Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”
Chapter One:
“To me my ❌-Men;'“ Marry Christmas, Dec, 1980, X-Men Vol I, No. 43 by Byrne, Austin, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Louise…the story begins.
In the traditions of comic books, our beginning has back up: April, 81, Daredevil Vol I, No. 173, by Miller, Janson, Glynis, Rosen, + Denny
Mixtape track: Flash by Queen & Give it to Me Baby by Rick James
Beginning on Kitty’s eleventh appearance; with pages that present a likeness to the central monster in the final act, and centers the X-Men’s most mature member, Ororo, is secondary to the opportunity to have a holiday special begin our adventure.
One that is a Halloween/Christmakkuh horror. One about the teams Jewish character, this being significantly a Jewish created genre and medium. One that takes place in the context of a holiday that is about our cultures dominant religion and in many ways is as American as Apple Pie.
This context seems kinda perfect in terms of how this should begin for this reader. So here we are with two of my favorite fictional characters in a context I am here for…even if I don’t exactly love the monsters.
The set up of the N’Garai in a flashback about Storm, that over three pages reveals seasonal changes and establishes a timeline, comes with a note from Louise (a central creator in this story, editor here) to visit a previous issue. But why?! Honestly, the way these three pages work does alll you need, potentially better. This happens continuously throughout my reading here.
The dynamics of Logan, Kurt, and Peter are set up right off. The icky and uncomfortable dynamics of Peter and Kitty (13), the very subtle but absolutely true fact that Chuck is a villian, Logan and Mariko’s romance, the exiting of the old X-Men (Hank not mentioned, Avenger? Defender? W/ Dazzler?) Angel flying off to see Candy Southern and Scott calling at the moment before he meets Aleytys Forester, Jean being dead…all here. Ororo shows up and the adults go out. Kitty reflecting on her new life and yearning for her old life in the context of the Holidays and superheroing. Efficient in three pages again.
And so unfolds what is in Kitty’s head and what has entered her evening. The horror over 12 pages.
The adults return with a surprise to a surprise. A looming eerie last few panels.
I don’t love the N'Garai, but I am a bit more into them than the Broo. I kinda wish they were one thing.
Vermonter, Frank Miller, masters stiffness, as a graphic element, in graphic tellings. He is not nearly three dozen issues into this process, as of spring, 1981. However, he was six years past I-89 Exit 8, and his early to mid, 1970’s, Xeroxed comic zines at the U-32 HS.
I happen to be born 1,954 miles away from this Exit, days before his exit. As chance would have it, now I am typing this three Exits NW up I-89. Our paths have never crossed, but we share mutual acquaintances, and a cartoonists life.
The corner box of No. 173, has graphic elements that appeal and lead us smartly into “Daredveil…Goes Berserk…” The appeal of cover, besides plenty of negative space for appealing to our eye flow, is the gimp mask. If “to me my ❌-Men" is a horror story, and it is, AND if we are here for balance, and we are, than the monster of No. 143, needs to be grounded in the creep we tell ourselves exist in sex. After all this is Marvel comics, and it by being tethered to reality, that we are able to not get lost in the weird. Or in this case, bound to reality.
The punk rock spikes, appeals to me. As it is part of my own cultural heritage and upbringing.
We enter NYC’s Lower East Side’s, East Village’s, Alphabet City through an ally with Jimmy, who's cartooned to come off as terrible, as he leans into an instructive take. His compatriot, casually fills the space with vibes that appeal to my childhood memories. ***TAP TAP TAP***, you can barely make out Matt approaching, as he is ridiculed. Janson loosely works Miller’s pencils, working at a high level in the foreground and middle ground of a cluttered scene.
Their lines run sharply from a dense stodginess to a delicate freshness. Betrayed by deadlines, unrefined experience, print quality (on balance a plus when it comes to newsprint), and Frank’s 24-year-old, Vermonter turned New Yorker stark perspectives and stilted comic book writing. While he is working Marvel’s brand, the superhero genre, and the comic book format, away from the Stan Lee’s of this world, he is still leaning on the vibes. Not having found the intersection his cartoonist voice will arrive at in a decades time.
The violent action of Alphabet City, and as it was in my neighborhood around this time, Black women, have the thankless task of the voice of guardian. Miller takes the tradition of nosy New Yorker in an apartment window, and has her do what she do. The violence bellow undeterred. The white woman assaulted. Matt is to late, as he was onetime for himself the pages before, but not here.
Someone has probably written a psych profile on Frank.
Melvin Potter, innocent client of Matt’s, is defended by Ms. Betsy, as he is taken into custody, having matched the description. To be a fan of Daredevil is to ship Melvin and Betsy. We are gifted with classic Miller women in glasses cartooning, and solid Matt panel, and then pushing realism close up of Melvin, with perfectly restrained coloring and lighting by Glynis. Never you mind the surrounding panels betrayal of this two page spread.
Becky, Matt’s assistant is not well. We are gifted with a women in hysteria panel. It is well rendered. I will give it that.
We are introduced to Ms. Lavender, who seems like a necessary steadying of the ship character. Be ready for thankless roles for Black women in comics, are a theme throughout “to me my ❌-Men."
Foggy and Matt are in a weird spot, as Foggy is not exactly happy to see Matt talking with Debbie, but I feel more concern for Melvin on the next page. He struggles with that age old superhero concern. To put on the mask or not.
Which leads us to the in comic reveal of Micheal Reece, Melvin’s doppelgänger, well when he has his gimp mask on. Rosen’s lettering carries us through a page in concert with Team Frank Miller, as we have the payoff page of Gimpy v Betsy. The kinky horror is effecting.
Subsequent pages of Matt saving the day are part of Team Frank Miller’s fight scene layout history. The result is damsel saved, and Potter & Reece getting their pictures on the front page of the Daily Bugle.
Matt has a lip contusion, Becky has a crippling memory and physical reality to overcome. First step, pick up the phone.
The comic promises Next…: …Elektra. We ain’t ready for that. We have other plans.
Bonus: Johnson Smith Company ad on the back cover. If you have read Berkeley’s own, Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, then you may be loosely familiar with the intersectional history of novelty and gag sales with the development of the comic book. The Chicago (originally, 1914) company, was there, facilitating, as their business with Boy’s Life, Popular Mechanics, and Science Digest, expanded to the formative devilment of superheroes and comic books. Adverting on both the debuts of Superman in 1938, and Batman in 1939. Wonder if you can still mail-order these X-Ray Vision glasses? What’s a Spy Pen Radio? I might have that Secret Book Safe? Who doesn’t need an Electric Lie & Love Detector? $5.95.
Next: Uncanny No. 148
