Tim, how in the hell did West Side Story not increase gang membership? I mean all that singing and dancing you’d think kids would be lined up around the corner to join gangs!
You know…that’s a good point. Maybe people were just worried about not being butch enough for such a gang. I mean, some of those Sharks…scary.
Links
Also check our our DC Boards where Tim and I totally took over on Tuesday night.
Tim, are you linking anything this week?
Oh, what the hell, why not?
This week, let’s point people towards my Comic Book Fire Sale. EVERYTHING MUST GO! Or, it’ll just end up on eBay.
What I’ve Read Recently
JSA Classified #20 – I dug the reveal of Endless Winter’s identity. I dug seeing Doc get his fight on. The only thing I didn’t like was Argus getting his eyes back. I guess it doesn’t matter one way or another; it’s not like we’ll be seeing him anytime soon.
I was thrilled (THRILLED!!!!) Argus got his eyes back because he is six shades of spectacular (seriously, I counted).
I also enjoyed the issue in question and felt the art was much better than last outing.
Atom #7 – Dug Norton’s art. Nice to see the Linear Men are still around and still as conservative as ever. But what was up with those cowboys totally acclimating to the future. They really just accepted the floating head on the principle of it being the future. Wacky.
Big fan of floating head. He’s no Tornado Head though, I tell you what.
The Flash #7 – Is it really necessary for Bart to leave Keystone? I don’t get that at all. I don’t think it’s a good sign that I enjoyed Inertia’s part of the book more than I enjoyed Bart’s. And that I’m actually rooting for Inertia.
Supergirl & the Legion of Super-Heroes #25 – Great issue. Waid has the ability to take old concepts like the Wanderers and make them refreshing. This was just a great issue. I loved the stuff with Mon-El and with the Wanderers recruiting. This is the best book that Tim Stevens isn’t reading.
Nightwing #128 – Marv Wolfman has apparently been attending the Paul Levitz school of not living up to past glory. I actually reviewed this issue.
This first sentence of this review is so good, I have to print it twice: “Wolfman has apparently been attending the Paul Levitz school of not living up to past glory.
I love it.
Scalped #1 – Strong opening issue. I reviewed this book, but I strongly recommend folks try it out.
Justice League of America #5 – Nice to see the team come together. Glad to see Grundy explain some things. Great to see Amazo return. Pretty good issue.
I can’t get past that “spinning its wheels†feeling. There’s a lot to like, but there is a lot of wasted time here too, I think.
The Exterminators #13 – Really good issue. The ending was telegraphed a bit by the kid’s preferred chocolate (at least I saw it coming) but this book continues to creep me out.
52 Week Thirty-Five – Nice to see Lex back in form. What a happy New Year! Plus there was a John Stewart sighting, it was a really good issue.
One blog out there commented that this seemed like a wasted opportunity issue (I think it was the Savage Critic blog) and I’m inclined to agree. They could have gone much farther with Lex Luthor here and jumpstarted the fall from grace we see him in the midst of during “Up, Up, and Awayâ€, but they held back and the book feels sluggish for it. Great lead-in with 34’s cliffhanger and a failure to capitalize on that.
American Virgin #10 – Another good issue. I’m glad to see that I think I know where this book is headed. It was weird to see Adam behaving like someone his age. And man he sure had a rough childhood.
My favorite issue of this book in a good long while. It’ll be something if they follow the possible path of Adam’s life suggested in this issue to its conclusion.
Blue Beetle #10 – Great to see Lonar again. Nice to have Devilance referenced. Loved the new regular artists and Hamner always rocks. This was just a fun issue all around.
Supergirl #13 – I’m really digging how the tension between Clark and Kara is being played out. It was equally fun to see Power Boy in action. I’m glad that this book seems to be back in good form.
Detective Comics #827 – Good issue. I really liked the introduction of the new Ventriloquist and the look into Bruce’s investigative techniques. I think that Dini’s run will be fondly looked back on as a great run. Also check out our forums for some interesting thoughts on the new Ventriloquist’s identity.
