SPIDER-WOMAN: YOU HIRE MANARA, YOU GET MANARA

So the latest internet outrage is about Milo Manara’s cover for Spider-woman issue one due out in November (written by Dennis Hopless with art by Greg Land). I’ve seen blogs and websites criticising (and critiquing) the artist’s work and I think they are largely missing the point and laying the blame at the feet of the wrong person. I'm not a fan of the cover but that is largely due to the fact that it is one of those pin-up cover that I dislike. I like a cover to give me some information about the story inside. My point is that when you hire Milo Manara, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get Milo Manara. So when the person or persons at Marvel hired him to do the cover, they largely knew what to expect. The question is whether or not you think Marvel should have hired him for this particular gig and then signed off on the finished product. Considering the book is about a female character, you’d imagine (or hope at least) that Marvel would want to portray a strong female character and would want to garner some positive reactions from female fans in particular. Take a look at the positive reaction caused by the preview art for the new Batgirl costume and you really have to say that Marvel have scored an own goal with this one. Of course they’re not the only ones to make such an error and I think comic book companies need to remember that we’re no longer living in the past and the "it has always been this way" defence is no defence at all. Women and girls are a part of consumer base and it is long past the time when they should start marketing to them. Meanwhile, I can think of a few quick and easy ways that Marvel can fix this issue starting with hiring some female creators for future variant covers and maybe admitting that they might not have thought this one through or maybe they think there's no such thing as bad publicity.

LOSING THE X-FACTOR: DROPPING MARVEL NOW

So they've announced the return of X-Factor as part of the All-New Marvel Now books. The Ugly American Report covered the price hike of the new series to $3.99 and the excellent Ryan Lee's feelings on the new series (seriously go read it). His column inspired me to give my feelings on the new book, which come purely from a story point of view, and take a chance to re-evaluate my Marvel pull list as we move towards All-New Marvel Now.

Re: X-Factor

I was a fan of the previous X-Factor volume and writer Peter David and I was unhappy when the series came to an end recently so the idea of a new series naturally peaks my interest. Sadly, it seems the story doesn't. First of all, they have dropped most of the characters that I was invested in from the X-Factor Investigations era:  Layla Miller (she's just a brilliant character), Jamie Maddox (the heart of the previous era) and Monet (who improved greatly as a character under David). They have also gotten rid of gay couple: Shatterstar and Rictor so they have eliminated a storyline aspect that has won the book GLAAD awards and that added to my enjoyment of the book. They still have longtime X-Factor member Polaris and we will see the return of her half-brother and former team member Quicksilver. I find their relationship and Pietro's character intriguing (Peter David has done some good stuff with him before) but I don't think that will be enough to keep me on board.

New team member Gambit can be an interesting character in the correct hands but I've never been all that invested in him. The remainder of the new team members leave me flat: Doug Ramsey, Warlock and Danger. Warlock and Danger are kind of similar characters to me and I didn't like the origin of Danger which added to the "Professor Xavier is a jerk" run of storylines in Marvel Comics. Peter David has a history of changing my mind on characters but this would be an uphill struggle from the start. The corporate sponsored team premise reminds me of an ill-fated favourite of mine Wildcats 3.0 so I think I'd be, rightly or wrongly, subconsciously measuring the series against it. I'd certainly be measuring against the previous series. Honestly, I don't know if I'll even pick up issue one.

Fate of the rest

I dropped 5 books I have started with Marvel Now and Marvel have decided to end 4 so I am down to 3 books. I am only staying on these books for the creative team or for the current storyline so we'll see how long they last:

All-New X-men - DROPPED
Avengers - DROPPED
Avengers Arena - ENDING
Fearless Defenders - ENDING
Indestructible Hulk - KEEPING Until Mark Waid leaves
New Avengers - DROPPED
Thor: God of Thunder - KEEPING for the current creative team
Superior Spider-man - KEEPING until Peter Parker returns
Thunderbolts - DROPPED
Uncanny Avengers - DROPPED
X-men Legacy - ENDING
Young Avengers - ENDING

Of the All-New Marvel Now books announced, apart from maybe trying X-Factor, I will check out the new Daredevil book as he is my favourite superhero. Nothing else appeals to me. That's a lot of books dropped but there plenty of independent books and collections to spend my money on so it is not all bad.

