POBB November 14, 2018

Pick of the Brown Bag

November 14, 2018

by

Ray Tate

Greetings, and Happy Thanks—giving from P. O. B. B.  

A Quatloo for anybody who gets that joke.  My name is Ray Tate, and I’m the Big Guy for the Pick of the Brown Bag.  

This week I look at Detective Comics, Fantastic Four, the Lone Ranger, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man, Red Hood, Supergirl, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, the Unstoppable Wasp and Wonder Woman.  Should these reviews be too much verbiage, you can always check me out on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag.

Continuity is the theme for several subjects this week.   In terms of comic books, continuity means historical consistency.  Detective Comics for example informs the reader about the big bad cult Kobra.

Kobra is so evil that legendary Batman villain Two-Face threw his lot in with the good side of the coin.  After saving the Gotham PD from slaughter, he now teams up with Batman to decimate the forces of Kobra.  Not to be confused with COBRA from G.I. Joe.

The original Kobra both the centerpiece kook and the cult that followed him died.  Shed no tears.  The new serpents follow in the old group’s footfalls: failing with gusto.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll restate.  Every superhero has at least once seen Kobra’s scaly butt as he ran away.  In fact, running away was Kobra’s forte.  His minions flattered him with imitation.  Occasionally they even offed themselves.  That’s why it was so strange when Geoff Johns made Kobra a successful terrorist threat in JSA back in the day.  Kobra brought down the plane? You’re kidding me.  Kobra couldn’t bring down a kite.

Artists Carmine Di Giandomenico and Ivan Plascencia ply their ware before the eyes.  The chapter will work smoothly without words as an action set-piece in a trade collection.  Writer James Robinson’s through exposition about Kobra figures out a way to grant depth to the chapter as a single comic.

Those grokking Kobra’s story won’t mind a brief synopsis.   Everything is new again in the New 52, and we don’t know exactly where to put our stuff on the shelf.

Robinson like Tom King in DC’s flagship book Batman recoups a dollop of past adventures to strengthen the continuity. 

Kobra made an enemy out of Batman in the Bronze Age, where Kobra debuted.  Writers like Kurt Busiek carried over that animosity into the modern age.  

The mention of the Outsiders restores a big chunk of Batman adventures.  Some of the Outsiders’ history cannot count or must be rewritten due to their former links with the Teen Titans.  The Kobra encounters however contradict nothing and now remain intact.

When the smoke clears and Gotham PD round up the Kobra cultists not willing to die for the sake of their god Kali Yuga, Batman deduces a startling development leading to the next issue.  Don’t worry.  I’m certain Kobra will blow it.  Had this been Booster Gold nipping at Kobra’s heels, the result would have still been the same.  Kobra is a self-imploding organization.  It’s what they do best.  Still, it’s so satisfying to see an A-List hero like Batman and an A-List villain like Two-Face beat the crap out these schmucks.

G. Willow Wilson is co-creator and writer of the new and highly successful Kamala Khan.  Alias Ms. Marvel.  Wilson now begins her run on Wonder Woman.  Surprisingly, although she has the cache to do so, Wilson doesn’t start from scratch.

From Wonder Woman #2

In the Golden Age, Ares used to pester Wonder Woman under the guise of his Roman name Mars, but he wasn’t an archenemy.  The Nazis served that purpose.  

Ares became Wonder Woman’s number one mythological foe when George Perez revamped his look.  Post Perez, Ares morphed several times, but Wilson and illustrator Cary Nord and Mick Gray stick with the Perez model and spotlight his love/hate relationship with Wonder Woman. 

Wilson however pulls the continuity from Justice League the Animated Series for Ares’ reintroduction.  In the series, Zeus tasked the Amazons with guarding Hades.  Paradise Island is a prison and passage to Tartarus.  In the latest Wonder Woman, Ares takes the place of Hades, and he serves time with of all people Grail.

Writer Geoff Johns mentions Grail, though not by name, in the New 52 kickoff title Justice League.  Darkseid invades earth in part to look for his daughter.  We learn who she is years later in subsequent issues.

As Wonder Woman progresses, Wilson reinforces the basic mythos with Steve Trevor and Etta Candy.  These versions match the most recent interpretations by Greg Rucka.  Steve and Diana’s relationship synchs with what’s seen in the Wonder Woman film.

