DO NOT SIEGE WALLED CITIES - 255
Knowledge Is Overrated
TIME IS SHORT
Another week with good health. The older I get the more I’ve come to believe any day without ALS or some bone disease is a victory. We’re all playing the odds out here and whenever you’re not bedridden or gotta say goodbye to loved ones, you’re still in the game.
I hope you’re all feeling good this Sunday afternoon. Gotta stay grateful.
And in that spirit, I should acknowledge the passing of Eddie Sutton. Another thing about getting older is that I now believe dying at 59 is entirely too young.
RIP to an American original. He was more than a musician to his friends and family, and that’s typically what I like to celebrate. But I never met the man and this is his legacy as I know it. My thoughts are with those who were close to him.
Now, let’s talk comic books.
ABSOLUTE QUESTION MARK
So in the week we haven’t spoken, something got announced or leaked or teased at DC. I dunno. Don’t actually come to me for news, I’m only able to half keep up. The idea is a ‘creator-driven’ line featuring the DC characters. Which sounds like Marvel’s Ultimate line meets early Vertigo when it absorbed all the edge-case superhero books from the main line.
The broad strokes have been hovering in the ether for awhile now. Scott Snyder acting as a curator of sorts. But the notion that creators will get some latitude in what stories they tell and how they tell them… well, that’s an exciting bit of gossip.
A house vibe is fine. Maybe necessary. There’s more than one type of continuity, and having the books fall within some notion of shared feel is important. When I try Big Two books, I’m often disappointed at the limited range of storytelling tools employed. But in some respects that’s good. These books have gotta have a lane or they veer into oncoming traffic.
But when doing a line of ‘this is different, ok’ books at the same publisher, I think they should be different. The Ultimate line at Marvel was hyped as something other than ‘Marvel’ but in reality it started as just a higher quality version of the same thing. Sure, Captain America said “bitch” but it wasn’t a complete departure. If this Absolute line is properly different, that could be really fun.
Now what will the difference be between it and Elseworlds? Well, I guess there’s some type of shared continuity (good luck). And what’s the difference between it and Black Label? Well, Scott Snyder, I guess. Maybe these aren’t meant to be premium books like Black Label? Oh, and I suppose Black Label titles only opt for continuity when it serves them? I dunno.
Everyone knows DC needs a change and everyone is hoping this will be a meaningful one.
I maintain we’ll know the value of the whole enterprise in the first announcement.
All that matters here is the creative teams. I don’t mean to sound like a Youtuber, but there’s some names that would strangle this thing in the crib. Not because these creators are so bad, but because they signify sameness. Their inclusion says “we’re not even going for a new coat of paint here.” The status quo is status crap and being familiar is a knock against you right now.
We need this to be good. New 52 didn’t do anything for me, but it got people to comic shops. Marvel’s Ultimate line was a branding hedge that showed no confidence in readers. But they bought a lot of it. I would be very happy to find my misgivings about line launches are unfounded. Wishing the best for Snyder and whoever else is involved.
Just please, please no [REDACTED], [REDACTED], OR [REDACTED]. Yes, I’m revisiting old bits. The market can’t stay in a coma forever. Let’s go.
NEEDING TO KNOW EVERYTHING IS UNBECOMING
I’m very far from home right now and picking up new things to read is a frustrating exercise because I have no place to put them. So I’ve been watching movies.
And one of those movies is Civil War. A completely fine genre story with beats so familiar I thought a few times “I’d have done the same” while the movie was playing.
The movie is good, not great. But I don’t think anyone would’ve expected greatness if the topic wasn’t one that primes us for REACTION.
Normal criticism went out the window for this movie. Instead, we got two camps of anti-art anger:
People who needed the work to affirm their worldview, pat them on the head and tell them they are righteous warriors against ‘other guy,’ and victory is around the corner.
People who need a DnD monster manual included with every movie ticket so they know the fictional world well enough to argue about it.
That first contingent isn’t worth addressing because those types are lost. They can’t enjoy movies anymore. Or books. Or comics. Or videogames. Or conversation with strangers.
They’re partisans. Their brains don’t function normally.
The second group is confused, but hopefully reachable.
“Why are Texas and California on the same side of this civil war?! They don’t have anything in common politically!”
Oh, that’s easy. Because they have resources or represent massive economies that can stand on their own and in a broader economic freefall those states would justifiably resent the trappings of federalism. Also— IT DOESN’T MATTER.
“Why is the president a bad guy?”
Well, he’s not really a ‘bad guy.’ He’s a self-interested egoist, but that’s all politicians and public figures, further— IT DOESN’T MATTER.
“How are some areas of the country immediately impacted by the civil war while others remain almost apart from the conflict entirely?”
I can see why that would be confusing, but the reality of war is that life carries on in a semi-normal state for many or most citizens. It’s rare that a conflict hits people equally, and it’s believable that some in the world of Civil War would be insulated from the worst of it, and also— IT DOESN’T MATTER.
“What started the civil war?”
Years of deteriorating intranational discourse and rising political violence. Federalism taken to its breaking point under the guidance of populist demagogues. The fact is— IT DOESN’T MATTER.
Comic readers need to not be these people. I believe in and respect continuity. It sets what we do apart from loads of other media and I’m happy for it. But that’s not the same as tedious ‘world building.’ You know who uses that phrase? Executives and people who have never written anything. It’s an exercise, not a story. And story is all that really matters.
It is not a failure of the writer when the wikipedia for the fictional world has gaps. It’s often a feature. I tend to see comics highpoint, as many in my generation do, nestled somewhere between the black-and-white boom and WATCHMEN. So while I’m respecter of continuity, I believe brash-and-creative wins over beholden-and-creative-to-a-point.
To the people whose minds got stuck on “why is/how does civil war _______?” please consult Grant Morrison’s instructive quote on comics pedantry:
“‘Who pumps the batmobile's tires?' it's a fucking made-up story, you idiot! Nobody pumps the tires!"
Readers, focus on the elements that matter. Vibe, characters, plot, and somewhere way down the line beneath wardrobe, maybe, worldbuilding.
Creators, if worldbuilding is your chief concern, try videogames. I’ve had to write a number of in-game audio logs nobody will ever listen to. It’s a living. There’s a whole world of who-gives-a-shit out there you can take advantage of. Comics ain’t the spot.
THIS IS AN ASIDE AND NOT AIMED AT ANYONE, I SWEAR
Editors would be well-served to remember that their glory is the line’s success, NOT their individual role in that success. If a creator comes in to save the day, get outta the way. When the sales go up, you can assume as much credit behind the scenes as you want. Just get people reading at all cost. No ego needed.
GOODBYE/HELLO TO ANOTHER WEEK
Hope this one treats you well. I’m working from a hotel lobby for the foreseeable future, so look for me when you’re checking out. I may be posted up by the one working outlet.
Hug a loved one. Do for self.