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Is it just because I don't read much of her titles or does most everyone else not realize that Gail Simone is one of the best comic book writers working?
I just read the first five issues of VILLAINS UNITED and it was certainly one of the most satisfying reads I've had in years. Great characterizations, surprising cliffhanger and plot twists plus terrifically entertaining dialogue. She makes an otherwise completely implausible idea not only acceptable, but very compelling. The idea that supervillains would somehow be offended that the heroes would alter Dr. Light's memories rather than kill him (which is what he and most of them deserve) is VERY HARD TO BUY. After all, like Dr. Light, none of these villains would have any problem doing any horrible thing to anybody they wanted to. Hell, more than a few of the societies top members are brain scramblers themselves (like the hilariously preoccupied DR. PSYCHO). And that these complete sociopaths would form a "society" to "protect" themselves from these heroes who've they've been trying to kill, maim and wipe from human history for the past 75 years, that is almost too much to take without a bottle of Jager and a lobotomy.
I mean, am I alone in thinking that the primary, central, fundamental friggin' element of IDENTITY CRISIS makes ABSOLUTELY NO %#@$ING SENSE?!!
Think about it - look at what the villains have done to the heroes. This includes killing their family members, destroying cities, taking over their bodies without their consent!
How is taking over someone's body justified, but when they wipe your memory rather than JUST KILL YOU like you deserve - how is THAT crossing the line?!
I mean, after someone takes over your body, a memory wipe is the LEAST you'd expect to do to 'em. Superman and Batman may have this code against killing, but I don't see "castration by heat vision" and "permanent spinal paralysis" off-limits in the rulebook. In fact, I don't even see a rule book!!
It just baffles me that these evil evil people would suddenly get incensed that the heroes would find some alternative to killing them by wiping their memories - so incensed that they would attempt to band together to prevent it (AND do exactly the same to the heroes!!) after all the horrid crap they've done to the heroes and innocent people over the years.
BUT even more ludicrous is to expect any reader to really buy that the mind wipes were in any way wrong, unjustified or unacceptably immoral.
Realistically, you know the Dr. Light scene woulda gone like this -
BATMAN - What are we gonna do about Dr. Light?
ZATANNA - I could erase his memory.
GREEN ARROW - Sounds like a plan to me.
SUPERMAN - But is it ethical?
WONDER WOMAN - Kal, he just raped and tortured one of our closest friends and he'd do it to anyone we loved if he got the chance. What else are we gonna do, kill him?
SUPERMAN - Hmmm. Okay, I'm in.
Miraculously, Simone manages to make it work in VU, but the rest of Crisis is built on smoke.
Simone not only makes it work, she uses the weaknesses inherent to the concept of a "society" of villains to add subtle shades to the struggle between the six and the society. I have to say that this writing is as good as anything I've read lately from Bendis, Johns, Ellis, Waid, or even Whedon in AXM. Eaglesham is not at the caliber of Cassady, but (like his work on the equally underrated H.E.R.O.) he can certainly tell a story well and he doesn't "miss" anything in the great writing like a few artists have been known to do.
Definitely top notch work in the otherwise disappointing series of interrelated titles between IDENTITY CRISIS and INFINITE CRISIS. |
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