Namor is Dead - Does Anyone Know Besides Me?

It was a week ago today that I read Squadron Supreme #1.

As I read it I thought to myself, "This is freakin' HUGE!  This is going to send ripples across the Marvel Universe the likes of which haven't been see in quite some time!"

That was a week ago.  A quiet, frantic-due-to-the-holidays week.  A week of...nothing.

Where were the headlines?  Where was the interview with the writers?  Where was the huge funeral and ceremony befitting the ruler of Atlantis?

There weren't any.  Not even a 21 "Imperius Rex" salute.

But for those who haven't read it, and I've just spoiled it entirely, let's take a step back and see what happened in that fateful Squadron Supreme.

Out of the untold billions who died in the whole "Secret Wars" phenomena, the Squadron Supreme lives, as does Namor, and they are bent on making him pay.  Let's review the players, shall we?

Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk of the late great Earth-31916
Dr. Spectrum, of the late Earth-4290001
Marcus Hilton, Hyperion, of the late Earth-13034
Jeff Walters, Blur, of the late Earth-148611
Zara Shelton, Power Princess, of the late Earth-712

and

Namor, of the Earth that seemed to start it all.

The story begins as the Squadron Supreme renders judgement and passes sentence on Namor.  To quote Hyperion, "We all agree that Namor should pay for what he did--to you...and to this planet all the prior times he attached it.  AND for the threat he continues to pose."  In other words, Namor is to die.

Battle ensues with Namor questioning why he, and his city, are being attacked.  He thinks aloud, "Now I recall talk--of how you'd taken up with other OUTCASTS from MISPLACED realities.  I must say, Hyperion...your actions lack NUANCE from this association."

Then, the punch heard 'round the world.

Namor lands a blow on Hyperion that sends him clean out of the picture and into the position of executioner.

While the members of the Squadron Supreme keep Namor busy, Hyperion uproots the entire city of Atlantis...Namor's world.  Being a gentleman, Hyperion shakes all of the citizenry into the ocean before smashing it into bite size bits of Atlantis.

Namor, enraged, attacks Hyperion and...this is where it happens.  The moment all Namor-haters have looked forward to for ages!  A graphic moment.  A universe changing moment.

The moment where Hyperion decapitates Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

And the artists spare us none of the graphic imagery.

And we find some took pleasure in it while others did not.

But the Squadron Supreme offers no apologies

So, one has to ask, why the lack of press?  He is certainly known the world over.  A brief history shows that Namor (actual name:  Namor McKenzie) debuted in 1939, created by Bill Everett for Funnies, Inc.

In Namor's first comic he is, surprise surprise, an enemy of the US.  His first cover was Marvel Mystery Comics #4.

He was famous.  Here's a synopsis straight from Wikipedia:

Namor was listed as the 88th greatest comic book character by Wizard magazine.  IGN ranked Namor as the 77th greatest comic book hero of all time opining that "With the Atlanteans and X-Men both seeking their place in a dangerous world, Namor's role as leader is more vital than ever", and 14th in their list of "The Top 50 Avengers".  In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Namor as #16 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".

He was also infamous:

It leaves one to wonder if this was, perhaps, a dream sequence, or maybe Namor is joining the "dead only to be reborn" club of superheroes?  Or, maybe, I was the only one that got the comic where Namor died.  In the comic everyone else got, he lived.

WHY DIDN'T THIS CAUSE MORE RIPPLES IN THE COMIC BOOK OCEAN???

I mean, no matter what you thought of Homo Mermanus he deserved a better send-off than this.  Marvel should have, and still can, make this a book deal.  If they don't they're leaving money on the table.

Let me end with a more important question, however.  Can we expect more things like this to come of the Squadron Supreme and other areas of the Marvel Universe?  Are we now solving the "Should Superheroes Kill?" question?  Should there be other villains, or heroes, put out to pasture?  (OK, that's 3 questions).  I, for one, would not be opposed.

As a matter of fact, I have a list of people I think should go the way of Namor and his head....

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The Court of Owls - The Good, The Bad, and The Reality

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime.
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed.
Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send the Talon for your head.

The Good

Perhaps one of the most intriguing cabals in all of comics, the Court of Owls perches...well...inside Gotham City.  No, I mean it.  INSIDE Gotham City.  In the walls, between the floors in hotels...THAT inside.  But you already knew that.

The Court of Owls has existed since colonial times (back in the 1600's for those who are history challenged) in Gotham City.  Overall, their jobs seem pretty simple.  Go to the circus, kidnap some high flying performers, and then train them to kill people as Talons.  It's good work if you can get it.