REVIEW: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

I never thought I would be reviewing a book (I tend to stick to comics) but this one has two things going for it: 1) it is a book about comics and 2) it is a book about the my favourite superhero, Daredevil. That’s not to say it was a given that I would pick it up. I had a quick glance at the contents page and it seemed to offer quite a variety of topics related to the man named Matt Murdock. I’ll give a quick summary of each essay:

      1)  “A Different Daredevil” looks at the various creators who were involved at the very beginning (Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr and so on) and ponders various what ifs including one that John Romita Sr seems to ponder himself of what if he stayed on the book he seemed to really enjoy working on (He was moved to Spider-man after Ditko’s departure).

2)      “Grabbing the Devil by the Horns” examines Daredevil’s early rogues gallery and how week and weird they were.

3)      “Being Mike Murdock” looks at Matt’s fictional brother and what it says about the psychology behind his creation.

4)      “Daredevil and the Missing Father” is an examination of the relationship between Matt and Jack Murdock while looking at father/son relationships in Western Literature.

5)      “There Will Be Blood” is a discussion of the violence in the book and why Daredevil’s villains are more bloodthirsty.

6)      “Science Fact!” looks at the Marvel Physics behind Daredevil’s powers and how they hold up in the real world.

7)      “Daredevil: Not Ready For Primetime?” ponders why Daredevil works better alone and not as part of a group like the Avengers.

8)      “The Life and Times of Foggy Nelson” takes a look at Matt Murdock's law partner and best friend.

9)      “Blind Dates and Broken Hearts” is a look at Matt Murdock tragic love-life.

10)  “Daredevil and Spider-man”. Is Daredevil a dark Spider-man? A comparison of the two early 60s creations.

11)  “Daredevil and Punisher” asks are Daredevil and The Punisher polar opposites?

12)  “What Fall From Grace?” takes another look at the much maligned Daredevil run by Daniel Chichester.

13)  “.22 Caliber, a Girl’s gun” takes a look at Vanessa Fisk’s role in Brian Michael Bendis’ Daredevil run.

14)  “When Things Fall Apart In Hell’s Kitchen” looks at Brian Bendis’ run.

15)  “Daredevil: Intermediate Super-Hero Filmmaking” looks at super-hero movies and Daredevil (2003).

16)  “The Only Way Is Down” examines Ed Brubaker’s run and how it is akin to 1970’s Film Noir.

I enjoyed the variety provided. It is a book that you can pick up and read a chapter and get something different each time. It never looks down on the subject matter (I was worried that “Science Fact” might but it tends to highlight where the powers are factually correct) and it examines various aspects of the storytelling that has had me picking up Daredevil in interesting ways. I think it is a must for all Daredevil and comic fans in general.   

KICKING IT WITH PAPER FILMS: WHY YOU SHOULD BACK FORAGER

I missed out on the first Paperfilms Kickstarter project, Queen Crab (art by Artiz Eiguren and a cover by Sas Christian), because I was unsure about the whole Kickstarter idea but, when I managed to pick it up in my LCS, I was impressed by the quality of the book. It was a fun little story about a girl running from the mob and into some weirdness. You just couldn’t get something like this from anybody else.  I decided I wasn’t going to miss out the next time Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray launched a project. I backed their next project, Retrovirus (art by Norberto Fernandez and a cover by Amanda Conner), which was an entertaining action romp about scientists uncovering something that they shouldn’t. My favourite part about that project was I was able to pick up an extra copy at my reward level and share the fun with my best friend. He only had one criticism. He wished there was more. He received the next project, Sex and Violence, as a birthday gift (I had a look at the book first of course). That saw an interesting split in the writing chores with Justin Gray doing a crime story (“Pornland, Oregon” with art by Jimmy Broxton) and Jimmy Palmiotti doing a strange love story (“Girl In A Storm” with art by Juan SantaCruz). Amanda Conner once again provided a cover. 

