Free Comic Book Day 2010: Irredeemable & G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

Irredeemable/Incorruptible: Free Comic Book Day Edition, Boom! Studios
by Mark Waid, Peter Krause, Jean Diaz, Belardino Brabo, Andrew Dalhouse, Ed Dukshire

Imagine, superheroes are real. You know, Superman, Batman, Iron Man, and the rest. People flying, fighting crime, trying to make the world a better place. Pretty awesome, right? Now, imagine that Superman goes totally nuts. Who could stop him? Welcome to Mark Waid's Irredeemable. Many writers have tried to explore dynamic themes within the superhero genre by creating archetypal parallels to Superman, Batman, Captain America, etc., from Kurt Busiek's Astro City to The End League, just to name a few, and the corrupted ubermench isn't new, either, from Miracle Man to Supreme . . . So what makes Waid's story so different? Well, he isn't pulling any punches, that's for sure, as we watch his proverbial Superman lobotomize his teammates or murder their families. Further, we can only presume his sudden villainy the result of mankind's relentless selfishness, but his motives really aren't clear. Fortunately, if this series' title is any clue, we'll have plenty of time to figure them out. The dilemma is, if the world's greatest hero suddenly became its most dangerous threat, would you hope for his defeat or redemption?

Interestingly, Waid pursues that inquiry in Incorruptible, a sister title that has the world's most notorious bad guy suddenly reformed and determined to stop his nemesis from killing the rest of the superheroes and destroying the world. Ironically, on the surface, these two men are still just fighting each other, something they were doing before the paradigm shift, but now with totally different goals in mind. What would it take to redeem an established super-villain? Exactly how many times would he have to save the world? The overarching theme is really one of power -- namely, if you have it, what do you do with it? And how long before it changes you? Are standing irredeemable or incorruptible your only ultimate options?

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #155 1/2, IDW Publishing
by Larry Hama, Agustin Padilla, J. Brown, Robbie Robbins

In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #155 1/2, writer Larry Hama picks up where he left off with Marvel Comics G.I. Joe #155 lo those many years ago, via the creative freedom and adoration of IDW Publishing. I wasn't a big G.I. Joe fan as a kid, so many of this issue's nuances are lost to me, but I appreciate Hama retaining the timelessness of this potentially dated franchise. Since the Cobra of the '80s, America has seen terrorism at its worst, and the potential to take a military-themed franchise down that road exists -- thankfully, not here. Sure, this issue begins with Cobra storming the Senate chambers, but it's an assault as fantastical as Skeletor charging Castle Greyskull. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because it's all make believe. Hama also maintains a dark sense of humor throughout, playing to the child in any G.I. Joe fan. I'm not chomping at the bit Hama's return to the franchise, but it's nice to know Joe's in good hands, and Free Comic Book Day was a good time to celebrate it. After all, just knowing is half the -- okay, okay. I won't go there.

Ultimately, these two issues have something in common : a spotlight on the bad guy. Well, much to my delight, reading about the bad guy can be a good thing . . . and they'd appreciate that, at free, these comics were a steal.

Easy Way #1

Easy Way #1, April 2005, IDW Publishing
writer: Christopher E. Long
artist: Andy Kuhn
duotone colorist: Bill Crabtree
letterer: Robbie Robbins
editor: Chris Ryall

Blogger's note: Entry for Friday, March 7, 2008.

I've been playing catch up all week.

Last weekend, my girlfriend and I took a road trip to visit my family in Arizona, and I've been behind on my A Comic A Day duties ever since. Fortunately, the Wednesday preceding our trip offered a few interesting new releases, hence my reviews of the industry's latest offerings, including All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boys Wonder, Megas, and Kick-ass. While each of these issues offered the opportunity to explore different themes and trends in contemporary comics, I've ignored the nagging from the back of my brain that relying on these fresh issues, and posting reviews less frequently than every day, negates the novelty of my challenge, not to mention the difference between this blog and the hundreds that also review eclectic comic book selections. Still, I press on in the hopes that my mere insight is enough until I can get back track with daily entries about peculiar comics.

Yes, what I'm trying to say is, I've been taking the easy way out, so today's selection is the perfect scapegoat.

Alas, Duncan's struggle is a little bit more complicated than simply reading a comic a day. In Easy Way, Duncan is trying to stay clean and win back his wife and daughter, though circumstances certainly are not making the process easy for him. After eight years of sadness and betrayal, Duncan's wife is ready to move on. What's worse, the guys Duncan bunks with in a sober living home are hatching a scheme to steal and sell other dealers' drugs, which isn't the ideal plan for a former coke-head that's managed to avoid arrest like him. Still, he goes along with the haphazard scheme assured that the money will help him get his life back together -- a scheme which is rather simple and ingenious on writer Christopher E. Long's part. The foursome dog-nap a drug-sniffing K9 and hit up San Diego storage units in the hopes of discovering a cartel in transition between Mexico and the States. They hit pay dirt, but based on his issue's cliffhanger, the proverbial waters ahead are anything but smooth sailing for Duncan and his crew.

Like I said, Long's story is a succinct exploration of drug rehabilitation and petty crime, particularly since Duncan and the three guys he works with aren't underworld kingpins. In fact, Long plays them like Bizarro Jay and Silent Bob types -- drug-addicted goofballs that have retained their personality and sense of humor yet have actually faced consequences for their actions. (At least, I don't think Kevin Smith has a Jay and Silent Bob Do Rehab movie or comic book in works . . .) Andy Kuhn's artwork keeps this issue well grounded with crisp, expressive character interactions and appropriately moody shadow work, though Bill Crabtree's "duotones" are the best use of color I've seen in a comic like this in a long time. Simple black and white wouldn't have captured the complexities of this issue's plot, but a full palate might have made light of the characters' frivolous interplay; yes, a single, shadowy tone creates just the right mood, implying a sense of impending doom while maintaining a visual ebb and flow. Interestingly, the severed thumb on this issue's cover is raised slightly off the page, an entirely unnecessary feature that only emphasizes the image's gore and starkness. Still, this minimalist first impression is an excellent way to wrap up this package, creating a sense of intrigue that dares potential readers, "Pick me up and see what I'm all about."

When dealing with themes of crime or drug abuse, a creative team can easily choose one of two ways to proceed: the story can either reflect the dark underbelly of chemical addiction, with little to no room for levity, or it dodge these themes completely, as Kevin Smith has done, and emphasize the light-hearted frivolity of the drug users' lifestyle. Long, Kuhn, and company have found a successfully way to blend the two approaches in a dramatic and effective way. While I've never lived Duncan's life, I can understand his mentality and the dual desperation either to face his challenges head on or to jump through any back door that presents itself. I'm just grateful that, in telling his story, the creators behind Easy Way opted not to take it.