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Comics

Is Archie Horror A Success?

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You are probably familiar to some extent with what Archie Comics is typically like. Archie and his friends in Riverdale getting into comedic, almost sitcom-like scenarios for some casual fun and shenanigans. They can be fun and cute. But…what if they wanted to tell darker stories with these characters? Do some scary stories that haunt the reader and put the characters in real danger. Well, a lot of people over at Archie Comics were probably thinking just that, because in 2015 they launched the Archie Horror imprint. Basically their version of DC’s Vertigo or the Marvel MAX imprints, the stories published under Archie Horror will tell darker stories outside of the main universe. And it has gone on to print it’s fair share of titles. Some of them I’ve already covered in separate pieces, but let’s just go over the main highlights.

The first official story from this imprint is Afterlife with Archie. It begins with Jughead’s dog being run over, the grieving boy going to Sabrina for a spell to bring him back. She does just that, but the spell goes wrong and soon zombies descend on Riverdale. It became a very well-liked story and inspired the company to go ahead with another title called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Taking place during the 1960s, we follow Sabrina Spellman as she starts to become a true witch and the chaos that brings into her life. Both of these titles technically began before the official creation of the imprint, but these are referred to as the first to come from Archie Horror and are probably the most famous titles. And both of them are very enjoyable, with dark atmosphere oozing from every panel.

There is one story that technically wasn’t published under the imprint but I will argue belongs under it – Archie vs Predator. I’ve already talked about this story and it’s sequel in their own posts, so check them out for more details. But both of these stories focus on the characters being forced to confront a creature that brings an unprecedented amount of carnage and destruction to their world. Worlds collide, characters die, and nothing was ever the same. Two great mini-series that brought a lot of entertainment and a fair sense of genuine drama and heart. Mini-series are kind of specialty of the imprint, another example of that being Blossoms 666, which I also covered in a separate piece. That one is admittedly not as great as some of the other mentioned titles. But it’s still an enjoyable read of the Blossom children feuding over who gets to be the Anti-Christ.

But let’s get to the longest running titles from the Imprint. First, there is Jughead: The Hunger. Originally just a one-shot, it quickly became an ongoing title. Jughead is revealed to be a werewolf, the newest member of the Jones family to become one. But it turns out Betty’s family has a long history of hunting the Jones family and werewolves in general. There is some genuine drama between Jughead, Archie, and Betty who starts off as an enemy but slowly becomes an ally. The second longest running title is Vampironica. The story starts off with Veronica seemingly being turned into a vampire and now must work with her friends to stop an evil blood-sucker from turning the entire town. But it later turns out that the Lodge family is the most powerful vampire family in America, creating inner conflict for Veronica as she must go head-to-head with one of her ancestors later on. Both of these stories actually had a crossover mini-series. It was advertised as versus story, but that isn’t entirely accurate to what actually happens. However, it was still great to see characters from two different yet similar worlds interact.

These are the most well-known titles to come from the imprint. But now we must ask the question. Has Archie Horror been successful. Well…yes and no. A number of these titles will go on to have influence on the comic book company in general. The TV show Riverdale has an atmosphere that does closely resemble the atmosphere in several of the imprint’s titles. And the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina title got it’s own show. But it’s difficult to determine if the imprint has long-term success. The previous mentioned Sabrina series is about to have a second trade released, but it will only contain 3 issues as opposed to 5 issues in the first trade. This is due to the release of future installments being repeatedly delayed. While Afterlife with Archie was turned into an ongoing title, it’s still advertised as a graphic novel with just the one trade collection. There are additional comic issues but there isn’t a widely available trade collecting these issues and it also has faced repeated delays.

And as mentioned earlier, the title mainly focuses on mini-series. While Jughead: The Hunger & Vampironica have been the longest running titles, there hasn’t been any recent follow up with the characters. The Jughead title came to a pause after the crossover with Vampironica. And while the young Lodge vampire did continue for a little while after said crossover, it also came to a pause despite clearly setting up for more stories. I think I heard there is a one-shot that will focus on the Jughead: The Hunger characters, that isn’t the continuation a lot of fans wants. The imprint does struggle with keeping to a schedule and maintaining their popular titles. Part of this can be explained by writes & creators being involved with TV shows and other projects. But the imprint should realize that it needs to commit to publishing trades of their stories to keep interest in their brand.

Despite these issues facing the imprint, all of these titles are worth checking out. The Season of Evil never ends for Archie Horror. Pick up one of currently accessible trades and read what they have to offer. The imprint has such sights to show you!

Comics

A Look Back on Guardian Devil

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The 1990s could have been better to Daredevil. Not to say that there was some good work with the character, but there was a noticeable decline. Daredevil was considered one of the less popular characters during the majority of the decade. But then, Marvel decided to create the Marvel Knights imprint to focus on breathing new life to a handful of characters. With art by Joe Quesada and the story from Kevin Smith – yes, the same guy behind movies like Clerks & Chasing Amy – Daredevil was brought back into the spotlight. “Guardian Devil” made people care about the character again. But now that so much time has passed, is it worth reading?

Here is a brief breakdown of the story. It starts with Karen leaving Matt a letter. She decided to take a job on the west coast. Shortly afterwards, a young girl comes to Matt with a baby she gave birth to despite claiming she is a virgin. But a mysterious man behind an unknown organization is also after the child. While the mother claims that her child is destined by God to be Earth’s savior, the man claims that the child is the Anti-Christ. Matt is left paranoid and conflicted on what to do and his mental state begins to deteriorate. That is the non-spoiler version, so from this point on, you’ve been warned.

Let’s start easy with the art. It’s decent. Honestly, there isn’t much else to say beyond that. I’m familiar with some 90s artwork so I know it was better than some other titles from the industry. But ti isn’t really special compared to today’s artwork. It’s for the best that we don’t spend too much time on the artwork. Kevin Smith is a good writer, but when it comes to comic books, he is known to often make controversial decisions. And we’ll get to that shortly. But I do want to address some of the strong points as well.

