Well, this'll definitely fall under the "scanproof books" tag; but it's one I remember seeing the house ads for, and didn't think I'd ever happen across. From 1989, Demon Knight: A Grimjack Graphic Novel, written by John Ostrander, art by Flint Henry. Cover by Keith Parkinson. 

The extradimensional city Cynosure is having a bit of a temporal crisis, which doesn't really seem like a job for Grimjack, but in a pinch, man. His current incarnation, James Twilley, gets sent back to the Demon Wars, which might give him a second chance to save his lost love Rhian and her world Pdwyr from being betrayed to the demons. Or, is this just another opportunity for the universe to kick him in the teeth and going to end in him losing her again...? No spoilers, but c'mon, this was Grimjack. 

This was an 8.5" x 11" book, kinda the same format as the old Marvel Graphic Novels, and it feels like forever since I had read a book in that style! Glad to have it.

Read more!

"The End" Week: Grimjack #81!

We saw the previous issue some time back--three and a half years ago! I guess we've waited long enough. From 1991, Grimjack #81, "Final Acts" Written by John Ostrander, pencils by Flint Henry, inks by Bruce Patterson.

The high school friends of the man they knew as James Twilley are more than a little concerned at his recent actions as Grimjack: to try and save his family from karmic foreclosure, he had threatened the family of vengeful adjudicator Jagart with death. Even though Jagart wouldn't back down, that still seemed like a bit much; and Jagart had ordered a illegal hit on Grimjack, which was on top of the usual batch that wouldn't mind seeing him dead. One by one the Twilley's are 'foreclosed' upon, with one selling out their own sister to try and save himself. Jagart's family is seemingly abducted, forcing him to take up arms himself.

Although his friends try to help, in the ensuing shootout Grimjack is eventually shot down, since he won't kill his old friend Spook, who had been retroactively corrupted by his old foe the Major. (If I have this right, in a previous issue, the Major had travelled back in time to become a father-figure to her, so when Grimjack killed him she would avenge him.) But, much as he might talk a big game, Grimjack wasn't hard enough to kill innocents: Jagart's family was unharmed, although more than a little mad, disowning him. He was also found to have abused his position, and the karmic debt was passed to him, with any surviving Twilley's to be freed. If any; we don't see them here, since there were only two pages left! Jagart kills himself, while Twilley's friends mourn him, Munden's Bar closes, and...curtain.

Also this issue: the conclusion of the back-up "Youngblood," the horrible childhood of young John Gaunt. (Written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, art by Steve Pugh.) Either by intention or a lucky accident, good thing it ended here, since this was the last monthly issue of Grimjack, as First Comics had intended to transition away from monthly 32-page "floppies" to 48-page squarebound books. Only a few actually reached publication, though; and Grimjack wouldn't return to comics shelves until 2005. Ostrander and co-creator Tim Truman appear to have gotten the rights back; and there may be more projects with some version of him, someday. 

Hmm, I don't think I've gotten around to the last issue of Nexus, but the second-to-last features a cameo by a Grimjack-looking type! And before I even started doing these "The End" posts, we looked at holiday favorite Badger #70, another of First's last issues at the very end.

Read more!

This isn't sexual harassment, it's, uh, part of your training! Sure.

We mentioned Trekker the other day, and based on the description for the Ominbus I'd guess I've read...maybe a third of the series? More than I'd have guessed. I had thought there was a bit more; like today's series, which I've read maybe 10% of? From 1991, Grimjack #80, "Behind Blue Eyes" Written by John Ostrander, pencils by Flint Henry, inks by Bruce Patterson.

Karma can be a bitch, especially when you invested in the junk bond version of it: James "Grimjack" Twilley's family is up to their elbows in bad debt, after a financial crash on Cynosure that might be Grimjack's doing...He was off the hook since he had long since been disowned, but his dad and brothers were facing liquidation. Possibly literally. Grimjack notes that's a little harsh for this kind of thing, but the "adjudicator" handling the case won't cut a deal, and is going to throw the book at them. His baby sister has already been sold into prostitution...

Confronting the adjudicator, Grimjack realizes the problem: it's former warden Jagart, who he had previously conned into getting a pardon. Jagart was going to get his revenge through his family; and this seems like the kind of problem that could be solved with violence, but Grimjack decides to try a different tack.

