Written and illustrated by various.
Miscellaneous (Superheroes) - PAGE 7
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Manhunter
for a review, go here
Marvel: 1602
see my review here
Marvel Holiday Special 1996 (SC TPB) 148 pgs.
Written and illustrated by various.
Reprinting: the original stories from Marvel Holiday Special 2004 and Marvel Holiday Special 2005 and Marvel Team-Up #1 and Uncanny X-Men #143 - with covers.
Rating: * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Additional notes: digest-sized.
Published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics has produced various Christmas specials over the years, in a variety of formats and content -- from Treasury Editions, to one-shot comics, to graphic novels, some featuring reprints of holiday themed stories, some boasting original tales, some a combo of the two. And, of course, as such...it can be a bit tricky to specify which version/edition/comic you're referring to.
In this case, I'm reviewing Marvel Holiday Special -- a more-or-less digest sized TPB released in 2006. It reprints the original tales first published in the two previous TPBs: Marvel Holiday Special 2004 and Marvel Holiday Special 2005 (and even utilizes the same cover as MHS 2005). Those earlier TPBs also featured some vintage reprints, only two of which are carried over into this digest: X-Men #143 and Marvel Team-Up #1.
And the result...decent, if unexceptional.
The trick with superhero holiday stories is always to strike the balance and settle on the right tone? Should it be sincerely schmaltzy and sentimental? Should it just be goofy and humorous? Or should it just be a traditional super hero adventure, but set at Christmas?
The original stories here go for a combo of the sentimental and the silly. No Christmas collection would be complete, it seems, without an homage to A Christmas Carol, so here we have "Jonah's Christmas Carol", (26 pgs.) by Tom DeFalco and Takeshi Miyazawa, with Spider-Man supporting character J. Jonah Jameson cast in the Scrooge role (appropriately enough) who falls asleep and has a dream where various super heroes take on roles of the Spirits of Christmas taking Jonah through his life, interspersed with brief cutaways to a super hero battle. Perhaps of all the stories, it tries to be both sentimental and humorous. The other long story, "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santron", (25 pgs) by Jeff Parker and Reilly Brown, has an Avengers Christmas party being disrupted by a rogue robot dressed as Santa Claus. Though there's action, and it's perhaps the most traditionally well drawn in a super hero way, the tone here is definitely tongue-in-cheek, making for a story that, though mildly diverting, isn't sufficiently an adventure story, or heart-tugging.
The shorter pieces include some more sentimental tales, such as one involving a couple of the X-Men deciding to forgo their holiday to spend time with a student at Xavier's School who has no family, and Franklin Richards polling the adult members of the Fantastic Four about what Christmas means to them. There's an amusing, but nonetheless sentimental, illustrated poem involving the FF. And perhaps the funniest of the pieces, an amusing tale of the FF investigating when the Mole Man's minions start kidnapping street corner Santa Clauses.
All in all, there are no real duds in the lot, even as there are none that really manage to be mini-classics, with the Avengers tale proving -- strangely -- the least memorable.
Ironically, the best pieces are the older reprints. Perhaps that's because, being just part of the regular monthly series, they eschew the feeling of being too self-conscious in their ambitions.
"Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas", by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru, has Spider-Man and the Human Torch, reluctantly teaming up -- and bickering all the way -- to track down the Sandman. It manages to be an adventure -- without being an inappropriately gritty one -- with just enough sentimentality to score as a heart warmer, and to be funny (with the feuding heroes) without going too far into camp. What makes the sniping of the two heroes work here, and sometimes hasn't in more recent comics, is because it's played straight (even as it's funny) -- they really are getting on each other's nerves.
The X-Men tale, "Demon", by the classic Claremont/Byrne/Austin team is an example of an "inappropriately" gritty tale for a Christmas-themed story, as it's basically an "Alien" rip-off as Kitty Pryde is left alone in the mansion and ends up battling a demon. There's little Christmas spirit, but on that level it's a genuinely effective nail-biter. And it evokes the Christmas milieu, even if not the sentimental spirit.
So, as I say, this collection remains largely agreeable, if not too much in the way of "must reads", with the vintage reprints proving a more satisfying than the more modern tales.
Cover price: $__ CDN. $7.99 USA
Written by Kurt Busiek. Illustrated and painted by Alex
Ross.
Letters: Richard Starkings. Editor: Marc McLaurin.
Reprinting: Marvels #0-4 (1994 deluxe edition mini-series)
Additional notes: intros by various comics pros such as Stan Lee, John Romita Sr, etc.