By the final issue, it is revealed that the super-villain behind this whole affair is Mysterio AKA Quentin Beck. This is a genuine surprise, considering he’s often associated with Spider-Man. It’s revealed that Mysterio has Cancer and since that diagnosis, he’s been working on what he calls his swan song. Researching Daredevil/Matt, manipulating people to set-up the story and use his expertise in special effects to help sell the lie. All to mentally torture Matt and force him to kill Mysterio. Yet when the moment finally comes, Matt doesn’t do it. He criticizes him for never coming up with his own plans, getting his scheme ideas from other villains. This leads Mysterio to take his own life. You could make an argument, that based on how the scene plays out, Matt could be at fault for basically talking Mysterio into such an act. But once you realize just how much destruction he brought down on Matt, his friends, and so many other people, we can let Matt use the Batman Begins loophole of not actively saving the villain.

That actually ties into one of the larger themes of the story. Part of the focus is on Matt’s faith and how he often struggles with it. There are parts of the story where Matt does come off a bit as being extra broody. But other characters do point out to him the silver lining of events and what he does in general. And those facts do help ground Matt and make him realize what’s important and why what he does is needed. This could be seen as the story subtly undoing the 90s mindset of how dark superheroes should be. But instead of making fun of how extreme those tropes can get, it points out the reasons why heroes are heroes in the first place. It helps reconnect Matt with his sense of purpose.

But going back to the dark stuff, there are a couple of things in the story that haven’t really aged well. And unfortunately, both center around Karen Page. She does end up returning to Matt during the story. But during a scene at a church where Bullseye goes on a killing spree, Karen jumps in to protect Matt and is dealt a death blow. Pretty much turning this into a “fridging the girl” trope. In addition to the death of such an important character, she discovers she is HIV positive and during an argument with her, Matt blames that on her being a junkie and sleeping with “God only knows who and how many people” in his words. Yea…this is a character that Matt has loved and been in a relationship with for years. And he tells her that she and her reckless behavior are to blame for getting the disease.

This in isolation is bad! Even looking at it from the context that Matt is being mentally tortured and manipulated doesn’t really make it better. Also…this does point out a serious issue in their relationship. Karen’s letter to Matt back in the first issue highlights how she is always going to feel indebted to Matt. Keep in mind, she did sell Daredevil’s identity for a fix. And he forgave her for that, yes. But he doesn’t forget that kind of thing. So Karen always feels like their relationship is based on him letting her back into his life. That he is more in love with the idea their relationship can triumph over any problem, including the ones she causes. They were constantly breaking up and getting together, each time showing their relationship is pretty toxic and destructive.

To this story’s credit, this part of the story is indirectly called out. Black Widow has shows up throughout the story but has an important conversation with Matt in the final issue. She points out to him that he seems to harbor an unconscious hatred for women in his life. His mother left when he was a kid, Karen sold out his secret identity, Typhoid Mary dated him only to get close and attack him. These are just a few instances of Daredevil’s troubled love life. This doesn’t really excuse what he said, but he is pushed to try and do some soul searching. But since this is the closest we get to him being called out for that statement, that problematic moment still has a sour tone to it. But is it enough to ruin the entire story? Speaking for myself, no. I’ve seen comics handle the HIV/AIDS topic far worse from this same time period. At least Matt’s attitude is called out to a certain extent.

With that out of the way, I do enjoy this story despite the major flaws. Although this isn’t a story that I want to have a physical copy of. But I can understand if a group of people have ended up hating how this story aged. Reading it once is probably enough for those looking to get caught up on Daredevil comics. But they should read the other comics from Daredevil’s second volume for a treasure trove of stories. And I think that’s the best praise I can give “Guardian Devil”. Good enough for the time to lead to other beloved stories featuring the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Comics

Archie vs Predator II – The More Bizarre Sequel

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It’s not uncommon for different comic book companies to have multiple crossovers. Hell, Batman and TMNT have had three crossovers. But to give “Archie vs Predator” a sequel seems like an odd choice. The original story left the town destroyed and only three survivors – Betty, Veronica, and the teen Predator now physically transformed to look like Archie. It doesn’t seem like there is anywhere left to go after an intense ending like that. But it turns out there is one path. Make it bigger but even more insane than first by doing whatever you want.

Right from the first page of this story, you know your in for a wild ride. Because both Betty & Veronica break the Fourth Wall and speak to the reader! To be fair, I’m not a regular Archie Comics reader. And I don’t really read the main series. But this is the first time I’ve heard of any Archie comic turn full Deadpool like this. But shortly after that, they actually introduce an idea that’s actually kind of cool & clever. Apparently, the characters of Riverdale just have to walk down Memory Lane – an actual street in their town – and it resets the town and the residents back to normal. There are details later on in the story that make me question how much they actually do that and how that actually works. As well as question if that’s always been a thing. But it for sure was utilized in the story “Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty” about a decade before this story. And it does help a long-running comic series like Archie maintain the status quo while still keeping a bunch of random events canon to varying degrees.

But when they try to do that, it turns out the road is closed. And they immediately recognize this as them being canceled. So…there is one thing to note about the original “Archie vs Predator” story. Around the time it was being published, Archie Comics was planning a relaunch of their Archie title. Restart from the beginning and have a modern take on their characters. And when the last issue of “Archie vs Predator” came out, the first issue of their relaunch came out roughly within the same month. You can quite literally say that the original crossover killed off the Classic Archie Universe. But there is good news – all three of them get in a car and find themselves in the new modern Riverdale with their modern counterparts! We have straight up entered the multiverse within the first issue of this story!

And when I say their other counterparts are modern, I mean that their actual modern title has them more grounded as well. They have no experiences with the supernatural, aliens, or anything like that. And when you hear the stuff that Classic Betty & Veronica – including summoning THE DEVIL! – it does make them come off as crazy and over the top. But the modern counterparts to agree to help them figure out what is going on. That is, until a bunch of other Predators show up with their dogs to attack everyone at the Halloween Dance.

Time to tackle the Predator aspect of the comic. Our teen Predator spends the time in Classic Archie’s body, but it’s not the Predator’s head on top. Probably due to the skin breaking off due to the shape and size of the Predator’s natural head. In the original story, the comic would occasionally give him text balloons that only had emojis in it. It was a neat way of getting across the gist of what he is trying to communicate. This is utilized a bit more in the sequel and it does flesh him out a bit more. Doesn’t make him the most complex character, but adds a bit extra to him. The other Predators in this comic are great. But there is one flaw that is hard to overlook. In this comic, the art is more in line with the art used for the modern Archie Comics. Specifically, more in line with what you might get from the Archie Horror imprint. It works for the most part. But the art does make it hard to tell what species these other Predators are. Since our main Predator is a teen, these could just be older members of his race. But since they have their dogs, these also could be the Super Predators as seen in the movies “Predators” & “The Predator”. The art doesn’t do a great job of clarifying that for the readers, but I think they are supposed to be the Super Predators and I’ll explain why later.

