Lex Luthor: Man of Steel

Brian Azzarello has long been one of my favourite writers because a lot of his work raises very fundamental issues of human nature. Take the cult ‘100 Bullets’, for example. Before it spun out into the Mafia-Minutemen serial, it addressed a very simple question: what would you do if you were given the means and indemnity to kill someone close to you if you found out they ruined your life? Or his more recent ‘Joker’, which put the reader next to the super-villain and begs the question: why does he do what he does? 

But my favourite Azzarello comic is undoubtedly ‘Lex Luthor: Man of Steel’. Before we go into the why’s, here’s a brief outline of the story for those of you who haven’t read it. It’s the framework within which Azzarello crafts his questions.

The story is narrated by Luthor and begins with a building he’s constructing in Metropolis. It’s to be dedicated to scientific advances made by Man, and with the opening just a couple of weeks away, he’s run into labour problems. He’s also created a woman called Hope, who has super-strength and can fly – just like Superman. Hope is the world’s first ‘corporate-sponsored hero’ and eats into Superman's limelight. Here’s the kicker. Hope is actually a humanoid robot who – thanks to Luthor – imagines she’s human. Lex’s plan is to make her do something that is against everything that Superman stands for and lure him into destroying  Hope because he (with his x-ray vision) would know that she’s not really a living breathing human being. That, of course, is after he’s endeared her to the people of Metropolis.

 

Sounds simple enough, right? And if Chuck Dixon had written it, the story probably would have been exactly that – with Superman fight sequences taking up oodles of the layout. But with Azzarello, you can depend on things to be different. Like Superman only being a figure in the background, for instance, and using the DC Universe only as a shell for telling a story that’s as philosophical as ‘It’s a bird’, but takes an opposite stance. 

Before going further into the story, I’d like to talk about Lee Bermejo’s artwork. It’s seminal to the story being told because it sets the mood for every sequence and ties it all together in one neat bundle. When the story begins with a narration (by Lex), it’s the shot of the Metropolis skyline that gives it context. When conversations take place in real time, the style is crisp and clean with his portrait style or rendition bringing the characters to life as if they were modelled after actual people (I’m not sure whether they are or not). And when sequences take place without Lex’s presence, there’s a movie-like quality of the visual narration blending with the narrative. All that’s missing is the background score. If you look closely at the art, you’ll notice that the realism of characters has a lot to do with their lack of perfection. Note the creases on the foreheads, the bags under their eyes, the wrinkles in their shirts and suits. Superman’s eyes are usually shown here as being red – as if he’s constantly x-raying everyone. I think it was brilliantly done. 

Now back to the story. 

Most writers take the villain’s characters for granted, and take a position that says “Who cares why villains are evil?” Azzarello, however, writes from the mind of Luthor – a brilliant scientist, successful industrialist and master strategist. So why would an obviously intelligent man hate Superman’s are existence and tirelessly fight him – even if he seems to have no chance of winning? Here’s what Azzarello thinks Luthor has to say on the following issues:

On Superman being from another planet - "All Men are created equal... You are not a Man.…most accept him like a member of the family. Grown-up little girls and boys, certain that the uncertain will bully them, find comfort in their big brother from another planet. He's made himself appear so much like us he has almost everyone forgetting he's not one of us."

On what Superman supposedly represents - "...fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way… Truth? That's in the Teller... Justice? Belongs to the Judge...And the American Way? It constantly evolves out of something that proves to be true and a lie…"

On Superman’s deification by society - "But they've made you their Hero, and they Worship you. So tell me, what Redemption do you offer them?"

On the hope that Superman offers - "... when I see you? I see something no man can ever be. I see the end. The end of our achievements. The end of our dreams."

On how Superman perceives Metropolis while he flies over it - "But does He see what I see? Does he see the finest example of what Humanity can accomplish, reaching for the sky? Does he see a city that lives up to its Past which defining its Future? Does he see the greatest city on the planet? Or does he merely look down on it?"

