I
stopped buying Wolverine when Darick Robertson left the title and have only seen
one or two that looked at all interesting since then. But I do love to see Nazi's
get their butts kicked so I had to have issue #32 and it made quite an impression
on me.
First, the story is laid out in such a way that we are not sure if it is really
happening or if it is simply another Nazi bigwig losing his mind. Millar leaves
the Wolverine character quite, never saying anything which to me always makes
a character darker and more mysterious.
Set in a Nazi concentration camp this one issue stand-alone is Millar's swan song
from the book after a 13-issue run that has seen Logan in some of his toughest
and wildest adventures. This one, with art by Kaare Andrews combines a style known
from the old Creepy and Eerie magazines with an old style ghost story that works
wonders to the reader.
In general, this is probably one of the weirder Wolverine stories you are going
to find. No Sentinels, ninjas, no S.H.I.E.L.D. and no other Marvel heroes or villains
running around to clutter up the scenes.
It is never easy to use the Holocaust as a background for a Comic story. In fact,
in the afterward by Millar, he tells Will Eisner that he is not certain if he
should use a Comic character in the Holocaust. But Eisner convinced him that Superheroes
needed to be used in stories like this.
Millar does not tell a regular Wolverine story instead using a story that moves
around the mind and attitudes of the new commander of the Sobibor death camp.
Major Bauman is under orders to make the camp more productive and a bit more efficient
in murdering Jews, homosexuals, and perverts. His words, not mine.
His first major act is to pick out one prisoner and use him as an example of what
will happen to the rest of them. He picks out our favorite mutant, shoots him
in each knee, once in the head and has him drug off to the ever-burning furnace.
It is only that night that Bauman begins to see the apparition of the man he murdered
standing in the prison. From here on the story falls into a pattern of daily murder
of the same man, with Bauman falling deeper and deeper into a depression that
eventually breaks him.
The story is good, well written with a decent premise and the best part of it
is that Nazis get killed and/or hurt. That always makes for a good story. The
art by Andrews is fantastic, with the images drawn starkly and strongly with each
panel easy to follow and easy on the eye as you are reading.
The art is supposed to work together with the script, and sadly to many times
in Comics today it just doesn't, but here it does.
There is a normal edition and a special black and white edition with no ads from
Marvel. I bought the b/w version and after comparing it with the standard issue,
I think the b/w is a much better choice.
All in all, an excellent story and a great way for Millar to end his run on the
book and I am glad I bought it.
But, it is also the last Mark Millar book I will be buying. I understand that
Millar is not a conservative and I totally support his right to say what he wants
and to write what he wants to. Millar is a liberal, and espouses that philosophy
at every chance he gets.
Here, he has the Nazi crap head say in his journal that first night, "I took
no pleasure in our camps or our preemptive strikes, but recognized that it was
necessary to fight this terror abroad just as we had done for the security of
our homeland. As I wrote in the volkischer beobachter. The Jews might have started
this war when they brought down one of our finest buildings, but it's the duty
of all patriots to finish it."
This comment offends me. Yes, Millar has every right to say whatever he wants.
He can attack the United States at every turn with snide comments, and attack
the Jews if he wants to.
Now, to some folks his comment might be called 'anti-semantic'. His comment about
the Jews "bringing down one of our finest buildings" is reference to
two things.
First, is Reichstag building fire in February 1933; and while a communist was
arrested and executed for the crime, the Jews were also blamed for the fire. The
second reference is to America in the post 9/11 world. Believe it or not, there
are a number of people who believe that Jews were behind the attack on the World
Trade Center buildings.
Yea, go figure. Anyway, people have been quick in the years since the attack on
the U.S. by Islamic terrorists to claim that the United States is turning into
a nation of Nazis and is falling under a dictatorship.
Interesting. In fact, the legendary "They" have said that Americans
are losing their rights in this country. I guess freedoms like 'speech' and of
the press. Which is sort of difficult to accept given that people are hiding behind,
using and abusing freedom of speech and of the press on a daily basis to attack
the U.S.
