Wanted
by J.G. Jones, Mark Millar
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.75 You Save: $10.24 (51%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.87 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Wanted
Book Review: 98% shock value
Summary: 2 Stars
Sporting a cover image that is simple yet sure to grab attention on the shelves, Mark Millar and JG Jones' WANTED trade paperback had been on my "to buy" list for some time. I finally plopped down the cash for the book this week with high expectations, as Millar had accomplished the near-impossible several years ago by piquing my interest in the Authority, as well as producing some interesting work with DC's Superman: Red Son and Marvel's Ultimates. After reading WANTED, I have to say that, while the premise is quite fascinating, the story itself was yet another case of shock value substituting for good writing.
WANTED collects issues 1 - 6 of Millar and Jones' series, plus a great pin-up and sketch gallery. Let's get the basics out of the way first: Wesley Gibson is the ultimate loser - he has a dead-end job, a cheating girlfriend, and no backbone. This drudgery is interrupted when Wesley is surprised by the information that he has just inherited the legacy of his deceased deadbeat dad, the rapid-firing supervillain The Killer. He is even more surprised by this information because no one is aware that superhumans even exist! Over the following months, under the tutelage of arch-criminals Professor Solomon Seltzer and The Fox, Wesley learns of the shadowy history of superhumans on Earth and is transformed into a killing machine in the mold of his father, while slowly coming to the realization that things aren't quite what they seem to be. Rumor has it that Millar pitched this idea to DC Comics as a story of the son of either Deathstroke or Deadshot, and I can believe it, as almost every character contained within is an analogue of some DC character (with a few Marvels thrown in for good measure).
Jones' art is excellent - seriously: WOW! It couldn't be better. His skill with faces, physiques, action sequences, and layouts are all on good display here. My favorite aspect of the art, however, is the backgrounds, which often consist of glimpses of thinly-disguised DC and Marvel villains. It's much like the "spot-the-hero game" readers could play with Alan Moore and Gene Ha's Top Ten.
As for the story... it started out quite well; in fact, the first 2 issues really had my attention. But it quickly slides into a mess of blood, guts, cursing, sex, and general amoral behavior, and while this story IS indeed about super-villains, I don't feel that the gruesome details were necessary to make that point. In some ways, these elements undo a lot of what Millar was trying to accomplish by showing Wesley's growth from weakling into warrior. For example, you can have heroes, and you can have anti-heroes, and while villainy may not a noble profession, you can't help but root for Wesley to leave his dreary life behind and accept his destiny. But when the writer then dives so deeply into the nature of that character, to the point that the anti-hero is no longer just a victim of circumstance, but revealed to be a mass murderer, terrorist, thug, thief, elitist, and serial rapist (and what's more: just for the thrill of it), there's nothing left for me to root for. In fact, as I neared the end of the book, I was hoping that it would conclude with Wesley taking a bullet to the brain, as that's the only way I could see this story ending on a high note: you live by the sword, you die by the sword. As for the ending, by the time I reached the final chapter, I realized that Millar had pulled a fast one, where the events depicted in the beginning of the story were not quite as they appeared. While he did leave himself some leeway for this, he took great liberties with the introductory narrative, to where the ending was essentially a cheat, pure and simple. If that was the plan all along, then chapters 2 through 5 seem pretty unnecessary, upon reflection. In spite of all of this, I will give Millar a thumbs up for the way in which he blurs the line between fantasy and reality. The supervillain community has indeed pulled a fast one on the general public, and it's something that could conceivably be based in our own reality, depending on how much you trust in conspiracy theories.
In conclusion, if that rumor involving DC is true, I think they may have missed out on a good thing here. If this story would have been anchored in the DC Universe (even as an Elseworlds), with some tighter editorial control and toning down of the shock value, it might have been much better.
