Grim-and-gritty is officially old and boring

This had started out as a longer, probably much more convoluted post about Mark Millar, the cult of personality that seems to have sprung up around certain comic book writers, and the apparent addiction to gore and ultra-violence that both Marvel and DC have been guilty of, but instead I'll boil it down to a simple question that I put to you, my Internet Pals:

Are people finally getting tired of it all?

I ask because I've been sensing some push-back recently, and I'm not sure if I'm actually detecting a ripple in the Force or if it's just wishful thinking. In either case, here are some things to consider:

Kick-Ass, which was hyped so hard people back in the 1920s have probably heard about it, just kind of petered out this weekend when it opened nationally. Sure, it was No. 1, but by just barely bringing in $19.8 million compared to How to Train Your Dragon's $19.6 mil. (a kid's movie that was already in its fourth week).

No doubt the hardcore Millar fans were lined up, but what about the rest of the geek chorus? Did they reject the movie the way some have been rejecting it and the comic online lately? Or is just a matter of little name-recognition and mainstream audiences being gun-shy (heh) about a movie riding mostly on its more interesting supporting character, an 11-year-old girl who curses a lot and is a ninja?

The other thing that caught my attention was the first few pages of Brightest Day #0, the kick-off to what DC promises is a shiny and new direction spanning the publisher's superhero line. A direction apparently best expressed by showing a baby bird falling from a tree, bloodily cracking itself open on a headstone and then laying crumpled on the ground, dead.

Marvel is also trumpeting the launch of the very similar Heroic Age event, noise that sounds tinny considering Millar, Brian Michael Bendis and Jeph Loeb have spent years upping the body count for the publisher while sealing it in a slick veneer of "coolz." (I feel I have to point out, as so many have before, that Loeb was responsible for the "Blob cannibalizing Wasp, like, RIGHT THERE" scene in his Ultimatum series.)

Both companies say they're paving the way to a lighter tone in their books and moving away from the grim-and-gritty aesthetic that keeps getting grimmer and grittier. And I have to wonder — are the Big Two full of shit?


Because I don't see it. And I'm curious whether other people are missing it, too, and if there is some kind of grit-fatigue setting in, like a comic book readers' version of Seasonal Affective Disorder. It bothers me because it's gotten ... stupid. And distracting. And, worst of all, boring. Bo-ring. Both publishers has created a system and style that encourages big, flashy set pieces tied together with the flimsiest of dialogue and piecemeal plot points at the expense of, y'know, a story.

(I know this isn't true of every single title either company puts out — both produce comics I love, but let's stick to generalities for the sake of this discussion.)

Now that the Big Two are promising to do things differently, how will readers react if they don't? It wouldn't be the first time either one has promised more than they delivered, but I wonder if there's more at stake this time. I kind of doubt it — fanboys have short memories and a limitless ability to gripe-and-forgive. But, man, I'd sure like to believe it.

As corny as it sounds, maybe it's time for Marvel and DC to have a little less shock and awe, and a little more aw, shucks in their comics.

Attention Austin: Prepare to have your ass kicked

This is kind of a big deal, so listen up!

Austin Books and Comics has announced writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr. will have a signing for their hardcover collection of Kick-Ass at the store from 5 to 6 p.m., Saturday, March 13th. That's a small but no doubt hard-fought-for window giving fans a chance to meet the creators of the popular, blood-soaked comic.

Kick-Ass is the eponymous title for a series about a would-be superhero in the all-too-real world. Inspiring other heroes, making enemies and being on the giving and receiving ends of brutal beat-downs is just the beginning of the story for the young crime-fighter, a story that's now a movie from Lionsgate starring Aaron Johnson and featuring Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The movie will have its world premiere March 12th at SXSW; go see the movie and then get your book signed the next day!

Here are the details on the signing straight from Austin Books:

We're thrilled to have (Millar and Romita, Jr.) here for what will surely be a BIG weekend for Kick-Ass. To make sure as many people get to meet them as possible, we have a few rules in place for this signing.

• Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. are scheduled to be here from 5 to 6 p.m. Be sure to get here early for your best chance to get a signature!

