Category Archives: Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Michael Fleisher, R.I.P.

The name may not be terribly familiar even to those who have followed comic books, but writer Michael Fleisher, who I just found out yesterday had passed away on February 2nd, was an amazing talent who left behind at least two series of stories I absolutely love.

The first, and probably his best, work ran only some 10 issues/stories.  While I lament the fact that it lasted such a short period of time, in retrospect it might have been just long enough.  These stories featured the Spectre, a character who to that point was never terribly well written even though he’d been around since the “Golden Age” of comics.  Mr. Fleisher made him a vengeful spirit who gave evil doers their just -and often very icky- reward.  The stories were found in Weird Adventure Comics and drawn by the always amazing Jim Aparo…

Image result for jim aparo spectre

Image result for jim aparo spectre

Image result for jim aparo spectre

His other great series lasted a much longer time -over a dozen years!- and many, many issues, and involved DC’s western anti-hero Jonah Hex.

Image result for jonah hex comic book

While Mr. Fleischer wasn’t the man who created the character, he was the one who handled him the longest and, in my opinion, offered the best take on him as well.  Jonah Hex has gone on to appear in his own -not very good- movie as well as on DC’s TV shows on the CW.

Perhaps the most fascinating story Mr. Fleisher wrote regarding the character appeared in the book presented below, Jonah Hex Spectacular.  Within this issue we learn the ultimate fate of Jonah Hex and it ain’t pretty.  Years later other writers at DC would return to the story and present a happier ending, but I like the grim one.  It’s somehow fitting…

Image result for michael fleisher jonah hex

Later on, Michael Fleisher would be bad mouthed in an interview by noted sci-fi author Harlan Ellison and in The Comics Journal.  In that interview and among other things Mr. Ellison stated Fleisher, based on some of his works and especially his Spectre stories, was a “lunatic” (he would offer other derogatory descriptions, some even more foul mouthed).  Mr. Fleisher sued for defamation and eventually lost the case while Mr. Ellison claimed the things he said were in jest and not meant to be taken seriously.  Regardless, the interview and the subsequent lawsuit effectivelly spelled the end of Mr. Fleisher’s career in American comic books.

He would leave comics completely by 1995 and after doing some stories for the British comic series 2000 AD.  His later career was spent in studies and college and he was 76 years old at the time of his passing.

Tonight I’ll have to go through my books and re-read some of those Spectre and Jonah Hex stories.

For those intrigued by what I’ve written above, the Spectre stories were collected in a TPB called The Wrath of the Spectre…

Image result for the wrath of the spectre comic

As for his Jonah Hex stories, DC released two black and white (and 500 some pages long) Showcase volumes which feature quite a bit of Mr. Fleisher’s material…

Image result for jonah hex showcase

Image result for jonah hex showcase volume two

Again, if you’re at all intrigued by what I’ve written above and curious to read some of Mr. Fleisher’s stuff, get these three books.

They’re that good.

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, General, Movies, TV

Disney buying up most of Fox Entertainment…

Woke up today to the news that Disney is, as the headline right above states, buying up most of Fox Entertainment’s assets.  The link below is to a CNN article written by Hadas Gold and Charles Riley concerning that big bit of news…

Disney is buying most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 Billion

To comic book/movie geeks like me, this means that Disney, who owns Marvel Comics and the characters, nonetheless did not have the right to make movies using the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and only until recently, Spider-Man, even though those characters and the ancillary characters around them were part of the Marvel Comics stable.

Why?

Because there was a time, believe it or not, when Marvel Comics wasn’t doing all that well financially and the rights to the movie versions of these properties were sold to what eventually became 21st Century Fox.  These properties, ironically enough, were THE most popular properties in the Marvel stable, so when the Marvel films first started coming out, they were forced to use “lesser” characters at first.

Sure, people knew the Hulk and Captain America, but Iron Man wasn’t a big character.  Thor, also quite well known in comic book circles, was hardly a Marvel “A” lister.  So too the Guardians of the Galaxy.

But the movies were successful beyond anyone’s dreams and, voila, the Marvel films were hot hot hot and when Disney purchased them, lock, stock, and barrel, they continued the success… and even managed to procure the use of Spider-Man.

