The Best Things You Haven't Read: Matt Fraction's The Order

In the fallout of the Civil War event, Marvel used the new status quo to launch and re-purpose a number of new books under “The Initiative” banner. With every state needing a super hero team, Brian Bendis launched The Mighty Avengers, Dan Slott headlined the official Avengers: the Initiative title, Warren Ellis took over the villain turned hero Thunderbolts and Matt Fraction spawned a new take on The Order.

Of the four titles, The Order was the best in quality, but somehow fared the worst in sales. With a superstar art team of Barry Kitson, Mark Morales and Dean White, Fraction scribed the adventures of title-team The Order, assigned by Iron Man to be California’s hero designate slash public relations expo. In a time where other writers were exploring the transformation from hero to soldier in the Marvel landscape, The Order went in another direction. Armed with a single recognizable character, Tony Stark’s assistant Pepper Potts, the title focused on normal people who sought to give back to their community, exchanging a year of their life for a year of super powers in government service.

With a diverse and brand new cast, popcultureophile Fraction immediately established a solid narrative formula for each issue, a mixture of reality television confessional and Lost-esque flashbacking, with character commentary mingled with past events depending on what was occurring in the present. Also aped was the structure of Warren Ellis title Nextwave, with miniature arcs running two issues at a time while weaving longer running plot threads and mysteries throughout.

Although the art team changed periodically during the run, Barry Kitson turns in some of the best visual storytelling of his career, using consistent and well structured layouts to help readers navigate the constantly shifting elements. The pencillers shine in the creation and execution of these brand new figures, making them recognizable just pages after their initial debut and turning Fraction’s bizarre villains into memorable monsters. Combined with a fantastic control of action and stellar work from Morales, White, and a team of others, the artistic elements enhance the story well beyond what one expects from an average comic.

The highlight of The Order’s ten issues however, is the characters. If there is one thing Matt is good at, it is inventing crazy new properties and one can only hope that being able to build a team of super heroes from scratch must have been at least half as fun for him as it is to read. It is easy to dissect the team down into familiar archetypes, for instance, matching up former Teen of the Year, Aralune to the Hulk/Thing/muscle type, Fraction’s ability to provide simple, quirky and endearing characterization easily helps her break away from the generic and establish herself as a unique character.

The efforts go both ways, as the villains receive just as much attention as the heroes. Taking further cues from Nextwave, The Order is populated by off the wall enemies who seem more likely to appear in cheap science fiction novels than the Marvel proper. Zobos (Zombie Hobos), giant radiation enhanced animals, shadowy men in black, and fan favorite, Jetpack Bear make appearances in the ten issue run and provide a light hearted energy to the more serious drama that occurs throughout.

While billed as a series about team super-heroics, The Order is really a comic that focuses on humanity, and exploring what it means to be thrown into a world full of mutants, villains and aliens. Going beyond the notions of power and responsibility, The Order is a study on why not everyone can be Spider-Man, the power of celebrity and how being able to fly changes everything. While not a dark and gritty look at people as heroes, The Order does try to take a rational look at how real people might respond to a higher calling, asks questions like “How could a sex-tape affect the Invisible Woman? What makes a team a family? and Is revenge truly worth it?” In the end, The Order is an exploration of people, and how they would respond to the chance to make a difference in the world.

What Does the Return of Steve Rogers Mean for Bruce Wayne?

Over the last few years Marvel and DC have put their most iconic heroes through the ringer. With different methods and different reasons, Grant Morrison and Ed Brubaker have forced Captain America and Batman through difficult journeys, battling powerful foes with the ultimate goal of conquering death itself. But while these two characters have walked similar paths over the last few years, their futures could not be more different. With Steve Rogers having already returned for Siege and Marvel’s Avengers plans set for the new status quo, the plans for Bruce Wayne remain unclear as he begins his journey home this week. However, by examining the plans for Rogers and exploring the editorial visions of the two companies, it may be possible to generate some potentially accurate predictions about the future of the Bat-Family.

