By Kulbir Mann
Beware my (diluted and weakened) Power, Green Lantern’s Light!
The Green Lantern world boggles my mind. It is just too big; there are too many heroes and too many species!
The Green Lantern world boggles my mind. It is just too big; there are too many heroes and too many species! Essentially the writers have infinite universes and species at their creative disposal, but they have shaken the Green Lantern world to the core, repeatedly, leaving it in a completely jumbled mess. They were part of the New 52 reshuffle, but did not follow suit, instead they landed a further two titles in the form of Red Lanterns and New Guardians. Many of the DC books returned to a simpler, less complex, restarted universe, meaning they could create simpler stories and focus on some core ideals. The Lantern world is as intricate and confusing as ever. The point I am trying to make is that we have had a succession of major crossover, lantern life altering events, that have all returned life back a status quo. They even sometimes introduce a new character to replace another, who then carries on into another sub plot. No single character alone can carry a plot to fruition, there is a need for everyone to be involved, which is diluting the established characters and making if difficult for new ones to shine. I think the rationale for this lies in the GL history books, and the grandeur of its development. Let us look at a little bit of this and focus on Earth lanterns to examine why.
We cannot begin with anyone else but Hal Jordan, the man without fear. His story is a classic origin tome, the man who looked up to his heroic father, who was taken from him far too young. He lives his life, taking risks, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, knowing there will be nothing more fearful than living without his Dad.
We cannot begin with anyone else but Hal Jordan, the man without fear. His story is a classic origin tome.
After Abin Sur crashes near Coast City, the ring sought out Hal and he became one of, if not the greatest, Green Lanterns there has ever been. There have been some classic adventures and well-written stories. He has had an archenemy in the form of Sinestro, who claimed to be the greatest prior to Jordan. With all heroes there must be a fall. Hal’s came when his hometown of Coast City was destroyed by Mogul and the Cyborg Superman. After defeating them he recreated his home using the power ring, and started using it for personal use. His friends and family were gone and he was powerless to bring them back, except that he wasn’t. The Guardians tried to stop him, but he went on an all out killing spree and essentially destroyed the entire corps and the guardians, on a rampage for more power. The image of him with multiple green power rings is genuinely harrowing. He accepts his newfound dominance and takes on the mantle Parallax.
The image of Hal with multiple green power rings is genuinely harrowing.
He was ultimately taken down in the Zero Hour Arc, where his former friends and superhero allies fire an arrow into his heart. After this injury, he realises his transgressions, and goes about reigniting the sun and refreshing the universe. However he does not die and spends a long period of time in purgatory, as a host for the Spectre; the spirit of vengeance. This was where he spent most of the 90’s until his rebirth storyline, and his promotion back to front and centre of the Green Lanterns. He is a character that is incredibly single minded and selfish. His love for Carol and others was always secondary to the power ring, and this realisation only occurred when he was stripped of his ring. He has charm and charisma but ultimately this can emanate his conceitedness. It is a moral imperative to do good, which is why, with his immense bout of stubbornness and will, he became the greatest Lantern there is. In the current age little is said about the destruction of the corps and he seemed to have moved on, well I guess he has saved the universe a few times since then! During his incarceration as Spectre, there was another who carried the GL title and wielded the only ring in existence.
With all heroes there must be a fall.
Kyle Rayner was the lantern that kept the Green Lanterns alive. After the destruction of the Corp, the remaining Guardian Ganthet takes the remnants of Jordan’s original ring and takes it to Earth. He finds a freelance graphic artist, down on his luck, struggling for money and bestows upon him the greatest weapon in the universe. Unfortunately for Kyle he was given the power of the ring and had to learn to use it quickly, as Major Force kills his girlfriend and leaves her in a refrigerator. After her death he vowed to be the greatest lantern he could be, though he was also the only lantern alive at that moment.
Ganthet finds a freelance graphic artist, down on his luck, struggling for money and bestows upon him the greatest weapon in the universe.
He then joined the Justice league and was part of the defence against Parallax. He holds Hal in a full nelson lock, while Green Arrow fires an arrow into his chest. Kyle’s style of construct was more imaginative and creative, meaning his usefulness in a battle was more unpredictable. He takes a more prominent role when he recaptures the Green Lantern energy left by Hal Jordan after defeating Oblivion. He becomes the all poweful Ion, who is almost godlike in power but struggles with the responsibility of his immense ability. He sacrifices this to regenerate the central power battery on Oa and recreate the Guardians. The Green Lantern Corps slowly returns, and Kyle becomes their torchbearer, the man who carried the Lantern light to its resurgence. He is responsible for the return of Hal Jordan, as it is he who realises the truth about the Parallax entity. It has been hiding in Hal all this time and finally awakens in the Spectre. The yellow power entity, which fuels the Sinestro corps in the future, escapes and is taken down by the GLC and Hal is returned to his human form.
