The Avengers, Omega Flight & Westminster style Executive Government

While rereading Avengers Vol. 5 #10 recently I noticed (remembered!) how the story took the Avengers to Canada where we had an alien force take over Regina, the capital city of the province of Saskatchewan. Canada's Department H had reluctantly called in S.H.I.E.L.D. and the US-based Avengers for help when this little gem of dialogue appeared: 

Image from Marvel's Avengers Vol. 5 #10 (June 2013) Written by Jonathan Hickman, Pencils by Mike Deodato, Colours by Frank Martin, Letters by Cory Petit.

Image from Marvel's Avengers #10.

A military department with nuclear weapons that "his government" (and by this I presume the elected politicians) doesn't know about. Could this even happen in Canada? Could there be such a disconnect between a government department and the elected leadership that, as Logan suggests an "old school" government agency could have access to nukes that nobody knows about? And if so could this thing even be legal? This piece will examine this issue using the history of both the Canadian and British parliamentary systems as well as the current law that governs the Department of National Defence to explain how this in fact could not happen. Legal issues aside, this was an enjoyable story is not an indictment of the actual writing or art in any way. 

Canada is what can be called a Westminster democracy because it is modelled after the UK’s parliament located in Westminster, London. The British parliament has been a model for many democracies around the world, not just those 16 states that share Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. Naturally, as these different states have evolved they have made subtle changes to better reflect the realities of their geographic and political realities, but in essence Westminster systems tend to remain quite similar. Examples of such changes include Australia, which while sharing the Queen has an elected upper chamber, whereas members of their British and Canadian equivalents, the House of Lords and Senate of Canada respectively, are appointed by the Queen on the advice of their prime minister.  Since 1982 Canada has also had an entrenched constitution with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms which is a legal document that while allowing for both the federal parliament in Ottawa and the provincial legislatures to pass laws, also serves as an entrenched check against these legislatures and their laws have been found to be unconstitutional and struck down by the courts. Westminister style states can also include republican countries such as Israel or India who have presidents yet operate in a similar fashion as their monarchical cousins and have prime ministers who make the political decisions and are elected members of parliament. 

The UK's MI: 13 (The MI stands for "Military Intelligence" and dates back to WWII) would follow a similar chain of command as Canada's Department H, as Canada's system of governance was largely modelled after the UK's. Image from Marvel's Revolutionary War: Alpha (March 2014) Written by Andy Lanning & Alan Cowsill, Art by Rich Elson, Colours by Antonio Fabela.

History

While the history of parliamentary governance reaches back further than the Norman invasion of England in 1066, it's here where we’ll begin our discussion. It was that pivotal year that the Normandy-based duke William conquered England and took the kingship of the realm. Not knowing the country as well as he might, the new king and his descendants set about inviting England’s landowners to join in the governance of the consolidated kingdom. Over time these aristocrats grew robust in the defence of their newly acquired rights and responsibilities and by the early 1200s were in rebellion against one of William's lesser decendents, John. So it was in 1215 that John was made to sign Magna Carta, which subjected him to the law and disallowed him from raising taxes or an army without their consent. From John onwards, certain favourites or competent individuals would assume positions of power and influence and the early stages of ministerial government developed.

But it was in the seventeenth century that things came to a fore. In 1603 James VI of Scotland became the King of England upon the death of his cousin Elizabeth I and this brought a different tone to the governance of England. James was influenced by continental rhetoric that envisioned a more centralized and monarch-centred ideal and soon set out to implement this as policy. This thinking became even more pronounced when James' son Charles assumed the English throne and would culminate when parliamentary and royalist forces went to war in the English Civil War (1642 to 1651). This war ultimately led to Charles’s execution, but when the republican experiment failed, Charles's son (Charles II) was invited to become King. When he died, his brother assumed the throne but being Catholic, was unacceptable to England’s largely Protestant aristocracy. So when James II finally became unpalatable for English nobles, they invited the Dutch Prince William of Orange (who was married to James’ daughter Mary) to become co-regent with his wife. But in order to become King, William was made to sign a contract of sorts – called the Bill of Rights of 1689 – containing a number of provisions of which the king had to adhere. These included a prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, jury trials for criminal matters and other such things.

