MARC ALAN FISHMAN: “This is not MY _______!”
So, there I was, doing what I suppose I do far too often… scouring Facebook for status updates. A quick refresh, and there was an update from a friend saying how “This is not my Bucky Barnes.” He was referencing a purchase he’d recently made of a golden age Bucky figure, and how he hated the new Winter Soldier-era Barnes figure. Suffice to say, after seeing his umpteenth remark how a modern interpretation of one of the classic comic book heroes he loved so dearly rubs his rhubarb the wrong way, I had enough.
Call it being cantankerous in my own “Hey, I know you think I’m too young to form a real opinion, but screw you, I can anyways” way… but I’d like to say that this kind of general malaise towards interpretation and experimentation grinds my gears to a screeching halt. In short? Quit your bitchin’ gramps. It’s 2011. Your childhood memories remain intact, in spite of your fear that they won’t.
It’s this common thread amongst the older comic book fans that I truly find offensive. Maybe that’s not the right word. I’m not implying it’s anyone here on ComicMix mind you, but the conglomerate of silver/golden-age dick-chuggers who poop their pampers anytime anything changes in the fictitious worlds of their youth, drags us all down. We’re all entitled to our opinion, mind you, and I don’t deny anyone their right to express that opinion. See folks, I’m young, under-appreciated, and don’t know shit-about-nothing; But I’m taking this time to start a large debate. Mind you no one will answer my call, but I’ve never not had fun at screaming into the black abyss of the internet before.
This notion, that the creators of today can’t reinterpret a character because it’s not their version of the character, is a waste of breath. Ed Brubaker’s retcon of Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier was an amazing feat. He took a character that was long gone, and brought him back in a story that got real attention from new fans. Here was this relic of another era, repurposed for modern times, done with a deft hand. His origin remained intact. He never took away from the character who he was. Yes, he turned a once chipper, bright-eyed innocent kid (who had no problem murdering Nazis with guns) into a cold and ruthless killer.
On the surface, that sounds like a perfectly good point to raise when poo-pooing the concept. The Winter Solder is decidedly not the Bucky Barnes of WWII. But he doesn’t have to be. The fans took to the character quite well, and when he eventually took the mantle of Captain America from the then-gone-by-way-of-time-bullet Steve Rogers… It resonated with fans. He wasn’t Steve Rogers. He carried a pistol. His uniform was decidedly darker and more realistic. And for a certain swatch of cranky geezers? It was a tarnish on the sheen that was their childhood. What they don’t realize about this, and so many other wee changes over time… they’re changes for the better of the medium.
Should everything in comics remain as they once were? Hell no! I could take up the remainder of this column waxing poetic on how many amazing updates were given to tired old concepts in comic books. Turns that resonated with new fans, which we all can agree are what the publishers really want to sell their wares to. Kyle Rayner instead of Hal Jordan? In a heartbeat. Wally West instead of Barry Allen? Anytime, any place. Ben Reilly instead of Peter Parker? OK, you can’t win them all. But you get my point.
When it comes to grabbing the all-important new wave of fans, comic companies hurl everything but the kitchen sink at the ceiling to see what sticks. As a fan, I’ve had to watch Superman Blue and Red, John Paul Valley as Batman, and yes, the Iron Spider. They don’t hit them out of the park every time. But to whine, bitch, and moan whenever it’s done? Give it up. If characters stayed the same, mainstream comics would be dead. Without the balls to experiment, we would not have Barbara Gordon as Oracle. We would not have Scott Snyder’s brilliant run on Detective Comics, featuring Dick Grayson as Batman. We would not have Grant Morrison’s amazing run on X-Men. Change breeds new concepts and better books. If you don’t believe me, take it up with Alan Moore.
Perhaps the biggest argument from the opposition lay with the corruption of innocence. I get that. I even respect that. The day someone remakes the Wizard of Oz with a Tin Man wielding a tommy gun, I’ll probably raise a big stinky-stink over it. To borrow from another medium though, when Metallica covered Bob Seger, it didn’t make the original song vanish. And, as terrible as it is to say, I love Metallica’s “Turn the Page” 100 times more than Seger’s. Heresy? Sacrilege? Hardly. Their version of the song spoke to me at the time. It doesn’t make me wrong to like it. It simply means I was the audience to that product. The same can be said about all the changes to our favorite characters over the years.
Everything is cyclical. The darker turns of comic books (be it Watchmen, Frank Miller’s Batman, The Ultimates, et al) only foreshadows an eventual 180. In pro-wrestling, they call this a face-turn. Just because you update a character’s costume, or you add a gun, that doesn’t mean you’ve erased the past. You’ve only just tried to interpret him or her into someone that might be more appealing to a new audience. If you’re not in that audience… Feel free to continue living life elsewhere. No one will come into your home and burn your longboxes. If a book sold well without ever updating, Batman would still carry a gun, and Superman wouldn’t be able to fly.
The best part about this world of fiction we all enjoy is that the characters therein aren’t made in an impenetrable vacuum. At their core, they are the same as they ever were. All the stories, costumes, updates, ret-cons, star-wipes, and Elseworlds are just window dressing. To belittle the creators for trying something new, is to damn the medium to not grow with the times. At the end of the day, it’s all dollars and cents. Even if it doesn’t make sense to you.
We all hold those few precious memories, items, characters, etc. that touched us as kids, very close to our hearts. There is a legitimate fear that some new boy or girl won’t experience that character as you have. The trick is though, knowing that if it touches them in any way… it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not. I won’t lie. There’s been updates a plenty that I found repulsive. The Green Lantern movie? I’d sooner watch paint dry. Spider-Man’s organic web-shooters? Terrible. Hell, I’m not even a fan of the unparalyzing of Barbara Gordon (just yet). But never will you hear me shout “That’s not my Batgirl.” Because, she was never mine to have.
