It's been a while since we looked at dating comics... specifically, what kinds of pop culture is referenced (usually as "jokes") in a comic and what does that say about its readership/demographic. This week's case study, Moon Knight #2 (2011) by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, and Matthew Wilson.
And wouldn't you know? The SAME joke is used in Heroes for Hire #8 (2011) in the SAME WEEK by Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning, Brad Walker, & Andrew Hennessy/John Livesay. (Context: Paladin is trying to get Satana's magical help in dispelling some arcane weapons, and the spell required a bit of barely-concealed nudity.)
The reference is to "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" -- a famous line from Dustin Hoffman from Midnight Cowboy (1969). Yes, 1969! This memorable scene has a bit of urban legend around it, in that it is alleged to have been improvised on the spot with a real cab. It's made the AFI's top 50 most memorable movie lines, so despite being over 30 years old, it's often referenced enough that it kind of seems timeless. Thus:
Deadjoke-o-meter:
3 out of 5 Deadpools. (If only I can remember what that's supposed to mean.)
BONUS ART CRITIQUE!
I have to call out Moon Knight for some very poor art. The pacing of the quote in context of the pictures there, unfortunately, seems jarring and disruptive. I can see what the creators were aiming for, but it doesn't "sell," at all.
The bottom panel is obviously meant to be interruptive, since that's the point of the joke, right? But the posing of the characters are so stiff that you would guess it's not the same fight at all, and suddenly the figures are in a different enviorment (colored differently as well). Was the "Hai" balloon supposed to be first? Where did the bodies of the two thugs go anyway? Why is it virtually the same boring straight-shot camera angle? Ugh! Sorry Maleev, this is what they call bad comic book storytelling.
Stiff posing from Maleev?? Whoever would have thought...
Posted by: snell | June 06, 2011 at 11:32 AM
I know, right? I really think people need to distinguish what they mean when they praise a comic book artist. A lot of people say Maleev is "great." And I'll admit his work is very atmospheric and he is an awesome draftsman. Connecting those things together panel-to-panel doesn't seem to work that well.
But I will also admit that (as you know) I am a big fan of the old "Marvel-style" of writing. I wonder sometimes if the fault of some artists is not their lack of storytelling panel-to-panel but actually it is of the writers' script.
Posted by: Danny | June 07, 2011 at 01:46 PM