Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Out of the Past
Written by: Chuck Dixon
Penciled by: Scott McDaniel
Inked by: Andy Owens
Colored by: Tony Avina
Lettered by: Phil Balsman
Editor: Michael Wright
Publisher: DC Comics
What do you call a book written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Scott McDaniel that never ceases to disappoint? Used to be the punchline to that one would be: “Nothing. It doesn’t exist.” These days though it is, simply, “Richard Dragon”.
This issue opens up with the Emerald Archer Connor Hawke (he’s the fella that was holding down the Green Arrow gig solo while his father took a dirt nap) taking aim at our protagonist. I’m a big Connor fan from his debut during Dixon’s run on Green Arrow. A lot of people cried foul when Queen shuffled off the mortal coil and pointed to Dixon’s political affiliations (he’s a stark conservative) as a means of explanation. The irony is that Hawke is a conservative’s nightmare vision of a liberal: he’s not very interested in the ladies (thus, possibly, *gasp* gay), he’s a vegetarian, he would prefer to handle all problems with words, not fists, he is into earthly possessions, etc. And yet Dixon still wrote him as being so cool. If Dixon really wanted a GA that was like him politically, he would have made Eddie Fyers the man in the mask. Anyway…
So why is Connor here? Well…that’s never made clear. So there you have problem one of this book. It is such a problem in fact that Dixon near even makes an effort to explain it. The closest we get to an answer is, “Because I’m the only one who can” and later, when Dragon asks if, since they are so evenly matched, there can be any possible reason to continue, Connor offers up that he has “no choice.” But why? Again, who knows? Maybe Connor also sold his soul to Neron (wildly unlikely) or he knows Shiva is watching (also unlikely, although less so). The most likely choice is that somehow Connor knows about the murder or attempted murder charge against Dragon and decided to do something about it. Either way, it is never a good sign when a comic can’t even offer up a pat answer to have two heroes get in a knuckle duster.
Of course, a fight between two of the most dangerous individuals in the DCU might not need a reason. It could just be cool to see. I’d agree…except it isn’t. The fight is brief and bland and ends with the duo getting tasered by another party. Dixon and McDaniel spend more time with the uninteresting tete a tete between Eddie and Shiva than they do on what has the potential to be an incredible fight sequence.
This is the one low selling DC book that I’m happy to see go. At least now I am freed from the twisted sense of loyalty that kept me buying this book in the first place.
