The Book of Lies

The Book of Lies
By Brad Meltzer
(Grand Central Publishing, 2008)

I’ll bet you’re wondering what a fiction novel has to do with the mission of “The UnGraphic Novel” to review books that give credibility to comics as a legitimate form of art and literature. Right? Let me explain.

The author, Brad Meltzer, is an accomplished comic book writer; ergo, it bodes well for the industry to see one of its creators demonstrate that they aren’t merely comic book writers – they’re accomplished and talented writers who sometimes write comics. Meltzer is a New York Times best-selling author, and that reflects very well on the comics he writes.

Secondly, the story heavily involves comic book history, characters, and our forgotten Mecca in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the story, an ex-federal agent is reunited with his long lost father. Together they set out in search of clues in a biblical treasure hunt with ties to the 1932 murder of Mitchell Siegel, father of Superman co-creator, Jerry Siegel. Throughout the story, readers are taken along on a search for clues left in comic books by Jerry Siegel, himself. But what great secrets will the clues lead them to, and what does Mitchell Siegel have to do with the biblical story of Cain and Abel?

“The Book of Lies” is a DaVinci Code mystery for comic book fans. In that vein, sadly, my biggest complaint would be that its nowhere near as complex or as deep as “The DaVinci Code.” Some of the obstacles in The Book of Lies are downright silly (like the “Zombie Possum”) and the characters seem to solve these riddles a little too easily sometimes.

Regardless, the adventure is fast-paced and a lot of fun, holding your attention every page as you try to figure out the puzzle along with the characters.

More important, I think, than the adventure: “The Book of Lies” offers a deep and compelling look at the rarely seen real life of Jerry Siegel, and the events that forged a man in steel. If you don’t read it for the fiction, read it for the facts. So many people today think Superman was created as a comic book stand-in for Jesus, Moses or Samson, but Meltzer presents a more Batman-like origin … that Superman was created by a scared little boy whose father was shot and killed, so he created a bulletproof vigilante.

His presentation of this alternate and little known history has gained attention from national media like this story in USA Today, and there was also a great feature article in the Oct. 2008 issue of Wizard Magazine. It seems poised to rewrite comic book history, or rather correct it. This could be a major turning point in the entire Superman franchise. As our perception of the Man of Steel changes, hopefully so too will our understanding of the character. Just as Dan Brown today gets most of the credit (or blame) for writing about theories that have always been out there, maybe Meltzer will be credited for popularizing this history behind the creation of Superman.

Forget the fictional elements and the transparent DaVinci knockoff for a moment. This book is worth reading because of how it will forever change the way we look at Superman.

I’d give this book three-and-a-half stars!

FUN FACTS: The main character, Calvin Harper, goes by the name, “Cal” — like Superman’s Kryptonian name.

The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero

The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero
By Stephen Skelton
(Harvest House, 2006)

The Judeo-Christian parallels to Superman have become less subtle over the past decade, taking an even bigger leap after the blatantly Christian allegories presented in Bryan Singer’s 2006 film, “Superman Returns.” The question remains, however: was Superman created as a New Testment figure (Christ), an Old Testament/Jewish figure (Moses or Samson), or a secular figure all together?

In this book, author Stephen Skelton walks us though the life and stories of Superman, and puts them side by side with biblical stories. A father sends his only son to earth, and that child grows up using his amazing power to save mankind. The boy dies defending his beliefs, and he rises from the grave again. Clearly, that could be either Jesus Christ, or Superman. No argument there — but was that the intention of his creators, or was that something added much later.

Some of the parallels in the book are very real (if not still unintended); such as pointing out Superman’s Kryptonian surname, El, is also found in biblical references to “Elohim” (God). The suffic is shared by all the angels, also. MichaEL, GabriEL, UriEL, etc. They’re all something “of God.” While that semms like case-closed evidence that his creators intended a biblical figure all along, first you need to hear their side of things. Originally, it was “Kal-L”, and some historians have said the name “Jor-El” is actually a truncated form of the name “JERry SiegEL” – one of Superman’s creators. This is a good example of how things started simple and even secular, and in time have adopted new meaning.