• You're welcome to bring a camera to the event and take pictures, but we've been asked that there be no individualized photos. They slow the line down a lot, and our guests have limited time with us as it is.

• Each person in line is allowed to have one item signed. This is a promotion for the new Kick-Ass movie, so the only book being signed is the Kick-Ass hardcover. If you've already bought the hardcover FROM US and made contact with us before this notice, you may bring that in. We will have copies of the hardcover available for sale that day. If you'd rather not buy a hardcover, there will be free Kick-Ass mini-posters to be signed. No other outside material will be allowed into the store.

• There will be no holding places in line. Anyone new to the line goes to the end of it. This will be enforced!

We know this all sounds a little hardcore, but we want to make sure as many people as possible get their books signed in the limited time we have. By following these rules, you may be ensuring that you get your chance to meet them.

Disclaimer: All details are subject to change.

Austin Books is located at 5002 N. Lamar Blvd.; here's a handy map. See you there!

The Monday Fly: RRROWRRR!!

THE HUMAN FLY

DOES IT
FOR THE FANS.

Panel from The Human Fly #19
Bill Mantlo, writer; Lee Elias, artist; Ricardo Villamonte, inker

Hey, Ben Franklin!

The Independence Day festivities have already begun here at GCP HQ, but that doesn't mean we can't share a refreshing glass of Kool-Aid with our favorite Founding Father, does it?


Hot and thirsty ... for liberty!

WTF Wednesday: Speaking of Captain America ...

... and his anticipated rise from the dead, I was also half expecting this to happen:


Panel from Ruins #1
Warren Ellis, writer; Cliff Nielsen and Terese Nielsen, artists

The Pull List (7-1-09): The rise of Steve Rogers

Yes, I realize this is the latest step in some big marketing plan over at Marvel, and yes, I'm tired of the Big Two cynically killing off popular characters only with the plan to even more cynically bring them back to life eventually and, assumedly, with a bump in profits.

But.

But in the case of Captain America: Reborn #1 it all comes down to one simple thing: Ed Brubaker. Brubaker is a capital-W writer, and he's been laying the groundwork for this story — which should already be considered a milestone in the character's history — for years. YEARS. And, with very few bumpy issues here and there, it has been exceptionally solid. Wait, rewind, let's edit that: It's been exceptional. Period.

With Captain America, Brubaker brings his noir sensibility to what could easily be tossed off as just another superhero comic. But in a way he's brought Captain America back to its espionage roots, rounding up and tightening a supporting cast that spans decades and myriad storylines and making it mean something. It's a complex (but not complicated) plot, and no easy feat, but Brubaker makes it seem like a slice of warm pie.

How good has Brubaker's run been with Captain America? Good enough that the Captain America character has been "dead" for more than two years and the series is as strong as ever. I'm sure there has been plenty of direction from the Marvel editorial honchos, but I'm pretty confident that the story is Brubaker's. It makes a difference.

So yes, I'm looking forward to seeing the return of Steve Rogers, because I'm looking forward to seeing where the story itself goes next. Want to get a jump on it yourself? Here's a handy prelude!


What else is on the list

Agents of Atlas #7

Batman and Robin #2

Greek Street #1

Muppet Robin Hood #2

The Muppet Show #4


And maybe ...

Justice League: Cry for Justice #1

Star Wars: Invasion #1


Waiting for the trade

El Diablo: The Haunted Horseman (trade paperback)

Secret Six #11


Waiting for the library

Chew #2

Daredevil: Noir #4


Recommended

Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1 (hardcover)

The Monday Fly: 'I found myself once again in a hospital bed, from where I am writing this letter."

If you've been following along (and if you haven't, what's the matter with you?), you may remember some mention of the Human Fly's failed attempt to jump 26 buses in Montreal using a rocket-powered motorcycle, and you might have even caught the subtle hint that the Fly might have been considering a musical career.

But "subtle" was never the Human Fly's bag, so even though Marvel had helpfully announced his rock 'n' roll plans and dramatized the fallout from the bus jump, the Canadian stuntman thought the fans should hear it straight from the Fly himself. After all, he was the wildest superhero ever — "because he was real!"

