The main acts over at the Big Two were Scott Snyder’s Batman #5 (DC) and Brian Michael Bendis’s Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel) featuring the Thing in a role he was meant to fill since 1961, but we all know that the best current comic is published by Image Comics so it is not surprising to find out that Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #147 was the best comic of the week.

UNSPOILED

1. The Walking Dead #147 (Image Comics), Unspoiled Edition

The Walking Dead is the most important comic series of the Willennium, and this issue finds Rick Grimes and company reeling from perhaps their greatest tragedy yet (see TWD #144). (They happen approximately every 48 issues, but I’m never ready!) Many of the survivors are no longer deserving of that name, and their loved ones, overcome with rage, are demanding a sacrifice. Robert Kirkman proves that the sublime exists nascent in the mundane by delivering to a crowd of geeks who love large breasts and muscles (us, Geekdom, comic book lovers) a subtle conversation in a kitchen that will likely make you cry.

SPOILED

1. The Walking Dead #147 (Image Comics), Spoiled Edition

I once spent a couple of days analyzing The Walking Dead #1 and I realized that with Robert Kirkman form is everything. Issue #147 takes the form of a triptych painting with leaves representing the past issue (Eugene’s desire to us Lydia as a hostage rather than a guest) and the next issue (Lydia drawing a gun on Andrea as they escape to the Hilltop), The centerpiece of the issue is a conversation between Rick and Michonne that was really touching.

Michonne is introduced in this issue as an apparent threat to young Lydia’s life as she stealthily invades Rick’s home, kitana drawn.

It would make sense for Michonne to want revenge. When Lydia’s mother Alpha, as they call her among the Whisperers, had members of Alexandria killed, Eugene wasn’t the only one who lost someone.

Michonne lost her beloved Ezekiel. Yet, when a shirtless Rick Grimes pulls a gun oin her she reveals her true purpose: to help Lydia escape to safety. Michonne confirms Rick’s worst fear, that the peaceful community has transformed into an angry mob in just a few hours’ time.

This reversal of expectation is one of the story elements that makes Robert Kirkman one of the greats. We are not talking about cheap, M. Knight Shyamalan-style plot twists. This is something different. We assign simple expectations to these characters is if they’re merely there to move the plot along, but Kirkman breathes life into the people in his stories and they surprise us with their humanity. The best example of this technique is probably when Rick takes Negan prisoner a couple arcs back instead of taking his life. Kirkman preaches that these black and white figures are not merely fodder for the dead; they are each of them a singularity and a decisive victory in the war against total annihilation of human life on this planet.

Would you believe that this isn’t even the best part?

The reason this is the comic to read this week is because of the graphic representation of a discussion, of all things. As if sumoning the spirit of the Eagles song “Desperado,” Rick confronts Michonne because she won’t let anybody love her. She pushed her children away before everything changed and she followed suit with Ezekiel after the dead began to rise. Following this conversation, Rick and Michonne share a cry. It is often noted that Rick Grimes will do anything for his family, but it is just as often forgotten that Rick is a cop and a cop needs a partner. As such, Rick’s well-being is inextricably tied to that of Michonne. The love between Rick and Michonne is not romantic or familial; it is the love that is shared by professionals who share a common goal.

This scene is a moment of uncommon warmth, but it is overshadowed by a sense of foreboding. Rick mentions that the death of his wife Lori and daughter Judith was the necessary condition for the depth of happiness he currently has with his wife Andrea and son Carl, so when Lydia pulls a gun on Carl and Andrea this happiness is threatened in a serious way.

The implications of this face-off are huge. Lori and Judith Grimes were killed during the war with the Governor in The Walking Dead #48. Exactly 100 issues later, Andrea and Carl are potentially on their way to join the rest of the family. This next issue could be big.

My prediction: This particular application of the Lori/Judith parallel is a red herring. Ever since Negan was defeated, The Walking Dead has had a different tone. I think this is because Kirkman is shifting his focus from Rick to Carl. We are expected to read this comparison in terms of the situation that will hurt Rick the most when we should be thinking of the worst case scenario from Carl’s perspective. Carl loves Lydia fiercely, as only the young and inexperienced can. Furthermore, they have done the nasty which, in narrative terms, usually means that the female involved is pregnant. I think the most likely situation is that Lydia and her possible unborn child are going to be killed, and at the hands of either Carl or his surrogate mother Andrea. That’s actually all I want to say about that; I promised myself I wouldn’t cry…

