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
An ongoing monthly (now in its 3rd 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.
Maus
Just about everyone I know has heard of Maus. After all, Art Spiegelman's biographical depiction of his father's experiences in the holocaust did win him a Pulitzer and an Eisner among a host of other awards and nominations. For those of you who haven't actually read it, here's the story in brief.
Art begins the story with a visit to his father, Vladek, and expresses an interest in drawing the story of his and Anja's (Art's mother) experiences in the holocaust. Vladek agrees and begins his tale with how, as a poor young man, he left his longtime girlfriend to marry Anja because of the dowry and the family money. With the support of his new family, Vladek starts his own business and is quite successful. The invasion of Poland by Germany interrupts this dream life and the rest is, literally, history i.e., oppression-disappearances-killings-holocaust-transportation by train-concentration camps-gas chambers-escape etc.
On one hand, it's a first-person account of surviving hardships through cunning and ingenuity, and of betrayal by friends & neighbors. On the other, it's about how experiences shape lives and engrain traits in us. Some readers may find me treating it very curtly, but that's because I found Maus quite disappointing. Surprised? Let me explain.
Here's what I like. Spiegelman's writing is excellent, as is his characterization. His neurotic father's miserly ways, which are a hangover from the holocaust, are well portrayed in everyday life. The representation of people as anthropomorphic animals is creatively used. For instance, while Jews are mice and Germans are cats, the child of a Jew and a German is a mouse with cat stripes. And the portrayal of his (often tumultuous) relationship with his father is honest. That's about everything I liked about the book.
Here's what I didn't like. There's nothing new about it - not a point-of-view, not an opinion… nothing. If you've seen any of the numerous movies like 'Schindler's List' or 'Escape from Sorbibor', Maus doesn't add anything to it. It's simply an engaging story from an "adventure" stand-point and the fact that it's not fiction helps build it up even more.
Opinions aside though, it's worth a read.
I'm sure most readers will have different views… so let's hear them.
It's a Bird
One of my friends got back from a vacation some days back and, knowing of my interest in graphic novels, told me of a book that one of her friends back home had gifted her. "It's called It's a Bird", she said. I hadn't heard of it, but I asked to see it. She brought it to me the following day.
When I looked at the cover, I hesitated. There was an illustration of people with red 's' emblems on them. I was slightly taken aback. The title fell into context - this was a Superman comic.
Like just about everybody I know, I've read several Superman comics over the years. Yet, if I were asked what Superman meant to me, I'd be hard put to come up with a satisfactory answer - especially to myself. In the early years, he was just busy beating up the baddies. Then he started seeing (and eventually marrying) Lois Lane and the comics drifted into exploring what a personal relationship to him might be like. I especially hated this particular phase since, to me, it was no different from the various soaps on TV. I guess my thoughts on the character were something along the lines of "I'm growing up; why doesn't he?".
And I stopped reading Superman comics altogether. Nothing the man did interested me; there was simply no connect. If it were a romance, I guess I'd say we were stagnant and decided to part ways. That should give you a clue about the mindset with which I set about reading It's a bird.
It's a Bird is not like any Superman comic I've ever read. It's not concerned with what Lex Luthor is up to, or how many baddies Superman is beating up, or what Lois Lane is doing. It's written from My point of view as a person who has read Superman, and stopped.
Written by Steven T. Seagle and illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen, the story is a biography of Steve (not the writer). Steve is a comic book writer who's been asked to write the next Superman comic. And does he jump at the chance? No. He wants nothing to do with it. He hates Superman - and I don't just mean the comic. Steve dislikes the very concept of a Superman. As you can imagine, Steve's editor is very surprised by his refusal to write Superman, and tells him that he won't accept "Because I don't like him" as an answer, giving Steve a few days to think it over.
Everywhere Steve goes, he encounters people who love Superman and is surprised by Steve's dislike. The story progresses in 3 parallel flows. One consists of intermittent flashbacks to Steve's childhood which holds a dark and shameful family secret and is the story of one day he spent at a hospital when his grandma passed away. A second one follows the present, where Steve meets various people, goes home to meet his mother, fights with his girlfriend, looks up college classmates, speaks to a mechanic, colleagues in the industry and other events in his daily life.
The third flow, peppered across the story, are Steve's thoughts on Superman. His introspection on the man and his analysis from a purely characterization point of view. While Seagle has expertly weaved the three threads together, this third is my favorite. The analysis done is largely common sense. It's what you and I already know, but have possibly never consciously pulled together. Steve's politics also come out very clearly, especially when he breaks down the concepts of power, justice and alienation, and how the world continues to work on a "might is right" philosophy. Even more interesting is his breakdown of how the Superman creators were Jews themselves and why possibly they thought of a Superman character as important in the world, and reflects on the choice of costume colors.
