Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?

by Andrez Bergen

  Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D # 7 (Dec. 1968)

  Jim Steranko’s best frontispiece for Marvel in a field of stiff competition (from himself —#4 in this series also comes close) sees this brilliant artist pit war hero and secret agent extraordinaire Nick Fury against…Salvador Dalí’s Soft Watch at the Moment of Explosion. And this was the cover alone. Worth framing.

  Captain America #109 (Jan. 1969)

  I’d go so far as to declare this is my favourite comicbook propaganda cover — an iconographic piece by Jack Kirby (with Syd Shores) displaying our hero tearing through a 1940s newspaper and ready for action. In fact I love this so much that I have it on a t-shirt I picked up here in Tokyo, and I commissioned most of the artists doing Southern Cross in this novel to model their images around the superb piece. The story within, by Stan Lee and possibly Kirby as well, has Steve Rogers relating to Nick Fury his rousing origin tale and the tragic death of Bucky Barnes. It’s like Shakespeare rendered in four-colour art.

  Silver Surfer #4 (Feb. 1969)

  For years I had the cover of this issue on my bedroom wall: John Buscema’s rendering of the Silver Surfer and Thor about to embark in mutually destructive hostilities. The issue itself was great, too, with Stan Lee providing another good yarn and John’s pencils embellished by his brother Sal.

  Captain America #111 (March 1969)

  1969 was a very good year and Cap, as redefined by Jim Steranko, was a brief, sublime moment. He took the character beyond the rough-and-tumbling tragedy of Kirby’s vision, and applied hallucinogenic menace, especially with the evil organization HYDRA — and the shattering ‘death’ of our hero at the conclusion. Innovative and essential.

  Conan the Barbarian #4 (April 1971)

  Barry Windsor-Smith-wise, I considered slipping in his artistic efforts for #12 of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, written by Steve Parkhouse and an old fave — but already had Steranko’s issue here. So I went for the best ever Conan story. ‘The Tower of the Elephant!’ was adapted by Roy Thomas from Robert E. Howard’s original story and gloriously brought to life thanks to Barry Smith, with inks by Sal Buscema and lettering by Sam Rosen — making this the best of the series. Less focused on barbarism per se, robbing a tower was never so tricky.

  The Flash #215 (May, 1972)

  I had to squeeze in some DC here, just so they’re not too neglected — and I loved this issue as a wee tacker. It was one of the first comics I bought myself, with a story by Len Wein, pencils by Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano on inks. I remember the opening was an unusual one involving a possible hangover and unintended wife-swapping, we had two Flashes, and the ‘Death of an Immortal’. The cover alone (by Neal Adams) is fantastic stuff, and one of the reasons I grabbed the mag.

  Amazing Spider-Man #121 (June, 1973)

  I have so much respect for Steve Ditko and the artwork he did, especially covers in the ’50s for things like Science Fiction Space Adventures and Outer Space. One of the best comicbook short stories —‘The Worst Man On Earth’, in Tales to Astonish #40 — was published 50 years ago last February by Ditko in collusion with Stan Lee at Marvel. And yet…I never really warmed to his art on Spider-Man. His idea of Aunt May scared the willies out of me. Much more my style, also probably because I came to the character first via his character designs, was John Romita, Sr.’s version after he took over in 1966. Even more surprisingly, my favourite issue of the series, although it had a Romita cover, was drawn by Gil Kane with Romita and Tony Mortellaro on inks and Gerry Conway writing. A ‘Turning Point’ indeed, as the Green Goblin returns and one of the central characters dies — for real. As shocking as it was moving, and Spidey’s happy-go-lucky attitude would never quite be the same.

