Martian Manhunter #1 (May, 1988)
"Fever Dream"
Writer - J.M. DeMatteis
Artist/Colorist - Mark Badger
Letterer - Bob Lappan
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $1.25
Since we discussed Jemm, Son of Saturn yesterday, I figure why not check in with his sometimes analogue J'onn J'onzz the Martian Manhunter? I've had an affinity for the character ever since the bwa-ha-ha era of Justice League. In the year since, I have gone back and checked out his time with what many refer to as Justice League Detroit. He is usually quite a comforting presence, sometimes as the "straight man" among goofballs... other times just as the cornerstone among a pantheon of Godlike characters.
I was quite disappointed when The New 52! revoked his Justice League founder status in favor of Cyborg. I've heard J'onn referred to often as the "heart and soul" of the League... and I find that quite the apt description. He just belongs there... always has, always will.
Now let's turn that "comforting presence" on its ear and take a look at this spooky J.M. DeMatteis and Mark Badger miniseries from the mid-to-late 1980's.
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We open in Gotham City. Batman has cornered a killer whose most recent victim was a young girl of only four-years. The killer seems surprised that he is the target of the Batman, and maintains his innocence. He is suddenly brought back to reality when he realizes he is holding a bloody knife and a baby doll. So shocked is he by this realization that he throws himself off the... I dunno, fire escape (?) he is standing on. Batman leaves and notes that the man really did not know what he had done. It is then that he is approached by a wildly malformed J'onn J'onzz pleading with him for help.
We are soon swept into the titular "fever dream" of J'onn J'onzz. He feels something inside of him... something he cannot touch, or even describe. It is something that shakes him to his very core. Before we get too deep, he awakens... inside the Batcave. He tells Batman that he was the only one he could go to and immediately apologizes for getting him involved. He feels that his association will only endanger him to whatever it is that is haunting him.
He is suddenly troubled by something he perceives as sinister. Batman is confused. He doesn't see whatever it is that has spooked his martian pal. J'onn tries to escape the Batcave, however, Batman protests... thinking him unwell. Batman tries to restrain him, and it ultimately comes to blows. J'onn socks the Batman in the jaw with a thunderous right!
When Batman comes to he is rather thankful that J'onn decided to pull his punch... otherwise, his head would likely be in another area code. As he gathers his druthers... he sees it. The apparition that has J'onn so jumpy. He reaches out to it... but it vanishes just after his hand goes through it. He realizes it just might be time to involve the Justice League.
From here, we get back into the Martian Manhunter's head. He is recounting his past, thinking about his arrival on Earth... and his association with certain Leagues who gather in the name of Justice.
He continues... and the name Erdel comes to mind. Dr. Erdel was the man who unwittingly brought J'onn to Earth. He had shot an energy beam into cross dimensional space... which somehow reentered the "real" universe on Mars... and, again... somehow results in J'onn winding up in the fella's lab. Unfortunately the poor doc's heart couldn't take it... he dropped dead upon seeing our main Martian.
This trip down memory lane somehow brings about the realization that Batman was right... there was no apparition. The entire thing was a result of a fever dream. We learn that during an adventure with the Justice League, J'onn had absorbed a sentient cell... a spore into his body. He sees this as the cause of not only his fever, but his bodily distortion. He refuses to let this "fever dream" defeat him.
Suddenly... the apparition returns. J'onn is steadfast in his belief that this is all just a manifestation of his fever... and ultimately all in his head. The apparition thinks this belief is positively adorable, and taunts J'onn to no end. The word "father" is repeated throughout this sorta battle between the two... the baddie informs J'onn that it sees a sickness in him... a sickness it intends to cure. J'onn breaks away... and flees through the city.
We rejoin Batman as he addresses the Justice League at their New York Embassy. He pleads his case, and requests their aid in assisting the Martian Manhunter. They all seem on board, however, Captain Atom... of all people, is the lone voice of resistance. Well, maybe resistance is a bad word for it... he's just really uncertain. Batman takes this as "whining" and actually calls him out for it. This kind of feels out of character for both of these gentlemen... but what do I know?
The chapter draws to a close back in the mind of the Martian Manhunter. He repeats the word "father" some more... and appears to feel some sort of calling... something might just be calling him home.
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Yeah... this one was a lot of fun. I did not see this coming. I gotta be straight with you... I'm not sure I understood some of it, but the story is so intriguing I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. I'm not sure just what this is that is haunting J'onn... and it's been so long since I've read the Justice League that I have long forgotten whatever this "spore" was.