If you still need another reason to read this book, then consider that Kristiansen won an Eisner for his art in the book. Although done in dull colors, the artwork reflects the mood of the story perfectly. Everywhere Steve goes, he finds some sort of support for Superman, usually in the form of someone wearing an 'S' t-shirt to a point where even the reader starts to empathize with Steve's irritation with the subject. Yet its completely called for and adds and extra star to the already strong storyline.
Do let me know if any of you have read this one and what you thought of it.
Exit Wounds - Dignified Excellence
2007 was a good year for the Graphic Novel. First, the success of movies based on them spurred a whole new set of readers to read the original works. Popular movies even used the medium for promotion by launching novels of their own. Then, having established itself as a treasure chest for screenplays (with the benefit of already being storyboarded), the industry saw an influx of capital with rights to various 'scripts' being bought. While all this catered to the masses, the year also produced some phenomenal work that was critically acclaimed. Rutu Modan's Exit Wounds was one of those. Despite winning the coveted 'Best Book of the Year' at the Eisner Awards earlier this year, very few readers in India have actually heard of it or read it.
While Modan has been in the international spotlight for several years now, a lot of comic aficionados had not heard of her prior to the release of Exit Wounds. Not surprising though since almost all her work has been done in Israel, having worked on comic strips for leading newspapers and won several awards including the Andersen Award for Illustration(2001). Additionally, she's been nominated for the Eisner Awards for Best Comics Anthology of the Year as well as the Promising New Talent Award at the Ignatz Awards.
With credentials like that, it's no surprise that Exit Wounds is a must-read for any serious graphic novel fan. And if you already are a comic buff, then this is the book that you should hold up to those who say that it's all kid's stuff.
If you're wondering whether it’s the story or the illustration… well, it's neither by itself, but the balance of both. Exit Wounds is the story of Koby Franco, a Tel Aviv cab driver in his twenties. The story begins when a woman soldier, tells him that she believes his estranged father was recently killed by a suicide bomber. Koby's initial reaction is one of nonchalance, but she convinces him to help her find out if he did die in the blast. And why is she so concerned about an old man whose own son couldn't care less? Because she was romantically involved with him. And so begins the cross-country hunt.
Modan tells the story expertly; weaving theories for the reader only to shatter them and pull them deeper into the mystery. The chemistry between the two central characters is built up as they constantly fight and allows the reader comic relief, while building up sympathies with their confusion. The backdrop of Tel Aviv adds greatly to this, with the artwork peppered with real-life trauma of those who live there. Yet, not once, do Modan or any of her characters place blame on anyone. This lack of hatred builds up compassion in the reader.
The artwork is characteristically modest. Modan's bold colours are used with a lot of discretion and contrast well in order to highlight what the author wants the reader to see. It is simple, yet engaging - just right for such a strong story.
Do make an effort to read this one, if you haven't already.
P.S - Before I sign off, here's a bit of trivia on Rutu Modan. While most people think of her only as an author of serious contemporary novels, she's also the co-editor of the Hebrew edition of MAD Magazine!
DevaShard: At First Light - An epic is born
Some months back, a friend referred me to a blog about a new company in Hong Kong called Fluid Friction. They had apparently put together an international team of writers and artists to come out with Hong Kong's first international graphic novel. Intrigued, I checked it out.
The blog was a record of artwork development for a story called DevaShard which was loosely based on the Mahabharata. Not only did the blog capture each stage of the creation of a graphic novel and its characters, but there were even images of the brilliant artwork that was being developed for it. I loved it.
That's why I was excited when I finally got the first book in the series: At First Light. To say the least, it's a feast for the eyes.
Before the comic begins, there's a short note from the Fluid Friction team. It declares that their intent is to create an alternate fantasy world for readers - where one can be immersed in a fantastic story and art.
Do they live up to it? Let's see.
First, the art.
The book portrays quite a variety of settings as the story jumps through time and place. In Rhimn, where it’s a rainy night in a garden lit with green-flamed torches. At Lasan, where everything is made of ice. In Ethaar, where there's a rainforest with a river. Each presents a surrounding that has been carefully thought out by the creators. Pains have been taken to ensure that even the flora and fauna are different.
The ensemble of characters is for the most part humanoid - some have a couple of extra limbs. More interesting, though, are the variations of style and features within these characters. The 5-tailed daemon king has a very east-European face with high cheekbones and long straight hair (and has one blue and one red eye). The voluptuous queen and the charioteer have very distinct Indian features and wouldn't be out of place in some of the current Indian comics. The young prince and the princess have a very 'manga' look to them. Despite these differences, there's a distinct style that blends the characters together. Kudos to the art team for that.