It's an interesting bit of cross-promotion, further blurring the lines between the real-life Human Fly and his comic book counterpart. Marvel would do it again in a later issue when it turned the Fly's visit to the company offices into a two-page photo spread (complete with added word balloons and running commentary). First, though, came this letter, purportedly written by the daredevil after he found himself back in the hospital after the disastrous Montreal stunt.


Sorry about the scan quality; this comic's more than 30 years old, y'know! But click the image for a bigger version, and then tell me — does anyone else find the Fly's writing style oddly formal? Who knew he was such a man of letters?

Letter from The Human Fly #13

The Monday Fly: ... Only chance is a DIRECT ASSAULT!

THE HUMAN FLY

PITIES YOU, TOO, BEAR.

Panel from The Human Fly #7
Bill Mantlo, writer; Lee Elias, artist; Mike Esposito, inker

(That's right, it's a call-back, bitches!)

Friday Night Fights: Dimebag has a posse

If I had to suddenly get some men together to go round up those no-good Bolling boys, I think my first choice might be the members of Pantera — they seem to have the right attitude for the job.

Here we come, reach for your gun
And you better listen well my friend,

You see, its been slow down below,
Aimed at you, we're the cowboys from hell!

Deed is done, again we've won
Ain't talking no tall tales friend,

Cause high noon, your doom,
Comin' for you, we're the cowboys from hell!

Second choice: Willie Nelson and the Ghost of Johnny Cash.


Panels from "Luke Short's Bounty Guns"
Adapted from "Bounty Guns" by Luke Short; comic writer and artist uncredited

Lyrics from "Cowboys from Hell" by Pantera

Ass-kicking hosted by Spacebooger!

The Monday Fly: No good! Chute's slowing me down!

THE HUMAN FLY WILL BE DOCKING
YOUR PAY, TED.

Panel from The Human Fly #13
Bill Mantlo, writer; Frank Robbins, penciller; F. Springer, inker

Psst!: (I usually let the Fly speak for himself, put in this case I thought it was worth noting the parachute is meant to slow him down as he slaloms down "America's tallest mountain" — on rocket skis.)

Friday Night Fights: I mean, have you seen how those guys play hockey?!

Not for nothin', but y'know who kicks ass?

That's right — Canadians.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

With a national anthem like that, Ranark the Ravager didn't have a chance against Sasquatch, our orange-furred boy from the Great White North. True, Ranark might technically be Canadian too, but seriously — that guy's just a dick.


Following a link? Read more Great Caesar's Post here! (And if you're not, be sure to check out more musical mayhem over at the Spacebooger arena.)


Pages from Marvel Two-in-One #84
Tom DeFalco, writer; Ron Wilson, penciler; Chic Stone, inker

Lyrics from "O! Canada," composed by Calixa Lavallée; original French lyrics by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier.

Marvel's license to shill

Flipping through an old comic earlier, I came across this:


It's weird, but along with Marvel's Rom, Micronauts and (arguably) GI Joe, the Shogun Warriors is an example of comic characters that lasted as long — or longer — than the toy lines that inspired them.

I never owned any of the toys or comics myself, but those 5-inch die-cast versions sound pretty sweet. Unfortunately, I must have ignored this ads' urging because I actually did end up missing it.

Anybody remember this comic or the toys they were hawking? If you do, share your Shogun memories in the comments!

The Monday Fly: The sharks circled warily ...

THE HUMAN FLY

PITIES YOU, SHARK.

Panel from The Human Fly #3
Bill Mantlo, writer; Lee Elias, artist

Friday Night Fights: Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil!

Spacebooger has declared Friday Night Fights will be musical number this time around, and I can't think of a better way to kick it off than with one of the most brutal fight scenes ever committed to a comics page, featuring Elektra and Bullseye —and accompanied by the equally brutal Lemmy Kilmister.

Crank it up!

Pushing up the ante, I know you've got to see me

Read 'em and weep, the dead man's hand again

I see it in your eyes, take one look and die

The only thing you see, you know it's gonna be,
The Ace Of Spades!
The Ace Of Spades!

