Comics Love - Supermassive Black Hole A* by Ben Chamberlain!

I am a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to comics.  Sure, I've always enjoyed reading "the funny papers", and I have always had a major respect for comic book artists and the artwork they draw, as well as their varying views on the world and how that comes out in their art.  But to be honest, I could never be bothered to pay money to collect comic books, in part because my big hobbies for so many years have been music and video games.  Movies and TV would be next on the list, followed by anything technology.  Now, all those can become expensive hobbies, so when you put all of them together, it becomes a bit overwhelming.  I liken it to a phrase a friend of mine coined in relation to the primarily-women's hobby of crafting and scrap-booking.  He referred to it as "the money-sucking cult".  I can't say I disagree, but then I have sunk literally thousands of dollars into my CD, vinyl album, video game, and DVD collections over the last 15-20 years, so when my wife comes home with some new stamps, crafting paper, jewelry-making supplies and beads, etc. I just sigh and realize that I am just as guilty of indulging my own expensive hobbies.

About 2 years ago, however, I decided to finally "take the plunge" where comics were concerned by purchasing nearly every issue (at the time) of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book series for Season 8.  For the uninitiated, the TV show (my favorite of all time) ended after 7 seasons, but creator Joss Whedon carried it on via the ink and print medium, and because he was involved and it was considered "canon", I felt I could no longer hold off and went for it.  About $70 later I had a large stack of comics that I read through quickly and marveled at the artwork, enjoyed the witty Whedon dialogue, and was impressed by just how accurately this medium could reflect what I had come to love so much about the TV show, minus the moving pictures and audible speech.  After that, I went back and collected as any of the "V" comic books I could find (yes, based on the short-lived "V" TV series from the 80s) as well as the 2nd Krull comic (I have the first one around this house somewhere...) and the first couple issues of the Mega Man comic, as detailed here.  So while I can't consider myself a "hardcore" collector at this point, I must say I'm enjoying this new collection and this medium in general.

Something that has developed over the last several years has been the proliferation of webcomics, a new trend whereby artists either put their comics online for free, or support their art via advertising on their websites, etc.  Most webcomics I've read are the funny kind, reflecting perhaps more crass or open-ended versions of what we read in the daily newspaper.  However, some are more expansive works, challenging the boundaries of what comics are or can be.  This could be either via a complex storyline, something unique with the art, or just the presentation and the way the comic comes across.  Such is the case with a recent discovery I made called Supermassive Black Hole A* (or just A* for short).  This particular work is by an artist I have been heretofore unfamiliar with, named Ben Chamberlain.

Ben takes on the world of science fiction, which is nothing new for comics.  However, the thing I really like about his work here with A* is that Ben blends a sort of mildly retro science fiction aesthetic with a minimalist approach in the art  and dialogue.  The artwork in the series reflects an interesting kind of style that, if I had to describe in one sentence, would be a sort of "Aeon Flux noir".  That's not a fitting description by any stretch, but the characters and figures do have that sort of Aeon Flux, or Heavy Metal motion picture feel about them, with overtly long, lanky figures contrasting with short, stout, stumpy figures with exaggerated features.  It's a fitting design concept, given the storyline that the comic is telling.  The other thing I like is the fact that it's all black and white.  I do like my comics in color whenever possible, but really, A* NEEDS to be devoid of color, because of the story it's telling, the inherent darkness in the plot, and just the overall presentations begs for that approach.  Impressive stuff, and something I look forward to seeing as the work develops.

You only wish you could draw something this cool.

The story thus far is also interesting and engaging.  I won't get too detailed here, so as not to spoil the fun for anyone who might be intrigued at this point, but suffice to say, it will suck you in and leave you wanting more.  Had I discovered the comic when it first debuted, I might have been less prone to checking out each "slide" individually, but going through the first couple chapters, I was drawn in by the art style, engaging characters, and overall presentation.  Once you're into the story quite a ways, it throws you for a complete loop.  What you think you've been reading up to that point in the story, and where you believe the story is headed?  You're completely wrong, unless you have keener observatory skills than I.  That's all I can say without ruining the surprise, but trust me, you won't want me to.  At any rate, the semi-gritty storyline has a sort of quiet, Blade Runner like unease about it that should please fans of science fiction that has more to it than the generic comic book fare.  Ben's description of "hard sci-fi webcomic" is accurate, so be aware that there is coarse language, for those of you squeamish about such things.

