Josh
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Reviews

"CSNSIGHTS"
Comic Shop News #743 (September 2001)
Cliff Biggers

Titans of Finance
(Alternative Comics, $2.95)
R. Walker And Josh Neufeld

Story: 9.0
Art: 5.5
Overall: 7.5

I have a good friend who doesn't agree with me that any subject can make for good comics, if the creators can simply find the right approach to bring that subject to life. To support my view I point to Will Eisner's instructional comics for the PS magazine, to Larry Gonick's superlative Cartoon History of the Universe, to Paradox Press's delightfully quirky Big Books... and now to Walker & Neufeld's Titans of Finance.

Let's face it: Wall Street tycoons, tyros, and kooks don't sound like ideal subject matter for a comic book. But R. Walker's insightful scripts take readers beneath the two-dimensional surface of these financial figures, reminding us that they are distinctive, eccentric, and complex people, not just expensive suits with big bankbooks and hefty portfolios.

The highlight of the book, at least for comic fans, is the story of Ron Perelman, the man who monkeyed with the eight-hundred-pound gorilla of comics, Marvel, and nearly transformed them into an extinct species. The irreverent look at Perelman's background, modus operandi, and lifestyle, gives readers some insight into the man who did such damage to the comics field... and makes it clear, ironically, how ultimately unimportant comics were to Perelman. For those of us who love the medium, his effects on the industry are troubling and detrimental; for Perelman, though, it's just one more company to be manipulated, drained, and possibly destroyed for personal gain.

Michael Vranos' story is almost as compelling — and just similar enough that you begin to see a pattern here. Financial player enters the picture, makes some impressive short-term profits, becomes a darling of the financial field. That's not the case in every story, but it happens so frequently that you might find yourself mentally constructing the next chapters in the careers of those financial characters who currently remain at the top of their personal wheel of fame and fortune.

If I have any complaint about Titans of Finance, it's that the book is simply too brief. Walker and Neufeld do such a good job that you want them to continue to offer a comic book look at financial follies, famous figures, and foulups. Let's hope that the Titans return for a second issue!