I, Crimsonstreak: Comic Influences

I, Crimsonstreak wouldn't be anything without the comic book creators who came before it. References and influences are intertwined throughout the novel. Here are a few worth pointing out.

Batman: Batman looms like a shadow over the criminal elements of Gotham City, and is a giant in the world of superheroes. References include excessively goofy gadgets (the Adam West Batman), a reliable British servant (Michael Gough's Alfred), a secret lair (the Batcave), and the sense of a brooding, serious, professional hero (pick any post-1980 Bat-era for that one). The Crusading Comet and trusty butler Morty are steeped in Batman-ness.

Superman: Superman stands for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way." He's the quintessential "tights and flights" superhero gifted with a wide array of impressive powers (flight, X-ray vision, freezing breath, super-strength, etc.). Colonel Chaos and Miss Lightspeed share many similarities with the Man of Tomorrow, although no one character in particular is intended to be a Superman clone or parody.

The Flash: Chris Fairborne is Crimsonstreak. He's not intended to be a parody of the Flash, but the character definitely has an influence on the protagonist. Super-speed, red color...it's impossible to miss the Flash's influence. If anything, Crimsonstreak is a tribute to the Flash, although the two are quite different.

Spider-Man: Spider-Man is a hero grounded in the mundane nature of life. While he's trying to stop his impressive rogue's gallery from destroying New York/the World, he's also dealing with common problems like romantic entanglements and financial difficulties. Crimsonstreak is cut from a similar mold, although his problems are a bit less common. Spider-Man brings an everyman sensibility to the comics, something that influenced Chris Fairborne's character.

The Shadow: No character in particular directly references the Shadow in the main narrative of the book. However, I love the pulpy feel of the character, and have few nods in the bonus material that definitely echo Shadow lore. The original Crusading Comet's outfit, for example, is a callback to the Shadow's flowing trenchcoat and wide-brimmed fedora.

The Tick: The book has a goofy sense of playfulness to it as far as superheroes are concerned. The Tick is a major influence on how I see the world of comics. My love for the character comes primarily through the TV show from the nineties, and I loved every minute of it. The Crusading Comet was nearly Die Fledermaus reborn before he evolved into a different type of character.

The Phantom: "The Ghost Who Walks" is another pulp hero sometimes forgotten like the Shadow. The 1996 movie with Billy Zane ("Slam Evil!" was the tagline) remains a guilty pleasure. The Phantom's legacy--sons/family members succeed previous Phantoms in an unbroken line--is exactly how the Kensington family has decided to operate.

BACK TO CRIMSONSTREAK CENTRAL!

Superhero ABCs: The Finale

This is it. The final entry in my Superhero ABC's. It's been a long journey from the Avengers to X-Men...and for today's final explosive post, I give you the Y and Z to complete the superheroic alphabet.

Y is for Yellow.

Y was the most difficult letter to pin down for this entire "event." My options were very limited, and I considered doing something like "Young Justice," "youthfulness," or "Ymir" (frost giant from the Thor universe).

I didn't like any of those.

I ended up settling on "yellow." Trust me, it's not because I'm in love with Coldplay.

In the early days of Green Lantern (the Hal Jordan version), we learned that the hero had a certain weakness: his power ring would not work on anything yellow. This was a supremely stupid and, it seemed, arbitrary weakness. Okay, that's exactly what it was. It was such a stupid idea, in fact, that years later yellow was changed through the alchemy-like magic of retroactive continuity as being symbolic for fear. Still stupid, yes, but not quite as stupid. Sort of.

For my Superhero ABC's, yellow is the perfect representation of something many heroes have: a weakness. Many of our heroes have an Achilles heel. For Superman, it's Kryptonite (he's also vulnerable to magic). Martian Manhunter has an aversion to fire. Aquaman can't stay on land for too long. Batman's single-minded focus on stopping criminals can work against him (as it did in the "Knightfall" storyline when all of Arkham's inmates escaped; the Batman of the Nolanverse is often bruised and battered...with the character stating that "Batman has no limits"). Familial and personal relationships can also become weaknesses (which is the reason many heroes have secret identities).

