No tech-geek stuff today. But comic books - yes. Graphic novels - definitely.
Comic books are like a modern mythology for me - they reflect different anxieties, hopes, dreams and urban legends circulating in our society. They reflect our mundane reality but wrapped in symbols, metaphors and supernatural heroes with amazing abilities - same as in ancient mythology. It is especially reflected between comic book realities and political world.
Examples? There are numerous.
In 1983 just after Chernobyl disaster, Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore release first issue of 'Watchmen' - a brutal and more realistic take on superheroes, set in the world where Cold War never ended. When George W. Bush became a president of US in 2001 it wasn't long before Lex Luthor became president of US in special issue (Superman: Lex 2000). Shortly after attacks on 11 september 2001 Marvel released a special 'black issue' with superheroes perspective on WTC attacks (Amazing Spider-man vol. 2 #36). Shortly after invasion on Iraq, Frank Miller announces 'Holy Terror, Batman!', where Batman takes on Al-Qeada ;-) It's yet to be released.
Graphic novels are especially worth attention, because they are frequently pieces of art, linking great drawings with top class story plot.
Batman was always my favorite character in every aspect: complex, dark, intelligent, psychological and... he is human at the end of the day. So I keep a track of the fresh and interesting novels that coming out with this superhero. Today a quick glance into three interesting position I've just finished.
They are all about Batman's dead.
First is 'Whatever Happened to the Capped Crusader?' written by Neil Gaiman. The story is simple and very bizarre - in a Gaiman style. It's Batman's funeral and different good and bad characters are coming to pay their respects. Some of them have story to tell on how the Batman died, and those stories are very, very different from each other... It's a short but amusing story kept in the atmosphere of Gaiman's 'Sandman'.
Neil Gaiman was always great in redefining the meaning of graphic novel, and he did it perfectly with 'Sandman' series. Those stories prove, in my view, that he should abandon writing books and focus on graphic novels. I would give him, not 'Maus', Pulitzer for the 'Sandman'...
Second is 'Batman: RIP' - the official Grant Morrison take on Batman's dead. Bruce Wayne took part in a strange experiment long time ago - scientists closed him for 10 days in the deprivation chamber. He experienced himself on completely different level, barely surviving mentally the strain of delusions and hallucinations generated by the isolation in chamber. But suddenly years later, the experience comes back, and the line between reality and delusion becomes very thin for Batman...
This story is an ultimate masterpiece, very violent but very intelligent, with deep reflections on human nature, personality and fragility of mind. It takes you in this best place where novel can take you, with beautiful illustration by Tony Daniel.
Finally, there is also Batman's dead in 'Final Crisis' - again written by Grant Morrison - it's one of the coolest graphic novels I read in years. The story unveils a horrible success of Darkseid, who uses all modern media - TV, radio, mobile phones, internet - to infect almost entire population of Earth with neurolinguistic virus he sourced from other dimension alien technology. Superman and other superheroes who survived the virus have to travel between alternative realities before Darkseid takes over the entire universe. This is heavy and quite strange story, and I won't tell you how Batman dies - read it yourself ;-)
[images credit: DC]
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