DC NEAR-MISS: Miracleman #1 (1985)

DC NEAR-MISS: Miracleman #1 (August, 1985)
"Book One, Chapter 1: 1956"
"Book One, Chapter 2: 1982 Prologue ... a Dream of Flying"
"Book One, Chapter 3"
"Book One, Chapter 4: When Johnny comes marching home..."
Writer - Alan Moore
Pencils - Alan Davis & Garry Leach
Inks - Garry Leach
Colors - Ron Courtney
Letters - G. George
Edits - Dez Skinn
Cover Price: $0.75
From Eclipse Comics

You ever have something that you hold in very high regard... and automatically assume that everyone else should as well?  Ya know, like something that, you care about so much... that it almost boggles your mind that not everybody else feels the same exact way?  Well... to me, one of those things is Marvelman/Miracleman.

I discovered Miracleman way back before I considered myself a wannabe comics historian... and, as it happens, my introduction to the character and concept was pure happenstance.

During my late teens and early 20's, I was working as a corporate trainer for one of the larger truck rental companies in the country... if you stop to think about rental trucks, they're probably the first ones that come to mind.  Anyhoo, I worked overnights, and since we had a relative-skeleton crew, my time would be split between conducting classes (when there was adequate coverage on the phones), or acting as manager.  I'd eventually become the manager, but that wouldn't happen until a few months after this story takes place.

Anyhoo, usually wherever I am, I'm always the "comic guy" among my group.  Sometimes people would humor me, and want to hear me talk about some stories I'd read... or, what I was currently reading... or even some recommendations and whatnot.  What I'm trying to say is, it wasn't any big secret that I was really into comics.

On a couple of occasions, folks who I trained would bring me gifts.  It always made me feel weird accepting them, but I also realized if I didn't take them, it might make the situation even more awkward.  One of these times, a woman brought me a comic she'd found in her garage... and it was the classic Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, which we've already discussed here at the blog... and yes, I used that very copy for the review.

Another time, and this was a bit different, a woman who I was training told me that she worked as a flea market vendor over the weekends... and had overheard me and my pals talking about comics... and so, she grabbed me a small stack of comics that a neighboring vendor was going to throw out.  So, in essence, she was giving me garbage... or so she thought.

Atop this pile was... Miracleman #2 from Eclipse Comics.  The cover was beaten up, and the back cover was barely hanging on... but, ya know, I smiled, thanked her and took the thoughtful gift all the same... figuring, at worst, I can rifle through the pile... see what's salvageable-enough to add to my collection, and dump the rest once I got home.

Well, at home, I decided to actually read through this weird Miracleman comic... and, dagnabbit, I had never read anything quite like it before.  I was hooked straight away... and, I wanted more.  Unfortunately... that was going to prove to be a toughie.

If you have any sort of familiarity with Miracleman... you likely know the publication limbo he lived in for the better part of two decades.  You couldn't find these Eclipse issues... nor the trade collections anywhere (well, affordably anyway).  Books have been written on the subject... heck, Reggie and I spent several hours back in 2018 talking about it on Weird Comics History... in a series of episodes that it took me two entire years to research for!  We go deep on every little thing... including all the McFarlane stuff... Angela stuff... Gaiman stuff.  It's a really thorough study, if I do say so myself.  They're a run of shows I'm very proud of... and, if you're interested in having a listen, click the image below!

As a matter of fact, Miracleman might've been the first comics-subject (outside of the X-Men) that I actually devoted a ton of time into researching.  I would scour the internet for anything MM related.  You might say that Miracleman is responsible for my ultimately becoming a fake-ass comics historian and rabid researcher!

I'd eventually (late-2007) come into possession of most of the Eclipse run... and, oddly enough most of the WARRIOR Magazine run, via hitting paydirt at a local consignment sale and rummaging through the "trash" at some used book and record stores.  Naturally, the infamous 15th issue was never among those bounties.

I still remember the first time I'd read these issues... and, boy I loved 'em!  Check this out, I even started a blog to review them as I worked my way through!  Here's a snip of a piece that I'd published (on a long defunct blogger site) on Saturday, November 3, 2007, creatively titled: "[Comics] Retro-Reviews, 11/3/07"

Digging deeper into those defunct archives, I actually came across the post I'd written, titled "[Comics] Right Place, Right Time" on Saturday, October 27, 2007:

Jesus... I paid that much for comics back then... and thought I was getting a deal?  What a naive little idiot I was!  "NEVER had such a great find" my pink Irish butt!  Boy, is 27-year old Chris gonna be thrown for a loop when he discovers the true majesty of the cheap-o bins... about four months later when he loses his job.

So, yeah... I was very, very, very excited to finally experience Miracleman.  Since I didn't have the infamous 15th issue... nor any of the Gaiman/Buckingham stuff... I had to rely on a certain book that was written on the subject of all-things Miracleman.  KIMOTA! The Miracleman Companion, was released in 2001 by TwoMorrows.  By the time 2007 rolled along and I had most of the run, my copy of Kimota! was already dog-eared and falling apart.  I loved this book.  Still do!

