THE BOOK OF FATE #12 - January 1998

One Man’s Fate

Credits: Keith Giffen (plot and pencils), Alan Grant (script), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: While exiled from Earth, Fate and Lobo go barhopping. Meanwhile, Dr. Occult threatens Sentinel not to pursue his lawsuit against Fate, Amethyst cancels her plans for Fate, and Chaos and Order decide Fate has kept the balance between them too well. Lobo takes Fate back to Earth to drink at a bar for forgotten heroes. After Lobo passes out, Fate’s forcibly thrown outside. He wanders the alley, wondering if the universe has turned its back on him.

Irrelevant Continuity: Fate has apparently lost his powers by the end of the story, presumably after Chaos and Order choose to ignore him.

Review: Four issues after the letter column promised that Lobo wouldn’t be appearing in this title, Lobo appears in this title. I don’t think Lobo was considered that much of a sales draw by late 1997, so presumably he’s here because Giffen feels like using him again. This is largely a joke issue, mocking the public’s refusal to accept Fate as a protagonist, so theoretically Lobo wouldn’t be out of place for at least this story. It turns out that neither Giffen nor Grant has too many great jokes in mind for the character, unfortunately, so he spends the issue reciting his old punch lines and making a few references to his powerful farts. Some of the meta-humor does work, though. Amethyst outright declares her plans for Fate “cancelled” due to the universe’s lack of interest in him. Chaos and Order decide that he hasn’t tilted the balance one way or the other, making him such a dull protector of the balance he isn’t worth noticing. And Guy Gardner’s bar for cancelled DC heroes, all of whom can’t stand Fate, is amusing.

So, as it turns out, it’s okay to hate Fate. This version, at least. Good. What a waste of Ron Wagner and Bill Reinhold, though.

THE BOOK OF FATE #11 - December 1997

The Perception of Doors

Credits: Keith Giffen (plot), Alan Grant (script), Matt Smith (penciler), Steve Mitchell (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: To escape his prison cell, Fate concentrates on where he’s “supposed to be.” He suddenly appears in a strange room with Amethyst and two of her followers. She tells him that his “time will come” shortly before he materializes in Arnold’s bathroom. Vera reluctantly volunteers to help him go into hiding, but Fate walks off. He’s soon greeted by Sentinel, who offers to send Fate into Exile until the mystic community clears him. In Exile, Fate meets Lobo.

We Get Letters: The editors admit in the letter column that the “Convergence” crossover was confusing and didn’t have a clear reason to exist. They seem especially proud of a crossover they edited called “Final Night,” though.

I Love the ‘90s: Vera says that Jared’s face is “better known that Princess Di’s.”

Miscellaneous Note: The title of the issue is likely a reference to a novel by Aldous Huxley called The Doors of Perception.

Review: With one issue left to go, an entire issue is squandered on merely getting Fate from Point A to Point B, intercut with a few vague, futile conversations. Knowing that the Jared Stevens Fate is one issue away from disappearing into obscurity, it’s hard for me to care about Dr. Occult lecturing Vera on the importance of Jared learning to teleport on his own, a conversation that lasts several pages. (What was the point of bringing Vera into the book in the first place? I was never entirely certain on what her brother’s role was supposed to be, so seeing him replaced towards the end of the book’s run with his nerdy sister is even more vexing.) And there’s Amethyst’s evil plot, which I doubt is going to be thwarted in the next twenty-two pages. (If anyone did bother to bring Amethyst back into the DC continuity of this era, I suspect it was to undo these changes and make her a heroine again anyway.) Finally, Sentinel appears to set up the inevitable Lobo guest shot. This may tie in with the ongoing subplot that has Sentinel suing Jared for his mystic artifacts, but it’s not as if that storyline brought a lot of excitement to the series in the first place.

