Still on the Shelf #43 – The Generic Comic Book
Comic book fans are a spoiled lot, I have to say. For some reason, a vast majority of comic fans snub their noses at the indie rack. And if that book is not in COLOR? Forget about it.
Sad thing is, this attitude makes them miss out on real gems. Strangers in Paradise, Usagi Yojimbo, Pete, the P.O.ed Postal Worker… all great comics that a core group of comic fans will not even look at because the interior pages have no color, or the publisher is unfamiliar.
Have you ever looked into self-publishing? I have, a few times. The cost to produce a full-color comic is tremendous on a small scale, so much so that in order to break even, you would have to have an outrageously expensive cover price. I am by no means rich, and I don’t think there is anyone out there willing to lose that much money printing a comic book just to get it out there. The same must hold true for a smaller publisher. Today, with my limited capital, I would be forced to go the black and white route, just to protect my bottom line.
Does that mean my story would be any less good than a comic published by Marvel? Not likely. Marvel is pretty narrow-minded when it comes to what they elect to publish. And if a story comes along that fits the parameters of the sort of thing that might sell, they will print it in a second, no matter how horrid it is. As those of you who are Marvel-ites know, they have a vast audience that will read their books simply because of the publisher on the cover, and give a wide berth to any title that feel just isn’t “big league.”
The thing is that all of these smaller press publishers are not just putting out books for the heck of it. There is a great deal of good material out there that the big boys ignore, and that is where the Independent Press market comes in. So what if they can’t afford full-color, glossy books with cardstock covers each issue? The product on the inside is what matters, not its flashy packaging.
So why doesn’t your average “Fan Boy” sample books from the small press more often? I, myself, was guilty of this at one point. When I first started reading comics, it was Marvel or bust. Then I started branching out, and reading more DC and Image stuff, and it was just as good if not better.
When I started this column near on a year ago, my original intent was to focus on titles from Marvel and DC and the like who did not fare as well as their top sellers. Mostly this was in response to the cancellation of the last Deadpool title, which I was still seething about. Quite naturally, I quickly ran out of titles that I was intimately familiar with, and started branching out to the small press. I felt like I hit a virtual gold mine.
One thing that really spoke to me about this week’s title, The Generic Comic Book, was a deathtrap the villains had the hero trapped in. Generic Man was dangling over a pool filled with explosive piranhas, being held up by a large comic shop owner with a big pile of Independent Press books (which he refused to order for his shop) on the other side. The Comic Shop owner was forced to read these titles, and as he tossed them aside in disgust, our hero would drop dangerously closer to his death.
Much to the surprise of the villains, the Comic Shop owner actually liked the titles, and began to make a neat pile right next to him of all of the titles he would then order for his shop. The deathtrap failed, and our hero was able to escape.
In writing this column over the last several months, I feel just like that hapless shop owner. The more I see what gems are out there outside the mainstream, the more I am willing to sample a title from a lesser-known publisher. By extension, the more motivated I am to bring these titles to your attention through this column. I know there are a great many of you who would prefer read about a Marvel title you are somewhat familiar with, and I will of course continue to do this from time to time, but what is the fun in talking about what you already know about anyway?
The Generic Comic Book was a pleasure to read- it was quite witty, and filled with humor that only us comic geeks could hope to understand. So what is it all about?
Cast of Characters
Generic Man did not come by his name until very late in this title’s run, but you could tell from issue #1 that he couldn’t be called anything else. The main character has what could be described as a fairly successful job at a newspaper’s accounting department, yet he still lives at home with his mother. Though he sends his entire salary to her each month, she gives him a meager $5 per week allowance, which he accepts with all of the criticism that an 8 year old might. Very much a generic version of Superman, Generic Man changes into his symbol-less costume in a phone booth when the need arises to save the universe from the maniacal plans of the villain du jour. Granted, Generic Man does not actually have powers of any kind, yet he still manages to save the day in his own bumbling way.
Generic Man’s Mother does little to discourage his homebodiness, though she does disapprove of his desire to be a super hero. She has, however, become even more feared by Generic Man’s rogue’s gallery than our hero himself, Mother has handed out vicious beatings to several villains for crimes no more heinous than disrespect. It could be said that Generic Man would not be the man he is today without the influence of his Mother, and that really is not saying much.
