Superhero Summer Detox

With the release of The Dark Knight three weeks ago, The Summer of Superheroes has come to a record-breaking close(sorry Dragon Emperor Mummy, but you don't count. Superheroes only.) Eight months into the year and comic-based films have surpassed the $1 Billion in revenue. We know the studios are happy, as are most fans and critics. But, as I reflect on this glorious achievement in comicdom, I'm not as satisfied as I thought I'd be. From May 5 to July 18, I dropped more than $150 bucks on the superhero moviegoing experience. Hindsight gives a little more clarity and I'm sure that at least half those flicks weren't worth the money and I could've waited to redbox them. Let's review:

1. May 5-Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. was great as Tony Stark. Not awesome, not transcendent. Just great. To me, Tony Stark is pretty much an irredeemable jerk after what happened with Civil War (for the uninitiated: he betrayed his friends and inadvertently caused the death of Captain America.) So, the character is pretty much lost on me. But I can't deny that RDJ made Stark extremely likeable and for that I applaud him. Outside of Downey's performance, nothing in the film was especially spectacular. I know that: DJay from Hustle and Flow was his friend who didn't do anything besides worry, Gwenyth Paltrow was his secretary and she may or may not have loved Stark, Stark's business partner had a distracting beard, and Iron Man wiped out a camp of outmatched Afghan terrorists. Half the movie was spent testing or building the armor. While I appreciate the task of the origin story, I wish there was something clever about the process. In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne had to construct the Bat suit through very practical means, which led to a lot of "oh, that's clever" moments. In Iron Man, it was mostly "Stark is super smart. He can build anything." Then there's the villian: Iron Monger. Seriously? I would've respected the villian more if he actually plagued Stark throughout the film rather making a 12th hour decision get dressed up as a Power Ranger robot. Aside, from Downey Jr's performance and the novelty of seing a B-lister faithfully adapted on-screen, the plot was too bare and the characters were too flat to sustain a memorable experience.

2. May 9th-Speed Racer
Here's a flick that won me over for its sheer audacity and heart. Yes, it was too much for mainstream consumption. Unabashedly wacky, colorful, and dizzying, but likely ahead of its time. Speed Racer reminded me of Japanese sci-fi/superhero flicks like Casshern and Devilman, which dutifully, though most times unsuccessfully, try to bring anime to life. An admirable goal, but more often than not a fool's errand. Beyond the anime stylings, Speed Racer had extremely likeable characters who were occasionally hokey, but always earnest. I appreciated the bond of the Racer family and the struggle Speed faced when choosing between them and his dreams. Alas, the downfall of Speed Racer was poor marketing and lack of recognition. Not many kids today know about Speed Racer and that lack of familiarity hurt the film's box office as much as poor word of mouth, which probably came from an audience too jaded to believe in honest heroes, loving families, and happy endings. I caught Speed Racer as a matinee and was completely alone in th theater. I guess that means I'm either way ahead of the curve or way behind. Time will tell.

3. June 13-The Incredible Hulk
I really didn't want to see this in the theaters. If not for the urging of friends, I would've happily redboxed this mediocrity. First of all, I was a fan of Ang Lee's hulk, so I was already biased. But, I kept and open mind and ended up disappointed. TIH isn't terrible it was just like Iron Man, mediocre. I appreciate Marvel Entertainment for bringing us this really kewl comic universe on celluloid, but after seeing Dark Knight their efforts seem too popcorn for my taste. TIH was more basic than Iron Man because it was trying to satisfy the audience's desire for non-stop action. If ever there was a character in need of development it's The Hulk, because the Hulk lacks personality when he's Hulked out. Hulk doesn't joke. Hulk doesn't think. Hulk just smashes. And that's fun for about a half hour. I admit Ang Lee's version could be obtuse with its psychological themes and talky dialogue, but at least it attempted to develop the monster beyond weapon of post traumatic destruction and avatar of adolescent rage. Even worse, TIH had the same problems as Iron Man: flat supporting characters, a bare plot, and a ineffective villian (though more assertive and menacing than Go-Go Iron Monger). Edward Norton delivered an earnest performance with material that was clearly dumbed down, while William Hurt yelled, Liv Tyler barely blinked and Tim Roth's villain smirked with the requisite evil delight. I guess TIH gets bonus points for the Tony Stark cameo, but shouldn't the real stars and story of a movie be the highlight, not some gimmicky cameo.