I suspect that small opening allowed Disney to continue their negotiations with Fox and, today, it looks like we’ve come to the logical conclusion.

So, now what?

Will we see the Fantastic Four and X-Men finally come into the Marvel Universe?

I strongly suspect we will.

And… it kinda depresses me.

Look, its nice that the Marvel properties, both in print and in theaters, are now going to be under one umbrella.  The properties should be together as they always were in print.

However…

Is it me or are we rapidly coming to the point where our entire lives are going to be influenced by only a handful of companies?

Think about it: In entertainment Disney, Warner Brothers, and Sony are a trio of incredibly big and influential companies.  Fox was, too, but now Fox is part of Disney.

I could go on with other companies, such as Amazon and Apple and Samsung and Microsoft and… the list sure seems to get smaller and smaller, no?

One other thing: Fox owns the rights to the original cut of Star Wars (1977).  Now, supposedly George Lucas, when he sold his Star Wars properties, put a clause in there nixing any release of the original cut of the film.

But now Disney actually owns that cut (again, this was like the Marvel deal, while Disney owns the Star Wars properties, Fox had the rights to the original theatrical version of the original film).

The big question: Will they finally release it?

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, General

For what it’s worth…

With all the current news regarding sexual harassment, I was reminded of the first time an incident which could be defined as such was brought to my attention… and how shocked I was to find out about it.

It was the mid-1990’s, so I can claim some excuse in being younger/more naive/stupider then.  It was a Comic Book Convention I attended, among the first where I attended as a “Pro” guest.

Being a “Pro” guest meant you interacted more with other “Pros”.  In that particular convention, I had the unique privilege and thrill to meet up with several people who, to me, were incredibly gifted and whose works entertained the hell out of me over the years before.

In this particular convention there was a very, very legendary comic book figure, one who was in the business for many years and was behind and/or responsible for many very memorable events during practically her entire history.

Frankly, I was gobsmacked that I could actually meet and interact with this legend and mentioned it to the two people I was with at that moment.

One of the pros I was with, a woman who made a name for herself over the previous years with various successful projects, reacted in a most negative way to my comment.

Though it happened many years ago and I don’t recall the exact words, she essentially told me this individual -this comic book legend!- was a creep, a man who was, as defined by today’s headlines, a sexual harasser.  One who had, to my horror, harassed her.

I came away from this conversation with the realization of something I’ve come to know all too well since that time: Sometimes the art is very different from the artist.

Now, I could name names and tell you who this legendary figure is and who the woman accusing him of harassment was but I feel its best I don’t.  Understand, I’m not trying to be coy or engage in some childish “I’ve got a secret” type thing.

The fact of the matter is that this happened a very long time ago and, as I mentioned above, I can only go by my impressions rather than specific words told to me by the lady in question. Still, my impression hasn’t changed that this woman genuinely felt the man was a creep.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, though this woman was clearly seething and willing to tell a stranger (who I was to her at that moment!) her very negative impressions of that man, I don’t know what happened afterwards and, for all I know, things might well have changed.

While perhaps unlikely, this woman might have had more interactions with this comic book legend and maybe her opinion of him changed.  It is possible the man acted bad on the day(s) she formed her negative impressions of him and maybe he eventually realized the error of his ways and apologized to her.

These are things I don’t know!

The woman in question is still around while that legendary comic book figure has since passed.

Perhaps in this day and age, this woman might come forward to offer her opinions of this man or any other(s) who have shown such creepy behavior toward her.

I hope she -and anyone else who was mistreated by those in power- do so.

In all fields, including the comic book field, it is high time bad behavior –especially bad behavior which crosses the line into outright criminal behavior- was treated for what it is and for those who have engaged in it be called out for what they are.

Creeps.

Comic Books/Graphic Novels

The passing of a comic book legend…

One of the startling things one realizes after going through an event like Hurricane Irma and the subsequent loss of both power and internet is that when you emerge from that non-electric coma, you feel like Rip Van Winkle… and there’s so much you’ve missed out on.

One of the more startling things to read about, and I’m certainly not trying to ignore all the incredible destruction around us and subsequent human suffering which will linger in these post-hurricane times, is the announced passing on Sunday the 10th of September of Len Wein.

To the public at large, that name may not mean all that much.

