It was inevitable that I'd end up reviewing Captain America. After all, Cap is one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. Add to that my dissatisfaction with certain aspects of current writer Dan Jurgens' take on the character, and you have a situation perfect for me to start running off my mouth!
Ah, yes, I also review the recent Spider-Man/Marrow one shot from Marvel. Finally, I take a look at Heroes & Angels, a superb book showcasing the art and career of Ray Lago. See, I'm not always negative. Just most of the time…
As always, there are plenty of SPOILERS, so proceed with caution.
Captain America #s 37-38, $2.25 US each, published by Marvel Comics
Writer & Pencils: Dan Jurgens; Inks: Art Thibert & Bob Layton
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Let me state this first: the current artwork on Captain America is superb. While I've never been a fan of Dan Jurgens' pencilling, I've always found his work to be, at the very least, dependable. It is much more than just that here. He is rendering some outstanding work. I have found some of his poses and facial expressions to be a bit stiff and posed. But, aside from that, I have no serious problems with the artwork, and have found it well done. No doubt some of the credit has to go to the inkers, Art Thibert and Bob Layton. I was sorry to learn that issue #37 was Thibert's last as inker. However, Layton's inks on #38 demonstrate that he is certainly able to fill Thibert's shoes. The two artists have both added a distinct, stylish touch to Jurgens' pencils. The collaboration between Jurgens and these two inkers has resulted in some of the best artwork this title has ever seen.
That said, I am nowhere near as satisfied with Jurgens' writing, which has left me with very mixed feelings. There are times when he seems to capture the character perfectly, when I look upon the page, read the dialogue, and declare, "Yes, this is Cap! This is why I like the character!" And, yet, there are other occasions when Jurgens' seems to possess a total misunderstanding of the character, when he completely miss the mark. And the aggravating thing is that these oscillating moments of brilliant characterization and horrible mischaracterization often follow on the heels of one another. One minute, Jurgens is doing a superb job writing Cap, but with the turn of a page, suddenly I'm left wondering if this is the same character whose adventures I've been following for more than a decade.
Jurgens has done a fine job of capturing Cap's drive and determination. In both these issues, we see Cap charging into battle, striving to right wrongs and fight injustice. At the same time, Jurgens' also captures the optimistic, idealistic side of Cap. At the end of #37, Cap leaps to the rescue of a fallen foe, Protocide. He also attempts to convince Protocide to turn over a new leaf, to start anew on a better, more heroic path.
Unfortunately, for all these moments when Jurgens captures the essence of Cap perfectly, there are just as many where he fumbles the ball. In his pursuit of Protocide, Cap recklessly charges into battle, seemingly heedless of the odds against him. Yes, he has a personal stake in stopping Protocide, but even that doesn't explain Cap's rash behavior. Cap is a consummate strategist, "the man with the plan," to quote Mark Waid. Yet in #37 he recklessly tackles Protocide, ignoring the army of Hydra agents surrounding them. And in #38, despite having been injured in battle, he refuses medical aid and launches a solo attack on a heavily defended AIM installation. Yes, Cap is brave. But he has seldom been depicted as being so rash and foolhardy.
In #38, Jurgens has Cap stealing a deadly chemical weapon, the Omega Compound, from SHIELD, to use against Protocide and AIM. We are supposed to believe that Cap is so determined to end the threat of Protocide that he would even consider using such a weapon. However, this goes against everything that Cap has been portrayed as. Yes, Cap is a soldier. Yes, he will kill if there is absolutely no other way to stop an enemy and save innocent lives. And he has done so on a rare handful of occasions. But this is an absolute last resort for Cap. Even during the numerous clashes with his long-time arch enemy, the Red Skull, Cap has always tried to avoid using lethal force, and when he did (as seen in #17 of the current series), it was with the utmost reluctance and regret. Yet after only two encounters with Protocide, Cap is seemingly ready to kill him. Worse yet, he seriously considered using a chemical weapon that, when released, would kill not just Protocide, but probably everyone in the AIM installation, and quite possibly spread beyond to threaten innocent lives. Yes, in the end Cap decided not to use the Omega Compound. But the fact that he is shown as seriously considering using it is appalling. This is not the Cap I know.