4.June 18 Wanted
Never have I said "Oh Come On!" so much in a movie. I understand that part of the summer movie going experience is to completely abandon disbelief, but Wanted made me abandon reason and logic. Among the mind benders in this flick: a man jumping across a canyon of skyscrapers, bending bullets, a carbonite healing bath, and a prophetic loom. Seriously? I can accept the conceits of fantasy, but when the filmmakers try to pass this off-the-wall shenanigans as occuring in the real world then I have to object. Performance wise everyone except star James McAvoy hit their standard notes: Angelina was a sexy femme fatale bad ass, Morgan Freeman was the wise, mystical brother, Common was so cool that frost chipped off his nose. The plot twist was no twist, if you've ever seen a thriller like Wanted and the complete disregard for human life (with the exception of the stars) in a film with the line "kill one, save a thousand"
was astounding. I read Mark Millar's original graphic novel back in February before Wanted was supposed to be released (originally, March of 08'). While I was put off by the anti-fanboy tone, I wonder if I would've had an easier time digesting fecal monsters and zombie serial killers than a mystical loom that puts hits on random citizens.

5.July 4-Hancock
Despite the muddy mythology, I enjoyed Will Smith as Superman. One reason was that this is the closest we'll ever get to a black Superman film. Another reason is that this was a pretty unconventional and original (for films at least) take on the origin story. It had elements of early comic stories like Fantastic Four (hero with a public identity), Superman (the lonely god), Batman (no holds barred except killing-justice), Spider-Man (the public fears the hero as much as it needs the hero), and X-Men (isolation for those with strange abilities). This film also made a very timely and potent allusion to the notion of superheroes as the face of modern mythology. Clearly, an ambitious film with great conceptual depth. Unfortuantely, the execution stumbled near the end and snatched the rug from the film's critical success. All the writers had to do was clear up the mythology and backstory for Hancock and I bet this would've been almost unanimously praised. Alas, Hancock may only be remembered for Will Smith's consistently charismatic and heartfelt performance (he almost cries in every movie he's in these days, doesn't he?) and the wealth of squandered potential.

6. July 11-Hellboy II-The Golden Army
Know why I went to see Hellboy II? The Crow-looking Elf with the swords, Prince Nuada. That's it. I saw his scenes in the preview and I was sold. It's like someone smashed Sephirtoh from Final Fantasy into The Crow and then let him loose in the Mos Eisely cantina. Aside from the Prince, who was easily the most developed and exciting character, Hellboy was pretty much the same as the first. Interesting, but short of engaging. It's not for lack of effort, that's for sure. Director Guillermo Del Toro obviously put a lot of love into creating the world and creatures of Hellboy and it shows in the unique designs and authentic underground world. The problem is: the heroes were obviously wrong. As I've said in earlier posts, villains are great because, as agents of change, they actually try to do something. Most of Hellboy's time is spent sitting in his room and moping about his girlfriend. Prince Nuada, on the other hand, spent centuries practicing and focusing his determination on trying to save his people. While Hellboy may be cool to knock a few back with, who would you rather have defending you? The slacker or the dedicated knight-prince. If there is a third outing in store for the Son of The Devil, I hope he takes a more active role as a hero and does more wait at the barstool for problems to come to him.

July 18-The Dark Knight
This film changed the game. Before The Dark Knight, movies like Iron Man, Hulk, Wanted, and Hellboy would've been judged on a completely different standard. Now, they must be judged against a masterpiece that defied genre limitations and dared its audience to think. I was a little biased before seeing TDK because I love crime dramas (and make no mistake this is crime drama first, comic adaption second). The Dark Knight is a near perfect film because every aspect, performances, cinematography, plot, dialogue, theme, works together. Director Christopher Nolan delivered a focused effort that pandered to the highest denominator and dared the rest to catch up. Nolan clearly respects the material and the audience and doesn't care whether the tweens keep up or not. That type of boldness in filmmaking is sorely lacking these days and I appreciate Nolan's efforts. And I can't ignore the performances. Bale continues to amaze as a down-to-earth, non-assinine Batman who truly cares about saving his city more than himself (never more evident than the poignant ending). Oldman has changed how I view Commissioner Gordon. Who knew the Commish who used to run to the Batphone in the 60s could be such a badass? Eckhart's heart breaking portrayal of Harvey Dent is the heart of the movie and he deserves every ounce of credit he's gotten. Of course, Heath Ledger is The Joker. His amazing performance will likely remained unrivaled, setting a standard that movie, not just comic movie, villains should be smart, entertaining, and a step ahead of everyone (imagine that).