The marker denoting the site in Westminster Hall where Charles Stuart, King of England was sentenced to death. Photo by Blogger.

Westminster Hall. This is the oldest party of the Palace of Westminster. The above shown plaque is on the stairs. Photo by Blogger.

Giving the crown to William and Mary under such conditions represented a seismic shift in the constitutional status of England. By setting conditions, the nobles and the representative body of parliament ascended into an arrangement with the King that changed the legal landscape. Henceforth, it was the "King-In-Parliament" that had sovereign power in England and not only could the King not act unilaterally (as per Magna Carta), if a law was passed in parliament it was indisputably the law of the land and the only thing parliament could not do is pass a law that bound itself. The Crown's prerogative powers – which was the body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, that was the sole prerogative of the sovereign and included defence, foreign affairs and keeping the peace – were largely maintained and would remain considerable until gradually chipped away by parliamentary statute. But the legal Rubicon had been crossed and parliament was now a sovereign body that could make laws as it decided. Mary died in 1693 and William in 1702 and eventually the crown passed to Anne, Mary’s sister. But when Anne died without an heir, the closest protestant candidate was George, Elector of Hanover, a German who could not speak English. Because of these linguistic issues by the end of George’s reign, much of the responsibilities for the governance of the realm were on the shoulders of a parliamentarian named Sir Robert Walpole and he is largely considered Britain’s (and therefore the Commonwealth’s) first Prime Minister. 

A century and a half later in 1867, when the three colonies of British North America came together to form Canada, its establishing act from the British parliament called the British North America Act stated in its preamble that the newly formed Canada was to be a federal union of "One Dominion under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a Constitution similar in Principle to that of the United Kingdom." 

Ministerial Government

Which brings us back to the question at hand: could a Canadian Prime Minister or Minister of Defence not know that the department which he or she ultimately controls has access nuclear weapons? Currently, the Prime Minister of Canada is selected by the Governor-General of Canada (the Queen's representative in Canada) to become PM. This is usually done after an election in which the party he or she leads wins the most seats in parliament. Once this happens, the Prime Minister-elect sets about deciding on who will join him or her to form the Canadian Ministry, which over time by constitutional convention (these are not laws but conventions that have evolved) has taken the prerogative powers of the Crown and become their sole exerciser. These are typically other Members of Parliament and are chosen not just for their competence but other politically calculated considerations which include but are not limited to province of origin, ethnicity, city or constituency.  

All of these Canadian government resources are ultimately under the control of a minister who must answer to the House of Commons. Image from Marvel's Avengers #10.

Once a minister is chosen, he or she is sworn into the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada. The Privy Council's active component are those individuals who are responsible for running or assisting with the operations of government departments such as the Ministry of Finance, Justice Canada or the Department of National Defence. Leaders of the Opposition are also sworn into the Privy Council so they can have access to secret information, but they do not head a government department and actively oppose the government in the House of Commons where each minister is held to account. Because of this, it is ultimately the minister who is responsible for its bureaucrats and employees. So if Department H were to acquire nuclear weapons without the Minister of National Defence knowing, this would be counter the National Defence Act, 1985 which reads in Section 4:

 

The Minister holds office during pleasure, has the management and direction of the Canadian Forces and of all matters relating to national defence and is responsible for

• (a) the construction and maintenance of all defence establishments and works for the defence of Canada; and
• (b) research relating to the defence of Canada and to the development of and improvements in materiel.

Remember this law was passed by the heir of the sovereign parliament of 1689 and is very clear: the Minister of Defence is responsible for all matters relating to national defence. So even if Department H was created by a separate statute by the Canadian parliament (to my knowledge Marvel has never stated which statute created Department H) it would most likely be governed by similar language as the NDA and would ultimately have a minister responsible for it. Because of this, Logan's "old school" friends with their secret arsenal are clearly operating outside of the law and counter to centuries of both historical negotiation and constitutional and legal development.

Happy Thanksgiving...

