It's New Comic Book Wednesday!
Red Lantern #2
From the cover of this issue, you know you are reading a book highly charged with political commentary. When I saw it, I immediately thought "propaganda poster." It has that artistic style, political feel and the simple message. Rage. And in this case, with the arm held high, rage clearly equals power.
SPOILER ALERT: Attrocitus is still feeling the emptiness of his unrealized vengeance and is in pursuit of enacting retribution for those feeling unbridled rage. His memories take him back to Ghan IX where Yeuver militants who came to help the citizens of the homeworld are now fighting against them. In a move to exert their power they gun down some "armed hosiltes" their sensors detected out in the open. Too bad their sensors couldn't tell them the hostiles were children with sticks. The Yeuvers slaughter two of the three children leaving the youngest, a girl, witness to the act and filled with an immense rage of her own. It is this rage that fuels Attrocitus' vengeance, and the memory of his own family's slaughter that is it's origin.
While the political commentary is blatantly obvious to me, I wonder how many readers just don't get the Middle-east parallel. The images, the excuses, the behaviors are all called out in this series. Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking sides here. I understand the complexities of war and the challenges that come along with fighting on a front, but I think all to often we don't see the selfishness, the removal from emotion, and the inappropriate actions that come with killing in the name of oil, or freedom, or peace.
Attrocitus asks many pointed, rhetorical questions as he narrates. "How is one rage be more worthy of another?", "How can one pain be worthy of more retribution?", and "Does rage simply beget more rage?" In the end, because of his nature and his red ring, he decides rage, vengeance and retribution must be enacted for the defenseless, those who cannot act for themselves.
However, I think it is the Yeuvar soldier, facing his own death at the hands of vengeance, who asks the most though-provoking question of all. Here is a man who killed children in the name of war, who recognizes his mistake and understands what Attrocitus is there to do. In one of his final breaths, he asks, "I have a wife and a small daughter. Kill me and you'll be destroying their lives too. Who will be an instrument of justice for them?"
Not to be repetitive, but the art continues to be spectacular, not only for its skill in representing form and shape, but also in the emotion that these images can bring out in the reader. The slaughter of the children is graphic, but the moment where Rixx realizes her rage at the death of her brothers, that rage is clear in every line of the panel. It's truly incredible.
I mostly try to read comics to escape the harsh reality of the world I live in, but it's nice to have examples of comics that challenge the political mainstream, that make the reader think, and that help to show nay-sayers that comics aren't just "kids' stuff." And because we can all identify with rage in one form or another, I'll keep on readin' on.
SPOILER ALERT: Attrocitus is still feeling the emptiness of his unrealized vengeance and is in pursuit of enacting retribution for those feeling unbridled rage. His memories take him back to Ghan IX where Yeuver militants who came to help the citizens of the homeworld are now fighting against them. In a move to exert their power they gun down some "armed hosiltes" their sensors detected out in the open. Too bad their sensors couldn't tell them the hostiles were children with sticks. The Yeuvers slaughter two of the three children leaving the youngest, a girl, witness to the act and filled with an immense rage of her own. It is this rage that fuels Attrocitus' vengeance, and the memory of his own family's slaughter that is it's origin.
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| Yup. Killing those kids. You should be really proud. |
Attrocitus asks many pointed, rhetorical questions as he narrates. "How is one rage be more worthy of another?", "How can one pain be worthy of more retribution?", and "Does rage simply beget more rage?" In the end, because of his nature and his red ring, he decides rage, vengeance and retribution must be enacted for the defenseless, those who cannot act for themselves.
However, I think it is the Yeuvar soldier, facing his own death at the hands of vengeance, who asks the most though-provoking question of all. Here is a man who killed children in the name of war, who recognizes his mistake and understands what Attrocitus is there to do. In one of his final breaths, he asks, "I have a wife and a small daughter. Kill me and you'll be destroying their lives too. Who will be an instrument of justice for them?"
Not to be repetitive, but the art continues to be spectacular, not only for its skill in representing form and shape, but also in the emotion that these images can bring out in the reader. The slaughter of the children is graphic, but the moment where Rixx realizes her rage at the death of her brothers, that rage is clear in every line of the panel. It's truly incredible.
I mostly try to read comics to escape the harsh reality of the world I live in, but it's nice to have examples of comics that challenge the political mainstream, that make the reader think, and that help to show nay-sayers that comics aren't just "kids' stuff." And because we can all identify with rage in one form or another, I'll keep on readin' on.
Stormwatch #2I will continue to follow this storyline, but I'll have to admit, from the get-go of this issue, I felt a little lack-luster. First, I fault myself for not re-reading issue #1 to get me back in line with the story. Second, I fault the story for being a little chaotic to begin with.
SPOILER ALERT: The story starts in chaos as the moon is coming alive and threatening the planet in an effort to "toughen up" the human race. The entity there is invading Harry's mind, unaware Harry is actually invading his. How else could he become more powerful and unseat Adam as the leader of Stormwatch. Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Martian Manhunter and his unconscious cohorts are now trying to recruit BOTH Apollo and Midnighter. I'm not sure how they were so selective with Apollo and then, hey, "Why not join us, Midnighter?"
Stormwatch operates in such secrecy that they frame villains to protect the world from finding out they even exist. No one knows. Even superheroes aren't in on the secret. This intrigues me. They cover up that an alien is targeting Stormwatch and Earth, by alerting the Justice League that some two-bit Fox-faced villain was causing some lunar disturbance. In some instances, they border on the gray zone of villain or hero. How is it OK to frame someone for your own protection.
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Do you know how I know
you're gay, Midnighter? Maybe it's the carbon- armored sheath for your VanDyk. |
The artwork in this series remains on par. It's not the most impressive I've ever seen, but it is FAR from the worst. I'm glad they didn't go with some more graphic style (i.e. I, Vampire). Anything that gets the more mainstream audience on board with the story helps. Maybe by the time they "reveal" they gayness of not one, but two characters, the audience will already be hooked.
I support superheroes, I support teams, and I support the gays. I'll keep supporting this because the story and intrigue keep me wondering. And I'm still hoping to see some hot man-on-man action.
Watch out for this week's mini-digis: Action Comics #2, Green Arrow #2; Huntress #1 and The Last of the Greats #1.
Next week: Batgirl #2, Green Lantern #2, and Superboy #2
All images copyright DC Comics and used under guidelines of Fair Use
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