Frank Miller’s Will Eisner’s THE SPIRIT

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but Kyle Baker’s review is wonderful.

Silver Age II: Silver Harder

Hal Jordan is the star of Green Lantern again.  Barry Allen has returned.  The Justice League of America is operating out of their satellite headquarters once more.  It’s all but official: the Silver Age has returned.  For DC, at least.

Let me take a step back and explain something first.  One of the things that’s always appealed to me about the DC Universe is the legacy characters.

Wally West assumes the mantle of the Flash in the aftermath of the Crisis

Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to Wally West.

Alan Scott to Hal Jordan to John Stewart to Guy Gardner to Kyle Rayner.

Oliver Queen to Connor Hawke.

Dinah (or Diana, depending on when and who you ask) Drake Lance to Dinah Laurel Lance(-Queen?).

Dick Grayson to Jason Todd to Tim Drake.

Not to mention everyone who’s ever called themselves Starman.

I like that.  The idea that even when one hero falls, another will pick up and carry on the name.  It seems to me that it would be comforting for a hero to know that even though he or she may die, the mantle will be continue.

Now, in the nineties, DC had many of their major characters replaced with younger versions.  Hal Jordan went crazy was possessed by Parallax, Oliver Queen sacrificed himself to save Metropolis from a terrorist group’s bomb, Superman died, Batman was crippled by Bane and Wonder Woman fell in battle with Neron.  Obviously, the Trinity didn’t stay dead (or injured) for very long (indeed, Superman was the only one to not appear during his respective storyline– Bruce Wayne was still a focus and Diana became the Goddess of Truth), but for the others, the changes held.

For a time.

Kyle Rayner, the new Green Lantern, was particularly hated, given the way Hal Jordan was worshipped by many fans and even creators.  Alex Ross has famously sworn that he will never draw Kyle and made several derisive remarks about the character.  A group, H.E.A.T. (Hal’s Emerald Advancement Team), was a very vocal proponent of the Silver Age Lantern’s return.  Despite this, Kyle was the sole Green Lantern for ten years, joining the JLA and becoming a popular hero with at least some of the fans.

Connor Hawke, the illegitimate son of Oliver Queen, took his father’s name after his death.  He briefly joined the JLA because of his friendship with Kyle Rayner, but resigned, feeling inadequate against the threats the League faced.

When their predecessors returned from the dead, both Kyle and Connor remained.  Until recently, Connor was a supporting character in Green Arrow and Black Canary and Kyle is currently appearing in Green Lantern Corps alongside 7198 other Lanterns.

I’m nearly twenty seven years old.  When I started actively reading DC books, Kyle was Green Lantern, Wally West was the Flash.  I’d read stories with Hal and Barry prior to this, but I was mostly Marvel until twelve years ago.  I understand that older readers were used to those characters and didn’t want to see them replaced.  Just like I didn’t like seeing Kyle shuffled out of the way to make room for Hal’s return.  Just like I don’t want to see Wally pushed aside for Barry to headline the Flash.

(As an aside– I think people are more accepting of Wally because he was Barry’s sidekick and Barry was given what is quite possibly the finest heroic death in the seventy year history of superhero comics.)

But– and I realize this may be a controversial stance– those characters never really grew.  Barry was straitlaced and bland.  Hal was (and still is) cocky, arrogant and, to be honest, kind of a dick.  While the young men who assumed the costumes may not have been perfect, they did make for more well-rounded characters.

Think about it, many of the great Barry Allen stories were written after his death, tales of what the Silver Age was like post-Crisis.

And now, DC’s ignoring one of the strongest selling points of their universe.  I want the legacy characters back.  I like the possibility of change, not this reversion to what happened forty years ago, (but with a modern, darker twist!).

