Day 2 - A comic you recommend to everybody no matter what (31 Days of Comics)

Something which I can recommend to kids and adults alike, and which I am fairly confident they will like? I have just the thing - Young Justice

What is not to like? It's a superhero comic which is funny as hell, with believable and relatable characterisations. And there is Impulse, I dare you to find a human being who is not fond of Impulse. It has that perfect collaboration of writer and artist in Peter David and Todd Nauck which hit all the right beats. And like all good comedies, there is an incredible amount of heart and just the right undercurrent of darkness behind it all. I can probably put this in several categories in this challenge but well, you can see for yourself. Here's a few pages from issue #31, the classic wordless issue which spotlighted all that is awesome about Impulse, which I will humbly put forth as one of the greatest single issues of all time.

Day 1 - Your Favourite Comic (31 Days of Comics)

We start the challenge off with a well, pretty difficult ask. It is really hard to pick a favourite at the drop of a hat, since so much of what I have read I have loved and has touched me in so many different ways that it is next to impossible to start comparing my feelings about one comic to another. Still, after some deliberation, I found my answer, cliched as it is, to what I would think is favourite comic was pretty clear - Sandman

(minor spoilers ahead)

I don't think I need to describe much about Sandman, it is perhaps the definitive pinnacle of the modern age comic, and an argument can be made as to being the pinnacle of the whole medium as well. But this post is not for me to justify why it is so very good, better people than me have put that it into words, should you care to search for them. No, this post is for me to tell why it is my favourite. More than the excellence in writing, the consistently wonderfully evocative artwork, Sandman is at heart a journey I could instantaneously identify, a story of how change is inevitable, and one way or the other, one is compelled to deal with it. I don't think I am alone in feeling like this, it is a very human trait to resist change after all. Despite the protagonists being godlike entities in a high fantasy setting, the oddly personal and human nature of the comic for me meant that the comic resonated with. Of course, Gaiman's remarkable skill with the written and wonderfully imaginative storytelling, a pre-requisite for any fantasy, backed by an array of perfectly chosen artists did not hurt. Sandman was also one of my first non-superhero loves in comics, at a time when I had properly started exploring the medium, and sometimes your first favourites stay with you while the later ones run their course. 

And of course, Sandman's Death is hands down one of the most awesome characters ever. She's alone worth the price of admission. Here's her first appearance.

Not the grimmest of reapers

31 Days of Comics

So here is a little thing. Inspired from Seth Hahne of Good Ok Bad fame, and Brian Cronin's excellent ongoing series on the same over at Comics Should Be Good, this is my humble take on the the 31 Days of Comics challenge. It's a fun away of revisiting the various comics I have read and loved over the last many years (and a good excuse to attempt a return to blogging as well).

Believe

Today I saw this ad and I broke down a little. Didn't see the ending coming really.



It's been a lifelong dream to sing the national anthem on that stage. Because if we do qualify in my lifetime, I don't care if I am old and deaf and blind and can't move. I will somehow drag myself there and I will stand up and sing and revel in the moment. So this ad, corny and outlandish as it may be, is an encapsulation of that dream.

So are we capable? Hell, yes. We are the second most populous nation on Earth, surely we can muster up a football team worthy enough to go. But are we willing? Therein lies the tragedy. We don't really care, at least the ones who are in charge of the sport's future don't really care about it beyond their personal interests. So the infrastructure will remain woefully sub par and the talent will have to forsake the sport for more lucrative means of making a living. But the day it changes, we will make it, that much I am confident of. We made it to the Asian Cup and the players gave their all. No losing team's fans have have so proud of three and four goal thrashings as we were in those three matches. One day it will happen.