Rating: * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Published by Marvel Comics
Marvels revisits Marvel Universe history through the eyes
of photojournalist Phil Sheldon. The first chapter is set during the '40s,
as these so-called Marvels start appearing, and young Phil struggles with
his own ambivalence about a world suddenly filled with Gods, particularly
the (to him) unfathomable battles between the Human Torch and the sometimes
hero/sometimes villain Sub-Mariner that devastate the city. Then we jump
to the '60s/early'70s where the next three chapters are set, as Phil chronicles
and reflects on a world peopled by super-beings and the public's fluctuating
attitude toward them.
Marvels is an interesting concept, revisiting classic
Marvel stories but from the point of view of a man on the sidelines --
not even that close often. The problem is, of course, that it can make
for unsatisfying storytelling. The point is to see glimpses of battles,
hear snippets of news reports, while to Phil the full story remains unknown.
That makes it problematic for casual readers -- even incoherent in spots.
In one scene a character makes a disparaging remark about mutants, while
the mutant superheroes, the X-Men, glare at her in the background...but
the X-Men are out of costume, and not identified as such. I have no idea
how many in-jokes and nuances I may have missed...such as a final
scene involving a paperboy, the true significance of which I could only
confirm after the fact (he would grow up to be a superhero).
The heroes and their adventures take place mainly off-camera
-- really. If you go into this half-thinkinng the heroes will be, at least,
supporting characters (as I did), you'll be disappointed. The star of the
show is Phil -- more on that in a moment.
This was Alex Ross' first major work, he of the fully-painted,
almost photo-realist style (utilizing models) that has taken the industry
by storm. At times, it's like coming across stills from an unknown, big-budget
motion picture -- suddenly comic book drawings become real 3-D people.
He's also known for his visual gags, such as non-Marvel characters appearing
in the backgrounds (like Billy Batson and Jimmy Olsen) to pop-cultural
figures like the Dick Van Dyke and the Monkees appearing in crowd scenes.
I had first seen his work on Kingdom
Come, his later (in some ways thematically similar) mini-series for
DC, but whereas his depiction of Superman and Wonder Woman made me long
for him to tackle them again and again, on Marvels I felt more ambivalence.
Marvels is stunning to look at, but sometimes I found myself flashing back
to the work of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and John Romita, Sr. with Ross actually
coming out the loser in the comparison. I love Ross' work, but there are
other, equally valid -- and sometimes more kinetic -- styles.
All this relates to the problem that Alex Ross can be
a bit of an obfuscation when considering the story. His style is so incredible,
it's easy to be swept along without asking whether the story it's illustrating
works on any deeper level.
You see, in all the praise I've seen of Marvels, people
cite Ross' art, they praise Kurt Busiek's writing, they comment on this
reinterpretation of Marvel history, but people rarely comment on...Phil
Sheldon. Y'know, the main character for some 180 pages?
Phil's not a bad character, but in many ways, he's the
only
character, and too often he seems like the story needs are pushing him,
not the other way around -- one moment he's a committed family man, the
next he's a workaholic neglecting his family. In one scene, caught up in
anti-mutant hysteria, he throws a brick at the Iceman...did anyone really
buy into his actions in that scene? By the end of the series we don't really
know Phil, outside of his ruminations on the Marvels.
Marvels is made up of four, semi-independent chapters.
By far the strongest is Chapter Two, "Monsters Among Us", where the public's
feel-good hysteria generated by the wedding of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible
Girl is contrasted with the anti-mutant bigotry directed at the X-Men.
The themes and contrasts work pretty well, and there's a real-world allegory
at work, not just in the mutants-as- persecuted-minority, but as a metaphor
for the late '50s/early '60s and the Pollyanna romanticism of "Leave it
to Beaver" and JFK's Camelot (with Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl
substituting for Jack and Jackie) contrasted with the gritty reality of
race riots and the Vietnam War. And Phil actually has his own story, removed
from the superheroes (while thematically connected) involving a little
mutant girl. At times, "Monsters Among Us" works surprisingly, and disturbingly,
well.
The other chapters often seem too much like collections
of ill-defined vignettes, not quite coming together as a story. Chapter
three is the opposite, though, as we get a retelling of the first appearance
of Galactus. Here Busiek and Ross lose their own raison d'etre, giving
us close-up splash pages of the F.F.'s battles with Galactus when Phil's
not even around. And the emotional arc, of Phil realizing he needs to spend
more time with his family, is just too simple and obviously handled for
a 45 page story.
The final chapter builds to the death of Spider-Man's
girl friend, Gwen Stacy, using it to highlight how the individual can be
devalued and forgotten among the colourful heroics -- but it doesn't quite
gell. For whatever reason, Gwen's death has remained a surprisingly potent
touchstone in comicdom all these decades later (heck, Marvel has just released
a "Death of Gwen Stacy" TPB collection). That's why Busiek and Ross knew
they could use it as an effective climax instead of something more flashy
and "cosmic" like the Galactus story...'cause Gwen's death, instead of
being devalued and forgotten, still resonates for a lot of people. Including
Stan Lee. In one of the editorials it's said that even today Lee has misgivings
about the death of Gwen. The idea that Lee, the business man, the mover-and-shaker,
still feels affinity for his long ago creations is oddly touching.
