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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I'm ashamed of you. Not all of you, mind you, but enough of you in online comics fandom that I feel I have to write something of my disappointment lest I burst. Which I think we can all agree would not be an attractive sight to see.
It started with the biggest comics news of the century. I'll give you the bare bones of the story as reported by the Associated Press on Sunday, March 30:
Superman creator's heirs victorious in court battle against media giant
Los Angeles - Time Warner is no longer the sole proprietor of Superman, the legendary hero who was created by two Cleveland teenagers. A federal judge here on Wednesday ruled that the heirs of Jerome Siegel - who 70 years ago sold the rights to the action hero he created with Joseph Shuster to Detective Comics for $130 - were entitled to claim a share of the U.S. copyright to the character.
I knew this was coming a little while before the story broke on Newsarama and other websites, but it wasn't my story to tell. The above sentences don't really do justice to the scope and intricacies of this decision. If you want to learn more, I suggest you head here...
uncivilsociety.org/2008/03/the-siegel-superman-decision.html
...where Jeff Trexler has done a terrific job summarizing the decision and providing links to even more information.
My disappointment in some members of online fandom comes from their churlish and even disgusting responses to this wonderful news for the Siegel family. It took less than a dozen posts to a thread on Newsarama for largely anonymous creeps to begin savaging the Siegels, deeming them more greedy and somehow less deserving of sharing in the enormous profits of the Man of Steel than DC Comics and Time-Warner, followed by much wailing about the possible threat to their so-oh-precious DC continuity. As if DC needed any outside help messing up the company's legendary characters. But that is a digression for another day.
Any comics creator who has ever been screwed over by DC or any other publisher knows their pain was pain shared by their families. My own problems with DC pale in comparison to what Jerry Siegel and his family had to go through, pale in comparison to those of Bill Finger, who never got the recognition and rewards due him for his co-creation of Batman and nearly every important element of Batman, pale in comparison to what Marvel Comics owed Jack Kirby and Jack's loved ones. Yet, even on a comparatively minor scale, I know what I have suffered at the hands of DC Comics and I know how my Sainted Wife Barbara and my kids have suffered along with me...and I know that Joanne Siegel, that superwoman of devotion to her husband and family, suffered far worse for nearly her entire married life with Jerry Siegel. How dare those cruel and clueless fans tell her and her family they are not worthy to share in the fortunes that have flowed from Jerry's and Joe Shuster's creativity!
Shame on them...and shame on any of us who do not scorn them for the heartless bastards they are!
There will be much written about this decision in the months to come. There will be speculations on what it means, what outcome is most likely, what effect it will have on how creators and companies do business, what benefits it might bring to other creators who may seek justice, and so on. However, I won't be one of those writing or speculating on it. The only other public statement I intend to make at present in this:
God bless you, Joanie Siegel and your daughter Laura Larson. Congratulations on your well-deserved victory. I pray you will, at long last, receive the benefits from Superman's creation that Jerry always wanted for you.
In the AP article mentioned above, Larson was quoted:
"I have lived in the shadow of this my whole life. I am so happy now, I just can't explain it."
I am thrilled for Joanne and Laura. I think all Superman fans and all comicdom, fan and professional alike, should be thrilled as well. This was a win for truth, justice, and, if not the American way, then certainly the American dream.
God bless you, Joanie and Laura.
God bless you, Jerry.
******
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE
When last I discussed Avengers: The Initiative, I came to this conclusion: The key lesson of this series seems to be that you can't trust Tony Stark and his super-goons, a lesson the citizens of the Marvel Universe should've learned by now. Just five issues into its run, Avengers: The Initiative already needs a new and more interesting direction.
Having now read issues #6-9 of the series [$2.99 each] and its "Secret Invasion" annual [$3.99], I believe some changes are coming to the title. Or, at the very least, writers Dan Slott and Chris Gage are shaking things up enough to keep my interest for a while longer. Beware, there are...
SPOILERS AHEAD
In "Persons of Interest" (issue #6), several former members of the New Warriors are suspects in the beating of the Gauntlet, their sadistic Initiative drill instructor. Slott tries to show us that the Gauntlet isn't as bad as we think, but the explanation comes right out of war-movie cliches. The only intriguing parts of this story were a) the identity of the attacker, and b) that, for some reason, the Gauntlet didn't identify him. I'm not that interested in either Gauntlet or his attacker, but I would like to know why the former didn't figure the guilty party.
The Scarlet Spiders are three mysterious recruits wearing the Spider-Man armor originally designed by Stark for Peter Parker. In issue #7, we learn their secret and, more importantly, learn they aren't the simple-minded pawns they seemed to be. With a terrific guest appearance by the real Spider-Man, this was one of the book's strongest issues to date.
Written by Slott and Gage, four of the five stories in the annual focus on individual members and the fifth on the Initiative team stationed in Pennsylvania. We learn secrets of the Gauntlet, Armory, Hardball, and MVP in the solo stories while the final tale is basically a promo for the next major Marvel Universe storyline: the secret invasion of Earth by the Skrulls. I did it two decades ago in The Shadow War of Hawkman, but, alas, never had the backing of DC editorial. Still, I tend to enjoy Marvel's big-ass super-hero crossovers much more than I enjoy DC's, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
Things go very bad in issues #8 and #9. We get new recruits, the Taskmaster as the new drill instructor, and a berserk MVP clone racking up what appears to be a significant body count. Again, I don't know what it's leading to, but I'm intrigued enough to hang around for a few more issues to find out.
From a tired direction to perhaps too many directions, I'm not quite ready to write Avengers: The Initiative off. Issue #7 and a couple of the annual stories raise the title's average. I'm giving it three out of five Tonys.
Watch for more Avengers reviews later this week.
******
COMICS IN THE COMICS
Superman is the theme of today's Comics in the Comics, starting with the only "super-delegate" comic I'm planning to run. It's Lalo Alcaraz's La Cucaracha from March 28, and it was sent to me by TOT reader Tom Duffy.
Tom also sent Shoe for March 20. The strip was created by the late Jeff MacNelly and has been continued by Chris Cassatt, Gary Brookins, and Susie MacNelly.
The February 14 panel of Working It Out by Charlos Gary references both Superman and one of his super friends:
Also from February 14, here's Mike Peters' Mother Goose and Grimm:
Finally, one more comic sent by Tom Duffy. It's John Zakour and Kyle Miller's Working Daze from February 11:
Keep watching this column for more Comics in the Comics and, if you come across a comic you think I might have missed, feel free to send it my way.
******
TONY POLLS
This week's Tony Polls questions have been selected to get a giggle from the voters on this, the most wonderfully foolish holiday of them all. You'll be voting on the "greatest" Spider-Man story, the next member of the Justice League, Buffy Summers' next sleepover snuggle pal, and the worst comic-book movie of all time. You can cast your ballot at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Tony's Online Tips is a reader-sponsored feature, made possible through your "Tip The Tipster" donations. Today's column was brought to you by Steve...and I thank him for his most generous support. If you'd like to contribute, just click on the "Tip The Tipster" link elsewhere on this page.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 03/31/2008 | 04/01/2008 | 04/02/2008 >>
Discuss this column with me at my Message Board. Also, read Heroes and Villains: Real and Imagined.
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
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Medina, OH 44256
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