Some very interesting thoughts, I should say.
A good solid issue.
All-Star Superman #6 – Superman gets no better. What more can I say?
Nothing because you’ve already spoken the truth.
Black Panther #23 – While I appreciated seeing the reaction to Goliath’s death, I’m really hoping that I’ll get to see Tony’s plans on these pages rather than in some other title.
Loveless #14 – Powerful issue. I reviewed it.
Ultimate Power #3 – Finally an issue that’s worthy of the hype. This was actually a good one and it progressed the story. But then again I may have enjoyed this one because I’m not so much an “ultimate” guy as a “power” guy.
Manhunter #27 – Good issue. More Chase and interesting stuff with Mark Shaw. Nice to see the Justice Experience again. Oh and the stuff with Wondy and Kate was cool too. Really good issue, but that’s expected.
BUY THIS BOOK!
Also, I think Blue Beetle might’ve been in it. The old one. I heard rumors about it.
And now onto the column.
Un Gajje looks good on the dance floor
Can you sort of give us a Milestone overview and point me towards some books I might want to hunt for?
Dude, this is so not an easy question to answer. It’s way too open ended and not nearly direct enough. It’s like asking for an overview of the 616 or the DCU or The Simpsons.
Oh just do it.
But I’ll give it a shot.
You’re a true hero. Doing your job and all that. What a sport.
Many characters, heroes and villains gained their powers during the Big Bang which was basically a huge gang brawl. The gangs of Dakota, the fictional city where Milestone titles took place, had grown tired of minor fights and wanted to settle things once and for all. In a weird almost Bizarro The Warriors way, the gangs decided to have a huge fight to decide which gang would rule supreme.
As all of the gangs received their monogrammed RVSP’s, the police department also inevitably heard about it. The Mayor decided that this was a chance to prove that she was “tough on crime” so she ok’d a controversial plan; once the gangs arrived at the site of the fight, the police would deploy a tear gas that would disperse the groups before things got out of hand. Not only would the gas break things up, but it contained a radioactive marker that could be used as a later date to identify gang members. But that’s not all it contained. It also had quantum juice, a type of compound with mutagentic properties.
And no one thought this was a bad idea? Yay for comic book logic!
The fight went down and the police deployed the gas. And then things went horribly wrong. Many of the people that the gas was used on (including some cops) were killed instantly. Those who survived were mutated or received powers. Among those who were present at the Big Bang were Static and most of the Blood Syndicate.
Icon is a different story altogether.
Way back in 1839 there was a spaceliner (kind of like a cruise ship but in space) that had some problems and it sort of exploded. But before it exploded life pods escaped the ship. One of those life pods landed on Earth, in the Deep South of the United States.
Now this was an escape pod in every way and fashion. Since it was a “worst case scenario” type of affair, the pod was equipped to alter the inhabitant’s genetic structure to mirror those of the first life form it encountered. Unfortunately for the alien inside the pod it was found by a slave named Miriam. When it opened she saw a beautiful Black baby inside.
Flash forward to the early 1990’s and the alien was still stuck on Earth. While he was waiting for the technology on Earth to catch up so he could repair his pod, he acclimated to being a Black man in the United States. He’d adopted the name of Augustus Freeman IV, though he’d been Augustus Freeman I-III as well (he’d stopped showing age and would periodically assume the identity of his “son.”)
Even though he had abilities, he never really used them outside of the occasional charitable act. In fact he was very much a “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” type of guy until Raquel Ervin witnessed him using his powers and persuaded him to become a hero (with her has his sidekick Rocket.) And they had tons of adventures.
And now for Hardware
Curtis Metcalf was a child genius. As a result he benefited from Edwin Alva Sr’s “A Better Chance” program to help minority kids get a better education. Curtis excelled. Alva offered to pay for Curtis’ college in exchange for his coming to work for Alva after college.