Another of my problems with Jurgens' portrayal of Cap is that he is overemphasizing the fact that Cap grew up in the 1930s. He writes a Cap who only listens to pre-World War II music, who thinks the Internet fosters anarchy, and who lectures teenagers on personal grooming. Worst of all, in #37 Jurgens writes that Cap is uncomfortable with Sharon Carter's leadership of SHIELD, because in his era women did not have positions of authority. Yes, I can understand Jurgens wanting to comment on the changes in society since the 1940s, and how Cap, who was in suspended animation for decades, finds them strange. Unfortunately, I can't see Cap still being surprised by women in leadership positions. When he was first revived, yes. But not now, since in that time he was a member of the Avengers when Captain Marvel, Wasp, and Black Widow, women all, led the team. He never had any discomfort on those occasions. So why now? While there is merit in exploring Cap's reaction to the modern world, Jurgens is overplaying this aspect, and in the process he makes Cap seem rather rigid and unadaptive to change.
Jurgens also writes scenes that stretch suspension of disbelief past the breaking point. At the end of #37, Cap is tossed into a red-hot deadly-looking energy core thingie. When we next see him in #38, he's stuck at the bottom, red-hot energy roaring around him, with only his shield below his feet to protect him. It's a rather ridiculous moment. Cap's shield is unbreakable, but even it shouldn't be able to completely protect him from the roaring energy of the core. And then he uses the shield to batter his way out of the side of the energy core, which leaves him totally exposed to the energy. Yet when he finally breaks out, he hasn't suffered any serious harm, and he rushes off to fight Protocide and AIM. Somewhat nonsensical and unbelievable, I'm afraid.
Nevertheless, there are some strong points to these two issues. I already cited the occasions when Jurgens does manage to capture the character of Cap. He also does a fine job writing the agents of SHIELD. It's obvious that Jurgens likes the SHIELD concept, as he's used the organization extensively since he started writing this book. He does a good job of balancing the heroic, peace-keeping mission of SHIELD with its more covert, morally ambiguous activities. He has also succeeded in making the character of Sharon Carter likeable again. When Sharon was resurrected by Mark Waid, she returned as a bitter, caustic vixen. None of the charm of the character was there. As with the SHIELD entity, Jurgens manages to balance the two sides of Sharon's character. She still has a harder edge to her, but she is also displaying the warmth and emotion of her old days. As the new director of SHIELD, she's professional and level-headed, while at the same time capable of concern and friendship.
In terms of villains, things have been improving of late, too. I'm glad to see long-time Cap foes AIM and Hydra used prominently. Cap is well-suited to battle such neo-fascist organizations. As for Protocide, much to my surprise, I've found the character starting to become a bit interesting. At first I was very unhappy with Protocide, who started out as a evil version of Cap a one-track monomaniac villain along the lines of Venom. But in issue #38 the character finally shows some personality and potential. His previous single-minded obsession with destroying Cap is revealed to be at least partially due to brainwashing by AIM. Hopefully, if Protocide appears again, he will continue to develop, and will not just revert back to being an unthinking berserker.
Looking at these two issues of Captain America, it's obvious that the series currently has both strengths and weaknesses. The artwork is of a high caliber. The writing by Jurgens shows definite potential, and his plots have some good ideas. But in many areas relating to the character of Cap himself, Jurgens' work is just disappointing. He really needs to take a closer look at how Cap has been portrayed in the past, so that his own characterization of the supersoldier is not so dramatically at odds with what has gone before.
Ray Lago: Heroes & Angels, $20.00 US, published by Archangel Entertainment
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
This is the one that spoiled me rotten.
I don't own many art books. As can probably be gleamed from reading my various reviews, I am more oriented towards plots and characters. This is not to say that I don't appreciate art. I do, but I find I enjoy it the most when it works with a story and tells a tale.
Part of this is no doubt due to the fact that I was a Literature & Communications major in college. Reading and writing have always come to me far easier than illustration. As a result, it is easier for me to understand the principals of narration and characterization, of thematic material and symbolism, than the numerous techniques and skills required of the illustrator and the sculptor. Consequently, I've found most art books to be somewhat impenetrable, with their in-depth examinations of those techniques and skills.
Additionally, I also regard the writing in many art books to be, frankly, pretentious. The text is invariably written by a third party who spends endless passages praising the artist's work and extolling its virtues. It reads not like an examination of the art, but the ramblings of a public relations firm. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to truly enter the mind of the artist himself or herself, to understand their drives, their motivations, their inspirations.