...to all of my American readers. May your holiday be filled with the very best of friends, family and FOOTBALL! I actually got into the NFL (I've always watched the Canadian game) when I lived in the United Kingdom and American Thanksgiving was one of the few days when we could watch the NFL at a normal hour! 

Cover of Marvel's Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #564 (April 2009)

We Canadians are fantastically lucky to have the Great Republic to our immediate south. We've been through a great many things together -- and while we don't always agree on everything -- Canadians could not ask for a better neighbour. Safe travels to anyone away from home this Thanksgiving and have a wonderful long-weekend. 

Guardian and Captain America from Marvel's Alpha Flight Vol. 1 #39 (October 1986)

Addendum to the Previous Post on the Uncanny X-Men, Alpha Flight & Criminal Code of Canada

It's not very often that one can write a blog entry and only weeks later enjoy a conversation with one of the creators you wrote about. But this happened for me yesterday when I had a delightful conversation (and got a few autographs too) with legendary comics creator Chris Claremont at a comic shop here in Toronto.

Some of the autographed comics from Sunday's signing with Chris Claremont. 

I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to finally meet Mr. Claremont. I've been a fan for as long as I've been reading comics (1986?) and found him to be every bit as friendly as I could have hoped. In chatting I mentioned my previous blog entry about Section 16 of the Criminal Code of Canada and we had a nice discussion about it. He mentioned that the point of the story was not to imply that Georges Baptiste would be punished automatically. Rather, that it was to explain that the Canadian justice system would have to go to work and ensure Mr. Baptiste was treated fairly and received the help, punishment or a combination of both that justice required. This is exactly what Section 16 and the mental disorder defence is about.  

Anyways, it was a fantastic little Sunday vingette and I encourage anyone who has an opportunity to meet Chris Claremont to get out and do so. I'm sure he'll be as appreciative of the encounter has you'll be.

Alpha Flight, X-Men and Secton 16 of the Criminal Code of Canada

I was reading the Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past trade paperback by Chris Claremont and John Byrne recently. Alpha Flight fans may remember that the arch immediately prior to Days of Future Past (and featured in its trade) is an Wendigo-focused story that happens in northern Canada and has the X-Men and Alpha Flight working together, something that had been a rarity up until that point. One of the later panels of Uncanny X-Men #141 particularly caught my attention. Have a look: 

Wendigo reverts to Georges Baptiste and is promply arrested in Uncanny X-Men #140 (December 1980).

Later, Guardian explains what will happen to Mr. Baptiste after his arrest. Also from Uncanny X-Men #140 (December 1980).

Alpha Flight has always been somewhat of an anomaly in comics because its an early state-sponsored superhero group. Of course, we saw groups like this in Golden Age WWII comics; the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War event in late 2000s; and even the U.S. government employed Superman in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns in 1986. But from their very beginnings Alpha Flight has always seemed to be working on behalf of the Canadian government in peacetime. Which is what brought these “super-mounties” into contact with the X-Men and Wendigo in the first place. 

But what exactly would happen “under Canadian law” in this instance? Could Mr. Baptiste be held responsible for any crimes while possessed by the spirit of the Wendigo? And what defences could his lawyers use so the courts "aren't too hard on him" as Guardian suggests? In this short piece I'm going to examine Section 16 of the Criminal Code of Canada and how Mr. Baptiste might use the defence of a mental disorder to prove to the court that he should not be found criminally responsible for his actions.

Defences

Simply put, defences are the means by which defence lawyers prove to the “trier of fact” (which in most cases is a jury in Canada, but at times can also be a judge) that the Accused should not be found guilty of the alleged crime. Serious crimes in Canada must have both a Mens Rea (a guilty mind) and an Actus Reus (a corresponding guilty act). This is very important because it's against natural justice, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and even common sense to seriously punish someone who didn't have a guilty mind when they committed a crime.

