Man of Steel: Review (Spoilers)

The newest spin on America's First Superhero hit movie theaters this month, and I must say: for a movie about a flying man, it was actually very grounded. At first, I was wary of a more serious, modern take on Superman. Less color, less whimsy, no Lex Luthor, no Jimmy Olsen, and no underpants on the outside! For shame! And did we really need another origin reboot? But like any legend or folktale, whether it's told via oral tradition, serialized print, or hi tech filmmaking, Superman must change with the times. He must reflect the changing needs of both storytellers and audiences. The character's heart is so embedded in our collective consciousness that no matter how many details change, Superman will always remain, well, super.

In Man of Steel, we see an updated version of Superman's origin. Of course, all the familiar elements are still there: "Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, the baby Kal-El was found and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kansas. Now an adult, Clark Kent fights for Truth, Justice & The American Way as... SUPERMAN!" Perhaps now we should just say he fights for "The Humanitarian Way," as this movie boldly asserts.

This particular film had a clear focus on Clark's conflict of identity. Is he a human or an alien? He was blessed to have two sets of parents who believed he could be the best of both worlds. However, he was not Krypton's only survivor, as the militant General Zod and his army also escaped Krypton's destruction by their imprisonment in the extra-dimensional Phantom Zone. Upon their escape, they set designs on Earth as the location for New Krypton, hoping to succeed where Clark had "failed"  in reconceiving the race by the use of their artificial birthing technology, the codex. As Clark discovers more and more of his alien roots, he is encouraged by his adoptive father to resist the overt demonstration of his superpowers, but Zod & company have no such moral imperatives, and their arrival on Earth forces Clark out of hiding. In a very dramatic fashion, this film positioned Clark as Earth's only line of defense against these powerful alien conquerors.

That Clark would choose to defend his adopted planet at the cost of resurrecting his homeworld spoke volumes to his character. Krypton seemed to represent an evolutionary dead end -- a highly advanced technological society undone by its own cold, prideful, and dominating ways. Does that sound like a meta-warning to anyone else? I thought it was ironic when the Kryptonian soldier Faeora said, "Evolution always wins," because the barbaric, impatient, demanding, forceful Kryptonians didn't strike me as too "evolved." I guess it depends on whether or not one subscribes to Charles Darwin's theory "survival of the fittest," or instead, Joseph Chilton Pearce's "The Biology of Transcendence." If they had truly "come in peace," Superman might have worked with them rather than against them. It might have taken a longer time for Earthlings and Kryptonians to learn to co-exist peacefully, but it was Zod's mania that stood in the way of his success.

It was clear from beginning to end that Clark/Kal-El was a man of great courage, strong morals and compassion for those around him. The whole plot revolved around Superman overcoming his almost pacifist, more specifically non-interventionist upbringing. In natural disasters, in accidents, in alien invasions, Clark couldn't help but use his natural abilities toward saving as many lives as possible. This may have made him a villain or an enemy to be feared in the eyes of some like Zod, but it is what makes him a hero to countless others. A defender of the weak, he's willing to earn people's trust. He knows the burden of responsibility, that a man with extraordinary power must also show extraordinary restraint. This Man of Steel truly has a Heart of Gold.

Here I must mention two particularly gripping moments in the film. The death of Jonathan Kent, and the killing of General Zod. Pa Kent died when rescuing a dog from a deadly tornado. Clark could have publicly intervened, but Pa strongly refused. Was this brave? foolish? suicidal? I'd like to think that it was at least meaningful. Pa knew that the time was not yet right for Clark to reveal himself, and I guess one of the most valuable lessons he could teach Clark was that an honorable death is one of the greatest things a person (human or alien) could aspire to. This was a recurring theme. And although Clark has great salvific powers, even a Superman has limitations. Pa taught this god-like being humility, where any other man in his place might not have.

