Looking To The Stars: Emerald Explanation

Ever since Benjamin Raab took over this title, he has faced great hostility from the critical and fan communities alike. I can think of two writers alone at 411 who made statements regarding last month’s issue that I’d like to address as a Green Lantern history buff and one of the apparent minority who is enjoying Raab’s run on the book.

From Kevin Mahoney’s review of GL #168… “When a story has not one, nor two, but three separate and unrelated interludes, that's a rather large red flag.”

Not really. Actually, I take that as a sign of quality writing or at the very least a sign that the writer respects my intelligence enough to think I can keep track of more than one ongoing plotline. Stan Lee sure never went wrong with having several ongoing plots in his work. And I do believe many of the more popular writers today- Geoff Johns, Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore come to mind immediately – made some very popular and award winning series based upon the idea of having a book center around several characters and shifting focus on an issue by issue basis. Consider pretty much any issue of JSA, Sandman, Swamp Thing or the five-part “Jack/Ted/O’Dares/Mikhal’s Day” story arc in which we see the reaction of eight different characters to the events of the same day.

From Kevin Mahoney’s review of GL #168… “If the dialogue of the main character closely resembles a previous incarnation of the character (Hal Jordan) that's an even larger red flag.”

Funny how I don’t hear many HEAT members rejoicing that Kyle now sounds exactly like Hal. Honestly, I haven’t noticed any change in Kyle’s dialogue other than the fact that he’s now being written as an hero with some experience instead of the idiotic novice that he was shown as under Winick and still is portrayed as outside his own title. Then again, maybe Kyle is subconsciously trying to sound more like Hal as he now finds himself trying to become a space-cop in Hal’s old sector.

From Kevin Mahoney’s review of GL #168… When the writer rehashes an ancient sub-plot for new material (Terry's beat down), a reader should resign him or her self to sub-par work.

I’d hardly call a sub-plot, continued on a near-monthly basis, that began barely a year ago “ancient”, but that’s just me. What must that make Issue #169, which refers to the nearly 18-month old “Legacy: The Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan” as well as the Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #3, published August 2000? Mesozoic? Prehistoric?

In all seriousness, it is called CONTINUITY. Making historical links? Used to be quite a serious thing for comic writers to keep up with, but many modern writers (Winick in particular) seem to have problems with it. And I don’t mean obscure things like “what issue did Kyle declare he doesn’t like Mexican food?” but simple matters of fact like the identity of Jade’s brother (Obsidian, not Effigy. See GL #142)

From George Gebhardt’s review of GL #168… “Let's start with Terry Berg. Raab, and Winick before him, never seem to deliver when writing Berg's character. First, it looks like he has aged quite a bit--that he's not a high schooler anymore. Maybe DC realized that some problems could arise dealing with his relationship with David and any age difference between them.”

Surely that’s the fault of the artist, not the writer, if the character LOOKS younger? And while the passage of time is rather spotty in the DCU, I seem to remember it being about two years since Terry got hired by Kyle. Since most businesses I know of require interns to be at least 16, that would put Terry well within legal adult range now or close enough to it that the law probably wouldn’t be concerned about the statutory laws. Besides, if David is young enough to get into the teens-only clubs (or maybe it was teens-only night?) then there shouldn’t be any issues with his age.

From George Gebhardt’s review of GL #168… “Next, I still say he should be walking with a cane, to add some dramatic effect to his injuries. If not that, I think seeing him in a panel before going live with "Barry" should have shown his nervousness. Are we to expect that he's this great spokesperson all of a sudden?”

Adversity can do a bit to change people and I’ve seen a lot of people be able to speak with amazing eloquence after a tragedy inspired their passion. And while I agree that some emoting beforehand would be appropriate, a cane would be more melodramatic than dramatic and smack of some of the more pointless “crippling” of a character for dramatic effect that has been all too long a part of comics… particularly in a title where such a thing has happened once too often already, ala John Stewart.

From George Gebhardt’s review of GL #168… Now with Kyle. He wants to prove to the ex-Corpsmen that there's a need for them. Yeah, we get it. Enough is enough with that rhetoric. And why is Kyle being "snookered" all of the time? Gee, no wonder the others don't join.

Hey, Hal got suckered into a lot of “distress” situations where he was called in by the bad guys to do some dirty work, found out who the real good guys were and then turned the tide when he realized he screwed up. Happened to Kyle a few times in the past too... in fact, the whole major driving story arc since Raab took over (busting the Black Circle) has been built around Kyle’s trying to correct some past oversight of being too quick to trust.