Heroes & Angels has none of these problems. Written by Ray Lago himself, the book is an in-depth self-examination. Lago relates to us his childhood, his schooling, his early years as a professional artist, the development of his artwork, and how his career took shape. He takes us in methodical detail through the creative processes of various assignments and projects. Lago's writing is candid, honest, and personal; it feels not so much like reading text as it does sitting with Lago himself, one on one, listening him tell his story.
The subject matter of the artwork in the book is incredibly diverse: superheroes from Marvel & DC, Ivanhoe for Classics Illustrated, Vampirella, Predator, Shi, fantasy scenes, angels, portraits of individuals. The mediums are also varied: pencil, ink, black & white washtones, watercolor painting. Lago's talent and diversity is amply represented here. The various preliminary sketches, accompanied by Lago's detailed, lively writing, give an in-depth look at his thought processes, as well as his distinct impressions of the material he is illustrating.
I could go on further praising Heroes & Angels, but I'd just end up being redundant (and possibly even pretentious!). Simply put, Lagos' book is stunning. I highly recommend it. Go out and get it. It really is that good.
Spider-Man/Marrow special, $2.99 US, published by Marvel Comics
Writer: Scott Lobdell; Pencils: Ale Garza; Inks: Pierre Andre Dery
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I am not a major fan of Spider-Man. Actually, in the last several years I've bought, at the most, a dozen issues from the various titles that he stars in. No, I picked up this special because of Marrow.
Marrow is one of those X-Men related characters I've found incredibly frustrating. Although I have not read her early appearances, I understand that she was originally a member of a fanatical mutant terrorist group called the Gene Nation. Apparently the Gene Nation murdered a number of innocent humans. This would make Marrow an accessory to murder, perhaps even an actual murderer.
I first encountered Marrow in an issue of Uncanny X-Men where she tried to assassinate right-wing government agent Gyrich, and subsequently teamed up with Spider-Man to battle the anti-mutant Operation Zero Tolerance. I could see that Marrow was a ruthless individual with a chip on her shoulder. Having grown up in the sewers of Manhattan and in a hostile alien dimension (long story, don't ask), she had adopted a "kill or be killed" attitude. Her uncontrolled mutant power caused bone growths to pop out of her body at random points. Her physical appearance clearly told everyone that she was a mutant. She could not pass for a "normal" human. This was very different from the majority of female mutants in the Marvel universe who, despite their unusual powers, typically look like fashion models, and can easily go about in public.
Marrow ended up joining the X-Men, a group she didn't like or fit into. The level of dramatic tension was interesting. It was also nice to see the supposedly "feared and hated" X-Men finally have a member who actually looked "freakish" and very different from typical humans. And the moral ambiguity was stunning! The X-Men were taking in an individual who, in the past, had been involved in violent terrorist actions and murders. Were the X-Men simply giving shelter to a cold-blooded killer? Or were they trying to reform Marrow, give her a second chance, help her make something of her life, opportunities that wouldn't be possible if they turned her over to the authorities? Did they even have the right to put themselves above the law and take responsibility for a criminal like Marrow?
Unfortunately, all these potential storylines were washed away by the constant editorial changing of creative teams on the X-Men books. Eventually Marrow, via a plot device, was given control of her mutant powers. She became cute-looking, and developed the personality of a bubbly teenager. It was a horrible waste of the character's potential.
I purchased this special because, judging by the cover, it appeared to return Marrow to her original characterization. And it was written by Scott Lobdell, who had initially established Marrow's personality and history in X-Men. I was curious to see if Lobdell would be able to salvage the character.