The Batman bit at the open... really not sure where that's going... or even if it is going anywhere. It's an awfully specific thing to include, so I would imagine it will be addressed down the line. A serial killer whose victims include young children seems a strange thing to add to a story for no reason, right? I will say that Batman appearances are a bit gratuitous, however, in this instance... it both fit and worked.
I gotta give it to J.M. DeMatteis... he does some fine mental/emotional anguish. We really get this... unbalanced... unhinged... and uncomfortable feeling inside of J'onn's head. His memories are repeatedly interrupted by whatever it is inside him... the "sentient cell". There are repeated mentions to "father"... it's all quite nebulous... but I'm sure there is a payoff on the horizon. One that... unfortunately, I'm going to have to track down. This series isn't one I come across all that often... or at all. Gonna have to add the remainder of this series to my "watch list".
Now... the art. I'm sure this is the most contentious bit for most readers. I... really dug it. It's not a style I would seek out... however, for a story such as this... it's really quite fitting. We get strange scenes of body horror... and Mark Badger's art really aids in getting this across... without being too graphic or visceral, which... if you ask me, would not have served this story all that well. This is not supposed to be that kind of story... it is far more cerebral than that. His take on, the Justice League for example, may not be to everyone's (or even my) liking, but I maintain he was the right artist for this project.
Overall... yeah, definitely worth checking out. This isn't a "single issue" recommendation... however, if you come across the entire four-issue mini at a decent price, you shouldn't hesitate to snatch'em up.
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Jemm, Son of Saturn #1 (September, 1984)
"the arrival"
Writer - Greg Potter
Penciller - Gene Colan
Inker - Klaus Janson
Letterer - Bob Lappan
Colorist - Tom Ziuko
Co-Editors - Janice Race & Dick Giordano
Cover Price: $0.75
Today we're going to discuss a comic that... kinda gave me the creeps back in the day. I'd never actually read the comic, however, I would often see the... I wanna say, half-page ads for this when I'd read my back issues of this vintage. It featured a gangly red alien with dead eyes and a blank expression. He stood before a young child. Now I knew it wasn't going to be a scary book... or even an attempt at a horror title... and I knew the red guy was the protagonist as well... there was just something about the ads that really made me feel uncomfortable. I mean, it is Gene Colan art... and he's known for some spooky stuff. I suppose it's all about the context. The image in the ad came without any, which left my mind racing for just what this could be about... and me being, well... me, I tend to take it to a disturbing place. This will be the first time I'm reading this, so let's see just how "scary" this bugger is.
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We open with young Luthor Mannkin walking home through the dangerous streets of Harlem. He appears to be lost in his own imagination as he pretends he is a space ranger hunting down the killer Octo. He turns a corner and finds that reality is far more terrifying than his imagination.
He attempts to flee, however, the alien's wiry fingers ensnare him. He is dragged into the darkness and soon finds himself looking eye to eye with the creature. There is a glowing jewel on the alien's head... and he uses it to zap young Luthor.
We shift scenes to one that is... somewhat similar. This time we're following Luthor's older brother Lincoln Mannkin as he walks home through Harlem. He is pulled into an alley by street hustler, Reginald. He's quite a character... ends every sentence with "m'man". Now, apparently Lincoln owes a Claudius Tull a grip o' the green... and Reginald is here to collect. He gives Linc until the next night to pay up.
Lincoln returns home to his blind grandfather where he is mistaken for his younger brother. This causes Linc to fly off the handle and start reading the geezer the riot act for only caring about young Luthor. He then proceeds to make a phone call to a scumbag associate named Vin... despite the old man's protests.
Back in the alley, Luthor and the spaceman get better acquainted. Luthor realizes that he only got "zapped" because his new pal was just as scared as he was. This was the image that was on that creepy house ad. Luthor insists the spaceman return home with him... and before they leave, the creature morphs into his superhero-esque outfit.
Meanwhile... in New Jersey, some NASA scientists are huddled around a strange spacecraft... or just a spacecraft, the "strange" would be implied. Here we meet a pair of engaged scientists... a sassy female, and a reserved fella. I definitely have my doubts on the mortality rate of at least one of them...
... Speaking of which... suddenly a pair of robo-alien sentries present themselves and blasts the sassy female scientist. Whoops.