On what Superman is capable of – “(Superman has a name) that we gave him, an attempt to humanize him... as pointless as naming a hurricane… think about a hurricane with a will. Then multiply that intensity a thousand fold."

On the danger of having Superman around - "What if he changes his mind? What if, tonight, he looks down at us and decides we're not capable to manifest our own destiny? What if tomorrow he wakes up believing he knows what's best for us? That it's not enough to protect the world... when he can rule it? The only safeguard we have against that happening is his word... even if you believe it; does it make sense to accept it?”

On Luthor’s attempts to kill Superman - "I'm not interested in bringing him down... but obsessed with bringing Us up. All of us... everyone... deserves a chance at Greatness. All that takes is the Belief that it exists. But His existence threatens not just that Belief... but our Existence."

On Superman’s legendary status in society - "I believe there's something inherently dangerous when something Real becomes Mythic. I believe when that happens, we lose the part of ourselves that yearns to be Great. Because when faced with a Myth, we can't win."

On Superman’s love for humanity – “You profess a Love of humanity, but that is an emotion you can’t possibly know because those same abilities make it Impossible for you to know its opposite... Fear."

On Hope and Mankind - "...Hope is an Aspiration. A beacon that shines brighter than any star, lighting the way for all mankind. Hope is what makes us human. For when reality threatens to destroy us, we reach inward and we create hope."

And, in the final analysis, here’s the question that Azzarello poses with this one: Is having a Superman a good thing? 

Criminal: Go noir!

In Gotham Central, Brubaker explored the lives of regular cops in Gotham City and what it was like living under the shadow of Batman. With the Criminal series, he goes one up. First off, there’s no Batman or any other superhero/vigilante. Second, it’s a story about crime from the criminal’s point of view. According to Brubaker, he wanted to portray “criminals who, as far as their morality goes, they steal, or kill, but they're good people somehow anyway.”

An ongoing monthly (now in its 3^rd year), Criminal brings together an interesting cast of characters. You’ve pickpockets, hit-men, femme fatales, crooked cops, forgers, get-away drivers… just about every type of criminal archetype you can think of. Furthermore, the series focuses on not one, but two generations of criminals. The result is a fraternity that hangs out at the same bars, know of each other’s expertise, know each others history, may not necessarily work together, but know the same people.

The first volume consists of two stories told across ten issues.

The first story, Coward, is the story of Leo – a man who’s great at planning complex jobs, but chooses to remain a pickpocket. Leo lives his life by a few inviolable rules: never carry a gun, never take a chance and never pick a fight. He has no qualms about running away from a job if there’s the slightest chance of something going wrong. The storyline revolves around a heist that goes wrong. The second story, Lawless, tells the story of Tracy Lawless, a soldier who goes AWOL when he comes to know that his brother was killed back home and sets out to find out who killed his brother and why.

If there’s one thing better than these classic noir storylines and characters, it’s the art of Sean Phillips. The stories may be a bit clichéd, but their depiction makes them realistic and believable. It’s dark, gritty and makes you feel like you’re watching an on-screen drama unfold. The pacing is brilliant and the writing doesn’t go overboard on swearing (which often takes away from the realism of crime thrillers).

This is what I liked about it: You know it’s a noir; you know things aren’t going to have a happy ending; you empathise with some part of every character; and you cannot put it down. And if, like me, you’re a noir fan, then the last pages of each comic hold a treat for you. Brubaker and other writers have written about their own noir favourites in books and movies! Do read those… it’s the ultimate list of movie/book recommendations in the genre. 

Oh... almost forgot... the series got the Eisner in 2007 for the 'Best New Series'. 

Transmetropolitan: The skeletons in our closet

A few years back, I had picked up a graphic novel because it stood out boldly among others on the display shelf. A bald, cigarette-smoking tattooed man was standing on the edge of the roof of a skyscraper and looking up with a wicked smile. Even odder were the shades he wore: one lens was a circular red while the other was a rectangular green. I think, perhaps the reason I bought it was the title - which it shared with Irving Stone’s biography of Van Gogh - Lust for Life.

