Continuing my Great Literature series begun with Red Sonja and Conan, I’ve started reading the Barb Wire saga.
She’s a part of the Dark Horse Universe. We forget (or even don’t know) about it because of the supremacy of the DC and Marvel mythologies; like Greek and Roman, in no particular order, since so many of the super strength, super fast, invisible, other-dimension-origined, et al. are merely different manifestations of the same gods. Dark Horse fits into this framework but on a smaller scale and with some indie differences. For example: there is the odd character Concrete who is a man with his body replaced–for some reason–with a minimal-featured stone body, and who has to learn to live in his new circumstances. It’s more middle-aged Bildungsroman than superhero. Dark Horse’s polished indieness is appealing in a different manner than the experimentation of less established indie publishers. Solid yet daring.
Some sources for Barb Wire aficionados:
- Barb Wire at Wikipedia – For all of their obsessive documenting of pop culture minutia, this entry is unfortunately anemic.
- Dark Horse Comics at Wikipedia
- Dark Horse Comics at Comic Vine – Links characters along with every issue where they’ve made an appearance.
- Barb Wire
- The Machine (Avram Roman, Jr.) – An associate of Barb Wire’s. Half man, half machine.
- Prime Movers – A street gang in Steel Harbor, let by Mace Blitzkrieg. Continuously smiling, possibly 8-foot tall mountain of muscle with tiny glasses. Hispanic?
- Wolf Gang – A street gang in Steel Harbor, let by Hunter. Black, colorfully dreadlocked.
- Dark Horse Comics at Superhero Wiki – Details of the characters but little on the comics themselves beyond creators and first appearance.
The comics are grouped into three series: the original 1994 run of 9 issues, the 1995 run of 4 issues titled Ace of Spades, and the 2015 run of 8 issues consisting of the stories “Steel Harbor Blues” and “Hot Wired”. The 1994 series plus Ace of Spades is compiled in The Barb Wire Omnibus. The 2015 series is compiled in Barb Wire: Volume 2 Book 1 (Steel Harbor Blues) and Barb Wire: Volume 2 Book 2 (Hot Wired).
The setting: Steel Harbor in some anti-future 2017 America (whaaa?). Steel Harbor is the decaying, industrial home of the Hammerhead Bar–owned and operated by Barb–and of the rival Prime Movers and Wolf Gang gangs. Members of each have been altered, as have many in Steel Harbor, by some dimensional rift that gave each unique super-powers. Naturally. And though the gangs are often found at the Hammerhead, the relationship between them and Barb Wire is strained because of her second job: bounty hunter.
The original run had a rotating roster of artists who grew increasingly bad. There’s a 90s aesthetic that rivals any caricature of the 90s and could challenge Patrick Nagel to a shoulder-padded fight. This 90s style would not be so bad under better art and writing. (side note: my recent auction purchase occurred during a session that sold a Nagel for 52-mother-fucking-thousand dollars (side side note: there is no god)).
Ace of Spades had both better art and better writing. The artwork and page flow is excellent throughout and the story weaves a dramatic arc to an unexpectedly daring conclusion. This set should have been the movie. Maybe it was? I had watched the move years ago but remember nothing except the bad. And yet: I still plan on re-watching in order to complete the entire oeuvre. Ace of Spades can only be found in The Barb Wire Omnibus with the odd time capsule that is issues 1-9, but is worth the investment and stands on its own. There are some comic book-y instances of “see issue #7 of Fearless Avengers!” references, but none of the story is diminished if you don’t have that particular issue.
And as if to insult the entire run and those who read it: Comixology provides The Barb Wire Omnibus for free. :shrug emoji:
The movie came a year after Ace of Spades, and under a more deft hand maybe could have kick-started the female super hero genre that went through so many other failures. Catwoman, Electra, Ultraviolet. Aeon Flux was not great but better than the critics’ judgments of it. Birds of Prey was the best it could have been. Margot Robbie portrays Harley Quinn perfectly, but that character doesn’t translate to the adult superhero genre. Black Scorpion has great promise and great hope (despite the unfortunately-timed Russian subject matter), but any movie from this point on will have to measure up to Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel.
Finally, the 2015 series takes us to a different world (caveat: I have only read issues 1-4 so far). Instead of a post-fallen America it appears to be just a normal America (whaaaaaa?) with the same cast of characters minus the multi-dimensional enhancements. Within is an oddball story of a resurrected Viking (?) who terrorizes Steel Harbor including its gangs. Barb Wire is chosen as The Hero Steel Harbor Needs. The art is 2000s competent but–and maybe I’m an old timer–but a little soulless in its obvious computer generated coloring. Well, Ben Day dots were once considered inexpressive until they weren’t so I am an old timer. Still, the story has some completely uncomfortable choices in dialogue that are not the result of artistic prudishness but an understanding of what-the-FUCK?-ish-ness. Better than the first run (low bar) not as good as Ace of Spades.
I’ll update after 5-8 is read and The Dreaded Movie is re-watched. Pray for me.
Updated the next day
That movie was amazing. I’m not sure I would have noticed that it was a retelling of Casablanca if I wasn’t told, but knowing makes the comparison not-un-see-able. The story has no relation to the story arcs in the comics, and only Barb, her blind brother, and maybe the bail bondsman were carried over. However, it still holds its own and could maybe be massaged into a descent comic series of its own if it hasn’t already… oh jesus it has. It’s not available on Comixology so I may have to order a copy.
I’ve ordered a copy.
The movie feels like a cross between Buckaroo Bonzai and a Playboy centerfold video. There are some funny/wacky scenes like Big Fatso’s (I know! isn’t it great?) death, but then Pamela Anderson Lee walks on camera in a leather bustier, cinched to a size 20 waist, size 40 chest, and speaking on low volume and breathy and I’m just not sure what I’m watching.
The story is set in the same future as the comics, fascist America 2017, but more attention is given to the fascist leaders and the neutral territory that is Steel Harbor. There’s a rebellion and a key member, with information on how to defeat the government’s HIV-derived biological weapon, has fled to Steel Harbor to obtain “retinal” contact lenses to mask her identity and allow her to cross the border to Canada. Handmaid’s Tale, Barb Wire, everyone in future/present day America wants to flee to Canada (trivia: the movie’s writer, Ilene Chaiken, was also a writer for The L Word and a producer for The Handmaid’s Tale). Map Barb Wire on to Humphrey Bogart and you have your story.
The action is… odd. Naturally during the fight scenes you often can’t tell what’s going on where, but there’s also a scene where the evil head of the secret police drives a forklift into Barb’s motorcycle and traps her, then just drives in circles cackling. It’s impossibly to parody this! Maybe MST3K could but there is really just too much of Pamela Anderson’s exposed breasts that would have to be cut.
This really could have been good with a better director, but isn’t that true of any bad movie? Must reads are Roger Ebert’s 2-1/2 (!) star review and Barb Wire: The Terrible Pamela Anderson Movie That Accidentally Predicted the Future by Scott Meslow in GQ.