The twist wasn't Identity Crisis-level bad, but I still booed the reveal.

Don't let this put you off getting them, but the day I got my shots, I felt pretty good and had fun getting DVD's the rest of the day; then the next day was really muddled through work and had a brutal headache in the afternoon. Then I took a nap, read some comics, and am all better? Even if they weren't my favorite comics: from 2019, Event Leviathan #1-6, written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Alex Maleev.

This feels mean to say, and might not be completely accurate, but it feels like Bendis is following the same path as Chris Claremont, and maybe even Jack Kirby: coming over from Marvel, they were seen as a big get for DC, then their DC stuff maybe didn't take off as expected. (Were the New Gods or the Demon big for DC at first? Sure, they made hay off of them over the years, but...) Event Leviathan was a spy/detective story, as the detectives try to figure out, what happened to all the spies? The big spy/clandestine organizations of the DC Universe--Argus, Spyral, the D.E.O., Cadmus, and probably Kobra on the bad guys side--are all seemingly wiped out; everyone that worked for them gone, even the buildings destroyed. Amanda Waller and Sam Lane are both attacked, with Waller disappearing and Lane hospitalized after a heart attack. Batgirl and Green Arrow are taken, with GA returned and Batgirl offered a spot in the new organization Leviathan was putting together. Several people are framed or set up as patsies, including Steve Trevor and the Red Hood. Even Lois is seen as a potential suspect, or a red herring, by some.

With Superman gone for part of this, Lois Lane teams up with Batman, and they put together a team of detectives to work the case: Plastic Man, the Kate Spencer Manhunter, GA, the Question, and Damian. Lois also sets up a group of mostly magic-types to work it as well: Zatanna, Constantine, Ralph Dibny, Harvey Bullock, Deathstroke. Damian maybe figures out the motive, telling a story Alfred had told him, about how being a spy largely blows: like so many jobs, it maybe isn't about what you actually accomplish, as much as it's about looking busy. Still, Leviathan seems to be going out of his (or her!) way, to avoid a big body count: it's implied that most of the missing spies joined him (or her!) in a mission to make the world for-real better, by revealing everyone's secrets, all at once. Still, I don't think Leviathan's reveal was fair play, even if you had been reading DC comics non-stop since the mid-80's or longer, but there are clues! Spoilers after the break! Batgirl was offered a job: Leviathan had worked with her as Oracle before, almost from the start. Bullock had been involved with Checkmate back in the day, which had a crossover with Suicide Squad and some other books. Manhunter realizes she's being set up as a suspect, and her tech is bugged with super-science. Leviathan tries to explain his goals to Superman, and reveals himself, as Mark Shaw, the 80's Manhunter! Making this like his second heel turn, after being used to kill some of the others that had used the name in Kate's book. Sam Lane had become aware of the discontent in the intelligence communities, with intelligent and good-intentioned people frustrated by never getting anything done: he had meant it as warning, Mark took it as a roadmap for action. He tries to turn Superman, revealing that Spyral had files for contingencies labeled--apparently literally--"things to do in case the Son of Superman hits puberty badly."

Actually, Mark probably had some heel-turns before I started reading him: he had been the Privateer and the Star-Tsar in old Justice League of America issues. I don't love the new mask at all though; either the full Leviathan one or the partial eyepatch like one, which maybe is a callback his Privateer days? Lois Lane writes an expose revealing Mark's new identity, but she didn't really have to do a lot of investigative work: he told Superman, who tells her, fairly straightforwardly. There's also a bit of Manhunter history, which New 52 either glosses over or outright cuts out Millennium: the Manhunters were basically the Green Lantern Corps before Green Lanterns, and had liberated multiple worlds...just not earth, which Shaw describes as "unfair," "total chaos," and "a circus." He's not wrong, but good luck bucking that status quo with Superman, Batman, etc. protecting it.

I can't quite tell if this is something anybody could've figured out: somebody had told me Manhunter was in this, but I assumed--rather, hoped--they just meant Kate Spencer. Plotwise I might not love it, but Bendis's real strength is dialogue, and there are some zingers here and there; although there's too many characters for anyone to get a lot. Read more!

Aw, it's the one with "Do You Want to Build a Snowman," not the one with "Danny Boy."

So, the song "Danny Boy" was in a playlist of songs for the Preacher TV show, but the YouTube video for it referenced Miller's Crossing, which I somehow don't think I had seen until recently: the below scene isn't really a spoiler, and the rest of the movie isn't as violent, but god that scene's cool. But when I think of that song, I'm thinking of the Question, but that reference was in the first two issues, not this one! From 1987, the Question #3, "Suffer the Children..." Written by Dennis O'Neil, pencils by Denys Cowan, inks by Rick Magyar.