Curtis invented tons of things that made Alva tons of money. Everything was kosher until one day Curtis politely asked for some royalty points. Alva promptly put him in his place by saying; “Curtis let us dispense with any misconceptions you may be labouring under. You are not ‘family’. You are an employee. Neither are you ‘Heir apparent’. You are a cog in the machine. My machine. You are not ‘respected’, Curtis. You are merely ‘useful’. You may go now.”
Sounds like some of the conversations we’ve had Mathan. And by the way, I really don’t think 3 points is so unreasonable that you had to steal and torture my parents’ cat. I mean, really.
Naturally Curtis wanted to quit, but because of his contract he wouldn’t be allowed to work in his field for any competitor. So he tried to bring Alva down by digging up dirt on the guy. But the more he dug the more he found. He realized that Alva had his hands in plenty of criminal enterprises. When he tried to expose Alva he found that Alva was beyond the law.
Thus Curtis decided to adopt the identity of Hardware to thwart Alva’s criminal activities. He uses a suit that’s filled with high tech devices. He’s sort of a midpoint between Batman and Iron Man.
Static is about a good kid who ended up at the Big Bang for the wrong reasons and gained electromagnetic powers. He had to balance his heroic identity with high school and family life.
Blood Syndicate is about a group of bang babies who banded together as a gang, but a heroic gang.
Those were the core Milestone titles.
Only two Milestone trades were released one for the first eight issues of Icon and one which featured the first four issues of Static. Some of the talent who worked on Milestone books were Humberto Ramos, John Paul Leon, Kurt Busiek, ChrisCross, J.H. Williams III, Shawn Martinborough, and future Nightwing artist Jamal Igle.
I’d really honestly recommend all of the core titles. It’s not like you won’t find them for cheap at comic cons or at your local comic shop. My personal faves were Static and Blood Syndicate. I really dug the diverse characters that those books showcased. Icon was also had some great moments.
Tim, wouldn’t you be interested in seeing these characters again?
I certainly would. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that DC could make me support the return of the multiverse if we saw these characters again. That’s right! Me, unrepentant hater of multiple earths could be bought off to embrace the concept if one of the Earths was a Milestone one and at least two ongoing titles cataloging the ongoing adventures of the heroes living there.
So there you go, DC. That’s my 30 pieces of silver. Pay up.
Un Gajje never wanders off topic
With Ion bringing them back, why not tell us about all those crazy Tangent heroes.
Ugh. Yet another far reaching question for me to answer.
Goodness, you’ve got it rough.
While it wouldn’t be impossible for me to cover every Tangent hero, it’d be pointless. So instead I’ll just cover some of my faves and some of the names that are most recognizable.
For those of you who don’t know Tangent was an event where creators developed characters based on familiar names of DC characters. Basically they took an established name and built a character around it.
The most powerful and prominent hero in the Tangent Universe is The Atom who’s actually the third hero to hold that title. His grandfather was the first and his father, the second, was killed. The Atom’s one-shot not only told the origin tale but laid down the foundation for the entire universe.
The Metal Men were a group of covert military men.
The Flash was the first child born in space and was endowed with light powers.
The Joker was a female hero who was a cross between the Joker and the Creeper in that she had a crazy demeanor but was suspect of those in power.
So, basically, she just was the Creeper?
Green Lantern was a woman whose lantern could bring the dead to life for a period of time.
Superman was Harvey Dent an ordinary man who suddenly began evolving at an alarming rate.
The Batman was an adversary of King Arthur’s who was doomed to spend the rest of eternity fighting injustice.
Wonder Woman was an alien who literally pondered about her existence.
JLA – The JLA was a task force put together to destroy various heroes in the Tangent Universe.
The Tangent books varied greatly in quality. My favorite was Superman, but the Green Lantern books were both pretty good too. The Flash and The Joker were equally fun.
Tim, don’t you think that maybe DC should do an Absolute Tangent?
Sure, why not? But not until I get my Abolsute Nearly Nude Jericho Meets Red State Radu. Come on, DC, do the right thing.
