Welcome to the first edition of Comics with Achates. It is here that I examine the modern form of epic poetry that is told every Wednesday of the week – the comic book.
As an avid reader, I find that every now and again, I like to see how the poets of this century are bringing in new minds to the intrigue and adventure of an epic-poetry-like format. This week, we examine two comics that target children. The first, from DC Comics, is the acclaimed Tiny Titans.
In a classic competition befitting of the Trojans, Supergirl and Kid Flash have a footrace for dominance of the fleet of foot.
This week’s issue features a foot race between Supergirl, who is the cousin of Superman, and Kid Flash, who is like The Flash, but a child. This comic takes a plethora of history from the DC Comics Teen Titans and The New Teen Titans series and lumps it all into one book full of inside jokes and humor while maintaining the integrity of the characters as a whole. Even though I am not a child anymore, I find that this comic is full of valuable stepping stones to adventure and further understanding the core concepts of the epic poem. The best part of Tiny Titans is that even the minor characters from the series get a mention inside the pages. Even more impressive, the book is so far based in DC history that readers will be able to step into the real DC Universe and have some idea as to what’s going on.
As we continue our trek through food for thought for children, we come up G-Man: Learning to Fly, a trade paperback from Image Comics. Image Comics is probably where Virgil would have ended up had he been born in this century – their approach to creator-owned comics is very impressive. Anyway, G-Man is by Chris Giarusso, the bard responsible for the humorous Mini-Marvels series for Marvel Comics. Judging from the comics of G-Man that can be viewed on his website, it seems to be much of the same: Kid superheroes getting into ridiculous situations and there’s nothing wrong with that.
If I were in G-Man’s universe, I would call myself the Forgotten Line. Ask me what my powers would be!
Part of being a hero is learning to laugh at yourself and the sometimes ridiculous situations that you get yourself into. I know it doesn’t say it in the poem, but despite all the tragedy that Aeneas had to go through, we had some pretty hilarious times. Just give me a moment to think of some…
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I’ve got nothing. But my point is still valid. The imagination inspired by the stories that Chris Giarusso comes up with will help children to grow up craving the adventure and thrill of being a hero or going to found Rome, like me! (I know it was Aeneas, but give me this moment. Please.)
The final book that I’ve chosen for this week’s Comics with Achates is a comic by the name of The Dreamer published by IDW Publishing.
Beatrice Whaley: A Modern-Day Dido. Wait, that’s too sad. A Modern-Day Lavinia.
The Dreamer, written by Lora Innes was originally a comic on the internet before making the transition to print. It tells the story of young Beatrice Whaley, who dreams she is in the time of your American Revolutionary War running in trenches and falling in love with American soldier Alan Warren. The art portrays very accurate expressions and has a pleasing color scheme. I am told that this is also an accurate portrayal of how high school women (I believe you call them “teenagers.”) act. The story of star-crossed love reminds me of Aeneas’s love for Dido and her love for him. While that eventually ended in tragedy, it is difficult to tell whether The Dreamer will follow the same path. I am fond of the story and fear for Beatrice Whaley should her poet choose to follow the same direction that Virgil did.
