One of the Justice League’s most underrated powerhouses is getting a reinvention worthy of the Coen Brothers. Writer Christopher Cantwell will soon leave his mark on Plastic Man in a new, four-issue miniseries titled Plastic Man Must Die, from DC Black Label. Ahead of the book’s debut in September, Cantwell spilled the beans on the series’ influences and what to expect from it–including some Coen Brothers-style hijinx.
Plastic Man No More will be written by Christopher Cantwell, and drawn by Jacob Edgar and Alex Lins, and the writer spoke with Chris Coplan of AIPT about the forthcoming Black Label book. When asked about DC describing the series as “hard-boiled,” Cantwell had this to say:
Some of the structure, in terms of what the characters do, reminds me of the movie
Blood Simple
, where there’s some of desperate choices, or ‘can we get away with this,’ but then it just snowballs and it grows out of their control. That’s really where this story is headed. So in that way, it is hard-boiled.
Cantwell went on to explain that while the book is hard-boiled with noir elements, it will also remain true to the tone established in Plastic Man’s previous adventures.
Cantwell did not elaborate further on the book's noir influences.
Plastic Man Is a Comic Book Icon
Plastic Man Skirts the Edge of the Noir Genre--Just Like the Coen Brothers
Plastic Man was an icon of comics’ Golden Age, and continues to entertain fans in the modern era. Created by Jack Cole, Plastic Man first appeared in 1941’s Police Comics #1 and became one of Quality Comics’ flagship characters. Plastic Man was sold to DC Comics in 1956, but it would be a decade before he made a proper return. Since being acquired by DC, Plastic Man has attracted the attention of top creators, such as Gail Simone and Kyle Baker, but perhaps his crowning achievement was being inducted into the Justice League during Grant Morrison and Howard Porter’s run.
The pair’s debut feature,
Blood Simple,
is about people in situations that grow increasingly out of their control, and Cantwell acknowledged its influence on
Plastic Man No More.
Plastic Man is regarded by many as a funny, light-hearted character, and a surface-level glance at his stories seems to reinforce this perception. However, a deeper look reveals that Plastic Man’s adventures, especially those in the Golden Age, had disturbing layers. There was a hint of noir to Plastic Man’s earliest comics. The Coen Brothers have made noir-tinged films throughout their career, and Blood SImple, mentioned by Cantwell, exemplifies this spirit. The pair’s debut feature, Blood Simple, is about people in situations that grow increasingly out of their control, and Cantwell acknowledged its influence on Plastic Man No More.
No Country For Old Plastic Men?
The Coens' Influence on Plastic Man No More Will Be On Display This September
How exactly the Coen Brothers’ first masterpiece will influence Plastic Man No More remains to be seen, but it looks at the character’s final days as his powers go haywire. In Blood Simple, a man hires a killer to take out his cheating wife. While the plots of the two works do not overlap, there is a potential for matters to go out of control for Plastic Man as he navigates his own mortality as well as long-standing personal issues. This one-time member of the Justice League finally receives a worthy reinvention, taking its cues from the Coen Brothers.
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