Chapter 182: Alexander and Aleksei
The production process did come to its necessary headstart with the first issues already printed out and ready for distributed release.
Not much had paid heed to this new Creed project during its in-house production but it grabbed everyone's attention when it finally reached the stores.
At a time when legal concerns were the talk of the comic book industry, the premise of Creed Comics' legalities-themed title became a much more appealing and refreshing concept that every comic fan didn't know they needed.
As irritating and cumbersome as it was to read about the highly publicized lawsuit plans against Creed Comics and himself, Alexander had to commend his enemies for giving him another indirect advertisement for his new comic book.
It wasn't the first time that Alexander used this competition-riding strategy and there was no doubt he would use it again.
Anyways, his enemies could clamor and grit their teeth about being used as free but unwilling advertisement sponsors. However, it was best if they focused their attention on the new Creed title itself.
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During the first new release day of April, Ace Attorney was thus introduced to the comic book community and everyone got to know what it was all about.
It can't be such a coincidence that Alexander Creed made an attorney-driven story with all the legal controversies surrounding him? Sure enough, as they read on with the story, the intent of it all was clear as day.
The story follows Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney who attempts to have his clients declared "not guilty".
The story did not start out with big cases like the framed murder of a girlfriend, a sister-on-sister murder, a samurai show self-defense mishap, and all the other unsettling courthouse crimes that the justice system had to take care of on a daily basis.
Instead, the story sets off with a case that is close to the industry's current state of affairs, with Ace Attorney issues #1 being sub-titled as 'Accusations of Creativity'.
If this wasn't about Alexander Creed's current plight, then the readers could only stand corrected? However, the plot only serves to reinforce the implicit connection some more.
For Phoenix Wright's first and simple case, he takes on the poor troubles of a ten-year-old boy who was being fined with plagiarism by a famous comic cartoonist named Marvella Surprise.
It turns out that the little boy has drawn and submitted a comic strip called 'Calvin and Hobbes' for fun towards a comic competition.
Strangely enough, the famous Marvella Surprise submitted 'Calvin and Hobbes' to the competition as well.
It became a major conundrum of credibility and who came up with which. However, the victor goes to the 'senior' and the most believable, so the competition committee favored Marvella Surprise and brushed off a ten-year-old boy being able to write a witty comic like "Calvin and Hobbes'.
Of course, Marvella won but it came as a surprise to many that she gave a penalty to the little boy's guardian. For many, it can be seen as a "friendly" warning and a lesson for the plagiarizing kid and its bad guardian that encouraged such behavior.
Not many took into account the panic and shame that coursed through Marvella's eyes.
The idea-stealing boy, which had the name of Aleksei Kreid, could only be downcast, deal with the reprimands that were thrown at him and the trouble he had caused for his grandpa.
Of course, the so-called bad guardian, grandpa Sully Kreid, was not resigned. He knew his grandson's credibility and honesty.
Since they were fined and were up for a little court hearing, Sully wanted justice and to expose Marvella Surprise for the shameless schemer that she is.
Sully and Aleksei eventually fated themselves to meet with the Ace Attorney protagonist, Phoenix Wright!
With injustice and the passion to make things right, Wright took the challenge and sought to help out poor, little Aleksei.
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Ace Attorney #2: Accusations of Creativity started off from there. With an upcoming trial and defense to be gathered.
As they got to the bottom of the entire 'Calvin and Hobbes' incident Phoenix and Aleksei acquainted with one another and delivered the most heartfelt moments and a memorable line that themed the entire case.
Phoenix: "Little Aleksei, is it quite frustrating to not be believed?"
"I don't care much about what others say about me but I just can't take why other people blame my grandpa." The cute and handsome Aleksei Kreid replied with solemn maturity.
"Although I'm just a kid and no one would believe me, maybe you can help be me?" Aleksei teared up here and turned to his new friend. "Mr. Wright, can we prove that I made 'Calvin and Hobbes' so that my grandpa wouldn't be hated by our neighbors and the newspaper people anymore? If that doesn't work, I'll just not draw comics anymore so that grandpa wouldn't be troubled in the future."
Echoing the tugged heartstrings of the readers, Phoenix's eyes burned with conviction and proclaimed. "Don't worry little Aleksei! Age doesn't limit one's creativity. I, Phoenix Wright, will not let your creative spark be snuffed out by scheming injustice!"
With that, the story ensued with Phoenix getting the crux of the matter as they went through the school grounds and went through a detective-esque process.
This was among the interesting parts of the Ace Attorney gameplay and the Creed comic book simply made it an intriguing narrative that guides the readers through the investigative process.
Of course, with the case scenario and the case settled, the climax of the court case happened.
Everyone expected a landslide win from the over-prepared defense team but it was gut-wrenching to find out that Marvella Surprise was prepared as well.
As soon as she got word that a plebeian kid was determined to take the credit for 'Calvin and Hobbes', she pulled out her connections and prepared as well.
She had a professional reputation to uphold and can't risk it getting taken down by a clueless boy that didn't know how the world worked.
Employing the help of her cohorts, she corroborated a lot of things and made doubly sure to win the court's favor and succeed from the pesky problems.
Detective Charlton, her boyfriend would guide her to gather up or "forge" evidence that would help her case. Of course, there was also her friend and agent, Eastman Laird of the Mirage Agencies to help them out.
Bald Archibald, the bald and derelict man she got the Calvin and Hobbes story from would be her so-called "inspiration".
While Bald Archibald would also get his "inspiration" from a bunch of kids that crowded up his derelict hang-out place in the park.
There were the fat twin brothers, Al and Steph Haz, among the bunch. There were also the lanky and thin twins, the Thomas Brothers. While there was a bunch of stragglers surnamed Newmer and Miner to complete the rowdy kid bunch.
These kids would be bribed by candies and all that as they were the true link that connected why Aleksei and Marvella had both come up with the 'Calvin and Hobbes' comic strip.
Of course, the readers already clued themselves from the news articles about why these characters were named and characterized as they were.
Creed Comics didn't let off Judge Dredd's IPC Media as the firm that Marvella got her lawyer from was the IPC firm. It was quite disappointing that Marvella didn't bribe a judge named Dredda to win but the IPC premise was already exciting enough.
Echoing the united front of real-life Creed competitors, the tag team of these antagonistic characters was well-prepared and schemed as they can to tilt the odds in their favor.
No matter how many chuckles these parallels elicited from the readers, they still garnered apt attention towards this pioneering Ace Attorney comic.
With a scheming attack team and justice-driven defense, the entire court battle became a much more intriguing scenario than what everyone could have expected.
Phoenix, Sully Kreid, and Aleksei Kreid were outnumbered. Can they still prevail from this?
If Aleksei Kreid truly mirrors Alexander Creed, can Creed Comics still rise through that kind of unfairness?
Seriousness aside, it was quite funny to have the distinguished Creed creator, Mr. Alexander Creed, be likened to a ten-year-old!