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08-26-2005, 11:06 AM
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A HISTORY OF MANHUNTING @ DC, II
 by Troy BrownfieldLast time, we tracked the original Manhunters up to the point of The Power Company. Before we get into that segment, let’s skip back a bit and recount the genesis of the robot Manhunters that ended up being responsible for the events of Millennium. The robot versions were created by the Guardians of the Universe in the first attempt at a universal peacekeeping force. Like the later, greener space cops of the Guardians, the androids had their own oath. It was simply, “No evil escapes the Manhunters.” Unfortunately, the Manhunters broke away from the Guardians and fought a war that lasted a thousand years before being bested. The race eventually became bounty hunters, and preserved the waning blue tint of their artificial skin with their masks. And their motto? It became “No MAN escapes the Manhunters.” Clever, if not overly obvious. Here, the history of the human Manhunter characters begins to retroactively crossover. We are told that the Manhunters discovered Earth and founded an order that eventually recruited Dan Richards and Paul Kirk. One tale relates that the order wished to recruit the infant Kal-El, but were prevented from doing so by the Green Lantern Corps.  The robots clashed with the Justice League of America for the first time in Justice League of America #140 (from the original run). Their plot to take out Hal Jordan by framing him for the destruction of an inhabited world (oh, irony) was thwarted, but they did manage to cause the JLA some problems with their agent, Mark Shaw. Shaw acted as their pawn as both the Privateer and Star Tsar (JLA #149), but was defeated and sent to jail. He eventually overcame his brainwashing in time to join with the Suicide Squad during Millennium.For those who weren’t reading in the late ‘80s, Millennium was DC’s crossover event of 1987. Framed within a weekly, eight-issue mini-series and supported by numerous linking issues, the series dealt with two major plot points: one was the arrival of a Guardian and Zamaron (the Guardians female counterparts) who planned to kickstart Earth’s march toward a race of immortals by gathering a group of “chosen” that would become the “New Guardians”. The other was that the Manhunters, sensing that moment was imminent, finally activated their sleeper agents, many of whom had prior relationships with Earth’s heroes.  The ensuing battles claimed the lives of two of the “chosen”, Metamorpho (inasmuch as he ever stays dead), and others. The Justice League International was ambushed by new member Rocket Red #7, a Manhunter android who was later replaced by a more beloved Rocket Red. Eventually, the heroes would take the battle to outer space and inside the Earth to stomp the remaining Manhunters. Though they’ve occasionally returned in the pages of Green Lantern, the larger Manhunter threat was wiped out. For his part, Mark Shaw survived that mission with the Suicide Squad and went on to his own career as a Manhunter as detailed in part one. By 2002, it was time for another Manhunter. Debuting with the conflux of books that heralded the arrival of The Power Company, Kirk DePaul was another clone of Paul Kirk. His outfit bore a more monochromatic design variation of the famous “billowy sleeves” look. Even though Power Company was indeed a super-team run as a business, DePaul was more mercenary than the others. He butted heads with teammates over intent and direction. That character was little-seen outside of the The Power Company title itself, which folded after 18 issues.All of this brings us to last year, when DC decided to give Manhunter another go, with a spin. Of all of DCs past heroic Manhunters, this is the first female to bear the title. We asked writer Marc Andreyko about the creation of Kate Spencer. He said, “After my THUNDER Agents project imploded, Dan DiDio called me and said DC was interested in doing a new, female Manhunter. I was dubious, but after thinking it over for a few days, Kate Spencer was born!”  