a Brave new world….
Let’s Do Lunch
So, I'm back to work; nt full time just yet, but I got a head full of projects and promotions and tons of excitement for getting behind the ol' register again. On the whole, it's been exactly what I've needed and the support been just super.
But I love lunch.
Just love it. Work an eight-hour shift, you get that nice juicy hour break right in the middle of the day to just kick back and relax... with comics. And food! All days should have a one hour break of food and comics, but right in the middle of your shift nit's just a little slice of heaven. Look through the stacks, try and remember that one comic a customer had been looking fr and look into it yourself, maybe grab a trade that has a tidbit of info from the comic you last read, kick back in the back of the store (if you're so lucky) and enjoy the recharge of batteries.
Don't get any food on those issues though, or else you just bought yourself some new books.
I actually started out my blog from my lunch break at work, all those many years ago. Taking aside the preview books for that week (man, I miss those), writing up a few sentences on them inbetween bites of an egg salad sandwich, those first impressions would later get written up at home. Reading comics at lunch I think cools the brain down enough to really think about what you're reading but not enough to make you brilliant. Brilliant comes latewr, after digestion, lunch and comics just gets you that first taste.
Me, I'm a creature of habit and work at a store conviently located right next to a snazzy litle restaurant. I have a booth, I have my books and I have a cherry coke to toast the first half of my working day. I like reading indy stuff while refueling, the shock and strangeness of a new story or art style taken with a stout and familiar meal. Today, it's Johnny Hiro on rec from the ISB and the long lean art syle and the quirky tale being told goes well with some steak and cheese. It's kind of Seth Fishery and Stuart Immoneny and while I'm not big on the black-and-white 'autobiography', putting a giant lizard atacking your New York apartment to get at your girlfriend whose mother used to be a member of what looks like Voltron... yeah. I could totally read the Hell out of that.
My lunch has gone well. I am full of tasty food, I've just jammed through a few pages of a graphic novel that kept my attention through said tasty foods and now I have a little more ammo when I go back to my shift to recommend a new book to those who might dig it too.
Just all part of the plan.
The Great Gap
Okay, the quick quick version: Yours Truly's been out of the comic loop for a few months.
And I swear, no matter how much I read, the more I have to wonder what I'm missing.
Sure, there's the problem of a large fire making the 25 long boxes I had nothing more than dust in the wind (and hoo boy, I'll get to that later) and the issue of having Marvel crescendo their Big Event while I was coming out of a medical coma, but there's this ... hole. This hole where I think there should be an ending, some sort of cookie or just an answer for a plotline that's been running since Avengers Disassembled.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the great finale to Secret Invasion was 'Skrulls are defeated' and that Norman Osborn is in charge of SHIELD? Oh and he has a League of Evil. Just like that?
Like it or not, Civil War spoiled me. The issue was straight-forward (Registration Act, y/n), resolution was clear (Registration Act wins) and the results far reaching (those who don't sign up are illegal). Easy? Yeah. Followed through to a 't'? Not really, but you can sell that story idea and explain it to new readers and old readers can complain but have some clear things to complain about.
Secret Invasion has a clear motive: alien invasion. This sells itself. Clear bad guy, clear good guy plus a little moral philosophy about why they're invading. This can end one of two ways: alien rule or aliens go home. But really, reading the last issue... it wasn't about that. It was a great big narrative leading to Norman Osborn shooting the Skrull Queen and that's where the story ends. That's the 'Cap Gives Up' moment and you can't even call it a victory, can you? Hey, not like I'm saying Cap Takes Ball, Goes Home was all that great a victory, but at least it had something to do with the story it was trying to tell.
It's the Initiative with an actual real Bad Guy in charge rather than Iron Man paraded as one depending on who's writing. It feels like we've done this before. The situation remains the same. It happened with World War Hulk, but I always get the feeling that Marvel's sort of 'over' the Incredible Hulk. The Green Goliath can come to New York City, threaten to throw it into the ocean and the ramifications are sort of swept under the rug. No one speaks of what the Illuminati did (well, at least the Pet Avengers seem to be on the case of the Infinity Gems), despite a five-issue miniseries highlighting it.
Here, people are still a little shaken up by the Invasion, but the battle in New York is something that tied up traffic. The big message of 'He Loves You' has its fifteen moments of fame and Norman Osborn is the new guy that's totally threatening . Maybe when they finally bring him down, we'll be distracted by another shiny object and maybe the Watchers will have been playing out our heroes like chess pieces for yet another story arc and banner title. Your guess is as good as mine.