Book Review: THE MONGREL COUSIN OF WATCHMEN
Summary: 4 Stars
Touted as "WATCHMEN for Villains" when it first appeared as a six-issue mini, WANTED was certainly a much anticipated if not over-hyped comic that certainly had big shoes to fill, or at least try to fill. Did it succeed? Well, that all depends on one's personal expectations and opinions, which I won't even attempt to go into. Suffice to say that they are both very different breeds of comic, Watchmen being a more detailed and analytical work whereas Wanted is ultimately a much more conventional superhero work. Sure, it may be a whole lot more profane than the average Wolverine or Punisher title would like to be, however, realistically speaking, it is simply put, a comic that has far more style than substance. That is not to say that it is a bad or poorly conceived work. Just that Watchmen was less interested in the influence of modern-day Hollywood than Wanted is. Which automatically makes them diametric opposites. I guess one could argue that Wanted is the relative of Watchmen, you know, that one relative that no-one ever really wants to talk about much less acknowledge it's existence. Which really does work in Wanted's favor, considering what it is that Mark Millar set out to say when he created it.
It benefits the reader immensely if they know their comics inside and out. That way all of the black humour of the series is "got" and all of the full weight of the events (particularly what has made the world depicted the way it is) are truly understood.
Before going any further, one needs to be aware of another series/TPB which mirrors Wanted in very crucial and telling ways. I refer to Grant Morrison and Chris Weston's THE FILTH. If you have not read THE FILTH and profess to "know" Wanted, then let me tell you, YOU NEED TO READ THE FILTH! Morrison and Millar are good friends and, having written together previously, both Wanted and The Filth no doubt were born as a result of discussions they had. Now let me just say that The Filth handles the ideas/concepts of "super-hero deconstructionism" (as detailed in both works) much more originally and successfully than Wanted. Whereas Morrison runs with the ball, so to speak, until he passes the touchdown line and then keeps on running, Millar doesn't fully seem to know what to do with what he's been handed and simply attempts to let some fancy footwork compensate for any other shortcomings.
Now let me state that I believe Millar to be one of the most talented and vital writers currently in comics today. However, Wanted (unlike say AUTHORITY or ULTIMATES or even SUPERMAN:RED SON) is rife with so much unfulfilled potential.
The issue of what happened to (their world's Superman) is raised. His tattered cape, which should have been destroyed, exists as a secret trophy of Prof Seltzer's. This would have been known as foreshadowing in any other story, but here it is simply a nod to DCs DEATH OF SUPERMAN arc, nothing more or less. Millar does nothing with the consequences of Seltzer possessing the cape. It's like the whole sum of Wanted is simply a drive by the car wreck of superhero-dom or somesuch. Any twists or turns are simply played for shock value. They do little or nothing to drive the plot into fresh and original areas. Wesley, the main character, learns absolutely nothing enlightening or enriching from his experiences and the finale where he enacts his father's wish plays so much like a near-similar scene from one of Frank Miller's Sin City arcs that it's intended surprise impact is rendered flat.
As to the very last page, sure, this IS a series about villains and particularly "supervillains" but really, does that mean they have to be so predictably boorish and simplistic. Villains in comics, by their very role and nature, are "agents of change" whereas their "heroic counterparts" are "agents of stability". That said, by having changed the wold in such a drastic manner, it would seem that they have become just like what they hated - predictable and incapable of change. Was this part of Millar's intention? Who really knows? It remains just another unfulfilled and unexplored aspect of Wanted.
Maybe Millar might one day write a sequel (maybe that's his intention?)and address many of these unresolved aspects, but as it stands now, Wanted is too similar to Fight Club to be deserving of many of the accolades it has been heaped with.
Book Review: A subversive masterpiece certainly not for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
It's kind of amazing the type of reactions that Millar and Jones' "Wanted" evokes in people. Some people absolutely despise it. Other people absolutely adore it. I personally think it's wonderful, but I also understand why a bunch of people don't like it. Let me explain.