The Green Lantern Corps slowly returns, and Kyle becomes their torchbearer, the man who carried the Lantern light to its resurgence.
Kyle was chosen as a green lantern because “he would have to do”. It is later revealed that it was his emotional side, which would allow him to overcome fear by embracing his feelings. This is something that the Guardians never could, and Kyle represented the opposite type of Lantern to Hal Jordan. He is not overly aggressive, he is kind to others and he is able to empathise. He is affected by his emotions, and feels for those who he hurts. This may not be what you want in a hero, but he is able to function despite these thoughts. He is able to understand his thoughts and actions in order to strategize a victory. However this was to become his downfall as it is his emotional lability that allowed Sinestro to fabricate a story of Kyle being responsible for his mother’s death. He succumbs to fear and become the second incarnation of Parallax. The Sinestro Corps War saw the unification of the green lanterns to take down the yellow fear entity corps of Sinestro. Peace was once again restored, until the next big crossover.
We may have come a long way in our little history lesson, but we have two further lanterns to discuss yet!
John Stewart is an architect and a former US marine.
John Stewart is an architect and a former US marine. He was recruited to the Green Lantern corps as support to Hal Jordan and to Kyle Rayner when required. He often took the Green Lantern chair at the Justice League headquarters when required. His constructs are immensely detailed and engineered, performing an efficient task. His ability with a sniper rifle makes him a great marksman. He carries heavy responsibility with him on a daily basis, because he made an arrogant mistake that led to the destruction of the planet Xanshi. He is a proficient tactician, marksman and incredibly loyal, but he is always serious and can come across as dull. Emotions do not come into play when it comes to the mission, and he can make the decision others cannot. During the War of the Lanterns he makes the choice to destroy Mogo, the green lantern planet. The destruction of not only another world, but a Green Lantern. John is opposite to Kyle in the fact that he does not reveal his emotion easily; he is more similar to Hal but doesn’t socialise well or boast about his abilities. He brings reason and rationale to the corps and is key to battles that ensue; he was probably the Justice League’s most useful member.
Guy Gardener is a very different character to the others; he is a douchebag.
Guy Gardener is a very different character to the others; he is a douchebag. He is the second human to wield the ring, after he was chosen whilst saving a kid from a bus accident. He has always been loud, obnoxious, cocky and reckless, but most importantly his short fuse and predilection to violence makes him angry and unpredictable. He was never as good as he thought he was, and injury and recklessness cost him his sporting career and his job. His life is spent in continual shame from being expelled from the police force and disgracing his father’s family legacy. There has been a tale told in the Booster Gold book, that insinuates the ring could have easily have chosen Guy instead of Hal. He certainly has the will, but never had the focus or forethought of his actions. Guy has had his role in the Justice League of America, wielded a yellow ring, played the hero with intertwined Vuldarian warrior DNA and opened a pub on Oa! Despite all this, Guy wears a façade as he is really a man of passion, be it negative or positive; he wears his heart on his sleeve. This is very apparent over the last couple of years in the Green Lantern arcs with his friendships with Kyle and John and his love of Ice. He has mass quantities of loyalty, dedication and love to give. He continually fights to remove his family shame and is determined to be the greatest hero there is. Overcoming adversity and his previous transgressions gives meaning to Guy’s will, which is why he was chosen as a Green Lantern and why he brings something unique to the GL corps.
You can see that we have already had some epic battles over the years. Each character has their own personalities and depth. Now take these four characters through the Sinestro Corps War, the Blackest Night and then the War of the Lanterns, all coming out the other side alive and look where we have ended up, in the same place. Most books have one character that is the staple, but the lantern books have at least four. Create a world where there are other colour spectrums and power guardians, make them fight together and destroy each other. How can we up the scale even further? Give them three books to go round, GL is almost always Hal centric, GLC is for John but mainly Guy and NG is a book focused on Kyle. They all move along in their side plots but ultimately they will reconvene together, for another final battle. Have we not created a library full of earth shattering, timeline shaking, dead rising, story arcs to last a lifetime? Where do you take these guys next? Can they keep saving the universe? Are there even bigger bad guys to face? Apparently so as the Rise of the Third Army is currently taking place. Not only have the Guardians turned their back on the lanterns, they have created a collective hive mind that will change the universe FOREVER!!!!!
Where do you take these guys next? Can they keep saving the universe?