Thoughts
I would go into greater detail about the characters in this title, but it would really do the book a disservice. Most of the antagonists and supporting cast in this title are part of a joke that would be ruined if I explained them in too much detail. They are pretty easy to understand, however, as they are clearly “generic” portrayals of other well known comic icons and concepts.
Thankfully this title is a great deal more than its “generic” gimmick. Sure at first, that is a riot in of itself. The cover is patterned after the generic look that younger readers might not get (the first thing that popped into my head was an old white label can of generic beer), a solid color cover with the words “Comic Book” proudly leaping off the cover is but the first bit of generic humor you will find inside the pages. To Generic Man’s generic hero costume, to the names of places (“The City”), everything is carefully crafted in a manner that would make branding impossible.
If that was all there was to this title, it would get boring fast. Thankfully, that is not the case. The real draw of this title is the humor. The Generic Comic Book can be very biting in its approach to some of the more ridiculous aspects of the culture of comic collecting. But it is good-natured in its barbs- so much so that you will be laughing even if it just slammed something that you find yourself doing. In a world where most comics are trying to beef up their readership by targeting new potential comic fans, this book goes after the current crop of comic readers with humor that only they would understand and appreciate.
Bottom Line
The first run of thirteen issues of The Generic Comic Book has sadly come to an end. So why tell you about it? Frankly, the book is a laugh riot uniquely tailored to the comic fan. It is pretty easy to order, either through your comic shop or online at comicsconspiracy.com, and to top it off (in the true spirit of a generic product), its cover price of $1.95 is just plain impossible to beat. The icing on the cake for me was a guest appearance by my favorite indie comic character, Pete, the P.O.ed Postal Worker in issue #6, but that is a bit of personal bias. There are plans in the works for a new Generic Comic Book mini series sometime this year. Who knows, a spike in sales for this title might accelerate those plans!
When it is all said and done, The Generic Comic Book was a real breath of fresh air that I appreciated. Sometimes the comic industry has the feel of taking itself far too seriously, and this title was a welcome break from that. Sure, it may not be an example of literary brilliance, but it is a fine work of comedic gold, something that continues to be sparse in this market. You may have to work a bit to find a copy of this, but it is really easy on the pocketbook, and well worth the effort.
Credit where credit is due-
The Generic Comic Book is
Written by Doug Miers,
Penciled by Amilton Santos,
Inked by Rob Lean,
and Lettered by Michael Thomas.
—
Please be on the lookout in upcoming weeks for a major announcement regarding my special “Issue #50 celebration” and contest!
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January 19, 2004
Still on the Shelf #42 – The Silencers
There have been a wealth of comic stories dealing with the underworld over the years. The mob, mafia, maggia, street gangs- from Kingpins to street thugs- all have been fairly common antagonists for heroes who have sworn to protect a city against all lawlessness. Much more recently, the underworld has taken a central role in various titles, Ed Brubaker’s Sleeper notable among them.
It was not too long ago that comic book villains were really very one-dimensional. In super-hero comics at the very least, the antagonists were people who has sworn their lives to the pursuit of evil, the polar opposite of to the purity of social morality that the heroes strove to protect.
Of course, with the maturing of storytelling in comics, it is pretty rare that you find villains in comic books who are really driven towards committing evil acts for the sake of evil. Probably the closest example of this today is the Joker- who does some truly nasty things, but even he does not act for the cause of evil. He does so because he thinks they are funny.
The “moral middle-ground” therefore quite naturally becomes the common ground that both protagonists and antagonists alike to tend to lie in these days. The Silencers are a group of super-powered individuals in the employ of a mafia group known as the “Provenzanos,” who are struggling to maintain control of the drug trade in New York City. Thirty years ago, these characters could be nothing but villains. In this day and age, they are the protagonists of the story, even though they are on the wrong side of the law.
Cast of Characters
Fiore Calvino, or “Cardinal” is the leader of the Silencers, and possesses powers of “electric touch.” He is a devout Catholic who spent some time in jail following a botched job. While in prison, he studies to get a degree (Landscape Design) and decided to leave “the business” after leaving prison to open a flower shop. The Provenzanos did not like this idea, however, and insisted that he remain to take charge of a new group of Silencers, at least until his debt to them was repaid.
Stiletto is a character vaguely similar to an X-Man- she can project a psychic blade. This blade is very tangible, however, and is a very dangerous weapon. She began her time with the Provenzanos as a naïve child. She began a relationship with Kid Chaos, another Silencer, and from there she grew into her role of a super-powered Provenzano protector.