The inking and coloring for each of the panels had been done with painstaking care - with the colors always just supporting, complimenting, and never overshadowing, the finely inked lines. I would love to get my hands on the original artwork of some of the panels.
The 'art' aspect of their goal has definitely been achieved. While the book itself is an easy read, it's the art which keeps the eyes roving over the panels repeatedly, which are at times incredibly detailed.
Now, for the story.
Like the first chapter of any story, At First Light sets the tone and background for a story that is yet to come, introducing characters and giving snippets of events that are as yet not connected. I don't expect to see the main story begin to unfold till the 3rd chapter. But that doesn't mean it's not racy - it is, in fact, quite fast paced.
To help readers get an idea of the story to come, the book has two story overviews. The first is the back cover which tells us that DevaShard is about a boy "who's robbed of his birthright and plunged into a land gripped by darkness" where he must "fight to become a fearsome warrior if he is to survive".
The second is the longer prologue inside. It introduces Bhumi as a magical world and tells us that a war is about to come where mankind's sole hope will be a daemon army. It also introduces "Moonstones", which are portals spread across Bhumi. More importantly, though, it tells us what to expect in terms of a story - which is about two forsaken sons whose lives are destined to be interlinked in a struggle, be tested by adversity and loss, and learn that "some fights, no matter how unjust cannot be walked away from".
My verdict on the story: very promising. The world of Bhumi has a lot of potential and can become a base for several stories like DevaShard.
The last few pages of the comic has brief bios of a few characters and a map of Bhumi. While the map is good for reference, it would have been helpful, especially since this is the first installment, if they had put short bios of some of the characters in this chapter before the story began. Also, it does take some amount of turning back pages to get your bearings - more because the reader needs to get familiar with an entire cast of new characters.
All in all, it's not often that one gets the chance to see the birth of an epic - and a stunner like this one is not to be missed.
You can see the DevaShard blog here and visit the official site here.
Kashmir Pending: Better Drawn than Written
In the world of Indian comics, one of the things I'm glad about is that while the output is relatively lower in number than say the US or UK, the quality is not. The issues with which they deal are contemporary and real; be it the double-life of Kari, or the journals of The Barn Owl's Capers. Penned by Naseer Ahmed, Kashmir Pending is yet another novel on these same lines.
Naseer takes on the decades old strife in the Kashmir Valley, one that we now take so much for granted that it no longer even makes the news. The story, however, is not from an outsider's point of view where facts and events are laid out so that good and bad are as easy to tell apart as black and white. Instead, it takes us into the life of young Muslim boys growing up in Kashmir and being manipulated by larger forces.
But before going on to discussing what I think is the true highlight of the book, here's a short brief on the storyline: The chief protagonist is Mustaq, a boy with unresolved anger issues against the army. To top it off, his family is not supportive of his artistic abilities. While at the university, he attends fiery lectures by charismatic leaders of the Kashmir freedom movement and is so smitten that he goes off to a terrorist camp across the border for training.
While there, he, along with other incumbents from across the border, are treated with scorn. He starts getting disenchanted with it all and, bribing the guard with a wrist watch, makes his way back to the Valley. He then discovers that the militant recruiters themselves are involved in double-crossing conspiracy, and loses his best friend to them. This finally sets him on the path to reformation.
That's basically it. What comes out of it is the question of ownership: who's war is it?
Apologies if that didn't want to make you pick up the book and read it, but I've tried to copy the same bland manner of the author. It's disappointing that given a situation like Kashmir, where there's plenty of opportunity to infuse the dialogue with wit and irony, Naseer chooses to be simple. But here's why you should go and get the book: the artwork.
Saurabh Singh's dark and harsh portrayal of prisoners in cells, smoking, praying, and talking set the tone brilliantly for the book. Making the cells shadowy, so that if it weren't for the bars, you'd think they were caves, gives the story a distinct no-nonsense look. Readers will also be reminded of Sin City in Singh's use of black and red.
The storyboarding has also been done very interestingly. If it were a movie, it would jump from far shots to close-up zooms, which gives the novel a very surrealistic feeling. All in all, I wouldn't really ask you to go mad looking for it, or even buy it if you see it… but it's a good book to borrow.
Note to readers: I'm sure that many of you would have read this book. It's possible that I got so taken with the artwork that it set my expectations of the story much higher. Do let me know your views on it.