The very same day, I read it and made a mental note to get my hands on the entire series. Some time, after that, I did manage to get them all. Then, over a period of two days, I read 60 issues – an epic that had taken the author and artist 5 years to accomplish. That is how gripping Transmetropolitan is.

Created by Warren Ellis (author) and Darick Robertson (artist), Transmetropolitan is the story of a gonzo journalist in a dystopian liberal future where sex, drugs, violence and consumerism are rampant – ‘postcyberpunk’ to jargon lovers. 

An interesting feature of the setting is that Time itself is anachronistic; there is no mention of what year it is. Instead, people measure time in terms of how much of it has passed till date in relation to a particular subject. For instance, a memorial in the City reads “…here 26 years ago” and the ‘26’ is a digital clock which keeps climbing.

Opening with a rude telephone conversation between protagonist Spider Jerusalem and an editor demanding he make good on book contracts, the reader is quickly introduced to Ellis’ no-holds-barred style of writing which is well enhanced by Robertson’s in-your-face art.

The first couple of pages don’t give the reader a moment’s breathing space. While the compulsive writing pulls you to the next frame, the intricately detailed art entices you to stare at the frame a moment or two more. The pure energy that Spider exudes is contagious; add to that his sheer unpredictable actions and nihilistic attitude; and you have a hero who is truly by the people and of the people.   

What I love about the art is Darick’s attention to detail. The frames are huge and crowded with signs of consumerism. If you look carefully, you’ll be able to read most of the signs too. Almost every one of them sends out a message that is funny and ironic. A park bench, for instance, has a warning sign saying “This bench turns red hot from 11 pm. to 6 am” (I might not have it down verbatim, but you get the drift) – a very direct take on how the better (richer) part of society doesn’t allow the homeless to sleep in public parks. 

The first two volumes of the series concentrate on Spider’s First year in the city. They’re a series of one-shots which look at various facets of Spider’s life – his assistants, his past, his moods, his mind, his attitude. This also helps the reader get familiar with the City, which remains unnamed, but a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty in one of the later issues would suggest that it’s New York City. 

The second year onwards, the story begins to take a focus. Spider gets drawn into a web of corruption, murder and political deceit where he becomes the public and personal enemy of the President (of the United States) and uses the only weapons he has against the regime: the Press… and a ‘Bowel Disruptor’ (no prizes for guessing what it does). 

The story, in itself, is great. On the surface, it’s got all the makings of a thriller that keep readers riveted. But what’s more interesting is what lies underneath. While Ellis’s City has loads of futuristic gadgets and in just about every panel you’ll find some mutant freak - from the ‘Foglets’ (people who’ve converted themselves into clouds of nanomachines) to the multiple-eyed birds that’re flying around – you’ll be hard put to find a significant difference from society as it stands today. 

Surprised? Okay. Let me start this article over again from a different perspective. 

“Welcome to life in the future. New drugs. New booze. New sexual perversions. Sex change is a thing of the past… you can go ahead and change your species if you’ve a mind to. People live longer because medical science has advanced to the stage where they can replace everything but the brain… and if your body is dying, they can just grow you a new one. And if you choose to die for a while, they can simply chop off your head and place it in cryogenic freeze and have you revived as per your instructions – with a brand new body and all your memories intact. It’s a place where people are so lost that a new religion springs up every hour with a new explanation and revelation on how you should live your life and why you should hate everyone else who doesn’t. Oh, and instead of a lot of weird piercings and tattoos, most people prefer to add extras to their anatomy – extra breasts, genitals et al. 

But don’t worry – not everything has changed. All that stuff was just the change of scenery. Poverty and bad parenting are still the leading cause of child prostitution. Policemen continue to be corrupt. Money is still power. Minority rights violation and anti-semitism are still very much the rule. The media continues to be the subject of political hegemony. And politicians still play dirty. 

Yes, you should feel right at home. Welcome to Transmetropolitan.”