In Canada, our bedrock document relating to criminal law is the Criminal Code of Canada. This massive tome, while not containing all Canadian criminal law, contains the vast majority of it. First created in the 1892 in an effort to put into statute or "codify" the criminal law of Canada, the text has been amended over the years as Canada's changed. The Code not only contains offences that a person can be charged with, but also defences that can be used by the Accused to prove they are not guilty or criminally responsible. These range from age capacity (Section 13) to the defence of property (Section 40). For the purposes of today's discussion, the defence that applies to the events of Uncanny X-Men #139 and #140 is the mental disorder defence, which is Section 16.  

The "Super-Mounties" of the Marvel universe. Here's Alpha Flight from X-Men and Alpha Flight Vol. 2 #2 (June 1998)

Section 16

Taken directly from the Criminal Code, Canada's mental disorder (we do not say "Insanity") defence is:  

No person is criminally responsible for an act committed or an omission made while suffering from a mental disorder that rendered the person incapable of: 1) appreciating the nature and quality of the act or omission or; 2) of knowing that it was wrong.   

Like much of Canadian law, this section of the Criminal Code reaches back to English criminal law, specifically the judgment of M'Naghten's Case of 1843. In M'Naghten, the accused, a Mr. Daniel M'Naghten (pronounced, and sometimes spelled, McNaughtan or McNaughton), attempted to kill British Prime Minister Robert Peel. He was unsuccessful, but in the melee ended up killing one of the prime minister's aides. The resulting trial eventually found its way to the House of Lords, then the court of last resort in the United Kingdom, where the judgment reflected the longstanding idea that mental illness should not be met with retribution, but with mercy.   

Of course, the press and many elected officials vociferously denounced the verdict, something that happened when John Hinkley, Jr. successfully used the defence after his failed assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan almost 140 years later. Congress and a number of states took immediate action to ban the so-called "insanity defence" outright, but the M'Naghten defence still remains on the books in a number of US jurisdictions, just as it is used in Canada and in England and Wales.  

Guardian getting it done in X-Men and Alpha Flight Vol. 2 #2 (June 1998)

Which takes us to the case at hand. In defending Mr. Baptiste, I would say counsel's best move is a Section 16 defence, something Guardian even alludes to. Of course, because the curse of the Wendigo is enacted by the consumption of human flesh, we would have to prove that Mr. Baptiste did not consume the flesh with the intent of becoming a monster, but only out of a desire to survive in the wilderness. This is because we would not want to use the analogous logic of someone using "liquid courage" to commit a crime and then claiming intoxication as a defence. But if Mr. Baptiste didn't understand that his actions would lead to him becoming Wendigo and this subsequent magical mental illness made him loose control of his actions (thereby negating any Mens Rea) I think a Section 16 defence would work. 

It is important to understand that what constitutes a "mental disorder" is a question of law and therefore left to the judge to decide. So while cases involving Section 16 inevitably involve psychiatric experts testifying under oath (and there are provisions to prevent an endless "battle of the experts"), ultimately the judge will decide if there is a disease of the mind in play. She or he will then instruct the trier of fact (jury) to answer: 1) at the relevant time of the crime the accused was incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of his/her action, and if so; 2) he or she did not know that it was wrong. 

And as in all Canadian criminal law, there is case law to guide a Section 16 defence, such as what "appriciate" actually means or how Section 16 relates to specific illnesses, but that is beyond the scope of our piece today. Hopefully however you're leaving here with a better understanding of Canadian criminal law, The Criminal Code of Canada and the Claremont/Byrne run on Uncanny X-Men. Using Section 16 with regard to a magical possession seems a little bit of a stretch, but that's the fun of comics and may even have even been on Guardian's mind he says Mr. Baptiste's actions were those of an "insane man". Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you're having a great September.

Interested in Canadian comics? Check out Lost Heroes: the Untold Story of Canadian Superheroes

Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm Canadian and proud of it! In fact, using Wolverine, Alpha Flight or even Canadian-born Joe Shuster to talk about all aspects of my country is a true joy of mine.  

Did you know that the Canadian equivalent to the Eisners are called the Shusters? Here's the 2007 logo -- all credit to the Joe Shuster Awards.

But the history of comics in Canada is so much more than Logan or Joe Shuster's birth city. Indeed, Canada has had some great comic titles and some truly interesting and inspiring comic book characters. 