Arguably, Mr. Wein is in the pantheon of the all time greatest contributors to the comic book medium.

Two of his better known co-creations are Wolverine (yes, that Wolverine!) and, along with also recently passed artist Bernie Wrightson, Swamp Thing.

But Mr. Wein’s career was so very much more.  His fingerprints are all over a plethora of comic books from the early 1970’s, when he emerged primarily as a writer, to the earlier 1990’s, when it seemed he took a step back.

He was, famously, the editor of the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons mini-series The Watchmen.  He was the one who first worked on the new X-Men.  He crafted literally thousands of stories and created or co-created many, many comic book characters who are still very popular today.

To me, Mr. Wein’s crowning achievement has to be Swamp Thing.  Along with Bernie Wrightson, Mr. Wein wrote 13 issues -the first 10 of which were illustrated by Mr. Wrightson- of absolute to near-absolute brilliance.  There was perhaps only one issue among those 13, after Wrightson left, that I thought wasn’t all that good, but in those 13 issues Mr. Wein wrote a brilliant saga with a brilliant beginning, middle, and end.

He left the book with many of the major plot lines closed yet offered a path for future writers to continue with the character, and given the year it was released, the early to mid-1970’s and long before the idea of a “mini-series” came to be known, this was something almost unheard of.

I wrote the following when Mr. Wrightson passed.  It applies equally to Mr. Wein, so I’ll repost it here:

When I was very young, there were four works that influenced/inspired me.

For the movies, it was Steven Spielberg’s Duel, the first film I recall seeing and understanding, even at the very young age of 5 or so.  It helped that the film was essentially a silent movie!

For TV, there was the original Star Trek, then on its first wave of reruns. For comedy, there was Get Smart! For books, I recall being hospitalized with a kidney problem while very young and being given the very first of the many Hardy Boy books released and, though it was hard at the time, I read through it and that first step lead to me becoming a voracious reader and wanting to be a writer.

For Comic Books, it was Swamp Thing #10…

Image result for swamp thing #10

The book mesmerized me and made me realize comic books, like movies, like TV shows, and like books, could be works of art. It took me several years but over time I managed to get the other 9 issues of the run and found the pairing of Len Wein’s writing and Berni Wrightson’s illustrations among the absolute best runs of ANY comic book series.  To this day, it remains one of my very favorites.

There’s not much more to add than that.  My admiration and respect for the works of both Mr. Wein and Wrightson hold no bounds and their influence on me, to this day, is beyond enormous.

Rest in peace, Mr. Wein.  Even if the public at large may not be familiar with your name, they certainly know the mark you left on the entertainment industry.

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Movies

Doc Savage movie… on hold?

Many years ago I stumbled upon a book in -I think- a used bookstore (remember those?) and the cover image blew me away.  Because it was part of a very long series, I can’t recall which book it was exactly, but the cover most likely was a James Bama illustrated one like this:

Image result for doc savage james bama

For those who don’t know who Doc Savage is, he was/is arguably the first ever “superhero”.  His adventures were mostly written by a man named Lester Dent along with a few others and under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.  The original stories were presented in short novel form and in pulp magazines…

Image result for doc savage fortress of solitude pulp magazine cover

The Bantam reprints of the Doc Savage books were a hit though I suspect a great deal of credit goes to James Bama’s re-imagining of Doc Savage’s “look” (the two images presented above are the original cover to the story Fortress of Solitude, with Doc looking like a typical 1930’s hunky movie star, and the James Bama one, where he looks like an odd, mysterious, almost mutant-like being).  James Bama eventually left the reprint series but the subsequent books featured artists who emulated his style, especially his “take” on the character of Doc Savage…

Image result for doc savage covers

Recently all 181 Doc Savage novels were reprinted -beautifully, I might add- in a prestige magazine format…

Image result for doc savage vintage library

To say I’m a fan of Doc Savage is an understatement.  I find the original novels fun, intriguing, and, while dated, exciting as hell.

No doubt in large part thanks to the success of the Bantam reprints, in 1975 a film version of Doc Savage was made.  It featured Ron Ely in the title role.  Strap yourselves in if you haven’t “experienced” this before…

To say the movie -to a fan of Doc Savage like myself- was a disappointment is pretty much the king of understatements.  While the cast was pretty good and Ron Ely, IMHO, was a good choice for the titular role, the film suffered from a lack of a consistent tone and at times too cheesy -and jokey- presentation.

