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perpetual_motionOh, my, do we. And by "we," I mean, "I," and by "I," I mean "I don't really care if you don't care. I wanna show you some fucking awesome Warren Ellis work and hypothesize threesomes."
So, The Authority. Lemme give you the very, very short version if you're new.:
There's Jenny Sparks, their leader, who is a goddamn badass and can electrocute you in an instant. She's the spirit of the 20th century, so she's got some chops. She's team leader.
There's The Doctor, who is the shaman of the world. He's basically magic, and his powers come from all the Doctors before him, and there has been a Doctor since the beginning of the world. To my knowledge, no doctor has ever worn a super-long scarf, Chucks, a fez, or even a stalk of celery in their lapel.
There's Angie, who goes by The Engineer, who is a scientific genius and figured out how to swap out her blood for 9 pints of nanotechnology.
There's Jack Hawksmoor, the King of Cities. He can actually talk to cities and get them to do what he wants, and he likes a fight and is, I'm pretty sure, occasionally sleeping with Midnighter and Apollo (non-canon) when he's not sleeping with Angie (in canon)
There's Shen, also known as Swift, who has giant goddamn wings and the ability to grow claws as she wants. She tore the cockpit cover of a jet off with her feet at one point. She can mess you up.
There's Midnighter, who is Batman if Batman straight-up murdered folks and also had a battle computer in his head that basically lets him win because he thinks faster than you. He's also got extra strength and what not, but he can't fly, which makes for some hilarious panels. He is also aware that he is very good at hitting things, and he enjoys it. Which is awesome.
There's Apollo, who is Superman if Superman straight-up murdered folks and had fantastic white hair. He's solar-powered, just like Supes, but he blows people's faces off in the literal sense.
Also, yes, these are the Midnight and Apollo you've heard about, the dudes who are happily in a relationship and love each other.
So, there's the rundown. Now, let's look at some pictures (BE WARNED THERE IS SOME GORE)
Here's The Doctor learning about his history. Or, as I like to call it: some of the prettiest goddamn art I have ever seen. I love the flow of it, and The Doctor's little goggle things, and all the color. The Authority isn't a dark book, color wise, but it's one that tends to stick to a specific pallete. That pallete always gets broken when the Doctor takes these trips into his head, and it's always beautiful.
Now, the team in action, and I love these pages because you can see very clearly who does what. Yeah, they're all bruisers, but they're bruisers in different ways. Apollo will fry you from space. Midnighter will punch your head in on the ground. Angie will turn her hands into guns and blow you up (while gravity actually works on her boobs, thank you Brian Hitch), The Doctor will turn you into crows...
Okay, hold up, I do have to explain why Jack can punch a man's spine from his body. Jack's powers work based on the size of the city he's in. The bigger the city, the more powerful he is. He does not do well in small towns. They actually make him sick. But in a big city (I believe they're in Moscow or Beijing), he can punch you hard enough to take your spine from your body.
Now, back to the team: You'll notice Shen is yanking the baddie up by her feet, just as a bird of prey would grab its dinner, and Jenny's straight-up electrocuting some bastards for getting in the way.
By the way, the point of the series is that The Authority has decided they will try to take care of the Earth as a total thing. So, basically, JLA, if anyone in the JLA murdered folks for being villains.
Team shot! Also, Jack's line there is a total Warren Ellis line. He's one of those writers that I love very much, and I really love his style, but I don't generally get distracted by it, but every now and then he'll write something that makes me stop and laugh, not because of the line itself (though it is hilarious), but because it's so Warren Ellis it's perfection.
Big damn hero speech the Midnighter way. "You will not fuck with that child because I have already murdered you in my mind." Midnighter actually has a big soft spot for kids, and I think it's adorable.
It's Midnigher's smirk that does me in on this page. Angie is aghast. Midnighter? Smirking like the bastard he is. Of course Apollo just killed them with his eyes. Midnighter doesn't date men who don't, you fool.