And things just get worse for Elektra ... but at least Bullseye never actually sings.

Pages from Daredevil #181
Frank Miller, writer and artist; Klaus Janson, finished art and colors

Lyrics from "Ace of Spades," by Motorhead

One shop, two worlds

It may surprise you to learn this, but I'm a huge nerd.

My love for comics might be the most obvious evidence, but my capacity for nerdity knows no bounds so I'm a pretty active gamer, too. And when I say "gamer" I don't mean the semi-cool console gaming. Oh, no. I'm talking about the old-school paper-and-pencil, character sheet-filling, buying yet another set of funny looking dice kind of gaming.

(And 'cause I can tell you're dying to know; a half-orc warden, thank you very much.)

There have been a few superhero role-playing games that have floated around, and I wish I could've played this one:


Doesn't that look awesome, in a kinda cheesy way?

But coming across this ad reminded me of something I noticed while working at a comic shop a few years ago. The shop was equal parts comics and gaming supplies, complete with dice, miniatures and sourcebooks for a ton of RPGs, as well as comics, trades and manga. It was like heaven ... siiiigggh ...

Ahem. Anyway. After a while something was obvious; the gamers had no time for the comic book geeks, and the comic readers sneered at the gamers. It was a Cold Geek War, with both factions tolerating each other but rarely interacting. Depending on what side of the store you were on determined what kind of snotty remarks you would hear. You would think two groups whose hobbies are based largely on imagination and over-the-top adventures would be like blood brothers — especially considering all the comics based on games available — but that wasn't usually the case.

What made this weirder was the fact that most of the employees read comics and gamed, and did both fanatically. Personally, I could never understand the riff and scorned both equally (I kid because I love!).

Has anyone else ever experienced this? Was it some sort of goofy peer pressure, with Ponyboy peering over the racks and sharing meaningful looks with Cherry Valance over in miniatures? Was it all my imagination? And how many of you fellow comic book readers are also gamers?

Horrors of the Unknown

Thanks to the long weekend (guess who took Friday off, too?), work has piled up a little and — to be honest — my brain is still on vacation. So for now, have some Hembeck.


If you want to squeeze in some more mental time-off for yourself, go check out Fred Hembeck's Web site. The time'll fly by!

Favorite Panel Friday: And it has a Nazi in it!

With Friday Night Fights on hiatus for one more week, it seems like a good time to bring back our old friend, Favorite Panel Friday!

This week's panel comes from Captain America #50, in which Bucky Barnes reminisces about past birthdays while dodging mini heat-seeking missiles. Believe it or not, my favorite scene comes from his memories of hanging out behind enemy lines with Captain America, the original Human Torch and Toro during World War II. Toro just wants to do something nice for Bucky's birthday, even if they are deep in German territory, but that stick-in-the-mud Steve Rogers just has to spoil everything.


And just like that, Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross totally endear Toro to me with a great little character moment.

Oh, and then the Nazis show up.

Panel from Captain America #50
Ed Brubaker, writer; Luke Ross, pencils; Rick Magyar and Luke Ross, inks

The resurrection and death of 'Captain Britain'

Sometimes it seems as if every comic I like is going to be canceled.

As you might've heard, Captain Britain and MI-13 will be ending with issue #15, meaning there are just two more issues and an annual left to go before one of the best team books on the stands gets the ax. I'm not sure exactly why the title is being canceled, but I'd guess that like the similarly well-regarded Manhunter and Blue Beetle, MI-13 just couldn't pull in the readership it needed in spite of being popular with critics.

There's a reason it has such a solid fanbase — it's just really, really good. Pulling off a team book is tough, especially when it's about a team of second- and third-string characters most people have to turn to Wikipedia to figure out. But thanks to writer Paul Cornell and artist Leonard Kirk, MI-13 turned out to be among the most interesting and just plain fun comics out there. Hell, it even made me care about Captain Britain.

