BEST SHOTS EXTRA: 1985 #1

[MattBrady]

Best Shots Extra
1985 #1
From: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Tommy Lee Edwards
Review by Troy Brownfield

Let’s make this part clear for those who don’t read an entire review: loved the art. Loved, loved, loved the art. Tommy Lee Edwards has always been able to pull off the realism bit, but he does a superlative job with all corners of this issue. From recapping the events of the last couple of issues of Secret Wars from a retailer’s perspective to the day-to-day adolescent grind of the main character to the eventual super goings-on, Edwards does it all beautifully. The book just looks great.

As for the story part, well . . . it’s interesting. The first word that sprang to mind was “precious”, though I’m not sure that’s the vibe that the creative team wanted to establish. Really, there’s a tenuous metaphor at work here drawing a parallel between the events of the book and our own formative experiences as comic fans. Millar wants to tap that vein and explore the time when we first really, truly became immersed in that world.

On many levels, it plays as the flip-side to what he’s doing in Kick-Ass, which explores the ramifications of “super-heroes” in a real-world setting. Here, we see what happens when fictional super-heroes intrude on the real world. In some ways, it’s an obvious homage to “Narnia”, but I was more strongly reminded of The Neverending Story, the film version of which was released in 1984 in the States (though, perhaps not too ironically, not until 1985 in Millar’s home country.). The through-line of that film is the concept of literature as escape, a way to help us handle our problems until we are able to overcome them, in essence becoming the heroes of our own story. In 1985, that comes across in a fairly concrete fashion

The early scene in the comic shop is a little too cute; it’s layered with a bit too much post-millennial self-awareness in terms of comics culture as a whole. Here we meet our protagonist, a young man, a child of divorce, who has a variety of problems and an affinity for comic books. I was also very taken aback that this kid (with a comic fan dad and awareness of the field while being on a first-name basis with the shop guy) would not be into Secret Wars until near the end of the series. Honestly, if the kid’s so into comics that he’s conversant with the Frank Miller run of Daredevil that began in ’79 and ended in ’83, how on Earth could he have missed out on the beginning of Secret Wars? Especially given that every Marvel book that he purports to collect ended a month prior to the event with a cliffhanger into it, and picked up a month later with an outro from it? It’s a narrative conceit often befalls retro-comedies: people want to remember a decade as a big lump, rather than as a progression of events.

That strangeness aside, the rest of the story attempts to get into the young man’s head, reflecting his difficulties and bouncing his comic-mania off of some events encroaching on his everyday existence. It’s not a bad story, per se, it just seems like an overly familiar swing at the wish-fulfillment genre (“I really love comics, and golly, here’s heroes and villains!”). It’s an oddly old-fashioned approach to the tale, too. In many ways, it comes like a Boy’s Adventure book, but it doesn’t take into account what publishers failed to figure out about sidekicks back in the day: readers didn’t grow up wanting to meet the heroes or be the little buddy of the heroes; they wanted to be the heroes. So on a metatextual level, perhaps Kick-Ass is more successful since it embraces a DIY aesthetic in its wish-realization pattern. 1985 reads like a childrens’novel for an audience that isn’t composed of children (more irony, perhaps?), riffing on a completely different time in the business that our younger readers can’t really appreciate as much more than anecdotes, trade paperbacks, and YouTube clips.

It’s not precisely a bad first issue; the art is great and the writing is, for the most part, fairly technically sound. But it’s straddling a line - if Millar wanted to tell us about his own youth in relation to comics, let’s see that. If he wanted to apply some metafictional commentary to the 1985 Marvel Universe, let’s see that. This playing to the middle approach makes it seem like a bundle of influences without achieving independent existence as its own thing.

[KraziJoe]

Maybe it's just me, but this did not appeal to me at all. I saw the Last Action Hero, that is probably good enough.

[DuncanHines]

Does anybody else remember when this book was first announced and it was going to be all photographs? I'm sure it was difficult, and that's why Tommy Lee Edwards took it over, but whatever happened to that photo art? Will it be in the eventual trade/hardcover? The inevitable "Director's Cut" 2nd printing?

[Fugu]

Originally Posted by DuncanHines

Does anybody else remember when this book was first announced and it was going to be all photographs? I'm sure it was difficult, and that's why Tommy Lee Edwards took it over, but whatever happened to that photo art? Will it be in the eventual trade/hardcover? The inevitable "Director's Cut" 2nd printing?

It was canceled, as it was too costly.

[Rich L]

Originally Posted by Fugu

It was canceled, as it was too costly.

It also didn't look very good. I remember the Hulk photo looking like a big fat guy in paint, and I doubt tights would translate too well. And Doc Ock? How was that going to work outside of a movie budget?

