Stretching
the concept of the Pinoy superhero
By Wincy Ong
The Philippine
STAR 03/11/2005
I
haven¹t been always comfortable with superheroes who have stretching powers.
Most often than not, they¹re more goofy-looking than cool, more laughable than
menacing. A man that could elongate his limbs and grow a thousand more joints
has to be one of the most inane ideas that ever came from comic books. Seeing a
superhuman acrobat swinging from building to building, or a corn-fed boy from
Kansas streaking past the skies could leave us in awe, yes, but seeing a man
who has Silly Putty for arms, a man who looks like a cartoon version of a
highway accident sufferer, could leave us laughing cross-eyed.
There¹s Marvel Comics¹ Mr. Fantastic – sure, in his
seminal graphic novel Fantastic Four: 1234 , Grant Morrison showed us that Reed
Richards can grow new brain structures that make him crazy-smarter than he
already is – but to me, he was always just the lanky guy-leader with the
graying temples, Nick Fury without the bravado and the eye patch . Of course,
there¹s the most famous one of them all, DC Comics¹ Plastic Man, who, believe
it or not, was originally going to be called India Rubber Man by creator Jack
Cole.(Hey, when thinking of superhero names, one can only have a handful of
synonyms to play around with, right?) Sure, aside from making his body malleable,
he can also shapeshift into anything as long as it has the same color scheme as
his costume. Let¹s not forget, however, how difficult it is to imagine him
posing side-by-side a grittier, real-world hero like Batman. He best belongs to
Hanna-Barbera territory along with those pointy-eared Wonder Twins. On a better
note, CGI and clever writing gave birth to probably the least lame incarnation
of the superhero with stretching powers: Elastigirl, the lovable soccer mom
from the movie The Incredibles. Impeccably voiced by the talented Holly Hunter
and brought alive by the computer nerds at Pixar, Elastigirl actually made
stretching powers, this time around, look cool and even sexy.
Lastikman, our very own version of
the superhero with stretching powers, of course, is no stranger to our
collective pop mythologies. Portrayed by the likes of Vic Sotto and Mark
Bautista in the movies, the formerly second-tier hero has stepped up and now
shares the spotlight with his more iconic counterparts Darna and Captain Barbell, all of whom are the
dear creations of the Pinoy Stan Lee himself, the legendary Mars Ravelo.
When I first saw the poster for Mango
Comics¹ Lastikman at a comic-book convention in Megamall, and the megawatt
names attached to the project, I crossed my fingers and prayed to all the
saints in Comic Book Heaven to not let this one be a disappointment. A
re-imagining of a classic superhero, especially one that is done by a team of
brilliant yet slightly deranged artists, say a Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
revamp of The Punisher, is one of the things that make comic book geekdom
worthwhile.
As the poster promised, on scripting
duties is Gerry Alanguilan, who¹s most known for his ultra-violent comic strip Wasted, which appeared in PULP Magazine and was later
compiled in a graphic novel of the same name. On penciling duties is two-time
National Book Award winner Arnold Arre (The Mythology Class, Trip to Tagaytay, After Eden) who¹s probably the most
prolific and hardworking creator in the industry today. What drew me to the
book was the promise of seeing what could come out when these two established
artists work together. I wondered how Alanguilan¹s street-level sensibilities
and his knack for tough-guy drama would blend with Arre¹s clean, innocent,
Manga-inspired linework.
On the first few pages of Lastikman, a spaceship crashes into
a greenhouse in a place that looks very much like Manila, and just seeing the
primitive lampposts, the shanty towns, and the people in tsinelas portrayed in four-color
goodness, I couldn¹t help but smile: Finally, here is a story of a superhero
who lives amongst us. A big part of Marvel Comics¹ success could be attributed
to the way Stan Lee made his superhero creations living, breathing citizens of
his hometown New York City. It made his stories sizzle with life, as if the
next morning, the reader could be on his way to his office and catch a glimpse
of Spider-Man scaling up the walls of the Chrysler Building. No Gotham Cities,
no Metropolises – just plain old superheroes living next door. This is
the big reason why Lastikman as a comic book succeeds, and how Mango Comics¹
prior revamp of Darna falls short. Conveniently written in a healthy mix of
Filipino and English, and sprinkled with so many Pinoy cultural references than
a Tito, Vic and Joey fan can shake at, Lastikman is set in the
warts-and-all Manila that we all grew to love, hence, the reader feels that Lastikman is real, and not just
some hackneyed superhero archetype some eager beaver cooked up.
The story is simple; there is nothing
that the Superman mythology hasn¹t told yet: A being from another planet crashes
into Earth, is rescued by a loving family, learns about his superpowers, falls
in love with a girl, and decides to save his newfound home from alien invaders.
Despite its simplicity, the story still delivers: the dialogue is crisp, the
humor is well-placed, and the character¹s relationships are beautifully drawn
out. The ending, though, is problematic, as Alanguilan spoils the thrills by
giving the decisive moment not to Lastikman but to a spin-off-hungry
character called Atomika. Who deserves acclaim here is Arre, who, from his
signature anime-eyed, sometimes sketchy approach, have matured into the
disciplined illustrator that he is right now, with a detailed style reminiscent
of Eurotrash masters Frank Quitely and John Cassaday.
Lastikman should set the trend in
Pinoy comic book superheroes and send out reminders to creators working in the
industry today. Stop making stories about those blue-eyed, spit-curled,
square-jawed, white supermen out to protect and serve generic First World
megapolises. We¹re all brown, dark-haired, snub-nosed avengers with Mexican
last names. Put your chin up and let¹s fly.
* * *
Wincy
Ong
has written for several publications such as Hey! Comics and Young Star Magazine. He
also writes songs and plays the bass for ¹60s mod band Narda, whose debut album
Formika is available now. When not busy, he is formulating a cure for
beri-beri.