What can we do to stop them? I am not sure that four lanterns are enough because out of nowhere we appear to have added a fifth. Given that Hal and Kyle have single handedly destroyed and resurrected the GLC, we now have another universal threat that they may need help with. Is Simon Baz that person? What does he bring to the table given that he seems to be a risk taking stunt driver, reckless, full of himself and clearly takes care of his family? Does he not sound a little like Hal? Oh do not forget that he is Middle Eastern, Muslim, and another citizen of the United States. I am hoping that his outward appearance is not all that is different to his character. A fifth lantern needs to bring a new element to the lantern core, something that we have not seen before, apart from the fact he wields a gun. But I worry that there will be a return to status quo with a new set of guardians and five refreshed green lanterns.
I am not sure that four lanterns are enough because out of nowhere we appear to have added a fifth.
The Sinestro Corps war was incredible because it had an underlying theme, fear vs will. After the victory Hal goes to see Sinestro in his cell where they have a superb conversation about who really won the war. Though Sinestro lost, he claimed he had won because the lantern corps gave into fear. This was brilliant psychological warfare and is one of the reasons why Sinestro is so amazingly popular. Blackest Night was interesting because it allowed the whole DC universe to face up to their inner demons, in the form of the living dead. There was a possibility of redemption and peace, but most of the time it ended in fighting! However it was in interesting concept and the story was well played out. Since then I have been thoroughly uninspired, and the stories remind me of Larfreeze, where it is all about gaining more power to become victorius. Even the third army story is focused around the Guardians becoming stronger from a secret power source. It is a basic epitome of comic writing, heroes have powers that make them stronger then others, so they do good and help to achieve justice. This is so dull and played out in so many ways, that in the modern age we need to excel beyond the physical manifestations of power. I love the lanterns I really do, but sometimes I wish there was more time devoted to the characters created so far. They all have sufficient depth to progress in their own stories without the need for massive crossover tales.
Maybe Ron Marz had it right when Hal destroyed the GLC, they had become too big and crazy to be sustainable and the reset button was hit, leaving poor Kyle alone to continue the legacy. Maybe their imaginations weren’t big enough but creativity or not, the GLC has expanded to extreme borders at the moment and there is too much to hold onto and control. With all the lantern corps and five central characters, bear in mind I have forgotten the essential archenemy/good guy Sinestro, I do not think we can have more all-encompassing stories. I hope we spend time with the characters we love instead of creating new ones, dilating the old and designing new bad guys that are impossible to beat. The mantra states;
In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those that worship evil’s might, beware my power, green lanterns light!
“Beware my power” has been taken too literally over the years, and its time to bring some thoughtful, character based tales. Make us believe again in the GL power again, it just doesn’t seem enough to beware of anymore.
For more comic views and reviews follow Kulbir on Twitter at @Kooliebear and check out his website over at houseofflyingscalpels.com
Posted on February 7th, 2013
Category: DEVIL IN THE DETAIL, NEWS & VIEWS, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Devil in the Detail, Green lantern, Green lantern corps, Guy Gardner, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Kulbir Mann, Simon Baz
By Kulbir Mann
The women in his life do cause him a lot of stress, but lets face facts; his partners suffer significantly more.
The answer to this question is, of course, an unequivocal no. However the women in his life do cause him a lot of stress, but lets face facts; his partners suffer significantly more. He is one of the few characters that I can think of that has had a succession of women in his life, and they do play an important part in his development. This leads onto the commonly held aphorism, women in refrigerators, which essentially means that female characters are only used to progress the plot and character of the male protagonist. It is based upon Alexandra DeWitt who was found dead in the above kitchen appliance for Kyle Rayner to find on the day he received his powers. Is this plot device used in Daredevil? Is Matt Murdock a horrendous secret misogynist? Why do his women all seem to die?
Before Matt became Daredevil there was Elektra Natchios, who he met at Columbia university as a student. She was amazing, intelligent, strong, confident and daughter to a wealthy Greek ambassador. They had a sweet romance that appeared to blossom through their time together. As with most superhero romances it led to disaster. She was kidnapped together with her father, as part of a terrorist ploy. This was part of the evolution of Daredevil, as he donned the mask and attempted the rescue. Unfortunately this led to the death of her father and the end to their relationship. She left the United States in order to learn martial arts, empowered by her lust for revenge. Matt tried his best to stop her but they would not meet again until she returned an assassin. Their reconciliation was not as Matt would have hoped, as she was part of the ninja organisation known as the Hand; enemies of Daredevil. They had a difficult relationship and often fought together but never as one. Until the day Bullseye ended her life on a rooftop, using one of her own sai. It is one of the most horrific deaths in comic lore, and the image is recollected with ease to every avid reader. Matt would wreak vengeance for her death but it would not be the first lover Bullseye would kill. Elektra was the ideal woman and in her death, we saw Daredevil’s first great tragedy. In her resurrection we can see that she was not just a character device for Matt but continued to many a story as a loved deadly assassin.