Now, here's where I can bring this back around under the umbrella of this blog's scope.  It's a pretty cut and dry story... with relatively little in the way of "drama", but when Dez Skinn (of Quality Communications) was trying to shop the then-Marvelman around to publishers in the United States... one of his first stops was... DC Comics!  In Kimota!, George Khoury conducted an interview with Dez Skinn, titled: "Reign of the Warrior King".  Here's a page from that chat:

Let's zoom in a bit to the relevant bits (pardon my awful finger-highlighting):

Here, Khoury asks Skinn about trying to sell to DC Comics (and Marvel).  Here was the response from Jenette Kahn (again, pardon my highlighting):

You gotta love it!  Kahn mentions the problems DC already has in the "Marvel" character department... and, while she loves the story, turns Mr. Skinn down nonetheless (DC would take another WARRIOR story written by Alan Moore... V for Vendetta!). Funniest of all is Marvelman's link to the Big Red Cheese.  It's a wildly fun story... I mean, I can't push those episodes of Weird Comics History hard enough!  Ya really gotta check'em out if you're interested in the full story!

UK publications of the final issues of Captain Marvel (#23-24)... before transitioning into Marvelman

Now, I do want to submit to the group that this is all Dez Skinn's recollection... and, if you're familiar with the role he played in the Marvelman/Miracleman saga... he was known to get a bit "creative" with the stories he'd tell.  We're going to assume that he's on the level here though... otherwise, I'd never get to write about Miracleman on this blog!

Dez and the Gang would eventually sell to Pacific Comics... who would go out of business before putting out a single issue.  From there, the property would shift over to Eclipse Comics... where, at least from the promotional materials, it appeared as though they were going to just launch the thing as "Marvelman"!

Yeah, Marvel wasn't going to let that happen.

Anyhoo... it's kind of a shame that Mike Moran wasn't able to play around in the DC Universe... could you imagine the possibilities?  I mean, in Kimota! there's a particularly beautiful (frustratingly so) piece by John Totleben that shows us "what could'a been".

Well, that's enough pre-rambling outta me... let's hurdle over the dashes and into the spoilery synopsis!

--

Chapter One opens in 1981, where a group of "futuristic" baddies (well, relatively futuristic to anyone living in 1956 anyway)... traveling back in time to... 1956, in order to overwhelm the "primitives" and, ya know, rule the world.  Pretty sound plan, innit?  Anyhoo, the bad guys crash land within earshot of an orphan named Johnny Bates.  He rushes toward the ruckus and witnesses the weirdos trying to take over.  He shouts his magic word, "Miracleman", and in a bolt of lightning, transforms into: Kid Miracleman!  He starts beating up the geeks... but, it's not long before he's outnumbered.

Rather than go down swingin', Johnny breaks away from the fracas and tracks down his pal, Dicky Dauntless!  Dicky, a Transatlantic Messenger Boy, upon hearing the news... says that same magic word, "Miracleman" to transform into his alter-ego, Young Miracleman!

It's no use, however... one of the Troopers explains to the Miraclefellas that they come from the future... with weapons that can (and have) decimated entire cities!  Asamattafact, Paris and Saigon have already fallen!  The news spreads fact... and reaches the offices of The Daily Bugle (not that Daily Bugle) where young Micky Moran works as a copyboy.  He shouts out his magic word, "Kimota!" (that's "Atomic" backwards... phonetically) to become Miracleman!

He rushes into battle... and, thankfully, that same battle from earlier still rages on!  The Miracle Family decides their only option is to send the Future Troopers back to 1981.  Well, here's the thing, the lead-baddie ain't feelin' it... and instead, orders all of the "Chrono-Cruisers" destroyed!  He also promises that more of his unit will soon be joining them in 1956... and, they too will destroy their Cruisers!

Miracleman has an idea.  He and Young Miracleman will travel through space at Atomic Speed, in order to fly through time... arriving in 1981 to stop the Gestapo from ever coming back to the past.  Kid Miracleman will remain and hold off the baddies as long as he can.

In 1981, Micky and Dicky destroy the Chrono-Cruisers, and beat up the Future-Current-Year-Troopers!

The Police Commander of the "Twelfth Area" arrives to thank Miracleman and Young Miracleman for their service... and promises, without the Science Gestapo to worry about, society will become a Utopia (which Moore will play with at the end of his run)!  Back in 1956, Kid Miracleman stands alone... the Gestapo Geeks have all disappeared... as if they were never there to begin with... because, the weren't!

And with that, Chapter One ends... in an almost ominous way.

Chapter Two opens... and, it's quite a shock to the system.  The art-style is completely different.  Gone are the bright primary colors... replaced with more realistic dulls and drabs.  We join Michael Moran, now an adult, driving home from work with another fella... and he's talking absolute nonsense.  Or so it seems.

Later, Mike Moran dreams... of flying.  In his dreams, he is a colorful superhero... battling baddies, and surrounded by his "family".  The dream turns into a nightmare, when he begins to glow... burn... and finally, explodes!

He wakes up in a panic.  His wife, Liz checks on him... and, it would seem that this is a pretty common occurrence.  He complains of a migraine... to which, Liz suggests he make an appointment with a doctor.  Mike laments the fact that, as a freelance journalist, he makes very little money, and actually feels guilty about be supported by his wife.  She brushes it off... says he's being silly.

That morning, Mike has a story to cover.  It's the opening of a power station in Lakesmere.  On the train ride into town, he is haunted by a word that he can't quite make out.  Kimono?  Komodo?  Krakatoa?  It's somethin' like that!

Mike reaches Lakesmere, and a Press Conference is about to begin.  Unfortunately, some armed and masked-men intervene and hold the place up!  Our man is overcome by his migraine and faints straightaway.

He's dragged out of the place... leaving through a swinging glass door of the Atomic Power Station.  As the door swings, he gets a look at the words in reverse... and something comes flooding back.

Michael Moran has remembered his magic word!

In a crack of thunder, he is transformed into Miracleman... and he now remembers everything!