Classic Betty & Veronica are trying to figure out how to help. They start trying to text people they used to know back in their universe to see if any made it. And that includes Frank AKA THE PUNISHER! You see why I question how often they use their walking down Memory Lane trick or how it works? It befuddles me why Frank would want to stay in touch with a bunch of teens in a town from a different comic book company. But that’s not the most surprising thing that occurs with our main ladies. As they are hiding from the Super Predators during their Halloween Dance massacre, there is a moment that actually took me by surprise. Classic Veronica saves Classic Betty’s life and admits to how she probably wouldn’t have saved their Archie in the same way. But then Betty gets Veronica to admit that Archie hasn’t actually been her romantic focus in years. And then Betty brings Veronica in for an embrace and kisses her forehead. From the way it is drawn in the comic – combined with a couple of other moments of interactions later on in the story – this is confirmation that Classic Betty & Veronica are attracted to each other.

I feel like this could have been a divisive moment depending on what kind of Archie Comics fan you are. The brand and title have historically been defined by the love triangle of Archie, Betty & Veronica. And while certain writers might have slipped in a joke that generally links this kind of romance between the ladies, I’m not aware of anything significant to support the theory that the two are non-heterosexual. And there is something more unique about having two girls with a strong bond like Betty & Veronica’s be strictly platonic. But…there is a strong argument for how the two of them always fighting each other yet still be friendly did lay the seeds for a realization for the two girls. And they are teenagers, which means they probably didn’t even realize who they really are in that sense quite yet. Speaking for myself, I’m fully behind this relationship pairing. Even if it is for just this story that – unlike it’s predecessor – isn’t technically canon. At least for the more modern version of the Archie title.

Anyway, while all the modern Riverdale counterparts are fighting for their lives, Classic Betty & Veronica try summoning the Devil. And he arrives and recognizes them from their own universe! Although I think in the Classic Archie-Verse, he’s referred to as Mr. Inferno. As they helplessly watch the final explosion happen with their teen Predator friend who survived, Veronica & even Betty talk about how much this miss their old home and how these modern versions might even be better than them. Mr Inferno surprisingly enough actually gives them genuine advice. He tells them they should stop being stuck in the past, trying to reclaim their glory days, and move on to new adventures. Turn into the Betty & Veronica they can truly be. And with that, Mr. Inferno resets the Modern Archie-Verse back to normal, erasing the events of the comic for them. But Classic Betty & Veronica, along with their Predator friend, are adults living in New York. And the two ladies admit that they don’t miss being eternal teenagers.

This is definitely not what I was expecting for “Archie vs Predator II”. With all the references to past events in Classic Archie and they way it’s presented, it kind of has the vibe of a Grant Morrison story. The writer of both of these crossovers, Alex de Campi, admits to how she kind of became a bit meaner & cynical in between the two crossovers. She’s a fan of the Classic Archie title and the bizarre things that happened in their continuity. But to try and do a similar yet different story that involved the more modern version was a tough thing to figure out. So she essentially turned it into a love letter to the Classic Archie-Verse. As well as tell a meta-story about growing up and finding your place in the world. This is why I think the Super Predators were used in this story. Even though the Predator films never went through a full on reboot/remake, the Super Predators were introduced in recent years and could be seen as the studio finding a way to reboot the idea and creatures. So the teen Predator fighting back against them can be seen as the original version of the creature as we know it still maintaining it’s status and fighting back against being changed to that degree.

But the commentary about growing up despite drastic changes is stronger in regards to Betty & Veronica. Which makes this story surprisingly have a lot of depth. From the first which was a surreal and delightfully twisted slasher story to this story, a bizarre multiversal coming of age story about growing up and being more sure of yourself. Again, not what I was expecting at all. But I’ll admit that this is far better than it had any right to be.

Comics

The Predator Hunts…Archie?!

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Archie Comics has had a number of crossovers featuring their title character. Archie has met The Ramones, TMNT, Glee, The Punisher…just to name a few. And recent years have shown the company isn’t afraid to get more experimental when it comes to their characters. And thankfully, that applies to their crossovers. But even though Frank Castle traveled to Riverdale, I don’t think anyone was expecting this to actually materialize. Friends, allow me to tell about the time Archie and his friends went up against…The Predator.

First things first – yes, it did take me until after I finished the comic to realize this comic can be spelled as AVP. I’m not mad, the first AVP film is underrated. But enough about that. It is truly bizarre that Dark Horse Comics (who owned the comic right to the Predator franchise at the time) was willing to do this. But one thing that took advantage of that shock was the art work. The style used is very much the traditional style utilized for Archie and his crew. This cleverly lulls you into a false sense of security and familiarity. Even when the hunter begins killing people in the first 2 issues of the 4 issue mini-series, it still feels like that somehow our main characters are going to come out of this okay.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about the characters. Even though the title is “Archie vs Predator”, our main human focus is on Betty & Veronica. Although slightly more on Betty because the Predator turns out to have a crush on her. Yes, seriously. The comic points out that this specific hunter is a teenage version of the average Predator. And they are able to establish that because apparently they have been coming to Archie’s Earth for years and the government knew they existed. Now I’m developing a theory about how this comic takes place in the same continuity as the Predator movies. Anyway, Betty actually does get several moments to shine in a weirdly darkly comedic way. Veronica is more of a supporting character in a few scenes because of that. But she makes contributions to the story, both good and bad. Bad in the sense that she got Jughead to dress up like her in an attempt to lure out the Predator as part of a trap. That did not work. Side note – the teen Predator also has a crush on Veronica.

But let’s actually get to the other person mentioned in the title – Archie. The ginger does try and take some sort of leadership as the conflict reveals itself and begins to escalate. He goes up against the alien a couple of times over the course of the series. But unfortunately…he’s killed. Yea, the Predator actually wins the title fight and survives to the end. There was an Afterword in my copy that talked about how the team were uncertain if they should kill off Archie, for fear it would seem repetitive of the then recent “Death of Archie” story. But they ultimately decided that as long as he wasn’t shot, no one would really mind. And I have to hand it to them, I didn’t think that would actually happen. Archie is killed off along with most of Riverdale and the recognizable characters.