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capello the Court of Owls is first mentioned in Batman #2 (2011) and make their first appearance in Batman #5 (as part of the New 52).

If you are following the members of the Batman family, you will find that the Court of Owls is back in action against the "Robins".  Yes, all of them, including the ones who died and came back to life and the ones who think they are Robin from "We Are Robin" fame.  I fully suspect that "We Are Robin" will be followed by other "We Are" campaigns including "We Are Tonto" and "We Are Bucky".  You can even try it yourself.  Just follow the "We Are (name your favorite sidekick)" format.

The Bad

Let's face it, as villains go this is about as scary as it gets.  These are the rich and wealthy hiding behind masks and carrying out theft and murder at their discretion.  This isn't some fictional scaly crocodile person, or a person with a muzzle and a backpack full of steroids that breaks bats, or even some purple suited, white faced, killer clown.  This is the person next to you on the train, your neighbor, your co-worker.  It's anyone.

This is the villain you don't see coming.  The ones you can't fight because you can't see, or even find, them.

It's like the difference between "Jaws" and "The Crazies".  I don't get scared of Jaws because I'm not a big beach goer and I don't have much to fear in my home of a rabid shark.  An unseeable bacteria that you get from drinking water that turns people into killers?  That bothers me a little bit.

The Reality

Is the Court of Owls really fictional?  Sure, I can't prove that some of the rich and wealthy in the world wear owl masks behind the scenes, but who knows?  What I do know is that you read about political killings all the time, covert operations by the government seem commonplace, and my security clearance isn't even high enough to know what my wife's making for dinner.

The fact is, history is littered with people and families that could have been the precursors to the Court of Owls.  For all I know they could be more of a metaphor than a villain in a comic book.

Fiction or Reality?  A little of both?  No matter what they are, the Court of Owls is one of my favorite threats to the Batman family.  If you want more pics check out my Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/comicwhisperer/the-court-of-owls/

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The Darkseid War - Johns and Manapul are Brilliant

It's not too late.  If you haven't picked up all of the issues of Justice League: Darkseid War, drop everything and go get all the issues right now.  I'm serious...right now.

Go ahead...I'll wait.

You're back already?  Excellent!

Now that you have them, read them.  That's right, go ahead.  Nothing I have to say could top this type of storytelling.

Are you finished?  Awesome, right?

Now I have a question:  Does Geoff Johns EVER run out of good ideas?

Frankly, his writing, and the superb artistry of Francis Manapul, have given me hope that we are heading back to the old days of comic book writing.  You remember those days, right?  When the story telling was so powerful that the anticipation of upcoming issues was enough to give you a brain aneurysm?

For those who haven't read it, it can be summed up in a couple of DC Universe shattering sentences:

Darkseid dukes it out with the Anti-Monitor.  Darkseid loses.  Heroes become Gods.  Flash becomes death.  We find out Wonder Woman is a man.  (OK, so I lied on the last one, but how do you follow up a sentence like "Flash becomes death?").

For those of you without a scorecard here is the current state of things:

The Flash is now the "God of Death" (with an insanely cool costume)

Batman is now the "God of Knowledge" (he's also the new owner of the Mobius Chair much to Metron's dismay)
Superman is the "God of Strength"
Shazam is now the "God of Gods"
Green Lantern is now the "God of Light"
and Lex Luthor is the "God of Apokolips"

Wonder Woman remains a woman
Mr. Miracle is on more covers than when he had his own series
and Big Barda reminds us how she is a one woman wrecking squad.

And it all started with an Amazon no one seems to have heard of having Darkseid's child.

If all of this doesn't intrigue you, you should really be on an anti-depressant.

In the most recent issue Geoff and Francis leave us with Darkseid's child, Grail, who has taken possession of the Anti-Life equation and becomes, "Grail, Goddess of Anti-Life".

This is what comic books are all about...legendary storytelling that MAKES you want to talk about it.

I'm not talking about the Joker escaping Arkham for the 750th time or Thanos gaining complete control over every molecule in the universe at least once a quarter, I'm talking real storytelling.

This is the two most powerful villains in the DC Universe duking it out with one of them getting killed (even if the death may only be temporary)!

This is the Flash combining with the Black Racer to become Death!

This is Lex Luthor pretending to be Superman and becoming the God of Apokolips!

This is Batman in the Mobius Chair telling his unflinching version of the truth and almost coming to blows with Green Lantern who is the new God of Light!

This series also has spin-offs, as one would suspect, and each character is going to have a mini-series about what happens with them.  My guess would be that the unmatchable storytelling will continue throughout all of them.