He takes out the would-be plutonium-jackers with the greatest of ease... almost giddy that he's able to break out of his old, tired "human" body.  He soars into space and closes out this chapter by letting out a raucous "I'm Back!!"

Chapter Three opens with Mike Moran... in his Miracleman form, returning home to greet his wife.  She... is more than a little bit freaked out, and rightly so!  He assures her that he is her husband... and promises to explain everything.

Over a cup of coffee, Mike shares his secret origin with Liz... and, ya know... stop me if you already heard this one.  A teen-age copy boy is met by an old wizard Astro-Physicist... and given a magic word, Shazam! Kimota! with which he can transform into, ya know... a rather Mighty Mortal.

But that's not all!  He also has a "family" of heroes he pals around with!  Ya know, Mary and Freddy Dicky and Johnny.  Why, they even have Hoppy Miracledog!  Their arch-enemies were Dr. Sivana Gargunza and Black Adam Young Nastyman.  I hope you don't think I'm passing any sort of judgment with the Captain Marvel comparisons... the Marvelman concept was an "evolution" of Fawcett's Captain Marvel (in the UK... seriously, check out those Weird Comics History episodes, it's all there!).

Liz still isn't quite sure what to make of all this... and so, she cracks a joke about the "Miracleboys"... which sounds like it could be the name of a musical play I wouldn't see.  Mike doesn't like his life being mocked... and smashes the solid oak floor they're sitting on!

Mike regains his composure and continues his story.  One day, in October, 1963... everything changed.  Ya see, up until this point, the Miracleman Family adventures were very much "Silver Age Silly".  Ya know, high stakes... yet at the same time, no stakes... ya dig?  Then, the Fam was hit with an Atomic Bomb!

All Mike currently remembers of the blast is the bodies of his buddies seemingly splitting and smashing back into one another... he'd wake up months later in a hospital, mangled, burned... and completely unaware that he was Miracleman.

We shift scenes, and see that the news of the "flying man" has spread.  This does not please a certain fella... who upon seeing all this, smashes his television set!  Hmm...

Chapter Four opens with Liz Moran getting out of bed... and answering the phone.  The call is for Mike... who is absolutely shocked to hear the voice of Jonathan "Johnny" Bates, the former Kid Miracleman, on the other end!  They decide to "do lunch" and catch up.

After a shower, Liz and Mike meet up with John.  Worth noting, John Bates is a whole head taller than Mike (remember that).  They sit down and discuss their lives over the past two decades... and eventually, discuss that day in October, 1963.

John talks about his amnesia and loss of power... as well as his becoming a very successful businessman in the field of electronics.  He excuses himself to attend to something, leaving Mike and Liz to chat a bit.  Liz refers to John as "sexy in a sinister sort of way."  Hold that thought.

Later, a storm starts coming through... and John and Mike head up to the roof of the building to continue their discussion.  Here's where the worm turns.  Mike's a smart fella... and has sussed out that Johnny's entire story has been... a lie.  Ya see, Johnny didn't lose his powers in the A-Bomb blast... and, in fact... has remained as Kid Miracleman ever since!  He was 16-years old in 1963... the most powerful being on Earth... and answerable to no one!  Well, that's quite the accusation to levy, innit?

Johnny assures Mike that he's just being paranoid... and then, our man feels as though his former sidekick might be trying do something "in his head".  Mike takes the opportunity to shove Johnny from the roof of the skyscraper, before he might completely wipe his mind clean.  Unfortunately for Mike, however, Johnny Bates is still Kid Miracleman... and, as such, doesn't have much worry about li'l old things like gravity's pull.

--

Looooooooooooooooove this.

I almost feel like a heel for even sharing this... as I think Miracleman is one of those stories you really ought to experience yourself... and, is one of those series' that you get more out of with subsequent rereads, as you notice more and more each time though.  Even this time, I noticed little nods to things that would be fully fleshed out as the story continues.

All I'm presenting here is the first issue/first four chapters... there's really so much more, and everything pays off wonderfully... at least as far as the Moore run goes.  Neil Gaiman still hasn't gotten around to finishing his portion... and I'm not exactly holding my breath to see that happen anytime soon.

I look back on that short review of this issue I'd written back in 2007 (thirteen friggin years ago... jeez)... and, find that I basically agree with everything I said there.  I was far more concise as a younger man... it's crazy how badly that "skill" slipped away from me!

Now, I'd be remiss not to at least touch on the troubles with Miracleman.  I won't go too deep here, as all of this information is available in those podcast episodes... but I wanted to share with y'all the page that kinda started the ball rolling on Mike's extended stint in publication limbo.  There's much more to the story, but in the interest in just "sharing an image", here's the last page from Hellspawn #6 (Image Comics - March, 2001) by Brian Michael Bendis and Ashley Wood.

This is where Todd McFarlane was hoping to reintroduce Miracleman (who he thought he'd purchased in Eclipse Comics' liquidation-of-assets auction) as a part of the Spawn Universe.  Imagine what could'a been!  McFarlane would produce a Miracleman statue... and there was even a Spawn action figure set released (that I had to drag myself away from dropping $60 on last Summer!)

Todd wound up getting kiboshed (it's a lonnnnnnnnnng story)... and, instead of Miracleman entering the Spawn-iverse, we got stuck with the, ahem "Man of Miracles" (I'm sure there's no relation).

Anyhoo, I love this... I recommend this... and, I apologize if this entire piece felt like an infomercial for that series of Weird Comics History episodes we did... but, I truly feel as though so much of that adds to the importance of this issue, not only to comics history, but to my own as a fan as well!

