Scarlet by Bendis & Maleev

E

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Scarlet
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev bring their creator-owned SCARLET to Icon this July
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.12086.c2e2_2010~colon~_scarlet

The bi-monthly series will focus on the titular Scarlet, a woman who "is pushed down by a very corrupt government and finds herself with the strength she didn't know she had to fight back, and her fight actually sparks a new American Revolution," elaborates Bendis. "It's a book that starts very small, but then gets very large very quickly. It was inspired in part by writers like Paddy Chayefsky, who [wrote the movie] 'Network.' He created this world that was almost a parody [of our own], and then all of a sudden [we realize] it's actually the world we live in."

As such, Bendis sees a great deal of overlap between the real America and the America that Scarlet inhabits.

"You read the paper every day-and this isn't about politics or anything like that-but it does seem like, if we woke up and someone started a revolutionary war, I don't know how shocked we would be," laughs the writer. "We'd be a little like, 'Yeah, I can see where that was coming from.' I see the anger and some of it I understand and some of it I don't, and I just wanted to write about it.

"The book takes place in Portland to start. I live in Portland, and [it's] a town filled with protests. There's a lot of really sincere protesting, and I always look at it and go, 'Yeah, you feel better, but nothing will happen from this protest. Nothing has ever happened because of a protest, ever.' And I thought, what if one of these people-and I'm even one of these people-someone who's pushed like this, finds himself with the strength to push [back] farther than you could ever have imagined."

I'm more than intrigued. This is the kind of book Bendis writes well so it's reasonable to think it will be good. And Maleev...I would buy just about anything he drew even though he's a douche.
 
E said:
I'm more than intrigued. This is the kind of book Bendis writes well so it's reasonable to think it will be good. And Maleev...I would buy just about anything he drew even though he's a douche.

I've never liked Maleev's art style, which to me was very douche-like, so it makes perfect sense for him to actually be a douche.
 
I don't know how someone can have a douche-like art style.

And I will read it. Hopefully it will be better than Spider-Woman.
 
I've never liked Maleev's art style, which to me was very douche-like, so it makes perfect sense for him to actually be a douche.

Agreed with Proj - I don't know what is "douche-like" about his art or what that even means. He's one of my favorite artists and the expression he achieves with color is amazing. I love it.

I'm cofused, why is Maleev a douche?

I had some interaction with him on the old Bendis boards years ago - I'm not even sure this site existed yet. He was just a jerk and a hotshot.
 
This was easily the best thing Bendis has written in a while.
 
This was easily the best thing Bendis has written in a while.

Agreed. I enjoyed it.

The whole talking-to-the-reader thing got a little old and I hope that's not like some kind of theme for the book, but I like the premise and the art is, as is usual for Maleev, beautiful.

The way her hair stands out reminds me to Aurakles/Buleteer in Seven Soldiers.
 
Anyone read #2?

She gets ahold of the partner of the guy who killed her boyfriend, finds out there is a huge conspiracy with cops stealing/dealing drugs, spends upwards of 9 weeks to track down the cop, kills him, and takes the $700,000 he had to continue bringing down the dirty cops.

It was good. Bendis is just good on books like this. The Bendisisms aren't too pronounce and the art, as usual, is fantastic. Maleev is great.
 
Haven't read #2 yet...but I really dug #1. I almost felt dirty as I read it. The way she was talking to me, like I was there...making me an accomplice to everything she did.
 
It's been my pick of the week both times. I really like this comic.
 
Having just read the Millenium Trilogy, this really comes off as an attempt by Bendis to do a more comic-booky version of Lisbeth Salander, without the massive personal issues that prevent Lisbeth from becoming some kind of sexual icon.

But the breaking of the fourth wall is interesting, and the book is overall pretty good... But I just can't help but shake the vibe that this is just Ultimate Lisbeth, presented by BMB.
 
I'm the associate editor of a bookstore's newsletter and having been mostly out of the loop on comics, I only noticed this recently.

Who's read this and is it any goood? From what I can tell, it's very different from Bendis' usual superhero fare and even his own early crime work.

I recall Jaggyd Skotti saying she liked this a lot, and if so I'd like to read her thoughts in particular. I get GCs on a regular basis and am wondering if I should pick this up.
 
I really enjoyed it, it kind of shows that Bendis has a talent at writing, it just tends to shine more when he's not doing either other people's character/established superheroes. It's also an interesting read with the dual dialogue, as weird as it sounds, it reads like how a Ferris Bueller comic would read (i.e.: Round dialogue balloons for in universe, square for 4th wall breaking). The whole thing kid of reads like a modern American/Occupy Wall Street dissension comic, which Bendis did a really good job at showing, as well as showing the main women's motivations (The story is split between the titular Scarlet and Detective Angela Going).

Hell, I just realized something writing this out, the more important characters (Scarlet, the leader of Scarlet's supporters and Det. Going) are all women. There are a couple important male characters, but they don't really serve much purpose than as foils for the women. Very subtle Mr. Bendis.
 
I really liked the first few issues but thought it sputtered out at the end, presumably to leave room for a sequel.

I think it's worth checking out just to see Bendis and Maleev try and create their own Girl With A Dragon Tattoo kind of thing.
 
I was recommended this by the mustachioed gentleman working at my LCS. I passed on it after he said he enjoyed this, but wasn't impressed by BMB's Daredevil or Alias, which I thought were both excellent runs.
 
Who's read this and is it any goood?

I've read it and really liked it. Proj is right that it kind of sputtered out at the end but it wasn't too bad.
 

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