Fans have gravitated to Kate Spencer for her no-nonsense approach to justice, and for the fact that she’s not a perfect character. A divorced mom who struggles with parenting, a smoking habit, and her job in the District Attorney’s office, Spencer manages to take out some of her frustrations on the criminal community. As Andreyko explains, “My goals were to create a strong, and flawed, female character, explore the gray areas of vigilantism and if one has a responsibility to “put down” unsavable bad guys, and best of all, play in the DCU.”In terms of the reaction that he’s seen as he chases his goals, Andreyko seems pleased. He says, “To me, the personal details are what make her interesting. For the most part, scenes of super folk beating the tar out of each other write themselves. Creating a cast of characters whose personal lives interest the reader as much as their superheroic exploits in the tough, but fun, part.” He goes on to note that he has “been gratified by the response. People ask me if Kate has kicked smoking for good, if she and her ex are getting back together, how do she and [DEO Agent Cameron] Chase know each other . . . In fact, some of the best-received issues so far don’t have Kate in costume at all.” Overall, the series so far has served to define Kate as a character. The first few issues introduced us to her work and costumed identities, her parenting and shared custody dilemmas regarding her small son, and the fact that she’s not always the most together human being. We’ve also seen her exact very rough justice, like with the execution of Copperhead at the close of issue 1. Kate’s also managed to employ Dylan, a former gadgeteer for super-villains. Dylan’s become a bit of a fan-favorite, between his geek-power wardrobe and droll observations.  And though she hadn’t been in the DCU for long when it kicked off, Kate Spencer found herself involved in the events surrounding Identity Crisis in both of her guises. Tasked to prosecute the Shadow-Thief, who had killed Firestorm, Manhunter found herself fighting in her own courtroom against a team of villains sent by Luthor’s Society to extricate the crazed killer. The ensuing battle saw Kate kill longtime villain Monocle.These events led up to the present “Manhunted” storyline, which has revisited the DC Manhunter legacy in a big, violent way. In issue #13, Dylan and Cameron Chase discovered that all of DC’s Manhunters were a little more related than they thought. As to this issue, Andreyko explains, “I actually wasn’t going to touch the Manhunter history so early in the book’s run, but the story evolved and fans kept asking, so I bumped it up in my mind. The end result is one I’m very happy with (even tho’ some old school fans are nervous. Just wait, I keep telling ‘em. It ain’t over yet!)” At this point, it looks as if much of the Manhunter history that we’ve seen may actually be concealing buried truths. We’ve also seen what appears to be the systematic elimination of those who used to bear the name. But how much is true, and is, for example, Mark Shaw again a villain, or a victim? The arrival of an OMAC at the outro of the most recent issue indicates that, indeed, larger issues are in play. When considering the pending Infinite Crisis and One Year Gap, Andreyko doesn’t seem to mind involving his book. “So far,” he says, “I’m pretty happy. The “One Year Later” aspect actually fits in with something that was tentatively planned during the inception of Manhunter. The plus side is it ties into the biggest event in DC in years.” With increasing, positive word-of-mouth and an impending trade paperback release (a collection of the first few issues, Manhunter: Street Justice hits the first week of December), it’s possible that this might be the Manhunter that sticks around a while. Kate Spencer isn’t like any of the other women in the DCU. While it’s arguable that some have careers, she really gets up and goes to work every day. She’s a mother, but not a perfect one. She’s a fighter, but not the best. She makes use of intelligence, gadgets, and mental toughness to overcome adversity, even if she doesn’t always have the ability to defeat the demons of her personal life. DC has given this book a chance to grow in a marketplace that has a tendency to devour slower starters. In the Best Shots column, I’ve reiterated the strengths of the book, and numerous fans have backed in up. It’s obvious that with DC, Manhunters will never go away, but you can rest assured that the present Manhunter is definitely worth tracking down. Troy Brownfield writes a bunch of stuff for Newsarama. He’d like to thank Manhunter writer Marc Andreyko for taking the time to answer a few questions about his title. |
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08-26-2005, 11:39 AM
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#2 |
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The current Manhunter series is fantastic. I'm still hoping that Mark Shaw falls into the "victim" category, though...
And great article, by the way. Seeing those Millennium covers really takes me back... |
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08-26-2005, 11:54 AM
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#3 |
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Yeah, I've heard lots of good stuff about the current Manhunter series. I'll pick up the "jumping on" issue I believe is coming out in Oct or Nov and see what it's about.