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(Not the) Letters Page:

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Interesting Ads:

DC NEAR-MISS: Void Indigo #1 (1984)

Void Indigo #1 (November, 1984)
"Book Two: Spikes and Demons, Part One - Killing to be Clever"
Writer/Creator - Steve Gerber
Artist/Creator - Val Mayerik
Letters - Carrie McCarthy
Associate Edits - Laurie Sutton
Edits - Archie Goodwin
Consulting Edits - Jim Shooter
Cover Price: $1.50
From Epic-Marvel Comics

Void Indigo... again?  Already?  Another DC Near-Miss?  Already?  Can ya tell I'm having a ton of fun with this feature?

First, I wanna thank the folks who reached out after reading our look at the Void Indigo Marvel Graphic Novel the other day.  There, I asked if anyone would be interested in seeing my take on the rest of the short-lived series... and it was "thumbs up" all around!

Today, we're going to look at the first (of two) issues of Void Indigo released through Marvel Comics' EPIC Imprint... and yes, this is the issue that was once referred to as "a crime against humanity".  We're going to go deep on that... and even take a look at the silly "lawsuit" Bob Ingersoll "filed" against Jhagur in Comics Buyer's Guide back in the long ago.  We'll go line by line and address his concerns.  Maybe we'll agree with his arguments... maybe we won't!  Maybe we'll think this would've worked as a revamped Hawkman... maybe we won't!

This review is going to be especially interesting for me, personally... it's been a very long time since I'd last laid eyes on these pages... and, lemme tell ya, after an initial cursory flip-through... I'm not exactly sure what we're in for!  I gotta say, I remember liking it back when I was an "edgier" early-twenty-something.  Now, as a forty-year old... I'm wondering how well this "aged"?

I was thinking back to how I came to own these two issues... and I remember, not being as well-versed in things like the "cheap-o bin"... I thought I'd have to pay out the nose for 'em.  I actually asked a fella at a local comic shop if he had them... and, unsurprisingly he'd never even heard of it.  He told me he could order them... and, check this out... quoted me $10 a pop!  Told me for an even $50, he'd throw the Graphic Novel in too!  Whatta pal!

I... did not bite.  Not knowing much of anything, I did consider it though!  Instead I kept up the hunt, and not too long after came across both books in a dollar bin.  Ya know, Void Indigo might actually be, in some part, responsible for the personal-phenomenon that is: my cheap-o bin addiction!

Before we head into the spoilery synopsis I wanna drop in a disclaimer.  Now, even though I alluded to the fact that Void Indigo is wickedly violent last time around, I didn't actually give a proper "content warning".  I sincerely apologize for accidentally leaving that out (I'm usually really good about that sort of thing).  That said, this article is also going to be looking at some violent and explicit stuff.  I'll do my normal best at censoring the naughty stuff... but, still... there's gonna be stuff not everyone's going to want to see!

Now, even if you don't wanna check out the synopsis, I'd definitely  encourage you to take a peek at the "lawsuit" (and rebuttal) toward the bottom of the piece.

Let's do it!

--

We open in Hollywood, where it looks like a man is being rather rough on a "lady of the evening".  It's downright brutal... she bolts out of the back of his "party van", after making some sort of "discovery".  He's in hot pursuit, and when he catches up (it doesn't take him but a few steps, he holds a straight razor to her throat.  There's a skirmish... naturally... and it's here that we learn that this fella is actually a woman... and this lady of the evening, is actually a man named Larry.  Okay... what's the point of any of this?

Well the woman... do we call her a potential "Jane" instead of a "John" to this prostitute?  Whatever the case, she laments the fact that all she wanted was a little bit of happiness tonight... and since she ain't gonna get it here... she slits Larry's throat... and hops back into the party van...

... only, she's not alone in there!  Inside she herself is killed by... our main man, Jhagur!  The drumming of "Void Indigo" beats through his head... and he refers to this "Jane" as one of the four Dark Lords he's here to track down and kill.  He runs past poor dead Larry, and out of the area.

We shift scenes to the Appaloosa Bar, where Linette Cumston works.  She's getting a lift home from a fella named Jess... who, immediately starts groping her.  She warns him that the last dude who tried anything wound up getting his foot burned clean off.  Yeah, that's one'a those scenes that's difficult to forget!

Back at the apartment, Jhagur is cleaning his blade in the sink when Linette arrives home.  He tells her that there's one more Dark Lord down... to which, she is kind of beside herself at the fact that her roommate/lover (?) just committed murder.  Jhagur doesn't get why she's surprised... after all, she sewed him his "warrior's garb" (which we saw), and helped him find his sword (which we didn't).  He proceeds to tell her that he "listens to the Void, and does as he's told"... not sure that'll hold up in court, but I ain't about to argue with him.

Across town, we meet the Mulgrew family.  Now, Pete Mulgrew is the construction worker who recovered the bejeweled spike in the Graphic Novel.  He plans on selling the relic in order to cover the balloon payment on his home... and, in fact, has only been able to sleep soundly since he found it!  His daughter, on the other hand, is pretty haunted by the thing... she sneaks into her parents room, and plucks the spike out of daddy Pete's nightstand.

The next morning, the police are taking a look at what remains of the scene from the open.  They deduce that this woman slit the prostitute's throat... and was then hacked up herself by a third person.  Pretty excellent CSI work there, no?  Anyhoo, the dead-Jane has a note nailed to her forehead... it reads, duh, "Void Indigo".  They eventually run the plates on the party van, and discover the wheels belong to another woman altogether.  A detective named Wallerstein is on the case.