And now for the grand finale...

Z is for Zeitgeist.

Superheroes and comic books capture the feel of an era. In the above picture, you see Captain America punching Hitler. Cap was a product of the rah-rah, "Go America!" era of World War II. He was consciously created to be a symbol of a greater, patriotic America.

The hero is a good illustration for this concept of zeitgeist. He began as pro-America propaganda, briefly became a Commie-smasher, abandoned his identity during the Watergate scandal (becoming Nomad, "man without a country"), confronted several prominent social and political themes in the 80s and 90s, and opposed the Superhuman Registration Act (itself a kind of stand in for a Patriot Act-era America).

Cap, of course, isn't the only hero to capture the essence of an era. Golden Age heroes harken back to a simpler, more black and white time. Silver Age heroes represent a goofier, more carefree era, while Bronze Age heroes tend to tackle darker subject matter and more complex sociopolitical themes. These are generalizations, of course, but they reflect the development of American society.

Previous Entries:

Z is for Zeitgeist
Y is for Yellow
X is for the X-Men
W is for Wolverine
V is for Villains
U is for Uniform
T is for The Tick
S is for Spider-Man
R is for Robin
Q is for The Question
P is for The Punisher
O is for Origin Story
N is for Nite Owl
M is for Metropolis
L is for Lois Lane
K is for Kal-El
J is for J'onn J'onzz
I is for Iron Man
H is for the Human Bullet
G is for Green Lantern
F is for the Flash
E is for Events
D is for Dr. Fate
C is for Captain America
B is for Batman
A is for The Avengers

Superhero ABCs: Letter V

V is for Villains.

Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

You may as well call that the First Law of Comic Books.

Heroes must have a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is fairly vague (stop crime). Most of the time that purpose is a little more specific (stop the Joker's bomb). Heroes and Villains are two sides of the same coin. How close to the edge does Batman come to being a villain? Under different circumstances, couldn't the Joker have chosen to turn his misfortune into something positive? (a stretch, that one, but you get my point)

Superheroes usually have an arch-nemesis...someone who mirrors them in some way (the movie Unbreakable has a nice deconstruction of this). A hero without a villain isn't very interesting (see the Green Lantern movie...who was the bad guy? Why should we care? Oh...what was that? You didn't?). Batman and the Joker embody a great hero-villain dynamic. Near the end of The Dark Knight, the Joker remarks:

You just couldn’t let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

The Joker is an agent of chaos, the force Batman is fighting. In X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr have diametrically opposed views on the relationship between humans and mutants. Their philosophical differences create a rift that turns one into a hero (Professor X) and the other into a villain (Magneto). Superman stands for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" while Lex Luthor is willing to get his way through subterfuge, greed, and graft.

Let's admit one thing: Heroes can be bland. Their devotion to virtue and saving the day can become tiresome. Thus, we see the need for colorful villains to drive the story and give the hero tangible goals.

Tomorrow: Snikt!

Previous Entries:

U is for Uniform
T is for The Tick
S is for Spider-Man
R is for Robin
Q is for The Question
P is for The Punisher
O is for Origin Story
N is for Nite Owl
M is for Metropolis
L is for Lois Lane
K is for Kal-El
J is for J'onn J'onzz
I is for Iron Man
H is for the Human Bullet
G is for Green Lantern
F is for the Flash
E is for Events
D is for Dr. Fate
C is for Captain America
B is for Batman
A is for The Avengers

Superhero ABCs: Letter O

O is for Origin Story.

Every journey has a beginning, they say, and superheroes are no different. We want to know how heroes got where they are, what compelled them to wage war on crime, and the circumstances leading to their incredible powers. All these little threads weave together to create an interesting hero (or at least we hope so).

The origin story has become such an integral part of comic book adaptations that nearly every comic book movie includes the origin story. Superman did it. Batman (1989) did it (and Bats did it again with Batman Begins). Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Fantastic Four, and Captain America were also origin stories.

