Yes, Yap, I don't have a lot of friends my age, thank you.

Even though he'd get a full, if brief, series after this; I don't remember if this was received well. I feel like it wasn't ideologically pure enough, somehow, for actual anarchists; or maybe I just saw somebody grousing about it recently. Still, setting the hero up with the doubly-impossible mission of somehow changing society, when society has got freaking Batman enforcing the status quo, confirms failure is the only option. But, there are lessons to be learned from this one, like explaining about every poor person that goes against their own best interests and votes Republican. From 1997, Anarky #2, "Metamorphosis, Part 2: Revolution Number 9" Written by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

Occasional Bat-villain Lonnie Machlin, Anarky, had by this point "fused the hemispheres of his brain together," vastly increasing his intelligence. He was working on a project that he thought would save the world, particularly from "priests, parasites, and politicians!" Part of his plan hinged on using quartz batteries to absorb mystic energies, and in the previous issue he had gotten some from Etrigan the Demon, nearly dying in the process. But Etrigan hadn't been able to tell Lonnie anything about the nature of evil; so next stop, Apokolips. As three escaped workers are about to be executed, Anarky teleports in, with his captured demon Blasfemy, and interrupts things; which draws the attention of Darkseid. Or, at least, "an avatar" of him: the guards are Omega Beam'ed for their failure, and the workers sentenced to report for "torture and death," which they do meekly. Through insolence and piquing Darkseid's interest, Anarky manages to wheedle a meeting with him; where he asks about evil. What was the point of Apokolips and all that suffering?

Darkseid does roll out the cliche "good and evil are only relative," which Anarky had expected; but Darkseid also demonstrates how he allows hope, just so he can crush it. He considers crushing Anarky as well, but does find him bold and intelligent; at least until Anarky tries to use his back-up teleporter to escape and fails miserably. (I think the same thing happened in Robin Annual #1, where his back-up plan also failed, leaving him up a creek.) Worse, Blasfemy breaks free from his control, but is nowhere near a match for even an avatar of Darkseid, and the demon is destroyed. Anarky knows he's done, but tells Darkseid he'll die knowing he was right; and Darkseid decides to let him live...perhaps so he could learn otherwise.

Before he goes, though; Darkseid shows him the escaped workers: they had been promoted, and were now overseers. Even though they were themselves covered with scars, that didn't seem to slow their whipping hands in the slightest, as they repeat the same slogans they used to be beaten with. This stuck with me, and I hate that page so much, because Darkseid's right: everybody thinks, someday they'll be the one with the whip, and then look out.

Darkseid returns Anarky to earth, but Anarky explains to his dog Yap, "Science is magic explained." He had absorbed more energy, and his plan was moving forward...Next issue, Batman beats the tar out of an orphan he didn't adopt! And, looking it up, Alan Grant really liked the original Anarky limited but not the ongoing, which he took just to get Breyfogle work. (Breyfogle was the Batman artist for years, until he just wasn't; I don't think DC did right by him.) Pre-New 52, Lonnie was crippled, and replaced with a more generically-villainous Anarky; because that's easier. He has appeared in the new continuity but scarcely a shell of the old version; and I'd say Anarky was past due for re-assessment: not unlike Poison Ivy, he may have been considered a villain but was in the right more often than not, if you can stand to look. Read more!

I was expecting this one to be a little more half-assed, as he was about to lose his support and his title, but not terrible: from 2009, Robin #181, "Search for a Hero, part 5: Pushing Buttons, Pulling Strings" Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Freddie Williams II. 

The creative team and Robin may or may not know it yet, but there were only two more issues after this one: the series ran from 1993 to 2009, but DC was going to push Damian Wayne from here on out. This issue is also mid-crossover, or still reeling from one: Bruce Wayne was currently dead, in Batman R.I.P. While Tim was maybe the only one who didn't think Bruce was dead, his hands were also full with a gang war, crooked cops, an imposter Red Robin, and now the return of Anarky. Those last two may be related, though.

I enjoyed the hell out of the Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Anarky series, which fell into a trap somewhat unusual in superhero comics: the hero absolutely can not let things return to "normal," because normal is pretty much garbage. (I think of Doom 2099 hitting the same wall...) So I was prepared to not be thrilled by his return, but Nicieza may have a workable explanation that involves another of Tim's villains (or one I associate with him?) but may make 'Anarky' just another Gotham nut that wants to watch the world burn. Spoiler is also getting a variation of a common storyline for her: Batman had left instructions for her, to try and make Tim a better Robin, that of course get completely out of hand. No 'spoiler,' (boo!) but I'll tell you Tim ends up mad at Steph when he should be furious with Bruce.

Tim had also suffered what appear to be pretty severe burns--the back of his head looks like Two-Face territory, but he just shrugs it off as "no domino mask today" and goes with the Red Robin suit.

It took me some time to get the final issue of this series, which we'll probably see later this year; but I was surprised to find a vein of late-run issues of Robin. But, I wonder if the print runs weren't higher than usual for a book about to be cancelled: I'm not sure it was for lack of sales, but to change characters for editorial reasons. I'm pretty sure DC had done the same to the Cassandra Cain Batgirl as well; so at least in this case they're seemingly trying to move forward, but in a way that would largely leave Tim out in the cold. Read more!

"The End" Week: Anarky #8!