As for them repeating Kyle’s goals to rebuild the Corps at the start of each issue, I quote the man who once said “Every comic is somebody’s first comic.”. Certain allowances must be made for the people who just pick a book at random based on the cover and want to be able to read the story without twenty pages of footnotes. And so far, I think Raab has done an admirable job of balancing the accessibility needs of the newbie against the old timer’s need for history.

From George Gebhardt’s review of GL #168… Merayn. She's no longer an item with John Stewart, so why is she referring to him as her boyfriend?

Moving out does not necessarily equal a break up. Based on what she says in GL #167, she isn’t breaking it off with him. Just wanting to move out and find some space in the relationship to find something in her life besides making him happy. God forbid a woman should want to have something for herself besides being a trophy girlfriend, right?

And finally, to confront a complaint I read on a message board, the rebirth of the Guardians in the form of male AND female bodies is not far-fetched nor a violation of the much vaunted continuity of the GL Corps. While is true that the Guardian race (blue midgets) that founded the Green Lantern Corps was made up entire of males and the females evolved along different lines to become beings not unlike the Amazons of Earth (aka the Zamorans), both races descended from the ancient mortal race of the planet Maltus, where the natives were basic humanoids with blue skin- exactly like the toddler grown to maturity Lianna; a one-shot villain at the end of the Winick run, who Raab obviously has bigger plans for.

All this said, I don’t think the Raab run has been completely flawless. As I said, I would like to have seen a little more emotion in the scenes handling Terry. And there has been a little too much faith taken that the readers have read certain key back issues. Consider how Kilowog was presented with it just being taken that the reader has read the story detailing his resurrection. And even then, I would like to have seen the story of how Kyle and Kilowog met and became friends.

Thankfully, I thought Raab was building towards something with the rather slow development over the last five issues and I believe the most recent issue (reviewed by yours truly here) has shown the fruits of those labors as Raab tries to weave a tapestry from the tangled and torn threads of the Winick and Marz runs.

Tune in next week. Same Matt Time. Same Matt Website.

Green Lantern #169 - A Review

Written by: Benjamin Raab
Penciled by: Jamal Igle
Inked by: John Dell
Colored by: Moose Baumann
Lettered by: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Bob Schreck
Publisher: DC Comics

This book is filled with something of a sense of futility. After one more issue, Ben Raab will end his run on this title and Ron Marz, who created Kyle Rayner, will return to do a brief run on the book which will bring Kyle back from Deep Space and return him to Earth to find how things have changed in his absence. This news has been greeted with much joy by Marz’s fans who have argued that the book has suffered in his absence and by Marz detractors (including the inafamous HEAT) who will be glad to have him to kick around once more.

This all distracts from the fact that as everyone waits for the return of the Marz, Raab has done quite a lot to restore that which HEAT complained of the absence of. There is now a Corps, of sorts, though they lack rings at the moment. Kilowog, a fan favorite GL, who gave his life trying to stop Hal Jordan during his time of madness, has been restored to life. And in these last few issues, he has restored the epic “space-opera” storylines for which Green Lantern was famous, which were for the most part neglected during the Marz run on the book. More, he has restored a classic Green Lantern enemy, bringing The Qwardians race back into active duty alongside his own creation: The criminal syndicate known as The Black Circle.

Raab develops all these plots of his own even as he expands and even closes off those plots that were left for him to solve in the wake of Judd Winick’s departure from the title.



It hit me this month about how much Benjamin Raab must write from personal experience.

Think about it; Kyle Rayner was given the most powerful weapon in the Universe despite his inexperience and is trying to rebuild a defunct institution, re the Green Lantern Corps. With only one omnipotent being and a few friends to help him, he must face hostility and nay saying from former members of said institution as well as a harsh and lawless universe in a lonely battle to resurrect the Green Lantern Corps.

Now compare that to Raab, who was given a popular comic title despite his inexperience, and is trying to rebuild a defunct institution, re the Green Lantern franchise. With only one editor and a few plot-threads left by pervious writers, he must face hostility and nay saying from former fans of said institution as well as the critics and HEAT in a lonely battle to make Green Lantern readable again.

Personal connection to his main protagonist or not, one thing cannot be denied. Green Lantern hasn’t been handled this well in quite a long time! Raab handles the neat feat of balancing the complex and complicated history and continuity of the Green Lantern Corps while making each issue accessible and easily readable to newbies. Pair this up with some wonderful artwork, and you have one of the best… indeed, probably the most underrated book in the business.

