Archive for May, 2012

The Honorable Mitchell Hundred Answers YOUR Questions!

Howdy, Sleepwalkers! We have a very special guest on the blog today–Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’ very own creation, the Mayor of New York and the world’s only superhero, Mitchell Hundred, AKA the Great Machine! Even though he’s very busy, His Honor has agreed to answer a few reader-submitted questions (which will, of course, remain anonymous). Now I’m going to step back and give Mitchell Hundred the floor. On to the reader questions!

1) Hey Mr. Hundred, my name is [[REDACTED]]. How–

Whoah, sorry. My bad, Mr. Mayor. Two quick questions. You see, I’m leaving soon to go on a fishing trip with my father. He’s retired now, and he gets bored very easily. How does your father deal with retirement?

Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean–wow, I feel really bad now. I’m just going to go on to the next question, if that’s okay. So, if you and your fa–if you and a friend were on a fishing trip together, would you do catch and release, or would you kill the fish?

2) Mr. Mayor–what type of fruit spread do you prefer on your English muffins: jelly, preserves, marmalade, chutney, or jam?

Yeah, jam. Wikipedia says it “contains both fruit juice and pieces of the fruit’s (or vegetable’s) flesh,although some cookbooks define jam as cooked and gelled fruit (or vegetable) purees.” So what do you like?

3) Mr. Mayor, listen very carefully. I work for a group of very important people, people you do not want to anger. Rest assured Mr. Mayor. You have angered them.

I assure you, Mr. Mayor, this is not a laughing matter. My associates south of the border assure me–

I wouldn’t concern myself with that, Mr. Mayor. We have been watching you for some time, and we are almost prepared to move against you. I am only telling you this as a warning, so that you may take action to correct your current behavior. If you maintain this path, your destruction is inevitable.

I see you will not listen to reason. Let me put it to you this way. I have another man with me, a man who–

Uh…I, uh…I’m not sure you understand what’s going on here. Do you think–wow, now you’ve caught me off guard. Let me start over. My colleagues and I are aware of your extra-official activities. If you do not want them brought to light, you will do what we say. Is that clear?

Now you understand, Mr. Mayor. We know you think your powers give you some sort of privilege, but rest assured, you are no different from the rest of us.

…We’ll be in touch, Mr. Mayor.

That’s all the time we have for today, Sleepwalkers. Sorry about the short post, but I’m about to go on vacation, so I figured something kind of anemic was better than nothing at all. Expect reruns next week, and I’ll see you after. Stay safe out there!

2012
05/31
CATEGORY
Advice
Special Guest
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The Atomic Sleepwalker Presents: The Complete History of the Atomic Knights, Part V

Hello, Sleepwalkers ! This marks the fifth and final installment of my complete history of The Atomic Knights! Next Monday will bring a different feature, so be sure to check back! And go ahead and get caught up with the previous installments! There’s Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four.

When we last left our heroes, we learned that the Atomic Knights, as we know them, were a figment of Gardner Grayle’s imagination. Trapped in a sensory-deprivation chamber and locked into a simulated post-nuclear holocaust, Gardner created the Knights as a way of coping with the horror of the radiation-soaked wasteland before him. And that was the way it stayed for a long time. The Atomic Knights were a memory, a curiosity of the Silver Age, mostly forgotten. Until Infinite Crisis, that is, they were resurrected by the team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti.

Perceptive Sleepwalkers might recall that I talked about Gray and Palmiotti recently, regarding the announcement that they’ll be teaming up to write a miniseries about the Phantom Lady. Now, before we get started, I want to direct your attention over to an article on Comics Alliance–in a pleasant bit of good fortune, J. Caleb Mozzocco wrote about Palmiotti and Gray’s history with the Freedom Fighters, a team that plays a pretty big role in BFB. It says a lot of the same things that I would, so instead of repeating anything, go ahead and read Mozzocco’s article to fill in any holes in the narrative.

On to the Knights!

After Infinite Crisis,the United States finally had its own radioactive playground in Blüdhaven, the former headquarters of Dick Grayson during his early Nightwing days. During the Infinite Crisis event, the Society dropped Chemo (a big, radioactive monster, not unlike the critters the original Knights fought on a daily basis) on the city, nuking it and irradiating the whole place. Battle for Blüdhaven kicks off immediately after that disaster , and things aren’t exactly sunny. Citizens have been displaced from their homes, the whole city is in shambles, and the Force of July (a patriotic, government-controlled super team that should be familiar to anyone who has read Suicide Squad) has declared themselves to be the only superhumans allowed inside the walls. It looks mighty bad–and that’s just what these guys have been waiting for:

Meet the current generation of Atomic Knights, and no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you–they’re pretty much the same as the former generation. You’ve got Gardner, Marene, Doug, Bryndon (who seems no worse for wear for someone who was murdered by an energy monster who may or may not have been Ares), and the twins, Wayne and Hollis.

Gray and Palmiotti return over and over again to the theme of atomic energy in the way they populate their little drama. There are the Knights of course, but also the Nuclear Legion:

And they’re joined by a group of androids designed to look like a 50′s family called the Nuclear Family (which is actually pretty clever):

The government-sponsored Freedom Force has the Human Bomb, whose power seems to be not looking at explosions:

He’s joined by perennial douchebag, Major Force:

Hell, even the Macguffin is famous nuclear man, inspiration for Doctor Manhattan, and star of DC’s lowest-selling title, Captain Atom:

It’s a pretty cool move; we can see that Gray and Palmiotti are doing their best to stay true to the original idea of the Knights, selfless heroes in a world gone mad with nuclear power. By returning to that well again and again, they reinforce the aspects of the Atomic Knights that made them relevant fifty years ago.

