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Looking To Identify Important Modern Covers & Stories

Started by esquirecomics,

42 posts in this topic

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plitch

plitch

Posted
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Posted

I might suggest DMZ. It is a story about life in... well... a DMZ that just happens to be NYC.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

"Manhattan is mainly empty, with only 400,000 people still on the island (compared with 1.5 million in the 2000 census), populated only by the poor — who were not evacuated —, snipers and holdouts. Brian Wood (writer) has described the setting as: "Think equal parts Escape from New York, Fallujah and New Orleans right after Katrina".[4]

 

The protagonist is Matthew (Matty) Roth, a naïve photo journalism intern from Long Island, who enters the DMZ with a news-crew. He becomes trapped when the rest of the news crew and the soldiers escorting them are killed in a firefight with "insurgents". Matty becomes the only journalist on the ground in the DMZ and he begins to report on the daily struggle of life for the everyday citizens of Manhattan."

 

There are story arcs that echo what is going on with Blackwater (story arc is called "Public Works" I think) and also a story arc called "Friendly Fire" in which occuping forces open fire on a peaceful demonstration.

 

Might be something you are looking for.

 

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Raphael

Raphael

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I think Civil War is/was pretty important as a story that, "represent the culture of the time, and reflect how that culture has changed over the years" and in some ways, attempts to offer insights on the war on terrorism.

 

there's alot of reading between the lines to be done for CW, love it or hate it.

 

Here is where my ignorance of current books, or anything within the last 20 years, shows!!! I know of the series, but I honestly have no idea what it is about. Can someone elaborate on how it offers "insights on the war on terrorism" and how it is distinct from other books of this time?

 

Civil War focused on the superhero community creating division among itself. You had your pro registration and Anti registration sides. Which actually were a metaphor for Pro War and Anti War.

 

All Superheroes in the story were required to register with the government.

 

The Pro Registration side had a Guantanamo Bay like Prison where they kept enemy combatants.

 

It spoke a lot of liberty and rights and the extent both sides would go to, to promote their agenda.

 

 

Interesting. I may need to read it now.

 

I'd just like to add some thoughts I've had about the Civil War story in general that may help your thinking as you read it.

 

Aside from what's already been said which hits a couple nails right on the head, I'd like to add:

 

Iron Man, in other books refers to himself and Reed Richards as Futurists, people who can read into future wants and needs and subsequently invent the things needed to get civilization to a better future. In essence, Iron Man in CW represents the concept of Modernity.

 

Captain America on the other hand, more closely represents the irresolvable problems that Modernity creates in trying to prepare for the future. It can be argued that from this context, Cap and Iron Man are unable to come to a compromise because of the irresolvable differences that Modernity creates for the common man.

 

For the terrorism aspect of the story, more and more in Marvel comics, characters with powers, etc are often considered as Persons of Mass Destruction, an obvious parallel for WMD's. So then the dabate gets raised as to who and how such things are regulated and controlled, which goes back again to the Pro and Anti War/registration sides.

 

I could probably go on, but hopefully that's enough to get the ball rolling :)

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sborock

sborock

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Posted

"For the terrorism aspect of the story, more and more in Marvel comics, characters with powers, etc are often considered as Persons of Mass Destruction, an obvious parallel for WMD's. So then the dabate gets raised as to who and how such things are regulated and controlled, which goes back again to the Pro and Anti War/registration sides."

 

New Warriors is good for that kind of topic......

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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Posted
Mark-

 

Try Transmetropolitan from Vertigo/DC. It's Hunter Thompson in the near future.....and a GREAT read (thumbs u

 

Yep! I've always described it to people as "Fear and Loathing" meets "Total Recall".

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MightyBeanComics

MightyBeanComics

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Posted
I think Civil War is/was pretty important as a story that, "represent the culture of the time, and reflect how that culture has changed over the years" and in some ways, attempts to offer insights on the war on terrorism.