In this issue, we open on Kyle preparing for battle as he readies himself to journey into another dimension to rescue his friend Kilowog. Kilowog was a Green Lantern who gave his life trying to save the Corps from Hal Jordan and was brought back from the dead (in a story which is summarized quite well in this issue) as a being of vengeance known as The Dark Lantern. Now, Kilowog has been forcibly dragged back into the afterlife he was just as forcibly removed from, just as he was beginning to get a handle on the all-consuming rage that controlled him.

At the same time, Jade engages in some girl talk with Merayn that fills us in on her job hunting and vents about her problems with having a boyfriend who never writes or calls. The fact that he is literally a million miles away doesn’t hurt the authenticity of the scene, nor Jade’s reaction when a stranger asks for her phone number. And in a scene that will send even the most hardened of DC Historians scrambling for their Who’s Who Guides (I’ll save you all the trouble- see GL 80 Page Giant #3, August 2000), the former Green Lanterns from a few issues ago are visited by another figure who has been shown the light by Kyle Rayner.

About the art, I can say little except that it is perfectly suited to this title. I’m not familiar with Burchett’s previous work, but he fills this book with a beauty that was sorely missing throughout the “Urban Knights” crossover. Each character manages a distinct look and personality… and not just because many of them are aliens, have with unusual bodies, strange eyes or have unusual skin colors. Unlike many artists who draw the same face for each female characters, you can tell Jade and Merayn apart based on face alone- not hairstyle, skin color or ears. These unique pencils are well served by the light inking of Rodney Ramos (who knows just when to put in shadows for contrast) and the colors by Moose Baumann.

PS238 #3 - A Review

Written by: Aaron Williams
Penciled by: Aaron Williams
Inked by: Aaron Williams
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Aaron Williams
Editor: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dorkstorm Press

It’s not easy being the new kid in school. Feeling that you are totally different from everyone around you is the second-worst feeling in the world. Of course, the worst feeling is KNOWING for a certainty that you are different from everybody else around you. Throw in a pair of exceptional parents who are unwilling to accept you for what you are and are trying to force you into a role you are totally unprepared to take, and you have a pretty bleak existence.

It’s a situation that many of us have found ourselves in, one way or the other. We are totally out of our depths, unable to get any help or support and we begin to count our days in terms of survival and not enjoyment. Funny how this perfect portrait of the doldrums of depression should come from a funny book.

Tyler Marlocke is the newest student at PS238- the government’s secret school for super-powered children. His parents are two of the most powerful super-beings on the planet and have just made a gift of a new teleportation beacon for the school. The only problem is that Tyler doesn’t have any superpowers. Not a one. Of course his parents are certain that “the universe is biding it’s time, awaiting a crucial moment” for his powers to manifest, but Tyler’s teachers are not too sure.

The book is filled with slapstick comedy as Tyler tries desperately to survive gym class (quite a feat when your classmates can throw a dodge-ball faster than a speeding bullet) and then visiting the school nurse, where he tells him “I should let you know, I’m going to be here a lot.” He also has run ins with two would-be world conquerors (who are taking applications for evil minions the way most students would conduct an election for class president) and a nosy normal student who has clued into the fact that there is something “not right” about some of the students around him.

Aaron Williams is a greatly unappreciated double threat, who handles the writing and the art chores on this book with ease. He has a clean, cartoony style that manages the neat trick of showing characters simply, but still making each individual distinct and easily identifiable. He even manages to pull off drawing a certain distinct guest hero from another universe (who I won’t name as to maintain some surprise) and make him look like he belongs in this universe while still maintaining his unique look. And I would be remiss in not mentioning that this comic also comes with an official minion application form for aspiring Lords of Darkness everywhere. (Hope you got that, Daron!)

Looking To The Stars: Superheroes And The Silver Screen - Part Two - Superheroes And The People Who Play Them

I’d like to thank everyone who sent me thoughtful replies in response to last week’s column. Both of you.

I’d also like to thank everyone who sent a flame-filled letter accusing me of gross stupidity (144 times worse than the regular kind) in the fact that I didn’t mention either of the X-Men movies. I should not however that most of those people later apologized when I explained that I did in fact enjoy both movies and that some of the best performances I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie were in X2. That said, those good performances couldn’t make up for some piss poor performances from the rest of the cast that couldn’t be explained away by a script that gave them not-much to do.