That is except for Betty & Veronica. They do in fact survive due to the teen hunter’s surprise affection for them. And after he does help them escape an explosion, it seems only fair to thank him…as well as get a little payback. So Betty uses an advanced medical room that Veronica’s father has to not just heal the Predator’s wounds, but also TURN THE PREDATOR INTO ARCHIE! Remember how I mentioned Betty has a handful of darkly comedic moments in the comic? Turns out that’s because she is secretly unhinged! But I guess that’s predictable when you spend decades in a love triangle with two of your closest friends. That surprise is certainly insane but also manages to fit into the surreal tone and fun experienced throughout the mini-series.

Is there anything worth criticizing? If I’m going to be nit-picky…there are a couple of things. A character named Dilton has this weird speech about how he’s been jealous of the attention Archie always gets from women and how he’s the only one of the friend group that never seems to ever date or be asked out. And that leads him to reveal a robot suit he made in his free time where the head is a replica of Archie’s. It’s weird and bizarre but more in a something is off and goes against the story kind of way. And Sabrina Spellman has a small role in one of the issues. The way the comic portrays her is weird. I think they were going for a version where she comes off as a weird and disturbing goth girl. But it didn’t feel at place in this specific story.

But putting that aside, this is highly enjoyable! There is plenty of blood and violence to satisfy any Predator fan. Seeing Archie and the gang try and be action heroes is certainly enjoyable for Archie fans to see. And the ending is so delightfully twisted! Please seek out and read this comic.

Comics

The Bizarre Meta Issue from Spawn’s Early Days

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It’s hard to predict what will become popular in the entertainment industry. There have been so many instances where studios tried using a movie to launch a franchise…only for it to die before it even got a chance. And then there are the movies and shows that became popular out of nowhere – or despite the obstacles they had to overcome. The same can be applied to the comic book industry. At the time, I imagine only Todd McFarlane believed that Spawn would have lasted this long and continues to go strong. But that doesn’t mean he kept that to himself. He let his belief become public knowledge in the tenth issue, released back in May 1993.

In the previous issue, Al Simmons had his first fight with an angel named Angela. Spawn managed to lure Angela into a trap and defeated her. But she had left her lance in the New York alley. When Spawn went to grab it, he is seemingly transported to another place. And that is depicted in issue 10 and it gets a bit weird. The issue has these narration boxes coming from Al’s point of view. Only, it also isn’t his point of view? He’s both the Al/Spawn of his world but also the one of this alternate world too. I think the narration continuously confusing us about this is supposed to enhance a dream-like feeling of this other world. But it only makes it confusing on who exactly is supposed to be telling us what is going on.

Moving on though, Spawn goes out and finds this cave that turns out to be a prison. One one side of the wall, there are a bunch of unknown people with hands behind their back and bags covering their heads. On the other side is the actual prison. Out from the bars are this arms for all of these superheroes. None of them are actually referred to by their official names. But the way Spawn describes this group of heroes and the designs of these outstretched arms clearly indicate they are heroes from both Marvel & DC. There is even a figure that falls just sort of outright confirming it’s Superman, but referred to as “He-Who-Came-First”. They all give Spawn their power so that he can try to free them…only to fail. Oh, and we also see a female version of Violator wearing a dress made of money. Not much else to say about that.

This also counts as a crossover because this character named Cerebus arrives in this issue. I’ve never read any of Cerebus’s comics so I don’t know enough about him to give an opinion about the character. But he explains to Spawn this is a world where superheroes have been sold by their creators. That is, with the exception of this world’s Spawn. Cerebus takes Al to a home that belongs to him and to this world’s Cyan. It ends on this bittersweet moment where Al goes downstairs holding his child to greet his – or this world’s – Wanda.

So…there are a couple of ways to view this issue. Let’s look at it as if it’s 1993 and this just came out. It must have taken big brass balls to release an issue like this – and for a series that’s still technically within it’s first year of publishing! But this actually does connect to why Image Comics was created in the first place. There were artists in the comic industry that were frustrated with how they were treated by the two big companies and how their work was owned by them and not by the creators. You could read this entire issue as a big middle finger to DC & Marvel. Doesn’t necessarily excuse the awkward writing, especially with confusing narration. But I’ll grant that this was written with courage.

Now, let’s view this from the modern era. And I have to say that this is…an amusing issue. Still has flaws when it comes to the writing. But it does read differently given everything that has happened with Spawn in recent years. Spawn has run for over 300 issues, even earning the title of longest-running creator owned comic book series. It has now launched 3 new titles in an effort to created a shared universe. And the first issue of each of those titles has broken different sales records. This is no small feat for this industry, where the two leading companies are constantly restarting series with new number one issues and struggling to maintain a consistent direction for any number of books.

This issue is by far the most meta Spawn has ever been. But it came out at an awkward time. Not only was the writing for a lot of comic books at the time – especially from Image – awkward, but it was for a comic that had yet to prove any staying power. Yet in time, it has actually become something of a prophetic story for the character. I’m not going to act that the Spawn title has been perfect for it’s entire history. I’ve had some issues with it from time to time. But I find myself still connected to this character and world. And that’s most likely because Spawn’s creator still owns him and is passionate about him. Cheers to whatever lies ahead! Just make sure the writing doesn’t get as awkward like it was in this old issue and you should be fine.

Comics

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy Make Big Decisions

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We can all agree that “Heroes in Crisis” was hot trash. But unfortunately, we are forced to deal with the consequences of that story. One of those being the death & resurrection of Poison Ivy. This 6 issue mini-series follows her and Harley Quinn recovering from the events of that event and trying to find a way to move forward. But they find themselves wrapped up in a conflict, the results of resolving it will have major influence on the characters long afterwards.

One curious thing to note is that even though it stars both of them, Harley is the character with the most significant character journey. IN the beginning it is stated that she feels like being bad just isn’t worth it anymore. Sure, she hasn’t actually been a regular villain for some time. But she really only plays hero when she finds herself framed for a crime. The fact that a hero was behind the carnage in “Heroes in Crisis” was seen by her as a sign that the world is already broken and there is no joy in that. She genuinely wants to become a true hero. Ivy is still recovering from coming back in a body that seems mostly plant based now, a special gift from Lex Luthor seemingly helping her body stabilize. While she is herself unsure of what she wants moving forward, they are forced to play hero when the Floronic Man shows up.