Aaron, who still has not claimed his free Superman/Batman issues, apparently missed a few issues of Titans here and there.
Any idea when Starfire went from naive warrior princess who didn’t entirely know her full powers to bad ass lil’ tart who’s holding her own in “52”?
Well let’s see, shall we start off with her two failed marriages? That’s right, Starfire’s been married twice and neither time was to Dick Grayson. Both of her husbands died. I’m pretty sure that outliving two husbands yet not settling down will make one hardened.
Oh also, the planet Tamaran has been destroyed three times. So you lose two spouses and three planets. Don’t you imagine that might rob you of some naiveté?
Clearly in the years since she’s come to Earth she’s gained mastery over her powers. She’s gotten better and what does. But don’t forget, she’s always been a warrior. She was trained by the Warlords of Okaara after all.
Tim, how do you account for Kory’s transformation?
I think all your ideas are good ones and certainly contributed to Starfire’s personality evolution.
However, I think the big reason, the one that truly ended her innocence, was the rise of the spray-on tan. One day, she’s beautiful, exotic, and intriguing in her orangeness. The next? Housewives in Spokane, Washington have stolen her look. The effect would have been devastating.
This before and after shot may say “effective product†to you, but all Starfire can see is “You’re not special at all, Princess†glaring at her over and over again.
Legion “gets†us
I’ve inferred from your columns that you don’t really like Supes all that much. Or at least the way he’s written nowadays. So I figure you’d be a good person to ask because of that. What do you think are the “must have” Superman stories and why? I can’t think of any that don’t include the words “Death”, “Return of”, or “Elseworlds”.
If you check out for forums, you’ll see that everyone is posting glorious remarks about All-Star Superman. It’s rare that you’ll find a book about an icon with irregular shipping, featuring big name talent that’s universally praised and worth the wait. But All-Star Superman fits the bill. Honestly those are some of the best Superman stories I’ve ever read.
If you want a good Superman story set in continuity check out Action Comics #775 which most fans point to as the best Superman story in recent years. It features the debut of The Elite, and was the Superman story that everyone raved about prior to All-Star Superman.
Since I go back a bit, I was a fan of John Byrne’s run on Superman (which I believe is collected in trades under the Man of Steel banner.) Those were some really good tales. I preferred the Adventures of Superman and Superman tales over Action Comics (which featured team ups) but there are some quality reads there.
Oh and Action Comics Annual #2 is a pretty good read too.
Tim, what are some of your favorite Superman stories?
You’ve made some great suggestions so mine are pretty limited. But I’ll try to add a few.
Superman for All Seasons has Loeb doing a solid job on writing and Sales turning in absolutely incredible work. So wonderfully pretty.
You mentioned Death of… Legion, but I actually like the stuff that comes after better. “Funeral for a Friend†plucks the heartstrings nicely and “The Reign of the Supermen†is an unapologetic massive action romp that delivers nicely.
The Metropolis Mailbag stories (Adventures of Superman 462, Superman 64, Superman 76, Superman 97, Superman 109) are reliable for solid, middle of the road Superman fare.
I also recommend Superman: Secret Identity, Action Comics 766, Superman 168 and Detective Comics 756 but I suspect that might be a bit of a cheat. Secret Identity because it is not really a Superman story but rather a “real world†story of a guy named Clark Kent who develops super powers and the other three because they are really about Superman AND Batman and that’s what sells them for me.
Finally, everyone never seems to mention JLA and I am rectifying that now. He’s pretty excellent throughout Morrison’s run, but I’ll quickly highlight some of the more excellent moments. Issue #4 has him going toe to toe with the head of the White Martians and coming up victorious which is neat, but what really makes the issue a great Superman moment is when he perfectly encapsulates the JLA’s role on Earth. So homespun, so Superman. Issues 6-7 see Superman worrying about other heroes look up to him while dragging the moon back into proper orbit and fighting a fallen angel. And this was Electric Blue Superman, to boot! Best use of Superman during that terrible time, bar none. 22 and 23 have him as the last hope in a place overrun by Starros. Finally, issue 41 puts him literally into the mouth of madness and he overcomes it (with special assist from Batman).