* * *

Though The Walking Dead was the only comic that really wowed me this week, I want you to know that I am forcing myself to have really high standards. Last week I passed by Amazing Spider-man #1 despite the fact that Dan Slott’s work is consistantly great. The concept of the Uncle Ben Foundation and later the unveiling of Horizon University at the wedding of Max Modell and Hector Baez were great, but I don’t want to devote this series of posts just to reviewing Amazing Spider-man. In the same vein, something ought to be said for Batman #45 and Guardians of the Galaxy #1. First and foremost, the confluence of Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Batman is one of the best things that has happened to DC comics since Geoff Johns rebooted Green Lantern, but this episode, while certainly inspired, is not the one people are going to be talking about a year from now. As for Guardians of the Galaxy, Bendis is known for the slow build, and while GotG has long felt like his backup book or another word for Marvel Team-Up word is that he will be leaving the X-Men imprint shortly and there’s nothing more exciting than a project that Bendis is focusing his primary attention on. Will that be this volume of Guardians of the Galaxy or something else entirely? There is no way of telling. In the meantime, I’m going to keep my eyes on Batman and Guardians of the Galaxy, and if they don’t blow my mind in the next couple of months then I guess my readers will just have to tell me I was wrong.

Before writing something intrinsically political in nature, one must always ask, “Is this going to be worth the effort?” Certainly, there are a lot of hot topics raised by the Democratic Debate the other night and the normal social media response is to ignore everything that has been written, lump the writer into one of two possible realities, and take a giant dump over everything that has been said. In almost any other situation, I would have decided to stay silent regarding the gathering of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee, and Martin O’Malley. I haven’t been following the rhetoric that has been used on the campaign trail, and until very recently I didn’t know anyone was actually running against Clinton for the democratic vote. (I had originally thought the Bernie Sanders was an Independent candidate, and only a week ago did I learn that Joe Biden was in the Democratic race. Oops.)

Why did I break down and decide to write anything about the Democratic Debate? It really comes down to this: the candidates present were required to deal with issues that are very close to my heart, specifically the student debt crisis and the criminal acts on Wall Street that brought about the 2008 recession. Originally, I had hoped that Elizabeth Warren would have become a Democratic forerunner and Ron Paul a voice in the Republican debates, the idea being that if we had people on either side of the aisle critical of Wall Street the other candidates might be forced to take a position now and take action later. Whether Sanders and Paul’s son Rand (who I have yet to see resemble his father in terms of true courage and vision, but who I hope will come around) are going to be enough to push this issue forward for at least another twelve months remains to be seen. However, the Democratic Debates leave me hopeful in this regard.

There was something really wonderful that came from my viewing of the Democratic Debates, namely a belief that these candidates project an image of being devoted to unpacking complicated ideas and educating the American public. This piqued my interests and forced me to put on my philosopher hat. Throughout the debate I was reminded of the fundamental two questions that underlie this event:

1. What qualifies someone to be the President?
2. Is it more important for participants in a primary debate to be allies or enemies?

If you want to watch the full democratic debate, it is available, at least for a limited time, on YouTube:

(By the way, hit me up if the YouTube video dies. I will try and find another posthaste.)

Perhaps just as important, if you’re going to put together an informed opinion on the candidate, you should also check out the article “FactChecking the Democratic Debate” from FactCheck.org. This is a great resource for basically any speech or debate that you watch, because, whether purposely or through a slip of the tongue, the truth is often obfuscated at events like this and you deserve to know when this occurs.

HILLARY CLINTON

I am not offering reflections on the politics of the candidates, but rather a personality profile. You have seen political rundowns everywhere. My intentions, as usual, are much more philosophical in nature. I am perfectly OK with questions remaining unanswered. With that in mind, Hillary Clinton was the most presidential candidate at the debate in just about every meaning of the word. She held herself like the Chief Executive of this nation and years of experience oozed through every word.

Keeping this in mind, I want to make a recommendation. We are better off as a nation without Hillary Clinton for president. Yes, that sounded like troll-bait, but let me finish this thought. Clinton is the type of politician who is gifted at fulfilling a role. She is at her best when she is allowed to be bold and fierce dealing with very specific policy issues and situations. That is not the president’s job. The danger of having Clinton in the oval office is that she would attempt to do too much of the work herself. Watching this debate has helped me develop a fairly stable concept of the definition of a good presidential candidate. The president ought to be a visionary leader and first delegator. In many ways, I have more respect for Clinton than any of the other candidates present, and it is clear to me that though she wasn’t the loudest voice she certainly won the debate, but that does not mean she should be president. You don’t want an experienced martial artist in the world as your chief filing clerk, not when there’s ninja-ing to do. Similarly, you don’t want Hillary Clinton tied down by the chains of being the public face of the United States of America.