Lets take a look at some of the laws that were passed within days of the Reichstag
fire:
· Free expression of opinion
· Freedom of the press
· Right of assembly and association
· Right to privacy of postal and electronic communications
· Protection against unlawful searches and seizures
· Individual property rights
· States' right of self-government
Who has had their right to express their 'opinion' violated in the last few years?
Jane Fonda, the Dixie Chicks, Martin Sheen, Michael Moore all express their opinion,
use the press and assemble when and where they want.
As to privacy of postal and electronic communications, folks it has always been
possible to subpoena these records. Yes, it has to be done under a court order,
but it can be done with only a little trouble. All citizens, illegal and legal
in the U.S. still have protection against any unlawful search and seizure. Don't
misunderstand, the police still can search you and your home if they have a warrant
or if they believe there is a crime being committed or that someone is in danger.
They can enter your home.
Whose property rights have been lost? Well, except for the folks who lose their
homes and land to 'imminent domain' laws no one has. And in the U.S. all states
lost the right to self-government sometime in 1865.
Now, Millar has the right to compare the U.S. to Nazi Germany and to compare the
President to Hitler. That right and opinion is protected by the very documents
Nazi Germany strove to destroy and tried to make a mockery out of.
But, I think that making the comparison between the two nations and societies
is beyond stupidity. We have not set out to destroy an entire race. We do not
use ovens to burn millions of people. We are not trying to decimate a population.
Yes, civilians have died in Iraq and they will continue to die. Civilians die
in war, they always have and they always will.
The difference is, we give food and clothes, medicine, shelter, and just about
everything else to the Islamic people. Hitler tried to starve the Poles, Jews,
Homosexuals and other undesirables.
Now, if Millar or Byrne or Smith and Jones want to take cheap shots at the so-called
loss of freedoms in America (which I would like someone to show where it is happening)
they are free to do so. If the writer or artist wants to dance on the side of
the anti-war movement, great. In a lot of cases I will join them. I hate the war,
and I think we were tricked to go into Iraq; but we are there now and we have
a mess we need to clean up.
But, to compare my nation to Nazi Germany or Bush to Hitler is unfair to millions
of Americans who support the military (not the elected officials) who are fighting
and dying.
"Comic Books aren't just for kids anymore." How many times have we heard
that in the last 20 years? How many times have we tried to explain that Comics
are written today for a more mature audience, that the world is a different place,
so our Comics need to be different then they were 20-30 or 40 years ago?
"Comic Books aren't just for kids anymore." Heck 75% of the Comic Books
being printed today I wouldn't let a kid read. I have no problem with someone
speaking out about his or her political or social attitudes and feelings in a
Comic. It is almost impossible to write something and not allow your ideals or
ideology to be known.
But comparisons like this are cheap. They are almost cowardly in their attack
and by doing these hit and run tactics they don't endear themselves to many people.
Like I said, Millar has the right to say or write whatever he chooses. The Dixie
Chicks can say what they want, Jane Fonda can share her philosophy all day long,
and Tim Robbins and Micheal Moore can make lots of movies.
I also have rights. I have the right to say what I want and I am doing it here.
I have the right to my opinion and I am sharing it here. I have the right to say
what I want, and I will exercise that by praying in public if I wish, and saying
the Pledge of Allegiance with "Under God" in it if I want to.
And I also have the right to not give money or support to people Fonda, Moore,
the Chicks or Millar. I wish him luck in his life and career, and I hope he is
always a success.
But I really, really, really wish he and some of the others who hide behind the
very rights they say they are losing would immigrate to Red China, Cuba, North
Korea, or some Central American nations. In some ways, they would fit in perfect.
They could complain about America all day long, for the rest of their lives.
Of course, they would only be able to complain about Red China, Cuba, North Korea,
or some Central American despot once.
Review by Larry Stanley