Fortune and Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story

by Brian Michael Bendis

This is one funny comic.  While still an 'indie comics' guy, Marvel's current head writer found himself on Hollywood's radar.  His book Goldfish (which is excellent) seemed like an easy fit for Hollywood, and with interest in comic book movies growing, and Bendis's indie cred on the rise, things looked very good for him.  Until he actually had to start dealing with Hollywood execs, that is.

This comic follows Bendis through this time of his life where he is taking calls from people who claim to love his work, and then admit to having never read it.  He meets with executives who want to talk about Rob Liefeld's popularity, or want to cast Pauly Shore as Goldfish.  Eventually, it becomes clear to all involved that the movie is never going to happen.

But right at that same time, Bendis, along with Marc Andreyko, begin working on Torso, their incredible comic about a serial killer in Cleveland who is hunted by Elliott Ness.  They decide to pitch this as a movie as well, and once again, Bendis (this time with Andreyko in tow) is subjected to some hilariously confusing meetings.

This book works because, instead of betraying anger towards the system, Bendis keeps the tone bemused and philosophical.  It's clear that, as much as he would like to see one of these movies get made, he is not investing himself in the process too emotionally (or, if he is, he decided not to portray that in the comic).  This is a frequently funny and insightful piece of work, which also serves as a good reminder of why I wish Bendis was working on his own projects more these days.