Crazyworld

How do you review a masterpiece?

DC Comics occasionally sends me stuff to review. (Marvel, not so much.) Often, I simply don't have time to write about these books, because time is limited and I have to devote what little I have at work to the news the most people will read -- not necessarily what I want people to read, mind you.

But when I got a hardback copy of "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert a few weeks ago, I knew I had to do something.

But I didn't know what.

Quite frankly, I felt guilty getting a beautiful $24.99 hardback free of charge -- even though I'd already bought the two main issues it collects, and had some of the other Gaiman-penned stories included in the book. (It went on sale Wednesday, by the way, and The Tangled Web in Spartanburg says they ordered plenty of copies.)

I've read it several times over, trying to find what to say.

If you're not in the know, in the current DC Comics universe, Bruce Wayne, Batman, is dead. Sure, there are hints that he may be alive in some form at the beginning or end of time, living in a cave -- but that doesn't matter. Dick Grayson, the first of (now) several people to don the mantle of Robin, has taken up the cape and cowl of the bat, trying to live up to Bruce Wayne's legacy -- but that really doesn't matter much, either.

"Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is a love letter, a eulogy, a deconstruction of an American icon, a look at Batman, the mythological figure, his past, his present and his future. It's narrated by the late Bruce Wayne -- ever the detective -- putting together the clues as to what's going on.

Characters -- or rather, interpretations of characters -- from the Batman mythos take turns telling how they say Batman died. All of them are different, yet all of them are correct.

What got me was when I read the cover flap one last time. It described Batman as an American icon. Now, I have friends from other countries and cultures, but my world travel has (sadly) been limited to a couple of Mexican border towns that are not the most flattering that country had to offer.

An American icon. A man who dressed up as a flying rodent and beat up bad guys.

Who was Batman? Who is Batman? Who will Batman always be?

Batman was a man who never stopped fighting a battle, knowing the whole while he would never fully win. He was a lover who would never know the bliss of being in love -- by choice. He was a an actor on a large stage, filling the hero's role, swooping in and defeating the villains with theatrics on both parts, a Gothic John Wayne who, despite his dark side, everyone could cheer for. He was a product of gun violence. He was the inheritor of millions, and a philanthropist. He was a narcissist, a loner, a perfectionist, a grim workaholic who never gave in to compromise. He was the embodiment of something every young (and old) boy could relate to, and probably every girl as well.

Batman was a man who saw his parents murdered and never, ever gave up trying to rid the world of the evil that caused that.

I hate just associating those characteristics with Americans, but that's really all I can do. I truly believe that people driven by the level of passion Batman possessed exist all over the world. Indeed, Gaiman himself is an English author currently living in America. In his introduction, or "love letter," as he calls it, he talks about getting reprints of American comics as a young boy overseas and being exposed to Batman for the first time.

The fantastic memories that his cast of characters shares in a crowded back room off Crime Alley -- the place Bruce watched his parents gunned down as a young boy -- are twisted and varied. A decades-old interpretation of the character Catwoman looks at him lovingly and says, "We could be normal together." A frazzled butler tells his master that he's instigated many of the horrific crimes Batman has been called to solve "because you needed it." The Joker laments that Batman's death, despite his best intentions, was not funny. A young Grayson, in the series of remembrances by friends and foes, colleagues and provocateurs, calls Batman "holy," and says he was capable of preforming miracles. A gruff police detective says simply that he never gave up. And Superman, torn between his friendship with the man and the realization that the villains of Gotham demanded a single target, recalls Batman telling him, "While they're trying to kill me, they're not killing innocents."

I've probably given away too many of the surprises. There are more. Any fan of the Batman mythology needs this book, needs to reflect on it and, in my personal opinion, needs to delve into some of the back issues that inspired this work of art.

Batman is an American icon -- perhaps the most complex of them all.

Comics buffs know that the title is a play on the classic early '80s story by Alan Moore, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" -- a final chapter to the Silver Age version of the embodiment of truth, justice and, yes, the American way. Gaiman's work has a similar purpose: it's the final chapter of the most accepted, increasingly dark, version of Batman that has infected generation after generation.

A new chapter awaits. But no matter what happens, this is the final Batman story. This is something that can be read today, tomorrow, next week or years from now, and it's still the same -- it's the epithet on the tombstone of someone who never gave in, never gave up and never, ever stopped trying to do good.

If ever there was a comic that could convince someone that sequential art was, in fact, art, this is it.