It's fascinating, man/woman has been telling stories since time began and it hasn't changed much.  Stories on cave walls depict the great hunts and drawings on scrolls depict the efforts of people trying  to capture what the gods look like.  And here we are in 2015, still telling stories of hunts, kills, and trying to capture the look of the gods.  The only difference is that no one thought of spin-off caves or variant cover papyrus.

This series is well worth picking up and I highly recommend its purchase.  The reason, however, is not that it will skyrocket in worth or that it's a #1 or that it has great variant covers.  It's because this is storytelling at its finest.  You not only WANT to read the story, you CAN'T WAIT for the next issues to come out!

Now go to your local comic books shop, put these on your pull list, and tell them The Comic Whisperer sent you!


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What Exactly is a “Comic Whisperer?”

This has been quite the month for The Comic Whisperer.  The blog is now getting over 25,000 views monthly and the Facebook page and Twitter page are growing faster than ever.

One other thing that is growing faster than ever is the pile of messages asking, “What exactly is a COMIC WHISPERER?”  So, in an effort to explain this you’ll need to be bored a little with my background.

Hence, for your eyes only, here is a brief background that would be included in a biography about me if one were being written.

When it comes to comic books, my love for them spans almost 50 years.  

My earliest memories are of seeing wild comic books running on my uncle’s ranch.  There I would spend countless hours observing the behavior of the comic books, whether they were alone or in packs.  My obsession didn’t end there however.  

I started watching endless hours of TV and movies that featured highly trained comic books.  By my teens I knew exactly what industry I wanted to be in...pharmaceutical sales.  BUT my love for comics continued.

Putting everything on the line I moved to Connecticut and opened a shop specializing in the breeding, grooming, and training of comic books.  As my skills grew I took on the challenge of rehabilitating aggressive and hard to handle comic books.  My groundbreaking work is not mandatory reading in any learning institutions anywhere.

Now, almost 50 years later, it is agreed by 4 of the 5 voices in my head (the last voice was absent the day the vote took place) that I am the world’s undisputed comic book expert.  

I swear when I am appraising a comic book that I can hear them speaking to me.

I have no idea what biographer they didn’t pick to write this book, but I hear they were a very experienced writer.

So, the mystery is no more and the light of truth has shown upon you.  I look forward to you pretending to enjoy what I write!


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Remember When Movies and Comics Focused on Quality Not Demographics?

Recently there was an article published on comicbookresources.com and here is the title:

“Wonder Woman” Will Bring Women To Superhero Movies, Says Time Warner CEO

And when the most recent Fantastic Four movie catastrophe came out there was an article published on comicbook.com entitled:

Fantastic Four: Why Casting A Black Actor As The Human Torch Might Make A Movie Better

And then there are the lures set out for teens, like this one from birthmoviesdeath.com:

DC Decides Superheroes Are For Girls Too

The byline on this one spells things out bluntly:

The comic company launches a multimedia attempt to capture the teen girl market

And the list goes on and on about how movies and comics, by targeting a certain demographic or choosing the right ethnic group, will now rake in millions where prior it was doomed to failure.  This may work for cigarettes and clothing, but it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” rule.

I’ll spell it out for all the Harvard Business Masters and Doctorate recipients who can’t get it on their own.

1.)  Women currently make up 51% of the comic reading population.  
2.)  As a matter of fact, data shows that men make up the majority of comic book readers until they reach their 50’s, then women make up the majority of the readers.  
3.)  If you look at ethnicity Hispanics take the prize with the most readers, followed by Asian Americans, and then African Americans.  

(All information gleaned from www.graphicpolicy.com which covers the numbers behind comic books.)

So what does it all mean?  Whatever you want it to.  I could us it to prove that as women get older they are more likely to read comic books, I could try to prove that male and female readership relies heavily on the “generation” they were born in, or I could use common sense and toss all of this information out the window.

What about the demographics are they clearly missing?  (These answers are courtesy of me and a whole lot of common sense.)

Before we get to that, however, let’s look at the generations previously referenced as I will be using them in the upcoming paragraphs:

          1927 - 1945:          Silent Generation or Traditionalists           
                                        (currently 70 - 88 years old)
          1946 - 1964:          Baby Boomers                                               
                                        (currently 51 - 69 years old)
          1965 - 1983:          Generation X or the Busters                        
                                        (currently 32 - 50 years old)
          1984 - 2002:          Generation Y or the Millenials                    
                                        (currently 13 - 31 years old)
          2003 - ?:                Generation Z or the Digital Generation     
                                        (currently up to 12 years old)

It appears to me that the ones with the most expendable income for comic books, comic movies, comic collections, etc. are Baby Boomers or Gen X’ers.  They are also the ones that make up a significant part of the parenting group.  Keep this in mind as we move on to the “Ages” of comic books:

