Some Very Brief, Off-the-Cuff Reactions to the End of Harbinger Wars

Even though technically there are some epilogue-style issues of Harbinger and Bloodshot still to come, for all intents and purposes the new Valiant's first crossover event came to an end this Wednesday with the publication of Harbinger Wars #4. I didn't read all of the Bloodshot issues that tied in, but I follow Harbinger anyway so I read those, as well as all four chapters of the main event title. It was a wild ride, a full-throttle action story with more than its fair share of explosive moments, both literally and figuratively. But as entertaining as the whole affair was, now that it's over, I gotta say...I'm not sure how I feel about it. It ends up seeming like an event for the sake of it, stretched out over multiple issues of three titles not because it needed the space to tell its story, but just because that's how crossovers work. At the same time, it bucked some typical superhero comicbook trends in impressive ways, and had some fantastic-looking action along the way.

I wasn't bothered by the different series showing the same scenes from various points of view. That strategy I actually liked. It allowed the individual titles to stand on their own so readers weren't required to get them all in order to understand what was happening. This is one way in which Harbinger Wars did something unusual and unexpected. The much more noticeable thing it did, and the aspect of the book I liked the most, was a small but significant shake-up of the typical "heroes fight because of a misunderstanding, but then realize the mistake and team up" story. Instead, the good guys fought one another over a misunderstanding per usual, but never figured out that they were battling against potential allies. Then, in the end, it is a group of villains who teams up with one of the good guy teams, when Harada convinces Generation Zero to join his foundation. I love that conclusion; it's such a simple shift in such a tired trope of the superhero genre, yet the implications for the future of the characters (and their respective series) are enormous.

Unfortunately, this ending is also what makes Harbinger Wars lightweight as a narrative—the events leading up to it are largely sound and fury signifying very, very little. Once Harada talks the kids into siding with him, much of what that has come before is rendered immaterial. Because the violence that fills these pages isn't really connected to what Harada does. There's no natural progression, just a string of fights that don't really relate to one another, except inasmuch as they're all over the fates of the Generation Zero kids. But Harada gets taken off the board by Bloodshot early on, then there's a bunch of intense combat in the middle that accomplishes pretty much nada, and then very rapidly in Wednesday's issue, Harada returns fully healed, wipes out the competition, and wins the whole conflict with an only semi-convincing speech.

I'm writing this like an hour after finishing Harbinger Wars #4, so maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe there are bonds between things I'm not remembering right now, but will be more apparent on a reread. And it's not that I didn't like Harbinger Wars, because I really did. Perhaps the violence wasn't all necessary, but it sure looked great, harsh and with a touch of realism, yet firmly founded in a superpowered reality. The story had some strong surprises and character beats, and TONS of interesting things were seeded for the future. As the final page of the final issue says, wars never really end, so even if the event proper has come to a close, its ramifications will last for a long while. So there's plenty in the story's favor, it's just that the destination made a lot of the journey feel like wheel spinning. This is my initial, gut response to the event's ending, and though I might revise or even retract it once I've gone back over the material, first impressions always count for something.

Smatterday 06/02/2012

Alan Scott is Gay: Not a Big Surprise or Deal
DC has finally revealed who their new "iconic" homosexual character is: Earth 2's Alan Scott. Well, to be fair, Earth 1's Alan Scott might be gay, too, if he even exists, but he's not the one everybody is talking about. Personally, I'm just glad the news is out so the speculation can end. Of course, now is when the hate starts to pour in from people who oppose the change or gay heros in general, but I prefer that to the pointless secrecy. James Robinson will be writing the character for the foreseeable future, and he has a superb track record writing full, realistic gay characters Starman without making a big display of it or any similar political nonsense. So I'm more pleased by the news than anything. But mostly I wish it weren't news.

Before Watchmen: Not a Cool or Good Idea
Boooooooo! Wednesday sees the release of the first "Before Watchmen" series, which means after months of people arguing about whether or not it was a good idea, we can now begin the months of people arguing about whether or not they're good comics. Which, to me, is an irrelevant conversation, or anyway one that's totally disconnected from the question of if this project should exist at all. Even if these titles are somehow better than the original Watchmen (fat chance...obese, even) there is a more fundamental ethical issue underlying their very creation which has nothing to do with quality. I'm basically going to do my best to just pretend it isn't even real. Join me, won't you?

Valiant Comics: Not Exactly New or Old
This is old news by now, but last month kicked off the "Summer of Valiant," Valiant Comics' glorious return to publishing new comicbook material. Years after being sold to a company that then went bakrupt, Valiant now has new, passionate owners who have brought in a bunch of equally-passionate and talented creators, editors, etc. to relaunch updated versions of their classic titles. I did not, myself, jump on the train with X-O Manowar in May, but on Wednesday Harbinger #1 comes out, and I could not be more excited for that, if for no other reason than because I've missed Joshua Dysart since Unknown Soldier was canceled. Besides, any new comicbook company, even an old one, deserves at least one honest try, and based on what I've seen and heard so far, the Summer of Valiant is not going to disappoint.

Midtown Comics: I have no subtitle I just think this is kind of awesome
As a final bit of positivity, Manhattan comicbook shop Midtown Comics has opened a "mini-boutique" in the world's most incredible toy store, FAO Schwarz. Seems like a move designed to bring in younger readers, right? And I'm all for that. Plus it's nice to see comics being sold from such a massive and popular location. Best of luck, Midtown!