Broken Frontier

Just in time for the covert commandoes making the leap to the big screen, IDW brings the A-Team to comic pages…again.

“In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.”

That was how just about every episode of the A-Team opened throughout its first 4 seasons and while not completely accurate (they did commit the crime they were accused of, only under orders from a commanding officer, and more often than not the team accepted no money after being hired) it set the tone for one of the most bombastic series in television history.

The 1980s were an interesting time for American network television. It was an age of action, where handsome, colorful heroes would fight for the innocent against the evil bad guys. Some might fight with a bulletproof, indestructible talking car (Knight Rider), a Confederate-ized Dodge Charger and dynamite tied to arrows (The Dukes of Hazzard), a high-tech, indestructible helicopter (Airwolf), or anything they could get their hands on (MacGyver).

The A-Team both fit in with this format and took it to its absurd extreme. They were a team of Army commandoes that each week would take cases ranging from protecting small towns from biker gangs to breaking up white slavery rings to taking down extortion rackets. Most episodes involved prolong gunfights where no one ever got hurt, explosions where the only thing that was damaged was property, and scams that strained the limits of credulity. It was cartoon violence at its campiest.

The show was like a comic book come to life. “Hannibal” Smith was a cigar-chomping leader in the style of Nick Fury, but also master of disguise like the Human Target. B.A. Baracus was a nasty individual who’d you’d definitely want on your side in a fight, but also a decent man at heart, much like Wolverine. “Howling Mad” Murdock who appeared to be completely insane yet was skilled at what he did like DC’s the Creeper is. And Templeton “Face” Peck was a smooth operator who used his intelligence and ingenuity to get what he needed, much like a con man Batman. With characters such as these, it’s a wonder that it took to this year for them to make their way into comics.

Well, actually, back in 1984, at the height of the series’ popularity, they did make their way into comic books. Marvel published a three-issue miniseries tying into the series. Each issue presented a self-contained story—much like the show—and each one had a similar goofy style of writing (the cover to issue #2 had B.A. being choked out by a Sumo wrestler).

This year will bring a big screen A-Team adaptation, and word is that it will be of a more serious tone. The team are now Iraq War vets instead of Vietnam vets and the fire fights and explosions might be a little more fatal and a little more spectacular.

In anticipation of the new movie, IDW is releasing a series of comics. Later this month they will be giving us prequel one-shots devoted to each character, but the company’s offerings start with this miniseries. The bi-weekly title features a plot that more closely resembles the original series. The team must go undercover at a wedding for the daughter of a U.S. official after her life is threatened.

It has been over 20 years since the A-Team has been on television. People like me who remember watching it as a kid are now pushing 40. But a brand new audience is ripe for the concept. Will it be a success? Well, that’s something the filmmakers—and IDW will soon find out. 

Also out this week:

Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way #1:

Breaking into comics is hard for anybody, but it is slightly easier if you are an artist. All any editor needs is a few free seconds to look through your samples to see if you have what it takes. They have to read whatever a writer submits, which is time consuming. And the comic world needs a lot more artists than they do writers.

This series is a showcase for the new artists Marvel has found on its various and sundry talent searches, and the lucky novices are fortunate enough to be paired with some of the most legendary writers in the business—including Brian Michael Bendis, Peter Davis, and Mike Carey. And the series will also provide a script, submission information, and tips for aspiring artists on how to join these guys in the future.

Various (W), Various (A), Marvel Comics, $3.99. Two-Issue Miniseries.

Justice League Rise and Fall Special #1:

This is the issue that starts off the big event in Green Arrow’s life, one that spins off from the events of Justice League: Cry for Justice #7. What happened in that series? Green Arrow killed the series’ antagonist, Prometheus. Why did he kill him? Because the villain destroyed his home town of Star City killing many of its residents, most notably Lian Harper, the five-year-old daughter of Green Arrow’s ward (and newly one-armed Red Arrow) Roy Harper.

As the father of a 11-month-old daughter, I felt empathy for the characters, imagining what I would do if my daughter died in a similar fashion, which is what DC wanted. But my empathy quickly turned to anger, but not in the way DC might have expected.