Which is why I'd like to bring to your attention Lost Heroes: The Untold Story of Canadian Superheros, a feature-length documentary currently in post-production. Scheduled to air on Super Channel in late 2013, Lost Heroes looks at all those Canadians who have dawned a cape, cowl or helmet through the course of comics. It promises to be a real treat for anyone interested in the history our medium and I encourage everyone interested to keep an eye out for it. I have a friend currently working as a Researcher on the project and she promises me it will be amazing.

Happy Canada Day!

Today Canadians around the world celebrate Canada's 146th birthday. And to celebrate here at WGTB, we've decided one of our "Top Five" posts is in order. This time it's Canadian characters in comics and hopefully there's a little something here to teach you about comics and that great country situated on the northern portion of North America.  

Quebec City's famous Chateau Frontenac as depicted in the splash of Captain Canuck #11 (Sept/Oct 1980)

 Let's begin...

5) Joe Shuster

We start our list with Superman co-creator Joe Shuster. Okay, we know it's a stretch to say this flesh and blood fellow and the first artist of the superhero responsible for defending "truth, justice and the American way" is a Canadian character, but we'll argue this by way of Toronto. Joe Shuster was born in Toronto and lived in Canada's largest city until he moved to Cleveland  when he was ten. Before moving, Joe worked as a newsboy for the Toronto Daily Star and used its former King and Bay street headquarters as models for the Daily Planet building in Metropolis. In his waining years he would also speak fondly of his Toronto roots and this is undoubtedly a source of pride for any comic loving Canadian. Joe Shuster: 5th on our list of Canadian characters in comics.

Toronto-born comics legend Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, holds a copy of Action Comics #1 (June 1938)

And from the Man of Steel's latest book, Superman Unchained #1 (June 2013)

4) Northstar & Aurora 

Alpha Flight's Quebecois contingent, the twin siblings Northstar and Aurora have long been two of Marvel's most innovative characters. Northstar was one of the first openly gay characters in comics, coming out of the closet in the early 90s and getting married in Astonishing X-Men #51 in June 2012. Aurora, on the other hand, has long battled various forms of mental illness, her own mutant powers manifesting as a teenager during a suicide attempt. These important and thoughtful attributes have meant that Northstar and Aurora have been two of Marvel's guiding lights (sorry I couldn't resist!) since first created in 1979 and have undoubtedly helped many young readers on their own journey of self discovery. As such, they get 4th place on our list today.   

Northstar and Aurora in Alpha Flight Vol. 1 #1 (August 1983)

3) Captain Canuck 

Captain Canuck is the ketchup chips of Canadian comics: invented in Canada; usually found only in Canada; and mostly red. Invented by Winnipeg's Comely Comix in 1975, Captain Canuck was published periodically (and with some very large gaps) between 1975 and 2004. The Captain inhabited a world where contact with extra-terrestial life gave Canadian Tom Evans space-born powers and much of the book's backdrop featured space and futuristic themed stories. The character has recently found new life in the form of an animated series which will debut today at the Silver Snail in Toronto. If you'd like to learn more about the latest incarnation of a Canadian funny book institution, please watch this YouTube video or visit this site.

Captain Canuck kicks robot butt in Captain Canuck Vol. 1 #11 (Sept/Oct 1980) 

 2) Vindicator/Heather McNeil Hudson 

The longtime leader of Alpha Flight, Vindicator was vaulted into the position when her husband died in an early issue of John Byrne's run on Alpha Flight. Never the shrinking violet, Heather Hudson threw herself into the role, taking up the mantle of Alpha Flight leader with gusto, soon becoming an important leader in her own right. This made her -- in a similar vein to her colleague Northstar -- a trailblazer as the first female leader of a major Marvel group. Because of this, she is a close second to the top Canadian character, someone Hudson counts as a close friend... 

