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Hugh Likes Comics: The Infinity Gauntlet

September 20, 2014

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Infinity gauntlet

Written by:  Jim Starlin
Drawn by: George Perez
Published by Marvel Comics

As a rule, I really don’t like crossovers.  They’re messy, over-crowded affairs where heroes act out of character to fit the story, and their endings tend to be unsatisfying piles of continuity.  Event full of sound and fury where “everything changes” but at the end of the story, everything is pretty much back where they were.  Oh, she might be in a different costume and he might have been replaced with his sidekick, who looks the same except for the cybernetic arm.  The status quo remains king.
And then there’s “The Infinity Gauntlet.”  This is the one that got it right.  It’s a threat that is based off of years of continuity, but clear enough that one doesn’t need to invest a college savings in back issues to know who’s who.  It’s a threat that is credible, active, and present, not only for the heroes, but for the entire fictional universe.  A threat that is credible enough to not only bring the Marvel Universe together, but also put their backs against the wall.
It also manages to balance character study and knock-down, drag-out, cosmic-level fighting.  In the first issue, Thanos, elevated to genuine omnipotence thanks to the eponymous gauntlet, snuffs out half the life in the universe.  He does this because it turns out that he’d like to hook up with the Universe’s personification of Death.  Death is, naturally, a hot lady, because Comics.  Unfortunately, all of his god-like power fails to catch her eye.  Having gained unmatched power, and being unable to effectively use it is the core of Thanos’s character, and it is an interesting contrast to the surviving heroes and villains, who are left with the task of fighting a hopeless battle against the Mad Titan.
The climax of the series is a fight where he faces of and wins against first every hero in the Marvel Universe, and then the super powerful Cosmic Forces.  It gets a bit metaphysical, but the thread of the story never gets lost, and Perez’s expressionistic art captures it all perfectly.
The Infinity Gauntlet isn’t just a cheap cash in.  It is the basis for twenty years of comics storytelling, and possibly the endgame Marvel’s cinematic universe is heading towards.  Even if you have no interest in those things, it is the Platonic Ideal of a Marvel comic.  A story of superhuman power filtered by the lens of the most human emotions.
The Infinity Gauntlet is available from Comixology, Amazon, or Your Local Comics Shop.

Happy Marvel Day!

June 16, 2014

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In literary circles, June 16th is “Bloomsday,” this single day on which James Joyce’s beloved classic Ulysses takes place. Folks take the day to either honor or malign the author and his works. As a thinking person of Irish descent, I’ve made several attempts to conquer the novel, but never completed it.

This year, I’m going to neither praise nor condemn the man. Instead, I’m going to celebrate another significant numeral of 6/16.

In the Marvel comics universe, or rather multiverse, 616 is the number associated with the version of Earth where the stories take place. There are other Earths, where these characters don’t exist, or live radically different lives. Occasionally, readers get a glimpse of these ‘alternate’ realities, but for the most part, our heroes are the ones from Earth-616. So this year on 6/16, rather than celebrate a work I have a complicated history with, or an author who has his own complex history of achievements and failures, I’m going to watch “The Avengers” and enjoy some literary works that may not be as highbrow as Joyce, but still were a force for good in the world.

Captain America was a symbol of hope and encouragement in the darkest days of World War II. Even up until the present, he has served as a reminder of the greatest ideals of my country: Freedom, Equality, Tenacity and Acceptance. The X-Men are icons of the struggle civil rights in every community. Iron Man is a symbol of what we can achieve if we dream big enough and work hard enough, and also of the fact that no matter how high we fly, we can’t outrace our demons. And of course, Spider-Man is an example of the responsibility to use power for the benefit of others.

These characters might not breathe the same rarefied air as literary icon Leopold Bloom, but I learned more from their stories than I ever did from Joyce’s high-barred, punctuation-less tome. But I won’t admonish any literary fans from enjoying today as they see fit. But as for me? Pour me a glass beer, put “The Avengers” in the DVD player, and hand me my “Astonishing X-Men” collection, and make mine Marvel.

How are you celebrating today?