It’s unlikely that these two Jewish creators, Siegel and his art partner Joe Shuster, ever set out to create any type of religious figure, let alone a Christian one. It’s more likely (as we’ve seen above) that various aspects of their upbringing subconsiously bled through into their work, if at all, and as the character was passed from creator to creator over the decades, they’ve each added a little more to it. During which, over time, Superman has indeed become more and more biblical. Today he’s become an icon of Christianity, but it does seem unlikely that this was the intention of his Jewish creators 70 years ago.

The author does himself and his book a great disservice, however, by reaching too far to make his connections. One example of this: The author says of Superman’s earthly name “Clark Kent” that Clark actually means Cleric and Kent in Hebrew is Kana, which in Greek becomes Krista and then in English becomes Christ. Therefore, he suggests, the name “Clark Kent” actually means the “Cleric Christ”. I can’t dispute his math, because honestly I’m not a biblical scholar, but even if he is right (and I have no reason to assume he’s not), that’s still a long way to reach for a meaning to Clark’s name. Again, turning to the creators themselves, it’s reportedly said by Siegel himself that Clark Kent was simply named after actors Clark Gable and Kent Taylor. There doesn’t appear to be any greater meaning to it.

So this book does have some fun facts in it, and some eerie parallels, too, but more often than not the author is either reaching for things that aren’t there or drawing conclusions that are true today but weren’t necessarily intended by his creators. You learn pretty quickly, reading the book, how to tell them apart. If nothing else, you’ll close the book with a few more trivia bits to impress friends at parties.

I’d give this book three stars!

FUN FACTS: When Superman rose from the dead, it was discovered by Lois Lane, who entered his large tomb and found his body missing. This is allegorical to the Bible, when Mary Magdalane inspected the tomb of Christ and found it empty.

The Psychology of Superheroes

The Psychology of Superheroes
By Robin Rosenberg, Ph.D.
(Benbella Books, 2008)

Y’know, as a writer myself, I love to know what makes a character tick. What makes them who they are, and what makes them do what they do. It’s a fascinating subject and a great way to understand the character if you ever hope to write him or her. The Psychology of Superheroes, edited by Robin Rosenberg, Ph.D., book seemed like it would be a great find for me, and while I certainly enjoyed it, I often found it to be dull and clinical.

This book looks at the psychological motivations behind your favorite characters.

* The positive psychology of Peter Parker.
* Themes of race and discrimination in X-Men.
* Gender roles in Wonder Woman.
* Nature versus nurture in Superman’s upbringing.
* Is the Punisher a clinical psychopath or just anti-social?
* Anger management and the Hulk.

Every single topic could be fascinating and well-explored … if they had any real writers.

This book is an anthology, written not by creative writers but mostly by clinical professionals. Yes, Virigina, there is a difference. Just because a writer scripts a story about a doctor working in a busy urban emergency room, that doesn’t make him a doctor. Likewise, just because Dr. John Somebody has been published in the “North American Journal of Psychology” doesn’t mean they know a thing about writing a captivating story.

They certainly know a lot about the characters, I can’t deny that; but most of their essays read like a disertation for a professional journal. In fact, if you substituted any of the popular character mentioned in these essays for more generic, unknown names, the essays would be virtually unreadable to the average person. I think it’s only because it’s dealing with characters we know and love that we even bother to read them.

After all … we’re talking about an entertainment industry, and to suck all the fun out of them is counterproductive to their creation.

Still, if you can get past the technical jargon, it’s still a fun and interesting book to read. I especially recommend it to writers who hope to someday script these characters’ adventures, as a way to better understand the motivation behind their actions. I also recommend it to anyone with a combined interest in comics and psychology — for you people, this book is like someone put their chocolate into your peanut butter!

Overall, it’s a great subject matter, with some excellent topics, that just fell a little flat in the hands of some less than entertaining authors.