In the two year duration between Steve Rogers’s death and resurrection, the landscape of Marvel’s universe has changed considerably. Cap’s passing marked a sharp decline into a period of bureaucratic heroism where the government and law constantly interfered with justice. Meanwhile, a race of shape shifting aliens invaded and splintered the community of heroes further, ultimately allowing for a collective of villains to step in and become the ultimate authority in the land.

In Captain America’s main book, what was supposed to be a brief absence for Rogers turned into a 25 issue break, as Ed Brubaker’s commitment to the title and the creative flexibility of Marvel’s editorial team and fan support allowed Bucky Barnes, former Captain America sidekick, to don both the costume and the shield, taking up his friend’s cause and place in the Avengers.

Now, with the Avengers set to re-unite officially and bring the status quo into a brighter, more “Heroic Age,” the question “What role does Steve Rogers play in the future?” really becomes important. The answer is surprisingly simple, Rogers will continue to do what he has always done, lead the Avengers going forward, simply in a different costume.

With the franchise stronger than ever, Rogers will be pulling double duty as both an important member in Brian Bendis’s Avengers flagship title, while also leading his own team in Ed Brubaker’s Secret Avengers. Through death, Steve will have actually increased his exposure, to three monthly books and will no doubt feature in more as he continues to act as the chairman of whatever agency will replace H.A.M.M.E.R./S.H.I.E.L.D.

It is a huge win for Marvel, whose commitment to laissez-faire writing has allowed authors to produce both quality books and organic stories, as they are now pushing the character into the spotlight, right as anticipation for the Captain America movie begins to spike.

Though the plans for Rogers, once announced seemed kind of obvious, the results of Bruce Wayne’s journey through time are anything but. Grant Morrison’s run has been the ultimate love letter to Batman, exploring every facet of the character by forcing him through a gauntlet of nightmares, mysteries, villains and even ethical violations that led to Bruce’s “death” and catapulting through time.

Even in a book featuring a Batman, Wayne’s presence continues to haunt the series as former Robin-turned Nightwing, Dick Grayson has donned the mantle of his adopted brother and works to keep Gotham safe.

As with Bucky Barnes, fan reaction to Dick as Batman has been fairly positive, although his time under cowl seems finite. In some recent interviews, Morrison announced that he has one more chapter in mind for what he considers his definitive Batman story, although he gave no hint about how long that chapter would be. He does mention two very important things however, the first is that what he has planned for post-Wayne’s return is something he considers a brand new, never been done before in the Batman franchise. The second is a grim reminder that he understands when he writes for the big franchises, at the end of everything, Bruce Wayne will need to be Batman.

It is no secret that DC is constantly editorially involved in the work of their authors, and as they are currently clinging to the Bat-franchise like a life preserver, it seems unlikely that anything drastic will happen. There are still at least three issues of Batman and Robin and six issues of The Return of Bruce Wayne to get through before a new status quo can be established, so equipped with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne will inevitably be Batman again, the only real questions left are surrounding the Bat-Family. Of the 9 or so Bat-books currently on the market, a Batman factors into at least four of them and often cameos in the others, so yet another mantle change would shake-up that line-up as well.

Bruce Wayne has given up being Batman before during the Knightfall days when Azrael took over for a time as Gotham’s prime defender, so the idea of leaving Dick Grayson under the cowl for a longer period is an option. Another outcome is to revisit something Tony Daniel touched on during his Battle for the Cowl mini: Multiple Batmen. The potential for artistic confusion seems infinite, but Bruce and Dick in differing costumes, prowling the city, if executed well could be a lot of fun. The Steve Rogers option also remains a possibility, Bruce Wayne becomes an Oracle-esque figure, running all of the different aspects of the Bat-Family in some capacity, but this seems unlikely. The most obvious occurrence simply seems to be Bruce as Batman, and Dick returning to his solo role, reviving the Nightwing title.