One more issue…

THE BOOK OF FATE #10 - November 1997

The Final Gathering

Credits: Keith Giffen (plot & pencils), Alan Grant (script), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: War’s human avatar enters the bathroom, shortly after Fate uses his daggers to unlock his chains. War reveals the Four Horsemen’s plan to destroy the world, confident that Fate can’t stop them. When the four “philanthropists” appear onstage, a disguised Fate uses his daggers to kill three of them. War stops time and engages Fate in battle. After Fate kills him, time returns to normal, leaving Fate at the mercy of the security guards.

I Love the ‘90s: The heightened security at the event is compared to the last time “Clinton had a haircut,” which might be a reference to Bill Clinton’s famous haircut on an airport runway. Later, Fate says his disguise makes him feel like “Michael Jackson on a particularly bad day.” I think this is a reference to the heavy makeup he’s wearing to cover his face tattoo.

We Get Letters: The editors continue to defend Fate’s retconned origin with the dubious claim that it’s allowed this series to be friendlier to new readers.

Review: So the Four Horsemen arc has developed for four months now, and it ends with the hero assassinating the villains in their civilian identities while from a safe distance. Yes, that’s an anti-climax, but it’s perfectly in-character for Jared Stevens, and Giffen still gives himself room for a few sick visuals. I’m not a huge fan of Giffen’s art from this era, but he undeniably draws incredible demons, so the Fate vs. War fight is pretty entertaining. (I still would’ve preferred Ron Wagner’s version, though.) Some of the setup for the story, particularly War and Famine’s dinner date preceding the conference, is also executed quite well. If Giffen could’ve kept the Four Horsemen as interesting throughout the entire arc, or perhaps shortened this storyline by an issue, the book could have picked up a decent momentum by this point.

THE BOOK OF FATE #9 - October 1997

Swiss Cheese

Credits: Keith Giffen (plot and pencils), Alan Grant (script), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: The avatars of the Four Horsemen appear at a conference in Switzerland, as Dr. Occult meets with Fate and Vera. Fate dismisses his advice, but later submits to Vera’s request to do more research on the Horsemen. He steps away to go to the bathroom, and discovers that he’s now in the bathroom of a Swiss hotel. He’s soon captured by the authorities and taken to another bathroom. He opens the door and is teleported yet again.

Production Note: Ron Wagner was apparently misidentified as the penciler in the original credits. Alan Grant is also credited as only "Grant," leading me to wonder if the editor forgot that Steven Grant was also doing work for DC at the time.

Review: This issue -- exciting bathroom teleportation! It’s another issue of Fate derisively dismissing any help that’s offered him on supernatural affairs, only to find himself in over his head in a mystical adventure. I’ve noticed that the letters page is running more and more letters from readers annoyed by the lead character, and the editorial response is always along the lines of “Jared never believed in magic before, so it’s going to take some time for him to figure this stuff out!” Nine issues in and this has already gotten extremely old. He doesn’t come across as a rational skeptic, just an obnoxious man-child that rarely has any sarcastic or cynical observations that are actually funny.

Even if the main character is a disappointment, the book could still be saved with some imaginative storylines. Instead, we’ve gotten three issues in a row of the Four Horsemen making vague plans to do…something. To Giffen’s credit, the avatars he’s created for the Horsemen are potentially interesting (a Senator who crusades for peace, a Mother Teresa analogue, a billionaire philanthropist, and a mystery man on a cell phone), but all of their scenes have been fairly redundant so far. The saving grace for this title is usually the art, but Ron Wagner is absent this month. (Looking at comics.org, apparently the previous issue was his last.) The art’s taken an abrupt swerve into ‘90s Giffen territory (almost Trencher-esque, but not as abrasive), and it’s not nearly as attractive as the earlier issues.

THE BOOK OF FATE #8 - September 1997

Better Off Dead

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Vera snaps out of her spell as a process server knocks on the door. He assures Vera that Jared isn’t dead and revives him. He then hands him a summons for Sentinel’s lawsuit and leaves. Later, Dr. Occult greets Jared in an alley, giving him his card and inviting him to talk. Inside the Conclave Monolith, a mystery woman is informed of Dr. Occult’s actions. Meanwhile, personifications of the Apocalypse continue to appear, killing innocent people.

