Roger Ash

by Roger Ash

I’ve been reading comic books regularly since the late 70s. I’ve worked in the comics industry since 1988. And there are days when I wonder why. This is not the easiest business in the world. On those days, when I stop and think about it, the reason I still read comics and do what I do to earn a living is because I truly love comics. They’re a unique form of storytelling. When I’m depressed, reading a comic – either an old favorite or new series I enjoy – can pick me up like nothing else. And there are a couple comics I’ve read recently that reminded me of why I love this medium – DC Retroactive: JLA – The ‘90s and RASL.

DC Retroactive: JLA - The 90s

DC Retroactive: JLA – The ‘90s reunited the classic Justice League creative team of Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire (even though they did most of their Justice League work in the 80s). I was a big fan of their work together on Justice League back in the 80s and 90s and this issue reminded me why. First off, there’s the art of Kevin Maguire. While he’s great at the action sequences, he’s equally as adept at the quieter moments. A lot of artists are good at one of those, but it’s a rare artist who can do both well. And his characters act. He can pack more acting into one facial expression than some people put into a whole comic.

Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis put together a story that was certainly exciting but was also filled with character moments so when I set down the book, I felt that the characters were “real” people instead of just ciphers in spandex. And it was funny; often hysterically so. It’s no wonder that their work on Justice League is known to many as the “bwah-ha-ha” era (OK, maybe that’s just me). In the grim and gritty comic book landscape of the 1980s, a book that had a sense of humor was a breath of fresh air. And it still is today.

Here’s where the magic of comics comes in – all three of these creators have done fantastic work with other creators or on their own. I highly recommend people check out Giffen’s work on Legion of Super-Heroes, DeMatteis’ Moonshadow, and Maguire’s Tanga. However, when the three of them work together, they create something that is unique to this collaboration that they don’t get any other way. That’s magic.

Justice League International Vol. 1

If you’ve never read any of their classic work on Justice League, DC has some very nice collected volumes of their work together that I highly recommend.

RASL

RASL is something different all together. Jeff (Bone) Smith’s new series is a heady mixture of crime, sex, parallel universes, and the work of Nikola Tesla (who is making quite a mark in comics these days as he also appears in Marvel’s SHIELD). I’m not going to try and explain the story partly because I don’t think I can yet (there’s still a lot left to be revealed) and partly because some of the fun of the series is seeing how it unfolds. This isn’t to say that the series is confusing, just that there’s a lot to it that’s mysterious and I don’t want to spoil the mystery for anyone. Smith does a nice job of creating a book that is at times action-packed and thought provoking at others. RASL is a great lead character and the supporting cast is strong and interesting. And the art, as one would expect, is wonderful.

Why I’m singling this book out (aside from that fact that it’s really good) is because it’s a good example of a comic being the perfect way to tell this story. Could RASL be done as a novel or a movie? Certainly. However, the best way to tell the story is as a comic book. For example, a major plot point is revealed in issue #11 in a stunning two page spread. While this can obviously be translated to film, for example, the impact would be different. And the equipment RASL uses to travel between dimensions looks majorly cool here, but I wonder how well it would work outside of a comic. Smith understands what makes a good comic book so he plays to the strengths of the medium.

If you’ve never read RASL, give it a try. I recommend starting with a collection as I find the series reads better that way than as single issues.

DC Retroactive – JLA The ‘90s and RASL are but two of the reasons I still love comics after all these years. How about you? What books keep your faith alive? Comment below and let me know.

Now, go read a comic!

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