Saturday, October 30, 2010
Comic Art
SO BAD, THEY'RE GOOD!
As a child reading comics some images just burn themselves in your brain. The Silver Age images you see here of Whirlwind are among those for me. One always wonders why the images become so personally iconic - even if Whirlwind's story is a bit lame. (Was he formerly known as the "Human Top" or not? Did "Whirlwind" replace "The Human Top" because of copyright issues with DC's "The Top" in Flash's Rogues Gallery?) In this case I think the reason for the appeal is simple - the costume was doable at home, even is the physique was not - at least not without steroids.
Unlike the very lame "Top" of DC fame, this guy had chops as well - I mean he infiltrated the Avengers for crying out loud! (Of course, he used the Pym's to do it and they always were suckers - I think Hank has shrunk his brain one too many times.)
Deeply geeky comic people, geekier than me, like to do things called "power rankings" - that is a scale of power for various super-powers. This whole spin yourself silly thing slides up and down the scales like nobody's business. Over at DC, "The Top" is barely more powerful than a tame rabbit caught in a trap, but Red Tornado is an elemental of creation. Here at Marvel, Whirlwind can take on the entire Avengers rosters? What gives?
And then, finally, check out the new costume below. Shiny, but boring! And what is with this whole "he's a mutant" thing. Who knew he was a mutie in the good 'ol days? Not me! He was just a baddie in a really cool costume and a fetish for the Wasp. Why's everything have to be so complicated these days?
As a child reading comics some images just burn themselves in your brain. The Silver Age images you see here of Whirlwind are among those for me. One always wonders why the images become so personally iconic - even if Whirlwind's story is a bit lame. (Was he formerly known as the "Human Top" or not? Did "Whirlwind" replace "The Human Top" because of copyright issues with DC's "The Top" in Flash's Rogues Gallery?) In this case I think the reason for the appeal is simple - the costume was doable at home, even is the physique was not - at least not without steroids.
Unlike the very lame "Top" of DC fame, this guy had chops as well - I mean he infiltrated the Avengers for crying out loud! (Of course, he used the Pym's to do it and they always were suckers - I think Hank has shrunk his brain one too many times.)Deeply geeky comic people, geekier than me, like to do things called "power rankings" - that is a scale of power for various super-powers. This whole spin yourself silly thing slides up and down the scales like nobody's business. Over at DC, "The Top" is barely more powerful than a tame rabbit caught in a trap, but Red Tornado is an elemental of creation. Here at Marvel, Whirlwind can take on the entire Avengers rosters? What gives?
And then, finally, check out the new costume below. Shiny, but boring! And what is with this whole "he's a mutant" thing. Who knew he was a mutie in the good 'ol days? Not me! He was just a baddie in a really cool costume and a fetish for the Wasp. Why's everything have to be so complicated these days?
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