See what I mean? This is what the story is about. It’s about today’s society, not tomorrow’s. And no, I’m not reading too much into it. I thought I might be, but then I came across this interview with the author. In his own words, he uses “science fiction in its Wellsean frame as a social fiction, using the future as a tool with which to examine the present.” 

Transmetropolitan is Ellis’ view of the world today and what’s wrong with it. It’s his way of saying “why do we put up with it?!” 

But don’t think that this is a dark story with a sombre ending. It’s actually quite a traditional comic book where the Hero (which Spider undoubtedly is) does indeed provide a source of hope.

If you want to check it out before you buy it, DC comics allows you do download the 1st issue free (pdf file). 

Comments, anyone?

Gotham Central: A bottom-up view

If I mentioned the words 'Gotham City' to you, what would come to your mind? Batman, for certain. Followed by Joker? And then perhaps Two-Face, Bane, Riddler, Penguin and a slew of other villains? And if you're not just a 'pure superhero' fan, you'll probably think of Commissioner Gordon and perhaps even Barbara.

But there is one group of characters who're present in almost every Batman comic and are largely ignored by readers: the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department.

That is what Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka decided to give readers a glimpse of in 2002 when they approached DC Comics with a story idea whose debut was nominated for an Eisner and the series eventually bagged an Eisner (Best Serialized Story) and a Harvey (Best Single Issue or Story) in 2004.

So... is it a cops 'n robbers thing? No.

Gotham Central is about good cops in a crime-ridden city. Detectives who take pride in their work and put their lives on the line everyday. People who don't have the gadgets or fancy cars and take a bullet when they have to. They're men and women with families to go back to. And they deal with the same criminals as Batman.

A refreshing change from the regular Batman comics, Gotham Central breaks ground by taking readers from the bird's eye-view of Gotham that Batman enjoys to the grit and grime of crime-fighting at the ground level. It tells of the personal losses and victories of the Special Crimes Unit (SCU) - a unit comprised of cops hand-picked by Gordon before he retired.

The series is split into two parts: the night shift (written by Brubaker) and the day shift (by Rucka). Like in a regular precinct, each has its own officers following up on their cases. The art for both storylines was done by Michael Lark. The main characters are a good sprinkling of established identities (like Montoya, Crispus Allen, Maggie Sawyer, Harvey Bullock & Corrigan) which regular readers of Batman are familiar with as well as some new ones. Batman himself, is restricted to the backdrop... a shadow that looms large over their heads and makes brief appearances.

Gotham Central is a rare no-holds-barred true-to-life series where the stories are closely tied to the personal lives of the characters and goes the extra mile to establish the chemistry between them. Where other writers may have just touched upon certain aspects deemed not directly in the purview of Batman, Brubaker and Rucka delve deep. For instance, when Montoya is 'outed' as a lesbian, readers get a 360-degree view of the scandal... from the way Allen (her partner) supports her to her conservative parents' reaction to the riles of colleagues.

The sweat 'n blood aspect apart, the series also highlights the possible frustration, bordering on hatred, that cops can feel about Batman.

From all prior Batman books, readers have been conditioned to expect that Batman is a friend to the policemen. Well, I'm certain that's how Batman feels about it. Gotham Central, however, takes the view that Batman is called in when regular policework has failed... not only because regular cops aren't allowed to go above the law, but also because Batman is a better detective. It stands to reason that a detective, therefore, would not be very keen to turn on the bat-signal on the HQ roof because it would mean admitting failure.

When you think about it, you and I would feel the same way.

While the series was critically acclaimed for both story and art, and has certainly garnered its fair share of fans, it was discontinued after just a 3-year run when its creators started working on other projects. Also, surprisingly, Gotham Central had a relatively low sales turnover.

Most authors tend to analyze and probe the Dark Knight's darker side, and more recently, have begun giving Joker this same treatment. I don't know how other readers feel, but I, for one, would like to see more work in this vein.

If you haven't read it yet, you should be able to pick up collections at the local Landmark.