I’d give this book three stars.

FUN FACTS: In the Marvel Universe, the X-Men have often been used as allegories for racial prejudice; Dr. Charles Xavier representing Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Magneto representing his idealogical counterpart, Malcom X.

The Man from Krypton

The Man from Krypton
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
(BenBella Books, 2006)

MFK (abbreviated because I’m lazy) is a collection of essays, examining Superman through the lens of romance, politics, sociology, psychology and all those other -ologies. As with any collection of essays, I found it rather hit-or-miss. Some of the essays were fun and interesting, others … not so much.

I really enjoyed “You Will Believe a Man Can Walk,” by Sarah Zettel – a heartfelt look at Superman-actor Christopher Reeve and what he brought to the character. I think it was the best essay in the entire book.

Other essays explored the evolution of Krypton, the differences between two orphans: Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, and the makeup of a hero. All of them were cute, if not a little forgettable.

Sadly what I’ll remember most about this book are the two essays that I hated the most.

The first was “God, Communism and the WB,” by Gustav Peebles. I’ll admit, I didn’t even read it all the way through. I just couldn’t. I tried, God help me, I did … but it was so dry and boring that I almost put the whole book down. Instead, I just abandoned this essay and left it for dead, as it surely would have done me. Maybe I just don’t understand it because I’m stupid, I don’t know. But it seemed to me at times as if Peebles – an anthropology professor at Columbia University in NYC, who studies the history of monetary reform (whatever that is) – was perhaps just a bit over my head. I wondered how many people can really connect with this essay.

I would say more about it, but I’m bored even writing about Peebles’ essay.

The second was Larry Niven’s supposedly classic essay, “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex,” which was originally published in 1971. It’s become kind of a cult favorite for its sci-fi comedy, I’m told, but I just found it ridiculous. It wasn’t comically absurd; as I’m also told it was supposed to be. It was just absurdly absurd. In his essay, Niven explores the “real world” consequences of Superman’s sex life.

“Superman would literally crush LL’s body in his arms, while simultaneously
ripping her open from crotch to sternum, gutting her like a trout.” (Niven, 53).

One potential ending Niven theorizes is that millions of Kryptonian sperm eat through LL’s body and fly through the air, impregnating unsuspecting women everywhere. And of course, carrying a superbaby poses its own set of deadly problems. I absolutely found it indulgent, sickening and ridiculous. I certainly won’t be seeking out anything else that Niven – an award winning sci-fi writer – has published.

While you’re writing your hate mail now, I’ll just wrap things up here.

Just as I wrote in the beginning: the problem with collected editions is that some essays work, and others don’t. In the end, it just depends which side ends up with more lines on the chalkboard. For this book, it had more good essays than bad, but the bad ones cast a large shadow that makes it almost impossible to remember the things that made it enjoyable.

If you’re already a hardcore fan of the Man of Steel, as I am, or if you appreciate pop culture analysis, as I also do, you’ll enjoy this book. Without those pre-programmed measures to attract the reader, however, I don’t see anyone getting too excited about it.

In a future volume (and I certainly hope there is one) I would rather read essays written not just by random writers, but instead by people who can be credited as a real authority on the Man of Steel – maybe former writers and editors, or filmmakers. At least those people know what they’re talking about.

I’d give this book two and one-half stars.

FUN FACTS: Superman — often compared to Judeo-Christian figures like Moses, Samson, or Christ — can also be analogous to the Sumerian god, Gilgamesh.

Batman Unmasked

Batman Unmasked
By Will Brooker
(Continuum Books, 2001)

Right from the start, the title of this book was misleading. I picked it up thinking it was an analysis of what kind of man would put on a cape and cowl and fight crime to avenge his parent’s death. Instead, what I got was a love letter to all the worst stereotypes of Batman.

In his book, author Will Brooker offers up the history of Batman’s creation and development in comics, film and television. It may not have been what I was hoping for, but it’s a good subject all the same. Unfortunately, Brooker seems to champion two of the worst aspects of Batman’s history: the 1960s TV series and the idea that Batman might actually be gay.