And a Light Shone Down from the Heavens…
And God granted us Dan Slott.
The Baltimore Comic-Con revealed to us the way and the light by announcing DAN SLOTT was going to be taking over writing chores on the Mighty Avengers, the finest Avengers news I've heard in a great long while. Let me explain:
Originally, Mighty Avengers was supposed to be the 'real' Avengers book. Widescreen action with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as opposed to Earth's Most Popular Heroes over in New Avengers. There was supposed to be a difference in action and adventure in the two books and from it's first yelling-screaming cover, I had a front row seat for action action ACTION!!!
And then they fought girl Ultron, a Venom Bomb, and Doctor Doom. Then Secret Invasion hit.
I know I'm not the only one who wasn't really 'feelin' it'. Despite throwing three rather unique looks at three very popular Marvel villains, Doom being quite possibly the Mother of All Villainy and Awesomeness in the MU at the moment, I still don't feel like these Avengers have really accomplished anything. The girl Ultron story took far too long with a threat they've faced time and time again (and honestly, was better used in Annhilation: Conquest), the Venom Bomb was strangely handled too quickly when you think about it (I mean, Venom's still plagued by his symbiote after how many years and they all clear up a city-wide infection in a few issues) and then the rather bland Doctor Doom appearance... I'm not feelin' it. I've seen the characters done better in other books. I've seen balls-to-the-wall action done better in other books. The real Avengers story wasn't brought to the table.
Over in Avengers: the Initiative, we've gotten a great look at a very clear cast with a very clear objective: train to be superheroes. There is a tremedous cast of characters here, all of whom have gotten some measure of time in the spotlight. The action is there, there's been some mystery given to us in small doses and the overall theme of the book has been pretty solid and fun to follow. They had one of the best tie-ins to World War Hulk thanks to how easy it was to fold in the overarching plot with the book's own purpose. The had the added benefit of being 'B-Listers' so to speak and could go out, fight evil, get affected by it and create a good story as opposed to that one issue of Iron Man during World War Hulk that had Tony Stark on the ropes and in a dire situation and then promptly put him back to normal the issue after.
Dan Slott has done such a remarkable job with Avengers: the Initiative that it only makes sense that they would give him the big boys to play with. From the interview given above it seems as if his stylings on the book won't differ that much from how well he was doing on Avengers: the Initiative, except to make it more awesome.
My hopes are high.
The Coolest Thing EVER
You see, sometimes cool things happen to you and others have coolness thrust upon them.
This is a little of both:
oh my dear sweet lord
That's right. At my hometown comic shop, at my place of employment, Mr. MATT FREAKIN' FRACTION is going to be live in person sitting not ten feet from where I type this. All the way from Kansas City, Missouri, he's going to grace the shores of sunny Santa Barbara for this once in a lifetime signing event.
I haven't said anything about it because I keep thinking something terrible is going to happen but no! It's true! Our more complicated dreams of an exclusive store interview were eroded by reality to the point where I was at least able to send him some questions by email which he answered with grace and aplomb. Really! Check it out! This is so awesome-sauce.
So if you happen to be in the Southern California area and free this Saturday, please drop on by the store and say Hi. Shake the man's hand.
All the Luck in the World
Funny story:
Metro Entertainment (SANTA BARBARA'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST FOR COMICS TOYS GAMES AND MORE - sorry, got a little promo tourette's there) sent me and the store manager to local university UCSB to spread the word about our shop, our big event coming up on the 18th this month and about what we sell. It was beautiful, the weather was perfect, people were generally surprised and enthusiastic and a good time was had by all.
And then there was this girl.
About the third person to come up to our little booth by the sea was a college girl with big Jackie O shades on. "What is this all about exactly?," she asked us with a clinical eye and I stood tall as I gave her the schpeel about who we were and what we did. "Does this do well for you?," she followed up and at first, I thought she was talking about the booth promotion. No, it turns out she was asking if comics did well. I told her comics were had sustained themselves throughout the years and they were doing quite well indeed thank you. With a trite smile and nod, she delivered her parting comment and went to the next booth over.
"Well," she told us. "Good luck with that."
The Right Tool for the Right Failure
I didn't always, but I really like the Authority.
