Sex, Lies and Superheroes

Comic Books have always had a hard time being placed in any sort of literary context. Preconceived notions run from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to anime-porn for urban recluses. This is of course unless you are a diehard comic fan, or writer of the medium. The stigma attached that comics are merely for kids, and that there is nothing substantially valuable in regards to literature, is the concept behind the latest documentary from Constantine Valhouli. Decorated with indie-awards, Valhouli has tackled contemporary issues such as the dot-bomb era, and the newest fashion topic, plus-sized models. An avid comic fan himself, Valhouli sought out the best illustrators and writers the literary segment has to offer.

The interpersonal Q&As with the writers and artists dominate the film. Perhaps most entertaining is Stan Lee. Anyone familiar with comics is indefinitely a fan of Lees. Known as a father of the industry, his Marvel Comics characters contain Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Silver Surfer, The Avengers, and Dr. Strange. His dialogue is charming and unwittingly humorous. Tales of early beginnings and struggles for respect paint a true pioneer’s picture. Bringing the literary form to modern day virtuosos is the slickly arrogant Neil Gaiman. A best seller, he is famous for the DC Comics Sandman series, which is destined to become a major motion picture.

The documentary, obviously like most, is done with a moderately low scale budget, however with advances in Digital cameras and Avid editing programs, the film lacks the production quality many audiences have come to expect. While the dialogue keeps the film moving, the inadequacies in both photography and sound limit the overall experience. Sinicism, which I suppose is the basis of comics in the first place is rampant, quite possibly the movie’s highlight. Writers are considered child-story book authors, and the artists are generally referred to as simply cartoonists. What Valhouli brings to light is the plight of the medium to become revered for it’s literary merit…a struggle Stan Lee has spent his entire life pursuing.

Sex, Lies and Superheroes is currently being screened at various events, and DVD, VHS copies are available through the film’s web site.

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