As of this writing, the comic is in the 17th episode/chapter, which is not yet complete.  For those wanting to check out the web comic, I would highly encourage they start from the very beginning.  You'll get a better sense of the storyline and get to watch it develop like I did, and you'll also get to see the progression in the quality of the artwork and the level of detail included in the artwork, even within the framework of this somewhat minimalist approach.  It works well, and I think with the continuous improvement in artwork and detail, this webcomic could be a major head-turner in the field.  I look forward to watching this series continue to grow and see how the story plays out.  Unfortunately, this series is so young that there isn't much in the way of merchandise you can buy, though Ben does sell signed sketches and prints.  I am hoping once he has enough of the story compiled he'll do a "trade paperback" style release so we can buy it in print.  You can even get t-shirts, how cool is that?  So what are you waiting for, go read it!?  If you're a fan of science fiction, I think you'll be glad you did.

Cinema Fancy - The Hunger Games

I'm not much of a reader, I'll be honest.  I read a LOT at work, being in Information Technology, and much of it is dry research.  So when I read outside of the office, it's often just articles on the internet or blog posts about my hobbies, much like the stuff I write for this site.  As such, it's not in my nature to go after novels, regardless of how engaging their storyline might be, because casual or recreational reading is just not something that interests me.  I feel no shame in this, it's just not my speed.  I'm more of a comic book guy.  But there are books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed, and there are times I wish I had more motivation to read.  As much as my wife and I have enjoyed the Harry Potter series of movies, there are times when I wish I had read the novels to get an idea of where they differed from the movies.  When I saw the three Lord of the Rings films, I was tempted to go back and re-read the books.  And though I know the 1985 Dune film took MANY liberties (I still love it!), I have read and enjoyed the first novel immensely.  Still, I'd generally much rather watch the "Cliff's Notes" version of the novel in the movie and get the general synopsis and essential story points where I can.

*SPOILER ALERT!*

Okay, so it's bordering on trendy at this point to talk about this movie.  I get it.  And no, I'm not trying to get in on the trend, but I was really intrigued by the movie's premise, based on what I had heard about with the books, and the fact that it seemed like a fleshed out version of a short story I read during high school about a "lottery" where someone's name was drawn at random out of the village and eliminated because it was a custom, not just because of a hunger issue or some political ploy.  In any event, the concept itself was interesting enough for me to warrant wanting to go see the movie, at the very least.  With that in mind, my wife and I, along with a couple friends, went to see the movie a week or so ago and I've had time to ruminate on it.

Without going into too much detail or over-simplifying the plot, the story centers around what is essentially a post-World War III country that is made up of what was North America and several large territories or districts.  Each of these districts seem to be made up of a very polarized class-based society where there's a very large divide between the "haves" and "have nots" of the day.  The "haves" want for very little with their lavish clothing and hairstyles, and overabundance of food and amenities.  The "have nots" are left doing all the more menial tasks such as coal mining.  They also end up having to hunt for their food sometimes, as they are often without much food.  This is where we discover the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, as she is hunting for food for her family due to an absent father and mother who can't function too well on her own.

"The Hunger Games" ares an annual occurrence whereby one male and one female child from each district is chosen at random to participate in a savage contest that pits the youths against one another until only one youth remains alive.  It is a game of fear that allows the "haves" to more easily subjugate the "have nots".  Poor districts (like the one Katniss is from) have kids thrown into the contest primarily as fodder, while richer districts have kids that train for the games all their lives and essentially volunteer for service in the games as a way to honor their district.  Katniss is the first to volunteer from her poverty-stricken district, but only because her younger sister was the one chosen to be in the games.  Thankfully for Katniss, her prowess with the bow and arrow gives her an advantage over just the average kid.

I'm pretty handy with this thing, so don't cross me!

