Random Happenstance

I read a friend's copies of this when it was first coming out; it may have been years before I got it for myself, but I'm making up for it by buying it every time I see one in the quarterbin, apparently. From 1987, Marshal Law #1, "Stars and Strippers" Created and written by Pat Mills, created and art by Kevin O'Neill.

Flipping through it just now, I was surprised how straight it was: later ML stories would be much more parody and more overtly funny, but this read as more traditional hard-boiled action. The caption boxes feel very much of their time, as we have an omniscient narrator, then narration from serial killer Sleepman, his victim, failed hero Sorry the Nearly Man, the Marshal himself, and Suicida. All of whom have problems. Short recap: the government put billions into creating super-soldiers, then apparently not a single thought to reintegrating them into society or what to do with them afterwards. Marshal Law polices the 'heroes' in post-earthquake San Francisco. He probably enjoys his job a little too much; but as the series goes on it becomes apparent he hates them because he hates himself. Still, he seems to have enough hate for everybody; he doesn't seem to be running short anytime soon.

If you check the TV Tropes page for the good Marshal, there's an amusing possible book endorsement quote from Alan Moore.