Its SF man

Today Sir Loon asked me multiple times whether the bottle(s) in my hands was what he thought it was. Wtf man, what did you think it would have been? I'm highly offended. Really I am. Its SF man

25 Things Which Defined FIFA World Cup 2010: Part IV (10-6)

10. It's a Team Game
World Cups have typically been defined by outstanding individual contributions which the dragged otherwise functional teams to the top - think Maradona in '86, Cruyff in '74, Romario and Baggio in '94 among others. The reasons for this are straightforward, national teams never really get the preparation time needed to drill strategies and formations in the team so that the players can do it even in their sleep, so the most effective teams have been those which maximised individual talent. This is why it is so unusual that this World Cup was dotted by teams who preferred a functional approach where all the players had to contribute instead of relying on a maverick talent to shine. Of the four teams which made the semifinals, only Uruguay could claim to have made it due to the exploits of their two strikers. And it was won by a team which has come to epitomise team football among other things. It's also striking that the teams which were depending simply on their best player to perform faltered badly - Argentina, Portugal and England. Perhaps it is a reflection on the modern game where the physical exertions are so strenuous that no one person can really drag a team on his own anymore. It also coincided with the obvious emphasis on defensive football which of course, needs the team to be working as a unit to be successful.

9. 4-2-3-1
Formations are always but mere tools and cannot be a sole indication of what the team's philosophy is, a defensive 4-3-3 is as much possible as an attacking 5-4-1. Nevertheless, it was instructive to see the majority of the teams adopting the 4-2-3-1 formation in this World Cup. The sudden upsurge in popularity is quite stark and it surely signals the death of the default formation for a couple of decades, the 4-4-2. The reasons behind this are many and, for different teams, varied. One clear reason is that the quality of defenders are not what they used to be, players like John Terry, Pique and Walter Samuel are held to be the standard bearers of centre-backs of this era but, with all due respect, they cannot hold a candle to the Beckenbauers and Maldinis of the past. This seems to have made managers realise the value of screening the defense with two midfielders, Holland made it to the final on the strength of the van Bommel and de Jong partnership in midfield. Another reason is, following the success of Barcelona and Spain, a renewed faith in possession football, for which the team must win the midfield, typically just by sheer numbers. Spain, of course, showed the effectiveness of this. A third reason, as predicted here by the brilliant Jonathan Wilson, is that this formation negates the opposition full backs. This is an evolutionary response to the fact that marauding full backs have become increasingly important in the last decade or so. The 4-2-3-1 seems to be a stable formation which can be moulded to suit both defensive and attacking tendencies and seems to be a good candidate to take over as the default formation in the years to come. If it does, this World Cup will be remembered to have popularised it.

8. Clockwork Oranje
The Netherlands is arguably the best nation never to have won the World Cup. The team of '74 laid down the standard of attacking football by which all future club and national teams have been measured with. They have frequently thrilled in the tournament, most notably '74 and '98, only to fall short due to their famed tendency to suddenly collapse. Holland has always been the quintessential momentum team, capable of beating any team when they are in the groove, but shine the headlights in their eyes and they stop and stare at it in puzzlement, before getting run over. It's this poignant brittleness which has endeared them to many a heart, and most people would begrudge them lifting the trophy at some point of time. But not in the 2010 edition. Holland's march to the final symbolised to many all that was wrong with this tournament. The coach, realising that the country had failed many times over because of a lack of steel set about fixing it by making the defensive midfield partnership of Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong the lynchpin of the team. But in doing so, much of the flair was sacrificed. Arjen Robben was the only player given true creative license and even Wesley Sneijder's role was somewhat restricted than what he is used to, something which a creditable return of five goals (albeit most of them fortuitous) could not compensate for spectator value. This new look Holland playing the role of the destroyer angered many, including Cruyff, who disassociated himself with the team. Nevertheless, they reached their third final and if they had won it, all would be forgiven. But that's the problem with teams which start playing contradictory to their philosophies, they must get results to justify it. Holland took their destroyer role against Spain in the final to another level, their hacking and mauling was quite shameful and disturbing to watch at times, but they couldn't stop the Spain juggernaut. Thus they remain international football's nearly men, but this time, few were complaining.

Total Football: Fatality!

