HUNTING THE DCU: ANDREYKO TALKS MANHUNTER

[MattBrady]

by Cliff Biggers and Matt Brady

There’s a new Manhunter in the DCU... and she’s about to attract a lot of attention!

So who is the woman who’s taking on the venerable name? We went to Manhunter writer Marc Andreyko to get some info about the new series and its star.

“The new Manhunter is Kate Spencer—a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles whose specialty is metahuman crime,” Andreyko said. “After many frustrating cases where supervillains get off, get committed, or elude true justice, Kate finally has had it and decides to pick up the slack for the legal system’s failings.”

As a prosecutor, Kate’s ability to right wrongs is limited—but as Manhunter, she is well equipped to mete out justice, armed with an assortment of metahuman weaponry that “will change all the time, depending on what she can sneak out of the FBI evidence locker or what her supplier can make for her,” Andreyko said.

Is Kate driven by a desire for justice or a desire for retribution? “Both—but she doesn’t know that quite yet.”

An officer of the court who chooses to work outside the law—what is it that makes this sort of dichotomy so enjoyable in fiction, while we would find it far less acceptable in our real world? “Well, we all would like to take justice into our own hands at some point in our lives, whether on the school bully, someone who has committed a crime upon us or a loved one, or some giant villain like the 9-11 terrorists—so the wish fulfillment factor is huge,” Andreyko said. “Although Kate takes justice into her own hands to a shocking degree...well, so do all the costumed heroes. After all, you gotta have a huge ego to think your point of view on justice is the right one. We’ll explore that to a degree in this series. And we will also explore how the heroes in the DCU react to Kate’s presence... some love her for doing what she does, while others want to take her down as soon as possible.”

Andreyko describes the new Manhunter as being “akin to an F/X series, like The Shield or Nip/Tuck, in that it is a little edgier than the average super-hero book, but it’s not a mature readers book. Hopefully, since we’re starting with a new character in a city not often used as a base in comics, it will be accessible to all. But this book is set firmly in the DCU.”

Since Andreyko is resurrecting a respected superhero name in the DCU, it’s only logical to wonder if there might be a connection between this new Manhunter and the earlier versions. To bring everyone up to speed, the original DC Manhunter was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1942. Named Paul Kirk, this Manhunter was part of a secret society called the Manhunters (of which Daniel Richards was also a member who called himself Manhunter). Kirk worked for the OSS during WWII, taking on missions. For many, Kirk’s finest hour as Manhunter came, Elseworlds style, in James Robinson and Paul Smith’s The Golden Age.

In DCU continuity, Kirk was nearly killed by an elephant in Africa after he left the life of espionage – and that’s where Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson picked up the name in their classic 1973 Manhunter backup series in Detective Comics. Paul Kirk died at the end of the Goodwin/Simonson story, though the name lived on.

In 1988 John Ostrander, along with his wife Kim Yale, and artist Doug Rice brought the character back, and touched upon the larger “Manhunter” group – a race of androids created millennia ago by the Guardians of Oa to enforce justice throughout the galaxy. The Manhunters were too literal minded in their view of justice, and were decommissioned by the Guardians (and replaced by the Green Lantern Corps). The Manhunters popped up in 1988’s Millennium crossover, from which Ostrander and Yale’s series was spun.

The new Manhunter went bad (not to mention his series was cancelled at #24), and has only made a few appearances in the DCU since. After that incarnation, Steve Grant and Vince Giarrano brought out a new Manhunter, with occult ties back for 12 issues, spinning out of the Zero Hour crossover in 1994.

The last appearance of a Manhunter, Kirk DePaul, a clone of Paul Kirk that showed up in the late Power Company.

While the above will impress folks at the comics shop, it’s not required knowledge for the new series (though you should do yourself a favor and get the Goodwin/Simonson collected edition…)

“While Kate has no direct link to any of the previous Manhunters, that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing any of them or referencing them down the line a bit,” Andreyko said. “I want to firmly establish Kate as a character before bringing in the legacy of the name.”