There is some good news. According to Cornell's blog post announcing the cancelation, the current story arc was already written to end with issue #15; as a matter of fact, it was written with the idea that it might be the end of the series itself. Here's what Cornell had to say in his post:

"Lastly, and this is really important, while we didn’t know this would be the last arc until comparatively recently, I had it in mind that it was possible it would be from the time I started plotting it. Indeed, the end of this arc marks the end of what I had planned for the book when I started. One of the images right at the finish is what I always felt I was heading towards, and I’m very pleased I got there. So: you will get a real, thorough, proper, ending, not just of ‘Vampire State,’ but of the whole run. It hasn’t been rushed to fit the space, it hasn’t been compromised, it won’t just suddenly cut off: it’s what I intended. I think the Annual and the two remaining issues finish off one of my best stories in any media, and that story is actually the entirety of Captain Britain and MI-13. You’ll see what I mean a bit more next issue. This is a comic with a proper ending.

That surprisingly goes a long way toward making me feel better about losing such a great book, even though it still bites. Cornell and Kirk brought some great concepts and fantastic scenes to readers, not least of which include:

Doctor Doom and Dracula plotting ... on the moon!


And vampire missiles .... launched from the moon!


Between this and its apparent insistence on raising cover prices, Marvel is producing fewer and fewer books I want to pick up on a monthly basis. Still, gotta make room for the next X-book, right? Maybe Wolverine will be in it!!

Panel from Captain Britain and MI-13 #10
Paul Cornell, writer; Leonard Kirk, penciller; Jay Leisten, inker; Brian Reber, colorist

The Pull List (5-19-09): Jeff Parker gets all my money

It looks as if it's going to a small week this time around, and it would be even smaller if it wasn't for Jeff Parker.

Parker is one of my favorite comic book writers at the moment, and it has a lot to do with his obvious love — and understanding — of the old-school comic story. Unfailingly fun and clever, Parker's writing style is breezy without being light, never cheating the reader by taking shortcuts or chintzing on character development. Parker's name in the credits is almost guaranteed to sell me some comics.

A case in point is this week's Mysterius: The Unfathomable #5 (of 6), a title I've been criminally quiet about. Let's chalk that up to me assuming everyone realizes this is some great stuff, OK? First of all there's Parker's scripting, which introduces us to a stage magician with a cryptic — and apparently deep — past who also happens to be an actual sorcerer doing magical detective work on the side. Mysterius' shadowy history is only just being discovered by his assistant, the latest in a long line of women the mage invariably renames Delfi. It may sound a little familiar (John Constantine, another roguish sorcerer, comes to mind) but Mysterius has it's own voice, and it's pretty damn convincing.

Just as important as Parker's writing is the artwork by Tom Fowler. You might recognize Fowler from the art he's done for Mad, and that signature style works extremely well for this title. Rubbery-but-realistic characters inhabit a beautifully rendered and detailed world, and the balance between ordinary and fantastic suits the story being told perfectly. There's a real organic feel to the art in Mysterius, and it fits scenes happening in a city park as well as the ones taking place in some Outer Dimension. I really can't imagine anyone else drawing this comic.

This is the next-to-last issue of a six-issue run, and I'm hoping there will either be a regular series in the Mysterius future, or more mini-series to come. Normally I wouldn't recommend picking up a title this far into it's limited run, but I don't know if there will be a trade collection someday (hopefully there will be) and I can say that Mysterius: The Unfathomable is worth the trouble of digging through back issue bins. Be sure to pick this one up (and while you're at it, you can check out a couple of preview here and here).

OK, now that I've got that gushing out of the way, here's what else I'm getting this week:

Agents of Atlas #5 (Vol. 2)

Captain America #50


I told you it was a small week! What's on your list?

The Monday Fly: Who is the Human Fly, anyway?

From the very beginning, The Human Fly was a mystery.