In conclusion, the Summer of Superheroes proved an interesting experiment in pop culture. It was great to see such enthusiastic responses from mainstream audiences for B-Listers, unknowns, and original properties. Despite my opinions on these films, all were expertly crafted, entertaining works of art. As a comic fan, what more can you ask? Hopefully, with the Dark Knight as standard bearer, we'll see more comic adaptations that dare to be more than just summer blockbusters, but aspire to be thought provoking examples of high art like some of today's best comics.

The Darkest Knight Shines Brightest

If you’ve ever come down off a high then you know what it feels like to leave a theater after seeing Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Words escape you. Your senses are readjusting from overwhelming stimuli. You breathe again for the first time. You try to reconcile what’ve you seen. You struggle to readjust yourself to world that’s a little less spectacular. Simply, there is no film, superhero or otherwise, this year as spectacular as The Dark Knight.

Nolan, along with screenwriter brother Jonathan, has crafted a masterpiece of drama that explores heroism, morality, and terror with fury and elegance. The ensemble cast (Bale, Ledger, Eckhart, Oldman, Caine, Freeman, Gyllenhal) deliver earnest nuanced performances that snatch their characters from their 2-D roots and render them as fabulously three dimensional human beings. The efforts cast and crew combine to create a story that is at once disheartening and promising. In The Dark Knight, Batman along with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon attempt to stamp out organized crime in Gotham when they are faced with an seemingly unstoppable menace in the form of The Joker. But The Dark Knight is more than Batman’s latest crusade against the villains of Gotham, it is a morality tale about the choices and compromises we are forced with in the face of overwhelming, and at times irrational, opposition. It is one of the most intellectual 9/11 films to arise from that tragedy, exploring and questioning the lengths protectors go to ensure the security of their communities against terrorist forces. It is the greatest superhero/comic movie ever committed to film and, at this moment, there is no opponent worthy enough to contest that title.

The Dark Knight achieves greatness on every level of filmmaking and storytelling. Visually, the film is amazing. The grounded realism of Gotham (or Chicagotham) makes the audience believe in this world. The city feels lived in. Like it’s heroes, Gotham is worn, weather-beaten and broken. Nolan’s choice to use a location shooting was successful in Batman Begins, but here it is perfected. Gone are the Narrows and the CGI WayneTrain, only the dirt and brick of a very real Gotham remain. To maximize the dark glory of Gotham, Nolan filmed several scenes in the IMAX format. This format allowed Nolan to expand the scope of certain scenes and demonstrate just how real, massive, and fragile Gotham is. Gotham is indeed fragile. In many of the superb action scenes, the city is purely battleground where everybody is a casualty. Nolan expertly orchestrates the destruction of Gotham, and Hong Kong in a fabulous infiltration scene that is more Bond and Borne than Batman, with amazing concertos of chaos. The opening bank robbery, the SWAT Wagon Chase, and the climactic battle over Gotham harbor are all paragons of suspense, tension, and violence. The action is The Dark Knight is never derivative and always flows organically from the conflicts between the main characters.

Performance-wise, the cast is truly unparalleled. The performances in The Dark Knight will be lauded for decades. Heath Ledger’s Joker is magnificent. There’s has never been an interpretation of The Joker as menacing, maniacal, and morbidly merry as Ledger’s. To steal a line from Mr. J, we deserved a better class of villain and Ledger delivered. Ledger’s Joker is an unpredictable force of chaos. The way he slinks, constantly chews, and gazes with twisted glee could frighten the staunchest hearts. Of particular note are Joker’s “disappearing pencil trick,” the intense interrogation with The Bat, and his disturbingly comic attack on Gotham General Hospital. This is a Joker to fear, and for that Ledger will always be remembered.

