Putting the "Super" in Superman

While I loved the first two Superman movies from the 1970s/80s, as well as the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon series and its spin-offs, as a kid, I was never that crazy about reading the Superman comic books.  Week after week in the 80s, I'd visit my local comic book store.  Superman comics, including Action Comics and DC Comics Presents, never entered the rotation, with the exception of the occasional issue that guest-starred another character I liked.  That was, until John Byrne came onboard in 1986.  At that point, I was already a huge fan of his work on the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Alpha Flight.  He made Superman interesting and more relatable for me.  That is to say, he gave him more human qualities, developed his personality, and gave him better storylines.  Meanwhile, George Perez was doing the same for Wonder Woman for me.  

Cut to 2008. I began reading Superman again and followed him up through his "Grounded" storyline until the long-running series ended with the events of Flashpoint.  Then DC Comics announced the New 52 and that Superman would feature George Perez and Nicola Scott.  I was intrigued.  I think they're both extremely talented.  Sadly, neither of them lasted on the title for very long, and Superman's storyline in the New 52 was obviously dictated from high above.  Still, I continued reading through many writer and artist changes, I guess out of some sort of weird obligation.  Then Geoff Johns finally took over the writing reigns with #32.  A-Ha!  Maybe now it will get better.  Along with him, he brought artist John Romita Jr.  I'm not sure what the craze is about his art.  The characters look so stiff and, many times, unlifelike.  Naturally, Johns didn't last long on the book; he's got way too many other obligations.  Then it was announced that Gene Luen Yang was coming onboard as writer with #41.  Who?  Never heard of him.  The Superman comics piled up while I read other series.  Then I finally sat down to read a few months' worth.  The writing was fantastic.  I had to flip back to see who it was.  Gene Luen Yang.  Wow.  Still never heard of him, but thought his writing was the best I've seen on this latest Superman series.  Now if only they'd bring back Nicola Scott on art chores.

On my drive home last night, I was listening to NPR.  (Yes, I know.  It makes me feel old, too.)  A segment came on about a Gene Yang.  It was talking about him being named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.  I thought, could this be the same Gene Yang?   When I got home, I Googled him to find out.  Sure enough, it was.  Wow.  Congratulations, and well-deserved.  I guess I'm not the only one impressed with his talent.  I hope Yang remains a permanent fixture in the DC Universe.  They need all the help they can get with the stale comics they've produced in the New 52 and beyond.  I hope they realize that it's not all about action, action, action and churning out boring, elongated stories just to later sell in graphic novel format.  Comics, too, can (and should) have character development (and aging).    

All the Single Ladies

I just finished reading a few of Marvel's new #1 comics, specifically Fantastic Four #1, Ms. Marvel #1, and She-Hulk #1.  

Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk were both sensationally crafted stories, which is too rare from DC and Marvel NOWadays.  What made these two first issues so great was that they were both character-driven.  They didn't rely on fighting villains and battle sequences.  They gave the reader insight into the main characters as actual characters, people who just happen to be (or will become) superheroes.  Ms. Marvel tells the story of Kamala Khan, a teenage Pakistani-American.  She lives in a house where her parents have old-fashioned values.  Because she's somewhat of a nerd, a good kid, and physically and religiously different from others at school, she's not popular.  She does have her friends, though, and we're introduced to them as well.  She reminded me a lot of a female teenage Peter Parker when he was new at being Spider-Man.  The entire issue served as an introduction to Kamala the person.  Only at the end of the issue do events begin that will (we assume) lead to her becoming the new Ms. Marvel.  The artwork seemed well-suited for this particular comic, too.  It reminded me of an independent comic.    

Because of the cover, I wasn't sure if the new adjective-less She-Hulk comic was going to "break the fourth wall" like John Byrne's Sensational She-Hulk did back in the 80s.  The nostalgic part of me was hoping it would, but the sensible part of me thought it might seem redundant and not be pulled off as successfully.  Spoiler alert: it doesn't.  The first issue is about Jennifer Walters, Esq., who just happens to be big and green.  The writer, Charles Soule, focused first on Jen as a person, not as a superhero.  We see her in her everyday life as a lawyer, doing some heroic things on the side, including a visit to Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), but it's not the main focus of the book.  It was an interesting story about Jen acting as an attorney for a woman in need, as well as figuring out her own future.  I'm not as crazy about the artwork for She-Hulk as I am for Ms. Marvel, though.  It seems almost too basic and cartoon-like, and doesn't portray Jen as the beautiful (but green) woman she is.  I think I'll get used to it, though, and appreciate it for what it is.