Back at the apartment, Linette is woken up by some bad dreams.  Unable to fall back to sleep, she decides to head out to the pool to try and relax.  There, she runs into her neighbor, Delfine... and she sorta-kinda reveals that she's having some problems.  Delfine's suggestion is... visiting a psychic!  Ya see, this one time, a physic laid hands on her... and all of her troubles went away.

We rejoin Wallerstein in Beverly Hills... where he's meeting with a redhead about the situation the night before.  We learn that the dead woman from the open is named Brita... and this new redhead, Amanda, doesn't know a whole heck of a lot... or, at least she's playing it that way.  Doesn't know what Brita might've been up to... and certainly doesn't know what "Void Indigo" might mean (well, I kinda believe her there).  Anyhoo, Wallerstein leaves... and Amanda immediately hops on the phone to call a "Taro" to reveal that they might have a problem.

We now jump to a diner, where Mick Jhagur is bellied up to the counter, having breakfast with Pete Mulgrew.  If you recall, during the Graphic Novel, Jhagur kind of lost his mind when Pete showed him the spike... nearly beat the poor fella to death.  Anyhoo, he apologizes... and warns that the spike is dangerous... it might cause anyone to react so violently.  Ol' Pete takes this as a threat... and doesn't want Mick to screw with his pointy-payload.  He jumps out of his seat... and warns our man not to screw with him... and also, that he's got a gun at home.

Speakin' of Mulgrews... we rejoin Pete's daughter, Colleen.  She's still haunted by the spike... and, in fact, is carrying the thing around with her.  She's approached by one of her gal-pals and starts talking a bunch of nonsense.  Her friend thinks she's been reading too many Stephen King books... before Colleen actually produces the bejeweled spike!  Her friend is rightfully freaked out... and then, Colleen reveals that she (that is, Colleen herself) will die by this spike.

Over at the CAL-TV newsroom, a couple of nudnick reporters are... well, being nudnicks.  A lifestyle reporter, Debbie Tokugawa, enters the room... and is roundly mocked... for some reason.  They tell her about the Void Indigo Killer... and she raises an eyebrow before excusing herself to the archives.  She tosses the David Trepper (Koth from the Graphic Novel) tape into the deck... remembering that, when she interviewed Dave's mother (also back in the Graphic Novel), she mentioned that the phrase "Void Indigo" was among his mutterings.  She makes a call to chat a bit more with Mrs. Sarah Trepper.

So, ya weirded out yet?  Because... you're about to be.  Linette Cumpston arrives at Raka the psychic's house.  She is greeted by Raka's grandmother... who collects the cash-money before ushering our gal into "the dream chamber"...

... where... oh boy... we get to lay eyes on Raka.  She looks kind of like a diseased Poison Ivy... and, frankly, I don't like looking at her one bit.  This is a page I'd like to cover with my hand... but won't, because that means I'd have to actually touch it.

Linette strips down naked, and steps into Raka's pentagram.  She, Raka, claims to have never met a "Delphine" and presses Linette's hand into her cheek.  She, again Raka, suddenly knows just about everything about Linette... and everything starts to go abstract.  The women embrace... and as they spin, they begin to take the form of the bejeweled spike... they are then hammered into Ath'Agaar's head!  Raka reveals that Linette's "position in the cosmos" is "poised between slayer and victim"... which, duh, I think we already kinda knew that.

Linette wakes up... and she's laying on a nearby beach.  She's greeted by Raka's grandmother, who has brought her some tea and cookies.  Linette doesn't have the foggiest idea what she'd just experienced, and honestly, I can sympathize with her.  Grandma informs Linette that Raka would like to see her again the following Wednesday.  Our gal ain't so sure.

Back in Beverly Hills, we meet Taro... ya know, that dude Amanda called after her visit from the Detective.  He tells her not to worry... and that everything is going to be okay.  This is, just before he sends a hitman over to her house to kill her.

Back at the apartments, Linette pays her neighbor, Delphine a visit.  Delphine, who is eating like an entire cake one-handed, invites her in... and our gal balls up her fist... and punches the gal right in her cake-hole.

After this, she heads upstairs to chat up Jhagur.  She asks for a bit more clarification on the murder of Ath'Agaar... to which, our man tells her about the bejeweled spike.  I mean, they've lived together for over a year at this point... and Jhagur kinda lost his mind upon seeing the spike again... is this really the first time they're having this conversation?!

Back at the Mulgrews... Pete is tearing apart the house looking for his precious spike, and boy is he ticked off when he finds out his daughter took it!  She appears in the doorway, spike in hand... and it looks as though she's been possessed.  She refuses to hand it over...

... and in fact, appears to plunge it into her own body, causing a tremendous explosion.

Now... here's the thing... these last few pages of the issue are almost definitely out of order.  The next page has Colleen-in-Angelic-Form fighting Jhagur... and the page after that has Jhagur arriving on the scene in his "Mick Jhagur" form.  I know there was a month of EPIC books, where the last few pages of each issue were out of order (ElfQuest #2 is another, if I recall right)... maybe that's what this is?  Or maybe this is all just way too deep for me to follow?

Whatever the case... the battle rages, and our issue concludes with Angelicolleen lunging directly into Jhagur's blade... claiming that she will consume him, both in ecstasy... and flame!