Upfront, let's say this: This is a book about villains. They're going to do villainous things. They aren't going to hold hands. They aren't going to be nice people. They aren't going to have a change of heart. They aren't going to see the error of their ways. Not because they couldn't, but because they don't care. Many of the criticisms people have leveled at this book take that one thing for granted. They want the protagonist to be a nice guy (he isn't), they want him to do good things (he doesn't), they want the story to have a happy ending (the jury's sort of out on that one). Make no mistake, this is not intended to be mainstream fiction. And to me, that's part of the appeal.
Wanted is the story of Wesley Gibbs, an office drone who's been walked on his entire life. He's been kicked by nearly everyone who could have a chance, and twice on Sundays. His girlfriend is sleeping around on him, his boss is abusive without cause, and Wesley takes it, because he can't envision any other way to live. Until someone comes along and tells him he's the son of the greatest killer who ever lived, and that he's just inherited his legacy. And while he fights it at first, he comes to embrace it, and that's where things start getting complicated.
I don't want to walk you through the book. I don't want to tell you that you should like it, because, frankly, I understand why a lot of people wouldn't like this book. It's violent, it's unsympathetic to, well, everyone, it's remorseless, it's brutal, it's needless cruel... but that's sort of the point. While I see a lot of people in other reviews comparing "Wanted" to "Fight Club" (fair) and "The Matrix" (not really applicable), in many ways, "Wanted" is an extension of some of the ideas presented in a much older book, "The Lord of the Flies." What DOES happen in a society without rules? What would you do if there wasn't a law you had to follow? What would you do if there wasn't anyone to tell you no, or stop you from doing whatever you put your mind to? The easy answer is to say that you'd just go on living your life, but with some improvements, but at the cost of what? The world is about systems. Give yourself a ton of money, money goes down in value, suddenly you have less money than you intended. Don't want to pay a speeding ticket? Now you're breaking laws, just because you can. Millar takes that concept and runs with it about as far as he can, then keeps running past where it was before.
If "Fight Club" wasn't your cup of tea, then steer clear from "Wanted." If you're looking for something with a positive message, steer clear of "Wanted." If you want a story where you agree with the actions of the protagonist, steer clear of "Wanted." It's not a book for kids. It's not a book for people who want a story that holds their hand the whole way. It is, to borrow a phrase, very bad men doing very bad things. Again, I return to my original point -- this is a story about villains.
With all that said, Jones' art is fantastic, the dialog is crisp and leaps off the page, the characters are memorable and the story is a wild roller coaster ride that asks the question "When there are no rules, and the only people who can tell you no are your fellow degenerates, what do you do?" It's uncomfortable, it's vile, it's twisted, it's darker-than-dark... and that's why I love it, and why most of you probably won't...
Book Review: Wesley Gibson: the super-villain without a super-ego.
Summary: 5 Stars
In life, many people wish for a better life than the one they were dealt. They wish to be smarter, better looking, more confident, etc. They nurse fantasies of taking what they want and finally telling off the people who trample on their spirits like an angry child destroying a flower bed, but usually they never follow through with them.
WANTED is the story of a man who got a re-deal from the deck. Meet Wesley Gibson: a quiet, unassuming person who lives his life in a cubicle farm, determined to not make any waves. Whether it's mooing for a tofu-burger or turning a blind eye to his unfaithful girlfriend, Wesley Gibson is little more than a shadow of the man he could be.
Out of nowhere, Wesley gets the chance to join a group called The Fraternity, and they give him the chance to become the man he always wanted to be - but that man isn't very nice.
Over the course of this 6-issue story arc, we watch the metamorphosis of Wesley Gibson from spineless jellyfish to hardened super-villain. He is given a tabula rasa not only for his thoughts, but his actions: Every fantasy he ever has can be fulfilled with absolutely no fear of consequences. As the story progresses, his fantasies-turned-reality range from the gleefully murderous to the savagely carnal.
Comic books have been designed for over 70 years to tell stories about super-heroes and their noble pursuits; sacrificing personal pleasures for the betterment of others because it's the right thing to do. WANTED is the polar opposite: Wesley Gibson was stomped on his entire life; once he has the freedom to take charge of his destiny, he becomes an egocentric hedonist - using his newly found gifts to satisfy his own desires, both subtle and gross.