Not to be outdone by Ledger, Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart bring honest pathos to The Dark Knight, shining as the two-thirds of the Knights of Gotham. Bale continues his superior performance as the earthy, troubled Bruce Wayne, this time struggling with the price of vigilante crusade. The beauty of Bale’s Batman/Bruce Wayne lies in his understated humanistic yet heroic approach. For as disturbed as Bale’s Batman is, he is very human, responding to overwhelming with real frustration and proving himself heroic by doing what no one else will, or can, do. Ably aided by his anchors Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Batman has two wise father figures whose wry humor and spot-on insight prevent Batman from becoming as twisted as his rogues. Not to be unheralded is Gary Oldman’s Lieutenant Gordon. On screen, Gordon has never been as forceful or heroic as he is in Dark Knight. In Begins, Oldman’s Gordon was developing into a fearless Serpico for the 21^st Century, an honest, courageous cop who crusaded valiantly against corruption in the Gotham PD. In Dark Knight, Oldman pushes the character even further proving that Gordon is more than Batman’s authoritative liaison, but a staunch avenger in his own right. But among these heroes of Gotham, none shine as brightly and purely as District Attorney Harvey Dent. Eckhart’s Dent is a charismatic underdog crusader in the vein of Jimmy Stewart or Spencer Tracy. Dent is decent and earnest to a fault. He truly believes that despite the overwhelming darkness Gotham can be saved. Dent’s forthrightness earns him the support of Gotham’s other crusaders, Batman and Gordon. As the three embark on a mission to save Gotham , they will go down a path of compromise, disenchantment and tragedy that affects Harvey more than the others. Watching Eckhart guide Dent into a tragic spiral is a true feat and must be seen to be truly absorbed. I will not spoil Dent’s story (even though most of us know where it’s going), but it is truly heartbreaking to see what the evil of the world can do to the even the strongest will.

Indeed, the story of The Dark Knight could shake the most solid wills. What begins as an intelligent battle of wits between criminals, cops, and vigilantes escalates into a collision of wills between heroes who may be villains and villains who exceed the limits of that title. Comparing Dark Knight to Michael Mann’s Heat is beyond fair as much of the combat is psychological. The battle between Batman and Joker is a chess game played at its highest level. Before the two ever come to blows, they engage in intense games of cat-and-mouse to see who will determine the fate of Gotham. By the end, even the audience is unsure who is more of a threat to Gotham. The fact that I can talk about the psychology of characters in a “comic book film” speaks volumes about Nolan’s achievement. Nolan has removed the stigma of the comic film, one which relegates even the best comic films to summer memories come award season, and delivered a work of cinematic art. I applaud Nolan for not being satisfied with simply adapting the source material and aiming to create something the makes the audience think. As all great art encourages debate and discussion, so does The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight gives us pause and dares us to consider the price of safety and the compromise of heroism. In an age without heroes, Nolan has given us the story of a few brave souls who gave their all in the face of a losing battle and dared to shine against the darkest night.

Heroes suck, Villains rule!

With the release of The Dark Knight, and the overwhelming acclaim of Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker, many fans and critics have cited the stories of The Joker and, potential villain, Harvey Dent as superior to Batman’s. This creates a paradox: the movie is, technically, Batman’s, but the villains prove much more interesting. Why is this? Simple. While heroes represent the best of what we could be? Noble, brave, civic-minded. Villains, while often displaying our worst traits, reflect our desire to embrace individuality and break free from social constraints. Specifically, villains have four qualities that make them infinitely more interesting than the average superhero:

• Villains are agents of change
• Villains are patently individual
• Villains are fearless in the face of law and order (or at least they appear that way)
• Villains are outlaws who exist beyond systems that maintain order

First and foremost, villains are agents of change. In most cases, villains seek to enact change on their world rather than maintain the status quo. In the case of the Joker, he wishes to toss the world into to chaos just to see what will happen. In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth sought to destroy, what he saw was an imperfect world. Despite terrorist tendencies, the arch nemesis of the X-Men, Magneto simply wanted to prevent the genocide of his people (mutants), and maybe create a world where his people are treated equally. Prince Nuada (Hellboy II) tried to prevent the extinction of his race (fantastic creatures), even if it meant the extinction of another, more obviously oppressive race (humans, as usual). Villains take the steps to change their world, sometimes for the better mostly for the worst. The best villains normally pave their way to hell with good intentions, consequences be damned. Unlike heroes who uphold the status quo (i.e. Superman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Iron Man, etc.) and aim to keep the world exactly as it is, villains dare to change world, whether we like it or not. Either way, you can’t hate someone for being proactive.