But the reimagining of the Knights doesn’t stop with carefully constructed themes. In a neat little moment, we get to see the Black Baron 2006:

So, yeah. He’s a pimp. I’m tempted to call his inclusion in the story nothing more than pointless, nostalgia-fueled fanboyism–BB doesn’t really do anything to advance the plot, and he’s killed literally one issue later–but I’ll cut Gray and Palmiotti some slack. Not only is it a nice nod to the original series, but, like everything else they’re doing with the Knights, it’s done in such a way that it fits with the world-building. We know Blüdhaven is a lawless wasteland, but it’s a clever way to show us that fact without just telling us.

The thing about Battle for Blüdhaven is that it isn’t really about the Knights–it’s about the roles and responsibilities the government has to its citizens, for the most part, and that plays out across a couple of different canvases. There are a lot of straw-man arguments that basically predict Tea Party rhetoric a few years early, and I’m not going to say that they’re poorly done–they’re not, not really–but they are dull. I get that Firebrand is meant to be, well, a Firebrand, but his anti-government polemics come off as more “entitled college student with a few too many Che t-shirts” than “untested revolutionary confronted with the realities of a war zone.” Gray and Palmiotti don’t help themselves when the representative of the US government actually is as twisted and self-serving as Firebrand says he is. It’s hard to get a balanced sense of argument when one party actively tortures people and the other does not.

But that’s neither here nor there. The important part is that Battle for Blüdhaven marks the introduction of the Atomic Knights into the modern, mainstream DC Universe. And Gray and Palmiotti carry on one last bit of tradition before they go. Remember the way the Atomic Knights were folded into the Kamandi and OMAC’s continuity back in the 70s? Well, Gray and Palmiotti do too.

That’s the Command D bunker, the place where Kamandi got his name, and the site of the Evil Factory in Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis.Final Crisis, a story preoccupied with bringing Jack Kirby’s vast mythos into the mainstream DC universe, hinges on the Command D bunker, and by the time Morrison gets to his story, the Knights are still diligently patrolling the area:

So that’s that, Sleepwalkers. We’ve seen the Knights as goofy, lighthearted adventurers in the Silver Age; we’ve seen them brutally subverted in the 80s; and we’ve seen them resurrected as a super-powered police force in the 21st century. But throughout their long and storied career, one thing has been true: the Atomic Knights have been a quiet but vital part of DC’s past, present, and future, lending their names and histories to some of the most beloved comic stories of all time. They rarely get the attention they deserve, but for the past fifty years, the presence of the Atomic Knights has meant that even when the world is blasted and blighted, there will still be heroes. There will still be Knights.

And that brings this epic to a close, Sleepwalkers! I can’t believe it’s taken this long to finish it, but hopefully now I’ll know what I’m getting into when I promise a five-part feature! Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions about what I should write about next week, please let me know!

2012
05/28
CATEGORY
Comic History
The Atomic Knights
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The Arsenal, Entry #1

Hey, Sleepwalkers! It’s Saturday, and around here on Later I Will Destroy This Earth, we like to give you a little something to tide you over until Monday. So sit back, relax, and take a look at some of the most unconventional weapons in comics, in a little recurring segment we like to call “The Arsenal.”

Arsenal Entry #1: The Chronoshillelagh

2012
05/26
CATEGORY
The Arsenal
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Anatomy of a Classic: Batman Incorporated #7

Hey there, Sleepwalkers. I want to try something new today (well, I say new—it’s more accurate to say “something every other comics blogger in the history of ever has done”): an in-depth look at a single issue that I feel has special artistic, sentimental, or intellectual value, a feature that combines a traditional review with a light critical analysis. We’re kicking off the feature with an issue I’ve mentioned before: Batman Incorporated #7, by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham.

Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated was and is the culmination of a sprawling, incendiary Batman epic that started back in 2006 (to put that in context, Grant Morrison has been constructing this Batman narrative longer than Obama has been president. When he started writing this, Michael Jackson was still alive and people were starting to talk about this cool show called Lost). The initial run, composed of just eight issues and a double-sized special, has no shortage of phenomenal moments, including my favorite piece of Batman art ever:

True story, I almost bought this. But I was a hair too late on the “Buy” button. It remains, to this day, my biggest missed opportunity. But the crown jewel of the first series is certainly issue seven, which sees Batman traveling to Indian country.

I’m not going to just run down a summary of the story; instead, I’m going to hit what I think are the high points in character, concept, and execution. I can’t recommend the comic strongly enough though, so do yourself a favor a pick it up. It’s two dollars in the Comixology store, or you can get the entire run in a lovely, recently-released hardcover.