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08-26-2005, 12:13 PM
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#4 |
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I hate to be this way, but I'm not enthused about anything tied to closely to core DCU (or Marvel U for that matter) continuity b/c it seems like any event they end up having just derails any sort of statement or plan on the part of the creative teams... There are titles that I've just been turned off to in the past for this reason, and some - Richard Dragon, Bloodhound, Breach or Gray & Palmiotti's Hawkman - that looked interesting, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up...
That said, I've been looking for an excuse to check Andreyko's writing and keep hearing good things about Manhunter - is it really worth it? Is the continuity within DC a help or a hindrance? For examples of my taste, Smoke - from IDW - is my favorite book of the year. My most favorite most recent series have been Sleeper and Captain America by Brubaker, Wildcats 3.0 by Casey, Planetary, Global Frequency, Simon Spector and Desolation Jones by Ellis, We3 by Morrison, 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello, 303 by Garth Ennis and Queen & Country by Rucka... I've bought Batman and Superman by Azzarello, Detective by David Lapham and so on, so I'll give any title a chance if the team behind it is solid and it seems like they have a story to tell. C'mon... I'm a pushover. Somebody sell me on this or tell me if it's not my taste as I have no idea where a good jumping on point will be will all this Infinite Crisis hoo-ha... Last edited by Robert_Coyner : 08-26-2005 at 12:15 PM. |
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08-26-2005, 12:42 PM
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#5 | |
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Quote:
Maybe thumb through the TPB available this fall? |
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08-26-2005, 12:44 PM
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#6 |
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See I only bother to pick up the current Manhunter series when it involved the others. I'm not sure I'll stay on once this current arc is over.
I loved the Mark Shaw version, and loved Steve Englehart's robotic Manhunters. |
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08-26-2005, 12:44 PM
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#7 |
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This was a good column. The Current Manhunter series was the first Manhunter I ever read.
I was a bit confused as to who all those manhunters were in the last few issues and what manhunter was battling Hal Jordan over at GL #3. But this article helped me alot. Thx. |
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08-26-2005, 01:07 PM
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#8 |
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I think they should put out Millenium in TPB... I'd buy it.
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08-26-2005, 01:09 PM
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#9 |
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Because, to be fair, it's one of the better crossovers done.
No Man's Land? Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive? They're all good concepts and ideas, but never really executed well... |
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08-26-2005, 01:14 PM
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#10 | |
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YOur tastes run similar to mine ( although I would addin more IDW Horror...some Speakeasy...some Oni...and some more Image titles, Paul Pope, Pekar, some Korean Manhwa, and manga like Battle Royale, Sanctuary, and Ghost in the SHell)....I really enjoy this book...it is well written meaning: characterization is not forced but rather subtle and paced well. There is change in the character ( in fact I seem to get a Jack Knight from Starman vibe a little when I look at Kate..weird eh?) and she changes...hew world actually changes...maybe not in epic fashion..but it changes. Her non-costumed life is just as or in fact more important in the storytelling...it is well integrated...you do not have neglect of either side of her. Supporting characters are given enough detail/complexity and hooks that they in fact could star in an issue and it would still be a good story. There is not so much handwringing over the morality of her action but rather a more focused look at the consequences ( I am reminded of Joe Casey's approach....wher the consequences of an action are looked more in detail then the event that initiated it) There's a nice mystery at the moment ( heh and a well thought mystery is always welcome inthe absense of the genre at the moment) but it is most certain not to dragout too long. I get the feeling this will be a finite story...that there is an end..not for awhile but lije Starman...I think MArc has an idea of where this is all leading to. Last edited by ghostmaker : 08-26-2005 at 01:16 PM. |
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08-26-2005, 01:25 PM
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#11 |
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Thanks Ghostmaker - that helps a lot actually. Is there a specific issue I should try out in lieu of finding the whole run of back issues?
BTW - I loved Sanctuary and the first Ghost in the Shell series (own the second but have never gotten around to reading it... for some reason...), and own all Paul Pope, but the earliest THBs - I started collecting them, but then understood he is hoping to remaster and trade them at some point...  |
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08-26-2005, 02:10 PM
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08-26-2005, 02:11 PM
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08-26-2005, 02:25 PM
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#14 |
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Yah, just ordered the Manhunter book (not DVD) from Amazon. Can't wait to get it!!!!