Until the day Bullseye ended her life on a rooftop, using one of her own sai. It is one of the most horrific deaths in comic lore, and the image is recollected with ease to every avid reader.
Karen Page was as tragic as they come. Her relationship began as an infatuation for Daredevil, whilst being Matt’s secretary. After her father becomes a super villain and tries to kill Daredevil, he reveals himself to her and they begin a difficult romance. She struggles with his alter ego and the risk he puts on himself night in night out. She eventually leaves him unable to take the stress, and is lured by the bright lights of Hollywood.
Those lights turned out to be red and shady as she ends up working as a pornographic actress. Her jones for heroin leads her to sell the most precious of commodities: Daredevils secret identity. This leads to a very clever play by Kingpin to ruin Murdock’s existence. Slowly but surely he targets all aspects of his life and pulls the thread, leaving Matt a whimpering wreck. He falls into the hands of the church and his mother, a nun. Religion and redemption run thick through the born again storyline, as a resurrected Matt forgives Karen, and stitches his life back together.
They begin anew but Karen is forever in his debt. As strong as their love is, she struggles with her sordid past, even as Matt holds her tight. She leaves him again but only to return with…wait for it…AIDS!
Karen is a character used in a religious Daredevil book to represent the power of forgiveness. Unfortunately for her, the sins are too big to forgive as she becomes involved with Daredevil’s hallucinations, and caught in a massive church crossfire. A billyclub to the heart courtesy of Bullseye takes her from this world, and hopefully to a better place for her. I genuinely feel for Karen and her story is one of plight. Daredevil is distraught after she dies, as she was his most long-term and loved of companions.
Religion seems to leave Daredevil for the foreseeable future as he enters a world of low mood, depression and extreme social unrest. Bendis and Brubaker take him through a dark period, where he is sombre and only takes solace in Foggy. He meets Milla Donovan, who helps him through to the light; she is blind too. Milla was a lovely lady who liked Matt for whom he was and accepted his blindness in a way no one else could. In Milla, he found someone who was normal. She had a regular life, no traumas or strains but had to deal with her blindness, which she did very well. Her story takes her through many difficult Daredevil situations, revolving around his long drawn out struggle with his identity, and old enemies/girlfriends attacking at any time. She remained strong enough to actually marry Murdock but this was soon annulled, as she succumbs to the mental torture inflicted by hallucinogenics and Mr Fear. She was left hospitalised in a mental institution with no hope of recovery, leaving Matt alone once more. Milla was a true innocent who made no bad decisions, and had no major turmoil in her life except the day she met Matt Murdock. With all the damage inflicted to these three women, it is easy to envisage why Matt was a continuous grey cloud over a graveyard of ex-girlfriends.
Milla remained strong enough to actually marry Murdock but this was soon annulled, as she succumbs to the mental torture inflicted by hallucinogenics and Mr Fear.
Not all his relationships were troublesome, some women survived unscathed. He dated Black widow for a time and they parted without disaster or death, leaving a healthy friendship behind. He also had a brief romance with a girl called Echo who was deaf. She had the ability to copy any action and replicate it to perfection. Their jousting was beautiful and the relationship ended too soon. His latest romance was with Dakota North who was hired as an investigator with the law firm. That ended through circumstance more than genuine personal strife. His new optimistic attitude, that Mark Waid has provided, even saw a brief fling with Black Cat. However that was more a strategic position on behalf of Black Cat but Matt seemed relatively cheerful. So it is not all doom and gloom but the damage done from having two deaths and one mental breakdown is immeasurable.
With his new optimistic attitude that Mark Waid has provided, Matt even had a brief fling with the Black Cat.
If we look at the women in refrigerators argument, some of his relationships do apply. I feel Karen Page was a feasible character to begin with, as she spent a long period of time with Matt before embarking on a film career. It was then she became the turning point for Matt’s despair and then their resolution from religion. This was unfair on her, especially with the revelation of AIDS. Milla’s story was tragic and played a similar role, but without a religious theme. How did he move on from his guilt? He did technically date Dakota whilst still being married. His relationship with Elektra was different and she was not a plot developer, and this is not just because she returned from the dead. Her death was part of her own story and not just Matt’s. So there are clearly cases from Daredevil’s history of the use of women to develop his character.
