Vom's Theory of Art and Hatefest essay

[vom_marlowe]

As part of Hooded Utilitarian's blogiversary, Noah's running a Hatefest.  He invited us to write about the comic we thought was most overrated, that we hated the most, or that we found the worst in whatever way.

I chose Alex Ross and wrote four thousand words about why I think it's terrible art. 

(If you are uncomfortable with negative type reviews, this probably will not be something you'll enjoy.)

Comments

[vom_marlowe]

My pleasure! I'm curious what you discovered you didn't like about it, if you're interested in sharing.

[heavenscalyx]

Well, there's the Wonder Woman as prize for the big man issue you mentioned. Also the fact that, other than WW, no women had any significant role in the story (Oh look! Black Canary's dead so Green Arrow can be Sad. Catwoman has brought the Riddler into the group, and they're both kind of funny. The junior Marvels -- even Mary, who has a TOTALLY DIFFERENT SET OF PATRON DEITIES -- still aren't nearly as powerful as Captain Marvel.). Also the maddening fact of Superman and his group using a term like Gulag, which totally isn't historically loaded at ALL, to do something STUPID that they TOTALLY KNOW BETTER THAN TO DO, just to further the rather idiotic idea of apocalypse. Also? Someone in the government thinking that, after a nuclear incident has already damaged the country, a nuclear bomb COULDN'T POSSIBLY MAKE IT ANY WORSE?

I like the callouts and references to old heroes. (Though I spent a lot of time wondering where the heck Starfire had got to, and also how Starfire and Dick had managed to reproduce.) But the storyline was one of the stupidest, most slapped together pieces of crap I think I've seen in a supposedly-awesome comic in my life, totally NOT offset by, as you point out, whimsy or cheese or even the vaguest hint of camp. AND insanely sexist. And, and, and.

Yeah.