Let’s start with the TV series. 

The 1960s Batman was a lot of fun … in the 1960s, when comics had become watered down, campy versions of their former self, courtesy of Dr. Fredric Wertham and the Comics Code Authority (see my review of The Ten Cent Plague for more on that subject). Today, the series is synonymous with camp. As Brooker points out in his book, the TV series was an attempt at pop art, which was very popular at the time.

This representation of Batman — typically called “The Caped Crusader” — is one of two almost contradictory persona’s adopted by the character; the other is known as “The Dark Knight.”

The former is a bright, friendly, smiling guy who gets along swell with the other members of the Justice League and always carries bat-shaped cookies in his utility belt just in case he and Robin bump in to Scooby and the gang. Again, this is the watered down, happy-shiny Batman created in the post-Wertham world of comics. His other person, as featured in this summer’s coming film by the same name, is a dark, scary, brooding creature of the night hell-bent on making up for his own inability to save his parents by adopting a terrifying iconography and spending his nights shoving his Bat-boots 3-feet up some criminal’s colon! 

Both are fine representations from different points in times, and both have very strong and faithful followings today.
 
Me? I sit in the Dark Knight’s corner. I just see it as a more faithful telling of the original story created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. So Brooker and I split on this issue, but if you fancy the Adam West-Batusi-POW-BIFF Batman of the 60s, then this is right up your alley.

Secondly, let’s talk about the concept that Batman might be gay.

This idea was widely popularized by Wertham in the 1950s. He claimed it was so obvious that it sent deviant messages to impressionable young minds. The irony is: it was probably not something most people noticed until he himself brought it up, as if to feed his own thesis and sell more books. Furthermore, it wasn’t until after Wertham’s watering down of comics in the 1950s that this image of a bright, campy, sometimes homoerotic Batman came to be. In a strange way, he’s responsible for creating the very thing he was fighting against. 

Most of the arguments today continue as jokes, double-entendres and people reading more into things than they should. Brooker not only lines up these moments in his book, but he does so as if to say, “hey, maybe Batman really is gay.”  

There are certainly gay readings that can be taken from the stories. I’d be lying and ignorant to say there were none, but readings and intention can often be two different things. Some people can read Shakespeare and find lessons and allegories to today’s world … that doesn’t mean it was ever the author’s intention. I personally don’t think that Batman is gay. I think there have been times when the creators were throwing out silly jokes or jabs at the reader, but I don’t think there’s ever been an editorial decision to declare that Batman is gay. 

Without that editorial decision, it simply cannot be true. Batman exists only in the form that his creators and editors allow.
 
Brooker does present a thorough and interesting look at the creation and development of Batman over the years. His historical documentation is impressive, but it’s his social commentaries that bother me most. I understand how a fan might recognize and appreciate these elements of the character through their historical and social contexts, but to champion them as dominant just doesn’t make sense to me. 

I’d give this book only one-star! 

FUN FACTS: Adam West rose a ruckus when the 1989 Batman movie was released, because (at then-age 51) he thought he should have been given the part of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Our Gods Wear Spandex

Our Gods Wear Spandex
By Chris Knowles
(Weiser Books, 2007)

In OUR GODS WEAR SPANDEX, author Christopher Knowles examines comics as a form of modern storytelling passing down achetypes from the most ancient of civilizations, societies and religions.

But was the book any good? Quite honestly, I think it fell just a little short of what I was hoping for.

It opens with a very detailed history of religion and mythology, and how it gave rise to occultism and mysticism. Then it follows that into the involvement of literary figures (Poe, Lovecraft, Doyle, etc.) which then begat the pulps and then eventually begat the comics. It’s a solid evolution, but it suffers greatly in its segregation of topics. The first half of the book is all about religion, with very little to do about comics. The middle is about literature and social trends, and then in its third act it picks up about comics, with little to do with religion, reaching for connections to stories told in the first half of the book.