7. A Billion Angry Bees
A World Cup in an unusual venue is a chance to experience football in a new atmosphere, even for someone watching it from television. South Africa did a fine job of hosting the World Cup and the uniqueness of the African experience was there for all to see. Unfortunately, the one African experience which will be forever and most excruciatingly associated with this World Cup was the drone of the vuvuzelas. Purported to be a traditional African noise-making ritual when it's in just a plastic, monotonous horn invented by someone enterprising who probably back-dated it into the distant past to give his invention antiquity value, the headache inducing whine which reverberated around the stadiums was probably more disliked than Joey Barton. The only people who wanted to have anything to do with it were the ones who owned the damn thing, which was unfortunately pretty much everyone there (If you can't beat them, join them I suppose). For us watching on television, we could not comprehend how the sound of the billion bees would be found exhilarating by anyone. These instruments are usually a vehicle to show the mood of the fans, but the monotonous nature of the vuvuzelas pretty much makes it impossible to know why the hell exactly is he blowing it.

Much like the acting skills of Keanu Reeves

6. El Guaje is All Grown Up
The title of best striker in the world is arguable to say the least, several contenders vie ferociously for the spot. However, one striker whose skills have, although long recognised. have never been given the top billing it That man is David Villa. He happens to be one of the few pure technically skilled sharpshooters around, whose currency is goals. His ten seasons in Spanish top flight football have yielded at least 15 goals a season in the league, a truly remarkable statistic which not even serial goalscorers like Raul and Inzaghi could boast of at similar stages of their careers. And yet he is much more than a simple poacher, his dribbling skills and passing ability have racked up a number of assists as well. And he has done all this in teams like Sporting Gijon, Real Zaragoza and post Benitez era Valencia, teams which could hardly be called the cream of Europe. He's just one goal away from Raul's Spain record despite having played about 40 times. All this and he has never been truly given his due. This World Cup has changed that perception, as such tournaments tend to do. Villa was the one marksman who provided the edge to Spain's (sometime over elaborate) passing. His five goals were all hugely important, several of them, like his first weaving goal against Honduras and the strike against Chile were absolute class. With Torres having a shocker of the tournament, the burden of finishing the moves fell on his shoulders and he responded. He's just one goal away from Raul's Spain record despite having played about 40 times. He is as deserving of the World Cup win and the plaudits as anyone has been.

25 Things Which Defined FIFA World Cup 2010: Part III (15-11)

15. The Twist of the Knife: Slovakia 3-2 Italy
It's a funny thing to say about the then World Champions, but the writing had been on the wall for Italy for quite some time. A below par performance in Euro 2008 had given the indication that this team had had its last hurrah in 2006 and a revamp was needed. However, Lippi's stubborn persistence in sticking to bulk of the squad which won the Cup but was now over the hill had made even ardent supporters pessimistic of their country's chances. But no one would have thought that Italy would end up bottom of a group which was arguably one any top team would have had no trouble walking through. Insipid draws against Paraguay and New Zealand later, it was hoped that Italy would at least make the knockout stage by beating unheralded Slovakia. Not so, Slovakia gave a performance of their lifetime which was only helped by Italy's laughably awful defense. The minnows were compact and alert on pouncing any chances and bossed the midfield completely and a lead of 2-0 was well deserved. The introduction of Pirlo brought some semblance of structure into the team and they pulled one back with a classy move. However, as if to prove that this return to form was a blip, they again conceded through a through ball from a throw in (yes, you read that right), and that goal encapsulated all that had been wrong with Italy. A sublime chipped goal from outside the box by Fabio Quagliarella notwithstanding, Slovakia pulled off a famous and deserved upset and confirmed one of the most humiliating exit by a holder.

14. The Hand of Suarez
Every story needs a villain, and the moustache twirling, shifty eyed nemesis of the World Cup 2010 became the Uruguayan star striker Luis Suarez when he saved a certain goal right at the death of extra time by whacking the shot brilliantly off the line, with his hand. It's not like he escaped scrutiny, the referee saw it, awarded the penalty and gave him his marching orders. So far so good. But when Asamoah Gyan heartbreakingly missed the penalty, Luis Suarez became the most hated figure in the tournament. Rationale would say that any player in that position would have done the same, also that he had been duly punished by the law. It is also arguable that it was a noble action in that he deliberately took the risk of missing a chance to appear in a World Cup semifinal in favour of keeping his team alive. But emotions aren't governed by rationale and Suarez's villainous swipe became the most hated act in the Cup (except in the quaint country north of the English Channel which is still crying over Lampard's disallowed goal). Of course, his instinctively wild celebrations at the penalty miss and his later boastful comments on it being the new 'Hand of God' didn't help much.

