Red Tornado

(Not especially trashy this, unless you're one of those high-brow killjoys who still looks down on comics despite it being an entirely acceptable entertainment medium in Japan and even though respected,'real writers' have written stories, with Ian Rankin's recent contribution and Neil Gaiman's having started his career in the industry. Not to mention the fact that Watchmen is considered one of the great modern novels. I guess comics are still considered low-brow and childish by most, especially in Britain, and superhero comics in particular. Still this is pretty mainstream seeing as it is a DC title...anyway with that said let's get on with the review.)

With the recent release of a new Red Tornado mini-series, now seems as good a time as any to take a look back at the android hero’s past incarnations. Well… there haven’t been many. In fact, along with appearing for a number of years as a painfully underwritten second-stringer in the Justice League, Red Tornado has only once before had his own title. A four part mini-series was released in 1985, in the aftermath of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC’s massive cross-over sensation which shook up continuity. This event was an attempt to clear the deck, to start afresh and ultimately attract new readers, who were being scared away by convoluted background stories, and the daunting hardcore knowledge needed to understand what was going on. This event is a milestone in the DC Universe and remains a great read even today. In fact the success of the event is perhaps responsible for the crisis-mania which has swept DC ever since, in which, ever-more devastating events threaten the universe, requiring every character to get involved and redefine their allegiances to good or evil. This crisis-ad-nauseam seems to happen ever year, from the disappointing and yawnsome to the downright incomprehensible. This is, perhaps ironically, to the detriment of the original Crisis’ good intentions; the Universe is an increasingly complicated place again, putting off new and regular readers alike.

Anyway, back to the Red Tornado. His 80s mini-series, written by Busiek, with art by Infantino, is certainly not among the worst of post-crisis character relaunches. Actually it is quite an entertaining read, in which Busiek does an admirable job at bringing together Tornado’s back story and introducing personal conflicts that must be overcome. The comic reads like DC’s attempt at a Silver Surfer type story. A sentient being, outcast by the society he tries to help, questions his place in the world. The story draws on themes of identity and belonging, and at a push can be read as a typical slice of social, perhaps racial commentary. The alienated android, Red Tornado, is feared by humanity. In classic small-minded human tradition this soon turns to hatred for what they can’t understand. Taking note of this all-too-human tendency, as well as Red Tornado’s insecurity about his place in the world, The Construct, the villain of the piece, plans to take full advantage and over throw mankind, initiating the apocalyptic ‘age of the machine’. The floaty mind substance that is The Construct has the enviable ability to take control of machines and human minds, leading them army-like to do his bidding. The Justice League, that is, among others the strongest man on earth, the world’s greatest detective, and a woman who apparently failed IT at school, prove utterly useless against this new menace (in fact it’s a little worrying just how easily they fall under his spell), leaving only Red Tornado impervious to his mind games. Weakened by doubt and fed up with the way he’s treated, old Reddy picks one hell of a bad moment to give up on humanity all together.

The fear of technology is well depicted in this comic, as is the frailty of the modern world and its reliance on machines. The story plays on our fears of a challenge to our lazy indulgences, highlighting the modern world’s inertia and over dependence on the comforts of technology. There are some good scenes as well, including one a little reminiscent of the Bodysnatchers, where Kathy finds herself all alone in the world, fleeing from a crowd of brainwashed townsfolk, as well as having to avoid all types of machinery. She ends up hopelessly stranded, fighting for mental independence.

Red Tornado is an appealing, sympathetic character, one which certainly has tremendous potential. He should be a major player in the DC Universe. He is refreshingly conflicted and insecure. Ironically this super-powered robot with weather-related abilities has characteristics that are much more down to earth than the arrogant sure-footedness of many of the muscle-bound heroes. I say ‘should be a major player’; he isn’t, and Buseik’s attempt ultimately falls a little flat. It’s an entertaining read and there are some good ideas in it, but it’s also painfully predictable. The support characters, Kathy and Traya are underdeveloped and at times annoying, so it becomes hard to care about Red Tornado’s plight. His civilian alias, John Smith, a non-descript dull persona which he has obviously chosen in an attempt to be accepted, is perhaps too boring, so its difficult to care too much when he decides to give it up. Artistically, the data file panals are a neat idea, as we access the hero’s past as if flicking through a computer programme. And Infantino’s striking covers are cololurful and a joy to behold. But ultimately the premise seems old-hat and a little shaky, and despite some interesting themes it remains somewhat superficial. There’s an overall confusion as to what it is that makes us human; the distinction between humanity and machine is unclear, undermining the very tenants on which the conflict balances. In the end it’s like watching DC failing to pull off an idea Marvel excelled at in the ‘60s.