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Wu-Tang
Clan formed in the early 90's with the intention that they
would dominate the world of hip-hop, and over a decade and
a half later, it would seem they've gotten their wish. The
nine original members have released and released a handful
of group albums (including the absolutely epic Enter the
Wu-Tang), numerous solo albums, and some soundtracks;
launched clothing lines, companies, and acting careers; written
screenplays; appeared in video games and TV shows (including
humorous appearances on MTV Cribs); and expanded to
include innumerable affiliates (known as the Wu-Tang Killer
Bees). Why the hell not write a comic book while you're at
it?
Well,
for one, because it is a shameless vanity project. Method
Man is the result of a long-time comic fan having the
desire and resources to make a product and a publisher who
wants to capitalize on a famous name. What's sad is that it
seems as if, with more talent involved or maybe more careful
honing of the product, Method Man could have been something
of note at least, rather than being something that will probably
be forgotten in a couple months.
Method
Man is the 96-page story of a rogue private eye named
Peerless Poe, a descendent of Cain, the first biblical murderer.
In order to atone for their ancestor's misdeed, all descendents
are called upon to fight supernatural evils using their innate
superhuman powers (a responsibility Poe has largely shirked
due to his disagreement with the Brotherhood of Cain's sober
and chaste requirements). This is, of course, all explained
on a text-only prologue page rather than through exposition
and storytelling. And of course, he is called back into begrudging
service because Lilith, Adam's first, fallen wife in Jewish
legend, has begun to mount an attack against God.
On the
surface, the plot is sound. In fact, the comic series Lucifer
tackled nearly the same subject matter—though Lucifer
did it over the course of 75 issues and 11 trade paperbacks
instead of one horribly slim volume. The concept, on its own,
is clever. It's rooted in that brand of esoteric religion
that is exotic and exciting. However, every other aspect of
the story is cliché. The dialogue, the plot, the idea
of the rogue private eye, and the bad boy signing up to work
with the strait-laced organization have all been done. At
best, this reads like a toss-off Buffy the Vampire Slayer
episode without any of the wit, charm, or self-awareness.
Sadly,
the art doesn't do anything to make the book more memorable.
Strictly told in black and white sketches, Method Man
doesn't so much resemble a graphic novel as the notebook of
that anime-obsessed guy in ninth grade geometry class who
just drew guys fighting dragons all day. It'd seem this is
indicative of just how much of a cash-in this book is: Put
in just enough work to get the product out, safe in the knowledge
that enough fan-boys may snatch it up to prevent it from being
a failure. There's even a panel that just has the faces of
all the original Wu-Tang members looking down from the clouds.
It has absolutely nothing to do with the narrative, but I
suppose it's giving the fans what they want. This is probably
the chief flaw of the book: It is a product that no one that
isn't already a comic book-loving, youthful, Wu-Tang fan will
read. This is obviously not a huge market, so the publishers
kept costs down with low-quality work.
There's
no real need to belabor the point on this book. It was read
on a curiosity, was given a fair chance, and confirmed the
suspicions about its quality and content. When someone famous
wants to create something out of his or her chosen profession,
there'll always be someone there facilitating that desire
to cash in on name recognition. This often leads to tragic
albums by the likes of Hulk Hogan, acting turns by musicians
(leading to films like Crossroads), and products such
as Method Man. And while there are numerous crossover
successes, most attempts are often the product of too much
ego and greed, and not enough level-headed consideration.
Method Man has some good ideas, and if publishers had
just tried to make a quality product with better art and a
more fleshed out storyline, it might have registered on the
radars of serious graphic novel fans. As it stands now, it
won't even attain the comical failure status of something
like Glitter. It's doomed to obscurity like Joe Pesci's
album. Yes. It exists.
(August,
2008)
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