BERNIE SANDERS

I want to further expand my concept of first delegator from the previous section. Despite strong opposition in congress, Barack Obama is one of the greatest presidential success stories of recent history. Obama was elected because his vision inspired young people on college campuses and social media, the people who, over the next eight years would be starting families, buying houses, and embarking on careers, the bread and butter of a healthy economy. He was often criticized by people close to the administration because he would set an impossible goal for his team members and expect them to carry it out. He would delegate important movements forward in policy to his cabinet, to members of congress, and most important, as an activist President, Obama delegated the majority of the work to the American public.

In retrospect, it seems unfair to devote so much of my Bernie Sanders discussion to President Obama, but if you want to see what Sanders stands for just log onto Facebook. It seems pretty obvious what matters to the dude. What we know from all of our friends who are intoxicated with/possessed by Bernie Sanders is that the man has a vision for the country. He may not have been the most prepared for the debate, and he is certainly rough around the edges, but it is possible that he is about as close to the definition (that I have laid out above) of a President that we currently have in the running.

Bernie’s greatest moment helps me to tease another concept that was pretty evident at the Democratic Primary, a concept that Martin O’Malley will tie together for us, which is that these candidates have slight differences in policy but emerge as a strong group of allies. Here’s Bernie’s perspective on the email scandal:

JIM WEBB

I have a few friends in the military, and many of them are the most solid, compassionate, and capable people I know. During Webb’s introduction, I got the same feeling from him. Furthermore, along with Clinton, Sanders, and, honestly, all the other candidates, he had a tendency to address negativity with a desire to provide context and education. He was put into a difficult situation regarding comments he’d made on Affirmative Action and gun control, but he took the time to address subtle points. I haven’t watched much news coverage, so I don’t know if that comes across in their summaries, but it was seriously refreshing.

The most important thing Webb brings to the table is legitimacy for the Democratic Party. It is often said that the “independents” decide an election, and I think this is true though the veracity of this statement really depends on how you define “independent.” What independents (and many Republicans and Democrats, for that matter) want is a group of people who are going to listen to one another. They want two parties coming together and bills passing with bipartisan support. Webb takes conservative stances on self defense and other issues, but he is careful and incredibly thoughtful, re-imagining Republican ideals in a Democratic light.

I don’t think Webb is the next president, though. I liked him. He was refreshing, but I think he is, at best, the #4 candidate out of the 5 candidates president. Webb is, like Clinton, a skilled roll-player. He belongs in the president’s cabinet, and like my comments about Clinton — this is a compliment and not a show of disrespect. In service of your nation, it is not your job to climb as high as you can; it is your job to put yourself in the role that best suits your skills. Webb would make a great Secretary of Defense or Secretary of State.

LINCOLN CHAFEE

Lincoln Chafee came off as soft-spoken and a little bit creepy, but I can’t fault him. He was part of a pretty strong group of candidates and kept the conversation interesting. He was much more comfortable giving pre-written speeches than debating, but that is really no reflection of his skills as a leader. Chafee is running on a “results matter” platform, and I have no reason to doubt the results that he spoke of often. Ultimately, Chafee is yet another role player.

MARTIN O’MALLEY

There were a couple of moments where O’Malley came on strong and I thought: that right there is what a president looks like. I mean this in terms of appearance, fire for justice, and professionalism. Unfortunately, his presidential feel was not as consistent as Clinton’s. Otherwise, I think he might have been a real forerunner, someone to deal with.

In retrospect, I honestly don’t think that O’Malley is running for President. If Clinton is elected, she will be the first woman president, and that is a big deal. With the Republicans in disarray attacking anything that is dangled in front of them, Biden, though not present at this first debate, has a great deal of strength. He’s incumbent-adjacent, to say the least, and that means everything for people who don’t want a Republican in office but who also don’t want Hillary. As for Sanders, he’s got a lot of regular people behind him, and if he can only get them out to vote he might have this sealed. Realistically, one of these three people will probably be elected President.

So, what are Webb, Chafee, and O’Malley even doing up on this stage? Webb and Chafee might actually believe they have a chance, but I believe O’Malley has something else in mind. I think he’s honestly trying to gain enough support so he can attach himself to the winner of the primary and become the next Vice President of the United States. If my thoughts are true, he may be the only one on that stage who knows what his role in the future of this country is.