There are a lot of socio-political undertones and overtones in the film.  I think the agenda is largely a left-wing approach that shows the kind of overly classed society that happens when the scales are tipped to far in favor of the upper class, thereby eliminating the middle class and creating the huge divide we see in the film.  I don't necessarily think that the left-wing political agenda works here, however, because it is precisely the more conservative, free-market economy approach that will keep this kind of society from forming.  Socialism, by its very nature, cannot succeed long term without total subjugation of its citizens, because eliminating the drive to succeed will ultimately stifle scientific, engineering, and other advances because the incentive to do so is gone for all but the most ardent, curious, and philanthropic of minds.  That said, this kind of socio-economic fallout would be expected following a major World War, though 74 years after the fact it's a bit hard to believe that there's still THIS much poverty rampant.

Politics aside, the storyline is almost tailor made to cause controversy and get dinner table conversations going.  How can a society, 70+ years after reconstruction following a Third World War, continue to participate in this kind of savagery?  That is the inevitable question that many moviegoers will be asking themselves, and for good reason.  Aren't we, as a society, above all that?  But then, this is not our society.  This is a different world born from different circumstances.  So you help control the lower class people by striking fear in the hearts of parents and children alike by continuing to punish them in this manner.  Why strive to succeed in a district where there's no money, because you can't rise above the poverty line.  Not to mention your kid might be whisked away to die some day in the games.  Life becomes more about pure survival than about relishing any real joy in it.

I was a bit surprised at how disaffected I was about the kids being killed.  Perhaps its because I went in knowing that, perhaps its because it was kids killing each other in a contest they knew they had no choice but to participate in, or perhaps it's because I am less affected by it than I might have been had I been 20 years younger.  The first time I saw The Terminator and watched Arnold smoke those 2 teenagers after appearing on Earth just so he could steal their clothes...well, let's just say I was shocked and a bit incensed.  Why would someone depict that in a movie?  It was only years later that I truly understood the perspective, and so it is that understanding that likely fuels this.  Not that kids dying doesn't affect me; it does.  But I think what affected me more than that is how nonchalant everyone else in the movie was about it, save for the main characters.  Notice how carefully things were planned for Katniss - she only directly killed a couple fellow youths when she was in immediate danger and her life was threatened.  The girl she killed indirectly by dropping the wasp nest down to the ground from the tree-tops wouldn't have happened if the girl wasn't actually allergic to the wasp stings, though Katniss knew that was a risk.  Most of the other kids killed heartlessly, because those that didn't die in the initial run were from the more affluent districts and were kids who had been training for the games their whole lives.  But what strikes me about Katniss and her District 12 accomplice is that they bend the rules as much as they can - never intentionally killing other kids just to win the contest, but actively avoiding conflict until absolutely necessary.  When Katniss honored District 11 by giving the girl Rue a posthumous send-off with flowers and a sign of respect for the cameras, it invoked the kind of outrage and outcry that moviegoers had probably been hoping for, even though the short-lived "revolution" that happens within District 11 is quashed ever so quickly by the police state's forces.

Peace out, homie.

Visually, the movie is at once lavish and understated.  I love the contrast between the impoverished districts and those flowing with riches.  I also love the contrasts between the clean, stylized environments of the district where the games are held and the outdoor locales where the games take place.  I also like how the movie sort of subtly recalls the outlandish, over-the-top fashion sense of Luc Besson's The Fifth  Element, one of my all-time favorite science fiction films.  In some ways, The Hunger Games as a storyline owes a debt to the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Running Man, whether the connection was intentional or purely accidental.  The casting choice was also smart, with a number of unknown names and a handful of actors still toiling in obscurity.  Wes Bentley is enjoyable as the game director, and newcomer Lenny Kravitz (yes, THAT Lenny Kravitz) is understated but plausible as the "celebrity stylist" hired to help make Katniss and her district partner more attractive to game supporters.  Elizabeth Banks is somewhat brilliant as the District 12 Hunger Games spokeswoman - she is gleefully overwrought and excessive, and a beautiful woman is transformed with make-up, hair and clothes (as well as character flaws) into somewhat of an ugly person.