And so, Zod arrives, intent on using all his powers to destroy, and Superman has to take him down. Quite notably, this film saw Superman, for 75 years a pop culture paragon of virtue, break his no-killing code. I had heard about "the neck-snapping" beforehand so I was prepared for it. And honestly, I thought it was well handled. It was clearly a last resort, for it was established early on that nothing on Earth could imprison a Kryptonian; even Superman had disadvantages facing Zod in direct combat; and arguably, his artificial genetics defied redemption. But Superman has made this particular exception once before, in the 1988 comic book Superman v2 #22 - "The Price." It's a cultural discussion that we need to have in each generation, is it ever right to take someone's life or is there "always another way" as superheroes are wont to say? Many men are called to war at some point in their life, and for Superman, this was literally a battlefield decision, one that he will likely carry with him for the rest of his life. For most fans, this is sacrilege. For me, it's compelling drama to see Superman in truly compromising, "human" situations.

It's the symmetry and tragic irony of Kryptonian villains that fills this movie with drama and suspense, but perhaps to its detriment, the film hyper-accelerated and condensed key character developments that saw a much slower burn in other forms of media. I was not too distracted by its pacing, but it did seem to take a number of character beats for granted. For example, Jor-El's disembodied consciousness was very quick to presume that his son was ready to accept his heritage and duty. Forget the 12 years of study spent in the Fortress of Solitude in the Donner version. Also, Lois had a real knack for showing up in the right place at the right time with the perfect plot advancing device. Perhaps that's what makes her and Superman such a perfect match.

I loved how the movie really drew from the whole of the Superman mythos. I saw elements of the comics (specifically, New Krypton,  Superman: Birthright, Superman: Earth One, the New 52, and the aforementioned Superman #22) and the films (Superman: the Movie and Superman II; it even had some similarities in plot to the recent Avengers film). I should have known that director Zack Snyder would be reverential to the character after his closely detailed adaptation of Watchmen. The influence of Batman veterans Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer was also keenly felt with this more somber interpretation. Gone is the silliness of the Silver and Bronze age, here is the seriousness of the Modern age writ large. As it was in the beginning, these characters are equal parts dark and light. Tragedy and Hope.

The breadth of this film was surprisingly well done. It utilized some of the typical Messianic, Sun-God imagery juxtaposed with some very naturalistic settings and events,  but it also played to its more accessible sci-fi, action spectacle strengths. You go from an alien planet, to a farm, a school, a church, and an IHOP, to frozen tundra, military bases, and the great city of Metropolis.

I enjoyed the new, somewhat alternative cast. Red-headed Lois Lane and black Perry White are such superficial details at this point in time, it really didn't make a difference. Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne are both great actors. The new Jor-El and Lara and Ma and Pa Kent all tugged at the heartstrings. It was cool seeing Superman let loose after Ma was threatened (Another sad irony: calling your adoptive parent "irreplacable"). I enjoyed Henry Cavill as Superman and if he can play up the more unassuming side of Clark Kent (as opposed to the so-painfully-obvious-it's-Superman side we saw at the end), then this franchise should do well going forward. While this film did retread some familiar ground, it ultimately succeeded in leaving its own stamp on the Superman brand, and I would definitely recommend this thoughtful and exciting film to anyone with an interest in superheroes.

Batman: Death of the Family (Review & Spoilers)

I will admit to having a Grant Morrison bias. I honestly love everything about his Batman run. (See my previous post on Batman, Inc.) I only read "Death of the Family" to see what all the hype was about. I read Batman #13-17 in one sitting. I've gotta say, it felt very empty and meaningless as I was reading it, and now that I've taken it all in, I find it particularly perverse and over-the-top ridiculous. That said, I can't tell if it's a bad Batman story, or a really good Joker story.

People complain about Morrison writing "Batgod," I have to call out Scott Snyder for writing "Jokerdevil." This version of the Joker has transcended regular human levels of villainy. He's become extraordinarily capable at committing crimes and yet he remains entirely elusive, like some sort of pale ghost demon. He lives in a delusion where the only thing that matters is his relationship with Batman; everyone else is peripheral, or even worse, disposable--a means to the end of making Batman notice him.

On a metafictional level, this book satisfied little more than the typical horror fan's desire to gaze into the dark abyss yet from a safe distance where he or she can walk away unscathed, save some slight emotional trauma, just like all the main characters at the end. Their skins weren't saved by the efforts of their own heroism, surprisingly it was thanks to the mercy given from the Joker himself. Not only his mercy, but also his deep-seated fear of pushing Batman too close to the breaking point. The story undermined itself, concluding that no matter how homicidal and torturous the Joker becomes, the Bat-Family and their secrets are off limits because in some warped way he needs their (and especially Batman's) "loving" attention.