At the funeral of James Hudson as depicted in Alpha Flight Vol. 1 #13 (August 1984)

Vindicator kicks butt and cracks wise in Alpha Flight Vol. 1 #89 (October 1990)

1) Wolverine 

...the Wolverine! One of the most popular characters in all of comics, this Canadian is the "best at what he does" and instantly recognizable not only to comic fans, but in wider popular culture as well. Created by the legendary Len Wein in October 1974, Wolverine was originally intended to be a one off character in an Incredible Hulk story. But the character proved to be too good for just one arch and a year later would resurface in Giant Sized X-Men #1, soon becoming an integral part of the X-Men line-up. He would also go on to star in a number of titular series, cartoons and even two feature films, one of which will be released later this month. Wolverine is hands down one of Marvel's most popular characters and in 2011 was named by IGN the 4th best comic book hero of all time, behind only Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. That is fine company and worthy of top pick in WGTB's Top Five Canadian characters in comics. Happy Canada Day, everyone!    

Wolverine a.k.a. Logan in Wolverine Vol. 2 #1 (Nov. 1988)

Wolverine in Alpha Flight Special Vol. 1 #1 (June 1992)

WGTB reviews Defenders, Uncanny, FF & F4, Captain Atom, Superman & Alpha Flight

Recently, while listening to another great podcast by John Sinuntres, Spider-Man writer Dan Slott mentioned how he knows of so many readers will rush through their stack each Wednesday just to get on the blogosphere or message boards to give their opinions. Admittedly, I've also done that -- but not this week. This week, I’m going to borrow a page from the ‘Dan Slott School of Savouring Comics’ and put up some thoughts about books from all of January. Just because I can...  

From DC's Captain Atom #5, March 2012

Defenders #2

I’m really starting to enjoy this comic. I have to admit, back in December I wasn’t as taken with the first issue as I thought I would be, but #2 was great and next week's #3 is certainly anticipated. Overall, I love the 'throw-back' feel to the story and layout and I think Fraction's developing a good story by giving this gifted group of superheroes a challenge befitting of their talents. The art isn't outstanding, but it does the job and because of that the books gets 4/5 STARS. 

From Marvel's Defenders #2, March 2012

Uncanny X-Men #3

Gillen’s writing gave me the loudest ‘lol’ moment of my reading this past week courtesy of Namor, a character who seems to be getting around the Marvel Universe. This X-Men continues to be good, but at the same time, I'm also pleased we seem to be moving on from the Sinister story. Don't get me wrong, I love Sinister -- but I also think the multiplicity aspect of the character was starting to wear thin. Overall, however, the book is going well and has an intensity to it that is very welcome, especially now that it appears this team has taken its rightful place as the preeminent team in the Marvel U. 4/5 STARS

LOL! Namor just doesn't get it in Marvel's Uncanny X-Men #3, February 2012

I've really enjoyed the art in Uncanny X-Men #3, February 2012

FF#13, FF#14 & Fantastic Four #602

Reading these three books this past month was very fun and it has really been great seeing the original Four back together. Jonathan Hickman continues to churn out stories that are big in scope, yet have the personal touch of family that has long been the hallmark of the Reed/Storm dynamic. I would also say that Barry Kitson and Paul Mounts artwork of #602 was outstanding and really seems to work with Hickman’s grand themes. This particular issue was very reminiscent of my old favourite TV program Babylon 5. I also seem to have noticed some Japanese mecha (specifically Robotech) influences which was fun. The FF title has also been a good story, and while I'm not as enthusiastic about it as F4, I’m especially enjoying the relationship between Valeria Richards and Dr. Doom. Being a longtime fan of the John Byrne run of the 1980s, it has been great seeing Hickman’s Von Doom become less of the caricature of the evil genius and become friends with the scion of his old nemesis. 4/5 STARS (Collectively) 

Kitson's art has had a Robotech-type influence in Marvel's Fantastic Four #602, March 2012

Epic space battles in Marvel's Fantastic Four #602, March 2012

More big ideas from Hickman in Marvel's FF #13, February 2012

Captain Atom #5

About mid-month, DC released the list of the New 52 that were being cancelled after issue #8 and I really felt this book was going to be on that list. My information was purely anecdotal, but Captain Atom just didn’t seem to be getting the same attention (and sales) as other books. Well, it wasn't and I am glad because I have been enjoying this book on the whole. That said, #5 didn’t especially grab me story wise: the pace isn’t as quick as it could be and a hero of nearly infinite power certainly can do more than battle giant blobs of organic matter. But where the story has been less inspired, I should say how the artwork of Krul and Williams II has been edgy and highly enjoyable. So, if I could offer these fellows some humble advice, it would be to take Captain Atom into outer space or give him a fast paced challenge worthy of his amazing powers and story. This would keep me enthusiastically slapping down my money and hopefully keep this title going well into the future. 3.5/5 STARS. 