  2001: A Space Odyssey #1 (Dec. 1976)

  My dad did my head in early — he took me to see a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey when I was four years old. So when my childhood hero Jack Kirby tackled that baffling movie head-on with his own bamboozling series (which he wrote & drew), of course I was going to become hooked. By 1976 Kirby’s style had become an exaggerated version, almost a self-intended parody of exploding imagination, of what was arguably his peak artistic period in the late ’60s. Everything here buzzes with mad foreshortening and shorn-off square fingertips. I actually haven’t had the chance to read this again (nor my other Kirby fave as a kid, Kamandi), but the first issue beautifully bludgeoned my senses — and I nicked ‘Decker’ as the name of my hero in a short story I wrote that eventually became Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat.

  2000 AD #2 (March 1977)

  This one’s simple — only two words. Judge Dredd.

  The Avengers #164 (Oct. 1977)

  I’m not sure why, but I fell out of Marvel Comics for a year or two (probably this had to do more with a lack of spare pocket money) — but this issue dragged me right back in. With a cover by George Perez and inside art by John Byrne, (inked by Pablo Marcos) and a script by Jim Shooter in which the Lethal Legion attack our heroes, this was beginning of a love affair with Byrne that would continue right through his run on Uncanny X-Men but ease off when he took over Fantastic Four.

  X-Men #137 (Sept. 1980)

  Writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne (with help from Terry Austin) handled the run up to this double-issue with absolute aplomb, teasing out the plot over the course of a couple of dozen issues — but most especially from #122 (June, 1979). Wolverine stands out all by himself but the real clincher takes place from #132 through to this finale. And what a finale it is. After being defeated and then laying waste to the Hellfire Club, Jean Grey finds the absolute power of the Phoenix/Dark Phoenix all-consuming — which then leads to the gut-wrenching, self-sacrificial death of a hero.

  Daredevil #181 (April 1982)

  Another double-issue blockbuster helmed by Frank Miller (script/pencils) with Klaus Janson (pencils/ink/colours) that redefined for me the idea of a ‘comicbook’. The way in which the tale starts and ends, narrated as it is by antagonist Bullseye, and the fate of Matt Murdoch’s flame Electra, shattered illusions and rejigged the way I looked at narrative in my own fiction and art.

  Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1-4 (1986)

  In a completely crap, messed-up future Gotham City, Batman has disappeared, Commissioner Gordon is about to retire, and Bruce Wayne leads a bitter, self-destructive depth-charge into his sunset years. While gangs run riot, the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face gets a new face, and a nuclear winter kicks in, the Batman returns — older and not necessarily wiser — to kick-start a crusade against all these ills…and to have a tussle with government lackey Superman. Writer/artist Frank Miller again collaborated with inker Klaus Janson and colourist Lynn Varley to unveil one of the most staggering mini-series sagas I’ve ever consumed. Brilliant — simple as that.

  Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita) Vol. 1 (1990)

  Somewhere along the line in the 1990s I drifted into reading more Japanese manga than American comicbooks, though I always kept an eye on Marvel. When her dismembered but still-functioning body is discovered in a junkyard, Yukito Kishiro’s character Gally (renamed Alita in the English translation) has no memory of who or what she is. This single volume covers not just our heroine’s journey toward self-discovery and new body parts, but also the nature of humanity and the squalid effects of violence in a dystopic community gone mad.

  Kōkaku Kidōtai (Ghost in the Shell) (1991)

  If I have one complaint about Marvel and other American comics from the 1960s it was the frailty of the female characters (Sue Storm continuously describing situations as “hopeless”, Alicia Masters fainting, Jean Grey pictured in a related swoon, etc, etc), so it was enlivening to discover their relatively stronger counterparts in the 1970s and ’80s. But in manga they went further still — such as here, which I picked up in English translation in about 1996. While Major Mototo Kusanagi might have a few too many curves, and creator Masamune Shirow is renowned for his hentai (basically, perverted), techno-fetishist pin-ups of buxom gals
, the fact is that the Major is more kick-arse than the trio of Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass, Tank Girl, and Makoto’s direct descendant Trinity in The Matrix — combined.