Plus, just ebay'd Millenium! God, i love having a regular paycheck!  Last edited by Spaz_Monkey : 08-26-2005 at 02:30 PM. |
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08-26-2005, 02:49 PM
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#15 |
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I RARELY collected comics that features a solo hero and if I do it usually doesn't last more then a year (the first 20-odd issues of Catwoman vol 2 being an exception). But Manhunter had me hooked from day one. The great characterization and dialogue made me interested the cast while the fight scenes and grittiness of the book satisfied my art cravings.
I certainly hope people pick up the trade and then collect the comics, once again DC has another hit with a female lead. I'm going to show this series to my wife, i think she'll like it. |
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08-26-2005, 03:08 PM
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#16 |
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One small correction
If I'm recalling correctly (and if it wasn't retconned in Suicide Squad or the following Mark Shaw series), when he was the Privateer and Star-Tsar Mark wasn't acting as a pawn of the Guardian Manhunters. Rather, he'd been corrupted by the taste of power he'd gotten while working for them and was acting on his own to obtain more power.
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08-26-2005, 03:38 PM
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#17 | |
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Quote:
... ... ... Yes... |
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08-26-2005, 04:17 PM
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#18 | |
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Beware...despite some great art from the legendary Joe Staton (whom I believe was coming off a stellar run on Green Lantern with Steve Englehart), from what I remember the series is a fairly underwhelming mess, and spawned the godawful New Guardians series (which I believe was originally titled "The Chosen"), featuring Extraño, a Latin, or Spanish, homosexual that does a disservice to Latins (or Spaniards), homosexuals, and pretty much any human being who can read. |
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08-26-2005, 05:01 PM
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#19 | |
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They need to put a number of the earlier cross-overs out in trade - Millenium, War of the Gods, Invasion, The Janus Directive, etc. |
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08-26-2005, 05:07 PM
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#20 | |
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Here's an interesting story: I bought Manhunter #1, and for some reason I didn't pick it up again 'till #9, and I've been with it ever since (still hitting myself for dropping it)
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No, Millenium's not that great, trust me, I've read it. They should really put out an Invasion! TPB, though, that was one of the better DC crossovers. |
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08-26-2005, 05:08 PM
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Bring Back Mark Shaw with a new outfit(I liked his almost domino mask he had in Suicide Squad) and give him an important role.
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08-26-2005, 05:33 PM
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#22 |
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Manhunter Trade
Why no trade for Manhunter until November 9? Seems to me, if DC wanted to get word out on this book they would get a trade out quickly. I haven't read an issue, but I'm very intrigued and thought I would pick up the first trade. I can understand the lag for Identity Crisis, but not Manhunter.
Bitler |
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08-26-2005, 05:50 PM
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#23 | |
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exactly... there seems to be a love of retro stuff nowadays (bringing back old characters/concepts)... you'd think DC would capitalise on this... |
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08-26-2005, 05:58 PM
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#24 |
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Manhunter is one of the best books DC puts on the racks.
It is a delight to read and Kate Spencer is such a great character. When I first saw the blurbs for the current Manhunter title I blanched and forgot it. But I kept hearing all this great word of mouth about it, and when Marc offered a free copy of issue 6 I jumped at it. I'm SO glad I did. I went back and grabbed every back issue (thanks again Marc!) and have brought extra copies and sent them off to people interested. Every one of them has been hooked and added to their pull boxes. Give this book a whirl, you won't be disappointed. |
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08-26-2005, 06:53 PM
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I'm sorry, but "Millenium" was not good, and as a previous poster mentioned, the "New Guardians" were utter crap and managed to insult diversity by pretending to emulate it. Ick. Really, ick. For that matter, it was the worst thing to be done to the Manhunters in what you've just read is a pretty spotty history. Save your money, especially since DC's current crossovers look they're going to be using it. "Millenium" is better left in the bargain bins, next to "Atlantis Attacks."
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