I think the author is 100 percent right in his claims that comics are an ancient form of storytelling and modern mythology, and I think the examples he uses are generally spot on. I just think they suffer in this book from being separated and isolated from one another. It seems like he felt he had to give us the background on religion first, and then show us how comics have translated it.

A better outline, I think, would have been to jump right into the history of comics, told chronologically and pulling aside at times to expand on how the characters represent religious aspects. By separating them as he’s done, the author separates also the characters from the religions to which he’s trying to tie them. It was all so separated that at times it felt like I was reading two — sometimes even three –- different books. There didn’t seem to be a strong connectivity between the themes, but they were certainly there if you were willing to look hard for them and remember every word and statement about everything he wrote from page one. I personally don’t have that kind of memory, and I envy and fear the relatively few people in the world who do.

I also think he suffers from Intentional Fallacy — applying critical readings to stories that may not have intended it. A good example of this is Superman.

The author claims Superman is a Messiah figure, like Christ. Certainly it’s easy enough to see, but what he fails to recognize (or at least, he spends too little time on) is that Superman was created by Jewish creators. If religion played any role in Superman’s creation, it’s more likely that he was created as Moses figure (which the author does touch upon), and later down the road adopted the more recognizable traits of Christianity for which he’s known today. Yes, Superman is a Jesus-Christ-figure today, but that doesn’t mean it was the intention of his creators 70 years ago. In fact, it seems highly unlikely that it would have been.

(NOTE: You can expect to read more about the Judeo-Christian allegories in Superman in a number of upcoming reviews. Stay tuned!)

To be fair, however, literary critics have applied the very same interpretations to everything from Chaucer to Crichton since the dawn of criticisms. It’s what they do, and while they’re often interesting and valid parallels, they are rarely the intended meaning.

In all, I think the author almost nails it. It’s a great book with great analysis and revealing comparisons. It’s only major fault is that it fails to combine the two aspects of comics and religion at once, choosing instead a “this and that” format.

I’d give this book a rating of two-and-a-half out of four stars.

FUN FACTS: Legendary DC Comics editor, Julius Schwartz, was once a literary agent for horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft.

About Ryan

>> Back to The UnGraphic Novel

RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY is a writer and journalist, from New Boston, Ohio, who has written for news media, comic books, public relations and more. He has written comic books for pay and/or print, for publishers such as Marvel Comics, Digital Webbing, Blue Water Productions, Alias Comics, Gyro Worldwide, and others.

Presently, Ryan works as a staff writer for The Portsmouth Daily Times, in Portsmouth, Ohio. He has also worked with the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch, The Associated Press, and Edison-Mitofsky Media — who supply polling data to CNN, NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS and the AP — and he’s reported local news on-the-air for CNN and MSNBC.

Ryan writes a lot of reviews (books, comics, movies, games, music, etc) for a variety of media publications and web sites. Topics of books which he frequently reads and reviews include comics, politics, media, writing, screenwriting, animation and any handful of other random topics that catches his attention.

If you’re an author or a publisher, and would like for Ryan to consider your book to review, you can send it to him at:

Ryan Scott Ottney
4259 Oak Street
New Boston, Ohio 45662

… Or you can simply e-mail Ryan at wizard (at) ryanscottottney (dot) com!

You can also find Ryan on the following Web sites:
* http://www.ryanscottottney.com
* http://www.myspace.com/ryanscottottney
* http://www.comicspace.com/ryanscottottney
* http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rsottney

ABOUT THE RATINGS
Books are reviewed on a scale of one-half stars (worst) to four stars (best), and can be defined as such …

One-Half Star: The absolute worst rating I can give. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone … ever!

One Star: A poor book, but still very few redeemable qualities.

One-and-a-Half Stars: Not great. Just slightly below average.

Two Stars: An average book. Not great, but not horrible. Meh!

Two-and-a-Half Stars: Slightly above average. At least halfway enjoyable, if not a little flawed.

Three Stars: A good book. Very few problems and a fun read.