  Memories: The Collection (1995)

  I was lucky enough to live in Australia when the local Random House publishers released this 250-page compendium of short manga tales by someone I respect a great deal: Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). The stories veer wildly from surprising twists verging on Twilight Zone to silly slapstick, but it’s the title-tale ‘Memories’ that always grabs me. A space salvage vessel with a cranky crew finds a drifting Marie Céleste with plush carpets, chandeliers, empty books and homicidal robot watchdogs — not to mention a mummified cadaver reaching out from beyond the grave. A bloody brilliant mix of philosophy, comedy, action and meaningful drama.

  300 (May-Sept. 1998)

  What can I say? I grew up on swords ’n’ sandals epics like Ben-Hur, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and…The 300 Spartans (1962), directed by cinematographer Rudolph Maté (Gilda). Something Frank Miller also apparently relished. Here Miller takes his Sin City work — another classic — to a new extreme thanks to the colour palette of Lynn Varley. There’s no wonder it won three Eisner awards. A rousing, macho homage to pig-headed bravery in the face of enormously unbalanced odds, the story may at times hang outlandish, but the art — ahhh, the art.

  Kick-Ass #1 (Feb. 2008)

  I actually approached this out of respect to John Romita Sr., since his son — another Marvel veteran called John Romita — did the art, inked by the rather legendary Tom Palmer, with a story from Scottish writer Mark Millar (Civil War). And it was, indeed, kick-arse. The sheer audacity and the violent exuberance here reminded me of a geek-teen, comicbook A Clockwork Orange.

  A LAST WORD FROM (SOME) OF OUR ARTISTS’

  MOUTHS*

  *the others were too shy to join in the chorus.

  Harvey Finch

  “Harvey Finch grew up in the vast desolate forests of the Pictish Wilderness, fending off ghost snakes, savages, and saber-toothed tigers. He likes to draw comics of his exploits in his spare time.” (harveyfinch.com)

  Rodolfo Reyes

  “Born in Mexico City, I graduated from the Universidad del Valle de México with a degree in graphic design. My work has been published in two books of illustrations and as limited edition prints in the U.S. and the U.K. I’ve done the covers of several magazines and books as well as quite a few logos. In recent years being a finalist in several national and international contests earned me the opportunity to display my artwork at MUMEDI — the Mexican Museum of Design.” (rodolforever.tumblr.com)

  Paul Mason

  “Paul Mason is the creator/writer/artist of The Soldier Legacy, an Australian action-adventure/superhero comicbook series published by Black House Comics. Illustrated work published here and there, a doctoral candidate in the comics field at the Queensland College of Arts, a World Championship ITF Taekwon-do fighter, and lifts heavy things like a jerk. Therefore, a Jack Kirby nerd and a jock, he sometimes gives himself wedgies.” (thesoldierlegacy.com)

  JGMiranda

  “I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember — self-taught and stubborn. I love character design and concept art (it’s always great fun to imagine a monster or a prop from zero). After drawing for several Spanish fanzines, I started my professional career with the roleplaying game publisher Herogames, working for The Monster Hunter International Employee’s Handbook, inspired in the Monster Hunter International novels by author Larry Correia, and then incursed into the comic-book industry with Zenescope’s Robyn Hood vs Red Riding Hood. I am currently getting work from Zenescope in their Grimm Fairy Tales series. Oh, and I do caffeine. A lot of caffeine.” (jgmiranda.daportfolio.com)

  Giovanni Ballati

  “I have always drawn and fantasized stories, my notebook integers. One day, someone told me I had to copy. So I did it for a long time, I copied everyone for years. And here I am…not doing it anymore. Instead, I draw to stem the flood of words.” (giovanniballati.blogspot.it)

  Maan House

  “Digital artist, began at a young age to work as a book illustrator and comicbook artist, specializing in horror. Currently he’s finishing a sixth book of illustrations of urban legends, a bestseller in his home country, Uruguay.” (maanhouse.deviantart.com)

  Carlos Gómez

  “Born in Madrid, Spain in 1985. Worked on comics since I was 18 years old, at first with small publishers — and then, from 2008 to 2011, I drew Spectacular Spider-Man for Marvel UK. My most recent work has been for PathFinder, mostly covers.” (carlosgomezartist.deviantart.com)