          1500s - 1828:          The Pioneer Age of Comics
          1883 - 1938:            The Platinum Age
          1646 - 1900:            Also known as the “Victorian Age”
          1938 - 1945:            Golden Age
          1946 - 1956:            Atom Age
          1956 - 1970:            Silver Age
          1970 - 1984:            Bronze Age
          1980 - 1987:            Also known as the “Iron Age"
          1984 - 1992:            Copper Age
          1992 - Present:       Modern Age

You will see that the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are getting their first comics in the Golden Age of Comics.  They are now the ones talking to their kids about comics, spending their time watching superhero movies together with their kids and some of them even own comic book stores.  In other words, the groups of people who were introduced to comics in their Golden Age are now the ones that are guiding the opinions of their children in regard to comics, controlling the drawing, editing, distribution and buying and selling of comic books.

Wow!  Two HUGE generations of people coincidentally come to being in the Golden Age of Comics and live through the subsequent ages to today.

I can hear your thoughts, “Amazing!  The comic industry has a huge chance here!  Don’t they?  I mean, it seems like they might...wait....I don’t know what you want me to say...”  It’s OK, let me help by telling you that if you had people who LOVED comics at the head of the companies you would be right.  But you don’t.  You have “business people” who only see dollar signs.

Getting away from the demographic nonsense and back to increased revenue lies in the form of a question.

“What was it that attracted you to comics and made you want to read and collect them?”


If the buyers/collectors were honest, they would admit the following truths:

     -The genders had NOTHING to do with your purchase.  My guess is that in your youth you could tell me how many male and female characters there were, but it had NOTHING to do with your concern for diversity.  It’s because there were barely more than 50 superheroes in existence.

     -The ethnicity had NOTHING to do with your purchase.  I would bet a substantial sum of money that when “Black Lightning” was introduced you didn’t think, “Finally!  An African-American character!”  You said, “Wow, he is so cool!” And, do me a favor, save all of your racist arguments for some other blog.  I don’t entertain such things here.

If the publishers were honest, they would admit the following truths:

     -Ethnicity and gender were only considered to make sure no one was offended.  For instance, Stan Lee was concerned about the color of the Hulk because he didn’t want anyone to feel offended.  The Hulk’s color had more to do with ink issues and being offensive than sales dollars.

     -Their concern was making sure they kept the reader interested, not represented.  At the end of many books from the Silver Age you can read their previews of upcoming editions bragging about what was coming next and any new character or storyline introductions.  There was a pride in writing comics and a desperation to please the reader that showed through.


So, why is it that companies are focusing more on demographics, even if it means letting quality slide?   It’s because they have made the choice to reduce creativity and development in order to make sure that everyone is happy and represented, including all ages, ethnicities, religions, genders, species, hairstyles, etc.  In the short run this may seem like a good idea, but in the long run it’s a loser every time.  The reason is simple, if you try to please everyone then you’re not going to make anything that is honestly yours.

Now, let’s get back to the question that led us here:

Remember When Movies and Comics Focused on Quality Not Demographics?

Yes, I do.

I remember WANTING to see what happens next, to the point of getting anxiety as the release date moved closer.  Now, Marvel is starting to ask a sad question at the end of its books:  “You Want To Know What Happens Next?”.  It’s sad not only because it’s a dumb question, but also because I no longer know if I want to.

I’m not the sharpest axe in the shed, but I do know that there are certain things that need to be considered now that didn’t matter as much back then.  I  know that if large enough groups of readers start to drop their subscriptions it could mean trouble.  I also know that in this litigious society there are dangers that weren’t as...well....dangerous as they were back then.

I also know that there are large groups of us who grow tired of Civil War II (Oh, you didn’t know this was coming?  Well it is....), Contest of Champions II, Secret Wars II, Batman vs. Superman for the 300th time, seeing a new Batsuit every comic, and on and on.  What happened to originality?  It met diversity.

Do an exercise with me for just a minute.  Humor me.

Sit back and think for a minute of when you were much younger.  Remember how excited you got to buy the next comic in your favorite series.  You went to the closest store, spent your last cent, and tore into that comic like it was a candy bar.  You read through with reckless abandon, not caring about creases and tears, and gasped in awe as you read the ending.  Your next stop was your best friend’s house to talk about what happened and talk about how you would have done it.  Then the bad news...you had to wait another week to see what happened next.  Life was so unfair!!!