EDIT: Found the Hulk pic. Actually looks better than I remember.

[Doc_doom79]

Will read the first issue but if this is like his last few projects, wont be around for issue 2.

[thefrogman]

They were wise to Have Edwards draw this. When I saw that Hulk pic I just went. "No. Not getting this." He looks like a giant fat green guy pretending to be Hulk.

[aric_dacia]

Nothing I've seen about this project looks appealing to me. Nothing.

[Stormbreaker]

To kinda reflect the mood already present, I am just not really into this concept. I think there are certain writers that could pull it off; however, Millar just doesn't strike me as one of them. I'll give him an A for effort but I also won't buy the issue/series. Just not my bag.

[bigdaddyhub]

sounds intriguing, but not a must... with all the stuff out right now on top of my regular pull list like SI, Avengers/Invaders and Ultimate Origins, I am just not going to collect this. If it is good enough, a trade will come my way.

[JasonJalen]

Originally Posted by KraziJoe

Maybe it's just me, but this did not appeal to me at all. I saw the Last Action Hero, that is probably good enough.

I absolutely agree.


-Jason

[Zeitgeist]

The book seems kinda pointless without the photos, not saying it would have been good but would be worth checking out atleast, I dont really like any of the art i have seen in previews, it certainly isnt realistic, quite the opposite.

[jlm1955]

The "Hulk" loos more like he should be carrying a can of peas.

This is a pass for me.

[CATMAN3]

Originally Posted by Rich L

It also didn't look very good. I remember the Hulk photo looking like a big fat guy in paint, and I doubt tights would translate too well. And Doc Ock? How was that going to work outside of a movie budget?

EDIT: Found the Hulk pic. Actually looks better than I remember.

The Hulk looks like the Jolly Green Giant's cousin.

[Sluggo]

I am actually very interested in this story. It sounds like fun. It gives me fond memories of movies like The Monster Squad and The Goonies. I'll pick up a trade, for two reasons: (1) It's Millar and his stuff reads better that way and (2) $3.99 for an individual comic book with no extras is price gouging, pure and simple.

I know Marvel is testing the waters and that we are not far from another price increase to $3.99 or $3.50 on the single issue, and of course DC will follow suit, which is why I have already switched to trades only, with very few exceptions.

[s*p rules]

Millar should have saved the effort put into this and spent it on his Fantastic Four, which has so far been boring and very underwhelming.

[painters_eye]

Originally Posted by Rich L

It also didn't look very good. I remember the Hulk photo looking like a big fat guy in paint, and I doubt tights would translate too well.

This is why I have never fallen under the spell of the Alex Ross work. I just don't buy the heroes running around in tights with photorealistic approach. ugh. Sorry just a personal taste.

[JoeZhang]

Originally Posted by Stormbreaker

To kinda reflect the mood already present, I am just not really into this concept. I think there are certain writers that could pull it off; however, Millar just doesn't strike me as one of them. I'll give him an A for effort but I also won't buy the issue/series. Just not my bag.

Indeed - for wont of a better word, Millar just doesn't have the smarts to pull this off - you want hi-concept action that doesn't make a lot of sense? he's your man. This type of literary device seems to light-years ahead of his writing ability...

[JoeZhang]

Originally Posted by s*p rules

Millar should have saved the effort put into this and spent it on his Fantastic Four, which has so far been boring and very underwhelming.

What's been more disappointing for me about that run has been Hitch's art - flat and fairly ugly looking...

[VocalMan81]

Originally Posted by jlm1955

The "Hulk" loos more like he should be carrying a can of peas.

This is a pass for me.

It's a pass for me too, but if you read closely, that's no longer art from the book. That was the original concept that they dropped.

[zhstar]

FF has been bad - droppd after two issues. And i agree this looks pointless without the original photo stuff.

[Spacedog2k5]

Originally Posted by CATMAN3

The Hulk looks like the Jolly Green Giant's cousin.

More like the Jolly Green Pedophile. UGH! Thank god they had sense to go with art instead of photos for this project..

[Ken B.]

I say we have a running tally of how many rehtoricals Millar uses in this series, as well as how many "Oh My God!!!" or "Jeezus!" are used.

[johnnyrocket]

Originally Posted by KraziJoe

Maybe it's just me, but this did not appeal to me at all. I saw the Last Action Hero, that is probably good enough.

It's not just you.

[johnnyrocket]

Originally Posted by JoeZhang

What's been more disappointing for me about that run has been Hitch's art - flat and fairly ugly looking...

I was so critical on the lateness of Ultimates, I'm not going to knock him now that he's on time. And he still manages to do some amazing back grounds. That said, most of the weakness in the opening FF arc I have to put on Millar's writing.