The movie was a flop yet interest in Doc Savage remained.  Over the many years since that movie’s release, a number of directors, including such luminaries as James Cameron, have attached themselves to a new film version.  None, however, were able to seal the deal and get the film actually made.

The latest in this line was/is Shane Black, best known for his screenplays to, among others, Lethal Weapon (the original), or acting in films such as Predator, or directing/writing films such as Iron Man 3 or last year’s The Nice Guys.  Mr. Black’s version of Doc Savage, it was further reported, drew the interest of Dwayne Johnson which is a coup considering how popular an actor he is.

That news, alas, didn’t thrill me so much.  While I like Mr. Johnson and feel he’s very good -and charismatic- in a number of movies, I just didn’t feel he was the right choice for the role of Doc Savage.

Regardless, back in July Shane Black was asked about progress on the Doc Savage film and it appears the movie may be stalled right now.  The below link is to the article -again, from July, so take the information with that grain of salt- by David Kozlowski and presented on lrmonline.com:

Shane Black Provides Update on Doc Savage Movie

The bottom line is that Shane Black is currently very busy with the editing of the new Predator movie, which he also directed, and Dwayne Johnson is very busy making his twenty to fifty plus movies each year, so Mr. Black is basically telling everyone to not hold their breaths regarding the new Doc Savage film.  At this point it’s a matter of finding the time for all parties to be freed up and able to get together and that may not happen -if at all- for a while.

Sure, I’d love to see a new Doc Savage movie.  But I’d be lying if I said this news of its stalled nature depressed me.  Though some of the interviews with Shane Black regarding Doc Savage gave the impression he was a big fan of the character and wanted to make a respectful movie from the source material, I continued to have doubts about Mr. Johnson in the lead role (again, I like his work, but until I see him do it, I just can’t envision him in that role) and therefore can’t be too unhappy this particular project might not come to fruition.

Oh well!

Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Comics… here today…?

It’s no secret that comic book sales are on a steady decline.

This saddens me tremendously.

As a very young child, I was wowed by movies, by TV shows, by books… and of course, I was blown away by Comic Books.

To this day, over forty years later, I still love the medium and still feel it has tremendous possibilities.

But the reality is that today, the comic book medium is in trouble.  So much so that during the San Diego Comic Con, there was a panel with DC Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio where they talked about their plans to “save” the medium.

The below link is to an article about that panel.  It is written by Charles Pulliam-Moore and is found on i09.com

DC Has An Epic Plan To Save Itself From the Comics Apocalypse it helped create

As you can tell from the headline of the article, Mr. Pulliam-Moore (or perhaps the editors of i09.com) aren’t feeling a tremendous amount of love towards these folks, noting that many of the problems in the comic book industry today could be traced to many of the things they themselves were involved in.

This, sadly, is very much a fact.

Jim Lee and Dan DiDio aren’t country bumpkins who just last week “showed up” at the comics industry and are just now realizing how screwed up it is.

Regardless, and giving them something of the benefit of the doubt, I’m pleased they’re finally realizing something I’ve felt has long been a problem with comic books: Continuity.

When Marvel Comics under legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko essentially re-created and re-invigorated the comic book industry in the very early 1960’s, one of the biggest things they brought to their books was the idea of continuity.

What happens in Spider-Man #5, for example, may be referenced in Fantastic Four #10.  Hulk may wander away at the end of an issue of The Avengers and we find his wandering took him to the next issue of Daredevil.

It was a thrilling concept for its time, something that wasn’t seen in most comic books to that point, but like all good things, it set the groundwork for problems to come.

The fact is that Marvel became very continuity devoted and DC, which eventually decided to follow along with the concept of continuity, created a fun “history” of their characters but a history that, over time and following so many years of issues which followed, became convoluted and silly.

Inevitably, the continuity history became too hard to handle and the companies had a desire to “clean things up”.  The famous 1980’s mini-series Crisis on Infinite Worlds was meant to do just that, to restart DC comics continuity and have everyone be in a “year one” situation.

