Commentary for Graphic Novel 111, “Playing with Fire”

Cliché, Cliché, why is it that all evildoers were messed up kids. Flint is no exception as this week’s GN begins with the ceremonial burning of the anthill that boys often do. Oh, and on top of the torturing of tiny little annoying bugs, Flint is cursed with a mean dad who uses his belt. Poor little Meredith, in her teen angst, explodes to protect her brother, burning down the house and presumably killing daddy in the process. Little Bro wants to learn to light fires too. Pyro. Hope my kids don’t grow up to be super powered killers just because they like to light the firepit once in a while.

And of course, to add to the cliché storytelling, the kids can’t be placed together. I know it is rare but it does happen you know.

“Knock me down and steel my teeth”? Do people really say this crap? I did a google search and apparently it is a popular phrase on redneck sites even making the SF Bay Guardian and a novel called “Billy Boy”. Ok, I’m obsessing on all the items that came up in my google search. 85 hits to be exact.

So I guess they are trying to tell us that Flint is a redneck. Flint says he wants to have fun with some sailors but that is his word choice. At least one of them appears to be an officer and any one of them could be a pilot so I guess this could be how Meredith, in her quest for somone who is what she wanted Flint to be, could find Nathan. I also guess that the next logical step would be how Meredith has Claire taken from her and why.

The artwork is good. The fire is well presented. Meredith is not exaggeratedly sexy but rather a much more realistic normal, conservative look without the 34-24-26 body. As I indicated throughout the above, I can’t buy into the writing this week. It seems contrived, cliché and forced. Further, we learn almost nothing from this GN. We already knew they were brothers from the flashback episode on Monday. This GN explains in 3 panels why Meredith is “good” and Flint is “evil”. Ok, they lived apart, I get it. Finally, the only other thing of value this comic gives us is a lead in to the story of how she met Nathan and conceived Claire. Thats it. Nothing else. Not one ofthe better stories, sort of a puff piece. I would have rather seen a GN about the development/discovery of Arthur’s powers and what happened between the return from the war and Arthur’s poisoning.

Till next time, I’m out.