The story was a little slow but the art from DC's Captain Atom #5 (March 2012) was outstanding!

Superman #5

In a similar vein to Captain Atom, I've been enjoying this new take on Superman, but also feel it is suffering from a pace problem. In this particular issue Superman battles an elemental and in the course of that, he inhales his enemy which changes his personality into a Draconian anti-crime near-criminal who starts to hassle Metropolis. Obviously, he is possessed but it seems this series has been too much 'establishing' and not enough real super-action. I know this lands me in a position where I'm critiquing George Perez, a comics legend, but I would like to see more of the great Superman myth and because of that can only give it a 3.5/5 STARS.

Great art from DC's Superman #5, March 2012

Alpha Flight #8

To conclude, we come back to Marvel with Alpha Flight #8, the last book of the eight issue maxi which started in the summer.  All in all, this was a good series, but has also been one of mixed sentiments. From FanExpo’s announcement of a continuing series, to the surprising announcement back to an eight issue maxi, this has been a fun yet turbulent ride for fans of Canada's superhero team. So although I liked the story, and enjoyed seeing my old favourite, Wolverine, I also felt it ended on an abrupt note which could have been played out a little longer. That said, it was a reasonably good series and it was good seeing the group back on the pages of Marvel. Pak and Van Lente did a good job at the story-telling and Eaglesham's art, while not the most innovative, did the job that a comic should.  

From Marvel's Alpha Flight #8, March 2012

At the end of the book Van Lente, Pak and Eaglesham each wrote a ‘thank you’ note to the supporters of the book and briefly addressed the FanExpo announcement; the economic factors that dialled it back; and possible future stories that include the Flight. Of course, I won’t tell you exactly what was said, nor will I include an image of the message (go buy Alpha Flight #8 if you want to see what they said) but all in all it was a nice message and you could tell the three enjoyed working on the book and were somewhat disappointed to see it end. But alas, that is the industry we love! 4/5 STARS for the series.

So there you are: some thoughts on the comics we've seen in January 2012. I'll be reviewing Winter Soldier #1 when it comes out this Wednesday, so stay tuned and thanks for reading.

Remembering Joe Simon

This past Thursday, Joe Simon, co-creator of Captain America, passed away at age 98.

 Timely's Captain America Comics #1 from March 1941

Now, there are many, many more comic bloggers and journalists who can give a better explanation of Simon’s importance to the industry. But while reflecting upon Captain America this morning, I couldn’t help think about how novel it was to personify national values and turn them into a super-hero. National personification as a concept goes back years: John Bull, Uncle Sam, Marianne are probably the most famous examples of this. But the idea of taking a national character and turning him/her into an action star: that was novel and different. 

Canada's Vindicator (Alpha Flight) and Captain America (Avengers) meet up in Marvel's Alpha Flight #39, October 1985

And what a great representative of the United States Steve Rogers/Captain America was. Simply put, Rogers could be counted as a metaphor of the meteoric rise of the United States into a global power. In the late nineteenth century, the U.S. was not nearly as influential as Great Britain or other major European powers, but by 1945, it was far and away the most powerful country in the world and helped keep an aggressive Soviet Union at bay for nearly forty-five years. Talk about drinking super-serum!  

The origins of Captain Britain explained in Marvel's Excalibur #40, August 1991

And look at the following super-heroes who have followed in Captain America's footsteps and are part of the Simon/Kirby legacy. Captain Britain, Captain Canuck, Alpha Flight's Guardian and Vindicator have all taken what is great about their respective nations, dressed-up in its flag and values and gone out to save it and the world. That is a pretty amazing and influential idea and something we all owe to Captain America and the great work of Joe Simon. Thank you, Joe, for your outstanding contribution to comics! 