Euphoria is something of a debutante, and a powerful psychic. She shares none of the inhibitions that other similar characters (Like Professor X, for example) in other comics possess- she is more than willing to tamper with the free will of her victims if the situation demands it.
Hairtrigger would be best described as a hothead- probably a very natural personality trait that a “speedster” would possess. He thinks rashly and dislikes the often required patience of strategy. He would just assume take on the “tights,” or superheroes, when they arrive to bust up their operations, even when sound strategy dictates that they should move on before the hero ever arrives. Recent evens have caused him to tone down his temper a bit, however.
Missile 21 is basically a large man in metallic armor (like a football player’s gear) who happens to be able to fly. A pretty simple character, but considering his role in the group, a more complex one is really not necessary.
Nil is a mysterious being who is described as “Living Darkness.” He is a loner, and does not normally interact or begin missions with the team, but has an uncanny knack of popping up exactly when he is needed.
Thoughts
The Silencers was surprisingly good, to be completely honest. I was expecting a pretty solid crime drama (with a splash of superheroics), but the twists and turns this book took right out of the gate were handled so well I was taken aback.
“High-octane” is not an adjective I like to use when describing a title very often, it is way overused and often means nothing more than “gratuitous violence inside!” But The Silencers is worthy of such a potent-sounding description. Sure there are moments of violence, that is the nature of the world the characters live in, but the way in which their lives are thrown completely in shambles so suddenly and so mysteriously really grabs you.
The character exposition early on is obvious but very well handled. A lot of comic fans really hate it when characters are so obviously being explained for the benefit of the reader (“Come on man, no one talks like that!”). Personally, I like it. As I said in a previous column, when you are presenting a group of brand-new comic characters to a readership, it is extremely important that they understand the characters involved as soon as possible. For a company like Moonstone, it is doubly important. Marvel can throw a book out there and allow for time for initial character build because they have the money and reputation to draw the readership. Smaller companies rely heavily on short-term sales for new titles, and have to grab an audience for a title as fast as possible. As such, they need to hook readers by giving as much information as possible about key characters, to make the reader care enough to know what happens. As such, I can forgive a degree of “choppy exposition” in the early issues of a small-press title. It is expected and desired and I am glad for it.
Shifting alliances are another reason this rapid character development is necessary. As I explained before, this title is “high-octane,” and as such, things happen very quickly. They do an excellent job of developing a character just enough so that when they make a surprising decision, or elect to jump sides, it is impactful and meaningful. In a short three issues of The Silencers, twice I have been stunned and impressed with a shocking twist that would be virtually meaningless if I had not understood the character enough to care. I have to applaud Ellis and Van Lente- they crafted a story that totally blindsided my twice in three issues- something I consider hard to do as I am usually a careful reader!
There are great similarities between this book and a book like Sleeper. Both are in an underworld setting in a world where super-powers are a reality. One aspect of this title I particularly liked was the intelligent behavior of the “criminals.” Though the so-called Tights never make an appearance, careful steps are taken to avoid coming in contact with superheroes, who are viewed as nothing more than cops. That is a hallmark of a more mature standard in storytelling that is common in comics today- and harkens back to what I was discussing earlier. Rather than living solely to defeat their polar opposite hero, this group of criminals would just assume have nothing to do with that potential threat. I really enjoy that tidbit of realism.
Bottom Line
This book re-affirms the value of the Small Press to me. The Silencers would fit just fine into the line-up of a much larger publisher. It is just as good in both art and story to similar products that the “big boys” put out, yet it suffers do to lack of exposure. I’ll never understand why the worst of Marvel’s product line outsell books like these that are far superior in every way. Kind of makes me want to work just a little bit harder to get you all to check out titles like this one.
On the whole, this is an impressive outing from Moonstone, who is just starting to delve into the “comic format” book- I am looking forward to reading more of this title. For those of you looking for a sample, Part 1 of issue #1 can be read for free online. As to new issues, issue #4 is due out on shelves soon, and a collected edition of the first two issues is in the works, and should be out sometime next month. I really feel this title is worth a peak, and seeing as a free sample of the first issue is available, you have nothing to lose.
Credit where credit is due-
The Silencers is
Written by Fred Van Lente,
Penciled by Steve Ellis,
and Colored by Dae Lim Yoo and Kurt Marquart.
