Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Uncivil Thor, aka Who Are These People?
After being delayed a month, Civil War #4 finally comes out tomorrow. So now we’ll get to see how thoroughly out of character Thor acts, and know if he kills Hercules, The Falcon, (formerly Black) Goliath, or even all three. I’m almost certain Herc will buy it, ‘cuz he’s entirely too fun to let live. Marvel’s not quite as on-point with the anti-fun campaign as their Distinguished Competition, but they still never let any of the good times get anywhere near the center of their current universe. In the same month all the heroes can be hanging out, having a good time at Ben Grimm’s poker night, in the final issue of Slott’s The Thing series, while also trying to literally kill each other in the Mark Millar-penned Civil War, the most important crossover ever, or at least until the next one. I’ve noted here before that I can’t complain too much about the grim’n’grittification of the last two decades, since some of the best comics ever wouldn’t have existed otherwise. Still, the degree to which it has taken over the superhero industry is unfortunate, especially when it leads to stuff like Civil War. The concept is a fine one, and the series itself started off rather well. The problem is that hostilities escalated too quickly and violently for it to make any logical sense based on what we know about these characters and the Marvel Universe. The core ideas and opinions of most of the major characters involved sometimes ring true, but the fighting and, now, lethal force involved is completely out of character for everybody. If Marvel had approached it in a more subtle fashion, and built up to it in the background for the last year or so, then I could understand passions eventually leading to an accidental death or two by the fourth issue of the miniseries. Of course the side responsible for the death should be wracked with guilt with for the rest of the series, the hero responsible scarred for the rest of his life. I seriously doubt that’ll happen, though. Given the tactless, overwhelmingly negative way in which they’ve depicted the pro-registration side and Iron Man in particular, I’d be really surprised if they’re shown with any regret or remorse over whatever death does occur in #4. Also, with how quickly they’ve rushed through this story, I question the creators’ ability and desire to make this death actually have an impact upon the reader.
I’ve read some speculation, which will hopefully remain just that, that Captain America will die and finally force Spider-Man to change to the anti-registration side, which Spidey will come to lead, in the process realizing that he has the ability to inspire and command and basically begin to fill the spiritual figure-head position that Captain America has always filled in Marvel’s superhero community. I’m sure this wouldn’t happen, but who knows, what with these dudes who currently call the shots. It probably makes sense, and would definitely be convenient, to have your most marketable figure be the central focus of your superhero universe. Superman and Batman are not just the biggest, most profitable characters at DC, but also undisputedly the most important and respected by their peers within that fictional universe. Their Marvel analogues are Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Fantastic Four, none of which have been particularly popular with comics fans for decades. So with Marvel you have this disconnect where the company’s most marketable and recognizable characters in the real world are neither respected nor all that particularly important within the fictional universe. In the comics Spider-Man is still thought by many to be a menace, and is also not all that powerful a superhero. The X-Men are feared and hated by humanity, and deal primarily with threats to and problems within the mutant community. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four were always the Superman and Batman of the Marvel U., and until the last couple of years almost nobody in the real world has cared about those comics since the early ‘70’s. So I can completely understand if Marvel wanted to make Spider-Man into a leadership figure within the comics, even if it meant killing off the 66-year-old character who has maintained that role for most of Marvel’s existence. But what seems good for business is not always good for the long-time health of the company, and if this storyline comes to pass I don’t think any good will come of it. Not only would they be killing off one of their oldest and most recognizable characters solely as a plot device, they’d also be thoroughly changing the very nature of their most successful and beloved superhero. I do think that Peter Parker should be allowed to grow and change, and as such it only makes sense that he might eventually grow into being a true leader. I have no problem with him graduating high school, graduating college, getting married, even having a kid. Those things can all happen without fundamentally changing the character. Turning Spider-Man into the most respected hero around, though, would thoroughly negate whatever underdog, normal-guy characteristics he has left. Spider-Man’s greatest strength is how easy it is to relate to him, how he's a normal guy with a semi-shitty life who winds up with these startling and amazing powers, and still has a semi-shitty life afterward. He's the exact opposite of Captain America, who strongly wanted to go fight for his country in World War II, and actively sought out ways to acquire the necessary skills and power after being declaed 4F. Captain America is a career soldier who was turned into a leader through willing experience; Spider-Man is a normal guy trying to make the best of this unusual situation he's been caught up in. In war movies officers are rarely as relatable as the enlisted men. Since relatability is his primary selling point, turning Spider-Man into an officer would be bad business. I really don’t believe this rumor will pan out, especially since the current Marvel administration has been very vocal about how marrying a beautiful and famous model/actress has undermined Parker’s down-to-earth charm. If it does, though, it'll almost be an admission that the Ultimate Spider-Man series has supplanted Amazing as the primary Spidey title within the minds of Marvel's front office.