"Who watches the Watchmen"
Note to readers: Alan Moore's 'Watchmen' has been in the news for quite some time now. Thousands across the world are awaiting the release of the movie in March '09 - which the director has promised, is as close to the novel as possible. Judging from the trailer, it might well be. I'm optimistic that it won't turn out to be the disappointment that Wanted was. But still, why take the chance of judging the book from the movie when there's plenty of time to read it first.
In 1939, masked heroes arose. Some called them the Minutemen. Others, the Watchmen. Guarding society against crime. Battling criminals on their own terms. Going beyond the law whenever necessary. For 38 years, they reigned. Two generations of disguised crime-fighters.
In 1977, the Law was passed. Vigilantism became illegal. The heroes were forced to give up their masks. Only the ones who already worked for the government were allowed. And there were few enough of them. Once more, urban crime-fighting became the realm of the Police.
Now, it is 1985. The US had won the Vietnam war. Nixon is still President, now in his fifth term. And the Cold War is at its height with the US and Soviet Union edging towards a war.
This is the alternate history which forms the background of the Hugo Award winning Watchmen.
The novel opens to a murder. A man has been beaten and thrown out of his high-rise apartment window. Two investigations ensue. One, by the Police. The other, by the only remaining independent (hence illegal) vigilante - Rorschach. The man who has been killed used to be the vigilante formerly known as The Comedian. A man who worked for the government and one of two legal vigilantes in the US. So that makes Watchmen a murder mystery.
The story revolves around 6 vigilantes: The Comedian, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias. The volumes skip between the Now and the Past, giving the reader biographies of each of the characters, how they came to be vigilantes, insights into the frictions within the community, and their love lives. So that makes Watchmen a drama.
Of them all, only Dr Manhattan has super powers - that's strength and intelligence. His conversations on humanity, actions, consequences and on life itself are at times unethical, but always logical. He is the one character that seeks to understand, rather than know. His view of himself? "There is a God and He is American." That, perhaps, makes Watchmen philosophical.
Watchmen also has one more thing. It's debatable since its got a long ending, but I thought it had a surprise ending.
In terms of illustration, the style is simple, but there's loads for the reader to look out for. The pattern of Rorschach's mask keeps changing, for instance. The graffiti on the walls often says "Who watches the watchmen". Each volume ends with a quote by a famous person, which encapsulates the thoughts of the character that is the subject of that volume. Notice what the people in the background are doing. The back covers of each of the 12 volumes features a clock which progressively inches towards midnight. It's the doomsday clock. All of it builds up to the fatalistic society that is portrayed within.
Watchmen also has a 'comic within a comic' where there's one character who's reading a comic next to a news stand throughout the book. The reader can hear snatches of conversation going on around him, but can also read the comic - which in itself is a noir 'Count of Monte Cristo meets Robinson Crusoe'.
All of this makes Watchmen a classic. Ever since DC Comics brought it out in 1986, it has enjoyed a cult following, and, in many ways, set a benchmark for graphic novels that few others have equaled. If you're going to be reading it for the first time, then here's a word of caution. Don't compare the novel's characters with other vigilantes. When it comes to superheroes, familiarity breeds superiority and you may lose interest in the initial volumes. In Watchmen, vigilantes aren't about skills, gadgets or intelligence. They're simply people out to do the right thing.
Before I sign off, here's a bit of trivia. In the novel, there is a dialogue that explains the etymology of the title as something that John F. Kennedy wanted to say in a speech. However, the quote 'who watches the watchmen' is from the writings of the Roman political satirist Juvenal (circa 100 AD). He wrote:
"I hear always the admonishment of my friends:
'Bolt her in, and constrain her!'
But who watches the watchmen?
The wife arranges accordingly, and begins with them."
Well, that's enough said. I'll leave the rest to you. For those of you who've already read it, let's talk about it.
Ghost in the Shell
Note to readers: The iconic Masamune Shirow's works are pretty hard to come across in English (and in India), and I found one tucked away in an airport bookshop. I simply had to leave my other projects mid-way to read the original manga - albeit in English. Apologies for the delay to those of you who've written to me asking when the next review would be out, and to those of you I had promised to do Sandman and Watchmen. These, I promise, will be next.
Most comic (and movie) buffs have heard of 'The Ghost in the Shell'. Thus far, I had contented myself on just the animated movies (which are iconic in their own right). If you haven't read the book but watched the movies, then you're pretty well clued into the story. It doesn't deviate from the book and I can only imagine the pains with which the screenplay for the animation was written since it does indeed put forth the philosophical aspects rather well.
