MARTIAL ARTIST HEROES IN COMICS

WHEN THE HANDS AND FEET BECOME WEAPONS
By Alex Ness
August 28, 2022

This will include a nod to Marvel Comics and their excellence in martial arts characters and stories over the years, and their presence in the comics world in general, but there are more than just their martial arts comics to consume.

MY ROOTS OF INTEREST

Over the years when discussing this I've been asked and the answer is no, I am not a practitioner of the martial arts. However, I do have a Master's Degree in History with a particular field area of Asia and World History.  (I also have fields of Europe and that of the US of freaking A). In addition to academic studies, I also have a depth of general interest in Asia, Asian philosophy, and the culture.

Since childhood I found myself fascinated by many different cultures, and when seeing Godzilla or Ultraman I saw a culture that possessed great imagination. After I tasted Asian food, and I do not mean Americanized Asian food, I sought out and attempted to try all areas of Asian cuisine. Food is an art, and Asia is an unique realm of flavor and taste, and the result of a people who made the most many mouths to feed, and clever and important uses of all the edible proteins and vegetation.

Reading the history of Japan in particular, I became convinced that the land of Japan was unique, however many influences it adopt and adapted from China and elsewhere, nothing that touches Japan and lasts, long remains alien to it. Upon reading about the Kamikaze, I understood that the Japanese were more than concerned with etiquette and being honorable, they were devoted to a concept of people and state that the west barely understands, if it does at all. This led me down a path to seeking to know and taste and experience more of all of Asia, but Japan more so than other nations in Asia.

However, the final event that pushed me into the depth of interests I've reached, was a television show that might today seem hokie by modern standards, KUNG FU. I liked it a lot back when, and I still like it, and think it a good concept well delivered. But I also feel that by the end of the series it was crystal clear the main star was tired of it, and was waiting for the end.

FU MANCHU?  ISN'T THAT RACIST?

Shang Chi began his great story as the child of the world's most brilliant and powerful supervillain, who threatened to take control and dominate the world. His mastery of arcane knowledge, philosophies led him to penetrate global society. To further his control, he created secret societies across the globe. Each had a hand in criminal enterprises, from the simple thuggery to complex manipulation of markets, all aimed towards enhancing the power of the master. Shang Chi was trained, but discovered the truth of the philosophies and with his elite training, became and agent for good, with skills beyond any other practitioner. Along with British secret service agents, the Master of Kung Fu fights all efforts of his father to establish full control over the planet. Paul Gulacy and Doug Moench created a run on the character that was cinematic, deep, sexy, and filled with action and proof that Shang Chi was both his father's son, and heroic for overcoming his origins. The character of Fu Manchu is often said to be a stereotype, the great threat of the Yellow Horde (fear of the Chinese people, so many in number).  But there is an agency found in the character of Fu Manchu, power, brilliant, and if evil, able to defeat the rest of the world, assembled against him. He might be based upon things that racists fear, but I think he is not racist.

BLACK AND WHITE MAGAZINES?  YES, These were brilliant

I didn't appreciate the magazine sized Marvel martial arts black & white comics as a child. But as an adult I've read them and the stories were slight more mature, they were well done, and you easily got your money's worth. What I wished is that all of Marvel's BW magazines and oddities were collected in a format that they began with, perhaps it has come true.

CHUCK DIXON'S MARTIAL ARTS Characters and Settings

Over the years I have appreciated much of Chuck Dixon's writing. I think the realm in which he excels is tales in the past, and tales featuring warriors or martial artists. As I've mentioned he does well on most books, but on those described there are few in his peer group. While his run on Richard Dragon was unappreciated by many in critical and publisher corners, it was deeply appreciated by me. It was fantastically told, it gave motives for the character, and it told a warrior's journey that few can write better than Chuck. I was newish to reviewing when when I read Way of the Rat from CrossGen came out. And the first thing I did was call a mutual friend, and said, "Regarding Way of the Rat? HOLY F-----G S--T!" It was a perfectly written work.