The main conflict of the story is kicked off by Floro wanting to consume Ivy and take her power for his own. The two women do flee and find themselves on the run. But Jason Woodrue seemingly sends parts of himself to follow them wherever they go. Eventually, the two of them decide to go on the offensive until they finally make it to New York City to finish this. But it turns out, Woodrue isn’t the one that’s been tracking them. It was another copy of Poison Ivy! The special gift that Luthor gave Ivy ended up creating multiple versions of Ivy that were growing in the house they were originally hiding out in. But most of them burned in the fire during Woodrue’s confrontation. This was the only other version of Ivy that survived. And while the Ivy that was with Harley was supporting her in her efforts to be a hero, this Ivy is angry that she was abandoned and taunts Harley with this being another item on her list of failures and claiming that Harley doesn’t truly care about her. She just wants to fix her and turn her into the version Harley wants.

And it’s in this last issue where the majority of the character based developments occur. Harley has been focused on wanting to be a real hero. Of course she makes the occasional joke about it like hoping it comes with a good insurance plan or if she gets a business card. But it is fueled by a genuine desire to want to change and improve herself. The problem is that when Harley is passionate about doing something, she doesn’t always take into consideration the thoughts of the people that end being involved. Despite Ivy being pushed as an anti-hero in recent years – something that I personally actually encourage – Ivy still prioritizes her mission over everything else. She has stated this along similar lines in past comics to Harley. So her pulling Ivy into a cause like this right after Ivy has been resurrected and still recovering does feel like she is molding Ivy into something she hasn’t fully consented to.

But it isn’t intentional and it wasn’t with bad intentions. Harley still loves and cares for Ivy no matter what. That is what the Ivy that has been traveling with Harley throughout this story recognizes and protects during this final confrontation. This Ivy even suspects that the real reason this angry Ivy is attacking is because she is jealous of the moments and time that protagonist-Ivy had with Harley. Showing that no matter which Ivy we are dealing with, she also still loves Harley. The story ends with Harley crying as she drives off into the distance while the two Ivy’s merge and she figures out what she wants to do next.

Well…there is one more thing to talk about within the actual story. The two share a kiss in the finals pages of the comic. But it is Ivy kissing the forehead of Harley. On a splash page showing just those two. Meaning, it was presented like the two of them were supposed to kiss each other but it was changed for some reason. This got some backlash, questioning why the comic didn’t have the two properly kiss. And it’s not like they haven’t kissed in-universe before in past issues. The best reason I could pick up from it is that maybe Ivy couldn’t handle actually kissing Harley because she might end up not going through with merging with the other Ivy. But if that is close to the truth, then it was presented wrong. Don’t make it a splash page and have a bit more dialogue to set the mood as more somber.

Issues aside, this is still a fun read. And it has the two main characters make some decisions that will have some longterm consequences down the road. What happened to Harley? She would find herself back in Gotham City to help Batman during several conflicts, becoming an honorary member of the Bat Family. She got another solo title that explores her helping the regular citizens recover from trauma while being a crime fighter. As for Poison Ivy, that’s a bit more complicated. Despite merging at the end of this series, the times she would show up again for some reason reversed that action. Two versions of Poison Ivy cameoed in “The Swamp Thing”. The version that is more concerned with plant life above human life with seemingly no humanity left within her is referred to as Queen Ivy. Then in the pages of “Catwoman”, the softer and kinder Ivy shows up as she is rescued by Selina from custody. The two Ivy’s were reunited and merged together at the end of the Batman story “Fear State”. Where she and Harley had their proper kiss. If your a Harley and Ivy fan, this is still worth the read and I’m sure you’ll have fun while doing so.

Comics

The Gem that is First Thunder

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Going to make this declaration right now. I’m always going to refer to Billy Batson as Captain Marvel. I don’t care about Carol Danvers and Marvel Comics, Billy had the name first. Besides, it wasn’t until the New 52 that they stopped referring to Billy as Captain Marvel in-universe. And we can all agree that the New 52 was dumb. Anyway, this 4 issue story released in 2006 and depicted the first time that Superman and Captain Marvel worked together.

This story obviously takes place in the early days of the main DC Universe. Before Diana left Themyscira for Man’s World, before Batman had been operating for a full year in Gotham, the heroes of Metropolis & Fawcett City find themselves working together. I should note that back in the 90s, Billy had his own series called “The Power of Shazam!” which was a followup to a graphic novel with the same name. The graphic novel re-established an origin for Billy Batson as Captain Marvel which would remain until the New 52. I bring this up because in-universe at the time, there was a 4 year gap between the graphic novel and the beginning of the follow-up series. “First Thunder” actually does a great job of filling in the gap between the two and doesn’t contradict anything established in those projects.

But now let’s talk about the story itself. Billy is homeless and living in the subway, and there is a friend from school who occasionally visits him and knows about his superhero identity. Billy is still getting used to the unspoken costs that come with being a superhero, but that isn’t seen until later. Billy is still having fun with his magical powers and does some genuine good for his city. Superman ends up running into Captain Marvel when he follows a group of museum thieves who can conjure up magical monsters. The two team-up and work on the case together to figure out what’s going on. We get a scene where they are in the North Pole, assumingely near the Fortress of Solitude, and Captain Marvel is just asking Superman questions. Asking about his powers and other similar fan questions. But to his credit, he does just simply come across as a big fan of Superman, if slightly annoying. Still fun to see a more relaxed scene of two superheroes talking, even if is short.

We do get a few flashbacks to an even that happened some time before the beginning of this story. Captain Marvel stops what was secretly a scheme of Dr. Sivana’s to collect insurance money. So Sivana ends up reaching out to Lex Luthor in an effort to deal with Captain Marvel. The two bald men meet and their opinion of the other is exactly what you expect. But it is still cool to see these two similar yet very different villains interact. Their meeting resulted in Sivana getting in touch of a metahuman tracker to tail Captain Marvel and find out some information about the magical hero.

In the main story, they end up discovering what the plan is. The museum thieves are planning on creating a demonic equivalent of Captain Marvel while another magical villain – Eclipso – is unleashed in Fawcett City. While Captain Marvel fights his demonic equivalent named Sabbac, Superman must deal with Eclipso and the mind controlled people he sues to throw at the Kryptonian. Both heroes end up winning and congratulate the other. Superman goes back to Metropolis and Billy meets his friend in the subway to look at a newspaper talking about Captain Marvel. However, the third issue ends with the two of them being ambushed by a group of mercenaries holding guns against the two kids.