SUNDAY: John Ostrander
This is like the debate over the Golden Age of Comics, which is 7. I have a tremendous affection for Barry Allen, but, to my son, The Flash is Wally West. We’re both right.
Let a hundred flowers bloom, and a thousand schools of thought take root.
The stupid fear the new. That said, Barry Allen FOREVER!
Well, I made my case about Barry. But that’s what makes this whole comic business cool to be in (even on the fringe as it were…)… DEBATE. Good, whole-hearted debate. What kills me as John put in the fb comment…. is when those people rally against something they didn’t even actually read. To simply say “this isn’t MY whatever…” or to formulate the opinion without having any more backing than your gut feeling? It’s lunacy to me.
I honestly welcome, with open arms, people who disagree with me. You want an amazing debate? Get me and my bestie Kyle in a debate over who would win in a fight between Batman and the Punisher. It’s spectacular.
You’re a fucking hypocrite. And a tool. Quite a unique accomplishment. After all, there’s only about a billion like you on the internet.
I’d actually lay it all out for you as to just how and why your idiotic article above proves that point, Hell, I’d even do it in nice simple language that even you could understand, but I’ve quickly come to the conclusion that you’re simply not worth the time or effort. Besides, you and your kind are so far beneath me and mine that we’re virtually on another plane of existence. So go on, shout your vapid and unoriginal thoughts into the void, I mean we’re all so very impressed up here. No, really! Really? No.
So why am I posting at all? Just to say, the quiet intelligences of the world can see through your petty, self-serving bullshit, your desperate grasps for attention and validation, and your hollow hypocrisies, and all we can do is laugh. And a pitied laugh at that.
But even so, think yourself lucky, because truth be told, your hollow, hypocritical, and unoriginal rantings aren’t truly even worthy of that much. And they certainly weren’t worth the amount of words you just got from me. But sometimes, on special occasions, the truly dim lights of the internet such as you must be reminded that the shadows they cast have no real reach, and the light they shine illuminates exactly no one.
This is your one reminder. We see you for what little you are, and your words mean less than nothing. You are nothing more than a hollow outline in a sea of black, your words as empty and soulless as the creature they spew forth from. But do carry on, because such is all the likes of you are capable of, and again, for that you truly do have my pity.
Wow, Those Above? That is a very angered response! I’m amazed that my lowly form somehow pierced the void to the Ivory Tower where you and the other advanced humans live. I am humbled by your pity on me, and my pathetic writings.
I’m curious though. Why did you not cite any specific reason my work is so shallow and pedantic? You wasted 5 paragraphs elevating you and your consciousness… but not a single sentence actually giving me something to improve upon. I know having to type a response out, even with nice simple language that I could understand would in fact be a terrible burden on you… But to wholly criticize me with providing any incite as to how I could improve? Well that’s just rude.
So have you really made it in this business when you get your first troll? And you got FIVE PARAGRAPHS to boot. Way to go Marc!
I too am impressed, Marc, but for a different reason. In your essay, you immediately admitted that your “change can be good” philosophy isn’t 100% absolute in all situations (your dislike of the Spiderman “organic webs” premise in the films, for example) and your acknowledgment that the story should be judged on its own merit instead of dismissed because “continuity has been shattered” would still be responded to with a “You’re a hypocrite!” response from cranks like Those Above! Last time I’ve examined The Human Condition, a hypocrite is by definition incapable of being open-minded and you’ve stated in your article that you can be open to change as well as point out that memories only fade when people want them to, not because someone decided to “reinvent the wheel.” Now if your “accuser” wished to post a past article or essay where you said the exact opposite of what you said here, then he’d probably have a case. Unfortunately, he took the lazy way out and dropped an FU bomb and say “You’re not worth the mud I threw at you!” I guess they’re giving assylum inmates more internet access these days.
Enjoyed the article as well as the floor show. Keep up the good work!
Those Above, you have a funny name. I’m not criticizing, just commenting. But if my last name was “Above,” I don’t think I would name my kid, “Those.” Did you get teased about it as a kid? I’m mean, “Those Above” is an even odder name than say, “Bucky Barnes.” Admittedly, “Bucky Barnes” is fun to say. Just the alliteration alone brings a smile to my face. Your comment did not. Hrrm.
While I probably would have kept Bucky dead if I were in charge at Marvel, I did like how Ed Brubaker handled his return in the Captain America Omnibus. It wasn’t a cheap publicity stunt or the result of “magic.” Bucky was recovered by a nearby Soviet sub, which could have been in the area without violating any internal logic, brought to Russia and reprogrammed.
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What’s more, when he broke free of his programming and regained his true identity, with Cap’s help, Bucky had feelings of guilt. It wasn’t as if Brubaker decided Bucky became an assassin “just because”, with no thought to character development. And while The Captain America Omnibus is pretty much all I’ve read related to Cap recently, I suspect that even now Cap himself feels the occasional twinge of guilt at not being able to prevent Bucky from going through his Winter Soldier experiences; just as he carried the guilt of Bucky’s supposed death all those years.
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Characters and situations in comics are always being updated, whether in major or subtle ways. Some updates will remain in place, others will go the way of Mopee. I’m reminded of a conversation between Morpheus and Hob Gadling in Sandman, where Hob mentions a version of King Lear to which, “the idiots” gave a “happy ending.” Morpheus replies that (paraphrased) it won’t last; the great stories return to their true forms. At the center of Cap’s story is that he couldn’t save Bucky. At its core, that hasn’t changed.
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Rick