Morrison has been gently crafting Man-of-Bats into something far more compelling and multi-dimensional than merely “the Batman of South Dakota” ever since his appearance in Batman: The Black Glove, and it’s been fascinating to watch. For example, take a look at the way Morrison introduces us to Bill Great Eagle, AKA Man-of-Bats:

He’s the stereotypical drunk Indian, but I’m going to give Morrison the benefit of the doubt on this one. After all, he’s going out of his way to make all of the members of the “Club of Heroes” look as goofy and ineffectual as possible; Wingman is defensive and antagonistic, for example, and the Legionnaire is an overweight porn star. But if Man-of-Bats starts out as a joke, it’s only so that he has that much farther to rise. The next time we see Man-of-Bats, he’s cutting a bomb out of the Knight’s stomach:

And immediately after that, he floors the Musketeer (who, lest we forget, received his training from Batman himself) with a single punch:

And finally, he saves all three of the “kid sidekicks” (Robin, the Squire, and Raven Red, Man-of-Bats’ son) from El Sombrero by holding the weight of a tank full of water…by himself:

Black Glove is a story that goes out of its way to remind readers that all of these wannabes and has-beens were good enough to be trained personally by Batman. But even in a story preoccupied with giving these second-stringers a chance to shine, it’s Man-of-Bats that emerges head and shoulders above the rest.

But a harmless, vague stereotype is just as one-dimensional as a hyper-capable, extraordinarily masculine figure, and in the pages of Batman Incorporated #7, Morrison sets out to add some depth to Man-of-Bats. He does it in two ways: First, we get the first indications of his deep, community-minded motivations when we see that his day job is a doctor. It’s vital to Morrison’s interpretation of the character, and it starts on the very first page:

This page is deceptively simple. Sure, it’s the six-panel grid, arguably the most basic layout in the entire medium. But by putting us in the driver’s seat, as it were, by giving us the eyes in this scene, Burnham has crafted a page that’s so evocative of the action—that is, going door-to-door to render aid—that you know it really couldn’t have gone any other way. That’s because it tells us everything we need to know about Man-of-Bats.

Think about it–A big part of Morrison’s run is making sure Batman is always helping people, whether that’s by putting dangerous psychopaths behind bars or starting charities in Bruce Wayne’s name. There’s a part early in his run where Batman gives a child prostitute a job:

In Man-of-Bats, we have that concept taken to its logical extreme. Just like Batman, Man-of-Bats wants to help everyone, but he goes about it differently. Bruce Wayne gives away millions; Bill Great Eagle is a doctor. Batman punches crazy gangsters; Man-of-Bats delivers food baskets and helps people kick drug habits. They’re equally heroic, but the latter is more superhero-as-community organizer, has a much more caring, personal attitude that you just don’t get when you see a dude dressed like a bat. There’s a hope there.

Second, and possibly more important, is the way Morrison subverts the very violence and power that allowed him to establish Man-of-Bats as such an interesting character. We get a chance to see another side of this guy, and as one might imagine, someone that physical, that dedicated and single-minded, might not be a pleasant person to be around. For example, in the space of two panels, Morrison is able to have Man-of-Bats be simultaneously the badass we fell in love with during Black Glove and a harsh, overbearing taskmaster:

Man-of-Bats is like this during the whole story, so utterly intent on serving that he misses things—things like an enemy ambush, or the way he’s pushing his son away from him. It serves to add a layer of humanity to the character, and make him that much more real.

Of course, that’s not to say Morrison forgets to show Doctor Great Eagle’s fighting spirit:

It’s just that a big part of this issue is grounding, is plausibility. And while I normally don’t need realism in my stories—just take a look at Atomic Knights, which handwaves invasions of Atlanteans and mole people by saying “radiation did it”—but a major theme of this issue is “Batman on a budget,” and it’s hard not to see Man-of-Bats as anything but a reaction to the real-life superhero community, the people who dress up in crazy costumes and go around the community finding people to help. Seriously, think about it—the military background, the broken-down pickup for a “Batmobile” is a broken-down pickup. Even his “Secret Headquarters” is a tourist attraction:

But Batman’s assertion that “it doesn’t take millions” is pointed at the fact that there are so many different ways to be a hero, and that speaks to me.

Batman Incorporated #7 is about a son trying to live up to his father’s expectations. It’s about a father who forgets how much he loves his son. It’s about a man who dedicates his existence, his every waking moment, to the service of others. It’s about community, and how if you give to them, they’ll give back to you. It’s a way of flipping the standard Batman tropes on their pointy ears. But most importantly, it’s about making Man-of-Bats the breakout character of 2011.

That’s all the time we have for today, Sleepwalkers! Hope you enjoyed the wordy post. Seriously, go read this issue, and I’ll see you back here on Monday!

2012
05/24
CATEGORY
Anatomy of a Classic
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“Nothing Can Stop the Smashing Assault of BIG JIM’S P.A.C.K.”

Guys. Stop everything you’re doing. I know I’ve got a schedule, and normally I don’t make unscheduled posts. But all that goes out the window, because I found something that I have to share with all of you. Behold below, printed without alteration, is Big Jim’s P.A.C.K.

This. Is. Awesome.

According to Wikipedia, “Big Jim was a popular line of action figure toys produced from 1972 through 1986 by Mattel for the North American and European markets. In Latin America he was renamed Kid Acero, and for a short period of time, Mark the Strong in Europe. Originally inspired by G.I. Joe, the Big Jim line was smaller in size (closer to 10 inches in height compared to Joe’s 12) and each figure included a push button in the back that made the character execute a karate chop action. The action figure’s arms were made of a soft plastic/vinyl material and contained a mechanism that simulated the bulge of a biceps when the arm was bent. Big Jim was less military-oriented than the G.I. Joe line, having more of a secret agent motif, but also had a large variety of outfits and situations available including sports, space exploration, martial arts, hunting, western, camping and even unusual choices such as fishing and photography.”

