Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!decwrl!ucbvax!daemon From: harry@ucbarpa Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: review of Kelvin Mace #1 Message-ID: <9864@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Tue, 13-Aug-85 01:23:15 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.9864 Posted: Tue Aug 13 01:23:15 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 15-Aug-85 01:34:00 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 43 From: harry@ucbarpa (Harry I. Rubin) Well, for my first review piece in this group I get to pan a bad comic: Kelvin Mace #1, from Vortex Comics. Don't buy this book, there are better uses for your $1.75; you could throw the money into the street, for example, that would be a much better use. This comic is nothing but gratuitous violence, just for the sake of gratuitous violence. Now, as a comics fan, I am no prude about violence; I enjoy a bit of violence in my comics. But this thing is nothing but violence. No it is not relevant to the story, such as it is, rather the story is just a sequence of incredibly violent scenes with no point, except to show how violent, how tough, Kelvin Mace is ("wow, what a man, I want to be just like him" [heavy saracasm]). *** SPOILER PARAGRAPH *** For example, while cruising through interplanetary space, Mace is set upon by a gang of ``space-bikers, the scourge of interplanetary traffic.'' One dents his car (yes, car) so he sticks his hand through the window (yes through it, no, he doesn't open it) and shoots them all. He then sticks his sidekick's lower body through the hole to plug the air leak. Terrific [heavy sarcasm]. *** END OF SPOILER *** A caricature or satire can make us look at ourselves (or our literature, in this case other comics) and make us see and laugh at our foibles. This is not a caricature. A caricature must balance between exaggerating enough to make a point and exaggerating to such distortion that people cannot see themselves (or the object of satire). Kelvin Mace is light years beyond distortion. I cannot see this as a satire on violent people, violence in society, or even violence in comics. It is just reveling in violence. ``Isn't it fun to watch this guy be so incredibly tough?'' I must admit that there are a few good laughs in Kelvin Mace #1. Not enough, but a few. Certainly not enough to be worth putting up with the rest of the book. Ok, end of flame. To coin a phrase, 'nuff said. Responses, comments, and futher discusssion should be posted to the newsgroup, not mailed to me. Cheers, Harry