Image result for crisis on infinite earths

But, while certain titles did try to go with a “new” mentality, big problems were created with -ironically enough- other continuity issues.  I won’t get into all the details but, essentially, the series removed the idea of a “multiverse” and had all the characters merge into one world… which ironically enough created all kinds of other continuity problems.

Marvel, for their part, branched off into “Ultimate” versions of their characters among other things, essentially trying to create their own multi-verse.

Another problem Crisis, and Marvel’s company-wide crossover Secret Wars created was a sense that big events made for big sales.

So we had continuity going nuts, company-wide crossovers selling big, and big events being viewed as a way to goose up sales.

It was a recipe for big sales in the short term and big problems years down the road.

Eventually, these big company-wide crossovers and big events would get… tiring.

Worse, expecting readers to shell out big bucks for a whole host of books they might not otherwise bother with to get the “full story” of the latest event was silly and burdensome.  Eventually, readers realized that these big, continuity altering events were not quite all they were cracked up to be and, it was no big surprise, these events became less than interesting.

So Mr. Lee and DiDio seem to want to move in the opposite direction, releasing big event books that are self-contained, perhaps like graphic novels, and whose continuity is self-enclosed.

I’m all in favor of this but I suspect, rather strongly, that this is yet another example of how the movie/TV industry shadows over the comic book industry.

The fact of the matter is that making a comic book of this type, with a complete beginning, middle, and end, is a pretty damn good way to do a story you can then present to those big-wigs in the movie/TV industry.

I fear that comic books are becoming just that, a relatively cheap way of pitching movie/TV concepts and, because the real money is there, that’s what Mr. Lee and DiDio are pushing.

The demise of the comic book industry is not a new thought.  There were many in the 1970’s who thought it was on its way out.  Then in the 1990’s.  And now today.

Perhaps the industry survives.

I hope so.

I like the industry.  I like reading well written and well-drawn books.  I’m dismayed by much of what is published today, but if I’m honest, there has been plenty of what I feel was “bad” material published in the past as well.

As with so many things, we’ll see what happens…

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Movies

You know you want to know…

Director Matt Reeves, whose soon to be released film War For The Planet of the Apes is getting some early very good word, has been tasked with directing the upcoming Batman (or, as it is currently titled, The Batman) film featuring Ben Affleck.

And because fans are intensely curious to hear what Mr. Reeves has to say regarding the project, here’s an article by Chris Begley for batman-news.com (I truly didn’t know there was a website devoted to just this!):

The Batman will be a “noir-driven detective version of Batman,” says director Matt Reeves

Now, the headline pretty much gives away the meat of this relatively small article as the film hasn’t begun, well, filming yet and Mr. Reeves is obviously more interested in promoting his War For The Planet of the Apes feature.

Therefore, I wouldn’t blame you a bit for not hitting the link above.  The full quote by Mr. Reeves, by the way, is this:

“There’s a chance to do an almost noir driven, detective version of Batman that is point-of-view driven in a very very powerful way, that will hopefully connect you to what’s going on inside of his head,” Reeves said.

I’m intrigued, I suppose, though by this point whatever nostalgic joy I could have regarding seeing Batman on screen has been diminished by the various movies featuring him released to date.

In some ways, its like my feelings for the upcoming Spider-Man film.  There was a time when the idea of seeing Spidey on the big screen was a dream come true, but in the interval we’ve seen so many versions of the character come to the screen, some better than others, that I’m just not all that thrilled with seeing more Spidey.

With Batman, I must admit, I haven’t quite reached that level.  This is most likely due to the fact that he’s easily my favorite superhero and therefore it’ll take a lot more for my thirst to see him on screen is sated.

Having said that, while what Mr. Reeves said above sounds intriguing, I’m perfectly happy to wait and see what eventually shows up on at the local theaters.

Hope for the best and all!

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Movies

Two bits of sci-fi news broke yesterday…

1 Comment

Both interesting.

First up, the bigger of the two stories, that directors/writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have exited the so far untitled young Han Solo Star Wars movie and, as of yesterday, the rumor was that Ron Howard may be brought in to finish the film.  The below link is to an article by Germain Lussier at i09.com discussing that very topic:

Ron Howard is the reported front runner to take over Han Solo film

What’s most fascinating about this news is that Lord and Miller have been filming for months and were reportedly close to finishing principle photography when they left.