Perhaps the thing that makes the movie so intriguing when it's all said and done, is that it gives us a glimpse into one of the possible futures we face if our world continues toward the path of turmoil, and affords us a unique opportunity to peer into the proverbial magic mirror to see what's to come.  Does this mean we'll have a highly divided class-based society and sacrifice children for the sake of government?  I can't say these things are outside the realm of possibility, given that human nature is more selfish than selfless, and in times where there's very little to go around, the greed of those who have all they need further exemplifies the destitution of those who don't.  As one who hasn't read the book series, I will be very curious to know what they're going to do with the next movie.  With this film having one of the best opening weekends of nearly any film in history, and with it still being a big deal weeks after its release, there's very little chance that a sequel isn't already in the planning stages, if not in the works.  I look very forward to what's coming next in this franchise, because this movie has sparked as much self-reflection in me as both Inception and Limitless - and that's a good thing.

Cinema Fancy – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

When the original Planet of the Apes remake was announced, I was a bit skeptical.  Not because I’m some great lover of the originals (I’m not), or because of the usual knee-jerk reaction of, “Here we go again, another remake.”  I was skeptical because it was a remake of a classic, famous movie, with Mark Walberg being cast as the main character.  Now, don’t get me wrong, the man has talent, and has turned into a good actor (despite its dubious origins, his performance in “Rock Star” is quite strong).  But it seemed an odd fit, and an odd time to remake the film or try and reboot the revered franchise.  Still, my wife and I went and saw it in the theater, and though it was bereft of a lot of substance, it was an enjoyable popcorn sci-fi flick with enough B-movie fun to keep it interesting.  The ending of the movie set up the possibility of a sequel, but it never materialized, presumably because the movie’s modest showing at the box office and rather lukewarm reviews probably scared away those who would otherwise have backed a second movie.

Fast forward 10 years later, and we have a pseudo-sequel, though in name only.  Rather than continue with the reboot effort from 2001, 20^th Century Fox wisely chose to simply “re-reboot” the franchise again.  This time around, the plot is similar to that of the 1972 film “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” (the 4^th film in the original saga), and based on how the plot plays out, it seems like a logical place to start.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The plot goes as follows: scientists playing with technologies they don’t fully understand use chimpanzees as the test subjects for a new drug that is supposed to improve mental function as a means of solving deteriorating mental state conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.  In the process, one chimp who receives a particular iteration of the test drug begins to show signs of increased mental capacity, but after a lab accident where the ape appears to “go crazy” the project is scrapped.  It is later discovered that the chimp “went ape” due to the fact that she had just had a baby and was protecting her offspring.  Despite the order from the company’s top dog to put down all the apes after the project failure, the baby ends up the problem (then pet/companion) of head scientist Will Rodman (James Franco).  Will has a stake in the development of the drug because his dad, Charles (played well by John Lithgow), suffers from Alzheimer’s.  Again, despite the order to destroy the experimental drug, Will takes several doses from the lab and uses it on his dad, which at first, gives Charles his mind (and life) back.

I'm not crazy after all!

Everything appears to be going well for Will – he meets a beautiful woman (played by Freida Pinto) who he quickly develops a romantic relationship with, and his dad is himself again with the help of the experimental drug.  He convinces his boss to re-open development of the drug due to the results of his findings with Caesar (the baby chimp he took home).  Things are not as they seem, as is always the case with these stories, and Charles starts to lose his grip on reality again, and when the full-grown chimp Caesar scares the life out of the neighbors and bites off the next-door neighbor’s finger to protect Charles, he is forced to live in a primate facility run by milquetoast John Landon (Brian Cox) until Will can find a way to convince the court to allow Caesar to return home.  During his time in the facility, Caesar pines for home and is at first shunned by the other primates for having clothing and for being the “new guy” in the facility.  The power structure quickly shifts when Caesar learns how to out-smart the other apes and exerts his newfound authority by gaining their trust.  As his stay in the facility lengthens, he becomes disillusioned by it, and visits by Will and Caroline are met with less interest, and eventually he elects to stay in the facility when given the chance to leave when Will comes to pick him up after Charles’ death.