 

there's alot of reading between the lines to be done for CW, love it or hate it.

 

Here is where my ignorance of current books, or anything within the last 20 years, shows!!! I know of the series, but I honestly have no idea what it is about. Can someone elaborate on how it offers "insights on the war on terrorism" and how it is distinct from other books of this time?

 

Civil War focused on the superhero community creating division among itself. You had your pro registration and Anti registration sides. Which actually were a metaphor for Pro War and Anti War.

 

All Superheroes in the story were required to register with the government.

 

The Pro Registration side had a Guantanamo Bay like Prison where they kept enemy combatants.

 

It spoke a lot of liberty and rights and the extent both sides would go to, to promote their agenda.

 

 

Interesting. I may need to read it now.

 

I'd just like to add some thoughts I've had about the Civil War story in general that may help your thinking as you read it.

 

Aside from what's already been said which hits a couple nails right on the head, I'd like to add:

 

Iron Man, in other books refers to himself and Reed Richards as Futurists, people who can read into future wants and needs and subsequently invent the things needed to get civilization to a better future. In essence, Iron Man in CW represents the concept of Modernity.

 

Captain America on the other hand, more closely represents the irresolvable problems that Modernity creates in trying to prepare for the future. It can be argued that from this context, Cap and Iron Man are unable to come to a compromise because of the irresolvable differences that Modernity creates for the common man.

 

For the terrorism aspect of the story, more and more in Marvel comics, characters with powers, etc are often considered as Persons of Mass Destruction, an obvious parallel for WMD's. So then the dabate gets raised as to who and how such things are regulated and controlled, which goes back again to the Pro and Anti War/registration sides.

 

I could probably go on, but hopefully that's enough to get the ball rolling :)

 

Great insights oneasian!

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Hawkman

Hawkman

Posted
Posted
I think Civil War is/was pretty important as a story that, "represent the culture of the time, and reflect how that culture has changed over the years" and in some ways, attempts to offer insights on the war on terrorism.

 

there's alot of reading between the lines to be done for CW, love it or hate it.

 

Here is where my ignorance of current books, or anything within the last 20 years, shows!!! I know of the series, but I honestly have no idea what it is about. Can someone elaborate on how it offers "insights on the war on terrorism" and how it is distinct from other books of this time?

 

Civil War focused on the superhero community creating division among itself. You had your pro registration and Anti registration sides. Which actually were a metaphor for Pro War and Anti War.

 

All Superheroes in the story were required to register with the government.

 

The Pro Registration side had a Guantanamo Bay like Prison where they kept enemy combatants.

 

It spoke a lot of liberty and rights and the extent both sides would go to, to promote their agenda.

 

 

Interesting. I may need to read it now.

 

 

too bad civil war wasn't as interesting as these posts make it seem. the good news is that you'll only waste an hour reading all 7 issues.

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Lantern

Lantern

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Posted

Green Lantern 154: Hate Crime Part 1

 

Kyle Rayner, who is the Green Lantern of Earth for this series, is also a commercial artist during the day. He has a an intern named Terry Berg, who is openly homosexual. In this issue, while walking home from a club with his boyfriend, Terry is attacked and severely beaten by seveal men. The attack leaves him in intensive care and near death. Kyle (GL) responds to the assault on Terry by searching for, attacking, and beating the men who attacked him, who are not super-heros but normal men.

 

Green Lantern 155: Hate Crime Part 2

 

Kyle (GL) goes to the JL Watchtower and tries to convince the Flash to use the treadmill to take him back in time to prevent Terry's attack. Flash refuses and Batman calms Kyle down, who then flies off into space to clear his head. While in space he is visited by the Spectre (Hal Jordan). After some soul searching with the Spectre, Kyle returns to the hospital where Terry has emerged from his coma, and he doesn't remember the beating. The story arc ends with Kyle deciding that he cannot be the hero for a world that could do what it did to Terry, so he heads into space leaving John Stewart to be the Earth's Green Lantern.

