The Geek shall inherit the Earth

In the past few months, I can't help but look around and feel a tremendous sense of vindication. When certain people indoctrinated me into the world of comic books when I was in middle school, comic books and superheroes were largely deemed to be "kid's stuff" And anybody who read them was certainly categorized with a certain degree of "geek factor." I remember wondering how anyone who gave "The Dark Knight Returns" or "Watchmen" half of a chance, could not come away not thinking that they were cool as hell? I know that it was pretty tough to walk around school with a comic book in your bag and not be the butt of someone's joke.

I'd like to think that I was secure enough with myself that I didn't care, but who doesn't want to be popular in high school? I know I was part of a "comic book club" that met after school, but I also know I didn't advertise that fact to my friends who were jocks.

Of course, eventually you grow up, maybe go to college and realize that most people like something that is off the beaten path, and you learn not to care. Still, when I met my wife I can remember her trying to stifle a laugh when I told her I was a fan of comic books. My sad devotion to this ancient religion still annoys her as I argue with friends over some point of comic minutiae.

But the most amazing things has happened in the past few years.....the rest of the world finally caught up with us. It can be debated as to the reasons, whether it be computer sfx, the prevalence of comic readers in Hollywood, the influence of gaming, or some other factor, but comic books and superheroes are taking over the world. Spider-man, The Incredibles, X-Men, Iron Man, Dark Knight, Heroes, Lost (if you don't think this is a comic book, you haven't been paying attention), 300, and hundreds of others. In 2008, of the top five highest grossing films, 3 were comic book movies. And possibly most amazingly, Heath Ledger has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Dark Knight. I know part of it comes from his untimely death, but still, 15 years ago, you could barely get a comic movie made; now they are worthy of Academy consideration.

Of course with this amount of content out there, there are going to be some missteps (Punisher War Zone?) but they have amazingly been pretty few and far between. And with every new movie or show that comes out, the geek in me wants to jump to my feet, raise my fist (thumb visible, of course) and shout "Vindication!"

And when I do, my wife inevitably shakes her head and laughs...

Dick Sprang Batarang Flies Again

Have you watched the new Batman cartoon, The Brave and the Bold ? It’s been pretty darn good so far. When I first saw the commercial on Cartoon Network the initial double shock of a) a new Batman show and b) its a simplistic-looking Dick Sprang version of Batman (!), subsided into tingly anticipation. By all appearances, this back to basics take on this evergreen character held the promise of feeling fresh even while being rooted in a classic Batman style and opening the door to the DC Universe at large.

After the dark, cinematic Batman the Animated Series from the ‘90’s and the more recent grim, anime-influenced The Batman (with that cool opening theme by U2’s The Edge) it was an unpredictable and gutsy move to introduce a simplistic and slightly goofy looking animated version of Batman. Right away, you sense this is a youngster friendly Batman. In this case, that’s not a bad thing at all and the risky gamble pays off in dividends of sheer fun.

In just a few seconds, anyone familiar with Dick Sprang’s classic square-jawed Batman will recognize the obvious influence his artwork has had on the look of this show. It all harkens back to a simpler, more light-hearted era for both Batman and comics in general. Surely that was intentional. Clearly the show’s art style aims to draw younger viewers but fret not old timers, you haven’t been forgotten. The simple formula still works: solid storytelling + lots of action = loads of fun.

As you might have guessed from its title, the show uses a team–up approach guest-starring a different hero fighting crime along-side Bats every week. Not only does that help keep the stories self-contained and free from continuing subplots it also opens a revolving door of animated versions of all sorts of characters from the DC universe. The show’s creators wasted no time in bringing out classic characters both old and new including Aquaman and the new Blue Beetle. It was a little jarring at first to see a 1950’s style Batman side by side with a 21st Century version of the Blue Beetle but then it just gelled and became really cool in spite of feeling somewhat anachronistic. Being just a kid, Blue Beetle idolizes Batman and defers to his experience though that doesn’t mean much once his eagerness to show off kicks in. Since the new Beetle is, in my opinion, one of the best comics currently on the market I was quite pleased to see him guest star in more than one episode already.