 

Hugh Likes Comics: Loki, Agent of Asgard

April 28, 2014

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Image

Written by: Al Ewing

Drawn by: Lee Garbett

Published by Marvel Comics

Loki’s had a strange time of it lately in the Marvel Universe. He’s died, come back to life, co-starred in a few hit movies you might have seen, and was even on a team of (Young) Avengers. Now Marvel has given him his own series, and it’s great stuff.

As a God of Lies and Mischief, Loki understands the power of stories better than anybody, and there is a lot of information floating around about Loki’s past. That past could destroy him if he’s not careful, so he’d like to take it back. The only ones powerful enough to expunge his record is the All-Mother, a trio of ruling goddesses. So Loki’s out in the world working for them doing what he does best: making mischief.

This is a very modern take on an old character, and I love it. It’s written with fans of the movies in mind, but it reminds me a lot more of one of my favorite books, American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Forced to interact more closely with the modern world, Ewing’s Loki feels much closer to his mythical roots than Lee and Kirby’s God of Evil.

It helps that Ewing’s take springs right out of Young Avengers Vol. 3, which was my favorite comic of last year. Loki’s smart, clever, and more than a bit mysterious. He’s out robbing casinos, climbing Avengers Tower with his Seven-League Boots, and even going speed dating! My favorite bit is a spot of panels where someone sees Loki in his Asgardian clothes and asks if he came from a Con. He smiles and says “There’s always a con going on somewhere.” This comic is pure fun.

Garbett’s art is great as well, with beautiful colors by Nolan Woodard. Everything looks, well, magical, with clear but stylish layouts and splash pages. There is a bit in the third issue where Loki travels magically, and actually crosses through the gutters. It is a very cool effect.

This is a series full of myths, mystery, cleverness, and a joy. Loki’s got a plan, and it looks like it’s going to bring him into the crosshairs of ancient hero Sigurd. I can’t wait to see what the Trickster’s got up his sleeve.

Loki Agent of Asgard 1-3 is available from Your Local Comics Shop, and digitally from Comixology. And don’t forget, Saturday May 3rd is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Hugh Likes Comics: Wolverine and the X-Men # 19

December 11, 2012

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Wolverine and the X-Men #19, Written by Jason Aaron, Penciled by Nick Bradshaw. Available from Comixology or YOUR LOCAL COMICS SHOP!

After tearing “Avengers vs. X-Men” a new one in the last entry, I’m glad to be able to recommend something from the House of Ideas, and if there is anything this comic is full of, it is wonderful, crazy, hilarious ideas. The issue opens with an assault by a second rate super-villain made of ‘nazi bees’ and ends with a reveal so great that I’m not going to spoil it here, although I may have already spilled the beans on my twitter feed.

Wolverine and the X-Men is the story of the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters, and it is just fantastic. This issue is a wrap-up point after the big crossover, and the start of a new semester. This may or may not be the best place for new readers to jump on, but it gives a good cross section of the kinds of stories that this book has at its heart.

In a previous issue, one of the students was shot, and is at death’s door. While the rest of his classmates are on another world volunteering at a shelter for aliens displaced by the Phoenix, Wolverine is out looking for the assailants. Meanwhile, Beast has shrunk himself down “Fantastic Voyage” style and conducts hands-on brain surgery. He grows back to normal size and consults with a panel of Marvel’s smartest scientists: Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, and Spider-man, all of whom have Skyped in to lend assistance. The rest of the issue is some comic relief: Shadowcat is interviewing replacement teachers, and a host of unlikely but hilarious candidates, including Blade and Ghost Rider, have turned up to apply.

The issue is by turns goofy, chilling, and heart-wrenching. But most importantly, it is fun and authentic. With a huge cast and divergent storylines, Aaron does an amazing job keeping all the plates he has going spinning, and giving us a ride that is enjoyable and surprising. And in spite of all the big ideas, the super-hero schools and the size-changing brain surgery, it is the characters that shine through. These aren’t simply mannequins equipped with wish-fulfillment powers and one-liners. His students feel like teenagers. Moreover, he gets what it is to be a mutant teenager better than any x-writer I’ve seen in a long time: Not merely the terror of being different in a world where being different is BAD, but also the swagger of having power, but not the wisdom to restrain it. He frames the adults perfectly as well: They are there to protect these kids, not simply train them. I can’t recommend this comic highly enough. Go check it out.

