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Issue 7 of Marvel Comics' heavily-promoted Civil War mini-series finally came out yesterday. I will finish up Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men, and then stop reading all comics produced by Marvel.
This isn't a reaction to the new status quo in the Marvel Universe, or a reaction to the political underpinnings of the story. Because none of that mattered to the people writing the comic, to those drawing it, or publishing it. There was so little structure. Sure, there was a nice point to be made (the human cost of pointless fighting), but every character had to be hit with a stupid stick to reach that situation. There are ways to say "fighting is pointless" without making most of the comic feel pointless. The themes and characterization were on the back burner. So, I have to ask, what was the point?
I'm sure if I check Newsarama, I'd see remarks about Marvel has always reflected the times, how they have to move the art forward, etc. And it would all be lies. There are only two reasons for Civil War.
1. To get readers to buy as many pointless crossovers as possible (and the main story was so threadbare, you'd need to get crossovers not to feel like you were reading the Coles Notes version of the story.)
2. To get the New York Times writing about Marvel Comics.
In other words, it's all to make money. Admittedly, that has pretty much always been the goal of the mainstream comics and mainstream film, TV and novels too. But there was a time when publishers would attempt to achieve those objectives by offering entertaining (if not always quality) work. Not now though.
My mood towards Civil War (and DC's 52 and Infinite Crisis too) is particularly sour after having read an 80-page interview with Alan Moore. Along with Frank Miller, Moore is responsible for setting the tone and structure of nearly every superhero comic written after 1986. Most superhero comics feel like poor imitations of Moore's Watchmen.
But here's the thing that makes Moore not a hack. He, of all people, did not write Watchmen or V for Vendetta rip-offs. He wrote From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lost Girls. All very different stylistically and thematically from Watchmen, and his occasional superhero stories aren't Watchmanesque either. Moore keeps trying to do new things.
For him, it's not about making money. On a matter of principle, Moore turned down the royalty cheques on V for Vendetta and Constantine. Moore is an artist, not a hack.
And buying comics by hacks is just a waste of my time and money.
Allen
This isn't a reaction to the new status quo in the Marvel Universe, or a reaction to the political underpinnings of the story. Because none of that mattered to the people writing the comic, to those drawing it, or publishing it. There was so little structure. Sure, there was a nice point to be made (the human cost of pointless fighting), but every character had to be hit with a stupid stick to reach that situation. There are ways to say "fighting is pointless" without making most of the comic feel pointless. The themes and characterization were on the back burner. So, I have to ask, what was the point?
I'm sure if I check Newsarama, I'd see remarks about Marvel has always reflected the times, how they have to move the art forward, etc. And it would all be lies. There are only two reasons for Civil War.
1. To get readers to buy as many pointless crossovers as possible (and the main story was so threadbare, you'd need to get crossovers not to feel like you were reading the Coles Notes version of the story.)
2. To get the New York Times writing about Marvel Comics.
In other words, it's all to make money. Admittedly, that has pretty much always been the goal of the mainstream comics and mainstream film, TV and novels too. But there was a time when publishers would attempt to achieve those objectives by offering entertaining (if not always quality) work. Not now though.
My mood towards Civil War (and DC's 52 and Infinite Crisis too) is particularly sour after having read an 80-page interview with Alan Moore. Along with Frank Miller, Moore is responsible for setting the tone and structure of nearly every superhero comic written after 1986. Most superhero comics feel like poor imitations of Moore's Watchmen.
But here's the thing that makes Moore not a hack. He, of all people, did not write Watchmen or V for Vendetta rip-offs. He wrote From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lost Girls. All very different stylistically and thematically from Watchmen, and his occasional superhero stories aren't Watchmanesque either. Moore keeps trying to do new things.
For him, it's not about making money. On a matter of principle, Moore turned down the royalty cheques on V for Vendetta and Constantine. Moore is an artist, not a hack.
And buying comics by hacks is just a waste of my time and money.
Allen