There is just too much here. Do I talk about the injustice of a world that would give us not one, but TWO big-budget versions of GI Joe without getting even one chance to see DR. STEEL on the screen? Do I talk about the fact that Big Jim’s superpower is basically “has a gun and a walkie-talkie?” The fact that saying “I can’t promise anyone will survive this mission” is a terrible thing for a leader to say to his troops? The fact that Big Jim looks like he was caught mid-yawn when they took his picture in that portrait? The fact that I don’t think DR. STEEL  is a real doctor? The fact that the original Big Jim series was composed of guys named Big Jim, Big Jack, Big Jeff, and Big Josh (who, no kidding, is described as “Big Jim with a beard”)? Fishing and photography?

Sometimes I find things that I just have to share, Sleepwalkers. Consider this my gift to you.

Check back Thursday for the return to our regular schedule of programming.

2012
05/22
CATEGORY
Listen! Listen To Me!
Unscheduled Content
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The Greatest “Super” Group That Never Will Be!

Hey there, Sleepwalkers. Things are still kind of hectic with the move, so I decided to do something a little less scanner-intensive than part five of the Complete History of the Atomic Knights. Enjoy this little detour. We’ll have content on Wednesday or Thursday as usual, and Part Five should be up next Monday. Also, no alt-text today. 

With their larger than life personalities, outlandish costumes, and seemingly superhuman levels of talent, rock stars might be the closest thing to superheroes the real world has. Except, for, you know, the drug use, sex scandals, public meltdowns, and the fact their battles are usually carried out through Twitter. But maybe we can change that by introducing some superfolks into the traditional rock and roll formula. So buckle up, Sleepwalkers, and get ready to see the first supergroup that lives up to the name!

Frontman

Arguably the most important factor in a band is the lead singer. This is the person that’s going to be commanding the audience through charisma and force of will. They have to have the showmanship of a magician and the kind of raw, unrestrained talent that’ll drive the audience wild. Fortunately, comics give us no shortage of nominees.

For example, there’s Booster Gold, the time-traveling security guard turned protector of the time stream, whose 25th-century technology would mean great pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, while an out-of-control ego is a sad reality for many bands, Booster’s might be a little much even for rock star standards.

Black Canary is another obvious choice, as her powerful voice and knowledge of team dynamics would make her valuable for any group. Besides, her outift–fishnets, high-heeled boots, and a leather jacket–wouldn’t be out of place at a Joan Jett concert. Unfortunately, “a voice that can bring down the house” shouldn’t really ever be literal, so Dinah is out of the running.

A more intriguing choice can be found in the Purple Man, the man who can mind control legions of people at a time–the perfect skill for a band that wants to get a lot of fans quick. Unfortunately, I don’t know how well PM’s powers work over the Internet, and with the modern music scene so focused on social media, it might be difficult for even such a veteran manipulator to hold on to anyone with a Twitter-addled attention span. Plus, having to schedule tours and recording sessions around his court-approved vacations would be a logistical nightmare. No, the best option is clearly…

Dazzler

I chose Dazzler, real name Alison Blair, for two reasons: one she brings invaluable real-world touring experience to the group, which is essential. You can’t just toss some newbie onto the stage and expect them to be able to handle it. The stress of a musician’s life isn’t something you want to shove at the wrong type of person, and Dazzler has proven that she can handle the shock of fame. The second reason is financial–since she can provide her own stage show, the band will save a bundle on pyrotechnics. Sure, her musical experience is disco, but I’m sure that with the right bandmates, she’ll be able to shine (pun intended) on her own merits.

Guitar

In the old days of rock, the lead singer might have been the smoldering, sneering king, but the guitarist was his bloody right hand, the Destro to any given band’s Cobra Commander.

The Flash might strike some as the easy choice, and it isn’t hard to see why. He would be able to rip solos that would make Eddie Van Halen bow his head and shame and hang up his picks forever. Plus, his connection to the Speed Force means any drugs he takes will be metabolized through his system before you can say “Hot For Teacher.” The downside, of course, is the ever-present fear that he might be erased from the timestream by his nemesis, and you can’t cut a single with that kind of stress hanging on your head.

Doc Magnus’ Metal Men are an unconventional, but not unacceptable possibility; their unique affinity for shapeshifting means they could form themselves into a pretty nifty guitar. Plus, there’s the added benefit of them being able to play themselves. Unfortunately, their tendency towards destruction leads me to look for someone a little more durable.

I considered Jack Knight, Starman, for a long time, but ultimately I had to discard him. At first glance, he’s perfect. With a goatee like that, it’s impossible that he’s never picked up a guitar before, if only to pick out “Wonder Wall” at a college party. And his distinct retro sensibility and grunge style would lend his band instant hipster cred. Sadly, he was overshadowed by one woman:

Elsa Bloodstone

Elsa Bloodstone’s raw, take-no-prisoners style is the perfect foil to Dazzler’s clean-cut high energy vocals. Between the two of them, they would introduce a pesudo-punk riot grrl dynamic that would set them apart from their contemporaries and carve out a distinct niche of their own. Besides, Bloodstone can break a guitar like no one since Pete Townshend.