Captain Canuck from Comely Comix Captain Canuck #1, July 1975

Canada's Guardian in Alpha Flight #1, August 1983

Random Thoughts: November 2011

What a month November 2011 has been for comics! And due to time constraints I’m not even including the Nov 30 releases!

 

To begin, Scott Snyder’s Batman #3 was absolutely fantastic and continues to be the jewel in the crown of the New 52 titles I’ve stuck with. Moreover, I also have to say how impressive it is that Snyder continues to churn out two quality books – Batman and Swamp Thing – each month. I’ve been enjoying Swamp Thing (including #3) since the reboot, but Batman #3 was quite probably the best of the New 52 I've read. As I was reading I couldn’t help feel he was channelling Watchmen – the mystery, the history and the Owls – and advise you to get it immediately.

From DC's Batman #3, November 2011

Captain Atom #3 offered some good comic fun too, as did Superman #3. And while I’m not entirely convinced the guest appearance by Flash was necessary, I think J.T. Krul and Freddie Williams II are about to take the gloves off the Captain, and it will be interesting to see this nearly omnipotent character unleashed: especially now that he’s run afoul with the US government. Superman continues to establish itself as the contemporary Superman title and while #3 was more about establishing relationships I think the title will explode soon -- and that will be interesting. 

From DC's Captain Atom #3, November 2011

This should be my Facebook photo! From DC's Superman #3, November 2011

On the Marvel side of things, Wolverine and the X-Men was good and I really like the new Iceman/Bobby Drake. Chris Bachalo’s art has finally started to grow on me after a couple Regenesis issues, but unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by Alpha Flight #6 which seemed like a filler story. Of course, this could be chalked up to residual bitterness over the October cancellation announcement, and now that everyone’s favourite Headmaster has returned to Canada, I may be forgiving next month. Snikt!!!   

Bobby and Kitty in Marvel's Wolverine and the X-Men #2, November 2011

From Marvel's Alpha Flight #6/8, November 2011

And finally my most anticipated book this month: Fantastic Four #600. In it, we learn Jonathan Hickman didn’t actually kill off Johnny Storm, but kept him alive in the Negative Zone where he’s performing as a caged gladiator. I have to say, it was good seeing Johnny again and I’m curious to see how this near death experience alters the character. I’ve always believed Johnny’s more...youthful...personality has held him back, so perhaps we’ll see him return with a gravitas that would make him one of the most interesting and powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a momentous edition of the ‘The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine’ without Reed Richards striking up a deal with Galactus, but perhaps the most interesting part of the 100 page book was an artistic interpretation of the extraordinary powers of Franklin Richards. This actually provoked the same sort of reflection a good Arthur C. Clarke novel does. Bravo Marvel!

Hickman is taking these books (FF and Fantastic Four are splitting into two) into interesting directions, and while I know Marvel has been cancelling books and doesn’t have the market dominance it had before the New 52, it's good to see renewed vigour with the Fantastic Four. In my opinion, it's still the best comics property out there. 

Good to have you back, Johnny! From Marvel's Fantastic Four #600, November 2011

From Marvel's Fantistic Four #600, November 2011

Regarding other media, my favourite comic podcast, World Balloon with John Siuntres, released a two part interview on November 16 and 23 featuring a remarkable interview with industry stalwart Rob Liefeld. Here, Liefeld speaks candidly about the state of the industry, his work with Hawk and Dove, the New 52 and the fascinating intellectual property and licensing issues surrounding the recent Marvel films. The second podcast also features a free-wheeling conversation with Matt Fraction, which while being less about comics than popular culture, is interesting too. All in all, it was a fascinating couple hours of podcasting and I highly recommend you take a listen.

So that’s it for November 2011. I'll be back in December and am currently working on a couple feature-length pieces about ROM Spaceknight and the Laws of Warfare and  the Insanity defence and comic book villains.  Yep, a little light reading for the Christmas season! In any case, have a good  December and feel free to drop me a line with any suggestions or comments. Cheers!