The fact of the matter is that O’Malley has become perhaps the most important Democrat in America. He may not be President in 2016, but his closing speech may have something to do with whether or not a Democrat is sworn into office at the conclusion of this election cycle. Here’s the clip:

Ultimately, the viewer needs to decide whether or not they just witnessed a debate between rivals or the proceedings of a future cabinet. As for my educated opinion, I’m not sure I have one, but having only the experience of this Debate under my belt I think that Sanders will be our next president, O’Malley will be his running mate, and at the very least Clinton will be in his cabinet, perhaps accompanied by Webb and Chafee. I do want to check out the Republican Debates. From what I’ve heard (from both Republicans and Democrats), it was a little bit of a sideshow, but that’s honestly what I’ve come to expect. I just hope to see one or two people devoted to their country more than to their own ego, because if the party is to be defined by Donald Trump I honestly think they might be best served diverting their efforts toward preparing a candidate to run against Kanye West in 2020.

Though I feel a little disappointed that I live downtown this year and didn’t spend much time devoted to exploring ArtPrize 2015, I have been keeping myself busy with aggressively attacking my own personal debt, so I can’t feel too bad. I was given a little bit of a boon on Sunday, the last day of ArtPrize, when I had a chance to check out the exhibits at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA).

There were two pieces there of note, both visible from the outside of the UICA, so they don’t even have to be open for you to enjoy these pieces.

While Michael Peoples’ “The Great Race” is not specifically aimed toward social justice, there is quite a bit that can be gleaned from this piece. These ducks, as they travel forward down the stream, meander down a wall, across a horizontal slab, and finally up and across the walls of a stairwell, forcing the viewer to make drastic changes in position and view while viewing this piece. This is an installation that is not easily captured and shared via two-dimensional photography. I do not want to put words into Peoples’ mouth, but how perfectly does this description fit the sociopolitical climate in which matters of justice are discussed. That said, my main pull to “The Great Race” was how inspired it made my wife, who is a sculptor herself. The saying “Happy wife, happy life,” though great in its use of rhyme is archaic in the engendering of its sentiment, but when you’re married to a heavily creative woman like I am any inspiration such as this pays dividends for months.

“Technician 3” by Charles Jevremovic was at once the most interesting and most ironic piece at the UICA. For me, this piece is difficult to describe. It involves waves of machinery facing the public with the occasional projection of a scientist or technician on its surface. There is a sense of Cold War anti-Soviet war games zeitgeist here accompanied by a true love for science, technology, and all things geek. The irony sinks in when you compare the presentation with the artist’s statement of purpose.

Amy is a hands on individual. While looking through the Fountain Street Church exhibits, she was scolded for touching a very impressive piece composed of handmade paper scrolls. Fast forward to our experience at the UICA, and you find a woman surrounded by knobs and buttons but separated by a cord that says “DO NOT TOUCH.” In a small theater, the UICA projected an interview with Jevremovic in which he described his work as something that you are invited and welcome to touch, suggesting that the tactile interaction is perhaps the most important purpose of “Technician 3.”

The question now is whether the imperative to keep your hands off of the installation undermined the artist’s intention for the piece, or whether the contradiction presented actually heightened the value of the art beyond what Jevremovic had intended.

Neither of these pieces are particularly easy to represent through photography or describe in words. They ought to be experienced. While I am still at a loss to further assist those who will not get a chance to view “The Great Race” in person, I was lucky to find that Jevremovic had included a short video of his piece which I have posted below.

If the UICA releases their artist statement video from Charles Jevermovic for online consumption, I’ll be sure to post that later so you can get a sense of the comedy that comes from making an interactive piece that cannot be touched.

Just As Long as I Have Breath

Lyrics by Alice Carpenter
Music by Johann G Ebeling

Just as long as I have breath, I must answer, ‘Yes’ to life;
though with pain I made my way, still with hope I meet each day.
If they ask what I did well, tell them I said, ‘Yes’, to life

Just as long as vision lasts, I must answer, ‘Yes’ to truth;
in my dream and in my dark, always: that elusive spark.
If they ask what I did well, tell them I said, ‘Yes’ to truth.

Just as long as my heart beats, I must answer, ‘Yes’ to love;
disappointment pierced me through, still I kept on loving you.
If they ask what I did best, tell them I said, ‘Yes’ to love.

Now, living up to those words is the hard part!

This is a big week for comic books. Scott Snyder started another weekly title for DC in the spirit of Batman Eternal titled Batman and Robin Eternal; over at IDW, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles put a close on their main story arc; Image released two Brian K. Vaughan issues (Paper Girls #1 and We Stand On Guard #4); and if you like to make yours Marvel it looks like a bunch of books either ended or started anew this week. I leafed through as many comics as I could and decided to present you with my personal favorites of the last week.