And therein lies the problem.  Between this and Marvel attempting to return Spider-Man to his Silver Age status quo (whether they succeeded is another post), it’s difficult for new readers to jump in.  Batman and Superman are safe, given their status as icons.  But with lesser known heroes (and Hal and Barry aren’t the most well-known to the non-comics fand– John and Wally are), you want someone a little younger.  Hal and Barry are both adults, settled in their lives.  I could be wrong, but I doubt a lot of kids want that.  I know that eventually Kyle and Wally will age and you’ll have the same problem.  But that’s where the legacy comes in.  DC’s forgotten that.

Merry Christmas From Greg (’Cause Christina hates “Weird Al”)

Book Review: MO AND JO

Mo and Joe: Fighting Together Forever, by Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch, is much more like an adult graphic novel than the other two books we received. The layout and formatting are very much like a typical comic book, and the illustrations are a lot more realistic. Greg preferred this book over the other two, and I think that has a lot to do with it.

Geared toward preteen readers, the story follows Mona and Joey, a brother and sister who always seem to bicker. When their favorite superhero, Mojo, shows up to pass the torch on to them, they have to learn to work together to defeat Mojo’s rival, Saw-Jaw.

The language in this book is great for older kids. The vocabulary is more challenging than the other books, but not too difficult. Mona and Joey fling insults at one another throughout the book, but they never cross the line into the profane, and there’s never any implied innuendo, so parents shouldn’t have many objections. Saw-Jaw is a good villain for this age group- mean, but not so mean that he’s outright scary. The moral of the story, which centers around teamwork, is a great message for kids, as well.

The artwork, as I mentioned, is a lot more realistic than the books geared toward younger readers, but the bright colors in this story still hold lots of kid-appeal.

We’re giving away our copy of this book, too, so share your thoughts with us if you’d like to be entered to win!

Book Review: STINKY

Out of all the books we received, Stinky was my personal favorite.

Written and illustrated by comic newcomer Eleanor Davis, this book follows the story of Nick, a young boy who has just moved to a new home, and Stinky, a monster living in the woods behind Nick’s new house. Nick is building a tree house in the woods, and Stinky, who hates kids, is doing everything he can to scare him off. It’s a great little story, and has a really relevant message about prejudice and forgiveness that parents will appreciate. it would probably be great for readers age 7-10

Nick and Stinky are wonderful characters. Nick is inquisitive and fearless, and very sensitive and thoughtful of others’ feelings. Stinky, on the other hand, is selfish and stubborn at first, but changes his ways when he befriends Nick. The language is simple enough for kids to read, but flows nicely and conveys the story well.

Davis’ artwork is adorable, and little details add humor and whimsy to the scenes. For instance, in one panel, Stinky brushes his teeth with a toothpaste called “Crust” while the forest animals look on, clothespins over their noses. The animals are especially well-drawn.

This is a great book that I think kids and parents will really enjoy reading together.

Book Review-JACK AND THE BOX

Our recent post on kids and comics caught the attention of some publishers who were kind enough to send us several kids’ graphic novels to look over, so Greg and I decided we’d review them this week for our readers.

Jack and the Box, the first book we read, was written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning comic author and artist. Featuring simple, easy-to read language and lots of rhyme, this book is directed at very young readers, and would probably be best for kids around 4-6 years of age. The illustrations, although simple, are very cute. Spiegelman uses muted colors and bold lines, which young readers will find visually interesting as they follow the story.

The plot follows the story of Jack, a young rabbit, who receives a box as a gift from his parents. Inside lives Zack, a silly clown whose absurd dialogue is both confusing and amusing at the same time. Younger kids will really like the story, which is strange and silly all at once.

The only problem I had with the book is that Zack seems a little scary at times. I will fully admit that this probably has a lot to do with a personal fear of clowns, but even the expressions on Jack’s face seem to indicate that he’s frightened of him sometimes. Other than that, though, I think this is a book that younger kids will really enjoy.

Since we haven’t got any kids of our own, we’re giving away the copy we have to one of our readers. It would make a good stocking stuffer or Chanukkah gift for a lucky young reader! Comment to the post and share your thoughts, and we’ll pick someone at random to win.