Both Ms. Marvel #1 and She-Hulk #1 were steps in the right direction content-wise, and they've quickly jumped to the top of my must-read list on a monthly basis.  I'm already looking forward to (and can't wait to read) the second issues of each. 

Sadly, as expected, Fantastic Four #1 was pretty humdrum.  I think it's about time they lose the "World's Greatest Comic Magazine" title until they've really earned it again.  And what was up with those new red costumes?  There was no explanation given to the reader.  And why in the roster did they list "Susan Storm" instead of Susan Richards?  She hasn't used "Storm" as her singular last name since she married Reed in the 1960s.  Other than marketing purposes and sales, I'm not sure what constituted another #1 issue of the Fantastic Four after they just had one last year.  The only interesting turn of events that happened was that Ben went back to Alicia and told her he wanted to see her again.  Where's the banter between Ben and Johnny?  Where's Johnny, the ladies man?  I'm really trying to love the Fantastic Four comic again like I did in the 1980s, but every resurrection since I started reading them again in 2008 doesn't measure up.  The story and dialogue are average at best.  Should we begin looking for a new #1 in 2015?

Santa Claws

Let's face it:  Wolverine is everywhere.  Not only does he have two of his own solo comic book series (Wolverine and Savage Wolverine) but he's also a member of several X-teams and Avengers teams, plus appears in the other self-titled Wolverine and the X-Men (and these don't even include the alternate versions of him in the Ultimate Universe or Wolverine: MAX).  It's especially -- for lack of a better word -- interesting when the storylines don't even intersect.  He can be in outer space with the Avengers, fighting solo in Madripoor, taking on Sentinels with the X-Men in New York, or just sometimes...DEAD in hell.  ALL AT THE SAME TIME.  Now, one man cannot seriously be in all of these places at once.  So, naturally, I've come to the conclusion that, like Santa Claus, there must be several actors playing the Wolverine character (or, as I like to call him, Santa Claws) in order to make this a reality.  I'm waiting for the day when Marvel comes out with Wolverine, Inc. with all of the Wolverines from around the world and across the galaxy and puts them all in one double-sized, bi-monthly comic. 

I hate to sound like that grumpy old man in the corner that people talk about, but I remember when there was ONE Wolverine and he appeared in Uncanny X-Men.  Period.  And we liked it.  Then in 1982 he got his very own mini-series.  And we loved it.  Then he finally got his very own monthly series in 1988.  And there was a collective "Meh."  I read it for a few issues, got bored, and removed it from my pull list.  

In 2013, we now have his fourth solo self-titled series, so I decided to give him another try.  I enjoyed Paul Cornell's take on Lex Luthor in Action Comics, so I looked forward to what he was going to do scripting Wolverine.  After reading several issues of the new series, I've been less than impressed.  There's little characterization.  It's just Wolverine doing what he does best: fighting.  There's no emotion in the comics.  The storylines are otherworldly.  And there's no personal connection for the reader.  Maybe Cornell had a ghost writer for Lex Luthor?  Frankly, any generic writer who has no background in comic book characters could have written the first several issues of the latest incarnation of Wolverine.  And what's with all of the guest stars, from Nick Fury to S.H.I.E.L.D. to Black Panther to other X-Men?  If Marvel is worried that Wolverine can't carry his own series, then why give him a series?   I already see Wolverine interacting with several different characters in several different monthly comic books.  Shouldn't a solo title be focused on his experiences exclusive of others in the Marvel Universe, a la Hawkeye?

I haven't even picked up an issue of Savage Wolverine.  Why?  I'm already oversaturated with Wolverine in EVERY comic book and, to be honest, with that much exposure he just becomes boring.  Yes, I said it.  Wolverine now bores me.  How about getting back to basics with Wolverine?  Giving him stories that really bring out and develop his personality?  There's so much depth to him, but all anyone wants to use him for is being the angry guy and slicing up people and things.  He's Marvel's cash cow, so they figure that just by throwing him in every comic he'll generate increased revenue.  

Wolverine deserves better.  He deserves to be properly explored with excellent written stories, and he deserves to be illustrated with excellent artwork, neither of which he's gotten in a long, long time.  Most of all, he deserves to be given to readers in smaller, natural quality doses, not shoved down our throats like gallons of artificial High Fructose Corn Syrup. 