After being delayed a month, Civil War #4 finally comes out tomorrow. So now we’ll get to see how thoroughly out of character Thor acts, and know if he kills Hercules, The Falcon, (formerly Black) Goliath, or even all three. I’m almost certain Herc will buy it, ‘cuz he’s entirely too fun to let live. Marvel’s not quite as on-point with the anti-fun campaign as their Distinguished Competition, but they still never let any of the good times get anywhere near the center of their current universe. In the same month all the heroes can be hanging out, having a good time at Ben Grimm’s poker night, in the final issue of Slott’s The Thing series, while also trying to literally kill each other in the Mark Millar-penned Civil War, the most important crossover ever, or at least until the next one. I’ve noted here before that I can’t complain too much about the grim’n’grittification of the last two decades, since some of the best comics ever wouldn’t have existed otherwise. Still, the degree to which it has taken over the superhero industry is unfortunate, especially when it leads to stuff like Civil War. The concept is a fine one, and the series itself started off rather well. The problem is that hostilities escalated too quickly and violently for it to make any logical sense based on what we know about these characters and the Marvel Universe. The core ideas and opinions of most of the major characters involved sometimes ring true, but the fighting and, now, lethal force involved is completely out of character for everybody. If Marvel had approached it in a more subtle fashion, and built up to it in the background for the last year or so, then I could understand passions eventually leading to an accidental death or two by the fourth issue of the miniseries. Of course the side responsible for the death should be wracked with guilt with for the rest of the series, the hero responsible scarred for the rest of his life. I seriously doubt that’ll happen, though. Given the tactless, overwhelmingly negative way in which they’ve depicted the pro-registration side and Iron Man in particular, I’d be really surprised if they’re shown with any regret or remorse over whatever death does occur in #4. Also, with how quickly they’ve rushed through this story, I question the creators’ ability and desire to make this death actually have an impact upon the reader.
I’ve read some speculation, which will hopefully remain just that, that Captain America will die and finally force Spider-Man to change to the anti-registration side, which Spidey will come to lead, in the process realizing that he has the ability to inspire and command and basically begin to fill the spiritual figure-head position that Captain America has always filled in Marvel’s superhero community. I’m sure this wouldn’t happen, but who knows, what with these dudes who currently call the shots. It probably makes sense, and would definitely be convenient, to have your most marketable figure be the central focus of your superhero universe. Superman and Batman are not just the biggest, most profitable characters at DC, but also undisputedly the most important and respected by their peers within that fictional universe. Their Marvel analogues are Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Fantastic Four, none of which have been particularly popular with comics fans for decades. So with Marvel you have this disconnect where the company’s most marketable and recognizable characters in the real world are neither respected nor all that particularly important within the fictional universe. In the comics Spider-Man is still thought by many to be a menace, and is also not all that powerful a superhero. The X-Men are feared and hated by humanity, and deal primarily with threats to and problems within the mutant community. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four were always the Superman and Batman of the Marvel U., and until the last couple of years almost nobody in the real world has cared about those comics since the early ‘70’s. So I can completely understand if Marvel wanted to make Spider-Man into a leadership figure within the comics, even if it meant killing off the 66-year-old character who has maintained that role for most of Marvel’s existence. But what seems good for business is not always good for the long-time health of the company, and if this storyline comes to pass I don’t think any good will come of it. Not only would they be killing off one of their oldest and most recognizable characters solely as a plot device, they’d also be thoroughly changing the very nature of their most successful and beloved superhero. I do think that Peter Parker should be allowed to grow and change, and as such it only makes sense that he might eventually grow into being a true leader. I have no problem with him graduating high school, graduating college, getting married, even having a kid. Those things can all happen without fundamentally changing the character. Turning Spider-Man into the most respected hero around, though, would thoroughly negate whatever underdog, normal-guy characteristics he has left. Spider-Man’s greatest strength is how easy it is to relate to him, how he's a normal guy with a semi-shitty life who winds up with these startling and amazing powers, and still has a semi-shitty life afterward. He's the exact opposite of Captain America, who strongly wanted to go fight for his country in World War II, and actively sought out ways to acquire the necessary skills and power after being declaed 4F. Captain America is a career soldier who was turned into a leader through willing experience; Spider-Man is a normal guy trying to make the best of this unusual situation he's been caught up in. In war movies officers are rarely as relatable as the enlisted men. Since relatability is his primary selling point, turning Spider-Man into an officer would be bad business. I really don’t believe this rumor will pan out, especially since the current Marvel administration has been very vocal about how marrying a beautiful and famous model/actress has undermined Parker’s down-to-earth charm. If it does, though, it'll almost be an admission that the Ultimate Spider-Man series has supplanted Amazing as the primary Spidey title within the minds of Marvel's front office.