Do you remember that?  If you’re looking to increase sales don’t worry about markets or demographics, worry about bringing back that feeling.  The first step:  divide up the grad students you have working for you (who have never read or had interest in a comic book) into groups of 10.  Replace each group with 1 person whose love for comics surpassed everything else when they were younger.  Step two:  let the artists and writers keep their characters and give them more artistic license.  Give those two steps 6 months, then we’ll move on to step 3.

I want to end with a saying that is not mine, it’s by someone named “Anonymous”.  He/She has written alot of pieces that I like:

Work for a CAUSE, not APPLAUSE.  Live life to EXPRESS, not to IMPRESS.  Don’t strive to make your presence NOTICED, just make your absence FELT.

Are you listening publishers?


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3 Reasons the World Needs Superheroes!

Probably one of the biggest questions I get asked is, “Why comic books?  There are thousands of literary masterpieces for you to enjoy, there are more classic movies than you could enjoy in 10 years time and, let’s face it, comic books are for kids, aren’t they?”

It’s a fair question.  Frankly, if you look at my office it does look like the bedroom of a 10 year old child with the way it’s decorated with comic book memorabilia.

But as you and I know, it’s more than just about comic books.  It’s about the artwork, the storylines, and the role comic books have played in the history of our country.

But mostly it’s because now, more than ever, we need superheroes.

The response then is, “We need superheroes?  What do you mean?  Why?”

Here are the Top 3 Reasons that the World Needs Superheroes:

1.)  There’s Someone For Everyone:

At last count there were somewhere around...well...I don’t really know how many superheroes there ever were or are today.  Let’s just say there’s been alot of them and there still are.  The point of this imprecise measurement is that, if one looks carefully, there is a superhero to which each of us can relate to.  For instance, I have a friend of mine who simply loves Batman.  He likes the mystery, the goth look and the attitude of “The Bat”, along with the fact that he has no superhuman abilities but is one of the most respected of the DC Universe.  The fact is Batman and my friend are nowhere near the same in look, attitude, tenacity, “gothness”, physique, etc.  But that’s the beauty of it.  You don’t have to be the hero to want to model them or to have your own “inner Batman”.  The bottom line is that there is someone for everyone to enjoy, want to model themselves after, and admire.  Even if you’re a dog.

2.)  You Can Be That Hero:

I know what this sounds like and, no, I don’t mean that you should put on a cape and jump off a 20 story building thinking you can fly.  What I mean is that the role-playing games, the ability to have a costume shipped to your door for a costume party or ComicCon, and video games allow you to enter the world of your favorite heroes.  Games like HeroClix where you can actually collect your favorite heroes and villains to fight against one another, or like FutureFight where you do the same thing but on your iPhone or iPad in a virtual world, or, perhaps the most fun, is dressing up and going to a ComicCon for people too look at you like you’re the actual character.

Here are Nick Fury and the Winter Soldier at Rhode Island ComicCon in 2015.

Some may laugh at this part, but even the “jocks” of the world go in search of their favorite players playing card, set up simulated teams in Fantasy Football and wear their sports hero's jersey.  The only difference is that their heroes are in sports where ours are in comic books.

It’s been studied, and been found to be a fact, that there is a psychological benefit to being able to step away from reality, even for just a short period of time, and to try to forget our stresses for awhile.  What better way to do that than to dress as your favorite character who you’ve watched in comic books for years.  Add to that the number of people who ask to have their pictures taken with you while in costume.  It makes you just feel good.

3.)  We Just Don’t Have That Many People To Look Up To Anymore:

I am going to upset alot of people with this section, so read at your discretion.  This is the only warning you will get.

As a kid it seemed like we had so many more people to look up to.  President’s of the US seemed a little more honest.  Football players weren’t caught with drugs or assault and battery as much.  You weren’t always hearing about scandals in corporations, or at least not as many, as you do today.  There were a couple of movie stars that seemed to have some redeeming qualities.  The list goes on and on.  I remember having a bunch of people I looked up to, admired, and wanted to model myself after.  Today I couldn’t name one.

There are two basic reasons that we don’t have as many role models as we did before.  The first is what programmers call “feature creep".  What this means in technical terms is that a project starts with a certain number of features that need to be built in but, as time goes on, people want more features added on for no additional price.  How does that fit into role models?  It’s simple.  We find someone we like and would be a potentially good role model.  Then you find out "he smoked pot in college".  Is that really so bad?  I mean, they don’t do it anymore and they have many more redeeming qualities than bad ones, so smoking pot isn’t so bad...or is it (here is that feature creep.  he was OK at first, but now another quality has ‘crept in’)?  Didn’t you just compromise on your principles?  It’s easier to compromise than to look for a new role model, right?  Now, let’s say that same person also cheated on his wife.  But since then he has reformed his ways and donated 100 libraries across the country.  Now is he still role model material?  Sure, he cheated on his wife, but he’s reformed and, thanks to him, millions can read!  Are there extra tidbits of knowledge changing your view on your “role model”?  So, reason one that we don’t have many role models is that it’s too easy to justify why a person can have a fault we wouldn’t normally accept.