If Wilson’s taking things from others’ work and building the story out of a well-used skeleton hanging in the corner, it’s fair to ask what Wilson actually brings to the table.  That’s very easy to answer.  Wilson’s dialogue distinguishes her.  

Right from the start, Wilson uses Grail as a deflection of Ares’ speech and defines Grail as almost too young to be considered evil spawn.  In fact, I would wager when Wilson found out about Grail’s state of affairs, she likely deemed her established presence a handy break.  She wouldn’t need to introduce another character or write Ares talking to himself.  

When Wilson details Steve’s and Wonder Woman’s scenes, they’re filled with playfulness and familiarity.  She furthermore flawlessly introduces a phantasmagoric segue that echoes the doom that always seems to cut Steve Trevor down.  Steve died twice in the history of Wonder Woman.

Wilson’s version of Wonder Woman is awash in experience.  When meeting up with Etta, she acerbically asserts her opinion on shades of gray allegiances, and she presents Diana as above politics.  Wonder Woman always will do the most ethical thing and damn the consequences.

Wilson’s Wonder Woman is in fact the direct opposite of Ms. Marvel.  She’s an adult and acts that way.  In fact, Wonder Woman is more than mature.  She’s eternal, and that gives her a youthful spice mixing with the warrior of old.  She  lacks the hesitation or rashness of a novice hero learning the ropes. Wonder Woman is also more classic than modern.  So, no selfies with Wolverine.

Continuity immediately presents in Supergirl.

Deadpool before Deadpool, Ambush Bug created by Keith Giffen pestered Kara in her last Bronze Age Series The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.  Writer Marc Andreyko restores this continuity to one of DC’s younger New 52 incarnations.  According to text, Kara crash-landed in Siberia well after the Justice League formed.  So between now and then, she met to her sorrow Ambush Bug.

Kara is hunting for the killer of Krypton and who hired him.

Kara uses her Kryptonian abilities in a far subtler way to discern the truth from the lies.  Kara's manipulation has an antecedent.  In The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl teams up with her crazy uncle Batman in tracking down a drug operation that also ties in with the kidnaping of her adopted father Fred Danvers.  

Thanks to Jim Aparo and Cary Burkett, Supergirl used her abilities to become an effective Watson to Batman's Sherlock.

In previous issues, Kara tracked down Rogol Zaar’s bosses to Green Lantern Headquarters.  Gathering knowledge from a dead Guardian of the Universe, she hightails it to an alien-filled dive that lets visiting artist Doc Shaner work his magic.  

The differences between earth and this planet diminish Kara’s powers to create what appears to be an even fight.  Until, Kara pulls out Rogol Zaar’s axe.

There's a lot of surprising things in this scene.  When Supergirl debuted in the New 52 and through most of her existence in the era, her various writers treated her as a newcomer and unexperienced in the field of heroism.  Steve Orlando's Cameron Chase in the most recent run considered her a blunderer requiring guidance.  

Andreyko differs even from Kara's more affectionate premiere writers Mikes Green and Johnson.  He treats Kara as seasoned warrior.  That business with the axe indicates a strong sense of fighting, and he outright states that Supergirl knows Klurkor, the Kryptonian martial arts, as well as Torquasm Rao, the dumber named version of that.  Andreyko thus combines elements from Superman and Supergirl mythology past for a more nuanced Supergirl.

The technique also applies to Krypto.  To be fair, the writers and artists of the New 52 didn't quite know how to approach Krypto.  Happily, the doggie's back and backup for Kara.

My second genuine exposure to the Spider-Geddon is as entertaining as the first.  Spider-Man battles Morlun as expected, but really, it’s the comedy that puts Peter Parker over.  

No villain wants to fight Spider-Man, because he’s just so damn annoying.  Miles Morales guest-stars, and if you’re a villain, Miles is just a little bit easier to take.  Both spiders nevertheless are merciless with their insults.

The Spiders furthermore embarrass the great really white hunter by pulling out some arachnid-based trickery.  The very fact that Spider-Man has the audacity to live is a slight against Morlun.