Second, villains are patently individual. Rarely are there two villains who are exactly alike. Villains are often more colorful than the primary color or basic black/white heroes. They have dazzling, attention grabbing costumes and weapons. Think of the Joker’s acid bathed green-purple-white-red ensemble, or maybe Green Goblin’s Halloween-style getup, or Dr. Doom’s retro-medieval toga and armor ensemble. Bottom line, most villains look cooler than heroes. Really, who wants to dress up like an intergalactic cop, wear their underwear outside a pair of tights, or drape themselves in a flag when you can rock a snazzy suit, creepy mask, or full regalia. Beyond the colorful costumes, villains operate in the grey matter of the moral spectrum. Their psychology is rarely black/white. Villains can be terrorist one day, anti-heroes the next. Magneto repeatedly works with the X-Men for the greater good. Lex Luthor constantly champions the will of the common man over the Superman. Dr. Doom once took over the world and made safer and more productive than ever. Villains break the rules because they, and in many cases they alone, look beyond the vision of the average, oppressed citizen.

Villains do not fear paragons of law and order. Most of us seize up when we see sirens in our rear view mirror, but do you think the Joker, Two-Face, or even The Sandman are worried about getting a speeding ticket. Fearlessness is a trait shared by heroes and villains. Both show courage in the face of odds that the average person cannot fathom. They will face a hail of gunfire, nuclear explosions and certain death, all in pursuit of their goal. Many of us barely have the courage to ask for a raise(though these days, that is quite risky), but can you imagine facing death for your convictions, or maybe just to get the money to feed your family.

Villains are outlaws who subvert the systems that oppress us. In almost every villain origin there is a point where the villain decides to buck the system. Two-Face chooses vigilantism over proper police procedure. Green Goblin prefers violent corporate takeovers that leave bodies and collateral damage in their wake. Lex Luthor uses money from his own business to fund any endeavor he chooses. The Joker believes in a world without rules. Or does he? Outlaws and rebels are always enticing to people who feel trapped by circumstance. They do what we wish to do. Break out. Kick ass. Take no prisoners. And live by our own rules. Their moral complexity never hampers their vision or their purpose. Rare is the villain who sits on the rooftop, musing about their daily angst. They’re too ambitious and driven to put. They know what they want and they are unafraid to go get it. They follow no rules but their own. They are devoted only to their needs and convictions. While this is less appealing than the noble, self-sacrifice of the hero, it speaks directly to the heart of man, a heart which is often selfish and petty, but always desires freedom.

Everybody Hates Hulk and Superman Returns

To those who haven't been paying attention, the Summer of Superheroes is upon us! (Ah, hyperbole. The cornerstone of comics marketing.)

Superhero films kicked off the summer with the "megahit" Iron Man, which was swiftly followed by Speed Racer, The Incredible Hulk, and Wanted, with Hancock, Hellboy II, and finally The Dark Knight waiting to overtake the box office on the respective opening weekends. For comic fanboys, this summer is like a three month long trip to San Diego's lauded Comic-Con. Film and comics have collided in the perfect marriage of accurate adaptations and mainstream appeal. Now, comic films have been fairly popular since the turn of the century, but this year comic fans seem especially enthused. The root of their enthusiasm? Comic films that are not only accurate but action-packed. Fanboys finally get to see Iron Man ascend to the heavens just like in the comics, they get to see Batman tangle violently with The Joker, and, most importantly, they get to see HULK SMASH!

As more of a film fan than comic fan, the desire to see Hulk Smash concerned me as soon as the Hulk reboot (The Incredible Hulk, TIH) was announced. Message boards applauded in near unison the opportunity to see a Hulk film with more power than pathos, more action than angst. But was the last film really that bad? And for that matter were other films that took a less "popcorn" approach to comics (Superman Returns and Batman Begins) unsuccessful simply because filmmakers approached the material with reverence for the stories behind the action.