While some readers may react to Wesley's actions with disgust, others cheer him on for taking every societal folkway/more and raising his middle finger to them. The funny thing is; Wesley Gibson would most likely vilify his admirers since they only watch from the sidelines instead of taking a stand.
This compilation is a real treat - it includes the original 6 issues plus the Wanted: Dossier materials. It contains a rogues gallery of Wesley's friends and foes, cover art galleries, design concepts, storyboards, and a few ads for other comics.
At the end of the novel, you will have one of two reactions - either admiration or disgust.
This is a little segment I like to call "WWWS" - What Would Wesley Say?
If you liked it, Wesley would say: "Are you willing to be brutally honest and tell people exactly why you liked it, or are you going to take the p***y way out and say you liked the artwork?"
If you disliked it, Wesley would say: "Are you saying you didn't like this story because you really feel that way, or are you going to take the p***y way out and say you didn't like it because popular society says you SHOULDN'T?"
Now if you're offended by Wesley's questions and wouldn't want to answer them, this probably isn't the comic book compilation for you. There's a lot of cursing and brutal savagery to be found here, and that doesn't appeal to everyone. Don't despair! There are plenty of heroic comic novels like Watchmen or the Daredevil: Born Again saga to entertain you. However, if you like the idea of seeing how the other half of super-powered people live, WANTED is waiting.
Book Review: The Desires of a Spoiled 10-Year-Old
Summary: 2 Stars
I knew this series was going to be different when I found out where the idea came from--a younger brother asked what happened to the superheroes and the creator told him "They all got killed by the bad guys."
Then I got to read it and couldn't look away--much like a train wreck.
The protagonist ("hero" doesn't fit) is a guy working away at a dead-end job, mistreated by a bad girlfriend he doesn't seem to have the guts to break away from, a lousy boss and a dreary life. In other words, the lonely, destitute world that (apparently) we ALL live in. He doesn't seem to want to do anything ABOUT his lot in life, just bemoans the fact it stinks.
Then a girl named Fox drops into his life and tells him he's the son of a notorious assassin, and that he has the skills to follow in his footsteps. Oh, by the way, supervillains run the world because they all got together and decided to make the world FORGET about them, even having the heroes forget that they are heroes. (Sounds James Bondian in its apparent simplicity.) Now, due to a near-death experience, he also gets the morality issue out of the way by deciding there's no God.
There is, of course, a plot afoot (apparently by some of the same villains who got along well enough together to make The Big Plan work) and the hero has to train himself in order to be the professional murderer his father was. In the meantime, he gets to satisfy every teenage-boy impulse by shagging the same woman who was shagging his father, raping the women just to prove how powerful he is, and basically murdering everyone who gets in his way.
The last page is the kicker--a big shot of his face as he laughs at everyone who isn't as "fortunate" as he was. It's almost as if the writer wants to pull the same stunt he played back then. "All the good guys got killed off and now the world is run by punks like me."
Normally I'm not expecting a happy ending by this time, but being mocked by the main character for being a sucker is perilously close to being mocked by the writer for buying this.
There's a serious amount of belief suspension you have to do, even for a comic book about superheroes and supervillains. But Killer here expects you to think that just because he has money and power and a girl who'll part her legs for him at any time (loyalty not required), that that is the New American Dream, and he found it, and we can't.
Wesley doesn't become more mature, he does the opposite--he regresses into teenage wants and desires (nailing who I want, getting what I want). As far as ideals, his aren't much different than those boys at Columbine who wanted to get back at everyone, or Tim McVeigh who felt blowing up women and children were justifiable, or the 9/11 terrorists who wanted to make the world over in their own polluted image, and felt it was possible if ONLY they can kill as many people as they can to get it. The Killer is someone to add to the list of heroes of revenge fantasies and immature wants.
In the end, when the Killer laughs at us, I just want to laugh back at him. He has become a cartoon, a caricature villain who isn't old enough to grow a moustache to twist between his fingers.