I'm sure somewhere Warren Ellis has said it smarter or better or not even this at all (seriously, YOU try and predict that man!) but it's kind of the logical extension of the Justice League. If people as powerful as Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman just hung around and waited for the Justice Phone to ring or worried about when Lex Luthor ot that Star Alien Doodad were going to rear their ugly head, it seems sort of a waste doesn't it? We get a lot of superheroes leading 'normal lives' or ponying up to charity work between punching evil in the face, but what would happen if they just stopped and devoted themselves to 24-hour, 365 day-a-year ass whuppin'? If they became THE AUTHORITY (just like the name of this cartoon!) of the planet? Are these people up for it? What kind of world would they make? How on Earth would you oppose people in a hgh-tech flying fortress just waiting for your ass to step out of line?
It's brilliant and from this idea have come some very awesome stories (and some stinkers, but hey, such is comics). The heart of the matter is there and I'll always sneak a look at what's got their name on it this week to see if they're talking about the theme I really like. Sometimes the Authority will show up in a crossover and just stand around long enough to have a little yellow box with their name hover next to them and sometimes their latest volume is dropped like it's hot from two people you think would do really well with the theme (everyone thank Grant Morrison and Gene Ha, kids.), but on the whole, I'm waiting for them to get back to their overseeing roots. To see what happens when the world's most powerful people regulate.
Authority: World's End #1 caught my eye as Number of the Beast and DreamWar and whatever else Wildstorm is doing did not: it had their name on the book and the characters on the cover. Woo! Imagine my surprise to find out that the Carrier had crashed and the world was under a general apocalypse! Man, where had I been? Now, over on Funnybook Babylon, the crew there had seemed to take some issue with the rather cliched idea of surviving the world when it done gone bad and how boring the idea of post-apocalytic worlds are these days and how much they really didn't like the characters so it really did nothing for them.
I think this is freakin' BRILLIANT.
Remember that thematic element I like so much? The idea of Earth's Mightiest being exactly what it says on the cover of the book and really being the 400 lb gorilla of evil foiling? The way the Authority was set up, it seemed impossible for these guys to lose. They were there to keep the peace and they had just the orbital canons to do it and now...
They failed. Not only did they fail, but they are mere shadows of who they used to be. The team is personally broken down in a far more elegant way than they had been before. This is not humiliation, this is a job undone. This is not the finer world they wanted and now they have to live with this defeat. Already, I'm interested in not only the larger post-apocalyptic theme at work, but how the characters are personally surviving it. Sure, the setting is cliched and we really have seen it done a tousand times before but not with these guys and each member of the Authority is going to handle it in a different way.
Take Midnighter (because he kicks ass): in #3 he sets out to go stop the big bad and his cronies from ruining their rescue efforts and he does it the only way he knows how: violence! A beatdown commences that can never be finished as apparently, our Bad Guy this evening can't be killed. Or at least, can't be killed in a way that the Midnighter can compute. All the times evil's reared its ugly head, the Midnighter has been able to ball up his fist and strike it in the face time and time again for the fastest results and now? Violence is not the answer. The Bad Guy tells him that if he'd just asked, he would have left their rescue efforts alone anyways which, while maybe not the whole truth, presents an interesting look at how this new world works. it works in a way that the Authority aren't really known for. The idea that they could have used diplomacy in order to get their way isn't a factor for the world's most powerful people and let's face it: the Authority isn't really known for it's pulse-pounding talking action.
I got a good feeling about this new start, so let's hope they keep on making it.
God Speed, Green Lantern
Last year, I was lucky enough to be on a movie set for a particular project I'll eventually be free to speak about. Let's just put it this way; I am legally obligated not to say a thing about what I did, who I saw and what I heard and if that doesn't make you want to know what it is, you have no idea how much I want to tell you all.
Enough about me.
So, on set, one of the extras next to me is this absolutely fascinating guy I can't remember the name of. What he does and did is far more important. He trains military soldiers to go to Iraq and protect themselves and others in a hostile urban environment. Everything from procedures on how to handle a suicide bomber, how to clear a road efficiently and quickly as possible, enduring interrogations from the enemy, even how to survive in the sweltering desert and get to safety. He told it all casually, as if his preparation wasn't saving lives and making stronger people. His shoulders were huge, his jaw square and he was funny as hell.
And he wanted to be a Green Lantern.