For years comic fans have complained about the lack of respect for the comics medium, yet as soon as reverence is given, it is rejected. Violently. Critics and fans cried foul when their favorite four-color characters sulked and pondered the weight of their existences instead of bashing heads. Ang Lee's Hulk, which plunged into the root of the Hulk's anger, and Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, which examined the isolation of a god, have been the major targets of this vitriol (Batman Begins escaped this torment mostly because it erased the memory of lesser attempts and because it was just so damn good!) Needless to say, this condemnation is undeserved. As films, both are technically solid and true to the essence of the character. As adaptations, they probe the depths of their respective leads to create characters that are more than power fantasies. These films give each character the humanity they deserve.

I understand why this approach is unsuccessful with comic fans: as the humanity of these characters is revealed, the fantasy diminishes. If the all-powerful Superman and Hulk are too busy being depressed about the same things that bother average viewer then they are no longer fantasies. They are too human to take us from our concerns. As a non-super powered viewer, I appreciate that concern. But as a mature filmgoer, who knows that the best characters are three dimensional humans, not two dimensional gods, I am at stark (no pun intended) odds with comic fans. Characters should be fully developed, and if action is sacrificed in favor of character development, then so be it. I've seen action flicks with 2-D leads, I expect more from my heroes. And truly what is a hero who doesn't even overcome his or her own problems to save the day.

Another issue with these films was the lack of substantive villians. With Superman and Hulk, we have two heroes with less than stellar rogue's galleries and arch-nemeses that are mere mortals. Ask a non-comics fan who Superman's rogue's are and see if any one knows someone besides Lex Luthor. Same for Hulk. Can anybody name a Hulk villian? Besides the military and the angry general who always chases him and has been the villian, to some degree, in both Hulk flicks. Go ahead, I'll wait... It's hard to ask filmmakers for villains when the audience doesn't know the villains. Granted, it's the filmmaker's responsibility to establish the characters, but a known property is easier to sell than an unknown.

Ultimately, the choice to appreciate or denigrate these films belongs to each viewer. Whether you prefer action packed Hulk Smash popcorn goodness or melodramatic character exploration, the choice is yours. I prefer to see what makes these guys tick. What makes someone wear their underwear outside a pair of tights. What makes a man, or a superman, get up every morning and make it through the day.

Decompression: Writing Comics like Movies

Recently, comic book writers have allowed art and visuals to tell more story than dialogue or narration. This technique is called decompression. For the uninitiated, here's a primer on this popular technique:

In comics, words and pictures combine to create dynamic, compelling stories. Despite integrating visual and textual storytelling for decades, many pre-Modern age (arguably before 1990) comic book writers emphasized text over visuals, creating short stories with pictures rather than works of visual storytelling. Recently, comic writers have begun emphasizing visuals over text in comic storytelling. This emphasis on visual storytelling is called decompression. Decompression is a comic book storytelling style that uses visuals to establish mood, develop plot, and enhance characterization. visual narration to develop story and characterization. This style is generally marked by visual mood, widescreen panels, nuanced characterization, and multi-part stories, or story arcs. Decompression rapidly gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the influence of decompressed-style comics such as The Authority and Ultimate Spider-Man. Despite its popularity, decompression has been criticized for contributing to slower pacing and plot padding.

Pre-Modern age comic creators established mood and developed character through text and dialogue. In decompressed-style comics, mood is revealed through widescreen panels that display establishing shots, reaction shots, and atmosphere effects. Comic writers instruct artists to use widescreen panels to convey mood without in-depth textual description. Widescreen panels are panels with oversized illustrations, similar to film storyboards; these panels allow creators to establish mood, progress plot, and depict characterization through visual, rather than textual, narration. Comic writers collaborate with illustrators to create widescreen-style visuals, which emulate a cinematic feel. Full-page illustrations, or Splash pages, panoramic scenery shots, and tight close-ups are examples of widescreen visual techniques. Widescreen panels usually have a low text bubble count, which keeps the focus on visuals. This technique contrasts pre modern-age comic panels, which contained considerable text and smaller visuals.

