The Way of the Editor:
A Year of Politics, Wars, ’N Super-HeroesHas comic book escapism taken on a new political agenda?
Our year in review: 2006. A year of Civil War and choosing sides, of rediscovery and reinvention (52), newfound Heroes (from NBC), and moral ambiguity. All of which, I think, has added up to a surprisingly political year in the world of comics.
The comic art medium has been used to both promote and attack candidates, their opinions on issues, and their opponents. At times humorous and at other times scathingly serious, the cross-section of politics and the comic art form can be traced back to the very early inner workings of America’s democratic process.
Why is that? The easy answer would be to say it’s just a form of escapism: When the world at large seems out of control, where do people naturally turn to for comfort? Escapism. But I don’t really like the easy answers. Maybe it’s just me, but don’t the politics seem different this time around? Brian K. Vaughan, who won critical acclaim with the politically-charged Pride of Baghdad (published this year and based on real-world events) comments that, “there’s a reason that propaganda pamphlets usually come in the forms of cartoons. There’s nothing more powerful, more universal than the combination of words and pictures.” And though true that comics have long had a tradition of commenting on or promoting real world political agendas, in the past, it’s generally been in the form of satirical cartoons or approved propaganda.
Even Vaughn’s own Pride of Baghdad, for instance, is a complicated allegory that takes place in the aftermath of the first bombings in the war with Iraq, the story of how, “In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, Pride of Baghdad raises questions about the true meaning of liberation—can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?” (Vertigo summary) Paired with Niko Henrichon’s beautifully painted artwork, Vaughan’s Pride of Baghdad is itself a powerful argument that words and pictures can have a more profound impact than each medium presented alone, but also a testament that comics need not only promote straightforward political agendas, but can encourage critical thinking and independent questioning as well. Stephanie Mangold, writing in Publisher’s Weekly, adds that “Marvel Comics’ popular ongoing title Civil War and DC’s Pride of Baghdad artfully pose these questions under the guise of much simpler stories, allowing readers to discover the political undertones on their own.”
So how has this medium of entertainment, a private, individualistic niche—a super-hero for everyone, a different favorite for each—insisted on moving itself into the public sector of American politics? I seem to remember that some years ago Lex Luthor actually became President of the United States in the DC universe, but what other forms have real-world politics taken in current comic book releases? How does it change our perceptions of super-heroes when the present-day Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, renounces her signature bracers and lasso to work as a government agent with the Metahuman Task Force? Or when Tony Stark, after becoming Secretary of Defense of the United States, leads the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents publicly as Iron Man in pursuit of other super-heroes who have refused to comply to the Super-human Registration Act, which is a distinct parallel of our real-world American Patriot Act of 2001? And in WildStorms’s Ex Machina (also from Vaughan) a super-hero chooses to use his powers to help people by becoming the mayor of New York City instead of venturing out to save lives in tight leotards and a mask. And what about that Nathan Petrelli, sleezy politician as well as super-hero-in-training from the hit NBC show Heroes?
Having comic book heroes and villains connected with the politics of the real world seems to me to make for an even more interesting and engaging read than the typical alien/super-villain/supernatural/out-of-this-world threat factor. We live in a world where comics like Watchmen and Astro City and Powers have already changed our repertoire of what it means and what is allowed in comic book politics. And maybe it’s because of names like Alan Moore and Kurt Busiek, or Brian K. Vaughan or Mark Millar, J. Michael Stracynzski or Joss Whedon that we can do this: writers who have been unafraid to bring their own political agendas into their writing as part of the world-building and complications of the comic book world; and when the conflicts move into politics, suddenly the world becomes a whole lot murkier.
Or maybe it’s the expanding demographic of comic book readers: the in vogue reception of comics in mainstream culture thanks to large-scale movie promotions such as Spider-Man or Batman Begins or even Ang Lee’s adaptation of The Hulk, which seems to give the whole genre credibility when an Oscar-winning director adapts it. Not just children and adolescents who want read and enjoy comics, but also twenty-something year-olds, thirty-something year-olds, and so on. T0 the children, maybe it’s still just entertainment—as Mark Millar, one of the key creators behind Marvel’s Civil War event says, “The political allegory is only for those that are politically aware. Kids are going to read it and just see a big superhero fight”—but to the adults, maybe it’s an innovative new way to sell. Politics in comics need not only be escapism or propaganda, I think there’s an argument to be made for adding complicated real-world issues into a work as a way of genuinely engaging the reader.
Of course, it’s not just happening on a series by series level, either: witness also the rise of politically-motivated publications like Jalia and Rakan (both from AK) which seek to promote international awareness of other types of politics and cultural super-heroes. Even if it’s not flying off the shelves, it’s interesting to see that they’re there, and that people want to publish them in the U.S.
So I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping 2007 brings another year of interesting times.
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