By the way, with all these Eternal titles floating around, I’m personally holding out for Alfred Pennyworth Eternal. In fact, if you’re reading this, Bob Harras, I have a heck of a pitch for this possibly future weekly title, so hit me up.

If you’re reading something that is blowing your mind this week, hit me up. I am currently only keeping up on Dark Horse, DC, IDW, Image, and Marvel comics, so I don’t know much about some of the smaller publishers and there are many titles under these imprints that I haven’t checked out because I don’t know much about their creative teams. I’m always in the mood to be inspired. Feel free to be the one who sets me up with my latest inspiration!

UNSPOILED

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #50 (IDW Comics), Unspoiled Edition

This new series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has quite a few parallels with the original Eastman and Laird title, so the main reveal of the momentous fiftieth issue might seem predictable. After all, the final battle pitting Master Splinter and sons against Master Shredder and his mutant goons is bound to have some casualties. However, the “war to end all wars” that takes place under the Manhattan moon is not without its surprises, and its conclusion may leave you wondering about the future of the title. I have much much more to say about this issue, but you’re going to have to delve into the spoiler zone below in order to read it.

2. Paper Girls #1 (Image Comics), Unspoiled Edition

Brian K. Vaughan revealed his plan for a post-apocalyptic Canada in the mini-series We Stand on Guard a couple of months ago. In 2012, Image began publishing his space opera Saga, which is likely to eclipse Y The Last Man as his magnum opus (at least from where I stand). With these two data points, I assumed it was going to be another three years (approximately 2018) before we could expect anything remotely earthshaking from BKV. Paper Girls, written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang has introduced me to the joy of being wrong.

SPOILED

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #50 (IDW Comics), Spoiled Edition

While DC and Marvel have worked to wrangle decades of comic book history into a neat continuity with different methods and varying success, IDW comics has pretty seamlessly woven together elements of the Mirage and Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series with the 1987 CBS cartoon and the result has varied from solid to outstanding. I white knuckled my way through the final battle between Splinter and Shredder, and thought I’d share with you the four moments when my jaw dropped. You get that I really enjoyed this issue, yes?

Donatello, in the Flesh

This is probably one of the more predictable, yet no less monumental, moments in the issue, and yet I was right there with Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael in their moment of terror as they watched the inorganic shell housing their brother’s consciousness self-detonate to take out the nigh-invincible Bebop and Rocksteady.

The previous issue proved that Donatello would be returning to the flesh shortly, after we saw the first of two cameos of a mutant who we can only presume to be Leatherhead holding a vile of mutagen. As I mentioned in the no spoiler zone above, the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle title looks like it is going to be a big old question mark, but the Donatello story arc provides us with two obvious plots as we move forward. First and foremost, (a mutant who is likely an alligator named) Leatherhead just saved Donatello’s life and that is a debt that won’t go long unpaid, but second, and probably more importantly, Donatello is going to be struggling with the limitations of his flesh. While he was Metalhead, his processors worked much faster than the human brain, and he had magnificent weapons built into his synthetic body. Now, he’s got a space age shell and bow, but there’s bound to be some depression and frustration coming as soon as Donatello sees some down time.

Shred Head, Dead

The creative team working on IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over the years has proven their boldness time and again, so I was fully prepared for them to turn the old stories on their head and kill off Master Splinter. If that happened, my wife was probably going to see me crying while reading a comic book. (It wouldn’t be the first time. While reading Geoff Johns’ “The Sinestro Corps War” story arc in Green Lantern, I not only cried while reading about Coast City supporting Hal Jordan with green lights in their windows, but I cried once again while describing the issue to Amy as we got an oil change in Lowell.) It didn’t happen. As predicted, Shredder bit the dust. This is a big deal, and it is really the take home message of this issue, but it is nothing new to a non-casual TMNT fan. Normally, this would be followed by a City at War arc where the gangs of New York are trying to fill the power vacuum left by the Shredder, and this might just happen, but there are some other turns of event that make me question if it will happen exactly as we expect…

Exit Michelangelo

I may have been the most disturbed by Michelangelo leaving the group. Turtles fans are used to Raphael storming off and leaving the band of brothers for a night, a week, a month, or longer. That is just who Raph is. We have seen Leonardo depart from his family when he was brainwashed into becoming Shredder’s chunin (second in command). We even recently saw Donatello bid farewell to the team shortly before his apparent death by the hands of Bebop and Rocksteady. But there was something stomach-turning about Michelangelo leaving. Even the concept of Michelangelo, the happy, fun-loving brother, stepping out of character and bidding this lifestyle farewell is uncomfortable, but his reason for leaving makes this all the more destructive for Splinter and Company. Michelangelo witnessed his father kill Shredder, a man who was once his brother, and though it is thought of as the only honorable end for a warrior, watching your father decapitate an incapacitated enemy can’t be an easy thing to watch.