The second reason is the most simple.  There just aren’t many people who deserve the status of role model.  Here’s a conversation I had with a 6 years old once after a State of the Union Address by the President.  The little boy started with, what I thought, was a simple question.  I was dead wrong...

“What is he looking at all the time.  Shouldn’t he be looking at the camera?”

“He’s looking at a teleprompter.  It tells him what to say.”

“Doesn’t he already know what to say?  He knew he was going to be on TV.”

“Well, yes, but he wants to make sure he says the right words.”

“So, they aren’t his words, they are the right words.”

“Well, it’s not that simple, but yes.”

“So, the speech isn’t his?”

“Not usually, he has a speechwriter.”

“Why doesn’t the speechwriter say it?”

“Because it’s the President’s job.”

“With the speechwriter’s words?”

“Um, don’t I hear your mom calling you?”

It wasn’t too long ago that people were who they were.  They meant what they said, they said what they meant, and it was easy to point out true blue heroes in your own eyes.

Then there’s the reason that makes me want to hurl.  They are worth too much revenue to someone for them to be taken from the limelight.  So, no matter what crap they pull, it’s overlooked.  ‘Nuff Said.

So, to get back to the question proposed in the beginning...why do we need superheroes?  We need them because...well....we need heroes.  Now more than ever.  In an age where trusting someone gets harder and harder, where integrity has a dollar sign, and you can no longer answer a small child’s relatively simple questions about why things are the way they are, we need heroes.

Tell me that the world doesn’t need a Superman or a Captain America right now.  People whose only reasons for doing anything is just because it’s the right thing to do.  Not for money or prestige or to be the highest paid superhero on the block.  They simply do things because they want to do the right thing.

We could use a few people like that, don’t you think?

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4 Reasons Why Ant-Man is the Best Superhero Movie to Date

Ant-Man is the type of movie I could watch over and over and over again.  As a matter of fact, I have.  I’ve just completed my fourth viewing with my son last night.  

So, why the repeats?  Don’t I have anything better to do?  Yes, I do.  The problem is that this is the best superhero movie made to date!  I feel obligated to watch it over and over.  I do have my reasons for this irrational viewing schedule and here are 4 of them (in no particular order):

1.)  This is a breakout performance for Paul Rudd:

I’m a fan of Paul Rudd.  Not a huge fan, but a fan nonetheless.  He is remarkably funny and seems to be riding the rocket to fame due to his...well....funniness.  So, when I saw that he was cast in this, what I perceived to be, serious part I thought the movie was doomed.  Sure, there are superheroes that have made funniness the keystone of their popularity (such as Deadpool), but Ant-Man isn’t one of them.

I’m thrilled to report that I was dead wrong in thinking he was a poor decision.

Although the brilliant writers for this movie inserted many a humorous spot in the movie, Paul Rudd made them all the more funny.  Then, adding the antics of Michael Peña, you had what turned out to be a fantastic duo.  Who’d have guessed?  Apparently, the casting crew did.  Paul’s performance seems to have increased the variety of roles he can play in future movies.

2.)  The Special Effects:

This reason has an exception to it.  I was impressed by all the special effects in the MOVIE.  The odd thing is that the worst special effect was the movie PHOTO they are using for iTunes:

It looks great from far away, but as you step closer it looks doctored.

The head looks like it was photoshopped onto the body.  Now, whether it was or it wasn’t isn’t the point.  The point is it LOOKS like it was.  Some of you may disagree, but it leads me to wonder why they would spend so much time and money on special effects only to have a promo photo look crappy.  Anyway, let’s get away from the negative and focus on the positive.

The special effects in this movie are only rivaled by those used in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Whether Paul was riding an ant, floating on a raft of ants, or having Thomas the Tank Engine jettison from his second floor window, these were easily some of the best special effects I have ever seen.

(Thomas the Tank Engine was played by this little boy in the movie.  It’s hard to see the little boy in this picture because of the superb tailoring of the costume, but if you squint a little bit you can kind of see him.*)

All kidding aside, my hat is off again to Paul Rudd, and all the actors and actresses, who had to do their parts with nothing else on the set but blue screen.  In interviews with actor and actresses that have done parts such as this they all say how difficult it can be not only in speaking, but also in having the proper head and eye movements and appropriate body positioning.

