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Unforunately there won't be any over-riding theme or essay
format to the column this week. I've spent the majority of the
week doing hands-on research for a new book: Fun with
Influenza. There are plenty of great topics that I feel could use
some coverage though, so here are some brief thoughts on a few
of them.
Marvel's new comic book rating system: Congratulations to
Marvel for having the guts to move forward with a plan like this.
The Comic Code Authority was rather outdated and a rating
system that actually describes content would likely seem
preferable to any parent. I just have one major problem with
Marvel's rating system so far. The newest Previews solicitation
guide lists how the various ratings will work, but then doesn't
include any of the ratings in the solicitations. Maybe they are still
working out the kinks, but if a retailer or fan doesn't know the
rating of a book they might not order it in the same degree that
they would otherwise. On the positive side, the mature readers
titles were listed as such. Hopefully Marvel will begin including
their ratings with solicitations soon.
Wolverine's Origin: It seems there are two schools of thought
in regards to this project, "why?" and "why not?" I think that
both sides of the argument have valid points. Wolverine is a
character who is established on mystery. He is a warrior with
no sense of history past recent memory. However, if the origin
tale does end up being a well-told story it shouldn't do anything
to detract from the character as he exists today. Perhaps the
best thing to do would be to reveal the origin, but still keep the
knowledge from the character himself.
Our Worlds at War: It seems like DC has really upped the ante
with this coming crossover. Fans of nearly every book in the
line are speculating on the effects this galaxy-wide war will have
on their beloved characters. DC has promised deaths in this
series, and it sounds like it will be a bit more severe than the
usual 1 or 2 third string characters getting bumped off. From the
looks of things a lot of supporting characters will have their
heads on the chopping block, as well as many heroes from the
past. I don't like the odds for the 1990's era JLI members who
are still around.
Marvel killing a major character: Very few details exist at this
point, but it has been said that a Marvel character with a rich
history will be killed in the fall. Again, speculation is running
rampant with Captain America or one of the founding Avengers
seeming most likely to be killed. If there is major media
coverage planned for this event, it will take a character on the
level of Captain America or the Hulk dying rather than Scarlet
Witch or Black Panther.
Suicide Squad: Speaking of death, Keith Giffen brings back
one of the greatest books of the 1980s. Super villains are given
the chance to redeem themselves in dangerous missions. If they
survive the government cuts them loose, but if not they are
completely expendable. Because of the high-stress nature of
these situations the original series brought out some brilliant
characterization and some twists that left you with your jaw on
the floor. There was no point in the original series where you
could be 100% confident that any character was safe. Heres
hoping that Giffens version of the Squad lives up to the original.
G.I. Joe: If marketed correctly, this new book from Image
should be the runaway hit of the year. In the 1980s G.I. Joe
was one of the hottest selling childrens toys, one of the most
watched cartoon shows, and also one of the hottest comics for
readers of all ages. In passing up the rights to reprint old issues
and create new issues, Marvel Comics really dropped the ball
here. With the wave of retro-nostalgia that is so hot in youth
culture today they couldve easily sold enough reprint books to
make their money back without ever having to commission new
work. If Images book is a success it will be a missed
opportunity for Marvel.
Next months column should be coming to you right after the
Comic-Con International in San Diego. At this point I have no
idea how many days Ill be there, just that Ill be there for a few
at least. So expect next months column to have a bigger
overriding theme and maybe some cool pictures, for that matter.
Ill leave you with one last thought this month: influenza is no
friend of mine and he shouldnt be a friend of yours either.
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