He Came From Planet EXTREME
"You know I'm legit! You know why? 'CAUSE I'M FROM THE STREET! Word to your mother's uncle."
It's a little-known fact that the blogosphere, is, in fact, a doorway to the multiverse. (Just ask Hammer if you don't believe me. :) )
Many alternate Earths and dimensions can be accessed via the blogosphere, and recently Devon chronicled his trip to Earth-90, home of the EXXXTREME era in D.C. Comics (and pretty much comics in general).
What should come as no surprise to any of you who know me is that Boztopia is, in fact, located somewhere on Earth-90. 'Cause that comics era is MY era. I fetishize it the same way overgrown fanboys do the Silver Age, the '40s, etc., except that I actually bought these comics and lived through it. ;)
When I was coming up, the Hulk was gray, sneaky, smart, and absolutely unpredictable. Spidey was still in the black costume (and Venom would soon be born). Iron Man was in the red-and-silver armor, running around smacking up anyone who was using his technology. Captain America had given up his costume and was wearing a dark black outfit to symbolize his disconnect with America and the loss of what he held dear. Yeah, all that stuff was grim, gritty, and dark, but it was also cool and unexpected. You genuinely didn't know what would happen next, and a lot of those stories laid the blueprints for what we read today, for better or worse.
It was in the '90s that guys we revere today like Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, etc. were on the come up. Garth and Steve McCrea created what is probably the archetypal '90's hero, Hitman:
No, not THAT one (although he fits the paradigm). THIS one:
For a guy who was exposed to John Woo movies, "Vampire Hunter D," and vintage KMFDM and Ministry at far too young an age, comics like "Hitman" were pretty much manna from heaven. In the 90's, when every superdude had long hair, earrings, trenchcoats, and sunglasses, and rocked the two-gun mojo, that was to me what Geo-Force is to Brad Meltzer, or Luke Cage is to Brian Bendis. It's unnatural and unholy, but just like Joss Whedon has to have adolescent chicks with small breasts and superpowers in everything he does, I accept that my favorite heroes are those that roll '90's style, and am at peace with it.
So the next time you catch me singing the praises of the wild days of Wildstorm, just remember that unlike ol' Robbie Van Winkle up there, it's because I actually do come from PLANET EXTREME! :)
Speaking of which, let me leave you with this little gem from the '90s. Can you spot the Rollins cameo?
Click to view