Manhunter is illustrated by Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti. “This is Jesus’ first big project after 21 Down for Wildstorm and, I tell you, I am the luckiest man in comics! Jesus’ pencils are brilliant. His sense of layout, the little ‘acting’ nuances he brings to each character, his design of the Manhunter costume—all out of this world! I love it so much that I’ve threatened to kidnap him if he ever tries to leave the book! Add to that Jimmy’s killer inks and covers by Jae Lee and i’m just waiting for someone to wake me up!”

Manhunter #1 is scheduled for mid-August release.

portions of this article first appeared in Comic Shop News

[byoung2814]

This could be a great series. I will always be partial to the Ostrander Manhunter version, but am certainly willing to give this one a try. I wouldn't mind if some ties were made with the past, ala Geoff Johns.

Has the Ostrander Manhunter Paul Kirk popped up anywhere recently?

b.

[matthewstarnes]

Wow. Great team on this book.
Good luck with this series.

[holtom2000]

Didn't Manhunter get killed by Eclipso?

[dollman]

I wonder if DC is putting out yet ANOTHER Manhunter book just to keep the copyright on the name? I picked up one issue of the last Manhunter spunned from Zero Hour, and it REALLY REALLY BAD! Worse than the Fate spin off.

Ostrander and Yale's character I enjoyed, but really the only Manhunter that has left a favorable impression in long time readers hearts and mind is the Paul Kirk version. Instead of slapping the name to a new character which history shows will probably fail, why not just invite Walt Simonson to redo a new Paul Kirk version?

[AlexLothos]

I've never heard of the character... I did stop in because glancing at the picture I was wondering why I saw a female Daredevil in an article marked DC...

Umm... after reading the article, the art still looks like a female DD to me.

[AlexLothos]

DD mixed with Spider Woman. Weee!

[xdemon]

she is well equipped to mete out justice, armed with an assortment of metahuman weaponry that “will change all the time, depending on what she can sneak out of the FBI evidence locker or what her supplier can make for her

Sounds like the X-cutioner from the mid 90s Uncanny X-Men Annual. (Who later appeared in the "non-lethal" Punisher series and Gambit monthly)

[Layters]

Loving what Dc is doing at the moment. Ill check this out for that reason alone. Hav e afeeling though that this could turn out to be a big sleeper hit.
See this is how you push new characters, tie them into the shared universe not drag them out of it like another company seems to think.

[gwangung]

Originally posted by dollman
I wonder if DC is putting out yet ANOTHER Manhunter book just to keep the copyright on the name? I picked up one issue of the last Manhunter spunned from Zero Hour, and it REALLY REALLY BAD! Worse than the Fate spin off.

Ostrander and Yale's character I enjoyed, but really the only Manhunter that has left a favorable impression in long time readers hearts and mind is the Paul Kirk version. Instead of slapping the name to a new character which history shows will probably fail, why not just invite Walt Simonson to redo a new Paul Kirk version?

If you knew anything about the Goodwin/Simonson Manhunter, you'd know why that would NEVER happen.

First of all....Archie's dead....

[onestar]

Hmm...I see no mention of the Power Company's Manhunter.

That Manhunter (Kirk DePaul, a Paul Kirk clone that went off on his own) was one of only a few characters that kept my interest in the series.

Manhunter has a rich history in the DCU. I'm not sure how this one will go over...I fear no character using that name will get as much respect as the Goodwin/Simonson one.

[brazilgilliam]

I love Goodwin/Simonson's Manhunter too much to get involved in this series. No way. It just doesn't interest me. Manhunter is too good of a character to be revamped. No thanks DC. What else ya got?

[Gideon37]

The Mark Shaw Manuhunter was indeed murdered in an issue of Eclipso, along with several other 2nd & 3rd tier heroes. Thankfully, a few years later in the Zero Hour Manhunter series, someone thought better of it and retroactively decided that it wasnt Mark Shaw that died on Eclipso Island. The Govt. sent in a ringer b/c Shaw was on an undercover assignment. Shaw has been tooling around Comic Limbo since then as far as I know ... I really hope he make an appearance in the new book ...

[Matches Malone]

I'm looking forward to this. Saiz is a major talent. Check out 21 DOWN if you don't believe me.