Other guest stars include ye old king of Atlantis, Aquaman, who in this version is not above recounting his regal exploits ad nauseum and placing himself at the center of the story. Yet he remains quite likable in spite of his conceit. Wildcat (from JSA) also makes an appearance in an episode which I found more interesting because of who the “villains” were: The Outsiders! Keeping old traditions alive, the Outsiders start out as adversaries but you know how those tales always end. However, there were only three of them: Katana (best of the three in my book), Black Lightning, and a teenaged version of Metamorpho. Utilizing only three of the characters kept it simple and focused on the action which has really been the main thrust of The Brave and the Bold.

With fast-paced, action filled stories Batman: The Brave and the Bold puts the emphasis on fun which is something that the recent The Batman, with its cool visuals and music, fell short on. This opens the door wide open to bring Batman to a newer and younger audience while keeping us old-timers happy with classic characters and that old team-up charm. Here’s hoping The Brave and the Bold sticks around long enough to showcase some classic Jack Kirby characters like the Demon, James Robinson’s version of Starman, Booster Gold, or even Vigilante.

Watchmen Suit Settled - About Freakin' Time!

After a few months of wrangling over the Watchmen movie, Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox are finally finished fighting and are now ready to play nice, according to this Newsarama posting.

I love this wording: "Warner Bros acknowledges that Fox acted in good faith in bringing its claims, which were asserted prior to the start of principal photography. Fox acknowledges that Warner Bros. acted in good faith in defending against those claims. Warner Bros. and Fox, like all Watchmen fans, look forward with great anticipation to this film’s March 6 release in theatres."

Well, the fans have acted in good faith in putting up with false starts and rumors about this film for 22 years. Although, considering how bad comic book films were before Spider-Man came out, maybe the insanely long wait works in our favor.

And I'm so glad that WB and Fox are fans just like us. I'm sure they've just been dying to see Ozymandius, Rorscach, Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan on the silver screen. They're probably so relieved to see this movie coming out that they'd say "forget the money - let's get this great story out there so everyone can enjoy it!"

Bwaa Haaa Haaa!

Add this immensely long wait to Alan Moore's complete opposition to the movie, and you've got quite a little story about a film that really looked like it would never be made.

What's most humorous to me is that Warner Bros has to shell out oodles of cash for the film rights to a property that was theirs to begin with.

The good news is that the stills and trailers are giving me a sense that the movie could actually be really good. It looks good, anyway. Considering all the buzz that's been building for the last year or so, it better be.

The Language Of Comics

Comics, like any medium, has a feel and/or a language that is unmistakably germane to that particular medium. With the number of writers increasing exponentially these days, it's less recognizable now.

But--certainly, if you've read enough comics, you can pick a few of these gems out. Here are a few of my faves, in no particular order.

In the old days of the 70s and 80s, you could pretty much have a quote read to you from an issue and determine who the writer of the book was without ever having actually read the book.

* This'll make my rep!

This classic was always one of my faves, based solely on it's overall stupidity. It was big in the 70s, especially in Daredevil and Batman. There was always some dumbass henchman who reasoned that killing Batman or Daredevil would cement his standing in the criminal community and vault him into that penthouse suite where he could finally be the one to call the shots.

* The Die Is Cast!

This truly is one of my favorites, and I don't mean this in a sarcastic way. It's such a great phrase and it perfectly captures the essence of what comics - mostly Marvel Comics - were like in the 60s. It's a classic, and it's a shame that phrases like this are not used nowadays.

* I'm The Best At What I Do, And What I Do Isn't Very Nice

I'll bet that just reading that phrase brought up a big belly laugh. And I'll further bet that many readers will know who the writer was, who the character was and maybe even have a clear recollection of what that first page that featured these words looked like. Of course, after this was repeated in each of the four issues and beyond, it got a bit tired.

* What The--

Ooops! Almost said it, didn't you? Somehow nobody ever finished that one. It's probably for the best. Gives us readers a chance to use our imaginations. It's also a phrase that doesn't work so well when actually spoken. It just sounds silly.

* Avengers Assemble!