When the other turtles took a sabbatical, it became difficult to imagine anything getting in the way of their reunion, but under this circumstance it has become difficult to imagine Michelangelo ever being able to come back. Michelangelo is the heart of the team, and his absence will be felt heavier than any of the others in the months to come. Perhaps more important, it is unclear where he could possibly go. He has always had his buddy at the pizza parlor to talk to, but who could possibly commiserate with what this turtle has seen, what he has been through. This move is more gutsy than teasing audiences into thinking Donatello is dead, and it makes for good writing, but as much as I admire this change of direction I’m not sure it is a world I want to be a part of.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

In yet another unexpected turn, Oroku Karai’s first decision as Master and general of the foot clan army is to not only honor Splinter’s detante order, but to hand over the reins of the organization to Master Splinter. I half expected the rat to don the helm of Shredder, suggesting a possible future corruption a la the Star Wars: Episode I photo of young Anakin Skywalker on Tattooine with his shadow taking the shape of Darth Vader. The foot clan was once an honorable school of warriors in feudal Japan, and perhaps it can return. However, there are clearly going to be problems. Many of these ninja have grown accustomed to crime, vendetta, and the will of a seemingly undying master, and that is an influence that will be hard to break. I expect to see splinter groups (I made a funny!) arising, possibly assassination attempts, and shaky footed run-ins with Hun and the Purple Dragons.

I have never been more excited to read Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

2. Paper Girls #2 (Image Comics), Spoiled Edition

Our first view into the world of Paper Girls shows a 12-year old brunette girl named Erin crouching on the moon, dressed in a one-piece swim suit and holding a large red apple, the first segment of a dream sequence that she is having just before she awakes to “Hell morning” on November 1, 1988. Erin is a paper girl, and she has a job to do. At 4:40 AM she begins preparing a stack of The Cleveland Preserver so she can mount her bicycle and deliver the Tuesday edition to her neighbors.

While most people I know were sold on this comic simply because writer Brian K. Vaughan was associated with the project, it was actually this first panel that told me I was going to enjoy this comic. During the current decade, I have enjoyed few comics more than DC’s New 52 Wonder Woman with the team of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, and here was a young, strong woman drawn by Chiang himself who reminded me of a pre-teen Wonder Woman. There was a feeling of continuity there, and that was enough for me to commit.

The Paper Girls themselves are fantastic. They are strong, non-sexualized girls, comparable to Chris Claremont’s early Kitty Pryde or Louise Simonson’s female Power Pack members, Julie and Katie Power. The story is driven by the obligatory banding together of young female “paper boys” during the dangerous period following Halloween. I will say that I am in this book for the characters. There is nothing wrong with the plot. The mutant alien ninjas (?) and the strange (organic?) device and the possible transportation to another place in the cosmos are all fine and good — it feels a little bit like the beginning of LOST with the mysterious island full of smoke monsters, charging polar bears, and ghosts from the past, and this is not unsurprising since Vaughan helped the creative team at LOST as they steered the hit success toward its conclusion — but ultimately the tone of urgency, danger, and uncertainty drives home a much bigger punch than any of these plot devices.

If I’m giving the creative team due diligence, I would have to say that I’m excited to see how Vaughan’s new epic is going to unfold, but if I’m being honest with my first opinion on this comic, I would be happy just to see some dazzling splash pages by Cliff Chiang. Truthfully, I’d probably keep picking up Paper Girls even if all I did was flip through the pictures every month.

* * *

This review does not exactly take into consideration solid comics that are holding the line, so issues like Batman and Robin Eternal #1, We Stand on Guard #4, Amazing Spider-man #1, and Star Wars #10 perhaps didn’t get the praise that they deserved. We need comics like those to keep the industry running, and it is within these series that we are likely to see some of the best issues in the coming months. However, I really want to focus on those comics that are really bringing everything they have, staying true to the characters and histories that they are a part of while also presenting enough depth and excitement to bring in new readers. In other words, if you are not reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Paper Girls you are missing out, plain and simple.

