By Paul O’Reilly

Hello again my friends.  It is time for another installment of my commentary “Fair and Balanced.”  Today I’d like to talk a bit about Moon Knight.  Boy, is this guy a wild card in my book.  In my opinion there are some great things about him.  On the other hand there are some issues that I have with him that would need to be answered before I officially try to give him the “O’Reilly Bump.”

Let’s look at the good.  Well, he gets the job done.  I never like how these liberal hippie communists always try to talk our government out of using violence to get the job done.  I mean, that’s what Heroes and Villains are supposed to do.  They use violence to get their way and we shouldn’t shy away from that.  What I want out of my Comic Book President is a man (or I guess woman) who will get things accomplished.  We don’t need debate or time to think about things.  We need action!  And Moon Knight gets results.  He’s also doing the right thing and registering with the Superhuman Registration Act.  Good for you!  We shouldn’t be questioning our government in these dangerous times.
And shall I add that he’s a war veteran?  What more can we ask!

Yet on the other hand, it looks like Moon Knight might be kind of out of his mind.  He has been going around wearing another guy’s face.  That doesn’t really bode well when he might have his finger on a nuclear launch button.  I like my candidates aggressive but not crazy.  He also has been seeing things, which is also the case for my guy Deadpool.

So the jury is still out on Moon Knight for good ol’ Paul O’Reilly.  If he can get his act together, mainly not slicing people’s faces off and wearing them around like it’s a New Years Gala, then I’ll be more inclined to give him a boost for the upcoming election.

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Comic Book Election will attempt to examine important groups and organizations that could effect the campaigns of Heroes and Villains alike.  The first part in an ongoing series will examine the rise of the Church of Hala.

The Church of Hala was founded shortly after the return of Captain Marvel from the dead.  Its members dress in attire closely resembling the red, black, and yellow outfit that their supposed savior adorns.  They also use as their logo the same symbol that Captain Marvel wears.

The Church has recently been expanding its educational and community service projects, with members attending booths to collect food for the needy and provide information on the church’s vision of being “a force for good.”  They have set up these booths in shopping malls, parks, supermarkets, street corners, and county fairs in order to connect with local residents.  They’ve also been sending aid to Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, and North Korea.

The Church of Hala has a growing membership that has also attracted Hollywood celebrities.  While Captain Marvel has no direct ties to the Church, it was founded in honor of his mysterious return to the living world.

Yet the Church has had criticisms leveled against it in recent weeks.  Questions of its status as a cult and illegal activity have arisen, specifically by SHIELD Director Tony Stark.  Furthermore there are questions on whether the Church of Hala is a front for the rumored Skrull Invasion that will most likely alter the course of the coming Comic Book Election.

Until these accusations are answered it is unknown what sort of role the Church of Hala will play in the upcoming election.  If it is proven that Captain Marvel himself is a Skrull then it may drastically hurt his chances at becoming the winner of the Comic Book Election.

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Gotham City (CBE Newsline) – The Villains in Gotham and Metropolis are taking sides in the Comic Book Election, where differing views on governance and torture are creating tension between various candidates.  Foremost in this debate is the Penguin, who has been out of the spotlight up until this point in the campaign.  CBE reporters were on the scene at the Iceberg Lounge, owned by the Penguin.  After a brutal series of murders committed by the Joker, it was reported that the Penguin was recruited by an unknown criminal associate.  The associate is quoted as telling the Penguin: “Face it, Penguin, you’re a second stringer around these parts.  You say you’re respected? To a certain extent, maybe.  But Joker, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face.  Those are the guys people fear.  Not you.  But it doesn’t have to stay that way.”  Analysts report that if the Penguin starts to gain a significant hold in the Gotham City underworld it could lead to a bump in his flagging campaign.
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The Villains have also divided themselves along two sides in regards to the torture issue.  On one side is Tobias Whale, who is quoted as stating in regards to a criminal associate named Handsome Johnny: “I want him tortured.  Then tortured again.  And then again.  And again.”  Whale’s position is that torture is a viable means of making an example of corrupt associates, putting him directly at odds with Bruno Mannheim.  Mannheim, running against Whale for control of the important Gotham criminal underground voting base, has taken a direct stand against torture when it is taken too far.  He feels that Whale vastly overreacted to the situation and has taken drastic steps to rehabilitate Handsome Johnny.�

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Project Superpowers may add to field of candidates if the Fighting Yank and the Green Lama can release their friends from Pandora’s Box. That is the plot for Project Superpowers #0. There will be many questions in the coming months. What golden age heroes will be coming back? How will they respond to being imprisoned since the 40’s and 50’s? Will they be able to adapt to today’s society? Will some be bitter and go over to the Villains side? CBE will be watching this story and see how it develops over the coming months.

There have been only a few golden age heroes to stand the test of time and some have only reached popularity in death. But as an independent source Project Superpowers has a chance to publicize the independently published heroes and villains.

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• by Chad Vesper

Yo, it has been a crazy past few days. From what I see, its coming down to who can make the most change. And I’m not talking about when I buy a 30 pack of PBR and give the guy two twenties. I’m talking about the coolest dude or chick that will really shake things up.

For me, the Comic Book Election is about who can speak for me. I’m just a regular dude who likes to drink beer and hang out with his friends and all that shit. I got a job I don’t like and tend to spend a bit too much dough on the weekends. Point is, I don’t have many hang ups about what I want in a candidate. I just want someone who won’t punch me in the back of the head when I turn to go take a piss.