Bass

Traditionally, the bassist is the steady, unsung hero of the band. They’re the support staff–their rhythm is the perfect companion to the more explosive drummer, and their strings weave a beautiful, complex tapestry when partnered with an expert guitarist. It’s only natural then, that they are the most frequently ignored members of the band.

The Martian Manhunter gets a mention here, and not only to appeal to the formality that he’s the most steadfast member of the Justice League. After all, an invisible bassist won’t hog the spotlight, and linking the bad together with telepathy is a great way to make sure everybody stays on the right track. The only problem is, one accident with the onstage pyro and he’s a puddle of goo.

The most obvious choice is Scott Pilgrim. The “best fighter in the province” could bring some of his experience to this gig, and I’m sure he’d appreciate the mainstream exposure and the chance to rock out with some real heroes. Unfortunately, he’s irresponsible, unambitious, has a tendency to re-write history, and worst of all, is Canadian. The best choice, therefore, is:

John the Skrull

John the Skrull is, as his name suggests, a Skrull that  looks like John Lennon. He’s also a Skrull that plays like John Lennon, which means that in addition to rocking a six-string bass, he can offer his talents at the harmonica and piano to the mix. That multi-instrumentalism, coupled with his shapeshifting ability, makes him officially the most versatile member of the band.

Drums

My first instinct for this category was to go for The Drummer, for reasons I think will be obvious. As it turns out, he isn’t actually a drummer. Also, he’s crazy. Not in a Gary Busey kind of way, where you just throw TVs out of hotel windows and drive into rivers. Like, actually crazy. Kim John Il-type crazy.

Spiral is a more reasonable choice. With her six arms, she can play three times as many drums as anyone else. But at the risk of pissing of Laura Hudson, I don’t want to add to many ladies to this band. Besides, playing more drums doesn’t necessarily mean playing better; I mean, look at Charlie Watts. Dude has a snare and a symbol and he’s a legend.

I actually thought about Arsenal longer than I should have. After all, his improvisational fighting style would probably carry over into some pretty unique percussion sets. One second he could bang on a flowerpot, then he throws a pair of drumsticks at a gong across the stage…I think it’d be a neat show. Kind of like STOMP. But then I realized that most drummers wait until after they get famous to start their drug habit. Ol’ Roy has something of a head start, and in this game that isn’t exactly a plus. Besides, Def Leppard has already cornered the market on one-armed drummers. That leads us to…

Atrocitus

This might seem counterintuitive, but think about it. The constant BA-BUM, BA-BUM of a Red Lantern’s non-heart would be invaluable as an impromptu metronome, and you can’t be a good drummer without at least a little bit of aggression. After all, it takes real passion to beat the hell out of something for two hours at a time–just look at Keith Moon. On the other hand, when Keith Moon throws up and passes out, you just have to splash water on his face. When Atrocitus throws up, his blood eats through the stage. And he’d be a nightmare to work for–one blue M&M in the dish, and he rips your heart out. But rage is better than depression, and the drums will probably be a good outlet for him.

So that’s it, Sleepwalkers! What do you think? Is there anybody I’ve forgotten? Any new positions I need to open up? Should the Stepford Cuckoos be singing backup? Any ideas for a name? Hit me up in the comments with your suggestions!

That’s all the time we have for today, Sleepwalkers–stay cool out there, and remember: rock on!

2012
05/21
CATEGORY
Hypothetical Team-Ups
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For Tim: The Comic Curriculum

Hey, Sleepwalkers.We’ve got a very special post today. My ex-roommate, Tim, has moved to Colorado to pursue his education, and as a parting gift, he’s requested that I provide a list of recommended reading. Thus, I’ve provided the following catalog, a sort of “Comic Curriculum,” if you will. Note: the following list has no relation to any of the many courses being taught at universities around the country. This list is more concerned with the essential readings of the Western comic community, rather than some of the more experimental, daring, literary works (Read: depressing, autobiographical comics by Alison Bechdel and Craig Thompson).

101: The Fundamentals of the Genre
In this class, you’ll be introduced to comics that establish the conventions of the genre. You’ll read the original classics of the genre, the standout works that rattled cages, established comics as a towering art form, and changed the face of comics forever.

Required Texts
-The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko [[Students will note that Marvel's policy of not allowing trade paperbacks to stay in print means that certain volumes will be difficult to track down.]]
-The Adventures of Tintin, by Hergé
-Shazam! Volume 1,  by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck
-The Best of Archie, by Various

Recommended Texts
-The Avengers, Volume 1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
-X-Men, Volume 1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
-Superman Chronicles, Volume 1, by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster [[Currently out of print; a more expensive hardcover version is available, which is why this textbook was moved from "Required" to "Recommended." Curious students might consider All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.]]

201: The Turning Point
Now that you know where comics started, you can appreciate just why the following comics were so groundbreaking. These comics would not have existed would it not have been for the conventions established in 101–and, ironically enough, their influence has been the standard for every “mature” book since.

Required Texts
-Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
-Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
-The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller
-The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and Various
-Preacher, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon

Recommended Texts
-Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, by Jhonen Vasquez
-Batman: Arkham Asylum, by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean

305: Laughter: The Best Medicine
Every now and then, the sex and violence of modern comics can be stifling. When it all gets too much, it’s good to take a break with some of these stories. For the most part, they’re nothing but good, clean fun (with the exception of Secret Six. But the occasional brutality of that series is offset by humor and done in such a way that it never feel exploitative). All the same, the joy of these comics does not compromise their basic craftsmanship, which is why they are included here.

