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You know, when I heard that Marvel was going to start the
MAX selection of titles I really didn't care. I figured something
would come along sooner or later that might catch my eye, but for
the most part it was just some new ploy for Marvel to show that they
could be "edgy." As I knew I would I did pick up a MAX title, which
was Blade. The reason I picked up the title was that I had heard it
was supposed to fill in some of the empty space between the two
movies, and perhaps go beyond the second film. Blade, as
expected, was short lived, but it did fill in the space between the
two films and laid some groundwork that could be used if some
folks at Marvel ever decide to get back more into the supernatural
corner of the universe.
Now, here I had just finished my first dip into the MAX
selection of titles and I was trying to figure out what did this new
insignia represented to me. Two words immediately sprang to
mind, cursing and breasts. Sure, there was more to the title than
just those things, but those were the two things that I could see
were either added or more prominent because they carried the
word "MAX" on their cover. I figured MAX, as so many other
things, was just going to be another short lived gimmick and would
soon fade away, but it didn't.
I have heard that Alias, which is a MAX title, is supposedly
very impressive, but there hasn't been anything to really draw me
to it. So, perhaps I am missing what some folks see as what the
MAX titles truly have to offer. Of course, I couldn't just simply take
one short title and judge the whole MAX line by it, because that
simply wouldn't be fair. So, I have actually made an effort to read a
few more MAX titles in the hope that I would see what carrying that
insignia on the front of a book could mean. Here are the other
titles that I have read, or am currently reading, that carry the MAX
insignia and what I have walked away with, in regards to the title
gaining from carrying the insignia:
Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu : Overall this was an interesting
story. It seemed to be more in the vein of a TNT made for TV
action movie, but it was an enjoyable read. The MAX on the cover
of this title brought one thing to it, swearing, and nothing more or
less. This title could have easily gone without the MAX (swearing)
and perhaps been picked up by a few under 18.
Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather : Well, I'd been waiting for this title
since I had heard about it. I figured, "They're making an
established character gay, and putting it under the MAX heading
and that means they're gonna tick someone off." Nope, nothing in
the book in general that pushed the envelope is seen as far as
characterization went. Sure the Kid seemed a little more
flamboyant at times, but this title was more of a fun comedy. The
MAX addition? Swearing. As with the previous title, taking it out
would not have altered the book and it would have been available
to more people. Considering that Green Lantern has tackled
storylines with OPENLY gay characters I don't think a story dealing
with innuendos and oblivious characters had to be made targeted
to those 18 years of age and above.
U.S. War Machine 2.0 : This title is still coming out, and I'm still
judging it, but as far as the MAX addition goes, it comes down to
language and nudity. Neither of those two additions propel the
book further than what it is by any means, and in fact have caused
a disruption to the flow of what is going on.
The Eternal : This title is also new and ongoing (and written by
Chuck Austen as U.S. War Machine 2.0 is). There are some
definite interesting story foundations since we may end up with
significant changes to the history of the Eternals, but that will be
revealed in the future. The MAX addition? Nudity. Now, for the
first time an addition makes sense. Is it a necessity? No, not by
any means. However, the nudity in this book works because the
individuals who are naked (a lot) are members of a highly tribal and
uncivilized society (or at least they were) who just don't care about
being nude. So, the MAX actually does help this title gain a level of
*significance* by allowing the art to show what is probably a more
accurate depiction of what the situation would look like in real life.
Overall the MAX insignia doesn't seem to be anything that
adds to a title, but more of just a gimmick in order to bring in a few
sales or encourage kiddies to steal something "naughty" when their
store owner isn't looking. This may be a harsh judgment in the
eyes of a few, but I think it's fair because I have read a Marvel title
that is NOT carrying the MAX insignia and in all honesty I think it
should. That title is The Call (yet another written by Chuck
Austen). In each of the first three issues of The Call there have
been significantly disturbing images, or situations, that have made
my eyes open wide. The MAX insignia basically tells a reader that
they are likely going to be getting extra harsh language or seeing
pointless nudity. The insignia has nothing to do with the actual
level of maturity of the book in my eyes. If it did, The Call would be
a book carrying MAX on its cover.
Now we get to see what MAX really means though, because
Marvel's "Epic" insignia is coming back. When I was younger Epic
was to Marvel what Vertigo is to DC (with the overall quality
obviously in favor of Vertigo). I now get to see what happens
between MAX and Epic. Will either actually have purpose or add
to the titles that carry their insignias? Or are we looking at yet just
another new ploy? Personally, I'd like to see each carry a level of
*meaningful* significance to the titles they are placed on, but after
seeing that MAX doesn't, you aren't going to catch me holding my
breath.
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