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January 12, 2004
Still on the Shelf #41 – Syn
Dark Horse, as a publisher, puts out very few titles that capture my interest. I have regularly read Usagi Yojimbo for some time, but that was pretty well it out of Dark Horse. Traditionally, Dark Horse puts out a great deal of manga and other similar genred comics, and that sort of thing just does not appeal to me.
Rocket Comics, a Dark Horse imprint, looked to be more of the same. On the surface, anyway. Rocket was to be geared towards a younger crowd, and since manga is all the rage with the kids these days, I figured it would be just another addition to an already huge manga line-up. I was partially right- the titles do have a manga influence, but there is a lot more going on there.
A few months ago, I covered Rocket Comic’s Go Boy 7. At that time, I also picked up a copy of another Rocket Comics title, Syn, for a possible future column. I am glad I did. Thus far, I have enjoyed Syn a great deal, and it is probably one of the most promising “Still on the Shelf” titles out there today. Not that you can find this book on the shelf that often.
Cast of Characters
In a world where machines have eradicated humans for the crime of being inefficient, many robots of this future Earth have developed a growing fascination with their long-dead creators, and have begun to emulate them. The AI net, the governing consciousness of this robotic world, issued Directive 024-0249, or more simply, “Know Man.”
The results of this directive were disastrous- robots began to drop from the net in an effort to emulate man, become as close to human as possible. Communities formed, and many of the robots began to wear biological samples of human material. The inefficiency could not be tolerated, and the directive was rescinded. As a result, Syn was created, a “Form Optional Synthetic- 240 / Independent Action Search and Destroy Unit,” whose task it was to hunt down and eliminate all robots who had separated from the net.
A conundrum unto herself, Syn was given a great deal of autonomy from the net as her duties required, and as such, she has developed a fascination of her own with humans. Over time, she has made it her goal to not only learn all she can about the race of Man, but to eventually transfer her consciousness to the mind of a human body of her creation.
Nina is Syn’s greatest transgression among many- Nina is a wholly independent artificial intelligence created by Syn as a companion and sort of daughter. Nina helps to protect Syn from the AI net- shielding her from discovery by the all-pervasive computer network. As part of her system of self-protection, Syn has also created an Alias- a separate mind that she uses to communicate directly with the AI net, to shield her “corrupted,” independent mind from discovery.
Thoughts
I have to say that this title was a total surprise to me. On the surface, it is a pretty decent book for the younger crowd. Reading a bit deeper, though, it has some pretty heavy philosophical concepts peppered throughout the story. Above all, Syn is about an internal struggle with a robot who wants to understand and become human.
A few similar literary and on-screen characters come to mind, the most famous being Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is not meant as a slight to fans of that show (as I am one of them), but when stacked up to a mere three issues of this title, Data’s exploration of humanity pales in comparison to that of Syn.
Not only does Syn obsess about humanity; she sets a very real plan in motion to become human- something extremely dangerous in the world she lives in. Unlike Data, who was totally surrounded by humans his entire life, Syn exists a world devoid of human life, yet is still able to make impressive deductions about what it is like to be human with a minimum of data. Her evolution from simple robot-form to full-fledged human female is rapid (a minor spoiler, but as she succeeds in becoming a human so quickly, I think that Giffen has much more in mind for this title beyond this simple quest) and wildly successful, in such a way that Data is made to look like an idiot.
The characterization approaches brilliant. Syn acts much like a robot would in studying her problem, but when integrating human traits, she begins to make nearly fatal mistakes on the road to becoming human. The obsession, selfishness, and short-sightedness she soon develops mark the end of her initial quest, and will almost certainly lead to a catastrophic failure in the next issue. The way that Syn evolves the most common human shortcomings so easily in her quest is real and believable, and the transition is fun to read.
I have to hand it to Keith Giffen here- he has really created a captivating read here. Problem is, though this title boasts unimpressive sales figures, this title is near impossible to find. Stores don’t seem to order enough of this book, and the handful of shop owners I have discussed the title with all tell the same story- almost no one subscribes to the title, and it sells out through walk-in traffic alone. As such, I think it is safe to conclude that the word-of-mouth for Syn is phenomenal, yet I see almost no mention of it on the web. I, for one, would really like to know just who it is that is buying this book!