Required Texts
-Atomic Robo, by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener
-Batgirl, by Brian Q. Miller, Pere Perez, and Dustin Ngyuen
-Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen.
-Secret Six, by Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, and Jim Califiore
-Empowered, by Adam Warren

Recommended Texts
-Darkwing Duck, by Ian Brill and James Sylvani
-Cowboy Wally, by Kyle Baker

425: Special Topics–Brian K. Vaughan
Sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, always entertaining, Vaughan has earned a reputation as a master craftsman whose comics tackle everyday problems in  a way that makes them both unrecognizable and universal. His long-form stories (Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina) are a clinic on world-building, and The Escapists is not only a fantastic companion to a fantastic novel, it’s a startling exploration of the comic medium.

-Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
-Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris
-The Escapists, by Brian K. Vaughan and Philip Bond

Recommended Reading
-Runaways, by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona

500: Senior Thesis
Screw your head on tight for this one. These are the metacomics, the comics about comics, and in one case, the comics about comics about comics (which is just ridiculous). Anyway, these books merit not one, not two, but often three, four, or five readings before you fully understand them–which is why they’re the end of the course.

-Flex Mentallo, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
-Seven Soldiers, by Grant Morrison and Various
-Planetary, by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday
-The Bulletproof Coffin, by David Hine and Shaky Kane

And that’s about it! Of course, this is only a smattering, and while my goal was to give as broad a look at Western comics as I could, this list is in no way comprehensive. There are three major omissions in this list: newspaper comics (such as the brilliant Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson), manga (about which I am woefully ignorant; what you need is some vast repository of information at your fingertips to tell you what to read, but good luck finding that), and the aforementioned depressing, black and white autobiographies. If you feel like you need to sound smart pretentious in front of your friends, go ahead and read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Blankets by Craig Thompson. Then never shut up about how much they changed your life.

So there you go, Tim. Hopefully, this is a good start. Trust me, everybody has their own list like this, and I’m willing to bet that there’s quite a bit of overlap. Good luck in Colorado, and good luck with all this reading! And to all the rest of the Sleepwalkers out there–consider this list an endorsement. Take care, and thanks for allowing me the unscheduled update!

2012
05/17
CATEGORY
Advice
Comic History
Unscheduled Content
3 comments

Flashbacks: The Atomic Sleepwalker Reviews Arkham Asylum: Living Hell

What’s up, Sleepwalkers. This is a bit of a busy week, what with my graduation (woo!) and my new apartment (woo!), so I decided not to stress myself out too much. Also, there isn’t a whole lot I can do–my comics are in one location and my scanner is in another. I might take a look at DC’s solicits for August soon, but don’t count on it. We’ve got the final entry for the “Complete History of the Atomic Knights” coming up on Monday, so tune in for that. In the meantime, enjoy the flashback to one of DC’s most underrated stories! Also: This was before I regularly included alt-text, so don’t bother.

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Hey Sleepwalkers. With today being Halloween, I thought it’d be a good time to review one of my favorite spoooooky comics: Dan Slott and Ryan Sook’s 2003 Arkham Asylum: Living Hell!

Tweet Pitch: Bernie Madoff gets sent to Arkham. Hilarity ensues.

Arkham Asylum has a special place in the hearts of Bat-fans, and rightly so; it’s the perfect fodder for all types of stories. It has everything you need for an instant classic: all the best villains in one place, an oppressive setting, and the potential for all of Batman’s worst neuroses to bob up to the surface. Does Dan Slott’s Arkham Asylum: Living Hell stand up in such distinguished company as A Serious House on Serious Earth, or even Batman: Arkham Asylum? Is it successful in making its mark on the Asylum mythos? Does Batman break windows? The answer is, for the most part, yes (except for that last one, which gets an emphatic “Hell, yes!”).

The premise behind AA:LH is simple: unscrupulous billionaire Warren White, after committing the “greatest stock fraud in American history,” pleads insanity and is sentenced to Arkham Asylum. He quickly learns that his lucky break isn’t so lucky, as he’s stuck sharing the showers with the Joker, the Riddler, Killer Croc, and all the rest of Batman’s long-underwear pals (on a brief side note, how did he not know about Arkham? I’m pretty sure that, in the DC Universe, there are bushmen in Australia who know about this place. Seriously, has White never heard of the Joker before? What, does he stuff his ears with hundred-dollar-bills whenever CNN comes on?). As his composure starts to crack faster than a Catholic at a condom museum, an ancient, sinister plot is unfolding under the floorboards of the asylum.

That’s the basic idea, and it never really gets more complex. Having said that, however, the plot is executed in a way that makes it incredibly compelling; watching this slimeball splinter is just really entertaining. See, the plot of AA:LH is sort of like a porn film, in that it’s really just sort of incidental to watching Warren (and, by extension, all of the big-name, white-collar criminals we want to see shivved) almost get killed, over and over again. Seriously. We get to see Scarecrow stab him through the hand with a fork:

We get to see him drop the soap in front of the Joker:

We get to see Batman breaking through a window right before he gets his mack on with a psychiatrist (well, sort of. Spoilers, I guess):

There’s a lesson there, kids. Batman is always watching. And if you try to have sex before marriage, he will break through the window and cripple you.