Daredevil is not a character with many friends. He has Foggy Nelson who is his bungling dedicated law partner and companion. He had Stick who was his trainer and mentor for many a year, long gone. There is the odd character that does enter and leave his life but Matt is a solitary character. Recently he has joined the Avengers but this is in keeping with his new persona. With all the love interests in his life, are they key to his character? This may have been true of the past Murdock, and they certainly have been key to his happiness but at present this does not run true. After the Daredevil reborn series we saw a change in him, what this was, outside of a change in mindset, is unknown. It was much needed and welcomed but does this mean he is not interested in women? Can Waid Murdock have a relationship in Marvel Now, which is different to his previous ones? Is his character now independent of a romantic angle, and if this is true then what are we insinuating about the role of his female love interests? He may be less dependent and be able date someone on a more equal level, but there are few relationships that last in comics. Even Lois and Clark are not together in current continuity, and the biggest relationship disaster occurred in Identity Crisis many years ago. I think we are done with these storylines, and I think it is unfair on women that they are often bear the brunt in the aftermath. I would like to think the same fate would await the male love interests of female heroes but this has rarely been touched upon.
Daredevil and his “best friend” Foggy Nelson
I wonder whether a modern day big superhero can manage a decent relationship storyline with anyone. I can only think of Luke Cage and his family in recent times, which was an interesting reflection of a family man in the Avengers. Ultimately he left the helm and I wonder if this is the ultimate end to all superhero relationships. Someone dies, becomes maimed, kidnapped, mentally tortured or they both leave the hero world altogether, to keep themselves alive and in love. I feel that Daredevil is reflective of the issues involved in romantic love interests and their consequences in the comic world as a whole. I do not believe it is his character, or Daredevil persona, that is the reason for the ill fate begetting his girlfriends, outside the fact that they will always be targeted by enemies of Daredevil. It is a systemic problem in comics and I would welcome someone writing a new angle on these often depressing and sad stories.
For more comic views and reviews follow Kulbir on Twitter at @Kooliebear and check out his website over at houseofflyingscalpels.com
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Posted on December 31st, 2012
Category: DEVIL IN THE DETAIL, NEWS & VIEWS
Tags: Black Cat, Black Widow, Comic Review, Daredevil, DEVIL IN THE DETAIL #003 – “IS DAREDEVIL HAPPY BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?", Elektra, Karen Page, Kulbir Mann, marvel comics, Matt Murdock
By Kulbir Mann
Steve Rogers awakes sweating with distress pouring from his face. He has had a nightmare of days gone by, on a battlefield he understood and belonged to. He dreamt of fighting once again with Bucky by his side, but this dream ends differently, once the Nazi’s are all taken down, Bucky lies injured and in pain. He bids Steve farewell and slowly passes to a permanent sleep while Cap screams his name in the smoke and blood of the battleground. This is the beginning of Ed Brubaker’s second Captain America issue and is a great summary of the themes that made it so incredibly well received.
Steve Rogers awakes sweating with distress pouring from his face. He has had a nightmare of days gone by, on a battlefield he understood and belonged to.
Many people often ask me, as a Briton, how I could possible love a hero called Captain America? How could I take the patriotism and the ridiculously garish red white and blue costume seriously? For the outsider the concept of Cap is pretty alien and his personality may seem a little bland. I explain quite easily that though he is the flag bearer of the United States, he stands alone as a man out of time and he fights for all. His powers never made him a hero but Steve Rogers made him a hero. The recent movie focused on this aspect somewhat superficially, but it is the man that he is that makes him great. Many heroes become heroic once they develop or attain their powers, but Steve was a hero way before then.
His powers never made him a hero but Steve Rogers made him a hero.
Ed Brubaker did not just improve Steve’s character but he brought back someone he was not supposed to, James Barnes Buchanan. He created two phenomenal characters in this run taking him through seven years of consistently solid work. Steve Rogers is a forlorn character haunted by images of the war. He is in a world that is not his own, and struggles to fit in with the latest trends and technology. He died remembering a battle lost and the memory of a friend falling from a plane in the sky. He was once the poster boy for the United States army and led them into unwinnable battles. Bucky was his trusty ward, an expertly trained killer but now long gone. Times have changed and wars are fought less on the battleground and more through the electric wires and airwaves. Steve is a relic of a past who misses his best friend, standing in a permanent state of melancholy. He has no interest in fitting in, he was built for war, he cannot fight anymore and he wants to take his rightful place with the honourable soldiers and best friend that died beside him.
Steve is a relic of a past who misses his best friend, standing in a permanent state of melancholy.