3.)  Anyone can enjoy this movie:

The overall view of comic books, and the stories therein, has changed dramatically since I was a kid (and that’s a long time ago, you know...when rocks were still soft.)  Comic books weren’t so mainstream and they weren’t easy to come by.  You saw them in the corner pharmacy or market, but there were no stores that handled ONLY comic books.  It was also a time where comic books were meant for kids only.  The only time you ever saw an adult with a comic was if they were bringing it home for their kid(s) (or at least that was their excuse).  So, if a comic book movie came out back then it would be attended strictly by parents who were 'taking their kids'.   Nowadays it’s different.   With ComicCons, adult storylines, advanced special effects, many new characters, etc. it’s no longer just a kids thing.

In this day and age there are kids and adults who have their favorite characters, with each generation wanting to see the movies for different reasons.  It’s also a great way for parents to hang out with their kids.  The point is, even if you aren’t a fan of superheroes, this is a great movie.  Consider also the fact that this movie is really a standalone movie.  In other words, you don’t have to see ANYTHING else than this movie to understand it; there’s no cliffhanger ending that forces you to see the next one or a vague beginning where you had to have read 10 comics to understand where Ant-Man came from.  It’s just a great movie all by its lonesome.

4.)  Ant-Man is Cool!  (I’d say “Again” but I didn’t think he was cool to start with..):

Ant-Man was introduced in Tales to Astonish #27 in January of 1962 (hence the humor when, in the movie, there was a reference to Ant-Man not being some fictional “Tale to Astonish”, but I’m sure you caught it.)  He was just basically a guy who could shrink.  Big whoop.  He could talk to ants.  Another big whoop.  In addition, the other person who played Ant-Man in the comics was Hank Pym who was a mental train-wreck, a genius, and a wife-beater.  Sure, he was a co-founder of the Avengers, but his star wasn’t rising anytime soon.  Ant-Man was just not interesting or ‘heroic’.

In comes the movie.

Paul Rudd, as stated before, does an outstanding job playing Ant-Man.  His supporting cast is amazing.  The special effects and the costume designed for him were incredible.  Most importantly, he showed WHY Ant-Man is a superhero that can take on the likes of the Falcon and Yellowjacket.  It’s a transformation that had Marvel give him his own comic book, appearances in several other titles, people dressing up as him at ComicCons and the making of another Ant-Man movie.  

Now the real question is, “Is the bandwagon big enough to hold all the Ant-Man fans?”.  Personally, I love it.  Anyone starting to enjoy comic books and their characters is welcome in my home.  The part that gets me, though, is the person who says, “Ant-Man was always my favorite superhero.”  Ummm, yeah, OK.  I think it’s great that you have a newfound love of Ant-Man (as I do too) but let’s not go overboard.  I’ve been collecting, buying, selling and appraising for the better part of 45 years and, prior to the movie, I had never heard ANYONE even put Ant-Man in their top 50 favorite heroes.  

All that being said, I’m a convert.  The movie was EXTREMELY well done and broke through all the mental barriers I had about Ant-Man.  And, to all of you who have found a place for Ant-Man in your collections, or you just love the movies, I’m glad you did/do.  There’s always room for another comic book/comic character fan.  I hope to meet you one day.

Oh, one more thing, was I the only one who thought of a list of jobs for the ants around my house?  Fixing the screen door, folding the laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, getting rid of the ants in my kitch....

* - I was kidding.  There was no little boy playing Thomas the Tank Engine in the movie and there is no little boy in this photo either, so stop squinting.

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Klaus #1 - By BOOM! Studios! - A Review of the Highly Anticipated Title

I can’t think of many comics that have been anticipated as much as this one has...at least in the circles I hang out with.  Even when I went in to pick up my copy yesterday there was someone asking if they could order it or, if by some fluke, there was one in the back room.  He couldn’t and there wasn’t.  The gentleman was not happy.

So, why the anticipation?  It’s hard to say as I have heard a number of reasons.  One is that Grant Morrison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Morrison is part of the project.  Take a look at the link next to his name and you’ll see why.  That is to say nothing of the illustrative genius of Dan Mora.  Currently working on the hit series “Hexed” he is clearly one of the up and coming superstars in the ranks of the illustrators.  This comic has a style all its own and the artwork is a big piece of that style.

The second is that it is supposed to be based on the origin of Santa Claus based on Viking Lore and Siberian Shamanism.  So, this isn’t your typical ‘Rankin Bass’ production (the older folks in the crowd will get this joke).  Klaus obviously hits the gym, has the ‘Mountain Man’ facial hair, and is accompanied by a wolf named “Lilli”.  This isn’t your dad’s Santa Claus.