--

The Trial of Void Indigo #1 (my "rebuttal" and review in BLUE):
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OHIO

ROBERT M. INGERSOLL	:	CASE NUMBER OH-RU12?
On behalf of himself and all	:
others similarly situated	:	JUDGE I. M. PEEVED
Plaintiff	:
-vs-	:
JHAGUR	:	CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT AND
Defendant	:	JURY DEMAND

Okay, right off the bat, "OH-RU12" as the case number did get a laugh out of me! ALLEGATION OF JURISDICTION

1)       Plaintiff, Robert M. Ingersoll, was, at all times relevant to this cause of action, a resident of Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

2)       Plaintiff Robert M. Ingersoll brings this action on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, the class comprised of the Human Race. Class Plaintiff, the Human Race is so numerous, that joinder of all members of said class is impracticable. (And if you doubt that you just try and find a court room big enough to fit the whole human race. Come on, I double dog dare you!)       Further, there are in this cause of action questions of law and fact common to all members of the Human Race. Further the claims and defenses of Robert M. Ingersoll are typical of the claims and defenses of the Human Race. Further Robert M. Ingersoll will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the Human Race. (You don't think I'd sell out my own species, do you? And for those of you who claim that lawyers aren't really members of the human race, it's not to late to limit the class a little, you know.)      

3)       Defendant Jhagur was at no time relevant to this cause of action a resident of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. (Indeed, as defendant is a comic-book character, it isn't likely that he resides anywhere on the planet Earth. As further proof, Plaintiff cites the fact that if Defendant's world is even remotely like the one portrayed in his comic, he obviously lives on some dark, evil alternate plane of existence far removed from the one wherein the Human Race resides; people who allow the mentally retarded to be killed being called "compassionate," notwithstanding.)      

4)       At all times pertinent to this action Defendant starred in a comic book entitled Void Indigo, the first issue of which Defendant knew would be distributed in and read in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, that is, unless, Defendant had some sort of Springtime for Hitler thing going and was trying to make the book tank by avoiding one of the major cities in the country.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
5)       Paragraphs 1 through 4 are incorporated herein by reference as if fully rewritten.

6)       In Void Indigo #1, Defendant portrayed the Human Race with several false and defamatory statements, the specific nature of which are set forth more fully in the paragraphs which follow.

7)       Defendant posits that Void Indigo #1 takes place in a world and time of "barbarism and cataclysm." A world where, "Humans have turned cruel, petty... [and have] forsaken all ideals, except power and survival. Worse, they [the Human Race] lie to themselves, look only to the light, cannot bear to face the darkness of their nature." (I apologize to the Court for the grammar of the above passage, or lack thereof. I was quoting from the source material so had to do it exactly as written, even if it made me sic.)

If you've read my discussion of the Void Indigo Marvel Graphic Novel, you might've noticed that this aspect of the story caused me to groan... well, not "groan" exactly... I think my exact words were more along the lines of "oy."

Yeah, looks like it was "oy".  Now, this little bit of preciosity really lowered the "stakes" of this story.  I wanted it to be something more than a "social commentary"... especially since so many comic writers seem to be in agreement that the world was pretty damned perfect until January 20, 1981.  This sort of nyoinked all the "magic" out of this series... and, in my opinion, really limited its potential as well.

8)       Defendant Jhagur in his comic Void Indigo # 1, hereinafter "The Work," furthered his inaccurate depiction of the world and the Human Race by giving specific, depraved examples of "Human" behavior and of "Human" beings. Said examples are described below.

9)       On pages 1 through 3 The Work depicts a male prostitute, who is wearing woman's clothing and passing himself off as a woman. (Don't ask me why. No reason was given. I can only conclude that it was felt the inclusion of cross-dressing would make the scene seem more "cruel and petty.") Said individual is having an argument with a customer over the price of services to be rendered. The customer is a female, who is wearing man's clothes and is passing herself off as a man, presumably for the same reasons as the man was wearing woman's clothes. The argument escalates, until the woman in man's clothes takes a razor blade and slits the throat of the man in woman's clothes.

Ingersoll posits that the cross-dressing involved in our opening scene might've been included to make the bit more "cruel and petty".  I'm not so sure that's what Gerber was going for here.  Honestly, I kinda feel like that might be giving Gerber a bit too much credit!  Personally, I think the cross-dressing was included simply for the shock value.  This was meant to get the reader's attention right off the bat... and let them know they're reading something very different from anything they might find in a (relatively) mainstream "Marvel" comic.  It also facilitated the "reveal" being the image of a bare boob.

I know we're in more "enlightened" times now, and such a scene wouldn't (or shouldn't) elicit as much of a scandalous reaction.  Gotta take ourselves back to the pre-Grim and Gritty days... and try and imagine how this might've been received by a reader of the day.  I mean, "V" for Void Indigo isn't too far up the alphabet from "X" for X-Men... heck, it's even closer to "U" for Uncanny X-Men.  These books might've been right next to each other on the shelves!  There's no "explicit content" warning on this book... in fairness, there's also no Comics Code Authority stamp... but really, I'm not sure who would've noticed!

10)       Page 5 depicts an Urban Cowboy who hasn't yet realized that John Travolta is passe, and who makes rather lewd advances on a female. Specifically, after the female, Linette Cumpston, tells the scuzzoid that she has, "no interest in sleepin' around," he still paws her breast, because he doesn't think she has answered his hedonistic question yet. (It's not that he won't take no for an answer, it's just that he doesn't understand words with more than one letter in them.)

Yes, this scene did appear.  I'd like to think it was only there to facilitate Linette sharing the story of the "burnt off foot" from the Graphic Novel... but, I still can't shake the feeling that this was yet another scene included to up the shock-value.  To tell the reader that they're reading something "Mature".

11)       Page Six introduces Defendant Jhagur, an amoral "hero" who kills the murderous female in man's clothes from earlier in the book and justifies his own murder with the following logic, "Those whom I choose to execute, the world will not miss." No one in the book is capable of making any sort of intelligent reply to the man's reasoning. (It should also be noted that our "Hero," Jhagur, killed the woman by gutting her like today's market-price special, then driving a large nail into her forehead. Subtle, old Jhagur isn't.)