Goodnight, Bruce. And goodnight, Caped Crusader.

Click here to see the list of comics shipping this week, courtesy of The Tangled Web.

Green Lantern books are must reading for DC fans. The franchise has been red hot since Geoff Johns and Ehan Van Sciver reinvigorated it with Green Lantern: Rebirth a few years back. And now, with Blackest Night approaching, this book is a can't miss.

Also looking forward to New Avengers No. 50 this week. Mighty Avengers? Not so much. I'm very close to giving up all Avengers books that don't have "Bendis" somewhere on the cover. Marvel needs to be careful with this franchise... They've been pushing it, but we all remember what happened in the 1990s with the X-universe. Please, not again.

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee of Arkansas will return to some of the many counties that supported him during the GOP primary -- and some that didn't -- over the next few weeks to support his new book, "Do the right thing: Inside the movement that's bringing common sense back to America."

"Do the right thing" is billed as part campaign memoir/part looking into the future of the Republican Party. Is it also a dip of the toe into the waters of 2012? Too early to tell. But Huckabee has a campaign-like bus that will be a part of the tour.

Huckabee will be in South Carolina on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, to promote his book. He's visiting, Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Aiken and Columbia. The Spartanburg event is at 8 p.m. at Sam's Club.

Visit the bottom of the book tour page for a free one-day pass to Sam's Club for the day of the event.

My girlfriend and I were among the dozen or so people who saw Oliver Stone's "W." at the late showing Saturday night at Spartan 16. I'm a fan of Olver Stone, but this movie wasn't worth $10. It might have been worth renting or watching on cable. But $10? That's asking a lot with little return.

It was hard knowing what to expect going into "W." The previews made it seem like it would be a comedy. And while there was plenty of satire, it really wasn't that funny. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think the movie makes you feel sorry for President George W. Bush.

As has been said in many reviews, one major theme in the movie is that Bush is constantly in his father's shadow, former President George H.W. Bush. He's portrayed as a simple-minded spoiled brat who wants nothing more in life than to make daddy happy -- and, according to Stone, the younger Bush often did things he thought would please his father that really didn't sit well with the elder statesman.

There's hints of manipulation, particularly by the likes of Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney. They'll "suggest" something to Bush, and as long as the president believes he's making the ultimate decision on the matter, everything is OK. Perhaps the most blatant use of this is when Cheney talks about the United States "never" leaving Iraq, and the building of an empire. Cheney, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is the most interesting character in the mix, but not much time is spent on him. In fact, the only real characterization was that of Bush. And with a running time of more than two hours, you have to develop more than just the main character.

Stone, in a director's commentry on one of his past films, referred to "JFK" as his "Godfather," and "Nixon" as his "Godfather II." Does that make "W." his "Godfather III" ?

Only if you believe the third movie is inferior to the first two.

... Waaaaaaaaaayyyyy too much stuff going on this weekend to do the bunch of entries I had planned. Moving across town will do that.

Anyway, a potpourri of politics, technology and comic books:

- John McCain's Please Call List: Despite suspending his campaign, Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign sent out an e-mail recently encouraging supporters to sign up for online phone banking. Telemarket from home! Here's the link. I tried to sign up to see what kind of access I could get for some Spartanburg ZIP codes, but have yet to be able to figure out their Web site. That said, I haven't put all that much time into it.

- Democratic state Senate candidate Jimmy Tobias bought 100,000 pieces of candy with his name on the wrapper. Said it cost him $3,000. I've yet to find that on his campaign disclosure statement... Though I guess it could've happened since early July, when he says he swore off receiving any campaign contributions. He says he hopes the candy makes people think of him and then leave a sweet taste in their mouth. Clever.

- Democratic state House candidate Will Rothschild is trying to sell me on the idea he's winning over Republicans who have never (or seldom) voted for Democrats in the past, saying that he's proven to them that he is the most qualified candidate in his race. I have no reason to doubt him, but at the same time, I have mixed feelings about how to handle this race, since I've worked with Rothschild in the past. Too bad we don't have enough reporters to cover all the news. But keep an eye on this race...