We return to the boy and his alien as they enter the Mannkin apartment. Here our man meets "gramps". During the introductions, he is able to eek out that his name is "Jemm", which the Mannkins immediately mistake as "Jim". He is welcomed "home", and is told he'll be cared for.
After a brief visit with the NASA folks, we get confirmation that the lady did in fact die.
Back at the apartment, the Mannkins and Jemm are sitting around the dinner table awaiting Linc's return. As they hear him stomping down the hallway, Luthor decides to hide Jemm in the bedroom so that they can surprise his big brother. Little does he know, however, that Lincoln is not alone... he has with him the snappily-dressed Vin!
They remain in hiding while Linc and Vin devise their plan. We repeatedly hear that Vin has "the equipment", which I assume is a euphemism for a firearm... and whattayaknow... it is. They have invited Reginald over, and upon his arrival... they jump him.
As luck would sadly have it... Reginald, regardless of his attire... is not a stupid man... and he did not come alone. With him is the giant plunder-man himself... Bouncer. The big guy proceeds to whup every fool in there...
... Which causes Luthor and Jemm to emerge from the bedroom. Jemm and Bouncer enter into a struggle, which ends with Jemm blasting him with his... er, gem.
In the distraction, Reginald snatched young Luthor and took off with him to the roof. Shortly, Jemm is hovering in front of them. Before he is able to act, however, blind gramps tackles Reginald... causing all three to go flying off the roof!
Jemm has to act fast, and is only able to save one falling human. He obviously chooses Luthor. Which, at first, delights the lad to no end. That is, until he realizes that Jemm wasn't able to also save his grandfather.
Jemm begins to cry... and Luthor realizes that he didn't "choose" to let his grandfather die... he "chose" to let him live. Jemm scoops gramps up, and the two proceed down a darkened street. In the foreground, we get a shot of the strange robo-aliens from the crash site. To be continued...
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Well now, that wasn't scary at all... was it? It was actually a great little opener. It's almost like we get a series of vignettes featuring members of the Mannkin family, which then weave together into the story that will go forward. Very impressive storytelling and an inspired route to get where we need to be by chapter's close.
Since this is an inner-city story, it's not all that difficult to guess where this one was going... but, that isn't a bad thing... especially when the characterization and art are so solid. There are such feelings of frustration and unease bubbling right under the surface all throughout this piece. Each character has their motivations, and I feel, believes they are being altruistic in their attempts to make things better for the Mannkin family.
I was quite pleased that the NASA bits were kept to a minimum. When we first met the doomed scientist couple, I was afraid that we were going to rapidly lose the character aspects of this story and have it turn into a straight-up science fiction type romp. I do... eventually see it going that way... it almost has to. But, for now... I'm glad it's more about a boy and his alien than super-secret-government-yadda-yadda storytelling.
I do have one complaint... and it's a strange one... the lettering! The lettering here is strange. Captions and word balloons are positively packed with verbiage... and in many instances... hell, most instances... there did not appear to be proper spacing between words. It isn't often I get distracted by lettering, which I guess is why it stood out to me so here.
Overall, a great story... if the lettering was better, this would be an immediate recommendation. I hate that my reservations with this one comes from an aspect of the books that many people ignore... or neglect, but this was a difficult read. There were pages where I had to take my glasses off and push my face almost into the page to try and decipher the words.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1 (December, 1995)
"Patterns of Fear"
Writer - Roger Stern
Penciller - Anthony Williams
Inker - Andy Lanning
Letterer - Pat Prentice
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Editor - Dan Thorsland
Cover Price: $2.95
I've been in kind of a Batgirl kinda place these past few days... been revisiting (and visiting for the first time) some of the more seminal moments for the character, Barbara Gordon or whoever is under the cowl. The issue we're going to talk about today was, obviously, part of 1995's Underworld Unleashed crossover where, per the cover copy, Oracle is going to face her ultimate temptation. It doesn't take a super genius to see where this one is going, right?
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We open at Oracle's Clocktower. She is narrating this piece, discussing the severe spike in crime and such oddities as five of the Flash's rogues dying... separately... but at the same time. There is certainly something strange in the air this night... and she soon learns that "that something" is... a poncy blonde dude in one of Wilson Fisk's suits... either that, or the horrid mullet she is sporting here.
