'Colin Powell': High in the comic ranks

Does Bluewater Comics Publisher Darren G. Davis have good karma or what?

At the same time former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge is making headlines for alleging in a new book that the Bush administration pressured him to exaggerate the terror threat for political gain while he was head of the Department of Homeland Security, Bluewater's comic book biography of another man who many feel also had his reputation and credibility tarnished by his actions in the Bush Cabinet has hit shelves.

"Political Power: Colin Powell" has been a solid sales success for Bluewater partially because of the renewed interest in Powell as a result of Ridge's story-making headlines.

However, it still has sold only a third of what similar Bluewater biographies on Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have and only one twelfth of what the publisher's biography on Michelle Obama has sold so far.

This is a shame for a couple reasons.

First, it shows just how much Powell's star has dimmed. If this comic had been published right after he shot into the media spotlight and gained rock-star status following his success as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the U.S. success in the Persian Gulf War of the 1990s (aka "Operation Desert Storm") and when polls showed him to be the most trusted and respected man in America, his biography comic almost unquestionably would have far surpassed those of anyone else's.

Second, this bio comic is Bluewater's best to date, and by a wide margin. Rather than simply detailing the major moments in Powell's life in dry, documentary fashion, this book allows its subject to breathe, to become human and relatable.

A lion's share of the credit should go to the comic's writer, Wey-Yuih Loh. Unlike fellow Bluewater biographer Neal Bailey, Loh only inserts himself in the story on the first page - and then only to introduce his subject - and understands people who buy the comic want to read about Powell, not him.

Loh also based his comic on three excellent sources. He seems to have gleaned a large chunk of his information from Powell's excellent 1995 autobiography, "My American Journey." By doing so, he enables readers to see details of Powell's life with insight on how Powell sees himself, his life and his accomplishments. It is as if the reader is seeing Powell's journey through his own eyes. It's very powerful storytelling - from small moments growing up to his historic military accomplishments to the possible chance of winning the presidency had he chosen to run.

Many would strongly argue that America was losing the war in Vietnam as early as 1963-64, but it is clear that was Powell's point of view, based on his experiences. Later on, some views and details could be described as being seen through a left-leaning lens politically, but then one realizes that compared with many in the Republican Party, Powell is to the left.

There is so much story packed in these pages, which explore issues that have shaken the foundations of America. It tells the tale of a man who in the innocence of his childhood did not experience racism but inevitably did as a young man. "Powell" is inspirational not just because of the man but because it tells the how the nation grew and matured along with him.

In short, Colin Powell likely would not have achieved his full potential if he had not been born in America; at the same time, it is made clear that America would not have achieved its full potential if people like Colin Powell had not been born here.

Indeed, among his many accomplishments, "Powell" reminds people that America was ready for a black president 12 years before Barack Obama made it a reality.

What Loh and artists M. Scott Woodward and Kirsty Swan have done is present the portrait of a man whose life should be judged in its entirety, not for simply for his military victories or his efforts on behalf of the Bush administration.

For those reasons, a journey to your comic shop to pick up "Powell" is one well worth taking.

However, audiences across America got to see the blonde beauty, albeit briefly, in the new "Halloween 2" movie this weekend.

"It was a small role to start with and some of it didn't get into the final edit," Geerlings told Newsarama. "So I'm on screen in three scenes, but in two you have to really look for me. My big scene is now all of five seconds but I don't care. I am the Princess Leia deputy, Deputy Gwynne. You'll get it when you see it."

"It was the best time I've had in my entire life. Truly. It's almost embarrassing. I was literally such a happy dweeb the whole time."

Geerlings makes it clear despite her new "stardom" as an actress she is still a comics geek at heart.

Geerlings is married to actor Tyler Mane (Sabretooth in the first "X-Men" film) and has a couple projects in the works for Radical Comics. Comics Guy will keep you posted.

E-mail comicsguy@phillynews.com

Former Top Cow Editor-in-chief Renae Geerlings is one of the nicest people Comics Guy has ever met in the comics industry and he has been disappointed he hasn't seen much of her lately.