Always one to pursue useless knowledge wherever he can find it in a seemingly never-ending quest to achieve the improbable and downright unlikely status of modern-day Renaissance man, Mark Bittmann has indulged his desire to never be lost in any conversation, by developing an arcane understanding of things of little consequence or import while maintaining his alleged status as a small fish in a small pond.
As long as his self-indulgent whim is catered to, he manages to sustain the facade of someone under the misperception that others care about what he thinks. With a ubiquity normally reserved for greenhouse gasses, he chases his random and inconsequential thoughts with all the tenacity of a banana peel. This is his life, his curse, and his twisted and maniacal way of impressing the ladies.
Usually around this time of year, film critics start weighing in with their "10 Best" lists, summing up what they feel are the finest cinematic offerings of the 2002 calendar year. While I'm not about to ascribe to any formalized numerical construct of my opinions of the comic book offerings of 2002, this week and next I will have a go at expressing why it is that I'm thoroughly enjoying a select few Marvel titles as well as touching upon some that, shall we say…aren't impressing me. So without further ado…
OK, so how much does Brian Michael Bendis' and Alex Maleev's Daredevil rock? First issue, out of the gate, I was hooked. All I needed convincing of was summed up in the last panel, wherein, whilst confronting a thug with knowledge he was seeking, Daredevil said "tell me what I want to know or I swear to God I'll kill you", just as he was reaching back for a fistful of Hell's Kitchen to make good on the threat. I was stoked! "Daredevil's back." I proclaimed to my friends. I've read enough Bendis to know that once he has shown that he has a clear vision of a character, he doesn't mince words and gets down to the business of great comic book storytelling and I expect the quality to last. As aided and abetted by former Sam & Twitch cohort Maleev, Bendis is not only producing the finest Daredevil stories since Miller and Romita's Man Without Fear. If he sticks around long enough and continues at his compelling pace, his run on Daredevil will be the one against all others are measured. With the new atmosphere of creative latitude we keep hearing about and witnessing hovering over the House of Ideas, Bendis will be able to take the character to more extreme places of motivation and depth of characterization than was previously afforded writers. The fact that his Matt Murdock has become the focal point of the title and his secret identity has been exposed to the public allows for a closer bonding of the two alter egos and in more ways than one has led to thought-provoking analysis of the nature of a man, and a blind one at that, as a servant of justice. When the mask is on he is a vigilante, driven by his own motivations. As Matt Murdock, he is a man who has chosen to dedicate his life to defending the system of justice he circumvents in his costume and serves in his Brooks Bros. suit. One persona employs smoking guns in the courtroom and the other inspires them. Being one to always save the best for last, this book goes to the bottom of my stack, no matter what else is published that week. Bendis is on a tear that is not to be missed. His Daredevil is harsh, gritty and bracing. It's like a straight shot of single malt…no chaser.
When was the last time you looked forward to the reading the adventures of the Hulk on a monthly basis? A year ago, most would have answered that question by stating an issue or story arc published back when the title contained an adjective and was probably written by Peter David. And while it may be quite a while before anyone even approaches matching the number of quality issues David wrote as scribe of The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Jones has gone about establishing himself as easily the best writer to tackle the book since his tenure, and maybe one of the best to handle him since the halcyon days of the original Marvel Bullpen. Since seizing the reins, Jones has been steering Hulk through a winding, careering path fraught with as much narrative purpose as there is mysterious intrigue. It's roller coaster, gotta-know-what-happens-next, cliffhanger stuff from a writer clearly in charge of his characters' future. Fans have complained that there isn't enough of the Hulk in Hulk. I, for one, disagree. By relegating the big green monster to the role of either personal ace-in-the-hole or curse that is often subject to the manipulation of outside forces and increasing the panel time of Banner's assisted and heretofore unknown agenda, the life of the latter day Jekyll and Hyde that is Bruce Banner is more apparently akin to that of a double-edged sword and less of a simple guilt-ridden, man-on-the-run existence. It is a dynamic somewhat similar to that of The Fugitive television show and movie, but this fugitive seems to have a goal…or at least he thinks he does. And that's only part of what's been so fun about Bruce Jones' Hulk: the sense that once we think we or Banner knows which direction he's headed, Jones changes course toward unfamiliar terrain and more shadowy, cutthroat players on the horizon.
Bendis again. I miswrote earlier. There is one book that goes underneath Daredevil on my stack and that book is Alias. I fucking love this book and that's what Jessica Jones would want to hear. The publishing epitome of the loosening of the editorial purse strings, this Marvel Max title has dared to test the boundaries of the impression superheroes leave on everyday existence. It has revealed the inner clique and hierarchy of the superhero dating scene and even exposed their occasional indulgence in the occasional groupie. And not just any groupie, mind you: a groupie of Captain America, the very symbol of American moral fiber and righteousness. With these casual observations playing as mere narrative asides to the tales and life of boozy/horny private investigator Jessica Jones, a recovering superhero, how can Bendis miss? Want to know what the girls who don spandex in the name of saving lives really think of the men who don similar outfits and court them? It's all right here. Want to see the relatively small-scale aftermath of the satisfier of Captain America's need to go…ahem, deep undercover? Tune in to Alias. From the extracurricular shenanigans of L'il Cap, to realistic examinations of how mutants would be looked upon by fundamentalist Christian zealots, Alias has, in its short but sweet run proven itself to be a book with a chip on its shoulder and the kid gloves off. Marvel heroes have always been as interesting out of costume as they are in them and with a protagonist who used to wear a mask unafraid to factor in her knowledge of the inner workings of the superhero class when seeking the answers to a case that enters their clique, Alias is serving up the dirt on just what it is that makes these people tick, all within the confines of solid thought-provoking stories. The dialogue between Jessica and Carol Danvers regarding how the lowly rank of Ant Man on the superhero status scale works against his desirability makes similar conversations in pre-Quesada Marvel comics seem quaint by comparison. The more the real world is applied to the characterization of what we already know of our superhero icons, the more identifiable to an increasingly mature audience they will eventually become. As the elements of the stories begin to reflect our mere mortal lives, we as readers will feel closer to heroes as icons and as reflections of ourselves.