And this is where the story takes a surprising turn. That metahuman tracker successfully followed Captain Marvel for a while and discovered that he was Billy and was living in the subway. Sivana then dispatches mercenaries to kill the kid known as Captain Marvel. While Billy is able to successfully transform and knock out all the gunmen…his friend lies dead behind him. The sight of it shocks Billy. We later see Captain Marvel force his way into the police station and physcially abuses one of the mercs in custody. Threatening to kill him if he doesn’t speak. Luckily Billy doesn’t kill the gunman. Cpatain Marvel shows up in Sivana’s office, terrifying him and holding the old man in hi hands. Letting Sivana know that he has been trying to come up with any reason to not kill him, but fails to find that reason. For a moment, it does look like Sivana will be murdered. But Billy finds he can’t just do it and lets the villain go before leaving Fawcett City.

Superman sees the news coverage of this in Metropolis and finds Captain Marvel at the same North Pole location from earlier. Superman expects a tense confrontation, maybe even a fight. But he is genuinely surprised to see the champion crying and regretful about what happened. He tries to explain how a kid died, someone he considered a close friend. This of course confuses Superman. Captain Marvel then stands in front of Superman, says the magic word, and he transforms into Billy Batson. A moment of silence passes, but then Superman asks five words, and I swear you can feel the quiet anger when you read the dialogue. “Who did this to you?”

This brings us to a meeting between Superman and the wizard Shazam, the person who gave Billy Batson his powers. We see Superman yell at the wizard, condemning him for choosing a child to take on such power and an incredibly large burden. Throughout most of the conversation, Shazam stands firm and insists that Billy was the right choice and it was his fate. Superman yells back, arguing back how kids should be in school and enjoying their lives without the worries that heroes must deal with. At least someone like Superman had time to process and think about the costs before he put on a cape, at least it was his decision. Billy isn’t able to process something like what just happened in the subway. Shazam admits that Billy is new to something like this, stating that he needs guidance. But the look on his face is s subtle silent plead to Superman to help Billy in this dark moment. Realizing that Shazam himself isn’t the best person to help him right now and that as powerful as he is, he also needs Superman’s help just as much as Billy. The story ends with Superman finding Billy in an abandoned home and sitting down next to him as he reveals his identity with the young kid and they begin a talk.

For three quarters of this story, it is a pretty good story. Fun to read with some cool action and small moments of fan service. But this final issue includes a hard tonal shift that works in favor of the mini-series. It elevates it into a story that holds a surprising amount of emotional weight. It gives a moment where it imparts an important lesson. Everyone experiences hardship, no matter how invincible you feel. It is hard and feels overwhelming if you face it along. But you shouldn’t face it alone. It is OK to reach out to someone for help. Because it’s our connections to others that make us feel like we can take on anything.

Comics

A Look at Poison Ivy’s First Comic Series

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A big criticism of the modern comic book industry is that nothing seems to really change. Or when they tease change, it never truly sticks. But there have been a number of times where companies and creatives have really tried to do something new. Most of the time, these changes occur with the lesser known characters from their roster. One curious and interesting case of a comic book company trying to change the perception of a character is Poison Ivy. While originally created and presented as a supervillain for Batman, DC has recently been trying to push her as an anti-hero. Personally, I think that’s the right idea and is something worth pursuing. One of the biggest results of this push is the character’s own mini-series named “Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death” released in 2016.

Published towards the very end of the New 52/ right at the beginning of Rebirth, this story was meant to have the character reconnect with her human side. The character is often portrayed as an ecoterrorist that values plant life over humans, gaining her powers after years of abuse and as the result of scientific experimentation. But there have been times where she finds herself at odds with what she feels she must do for the natural world vs what she wants for herself. This 6 issue story does explore that to a certain extent. She relocates to Gotham with a new identity and at a research facility. But her main goal while there is to experiment and create plant-human offsprings as surrogate children.

While she is successful at that, there isn’t conflict. The head of the research facility is murdered and she is in danger of being discovered by authorities. But the person believed to be dead turns out evil and now wants to use the cells used to create Ivy’s offspring to unlock immortality. Also, Ivy herself does struggle trying to determine the best way to provide and raise her surrogate daughters. The story ends with the bad guy being defeated with her offspring leaving Gotham to try being on their own. Even Swamp Thing – my favorite character of all time – shows up to try and give Ivy direction for what she should do now. And yes, I have a lot of idea of what DC should do with a Swamp Thing & Poison Ivy collaboration, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Overall, this is a solid story. Nothing truly memorable. But a fine read if you are a bit curious about it. I think the biggest problem with this story is that it tries to be something of a superhero story. Mainly when it comes to utilizing some of the story tropes of the genre to tell Ivy’s story. Like mentioned earlier, I love the idea of exploring her as an anti-hero. Someone with a more complex ethical code that’s connected to two very different worlds. DC hasn’t always shown the full strength of what she can do. But when they do, she is truly a formidable force. She could very well take over the world and wipe out humanity if she truly cuts off herself from her human side. But because she chooses to remain connected – mainly through her romantic relationship with Harley Quinn – that does set-up the potential for a lot of interesting character exploration. But telling it using superhero tropes isn’t really the best way to do that.

I like the idea of Ivy creating offspring that also share the same duality as hers. But since this is only a 6 issue story, they don’t have the chance to fully delve into anything meaningful. The offspring themselves are flat as a result. And when they leave Gotham to be on their own…I have no choice but to assume they are dead since they haven’t shown up since. Which based on what had been established about their biology, is the most likely scenario for them. If this series ran for a little longer, maybe they could have really tapped into something. But instead, it just sort of simmers. And underwhelming conclusion with a vague tease that will never be paid off.

At the end of the day, I don’t regret reading this. I feel like in the long run this might actually help convince DC to do more stories focused on her. Hell, maybe even an ongoing series. Because this story does start off on the right track and does present a couple of interesting ideas. But the stories will have to ditch the superhero clothing so to speak. That’s not to say there can’t be fights and villains, but it will need to be more experimental and creative with how the story is told. But I still stand by the fact that Poison Ivy has a lot of potential to truly be a powerhouse if given the chance.