In the previous issue, singing "Danny Boy," the faceless Question confronts Reverend Hatch, who had ordered his death in the series opener. Hatch seems broken, but the Question's concentration is broken by the sudden appearance of his ex, Myra, who had been forced into marrying the drunken Mayor Fermin. Hatch cracks the Question in the shoulder with a fireplace poker, then gets kicked into said fireplace, and goes out a fairly high window while on fire! It would be a dramatic escape for Batman, but Hatch merely seems to be put out and wrapped in a blanket by cops later; as Myra calls him a monster, and the real power in the scheme. Myra explains to Vic, not knowing who he really was, that Hatch had ordered a busload of kids blown up, to discredit the mayor's enemies. Myra shows serious grit, as she gets the Question past her drunken incompetant of a husband and the cops; while Vic was in shock from seeing her, and the revelation that she had a daughter, currently living in the same orphanage he grew up in.

Hatch had outsourced the bombing to freelance terrorist Benno Musto, who needed the cash to finance getting back at another client that had stiffed him: feels like that's good money after bad, but I suppose he had to maintain his rep. Not helping his rep or his temper, was his son Junior; whom he mocks as gay and weak. Which Benno claims would make his late wife "puke," but blowing up a school bus, that was fine? Benno tells his man Pedro, Junior would do this job, or shoot him. Meanwhile, Vic has a consult with his mentor, the coffee-swilling Tot; who notices the changes in Vic since his return.

While Vic runs down clues, luckily it was MJK Day, so not a lot of buses to choose from; Pedro and Junior were running late, since their van wouldn't start in the recent snow. Pedro suggests, maybe he wasn't cut out for the family business of terrorism, but along with the bomb already planted, Junior also brought...a very cartoony bundle of dynamite, in case there was a problem with the bomb; he could blow the kids up like Wile E. Coyote. Before they could set it off, Vic recognizes their van, mostly subconsciously, and hits them with his souped-up Volkswagen. Too close now to blow the bomb, Pedro attempts to fight it out with the Question, and gets knocked out. Junior tries his dynamite, but had about a foot of fuse on it, giving Vic time to get it away from the kids. Only later would he think, why didn't you just pull the fuse...? Idiot. Still, the issue ends with a little light in Hub City, as Vic visits Myra's daughter Jackie in the orphanage, as they build a snowman. Live in the moment, man. But, he would face Junior again... Read more!

...when do we ever see Vic handcuff anybody? Feels like a Spirit cover.

I am unusually ahead in posts, as I type this; meaning I'll probably slack off again any minute now; but this maybe came up on BlueSky not too long ago, and I just so happen to have a spare copy handy! From 1989, the Question #26, "Riddles" Written by Denny O'Neil, pencils by Bill Wray, inks by Malcolm Jones III. 

I didn't read this new off the racks, so I'm trying to put it in historical context, a bit: this issue came out February 28, 1989: thirty-five years ago, tomorrow! Batman wouldn't yet have to be referred to as "Batman '89," since it wouldn't be widely released until June 23. And although I read it first, this issue predates Neil Gaiman and Bernie Mireault's "When is a Door" from the Secret Origins Special. But at this point, I think the Riddler, had very much lost his mojo. A lot of the Riddler's angrier, more murder-y tendencies from the Frank Gorshin version in the TV show, were being folded into the Joker, leaving the Riddler...with what? There had also already been a few stories where the Riddler's well-established modus operandi wasn't showboating or grandstanding, or a means to obfuscate the real target of a crime; but rather a sickness, a compulsion, and one he found impossible to resist. His riddles...had become a joke.

Case in point: in jail, Eddie Nygma is visited, not by the Caped Crusader, but by Commissioner Gordon. Who's figured out his riddle, which we don't hear, but it doesn't matter: the arresting officer didn't read Eddie his rights, so they're kicking him loose, because he's not worth the effort to prosecute. Gordon's trying to be kind, but tells Eddie he needs to quit: he was "a minor-leaguer with a gimmick...a small time has-been." Not even worth Batman's time, and he was only going to get himself hurt. (Gordon is also puffing away on his pipe like crazy, that seems like a lot of smoke! That would be phased out in a few years as well. I've never smoked a pipe, but I wish I had one of my grandpa's old ones; it'd make me look like I was thinking or something...)

