While John Ostrander's work on Suicide Squad is a fondly remembered cult classic, I liked Manhunter better. I'm already in the minority, but then I liked the Mark Shaw version better than any of DC's sixty other Manhunters. Even more than Paul Kirk...mmm, maybe not, but close.
In the first few pages of his debut issue, Mark stalks the Penguin, who had been just about reformed in his last appearance. Didn't take.
Even though I stumbled back across this issue first, I had been looking for the house ad for Manhunter: the subscription pitch was for the first three issues packaged with a Manhunter mask. Did anyone get that thing? Was it cardboard? I loved the mask design, but it only worked when Doug Rice was drawing the book. Rice was one of the first to bring a manga/anime inspired look to American comics; I mentioned his and Ostrander's Dynamo Joe a coupla hundred posts ago.
Shaw was allegedly killed in a b-lister massacre in Eclipso, then brought back in the last issue of Steven Grant's Manhunter series, and has since appeared a few times with the most recent, Kate Spencer Manhunter. Later this year, DC Direct has a Green Lantern box set, with a battle-damaged robot Manhunter; and will have a figure for Paul Kirk as well. But I'd still love the Shaw one. And over at Title Undetermined, the home of former Batman Azrael, I saw a while back (before Manhunter went on hiatus) that Shaw may have fallen in with Azrael's Order of St. Dumas. I maintain, that mask is gonna look sharp on Azrael's costume. Just a thought.
Panels from Manhunter #1, written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, pencils by Doug Rice, inks by Sam Kieth.
Fixed the links. Did I miss any? I read a lotta blogs...hell, it's cheaper than actually reading comics.
2 comments:
I really only know Mark Shaw from the current Manhunter book, but he's been portrayed very well there, I think. He's certainly an interesting character.
Oh, and Sean Connery is still the best Bond. *sigh* He's just so dreamy.
Manhunter (Mark Shaw) was my favourite comic growing up, hope it gets released digitally soon!
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