- Speaking of which, Rothchild's opponent, Derham Cole Jr., was one of four Spartanburg state legislative candidates standing alongside Gov. Mark Sanford last week at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport advocating a roll-call vote on every bill the state General Assembly passes. Alongside Cole were Republican candidates Shane Martin, Steve Parker and Joey Millwood. The bill they're supporting is sponsored by state Rep. Nikki Haley. Of course, my colleague Bob Dalton pointed out that if Haley was really serious, she could call for a roll-call vote personally on every piece of legislation to show she means business. But instead, I guess we have business as usual. Perhaps Haley doesn't do it because she can't get enough support with the current batch of cowar--- err, representatives. (I think you need nine or 10 seconds for the roll-call vote to proceed.) If that's the case, then she has at least three potential House members in her corner from this area, whether the bill passes or not. This year, we'll see how serious she is.

- The Clutch show the other night was awesome. I got the band's main set list (Thanks, Oscar!), plus a guitar pick (thanks, Ooze!) and a drum head (thanks, drunk guy in the parking lot!). Asheville usually has a pretty laid-back crowd, but last week's show was full of drunk youngsters clawing their way to the front. Who promptly received elbows to their arms, backs and faces. I guess they'll learn.

- Because of the gas shortage, Millwood is finding himself walking more and driving less on the campaign trail. Landrum is hit hard, particularly because all of the Tarheels coming across the line to fill up, he said.

- I haven't had time yet to call former Gov. Jim Hodges, former state Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian or former Richland County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Benjamin to ask why they sent out an e-mail recently encouraging Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's supporters to storm North Carolina this weekend in support of their candidate. I mean, the official word from the camp is that South Carolina is in play, and all of the campaign's resources in South Carolina are, in fact, dedicated to South Carolina. A miscommunication, or a PR blooper? We'll see.

- The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has lost yet another lawsuit. When are they going to get the picture that the Internet will sooner or later spur the evolution of copyright laws on to the 21st Century? In case they're successful, though, I only share live shows -- and nearly every one of them is by a band who has told me explicitly they are OK with people recording and trading their shows, as long as it's not for profit. Of course, most of the bands I listen to no one has ever heard of. That might have something to do with it.

- As I frantically finish packing to move away from The Haven at Oak Forest (frankly, I'm glad to be getting out of there, though I've learned their reputation for bleeding every penny they can out of someone is true), I'm finishing up organizing and cataloging comics I've recently read. I really wanted to do a detailed review of "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes," but just won't have the time. But comics fans, especially older ones, who remember the original Legion, should buy it. And Newbies would like it, too. This re-introduces a whole new aspect to the Superman mythos, one that has been sorely missing. (This would've been coupled with a critique of the over-hyped, over-delayed "Last Son" arc in "Action Comics," which started strong but ended -- much later than anticipated -- on an extremely weak and confusing note.)

I'm sure there's more, but there's work to be done. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

... or, "How DC can avoid future Crises"

It's simple, really.

DC Comics' strength is in its iconography and its emphasis on legacy -- Grant Morrison's current "Batman R.I.P." storyline is the perfect chance to take advantage of both of those.

Granted, the "R.I.P." storyline was long ago worked out, with changes in Bat-books already mapped out for the foreseeable future. But if I were king, here's what would happen:

It's been strongly hinted that someone new will assume the mantle of the Bat post-"Batman R.I.P." And, as Executive Editor Dan Didio told me himself on the floor of HeroesCon, there are no plans to kill Batman. That could easily mean the icon, not the man who exemplifies it. In other words, there will be a Batman but Bruce Wayne's future is questionable.

At the convention -- and, I imagine, at others this summer -- DC was handing out R.I.P buttons with a bloody Bat-logo on them. Four other pins stated, "I am Batman." They featured Robin (Tim Drake, or Robin III), Nightwing (Dick Grayson, or Robin I), Jason Todd (the Red Hood, or Robin II), and Hush, a villain with connections to Bruce Wayne's past.

Before I go further, a few words on "Batman R.I.P."

First of all, I really admire Grant Morrison's work. He's one of the few writers I would buy no matter what book he was on. As for Batman, the current story arc is very well done. But, like with much of Morrison's work, I think it would be more enjoyable in a single sitting than with a month (or, in some cases in the past, more) between installments. That said, I have a feeling I'm going to have to re-read the first three parts of the story before I get to this week's "Nightwing" tie-in. Heck, I probably need to go back and read all of Morrison's run in one sitting, because there were so many subtle details in the earlier issues that I just know I forgot some -- or most -- of them. So, it's good. But the wait-for-the-trade people will probably be better off on this one.