There's a reason for this, of course. Part of it is because studios feel that audiences who aren't familiar with a certain character need to find out how that hero came to be. The other reason is that superheroes have some great origin stories.

-bitten by a radioactive spider
-doused by gamma rays
-sent from an alien planet to Earth
-gifted with a magical power ring
-inspired by the death of a parent

Tomorrow: An antihero still looking for a credible movie adaptation.

Previous Entries:

N is for Nite Owl
M is for Metropolis
L is for Lois Lane
K is for Kal-El
J is for J'onn J'onzz
I is for Iron Man
H is for the Human Bullet
G is for Green Lantern
F is for the Flash
E is for Events
D is for Dr. Fate
C is for Captain America
B is for Batman
A is for The Avengers

Superhero ABCs: Letter M

M is for Metropolis.

Metropolis wraps up a completely unintentional "mini-streak" of Superman entries.

I don't really know much about the city itself other than it's the home of Superman and the Daily Planet. It's on this list to talk about one of the essential elements of superherodom.

Superman has Metropolis. Batman has Gotham City. Spider-Man has New York (So does Daredevil. And the Punisher. And the Fantastic Four. And Iron Man...). Green Lantern has Coast City. The Flash has Keystone City (or Central City, if you're talking about Barry Allen). The Tick has The City.

Superheroes often exist in heavily urban areas. This makes sense for a multitude of reasons. A lot happens in cities. Important media markets are in larger cities. Large cities have large populations, lots of real estate to protect, and high crime rates. It works. I get it, you get it. If a superhero patrolled the streets of my small Midwestern hometown, he or she wouldn't have much to do. Many Midwestern cities lack the "draw" of bigger cities for heroes. Heck, Superman left Smallville to go to Metropolis.

In many cases, cities become synonymous with different heroes. Gotham, for example, is a decaying, crumbling analogue for New York. Like Batman, it is dark and foreboding; twisted and complex. Metropolis is a "cleaner" vision of the city, a shining jewel that seems more hopeful, like the character of Superman himself. Of course, in world of The Tick, The City is simply a fairly nondescript location full of generic buildings and businesses. Considering there's not much going on upstairs for Big Blue, that fits just about right.

Tomorrow: There are two of him. Both are washed up heroes, but one is still young enough to try to save the day.

Previous Entries:

L is for Lois Lane
K is for Kal-El
J is for J'onn J'onzz
I is for Iron Man
H is for the Human Bullet
G is for Green Lantern
F is for the Flash
E is for Events
D is for Dr. Fate
C is for Captain America
B is for Batman
A is for The Avengers

Superhero ABCs: Letter B

Wednesday brings us Day Two of my Superhero ABCs.

I'm Batman.

I don't think any superhero has defined the genre more than the Dark Knight. He's been on the top of the world in every medium, from movies to TV to videogames. Everybody knows something about the cape & cowl, whether it's the Bat-Signal, Commissioner Gordon, or Robin.

One of the characters in my book is loosely based on the Caped Crusader. He's called the Crusading Comet, and in the world of I, Crimsonstreak, he's a hero who takes himself a little too seriously at times. You really can't have a great superhero story without making a few nods to Batman. He's got a fantastic origin story, his costume (Crimsonstreak would kill me for failing to call it a "uniform") is spot-on, and he boasts the best gallery of rogues in all of superherodom. His supporting characters are equally memorable.

Batman is a flawed character, a vigilante so hellbent on dispensing justice that he sometimes forgets the reason he's doing all this. I don't mean he forgets the dark night when his mother and father were murdered; I mean Batman sometimes fails to embrace his own humanity in his single-minded quest to stop crime. He's so obsessed with ridding the streets of grime and corruption that he overlooks the qualities and foibles that make us human. This Batman persona is him, while his "real identity" (Bruce Wayne) is more of a mask than anything else.