Interesting and cogent point from Ingersoll here.  Jhagur, who is presumably the "hero" of this story, uses some pretty flawed logic in exacting his revenge.  Like I mentioned in the synopsis, "not sure if that'll hold up in court"... and I'm not talking the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio either!

12)       Pages 7 introduces the Mulgrew family. Father Pete is a construction worker, who has a balloon payment due on his mortgage. In order to meet it Pete plans to sell an artifact that he found in a construction site, where he worked and with which he walked off without telling anyone that he had found it. The fact that under the law said artifact belongs to the owner of the property where it was found, so Pete is guilty of theft doesn't seem to cause Pete much concern. (Concern for the law seems a bit too much to expect of any of the sleeze which inhabit this comic book.) Daughter Colleen seems to be the only likable, innocent person in the entire book. Naturally, she isn't. She is particularly sensitive to the evil emanations of the artifact, i.e. she is inherently evil. By story's end Colleen turns into a flaming, nude harpy-like monster suitable for cliff hangers but little else. (Subtlety doesn't seem to be within The Work's capabilities either. Unfortunately, there is no cause of action applicable for kick-in-the-face writing.)

I'm not sure I follow the criticism here.  At no point is Pete depicted as being morally sound... perhaps altruistic in the "would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family" sort of way, but... he's certainly not a good (or even halfway likable) dude.  As for Colleen, she's little more than a plot contrivance... really can't fault her depiction here for that.  She's the (seemingly) innocent "vessel"... she's only here to push the plot forward.  That said, I do appreciate Bob's suggestion that Colleen's transformation is "suitable for cliff hangers but little else".  I feel like that's a criticism we can levy at a whooooooole lot of comic characters!  Might have to keep that line in my back-pocket for future use...

13)       Pages 8 through 10 show the police. They are, to a man, surly, profane, and taken to pointlessly quoting Bob Dylan songs. Not a likable one in the bunch, although their taste in music isn't bad. (Keep that last sentence in mind. It is the first, last, and only good thing anyone can say about any character in Void Indigo.)

Gotta disagree here... Bob Dylan suuuuuuuuucks.  The rest, however, I guess Ingersoll's got a point.  This gives me the same sort of "douche-chills" I got when I saw Superman quoting Thoreau during the insufferable first chapter of Grounded. 

14)       Delphine appears on Page 11 and reappears on Page 26. Plaintiff would call her a walking eating disorder, if he felt that her legs could possibly carry her own girth. Delphine would have to drop about two hundred pounds before someone could call her simply "fat." Her twin sister, Goodyear, gives us those neat aerial shots of the Super Bowl. When Delphine lies around the house, she really lies around the house; which is good, that way she covers up last years dishes, which are still sitting, unwashed, on top of the bureau. Delphine's house looks like the model for the "Day After the Day the Bombs Fell" issue of Better Hovels and Beer Can Gardens. Delphine also talks with her mouth full, which isn't surprising; it's never empty. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her head. Delphine, if the Court hasn't guessed by now, is a slob, and would be a less agreeable companion than Jack the Ripper on a blind date.

Yes, Ms. Delphine is... uh, excessively Rubenesque.  Lemme give Gerber the benefit of the doubt here... or, at least try.  Plaintiff suggested (in Point 8 of this "filing") that a major theme of Void Indigo is human depravity.  Depravity can be depicted in several ways visually... among them, and I mean it's sort of lazy "low-hanging fruit", is ugliness.  This woman, Delphine, is depicted as being rather unpleasant to look at.  Another bit of visual shorthand for depravity is a "rottenness"... and, ya know being this large tells us that Delphine is rather unhealthy.  While I don't much like looking at Ms. Delphine, I can't really get all that annoyed by her.

15)       Amanda Tower, a friend of the cross-dressing murderer that Plaintiff Jhagur killed earlier, appears on Pages 12 and 13. Ms. Tower has an underworld connection named Taro and does not cooperate with the police to investigate her friend's death. She seems unconcerned that her friend was used as a body double in a Ginsu commercial. Mercifully, she is murdered by Taro on Page 25. Mercifully for Ms. Tower, that is. At least she has escaped from the Defendant and The Work.

I don't see what's the big deal here.  Have comics never featured someone lying to a police officer to protect someone?  This is a very weak point... probably only included to drop the (admittedly clever) gag about Amanda being lucky to escape the work by being murdered herself.

16)       Page 18 features two sexist, racist news men, who delight in making sexist, racist comments about a fellow reporter, because she happens to be oriental, female, and ambitious. They are not nice men. So what else is new?

This criticism I'm wholly on board with... this scene was wayyy over the top with its unsubtle racism and sexism.  Like wildly unsubtle... to the point where it feels like a sixth grader's attempt at establishing characterization.  :ike it was just crammed in here as a lazy (the laziest) way of telling us these two fellas suck.  Interestingly, Plantiff posits that Colleen Mulgrew was the only likable and innocent character... when, I think Debbie might better fill that role.

17)       Pages 20 through 24 introduce Raza, a nude, tattooed physic healer, who magically disrobes her female clients then embraces them passionately, while telling them to "Use me for the pain." And that's in her more lucid moments. Raza isn't exactly unpleasant, just like walking in the rain isn't unpleasant, but she is far from being a positive depiction of a homo sapiens.

