Right-Wing Comics Conspiracy!

For all those who scoff at anything that even remotely suggests so-called “conspiracy theories,” believing they’re all far-fetched fictions made up by paranoid whack-jobs, here’s a little something to chew on: right-wingers looking to inflitrate comic books!

At Bill Jemas’ zenith as President of Marvel Comics he commissioned “4/11,” also known as The White Album, an anthology series telling stories about world war, politics and terrorism with a slant towards fixing problems, finding new solutions and making the world a better place. Mark Millar and Frank Quitely’s short story about Irish sectarianism was a highlight, but the project faltered after one invited writer had her work rejected and went AWOL, and the third issue and subsequent collection were both cancelled – seen as an initial sign that Jemas was on the skids. And he skidded out of the door to be replaced by a safer pair of hands.

We wonder what he’s make of Marvel’s upcoming “Combat Zone: True Tales from GI’s in Iraq.” Not only has this book been waiting for publication at Marvel for a while, but a number of artists have been approached, started on the book and then left when it’s true nature was revealed.

While a number of Marvel’s previous titles involving war and terrorism have tried to explore issues from different perspectives, reports I’ve had are that this is not the case here. America is the One True Hope, all who oppose her or disagree with her current thinking are evil scum, and the world would be better off without them. And thank the Lord we have these plucky brave soldiers to do her bidding.

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My Top 5 Comic Book Titles

(ongoing series only) 1. Gotham Central - I'm a big fan of strong characterization and tight plotting, and this Batman-themed take on the classic police procedural, a la Hill Street Blues and Homicide: Life on the Street, features some of the strongest writing in comics. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka are terrific, and Michael Lark's gritty artwork matches them note for note. He'll be sorely missed but I'm hopeful that DC will tap a replacement with similar sensibilities. 2. Teen Titans - I fully expected this series to take an immediate downhill turn for the worse after the thrill-ride of…

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Pumpkin Seeds: Comic Book Roundup

1. These days, most comic books are written in story arcs of 3-6 issues; more for limited series. At best, this means fuller stories with more complex plotting and deeper characterization. At worst, it's filler and fluff. Typically, it's the worst that dominates the bookshelves and sales charts. 2. There are way too many X-Men-related titles coming out every month and the Reloaded stunt seems to have killed the only one - New Mutants - I was interested in. 3. Ultimate Fantastic Four: Like most things from the House of Ideas, I love the concept of their Ultimate line but have little…

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Comic Book Wednesday

Nothing like the joys of Comic Book Wednesday to take the edge off of a tough hangover. Even better is when your Midtown Comics $20 rebate kicks in the same week 75% of the comics you usually buy unexpectedly come out at once. Yay! Tuesday's Acentos was another great one with Willie Perdomo doing what he does best, reading poems with substance and leaving the spectacle to others who need it. The open mic was solid and it was one of the better overall turnouts so far. Not sure what was in the air - maybe the sight of Willie's…

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Fulano, comic books and…porn stars?

Friday’s feature went really well. Ended up being a 20-minute set but, not knowing til the last minute, I’d prepared a flexible enough list beforehand (aka Down the Hatch: 2 beers, atomic wings & waffle fries!) and was pretty comfortable dealing with the time limit. Mixed some really old with some brand new as I opened with Reality, a piece I haven’t done in ages that I was able to edit and memorize in the hour between getting off work and the start of the show. Started it from the audience, a common slam technique for effect, but also a great way to settle one’s own nerves. The equivalent of just jumping in the pool headfirst. I was happy to see that I was quite nervous as Jackie announced the final open micer before the feature and my stomach went all aflutter. I’ve always said the day you stop getting nervous when you get on stage is the day you need to stay off the stage because the privilege has lost its meaning and its importance.

After a brief introduction, I did Fulano, another one I haven’t done in ages. Between the two, I realized I hadn’t grown cynical about slam over the years but, instead, had been that way from the beginning. It’s right there in several of my early poems but no more apparent than Fulano: “to have come so far for this, seems such a waste.” Next, I took a gamble and did my new Batman piece that I wrote and posted here just last week. Thought it read pretty smoothly, especially considering it was the first time out loud! Went with the Army suite next, the poems I wrote this year touching on my time in the service, gave props to the Nuyorican and keith roach (for the benefit of the documentarians) with Nuyorican Memories, and closed with the old standby, Breathless. Thematically, I felt like it was one of my strongest features ever, covering a range of styles, periods and subjects while all flowing together extremely well. The reading itself was pretty good, too, getting a little wacky towards the end as a couple of Columbia and Brown students took to dissing each other in a rather pale (pun intended!) attempt at the dozens.

Nice gig Jackie Sheeler runs there and, if not for the tough time slot, it’s a place I could see myself hitting once or twice a month.

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Help! I’m Buying Comics Again!

Woah! Midtown Comics is scary cool! They sell EVERYTHING. They even had a lot of Moon Knight, though I'm glad I changed my mind about him before I went in there. Spent my whole gift certificate (not as easily as I expected, either) and got a few more of the Loeb/Lee Batmans I wanted, all four of the Baron Karza mini, the latest Micronauts, couple of the new Titans series and the new New Mutants. Also grabbed a Batman graphic novel, The Long Halloween (good looking out, Oscar!) which just happens to pick up from the Batman: Year One storyline!…

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My name is Guy and I buy comic books

Hello. My name is Guy and I buy comic books. I was clean for over 10 years but I've recently relapsed. I'm not quite ready to admit that I'm powerless or that my life has become unmanageable, but the potential is there. Comics are like $3 each these days! Damn Omar. I told you he was evil, didn't I? I haven't gotten crazy yet, but it's enough to necessitate an adjustment to my lunch menu. Hot dogs and knishes, like back in the day! Sunday, I had to return a movie to Blockbuster (Ghost Ship: disappointingly blah, not even Julianna…

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