Last, it has the marketing draw by being a limited series.  Part of what you learn in Marketing 101 in college is that anything that has a limited number is automatically more valuable than something you can get anywhere at any time.  “Klaus” is a 6 issue series and, by the looks of the first issue, it won’t be easy to wait for upcoming issues.

Wow, all of this and we didn’t even get to the storyline yet.

Let’s get started:

Klaus: How Santa Claus Began appears to be set in the distant past.  Although it doesn’t give any specific years, it is clear that it wasn’t in the past 10 years.  I deduced this through the following:

     -Klaus is dressed in animal pelts, is not clean shaven, and seems to be lacking a smartphone.
     -All payments are done through the bartering of animal pelts, food, or some other form of trade.
      No one takes Apple Pay.
     -The spoiled brat (which we will address a little later) is disappointed with a toy.  I noted with a          
      keen eye that the toy required no batteries, didn’t plug in, and had no wireless functionality.
     -Lastly, the most advanced weapons were spears and swords and there was a distinct lack of  
      atomic colliders.

In other words, it was a perfect setting.  One which requires us to use our imagination.  Now, lets get serious.

The story starts with Klaus (as of right now we don’t know if that’s a first name, last name or only name) visiting a town that had welcomed him in the past.  The town, the town of Grimsvig, appears to have changed dramatically since Klaus’ last visit.

     -Strangers are no longer welcomed.
     -Old Man Gunderson, who used to run the bar, is now gone because he “said the wrong thing one
      too many times.”
     -Food is scarce and the Ale is watered down.
     -Children are no longer allowed to have toys or play in the street.  Even a stone is considered a toy
      and confiscated.

There is also a power structure in town that frowns upon change that would favor anyone but them.  They are Lord Magnus and Lady Dagmar and their spoiled brat of a son (and presumed ruler), Jonas. You will despise them almost immediately to the credit of Morrison and Mora.

Without being a spoiler to those of you who have not purchased and/or read it yet, Klaus is deemed “not welcome” by the leadership.  In a scene similar to “Goodfellas”, Klaus is walked out of town by a group of guards intent on killing him.  This being the Norse version of ‘taking someone for a ride’.  The result is that it doesn’t work out as well as the guards had hoped and Lilli get’s some much needed playtime.  You’ll have to read it from there to see what happens next.

The writing is outstanding in the way that it defines each character from the start.  There are no punches pulled with Klaus being called “Wild Man” by some members in the town, the first time you see Jonas he is smashing a “Yuletime” present that took the town craftsmen all year to make, children are openly beaten in the streets, and the leadership loves no one but themselves.  As character development is crucial to any story it is not always a good idea to try to rush through this part in the first issue.  It was clearly a good idea with Klaus.

The artistry clearly takes on life of its own in Klaus.  The reader feels the cold temperature, the isolation of the town, and the utter hopelessness of trying to take on the wilds on your own.  On one page you are just walking with Klaus and hearing his thoughts, the next you’re in a town fraught with danger, then you’re in a fight scene that involves a wolf and, toward the end, you are traveling with Klaus through what could only be called a technicolor dream.  Whereas some panels are restricted to 3 very bland colors the dream is like an acid flash from the 70’s, displaying every color imaginable.  Klaus seems to try every visual trick imaginable to keep the reader entranced.

There was one thing that struck me hard, however, and that was the similarity between this story and the story of “The Burgermeister Meisterburger” from 40 years ago (seen here http://christmas-specials.wikia.com/wiki/Burgermeister_Meisterburger).  It also had no kids being allowed to play in the streets, toys being confiscated, strangers being unwelcome and food being scarce.  I was almost turned off that it so closely resembled that Christmas special from my youth.  Then I thought about it.  The legends, upon which these stories are based, probably don’t change much in their foundation.  In other words, if I took every version of this story told through the years, I probably wouldn’t see too many variations in the core of the story.  The difference in the stories we hear today about Santa Claus, then, could only be in the interpretations of the characters and the variations on the plot line.  Issue solved, case closed.

The bottom line is that the origin of Santa Claus is a tale told dozens of times in dozens of ways...but this one is different.   This one takes a step away from the “cutesy” approach and dares to look at a variation that’s a little more feral.  Whether you are a fan of solid story writing or an admirer of artwork, or maybe even just someone who loves the origins of myths and legends, Klaus is a must have.

So, put on a fur lined coat, build a fire, snuggle up with your German Shepherd/Siberian Husky (or other wolf variant), chomp on some beef jerky and read Klaus.  It’s a great way to spend a winter’s night.

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