JOURNEY INTO COMICS: THOSE WONDERFUL TOYS

[MattBrady]

by Michael San Giacomo

Marc Andreyko is the kind of guy who doesn’t believe in throwing anything away. That’s how he ended up with the character of Manhunter.

In the latest issue of the series Manhunter, #15 (DC, $2.50), readers get to see how she cobbled together her uniform and weapons and where she got those wonderful toys.

Kate Spencer is a federal prosecutor who was angry that the bad guy (Copperhead) was acquitted. She decided to go Batman on him, hunt him down herself (and killed him in the process.)

Marc used a brilliant device, one of those clever story points that most people ignore. Whenever a villain is arrested, or a hero leaves traces of his craft behind, whether that is his uniform, weapons or various gadgets. The merchandise has to end up somewhere. It turns out there are several high-level security centers in the U.S. that store the various magnetic energy rifles or exploding boomerangs along with the suits of the people who wear them until the trial and until the appeals are exhausted.

Spencer availed herself of the arsenal. She wears a uniform of one of the Darkstars (the galactic police force similar to the Green Lanterns); the gauntlets worn by Azrael while taking over for an ailing Batman and the staff used by an earlier Manhunter, Mark Shaw, that was abandoned when the man appeared to die at the hands of Eclipso.

The story tells us that, but what else is found in the holding area?

“A lot of the stuff came right out of the artists’ imagination, but some of it has a definite history,” Andreyko said. “I had a great time slipping in interesting pieces of the DC past. Keep in mind that the people who get arrested are usually the bad guy‘s flunkies. So a lot of this stuff belongs to them.”

On page 1, the bottom panel features a closet with a ton of stuff in it. The helmet with the boomerang shaped eye-slits was worn by one of Blank Manta's helpers. One of the suits of armor was worn by a flunky of Ra’s Al Ghul.

On the second shelf is an old-fashioned Geiger counter.

He had no explanation for the huge helmet on the third shelf, or the old Apple computer sitting next to it

Around the corner in that panel is a weapons case.

“Most of it is generic, but that’s one of Merlyn’s bows in it, and Mark Shaw’s staff,” Marc said.

On page 24, (counting all pages, including ads) second panel, is a bunch of gauntlets and hand held items. Of note are the boxing gloves which Marc says are leftover from one of Green Arrow’s trick arrows. In the bottom panel, a sword that once belonged to Deathstroke.

The next panel shows the gauntlets worn by Azrael.

“The back story here is that toward the end of the run, Azrael started shedding his costume and equipment in the back caverns of the Bat-Cave,” said Marc. “The gauntlets were left in one of those caves and were discovered when the earth opened up during the quake that hit Gotham.”

In a smaller way, what Marc did is like what DC did with the whole Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, take bits and pieces of seemingly innocuous, or even silly, pieces of history and make them important.

Damn brilliant.

[jedifish]

Good stuff. Great series.

Pick up the trade this month and #15 to get the back story on her costume, which leads into the first issue of the series.

[MisterClock]

damn interesting concept. I wonder when the Marvel clone will come out?

[Coward]

Originally posted by MisterClock
damn interesting concept. I wonder when the Marvel clone will come out?

One of the Young Avengers raided the Avengers storeroom in a similar fashion didn't she? Doesn't that predate this, if anything?

[xdemon]

Originally posted by MisterClock
damn interesting concept. I wonder when the Marvel clone will come out?

Actually, DC is ripping off Marvel. Marvel came up with the X-Cutioner, a vigilante whose weapons were from the enemies of the X-Men. That character is over ten years old.

[NightRiver]

Originally posted by MisterClock
damn interesting concept. I wonder when the Marvel clone will come out?

Must every thread become a marvel vs dc debate? What ever happened to enjoying both companies' comics?

Back on Topic, Keep this series going. Its one of my favs over at DC. Ill def be picking up the trade to give my support.

[clemsonfn]

BUY THIS COMIC!

One of the best books out there right now, IMO. Smart writing, appealing art.

And a money back guarantee from the writer (how many comics can claim that?)

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally posted by xdemon
Actually, DC is ripping off Marvel. Marvel came up with the X-Cutioner, a vigilante whose weapons were from the enemies of the X-Men. That character is over ten years old.

wow, I totally forgot about that lame-ass character.

the Kate Spencer Manhunter is the exact opposite, an awesome character w/some real personality & potential.

If you aren't reading Manhunter, you're missing out on some awesome stuff...

[EmeraldGuy32]

It was my favorite ish of Manhunter so far. Really neat stuff.

[HG_studios]

Originally posted by Coward
One of the Young Avengers raided the Avengers storeroom in a similar fashion didn't she? Doesn't that predate this, if anything?

No.
If you'll note, Manhunter is on ish 15 and YA is only up to 8. I'd give you exact publication dates, but I don't have my books with me at the moment.


Who cares who's ripping off who? Manhunter is simply damn good. If you WANT to read GOOD stories regardless of who publishes them...read THIS.

[Lex]

Manhunter is a great, great series, but I didn't like issue #15. Nothing really happened. It was just the origin of her gadgets without much forward story motion. While I liked that these gadgets are connected to DC history, devoting a whole issue to them just wasn't interesting. But, y'know, most good comics have a miss-fire now and then. No worries.