I am currently waiting for the last project to be funded, Weapon of God (art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo and design by Bill Tortolini and another beautiful cover by Amanda Conner), to arrive. I have to wait a little longer because I opted for the Jimmy Palmiotti original art level which is a postcard sized ink sketch of a character I got to pic. I have the option of looking at the pdf but I am a bit old-school when it comes to their projects and want to wait to have physical project in my grubby little paws. It says something about my trust in them that I have already backed their new all ages sci-fi project, Forager (art by Steven Cummings with more design by Bill Tortolini), before it arrives though doesn’t it? Well there are reason for this. Every single one of their projects is a high quality project with a great artist involved. They also treat their backers like royalty. Nobody else is going to get this book before you. You will be kept up to date on every aspect of the project and if there will be any delays (I haven't had any of these that weren't related to you getting something extra), they will let you know. They also have quality extras from artists like Amanda Conner and Darwyn Cooke and fun ones like a mystery signed book of THEIR choice. Finally, Jimmy and Justin are two of the nicest guys in comics so show them some love. You get so much in return.

 Back the project here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1397702842/forager-an-all-ages-sci-fi-graphic-novel?ref=live

You can pick up some physical copies of previous projects and digital versions of them all on the Paperfilms website: www.paperfilms.com

THAT'S ME IN THE CORNER: ENJOYING BATWING

 Anybody that follows me on Twitter knows of my love for all things Palmiotti and Gray. From discovering their work on Jonah Hex to their creator owned books to their Kickstarter projects and most things in between. I've been reading comics for longer than I care to remember so I have become quite jaded and crotchety about a lot of the trappings of comicbooks so their creator owned stuff is often a breath of fresh air. It brings their craziness level to the max and there's always the feeling that anything can happen because there are a couple of madmen behind the wheel (and there's usually an excellent artist in the car with them). So what appeals to me about their (relatively) new DC book Batwing? Well allow me to explain myself.

Event books. Crossovers. Complex continuity. Lack of creative freedom. I could go one. These are the things that bother me about the books of the big two. Batwing is mostly free from all the trappings. Palmiotti and Gray's first issue (Batwing issue 19) was a reboot of sorts, they wrapped up the story of the original Batwing, David Zavimbe, who was the “Batman of Africa” and brought in a character that is more connected to Batman continuity. It is a strange contradiction that they have brought Batwing to Gotham but have managed to make his book stand alone. Sure, Batman is in the book and it is part of the whole Batman Inc. continuity but there is still the sense that this book is doing it's own thing and you don't need to read any of the other Batbooks to get it. The new Batwing, Luke Fox, is the son of Lucius Fox, the designer of a lot of Batman's arsenal. Lucius wants his son to work for Wayne Enterprises but Luke wants to do his own thing. This is one of the most interesting things about the book: the potential for it all to go horribly wrong. If Lucius finds out Luke is Batwing, he will not be happy and Batman will probably lose one of his biggest allies.

That is the trick to the success of the Palmiotti and Gray reboot for me: the book feels more important as Luke has a personal connection to the Batman mythos but is telling its own story. You only have to read Batwing. That being said, you should pick up All-Star Western 21 to catch Batwing's appearance. It is very cool.

FIVE COMICS I AM READING (MARVEL) NOW

X-men: Legacy (Vol. 2)

Remember Charles Xavier's son? The chap with the funny hair who caused the Age of Apocalypse? Well they gave him his own series. Living up to the title, David Haller aka Legion must deal with the death of his father and whether he should try to follow "Xavier's Dream" or go his own path. He also has to deal with a “legion” of personalities with different superpowers who could take over his mind if they get the opening. Si Spurrier has crafted an interesting journey and has redeemed the character for me. It also helps that the series has some of the most interesting covers out at the moment.

 

                                     Avengers Arena

The premise is that Arcade has kidnapped a bunch of super-powered teenagers and is demanding that they fight each other until there is one character standing. It seemed very Lord of the Flies, Hunger Games, Battle Royale... and so on. It didn't seem like my sort of book but I gave issue one a shot. Dennis Hopeless won me over with a mixture of great characterisation and a feeling that anything can happen. Death is the end and can occur at any time. Arcade has become a badass and Hopeless and Walker have created a bunch of great new characters (I would love to see a book about the Braddock Academy). Another series with great covers.

