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Over the years I've taken various forms of martial arts. Unfortunately due to the way my life has played out I've never been around one teacher for more than a few years and so I've never really been able to work my way up in knowledge and skill of a specific form. Instead, I have a smattering of knowledge across various forms. Still, there is one thing I have picked up from all my teachers, and that is that you must have a knowledge of groundwork in order to survive a particularly intense situation.
While kicks, punches and the other things tend to be where things first get noticed those will likely only keep you going for a short time. After that time passes (usually a few seconds) things go to the ground, and that is where you are tested most heavily. Lately I am starting to think that most writers have no understanding of groundwork when it comes to the stories they are giving us in our comics.
Much like in movies the writers seem to be focused on the "flash" and the "eye catching" moments that artists can turn into a truly visual work of art. That's great, but at the end of a story if all you have is a focus on that flash you have a story that is next to nothing. I guess I could also compare it to much of the martial arts cinema from across the oceans (and some from here). Anyone who has watched a lot of martial arts cinema from China knows that a lot of it is a series of seriously amazing fights tied together with a fairly weak story. Check out a Tony Jaa movie (Thailand) and you'll see what I mean very quickly.
I truly miss the days of the of Geoff Johns' JSA run in early 2000. That was a writer that truly knew (and still knows) groundwork in the world of comics. Before one story was finished Johns was busy at work preparing things for next major story arc. Please keep in mind that I am well aware that much of this groundwork and how it played out is also due to David S. Goyer's involvement in the title as a writer. Still, being familiar with Goyer's other works (including movies) I tend to see Johns more as the person who sows the seeds as I've seen him do it in other titles, and he does it very well.
I am very worried that with today's age of trade paperbacks writers are either being hand tied so that they cannot do such preparations for future stories or that companies are now looking for writers that can deliver a nicely packaged story with seams so tight that nothing leaks out to taint or influence future stories. Frankly, it's very saddening. This really hit me when I bought the trade of Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes. I bought it because I wanted to get more back-story regarding the Legion that was one of many that would move forward into the Legion of 3 Worlds. It was by Johns so I had faith the story would be good. My question was how much would other elements of Superman's world for that title (Action Comics) be contained in the trade.
To both my favor and my disappointment there were no elements (that I could see) where previous issues of Action Comics came into play. Neither did I see anything that drove me to follow Superman into the next story arc. It gained my favor as it was a nice "clean" purchase that didn't lead me to spending more money on the next story. It gained my disappointment as a comic reader seeing the story set up in such a nice little "box." As I said before, it was sealed well and there was no taint from what came before nor did it appear it would taint what came after.
Still, I must say I am concerned for where this is leading comics as a whole. Trades are great, don't get me wrong. For some people it is how they prefer to collect now and that is fine for them and fine with me if they do so. Yet, as someone who likes to see one story flow into the next and see continuing affects move down the line I am starting to feel as though now I am the one who is the odd man out. The hobby that I loved as a child seems to be morphing into something I am continually finding myself on the outside of. I feel as though I am losing my connection because I am not willing enough to take the pre-packaged leak-proof stories without question.
The largest thing is that I know what the reality is. That once the flashy punches and kicks stop, once the amazing art is seen and the captivating words are read the serious struggle begins. In the world of martial arts and fighting it is the groundwork that keeps you alive and able to stand up again. In the world of comics it is the groundwork that keeps the readers invested in a title for more than a handful of issues and keeps the title alive. Geoff Johns seems to be someone who can perform great groundwork and is being allowed to use it in some situations (Blackest Night), but in others situations he isn't. For the situations where he isn't allowed to perform his groundwork, I worry for those titles and looking at the industry and hobby as a whole I also worry. Without groundwork survival is questionable.
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