You left me in this dump, you jerk!

Meanwhile, the newly developed version of the retrovirus is found later to be deadly to humans when the primate expert hired by the scientific research firm dies after exposure to the gaseous form of it, and during his health decline he pays a visit to Will (who had since quit his job) to warn him of the effects the drug was having on him.  He sneezes on Will’s neighbor Rodney McKay, er, Mr. Hunsiker (lovable jerk David Hewlett), which sets in motion the events that will trigger widespread transmission of the virus (now airborne) all over the world, since Mr. Hunsiker is an airline pilot.

When Caesar figures out how to escape the confines of the facility he returns home where he steals the latest iteration of the experimental drug out of Will’s refrigerator and uses it to boost the intelligence of all the other primates with the newly developed airborne retrovirus.  This leads to him devising an escape plan for all the residents of the facility, which results in the death of Draco Malfoy, er, Dodge Landon (played by Tom Felton), who works there.  Though this upsets Caesar, he forges ahead with his plan and all the primates escape under his leadership.  They proceed across the golden gate bridge to a large forest where he had previously frolicked before the accident that caused his incarceration.  The police are called out, but Caesar and friends are determined to get to this sanctuary, so they find ways to get around the glut of traffic on the bridge and cause plenty of damage along the way.  Caesar is adamant in his leadership of the others that they not kill humans, though a few casualties always seem to happen.  When the primates do eventually find the forest, their rampage ends, as it appears they are happy just being in their natural environment (or as natural as they are to find in San Francisco, anyway).  Will catches up to them and asks Caesar to come home, and to his shock, Caesar speaks and tells Will that he’s already home.  Will lets Caesar go and live with his new pals in the forest.

"I'm home, Mama.  I mean, Will."

The effects in this movie are really well done – it’s often hard to tell when the primates in the movie are real, and when they are CG, though there are still spots where the CG is obvious.  But as a whole, this movie highlights just how far the technology has come.  James Franco is good as the lead, and delivers a surprisingly emotional performance; one I wasn’t sure he was capable of based solely on his role as Peter Parker’s best friend/nemesis in the recent Spider Man movies.  John Lithgow is great as usual, and does double-duty as the crazy Alzheimer’s patient and Joe Normal when he is on the experimental drug.  Frieda Pinto is lovely, and while the script doesn’t afford her much to work with, she gives a sincere performance.  Felton plays a good American jerk as well as he plays a British one, and Brian Cox can still play a jerk with the best of them.  Of course, David Hewlett is perhaps an even bigger jerk here than he was in Stargate Atlantis, if that’s possible.  Andy Serkis played Caesar, though I’m not sure how much of that was voice-acting and how much actual physical work he did.  I felt like the story was engaging, the plot was believable, given the nature of the previous “Apes” films, and the end of the movie set up nicely the possibility of multiple sequels based upon the transmission of the retrovirus and the possibility that apes all over the world would begin to gain intelligence and rise up against their human captors.

Here’s what I didn’t like.  First, though the movie struck a good balance between caring people and non-caring people contrasted with good apes versus apes in it for only themselves, there was still a bit too much of that air of “animal rights”.  This is highlighted by how the primates are treated by Felton’s character, how Brian Cox’s character doesn’t appear to care about the animals beyond the face-to-face interaction with Will, and how everyone appears to be scared or intimidated by Caesar when he bites off Hensiker’s finger.  Contrast this with Caesar’s insistence that no humans be killed during the escape, and it’s all a bit too “tree hugger” at times.  I think sometimes the Hollywood set tends to forget that animals are animals, and they’d eat you alive if they thought you were their only possibility of a last meal.

Despite this somewhat PC undertone in the film, my wife and I rather enjoyed it and look forward to what the possibility of a sequel might be.  I’d give the film a solid 8 out of 10 for presentation, some action, a well-written script and solid cast, and overall good emotional and character development throughout the story line.  If you’re looking for a late-summer blockbuster, or just a really good sci-fi film that won’t bowl you over with cheese factor, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” just might be your ticket.