The winter soldier storyline was the return of Bucky and it was a wonderfully laid out story and plot. Steve has the ultimate in survivors guilt because he should have died with his countrymen, but ironically he was a super soldier and more likely to survive than anyone. His skills are less relevant in the modern age and he knows it. The book is full of flashback sequences of battles with Bucky and they are incredibly well drawn with dark deep colouring highlighting the murkiness of the Second World War. Contrast this to the brighter modern day and you can see why Steve wishes he were still there. When the subtle clues appeared that brought Bucky’s involvement into the story, Cap finds hope. He wants reconciliation via a link to his past; a chance to lift a small amount of guilt from his shoulders, with the return of his best friend.
When the subtle clues appeared that brought Bucky’s involvement into the story, Cap finds hope.
The return of James to Cap’s side was short lived, as the Civil War storyline took over the book but with one large twist; the death of Steve Rogers. It rocked the Marvel universe as it did the readers, as very few people could believe Captain America was to be no more. It heralded some of the best stories of the last few years. The reaction to his death was captured by many writers and covered all aspects of Steve’s character and relationships. Brian Bendis wrote a single issue comic called Confessions, where Tony Stark sat talking to a dead Captain America. It was an incredibly tragic monologue and one of Bendis’ best works. This event paved the way for a comic based on Bucky and the unique situation of a book titled Captain America that had no Cap to be found in it’s pages.
It rocked the Marvel universe as it did the readers, as very few people could believe Captain America was to be no more.
The first two years of the book featured Steve reminiscing and discovering Bucky. The next three years saw Bucky at its helm and a whole new set of deep personal issues came to contrast those of his former mentor. James came out of the shadows when Rogers died and worked hard on vengeance, finding his killer. Anger fuelled him and recompense was his target. He had a lot of sins to make up for, not just for the death of Captain America but for the acts he committed while brainwashed as the Winter Soldier. This is where the book became really interesting because we now have the character, Brubaker spent twenty-five issues describing from Steve’s point of view, dealing with his failures and regrets, moving on to take the mantle of his former partner. If you consider Bucky was very much a sidekick and performed the more heinous acts a big hero was not allowed to be seen doing, then fitting into those big red boots was not going to be easy.
A regretful Bucky on a violent rampage finally calms and realises that Cap’s shield should be with him, and only he can rightfully take on the name of Captain America. It was with Steve’s permission and there was much redemption to be had in a new uniform. Bucky had many doubts, though he had some upgrades from the Russians, he was not a super soldier and not as powerful. As he battles villains he was conscious of how Steve would have handled the fight and how Bucky would need to adapt himself. The hardest lesson was learning how to talk to a large group of people, let alone motivate the masses. Flashback sequences were once again used to highlight the differences between himself and Steve but this time from another perspective. The greatest validation came from Namor who gives out little praise but knew Bucky was the one.
It was with Steve’s permission and there was much redemption to be had in a new uniform.
Over the next three years the arcs involved the Red Skull, Crossbones, Sin and Dr. Faustus and the manipulation of the Captain America legacy. There was great attention paid to the replacement Caps and Buckys of years gone by tying up the legacy angle very sweetly with James in charge. The circle became complete and the book had taken on new territory and succeeded, Brubaker had excelled in creating a new Bucky from an old melancholic Steve. This was a new Captain America who moved forward and forgot his past. He joined the Avengers and was here to stay, or so it seemed.
Steve Rogers was always coming back and it was just a matter of time when. His rebirth storyline was well played and executed and it was amazing to see Rogers back, but it was more amazing to see that he left Bucky his legacy. The highly moral and altruistic man comes back from the dead and decides to let his former ward carry on in his place. There are few examples of such exemplary men in the Marvel universe and this is why Steve Rogers is so highly respected by all other heroes. He stands by a code few others can reach, and he can finally lay his past to rest with the glorious return of Bucky. It brings the absolution of the sins that were not even his own. The title of the book is Captain America but that is just the header, the real essence of the book is Steve Rogers and James Buchanan. Ed Brubaker created a story intertwined in the past and full of deep despair, guilt, abandonment and friendship with resolution to all of these themes. It is rare to create such depth in characters and develop such affection and love for two characters. It is Ed Brubaker’s legacy to us and I am glad to have a little piece of it.
Steve Rogers was always coming back and it was just a matter of time when.
Of course this is not where the book ends and the adventures continue into other spin off series’. Bucky almost dies in the Fear Itself crossover but survives but not to the knowledge of the Avengers outside of Steve Rogers, Widow and Fury. He hunted out Russian sleeper soldiers with Natasha and continued in his own book called Winter Soldier. Steve Rogers returned to Captain America but did so with the impending knowledge that Ed Brubaker was about to hand his story over to another writer. Ed Brubaker spent almost eight years with this book and has now left Steve Rogers with another. Every author needs impact with the character to make the book his or her own but there are several characteristics that have been long etched in stone that need to be overcome.