To complete a thought I had a couple weeks ago, I’ve found that habitually going to church has become a great motivator to tackle my own personal debt problem.

I arrived at Fountain Street Church about fifteen minutes early this week. I like to get a seat front and center on the balcony so I can get a good view of “the show.” I was followed up the stairs by a woman with her arms full. I went to one side of the aisle and she to the other, setting down a stack of papers on one of the fold up seats and a large offering plate.

This offering plate has become like an Alcoholics Anonymous buddy to me. We check in once a week, telepathically, of course, and I explain to it the steps forward I’ve taken and those moments when I’ve backslid as well.

I do have to clear something up. I do not believe that getting religion will fix your finances. Furthermore, I am highly critical of church economics. In fact, I am becoming a proponent of stricter regulations concerning churches who claim nonprofit tax status, but I digress.

Now that we have the disclaimer section behind us, I want to get to the main point. Getting out of debt involves rewriting your habits and bidding farewell to all that comes natural. You need weekly rituals, like going to church or volunteering for a charitable foundation, a place that you’d like to support financially once you’re back on your feet. You need to immerse yourself in literature by people who are writing about tackling debt, setting yourself up to succeed with your finances, and bettering yourself in general. Perhaps most importantly, you also need friends who are in similar situations and who can keep you accountable with your goals. Every day you need some kind of inspiration to keep you going. You are rewriting your life history, so you need to connect with your muse.

Here are a couple of the things that inspired me this Sunday at church. Maybe you’ll see in these words what I see:

Life has its battles, sorrows, and regret:
but in the shadows, let us not forget:
we who now gather know each other’s pain;
kindness can heal us; as we give we gain.
Sing now in friendship this, our hearts’ own song.

– Here We Have Gathered, verse 3, words by Alicia S. Carpenter, music from the Genevan psalter

To commune is to release one’s heartache in the company of others, to say, one beggar to another, “I know where bread is…” and by this miracle, help each other find a way back home.

– Responsive reading

 

This weekend closed out the final “official” week of ArtPrize. If 2015 is anything like previous years, we should have no problem seeing some of these pieces for the next couple of months. After all, the art from this event draws people into your shop, and once they’re there you have the opportunity to sell things to them. Who would pass up this opportunity to raise revenue, especially as the long descent into the holidays begins?

I thought I’d do another roundup post where I talk about some of my favorite art that I saw a couple evenings ago when I stepped outside and just started walking. You can call this a best of the Grand Rapids streets and the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM).

My favorite installation of the evening, which didn’t become my favorite until I meditated on its meaning for some time, was actually a video presentation at the GRAM by Stephen Dean titled “PULSE”.

The video itself looked something like a color run where everyone gets backed up due to traffic. However, much like my favorite piece of art prize it wasn’t until the plaque that I appreciated the beauty of this piece. What Dean had captured was a celebration during the Hindu festival called Holi, in which caste (class) and gender restrictions are temporary put on hold. Just the idea of something like this warmed my blood in much the same way the Jewish year of Jubilee did when I first learned of it. It is difficult to imagine what this kind of liberation would feel like — even if only for one day — but I like to try every once in a while.

Later, we actually stumbled across a lecture by photographer Monroe O’Bryant who was speaking on topics of social justice and racism in Grand Rapids. His photo series “Realistic Neglects” features staged recreations of historical Grand Rapids acts of violence against African Americans. The images were really powerful, and I honestly wish I could have heard O’Bryant speak on the topic at greater length. It is hard to believe an artist with such a gift for images could also have such a talent with words.

The last piece I want to mention from my walk downtown is a sculpture called “Truncated Octahedron and Geodesic World” by Six Dimension Design. I hope the piece is still in front of the Van Andel Arena because I’d like to get another photo of it, preferably at night. The photos on the ArtPrize 2015 web site don’t seem to do the piece justice.

The complete piece looked like some Wellsian time machine surrounded by alchemical scrawlings and baubles. However, up close you notice that the writing is much more chemical. In fact, it is the periodic table, and all of these shapes are crystalline structures inspired by elements and compounds. This larger than life sculpture was right up our alleys, my wife being a chemistry and geology geek and myself being a multi-class geek-of-a-thousand-colors.

Those were the highlights of the evening. Like I said, I am going to try and get a better photo of the installation by Six Dimension Design, and I hope to put up at least one more post about ArtPrize 2015. Until then, expose yourself to some art that makes you think and some art that makes you feel and some art that makes you disgusted and some art that makes you hurt. You will be better for it.