And now begins the, "Midnighter and Apollo sometimes bang Jack" portion of the proceedings. They have such a camaraderie, the three of them, and because it's me, I've decided this means they all touch penises. Also, I love the little matching evil smiles they have.
One of the best moments in the Ellis/Hitch run--well, ongoing moments, but still--is that Midnighter and Apollo were written as a true couple, concerned for one another, worried about one another, and Ellis and Hitch let this be shown a lot. Look at that hug, the way Midnighter is pulling him in, and the way no one else in the scene reacts like Midnighter's response is anything weird. It is how it should be. They're a happy couple in love. Of course Midnighter would pull Apollo to him and worry about him.
I laugh my ass off at this page every single time. Angie's absolute will to care when dealing with bigger issues is just brilliant. And, yes, she's shooting at dudes on horses. They're from a parallel Earth. Because it's Warren Ellis.
I love this conversation. This is a conversation you have as a superhero couple. "You will hurt yourself." "Yeah, well." "Damnit." And that little kiss just makes it. If memory serves, Ellis meant for it to be a regular, "I may be going off to death, so let's make out kiss," but execs nixed it, so he had to settle for the cheek.
Also, do note, who goes to the Junction Room (basically their teleport room) with Apollo and Midnighter? Jack. And who teases Apollo? Jack. And why? Because they're buddies (and might sometimes have sex).
Midnighter in a sentence, people. "Something needs fixed; what do I break?" Love it.
I LOVE THIS HUG. I do. Because it is a HUG, not one of those, "We are men must backslap" hugs, but a hug two people who are worried and scared for each other have when they see each other again. And Jack's throwaway line is so fun. It's teasing, like you do with any friends who are that mushy-gushy sort of love.Also, Jack wants in on that hug. You know he does.
This is how Jack Hawksmoor travels in cities. He just throws himself around them, and that is awesome. Seriously, I'd do the same thing if I could. He just looks like he's having so much fun.
Couple of things I love about this panel. 1) You can see the door. It's how they travel. I don't have other shots of it, but it does show up sooner. 2) I don't have the previous panel, so you'll have to take my word: you don't know Angie's in just a tee and undies until this panel. Before, she had the nanotech under her skin so she looked regular, and it wasn't until this panel--where she's fully metal--that we see how little she's wearing. It's a nice touch by Hitch. A lesser artist would have taken a cheap chance to do a shot from the back or something, and he didn't.
Unless Ellis himself tells us so, I will forever believe that Midnighter is basically thinking, "Goddamnit, I have told him never to say it's okay until I clear us. Never fucking listens."
So, Midnighter tells Jenny to basically nuke the city, and her response? Send Jack in to tell Midnighter to, basically, cram it and let them work as a team. And once Jack banters a little with Midnighter, what's he do? Ask after Apollo. OT3. Seriously.
Jack's face in panel 2 fucking SLAYS me. "Can you do that?" "Hell if I know." It's a great little character moment and shows exactly what a badass Jenny is. All three of these men could straight up murder the whole damned world, and yet, they not only trust Jenny to lead them, but also trust she knows what they're capable of doing. It's fantastic.
Oh, Apollo, I love you. Idealism plus face-punching? You're AWESOME.
"We have to find out a way to kill God." is another of those lines that cracks me up because it is SUCH an Ellis line. Love. It.
And we end with Jenny making fun of Midnighter's wang and wondering what Apollo sees in him. It's perfect, really. I love the acceptance of them as a couple. No one gives a shit, you know? If one of them were a woman, the responses from the team would be the same. "Oh, you're in love? Yeah, whatever. Look, we have to go bash some people in the brains. Come on."
I've got others; some from the rest of Ellis's run, and a few from Millar's, though I'm not a fan of Millar's work on the run overall (details are here), he had a few good panels. We'll get to those later. And by "we," I mean, "I still need to upload them."