The moment comics came up in casual conversation, he just lit up like he recited the Oath. He'd been reading Green Lantern comics since he was a kid and adored John Stewart. He could tell you anything about the character and we talked over recent story lines with great enthusiasm. At that time, he talked about the movie possibility and while he didn't know the particulars, he knew he'd be first in the casting call line the moment he got word one. You know, if he wasn't off training in the middle of the desert.
Comics are great, people. Anyone and everyone can be a fan of smoe odd facet or another for a million and one reasons. The guy on set was amazing, in both his acting career and in his day job and when I heard news that the Green Lantern movie seems to be set to film next Spring, I thought back to that guy. Sure, hal Jordan seems to be the main named dropped, but if there's room for a John Stewart, you'll have a very brave and awesome guy front and center.
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Cracking the Internet in Half
Okay, so it's one thing to overhype your stuff to the tried and true fans; by this point, we should expect every issue of every comic that rolls off the Marvel assembly lines to fundamentally change our lives and bring peace to the Middle East. No, let's not get into whether or not the issues actually deliver, let's stick with where our expectations should be. Marvel should make it sound like every character will be the axis of their universe because somewhere, out there, that character is to that loyal fan. All their books should crack the internet in half and cause a mad rush to the stores to but every copy and then some. We're fans. We already love your product. Marvel's job is to make us love them more.
The common media needs to be reminded that comics still exist and that they're pretty nifty and cheap entertainment. Honestly, that's it.
Anything more is either going to get confusing and be a waste of time, yours and theirs. I remember watching Joe Quesada on the Colbert Report when Secret Invasion was coming out and asking myself, "Why is he finishing a rather fantastic interview having to explain what Skrulls are?" Seriously, watch 'till about the 4min mark and then imagine the viewer's brain just start translating Quesada's voice into a Charlie Brown schoolteacher. Not even the easy visual gag of seeing Obama or McCain morph into Skrull heads doesn't save the obvious and uninteresting plug. It starts out great, don't get me wrong: using Colbert to tell people who the new Cap was going to be and when the issue came out made it easy to understand and relatable. Telling him that he was still in the Presidential running in the Marvel Universe had the right effect: I remember people coming into the shop to ask if that was true and to pick up at least a Spidey issue to check it out. None of those guys asked for Secret Invasion.
So when Marvel promised 'Civil War-like' promotion of Captain America #600, some of us were already sitting down. Mind you, it could have been mind-blowing: new Cap could have shook hands with President Obama and indeed, the internet might have cracked, just a little. No advance idea of what the book was going to be about or why we should start hyperventilating now, retailers were once again caught with the Lady or the Tiger. Order a bunch and be left with stacks of comics that don't move or order too few and miss that frensied fevor when it turns out to be something huge. We make the orders, hold our breath and...
... wait, that's it? Steve Rogers' return is 'Civil War like'? NO! It's the first thing we all thought and I mean all, fans and non-fans. Yeah, the rubes fell for Superman's death, but fool me once, shame on you. Everyone and their mom knew Rogers was coming back, it's a freakin' comic book trope! You've got to be kidding me that this is what all of that was for! Not only that, it's promotion for the start of a story. Not the result. Not the first appearance. The beginning of a comitment to read this sucker until you get the payoff you expected before the issue came out.
Don't get me wrong, Ed Brubaker has been writing the most consistantly amazing Captain America stories I have ever read. The sun will rise and set and Captain America will entertain and delight you, even if it's just Bucky having a birthday. When I got a chance to breathe the same air as Mr. Brubaker last February at WonderCon, he was as giddy as a schoolgirl when he mentioned that July was going to be huge for Cap. A schoolgirl, people. Don't try and get the image of Ed Brubaker in pigtails out of your head, just know that I'm deadly serious about trusting him with this very obvious story.
But that's me. I'm a fan. I'm already sold and this is just trying to be the cherry on top of my awesome Cap sundae. For the average man on the street, hearing that the start of a story will be coming out on a Monday ("You mean they still make comics?") bringing back a character from the dead becomes a joke on NPR.
Lemme show you how it's done: this Saturday, June 20th, at 10am, I am returning from the dead.
I'm serious. Go to Metro Entertainment this Saturday and see Yours Truly sell you a goddamned comic again because I've finally got the Doctor's OK to go back to work.
That, my friends, is a payoff.