We Get Letters: Every letter printed in the letters page is negative this issue. Most of them are from established readers that are upset that the new Fate’s continuity makes no sense (as opposed to the entire storylines that make no sense). The editors respond that giving Fate a new origin was necessary in order to sell the importance of the “final” Order vs. Chaos war (which honestly makes no sense to me). They also assure the fans that DC would never change Alan Scott’s origin…“He is, after all, the original Green Lantern!”

Review: Giffen advances the main storyline incrementally, as Fate’s death in the previous issue is dismissed quickly so that the focus can return to the Apocalypse characters and Sentinel’s lawsuit. And Dr. Occult appears, which may or not mean something to someone familiar with obscure DC continuity. This is followed by another vague scene, which has an unnamed blonde woman from the Conclave question if Dr. Occult is planning to train Fate in the mystic arts. Maybe this shouldn’t bother me, but it’s annoying to see character after character appear with no explanation. I have no idea if I’m supposed to know who they are, or if they’re intentional mysteries. If Mystery Blonde Lady is an established character, would it kill Giffen to have one of her female servants identify her by name?

I’ll give Giffen the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Apocalypse subplot pages are intentional mysteries, but even these scenes are a drag on the book. Almost a third of the issue is consumed with pages of possessed women turning people into dried out corpses. There’s no discernible advancement of the plot, and the scenes feel needlessly padded. Bring back the rats, please.

THE BOOK OF FATE #7 - August 1997

Signs
Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared finds himself pursued by rats. He escapes by tricking them into falling several stories off a building. With Arnold away, Jared turns to his sister Vera for help explaining the phenomenon. She appears to be Jared’s ally, until she receives a mysterious phone call. Vera then pulls out a gun and shoots Jared in the back. Meanwhile, the other personifications of the Apocalypse discuss Pestilence’s actions, and Sentinel testifies to the Conclave that Jared has mystical possessions that are rightfully his.

I Love the ‘90s: Jared is uncomfortable using the internet. Vera tells him to just “point and click.”



Review: This is absurd and entertaining, as opposed to most of this series’ run, which has been absurd and irritatingly confusing. Using an army of literal rats as the manifestation of Pestilence is probably the cleverest use of the concept I’ve seen in comics, and of course Ron Wagner easily does the concept justice. That cover alone is enough reason to love Ron Wagner. How many books on the stands in August 1997 could grab your attention like this? Regarding the story, Giffen is setting up a handful of new storylines, and bringing back the Senator character from the previous arc. Now we know he’s some personification of the Apocalypse, information that for some reason couldn’t be conveyed during the previous month’s utterly pointless crossover. Oh, and Sentinel has turned against Fate, which according to the letters page, is apparently a tie-in with whatever books Alan Scott was appearing in at the time. I don’t have a lot of faith that any of this will have a coherent conclusion, but hopefully I can get something out of the story while enjoying the pretty pictures.

THE BOOK OF FATE #6 - July 1997

All that Glitters…(Convergence Part One)

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Following a series of disagreements, the Conclave dismantles. Later, Fate’s apartment is invaded by shock troopers for the House of Emerald. They claim he’s harboring a fugitive, but can’t find any evidence. After they leave, Fate discovers a gem in his refrigerator. The gem turns into Topaz, who warns Fate of a conspiracy to destroy the Conclave. The Emerald soldiers return to fight, and once Topaz realizes Fate is unwilling to help him, he disappears. When the Emerald soldiers also leave, Fate is arrested by local police.

Irrelevant Continuity: This begins a crossover with the other DC “weirdoverse” titles, Night Force, Challengers of the Unknown, and Scare Tactics.