It's going to come to a confrontation, but the stakes and the tension ratchet up more before the close: Grimjack tries to call in some favors, including contacting a dead wizard; but sees his own afterlife as a blasted wasteland, indicating his own karma might not be doing so well. Jagart receives a note (possibly, but possibly not from Grimjack) indicating for each one that dies, he would lose a member of his rosy-cheeked, Puritan-looking family. Columbo makes a cameo as a cop telling Jagart that note wasn't really enough to go on, and Jagart's superiors suggest maybe he shouldn't abuse his power (or press his luck) by going after Grimjack's family; they weren't going to waste the expenditure (or lives) defending his family if it came down to it. His wife says they are "sacrifices on the altar of (his) pride!" and has a point, but Jagart can't back down. Instead, he goes to have an illegal hit put on Grimjack; as Grimjack's dad is headed to "default."

I had thought this might be the last issue of the series when I grabbed it, but I'll definitely have to watch for the conclusion: Jagart only had twenty thousand credits, which I'm guessing doesn't buy the kind of quality hitters that could give Grimjack the serious hassle, but I want to see if I was wrong.
Read more!

Even though I haven't read a ton of Grimjack comics, I love the concept of Cynosure, the multi-dimensional city touched by every reality. It gives the writer free reign for anything: dimensions of funny animals, dimensions of monsters, dimensions of giant robots, all in today's comic: from 1987, Grimjack #30, "Blood and Duty" Written by John Ostrander, pencils by Doug Rice, inks by "Screamin' Demons."

This issue touches on a plot point from Dynamo Joe: before the giant robot battlesuits were ready to face the invading Mellenares, other-dimensional mercenaries like Grimjack and his pal Blacjac had been used to fill in the gap. It had also been kept a secret, possibly because the rank-and-file soldier may not have been ready for that kind of knowledge; but when a borrowed warp-drive unit sends the battlesuit Dynamo Joe to Cynosure, Grimjack recognizes it.

Grimjack gets aboard the suit, which landed in a dimension where "high-grade tech acquires low-level sentience," and had been going a little nuts. With some help from Joe's pilots Daro and Pomru, Grimjack is able to get the mech back where it belongs, with the extorted promise to not tell anyone about any of it.

Also this issue: funny animal adventure with "Gwimbear"! Punched into another dimension several issues back, Lord Phaeton has been waiting for a chance for revenge against Grimjack, which may be coming...This issue was featured in a house ad for First Comics, but I only got it recently.
Read more!

Strictly speaking, not a Nexus artist...

...but Luke McDonnell did the art, and Mike Baron the story, for Crossroads #5. A five-issue, prestige format, limited series from First Comics, Crossroads brought together most of First's titles at that time, rotating two or more per issue: Sable, Whisper, Badger, Luther Ironheart (of American Flagg!, Judah Maccabee all appear; Judah also guests here with Dreadstar, Grimjack, and Nexus. When Vanth Dreadstar crosses over into the pan-dimensional junction Cynosure; the Merk is more than a little upset: he's an insane alien who tasks Nexus to kill mass-murderers, and Vanth destroyed his reality's Milky Way galaxy. (Back in Jim Starlin's Metamorphosis Odyssey, which is like the one chunk of Dreadstar I've never read; but frankly, it didn't come up a lot...) Calling Dreadstar "the Anti-Nexus," the Merk rather forcibly sets the reluctant Nexus on him. Vanth does have one piece of luck: running across John Gaunt, a.k.a. Grimjack. Gaunt gives Vanth the head's-up on Cynosure's hit-and-miss laws of physics. Determined to track down Dreadstar, Nexus blows up Munden's Bar; and I don't know why it is called that, since it's Grimjack's bar. After that, it's on, and a sidetrip to a no-power dimension later, Nexus gets a good deal of comeuppance. The whole issue could be subtitled "Honorable men can differ," and in the end Judah, Horatio, and John share a drink at a different bar; with Horatio promising full restitution. But, somewhat differently for a crossover series like this, there would be repercussions in Nexus' home book: this would be the final straw for Horatio, who would quit as Nexus in issue #52. Read more!