The ultimate problem when reading, and interpreting, something
like Marvels (or Kingdom Come, or the Watchmen)
is you're not sure, really, what it's about. Is it just a fun romp down
memory lane, or a serious look at super-heroes? How much are the super-heroes
a metaphor for other things? With its denouement, it can be seen as, ultimately,
a rejection of comic book superheroes, with Phil "growing up" in the end.
Conversely, an earlier scene with J. Jonah Jameson explaining people hate
superheroes because altruism in others makes us feel small, can be seen
as a rejection of precisely those people who feel we should "out grow"
a genre -- perhaps the only genre -- about basically decent people
trying to do the right thing for no other reason than because it's right.
In other words, is Marvels popular because it's sharp
and penetrating, or because it's vague and mushy, playing all sides at
once? And it was popular, there's no doubt about it. Not only in and of
itself, but in the subsequent imitations, like the follow up Tales of the
Marvels and Code of Honor.
Marvels is probably more effective nostalgically for older
readers who remember the stories, but no longer have them in their collection.
At times it's very good (it's hard to read the end of "Monsters Among Us"
and not feel something well-up in your eyes), but it's a long way from
being as clever, as gripping, or as innovative, as we're supposed to believe
it is. Marvels is also awfully pricey for something which, in the end,
falls short of being...a marvel.
Also included in this collection are various editorials,
behind-the-scenes info and, most significantly, a bibliography detailing
where the originally stories were published.
Softcover price: $29.95 CDN./$19.95 USA. (published by
Marvel Comics)
Essential Moon Knight, vol. 1 2006 (SC TPB) 500+ pgs.
Written by Doug Moench, with Bill Mantlo, Steve Grant. Illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz, Don Perlin, Gene Colan, others.
Black & White. Letters: various.
Reprinting: Werewolf by Night #32-33, Marvel Spotlight (1st series) #28-29, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #22-23, Marvel Team-Up Annual #4, Marvel Two-in-One #53, The Hulk Magazine (the Moon Knight back-up stories) #11-15, 17, 18, 20, Marvel Preview (the Moon Knight lead story) #21, Moon Knight (1st series) #1-10
Rating: N/R (out of 5)
Number of readings: various
Published by Marvel Comics
Moon Knight -- not quite an A-list property, but more successful, off and on, than many -- is one of those characters who has undergone a few reinterpretations over the years. He was introduced in a couple of issues of Werewolf by Night as a mercenary hired by a mysterious cartel to hunt down the titular lupine anti-hero and, in the process, was bitten by the werewolf, gaining slight powers during the nocturnal hours. He then drifted about the Marvel Universe, morphing into a bit of a Batman-wannabe -- a big cloak, nighttime hero who was wealthy and lived in a mansion. But as the character developed, he was given some interesting quirks and twists as elements of The Shadow were worked into the mix. Instead of just being a man alone, he had assistants, some front and centre -- Frenchie, the pilot who flew his moon-copter and, to some extent, Marlene, his live in girlfriend (this being more conservative times, they had different bedrooms) -- some more peripheral, such as the homeless informant Crawlie, and the diner owner, Gena and her teenage sons. He also had an array of aliases. Though born Marc Spector (mercenary), his primary alter ego was millionaire Steven Grant, but he was also fond of becoming cabbie Jake Lockley. And the notion that the array of alter egos began to fray at his identity was an undercurrent as the stories progressed. Along the way, Moon Knight's origin was revamped, later stories having it be that he had already embarked on his super hero career prior to the Werewolf by Night story.
His full, "authentic" origin was finally told in the first issue of his own monthly comic.
So this Essential volume, collecting a vast array of material in economic black and white, doesn't just reprint the first ten issues of his first solo series, but many of his prior appearances, from some (though not all) guest appearances, to his solo back up series in the pages of the Hulk tabloid magazine ("back up" stories that were, themselves, often 20 pages or so) . And I've only got some of those issues in my collection, so my review of this TPB can't be definitive. However, I have read Moon Knight #1-10, Marvel Preview #21 (which basically was testing the waters for his self-titled series), his Hulk back up stories from Hulk #13-15 and his Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man guest stint. So I've read the majority of the material here, permitting me to render a reasonable opinion. And the fact that in my youth I collected the first ten issues when I collected very few comic regularly, except to follow a particular story arc to its conclusion, obviously indicates I kind of liked 'em.
