Hard Time = Good Time

I recently came across a series that DC Comics put forth in 2004.  It was called Hard Time and was sold under a new DC Comics imprint called DC Focus.  The idea of DC Focus was to feature super-powered characters who did not follow the traditional format of classic superhero adventures.  It was a precursor to NBC's Heroes TV show premise.

Hard Time focuses on 15-year-old Ethan Harrow.  For years,  the jocks bullied Ethan and his friend Brandon. Ethan and Brandon plan a "fake" school shooting as a way of getting back at the jocks. Unfortunately, things went wrong and Brandon goes a bit psychotic and winds up shooting several students and teachers.  As Ethan later tells his lawyer, "it was supposed to be a joke. Brandon told me the guns were loaded with blanks."  Ethan is initially in shock; but when Brandon points his gun at girl that Ethan likes, Ethan tries to stop him. Unsuccessful at first, Ethan's fiery superpower emerges, killing Brandon.  Although Ethan was not directly involved with the murders, he was tried as an adult and given fifty years to life in prison with eligibility for parole in the year 2053.  

This back story and school scene are told fairly quickly and the remainder of the series focuses on Ethan's time behind bars.  I have already read the first ten issues (quickly) and am already feeling a bit gloomy and nostalgic knowing that I only have nine issues left.  I want to savor each and every one.  The storytelling is magnificent.  These are real characters (albeit criminals) with defined personalities.  Steve Gerber (unfortunately now deceased and best known for creating Howard the Duck) was a remarkable writer.  Not only do we get to know Ethan and his family situation more, but we get to learn about the distinct personalities,  mannerisms, and personal philosophies of the criminals that surround him every day in his new "life."  One of my favorites is Cindy, the transgender boy who appears innocent at first, but can't be trusted.  He/she has been incarcerated for awhile now, has taken a protector boyfriend, has many allies, and knows the ropes.  You don't want to mess with shim. 

Ethan's power(s) are slowly revealed throughout the series as he learns to use them to make things happen throughout the prison.  I won't go into too much detail because I appreciate the way Steve Gerber revealed things about Ethan and his supporting characters throughout the series.  I feel that the story should be experienced the same way I experienced it:  by a full reading.  

The final issue is set in the future, when Ethan gets released from prison after fifty years' service.  To correspond with DC Comics' "One Year Later" storyline that ran across all their titles in 2006, Hard Time: Season Two #7 (the final issue) carries a similar logo that reads "49 Years Later."  I'm looking forward to reading that final issue to see how everyone's life turns out.  It's a shame, though, that this series was canceled.  It's truly been one of the best comic book series (or books, for that matter) that I've read in quite some time.  

Check out:  Hard Time: 50 to Life

Holy hotness, Green Arrow!

And now...a break from our regularly scheduled comic reviews.  I bring you some of the latest Green Arrow covers by artist Mauro Cascioli. 

What's the opposite of Amazing?

Amazing Spider-Man #300
(Todd McFarlane art)

Amazing Spider-Man should change its title to Opposite-of-Amazing Spider-Man.  Why?  It's so...average.  I remember back in the 80s how cool (and monthly) ASM was.  It featured breakout artist Todd McFarlane, Peter Parker and his longtime crush Mary Jane married, and it introduced the black costume that would one day become Venom.  Cool stuff.
Lately, ASM has been mediocre.  I re-joined the series after the highly criticized "Brand New Day" storyline that apparently wiped everyone's memories of Spider-Man's secret identity and, with it, Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane.  I've been fairly underwhelmed with the stories that are printed thrice monthly. 

Amazing Spider-Man #641

Recently, I read the "One Moment in Time" storyline (Amazing Spider-Man #638-641) which reversed the memory-wipe from "Brand New Day."  Seriously, what's real and what isn't anymore then?  I'm so confused. 

At $3.99 each, Amazing Spider-Man issues are also higher priced than many other comics.  Three times a month.  That's $12 per month, which could possibly be some kid's monthly allowance.  This past week, both issue #641 AND #642 were released.  Why?  Scheduling/printing conflict, Marvel says.  Okay...but why not just push everything back then?   Since it's published practically every week, I hardly doubt someone's going to miss it if a week goes by without a new issue of Not-So-Amazing Spider-Man.  It's not like they have to wait another month; they'll just catch it the next week.  What kind of logic is that?  So, basically I spent $7 on crap this week.  (#642 was only priced at $2.99 and, by the artwork alone, it's really only worth 99 cents.  But I'll get to that in a moment (in time).)

From Amazing
Spider-Man #642

The worst thing about printing an ongoing weekly comic series?  The writing and art become very inconsistent issue to issue.  To catch up, it seems like Marvel is hiring any old artist off the street for one of their oldest and most popular titles, not giving Spidey the respect he deserves.  Cheap unknown writers, cheap unknown artists, figuring people will buy the title just based on the character Spider-Man alone.   Check out a panel of the latest issue (#642).  Is that Mary Jane and Peter Parker?  What's wrong with them?  Has Mary Jane contracted rickets and turned Asian?  Does Peter have cerebral palsy and Frankenstein bolt-head disease? 

From Amazing
Spider-Man #642

Trying to produce a comic that's published so often is really harming the image of Amazing Spider-Man.  A little depth, good storytelling, and great art go a lonnnnnnng way. 

(se)X-Factor

One of my favorite comic books in the 1980s was Marvel Comics' X-Factor.  It revived the original X-Men team and brought Jean Grey back to life (the first time). 

The team today is very different than the team of yesteryear.  It focuses on X-Factor Investigations, which is a detective agency made up of mutants.  And some of the team consists of characters that I've never had a particular fondness for:  Madrox, Longshot, and Shatterstar.  On the other hand, Wolfsbane (one of the original New Mutants) and Rictor (one of the young mutants the original X-Factor takes under their care) are also team members and I've always liked the two of them.  

I read an article that the powers-that-be were pairing up Rictor and Shatterstar as a gay couple and it intrigued me.  To throw an even bigger twist into the storyline, Wolfsbane shows up seven months pregnant, carrying Rictor's baby, and catches the two of them together.  Whoa.  Talk about drama. 

I gave X-Factor #207 and #208 a try.  I was extremely impressed with writer Peter David's character development, as it gave me a greater appreciation toward characters I've always liked, as well as those that I never particularly cared for.  And the scenes involving Rictor, Shatterstar, and Wolfsbane were fantastic.   A special thank you goes out to Peter David and Marvel Comics for including scenes between Rictor and Shatterstar that were not limited to a hug or pat on the back.  They're shown as a regular romantic couple trying to work out their problems.

Peter focuses more on the interaction of the characters, by giving them their own lives and stories, rather than using the characters to just fight battle after boring battle.  He moves the characters forward with real-life events that will forever change their lives.  Unfortunately, this doesn't happen enough in comic books.  Oh, and I was happy to discover that Longshot no longer sported a mullet and Shatterstar no longer looked like a samurai with a ponytail.  

As long as Peter David stays on as the writer, I'm definitely adding X-Factor to my list of monthly comics.