With the return of the mantle to Bruce, his pairing with Damian Wayne, his son via Talia Al Ghoul, seems likely. The character has become a favorite to some, a pest to others but a staple of the Bat titles nonetheless. A Wayne/Wayne dynamic duo would allow writers to experiment with Bruce in a paternal role, rather than big brotherly and could lead to some fun holiday specials. Damian looks to be set as Robin for some period, as Tim Drake, after having defeated one of Batman’s arch-nemeses is now too grown for the sidekick role, and will continue on as Red Robin.

The ripples of Bruce’s return will probably reach Batgirl in some small way, perhaps resulting in a move out of the Batcave for Stephanie and Barbara, but given how loosely associated Batwoman is with the family already, I anticipate barely any change for that title. Likewise, Gotham City Sirens will probably remain untouched.

It is disappointing, as Dick Grayson’s time as Batman represented an opportunity for DC Comics to take a serious chance on something fresh and it just doesn’t seem like that will stick. Their constantly narrow vision will no doubt have the Bat franchise in a state of stagnation or chaos mere moments after Grant Morrison steps away from the title. It is on-going with their 42+ issue crossover in the Superman family, and the Wonder Woman title continues to flounder without direction. Combined with a failure to obtain quality talent in the writing and artistic departments, the future for the Bat titles seems quite dim.

Small Week, Small List

Red Robin #12: Chris Yost’s year on Red Robin comes to a close this week and the end is surprisingly solid. With arguably the most difficult character to deal with in the fallout of the Battle for the Cowl, a few months of rockiness and a new artist were all it took to smooth out the feathers. In a final showdown with Ra’s al Ghul, Tim Drake completes his journey from sidekick to hero demonstrating all of the planning and mental power of his mentor with some fundamental differences. Marcus To also continues to shine as the ongoing artist. While still developing his style, To does the characters justice and you can tell he is really beginning to get comfortable with the book. His combat scenes are a bit stiff but I imagine that is something that will come with time and experience. Overall my time spent with Red Robin has been enjoyable and I look forward to the next year of comics. B-

Batman and Robin #12: Grant Morrison continues to prove why he is a master of his craft as the last page of this issue dictates a re-read of at least two arcs of this series. Continuing to move all the pieces into place for Bruce Wayne’s return this summer, Grant still finds ways to develop his characters and move the plot forward even in an issue without an excessive amount of action. The issue is filled with lots of great moments for the whole Bat-team and some nice callbacks to stories that still require some resolution. The downside of the issue is Andy Clarke’s art of which the best I can probably say is that it is consistent. Everything is serviceable but there is barely any imagination in the storytelling, thankfully everything is straight forward. B+

Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1: This may be the Spider-Man/X-Men book that gets overlooked this week. Launching Marvel’s new Astonishing line-up that is supposed to be reader friendly and billing top talent, and it does not disappoint. Jason Aaron is quickly becoming the master of team-ups and his Peter and Logan looks to be his best to date. With a mixture of strong dialogue both spoke and internal, Aaron starts the issue with a fresh hook and does not let up until the end. With Aaron delivering some of his strongest writing, Adam Kubert is equally up to the task. His pencils are beautiful, detailed and well thought out with story telling that conveys Jason’s scripts perfectly. The layouts are quite standard but when Adam does break away from the norm, he absolutely beams. With five issues to go, I cannot wait to see where this leads. A+

Amazing Spider-Man #630: It was almost unfair having to read Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine after this because Shed did not fail to deliver. I’ve spent weeks ranting and raving, writing and pleading with people to pick this up if they weren’t reading ASM and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Zeb was absolutely top notch, the characters spot on and the Lizard/Connors dialogues were even better than I could have ever hoped for. On top of that, Chris Bachalo, good lord did he kill it. He just absolutely owned this issue from the opening page, his goofy cartoon Spider-Man next to a stylish, super cool Black Cat conveys their relationship perfectly and his last three pages with the emergence of the Lizard are just absolutely masterful. It may be too early to say but this is shaping up to not only be one the best Gauntlet story, but also one of the best Spider-Man stories in at least the last two years. If you are reading this and not reading ASM, I’m begging you to pick it up. A++