It's an interesting story conceit that a man so completely criminal and deranged would have the wherewithal to drive so much of the plot. In a way, he earned the mechanic's outfit he wore in this arc with his workman-like ability to craft and commit so many crimes. I still find it bizarre that DC would decide that the New 52 Joker should display a greater fondness for grotesqueries, and yet continue to assault Batman with little more than empty threats, cheap stunts, and outlandish bluffs like in the Silver Age. Either he's a legitimate threat, or he's not--Snyder can't have it both ways. I almost hate to admit it, but I appreciate the Joker more when his actions have more serious consequences (like in The Killing Joke, A Death in the Family, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker). Very often, he proves that he's more than just an ineffectual clown, but unfortunately that's what he's ultimately revealed as here.


 
We all know the reasons (both fictional and realistic) why Batman can't kill him, but it makes absolutely no sense that no one else would (or could). In real life, somebody would have killed him after his first crime spree. Look at what happened in the news recently to madman Christopher Dorner... I just realized how much this story makes me appreciate what happened in the opening pages of Grant Morrison's first arc (when the cop impersonating Batman shoots Joker in the head). The Joker may be one of the greatest comic book villains of all time, and I'm no fan of capital punishment, but it's hard for me to suspend my disbelief that Batman and Gotham City would continue to tolerate his existence. 

In fact, the most unsettling aspect of the story for me was the reveal that Batman finds himself literally captivated by the Joker's personality, enabling him to resurface time and time again. The last page of issue 15's main story said it all, and his talks with the sidekicks and Alfred made it even more explicit. He keeps playing right into the Joker's hand as he tries to understand him. He doesn't realize that the more he chases the Joker, the more he validates the Joker's sado-masochistic fantasies. Is this the secret that has slightly alienated Batman's allies? The Batman himself has some strong delusions and blind spot that tends to allow the King of Chaos enough power and freedom to establish his rule. The Joker may pretend be the jester of Batman's court, but it's all just a ruse to make King Batman play the fool.

In the end, Batman caught on to the Joker's devices and turned them on him by bluffing back. Bruce doesn't really know who the Joker used to be and probably never will. The real ironic twist is that the Joker is more afraid of having his secret identity exposed than Batman is. His new face-cutting hobby was little more than elaborate misdirection--a literal metaphor exposing Joker's actual face as his true mask. When Batman finally gave the Joker the undivided attention he kept begging for, he couldn't handle it, once again letting himself fall into oblivion. Thus we have the dramatic reveal that the Joker actually has little to no interest in Batman's "secret" identity, while Batman remains haunted by the fact that the ghost clown seems to have entirely forsaken not only his former identity, but even more-so his fundamental humanity.

 
For the most part, I found this story too disaffecting, but it wasn't completely without merit. Greg Capullo's art definitely deserves a mention. It was appropriately dark and disturbing, but with a cartoonish sensibility that really fit. I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan of deadface!Joker, but I'm almost convinced that Snyder does indeed 'get' who the Joker is, even if it seems to be on a more subconscious level, considering how much of this storyline lacked substance. I mean that literally; the Joker in this story ended up being much more of a psychological threat than a physical threat. Usually, I would not complain about a psychological Batman story because he and his villains have always been largely psychological characters, but in this case it totally worked against the plausibility of the plot. Still, this was one of the more memorable Joker stories in recent history, and it borrowed enough classic elements to make it noteworthy. I guess the creepy clown was about due for a major spotlight in the funny books. I can deal with the gratuitous facelift because I'm certain his face won't be floppy forever. He reinvents himself far too often to stay that way.

Look forward to my future post, "Batman vs. Joker: A Homophobic Fantasy?"

Grant Morrison's Batman Epic: A Primer (Some Spoilers)

 

I recently got fully up to date on Grant Morrison's current volume of Batman, Incorporated. I have to say, without reservation, that these are some of the best comic books I've ever read! When Grant debuted on Batman #655, neither the author nor his audience were fully aware of just how epic and expansive the journey ahead of us would be. We only knew that he was interested in "Building a Better Batmobile".