There’s also some really clever framing work at play here; Jerimiah Arkham’s emails to the staff do a great job establishing the feel of the environment, and they continually reference a joke that keeps popping up throughout the narrative; namely, that there are two competent people at Arkham, and everyone else is about as effective as Steve Buscemi in a “look pretty” contest. It sort of explains why guys like the Joker and Two-Face are able to get out so often. In that same vein, we get to read psychiatric notes that flesh out some of the relatively minor characters (like Junkyard Dog, Doodlebug, or Humpty Dumpty, who shines in an extended flashback sequence). All of this contributes to building a sturdy, if somewhat grimy, world.

While I’m on character work, the major figures really are well written. Warren is great as a desperate normal guy way out of his depth. Master imitator Jane Doe is creepy, in a Hannibal Lector sort of way. Chief of security Aaron Cash was so well done with his borderline sadism that I had to wonder, more than once, if he was on the right side of the bars.

That said, it wasn’t perfect. The big mystery that drove the plot was easily the weakest part of the narrative, far overshadowed by the day-to-day aspects of the asylum. The major final conflict seemed tacked on and unnecessary, and, although I thought the resolution was clever, it was a little too quick. Finally, and this may just be because I got spoiled by Alan Moore in the pages of Swamp Thing, Etrigan the Demon (yeah, he shows up) had some of the worst poetry I’ve ever seen.

Bottom Line: So, is it worth it? Yeah, I’d say probably. If you’re a fan of Batman, you owe it to yourself to add this one to your collection—it’s simply one of the best looks at one of Batman’s most iconic locations, period. It has missteps, but you could do a lot worse. I’d give it a severed-hand’s thumbs up.


2012
05/16
CATEGORY
Flashbacks
Reviews
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The Atomic Sleepwalker Presents: The Complete History of the Atomic Knights, Part IV

Howdy, Sleepwalkers! Welcome to the penultimate entry into our five-part history of John Broome and Murphy Anderson’s 1964 masterpiece, The Atomic Knights! We’re nearing the home stretch, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get caught up! Check out parts one, two, and three!

When we last left our intrepid band of medievally-garbed heroes, they had lost one of their number but had been cemented into DC canon by way of Hercules Unbound, which connected plot threads from Atomic Knights and Jack Kirby’s Kamandi and OMAC to create a sprawling post-apocalyptic narrative. But by the 1980s, it was looking increasingly unlikely that the Great Nuclear War of 1986 (which lasted only twenty days!) would lead to a whimsical fantasy land (a la Atomic Knights) or even a dark, twisted pesudo-mythological world (like in Hercules Unbound). No, by the 80s, everyone was pretty much resigned to the fact that if those bombs ever fell, the only whimsy would be seeing who could kill the most mega-roaches before radiation sores crippled you.

That’s why, in 1983, DC published “Days of Future Past,” where the Sentinels had outlawed and executed almost all of the X-Men–

No, wait. Sorry, got my notes mixed up there. It was actually THIS:

It was called “Days of Future Past,” though, and it opens the way not enough comics do: with sweet, sweet, Superman hobo beard.

Superman doesn’t have time to stand around pondering things though, because the very next page, he sees some “armor-clad” people who explain to him that everyone in Metropolis is dead. After that cheerful comment, the lead Knight (who is, of course, Gardner Grayle) recognizes Superman and blames him for letting everyone in the world die.

Then he wakes up.

Yes, it was just a dream…or was it? (And yes, I had to get a Creative Writing degree to be able to write this well.) Unable to shake a feeling of dread, Superman goes to work (this was during the time when he was a news anchor). The big story that day is how a computer malfunction sent a false alarm to American missile bases, causing us to almost nuke Russia (which actually happened far, far more times than necessary). Feeling that there must be a connection between his dream of nuclear Armageddon and this close call, he putters off to the Fortress of Solitude to see why his Kryptonian Super-Computer wasn’t monitoring the Pentagon’s early-warning system (because apparently, when you’re Superman, a little treasonous domestic spying is expected of you). He plugs himself in to check the diagnostics, and…

BOOM! Wakes up in Durvale. From the moment Gardner and the Knights show up, there’s a constant, conscious effort on the part of the writers to tie it back to both the original series and Hercules Unbound. Herc himself even shows up and references the tragic death of Atomic Knight Bryndon:

How about this–I’ll learn PhotoShop when I get more than four views a day. Sound good?

But, like a good Atomic Knights story, trouble strikes. About thirteen seconds after Superman shows up, the Knights get a report that a giant monster is terrorizing New York City. It’s actually a pretty well-done scene, evoking the feel of the giant monster fights from the original Atomic Knights and taking the time to throw in a reference to the de-evolved Cro-Magnon folks from issue three. But what makes this scene interesting is how incredibly dubious Superman is about the whole thing.