John Romita Jr. is Morlun's co-creator, and he made Morlun noticeable through art alone.  It wasn't Michael J. Straczynski's characterization of Morlun that fascinated.  He doesn't have any.  Morlun is just plain and simple a physical threat exacerbated by Roita's artwork.

Take Romita away, and Morlun's got nothing to recommend. Sure.  Morlun beats up on the Spiders something fierce, yet you get the sense that Morlun is also a Kobra fan and on a fast train to Loserville.

Reed Richards tricked the Big Bad Griever by suckering her into letting him teleport all of the Fantastic Four, or rather most—Tigra and Thundra happen to be missing.  

The result is a big hootenanny of superhero goodness.  Stalwarts and fan favorite members of the Fantastic Four dispose of the Griever’s servants.  Surprise guests, really dispose of them.

At the same time time, Reed focuses on the main problem.  How do you get rid of a shapelier version of Dormammu and live to tell the tale?

Behind the plot though is the feeling of family.  Writer Dan Slott never forgets that he's writing about a family that hasn't seen each other for the longest time. 

These emotional scenes, embellished as equally well as the fights, by artist Sara Pichelli, Nico Leon and Marte Garcia standout.  They also blend in with the problem solving.

This scene is so insightful.  Franklin is a Spider-Man fan.  It makes sense that Spidey would attempt to pep talk Franklin.  Ben however isn't a Spider-Man fan.  Over the years, he's become warmer to the wall-crawler, but he knows Spider-Man isn't the best person to speechify, especially in this situation.

In the end of course, the FF beat the Griever, and for an encore everybody goes home.  Spoilers I guess. Thanks to the new creative team, The Fantastic Four becomes something that it hasn’t been for a long time.  It’s fun.

Previously in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, writer Ryan North killed Squirrel Girl! You bastard!

Oh, all right then.  So, it seems to be a precursor to a new Skrull Invasion.  Although if true, why did the Squirrel Girl Skrull actually sacrifice herself for the greater good?  So many questions.  Few answered, but this is only the first step in preventing further Skrull damage.

Once Doreen and her friends confirm each other’s identities, it’s off to link up again with Tony Stark, the man you want in your corner when the Skrulls rear their green heads.  If the problem is indeed Skrull-based.

North makes use of Iron Man’s current themes to inject more humor and plot complications to Squirrel Girl.  Indeed, this is one of the rare multi-chapter stories with a problem that can provide fuel for the length.

Along the way, North generates camaraderie between Doreen and Tony.  I’m sure a lot readers thought that this sort of thing would never happen in the pages of Squirrel Girl.  North primarily used Doreen’s offscreen friendship with Iron Man in the same way that Cheers used never-seen but vital characters.

Once Tony and Doreen agree on a codeword, begrudgingly.  The nuts hit the fan and we find the beginnings of a battle royale between Squirrel Girl and a faux Iron Man.

North’s pacing and Derek Charm's outstanding visual narrative demonstrates Squirrel Girl doesn't always need to be a laugh fest to succeed.  The Skrull Invasion offers the reader bona fide drama.  Because Squirrel Girl is on the off beaten track of the Marvel Universe, North unfolds the drama differently, unhurriedly in an organic, original way.

You can primarily find all your laughs in Unstoppable Wasp.  Nadia Van Dyne is the Unstoppable Wasp.  She’s the daughter of Hank and Maria Pym.  Maria was Hank’s first wife, and Janet Van Dyne, Hank’s second spouse, upon meeting the engaging and infectious Nadia, adopted her.

Ostensibly, Unstoppable Wasp is an ensemble of often informative events.  The story begins with Nadia fast asleep describing why caffeine is one of the reasons why life is worth living.

Her companion is Priya, a genius gal, and member of Nadia's scientific collective GIRL.  This is not a clubhouse, but a business backed by Janet meant to counter the deficit of female scientists in the Marvel Universe and an excellent feminist role model.  GIRL's other members include Nadia's best bud from the Red Room Ying and Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird.

If you read the text, you can see that this is not a normal workout.  Ying like Nadia is a genius and trained by Russia to kill.  Fortunately, both defected.  Bobbi's participation may surprise some people, but she was a scientist long before becoming a kickass superhero.

From there, Nadia checks in with the Champions.  I know little about the Champions, but surprisingly, the kids guest-starred in so many places I was bound to find out something about the characters and identify them by sight: Viv Vision and Ironheart.