THE REST OF THE MARTIAL ARTISTS

Whether it is the ability to utilize perfect martial arts to make himself a living weapon, or the power to turn one's fists to "iron, a master of Judo or a cheesy poorly done rip off of the aforementioned Kung Fu, the characters shown below might bear interest to some. I loved Karate Kid, but I realize how he might seem more silly than most of the characters he appeared with, in the Legion of Superheroes. He knew Karate, that was his power.  However good the character could be, in his own book there were silly villains and false love stories and an ending that bled into Kamandi, of all books. Iron Fist never moved me, and I never enjoyed the comics he was in. Yang was poorly illustrated, and as I was young when reading it, I didn't appreciate it at all. It might be better than I remember, but... Judo Master was fun but never deep, and occasionally I thought I lost some IQ points after reading it.

About Getting Reviews from Me

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.



MY LINKS:


My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published Work  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess

Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com

Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted.

“If you trust yourself, any choice you make will be correct. If you do not trust yourself,
anything you do will be wrong."  Kung Fu, The Legend Continues-   David Carradine

Book Starter Sets Part I

WHERE TO BEGIN
By Alex Ness
August 21, 2022

Q&A: WOMEN, PACIFIC CONFLICT, GRELL & CONVENTIONS

From a Minnesota reader of this column and of my poetry blog. "Hey Alex... I was wondering if you are going to be at Fall Con or any other convention or show ever again? I think whoever runs shows in town are insane for not realizing how many interviews of comics people you've done, comic, prose and poetry books you've done, and more. I love seeing you and your stuff for sale at shows. If not in the Twin Cities, is any kind of show possible?  Aella L."

I love your first name, but don't know if I know how to pronounce it.  I looked it up and it is a name that destines a person for greatness. (Meaning one who reaps the Whirlwind)

I'm rather certain the people running all of the shows in the area, if they know who I am, know that I have been covering the comics world* and writing my own stuff for 20 years. What they don't seem to understand is that if they don't invite me, I can't go. I'm not able to buy a table, as they cost more than I make for any such event. I appreciate your kind words, but am truly ok with whatever happens.

I sell my books and used/news books by others via paypal and USPS mail, I have some supporters, and I do have sale albums both on Poplitiko and Facebook. Life is good, don't worry about me.

(* Found @ Robingoodfellow.com, Slushfactory.com, Ugo.com, Popthought.com, Comicon.com/pulse, CBR, & others).

From a reader of this column from a far away place over the sea. "Mister Alex, could you please send me links to this website when your new articles appear? I know you have the Poetry blog email list, and I like your poems, but greatly esteem this page. You cover enormous amounts of territory, books, comics, games, current events and more. Would you ever release a book with these articles? I know I'd buy it. (Yes, I read English so not asking for a Japanese language work). Also, with your knowledge of world affairs, can you tell me, do you think there will be a war over Taiwan, a new war in the Korean peninsula? Thank you, Your friend Akira"

My poetry blog gets hundreds more hits per new entry than Poplitiko, and I seriously doubt I'd have the interest of others in setting up an email list. But I'd be happy to send you links whenever they appear. Thanks for the inquiry.

No, I'm not releasing any book of my prose work. A long time ago a company offered me the opportunity to release such a book with them, and asked me to find a cover for it by one of my artist friends. The artist did the work, they said, hell no we aren't paying for it. I said nuts to them doing the book, and gave the artist $200 in new books and refused to deal with that company again.

I no longer have anything like the prophetic ability to predict world affairs. I used to think I had the ability to logical assess the likelihood of events, and reasons for them, but the world has gone mad regarding war, disease, political division and riots. I'm complimented that you'd want to know what I think about the world affairs you mention, but I am a historian by inclination and education. I looked at my work in political science as being aimed at understanding the field of International Relations. I'm not master of such a field and that area is another that I feel like I'm no longer able to predict and consider.

However, I think that the Korean peninsula is going to see a major war, when the leadership realizes it hasn't the ability to move forward with the regime. The Kim family hasn't cultivated a great amount of goodwill and respect over the last 70 years, and if they don't have an heir of substance to replace the current leader, I can see the desperation leading to war and the worst sort of war.

If Taiwan was an easy target, the Communist Chinese would already have invaded and absorbed the Nationalist Chinese people, their military equipment and all of their territory. In the present, without additional issues present, I can't see any near future action to bring it back under their hand since the situation seems ultimately likely to result in some peaceful reunion. It is just a matter of time. And I think some of President Biden's comments scared many people, with good reason, if the PRC perceived that Taiwan had no allies, it might well act.

