Hi folks, remember me? Remember when I’d come to you once or twice a week and prattle on about comics and cannabis?
I have a little stage fright. I’ve been off the air for several weeks, now. More than the couple of weeks I kind of expected/announced, what with low-content mode for the holidays. Yeah, the holidays are well in the rear view now, and where’ve I been? At home, washing my tights?
Well, yeah, pretty much. I took a break for the holidays so I could go all Gen X Slacker, smoke weed and read comic books, and enjoy the holidays with considerably less stress than I was under last year. That was the plan, anyway. And you know what they say about plans, don’t you?
I didn’t realize quite how much additional emotional strain the ending year was bringing. The holidays, a whole mess of anniversaries surrounding my medical stuff — and the assault on democracy! — were joined by new family crises and what hey, deja vu all over again as COVID-Omicron spiked. Something had to give and eventually I started seeing stress fractures in my emotional state.
And even though these writings, these reviews, sharing my thoughts on comics books and other nonsense, expressing myself, even though I find that tremendous therapy, losing momentum stunk. Fret not, though — we’ll right this ship together!
I have been reading nonstop through this little exile. So much glorious reading! BATMAN: TALES OF THE DEMON is one of the early DC collected editions that lives on, reprinting the earliest stories for Batman’s encounters with Ra’s al Ghul! And where the Demon’s Head goes, can Talia be far? From his introduction in 1971 by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, these are the stories featuring Ra’s and Talia (all written by O’Neil) until 1980.
Then it was on to BATMAN: THE DEMON TRILOGY, a new book re-presenting in one hardcover volume the three landmark standalone graphic novels featuring Ra’s al Ghul; Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon and Birth of the Demon. These were original stories produced for an upscale, oversized hardcover format and contained a complete, novel-like story. The first two were written by Mike Barr and the last features again Denny O’Neil. These books take the al Ghul-Wayne drama to great heights, fleshing out the mythology, developing the relationships and even featuring the birth of current-Robin, Damian Wayne, Son of Batman! Believe it or not, we didn’t hear one peep about the child of the Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul union for decades. DC management freaked the hell out back in 1987 — there was no way in hell Batman could have a son, no way, no how — especially so soon after Crisis on Infinite Earths had (supposedly) just tightened up shared-universe continuity.
Permit me a digression. Damian Wayne has been Robin since 2006, so it’s weird to think that while the character is around 16 years old in-universe, he’s also been around now for 16 years and we’ll never have his age agree like that again. And technically, we first saw him as an infant 35 years ago.
Don’t even start with Jon Kent, Superman’s son. He was introduced in 2015 and starred with Damien’s Robin as the buddy adventures of the Super Sons. I guess they were both 10 or 12? Now it’s 7 years later and Jon is the new Superman and he’s been aged up to 18 or so kind of overnight. There were some fans of the Super Sons stuff (which was very fun comics) that were bummed about Jon’s evolution breaking up that popular pairing, but there’s a SUPERMAN AND ROBIN SPECIAL on the shelves, so once again Jeff Goldblum is right and life finds a way.
Anyway, back to all the Demon’s Head reading binge; it was all great fun Bronze Age Batman comics, from when the character was dark and driven, but far more of a detective and adventurer than some later versions of the character. And yes, at times he was hairy-chested love god Batman.
Much as I love the phrase hairy chested love god Batman, I can’t claim credit. I first heard Grant Morrison use it when referring to this specific era.
I have been reading a ton of Robin comics, usually with a big grin. I started with Robin Archives, a volume of Robin solo stories from ‘47 and ‘48 (Golden Age) and then moved on to the Robin Bronze Age Omnibus, featuring stories from the 70’s, during Dick’s college years. This is all new to me, and glorious!
I need to do some writing about Robin; Dick Grayson (eventually Nightwing) and his successors, all of whom I very much appreciate. Robin as a character (more accurately, characters) and also as a character mantle, with his special relationship to the young male readership, is very important to me. I’d like to share more thoughts in a future post.
I have also been reading some prose fiction, which has been hard for me since Pandemic. I have been reading SPECULATIVE LOS ANGELES, from Akashic Books, the first in a planned series of science fiction anthologies featuring cities. Akashic has had great success with this concept as a crime/noir series of anthologies — I only have a couple (Queens Noir, represent!) but they are pretty universally acknowledged as excellent. This new line is off to a great start! I don’t know if they have any left, but they were selling autographed copies of this inaugural volume on their website, signed by the editor and just about every author!
As well, I have been digging into LOVE & BULLETS MEGABOMB EDITION, by Nick Kolakowski and published Shotgun Honey, also the fine host of my crime fiction column Comics’ll Break Your Heart. Kolakowski does crazy gonzo crime action with lots of dark humor. LOVE & BULLETS takes 3 novellas featuring his bad-luck star-crossed lovers Bill and Angela, now with added bits ‘n bobs and what have you. It’s a blast, nicely in the vein of early Duane Swierczynski, all forward momentum taking moments out for absurdity (violence or appreciation for a leisure suit), humor and somehow, romance. I just re-read a Tweet where I referred to it as a John Woo movie on the page, and I’d like to say that again, if you’ll allow me to quote myself.
“It’s a John Woo movie on the page!” — Max Cage, 2022
While we’re on the topic of Comics’ll Break Your Heart, my third column is about Hard Case Crime and Titan Comics’ BREAKNECK, by the aforementioned Duane Sweirczynski. My review and thoughts can be enjoyed at Shotgun Honey until I repost it here next month. While you’re there, check out my past columns or some of the excellent free flash fiction they host!
I am also doing another raffle to give a reader the opportunity to win my actual copy of BREAKNECK! Subscribers are always entered for giveaways and so far I’ve sent out one book to a lucky winner and I owe another one (I’ve been doing the hermit thing again and haven’t hit the post office, sorry!) Another reason to subscribe!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the books I’ve discussed, or if there are any that you think should get some column inches! Make with the Comments button!
Until next time, compadres! Wash your hands, stay safe and hug a loved one.
Max Cage, January 29, 2022
That fully painted Breyfogle art really is a thing of beauty!
That fully painted Breyfogle art is something very special.