In comics, sometimes the last issue is used to wrap up all the dangling plotlines and bring some closure to a story. And sometimes, it catches the creative team a bit more by surprise, and storylines are left unresolved. Today's book brought up a point that wasn't intended to be the last word on the hero but kind of was: Anarky #8, "The Sins of the Father" Written by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

Lonnie Machin, the young hero known as Anarky, has tracked his birth-mother to an asylum. In case that wasn't troubling enough, she tells him his dad...is the Joker. Her mind damaged by Joker-gas, Anarky can't be sure if that's the truth, so he breaks into Arkham to get answers from the horse's mouth. This is a terrible idea, made either better or worse by Anarky leaving his weapons and computer linkup outside, since he can't risk the Joker getting them; before using his boom tube to teleport inside.

Where the Joker is already mid-escape. Quickly overpowered, Anarky questions the Joker, who may be lying or may be too insane to honestly answer. Joined by Two-Face, Killer Croc, and the Ventriloquist; they quickly take several guards hostage, keeping them alive only at Anarky's suggestion. He offers to boom tube them all out, but the Joker makes him swear on it; and Anarky's philosophy of "profound honesty" makes him hesitate. The Joker shotguns Anarky, but his kevlar costume saves him. Freeing the guards and ditching the weapons, the Joker's escape is foiled, but he tosses Anarky's boom tube device over a railing, leaving him to jump for it.

Outside the asylum, an understandably freaked out Anarky rides off, trying to tell himself "genes don't determine, they only predispose..." He really didn't have to worry that much, though: this plotline, suggested by Breyfogle, was opposed by then Batman-editor Denny O'Neil; but Grant convinced him they could do it and if needed, recant later. (Per Anarky's huge wikipedia page.) It also doesn't quite track unless the Joker had been around for over fifteen years or so. And I can't believe the rational mind of Anarky would put any faith in two madpeople--he probably would've done a DNA test before listening to a word out of either of their mouths. Still, I have to admit, he could've been rattled on that one.
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Since I'm running behind, here's Anarky vs. R'as al Ghul:

...and it gets worse for Lonnie, in Anarky #5, "War and Peace, part two" Written by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Joe Rubinstein. When Anarky intercepts launch codes that R'as al Ghul is trying to use to destroy humanity, he quickly finds himself in over his head. Beaten, tortured, and with his own symbol carved in his chest, Anarky has no choice but to give up the codes. (They were on him, so they would've been found; but that never happens to Batman...)

R'as leaves his men to dispose of Anarky, who manages to escape by jumping out of a moving van into a river. Beaten, bleeding, and freezing; at the end of the issue he still manages a pose reminiscent of Wolverine in X-Men #132. Really need to find that next issue now...

Should have my lazy hide back in gear tomorrow. Here's hoping.
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He wouldn't approve of one, but I don't see Anarky getting an action figure anyway...

Good lord, I was going to brush up on Anarky's history at his wikipedia page, and it's friggin' huge. Out of his early appearances, I know I read his debut in Detective Comics, his early run-ins with Tim Drake, and his self-titled limited series. I don't think I read today's book when it came out, though: his short-lived regular series, Anarky #1, "Aberration, part one: Power Play" Written by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, Anarky's co-creators. (Inks by Joe Rubinstein.)

After the Bat-Quake event, Batman gives Anarky the "Stay out of Gotham" speech. Like Gotham is Bats' personal hunting ground, and other vigilantes need a license from him...Lonnie Machin, the sixteen-year-old known as Anarky, has lost his parents in the quake; and sets up a new base beneath the Washington Monument. (By this point, Lonnie has not only increased his own intelligence; he has a variety of stolen technology, including a Boom Tube.)

While his major "war is against all parasites--from the major politicians who bleed whole countries dry, to street-scum..." Lonnie has discovered, via math proof, an Aberration that could negate the universe's laws of space and time. As Anarky, he gives his information to the JLA, who are skeptical. As abnormal events begin, Lonnie wants to get a big gun like Green Lantern on the case, and follows a battle between Kyle and Fatality. After a ship crashes, Anarky is able to score a power ring, with which he plans to stop the Aberration...which has just manifested physically. (Anarky does take a moment with the ring to toss a statue of Senator "Gerry Mander" into space. The motto on the statue reads "Our divisions should not lead us to anarchy.")

I've enjoyed a lot of Anarky's stories, but he has to be a tough character to write. Moreso even than Batman, his goal is to save the world and improve humanity's lot, but Anarky is more about social action than punching criminals in the face. Well, Anarky does that do. But he's a bit like Dr. Doom; that is, the Doom from the 2099 books under Warren Ellis. Or the Authority, know that I think about it: none of them wanted to leave the world the way they found it, and they had the intelligence, drive, and resources to fix it...and then what? Not only would that suck the drama out of the book, it would make the various other characters in their respective shared universes look like they dropped the ball. Failure is the only option.

(Actually, I could see that as a Batman story: from the crack of dawn, Bruce Wayne uses his vast resources and wealth to fight the roots of crime: improved housing and job opportunities. More funding for drug and family and psychological counseling. More research and development for alternative energy. Even more equipment and staffing for Gotham's police and Batman, Inc. After an eighteen-hour day, Bruce looks out over his city...and there's still crime. Five minutes later, Batman is flat-out knuckle-busting criminals.)

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