Comics

The Journey of Renee Montoya

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The 1990s has become a surprisingly important decade for Batman. This decade saw the publication of two major Batman comic events – Knightfall & No Man’s Land. Both of them would have major influences on the character and mythos for years to come. Speaking of Knightfall, this decade would see the introduction of Jean-Paul Valley AKA Azrael who would take up the Batman name during that event. No Man’s Land saw the introduction of Cassandra Cain, the second woman to take up the Batgirl mantle. And the character who would star in the first Batgirl solo title. Tim Drake would be the star in the first solo Robin title which started during Knightfall. Let’s not forget Batman in other media. The film “Batman Returns” would become a fan favorite in the years following its initial release. The animated film “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” was sorely overlooked but has become known as one of the best – if not the best – Batman movie. And of course, the show “Batman: The Animated Series” was highly popular and has become known as one of the greatest cartoon shows of all time.

The animated show is relevant to what this article is taking a look at. While the show’s biggest influence on the comics was creating Harley Quinn, there was another character that the show created that would make the jump to the medium. A character that when it comes to the regular citizens of Gotham, is probably the best representation of the best the city has to offer. That character is the cop, the vigilante, the badass known as…Renee Montoya.

As mentioned, she was a character that was created by the animated show, as a cop (and later detective) of the GCPD. But she actually was preemptively introduced Batman #475. Kind of similar to how the Adam West Batman show asked DC Comics to create a female character – Barbara Gordon as Batgirl – to see how people would react before introducing her on the show. It would later be established that she is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, along with her brother. When she was later promoted to detective, her partner was Harvey Bullock. While he was a grouchy character, and someone who didn’t mind bending the rules to solve a case, Montoya was a sort of counter-balance. She’s someone who was supportive of Batman. In fact, she would later admit she became a cop partly because she was inspired by him.

During the events of No Man’s Land, Montoya was one of the cops who remained in the abandoned city of Gotham along with Commissioner Gordon. It was during this era should would act as the middle man between the remaining GCPD and Two-Face’s gang. Maintaining an uneasy alliance to help keep the peace in what has become Gotham. There were moments of genuine partnership, especially in the early days when Two-Face found himself helping out the people in the aftermath of the earthquake and Renee would lend a hand. Things were more tense as No Man’s Land went on however. Even reaching the point where Two-Face would capture Gordon and put him on trial for what her perceived as wrongdoing. Renee would convince Two-Face to actually execute a fair trial where the Harvey Dent persona of Two-Face would defend Gordon. The situation ended with Gordon being released.

Despite Gordon doing some morally questionable things during No Man’s Land and even refusing Batman’s help in the beginning, Renee would stick by his side and offer support. Which is why later on, after Gotham rejoined the US, she found herself on the brink of the abyss. Gordon had been shot, seriously injured. Renee went out to try and track down the shooter and seek vengeance. Thankfully she was stopped by Bullock before she could do anything. But it turned out that Harvey had leaked the shooter’s identity to the mafia when it was discovered the assailant was a part of the Witness Protection Program. This would result in him no longer being a cop. Some hated Bullock for doing what he did, others stuck by his decision. Renee was stuck in the middle. She was angry at what her partner did. But she can’t ignore the fact that she shared his anger at the man who shot one of their closest friends. Anger that would be fed as danger began moving in her direction.

Renee would be assigned a new partner, Detective Crispus Allen. He had more in common with Renee personality-wise compared to Bullock. All though he considered Batman a necessary evil, one that he wants to help the GCPD move away from. So he’s a little more by the books than Renee in certain areas of the job. But that won’t be a factor until later one. In the comic title “Gotham Central”, Renee found herself harassed by a rapist that ended up walking. It started with him suing her. Nothing that she probably couldn’t fight off herself. But then he and a private investigator discovered her big secret. Renee Montoya is gay and has been secretly seeing a woman named Daria. When he followed the two of them, Renee would confront him and make a threat to him if he ever went near Daria. The next morning, two major things happened. Renee’s stalker was found dead. But more importantly – a picture had been hung up in the GCPD showing her and Daria kissing. She had just been outed to the entire police force.

These two events combined and some more finer details made her the primary suspect and was put on trial for murder. Her brother – who had already known but still struggled with the knowledge – couldn’t convince their parents that Renee being gay wasn’t true. Disowned by her parents and several officers from the GCPD against her and throwing slurs at her, her only ally was Crispus Allen who was struggling to prove she was framed. But thankfully, the mastermind revealed himself as Two-Face. It turns out that he had fallen in love with Renee due to their working relationship during No Man’s Land. He orchestrated everything so that she would have nothing in her life except for him. Leaving her no option but to love him. In his delusion, he believed that her love for him during her darkest hour would be enough to “overcome” her sexuality. He had captured her during her transit from the courthouse to reveal this information to her. At first she played into it to try and lower his defenses. But then she fought back, the gun in his hand dropping to the floor. Both made a move for it, but Batman finally intervened. A part of her became angry at him because she was almost at the gun. But he told her that one of them being shot and killed was not an option. Still, her anger grew despite being rescued and her name being cleared.

Renee Montoya was someone who would still help the people of her community. Someone who worked hard to do the right thing and find justice. But ever since she was outed and her parents turned their backs on her, she began to spiral. At night, she was out at bars looking for fights. She began drinking just like her former partner Bullock. One night she found herself holding a gun and crying in her home, her girlfriend Daria trying to comfort her. A slightly more productive way of exercising her anger was going after a cop from the crime investigation department, Jim Corrigan. He is c op who sells crime scene evidence on the side for some money but the GCPD could never firmly prove his illegal activities. When his side hustle put her partner Cirpus Allen in danger of losing his job, she beat the information she wanted out of him. While he was cleared, Allen was angry that now the GCPD didn’t have a case against Corrigan. Renee would discover that since then, Allen had been doing his own investigation to try and create a solid case. However, he ended up being shot and killed by the man he tried to take down.

The GCPD went all in to try and finally nail Corrigan. But he manipulated the evidence and once again walked. So during the night, after taking a few more drinks, Renee broke into Corrigan’s home. She held the gun up to him until he dropped to the ground, crying and begging her to not kill him. Despite all her anger building up all this time, through everything that had been thrown at her – she couldn’t pull the trigger. She left him to cry on the floor. The next day, she turned in her gun and badge and quit the force.