Hugh Likes Comics: Avengers Vs. X-Men #1

December 5, 2012

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Written by:  A whole bunch of Writers, Art by John Romita Jr. (pencils)  Published by Marvel.

Available via Comixology or your local comics shop.

Let me begin by saying I don’t like ‘event’ comics. They’re a black hole of pointless continuity, distorting the plots of all the books for the characters that take part for little dramatic payoff. The last big crossover I really liked was “Infinity Gauntlet,” or maybe “Secret War,” although I really only liked that one because it was clear to me that most of the characters were having sex between the panels. My point is, a big crossover event comic has to work damn hard to impress me, and this one just isn’t very good.

I read this on my iPad via Comixology, and it clocks in at a thick 99 pages. And in all that space, nothing really interesting happens. The comic itself opens with a splashy five-page spread of a giant firebird (The Phoenix, naturally,) destroying a planet. Cut to Ms. Marvel flying around New York. The Avengers are standing around on a rooftop being dicks to each other, and she lands to join in. This scene just sets the tone for the whole comic. This is a story about superheroes being unheroic. This issue feels like a successor to a previous big status-quo changing crossover, “Civil War.” That was a story about Iron Man having all his friends arrested because a Connecticut housewife spit on him.

But before the heroes can bicker or stand around anymore, a fireball starts falling through the sky, striking the wing of an airplane and the Empire State Building on its way to earth. This gives the heroes who can fly something to do, and they spring into action. This is a good sign that you aren’t going to see anything new in this comic, with ‘Stoping a Plane Crash’ sitting just behind ‘Punching a Guy’ on the list of things a superhero does with his day. The Avengers use their flashiest powers to save the day before the comic forgets this ever happened.

The art in this is kind of strange. It is clearly New York City, but aside from the Avengers standing around looking like action figures, the city seems deserted. Spider-Man catches some people, or rubble, or something, in a net. (It must be people, as one of them claims they are leaving the city) Two people are seen in a window being shocked at something awesome Iron Man does, and that’s about the whole population of this comic.

The Avengers that don’t have the privilege of cool powers to display investigate the fireball, and find out it’s Nova, whose name can only be spoken with via a flashy logo that takes up about a quarter of a page. He wants to warn them about something, presumably the big fiery avian that’s eating planets somewhere, but he passes out instead. For those counting at home, we are fifteen pages into this comic.

In case you’re worried that those weren’t the good guys, we spend the next five pages watching Cyclops beat up a teenage girl. Then she had phoenix powers, but I’ll fast-forward. Despite the fact that he didn’t actually tell them anything, the Avengers figure out that the falling guy was running from the Phoenix, and that it is therefore totally coming here to destroy the Earth, and the Avengers have decided that they are going to stop that from happening. Which would be fine premise for a comic, except that the thing has been showing up at regular intervals and trying to mate (or something) with psychic ladies in the X-men books for YEARS and the Avengers haven’t cared, nor has the world burned to a cinder. But its a good thing they are interested this time, because Cyclops has some vaguely defined plans for the Phoenix. This is also problematic because the thing has killed his wife, several times. You’d think he’d know better.

Also, Cyclops and the X-men live on a rock in San Francisco Bay now. This is a historical allusion so obtuse that it is shooting not just over the heads of this book’s target audience, but I’ll bet good portions of the writing and editing staff are missing it, too. And it makes the Avengers showing up and telling them to hand over the girl in a big flying fortress problematic to say the least. The issue ends with Cyclops shooting Captain America and pretty much holding the girl hostage.

Fin.

The story makes little to no sense, the art is blocky and unpleasant, and the rest of the 99 pages of the comic are a self-indulgent recap of Nova hitting New York again. This is a pricey, plodding prelude to a story about beautiful people punching each other. It’s poorly put together even if that’s your thing. Give it a pass.

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