If you look at the newest Uncanny X-Men we got Iron Man trying to get the X-Men (well, what’s left) to register with the government. Yet Cyclops is all like “Dude, we don’t got secret identities. This is who we are.” Yo, that’s real. There’s no bullcrap there man. Its just to the point. I don’t know what Tony Stark is gonna do if we’re pulled over by the po po and I got some unpaid tickets. He might turn me in, the narc.

But Cyclops? He won’t do that. He sticks with his buddies. That’s what I’m looking for in a presidential candidate. A straight up, honest dude or chick. That’s all. We talk way too much about this. Its pretty black and white to me. It comes down to who can you trust.

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Editor and Chief on Marvel Comics, Joe Quesada made remarks about a Marvel Universe presidential election on the Colbert Report Tuesday night. If Marvel pushes for their own election this could sway votes over to Marvel heroes and villains. It seemed that Quesada was in jest when talking about Colbert running for president of the Marvel Universe. CBE will keep an eye on the Marvel Universe rumors and see if there is any affect on Tek Jansen’s status in the up coming election.

Here is a link to the Colbert Report from Jan. 29,2008.

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• by Joe Pulaski

Alright, here we go. Its time to drop some truth bombs on you people. There’s been a lot of bull you know what going around here in terms of what type of hero we want representing us in the coming comic book election and I’m the only one who is going to call it out. We’ve swept it under the carpet too long and now its time for some heavy duty cleaning.

Tony Stark is a jackass. Talk about a flip flopper. He supported the government’s imperialist mission in Vietnam and Iraq (depending) until he got hurt and had to see what its like for most of us who don’t own international corporations. Give me a break! And don’t get me started on what went down during the Civil War. He was directly responsible for the death of our greatest hero, Captain America!

TRUTH BOMB TIME FOLKS – TONY STARK KILLED CAPTAIN AMERICA

Maybe not directly but look at who reaped the benefits of that one. Who got his Initiative pushed through Congress without a peep from us true citizens? Who was appointed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Tony Stark. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Look at his newest actions, where he hangs a high level government official outside a window by his feet to get information? Who does he think he is, Suge Knight? These strong armed tactics might get results but at what price I ask you? Where do we draw the line between security and freedom?

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Crystal Lake (CBE Newsline) – A series of murders have rocked the small town of Crystal Lake, where bodies of teenagers have been found hacked to death from what seems to be a large machete. Furthermore, reports of occult practices have been spreading throughout the area, at its center a book called the Necronomicon that has untold demonic power. It seems that both the string of brutal murders and the demonic book are related to Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger, who have been connected to hundreds of murders over the past three decades.

CBE has also learned that Necronomicon expert Ash Williams has come to Crystal Lake on an unrelated assignment as new manager of the S-Mart shopping center. Ash quickly became aware of the existence of the demonic book in Crystal Lake and has been looking to put an end to it once and for all. During a recent confrontation with Freddy Kruger, he had this to say, “I’ll stop you before you read the book and send your shriveled ass back to ‘Neverland’ with the rest of you limp-wristed glove wearing pansies.”

Soon after this statement was made, Kruger revealed that he had already released the power of the Necronomicon but was soon attacked by both Ash Williams and Jason Voorhees. CBE will be following the events in Crystal Lake closely since Ash Williams is seen as a dark horse candidate for president of the upcoming election.

Freddy vs Jason vs Ash No.4, March 2008. Published by Wildstorm Productions.

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We at Comic Book Election are shocked and saddened by the unforeseen death of Australian actor Heath Ledger. While we respect his family’s wishes of privacy, we feel that it is important as both comic book fans and humans in general to acknowledge that this is a terrible loss.

Heath Ledger had recently completed filming on the new Batman movie entitled “The Dark Knight,” which is shaping up to be one of the most groundbreaking presentations of the Batman world ever shown to a popular audience. Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker, which has been described as “ferocious,” was and still is one of the most anticipated parts of this movie.

We at Comic Book Election embrace the idea of comic books being a wonderful part of our everyday lives, where we can see the world through a different lens asking: what if? During this difficult time for Heath Ledger’s family and close friends, we ask you to not dwell on the death but the life of him as an actor. While many of us never knew him, we connected with him through his work.

With this in mind, we at Comic Book Election ask you to look into the works of the Joker as a way to remind yourselves of what Heath Ledger will bring to the character this coming summer. Look at the Killing Joke, look at the animated series of Batman, and for a more recent take on the Joker check out the a recent issue of Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder.

One final way to pay homage to Heath Ledger in a small way is to start a grassroots campaign for the Joker as president for the Comic Book Election. The ultimate goal of Comic Book Election is to celebrate the connections we make as comic book enthusiasts, where we can debate merits of certain characters or issues but always be able to agree that the existence of comic books is important to us. Hence, this is not some ploy to drive traffic to our site but to honestly ask comic book fans: if I truly want to honor Heath Ledger in my own way, how can I do that?

Yet as the Joker has asked in recent trailers for “The Dark Knight,” why so serious?

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CBE has learned of a grassroots campaign for Norman Osbourne that is beginning to take hold. This is an exciting development in the race for President. CBE will be keeping a close eye on this campaign and keep up to date on any developments.

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