It is all good stuff. Most of the rest though? Not so much.
R. Hardin has the power of a magical word
So, have you read “Trials of Shazam” at all? It seems that what is going to happen is that Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) is now the Keeper of the Rock of Eternity (with Shazam dead), and that Freddy Freeman will become Captain Marvel’s Champion, calling himself “Shazam,” sort of a role-reversal. I don’t know about all this. Is DC prepared to basically dispose of Captain Marvel? Maybe that’s their goal, since the use of the name “Captain Marvel” is severely limited.
Well the story’s not nearly finished, so it’s premature to say for sure, but I’ll say that I like your logic. I’ve completely bought the belief that DC killed off Superboy because of the lawsuit about the character, so I can accept that Freddy’s going to be Shazam in the Captain Marvel role and Billy’s going to be Captain Marvel in the Shazam role.
But I’m just as apt to think that this all happened so that DC could completely abandon the whole “CM3” tag. Man, was that lame.
However DC could be doing the flip-flops because as a character Captain Marvel doesn’t work the say as he used to. Back when kids were predominantly the ones buying comics Billy, a kid, becoming Captain Marvel was a cool concept. But now, that’s kind of a corny concept.
With Freddy becoming Captain Marvel they can revitalize the character and the concept. More readers can probably associate with Freddy than with Billy. So perhaps DC is doing this to make the concept viable again and maybe make it cool.
I really don’t know what DC is attempting to do with the mini, but I’m enjoying it thus far.
Tim, what do you think that DC is trying to do with the power shift in Trials of Shazam?
All the suggestions you’ve made here make sense to me. My personal top choice is exactly what Winick and DC have been saying all along though: this is just about shaking things up.
DC tried a reverential approach to Power of Shazam and it worked…for a time. Then, it didn’t. So despite diehards declaration of loving Big Cheese stories told in a “classic†manner, that approach just was not paying dividends.
The solution? Radical (if only temporary) change. Most of the diehards will stick around because that’s what diehards do no matter how pissed they are (see also: Starman Matt and his ongoing adventures with Winick’s Green Arrow) and a whole new crop of readers is tapped. Even if, after a few issues, you are left with only 85% of the diehards and 40% of the newbies, you still come out on top.
I think Ocareyinfluence is playing matchmaker.
I’m more of a Marvel guy and don’t know DC Characters as well. Who is a good match up against Spider-Man character and power wise in a fight? Hero or villain doesn’t matter. Just about every other character in both universes has an equivalent more or less in their respective competitors’ arsenal.
In terms of character I’d have to say Kyle Rayner. His early exploits make him very much a Peter Parker clone. In fact that’s one of the attacks that I hurl at Kyle fans before I spit in their face. I say “Kyle Rayner? I thought Marvel got rid of all of the Peter Parker clones.”
Oh, you are a laugh riot, you are.
Nightwing’s got a very acrobatic and dynamic fighting style and while it’s not a power, visually it’s similar. And Nightwing is often injured and sports a tattered costume, which are nearly Spider-Man trademarks.
But if you want something that captures the tone of early Spider-Man adventures I’d advise you to check out the early adventures of the Milestone hero Static. It’s got just the right balance; the right “Joe Average” and superhero mix. For that matter the current Blue Beetle features a comparable mix. Check that book out.
Tim, who do you think matches up well with Spider-Man?
Watching up Spider-Man with a DC character is a tough nut to crack because there really is no one-to-one comparison or one even close really.
The problem is Spider-Man is a lot of things at once. He is a headline character for Marvel (find me one person who does not know who Spider-Man is and was not raised by wolves). He’s powerful by Marvel standards, but in the DCU he’s mid-grade and DC does not really have any mid-grade heroes (they are all either very powerful, very teched up, or powerless vigilantes with martial arts skills). He’s also a common schlub who is as much defined by his day-to-day life as he is by his superhero adventures.