From a reader who writes nearly daily, but I don't know their location on the globe. "I recently read your various pieces on great and not so great comics. I'm around your age from what I can tell, and think we like works for different reasons.  Where you see the emotional truth of a moment, I love how a work is written to weave a fabric of intrigue and power.  I love reading about women superheroes because it tends to be both sexy and different than the typical macho two heavily muscled jerks beating up each other.  I wonder who you think writes the best women heroes in comics? J.K.T."

I haven't met many women who read comics who are about my age. That is new to me and I think it to be rather cool. Of the many writers I respect, admire, love in a manly friendly way, I think it is a question that probably doesn't have an answer for a number of reasons I'll get into.* For me the answer is found for me in Mike Grell. I realize he is of an older generation and isn't writing in a modern sense of awareness of issues and politics of gender. He wrote smart powerful women in an era when tropes and stereotypical writing existed rather than mature and intelligent depictions of the same and he transcended the normal to create his own works, and did so very well.**

*I don't think we as writers are yet well able to walk on the balance beam of powerful women without going overboard to repair past problems. We must address women as being their own hero, and try to not use typical male archetypes, only dress it up as a woman. I admire powerful women in life. My mom was tough as nails. My wife is smarter than 98% or more of the people I consider bright. My sister was in military intelligence, and lived the life of a warrior. These and many other strong women inspire me, and cause me to appreciate them in ways that lead me to being a better person. Writing about women has to be to create an agency of their own qualities, not anything transferred from one gender to another.

** REGARDING MIKE GRELL

Mike Grell's kindness towards me and support allowed me to succeed at something that I was unlikely to experience without him. He appreciated my work, contributed to my book A Life of Ravens, wrote a foreword for my book Mythic Memories, and has been a wonderful mentor and older brother. He calls me his "little brother" with a wink, since I am enormous and he is not. But, whatever people wish to say, my appreciation for him does not make the paragraph above true or untrue. It is completely honest, and so, my reading experiences with him are only enhanced, amplified, greater than they might otherwise be, for the kindness and quality of my experience with him. I am aware that people have bad days, or are rubbed the wrong way, so there might well be people who don't care for Mike. The same can be said for every creative person and their interactions with you or anyone else. However, I love Mike, and he never hurt me, said anything that wasn't 100% honest, and he gave his time and work so that I might succeed.  In this world of cynicism I wanted to make certain that I share my bias, but since I was being honest, and my experiences were great, I have nothing to hide.

STARTER BOOKS Part 1

I get asked by people what books to read from authors I mention.  Some authors have a work that evolves, and so the writer you read to begin with is much different than the one you read by the end of their work. Others have evolving skills but their interests and ideas aim at the same sort of concepts.  And there are some literary universes that share creators, they might change over time, but that is more about who it is you are reading than the evolution of the concept.

Click upon each image to see in detail the books offered.

FANTASY & WEIRD FICTION

Robert E. Howard

The Essential Conan, or similar volume can capture most of the best adventures of Conan. Despite the volume of works by Robert E. Howard being prolific for his era, he worked mostly in short stories. So, collections are able to gather the many works.  The same is true for Kull, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn. But REH's poetry has not been collected well enough, with images appropriate for the author's aesthetic. The book shown is excellent.

Lord Dunsany

The King of Elfland's Daughter for me was the opposite of anything by Robert E. Howard. Where REH writes with economy, power, action and more, Dunsany pours lavish detail, lush word use, and exquisite beauty in his work. The King of Elfland's Daughter is the highest example of this. The Hashish Man and other books shown, are displays of how the world considered by Dunsany is beautiful, if also dangerous, it is full of destiny and opportunity, but one might be forced to obey fate.

Juliet Marillier

I offer the works of Juliet Marillier here because where satisfying fantasy is concerned, she excels in the telling, the depths of the dialogue and motives, and she capture the magic in the setting. Her work does not focus on combat, but it exists, she tells stories that are beautiful examples of what fantasy can achieve, that is both positive and uplifting.

