's wise to roll with things rather than try to move the boulder of public consciousness. Brits may still think of that character as Marvelman, because they have a longer history with him. In America, the Alan Moore character is either unknown, or its Miracleman. Kudos for not fighting that.

Kudos also for getting Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham on board. That story deserves to be completed, and by the original creators. It sounds like that's exactly what's going to happen. So good on that.

To me, that's not the real story, unfortunately. The real story is the manner in which Marvel is packaging this material. Issue # 1 ships in January. It includes some material from Miracleman # 1, Warrior # 1, Marvelman Primer, and carries a $5.99 price tag.

Yup, that's right. They want $6 for a sliver of Miracleman # 1 and a metric ton of fluff you've already seen, and didn't want to pay for the first time. That's a crime.

But wait, you say - that's just the first issue, right? It gets reasonable after that, I'm sure. No, no it doesn't. Issue # 2 reprints material from Warrior # 1-5 (Miracleman ran in 8 page installments in the magazine) and carries a $4.99 price tag.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised any more about the Queen Whore of Babylon and her wily ways. I guess if it were me, I would have priced those issues dirt cheap to get as many eyes on it as possible. That's a solid strategy if the material is quality. Get rid of the filler, I want the customer satisfied when they're done. Get as many people in the door as possible, because once they see the product, they fall in love and are in for life. That's the long game, the smart game, the game dedicated to serving your customer.

That's just not the Marvel Way.

The Marvel Way is not about building a satisfied customer base. It's about stuffing as much cash into your pockets as possible for this quarter. Fuck the customer, and fuck tomorrow. What can I get today? That's the Marvel Way.

If you pay attention to this stuff, you know that Marvel Comics have big problems in the book stores, and with their collections. DC cleans up with their evergreen Vertigo material and Watchmen. Image have the powerhouse Walking Dead combined with new sluggers like Chew, and Saga.

Marvel just can't sell any books, and they have (in my opinion) the strongest IP inventory in the business. It's embarrassing, frankly. Miracleman is just BEGGING to be a Watchmen-level evergreen title for them, and I can already see that they're going to pooch it.

If you ever wondered if Marvel had given up on the idea of chasing new readers, wonder no more. They don't know what they have, and they don't know how to sell it. Remember Shadowland? Marvel was so adamant about backing that piece of dog shit they spontaneously sent double the ordered product to retailers. Why wouldn't you price it reasonably, cut the fluff, and do something like that for Miracleman? That's a known commodity, a high quality product, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Why not flood the market with that and then reap the benefits of word-of-mouth on the collections?

Because there is no vision at Marvel, and they don't even pretend to chase new customers. "Share your universe?" Disgusting. How about share quality product at competitive prices?

Marvel's business model at this point is to find whatever core customers are left to them, and to punish them as much as possible for having the audacity to still be interested in the product. "You're excited about Miracleman? Eat that $6 price tag, loser!" It's madness.

It's madness, and it may in fact kill the property. I say this because nobody is more excited about the prospects of Miracleman than me, and I took one look at the price tag and bailed. There may not be enough good will left in the customer base to finish the reprinted material, much less continue with new stories.

Those of you who listened to Chronic Insomnia back in the day will recall that Quincy and I had many debates on the issue of comics piracy. Those listeners will remember that I have never advocated the practice. I still don't endorse piracy, but I will say this - if Marvel is going to charge you $5 an issue to trickle out a few pages of that Miracleman material per, I don't know why you wouldn't get them for free from another source. Piracy is unethical...and so is extortion. When faced with that ethical dilemma, I would not take issue with a consumer that chose to protect themselves from Marvel's abuse. I value integrity, and making sure that creators are justly compensated for their work. What we're talking about with these Miracleman reprints is consumer abuse.

So, when Keith wonders what might happen with Miracleman when the reprints are done, my answer is that I don't know that we'll even get through the reprints. Are there enough masochists out there to sustain this? Marvel is asking you to pay $11 in January for Miracleman comics, and you won't even have issue # 1 by the time you're done!

Gaiman and Buckingham have had Miracleman # 25 in the can for ages, I'd really like to see that in print after all these years. I think that's in jeopardy now. The door is theoretically open to continue past Gaiman/Buckingham, but what would that look like? At these prices, do you see Miracleman being a big seller? And if it isn't a big seller, what kind of creative teams would Marvel assign to the book of extended adventures? If you found Before Watchmen underwhelming....buckle up for All-New Uncanny Miracleman. I'd like to be wrong about that. I won't be.

As for the back issue situation, we at the Ugly American advise you to hold onto your Eclipse Miracleman issues. They are classics, and they will always be classics regardless of how badly Marvel bungles the property.

