ALADDIN: LEGACY OF THE LOST (ISSUE 1)
March 1st 2010 19:33
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: Radical Comics
Production Team: Ian Edginton – story, Patrick Reilly – art, Richard Starkings & Comicrafts Jimmy Betancourt – lettering, Arthur Suydam – cover art
Cost: AU$8.25/US$4.99
Who are Radical Comics? Hmm have to say at this particular point in time I have no real idea, although my best guess would be to say that they are a label independent of some of the big labels such as Marvel, DC and even Dark Horse who has become something of a mover and shaker in the western comics scene in the last twenty odd years or so. Is Radical the new ‘dark horse’ on the block? Only time will tell. I picked up this particular comic when I was down in Sydney at Kings Comics prior to going into the Eye Hospital for some surgery involving the removal of oil and a cataract from my right eye. Sitting in the bed waiting for me to go off into the theatre to undergo said procedure I took the time to give this particular work a perusal.
Down through the ages poetic license has been used for a lot of reasons to justify a lot of things, some of them good, a great many of them absolutely atrocious and should never have been allowed to see the light of day. No doubt there are some who would say that Superman & Batman vs. Aliens vs. Predators is an example of poetic license, and it is, an example that should never have been allowed to grace the shelves of any self respecting comic shop or library within known existence. It demonstrates how such a term can be used and abused in the justification of seeing dollar signs and throwing out any shred of artistic integrity. Is this the case here with this particular comic, well fortunately no but I have to say that in bringing forth their particular interpretation of the classic story I think the production team have fallen afoul of…cue dramatic drum roll…the Death Note syndrome!
Death Note syndrome, what the heck is that, I hear you exclaim. Tell us GL what the heck are you waffling on about here, well put simply Death Note syndrome (or DNS for short) is when you have a great story but that story’s primary protagonist around whom much of the drama revolves is about as likeable as a kick in the teeth or budgie smugglers, take your pick. And in my opinion Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost has got a serious dose of the DNS in this first issue, its story is fantastic filled with great superlative artwork, exotic locales, a rich history that is just itching to be explored and a shadowy antagonist who has a rather macabre sense of humour when it comes to dealing with those he feels whose services he no longer requires. But the hero of the story is frankly to my mine a pretentious tyke who has very little to recommend him.
Some would say that hey this is only the first volume; surely you have to let him grow. I would say that for a story that only covers three volumes as this particular story does having your hero totally unlikable in the pages of the first volume is a bit of a flaw to say the least; and like I say a sure sign of DNS infecting your work. Certainly Aladdin shouldn’t be a paragon of virtue, a saint who has never done a single thing wrong and speaks in Zen Buddhist koans, but neither should he be a naff git. There doesn’t seem to be anything redeemable about him to start with, and that to my way of thinking is a major mistake. Perhaps he is an anti hero rather than a traditional fairy tale hero? If that is the case I still say that there is some serious DNS going on as this story doesn’t need an anti hero, in fact if anything it cries out for a traditional more swashbuckling style hero, someone with something likeable about him rather than what we get in this particular Aladdin.
Frankly this is something of an enigma of a work, a great tale with a missing protagonist; instead it has a sort of substitute protagonist, a character who feels like he was pencilled in at the last moment as the real deal was off sick or enjoying some quality time elsewhere. My advice if you want to see this kind of tale either in print or visual medium dig up a copy of A Thousand and One Nights or get yourself a copy of either the Thief of Baghdad starring Sabu or even the Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor starring Douglas Fairbanks Jnr.
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