So, The Authority. Lemme give you the very, very short version if you're new.:
There's Jenny Sparks, their leader, who is a goddamn badass and can electrocute you in an instant. She's the spirit of the 20th century, so she's got some chops. She's team leader.
There's The Doctor, who is the shaman of the world. He's basically magic, and his powers come from all the Doctors before him, and there has been a Doctor since the beginning of the world. To my knowledge, no doctor has ever worn a super-long scarf, Chucks, a fez, or even a stalk of celery in their lapel.
There's Angie, who goes by The Engineer, who is a scientific genius and figured out how to swap out her blood for 9 pints of nanotechnology.
There's Jack Hawksmoor, the King of Cities. He can actually talk to cities and get them to do what he wants, and he likes a fight and is, I'm pretty sure, occasionally sleeping with Midnighter and Apollo (non-canon) when he's not sleeping with Angie (in canon)
There's Shen, also known as Swift, who has giant goddamn wings and the ability to grow claws as she wants. She tore the cockpit cover of a jet off with her feet at one point. She can mess you up.
There's Midnighter, who is Batman if Batman straight-up murdered folks and also had a battle computer in his head that basically lets him win because he thinks faster than you. He's also got extra strength and what not, but he can't fly, which makes for some hilarious panels. He is also aware that he is very good at hitting things, and he enjoys it. Which is awesome.
There's Apollo, who is Superman if Superman straight-up murdered folks and had fantastic white hair. He's solar-powered, just like Supes, but he blows people's faces off in the literal sense.
Also, yes, these are the Midnight and Apollo you've heard about, the dudes who are happily in a relationship and love each other.
So, there's the rundown. Now, let's look at some pictures (BE WARNED THERE IS SOME GORE)
 |
| From Authority |
Here's The Doctor learning about his history. Or, as I like to call it: some of the prettiest goddamn art I have ever seen. I love the flow of it, and The Doctor's little goggle things, and all the color. The Authority isn't a dark book, color wise, but it's one that tends to stick to a specific pallete. That pallete always gets broken when the Doctor takes these trips into his head, and it's always beautiful.
 |
| From Authority |
 |
| From Authority |
Now, the team in action, and I love these pages because you can see very clearly who does what. Yeah, they're all bruisers, but they're bruisers in different ways. Apollo will fry you from space. Midnighter will punch your head in on the ground. Angie will turn her hands into guns and blow you up (while gravity actually works on her boobs, thank you Brian Hitch), The Doctor will turn you into crows...
Okay, hold up, I do have to explain why Jack can punch a man's spine from his body. Jack's powers work based on the size of the city he's in. The bigger the city, the more powerful he is. He does not do well in small towns. They actually make him sick. But in a big city (I believe they're in Moscow or Beijing), he can punch you hard enough to take your spine from your body.
Now, back to the team: You'll notice Shen is yanking the baddie up by her feet, just as a bird of prey would grab its dinner, and Jenny's straight-up electrocuting some bastards for getting in the way.
By the way, the point of the series is that The Authority has decided they will try to take care of the Earth as a total thing. So, basically, JLA, if anyone in the JLA murdered folks for being villains.
Team shot! Also, Jack's line there is a total Warren Ellis line. He's one of those writers that I love very much, and I really love his style, but I don't generally get distracted by it, but every now and then he'll write something that makes me stop and laugh, not because of the line itself (though it is hilarious), but because it's so Warren Ellis it's perfection.
Big damn hero speech the Midnighter way. "You will not fuck with that child because I have already murdered you in my mind." Midnighter actually has a big soft spot for kids, and I think it's adorable.
It's Midnigher's smirk that does me in on this page. Angie is aghast. Midnighter? Smirking like the bastard he is. Of course Apollo just killed them with his eyes. Midnighter doesn't date men who don't, you fool.