HORROR, GOTHIC & WEIRD FICTION

Anne Rice created tales that were mythic, romantic, dark, and hopeful.  Her vampires were cursed with eternal life, and had to find ways to exist, within and outside of the ethical and moral concerns that mortals have to face. Immortality led to alliances over centuries, personalities that went off the charts insane, or exalted, and led to love and romance that went beyond human perceptions. Her works Violin and Cry to Heaven are included because they speak of tragedies and triumphs in human experience, but have the same sort of power of inquiry found in the more familiar mythic characters.

Arthur Machen

I love myth and legend. I write about it, feature it in my original work, and pursue it.  Arthur Machen both researched and wrote from myth and legend, and created his own myths. Among these are his work The Angels of Mons, which became confused by some for a true, if bizarre, story. He wrote in ways that most writers of his era did not. Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne and their ilk had created the genres of science fiction and crime and weird fiction. They wrote in ways that were new, while Machen took the reins of such genres, and created different, thoughtful, scary works.

Brian Lumley

I've written for about 20 years discussing how much I appreciate Brian Lumley's work. His entries into the shared universe of Cthulhu are brilliant, and should be read, with ample light and blankets, it is scary stuff. I am less a fan of Vampires, of the sort he describes, but his Necroscope series is a valid entry into that genre.  Perhaps they scare me too much.  But the one thing I love of about Lumley is that he writes in the spirit of those who wrote 100 years ago, does poetry, and it is all quite quite excellent.  His worlds are dark, but his character manage to give you hope. That isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

Ursula K. Le Guin

The Earthsea Trilogy was a moment for me when I realized that there is fantasy that doesn't revolve about tropes, combat, and muscular heroes. It can have dragons, who are wise, it can have magic that is healing, it can have a world, where beauty reigns. And there can be conflict, that is resolved other than through death. I have always been moved by Ursula K Le Guin's work, but it functions for me as long form poetry, rather than story based prose. Every line has meaning, and beauty, and while it presents a world that I wonder how I might survive or thrive there, it is real, but beautiful. Her works include powerful considerations of the power of gender, long before the present era thoughts, her works consider the consequences of actions, far into the future, and how we might survive, despite our own designs. I am unsure if I can express her impact to others, but for me she was the master of her chosen field. I think her awards and esteem suggest that she was considered such by others as well.

Elizabeth Moon

The works of Elizabeth Moon are powerful in numerous ways. I'd suggest that her wide spanning abilities to write and consider came from her personal experiences, which came in the military, and as an EMT, along with getting advanced education in biology and other fields of academia. Her obvious talents and mind informed her books, which work better for me than most other authors. Her fantasy work presents a woman warrior, and legendary hero, in a complex but practical and realistic epic story.  Her work The Speed Of Dark considers autism and how the mind works from a very personal perspective. And frankly, in her works of space and science fiction, I see her in the main characters, bright, moral but pragmatic and thoughtful women of quality.  Of the many authors who cross genres with regularity, she does it better than most. 

Alan Dean Foster

I almost didn't include Alan Dean Foster, since I've reviewed his work, interviewed him, shared his news and thoughts, and people should already be aware of the books I'd recommend. But then I remember, and it humbles me, the 2 or 3 dozen people who might have read previous articles I've written, and I realize, I live in a kingdom of my madness to think anyone remembers a damn thing I might have said. ADF's Humanx universe is one that is consistent, complex, always interesting, and considerably more hopeful than the world and universe I see around us at the moment.  For Love Of Mother-Not introduces readers to a major character's origins, and places the reader in a place to understand that character's motives and reasons to be. Icerigger and MidWorld could be considered adventures in extreme climates, that have a role in the kind of worlds and first contact events across that Humanx universe.  Spellsinger is lighthearted fantasy.  And The Damned is a series that gets down to the very nugget of what makes humans tick, and why alien races might fear us, and avoid us. His work is excellent and moves me with every read.

TO BE CONTINUED...

About Getting Reviews from Me

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.



MY LINKS:


My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published Work  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess

Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com

Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted.

