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Chuck Dixon on Grifter & Midnighter

post #1 of 8
1/6/07 at 2:32am
Thread Starter 
Now, I've stuck up for Dixon in the past, and I'm not kicking myself yet, but there is apparently a side to him I wasn't aware of - at least, that hadn't popped up into his work on stuff like Nightwing. I hadn't heard about his issues with The Rawhide Kid or the gay Green Lantern, and when I heard he was starting a series with two of my favourite Wildstorm characters, Grifter and Midnighter, it sounded like a good thing. But now I'm having doubts about his ability to portray one half of the duo in proper fashion, and I think it's pretty clear which half it is:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=96409

Quote:
CD: Grifter is a covert operative for a shadowy intelligence organization known as IO as well as being a founding member of WildCATS. He’s got all kinds of wild psi-powers from when he was purposely exposed to DNA-altering elements back when he was a part of the para-military unit Team Seven. He’s a soldier who often questions his orders.

Midnighter is a tough, street-level brawler with astounding healing powers and extra-human levels of physical strength along with other abilities that make him a dangerous fighter. He’s a former StormWatch member and now forms part of the core of The Authority. He’s the significant other of Apollo, a god-like super-being who also belongs to the same team. The best way to describe his personality is that he embodies left wing rage.

NRAMA: Ooh, that begs for some follow-up… can you give us more insight into that particular element of his character? What is “left-wing rage”?

CD: That’s my read on the character. There are scenes in his own book and in Authority where he’s seen murdering right wing caricatures. He also seems very frustrated with social injustice. But rather than hold a sign in front of an embassy or organize a boycott, Midnighter tears someone a new one. There’s a lot of liberal wish-fulfillment wrapped up in the character.
He fucks up here. Midnighter hasn't killed anyone in his own series who isn't a WWI German soldier or an Afghani cavalryman. Midnighter killed many right-wing NPCs in The Authority, but then, so did everyone else - Hawksmoor, The Doctor, Swift, etc. Interesting he chooses Midi for his example. Unfortunately, sounds like he has an axe to grind.
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post #2 of 8
1/6/07 at 4:21am
Dixon's a hack from everything I've read by him and having him touch Midnighter, who I've grown fond of after only two issues (hope to read the Authority for more of him) is a punch to both my eyes at the same time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai
He fucks up here. Midnighter hasn't killed anyone in his own series who isn't a WWI German soldier or an Afghani cavalryman. Midnighter killed many right-wing NPCs in The Authority, but then, so did everyone else wksmo- Haor, The Doctor, Swift, etc.
Uh, where did Dixon contradict this? He said he's seen murdering right-wing caricatures with the Authority, then you said that's all he's killed asides from the WWI German soldiers and Afghani cavalryman. He seems to have fucked up by saying that the killing of the right-wing caricatures also happened in his own series, but that's really just a minor quibble. How, in any way, does this denote he 'has an axe to grind'?

I'd also like to point out that Ennis himself seems to agree with Dixon, considering he says he sees Midnighter as a Batman who actually makes changes in the world around him for what he believes to be right. Apparently a big part of that is a liberal idealism which hasn't come into play so much in his own series yet, but appears to factor into the Authority and will become more apparent as his own series continues.

Ironic how I don't like Dixon, but have come to defend him on this. Too bad the comic will probably suck. Grifter always struck me as a superficial 'tough-guy' character so teaming him up with Midnighter doesn't go over so well with me.
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post #3 of 8
1/6/07 at 4:30am
Thread Starter 
I think your assessment may be on the money. I just hope he doesn't fuck with things too badly.
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post #4 of 8
1/6/07 at 4:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai
I think your assessment may be on the money. I just hope he doesn't fuck with things too badly.
I just don't like Dixon's stuff. It's sad that I can't recall WHAT it was exactly that hurt my feelings so bad that he wrote, but it was something that makes me squint my eyes and curse the heavens under my breath every time I read his name, ESPECIALLY when it's attached to a project of some interest.
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post #5 of 8
1/6/07 at 4:53am
I'm pretty sure he's going to 'stay true' to the character. I say that because Dixon says he's going to stay true to the character about 14 times during the interview.

I don't remember Midnighter being much of a 'character' to begin with, though.
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post #6 of 8
1/6/07 at 5:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wadew1
I don't remember Midnighter being much of a 'character' to begin with, though.
That's a shame to hear 'cause I'm curious to read more of him from the little bit I've gotten from his own series.

That made his series sound bad in that I've only gotten a little bit of him, but that's not quite the case. The series is only 2 issues in and is moving along with a rather interesting plot that'll definitely paint an interesting picture of Midnighter when all is said and done. I just hope Ennis doesn't resort to any 'The Boys' gross-out humour, not that I really think he will.
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post #7 of 8
1/6/07 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
Midnighter has developed quite a bit more under Ennis. But I also think he's going the more serious route with the Midnighter comic.
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post #8 of 8
1/6/07 at 4:27pm
Dixon can do right wing wish fulfillment characters better than anyone else (i.e. the Punisher) but it's probably best to leave the liberal wish fulfillment stuff to someone like Grant Morrison.
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