47584-gl154.jpg.e46f40c86ff2e7b7d52042b828c1d7c7.jpg

47585-gl155.jpg.4547685ab51e6d5285ec0b04aabd27cf.jpg

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helionaut

helionaut

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Re: ASM 36, I haven't read it since it came out (don't want to hurt the black, I admit) but the double-page spread inside of Spidey overlooking the scene was very good, and maybe should've been the cover. The story was actually very powerful.

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nocutename

nocutename

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Posted

Off the top of my head, here are some social issues from Batman.

 

Batman Seduction of the Gun is about gun control

 

Batman/Catwoman Trail of the Gun - Hunt for the ultimate weapon. Story line is also preachy about gun control.

 

http://www.amazingcomics.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=dcbatcattrai1_2!DCCom

 

Batman Ultimate Evil - Child abuse.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Ultimate-Evil-Complete-Limited/dp/B000YB230A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245669793&sr=1-2

 

Batman Night Cries - Child abuse - Graphic novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Night-Cries-Archie-Goodwin/dp/1563890666

 

For single issues, Alan Grant did a story about garbage in Detective that was very good. Tec 613 called Trash.

 

You can always look at Brave and Bold earlier stories with Teen Titans. B&B 102 - Teen Titans along with community kids fight land developers.

 

That's all I got for now.

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Boozad

Boozad

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Posted
Off the top of my head, here are some social issues from Batman.

 

Batman Seduction of the Gun is about gun control

 

Batman/Catwoman Trail of the Gun - Hunt for the ultimate weapon. Story line is also preachy about gun control.

 

http://www.amazingcomics.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=dcbatcattrai1_2!DCCom

 

Batman Ultimate Evil - Child abuse.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Ultimate-Evil-Complete-Limited/dp/B000YB230A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245669793&sr=1-2

 

Batman Night Cries - Child abuse - Graphic novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Night-Cries-Archie-Goodwin/dp/1563890666

 

For single issues, Alan Grant did a story about garbage in Detective that was very good. Tec 613 called Trash.

 

You can always look at Brave and Bold earlier stories with Teen Titans. B&B 102 - Teen Titans along with community kids fight land developers.

 

That's all I got for now.

 

I'll add the Ultimate Evil scans when I get home. It was a two-part prestige format which was actually based on a novel. I'll post the authors name later.

 

Batman Venom, which ran in Legends Of The Dark Knight, tackles drug issues. A very good read if I remember rightly.

 

Goddess from Vertigo is an eight part series set in England which was based around earth conservationists and protesters, again if I remember rightly. That was definitely a damn good read.

 

Just to touch on the zombie titles flooding the modern market, Walking Dead does touch on a lot of modern morals, ethics and issues. It's well worth reading right the way through to see how people tackle situations in a lawless state.

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esquirecomics

esquirecomics

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Here is the reason why I've been collecting covers and stories. This lecture is to be delivered on Saturday, July 25, 2009, at the San Diego Comic-Con.

 

6:30 - 7:30 From Cave Art To Superheroes: Comic Books & Social Commentary. Join Mark S. Zaid, Esq., owner of EsquireComics.com, a co-founder of the Network of Disclosure and an Advisor to the Overstreet Comic Book Price and Grading Guides, for an educational and humorous interactive visual arts presentation tracing the historical creation and development of comic books and their characters, and particularly how comics addressed social issues of the day (including such topics as war, sex, civil rights, women's liberation, politics, censorship, violence, and terrorism). Room 10.

 

These boards are a great resource for information and I want to make sure I haven't missed anything important.

 

If you plan on attending the SD Con, please do try to put this program on your calendar. It offers a nice segway into the planned CGC forum dinner. :hi:

 

In fact, this educational program is being co-sponsored by CGC and the NOD. (thumbs u

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