Months went by. Daria ended up leaving Renee, unable to watch her spiral any longer. That only pushed her to drink more, seek out more women for sex meaningless sex. But at least it distracted her. She no longer knew who she was or what she stood for. Her inability to become a killer also made her view herself as a pathetic version of Batman. What’s next for someone who has lost everything and everyone that she considered important? Now that’s the question. And it’s also where the faceless vigilante Charles Victor Szasz AKA The Question enters the story.

The faceless vigilante recruits Montoya as he investigates a bizarre case that touches on various aspects of the DC world. During this time, it is revealed that The Question is dying from lung cancer. And the reason he reached out to her is because he wants her to take his mantle. But in order to do that, he must go through the same kind of training he did. Which includes her looking deep into herself and confronting all of her flaws. Finding some sense of inner peace. It at first seems like a nigh impossible thing for her to do. How can someone who has gone through so much hardship – including being disowned by her own parents – find a way to move past that? But Renee found what she was looking for. And so when Charles Victor finally dies, he feels at peace knowing that he did manage to help someone he called a friend in his final days.

The woman formerly known as Detective Renee Montoya is no more. She is now The Question. Taking on the corruption of the larger world in a way she never has before. Reuniting with an old flame, Kate Kane the Batwoman, and even briefly working together to take on the Religion of Crime. The faceless woman fights for those that have been exploited and abused by those in power, feeling whole for the first time in her life.

And then DC Comics decided to shoot itself in the foot and started the New 52 initiative. The purpose of the New 52 being was to reboot the entire DC universe and start all their characters from the beginning. We don’t have time to go over the entire New 52, but here is what is relevant. Despite there being no communication on what was or wasn’t canon anymore, referencing characters or events or stories that shouldn’t exist yet, Renee was back to being a detective at the GCPD. And yet, as DC moved past the New 52, they seemed to be unsure of where they wanted Renee in her story. In some appearances she was a detective on the force. In others she was The Question, even though I’m not sure if Charles Victor is supposed to be dead. And more recently, she is shown as the being the commissioner of the GCPD. It is all very confusing. But on the bright side, no matter what role she’s occupying, she is continuing the fight against evil.

At the time this is being posted, the character is celebrating her 30th year anniversary. But the real reason I decided to write and publish this piece is to show the true strength of what DC has to offer. We often stay focused on the superheroes like Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman. Those that put on a costume and fight against unfathomable forces. But there is a plethora of characters who are much more regular citizens that have some of the more inspiring journeys that the medium has to offer. A woman struggling with her identity, dealing with everyday crime, then losing everything that once defined her only to become more confident in who she is and what she feels compelled to do. The story of Renee Montoya is one that inspires and gives hope for all of us that we can be heroic. We have the capability of fighting back against the corruption and obstacles around us. And she shows us how we can improve on ourselves.

Renee Montoya – detective, vigilante, fighter, hero.

Comics

What the Future of Spawn Should Include

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Spawn is a pretty good representation of what the 1990s were in terms of look and atmosphere. The title has represented both the best and worst of what the era had to offer comics. But it was smart enough to recognize the bad stuff in the early days and phase them out. Regardless, the 90s style of the character and series is a big part of what made the character to so popular. What I’m referring to is action, dark atmosphere, violence, brooding, that sort of thing. But this book knew how to properly utilize and present it for the most part. These are all elements that connect to the heart of Spawn and what his stories are about.

But now that so much time has passed – achieving major milestones and now expanding with new books – it’s time to make some changes. I’m not talking anything major. The last thing I want is for this series and universe to become like DC and Marvel in terms of tone and approach simply because it’s trying to copy their success. Todd McFarlane knows how to handle his creation and make it distinct from everything else. And let’s face it, Marvel & DC have made more than fair share of mistakes in terms of creating content and guiding their characters. The one major change I’m suggesting is more about adding to the universe than taking anything away. Spend more time letting the characters…just live.

That admittedly sounds confusing, so allow me to explain. One of the new Spawn titles is focused on Gunslinger Spawn and his solo adventures. Brought into the present due to events in issues 300 & 301, this Hellspawn’s journey is about finding his way back to his own time while dealing with characters and events in the present. There is of course action and mystery laying out future potential storylines and enemies. But there have been several moments in this series that have taken me by surprise. There is a bit where Gunslinger is genuinely confused and curious about the existence of an indoor toilet. And he is perplexed about the existence of plumbing. This was a funny joke, but made funnier and more surprising by how logical it is. He does come from a time where something like this doesn’t exist. It makes sense why he would ask questions about something like this. Also, despite knowing how to study a map he admits he can’t read. Makes sense and is pretty humorous.

In a separate issue, it opens up with him learning from a woman how to properly hitchhike. She shows him how to properly hold out his arm and how to use his thumb. And when he gets picked up, he isn’t mean to the driver or just giving him the bare minimum of courtesy. It seems like the two of them had a decent time in each other’s company during the short trip to Gunslinger’s destination. He even shows some level of affection for a couple of the wolves guarding his stuff. Long story short, these are moments that help create a personality for the character that doesn’t advance the story. It creates small humorous, and sort of wholesome, moments that make it more fun and engaging to read.

The major thing I think the Spawn universe should do moving forward is to have more moments like these. Show what the characters are like, have them interact in ways that aren’t focused on missions and show them create friendships. Up until this point, we haven’t seen a lot of that. There was Nyx before she was killed in issue 300 – and yes, I’m still angry about that and want her resurrected. Right now in the King Spawn title. Al and Terry are working together, but Terry for sure doesn’t like being in that situation and their relationship is fractured at best due to their history. The new characters that are being introduced and focused on should be the main focus moving forward. Obviously we can’t get rid of Al, that would be going too far. But have more stories with Gunslinger Spawn and Jessica Priest and the rest where they have moments of them just being themselves. Bonding in ways that Al seemingly lost the luxury to have with his newfound mission to wage war on the supernatural forces trapped on Earth.

The best existing example I can use for comparison is the JSA from DC Comics. There were issues were the team members weren’t on missions and just spent time with each other dealing with the day to day stuff. Some of that if properly translated to the Spawn universe and breathe some new life and creativity that can help it evolve. I’m suggesting this because I don’t want Spawn to end. Hopefully we do get some of that down the road once the new titles have been around for a little longer. Here’s to 30 more – if not more – years of the Spawn universe!