Ink! Alter Egos Exposed

Last night, I watched the first episode of the ten part series, Ink! Alter Egos Exposed, looking at the history of comic books, on Sky Arts. As a life long comic fan, it’s a rare treat to see them being given serious treatment on television.

The first episode, entitled ‘Heroes’, was watchable enough, despite the portentous music playing throughout, as it took an opening look at super-heroes. The programme’s approach was somewhat scattershot; as well as the obvious inclusion of Superman and Batman, there was also coverage of Giffen and DeMatteis’ Justice League and the obscure Dial ‘H’ for Hero. I was a big fan of Justice League International in my teens, but it does seem a bit of a bizarre choice. The episode ended with a spotlight on Scottish writer, Grant Morrison, which can only be seen as a bonus.

I’m not entirely sure who the show is aimed at; there doesn’t seem to be anything revelatory for comics’ fans, and I’m not sure it was in depth enough for those with no knowledge of the medium. It’s worth sticking with though, and if you’re new to comic books, then you should give it a try.