If you’ve been around these parts for any length of time, you know that I’m not a huge Star Wars fan, despite having been exactly the right age at the right time back in 1977 when the first film was released.  In fact, I have yet to see Rogue One, which also had its difficulties upon completion.  Supposedly most of the movie’s second half was re-filmed by others though the original director didn’t walk like Lord and Miller did.

I wrote a comment over at i09 regarding this and recalling it sounded a lot like what happened with another film…

The closest comparison seems to be what happened with Superman II, where director Richard Donner filmed something like 80% of the movie before being sacked. The film was completed with some new scenes directed by Richard Lester and while the film wound up being quite good -though I prefer the Richard Donner cut, even if it didn’t have a “real” ending- those who recognize the difference know what Mr. Lester added…and it was mostly silly humor.

To reiterate:  It is my feeling most of the success of the theatrical cut of Superman II is attributable to Mr. Donner and the work he did in the film before being fired.  Having said that, the theatrical cut, while not as good a film as the original Superman, nonetheless wound up being pretty good on its own, even if some of the things Mr. Lester added were silly.

Will the same happen with the Han Solo film?  Until its released, we won’t know.  I doubt I’ll catch the film until it airs on cable so I won’t know until then.

Second bit of interesting news, also found on i09 and in an article written by Charles Pullman-Moore is…

Damon Lindelof’s bringing a Watchmen series to HBO

Way back when I was a HUGE fan of writer Alan Moore.  By complete luck I got back into the Saga of the Swamp Thing comic book with issue #16 when it originally hit news stands.  I was a big fan of the Len Wein/Bernie Wrightson run of the book back in the early to mid-1970’s and when this new series came out in the early 1980’s, written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Tom Yeates, I gave it a try for something like five to seven issues before giving up on it.

A friend, however, told me to give the book another try and, as I mentioned above, I picked up issue #16 which, while still written by Martin Pasko, was drawn by the new art team of Steve Bissette and John Totleben.

While I love me some Tom Yeates, Bissette and Totleben were far more appropriate for a book like Swamp Thing and I bought the issue and those that came afterwards.

What happened, of course, is that with issue #20 Martin Pasko took off and Alan Moore, in his first U.S. work, stepped in.  The book, frankly, was in trouble.  It wasn’t selling well and there was no reason to think it would last too much longer.  Yet with issue 21 of the book, with the head-turning Anatomy Lesson story, Alan Moore proved he was a talent to watch, even if most of the U.S. market didn’t know this.

I did, though at that time I was one of the very few.

I was so turned on by Alan Moore’s writing that I hunted down all the previous work he had that I could get my hands on.  That turned out to be mostly Warrior magazine and there I found his awesome work on MarvelMan (later re-titled MiracleMan), V for Vendetta, and Dr. & Quinch.  Meanwhile, sales on Swamp Thing grew and Alan Moore was increasingly being looked upon as a talent to watch.  It amused me to be so ahead of the curve but I was only too happy to get even more…Moore.

I recall distinctly when The Watchmen series was announced and being so very excited to get it.  By the time it was over, however, things had changed.

I can’t quite put my finger upon it but as I read more of his works, I realized that as good as Alan Moore was, he was best when doing short stories rather than longer series.  His best issues of Swamp Thing, IMHO, were those that were “done in one” while his longer stories tended to amble on and not reach all that great of a resolution.

The same, alas, was my opinion of Watchmen.  Great premise, obviously a lot of work invested in it, but the ending…jeeze.  The ending was, in what I think was most likely a case of coincidental creativity (or perhaps Alan Moore simply forgot he had watched it), the plot of the famous Outer Limits episode Architects of Fear.

Clearly someone within DC (or perhaps Alan Moore himself) realized this as well for towards the end of the series we get this curious little panel which acknowledges the similarity in stories:

Image result for watchmen architects of fear

Again, I think this was probably coincidence as I would certainly hope someone as creative as Mr. Moore wouldn’t simply take another story premise and, even with an acknowledgement, pass it off as his own.

Still, the bloom had faded.  Mr. Moore concluded his Swamp Thing run going farther and farther “out there”.  Both Marvel Man and V for Vendetta were also given conclusions as the Warrior magazine folded before either could be done, but I found both stories also featured murky ends.