Some possible Spider-Man match up possibilities
First, Spider-Man is an icon in the Marvel U. In a real way, he IS the Marvel U. Much like Superman or Batman is to the DCU. Superman is a decent comparison in that both Spider-Man and Superman seemed to be endlessly dropped into bigger and bigger “event†stories as if their companies do not trust fans to just like the characters. However, Supes is way too powerful. Batman, on the other hand, has no powers at all (plus, he’s way too dark and rich) so he’s out too.
The Kyle Rayner comparison is a good one until Kyle slips on the ring. Then, there is no comparison. A “wishing†ring beats the proportional strength of a spider any day of the week.
Static and Blue Beetle are both smart choices and ones I agree with though I might not have thought of them. Unfortunately, Spider-Man has aged past both of them and thus the comparison does not so much work if you were taking the “now†versions of the characters.
On the Blue Beetle note, Ted Kord was also hailed as an everyman type character in the Spider-Man mold, especially after he was killed in Countdown. But, he’s dead so…
During Marvel v. DC, Spider-Man was paired up with Superboy but that’s a problem on so many levels. The only good reason I can think of for that choice was they were both clones.
The best DC character match up I can think of right now is actually The Flash, Wally West edition. Both started as young teens, could be a bit cocky or not think through choices, made wisecracks, had surrogate families, grew into adult heroes respected by their communities, and settled down with beautiful women. The powers thing is still problematic but not as wide a gulf as would exist between Spider-Man and most of DC’s superpowered ilk.
Jag speaks of the devil
The Flash from the DCAU is one of my favorite characters and since he’s Wally West, was he ever like he is on the Justice League comics? Like the goofy and lovable do-gooder? What I remember from Wally in the comics was that he was a bit serious and it looks like Bart is the same. I think the DCU would benefit from a lovable Flash.
Actually Wally West was a pretty fun loving character when he was a member of Justice League Europe, but that was a generally fun book to read. Wally even had some fun adventures in the early days of his solo title most notably in Flash #19 when Wally stumbled onto a Rogue bash with pretty funny results.
But if you really want to read some goofy, lovable speedster stories you’ve got to check out the title Impulse. That book was one of the most fun titles in years. It featured Bart Allen in his pre “Kid Flash” identity. Believe me when I say that after reading a few issues of Impulse you’ll completely understand why so many fans were upset when Bart became Kid Flash and why everyone loathes the current Flash title not only on merit, but because of what it’s done to his character.
Tim, which Bart do you prefer?
I think both Impusle and Kid Flash have value. I have no particular allegiance to the Impulse character so maybe that’s why I say this, but I just don’t think that characterization was sustainable over long periods of time. He was cool and fun, no question of that, but I just don’t see him staying in that mold forever without stagnating.
Thus, for me, Kid Flash made sense. Especially given the transition from Young Justice to the Teen Titans. However, I do wish Bart had remained funny. I think the transition would have been much easier to take if he carried a sense of humor with him when he amused the Kid Flash role.
Also, I wish he would have kept calling himself Impulse. I just don’t like the name Kid Flash.
For Daredevi1 there is just something about a sword on fire.
What happened to Azrael? Will he be back?
Azrael was shot and fell off a rooftop. But his body wasn’t found. So in theory someone could bring the guy back. Hopefully he’ll stay gone.
I mean I can’t really see him coming back. He’s a regrettable character in so many ways. He’s an example of mistakes that DC and the industry made in the 90’s. He’s also an example of a pet project that bordered on an abuse of power. His book ran from 1995 to 2003 and when you think about the books that were canceled in that time while that book was allowed to continue on is bewildering.
The reason has a name and its name is Denny O’Neill. It has another name too and that one is “Batman Family Bookâ€.
Aztek, Black Lightning, Chase, Chronos, Creeper and Resurrection Man were all launched and canceled between 1995 and 2003 and if you add up those individual runs you won’t even get close to the hundred issues that Azrael ran. (Impluse was also canceled in the same span, but ran for too many issues for that last point to be true.)