Eventually, Marvel will create new collected editions of the Miracleman stuff. When that happens, invariably some collectors dump their current format in order to subsidize the new desired format. If that happens - if a bunch of people flood the market with Eclipse books when Marvel produces the new hardcovers and TPBs, you may see prices come down. Do not panic when that happens, but rejoice! And BUY. That is your last opportunity to buy those books at a reasonable rate.

In particular, Miracleman # 15 is a modern classic, and the volume 3 Olympus trade is a holy grail book for TPB collectors. Miracleman # 15 trades often, but is expensive. The Olympus trade is rarely seen, and the HC is hyper scarce. The near future could be your last chance to own these gems without putting the kids' college money at risk. Keep your eyes open on that front!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Ugly American Bloated Halloween finale: The Classics!

The Spawn animated series didn't quite work out, but there are a couple of Halloween classics I can always count on, and watch every year.

The Crow (1994)

Of course The Crow began as a comic book, or as the closing credits declare...a "comic book series and comic strip by James O'Barr". The comic book series I get, but comic strip? I certainly don't recall that in the Sunday funny pages. It would have been a sharp (and welcome) contrast to Family Circus, that's for sure. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that ever happened. I'm digressing already, but just as an aside, if you're reading this you should definitely go back to the WMD archives and spin # 239 with the James O'Barr interview. It's worth it.

I imagine most of you reading this need no introduction to The Crow, but some of you might, and the good news is that the story is very simple to grasp. Eric Draven and Shelly Webster are to be married on Halloween, but are murdered the night before by a quartet of street thugs. A crow brings his soul back a year later to seek revenge.

That's it. Keep it simple, stupid! I wish more storytellers knew to do that. You keep the core concept simple, and then the devil is in the details. The Crow separates itself because so many of the details are handled with exemplary skill.

Alex Proyas chose to go oppresively dark with the picture, punctuated by bright strobe effects, and glaring reds. Some of the human elements are lit, but when Eric Draven is on screen, the film is practically in black-and-white, with the notable exception of wonderfully odd scene between Brandon Lee and Ernie Hudson. That's the scene that produces the "nothing is trivial" line that you'll remember forever. That's another strong element - The Crow is imminently quotable.

It's been a while since I've visited the source material, but I think many of the best lines were contributed by the screen writers, which is not a criticism of O'Barr, but a surprising compliment to the film team. So often a comic property is stripped of its essence because a film-maker doesn't understand what makes the property go. You just have to shake your head when a studio opens up Juggernaut's helmet so you can see his face, or when they hire gifted smart-ass Ryan Reynolds to play a character (Deadpool) defined by his mouth, and then physically remove it.

The Crow movie gets it right because it clearly understood that this was a vengeance story...about love. If you read the original comics or listen to J O'Barr talk about that story with your ears open, you'll know that it isn't Death Wish or Dirty Harry. The revenge element is there to be sure, and also celebrated. The Crow doesn't actually take pleasure in killing, but neither is it just a mechanical duty. There's a showmanship to it, and symbolism. If you're paying attention, Eric kills them all ironically. Tin-tin dies by the sword, Fun Boy with drugs, T-Bird by fire, (and then The Crow signs it with his own fiery bird) and he kills Skank in the manner he himself was killed.

My roundabout point is that I won't deny that this is a revenge movie, but that's not where it's heart is. It's a vengeance story catalyzed by love lost, and consistently showing a better way. The world is dark, and connection is the way out. Love your fiance, mentor the little girl who was orphaned by a tragic murder, remember what it means to be a responsible to your daughter. The Crow is not a horror or adventure tale....it's a love story.

I've watched the movie many times, and every time there are points when I sort of leave the story space and think "Brandon Lee died making this movie....what a loss that is." There are moments when you can catch him in the act of trying, and not all of his choices work. The Crow is filled with strong emotional beats across the spectrum, beats that are very easy to turn cartoony and excessive. Brandon Lee takes a lot of chances with his performance and nails most of them. There was nothing in say..."Rapid Fire" that suggested he was interested in or capable of the depth on display in The Crow.

Toward the end of the movie when Eric storms Top Dollar's tower looking for Skank, the police bust in, point their guns and tell him to freeze. Lee's choice was to hold his hands up, then prance to the window like he's Michigan J Bullfrog and crashes through. It's a surprise laugh that completely cuts through all expectations, and you're telling me that's in the script? There's no way. Brandon Lee did that, and it's inspired.

I watch this every year around Halloween, (usually on "Devil's Night, the night before) and I always pick up new things. This time I may or may not have picked up on a piece of the Crow Mythos.