Meanwhile, the Christmas season is a busy one in Hub City for the Question, as he beats up a pusher Santa and then a carjacker that tries to rob Vic Sage. Later, his mentor Tot lectures him for not taking enough care of himself, but Vic points out there's like one good cop in that part of the state, so he was kinda busy. He promptly collapses shortly thereafter. Elsewhere, Eddie was on a bus, riding through the snowy countryside, chatting with a fellow passenger: a woman who introduces herself as Sphinx Scromulski. Well, that's the name she used to strip under, anyway; but of course Eddie loves it. She asks if he wants in on something, showing him a fair-sized gun...(That looks like an Uzi, which was somewhat ubiquitous in action stories of the era!)

In his Volkswagon, Vic complains he didn't faint, while Tot tells him he absolutely did, so he's driving him to a cabin in the Hampshires until he heals up. Vic doesn't want to leave Hub, less because of duty, but because Myra was still in a coma: Tot points out, there wasn't anything he could do about that. Tot's plan then hits a snag, since he didn't gas up Vic's car before they took off. Not ideal, but at least they can catch a bus to the next town, so they won't freeze to death. Yay? Tot advises, they'll just have to make the best of whatever's available, just in time for Sphinx to start robbing the passengers, after she guns one down for trying to scold her back to her seat. Sphinx forces the driver to make a detour, and the bus is stuck in short order, but that's perfect for what she had in mind. Gotta say, while it doesn't seem like a lotta risk, robbing a passenger bus to Hub City doesn't seem like a high-value target.

About an hour's walk away, across an old bridge, was a small town, with food and a hotel: Sphinx tells the passengers, the Riddler will ask them a riddle, and if they get it right, they could stroll to safety. And if they get it wrong...she guns the first contestant down, and asks for a volunteer, then picks a guy; but Vic masks up, to try and "outsmart 'em." He's able to keep talking long enough to distract them by not having a face, and knock the gun from Sphinx's hands.

Sphinx makes a break for it, but falls through a rotted board in the old bridge, into the icy river. Riddler, Vic, and Tot continue their philosophical discussion by a garbage can fire; and Vic wonders what to do with him: it was Christmas, after all. Maybe let him loose if he could answer a riddle...? 

After this and the Secret Origins Special, I think that was it for Riddler until his comeback in Milligan and Dwyer's Dark Knight, Dark City, which made Eddie more violent and insane again. Well, it worked for him. Also, in both this and the Secret Origins Special, the Riddler seems to have fallen into the same trap as Dick Grayson but not weathered it as well: where Batman was portrayed as basically an unchanging 29, while the Riddler and Robin both appear to have aged like 15 years! I wondered before, if we've never seen the Question face a game-shape, formidable Riddler; what would that be like? Or has the Question already seen right through Eddie, and would the results be largely the same...?

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80-Page Thursdays: DC's Crimes of Passion #1!

I almost blogged Beach Blanket Bad Guys again, when I needed to get to this issue; which has another fun cover that may or may not line up with the interiors at all. From 2020, DC's Crimes of Passion #1, featuring stories by Steve Orlando, Stephanie Phillips, James Tynion IV and Sam Johns, and others; and art by Greg Smallwood, Andie Tong, Kieran McKeown, Abel, John Paul Leon, and more.

"10 Tales of Lovers and Lawbreakers!" promises the cover, so let's see! In "More Than Maybe" Batman, early in his career, dates a crusading young socialite who doesn't approve of his methods, which kind of puts the kibosh on that one. "Pulling Punches" features Ted Grant in a title fight, that he's losing until the younger fighter throws the bout because his girlfriend had been kidnapped by the mob, and Wildcat has to help get her back.

"Secret Admirer" is a more rare Pied Piper solo, as a rich superhero collector has something to show him: his first pipe, which he used in a bank robbery back in the day, which may have taught this guy to be a douche going forward. "The Crimson Bomber" interrupts Green Arrow and Black Canary's date night, but he's just a confused and jilted teenager trying to blow up his school. As one does.

"The Prettiest Thing!" is a Plastic Man story in the mold of the Gail Simone series; as an ex of Eel's come to him for help getting away from her mob boyfriend. Pretty good! "Out of the Past" has Batwoman and Maggie Sawyer reluctantly work together to bring down Nocturna, who had caused trouble in their relationship before.

Batman unwillingly gives Slam Bradley "One Last Dance," rather, another chance to bring in the thief Nightjar; basically his Catwoman. Slam does about as well as Batman there! Batgirl and Nightwing wonder about their relationship, in "Knightfalls in Bludhaven," and Catwoman steals a necklace and does some freelance marriage counselling for Valentine's Day in "Can't Buy Me Love."

The closer is probably the high point, though: Ram V and John Paul Leon's "Reflections of the Heart." The Question follows what could be a young vigilante, and wonders if the city is trying to make him jealous; but he's not looking deep enough. Ah, I wish there was more of that! Read more!