Keep in mind, this is Superman we’re talking about. He’s a guy accustomed to doing the impossible on a regular basis, and even he’s like “Wait, Kryptonite breath? That doesn’t make any sense.” It gets worse after the fight (which ends after a single Herculean punch, so that’s cool), with Superman pretty much directly confronting Gardner Grayle about the state of the world:

Take a journey with me Sleepwalkers. Put Van Halen on the radio, grab some aviator shades, and put on the zebra-print spandex–we’re going to the 80s! The spectre of nuclear annihilation is very, very real, and every little kid knows that when the bombs drop, the lucky ones will die quickly. What better way to cope with those fears and frustrations than to resurrect a title from the 60s and shine a cold, harsh light on its quaint naivete? In many ways, Superman is the jaded reader, the kid who read Atomic Knights and Hercules Unbound and realized the real world can’t be reconciled with the one in the comics. It’s a sobering, mature realization, and actually serves to ask critical, relevant questions.

But then Superman gets thrown out of his computer, so there’s that.

For the second time in this issue, Superman wakes up, but this time he knows something’s wrong. Not knowing where to start, but recognizing Marene Herald as a S.T.A.R. Labs psychologist whom he interviewed once, Supes jets off to her office to grill her about a man named Gardner Grayle. After a bit of digging, they find out that Gardner Grayle was a physically and mentally average soldier (sound familiar?) chosen to participate in a special military psychological experiment: how would the average soldier react to a post-nuclear war situation? Apparently the personnel involved were hypnotized to forget about the project and Gardner has been hooked up to advanced computers in a state of sensory deprivation ever since.

Now Sleepwalkers, I’m sure many of you would share my feelings right now. You’re calling “cop out.” You’re calling “retcon.” You’re throwing full bottles of Icehouse at homeless people and ritualistically scarring yourself. Well, first, stop that. Second, that was me until I read this:

“Because the utter devastation of a nuclear holocaust that the simulation posited was simply too ghastly for the mind of the average person to cope with!”

You want to talk about mature, Sleepwalkers? You want to talk about sobering? This is a story that looked at the campy fantasy fun of Atomic Knights and put a bullet right between its eyes. This is a story that looked at Gardner Grayle and made him a sad, broken man so utterly devastated by a world of fire, death, and festering sores that he crafted a new world where the bad guys were never too bad, the good guys always won, and he could be a hero for once. It’s masterful, really; it preserves the fun of the original stories and does nothing to take away from their adventure and enthusiasm, but gives them a new edge, a little bit more psychology and depth. And maybe that depth is unnecessary. Maybe making a story about mole people actually a sobbing, silent cry for help is overkill. But it makes it a little bittersweet, and I don’t know about you, Sleepwalkers, but it makes me want to root for Gardner and the Knights even more.

Well, that’s about it, Sleepwalkers. We’ve seen the Knights go from a rag-tag band of protectors, to the rebuilders of civilization, to a desperate fevered dream of a lonely, isolated man. All in all, it’s a solid chunk of comic history, and too often overlooked. But–wait. Sorry. We still have one more, so come back next week to see the Atomic Knights enter the modern age!

That’s all the time we have for today, Sleepwalkers, but remember:

2012
05/14
CATEGORY
Comic History
The Atomic Knights
1 comment

DC Announces “Phantom Lady”

If you haven’t been over to The Source today, you might have missed this little announcement: An upcoming four-issue miniseries by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti about the Phantom Lady, one of the original members of Uncle Sam’s Freedom Fighters:

The series will be illustrated by one Cat Scaggs, whose covers on Smallville Season 11 remind me of nothing so much as the generall phenomenal Francis Manupul, and I’m going to go ahead and tell you, Sleepwalkers, I’m kind of excited about this. Not only because, you know, more female characters and creators (although I think if I talk about that enough, Laura Hudson might notice me and decide to give me a job), and not only because announcements like this give me hope for the Metal Men miniseries I dream about, but because Gray and Palmiotti are familiar with this character. They wrote Phantom Lady, Doll Man, and the rest of Uncle Sam’s team in the Freedom Fighters ongoing back in 2010, and included the Freedom Fighters in their Battle for Blüdhaven miniseries right after Infinite Crisis.

Of note: The Battle for Blüdhaven miniseries will be featured soon on this very blog as part of the final installment on “The Complete History of the Atomic Knights.” So there’s that.

So I’m excited about this. Gray and Palmiotti are nothing if not a consistent team, and I continue to applaud DC’s efforts to explore their B-, C-, and D-List characters. The Shade, for example, has been one of the most beautiful and entertaining titles in recent memory, and the recent announcement about National Comics gives me great hope for the future of fun, quirky one-shot stories.

So, congratulations, DC. A fan-favorite creative team? A strong female lead AND a female artist? A C-Lister just begging to burst out? A cover by Amanda Conner?

How soon can I throw my money at you?

That’s all we have for today, Sleepwalkers! Thanks for allowing me the unscheduled post. Check back on Monday for the next installment in The Complete History of the Atomic Knights, where we get to see a new version of the future!

2012
05/11
CATEGORY
DC
Unscheduled Content
1 comment

Micro Reviews: G.I. Joe #2

The relaunched GI Joe line from IDW has at least one winner in Fred Van Lente and Steve Kurth’s GI Joe. With a decidedly “ripped from the headlines” approach to the story (small-town America is in shambles! Terrorists are using social media against us!), Van Lente has started off the series strong. It’s a funny mix of four-color heroics and gritty military exploits, which doesn’t always work too well (see, well, the GI Joe films), but here, it’s in a world where it’s all believable. I’m definitely looking forward to more—but I hope Van Lente brings back the cartoon’s conceit of having Quick Kick speak entirely in movie quotes.
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