Still, that realization and a few thoughtful remarks from others made me think; there are a lot of superhero movies and TV shows that had good performances but the overall product itself wasn’t quite up to speed.

For those fine actors who did an amazing job under trying circumstances as well as the ones who literally made a movie single-handed, this new Top Nine list (with one Honorable Mention added in) has been made.

Honorable Mention: Mark Hamill, for too much to list, but mostly The Joker.

In all honesty, he’d probably get more than one spot on this list if I didn’t just give him one spot for everything. Most famous for playing Luke Bloody Skywalker, Mark Hamill has become one of the most active and popular voice-over artists in the business, lending his voice to hundreds of animated series and video games. A quick glance at his page on The Internet Movie Database is very revealing, showing that he voiced Wolverine in the most recent X-Men video game, Gargoyle in The 1990’s Hobgoblin in the 1990’s Spider-Man cartoon, The Trickster in The Flash TV series… and of course, has given voice to The Joker through a wide series of Batman related series and video games. In fact, he has become so synonymous with the role that the live action Birds of Prey dubbed his voice in over a different actor who played the live Joker. Truly a great actor and a fan favorite on the con circuit, nobody had to “use the Force” on me to put him on this list.

9. Lori Petty, for Tank Girl

A silly movie adapted from a strange comic with some admittedly low-level production values. That said, Lori Petty plays the title role perfectly in this film about a girl, her vehicle and the post-apocalyptic world she lives in. One of the most unappreciated comic adaptions of all time, it recently became available on DVD. I recommend it highly.

8. Patrick Stewart, for Professor Charles Xavier (X-Men 2)

Arguably born to play the part and a fan favorite for the role long before the first movie was ever released, Mr. Stewart was one of the few actors who made every moment count in X2. Well matched by the equally talented (but I fear not quite as close to the mark in this showing) Ian McKellen, Patrick captured the loving heart, powerful presence and even the dry wit of everyone’s favorite Professor. And nowhere is this better shown in a scene, which I will describe later in number 5.

7. Lynda Carter, for Wonder Woman

One of my favorite shows in reruns when I was a boy (and yes, I was just discovering girls), it’s a wonder this classic show isn’t in reruns somewhere. While the show lacked a lot of the more traditional superhero show heroics like costumed villains, there’s no denying that Lynda Carter made a mark with her performance. A fan favorite even today, she still garners votes whenever polls are taken as to who should be cast in another Wonder Woman movie proving that even twenty five years later she is still a Wonder Woman.

6. Michael Gough, for Alfred Pennyworth (Batman 1-4)

One of the two actors who maintained the same role throughout the last four Batman movies, Michael Gough maintained a strong stability throughout the series that was matched only by the same stability Alfred provides Bruce Wayne in the comics. For a more twisted take on the same character, I recommend the 1999 film version of Anton Checkov’s The Cherry Orchard, in which Gough plays an equally loyal but much more senile and comical butler.

5. Hugh Jackman, for Wolverine (X-Men 2)

Jackman brought a depth of character and soul to a creation whom has too-often been portrayed with little of either. Cast in the role after the injury of the original actor from a career chiefly in Australian musical theater, Hugh Jackman faced some initial hostility from fans who were concerned about a “music” man playing the biggest badass on the X-Men. Of course such worried proved unfounded and Jackman found a well-deserved stardom thanks to his role in the first X-Men movie. But good as he was there, he absolutely shined in X2 and was able to play the tough guy in the action scenes and the “cool uncle/older brother” that Logan often is during his time off.

My favorite scene in the whole movie and the one where I knew the movie was going to be good was when Logan walks in on Professor X using Cerebro while smoking a cigar. Professor X calmly asks him to stop or “you’ll spend the rest of your life believing you are a six year old girl. Without blinking, Logan asks if he could really do it. Xavier smiles and says “I’d have Jean braid your hair.” Without a word, Logan puts the cigar out on his own hand, wincing a bit even as the burn heals within a few seconds.

4. Adam West, for Batman (1960’s Batman)

I got a lot of flack for naming the 1960’s Batman movie as my favorite last week. I don’t care. For that time and place, Adam West was the perfect Batman. And you cannot deny that silly as he may have been, Adam West was a great actor.

I realized this when I was a young boy; old enough to appreciate good acting but young enough to still find a silly action show dramatic. I remembered an episode where Batman has to go into a nightclub alone to get information. He walks in and the headwaiter approaches and asks if he would like a table or to just take a seat at the bar.

With a straight face, Batman nods politely and says “I’ll sit at the bar. I don’t want to attract any attention.”

