LITTLE WORSE THAN A MAN, LITTLE BETTER THAN A BEAST
Tom King
Gabriel
Hernandez Walta
Jordie
Bellaire
VC’s
Clayton Cowles
Synopsis:
I’m
sure most people know, thanks to the Avengers 2 movie that the Vision is an
android with various superpowers that is part of the Avengers team. But instead
of this book being about punches and laser beams, it’s about the Vision’s quest
to be human. He's built himself a family – a wife, Virgina, and teenage
twins, Viv and Vin. As the back cover states: “They’re the family next door,
and they have the power to kill us all.” Things quickly get dark as a villain from Vision's past appears while he's away mortally wounding daughter Viv which sends mother Virginia into a rage and accidentally kills the attacker. Virginia decides to hide the truth from Vision, but lies multiple when hidden. By the end of the Issue #6 Vision is forced to face the reality that he did not create the perfect family. He has the to choice to scrap it all, or do the human thing: keep going even though future failure is inevitable. In the end, is there really a choice?
The
writer even comments on the dark but often humorous story in the letters section:
“I’m
here to…answer your complaints and questions, and to assure you that things for
the Visions will get better (I’m probably lying about this, but as long as you
don’t read the parenthesis part of things, we’re good).”
Who
would like it:
Fans
of suburban tragedy or social commentary wrapped in science-fiction. The author sites Swamp Thing,
Sandman, and Animal Man as stylistic influences on this book. If you’re looking
for action skip right to Issue #11 then just go somewhere else, but if you‘re looking for drama, then this has
more than you can handle.
My
Opinion:
You
know those movies that you absolutely love, but you have no desire to watch a
second time? I have a concern that this comic may fit into that category. Even so I’ll be revisiting this story many times at least in my mind because it is packed full of interesting
observations on “ordinary life” only an android can make. It presents thoughts that make
you question your thoughts, and actions that make you question your actions. To
me it’s the ultimate purpose of science fiction.
Also something so crazy awesome happened in this series that relates to the core of this blog, that I had to give it it's own separate post, but you'll have to wait until next month for that!
Also something so crazy awesome happened in this series that relates to the core of this blog, that I had to give it it's own separate post, but you'll have to wait until next month for that!
Reason
to read (SPOILERS):
Here
are just a few examples of those odd human observations from Issue #1:
The
story begins with an introduction to the neighborhood and specifically the
neighbors…
This
is the running theme for the Vision and the growing list of compromises he must
make for his family all the while surrounded by everyday objects like hovering mailboxes.
Soon
neighbors, George and Nora, are the first to visit the new neighbors.
It's a
fun play on what a ordinary house tour might look like if your neighbor just
happened to be an Avenger.
After
George and Nora leave, here’s the conversation Vision and his wife, Virginia…
(These
panels are some of the most popular in Google image searches for Vision so
instead here’s the transcript)
VIRGINIA:
They seemed kind.
VISION:
Nice. It is proper to say they seemed nice.
VIRGINIA:
I disagree. “Kind” carries a much more positive attribution than “nice.” “Nice”
is in fact often used ironically. And I was not being ironic.
VISION:
You misunderstand. It is the ironic aspect of “nice” that give the statement
its meaning. As “kind” is unironic, to “seem kind” is to imply the potential of
not being kind, or of being cruel. In contrast, “nice,” due to its ironic
interpretation, has a more flexible connotation. As such, “they seem nice” has
a proper meaning of they may be nice or they may not be nice.
VIRGINIA:
Then the phrase is meaningless.
VISION:
Obviously. To assert as truth that which has no meaning is the core mission of
humanity.
VIRGINIA:
Their mission is meaningless, and yet you insist it become OUR mission.
VISION:
I do not insist. I recommend. The pursuit of a set purpose by logical means is
the way of tyranny; this is the vision of my creator. Of Ultron. The pursuit of
an unobtainable purpose by absurd means is the way of freedom; this is my
vision of the future. Of our future. Do you see?”
VIRGINIA:
Yes, I see. Let them be nice then. They seemed nice.
VISION:
Yes, they seemed nice.
As
the neighbors leave, a dark future is revealed…
…with
a heartwarming thought and the odd truth of the crazy brain of a human. And that’s
not even including the true mystery of the vase of Zenn-La revealed at the end
of the issue. You’ll have to check out the comic for that. Or just Google it I
guess.
Reflecting
on the Hero's Crossroad:
A common conversation starter question is if you could go back and change one thing
in your past what would you change? Most people say “nothing” because all the
parts make up who they are today. I call shenanigans on that cop-out answer. So
instead here’s the more poignant question:
If some
supernatural being had the power to mess with every moment in your past, but
you could protect one event, what would it be?
The nicer
way to say it is: What was the most important moment in your life so far? Although the original question cuts quite a bit deeper.