Review: Perhaps the most enjoyable issue of the series so far, the reader now has an idea of what Keith Giffen can do when he isn’t indulging in endless weirdness for weirdness’ sake. The Conclave, for the first time in this specific series, are actually clearly defined (an arbitrating body dedicated to resolving “disputes of any mystical nature”), which goes a long way towards making this issue tolerable. Not every aspect of the story makes perfect sense yet (Sentinel has discovered two peaceful alien races who’ve slaughtered each other, while a U.S. Senator is apparently puking out these aliens in his toilet), but there’s a basic plot here that’s easy to grasp -- a group called the “Gemlords” have manipulated the Conclave and staged a coup, which is setting the stage for their bid for world domination. This works as a painless premise for a storyline, and there’s enough room for Giffen to showcase more of Fate’s obnoxiousness, which is actually entertaining this time (his continued attempts to brush Topaz off and just ignore this mission are pretty funny). This is the rare occasion that a crossover helps a title gain focus; not that I’m particularly interested in a “weirdoverse” crossover, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

THE BOOK OF FATE #5 - June 1997

Last Dance

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Two-Face abandons his fight with Fate, allowing a new superhero, the Image, to make his presence known. Fate forces Image to fly him to a Chaos area; he then enters the strange world and punches out Chaos. Order suddenly appears with the Image at his side. He demands Image and Fate fight, but is knocked unconscious by Image’s body after Fate throws his superhero representative at him. Suddenly, Fate stands next to an adolescent boy in the middle of a theme park.

Irrelevant Continuity: Letter writers are complaining that the origin of Jared Stevens has been revised from the Fate series without any Crisis/Zero Hour efforts to justify the change. The editorial response is essentially that Keith Giffen wanted to start over and they let him.

Review: More random, not particularly entertaining, nonsense. Two-Face is dismissed after a handful of pages in order to introduce Not Funny Generic Superman Parody #629, the Image, into the illogical plot. (And why is he named “the Image” if he’s meant to represent traditional superheroes? Image’s heroes were far closer to Fate than this hero back in the ‘90s.) Casually dropping Two-Face is a terrible move; not only does Ron Wagner draw him incredibly well, but an adventure with Two-Face could’ve served as a nice non-hallucinogenic change of pace for the book. Instead, we get more unfunny scenes of random gibberish that are supposed to make Fate look cool, when in truth, Fate’s one of the more annoying “attitude” characters in comics. Pairing him with a Superman analogue solely to make fun of traditional heroes doesn’t make Fate seem edgy or daring, it just exposes his dull wit and irritating persona.

THE BOOK OF FATE #4 - May 1997

What If They Threw A War And Everybody Came?

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared is able to escape the war between Chaos and Order because neither side can touch him. His dagger vibrates, pointing like a compass towards Gotham City. Jared arrives to discover a Chaos-possessed Arkham Asylum. He’s thrown inside and forced alone with Two-Face, who claims he was left to fend for himself in Arkham after he rejected Order and Chaos. He handcuffs himself to Jared, who punches Two-Face and drags him outside. They emerge inside an “Order Patch.” The handcuffs revert back into Two-Face’s coin, which he flips to its scarred side.

Irrelevant Continuity: Jared is called “Fate” for the first time by the possessed Arkham Asylum building.

Review: I think I can grasp the basic idea behind this issue: Order and Chaos can’t directly harm Jared, so Chaos has manipulated him into entering Arkham Asylum, where Two-Face is sure to do the job. I don’t totally grasp the significance of the “Order Patch” and the handcuffs changing into Two-Face’s coin, but I’m going to assume that this is Order playing his part in the assassination.

I can certainly understand why Order and Chaos would be interested in Two-Face, and using him is a clever move on Giffen’s part, but I’m not sure why he would be a better assassin than a million other characters in the DC Universe. He looks cool, he fits the basic theme of the title, but he’s not particularly suited for the role he’s been given. Regardless, Two-Face looks amazing under Wagner’s pencils, and it’s certainly possible that Giffen has more in mind for the character. This is the most enjoyable issue of the series yet, although that’s mainly because it features a character I actually recognize and can understand.