The art has its good and bad points. Greg Titus does an excellent job bringing the robotic earth and its inhabitants to life, yet his handling of Syn’s human form has been quite flawed- and it seems very out-of-place with the rest of the book. I chalk this up to style- it seems clear that it is not a lack of skill that is the problem, I think it is a case of personal taste. His style translates very well for the mechanical, but something just seems off when he draws the living. This is not such a huge problem, however, as I get the feeling we will not be seeing a lot of Syn’s human form. At least for the time being. The steps from robot to human are interesting though, as bit-by-bit Syn alters her appearance to seem more and more human.
Bottom Line
There is really little else I can say about this book without giving it all away at this point. I strongly urge all of you to give this book a shot. As luck would have it, the first part of Syn #1 is available online at Dark Horse’s website. Also, an intro to Syn can be found in Rocket Comics: Ignite, which was given away during last year’s Free Comic Book Day. While not exactly the same as what appeared in the actual Syn #1, it is a good collage of panels that give you a really good idea of what to expect out of this title.
One thing to keep in mind about Syn is that it requires careful reading. I missed a lot of things the first time through this title, mostly due to the unemotive “conversations” between robots. It can be hard to catch certain key facts if you read carelessly.
Syn comes with my highest recommendation. It is probably the best title I have read out of Dark Horse in a long time. It deserves more than I fear it will ever gain as a Dark Horse comic- I would really like to see this title with the marketing muscle of an imprint like Vertigo behind it. It has a great deal of potential, and it would be a shame to see Syn fade away without any fanfare.
Syn #4, though a bit late, will be in stores this Wednesday, January 14th.
Credit where credit is due-
Syn is
Written by Keith Giffen
Penciled by Greg Titus,
Inked by Julian Washburn,
Colored by Dan Jackson,
and Lettered by Sno Cone.
Post your comments in the Forum!
January 4, 2004
Still on the Shelf #40 – Jewish Hero Corps
As many of you know, I struggled mightily during the holiday season to find a comic, any comic that dealt with Hanukkah as a theme. I failed miserably. It seems that each and every year there was a wealth of Christmas themes throughout mainstream titles, with virtually no attention paid to celebrations of other faiths.
This is not to say that I am one of those people that believes in an elimination of all mentions of religious holidays anywhere in public. The vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and most who do celebrate the holiday do so more for the secular/pagan aspects than the observance of Christ’s birth. As most mainstream comics are geared towards the American (and to an extent Canadian) audience, it is perfectly natural that mentions of Christmas would far outstrip all other religious holidays in comics today.
So what about comic readers of other faiths? Sure they are in the minority amongst comic fans, but they do make up a certain percentage of the audience nonetheless.
I may have failed in my effort of tracking down a Hanukkah comic, but I did stumble upon an interesting work from Shayach Comics (Judaica Press) by the name of Jewish Hero Corps.
Cast of Characters
Way back in 1490 (5251), a swordmaker by the name of Don David Mordechai set sail from Spain to Japan at the behest of the emperor. Mordechai’s experiments in combining swordmaking techniques of the East and West intrigued the Emperor, and he was interested in employing the smith. During his meeting with the Emperor, a meteor made of a mysterious metal fell from the sky. Mordechai took this metal and forged a helmet, sword and a six-pointed shield out of the extra-terrestrial material. The Emperor accepted the gifts, but returned the shield (shaped like the Star of David) to Mordechai, claiming it would be cowardly for a ruler to carry a shield into battle.
Mordechai sent the shield back to his family in Spain, secretly hidden in a bronze ship’s wheel. Unfortunately, the ship sunk in the Indian Ocean during its return, and the shield was lost. Some 500 years later, a wealthy descendent of David Mordechai recovered the shield (which turned out to be indestructible), and used it to “fight crime” as Magen David.
Maidel was fascinated with “spin” from an early age, and often spent hours staring at a spinning dreidel. Years later she made a career out of this fascination. Working as a professor at a university, she developed an electron gyroscope, which could cause matter to spin so quickly that it could turn solid walls invisible. During a demonstration of the device, she sees a group of robbers attempting to steal equipment from a lab. They catch her spying on her, and lock her inside a sort of electron accelerator to get rid of her. Her electron gyroscope (tucked away in her pocket) absorbs the electrons around her and explodes- transferring its powers to her, granting her the ability to withstand extreme heat and to spin at electron speed. Of course, she decides to use these new powers “for good” and takes up the name of Dreidel Maidel.