Fantastic Four: NOT The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

Last night, I got caught up on the adventures of the Fantastic Four.  I read four new FFs and the recently revived Fantastic Four #600 and 601.  It's really no surprise that Marvel came back with the long-running Fantastic Four comic.  By "ending" with #588 last year, I figured Marvel would run the title FF for a year (12 issues) and then come back with #600.  It was just too coincidental.  I assume Marvel didn't think about FF doing so well, though, and so now they've decided to keep both Fantastic Four and FF.  And, to my knowledge, this is the first time that the Fantastic Four has had two ongoing monthlies at one time (with the exception of The Thing comic back in the 1980s (which I really enjoyed!)).

Fantastic Four #236 (1981)

The Fantastic Four was the first comic to get me hooked on comics.  I picked up several issues at my local comic book store in the early 80s and got hooked when John Byrne was writing and drawing "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine."  His amazing illustration lured me, but it was his character portrayal that kept me around.  I loved the realism he put into each story and his development of Sue Storm from weakest member of the team to the strongest.  He showed her getting pregnant, having a miscarriage, and taking on the dark Malice personality, etc.  He not only showed Sue as powerful, but he made use of Reed and Sue's son, Franklin, as well, by making the future Franklin Richards into a person to be feared.  

Fantastic Four #275

I also loved the romance between Johnny Storm and Frankie Raye, as well as the love triangle(!!) between Johnny, Ben Grimm, and Ben's long-time blind girlfriend Alicia Masters.  Byrne was all about developing relationships, and that really made the comic stand out.  And when The Thing stayed behind on the Secret Wars planet, Byrne added She-Hulk to the mix, thereby adding a lot of "fun" to the book and equaling out the gender ratio of the team. 

Fantastic Four #554 (2008)

After quitting comics in the mid 1990s, I began reading the Fantastic Four again with issue #554 in 2008 when Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch came onboard as the new creative team. Unfortunately, the series has been "meh," even with the change in writers and artists over the past few years.  And none of the team members look attractive.  Johnny looks like he's got a receding hairline and couldn't possibly be the ladies' man he's made out to be. 

Amazing Spider-Man #657

Even the story "Three," in which Johnny Storm dies, wasn't (pardon the pun) fantastic.  In fact, Amazing Spider-Man #657 did a better job of handling grief and showing emotion than the Fantastic Four's own comic(s).  

After the "final issue" of the Fantastic Four, the new comic (and team) FF came out.  It was slightly better than the original, but still lacked the "oomph" of Byrne's Fantastic Four.  Only when Barry Kitson is illustrating do the characters really stand out and look attractive again.  That was what I first thought upon reading FF #10 last night.  The colors throughout each panel were so vibrant, too.  

From FF #10, but I'm unclear as to why Sue and Reed
are wearing around their costumes to water their plants.
Don't they have any sweatpants or anything?

Sadly, with FF #12, Kitson is gone again, and the art by Juan Bobillo flounders in comparison.  And, with the team returning to the reinstated Fantastic Four comic, is the Future Foundation (FF) team now just a larger version of Power Pack, made up of just the random children (human and non) living in the Baxter Building with Sue and Reed's kids?  This version of FF probably won't last. 

So I'm not sure what the future holds for Fantastic Four or FF.  Can they ever return to true greatness?  At least Barry Kitson is returning for Fantastic Four #602.  Let's hope Marvel wises up and keeps him around.  The Fantastic Four really deserve to be more visually appealing to their readers.  Now, how about that character development so they can actually be deserving of "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" title?

Canada Takes (Alpha) Flight

Although I find it suspect that Marvel is copying DC (see: Blackest Night) by bringing back dead superheroes from the successful 1980s era, I am SO glad to see most of the original Alpha Flight team back together (where for art thou, Puck?)!  With so many unsuccessful (and, yes, just awful) incarnations over the years (see: Omega Flight), returning to the original team (when it was written and drawn by John Byrne) was the only option. 

Currently, the team is only in "maxi-series" status.  Perhaps Marvel wants to see how that goes before committing to a regular series for the team again.  (Although that didn't stop them when it came to Young Allies (canceled after six issues) or She-Hulks (canceled after four issues) recently.)  One issue into the maxi-series, I think the writing team of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with artist Dale Eaglesham are doing a bang-up job.  The writers really know and understand the characters and their individual personalities.  And Eaglesham does a great job of beautifully rendering each character, much like Byrne once did.   Only Marrina seems very different from her passive 1980s persona, but I guess everyone evolves.  Even sea-people.  And double kudos to bringing Northstar's boyfriend/partner into the series.  We also see hints of Aurora's multiple personalities coming back -- it's like Melrose Place all over again!  I can't wait for the team to really take "flight!"