Steve has long been troubled and I think it is time for him to move on and get on with his life. He has an amazing partner in Sharon Carter and his best friend is working independently and successfully. The old times can be laid to rest and there is no excuse not to fit in. Where does Captain America lie in modern day superherology? His origin story has been told and retold in many manifestations of his legacy stories and those were the reasons why a patriotic hero was needed. This current age spends less time with country based villains and heroes, and deals with bad guys from every race, colour and creed. There is no Germany versus America dichotomy from which Cap and Skull were born. His past has become obsolete in the fact that every story possible has been told and very few people could do better in the modern day than Ed Brubaker. What are we left with? He is not the most powerful, he is not the fastest, he cannot fly, he has no special weapons outside of a shield and he is not the cleverest. Steve Rogers is a tactician, a leader, a motivational speaker and will always do the right thing. A post modern version of Captain America is possible but it needs a good writer and an incredibly good story. It appears that the fantasy realm awaits him as the ending to Brubaker’s run approached that and Remender certainly favours that approach. There is so much to Steve Rogers that is more than his legacy and his heroism and I hope we get a chance to see it; after all, the man did punch Hitler in the face.
After all, the man did punch Hitler in the face.
For more comic views and reviews follow Kulbir on Twitter at @Kooliebear and check out his website over at houseofflyingscalpels.com
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Posted on December 8th, 2012
Category: DEVIL IN THE DETAIL, NEWS & VIEWS, REVIEWS
Tags: Bucky, captain america, Comic Reviews, Devil in the Detail, DEVIL IN THE DETAIL #002 – “IS CAPTAIN AMERICA STILL RELEVANT?”, Ed Brubaker, Kulbir Mann, marvel comics, Winter Soldier
By Kulbir Mann
Batman and the Joker are one of the greatest all time superhero villain combinations. Their names are etched in comic folklore stone. Where do you begin to explain how they work and why they work so well with each other? There are books written on the matter and there are countless works of comics, cartoons and films depicting the subject. Put simply, Bruce took on a persona to instil fear into the villains of Gotham and the Joker is Gotham underworld’s response to Batman. Is a killer clown any more or less ridiculous or crazy as a man dressed as a Bat trying to fight crime? Of course not. Regular street crime and villainy is no match for Batman and so new criminals are born and wander into the fray for the challenge.
Enter the Joker. His insane genius is so incomprehensible that a detective will not be able to piece together the clues in his mind.
Enter the Joker. His insane genius is so incomprehensible that a detective will not be able to piece together the clues in his mind. It is difficult to remember that Batman is primarily a detective even though he has a ridiculous amount of other skills. Unfortunately that is not enough to fight the Joker, which appears a ridiculous statement as Batman always wins. However there is a cost to these victories: namely to the ones Batman holds dear. Batman’s second Robin, Jason Todd was brutally murdered, Sarah Gordon, Jim Gordon’s wife was also hideously killed, Barbara Gordon, Jim’s daughter was left paralysed and he almost sent Jim to Arkham asylum. The amount of times Joker was arrested and sent to Arkham only to escape and kill is immeasurable. The only way to stop is to prevent his fleeing incarceration or simply to kill him. Batman does not kill and therein lies the problem.
The Joker adores Batman and has no immediate wish to kill him. He is a bored man and finds the Bat incredibly amusing and loves to torture him. The Joker has described Batman’s eventual death as a work of art that needs to be planned in order for it to be fitting of the icon. There was even an episode of the animated series where the Joker stops Batman from being killed because the death scene was not amazing enough. He also knows that Batman does not kill and eventually he will always be free to inflict suffering on him. All Batman can do is try to outthink his eccentric mind and catch him again before another loved one is hurt. As complex a hero villain complex as this is, there is only one man who suffers and that is Bruce Wayne.
The Joker adores Batman and has no immediate wish to kill him. He is a bored man and finds the Bat incredibly amusing and loves to torture him.
Joker has been away. He was only in one issue of the first year’s worth of new 52 comics and that was Detective Comics #1. This featured a break into Arkham asylum in order to meet the Dollmaker, who gave him the ultimate disguise: he removed his face. A disgusting final page showed Joker’s skin pinned to a wall and that was the last we heard of him, until now. The Death of the Family has begun and the Joker has returned to Gotham ready to inflict pain on Batman again. The title suggests that there will be more death and destruction to the people Bruce holds close. What is his current motivation and why has he returned now after a year? In order to answer this question we need to look closer at his comic book return.
This featured a break into Arkham asylum in order to meet the Dollmaker, who gave him the ultimate disguise: he removed his face.
