BATTLEWORLDBATTLEWORLD

ROUND 2, BATTLE 4

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SECRET WARS JOURNAL #1-2

VS

WHERE MONSTERS DWELL #1-2

And now we get into the pure silliness that comics have always been driven by. On one side we have 2 mini-stories in Secret Wars Journal, where Misty Knight and Paladin are dirty cops trying to score the same payday as all the villains in Killville, and the second story where a cabal of Sinisters keeps a version of Matt Murdock and Elektra as slaves. Where Monsters Dwell continues the adventures of Flying Ace Karl Kaufmann and Clemmie Franklin-Cox, two turn-of-the-century screwball archetypes stuck in the Savage Land. Shit’s bananas, and so much fun.

Given that one of the books is an anthology, it has to rely much more heavily on the fact that you know these characters and want to see the alternate versions of them. Versus Where Monsters Dwell, which has the luxury to slowly build its story, and let the readers get o know the characters on their own terms. Both experiences can be enjoyable, but one is inherently hamstrung. I’m fine with alternate versions, some of my favorite books in general are Elseworlds; I feel I have to state that since in past articles I’ve talked down on the alternates quite heavily. The issue is when there’s nothing behind the gimmick, other than that moment of, “Oh, that’s how Spiderman’d be if he was a State Senator…” In the first story of SW Journal, that’s exactly what we get. Here are a couple of D-list characters fighting through a swath of bad guys. It’s loud, dumb, pretty fun, and in the end doesn’t really matter. It’s like a pop-tart comic book. You’re not disappointed you’re consuming it, but instantly forget you did. The second story has much more meat on its bones, and not just because it has a darker tone than the Killville story. But a setup where Matt Murdock is the best chef in Battleworld due to his heightened senses, and is enslaved by a group of Mr. Sinisters? That’s an alternative we can dig into. There’s room to grow, and see how this specific world works with these specific versions of the characters. A mute Elektra as Matt’s forbidden love (and Sinister’s assassin) adds a tragic underpinning to the tale, as does Murdock giving her lemon pie every night as the only bit of affection allowed to them. This shit is heartbreaking, and well written to boot.

The key to any assassin’s heart. 

Just to prove dumb fun can win over heavy-feels, Where Monsters Dwell is obviously the clear winner today. As strong as the Sinister/Murdock/Elektra story is, it has to balance with the Misty Knight/Paladin/Kraven story. WMD is having a ball fleshing out its characters, and making the reader despise Karl Kaufmann. Not only does he come off as a rake and a bastard, but they’re doing a splendid job of showing how shitty all of the romantic leads from the 30s really were. Clemmie is a stone-cold badass, and her manipulations of Kaufmann are a joy to watch unfold as she guides him through the hellish jungles of the Savage Land. Fans of any sort of screwball have to know, that at some point these two crazy kids are going to end up together, but even with that foresight it’s a pleasure watching them bounce off of each other and the natives and monsters surrounding them. There are few books in this bracket that I giddily wait for the next issue to drop to see what will happen, and WMD is at the head of that pack. It moves on, though I really hope we get more of the Sinister story at some point.-MG

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR SOME ROUND 1 ACTION, AS KORVAC SAGA TAKES ON X-MEN 92!