I enjoyed the Mark Shaw Manhunter, too. That was a fine series that never got the acclaim it deserved.

[Citizenvain]

Whenever I see Jae Lee art it just brings back bad memories of that Captain America arc called ICE. I did not enjoy it to say the least.

[hondo]

I loved the Goodwin/Simonson Manhunter and love the concept of the Power Company Manhunter. I was really hoping he was the one getting the series but this looks good too. At the very least I hope there will be linkage and maybe some guest appearances by him too.

The art looks phenom on this and Jae Lee always rocks !

[Andy Oliver]

For those asking the Mark Shaw Manhunter (from the Ostrander/Yale series) did indeed appear to die in ECLIPSO but it was later revealed that this was an imposter in the final issue of the last MANHUNTER run when a very much alive Mark Shaw turned up. As far as I'm aware Mark Shaw has not appeared anywhere since and no explanation as to the identity of the "imposter" or why he was masquerading as Mark Shaw has ever been given...

[Pack]

I don't think that this (admittedly brief) recap mentions that the idea of the Manhunters being an intergalactic android police force was a retcon from Steve Engelhart's much-underappreciated run on Justice Leage of America. (Though not so underappreciated since an episode of the cartoon was based on this very story....)

And who the hell is Daniel Richards (who isn't mentioned elsewhere in the article)....?

[PhillipVargas]

Jesus Saiz's art has that gritty, moody appeal to it. The idea sounds interesting and the art looks great. I'll be picking this one up and giving it a chance.

[MattBrady]

Just updated with art from issue #1.

MattB

[MattBrady]

Originally posted by onestar
Hmm...I see no mention of the Power Company's Manhunter.

Shoot. Got it fixed.

MattB

[noir]

lookin forward to this shit

[StoneGold]

Funny, I was thinking it was actually very similiar to the old DC Vigilante. Well, not the really old one, the one Alan Moore did a story for. Made all the more ironic since there was going to be a Vigilante series, at least until someone was revealed as a fraud.

[COREMARK]

After reading the Manhunter preview in one of DC's Horizons, I am really looking forward to this book. I would also love to see Mark Shaw make an appearance in this book.

[Zonker]

Originally posted by MattBrady

To bring everyone up to speed, the original DC Manhunter was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1942. Named Paul Kirk, this Manhunter was part of a secret society called the Manhunters (of which Daniel Richards was also a member who called himself Manhunter). Kirk worked for the OSS during WWII, taking on missions. For many, Kirk’s finest hour as Manhunter came, Elseworlds style, in James Robinson and Paul Smith’s The Golden Age.

In DCU continuity, Kirk was nearly killed by an elephant in Africa after he left the life of espionage – and that’s where Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson picked up the name in their classic 1973 Manhunter backup series in Detective Comics. Paul Kirk died at the end of the Goodwin/Simonson story, though the name lived on.

Just a little additional color on Golden Age comics history trivia. The name "Paul Kirk, Manhunter" pre-dated the arrival of Simon & Kirby. In fact, the first 1 or 2 S&K Manhunter strips used a different name than Paul Kirk for the main character. Editorial decided they wanted to re-use the Paul Kirk name (to reinforce DC's 'ownership' of the character maybe?), so it was changed in the later S&K strips, and was was also altered to Paul Kirk when the first few S&K Manhunters were reprinted in the 1970s.

The Manhunter secret society was an embellishment by Kirby in the 1970s in the "First Issue Special" 1-shot. That secret society embellishment was further ret-conned by Steve Englehart to be an intergalactic organization founded by the Guardians. Meanwhile the Paul Kirk as OSS spy and his almost-fatal brush with the bull-elephant were ret-cons introduced during the classic Goodwin & Simonson series.

Finally, the naming of the Goodwin/Simonson character as Paul Kirk, and the tie-in to the Golden Age character, were after-thoughts-- originally the Goodwin/Simonson strip was to be about a brand new character. So there is something oddly sticky about the name Paul Kirk-- seems like it has to live on somehow in connection with these various characters named Manhunter!