Mr. Moore also had a big argument with DC comics and left the company.  His work following his departure, IMHO, was never quite on the level of where he started, and his interviews showed an at times very bitter man who didn’t seem to know when to let things go.

All this history came back to hurt my appreciation of The Watchmen.  What I once viewed as a terrific series once done I couldn’t help but view in a lesser light.  When the Zach Snyder directed Watchmen movie came out, I was somewhat curious to see it but didn’t.  I eventually bought the director’s cut BluRay yet despite the fact that I love Mr. Snyder’s Batman v Superman, I haven’t had the desire to watch that film.

Which, in a very long winded way, explains why I’m not all that interested in seeing Mr. Lindelof’s Watchmen series, either.  I think a series will do the work more justice as it felt like a great difficult thing to make a single movie, no matter how long it may be, of this 12 issue work.

Could it be good?

I have no doubt it could be good.

I just don’t think I’m going to bother watching it.

Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Movies

I wonder if it works the other way around…?

Found this article by Cooper Hood at screenrant.com.  The headline pretty much says it all:

Chris Hemsworth Claims it is “Illegal” for MCU actors to take DC Roles

Now, Mr. Hemsworth, it should be noted, said this in a panel at a comic book convention and, perhaps, he was being quite tongue in cheek about the statement.  I mean, “illegal”?  Like… he can be arrested for appearing in a DC universe movie?

I certainly don’t think so, though I could see the powers that be at Disney/Marvel frowning very heavily at the idea that someone as well known for a role as prominent as he plays in the MCU suddenly appearing in an equally big role in a DC movie.  I mean, should he appear in civilian attire as a small character in a DC universe film I guess it might be ok, but what if he should appear in the role of, say, a Booster Gold?

Image result for booster gold images

Granted, the character isn’t as big as a Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman, but he’s big enough and the character, as presented in the comics, does have the look of Mr. Hemsworth.  There are other possibilities, too.  How about the Phantom Stranger…?

Image result for phantom stranger

What if they decide to make a Green Arrow movie that, like the Flash in the movie universe, isn’t tied into the TV show?  Mr. Hemsworth could certainly look the part…

Image result for green arrow neal adams images

Anyway…random speculation on my part.

Still, who could one see Robert Downey Jr. play if he were to appear in the DC movies…?

Could he make an interesting Blue Beetle to Chris Hemsworth’s Booster Gold…?

Image result for blue beetle images

I don’t know…it might just work…

Image result for blue beetle and booster gold images

Books/Literature, Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Berni Wrightson, Rest In Peace…

When I was very young, there were four works that influenced/inspired me.

For the movies, it was Steven Spielberg’s Duel, the first film I recall seeing and understanding, even at the very young age of 5 or so.  It helped that the film was essentially a silent movie!

For TV, there was the original Star Trek, then on its first wave of reruns. For comedy, there was Get Smart! For books, I recall being hospitalized with a kidney problem while very young and being given the very first of the many Hardy Boy books released and, though it was hard at the time, I read through it and that first step lead to me becoming a voracious reader and wanting to be a writer.

For Comic Books, it was Swamp Thing #10…

Image result for swamp thing #10

What I didn’t know when I bought that book at a drug store waaaaaaay back when was that this would be the last time Berni Wrightson illustrated his co-creation.

The book mesmerized me and made me realize comic books, like movies, like TV shows, and like books, could be works of art. It took me several years but over time I managed to get the other 9 issues of the run and found the pairing of Len Wein’s writing and Berni Wrightson’s illustrations among the absolute best runs of ANY comic book series.  To this day, it remains one of my very favorites.

When I managed, after a while, to work in the comic book field for a few years, I attended a North Carolina convention and, much to my regret, didn’t attend a “professionals” party given that first night. It proved to be my one and best chance of meeting Mr. Wrightson and, alas, I blew it.

Mr. Wrightson’s works had a HUGE influence on me and, to this day, Swamp Thing #10 remains my all time favorite comic book ever.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Wrightson.

While I’m sure many lavished you with praise for your work and your illustrations for Frankenstein are probably remembered the best by the most, it was your work on Swamp Thing that will forever remain in my mind.