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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
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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