The year is 2029. Cybernetic technology has successfully (to a large degree) molded Man and Machine. Hands and legs can be easily replaced by more technically advanced limbs. Eyes can be replaced by electronic lenses that allow you to zoom or change visual medium (think Robocop). Even the brain can be downloaded and transferred to a human exoskeleton, called a Shell. With all human organs easily replicable, what's left is the 'Ghost' of the person that existed earlier; call it a 'consciousness' if you will. This forms the basis for the title's etymology.
The world is basically one large electronic network. And since one can actually plug in one's brain to this 'internet', interpersonal communication can happen via thought without actually speaking. Of course, there's the chance that if you let someone into your head, they may find stuff you don't want them to - but this can be guarded against (like using firewalls on your computer). This is the background on which the story rests.
What hasn't changed in the world is this: countries are still haggling with each other for economic profit and power.
The plot revolves around a special division of the paramilitary forces called Public Security Section 9 which deals with external threats to the country (in this case, Japan). They report only to the highest authorities and enjoy almost limitless freedom to take action as they see fit. The protagonists are all part of Section 9. The soldiers (in order of hierarchy) are Kusanagi a.k.a. the Major, Batou, Ishikawa, and Togusa. The unit is headed by Aramaki (who's also referred to as 'ape-face' - with good reason). The unit also uses an 'intelligent' single-seater armored tanks called Fuchikoma and other state-of-the-art weaponry (including personal armour that can render you invisible).
The story starts with Section 9 being formed after a government-authorized assassination. After that, the team carries out a series of seemingly routine operations that include an orphanage where an inmate tries to run away, chasing down a bomber, a brutal mafia boss who's trying to escape the country and dirty politicians. As the story progresses, they realize that the crimes are all somehow connected at the highest levels with a secret government project called the Puppet Master - a cyborg that claims to have a consciousness. That apart, there's the interdepartmental rivalry, the team members' personal lives and relationships, and the rapport they develop with one another in the course of their work. Enough, I suppose, to say that there's something for everyone. But what sets the novel apart are Artwork, Technological detailing and Philosophy.
The Dark Horse Manga edition I bought is interspersed with full color spreads, as in the original collected format. There was an earlier edition which was less graphic and explicit. Needless to say, Masamune brings stories to life as few others can.
Reading the novel reminded me of Michael Crichton's writing, which is full of scientific/technical explanations. 'Ghost in the Shell' features writing between the frames which are small notes. They give bits of information that either clarify technology or describe what's been drawn. For instance, when a nurse asks "Feel any pain around the brain, hon?", there's a small note below the panel which says "The brain itself cannot feel pain". There are quite a few pages that illustrate technology and how it works. In fact, most of the technology he speaks of actually exists.
But what makes it 'cult' is the philosophical discussion that emerges within. A sort of case against Cartesian Dualism. For instance, if the mind can be replicated, then what's the definition of being human? How far can/should Man and Machine integrate? What part of us makes up our 'identity'?
Reading the book won't make you hate the movie in any way at all. It'll give you scenes and insights into characters which weren't included in the movie and add depth to what you would already know. And it's definitely worth the read. Do try to get your hands on this one.
1602: Marvel goes retro
Last night, I was going through my collection and came across one of my favorites: the Marvel 1602 series. Written by Neil Gaiman, the story features characters from the X-Men, as well as Captain America, Nick Fury and The Fantastic Four in the Elizabethan Era. Villains like Dr. Doom and Magneto appear as well. The plot revolves around the central characters in the year 1602. None of them know how they've come to be there and slowly start realizing that they don't belong in that age. Several stories spin out simultaneously sometimes coming together and then again splitting ways. Nick Fury's avatar, Sir Nicholas, heads the Queen's intelligence bureau and is charged with appropriating the secret treasure/weapon of the Templars. Javier (Charles Xavier) runs a safe home for "the witchbreed", which the Spanish High Inquisitor wants to blame for the sudden strange weather across Europe. A tall man and his young charge come from the Americas to seek the Queen's protection, but have strange abilities that they themselves do not understand. A Count Von Doom, the ruler of Latveria, has been building strange machines. And the Fantastic Four are hapless prisoners in his castle. Enough to whet your interest in it? Saying more would reveal the interesting twists in a carefully crafted plot. While the story is a great 1st time read, and may not tempt you to go back for a 2nd read anytime soon, its the artwork that will make you want to frame each page. The night-time lighting in the frames is exceptional. Since the artists didn't have the freedom to presume a well-lit room (with bulbs et al.), they are restricted to working with "torches" that burn on walls near the characters. I was so intrigued by it that I did some research and it turns out that they used a technique called "enhanced pencils" wherein the pencil drawings bypass the inker and go straight to the colorist. Do try and get your hands on this one.
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