I'm really looking forward to #16 and getting back to the main plots.

[EvilWilma]

Ummmmmmm, maybe I'm missing something.

Who's Blank Mantis?

[Gordon McAlpin]

Originally posted by EvilWilma
Ummmmmmm, maybe I'm missing something.

Who's Blank Mantis?

Aquaman villain, recently featured in the first issue of Alex Ross's Justice.

[BrotherI]

Originally posted by NightRiver
Back on Topic, Keep this series going. Its one of my favs over at DC. Ill def be picking up the trade to give my support.

It's actually tempting to buy the trade and give it to my friends, and show my support. I've asked my retailer to order it, and if he doesn't sell it within a month, I'll buy it.

I recently just aquired every one of the 15 issues, which cost me loads and took me ages! Well worth it, though.

I can't wait to see Mark Shaw and Dylan as room mates, and what OYL will bring. I really couldn't be any more psyched for a series. THANK YOU, Marc Andreyko. I love Javier Pina's art, but I'd love to see Jesus Saiz do more than just covers for the series. BUT LOOK AT THE COVER TO 15! ITS GORGEOUS! Ah....

Please buy the trade. Please Please Please. Another DC series I love, Breach, has been cancelled(cursed from the start, too), but I'd hate to see this awesome title dissapear. I don't think it will, though. Sales will pick up, eventually. Hopefully Geoff will give her something to do in IC?

Well, I couldn't be anymore pleased with a series right now.

[EvilWilma]

Ohhhhhhhhhh, Black Manta.

I was afraid there was a new villain Blank Mantis that I'd never heard of.

[MShivers]

Originally posted by Gordon McAlpin


Aquaman villain, recently featured in the first issue of Alex Ross's Justice.

Also, gained famed and notoriety as a member of the Legion of Doom in the ol' 70's "Challenge of the Super-Friends" cartoon... had the coolest voice of any animated character ever.

Seriously.

Chilling voice.

- m

[cncoyle]

Will DC be releasing a Manhunter trade any time soon?

I like DC but I wish they'd step up the schedule/availability of their trades.

[Da_Black_Goku]

Sounds a lot like X-cutioner, but I can dig it anyway. I may pick up the trades.

[jedifish]

Originally posted by cncoyle
Will DC be releasing a Manhunter trade any time soon?

I like DC but I wish they'd step up the schedule/availability of their trades.

MANHUNTER VOL. 1: STREET JUSTICE
Written by Marc Andreyko; Art by Jesus Saiz & Jimmy Palmiotti; Cover by Jae Lee

Collecting the acclaimed first five issues of the hot new series! When a case she's lost leads to the murder of innocents, prosecutor Kate Spencer rages into the night, tracking the perp who's eluded justice in the courts. She's found her true calling. She is the Manhunter. And she likes it!

DC Universe | 128pg. | Color | Softcover | $12.99 US | ISBN 1401207286

On Sale November 9, 2005

[Troy Brownfield]

Manhunter is a great book, period.

And incidentally, Booster Gold used stolen gear too (including a Legion flight ring), moving that concept back to the mid-'80s. Who wants to go earlier?

[clemsonfn]

Originally posted by Troy Brownfield
Manhunter is a great book, period.

And incidentally, Booster Gold used stolen gear too (including a Legion flight ring), moving that concept back to the mid-'80s. Who wants to go earlier?

Hal Jordan stole Abin Sir's power ring (remember, the victors write history).

[Scott Mateo]

the shelf on the right, second one up (above Azrael's gauntlets) is Peacemaker's helmet I think.

[Kolimar]

I love the way small but significant details are linked to the past of the DCU.

Originally posted by xdemon
Actually, DC is ripping off Marvel. Marvel came up with the X-Cutioner, a vigilante whose weapons were from the enemies of the X-Men. That character is over ten years old.

Manhunter is nowhere near being a ripoff. The characters share a couple of superficial simmilarities and that's all. Denti's not a vigilante. He was acting as an FBI agent when in costume. He's just a minor character that's had a few appearances in a few X-Men books.

Originally posted by Da_Black_Goku
Sounds a lot like X-cutioner

Nope, it doesn't.

[StripedTiger]

That's a DarkStar's uniform? Considering they were supposed to be on the power scale of a Lantern Ring in their own ways, that's a pretty powerful piece of hardware that was just laying around for someone to pick up in a goverment weapons locker. That's kind of like finding Cap's shield at a yard sale...

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by MattBrady

Spencer availed herself of the arsenal. She wears a uniform of one of the Darkstars (the galactic police force similar to the Green Lanterns); the gauntlets worn by Azrael while taking over for an ailing Batman and the staff used by an earlier Manhunter, Mark Shaw, that was abandoned when the man appeared to die at the hands of Eclipso.

The next panel shows the gauntlets worn by Azrael.

“The back story here is that toward the end of the run, Azrael started shedding his costume and equipment in the back caverns of the Bat-Cave,” said Marc. “The gauntlets were left in one of those caves and were discovered when the earth opened up during the quake that hit Gotham.”

wow, actual recognition of Azrael's existence. I am probably one of the two Azrael fans still in existence. I loved that character and have every issue of his series.