Doug Moench created the character and served as the guiding force for much of his early run. Moench's one of those writers I tend to have mixed feelings about, his work often seeming as though he's trying to infuse his stories with deeper meaning and themes...even as his execution can be clumsy and simplistic. Still, the character seemed to fire something inside him, particularly as he developed the property. As I say, Moon Knight seemed more than a little like Batman (in revising his origin, Moench even has Moon Knight settle on his costumed identity after an epiphany seeing the statue of the Egyptian god Khonshu...just as Batman had an epiphany on seeing a bat). But, as mentioned, this was a clever re-working of Batman themes, not a shameless carbon copy (and the influence flowed both ways, as Batman's mid-'80s dart-like batrangs were clearly borrowed from Moon Knight's crescent darts). As well, for a character whose origin involved a werewolf, Moench clearly wanted to move the character away from the fantasy/sci-fi. Few of Moon Knight's early adversaries were costumed, let alone super powered. And this too added to the flavour.
Moench also liked to cram a lot in. The first six issues of his solo series are all self-contained tell-it-in-one stories, and are effective because of that.
(Interestingly, despite the Batman-Moon Knight parallels, and Moench having written for both, I'd argue his Moon Knight stories were superior, and more original, than his Bat-scripts).
Aiding Moench immeasurable was Bill Sienkiewicz, who came on board part way through the Hulk back up series and continued into the self-titled series. Sienkiewicz would later evolve a very stylized art style, but during these issues he worked in a Neal Adams style of semi-realist faces and lithe, sinewy bodies (at the time, comics legend Adams remarked in an interview that newer readers assumed he was imitating Sienkiewicz!). Sienkiewicz's art could be a bit uneven at times, sometimes his choice of composition not the most effective, and his effectiveness influenced by the inkers (he was often his best inker) -- all comments that could be levelled at Adams, come to think of it. But there's little doubt that Sienkiewicz's presence definitely enhanced the stories, lending them a sense of atmosphere and sophistication (and, of course, further enforced the Batman connection, as Adams had drawn some memorable Batman stories years earlier!)
The result is a largely effective run of tales. Sure, for all Moench's aspirations to write "smart" scripts, there were plenty of awkward bits, implausibilities. But he does a good job with his cast, over time fleshing them out and making their relationships and interaction part of the show, with even the supporting characters like Gena and her kids giving the series a roundedness (and gentle humour) that a lot of super hero comics lacked.
I mentioned the character evolved a bit over these issues, with Moench even re-writing his origin story; moving from the "fantasy" of werewolves and guest starring with other super heroes, to more "real world" adventures, slightly isolated from other super heroes (without being a separate reality) where even Moon Knight's werewolf acquired nocturnal strength was dropped from the character, making him just a "normal" man.
And the changes continued long after. Although Moon Knight's origins were (retroactively) tied into Khonshu, even suggesting at times that he put a little too much superstitious stock in the connection (in one story here, a character steals his statue of Khonshu in order to throw him off psychologically), later scribes seemed to take that supernatural aspect far more seriously than did Moench. More recently, Marvel seems to have revived Moon Knight as part of a dark n' gritty trend (and may even have dropped the supporting cast that was so much a part of the old stories).
I received an e-mail from someone recently who defined the difference between Batman and Moon Knight as being Batman was about justice, first, vengeance, second, whereas Moon Knight was about vengeance. And reading some of the ad blurbs for the recent revival, emphasizing the series' (and character's) violence and brutality...it hardly sounds like the same character Moench was writing about.
For all MK's mercenary origins, and the fact that the characters were not adverse to using lethal force (Frenchie and Marlene getting into a few shoot outs), in general Moon Knight was a traditional, level-headed super hero, who tended not to kill (in one story, even specifically observing that he's not "bloodthirsty"). In other words...a likeable hero.
And the overall result is generally quite strong. Among the highlights are "The Mind Thieves", the 40 page Marvel Preview epic -- the only story here originally published in black & white so loses the least reprinted in this Essential volume (though, conversely, Marvel Preview was published outside the Comics Code and I suspect a panel or two will get -- minor -- touch ups for inclusion in this more general readership collection). That story, by Moench and Sienkiewicz, explores some of Moon Knight's mercenary background (and borrows from some real world scandals) in a story involving rogue CIA experiments that takes MK from New York, to Montreal, to Paris. Other high points: the first issue of his monthly comic, the creepy "Ghost Story" from #5, the off beat voodoo tale from #6, and even the two two-parters from 7-8 and 9-10. Even the Spider-Man team up from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man is a decent romp.
For all my harping on the Batman connection (and which I stand by), in other ways, these earlier Moon Knight tales carved out his own, distinctive corner of the Marvel U. Particularly with Sienkiewicz providing the art, there was a mood and sophistication at times, a colourful cast of characters and a nice sense of the story rooted in a world a step closer to our own than that inhabited by Captain America or the X-Men.
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1999 (TPB) 216 pgs.