Oh yeah, Azrael was co-created by some guy named Joe Quesada, which might be one reason why DC isn’t interesting in reviving the character.
But DC hasn’t committed to Azrael’s death so there’s a chance that he might return. But here’s to hoping that he doesn’t.
Tim, where do you stand on Jean Paul Valley returning? Perhaps Azrael could use a revamping?
He certainly could. Which is why I already did it.
From a 7/26/05 edition of DC News & Views
Anyone who has grown up with Batman in the 10-15 years should be rather familiar with the character named Azrael. Jean Paul Valley was a geeky, isolated college student who was one day “activated” as the soldier of a radical religious sect called the Order of Saint Dumas. With this activation came a flaming sword, a uniform, and a subconscious set of abilities called the System. The geek became the warrior with what amounted to the flip of the switch.
From there, Valley’s life got considerably more complicated. He was taken under the Shadow of the Bat for a time before becoming the new Batman in the wake of Knightfall. After growing increasingly erratic and violent, Bruce Wayne returned, removing Valley from the position. From this disappointment, Azrael would rise again.
Eventually, Azrael returned to the fold as a so-called “Agent of the Bat”. He served in this capacity until the conclusion of the series when he, apparently, died. But if he’s dead, where’s the body…
So where does the legacy of St Dumas go from here?
A producer, Erica Wentworth, at her wits end in seeking properties to develop has taken to raiding used bookstores and online auctions for stories that no one else is aware. And if they are in the public domain, all the better. In one such auction, she acquires a book from the Order of Saint Dumas (found after the destruction of the Ice Cathedral, no doubt).
She quickly finds himself greatly intrigued with the Order. She cannot possibly use it for a movie, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make money off it. With the help of a director friend, Thomas Barauch, she founds a sect of The Order of Saint Dumas in LA. Part religion, part self improvement movement (think of how Hollywood has viewed/utilized the Kaballah, Scientology, yoga, etc) it quickly gains popularity.
While Wentworth has stopped studying the Dumas book, Barauch continued and began to uncover the secrets of the Dumas’ fiery red hand, Azrael. He views the System as the means towards a “perfect actor”: an individual of great physical presence who is totally programmable to a director’s wishes. No scandals, no prima donna acts, nothing but cooperation for the “glory” of the picture.
Setting about to realize this dream, Barauch finds the perfect candidate in Martin Barnes, a 28 year old has been. Barnes gives himself over to the process and a year later he is once again sitting on top of the world. Barauch has his “actor”.
The System, of course, is not that simple. Barnes is experiencing blackouts, moments of “automatic” drawing or building in which he conceives costumes and weapons that he was never seen. Then there is the matter of the mysterious wave of vigilantism that has seized Los Angeles…
Meanwhile, someone else is trying to revive the Order with much more faithfulness. Lilhy, disciple turned betrayer turned last “true” believer, has spent many years resurrecting the Order after it was dismantled (with her help) and has achieved the creation of her first Azrael since the demise of Valley. When she finds out about the Order’s religious revival in America, she is less than pleased. Even worse is when she notices a pattern in that aforementioned spat of vigilante incidents, a pattern involving a flaming sword. Can it be long before she sends her champion to America to cease the dishonoring of Dumas’ name?
And, where does Valley fit into all of this? Are rumors of his demise, in fact, greatly exaggerated?
Exciting, no?
It is also worth noting that Dumas recently showed up in Manhunter and thus the Azrael mantel (if not Jean Paul) may soon be returning on the back of Mark Shaw.
That’s going to do it for this week’s column. I’m not going to lie to you; I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen there. This week’s column just kind of came together. Next week might feature dastardly deeds or fifth weeks. Who knows? But you help shape the column with you questions.
In terms of your questions, you can either email them to me or post them on our thread which features plenty of feedback.
Before I go here’s my question to you; Is there anything comic related that you’re looking forward to in 2007?
“I live in a trailer home with a snowmobile, my car.”