THE BOOK OF FATE #3 - April 1997

No title or credit is listed for this issue. Based on the previous issues, the creative team likely consists of...
Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared defeats Sentinel after he foolishly unwraps the cloak on Jared’s arm and unleashes a monster. When Jared returns home, his view of the world is warped into chaos. He follows a neighbor, Cindy, to Arnold’s apartment, hoping to find answers there. Jared’s perceptions return to normal outside, where he’s surrounded by a sea of blackness. The agents of Chaos and Order appear, hoping to recruit him to their respective sides. Jared refuses to take a side, and with both fearful of his powers, Chaos and Order initiate their war.

Review: Ironically, the story about chaos infecting reality is the easiest to follow so far. I still don’t pretend to understand the specifics of the continuity, but there’s enough here for me to get the broad strokes. Both Order and Chaos want Jared on their side, probably because they’re both terrified of the Artifacts of Fate, and some kind of war is brewing between them. I still find Chaos’ speech pattern annoying, and everything Order says is needlessly cryptic, but at least I can pick out some semblance of a plot. And I didn’t even mind the weirdness for weirdness’ sake this issue. Ron Wagner draws the trippy landscapes beautifully, and there appears to be some logic behind most of this insanity, like when Jared perceives Cindy as a roach because she’s carrying a Kafka book.

THE BOOK OF FATE #2 - March 1997

Carnal Beckoning

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Jared discovers that he no longer needs sleep, forcing him to kill time in the middle of the night with Arnold. Arnold gives him advice on how to deal with the artifacts, and reveals that he’s created a Fate website. When Jared leaves Arnold’s home, he’s confronted by Sentinel, who places a “message from the Conclave” inside Jared’s head. Sentinel then confronts the nearby agent of Chaos, only to be possessed by the entity. The possessed Sentinel violently breaks into Jared’s home. Meanwhile, an agent of Order appears in India.

I Love the ‘90s: Jared describes the sudden movement of his face emblem as “Whoop! There it is!” (And I have no idea what he’s talking about, since the emblem’s in the same place it was in the previous issue.)

Total N00B: So, at some point Alan Scott dropped the Green Lantern title and went by Sentinel? Is he also de-aged at this point, because he certainly appears younger here than he was in Justice Society of America. Also, Jared already knows Sentinel somehow, and they have some connection to something called “the Conclave.”

“Huh?” Moment: Jared is horribly embarrassed to be purchasing “Cocoa Buffs” (later called by their real name) cereal as a favor to Arnold. Why? The story treats this as totally emasculating, but I’ve never heard of any stigma attached to grown men buying sugary breakfast cereal.

Review: Oh, more stuff that makes no sense. The book is still assuming that everyone has a full run of Fate, which puts this reader at a severe disadvantage. I’d love to read a good ol’ fashioned Jim Shooter ravaging of this comic, because large sections of the story are just opaque. Who is Arnold? How does he know Jared? How does Arnold seem to know so much about the occult? Or is he just guessing about this stuff? Why did he start a website? Why does Jared not to seem to care that Arnold’s setting up an online business on his behalf without his consent?

At the very least, Jared and Arnold do have some kind of chemistry going, so their conversation scene isn’t a total loss. Unfortunately, it’s followed by a pointless fight with a new incarnation of Alan Scott I’ve never seen before, which ties in to their connection with a mysterious group (?) known as the Conclave. And then, an unnamed monster attacks Alan Scott and possesses him, setting up another fight with Jared, who I guess I’m not supposed to be calling Dr. Fate yet. As a subplot, an unnamed figure in white reflects on India and the great monument he’ll build there. Finally, in the letters page, an editor’s note refers to the lead character as a “small time black marketer,” an idea that hasn’t clearly been expressed in the actual comic yet. That’s followed by a series of letters making obscure references to the previous Fate series that I’ve never read. Seriously, if I wasn’t already a fan of the art (and kind of obligated to keep writing about the series), why would I want to buy the next issue?