And now begins the, "Midnighter and Apollo sometimes bang Jack" portion of the proceedings. They have such a camaraderie, the three of them, and because it's me, I've decided this means they all touch penises. Also, I love the little matching evil smiles they have.
One of the best moments in the Ellis/Hitch run--well, ongoing moments, but still--is that Midnighter and Apollo were written as a true couple, concerned for one another, worried about one another, and Ellis and Hitch let this be shown a lot. Look at that hug, the way Midnighter is pulling him in, and the way no one else in the scene reacts like Midnighter's response is anything weird. It is how it should be. They're a happy couple in love. Of course Midnighter would pull Apollo to him and worry about him.
I laugh my ass off at this page every single time. Angie's absolute will to care when dealing with bigger issues is just brilliant. And, yes, she's shooting at dudes on horses. They're from a parallel Earth. Because it's Warren Ellis.
I love this conversation. This is a conversation you have as a superhero couple. "You will hurt yourself." "Yeah, well." "Damnit." And that little kiss just makes it. If memory serves, Ellis meant for it to be a regular, "I may be going off to death, so let's make out kiss," but execs nixed it, so he had to settle for the cheek.
Also, do note, who goes to the Junction Room (basically their teleport room) with Apollo and Midnighter? Jack. And who teases Apollo? Jack. And why? Because they're buddies (and might sometimes have sex).
Midnighter in a sentence, people. "Something needs fixed; what do I break?" Love it.
I LOVE THIS HUG. I do. Because it is a HUG, not one of those, "We are men must backslap" hugs, but a hug two people who are worried and scared for each other have when they see each other again. And Jack's throwaway line is so fun. It's teasing, like you do with any friends who are that mushy-gushy sort of love.
This is how Jack Hawksmoor travels in cities. He just throws himself around them, and that is awesome. Seriously, I'd do the same thing if I could. He just looks like he's having so much fun.
Couple of things I love about this panel. 1) You can see the door. It's how they travel. I don't have other shots of it, but it does show up sooner. 2) I don't have the previous panel, so you'll have to take my word: you don't know Angie's in just a tee and undies until this panel. Before, she had the nanotech under her skin so she looked regular, and it wasn't until this panel--where she's fully metal--that we see how little she's wearing. It's a nice touch by Hitch. A lesser artist would have taken a cheap chance to do a shot from the back or something, and he didn't.
Unless Ellis himself tells us so, I will forever believe that Midnighter is basically thinking, "Goddamnit, I have told him never to say it's okay until I clear us. Never fucking listens."
So, Midnighter tells Jenny to basically nuke the city, and her response? Send Jack in to tell Midnighter to, basically, cram it and let them work as a team. And once Jack banters a little with Midnighter, what's he do? Ask after Apollo. OT3. Seriously.
Jack's face in panel 2 fucking SLAYS me. "Can you do that?" "Hell if I know." It's a great little character moment and shows exactly what a badass Jenny is. All three of these men could straight up murder the whole damned world, and yet, they not only trust Jenny to lead them, but also trust she knows what they're capable of doing. It's fantastic.
Oh, Apollo, I love you. Idealism plus face-punching? You're AWESOME.
"We have to find out a way to kill God." is another of those lines that cracks me up because it is SUCH an Ellis line. Love. It.
And we end with Jenny making fun of Midnighter's wang and wondering what Apollo sees in him. It's perfect, really. I love the acceptance of them as a couple. No one gives a shit, you know? If one of them were a woman, the responses from the team would be the same. "Oh, you're in love? Yeah, whatever. Look, we have to go bash some people in the brains. Come on."
I've got others; some from the rest of Ellis's run, and a few from Millar's, though I'm not a fan of Millar's work on the run overall (details are here), he had a few good panels. We'll get to those later. And by "we," I mean, "I still need to upload them."
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on 2011-11-20 05:33 am (UTC)no subject
on 2011-11-20 05:35 am (UTC)