To this day I couldn't tell you who is in the Imperial Guard, and can name only a handful of X-Men.  Whitley creates a miniature little story within a story, and it won't be the last.  Each of Whitley's and artist Gurihiru's scenes contain multiple dimensions.  For instance, what might have been a throwaway prologue in fact foreshadows Viv Vision's appearance and begins the gag the Pym Family Tree, which happens to include sentient A.I.

Though the Marvel Cinematic Universe differs, Vision relates to Hank Pym through his creation/son Ultron, and the Wasp gave Vision his name, albeit in unwitting and unfriendly circumstances.  I read Tom King's horror story about the Vision and his family, Viv in this scene is absolutely the sweetest.  Nadia's downtrodden attitude can be sourced to the surprise reveal in the previous issue.  This is causing Nadia stress and smacking her to sleep.  Fortunately, her Step-Mom has the cure.

The date night goes splendidly with sly Avengers related asides for older fans, but of course, this takes place when the Ghostbusters disbanded.

Here Whitley introduces one of the most elegant descriptions of Pym Powers that I've ever read.  I must use this phrase as often as I can.  From the dinner and monster battle, the creative team take us to a fun wrestling match between the reformed Grapplers that Nadia had a hand in turning.  The issue could have been a mess.  Instead, it's origami.  It folds in on itself and expands outward.

In Red Hood Jason Todd infiltrates a homey town filled with well wishers that welcome strangers.

Obviously it’s not that simple or placid.  Jason is investigating a criminal organization known as Underlife, and he’s just as confused as anybody else why the trail led him to Appleton, U.S.A.

It astonished me how fast this story played out.  Even for Red Hood and the Outlaws, the reveals came fast.  By page five, you’ll know exactly what’s going on.  I thought for sure that Scott Lobdell would tease things out for at least another issue.  I mean Jason actually arrived in Appleton in the final pages of the last issue.  So, basically, in eight pages, Lobdell drops the hammer, and by page eleven, we get this.

That may look like Golden Age villain Solomon Grundy, but there’s more than meets the eye to his impressive appearance, courtesy of artist Pete Woods.

Perhaps Jason’s surprise guest-star knows more about the false Grundy manifestation.  Let me just say that this is easily her best appearance in any of the Batman Family titles, and that’s because Lobdell approaches the confrontation with humor, casting the guest as a straight man in Jason’s double-act.

  

Tonto is often singled out as a bad representative of Native Americans, as opined by Native Americans.  I've never concurred.  And yeah, I'm just a boring white guy, so this viewpoint could be shaped by ignorance. 

For one thing, except on radio, and in the latest Lone Ranger film, Native Americans portrayed Tonto.  That's a positive.  The way Tonto spoke English seemed to catalyze the disdain.  I suppose you can argue he should have spoken without the pidgin, but I always, always believed that Tonto's speech pattern was distinctive, not because he was stupid,  just an element of characterization.  No more insulting than Xenia Onatopp speaking with a Georgian accent.

I do not appreciate the idea that Tonto served the Lone Ranger as some think.  Though their relationship became ripe for comedic sendup, Tonto and the Ranger were friends and partners, just like Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels.

That said.  Modern-day storytellers often beef up Tonto, and that's good, but they can make Tonto too perfect, at the expense of the Ranger.  The Lone Ranger is the title character.

Tonto's flaws and his trauma dignifies Mark Russell's Lone Ranger.  Tonto is not perfect, and he's as equally not perfect as the Lone Ranger.  These mortal failings allow the duo to form a mutual respect and rework their current problem.

The Ranger and Tonto are investigating murder.  Committed as a rebuke of the Open Range.  Greedy and corrupt land barons are fencing with barbed wire, and killing anybody who might get in their way of massive land grabs.

Despite the historical accuracy and the dark dealings, in tone, The Lone Ranger is a buddy spaghetti western film, complete with the strange humor often framing the more dramatic subjects.  The Ranger and Tonto provide the laughs--from Tonto's outrageous pickle salesman disguise to the Ranger's history of the well he leans agains.  Artist Bob Q helps Russell's aims by bringing a cartoon sensibility to the design of the characters.  This contrasts John Cassaday's realism from days of yore.