What I Bought [12.04.08]

Sorry for the delay this week.  Let’s get to it.

Actually, before I get to my weekly books proper, I want to discuss the “Special Dark Reign Edition” of Marvel’s Previews.

It’s rated, which seems odd to me.  You know what it’s rated? T+.  I realize that the current age group of readers skews older, but if your preview book is intended for older readers…

I don’t know.  Doesn’t seem right.

The Immortal Iron Fist #20 (Marvel) - I almost dropped this book when Fraction and Brubaker left.  But, I’ve always had a soft spot for Danny and I liked where they took him, so I figured I’d give Duane Swierczynski a shot.  I’m glad I did.  Swierczynski picked up the death mystery thread and wasted no time in following up on it, instead of dragging it out like I’d expected.

4.5/5

She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1 (Marvel) - I tend to avoid one-shots for a variety of reasons, but I’m a sucker for Peter David.  Especially when he plays with characters from his run on Captain Marvel.  The story’s good and fun, but it doesn’t seem like it’s anything that’s going to be follwed up on later.  Especially with the news that She-Hulk has been canceled again.

4/5

Justice Society of America #21 (DC) - Or, as it should be titled Kingdom Come II: Kingdom Harder.  I like Kingdom Come, but bringing it into the current DCU is not working for me.  This month, Gog shows his true colors, which we’ve been waiting for since he showed up and started “fixing” things.  The next issue is the last of the arc and this book’s getting dropped.

1/5

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #2 (of 4) (Marvel) - Writer Jason Aaron (who, if Marvel has any sense, will be writing the main Wolverine book once Millar’s run is over) drops Logan into the middle of a Hong Kong action movie.  With the X-Men based in San Francisco now, Logan decides to clean up a mess he left in Chinatown fifty years ago.  It doesn’t go well.

4.5/5

Trinity #27 (DC) - It looks like Busiek and Bagley are moving to returning reality to normal, which is kind of a shame, because I’m really enjoying the alternate world.

4/5

Batman #682 (DC) - Morrison’s taking two issues to sort of summarize Batman’s life, post R.I.P. It’s interesteing, but seems a bit light.  There’s a nice piece in the beginning where Alfred muses over the other possible identites Bruce might have adopted instead of a bat.

3/5

New Avengers #47 (Marvel) - It’s nice to see Bendis teaming with Michael Gaydos (currently working on DC’s soon-to-be canceled Manhunter) on a story that would have fit nicely in Alias.  I also really like seeing Jessica and Luke together.  Too bad about baby Dani…

3.5/5

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1 (of 6) (Marvel) - The long-awaited sequel to Marvels is finally here.  How’s it hold up?  Not bad.  The art’s much stronger this time around, as newcomer Jay Anacleto is much better at portraying action than Alex Ross.

4/5

Secret Invasion #8 (of 8) (Marvel) - This issue reads a lot like an epilogue, which wasn’t really what I was expecting.  The last of the battle takes place in the first few pages, leaving the rest for dealing with the fallout and wrap-up.  I enjoyed this storyline, but I wish it wasn’t leading into another event/staus quo.

3/5

X-Factor #37 (Marvel) - I missed this when it came out a week or two back, so I picked it up this week.  X-Factor is another one of those books that I can’t say enough wonderful things about.  Going in, I didn’t care for a few of the cast, but Peter David’s one of those writers can make me fall in love with nearly any character.  The highlight this month is definitely Val Cooper confronting Terry.

4.5/5

Excuses, Excuses

I know I promised a What I Bought today, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.

Instead, I give you this:

Wednesdays Like This Make Fin Fang Foom ANGRY

When new books don’t ship Wednesday, it throws off my brain schedule.  And it makes me very sad.

To tide you over until tomorrow’s What I Bought, here’s my Fin Fang Foom action figure.

FIN FANG FOOM WANTS COMICS!!

Blast From the Past [Guilty Pleasure Edition]