THE BOOK OF FATE #1 - February 1997

Lament

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Bill Reinhold (inker), Gaspar (letterer), Mike Danza (colorist)

Summary: Explorer Jared Stevens discovers the Tomb of Nabu when an old man leads him through an invisible entrance in the desert. Jared discovers the old man is the previous Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson. When Jared takes the Artifacts of Order, Kent and his wife Inza are restored to their youth and disappear. Soon, Jared is caught in a battle between Order and Chaos that leaves his body badly burned. Using the cloak of Dr. Fate as a bandage, Jared’s skin is healed. He returns home, only to discover his employer Marsh doesn’t believe his story.

Irrelevant Continuity: This series is a follow-up to the previous Dr. Fate ongoing, Fate.

Total N00B: Judging by the letters page, Jared Stevens is apparently an established character from the Fate series, even though he remains skeptical about the existence of Dr. Fate during the story’s opening. I also don’t know if the characters Jared mentions repeatedly throughout the issue -- his ex-wife Holly, her father (?) Marsh, and his “alleged best friend” Arnold Burnsteel -- have already appeared. The story certainly acts as if we should know who they are.

Review: My knowledge of Dr. Fate is limited to his Super Powers action figure and his appearances on the ‘90s Superman cartoon. Consequently, I have no idea what this is. On a basic level, I get it. Unlikely hero finds mystic artifacts and gains super powers, sure. But there’s a sense that as a reader, I should already know all of these characters and attach some kind of significance to Jared Stevens becoming the new Dr. Fate, (if in fact that’s the title he’ll go by in this series) and that’s the real failing of the story. It’s far too cryptic to truly be enjoyed, and as a main character, Jared Stevens is too much of a cliché at this point to be engaging. He’s Ben Grimm without the charm and a PG-13 potty mouth; he’s no hero, but maybe, just maybe, he’ll learn about true heroism as the months pass.

I do have some faith in Giffen’s ability to make this work; it’s just such a tired formula, even for 1997, that I’m not thrilled with the set up. The art, however, is everything I hoped it would be. Not to oversell it, but the combination of Ron Wagner and Bill Reinhold almost resembles Joe Kubert inked by Klaus Janson. Even when the story itself doesn’t make a lot of sense, the visual storytelling is always clear, and the figures look recognizably human and natural. This may not be the most appropriate art team for a goth Dr. Fate reboot, but so far they’re the highlight of the series.

THE BEAST #1-#3, May - July 1997

Bad Karma

Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Cedric Nocon (penciler), Jaime Mendoza & Hackshack Studios (inkers), Marie Javins & Digital Chameleon (colors), Comicraft (letters)

I wonder, has Keith Giffen ever publically stated his thoughts on the X-titles? His fill-in on Excalibur hinted at some affection for the more obscure areas of X-continuity, and now we have a story that features Gateway, Viper, Spiral, Karma, and her little siblings, Coy Leong and Coy Nga. There’s even a flashback here I’m not familiar with -- the Australian-era X-Men, with Nightcrawler for some reason, facing an adult Leong and Nga (perhaps it's from New Mutants annual #2 ?). Maybe he’s just an old school pro who did a lot of research before delving into the X-universe, but it seems like you have to be a pretty hardcore fan to even think about Karma’s siblings.

The story opens with Spiral using Gateway to bring her Viper, her new partner in crime. Spiral has Leong and Nga, which comes as a surprise to Karma, who thinks the Hellfire Club is keeping them captive. After possessing Beast and forcing him into a pointless fight with Hellfire security, Karma calms down and agrees to let Beast and Cannonball help her in her search (the throwaway explanation for why the X-Men never looked for her siblings is that Karma never "gave (them) an opportunity”). Beast can’t find them with Cerebro (which allows Giffen to explain that non-telepaths can also use it, telepaths are just better with it), but that’s okay. Spiral conveniently shows up at X-Men’s door and kidnaps Karma, apparently because she needs all of the Coy siblings together.

