a selection of reviews from our database
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Flying Friar Posted 23 Feb 2006Writer: Rich Johnston
Reviewed by Robert Murray |
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St. Joseph of Copertino starring as… Superman! No, this is not some film competing with Superman Returns this summer. Instead, it is a comic book telling the story of a Catholic saint and his hero-like adventures in 17th Century Italy. How many adventures could St. Joseph possibly have, you ask? With a lot of embellishment from Rich Johnston, there is a compelling struggle with an arch-nemesis by the name of Lux Luther. I am not joking! In fact, this Luther has a rich father named Lionel, was struck bald by a meteor crashing to Earth in his childhood, and was once a close friend of our hero, Joseph Desa. Sound familiar? To add to the madness, Luther is a descendent of Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer who ideologically attacked the Catholic Church with his 95 Theses in 1517. So, since St. Joseph is a Catholic saint who possesses the miracle of flight, it seems logical his natural enemy would be a Protestant who flies using man-made technology. Pretty unique dichotomy, huh?
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Is this Johnston’s commentary on Superman, a hero whose strict code of conduct doesn’t factor in the overlaps between good and evil? |
Rich Johnston writes a tale that is a dual homage to a Catholic legend and a pop-culture icon. But, this graphic novella is more than a mere homage. I believe it is also a commentary on faith, religion, and comic book mythology. The very Catholic Church that St. Joseph believes so strongly in is a corrupt organization, filled with morally ambiguous monks and cardinals who worry more about money and perception than faith. These “holy men” are consistently bribed and canoodled by powers other than God. St. Joseph, like Superman, is a man who is very strict in his code and believes in a greater good that controls everything. This overwhelming faith leads Joseph to be naive and, when confronted with the truth, wrathful. Is this Johnston’s commentary on Superman, a hero whose strict code of conduct doesn’t factor in the overlaps between good and evil? It seems this way to me, especially with concrete similarities such as the possible alien origins of Joseph and the fact that he can start fires with his eyes.
Johnston seems to be a true comic book fan, using a historical figure to illustrate his impressions of Superman in particular and the super-hero comic book genre in general. What of his impression? Obviously, it’s a positive one, showing a love of serial-style storytelling that emphasizes the battle between good and evil. The final battle sequence between Joseph and Luther is a great example of this love. He writes a compelling, albeit short, mid-air battle scene which ends with retribution for the Protestant villain and the realization that Joseph has broken bread with the true enemy, the Vatican. What other medium besides comic books could a creator pull this scene off without either critical or public rejection? Comic books are our modern mythology, and this fanciful and stylized version of St. Joseph’s life is a perfect example of that myth-making.
Despite Johnston’s tendency to move the story at a breakneck
speed (this would have made a good miniseries), this is a great
example of what can be done with the independent comic book. Thomas
Nachlik draws some superb facial expressions throughout this issue,
though there seem to be a lot of static moments throughout. Still,
that doesn’t detract one bit from the reader’s overall
enjoyment of this tale. What might upset some of the strict Catholic
or Protestant comic book readers out there is the violence with which
the Flying Friar does battle, including a scene where he breaks
Luther’s neck, crippling him. This is a Catholic saint, after
all. A holy man, in my opinion, shouldn’t go ninja on his
enemies! Instead, he should defeat his enemies using peace of words
and faith in a higher power. Still, without the action elements, this
would have been one dull comic book. Good first effort by Johnston
and Nachlik!