StormCloudsGathering is a noble effort to bring more transparency to a confusing world political arena. Some of you might not agree with their conclusions, but it is hard to disagree with the paper trail they give you leading up to those conclusions. At the very least, their message deserves a signal boost.

On John Lennon’s birthday I cannot help but ask myself, “How can I be a better person?” and “How can I make this a better world?” That is one hell of a legacy to leave.

It took me a while to be OK with John Lennon. The Beatles Anthology’s release in the 90s, with the TV miniseries that accompanied it, brought about the type of “phony Beatlemania” that Joe Strummer talks about in London Calling and I think a lot of people on the fringes of my generation were really soured to the Beatles in general because of it. Furthermore, Lennon seemed like some self-indulgent egotist who did too much drugs to me. Mainly, I was annoyed that he overshadowed George Harrison and to some extent Paul McCartney, who, in that order, were my favorite Beatles.

But it is not fair to judge the man by a marketing campaign that took place after his death, nor is it fair to dislike him because I feel a desire to rank the Beatles. The fact of the matter is that John Lennon lived and died for world peace. Now, the word peace turned into a negative word, associated with hippy peaceniks. It became a word for the soft-minded and drug-addled. In fact, the United Nations in the last couple of years started using the word “sustainability” instead of “peace” in most instances, presumably for similar reasons.

Do I need to turn Lennon into a prophet in order to care about him? No. But during a time where he could have just rested on his laurels, he used his success to speak out against injustice, and if you don’t believe he ever shed sweat or tears for the cause of peace, you can be damn sure he shed blood for it.

I’m a dreamer too, John, and like you, I hope I can make those dreams come true.

As a new dog owner, I have already learned the first Stinky Lesson. The dog owners in the audience are going to know exactly what I am talking about. Poop is a part of everyday life. I suppose, in a way, this is also my first lesson as a family man. You just can’t avoid poop. Those who work with me know this was a big deal for me when Tiberius first became a part of my family. I am pretty sure every time someone asked me, “What did you do this weekend?” my response was always, “All I did this weekend was pick up poop. It’s all I ever do.”

Life as a dog owner has certainly been an adjustment to say the least.

Don’t get me wrong: when Tiber first entered the family in May I thought picking up his bowel movements was a drastic thing. But its not. My sister-in-law has two dogs who learned a much more drastic stinky lesson a couple of weeks ago. They had their first experience with a skunk. One little skunk had sprayed both dogs — one a giant, lumbering sweety, and the other an older little guy — while also managing to tag the underside of their porch. Adding to the trouble, the dogs made it inside the house before it was apparent that they had been musked. Those dogs learned (or didn’t learn, as is the way with beasts who have no anecdotal memory*) a serious Stinky Lesson: That thing is not a cat with a stripe accidentally painted on it. It is an acrid organic can of spray paint and it is not afraid to greet you butt first, or, in a more axiomatic fashion, Skunks are to be avoided.

This was a lesson that Tiberius was just yearning to learn this morning when I took him for his walk, but which I denied him. As we rounded the corner of the old Grand Rapids Public Museum, he pointed and then excitedly bounded forward before I even saw anything. It was another thirty or so yards before I even knew what had excited him. The skunk was small and un-assuming and if I hadn’t had my good and proper Northerner education, I might have run with Tiberius after the mysteriously marked little creature. We might have tried to make a friend together. But I flashed back to my old illustrated camping journal from when I was a child which I assume that my mom still has in the basement and the wise wording I had written on the subject — “And then we saw a skunk” — and I restrained my beautiful mutt from pursuing the little beasty.

The result: I am sitting at my computer blogging instead of stockpiling baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and Skunk-Off. That was my sister-in-law’s weekend, and I took her example to heart. There is no reason my family needs to learn any more Stinky Lessons this morning. The lesson Tiberius really needs to learn this morning is not to greet us with baby tooth bites when he has bone crushing adult teeth.

In summary, the two Stinky Lessons we’ve covered today are:

1. Poop is a part of everyday life.
2. Skunks are to be avoided.

If you have any questions or comments or care to share a Stinky Lesson of your own, please feel free to share. This is not something I’d like to turn into a column — I mean, I would like less stink in my life, not more — but if you have wisdom to share I would be happy to turn it around and share it with my people.

*  Can you imagine what a blog written by a dog would look like? Dogs don’t have anecdotal memory and blogs are almost entirely composed of anecdotes. A blog from a dog’s perspective would likely resemble a mad Joycean stream-of-consciousness essay about the keyboard and the computer screen.