                              Indestructible Hulk

I was never much of a Hulk fan but Mark Waid has taken an interesting idea that fits the character of Bruce Banner and has run with it. Thinking of his legacy and realising that he can't cure the Hulk problem (for now at least), Bruce Banner has decided that he wants to be known for his inventions and not for random property destruction. He has done a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. to accomplished this and surrounded himself with a cast of scientists who seem to have secrets. Waid nails the character and has created an interesting supporting cast. I wasn't always a fan but Leinil Yu is doing great work on the art side in this book. Also, Walt Simonson has stepped in for a Thor story. What more do you need?

                                Superior Spider-man

Like the Hulk, I never really read Spider-man. I have always liked his rogues gallery though. My favourite of these was Doc Ock. With Otto Octavius taking Peter Parker's place, this book is the one for me then right? Well not at first. It took a Comixology sale to get me to pick up issue one. Once I had read it, and understood what the premise was, I was hooked. Otto Octavius wants to prove himself to be a better Spider-man than Peter Parker, a Superior Spider-man. The interactions with the other Spider-villains is interesting as Otto has a history with some of them too. Dan Slott seems to be building to something great with another one of my favourite Spider-villains too. I like it. This storyline also has the side-effect of the very funny interactions in the Avengers books. Those people are beneath him.

                                        Hawkeye

I don't think I need to say much about this book. Hawkeye. Greatest sharpshooter known to man. He then joined the Avengers. This is what he does when he's not being an Avenger. That's all you need to know. Matt Fraction writes. David Aja and Francesco Francavilla draw. Matt Hollingsworth colours. More great covers.

IRELAND'S FIRST SUPERHERO? THE CELTIC WARRIOR

Growing up in Ireland, you can't help but hear about Finn MacCumhail and the Fianna or the adventures of Cú Chulainn. In fact, if I remember correctly, I was taught those stories in primary school and, as far as I know, children still are. There is a rich history of Irish folklore to be found that could easily be used to tell an Irish superhero story but, until relatively recently, the Irish comic book community had yet to do so. (There was even a Marvel Comics superhero named Cú Chulainn but the less said about that the better. Really. Please don't talk about it). This has changed in recent years with Rob Curley's use of Finn as a member of the superhero group The League of Volunteers and more recently with Will Sliney's Celtic Warrior.

With Celtic Warrior, Will sets out to tell some of the best known stories of Cú Chulainn and he does this via the Irish tradition of storytelling. As the armies reach various points in Ireland, a history is revealed to us that gives us more the background for the events that are transpiring now. In the first chapter, Courage, we meet the armies of Munster as they drink to their upcoming victory. Victory is assured, they believe, because all the men of Ulster are sleeping thanks to their queen, Maeve. All save Cú Chulainn. One man tries to sound a warning but Cormac Connloignes, their leader, will hear none of the stories before his 18,000 men cross Ireland and claim the Brown Bull of Ulster. So they drink and sleep. The cautious men wakes as he believes he hears the sounds of beasts. He is mocked but the amy is attacked by vicious hounds. They defeat them but Cormac recognises them as the Hounds of Cú Chulainn. We then see the tale of a young boy called Setanta. 13 years ago, in the court of Conchobar MacNeasa, they see the boy's great prowess with a hurl. They bring him to the castle where, whilst defending himself, kills the hound that guards the castle. He is told he must take her place and raise her cubs until they are old enough to replace her. He is no longer Setanta, he is the Hound of Culainn. They have lost 500 men and wonder what lies ahead of them. In the distance, Cú Chulainn smiles.

In Chapter 2, Strength, the news of the attack is brought to the armies of Fergus Mac Roich. Back with the southern army, they have reached the Gap of Dunloe and are met with the obstacle of an ash tree. They have no option but to take down the tree. 10 years before, Cú Chulainn has fulfilled his task of protector of Culainn and is offered a sword. He picks one but, before he can wield it, is told he must prove his use by carving a shield. He is warned to stay away from the ash tree as, even he, isn't good enough to carve a shield from that. The ash tree gifts you with the souls of Ireland's fiercest warriors. He goes for an ash tree and it attacks him. Now, the southern warriors attack the ash tree in their way to little affect. The warriors of Fergus arrive and together they pull it up by the roots. Their is a carving underneath “Let no man pass unless he has the strength to purge this tree by himself.” Not only are they facing a man that can lift an ash tree by himself but one who wields a shield made of ash. In the distance, Cú Chulainn looks on, wielding an ash shield.