He talks to her... rather calmly, but with a gravelly timbre. Her first instinct it to reach for her escrima sticks... however, no sooner does she grab them than they vanish out of existence. They reappear in the man's hands, as he tsk tsks her for acting so foolish. He tells her that he's not here for anything "sinister", rather he just wants a look into her files. Like, her Oracle files... no double-entendre implied...
From here we enter into a makeshift Underworld Unleased Secret Files and Origins bit. We learn a bit about some of the players in the story, and about some of the changes they had recently undergone. For those not in the know, this blonde fella is *spoiler alert* Neron... the Underworld Unleashed event consisted of him "powering up" folks in exchange for their, say it with me... mortal souls. As an example, I'll include an image of the "new look" Killer Moth for the dear reader's bemusement.
Now, it gets a bit wacky. We've got Oracle giving the fella a guided tour of her files. He asks who her sources are, which is really a strange question for someone as knowledgeable about the world as Ner-- the blonde guy. She picks up on this right away, but the thing of it is... yeah, Neron knows... he just wants to make her say it. He's a pretty messed up fella. Babs' response? Hold up a cross!
Neron's all "that's adorable" and plucks the crucifix out of her hand... he then turns it on her, and instead of Christ being on the cross... it's James Gordon. Yup, Neron's pretty messed up.
We go back into the Secret Files for a few more pages, and when we return, Barbara remembers that not all of her files are online (or on-line as this mid 1990's book says). It just so happens that she has a folded file that hasn't been uploaded (up-loaded?) as of yet... so she hides it behind her back. This, as you might imagine, does not work out so well. Neron poofs the files away like he did with the escrimas earlier.
At this point, Barbara knows for sure that the man in front of her is Neron... and she calls him out on it. This amuses him, and he dramatically sheds his Kingpin clothes and causes flames to surround him... which lasts for all of one panel.
We go back into the files, and Neron becomes curious. Her files are so exhaustive, yet... for whatever reason (wink wink), seem to be lacking in information on... the Joker. Why, clearly Barbara should know a thing or two about him, right?
Neron mentally tortures Oracle with images of the Joker and a pretty decent recreation of the events of The Killing Joke. As she attempts to flee, her wheelchair morphs into a grotesque arm and hand covered mess... holding her in place.
After another trip into the files, we return to see Barbara's wheelchair being held up by two Batgirls. Here is where the temptation begins. Neron wants to... hire Barbara as an "archivist" in exchange for, ya know... fixing her shattered spine.
She hesitates... and he only sweetens the deal. In addition to fixing her spine, he will give her invulnerability on par with Superman. He gets into real Billy Mays mode, and throws in yet another piece... if she joins him, he'll let her keep her soul! It looks like she might go for it for a moment... when he asks if they've got a deal, she gives a very... verrrrry 1990's, "We do........ NOT!", whoa... party on, Babs!
 |
| ..... NOT! |
Neron, actually being a decently intelligent villain just replies with a "Very well then." and rather than waste his time, turns to leave. This was certainly not the response Barbara was expecting, as she begins to protest... thinking the other show must be about to drop. Neron turns back and tells her he has no reason, good or bad, to deal with her any longer. He walks through the Clocktower wall, and out of Barbara's life. As he vanishes, she yells "Wait--!", perhaps because she wants more information... or... or, perhaps because she fears she just missed out on the deal of a lifetime.
--
Let's face it... this issue gave us the exact story we were expecting, right? Not a bad thing in the slightest... it was still very well done. Having Barbara faced with someone as powerful of Neron is a decent novelty. For all of her talents and intellect... there is literally nothing she can do to Neron.
We get yet another call back to that story... ya know, The Killing Joke. I have no problem with this. I know a lot of folks do (especially lately, for whatever reason)... but, ya know... it's part of the character's history. It makes complete sense to cite it here, as the entire impetus for the "deal" is predicated on that story having happened. Neron would obviously use it to torment Barbara... considering he's trying to sway her to his side.
Now... it's gotta be said... this is an ugly book. Like, really ugly... Barbara's mullet is truly a sight to behold, and that's not even the worst of it. It looks like a disposable backup story from an issue of X-Men Unlimited or something. That, along with the muddy colors and terrible mid-90's glossy paper makes this one a toughie to look at.
I would definitely recommend this for the story and the "secret files and origins" bits... the art though... oy... it's a tough sell. I guess I can safely say if you come across this in the cheap-o bins, it's something you ought to snag... otherwise, it depends on your Barbara Gordon mileage. If you're a fan, you'll likely dig this.
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