RISE OF THE WHALES

Orca Whales Attack: NEWS STORY

Read a book featuring more whales

DANGEROUS TIMES & RADIATION ADVENTURES

TIME FLIES?
By Alex Ness
August 7, 2022

LIVING IN DANGEROUS TIMES

War, Plague, Hunger, Pestilence do not offer comfort. We've entered a period of human existence where the numbers of people, the speed of transport, and the global economy, even in a period of war, combine to make threats more dangerous, more contagious, and ever more fatal. Monkey Pox has a 10% fatality rate. War, even when aimed at solely military targets has a much higher fatality rate for those who are victims. The grains grown and sold for export in Ukraine and Russia are now being held up and held back from export. People dependent upon such grain for staples and daily nutrition, are, at least, going to be hungry, if they don't starve to death. Cyber attacks, human trafficking, and far more issues than I could list, all act as pestilence upon the human form. In our present world we've much to worry about.  We've much to endure, resist and survive.

MORE MOVIES WITH WAR AS A SUBJECT, BACKGROUND OR SUBTEXT

Last of the Mohicans is based upon a great novel by James Fenimore Cooper by the same name. The events of the book happen upon the backdrop of the French and Indian War. While I do think that this movie is quite good, stirring and sad, it also has some flaws. Some of the flaws include odd character choices and behaviors, and jumps in time or geography. These might well have been results of movie edits or simply bad film making. I suspect the first, but fear the second.

Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb When my best friends in high school watched this movie, they returned to school on Monday and immediately informed me how I'd missed a great movie. And it is that, but they talked about it for weeks and weeks after, and that was annoying. Stanley Kubrick's genius is visible along with the magnificent acting of George C. Scott and Peter Sellers. The madness of mutual assured destruction is plainly visible too, and the story revels in the insanity of the concept. It has humor, it is darkly poignant and lingers in memory for numerous reasons. 

Threads The aftermath of nuclear war and the reconstructing life from threads in the UK, is deeply painful viewing experience. The work is one that I was moved by immediately, and in ways more than most I watched of similar outlook. It wasn't as graphic as it could have been, as it was a television based release, but it was nonetheless harrowing. It is one of the best works of its era, regarding the sort of story and setting used.

Seven Days in May This work was said to be made with the encouragement of John F. Kennedy who feared similar events happening in the United States. This is the story of a military general who believes that the US President is too weak to face off against the communists abroad, and thus develops a plan that involves many participants, from many different areas of the military and perhaps even within greater society. Would the US accept a coup attempt? Well it was something that might have almost happened before as well. JFK wasn't the first president hated by people with power, ambition, or money.

Schindler's List I don't really need to describe this movie much, most people are familiar.  It features one man who despite his own personal flaws, realized that the Nazi desire to make the Jews race extinct was the height of human evil. He hired many Jews, whenever possible and made his factory one to be considered a vital war industry. By doing so, he saved many from the ovens. War movies can be documentaries, or based upon real events, but the Holocaust is less about a war as it was a war crime.

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom If you choose to view this film you must be prepared. It is vulgar in ways, it is graphic in violence and sexual acts, and it is also known to utilize brutality in telling of the tale. It was banned by some countries. However, it is also highly literate, deep in the artistic imagery and ideas, and makes use of philosophy, great artworks, great literature and ancient greatness. There is nothing else like this, because, I think, it could be considered a serious pornographic film, but the pornographic aspects of the film are not there for simply prurient interests. I am not of the belief that I could watch this film again, but I am glad that I did watch it once.

Grave of the Fireflies The story collects the experiences of a boy who survived the Kobe Japan firebombing by US bombers in World War Two. The bombing and fires led to his loss of two sisters, and father. Starvation, disease and human madness are all on display. The story is based upon the story "Hotaru no haka" which was a semi autobiography, and is brutal in the reality it presents. It is a beautiful but highly sad work.

Điện Biên Phủ A French made film, featuring the final battle of the French Indochina War.  The  situation of the French was desperate. They needed to finish their war, in victory or leave.  The French command chose to create a fortress system in a region that would lure the Vietminh into combat, and final battle.  The film is a classic, with dialogue and acting that is fantastic, but it is more than a war movie, it shows how the war was to be transferred from French hands to American.  So, if the war was a tragedy or wrong, it was made worse for the fact that it did not lead to a quick resolution and end to political divide of the regions of Vietnam.