Contender for save of the World Cup

13. Sacreblew It
The France team of '98-'00 was a legendary outfit. Top of the world at the time, it contained some of the best players in recent times and deservedly swept through everything in their wake. Since then, however, the team has been on a decline, a surprise appearance in the final in the last World Cup notwithstanding. The French team of 2010 finally laid to rest the era of the French. Hell it didn't stop there. It dug up the grave, defecated in the coffin and lit the whole thing in flames. France wasn't going down in a mere whimper, it had to make it a circus event. The main reason was their incompetent buffoon of a coach Raymond Domenech, who in six years never really earned the respect of the payers. So much so that when Nicholas Anelka abused him in the tournament and was deservedly sent home for his troubles, the entire team revolted and refused to train. As strong as their reasons may have been, this was a simply inexusable act, you do not shame the badge you are wearing like this. The whole situation quickly descended into a farce and France did not make it past the group stage for the third time in the last five major tournaments. Their campaign left a very ugly taste in everyone's mouths and all the players' careers will be forever tarnished from this. This was no way for an era to wind up.

12. Tears and a Kiss
There are some players who, no matter how recognised they are, you always feel deserve more than what they have achieved so far. Iker Casillas is on his way to becoming one of the all time goalkeeping legends, and has been for some time. He is fiercely adored by the Real Madrid, who have shown great loyalty and love for him even through the toughest times. And he has had tough times, pretty much every season of his career actually. Madrid is as known for its emphasis on attacking football as it is for not giving a flying one when it comes to its defense. In this respect Casillas' heroics in goal have earned them at least 10-12 points a season and no one in a Madrid jersey has deserved the titles they have won in recent times more. Yet there was always the feeling that he is destined for more, maybe the World Cup? This Spain team has been lauded for many things, but their mean defense is always overlooked. And the last line of this defense is the best goalkeeper in the world, and their captain. In fact, this writer believes that Spain won the World Cup when San Iker saved the penalty against Paraguay, because when Casillas is on his game, there is no stopping them. Every World Cup winning team has at least one image which defines it, Iker Casillas provided two. First, when keeper broke down when the winner was scored in the final even while the match was going on, as the magnanimity of what they were achieved, and the second was when he kissed his girlfriend on screen during the post match interview (said girlfriend whose presence was feared by Marca would distract him from playing well. Oh Marca). Two such outpourings from emotion from their normally stoic keeper is emblematic of the relief of shedding burden of under-performance the country has endured all these years. They will be a constant reminder of what a huge achievement this was.

Sealed with a kiss

11. The Shining Black Stars of Africa
Much was expected of the countries representing the African continent in their home World Cup and the continent came wonderfully together in supporting each other. But the teams themselves failed to shine. Nigeria were the worst team in the tournament, Cameroon and Algeria were abject, Ivory Coast had the misfortune of being stuck in the Group of Death and South Africa played their hearts out but the knockout stage was ultimately a step too far. So it was left to Ghana to carry on the torch and the burden of the entire continent when they replicated their 2006 feat of being the only African nation to make it through (without their talisman Michael Essien no less). Ghana was probably the revelation of the tournament. A team which played with its heart on its sleeve and an unmistakable sense of joy. Yes, they were naive and maybe a bit too sang froid for their own good, but they never stopped running and they never stopped trying. USA are a team known for producing athletes, yet Ghana outran and outlasted them, thus reaching their first ever quarterfinal. Their next match against Uruguay was probably the match of the World Cup, an entertaining end-to-end affair which went into extra time and the heartbreaking manner of their exit (see No 14) made them them the tragic heroes of this World Cup. After their 2006 exploits, FIFA.com had commented that this Ghana side is surely one in the ascendancy. FIFA gets many things wrong but in this case, Ghana has since made it the semifinal and final in the two African Nations Cup and now the World Cup quarterfinal. It is indeed not a freak result, the Black Stars have been delivering for a while now, the rest of Africa just needs to take its lead.