As Spiral teleports away, Beast and Cannonball are brought along for the ride. And, yeah, this has precious little to do with the Beast. I honestly wonder if Karma and Beast have ever even appeared in the same comic before this. Giffen does build up enough intrigue for the first issue though, and with the exception of a comically exaggerated Cannonball, he does have a nice grasp on the characters. Cedric Nocon’s flat, two-dimensional Jim Lee impression is the biggest problem with the issue.

Body Shopping

Credits: Keith Giffen (plot), Terry Kavanagh (script), Cedric Nocon (penciler), Jaime Mendoza & Hackshack Studios (inkers), Ariane Lenshoek (colors), Comicraft (letters)

Giffen’s already halfway out of the door, and the drop in quality is noticeable. After arriving at Spiral’s Body Shoppe, the heroes learn that Karma’s siblings have been transformed into adult cyborgs. For reasons that aren’t clear yet, Viper and Spiral have brainwashed the siblings and unleashed them on the mutants. Aside from just being unpleasant to look at, Nocon’s art really drops the ball during the fight scene. Apparently, Nga bursts out of her “adult” shell, but she now resembles Karma and can duplicate her possession powers. It’s entirely possible that Kavanagh’s script isn’t conveying what exactly Giffen intended, but the art just makes things muddier. It’s hard to tell if Nga is supposed to resemble Karma if both characters barely look human. Plus, the art is so unclear, I can’t tell if Nga is supposed to be a kid again or not (the next issue clarifies that she’s still stuck in an adult body, but it’s unclear at this point). The style isn’t even consistent, as the art goes from a Jim Lee pastiche to a Joe Mad one over the course of a few pages. As for the Beast, he has a quickie flashback to the day he experimented on himself and turned blue and furry. I’m not entirely sure that even accurately represents the original story, and it’s a stretch to connect his transformation to what Spiral does in the Body Shoppe.

Closing Shop

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Cedric Nocon, Paul Pelletier, & Hector Collazo (penciler), Jaime Mendoza & Hackshack Studios, Harry Candelario (inkers), Ariane Lenshoek (colors), Comicraft (letters)

I’ve never read Karma’s first appearance in Marvel Team-Up #100, but apparently it introduced, and killed off, a twin brother I didn’t know about. Tran Coy Manh, Karma’s twin brother with the same powers, is dredged out of the past and becomes a major plot point. Viper wants to kill the Coy family because Tran forced her into some sort of Comics Code Approved white slavery in his sole appearance. As we abruptly learn this issue, Tran never really died, and a part of his consciousness resides inside Karma. This creates a conflict between Viper and Spiral, since Viper wants to take Karma back and use her as a means to torture Tran, while Spiral apparently wants to keep her for experimentation. Meanwhile, Leong and Nga are still grown-up, brainwashed cyborgs providing the token fight scenes. Spiral throws a tantrum, things blow up, and Beast, Cannonball, and Karma escape with the Coy siblings. What does Beast have to do? He un-brainwashes the siblings, but tells Karma that their new forms are permanent. (Are they still supposed to be cyborg adults? I know Claremont established that Karma was still taking care of them, but I don’t know if they’ve appeared “on-camera” since this mini.)

I’m glad someone out there had a great story that spoke to the Beast’s character and didn’t rely on a large cast of unrelated characters to work, don’t you? Seriously, who possibly thought this could be sold as a Beast miniseries? The Beast has served with the Avengers and the Defenders. He’s best friends with Wonder Man and has various connections throughout the Marvel Universe. He has an evil twin out there in continuity. So, of course his miniseries is a follow-up to a forgotten New Mutants subplot. And how is it that a three-issue miniseries can’t even keep a consistent creative team?