In Chapter 3, Destiny, the armies arrive at the Hill of Tara, seat of High Kings. 6 years before in this place, Cú Chulainn witnessed Maeve, goddess of intoxication, betray the gods and try to kill the Morrigan, goddess of war. She had taken control of the White Bull and once she takes control of the Brown Bull of Ulster she will control Ireland. Once Maeve departs, Cú Chulainn rushes to the war goddess' aid. She tells him that no man will be able to resist Maeve but she will give him the power to do so. Now, Maeve reveals that the Kings of Ireland, so under her control, have beheaded their own wives for her. Among them are Fergus Mac Roich, foster father of Cú Chulainn and Cormac Connloignes, son of the great Conchobar MacNeasa, King of Ulster, leader of the Red Branch Knights whose kingdom she wishes to conquer.

In Chapter 4, Skill, the armies of Maeve are struggling onwards by sea. The God of the Sea, Lir, appears to be against them. They eventually find refuge on the Island of the Scathach. They just need to cross a bridge to get to the Giant's Causeway. Maeve reveals that they need Scathach's permission to pass. She reveals that if they can cross the bridge and defeat one opponent, they may pass. The armies charge and a lone warrior leaps on to the bridge to face them. Years earlier, Cú Chulainn and this warrior, revealed to be named Ferdia, trained on this island. At the end of their training, the Scathach reveals a dark future where only the Spear of Mortal Pain will separate them. Now, the warriors are being defeated by Ferdia. Even Cormac is killed. Maeve takes matters into her own hands and uses her powers to subdue him. The army marches on. The Scathach reveals that the dark future is here and wonders if Cú Chulainn knows what he is up against.

In Chapter 5, Knowledge, they have reached the Giant's Causeway and face the giant. We see the story of how Cú Chulainn faced the the giant. Having showed his bravery, the giant offers him all the riches he could carry. He shuns them. He just wants to know how the giant got so big. The army eventually dispatches the giant on they are finally on Ulster soil. In Chapter 6, War, they face ambushes and attacks before finally seeing Cú Chulainn face to face. He defeats every warrior he faces going into his legendary blood rage. Maeve reveals to him that she has his brother, Ferdia, under her influence. She knew he would defeat her armies, they were just to protect her as she passed through the island. Cú Chulainn doesn't want to fight his brother but Ferdia asks him to kill him so that Maeve won't succeed. He eventually slays Ferdia but Maeve attacks him from behind, stabbing him through the chest. He stumbles towards a rock so he can stay on his feet. Maeve orders her men forward but they won't go near him. The Morrigan, in the form of a raven, lands on his shoulder. Maeve decides to attack herself and is stabbed. The Brown Bull attacks her and the men chop off her head. Fergus, free of the spell, asks if the men, also free of the spell, will fight on for their queen or honour a man who has fought for his land. Throughout his speech, we see flashes of future heroes before ending with a crowd standing around a Cú Chulainn statue in GPO in Dublin.

I enjoyed the way the story was structured. Each chapter starts with a hint of the final battle before we go to the story of the armies' progress through Ireland. We then get flashes of Cú Chulainn's life when the progress of the army hits somewhere or meets something that has some connection to a Cú Chulainn tale. The art also reflects the different time periods as pages about Cú Chulainn's past and the flashes of future heroes are shown in what looks like images drawn on parchment. This affect is also used for the panels and the titles at the introduction of each chapter. The structure aids in conveying the pending inevitable tragic destiny of Cú Chulainn and the story is recreated in an action-packed and interesting way. This is the tale of an Irish superhero. Another interesting aspect is that this book is being published by O' Brien Press who have moved into the graphic novel business. This means that the book is as likely to be seen in a bookshop as in a comic book shop. It also results in a very nice package that would look good on anyone's bookshelf.

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Website: http://sliney.blogspot.ie/