 
For a long time, the Batman titles were gloomily confined to the island that is Gotham City, where Batman would face the same old villains over and over. After Grant got his hands on the character, he was traversing the globe many times over and exploring outer space, cyberspace, and the far reaches of time. He was facing new and greater threats: impostor monster ex-cops, aged Nazi super spies, demonic ancestors, and dark gods. But there was one particular foe whose past connection to Bruce Wayne would bring him trouble in the worst way. This enemy would be Talia Al Ghul, the deadly daughter of the immortal master criminal and long time Batman adversary, Ra's Al Ghul.

For many years, Talia stood in her father's shadow, although she has been a force to be reckoned with since her very first appearance. Still, no one would have expected that Daddy's little girl would prove to be one of Batman's cruelest, cleverest, most cunning and manipulative opponents ever. Right out of the gate, Grant made it a personal affair; in his first issue, she appeared with her own private army of Ninja Man-Bats and a child that would turn out to be her and Bruce's 10 year old son, Damian Wayne! The opening arc "Batman & Son" planted the seeds for Grant to, over time, position Talia as a direct rival to Bruce in every aspect. As Batman began fighting crime on a global scale with Batman, Inc., it was revealed that Talia had been working counter to him all along through many intermediaries, the most recent one being her global terrorism organization, Leviathan. Indeed, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

The World's Greatest Detective is connecting the dots

This brings us to the current chapter of Grant's saga, Batman, Inc. vol 2 #8 "Robin R.I.P." I don't have to tell anyone who has already been following these books the significance of that title, but for those who have been living in a bat-cave for the past couple of years, Grant Morrison made a huge splash in the comics world when he 'killed off' Batman in "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis". 

 

A little bit more background: Batman had not actually died, it just appeared that he did, which shook up the status quo for a good while. Former Robin, Dick Grayson took over the Batman role as New Robin, Damian Wayne became acclimated to crime fighting in Gotham City. This New Robin was instantly detested by readers due to his spoiled, petulant attitude, but as a testament to Grant's writing, the fans quickly grew enamored of the so called "bad-ass" Robin. Originally trained by the League of Assassins, no one could argue that this precocious young lad had no business in battle. If anything, he needed a proper outlet for his inherited, pre-pubescent rage. Right from the start, the new Dynamic Duo had indeed established a new dynamic: Friendly Batman, Scary Robin. Just when we had all gotten so used to it being the other way around! 

Anyway, the original Batman eventually returned to his rightful place and time (long story!), and for the first time, the Batman and Robin pairing became a biological father/son relationship. Damian was beginning to feel like a real member of the Bat-Family...just in time for Talia to put a huge target on his back.

This entire volume has focused on the main conflict between Bruce and Talia, with Damian caught in the middle. With Damian as the Breakout Star of this current era of Batman comics, Talia as the Breakout Villain both here and in last summer's film The Dark Knight Rises, and the Batman, who has long been officially known as one of the World's Finest superheroes and the World's Greatest Detective, these final issues are bound to be explosive!

Grant is bringing everything full circle in such a grandiose way; only he could have imagined it all. Every detail of these books is sublime: his masterful plotting, his sharp dialogue, his colorful characters, his imaginative settings, and--the most unique aspect of all, in my opinion--the many hints of esoteric symbolism that are scattered all about, enriching the reading experience. You can read Grant's work many times over and still discover things you never noticed before, or learn things you never knew.

Oroboro a.k.a. "Ouroboros" - Look it up!

This run has also seen its share of extraordinary artists: Andy Kubert, J. H. Williams III, Tony Daniel, J. G. Jones, Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette, and the list of talent continues. Just when I start thinking that Chris Burnham is a copycat of Frank Quitely, he pulls out some innovative angle or texture or layout trick that absolutely astonishes. The creativity of these guys is through the roof! Not to mention that the coloring of these books has also been brilliant. 

Frazer Irving can illustrate all of my psychedelic bat-dreams!

I am here to tell you that as of right now, Robin, Damian Wayne is DEAD!

But knowing comics as I do, death is little more than a rite of passage! Grant has me wondering if we might not be seeing more of this pair further on down the line...

Batman, Incorporated vol 2 #9 comes out March 27! Make sure you are on board for the final issues of Grant's run! Batman and Robin will NEVER DIE!!!