RIDICULOUSNESS AND RADIATION: Crazy fun and dark games

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY has a grotesque humor, is cynically dark, and can be raucously  fun experience. It requires more than one person, perhaps to share within the event a creative yet wicked sort of fun.  Every time I've seen some of the combinations of cards, it makes me laugh, but I know people who are horribly offended by the game.  Oh well. It is a dark time, and this is a harmless silly entry into the macabre.

PLANET BUSTERS This game appeared in Dragon magazine, and it bore a resemblance to the serials of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, with art that was far more stylistic than realistic. The two people I played it with, loved the game along with me, and it provided hours of space wars and exploding planets.  It is available from a number of online sellers, and was put out by Troll Lord Games.
 
NUCLEAR WAR Flying Buffalo Games had a number of products that were quite fun.  Owner Rick Loomis sent me a deck of the card game Nuclear War for review. It is an easy to play, easy to learn game, with a great degree of edge, but it is never scary or realistic, being more of a game that uses the fearful impact of such an event, (Nuclear War) and using game mechanics to make it a swiftly played fun experience.  To me that is  a great game.

HOL: HUMAN OCCUPIED LANDFILL White Wolf was famous in RPGing for being a new kind of RPGs, and while the fiction that accompanied the games were attractive to me, I never really had an interest in going further. Black Dog Studio was involved in the game, released through WW. But HOL is a spoof utilizing the very worst of human nature, humans are trapped, imprisoned, or stranded upon a penal colony, and players must try to survive first, and perhaps thereafter escape. There is a lot to hate here, as it an open parody of the modern RPG form, but it pokes fun at its own senses too, so for those who saw it as snobbish or simply vile, might have missed the point of it. I cannot say I loved it, but I found it humorous in outlook and in the stories of those who played it.

BUNNIES & BURROWS Almost everyone who plays games in the RPG world, is familiar with the name convention, of Dungeons and Dragons, Chivalry and Sorcery, Tunnels and Trolls... bunnies & burrows was a clever use of inspiration from Watership Down. It was a book featuring events from the perspective of rabbits and the dangers they face just to survive. If you could place yourself into such a mind, and setting, bunnies & burrows, which has come out from numerous companies, with different edits, can offer a complete new, different, and if not funny, clever and generously time consuming in a good way.  If you did not find yourself moved by the concept of Watership Down, you might just not get it.

GAMMA WORLD

When asked what weird game I liked the most, and while you can spend a lot of time defining weird, since there are tons of things the world sees as weird that RPGers see as part of a game. Gamma World was a game that almost required me to use just the concept and apply other game mechanics to it for the players to enjoy it. The concept was that a great disaster of radiation and change happened, whether by war, natural disaster, or unknown impact event changed the world. The survivors of whatever happened and successive generations are trying to make their way through the new world, thread by thread trying to weave a new world, despite the many challenges. But remnant tech, racist tribes, and radioactive weird beings all offer danger to any life.    

METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA

I only played this game once, but it was an enormously fun hoot. It features adventures on a bizarre world, that you eventually learn to have been a planet sized space ship. Radiation, weird evolution, bizarre scientific dangers all combine to make the adventure unlike most any you might have a chance to experience. It was seriously great, but I understand that it might well have been so great due to the game master, and his mastery over all the elements of play. As games go, it was a rather small game with a large fun concept.

About Getting Reviews from Me

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.



MY LINKS:


My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published Work  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess

Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com

Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted.

"It will be found, eventually, that just as impurities in water become radioactive from transmuted uranium, impurities in thought become radioactive from transmuted facts and figures lurking in the pitchblende of the mind." EB White

Secret Societies, Victorian Heroes, Steampunk Comics

The Secret Victorian Era in Comics: Secret Societies, Decay, Justice, & History
By Alex Ness
August 7, 2022

ARRIVING AT THE END OF JULY

I've mentioned health issues and life issues. But I have to say, this column and the articles appearing in it will not end, unless my life ends. That might sound dramatic or intended to be perceived in a dramatic fashion. I am not saying I'll be dying any time soon, I have no idea when, where or the manner in which I will pass. Other than the medicines taken and doctor guidance, and healthier life choices, it isn't up to me to choose the time of my passing. I can say is this, my wife and son, cats, family and friends have blessed me, and whatever time I have, is made greatly better for their presence. However, my cat princess Katya erased the work you are reading, as it was being written, by rolling over on my keyboard as I wrote. She removed text and then saved her changes in one fell swoop. I was so frustrated and she looked up and rubbed her face on my beard and chirped. So, the present article is a work that is a third or fourth draft.

THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD BEFORE THE MODERN ERA

The writing of this article was greatly enhanced by the help of Richard Chapell.

This article is about the Victorian era, and earlier eras, as has been depicted in comic books, and the related context and narrative making the era one deserving our interest. I suggest buying each as they offer a great reading experience. However many of these books are out of print, so by suggesting them, I am not dealing with them as recent releases, they are included simply for their potential interest in readers, and for the fact that pretty much each one proved that there are ways to tell stories that do not include archetypes of heroes in uniforms or costumes. Works are presented in no order of preference.

SEBASTIAN O
Grant Morrison & Steve Yeowell
Published by DC/Vertigo

SEBASTIAN O imagines a steampunk world, in the Victorian era, wherein all of the possible advancements that were historically ignored, have been adopted and advanced. Add upon that, Sebastian Alfred O’Leary is one of the Victorian era dandy's, men who dress and act in an unusual manner, as a mask or personae rather than as an expression of self.  The best aspect of Sebastian O is how it embraces the intellectual world of the era, without blindly adding tropes and cliche. His dandyesque acts suggest one thing, but his mind and fists are far more masculine than his enemies realize.  The art isn't perfect, but is perfect for the story. It looks in ways as if it was created to present a feel, rather than depict a story.  And it works perfectly here.

REX MUNDI
By Arvid Nelson, Juan Ferreyra & EricJ
Published by Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics

The phrase Rex Mundi refers to King of the World, but it doesn't mean what many suppose it might mean. It is not aimed at Christ, nor at any human. To the Cathars it represented the anti God who stole control of the planet from the Jewish or Christian creator God. To others it represents the true king of earth, Satan. Rex Mundi is a secret society who lived from the Crusades era to the present, and could be considered a group that chose to fight to create a world they could control. It also offers rather clever changes in the timeline to represent how they have had an effect upon reality.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
By Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
Published by DC, Top Shelf and IDW

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill take the many figures from the novels and pulps of the past 150 years who have entered into literary public domain and make them into a team of adventurers and agents for the British Empire. There have been many teams, each in a different era, given a charter and purpose, and support, by the crown. The stories told are complex, focus upon the talents and flaws of each character, and despite Alan Moore's reputation for writing dark works, there is a joy and flavor of adventure over the overlaying darkness often found in comics of this sort.  If not the greatest of Alan Moore works, it is a high quality effort made better with the excellent work of Kevin O'Neill's art.

THE VICTORIAN

By Trainor Houghton and many others

Published by Penny Farthing Press

The Victorian is a sort of time traveling hero, who was given the responsibility of preventing a long term conspiracy that threatened world peace and financial stability. He was a steampunk hero, and one who has lived over many centuries, despite being a mortal man. The work has a quality about it that is consistent, but it had many different writing and art teams interpreting the story and character's grand design as revealed by Trainor Houghton. There is a problem with that, in that the cover art could be brilliant, while the interior art less so. The concept was brilliant, but sometimes the scripting was less competent than the idea behind the story. While I think it was quite good, I'm also aware that people coming in at the middle of the story would be confused, and people who demand the same art and writing through a book rather than see it evolve and differ by the team could be disappointed. All I know is, that I liked it a lot. For me at least, numerous hands and ideas if applied to a project, do not diminish a work, rather, they offer ways to improve it.

THE MARQUIS

By Guy Davis

Published by Caliber Comics, Oni Press & Dark Horse Comics

Guy Davis is an artist who does more with less, his use of light and shadow replace a more detail oriented artist. Davis's writing is more realistic than the artwork, and as such there is a dynamism in the approach found in The Marquis. It is dark work, happening in a time when the Church controlled most of Christian Europe, the late middle ages, when having no doubt and having great faith were more important than logic and order. The book's genre is of horror, taking place within a framework of supposed ascendant minds, architecture, ideals and leaders. It brings to mind black and white Gothic film with scenery taken from the 18th century Roman Catholic regions of Europe. If it is horror, and reflects great black and white film, it is also beautiful. The character the Marquis looks in ways like a plague doctor, along with a religious official for funeral rites. And he is a doctor, looking to cure the darkness found in the human soul, as well as the darkness that causes crime, decay, and betrayal. The work is done by a master, and should never be out of print.

PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE
Mike Oeming and Neil Vokes
Published by Image Comics

Take the world of the Marquis and bring it ahead in time a few years, and let the seed of evil found in the 1700s of the Marquis and let it come into full bloom here in the city where the Parliament of Justice and his allies hunt evil. The look of the work demonstrates a great deal of intriguing detail, fictional establishment of the kind of city we learn it to be. The writing is powerful, and when the last page arrives it is clear you were reading a focused, direct story, that can be seen as a powerful myth and morality tale.  You will understand in the end why there aren't more stories but it left me wishing for a broader and well explored universe. This book was excellent.

RUSE
By Mark Waid and Jackson Guice and Mirco Pierfederici
Published by CrossGen, Marvel

When Ruse appeared on the stands I honestly was blown away. It featured a crime solving pair and a wicked opponent possessing of great beauty. It had witty dialogue, excellent art, and only somewhat appeared tied into the universe found at CrossGen. I bought every copy, and then the writer left the series, and then CrossGen went kaput. The renewal of the series at Marvel was good, if not spectacular.  Mark Waid, however, is a brilliant writer, so for me it worked, whoever would do the art.  The faux Victorian setting works, the characters are well done and interesting, and I wanted way more of these stories.

SHERLOCK HOLMES and Dracula, the Invisible Man, and War of the Worlds
By Martin Powell, Doug Murray, Seppo Makinen and Topper Helmers
Published by Caliber Comics, Malibu Press

Sherlock Holmes was a superhero of sorts of his era, having a mind and ability to solve issues and crimes, other men could not.  He and his partner Holmes did appear in a straight Sherlock Holmes series from Eternity comics, but these books focus upon his meeting with other characters from other media of the same era. Bram Stoker's Dracula faces off with Holmes, as does the Invisible Man, and then he steps into danger when the Martians from War of the Worlds land on Earth. If you enjoy Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, the writers and artists of these works did a respectable job and I suspect you'd find yourself happy with your purchase.

VICTORIAN ERA KILLERS AND LOST SOULS
By Rick Geary
Published by NBM

Rick Geary's work has an appeal in ways none of the other works has. It has a look as if it came from th era being written about. And maybe true crime isn't your genre, Geary tells stories based on facts, and comes up with entertaining work, and interesting works. I think these are good, and if you like the style of art, you'd enjoy how well he recreates a look of the past, and writes in a fashion to recreate personalities of an era long past. I think these works are highly worthy of praise.

VICTORIAN SECRET AGENTS
By Ben Dunn & various creative talents
Published by Antarctic Press

This won't sound like I like this series, but that is only due to the comparison with the other works that have been shown above, and all of them are serious works, aimed a certain literary minded audience. I might well be too old to be moved by cute girls in costumes, or lesser stories with cheesecake art. But, this isn't really that. It is a fun, less serious but competent look at girls in steampunk roles, and for the right audience would easily be worthwhile.  I was given some of the issues by a friend, and I enjoyed them, for what they were.

About Getting Reviews from Me

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.



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CADENCE LARK IS FURIOUS

FROM BRYAN J.L. GLASS

"IT'S OFFICIAL — After 4+ years, CADENCE LARK IS FURIOUS is no longer to be released by its intended publisher.

We have a beautiful issue #1 (with all files in my possession), and the original Dark Horse Comics series is BACK ON THE MARKET to any INTERESTED Publisher/Editors. While the 2018 Kickstarter was not under my control, if the series can find a new home, it is my intention to honor all of those who contributed to acquire the promoted issue.

Please spread the word to prospective publishing partners, and contact me on Facebook by PM if interested!"

Find the first Series ...

TAKE A LOOK AT THE WORK DONE SO FAR ON THE CONTINUATION SERIES

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