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.

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5 Superhero Movies I Shouldn't Like But Do Anyway

I'm a bit of a superhero fan.

In fact, my first novel is nothing but tights & flights and capes & cowls. I'd like to make a distinction here, too. I like comic books, but I'm not necessarily a comic book fan. For instance, I love the idea of The New 52, but I haven't picked up a single one of the comics.

What I am, however, is a superhero fan. I love the larger-than-life personas, be they super Boy Scout-y or depressingly masochistic. I enjoy both the hopeful and the hopeless, though I lean more toward the former than the latter. I have watched a lot of superhero movies...too many, really...but today I let you in on my greatest shame.

Five Superhero Movies I Shouldn't Like (But Do Anyway)

Daredevil (2003)

Why It's Terrible: Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck's costume. The theatrical cut was choppy. Evanescence was EVERYWHERE.

Why I'm Still Watching: Bullseye was fun (especially the "House of Pain" intro music). Jennifer Garner looked great. We got some Jon Favreau. We were treated to a cameo from Jack Parkman (David Keith) as Matt Murdock's dad. Some of the effects are kind of neat, although they ended up trying to out-CGI the Spider-Man movies. Joe "Guy Who's in Everything" Pantoliano made an appearance.

The Phantom (1996)

Why It's Terrible: This is a cornball movie full of pure, unadulterated hokum. The characters are flat, the villains weak, the storyline kind of lame, the design somewhat uninspired. And at the end of the movie, our hero rides a horse. In the jungle.

Why I'm Still Watching: Hey, Billy Zane's a cool dude. What The Phantom lacked in polish, it made up for in pure, pulpy fun. They even threw in a before-she-was-famous Catherine Zeta-Jones as the bad girl with a heart of gold. I like Billy Zane in this movie, Sgt. Aguado from Ace Ventura has a fun turn as the Phantom's cabbie, and Treat Williams is over-the-top AWESOME as Xander Drax ("Begins and ends with the letter X"). I like the interplay between Billy Zane and Patrick McGoohan.

The Punisher (2004)

Why It's Terrible: John Travolta. Setting a Punisher story in sunny Florida. The fat guy...okay...actually the whole "Punisher finds a surrogate family" subplot.

Why I'm Still Watching: I like Thomas Jane and his "Wild Turkey Breakfasts." I really liked the main title theme. Roy Scheider knifes a man to death. The "torture" scene with Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison) was a nice touch. There's a big, fiery skull at the end. Oh...oh...and there's no Dolph Lundgren saying things like, "I still talk to God sometimes, I ask him if what I'm doing is right or wrong, I'm still waiting for an answer."

The Shadow (1994)

Why It's Terrible: Well, it starts with Alec Baldwin as an opium warlord (this reminds me of the Seinfeld episode in which J. Peterman is the only "white poet warlord in the neighborhood"). There's an ill-tempered dagger that bites your hand. Penelope Ann Miller is especially annoying. Tonally, the movie is all over the place.

Why I'm Still Watching: Young Alec Baldwin and his luxurious hair. Jonathan Winters is a good for a chuckle or two. Ditto Peter Boyle. Also notable appearances from Wadsworth (Tim Curry), Gandalf (Ian McKellan), the dad from "Alf" (Max Wright), and Neelix (Ethan Phillips). The "Brooks Brothers" line still cracks me up. You'll notice none of these things involve Penelope Ann Miller.

Judge Dredd (1995)

Why It's Terrible: Rob Schneider. Comic book purists get in a tizzy because Dredd dares take off his helmet. Someone actually spent a lot of money to make this movie. I liked it the first time, when it was called Demolition Man.

Why I'm Still Watching: Even though I'd like to punch Rob Scheider in the face, his Stallone impression is funny. I have fond memories of this movie because I once remarked that the future would have a cleaner cloning process than the one in the movie, prompting a stunned friend to yell, "That's what you have a problem with? What about the rest of the movie?"

And, of course, Armand Assante. "LAAAAAAAAW?"