This is also a classic staple phrase of 60s Marvel, and another pleasant reminder of how great comics used to be. Especially after the wretched "disassembled" storyline a couple of years ago, it is always great to be able to revisit a pre-Joe Quesada/Brian Michael Bendis Marvel Universe. Sometimes you don't need to destroy the foundation to fix up the house.

* The Storay At Hand

Just kidding. Wondering if you were paying attention anymore. Although, to those who know of it, this one is a freaking classic! Right up there with "Die Scum...."

How could I have forgotten these gems??

* Still Only 25¢ !

A classic to be sure - not only does it call attention to the inevitable price increase, but it reminds me of a time when nearly every comic on the spinner rack was a good one! For whatever reason, Marvel didn't decree 30¢, 40¢ or 50¢ to be worthy of this designation (interestingly, 35¢ also merited this treatment). Well, it's certainly better than "Still Only 299¢!"

* Not An Imaginary Story! Not a Hoax!

Then why publish it? Honestly, is there anything that screams "DC Comics" more than this? It's great. And the stories that unfolded were truly the stuff of legends...and explain a lot in terms of why Marvel was able to take over the comic book readership in the 60s. If not for Neal Adams, Dennis O'Neil and Frank Robbins, the 1960's would be a very barren landscape for DC. From a pure nostalgia and cool character introduction point of view, however, this was a very interesting time for DC.

* Because You Demanded It!

Who could resist this? Like "Not An Imaginary Story", this little gem quickly lost all meaning, as it became evident that, well, nobody demanded some of that stuff. And since the Marvel No-Prize comic book poked fun at this in such an amusing fashion, I'll stop here.

* 'Nuff Said!

Short and to the point. 'Nuff indeed...

I'm sure there are many others, but for some reason or another, I can't come up with them. Feel free to add your faves.

The Golden Globes and the Dark Knight

Wow - Heath Ledger won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his maniacally brilliant performance as the Joker in the summer smash Dark Knight.

Finally, it seems that the moviemakers are doing something right and the 'experts' are taking comic book movies seriously. Took long enough. Superman and Superman II were hits in 1978 and 1980. Batman was a hit in 1989. Spider-Man was a mega-hit. Two more Spidey movies, The X-Men Trilogy, Sin City, 300, Iron Man...all made oodles of money and received critical acclaim. But none of these were nominated for any of the more prestigious awards - Best Actor, Best Screenplay...Best Movie.

Heath Ledger was getting a lot of attention and praise even before his untimely death. After he died, the buzz was, amazingly, upped a notch. I am glad he won, and after finally having seen the movie just this past weekend, it doesn't seem to me as though it was given only because of the tragedy of his passing. He was excellent. The performance was as good as it was billed.

I think that as long they keep making movies like Dark Knight, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Superman and Sin City - the Globes and Oscars won't be able to ignore them anymore - this can only be a good thing.

It will make the folks who are charged with making movies work even harder to gain that attention. It will make them more focused on the comic fans who go to the movies in droves.

After all, who was responsible for Watchmen finally getting made? Not Hollywood. Not really. They had no idea there was even a real demand for these comic book movies. Even after Superman. And Batman. And The Crow. Men In Black. Not until Spider-Man reminded them.

They kinda knew after Tim Burton's Batman. But then Joel Schumacher and his Hollywood types were seduced by the Dark Side. They couldn't get past the campy 60s Batman. They reverted to disrespecting form and nearly killed what was a promising genre of movies.

Now they're back. And they're getting better.

But for every Dark Knight and Sin City, there's a Catwoman, Elektra, Daredevil and Punisher lying in wait. Just like with any genre of movies, there will be some underwhelming options.

Comics themselves are no different. There are good ones and bad ones, and sales usually balances the scales. Comic books are at their worst when they get cocky. Sales are good, buzz is good, so they create new titles and overload the market. Eventually, things settle down and the core titles become the standard again.

As long as the moviemakers keep trying - and remembering the core, comic book-based audience - we should really be seeing more good movies than bad ones.

I can't wait to see what comes next. Right now, the newest offering is Will Eisner's Spirit, directed by Frank Miller. After Sin City and 300, people seem to have taken notice.

And to my way of thinking, as long as the Globes and Oscars start to really take notice of the comic book/action movie, it's all good.