  Fred Rambaud

  “I got my lucky break when I landed a concept art job in Norway, at a game studio called Funcom. I then moved to Singapore, to Imaginary Friends Studios, then Volta Studios and Activision, both in Canada. I am now a freelance concept artist and illustrator.” (artoffredram.com)

  Andrew Chiu

  “I’m a freelance illustrator, working primarily in the field of comics and children’s books. After a break of about 10 years, I returned to drawing just over two years ago and am loving every second of it. Current projects include a children’s book for Franklin Watts/Hachette, a children’s book series for Wayland Books/ Hachette, a graphic novel for Raintree, and comic strips for Benchmark Education.” (andrewchiu.co.uk)

  Hannah Buena

  “Hannah is a freelance artist and comic creator based in Naga City in the Philippines. She picked up a pencil since she learned you can’t eat crayons, and has been drawing ever since. A self-taught artist, Hannah does pretty girls in dresses and of characters she likes. On her off days, she’s a fan of good books and classic videogames.” (sketchamababble.blogspot.com)

  Saint Yak

  “Not so much to say…Well, I’m 30 years old, everything I can do in art is a result of self-teaching. Most of all I like to draw superheroes. I live in Russia, but I wish to move to the USA, because in Russia I have no chance for the future as a comicbook artist.” (saintyak.deviantart.com)

  Dave Acosta

  “Dave Acosta is an illustrator and sequential artist living in suburban Detroit — and yes, he would like some more coffee, thank you.” (davedrawsgood.com)

  Juan Saavedra

  “I started in this line of work with the co-creation of Invasor Art Studios, from which I have excellent memories — it was a fun, successful time. Over the past 3 years I’ve been a part of ATAKA-MALABS Game Studios, owned by DeNA, where I work as the lead artist.” (atakamalabs.com)

  Drezz Rodriguez

  “Many moons ago in a small community in the Great White North, Drezz Rodriguez literally made his mark. When all of the kids in his preschool shouted that they wanted to be astronauts or cowboys, Drezz would just shrug his shoulders and draw on stuff. 20 years later he is an award-winning creative director for a design firm, author of a long-running online graphic novel (El Cuervo), owner of a bursting design and illustration portfolio and article columnist at Webcomic Alliance.” (drezzworks.com)

  AB0UT THE AUTH0R

  Andrez Bergen is a Melbourne-born expat Australian writer, journalist, DJ, and occasional comic creator who’s been entrenched in Tokyo, Japan, for the past decade. He makes music as Little Nobody and ran groundbreaking Melbourne record label IF? for 15 years.

  Bergen has also written for newspapers such as The Age and the Yomiuri Shinbun, as well as magazines like Mixmag, Anime Insider, Australian Style, Remix, Impact, Beat, 3D World and Geek Magazine.

  He published noir/sci-fi novel Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat in 2011 through Another Sky Press, as well as the surreal fantasy One Hundred Years of Vicissitude and a recent anthology The Condimental Op via Perfect Edge Books in 2012/13.

  Over the past two years Bergen collaborated with artists Drezz Rodriguez, Andrew Chiu, Marcos Vergara, Michael Grills, Harvey Finch and Nathan St. John on a series of sequential noir vignettes.

  Bergen has published his straight short stories via Crime F
actory, Shotgun Honey, Snubnose Press, Solarcide, Weird Noir, Big Pulp, Full Dark City Press, Pulp Ink and All Due Respect, and worked on translating and adapting the scripts for feature anime films by Mamoru Oshii, Kazuchika Kise and Naoyoshi Shiotani with Production I.G.

  He married artist Yoko Umehara in 2005 and they have one child, Cocoa.

  http://andrezbergen.wordpress.com

  “There are many who dare not kill themselves for fear of what the neighbours will say,” Cyril Connolly wrote, and we believe he was right.

  Perfect Edge seeks books that take on the crippling fear of other people, the question of what’s correct and normal, of how life works, of what art is.

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