Three-and-a-Half Stars: Nearly perfect. I’d definitely recommend this book!

Four Stars: A great book! Drop whatever you’re reading and find this book now!

ABOUT THE FUN FACTS
The “Fun Facts” are interesting bits of trivia pulled right out of the book being reviewed. If you dispute any of the “facts” or wonder where I heard it, don’t blame me … it’s all in the book. I don’t make up rumors, I just help spread ‘em!

The Ten-Cent Plague

The Ten-Cent Plague
By David Hajdu
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008)

Most of us already know of the crusade against comics waged by Fredric Wertham in the first half of the 20th century, but how many people know about Sterling North, Anthony Comstock, or Estes Kefauver? The sad truth is, Wertham was not alone.

Hajdu’s book follows the creation of EC Comics by Max Gaines, who today is credited as the man who invented comic books. The company published biblical stories and educational comics (hence: “EC”) until Gaines’ death and succession by his son, Bill Gaines, who steered the company into its legendary path with titles like Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, and Shock SuspenStories. Of course, as any casual comic historian knows, the story didn’t end there. The new line of books being published at EC earned the ire of politicians whose legislations were supported by church and parent groups fearing comics were too graphic and disturbing for children, pushing them into delinquencies and unruliness.

EC wasn’t the only publisher targeted by these social groups, even Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were charged with promoting ideals of fascism, homosexuality and sexual dominance, respectively — but EC by far paid the greatest price.

As is evident throughout history, no form of youth culture has ever gone without attempts to censor or otherwise eliminate it. In the 1800s, even Grimm’s Fairy Tales were considered unsuitable for children, and of course music has always been a popular and misunderstood form of youth culture — from the swing-inspired Zoot Suit Riots of the 1940s to Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips in the 1950s. History has proven that comics are not alone in their persecution, and neither will they be the last.

Hajdu’s book pokes holes in the testimonies and “research” presented in the argument against comics, and the senate subcommittee hearing to follow. While I’d like to think that these attempts to censor comics were only successful because the 1950s was an age of innocence and wholesome American values not yet ready for this bold new medium, I know that just wasn’t the case. The 1950s wasn’t nearly as white bread as Nick-At-Nite would have you remember it — it’s ills either forgotten or suppressed in order to hold it up as a golden age of morality. Neither do I feel that this is no longer possible in our day and age. In fact, given the events of the past seven years, I think we’re in more danger today of acquiescing to will of the state in attempts to homogenize our culture and pour out from the melting pot into a single mold of moral conformity.

I neither agree with nor support such an effort, and I think Hajdu’s book offers a scholarly and entertaining telling of the dangers which can occur when adults clash with youth culture in attempts to “protect” children.

Even if you have no interest in comics whatsoever, Hajdu’s book is a must read for anyone who still doesn’t recognize the harm caused by censorship and attempts at legislating morality. This is a book about the freedoms of man, creativity and individuality … and a little about comics, too.

I’d give this book a complete four stars (my highest rating)!

FUN FACTS: Mad Magazine began at EC Comics and was the only publication they kept after shutting down their comic books division; moving Mad to the magazine stands to avoid adhering to the Comics Code — which EC themselves helped create.

Chapter One

Welcome to the newest column at Wizard Universe (as of this writing), called The UnGraphic Novel! I’m your host, Ryan Scott Ottney, and each week I’ll be sharing my reviews of books about comics. Books that explore comics through a serious criticism, such as religion, philosophy, history, sociology, psychology, mythology, and all those other -ologies!

I’ll try to keep up in my reading so I can post my reviews as quickly as possible, and whenever I fall behind, I’ll try to post news or interviews related to comic book literature. If you have a book you’d like for me to review (a request from either a fan or a publisher/author), you can contact me in the ABOUT RYAN link found in the rightside menu. There you’ll also find a little bit more about me, and what makes me qualified to review books.

I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun here, and hopefully you’ll enjoy my thoughts and opinions. Watch for my first review to be posted this evening, following which we’ll fall into a weekly schedule.

See you there!