There are a few obvious truths to the return of a homicidal megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur. He has to be the most feared and hated villain irrespective of Batman. He is a son of Gotham returning to reclaim his throne and he alludes to this many times when confronting Batman and the Gotham police. He also stamps his role when meeting with the Penguin, where he places himself as a prime suspect for thug murders. He barters with Cobblepot in order to manipulate him into performing a favour. Once again outthinking and positioning himself above the Penguin in the super villainy stakes. The Joker is jealous of the troubles inflicted on Batman from the court of owls, making two separate mentions of it. He is irate that Bruce struggled so much and genuinely thinks he should have managed better. The Joker wants to be his toughest villain, not some old owls. Finally I think he just missed the place and running amok around the city.
The Joker has an interesting ideology when it comes to Gotham and Batman. Batman is the Godking of Gotham and organised crime is Batman’s purpose in life. The thugs fear the bat insignia and it’s meaning, escalating Bruce to mythological status. Successfully completing a crime is the reward; it means that you have evaded the bat, let alone the booty itself. The Joker compares this to a worship like practice and Cobblepot is in charge of the offerings. There is a lovely line that states that the Penguin is the bishop in Batman’s dark kingdom. As Batman feeds on all of this crime he is satisfied he is doing his job. He is kept busy and Gotham has its champion, its king. These villains are fulfilling a role but they are simple folk, not like the Joker, not like him at all.
The Joker compares this to a worship like practice and Cobblepot is in charge of the offerings.
The Joker is special. He is Batman’s enemy and his nemesis and that relationship is special to him. When he talks to Batman he does so with emotion and sentiment, which is easily disguised with his crazy grin and laughter. The Joker has gone to a lot of effort in his return, just for Batman. He has gotten his face back, because it is who he is and he needs to be seen again, even if it means using a belt to fix his face in place. He does not want to remain unrecognisable because the world must know what he is doing and how well he is doing it. He uses an analogy of the play My King and I to describe his relationship with Bruce. It’s an interesting reference to a show about a couple being on opposing warring factions. The man and woman eventually understand one another and only then are able to share their feelings with a single dance. The Joker understands Batman’s mentality and holds him dear. He is his jester and no one else can take his role. He wants to dance with him again. The Joker takes great lengths to re-enact the evolution of their relationship, as he recreates his first kill and one of the earliest Batman meetings on a bridge at the Gotham reservoir. Batman says, “You’re nothing to me” and the Joker replies, “Shhh. Don’t do that, don’t pretend, not here, not to me.” These are amazing lines showing how upset Joker becomes when their relationship is belittled.
The Joker takes great lengths to re-enact the evolution of their relationship, as he recreates his first kill and one of the earliest Batman meetings on a bridge at the Gotham reservoir.
Batman has changed. He has a large support network and family. He is no longer a lone warrior patrolling the night and this irks the Joker. The true villains of Batman are the company he keeps and they have ruined the Joker’s dear king. He states that Batman has become soft and fat because of his poor efficiency when handling the Owls. The Joker expects more maybe because no one else is allowed to be a bigger threat. He misses the real Batman and is angry he has become weak and dependant. He needs Bruce to be stronger and be more of a challenge and therefore he needs to eliminate his family. His dialogue during the two issues is very protective of Batman and hating to all his associates. The city deserves a better Batman and he is going to return him to full glory.
He needs Bruce to be stronger and be more of a challenge and therefore he needs to eliminate his family.
Where do they go from here? Clearly the crossover will involve many titles and many bat family members. If Joker had his way they would all be killed leaving Batman to himself. I imagine he would try to torment him for as long as possible in his strange bad romance fantasy until he mentally breaks. We know that is unlikely to happen and that Batman will win outright and probably send him back to Arkham. It is the status quo as I alluded to above, but there will be a change, and it is likely someone will die or be irreparably damaged. I hope the Jason Todd storyline will be well handled given he died at the Joker’s hands once before and is not as moralistic as Batman. Whatever happens once again Bruce will be left with the guilt of an injured or dead loved one and I wonder where it will take him. What roads will he travel that he has not travelled before? He has a huge family with his world of Batmen, which need support and continued motivation, so that cannot be changed. The Joker will remain to fight another day but Bruce will bear the consequences again and I am interested to see another scar added to his brutally abused mind.
For more comic views and reviews follow Kulbir on Twitter at @Kooliebear and check out his website over at houseofflyingscalpels.com
Posted on November 23rd, 2012
Category: DEVIL IN THE DETAIL, NEWS & VIEWS
Tags: Batman, Batman Review, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Detective Comics, Devil in the Detail, Greg Capullo, Joker, Kulbir Mann, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, Scott Snyder
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