Characterization is another major focus in decompressed storytelling. Decompressed-style writers explore character through visuals, dialogue, and character interaction more than narration or character monologues. Decompressed-style writers encourage collaborating illustrators to develop close-up shots of characters to clearly display the characters’ reactions. Additionally, writers craft dialogue that focuses more on motivation and introspection than exposition. In decompressed comics, character examination and development takes precedence over plot progression. As a result, plot progression is rather slower paced in decompressed comics. Slow plot progression creates multi-part stories. Multi-part stories, or a story-arc, unfold over the course of more than one monthly issue. Prior to the rise of decompression, comic stories were primarily self-contained, single-issue stories. Most decompressed story arcs are released in four to six issues, and, upon completion, collected in a bound format known as the trade paperback. Trade paperbacks are valuable for allowing readers to catch up without having to seek single issues.

The rise of the trade paperback format led to decompressed storytelling becoming the dominant storytelling style in American comics between in the late 90s and the early 2000s. Despite its recent popularity, the origins of decompression can be traced to the early 1980s and Frank Miller’s Ronin. Following influences from Japanese comics, or manga, writer-artist Frank Miller created a six-issue story that diverged from the style of American comics. Manga utilize a visual narrative style that, due to cheaper printing costs and weekly publishing schedules, focuses on character more than plot. Miller used splash pages and visual panels, some sans text, to establish mood and explore the protagonist’s emotional journey. Through the efforts of writers like Miller, decompression slowly became the preferred storytelling style among comic writers. The manga invasion of the late 80s and early 90s would empower the decompression trend that swept the industry near the end of the decade. Manga became a major force in the comic scene due to importing and sales of collected manga editions, or tankoubon, by major booksellers. Consequently, comic creators began using manga visual and narrative styles to reach audiences enthralled by the manga invasion.

In addition to trade paperbacks and manga, the popularity of superstar artists also contributed to the rise of decompression. Superstar artists, like Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld, were popular for their stylized approaches to comic art. They used their popularity to develop comics where visuals dominated the narrative. By 2001, decompressed comics became the standard, due in large part to the commercial success of titles such as Wildstorm Comics’ The Authority and Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Spider-Man. These factors, combined with successful trade paperback sales, led to decompression becoming the dominant storytelling style in domestic comics. Additionally, trade paperbacks flourished because of comics increasing niche-style market and the growth of national bookseller chains. Today, many comic writers write for the trade. Writing for trade is, essentially, plotting a contained story arc that can be easily collected.

Notable decompressed style writers include Warren Ellis, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar. Warren Ellis’ twelve-issue run on The Authority was one of the first critically and financially successful decompressed titles. Ellis’ The Authority is often regarded as the standard of decompression by many modern comic writers. Brian Michael Bendis is also recognized as a prominent, if controversial, writer of decompressed comics. He is known for using decompression on Marvel titles Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers, House of M, and Secret Invasion. Bendis is praised for a deft ability with dialogue and deep characterization. But he is reviled for slow pacing and producing issues with scant plot progression. Mark Millar gained acclaim as writer of two volumes of the critically praised The Ultimates. Millar continued in the tradition of Ellis’ The Authority with The Ultimates where he used decompression to deconstruct popular heroes, in this case Marvel’s revered The Avengers. Millar, along with artist collaborator Brian Hitch, perfected the art of combining widescreen visuals with decompressed storytelling to produce cinematic-style, or widescreen, comics. Titles known for utilizing decompression include Marvel Comic’s Ultimate Spider-Man, The Ultimates, Astonishing X-Men, New Avengers and Wildstorm’s The Authority. Among major publishers, Marvel Comics produces more decompressed style comics than any other publisher.

Decompression has garnered a great deal of controversy due to its divergence from traditional comic storytelling norms. Before decompression, most comics were either an anthology of multiple short stories or single issue, “one-and-done,” narratives. Decompression while praised for deep characterization, palpable mood and engaging visuals is often criticized for slow pacing and padded plotlines. Fans of compressed storytelling find decompressed comics to be financially taxing, as it requires purchasing more issues to obtain a complete story. Financial limitations and preferences for fast paced storytelling have led many fans to criticize decompression. Some creators are reversing the trend by reintroducing compression to comics. Marvel Comics’ Nextwave and The Thing are contemporary examples of compressed comics. However, most modern compressed comics share similarities with decompressed comics including widescreen visuals and deep characterization. But the two styles differ in approaches to plot progression. Plot progression in compressed comics is fast paced with storylines wrapped within one or two issues. Recently the gap between compressed and decompressed comics narrowed as comic creators integrated both styles in titles like Image comics’ Fell and DC Comics’ Pride of Baghdad.