As a character, the Fly was never referred to by anything other than his stage name, and like the Mexican wrestlers he somewhat resembled, he never removed his mask. His backstory went something like this:

After breaking nearly every bone in his body in the same car accident that killed his family, the Human Fly was told he would never walk again. Indeed, it was considered a miracle he had survived at all. But after enduring hundred of hours of reconstructive surgery that ended up replacing most of his bones with a steel skeleton, the Fly began to exercise and push himself in secret through sheer will. First he retaught himself to stand, and then walk, finally training himself to the point where he had the agility and strength (aided by that steel frame) to become a world-famous stuntman who's mission in life was to bring hope to those whose lives might seem hopeless.

Because of his desire to be seen as a symbol of inner-strength and optimism, the Human Fly kept his identity a secret, and also made every death-defying stunt a charity event. Any money he made went to help a charitable organization, usually benefitting kids, with only a small portion being kept to fund the next stunt planned by the Fly and his loyal crew (more about them in future posts!).

So that's the Human Fly as far as the comics are concerned — or is it? One of the most intriguing bits of Marvel marketing can be found right at the top of any issue of The Human Fly:


Real? How could a comic book hero be real? Well, in this case it was true ... sort of.

Back in 1976, a 29-year-old stuntman named Rick Rojatt emerged from Montreal, Quebec, calling himself the Human Fly and already hidden behind the red and white mask. The mid-70s were a high-point for stuntmen, and the Fly distinguished himself by wing-walking on a low-flying DC-8 over the Mojave Desert at about 250 miles per hour. Then he did it again the next day.

The real life Human Fly was a little less modest than the comic book Fly if this article from People magazine is anything to go by, but there was no denying it was a hell of a stunt. And he had a heck of an origin story of his own:

"Rojatt, a Canadian, says he once was a Hollywood stunt man — although the California union has no record of him. He also says he was in an auto accident in North Carolina six years ago which killed his wife and 4-year-old daughter and badly injured him. He had 38 operations in four years, he says, which allowed him to walk again but left him with a body that is '60 percent steel parts.' He says he conditions himself by rising at 3 a.m., running six miles and then plunging into a bathtub full of ice cubes."

Hmm, sounds familiar (well, except for the thing with the ice cubes). Keep in mind that at the time Marvel (which was run by Jim Shooter then) was quick to jump on any trend that surfaced in American pop culture, and that story sounds ready-made for comics. Add the occassional rumor that Evel Knievel had supposedly already rejected a licensing agreement with Marvel to a guy with his own costume and stir the wacky imagination of writer Bill Mantlo into the mix and you've got a real-life superhero!


Of course, there were gray areas. I kind of doubt the real Human Fly ever teamed up with the Marvel U's White Tiger, Daredevil or Ghost Rider. But Rojatt really did wing-walk that jet (as featured in the very first issue) and he really did attempt the rocket-cycle jump over 27 buses (a key point in issue #11). There's even a detailed account about that last stunt straight from the rocket-cycle designer himself right here.

And then there's the question of Rojatt himself. You'll notice that the quote from People mentions how the California union didn't have any record of him, and shortly after the 1977 bus jump Rojatt seemingly fell off the face of the earth. Beyond what came out of the remaining run of the comic (which only published 19 issues in total), there apparently wasn't much to hear about the Human Fly.

There don't seem to be any other headline grabbing stunts after the bus jump, and an online search doesn't turn up any phone or address listings. Even a relunctant dig for an obituary didn't reveal a fate for the Human Fly.

So, who was the Human Fly? Who was the wildest superhero ever? How "real" was he?

Like all good stories, the real answer is still a mystery.

---

Speaking of rumors ...

Besides the whole "Evel Knievel rejected Marvel" rumor (supposedly paving the way for the Human Fly to make the jump from stuntman to superhero), there are a couple of other interesting whispers floating around the Internet:

• According to Mike Sterling at the rocket-powered Progressive Ruin, the Human Fly may have given up stunts to follow a career in music! (And you thought the end of issue #11 came out of nowhere.)

• Was the Human Fly black? Scroll down into the comments for the brief discussion; personally, I think that would be awesome (even though it would make me wonder why he was depicted as white — complete with blue eyes — in the comic).

• The Human Fly never took off his mask — not even at T.G.I. Fridays.

---

EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS: A sort of explanation about the man known as the Human Fly, written by Bill Mantlo!