"Investigate."

Not only was making this investigation board fun, it was great to get the Question and the Creeper out again. I'd love to show you Batman's virtual board, but sorry, that's not in the budget!

This was another one posted to Twitter, but I knew it would find a home here eventually.
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"Uncle Creeper."

I wasn't 100% thrilled with this one--too much tell, not enough show. Probably could've used another draft or six. If I worked with an artist, I'm sure I could give him some exciting, pain-in-the-ass to draw description to work with; but I am more limited here. But, still on vacation, although I should be back in the neighborhood on Monday!
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"Bad Crowd."

And with that, I'm on vacation! Things will be on blog-o-pilot, so stuff will still post, but have a good week!
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"Questionable Content."

I'm on vacation this week--a week earlier than I usually go, or maybe I'm a week lazier than usual. So, I wasn't sure what I was going to have up. Then I remembered: I had a mess of homemade strips, from back in the day when I did a few for Articulated Discussion. (Wes was posting over at Plastic Graveyard as well!

We're going to run a bunch of those old strips this week, then; so if you haven't seen them, well, they'll be new to you. I think production values have actually increased incrementally since some of these, but hope you like them!
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Some things only I want:

The other week at the Comic Book Shop, as I picked up a pile of quarter books, they gave me a batch they couldn't really sell, like the old Official Marvel Index to the Amazing Spider-Man and the first thirty-plus issues of Marvel Age. (Which isn't being accepted at the GCD, so that link doesn't really help...and you miss out on some interesting covers, here and there.) Unfortunately, I didn't get #31, the Nightcrawler issue with a Dave Cockrum cover.

So, I put in an order to My Comic Shop.com, and got a few things I hadn't been able to dig up before. Like the Question Returns #1, one of the few Question issues I didn't have. Except I kind of hated it: there's a sweet Dan Brereton cover, but returning writer Dennis O'Neil goes all over the place storywise, and much as I like Eduardo Barreto's art, this time it didn't do it for me. (The Question's eyes are visible through his mask, which shouldn't be.) Disappointing, especially since the issues of Question Quarterly I had been missing were great.

Then, there's 2000 AD Presents #15, which features a Dan Dare story with Dave Gibbons art, and the conclusion to the space prison serial Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day, with art by Alan Davis. Is it the greatest story ever? Well, no, man; but I had most of the rest of it and not the dramatic conclusion! It's a fun adventure yarn, although like a lot of space prison stories, it does beg the point of why the hell you would go to the trouble of launching convicts into space in the first place...I haven't seen the movie Lockout, but I'd be willing to bet there's some overlap with Harry Twenty.

Anyway, got a couple more 80-pagers, that can wait for a Thursday sometime. Have a good weekend!
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Losing face:

Even though I have a few more homemade posts than usual done, I'm a bit behind right now; just dealing with some assorted real-life stuff and swamped at work. Still, I have been re-reading, once again, the Dennis O'Neil/Denys Cowan (and others) run of the Question. It's a series I love to death, even if I really discovered it only in recent years, getting most of it in one chunk from the quarter bins.

I wouldn't have got to read it at the time, although I was interested from a preview with a Batman guest-spot. The only issue I read when it was published--1987 or so--was the Question #6; "...That Small Rain Down Can Rain..." Written by Dennis O'Neil, pencils by Denys Cowan, inks by Rick Magyar. As the Question tracks down the terrorist/gangster Benno Musto (which ties into a failed arms deal and a dioxin-contaminated real estate deal) Benno is more disappointed than usual at his son Junior. Benno sees Junior as a "sissy," a wimp, and now a failure; the Question stopped Junior from blowing up a school bus in issue #3.

Ignoring his failure, Junior jumps to the conclusion that maybe his dad would love him if he looked tough, instead of like a mama's boy; and proceeds to pour acid on his own face. To his credit, Junior takes his disfiguring injuries stolically; wrapping his face in bandages and rushing off to see his dad. This leads to a bit of confusion later with both the "No-face" Question and Junior out to stop Benno from murdering an old man.

Although this issue came out in 1987, I associate it with 1991's Alice in Chains classic "Man in the Box." Although some of the lyrics could easily apply to Junior--the "dog who gets beat" for example--it's geographically related, in my mind: I remember seeing the video, on some daytime talk show complaining about it? The same place I kept this comic. And the song, the video, and the comic all end with a sudden, sharp shock.

This wasn't the end of Junior and Benno's story, either; and to the Question's credit, he feels pity for Junior. I saw the preview cover for Trinity War with the Question; sight unseen, I'll tell you this issue is better...

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