Now how can you tell me that any man who can say a line like that… in a costume like that… and not burst out laughing ISN’T a great actor?

3. Dina Meyer, for Oracle (Birds of Prey)

Birds of Prey was a horrible TV series that managed the neat feat of taking a very simple concept (buddy comedy about two female vigilantes) and complicated it with some convoluted and unnecessary science regarding superpowers. Shift the focus to an alternate version of a character not a regular part of the comic series, change one of the characters personality, powers and age completely and base the whole thing around the concept that Batman would ever “just quit” his war on crime, and you have a series that kept away newbies confused by the overly complex concept and drove away fans of the comics.

And yet, in this rough mess there was one diamond; an actress who managed to make much more out of the role she was given than what she ever got from the writers on the series. An actress who read the comics involving her character to get a feel for things. An actress who reportedly took martial arts classes and began training so she could, like the character in the comics, be able to do fight scenes in a wheelchair. An actress, who after being told that most of the scripts involved her just sitting behind a computer and emoting and not doing any actual fighting, bucked up and did the best she could with that limited material. That actress is Dina Meyer, who was a better Barbara Gordon than Birds of Prey ever deserved.

2. Julie Newmar, for Catwoman (1960’s Batman)

Defining the character for years, to the point of becoming a major sex symbol of the 60’s, Julie Newmar was the first actress to play Catwoman and the most influential. From her shape-hugging costume to her purr-fect cat puns, there is no doubt that the actresses to handle the part after her and indeed all future actresses to handle the part (NOT Halle Berry, please?) had to struggle to fill her catsuit.

1. Christopher Reeve, for Superman

The man who was picked from obscurity as the perfect man to bring The Man of Steel to the screen, Christopher Reeve has been forever marked by his most famous role. Now an activist for the handicapped as well as numerous other charities and noble causes, he has proven to be every bit the Superman in real life as on the screen.

Tune in next week. Same Matt Time. Same Matt Website.

Green Arrow #30 - A Review

Written by: Judd Winick
Penciled by: Phil Hester
Inked by: Ande Parks
Colored by: Guy Major
Lettered by: Sean Konot
Editor: Bob Schreck
Publisher: DC Comics

Regular readers of my writings may recall that I’ve had… words about Judd Winick’s handling of the character of Oliver Queen in the past few issues. (See this past Looking to the Stars for the original comments!) Specifically, how Oliver has been handled in regards to his fidelity to Dinah Lance or lack thereof.

As I pointed out, they never have said exactly where the two stand right now… until this issue, where it is confirmed that Ollie and Dinah were “together”. At least, together enough for Connor and Mia to give Oliver the sharp tongue and cold shoulder respectively.

Now this is a major sticking point with me as well as a lot of other Green Arrow fans, who will tell you that while Oliver Queen is a flirt and has Italian eyes (they’re always roman!), he will never actual act on any suggestive remark he makes. (Again, read THIS Looking to the Stars for the complete history of why Oliver Queen ISN’T a cheating scum bag.)

The sad thing is that aside from that one point, the writing on the book has been good. The action scenes are good, as Oliver has to fight an entire army of the odd troll creatures besieging his city. The wise-cracking dialogue and sarcastic internal monologue are spot-on (“Being first doesn’t exactly count… not when you’re out-numbered twenty-to-one and your adversaries can throw cars one-handed”). And yet… there it sits. Oliver Queen is perfect when Winick is writing the heroic man of action… but totally misses the mark when written as a father, lover and person.

Sadly, judging by the end of this issue it looks as if Winick is going to take the easy way out in dealing with the issues that Ollie’s affair has raised and that all the consequences of it will be ignored or… God willing, retroactively removed from continuity when the next writer comes onto this title like when Winick took over from Meltzer.

Still, Hester and Parks continue to do an excellent job on the art. The shadows project outward, giving the whole book a film-noir feel without being heavily inked or overly dark. Indeed, Parks inks barely cover Hester’s pencils at all… except to bring out the shadows.
In closing, I think it best to end with two quotes that best sum up my feelings about why I’ve not been enjoying Green Arrow lately. One is from a fictional character; the other from the reviews section at The Green Arrow Fansite (http://www.greenarrowfansite.com )

“That pisses me off! I can’t help it! I wish I could shrug it off, but I can’t! …Why do you pull crap like this?” – Connor Hawke

“I like the way Judd Winick writes. I just don't like what he writes.” – Jayme Lynn Blaschke