Get Ready to "Shed" With Spider-Man

It is finally time for the Amazing Spider-Man story that I have been drooling over for months now, the return of the Lizard, penned by Zeb Wells and penciled by Chris Bachalo. “Shed,” the arc's title, is a four-parter taking us into the month of June. Here are five reasons why you need to be more than excited for this Wednesday:

5. This is the final finger of The Gauntlet: For 29 issues now, Spider-Man has been running through wave after wave of his villains, revamped, stronger and deadlier than ever. Without a break, Spidey has gone through Doctor Octopus, the Chameleon, Electro, the Sandman, Mysterio, two Rhinos, the Juggernaut, a number of encounters with Mister Negative, Morbius, and a brand new Vulture in succession. But while he has survived each one, the list of causalities are vast, including his job with the Mayor's Office, the destruction of Aunt May's home and even her own yet to be resolved corruption by Mister Negative. With Shed as the final lap before the Grim Hunt can begin, expect no punch to be pulled as everything than can be done to run Spidey through the grinder.

4. Zeb Wells: No stranger to the webs, Zeb has been the brains behind a number of Spider-Man stories about a number of characters over the years, Wells will bring his filmmaking vision, sense of humor, bizarre mindset and incredible talent to put the finishing touches on what has been one of the best Spider-Man mega-arcs in recent memory, if not ever. His experience writing Venom and the symbiote will also come into play here as the prologue pages in last week's ASM gave us a look into both the rational and scientific voice of Dr. Connors and his monstrously creepy alter ego.

3. The Lizard: 90s symbiotes aside, The Lizard is perhaps my favorite Spider-Man villain. Curt Connors, Parker's occasional mentor and friend is also experiencing his own Gauntlet, reduced to working for Phelcorp in order to make ends meet and maintain visitation for his son. Look for the events of Shed to push him towards desperate measures. Unlike the other villains whose animal resemblances come from the outfits they don to gain their powers, Curt Connors, like Peter Parker, is the closest in tune with his "animalistic totem" in that he will always be The Lizard, it is part of his genetics and when he transforms and The Lizard battles The Spider, the encounters are primal, intense, close combat fights that push both participants to their limits. Given that these stories have been all about making Spider-Man's foes deadlier than ever, expect Wells to utilize all of the Lizard's abilities, including his control over reptiles and to put him in situations that will allow for some creative storytelling.

2. Chris Bachalo: If Mark Millar is the Michael Bay of Marvel, Chris Bachalo is the Tim Burton. With a gorgeous exaggerated and quirky manga-ish style that is perfectly suited for the cartoony but occasionally dark world of Spider-Man, Bachalo does it all: phenomenal and inventive layouts, detailed backgrounds, kinetic action, fantastic character designs (as the initial previews of Bachalo's Lizard take reveal) and flawless interpretation of the script. Bachalo is a master storyteller, as comfortable with a multi panel page as he is with a spread. Shed will be his fourth stint in the post-Brand New World day of Spider-Man, with his latest work being Brian Reed's Sinister Spider-Man. Expect him to translate the strange and intensely alien work he put into Venom towards Connor's Lizard.

1. The Chemistry: The last time Wells and Bachalo partnered, the team managed to stop the bleeding and give pause to the feeding frenzy of Spider-haters who were loathing the flagship title's new direction. The mixture of action, dialogue and plot helped stem the tide of doubt and gave the Webheads a chance to re-focus, leading the vanguard towards the New Ways to Die event that righted the ship for the brand. It has been a year and a half since the duo has worked together last, and they have both come a long way, with Bachalo even going on record with how impressed he was with the advancement Zeb has made in his writing. This is a story that has been in the works for a number of months now, with plenty of time allocated so there will be no delays or need for fill-in artists. The longest arc since last spring's American Son, Shed is set to kick off the Spider-Summer and will do so in tremendous fashion. You can anticipate fun, action, excitement, and no doubt a terrarium full of horror.

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