Anyway, someone new at the Bat-helm. It's not unheard of. And it was hinted at as recently as "Brave and the Bold" No. 13: Jay Garrick, the original Flash, tells Batman (Bruce Wayne): "... There comes a point where a smart one starts looking at mentoring as less of a responsibility and more of an investment."

Here, here. (Sorry, been watching HBO's "John Adams.")

So, the best course DC could follow right now is allow Batman (Bruce Wayne) to "retire" to the Justice Society of America. Dick Grayson should and would take up the role as Batman. He's the oldest, most experienced. Tim Drake, Jason Todd or Jean-Paul Valley could take up the Nightwing persona (there's been hints that he's coming back, the one-time Azrael, one-time Batman fill-in -- but I doubt DC would give the honor to a character whose roots reach to Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada). But, in my humble opinion, Tim should continue as Robin. He's been given so much depth of character, and there's so much more to explore.

There should not be any qualms about having two Batmen -- one in the Justice Society (Bruce Wayne) and one patrolling Gotham. There's two -- or more -- of several other DC characters, including Green Arrow, Wildcat, Green Lantern and others. And this way, you have the "classic" Batman surrounded by the cornerstones of the DC Universe, and the "modern" Batman facing old villains for the first time. And if DC divided the content between "Batman" and "Detective Comics," there would be something for everyone. I'm sure Dick would join the JLofA. And, hopefully, it would pressure more people at DC to do more JLA/JSA crossovers. Maybe Bruce could even move to Opal City...

Two Batmen. Solves multiple problems.

DC went nearly 50 years without a "crisis" to re-boot continuity, or at least "fix" continuity problems -- the classic "Crisis on Infinite Earths;" the "Zero Crisis," which I've forgotten except that involved a bunch of Legion of Super-Heroes people disappearing, and somehow involved the evil Hal Jordan, Parralax; the superb "Identity Crisis;" the drawn-out-yet-rushed "Infinite Crisis," which did have many high points; and the current "Final Crisis," which, as I alluded to, will probably be much more appreciated in about a year.

Each Crisis has ramifications for all of DC's major players, with history and character origins modified and modernized. But the constant problems are the Trinity -- Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. (Buy her book, by the way, if you're not.) It seems they're the only ones who can't age. All other characters are allowed that luxury, and -- because of that -- for instance, DC's World War II heroes have great depth.

Well, let Batman "graduate" to the JSA and DC can go 50 more years without a crisis just by giving Bruce Wayne a hint of gray around the halfway point. Superman now has Chris Kent, who has suffered from delay-spawned continuity issues, as a potential heir, and someone he can one-day "mentor" from the ranks of the JSA. Wonder Woman's creators have (wisely) re-introduced and created a back story for Wonder Woman's mother, Hippolyta, and with suspension of disbelief firmly in place, it's easy to accept an Amazon's immortality (she was given life by the gods).

The only problem left is the aging of supporting characters, like Lois Lane, Ma and Pa Kent, and Alfred. But I'm sure the writers can handle that. I mean, we still have Aunt May.

Two Batmen also gives writers time to explore Wayne's personal life more. Remember, he married the Catwoman on Earth-2 back in the day.

I believe this would be the best for the future of Batman. If not as an outcome of "R.I.P.," then sometime in the not-too-distant future. Of course, I also believe Chuck Dixon (and Alan Grant and Doug Moench and...) should be back on some of the Bat-books, and none of that is likely to happen.

But if it does, you heard it here first.

Please, discuss.

What's this? A story from 10 years ago? And the trade was released in 2007?

Suffice it to say I'm behind on my reading. But this story -- one of many I completed diving through the bargain bins at this year's HeroesCon -- is just too good to pass up. I hope to review newer and older stuff as I find time to get caught up.

First off, some basics for people unfamiliar with the Golden Age Sandman, Wesley Dodds. The Sandman first appeared in the late 1930s, and would soon join comics' first super team, the Justice Society of America. This is back in a time when heroes were referred to as mystery men, and most of them learned as they went along.

What's great about Sandman Mystery Theatre is that it actually feels like you're reading a story from the 1930s -- even though the series was published about 60 years later. The glimpses into the culture, the portrayal of New York society at the time -- heck, even the descriptions of the tastes and smells -- makes me feel that if I had a rolled up issue in my back pocket and handed it to my grandfather when he was young, he would have dug right into it. I mean, this would have been reading-with-a-flashlight-under-the-sheet stuff, but that's half the appeal at that age. There was a handful of talent involved in the book through its run, but most of the credit falls on co-writers Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle and artist Guy Davis.