Batman is also a flexible character. He can be the one-man army. He can be the detective who tracks down a mystery. He can be the nightmare lurking in the shadows. He can be the swinging-from-the-rooftop type. And, when Adam West is involved, he can be the greatest superhero parody in comic book lore.

Tomorrow: The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan!

Previous Entries:

A is for The Avengers!

Five Favorite Superhero Movies

After a post earlier this week on superhero movies I shouldn't like (but do anyway), I thought I'd take a look at a few of my true favorites. Comic fans will discuss the merits of each film exhaustively, bemoan the absence of The Dark Knight and Superman, and question the inclusion of Watchmen (you can't pick that...it...doesn't...have...a...squid!). But the great thing about having my own blog is...I get to express my opinion.

I'd like to point out that this isn't an attempt to make an exhaustive list or a list of the "best" superhero movies. Below, you'll find five movies I really dig. With superheroes. Oh, and you can ignore the numbers. They mean nothing.

Seriously.

Batman (1989)

Why It's On the List: I love the Christopher Nolan movies, but there's something to be said for going to see a movie with your dad when you're nine years old. Those experiences tend to stick with you...and that's why Michael Keaton is my Batman and Jack Nicholson is my Joker. I have fond memories of this movie, the main theme is unparalleled (and I was bitterly disappointed it didn't return in the Nolan movies because, well, the Danny Elfman theme is Batman), and despite its darkness, it still makes you laugh at times. Plus, Lando Calrissian is Harvey Dent.

Favorite Quote: "I'm Batman."
Favorite Quote 2: "Where does he get those wonderful toys?"

X2 (subtitle withheld out of principle/2003)

Why It's On the List: The first X-Men was a triumph--mostly--but it ran kind of short and Magneto's plan to turn the world's leaders into mutants was lame. X2 gives us much more depth. Everything in this movie seems to carry more weight, and it feels grander because of it. Magneto doesn't miss a trick, Hugh Jackman is terrific as Wolverine, the siege of Xavier's mansion is exciting and well-executed, and Patrick Stewart was born to play Professor X. Oh, oh, oh...almost forgot! Brian Cox alert!

Favorite Quote: "People don't change, Wolverine. You were an animal then and you're an animal now. I just gave you claws."
Favorite Quote 2: "You are a god among insects. Never let anyone tell you different."

Spider-Man (2002)

Why It's On the List: This was a well done origin story helmed by Sam Raimi. Tobey Maguire isn't quite the wise-cracking Spidey we expected, but he does a fine job (even though he...ahem...probably spends too much time without his mask). J.K. Simmons is PERFECT as J. Jonah Jameson, Cliff Robertson brings some gravitas as Uncle Ben, Rosemary Harris is wonderful as Aunt May, and most of the web-slinging fun is well done. Also...I'll watch Willem Dafoe in just about anything. Despite the clunky Green Goblin armor, he gets the most out of the character and makes for a compelling baddie.

Favorite Quote: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Iron Man (2008)

Why It's On the List: Superhero stories don't always have to be about brooding and the dark nature of man. Just take Iron Man. This gem based on the Marvel character is absolutely terrific. Robert Downey, Junior, uses his quick-witted charm to bring Tony Stark to life. He absolutely owns this role and this movie, infusing Stark with devil-may-care smugness and humanity. The "Iron Man in training" scenes manage to get a laugh every time, and when Downey's on the screen, you can't look away. When he's not on the screen, he gets plenty of help from Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, and Jon Favreau.

Favorite Quote: "Yeah, I can fly."
Favorite Quote 2: "Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk."

Watchmen (2009)

Why It's On the List: A long and complicated graphic novel gets a very faithful adaptation that's visually stunning, visceral, and violent. Great turns by Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Billy Crudup highlight the film. However, it's Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach who steals the show. His character, for better or worse, is the heart of the whole story. The screenplay does an admirable job of whittling down the comic's complex narrative, and it's a treat to look at. Some may find it a little slow, but it's a great movie to throw in on a boring afternoon.

Favorite Quote: "Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel."
Favorite Quote 2: "I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with ME!"