The rise of decompression signals a shift in comics from niche market to mainstream consumption. Competition from other entertainment mediums forced comic publishers to develop a format that appeals to modern audiences while maintaining the basic nature of the comic medium. Decompressed storytelling incorporates universally recognized entertainment conventions, such as widescreen visuals and nuanced characterization, to create comics that appeal to a wider audience. In addition, the practice of writing for trade encourages a streamlined collection of issues that allows readers to quickly catch up with ongoing plots. Despite surrounding controversy, decompression is the preferred storytelling style among comic creators. Decompression integrates visuals and text in a manner pleasing to seasoned collectors and new readers, while pushing the medium beyond its “one and done” roots.

Metal Gear Solid 4: The Summer's Best Movie?

Last night, I finished a rigorous one week campaign through Playstation 3's newest hit, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots (MGS4). After completing this enthralling experience, I must say that MGS4 was easily the best movie I've seen this summer.

Hideo Kojima's tactical espionage action epic follows the adventures of covert ops legendary badass, Solid Snake. A journey which began in 1987 with the Nintendo classic Metal Gear culminates with this year's release. What began as a humble, yet innovative, action game evolved into a gaming experience of epic proportions (yes, I'm overusing epic, but the franchise deserves the distinction.) In 1998, Kojima revolutionized action gaming with for Playstation. Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Solid, while not the first chapter of Kojima's opus, initiated the franchise that concludes with MGS4.


As many online game mags have proclaimed, MGS4 is a masterpiece of gameplay and storytelling. The game seamlessly weaves near-flawless CGI cutscenes into white knuckle stealth action gameplay. While the gameplay keeps gamers on the edge of their nerves, the amazing storyline is what pushes gamers to engage in marathon sessions just to see what's next. Culminating twenty years of storytelling into one neat package is no easy task, but Kojima has achieved this masterfully. MGS4 tells the tale of Solid Snake's final mission as he races to prevent his evil brother from achieving world domination. wraps a storyline the traces from the end of WWII to the future or Global Warfare. The plot involves seemingly absurd twists and turns, including cloning, possession, superhumans, and computer-controlled societies. Themes in MGS4 range from the dangers of technology to the conflict between man and machine to post traumatic stress to the price of war to the price of freedom, and even discussions on the concepts of fate and destiny. Heavy stuff for a video game, but maybe it's not. While fans of MGS4 are used to the depth of Kojima's games, gamers and the general public is becoming increasingly aware that video games are viable storytelling medium, easily on par with feature films. Indeed, Kojima has proven the point in one masterful stroke with this game.

What really makes this game a better movie than most of this summer's fare is the combination of depth and extravaganza. In MGS4, we have deep three dimensional characters with passions, pet peeves and problems (some of whom have been developed for over twenty years.). We also have amazing action set pieces--some interactive, some not--that rival the best action scenes from the biggest blockbusters. The battles in MGS4 (especially Acts 2 and 4) are easily on par with , if not better than, the best action scenes in the Bourne Ultimatum, Black Hawk Down, and Transformers, respectively. And most importantly, the plot is simple at its core, man's struggle for freedom, but contains clever, and occasionally obtuse, plot twists that reinforce the themes of the story while constantly raising the emotional and physical stakes for the characters.

So far this summer we've seen a man don an iron suit to fight terrorists, an aging adventurer battle communists, child knights fight mythological beasts, a daring candy colored racer outwit a domineering corporation, and a big green man fight the military. While each film has its merits and flaws, none come close to achieving the storytelling magic of MGS4. MGS4 moves you and thrills you. It makes you think beyond making it to the next save point. It makes you question the very act of playing a military simulation, while playing a military simulation. MGS4 is a masterpiece on so many levels it's ridiculous. If this game is ever translated to film (which, according to the rumor mill, it will), I hope the translation can retain even a fraction of the quality of this masterpiece. Way to go Snake. Way to go Kojima.