Kipa Kid was an ordinary youth working in a kipa store, when a group of robbers attempted to burgle the place. Unfortunately for them, they pulled one wrong rope, and a box filled with yarmulkahs dumped down on top of them, trapping them until the police could arrive. Kipa Kid took this idea to heart, and fashioned an entire “belt” full of trick yarmulkahs, and used them to fight crime.
Shabbas Queen carries a magic wand, which allows her to fly, lift heavy objects, and stop any machine for a period of 25 hours. The wand itself must be recharged one full day each week.
Matzah Woman gained her powers of invisibility, flight, super strength, and microwave vision after eating atomic Matzah, accidentally baked with radioactive water in a microwave oven. Her one weakness is being submerged in water for 18 minutes, after which she loses all of her powers.
Much is hidden about the mysterious Minyan Man, other than the fact that he is highly acrobatic and has the ability to multiply into ten men.
Menorah Man was an astronaut sent to investigate a human colony on Mercury that they had lost contact with. Unfortunately, his ship crashed on the surface of the planet. He made his way to the colony, hoping for a safe haven. Unfortunately, the colony was dead, and only enough food and water to last for a few days. One of the things the colony was working with was planting certain kinds of desert plants on the surface, in an effort to get some kind of life flourishing. One of those plants was the olive. The olives turned out to be contaminated by cosmic rays (being so close to the sun), and once eaten, they granted Menorah Man his powers.
After eating the olive, he was able to shoot flames from his hands, feet, and mouth (he could also sprout up to six extra arms, all of which with the same ability), fly, and breathe in space- he also had super strength. After returning to Earth using his powers, he decided to start a team of people with similar powers. Hence the Jewish Hero Corps was formed. What happened to his monkey companion who also ate the olive is still something of a mystery….
Thoughts
One of the first things that popped into my mind after reading the first issue of this title was how “old school” it was. I have been reading a great deal of “classic” comic stories of late (the most recent example being the Lost Plastic Man Annual just released by DC), and this title recalls a time when mainstream comics did not take themselves nearly as seriously as they do today.
Sure there is an element of cheese in this comic, but that very story-telling style launched the most celebrated comic characters of today, and helped give them the staying power that they have now. Comic stories of today pride themselves on being well thought out, paced works of art that can count themselves among the number of true literary art. As much as anyone may have enjoyed early Spider-Man adventures, you can’t say those stories were ripe with literary prowess. But unlike the stories of today, they made for memorable characters.
The telling of the origins of the Jewish Hero Corps is just as “old-school,” and is as effective as those origins of heroes from years past. Each hero is described in detail in this first issue- in most cases describing exactly what gave them their powers and what caused them to enter the world of the tights and masks in a compact couple of pages. If you compare this to a modern retelling of a somewhat classic team, Supreme Power has barely begun to walk us through the origins of the Squadron Supreme- in fact, five issues into the book and they are still not even an actual team. In the very first issue of Jewish Hero Corps, the entire team is explained in detail, and there was enough room to spare page-wise for them to defeat their first major foe. It is an impressive feat in this day and age.
It is true that the comic reader of today prefers the more thought-out storytelling that you find in titles like Supreme Power today. I, myself, am a huge fan of the title, and wouldn’t want the story to be told any other way. Unfortunately, the plodding pace of “character introduction” that is a necessary component of this storytelling style could hinder the long -term appeal of the characters. For example, if you compare the origin of a character like the Hulk to a more modern start, Mystic’s Giselle, you can see my point. The Hulk’s origin is elegantly simple. A dose of gamma radiation from a bomb alters Bruce Banner so that he becomes the Incredible Hulk when angry. Giselle, on the other hand, takes a bit more time to explain. When granted a mysterious sigil (something that has still not really been explained), Giselle “stole” the spirits of seven magical guilds, and was granted the knowledge and abilities of each. That in-of itself is an oversimplification. To really understand the nature of her powers, it is necessary to either read the first few issues of Mystic, or to have a knowledgeable fan spend the time and explain it all to you before delving into the title (or read columns like this one!).
So what does that matter? The Hulk is a character that has survived the decades because of the fact that it is incredibly easy to bring a new reader up to speed. If you had never before heard of the Hulk, I can tell you in one sentence everything you ever need know about the character. From there, it is simply a matter of enjoying the next story out of the pipe. As much as I like Mystic as a title, there is simply too much subtlety to adequately explain the protagonist to a new reader without resorting to “read the book, you will like it.” Even still, there are extremely important aspects of Giselle’s origin that are still unexplained, and the title has already reached its end. The title was a great read, but I would by lying if I felt that it could ever be a juggernaut that ultimately would be resurrected and stand the test of time like the Hulk.
