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CGS Presents: Back to the Bins Episode 196 Talkback
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
In what promises to be an annual tradition, Chris and Murd recently made their second guest appearance on the Back to the Bins podcast, to while away a few hours discussing a trio of vintage back issues with hosts Paul Spataro and Bill Robinson. Emerging from the Bins this time are two landmark DC/Vertigo offerings of yesteryear... and one pretty good issue of Secret Defenders. (2:10:28)
Listen here.
Listen here.
Comments
I read the Vertigo Prez book a few years ago. I'm a right leaning guy but I didn't hate the book. It'd be tough for me to be a comics fan if I let a creator's politics ruin a story. I don't remember enough of the details and the political issues the book raised. Although I do remember it being less of a statement on the 90's and more of an indictment by Brubaker on the 80's(He basically says the Reagan/Bush administrations gave Prez brain cancer) My eyes probably hurt from rolling so often but I still remember thinking it was a pretty good read.
Y the Last Man is a series that I know I have to read but just haven't gotten around to it. I've flipped through "Y" trades more than once at a shop but never pulled the trigger. One of these days!
That Secret Defenders issue is indeed hard to find. I first learned about it a few years ago and have yet to find a copy in person. After listening to your discussion here, I finally broke down and paid like $4.50 for it from an online comic shop. BTW, there are also a few other Secret Defenders issues (#15-17, I think) that should also be on back issue bin-diggers' radars. They're early appearances of Deadpool and are likewise almost always missing from comic shops. All in all, I've never read a bad issue of Secret Defenders. It's a very "90s" series, but usually quite enjoyable, and I can't wait to read #12 once I finally have it in my possession. The glittery dark cover image has haunted my mind for a few years now.
I'm at a loss as to whether or not I've actually read that Prez issue, or if it just FEELS like I've read it. I know I read a similar "[Brother Power] The Geek" one-shot that Vertigo put out around the same time, so I may be getting the someone similar themes confused. As to the politics of it all, I'm basically of the opinion that I can stomach anything from near-Communism to near-Anarchy, with all sorts of capitalism or socialism or liberalism or libertarianism in the middle, as long as the political story isn't so partisan that it outright demonizes one political party without ever casting a single aspersion upon the other. In terms of the Prez story, that one defaced Clinton/Gore sticker is all I need to feel comfortable that the writer isn't a partisan unable to see the faults of the side that he probably votes for. And at this point, let's be honest, with political comics it's almost always a matter of how cool the writer thinks it is to demonize Republicans and/or conservatives and/or Christians. (I can count the major "anti-liberal" comic writers on one hand, and most of them are fringe figures at this point. On the other hand, all day every day you can find probably a hundred comics professionals on Twitter casually insulting any and everyone to the right of Trotsky.) I don't lean either way myself, but basically what I'm looking for in any political comic is that (relatively rare) moment when the writer includes just a little touch that lets us know that all Republicans aren't suckers for corporations, or that all conservatives aren't uptight Victorians, or that all Christians aren't delusional hatemongers, or whatever other unfair and exaggerated characterization is, sadly, the norm of so much trendy political storytelling. Basically, the writer can bang whatever drum he or she wants to, but it's only after I see that touch of nuance that I'll start to suspect that the writer might have something important and realistic to say. Despite Prez's inherent naivete, I think that young Brubaker grasped enough nuance to deliver a meaningful comic.
For me, Y the Last Man is synonymous with my getting back into comics, because it was the series I kept hearing about at the time as "the best comic out". I enjoyed it but I think my experience was tainted by constantly thinking "This isn't as good as Sandman or even Preacher", which were the previous "best comics out" under Vertigo in my experience. I respect Y, though, and would definitely say that it's a good entrypoint for new readers. It has a good premise, consistent and good art, and solid writing. As with many other BKV comics, I find myself constantly thinking that they're "overrated" or whatever, because I never like them as much as so many other people do... but I always DO like them quite a bit. Chris is absolutely right in pointing out the sheer range of the guy's work, with almost every project being a masterpiece or borderline masterpiece. I don't think he's anywhere close to Moore or Gaiman, but I would still definitely rate him high overall. I think part of the reason I didn't love Y to the nth degree was because I don't really like his flavor of weak male protagonist. I know that he grows as the series goes on, but I felt like I'd seen enough main characters with his characteristics. Not that I disliked him, but I felt that the premise and supporting characters outshone the lead himself.
Anyway, guys, hats off to you again on an excellent listening experience.