The use of death as a cheap writing crutch or a marketing stunt is an odious practice in comics, especially when the “death stories” are presented with the same care and effort you present a microwave burrito. DC especially has become a charnel house in the last 25 years, and most of the deaths have lost meaning as the deceased quickly come back. What was DC’s idea to make death “powerful” again? Kill off a kid. This takes an odious practice and makes it downright repugnant.

I know Lian Harper was a fictional character and has never and would never breathe the same air that I do. But these characters are created to establish a resonance with our lives. And I am angry that DC could be so blatantly manipulative towards me as a reader. And I’m now supposed to be excited at where this will take Green Arrow’s story? Sorry, I don’t think so.

James Robinson & J.T. Krul (W), Mike Mayhew (A), DC Comics, $3.99. One-Shot.

The Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange:

Marvel seems really sold on this whole experiment where they publish modern day black and white magazines inspired by the classic magazines of their past. They are trying a variety of different characters from many genres that didn’t appear in the original line, almost as if they were looking to see what works best in the format. Could we see a return to this format on a more permanent basis?

Anyway, this volume focuses on four stories featuring everyone’s favorite Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. The mystic, atmospheric plots would seem to lend themselves to the moody black and white artwork. But will Doc Strange be a good fit for the format? Will sales on this part of the experiment be good enough to warrant more issues? We’ll see.

Various (W), Various (A), Marvel Comics, $3.99. One-Shot.

Ghost Projekt #1:

Oni has been home to one of the best espionage comics in history with Queen & Country so they know what they are doing with that particular genre. So when the company announces a new title set in that genre, everyone should sit up and take notice. Well, sit up and take notice.

This series involves a U.S. Weapons Inspector named Will Haley investigating an alarm at a long-abandoned weapons facility in the former Soviet Union. He finds that a dangerous experimental weapon has been stolen. Now, partnered with a female Russian operative named Anya Romanova, he must find the weapon before whoever stole it starts a whole brand new version of the Cold War.

Joe Harris (W), Steve Rolston (A),Oni Press, $3.99. Five-Issue Miniseries.

The Waking #1:

Zombies are all over comics these days, and in many different variations. We are getting yet another Marvel Zombies series (now up to five!), we recently had one about President Obama fighting zombies called President Evil, and there are new zombie comics released each and every month. That being said, it’s hard for a new zombie series to stand out. That is, unless you have a really good hook.

This series does have a pretty good hook. Instead of the undead returning to life because of some kind of demonic spell or government weapon gone wrong, the zombies in this book are back for one reason, and one reason only—for revenge. Yes, corpses are rising all over the city to track down the people who killed them, making for a very interesting night for the NYPD.

Raven Gregory (W), Vic Drujiniu (A), Zenescope Entertainment, $3.99. Four-Issue Miniseries.

Superman: Last Stand of Krypton #1:

Brainiac is back and he really hasn’t gotten over losing the Kryptonian city of Kandor from his collection. Now that Brainiac is free, he has set about rectifying that fact, a opinion that doesn’t sit well with the residents of New Krypton—a planet formed by the Kandorians—and this time they are ready to fight back.

This series is yet another cog in the year-long Superman event machine. This series will tie-in to Superman and Adventure Comics and will set the stage for the upcoming War of the Supermen series. So, if you have been following or interested in following any of these titles, be sure to pick this one up.

James Robinson & Sterling Gates (W), Pete Woods (A), DC Comics, $2.99. Three-Issue Miniseries.

The Twelve: Spearhead #1:

Sometimes, when a title is late, you know where the fault lies. Like, when a book written by Kevin Smith is late, you know it’s probably his fault. But more often than not, the main culprit, or at least the person who gets most of the blame, is the artist. It’s not Frank Miller’s sterling writing that is holding up All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, it is Jim Lee’s artwork.

The Twelve has been on hiatus for well over a year because both J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston were busy in the world of Hollywood. Well, it appears that Weston has gotten a little less busy, because this standalone issue is drawn and written by him. Could this mean that the series will soon be coming off of hiatus? I certainly hope so. 

Chris Weston (W/A), Marvel Comics, $3.99. One-Shot.

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William Gatevackes is a professional writer living in Mamaroneck, NY with his wife Jennifer and daughter Vanessa. He also is a comic reviewer for PopMatters, has written for Comic Foundry magazine and is the comic book movie editor for Film Buff Online. Links to his writing can be found at his website, www.williamgatevackes.com.