EXCALIBUR #105 – January 1997

Hard Truths
Credits: Keith Giffen (writer), Bryan Hitch (penciler), Paul Neary w/Bryan Hitch & Robin Riggs (inkers), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Ariane Lenshoek & Malibu (colors), based on a story by John Acrudi

Summary: Even after viewing Doug Ramsey’s corpse, Kitty Pryde remains convinced that Douglock is Doug. They travel to a pizzeria the New Mutants used to frequent, where Kitty is stunned to learn that Douglock doesn’t like Doug’s favorite pizza. Meanwhile, the Mutant Liberation Front continues their assault on Muir Island. Moira and Nightcrawler try to close the vault doors that guard the Xavier Protocols, but are unsuccessful. When Nightcrawler teleports away to fight the MLF, Moira shuts down the forcefield that’s keeping the villains outside. Nightcrawler is forced to abandon the fight when the MLF use Meggan and Captain Britain as hostages. As the MLF approach the Xavier Protocols unit, the lack of security makes them suspicious. They throw the unconscious bodies of Meggan and Captain Britain in front of the unit as test subjects. Moira reactivates the forcefield, now that the entire team is inside its range. Moonstar, looking for a way to botch the MLF’s mission, declares that Excalibur now has the advantage and orders the team to teleport away. Elsewhere, Kitty visits Doug Ramsey’s home. When she sees that Doug’s parents have turned his bedroom into a den, she realizes that he really is gone. She returns to Doug’s grave to say goodbye, finally accepting the truth.

Continuity Notes: This issue raises the question of why Douglock takes Doug Ramsey’s form, but doesn’t give an answer. I don’t recall the initial Phalanx storyline explicitly spelling this out, but I’m fairly certain it ties into the early appearances of the Phalanx, which had them mimicking the forms of deceased associates of the X-Men (like Archangel’s dead girlfriend, Candy Southern). Douglock was their version of Doug Ramsey, yet he managed to break free of his programming in his earliest appearances in this title.

I Love the ‘90s: The letters page in this issue solicits responses in the form of email, which is the first time I’ve seen that happen in an issue I’ve reviewed. They don’t actually give an email address, though, they ask people to submit letters through the “Marvel: Online” site (without telling anyone how to actually access the site).

Review: The filler issues continue, as Keith Giffen is brought in to finish last issue’s story. It is an improvement over last issue’s script, as Giffen manages to give the characters personalities and write a few sharp lines. It’s a little too jokey in a few places, but it’s definitely preferable to the generic, dull script of the previous issue. I’m not aware of the behind-the-scenes circumstances that lead to Giffen finishing off another writer’s story, but he actually seems to be enjoying himself. When an emotional Kitty accuses Douglock of planting the body in Doug’s grave, Giffen has Douglock check off all of the reasons why her allegation is ridiculous. Rather than dwelling on it, Kitty acknowledges that she acted like a jerk and the characters move on. Kitty’s portrayal in this story is a tricky thing to pull off, since discovering Doug’s body is the most definitive confirmation of his death you’re likely to find, yet she still has to stay in denial until the end of the issue. Giffen manages to make Kitty appear more desperate than truly delusional, and uses the story to make the broader point that Kitty has a hard time letting go of the past (she’s shocked to learn that an employee at the pizzeria is gone, even though she hasn’t visited in over a year).

There are some plot points that bother me, such as the two most powerful members of the team getting easily knocked unconscious by the MLF, the MLF totally forgetting about last issue’s plans to steal Moira’s Legacy Virus research, and the nonsensical scene that has Moira dramatically ripping out the forcefield’s wiring, yet being able to just turn it back on a few pages later. The issue has its flaws, but it’s an enjoyable read, and it’s much better than I remembered it being. This turned out to be my final issue of Excalibur, as my local newsstand vendors dramatically reduced the number of comics they ordered. I visited the comic shop in a nearby town every month or so, but was so disenfranchised with the direction of most of the X-books, I made no effort to search the back issue bins for any of the titles I had been regularly buying.