Broken Frontier

The day after Captain America #25 hit the stands, Marvel released a statement about the death, letting everyone know what to expect in the coming months. One part of the press release seemed particularly unctuous to me:

“Also in May, Captain America #26 is where the aftermath of his death must be faced, beginning with the autopsy of his body.”

If we didn’t get the point, Marvel sent the message to us again when they released preview images from the issue. They featured a dead Cap, bloody, withered and emaciated, lying on a cold, hard slab in a morgue.

With these two things, Marvel was trying to make us believe something. Unlike other comic deaths, this one was real. This one was permanent. Cap was dead, dead, dead, never to return.

Most of us still aren’t buying it.

Forget about sex, it’s Death that sells. You have to look no further than the furor of Captain America #25. Sure, a slow news day in the national media helped, but when word hit that Cap was going to die in that issue, stores couldn’t keep it on the shelves.

Comics are a big culprit, having used death again and again as a marketing tool, but they are not alone. Movies and especially TV are also to blame. Movies like Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias use death to great, tear-jerking effect. On TV, the sadness over the end of the Sopranos is muted in fans’ minds by the excitement of seeing how many of the original cast is still alive by the time the series finale rolls around. 

Death is an easy—and some would say, cheap—way to move an audience. People develop an emotional attachment to characters in fiction. Even though they are not real, these characters become like friends or family to these people, and when they die, the fans mourn as if they were real.

It might be a cliché, but death is a part of life. And if creative fiction is to seem realistic, characters would have to die. There is no denying it. But in comics, the realism death brings to the medium is all but obliterated by its lack of permanence.

Comics used to have a “if you don’t see a body, then maybe they’re not really dead” rule. But in recent years, even having a body was no guarantee that the dead would stay dead. Superman? The body was pronounced dead and buried and he came back. Hal Jordan? Ditto. Aunt May? The same. Even Jason Todd, a character so unpopular in his role of Robin that people paid to call in and have him killed, returned.

All these returns from the grave have diluted the dramatic effect death has in comic books. Instead of weight and gravitas, fans see comic deaths as cheap, promotional stunts to sell books, much like the characters eventual return are as well.

       

   

Even with the autopsy (I don’t know how much they are going to show. I hope not a lot. The idea is tasteless enough already), nobody truly believes Steve Rogers will stay dead. He may stay dead throughout Ed Brubaker’s run, perhaps even through Joe Quesada’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief, but eventually a new creator or flagging sales will give the powers that be cause to bring the character back. It’s not a question of if, only when.

So Marvel has been going to great, if somewhat morbid, lengths to get us to believe that Cap’s death will be lasting. Perhaps they hope by doing so, that the story will get more emotional weight and impact. But cynical comic fans have found out that in comics, dead is no longer dead. And nothing Marvel could do will change that.     

Also out this week:

• Marvel Adventures: Iron Man #1

Now, onto something a little more pleasant, something Marvel should get credit for.

Marvel has been expanding its kid-friendly Marvel Adventures line over the past few years. Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four have already been joined by the Avengers. Now, Iron Man joins the mix, and the Incredible Hulk is not far behind.

This is a genius idea by Marvel. At one time, comics were aimed exclusively at kids. Eventually, as the young fans matured to become comic creators, the books matured as well, leaving kids behind. But today’s kids are tomorrow’s comic fandom. Marvel realizes this, and created Marvel Adventures as an answer. It’s no surprise that the books of the line correspond with the companies film output. Young kids who love the films might find the regular lines a little too mature. Marvel Adventures provides an age appropriate way for kids to follow their favorite heroes, and acts as an entry way into the regular Marvel books as well.  It’s Marvel’s way of ensuring that comics will be around for years to come.

Fred Van Lente (W), James Cordeiro (A), Marvel Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.

• Death and the Man Who Would Not Die #1

A sequel to last year’s successful Death Comes to Dillinger, this new series focuses on the adventures of Death as he roams the Old West. Someone has stolen something valuable from Death, and he will stop at no lengths to get it back. But all roads lead him to a man who won’t die. How will Death fare against someone who he is completely powerless against?

The mix of western and supernatural has worked well for Silent Devil, and the strength of the concept lends it to another miniseries. And if this one’s successful, we may see more sequels in the future.  Don’t miss out on what everybody will be talking about in the weeks ahead. Pick up this series and join in the conversation. 

James Patrick (W), se7enhedd (A), Silent Devil Productions, $2.99. Four-Issue Minieries.

• Homeless Channel

Darcy Shaw has an idea. She has an idea which will give the homeless people of the city not only a voice, but a channel. A 24-hour network devoted to them, to their struggle, to the people trying to give aid, and to their plight. She hopes to raise awareness of their cause in order to help them. But her efforts are hampered by a romance with her network liason, meddling corporate sponsors with their own ideas for her network, and one particular homeless person—her sister Mary. She eventually comes to a difficult choice. Should she save the world, or save herself?

Written and drawn by Matt Silady, the graphic novel takes a complex and facinating look at the serious and controversial subject of homelessness. If you are looking for something different this week, you should check this out.

Matt Silady (W/A), AIT/Plaentlar, $12.95. Graphic Novel.

• Criminal #6

All right, all you people out there who were too scared to pick up a comic book called Criminal when it first hit the stands months ago, you’re getting a second chance. The new arc begins in this issue. While it ties into the previous storyline, you don’t have to have read it to be up to speed on this one (but if you feel the need, the trade of the first six issues is on the shelves now).

Need more convincing? This story follows Tracy Lawless, a man who chose the military over continuing the family crime business. Now, he’s bringing the war in the Middle East back home with him as he hunts the people who killed his brother Rick.  

Ed Brubaker (W), Sean Phillips (A), Marvel/Icon Comic , $2.99. Ongoing Series. 

• Superman/Batman #35

This comic marks the second of three chapters in the “A.I.” arc, which marks the return of the Metal Men. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite shape-shifting robots are under the sway of the evil Braniac. The World’s Finest team has to find a way to stop them and perhaps bring the Metal Men over to the side of good. Can they do it?

The Metal Men have been a cult favorite of many DC fans. The team has been optioned for a movie, their early adventures have made their way into DC’s Archive line, and they are more popular than they have been in years, all thanks to 52. Where will all this renewed popularity lead? Stay tuned to find out.  

Mark Verheiden & Marc Guggenheim (W), Pat Lee & Craig Yeung (A), DC Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.

• Gutsville #1

This is the how the solicitation for this book reads:

“GUTSVILLE is a town living in the belly of the beast, literally. 150 years after the ocean liner HMS Daphne was swallowed at sea, its passengers’ descendents cling to life in Gutsville. All is not well among the slippery streets… As revolutionaries, sadistic priests and frothing psychos clash in the psychedelic innards of an impossible creature, it’s left to one scared RatCatcher to consider escape…”

That seems to be a very dark, horrific tale which “out-Vertigos” Vertigo in its over all weirdness. But it is written by veteran British scribe Simon Spurrier (of 2000 A.D. fame) and features art by up-and-coming superstar artist Frazier Irving (Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy, Silent War). So it’s got that going for it, which is nice. 

Simon Spurrier (W), Frazier Irving (A), Image Comics, $2.99, Six-Issue Miniseries.

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William Gatevackes is a professional writer living in Mamaroneck, NY with his wife Jennifer. He also writes periodic comic reviews for PopMatters and writes title descriptions for Human Computing’s Comicbase collection management software. Links to his writing can be found at his website, www.williamgatevackes.com.