Spider-Man, in his civilian identity Peter Parker, is still mourning the apparent death of his wife. Peter's roommate Randy drags Peter to a nightclub, hoping to get his mind off his worries. Peter meets Sarah Rushman, a student at Empire State University whose class he guest lectured in. The two strike up a conversation, and agree to meet for coffee later. Soon, Peter is waiting outside the club for Sarah, when a gristly discovery is made: a bloody corpse impaled with jagged bones. Peter spots Marrow running across a nearby rooftop, and concludes she must be the murderer. Changing to Spider-Man, he pursues her. Marrow knocks over a water tower, and while Spider-Man is busy stopping it from hitting innocent bystanders, Marrow escapes. The next morning, Peter is at ESU, lecturing on microtoxicology (or something like that!) when he runs into Sarah. The two finally go for coffee, and have a lovely time. That evening, Peter drops Sarah off at her dorm, but, just as he's leaving, he hears her scream. Becoming Spider-Man, he charges into Sarah's room, where two big thugs are trying to drug her. He rescues her, and they are fleeing across some rooftops when they are attacked by Sharon Carter and several SHIELD agents. At this point (to the surprise of nobody but Spider-Man) Sarah is revealed to be Marrow, suffering from a split personality. SHIELD had drugged her to control her insanity, and created the identity of Sarah Rushman. They were also using her to eliminate rogue SHIELD androids, which is who Marrow actually "killed" the night before. Spider-Man and Sharon Carter pursue the now-crazed Marrow across the rooftops. The chase ends atop the Brooklyn Bridge where Marrow, determined to end the confusion and insanity of her life, leaps into the water. A week later, Peter is at the ESU dorms, packing up "Sarah Rushman's" belongings, and finds himself hoping that Marrow, if she survived, will eventually find peace. Meanwhile, in a sewer, an unconscious Marrow washes up and is discovered by a mysterious figure.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a regular follower of Spider-Man. I bought this special for Marrow, and was somewhat disappointed that her role in the story was not nearly as prominent as I expected. Peter Parker takes center stage. Nevertheless, Scott Lobdell did a good job writing Spider-Man and his alter ego. Lobdell has a far better grasp of the character than some other writers in the past few years.
For Marrow, Lobdell takes the two disparate portrayals of the character (the brutal fighter, and the innocent teen) and manages to delve into both, explaining the dramatic fluctuations of the character as psychological problems. Marrow has been shown to be a very disturbed individual, and Lobdell manages to use the character's previous revamp into a bubbly teen to further expound on that. When Marrow is initially discovered by SHIELD, she is hiding in the sewers, in shock, the opposing elements of her mind apparently warring with one another. SHIELD attempts to solve the problem by isolating the two aspects, and giving Marrow a false identity that fits with her innocent teenage persona.
Actually, there are some interesting moral issues raised by SHIELD's actions. Sharon Carter claims they gave Marrow memory implants to help her find peace. Flashing back to the disturbed, spaced-out Marrow of the past, it's possible to understand Sharon's rational. And, considering Marrow's past brutal crimes, SHIELD had a vested interest in preventing her from harming any more innocents. An implanted memory gives Marrow a chance at a new life while also protecting the public. At the same time, though, one has to wonder how pure SHIELD's motives were. After all, they were also reverting Marrow back to her violent personality and using her to hunt down rogue androids. Why SHIELD felt it necessary to do this is beyond me, and it seems that in this aspect they were using her. Unless, of course, they felt Marrow's violent impulses need to be occasionally released, lest they build up beneath the surface and explode, and using her to destroy robots was a way of channeling those impulses. Unfortunately, Lobdell doesn't say this, so it's just an assumption on my part. This is why I wish more of the story had been devoted to Marrow, and her relationship with SHIELD.
Certainly the story had tremendous potential, but I think Lobdell failed to adequately explore the more interesting aspects. What caused Marrow to zone out before SHIELD found her? How much of "Sarah Rushman" was the real Marrow? What was the reasoning behind Sharon Carter's actions? I think the story could have used more pages. Then again, if it had, it would probably have ended up as a miniseries. And there's something to be said for a (relatively) self-contained one-shot.
Of course, I'm left wondering who the heck the mysterious figure on the last page is. Presumably an old ally of Marrow's from the Gene Nation. But, like I said, I don't have the X-Men issues where they appeared, so I can't tell. I think this points to a failing by Lobdell, that he didn't provide enough info on Marrow's background for readers unfamiliar with the character.
I can't say I was too keen on the artwork by Garza and Dery. There were some nice layouts. They also did a good job rendering Marrow, by really demonstrating how freakish her appearance is. Unfortunately, a lot of the normal people depicted in the story are drawn, if not freaky, than rather cartoony. There's some wonky anatomy here. Garza draws a nice-looking Sarah Rushman in the second half of the issue. But when we first meet the character in the nightclub, she looks anorexic and trashy!
And, okay, this is a minor point, but I really hate that the cover has an awful "Collector's Item 1-Shot!" blurb stuck right on it. Ugh! I can't believe Marvel is still trying to sell books that way. To quote Grace Holloway from the Doctor Who television movie, "Only children believe that crap!"