After Draven dispatched with Skank...the mission is over. He goes back to Shelly's grave, and is about to disappear or crumble to dust, or do whatever it is Crow's do when the vengeance is done. He pulls his hand back from Shelly's grave because Top Dollar has captured Sarah and he hears her scream.

When Eric gets to the church with Albrecht, Tony Todd shoots Draven's crow avatar, and he suddenly becomes vulnerable. We think those things are connected, because Bai Ling's character says so. But really, how the hell would she know that? Just because you sniff incense off roasted eyeballs doesn't make you an expert on ghostly vengeance. This is a character with such a fantastic grasp of the situation that she allows her own eyeballs to be plucked out of her head by a now extraordinarily pissed off magical crow.

Why would wounding the crow affect Draven's healing abilities? If that crow sprains his ankle, then he has to wait until it comes off the injured reserve to continue the mission? It doesn't make sense.

I'm not convinced that it matters a lot in the grand scheme of things, but I think Eric Draven lost his magical abilities because he went off-mission. Sarah was not part of the plan. He had supernatural sanction to go after the men who directly raped and murdered Shelly and killed him, but after that...no dice. I think he was vulnerable when he went into that church whether Tony Todd clipped his bird or not.

It still fits the story mechanics perfectly, because the theme is that you don't turn your back on love, even if it's not part of your undead itinerary. The move is to help Sarah, which he does. He even gets one last mystical gift (even with a wounded crow) that forces empathy on Top Dollar, who ordinarily receives pleasure from other's pain. This time he uploads 30 hours of Shelly's suffering into Top Dollar, who is then defeated.

Anywho. Not a big deal, but that's my theory now after watching The Crow for about the 37th time.

Trick R' Treat (2007)

I love The Crow, but this is now my Grand Champion of Halloween movies. When Trick R' Treat initially launched, I saw the promo pieces featuring a creepy little guy with a burlap sack on his head and outright dismissed it. No matter how good the look was, and Sam does have a good look, (especially with the mask off) I was simply not interested in a mindless creature feature where a spooky cipher randomly stalks and kills. I've seen that movie a gajillion times. No more, please.

Trick R' Treat is not that movie.

There is nothing mindless, random, or cliched about Trick R' Treat, and it isn't actually about Sam. It's about Samhain, the origin of Halloween. It's about acknowledging and understanding the past so that you can act correctly in the present. It's about respecting the darkness, not becoming it. It's about paying homage to tradition, and coming to a correct understanding about one's place in the world, in order to make that world a better place.

Now, before you check out on me, please do understand that we learn all these lessons via werewolves, ghost children, and disturbing little Sam. And when you aren't being bombarded with the spectral forces of darkness, there are also very real sexual predators, child predators, crotchety old men, and grade school bullies to contend with. In other words - fun!
Trick R' Treat is actually four stories that end up overlapping and interlocking with each other as the movie progresses. It has a clear point of view and it is absolutely dedicated to subverting your expectations.

Michael Dougherty is the writer and director of the movie. He has writing credits on X2: X-Men United and Superman Returns, so he's got a bit of a comic book background. There's even a Trick R' Treat comic by Mark Andreyko and Mike Huddleston. He's clearly seen and adores all the same horror movies I have. He knows them all, and knows how to remind you of them...and then the rug comes out from under you, every time.

I very much envy those of you who haven't seen this film yet, and can have that initial experience of surprise again and again. I'm not going to spoil anything with plot analysis, because I want you all to maintain that surprise.

I didn't see the film until 2011, and only watched it as an accident the first time. It was just on in the background, in the middle of the picture. I was hooked inside of five minutes, and then by the end when I started piecing together how the stories were cascading into each other, I decided I must find this and watch it front to back. I hit the guide button to see what hidden little masterpiece I was watching, and when the grid said "Trick R' Treat", I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. How could I have been so wrong about this, and why hasn't anybody told me this was so good!

The most compelling element of the movie is its internal logic. Trick R' Treat has its own set of rules based upon its theme of respecting tradition, and it follows them religiously. Everything that is mindless, and dull, and played-out about most horror movies becomes instantly fresh in this movie because it all happens for a reason.

Somebody could write a very worthwhile term paper dissecting where these characters transgress, and whether the punishments are just or not. It's that rarest of movies that can be enjoyed by a variety of people at a multitude of levels. There is ethical pondering and philosophy about the human condition available if you want that kind of thing. There's horror and violence in moderate amounts for those in the market for that. And there's also Anna Paquin and a bunch of her co-ed friends prancing about in really hot halloween costumes for those who go in for that.
And Bryan Cox. There's definitely Bryan Cox...who doesn't like him?

Trick R' Treat is not just a great Halloween movie, it's one of my top five favorite movies ever. Highest possible recommendation as something to pop in and watch on Halloween.