Jewish Hero Corps, on the other hand, has this advantage. Each of the characters is distinct and easy to explain, and could even transition well into more established comic universes like Marvel and DC. Unfortunately, as the title stands now, the long-term potential of the story as a mere comic book is poor indeed.
Jewish Hero Corps evolved from a PC game of the same name, where the Corps fought against the Fo-Bots, a group of cybernetic beings intent on erasing the memories of Jews everywhere. The intent of this game was to provide a non-violent source of entertainment for Jewish children, while at the same time maintaining a high standard of morality. It is safe to assume that Alan Oirich, the creator and writer of Jewish Hero Corps, maintained that goal when he went forward with the print version of the heroes, and he delivered.
Though there is a great deal of conflict in this issue, there is really very little violence. Most of the fighting is either alluded to, or glossed over, something unheard of in comics today. Yet, following the “old-school” mentality I mentioned before, this was a quality you found in comics decades ago. Modesty is also evident in each of that characters- especially the women. Though they would be considered “attractive” by comic standards, there is virtually no skin exposed. In fact, the costumes of all of the heroes are rooted in practicality above all else. Honestly- with some of the costumes the female heroes and villains of today wear, it is a wonder that none of them have “popped out,” ever. A real miracle if you ask me.
Probably the biggest drawback of this title from a comic industry perspective is that it is wholly geared towards the Jewish community, children in particular. The latter I feel is a great thing no matter how you look at it, as I am often saying that there are not enough books geared towards kids anymore. The former would be problematic if Oirich was really looking for comic industry notoriety. After some research (and some time at his website, JewishSuperHero.com), it is pretty clear that comic fame is the last thing on his list of goals (though it is equally as clear that that man is a fan of comics). The whole point of this title and its related works is to provide an entertaining and educational product for the Jewish Community. To those ends, he has done a brilliant job.
The comic IS educational, in a way that I only wish that other mainstream comics would pretend to be. For years I have maintained an interest in the history and beliefs of a wide variety of religions, and even I came away from this experience learning a thing or two about Judaism.
I can’t count all of the positive aspects of this title. I think on all fronts, Oirich has succeeded wildly in what he set out to do. As a comic fan, however, I am dismayed that mainstream popularity for this title will be nearly impossible. As the book deals with Jewish Heroes fighting villains who target the Jews across the globe, appeal to mainstream comic readers outside of the Jewish Community will be low.
As I stated before, I thought it was pretty disappointing that there was a lack of non-Christian issues being brought up in comics. Not from an “equal-representation” standpoint, rather, a realistic character portrayal standpoint. The world is populated by far more than Christians, agnostics, and atheists, yet mainstream comics virtually ignore that fact. Sure, lately, you have seen a few token Muslims in recent years, specifically Dust and the new Gen13’s Hamza, but I see these characters as little more than PC pandering, in an effort to show that “Westerners don’t think all Muslims are evil terrorists.” I think that it takes more than getting “super-powers” for someone to devote themselves to a life of self-sacrifice to protect the world, there really must, in most cases, be a strong will of morality for someone to take that step. And who better than the devout to take that step? You could say that to take your amazing new powers and use them to protect the weak and innocent from villains everywhere is a pious act, yet there are very few devoutly religious characters in comics today. I think that those kinds of people would be prime candidates for “superheroism.” From a writer’s standpoint, you think that there would be those itching to jump into those untested waters.
Bottom Line
Jewish Hero Corps may not enjoy a great deal of success in mainstream comics (nor do I think that is its goal), but it does represent a lot of the finer aspects of comic creation that has been lost over time. I am not at all sure how easy it will be to find this comic in your local shop (and I really can’t locate a place to order it online), but it was solicited in the December issue of Previews, so it can be ordered by your local comic shop upon request.
And I may have to hold my breath a long time, but I would not mind seeing Magen David and Dreidel Maidel break out of this mold and appear in a more mainstream story! Probably wishful thinking on my part, but I can hope!
Credit where credit is due-
Jewish Hero Corps is
Created, Written, Colored, and Lettered by – Alan Oirich
and Illustrated by – Ron Randall
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