Although it was published in 2003, I’d never read Red until this week. Heck, I’d never even heard of this comic until ads started appearing for the film adaptation that opens Friday.
But it figures that even a series this obscure and short (three issues) would eventually catch Hollywood’s attention. News flash: Comic book movies are big moneymakers. While there are still plenty of second-tier superheroes to bring to the big screen (look for Green Lantern and Thor at your favorite multiplex next year), studios are reading every comic they can in an attempt to find a fresh idea.
The idea behind Red is that the CIA’s most lethal weapon, an assassin named Paul Moses, has been jerked out of retirement. (The title is a reference to a color-coded system for tracking an agent’s status.) A politically appointed CIA director learns of all the horrible things Moses did in the name of his country and orders him eliminated. The problem is, Moses hasn’t exactly mellowed in his old age.
By just flipping through the pages of Red, it’s easy to see why a producer would be tempted to adapt it. Almost any comic book can serve as a storyboard for a movie, but even more so with Red. Many of artist Cully Hamner’s panels are as wide as the page, giving them the same dimensions as a screen.
But when you actually read the story written by Warren Ellis, said producer’s decision is a bit of a head-scratcher. There’s not much story there at all: The CIA hits Moses, so he hits them back. That’s it. There are some subtle hints about the moral crisis Moses’ work puts him in, but it’s hard to think of him as a hero, and it’s impossible to think of him as a character that the average moviegoer would have any sympathy for.
But I doubt the average moviegoer will ever encounter the Moses I’m talking about. He’s portrayed in the film by Bruce Willis, but you know how the commercials also prominently feature Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren? Well, there are no characters in the comic’s three issues that remotely respond to the characters those actors are playing. I haven’t seen Red the movie yet, but something tells me it will be quite different from Red the comic.
TODAY’S NOTABLE RELEASES
Red: Eyes Only: Cully Hamner drew and wrote this prequel about Paul Moses’ days in the CIA.
Footnotes in Gaza: Joe Sacco returns from the Middle East with more graphic journalism.
Odd Is On Our Side: Dean Koontz has written a second graphic novel about Odd Thomas, a fry cook who sees dead people.
Superior #1 (of 6): Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar has a new take on the archetypal superhero.
Muppet Snow White: This is from the same publisher that brought you Muppet King Arthur, Muppet Robin Hood, and Muppet Peter Pan.
Star Trek: Khan: Ruling in Hell #1 (of 4): “KHAAAAANNNNN!!!”