Fantastic Three

Marvel Comics announced today (on the day of the release of issue #587, the finale to the story "Three") which member of the Fantastic Four gets bumped off.  Even USA Today ran an article on the story. 

SPOILER ALERT!   It's Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. 

Now, I'm all for killing off a character if it makes a good story and makes sense in the long run, but you know it's not the last we've seen of Johnny Storm.  He'll come back -- eventually -- from the Negative Zone, where he "died." 

I haven't read the final chapter in the story, but I'm a bit disappointed to learn that it was Johnny Storm that bites the dust.  I was kind of hoping it was going to be Reed Richards, as he seems to be the dullest character of the bunch.  Plus, it would give the writers an opportunity to explore additional romantic relationships for Susan Storm/Richards.  She married an older man when she was very young.  She hasn't had the opportunity to explore "what could have been." 

I used to read the Fantastic Four in the 1980s with an avid interest.  In addition to The New Teen Titans, it was the comic I most looked forward to reading every month, mostly due to John Byrne's creativity and the ability to make the characters real people.  Each one had their own distinctive personality, their own highs and lows.  I also liked that the team was pretty much confined to their own book.  Their stories were self-contained; you could read them monthly without having to get all these other crossover books in order to fully understand their adventures (unlike certain titles that begin with the letter "X" which shall remain nameless). 

Since picking up the Fantastic Four again a couple of years ago (after a 15+ year absence), all of the issues I've read have been pretty unremarkable.  I can't even recall a single storyline that stands out as memorable.  Furthermore, the characters have all been portrayed pretty two-dimensional.  Gone are the days of John Byrne's Fantastic Four.  Even the current "Three" storyline has been pretty uneventful and -- dare I say -- dull for me.  Maybe the alleged death of the Human Torch will liven up the team...but I doubt it. 

Sadly, the best representation of the Fantastic Four that I've read recently wasn't in their own series.  It was in Daken #4.  They were real people, expressing real emotions.  There was a bond/connection/friendship between Johnny Storm and Daken.  It was even bordering on a possible romance.  

Fantastic Four #588 will be the "final" issue of the series as the team supposedly goes forth in a new direction with FF #1.  In the days of both DC and Marvel renumbering its comic books (e.g., Wonder Woman and Iron Man) to establish longevity, It's ironic that Marvel has chosen to end the Fantastic Four series and begin anew with new numbering so close to what would be issue #600 and the team's 50th anniversary.

I hope the new FF series is more interesting than the Fantastic Four has been in quite some time, but with the same creative team working on it, I doubt it.  Jonathan Hickman's stories have been mediocre at best, and Steve Epting draws the characters with little attractiveness, aging them dramatically.  You question why any woman (or man) would be attracted to the "ladykiller" Johnny Storm with his wrinkles, bad haircut, and receding hairline. 

I'll continue to read FF for the time being, with the hopes that a new creative team will soon come onboard that can -- pun intended -- breathe some life back into the team.   

Smegma Flight

As a kid/teen in the 1980s, I used to love to read Alpha Flight by John Byrne. Byrne had the most creative ideas and could take minor characters and turn them into the most interesting people with distinct personalities. He did so with the Uncanny X-Men, Fantastic Four, and then Alpha Flight. Guardian? Puck? Snowbird? Northstar? Aurora? Sasquatch? Marina? "Who are these characters?" you might have asked yourself back then. Suddenly, they're starring in their own comic book, though, and you oddly get to know (and love) each and every one of them. That's the work of a great writer.

What's the work of a bad writer? See the 2007 Alpha Flight revamp called Omega Flight. What I thought would be the bringing together of some great characters was basically the equivalent of Howard the Duck meets the Avengers. Captain America? Check. There's the copycat and pointless U.S. Agent. Spider-Man? Check. There's a Spider-Woman knock-off by the name of Arachne. Hulk? Check. There's Sasquatch...but not the one with any sort of personality that we once knew. Thor? Check. In the form of Beta Ray Bill, a bird-like version of the God of Thunder. Yes, I did say "bird-like." They're what would happen if Marvel lost the licensing rights to the Avengers and had to come up with "similar" characters. Did I mention Omega Flight isn't even frickin' Canadian anymore? Eh?

And what a pointless and dreadful storyline they have to go through after they band together. You almost feel sorry for these characters, but not enough to still want to see their demise (which, unfortunately, (SPOILER!) never occurs). Skip Smegma Flight and re-read Alpha Flight from the 1980s. Maybe someday Marvel will have the decency to treat Alpha Flight with some class again.