"Night of the Butcher" is the feature in Issue Nos. 25-28. It apparently takes place in November or December 1939, and picks up soon after Dodds' love interest, socialite Dian Belmont, learns that her boyfriend dresses up in a trenchcoat and gas mask and runs around the seedier parts of town. The story arcs so far alternate the internal narration from Dodds to Belmont. While on the trail of the Butcher, for instance, the reader is treated to Dodds' thoughts on philosophers, eastern versus western romance, watching his grandfather waste away from what sounds like Alzheimer's, and recalling the words of Proust: "We do not succeed... in changing things according to our... desire... but gradually... our desire changes." Thus, summing up the state of the relationship between our two main characters.

All this and the growing problem Dodds has with nightmares -- Hints, I believe, at the relationship that will later be revealed between him and Daniel, the Sandman that Neil Gaiman handled so deftly. There was one interesting passage where Dodds' thoughts dwell on the death of his father, and he describes Death "being a sinuous intoxicating woman. He said she would come to him all in petticoats and curls, a black velvet bodice, and with the darkest eyes a man has ever seen. He said she looked right through him." Sounds like a blatant reference to Gaiman's Death character to me.

Oh, and the Butcher is a deformed guy living in the sewers who hacks up people. But the villains in this series almost seem to be a part of the backdrop, the almost surreal, noir-ish world that Dodds inhabits.

For anyone who doesn't want to spend hours bent over back-issue boxes searching for the single issues -- though, really, that's part of the fun -- this story has been collected with the one that immediately precedes it ("Dr. Death"), and together tell the tale of a key development in the Dodds-Belmont relationship.

Some continuity hounds will argue whether Sandman Mystery Theatre is really cannon, as it was published under DC Comcs' Vertigo imprint and is supposed to be separate from the main DC Universe.

But this book, in my mind, will always be the true story of the original Sandman.

And in my dreams.

Welcome to Words & Pictures v2.0 -- our new online hub for comic-related news and reviews.

And what better way to return to the four-color fold than with a blog about "Kick-Ass," one of the most original and entertaining new series to hit the stands in recent years?

"Kick-Ass" is by industry greats Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. It's the story of high-school student Dave Lizewski, an average kid who has no special athletic abilities, awkward social skills and reads comics. Lizewski one day decides that he wants to put on a costume and help people -- and then thoroughly gets the crap beat out of him.

It's an everyman story that has been tried before, but never as successfully -- and realistically -- as this. Lizewski ends up on YouTube, gaining popularity. He starts a MySpace page to find people who need help. And, apparently he's starting to serve as an inspiration to some. The last page of the current issue and future issue solicitations reveal the addition of a 9-year-old assassin who loves Hello Kitty to the cast of characters.

Millar is perhaps best known for penning last year's hit "Civil War" for Marvel Comics, but he's had plenty of creator-owned projects that are just as good, if not better. As for Romita, I'm probably one of the few people out there who never really cared for his work in the past, but the artist really makes this book pop. Millar & Romita are on the way to becoming the Stan & Jack for Generation X (or, dare I say it, "millennials").

Some critics worry that this comic book is too violent. They must not watch the evening news. The violence is part of the realism. So is Lizewski dealing with the stereotype that people think he's gay (that's the rumor that starts when he keeps showing up to school all beat up). So is the fascination people have with spectacle of the whole situation. (I could swear I saw this fan video on a 24-hour news channel with the caption "Real Super Hero?" at the bottom, but I'm sure I'm remembering that wrong.)

"Kick-Ass" is a must read.

It's good to be able to say that, after taking a hiatus from writing about comics. Due to time constraints, I had to give up my Escape column in the fall as the buildup to January's presidential primary hit fever pitch. An overwhelming number of local races helped keep me busy since then.

But now that's over, and hopefully the online incarnation of Words & Pictures gets a good, healthy run. I've got some ideas about how to keep this interesting, and hope to get some local retailers involved. I'm not sure as to what the exact relationship between the blog and Escape will be in the future, but if you're interested in this, let me know. Post something. Positive. Negative. I don't care. Let me know your thoughts. What shop talk kept your interest this week? What about the latest comic movies? The sky's the limit.

What's great is that we were able to get this blog launched just in time for this year's HeroesCon in Charlotte. You can read more about that in Thursday's Escape.

Kick. Ass.