Yeah, this entire bit was pretty gross.  I find it interesting that Ingersoll describes Raza as being "tattooed".  In just looking at her, I just assumed she was diseased... maybe she has some sort of flesh-eating bacteria?  She's really just incredibly disturbing... and the scene overall makes me very uneasy.  It was when I got to this scene, in fact, that I second (and third)-guessed even continuing with this review.

(There is more. Unfortunately, I cannot show it all to you. My word processor threatened to turn it self off, if I outlined even one more scene or character.)

18)       Void Indigo #1 is collage of unbalanced, unpleasant, obscene, dishonest, hedonistic, and basically sick, ambulatory refuse anthropomorphically posing as "human beings." And those are just the good guys. It paints the totality of the human race in the bleak terms of Defendant's conception of the cruel, petty, barbaric and cataclysmic world in which he thinks we live. Void Indigo #1 forces the reader to share in Diogenes's search for even one honest man, but with even less hope than Old Diogenes ever had. It portrays the Human Race as debased and depraved and criminal without even one redeeming or marginally good characteristic or member. (No, really! There ain't one nice person in the whole stinking book! Not even a cute little dog or something. Cockroaches avoid this book as being unsanitary.)       This one-sided, labored achromatopsia is the Defendant's written and published description of the Human Race found in Void Indigo #1.

Some big words in that paragraph.  Achromatopsia?  Yowie-Wowie, I bet that got a few high-fives around the office!  That said, however, I'm having trouble disagreeing with Ingersoll... which, ya know, when I started this project, I was about 90% sure I'd be "rebutting" each and every one of his claims.

(Reading the book is not unlike diving head first into an outhouse, and makes anyone who has read it want to bathe immediately. In lye! While I do not mind stories which are unrelentingly depressing and which dwell exclusively on the dark side of humanity, I believe such stories should make a point so as to justify its forcing me to wallow in human excrement. It should not exist solely for the purpose of portraying depravity for the shock value, as Void Indigo does. But what do I know? I also think a story should entertain, which is more than can be said for Defendant Jhagur.)      

19)       The matter published in Void Indigo #1 concerning the Human Race is false and defamatory.

Is it though?  Looks like I actually do get to disagree... at least a little.  I mean, nothing presented here (outside the mystical spike and red-skinned alien resurrection stuff) is completely outside the realm of possibility insofar as human behavior.

• People Cross-Dress (far more taboo/transgressive in ye old 1984)
• People Kill
• People Lie
• People Steal
• People Threaten
• People can be racist
• People gorge themselves on food
• People... uh, visit psychics

While I'll agree 100% that the way these behaviors were depicted in this comic were for pure shock-value... I can't deny that they do exist.  Whether or not it belongs in a comic book... well, that's not for me to say one way or another.

20)       At the time of the publication, Defendant knew that the matter was untrue or could have ascertained that it was untrue with the exercise of reasonable car, such as by looking out the window, for crying out loud!

21)       By reason of the published lies in Void Indigo #1, Defendant Jhagur has libeled the Human Race, injuring its reputation and has suffered great pain and mental anguish to its damage in the sum of fifteen fantasticatrillion impossibidillion dollars and thirty-seven cents.

22)       WHEREFORE, Plaintiff demands judgement:

      First, that the rights of Robert M. Ingersoll and all other members of the Human Race in and to the libel of the Defendant be determined.

      Second, that the Court decree that Robert M. Ingersoll and the Human Race are entitled to damages of fifteen fantasticatrillion impossibidillion dollars and thirty-seven cents.

      Third, that this Court direct the Defendant to pay the amount of damages specified and that he publicly apologize for defaming the Human Race in print in Void Indigo #1. (And if it's within the Court's power, that it direct the Defendant to trade in himself for a Smurf doll, so that he can never again appear anything even remotely as bad.)      

      Fourth, that Robert M. Ingersoll be awarded out of any recovery the expenses, costs, and disbursements incident to the prosecution of this action, including reasonable attorney fees. (I may not sell out my own species, but there's no reason that I can't make a few bucks off of them, is there? Or am I acting too much like a Void Indigo character?)      

JURY DEMAND
23)       Plaintiff hereby demands a trial by a jury of his peers as to all issues in this action. He specifically rejects a jury of the Defendant's peers, as there is no way he wants to meet twelve people like that.


So, there's the Ingersoll vs. Jhagur case from Comics Buyer's Guide... and, ya know... I feel like it was mostly done in fun... though, Bob clearly actually does not like this comic book.  I'm... not sure I can blame him.  In moving from gorgeous painted Graphic Novel to... what looks like watercolors directly from blue-pencil, Void Indigo loses a bit of its special-ness.

Some very rushed-looking art

This no longer feels like "Angry Art"... it now just feels "Angry".  Kind of like the bark of a toothless dog.  Perhaps it's just "edgy" for its time... and can really only be fully appreciated back in 1984... perhaps it's actually just not all that great?  I hate to say it, but... I really didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to.  There were bits that I appreciated... and I feel like, if we remove all of the bitterness, anger, and attempts at being subversive, Void Indigo might've been the sort of story that stood the test of time.

To bring it back around to the realm of this blog's scope: Couldja see this being a new take on Hawkman?  Yeah, there'd probably be a lot left on the cutting-room floor had DC accepted this proposal!  Still, I will say... as unpleasant as this was... it wasn't nearly as boring as Hawkman!

Overall, I swear I remember thinking this was some sort of "high concept" genius-level stuff back in the day... unfortunately, I'm just not quite getting that feeling today.  In the interest of completionism, we'll take a look at the second (and final) issue... along with Steve Gerber's plot for issues #3-6 real soon.

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