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Marshal Law
Marshal Law: Blood, Sweat, and Fears
Law
117 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
48 people want to read
About the author
Pat Mills
848 books231 followersPat Mills, born in 1949 and nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since.
His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd.
His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 14, 2010
Having tackled the Superman mythos in his first arc, it only makes sense for Mills to move onto the next hulking carcass, Batman. In 'Kingdom of the Blind', Mills delves into the motivations of a conflicted and dark figure, creating what is the most horrifying and alienating of the Marshal Law stories.
There is less of the trademark humor and satire of the series, though it still deconstructs superheroism with sarcasm and absurdity. Like most superheroes, Batman's character and past are half symbol, half convenience, and more such a character approaches reality, the more mad and conflicted they will seem.
Like Moore's 'The Killing Joke', which came out a few years before, 'Kingdom of the Blind' is concerned with the cyclical psychology of the character, who always clings to the same justifications for his behavior, despite the fact that they don't really fit.
Unlike Miller's 'Dark Knight Returns', Mills doesn't feel a need to defend Batman's obsessions as ultimately 'self-destructively virile' (the only definition Miller will accept for heroism). Instead, they become the twisting knife Mills drives into the franchise, but not without recognizing how they are linked to the character's legacy. But then, Marshal Law is only ever a hero, himself, by a trivial, ironic definition of the term, which suits Mills perfectly.
The other stories in this collection, 'The Hateful Dead' and 'Super Babylon', are not as strong. They don't reach the same level of insight, relying more on hyperbolic violence and a rehashing of Law's own motivations.
Mills' early forays into Law's psychology proved interesting, but as the series goes on, its satirical nature begins to take a toll on our protagonist, who cannot ultimately escape the vicious lens Mills turns on the genre. The emotional reactions become detached and convenient, though this is only an early glimpse of the trend.
His main target in these stories is the over-romanticization of the Golden and Silver Age, and he finds his mark. The simplistic, idealized, nationalistic comics are easily skewered, yet Mills finds an original angle by stepping on the rose-tinted glasses fans turn upon this 'simpler time'. Unfortunately, his satire is not the focus, and doesn't delve as deeply as the other arcs.
I will note that Mills tapped the 'SuperZombie Outbreak' story long before it hit the mainstream. The guy has a good eye for where comics have been, and where they are likely to end up.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
There is less of the trademark humor and satire of the series, though it still deconstructs superheroism with sarcasm and absurdity. Like most superheroes, Batman's character and past are half symbol, half convenience, and more such a character approaches reality, the more mad and conflicted they will seem.
Like Moore's 'The Killing Joke', which came out a few years before, 'Kingdom of the Blind' is concerned with the cyclical psychology of the character, who always clings to the same justifications for his behavior, despite the fact that they don't really fit.
Unlike Miller's 'Dark Knight Returns', Mills doesn't feel a need to defend Batman's obsessions as ultimately 'self-destructively virile' (the only definition Miller will accept for heroism). Instead, they become the twisting knife Mills drives into the franchise, but not without recognizing how they are linked to the character's legacy. But then, Marshal Law is only ever a hero, himself, by a trivial, ironic definition of the term, which suits Mills perfectly.
The other stories in this collection, 'The Hateful Dead' and 'Super Babylon', are not as strong. They don't reach the same level of insight, relying more on hyperbolic violence and a rehashing of Law's own motivations.
Mills' early forays into Law's psychology proved interesting, but as the series goes on, its satirical nature begins to take a toll on our protagonist, who cannot ultimately escape the vicious lens Mills turns on the genre. The emotional reactions become detached and convenient, though this is only an early glimpse of the trend.
His main target in these stories is the over-romanticization of the Golden and Silver Age, and he finds his mark. The simplistic, idealized, nationalistic comics are easily skewered, yet Mills finds an original angle by stepping on the rose-tinted glasses fans turn upon this 'simpler time'. Unfortunately, his satire is not the focus, and doesn't delve as deeply as the other arcs.
I will note that Mills tapped the 'SuperZombie Outbreak' story long before it hit the mainstream. The guy has a good eye for where comics have been, and where they are likely to end up.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
July 23, 2020
Something that wants to be a satire of Golden and Silver Age without a single inch of knowledge of both eras. The absolute nadir of this overrated series by someone who should have never, in his life, wrote a single line on a subject he never truly understood and/or purposedly misinterpreted for his own reasons. Like any "good" decostructionist in life. Simply laughable.
February 13, 2017
This graphic novel is a collection of three Marshal Law story-lines: Kingdom of the Blind, The Hateful Dead, and Super Babylon.
Kingdom of the Blind is a combination homage to and satire of Batman, as Marshall Law hunts down the surgical vigilante The Private Eye. Kingdom of the Blind skewers the original Dark Knight's origin story and methodology, and there's even a nod to Batman's 50th anniversary near the end. Kingdom of the Blind is probably the best handling of satirizing mainstream super hero legends since the original Marshal Law: Fear and Loathing, and it's the main reason for owning this collection.
The Hateful Dead is one of the many comic books to cash in on the superhero zombie fad that slightly preceded the rash of zombie popularity in TV and film, and is a pretty standard entry into the superhero zombie genre. Super Babylon continues the zombie story-line, and includes a satirical version of the golden age Justice Society, the best part of which is the Marshall Law take on war-time comic books.
Kingdom of the Blind is a combination homage to and satire of Batman, as Marshall Law hunts down the surgical vigilante The Private Eye. Kingdom of the Blind skewers the original Dark Knight's origin story and methodology, and there's even a nod to Batman's 50th anniversary near the end. Kingdom of the Blind is probably the best handling of satirizing mainstream super hero legends since the original Marshal Law: Fear and Loathing, and it's the main reason for owning this collection.
The Hateful Dead is one of the many comic books to cash in on the superhero zombie fad that slightly preceded the rash of zombie popularity in TV and film, and is a pretty standard entry into the superhero zombie genre. Super Babylon continues the zombie story-line, and includes a satirical version of the golden age Justice Society, the best part of which is the Marshall Law take on war-time comic books.
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January 25, 2016Koleksi ini membuat parodi kepada Batman, Zombie mania dan Golden Age superheroes (1950s). Sebenarnya penulis semacam telah menetapkan bahawa setiap episod harus ada kematian. Ada persoalan-persoalan bijak ditanyakan seperti rasional penentangan musuh stereotaip berbanding musuh sebenar (gergasi korporat, politikus) dan ketelitian pelukis membuatkan saya memperlahankan pembacaan. Kebiasaannya sesuatu yang detail seakan memanggil mata kita untuk fokus ke situ, tetapi itulah masalahnya. Bagi menggambar suasana huru hara sentiasa dan berkecamuknya San Futuro buat saya berserabut membacanya. Sepertinya beberapa buah cerita dipadatkan menjadi sebuah cerpen, terlalu penuh lukisannya agak mengganggu kelancaran pembacaan. By the time saya sampai penamat, saya kena ulang balik untuk ingat permulaan cerita.
November 7, 2010
I was reminded of Alan Moore's Top Ten while reading this, but this felt somewhat more mean-spirited and wasn't quite my sense of humor. I did like the art though.
July 28, 2011
This book was terrible. Never ever read it. It was time wasted from my life I will never be able to get back.
February 21, 2013
Enjoy the carnage:)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews