By J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, Bob McLeod, Rick Parker, and Janet Jackson
Showing posts with label J.M. DeMatteis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.M. DeMatteis. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Eighties August 8 part V: Best Writers Of The 1980s
By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
Ask any actor: "it starts with the writing". If it ain't on the page it ain't erm... Well, you get the idea. So, on the fifth day of Eighties August 8 it's all about the writers that made the 1980s a decade to remember. And really, eight entries barely scratches the surface... Ever so sorry, Walt, Steve and John!*
8) - Bill Mantlo (Alpha Flight, Incredible Hulk, Micronauts, Rom)
Bill Mantlo was one of the most prolific writers of the late 1970s (he co-created Rocket Raccoon!). The fact he could write like the wind ensured his popularity well into the 1980s. Editors who needed a script done yesterday would regularly call on Mantlo, who'd get the job done overnight. Mantlo gradually graduated from being a pinch hitting editor to become a full fledged writer. He first made a mark for himself on Marvel's line of licensed books Micronauts and Rom.
To his credit, Bill never treated either property as "just a way to sell toys". He poured his heart and soul into whatever he wrote, creating tons of new characters for Micronauts and taking what would be another bland, bargain basement toy and turning it into Rom, premiere Space Knight, hero of Galador and vanquisher of the Dire Wraiths. Mantlo's infectious enthusiasm for the medium and the characters under his care were undeniable. Together with Sal Buscema, he was responsible for a staggering 68 issue run on Incredible Hulk (#245 through 313) which might arguably be one of the jolly green giant's most creative periods. He only left the book to take over Alpha Flight, a book he also brought his unique brand of storytelling to.
Of course, most us know of the terrible accident Bill was in back in 1992. While out rollerblading, he was hit by a car and suffered extensive head injuries that eventually left a brilliant man a ghost of his former self, stuck in a permanent care facility. That having said, the man was not without his detractors. Check out what Jim Shooter had to say on his blog about the way Mantlo would sometimes get his ideas.
7) - Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, Longshot, Spider-Woman, Web Of Spider-Man)
Ann "Annie" Nocenti started out as one of Marvel's assistant editors in the early 1980s, taking over for Louise Simonson in the X-offices. Eventually, she tried her hand at writing. First, by taking on the bi-monthly Spider-Woman series in 1982 after Chris Claremont left. Immediately, Nocenti's penchant for the dark, strange and macabre became obvious. While Claremont's Jessica Drew engaged in semi-straightforward superheroics, Nocenti returned Jessica to her creepy roots, facing down frustrated, sometimes even downright weird villains like Daddy Longlegs, Gypsy Moth and others. In the end, she even killed Jessica Drew in #50.
Nocenti continued on as a writer, with memorable runs on Web Of Spider-Man that saw Peter Parker ending up in an insane asylum bankrolled by the Kingpin. Ann's true strength as a writer shone through, as she gave voice to the mental malady of the ward's patients. Somehow, she was able to zoom in on that undeniable spark of madness that defines the human condition, the one sideward step that can make the sanest one of us mad as a hatter... A good Nocenti forces you to take a good, long look at the darker aspects of ourselves. Ann knows where you live.
Perhaps the best possible way to mark her talent is the fact that in spite of all the doom and psychological gloom, Nocenti came up with *the* most happy go lucky character of the 1980s: Longshot.
6) - Frank Miller (Daredevil, Wolverine LS I#1)
Well, what can one say about Frank Miller that hasn't already been spelled out, regurgitated and blogged about again? Probably very little indeed. Suffice it to say Miller's early 80s contributions are varied and lasting. The man took Daredevil, a book even Stan Lee's trademark hyperbole couldn't convincingly call a bestseller and elevated it to a singular form of art.
Success in comics relies on the marriage between words and pictures, but Miller provided both during his turn at the helm of Daredevil. From the film noir style streetsof Hell's Kitchen, to the damp tunnels underneath the city where the Sewer King reigned, and from the courtroom to the Kingpin of crime's higher echelons of power... All of it sprang from the creative mind of this one man.
If nothing else, we have to thank Frank Miller for the creation of Elektra Nachios and Stick... Not to mention 1982's four issue Wolverine limited series, which Miller and Claremont all but mapped out when they just happened to be stuck in traffic together heading for a convention.
5) - Peter David (Incredible Hulk, Amazing/Web Of Spider-Man)
Jack of all trades, master of more than most of 'em...
Peter David started work at Marvel in the 80s as part of its sales division, before making the cut as a (freelance) writer. His talents are undeniable and his range is nothing short of breathtaking. He can do broad comedy, is capable of deft wordplay and provides gut wrenching, emotional drama as fast as you can name a deadline... And if you pay him enough, he'll mix all three of em together.
Best known in the 1980s for his lengthy run on Incredible Hulk, which pretty much lasted until a year shy of the century mark... David also provided a number of Spider-Man stories that were uniquely his own. Who else but Peter David could have come up with Amazing Spider-Man I#267's "The Commuter Cometh" which saw Spidey chasing a villain to the suburbs, only to find there wasn't too much to web sling from?
David to this day remains the total package, providing pathos, fun and excitement within 22 pages of colored funny pages. Who could ask for anything more?
4) - Mark Gruenwald (Captain America, Official Handbooks, Squadron Supreme, Quasar)
By the time Mark Gruenwald died of an undiagnosed heart condition in August of 1996, he had already made an indelible mark on the medium he loved so much, both as and a writer.
If "Gru" is to remembered for one thing, it was his devotion and love for continuity, which made him a stickler for all that had been established during his time as an editor, but also sparked the idea that in 1983 became the popular Official Handbook To The Marvel Universe series, which in great (some might say inane) detail outlined both the history and powers of the various characters running around the Marvel Universe.
As a writer, he helmed the groundbreaking 1985-1986 limited series Squadron Supreme that for the first time applied real world conventions to the superhuman lifestyle. Actions had consequences and no one escaped them. He also wrote memorable runs on the New Universe title D.P.7 and Quasar, but his singular writing credit has to be his tenure on Captain America, a book he took under his wing only a few months before it got rebooted in 1996's Heroes Reborn. Through it all, Gruenwald showed that continuity isn't some obstacle you have to clear, but rather an opportunity to enrich and ennoble whatever idea you might have.
3) - J.M. DeMatteis (Captain America, Defenders, Spider-Man)
Unless it's 1987 and you're the Justice League, chances are you won't be having too jolly a time when J.M. DeMatteis is your writer.
There's very little "BWAH-HA-HA!" funny about most of DeMatteis' work for Marvel in the 1980s. Starting out as a writer on Defenders, DeMatteis figured it might be fun to have the kooky team face the demon cabal called the Six Fingered Hand. He followed that up with a run on Captain America, which was symbolized by a deep rooted fascination with the psychological aspect of the heroic condition.
DeMatteis created Vermin during his run on Cap, a character he used to maximum effect during the brief, but legendary Kraven's Last Hunt storyline. A deeply atmospheric psychological thriller that showed just how intelligent, philosophic and artistic the funny pages could truly be.
2) - Chris Claremont (New Mutants, Spider-Woman, Uncanny X-Men)
The danger of lists like these is getting lost in the obvious... Yet, there's no mistaking and no denying Chris Claremont's contributions to Marvel all through the decade. He was already writing and co-plotting Uncanny X-Men with John Byrne when the 1980s started, guided by skilled editors like Jim Salicrup, Roger Stern and Louise Jones (the later Mrs. Walter Simonson, depicted on the right in the snapshot above). He continued as main X-scribe throughout the decade, finally quitting the book in 1991 after an astonishing and unequalled 16 year run.
During the 1980s, the X-Men became the X-Men we know today. And that is mostly thanks to Chris Claremont tapping away at his word processor. He married soap opera with superheroics, drafting intricately detailed storylines for most of the main characers, helped in no small part by artists like Dave Cockrum, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr., Mark Silvestri and Jim Lee who were all giants of the industry themselves.
He also helmed the X-pansion of the X-Men, turning the one little mutant book that could into a prosperous multi title franchise. Starting with New Mutants in 1982, he went on to write the first Wolverine limited series that inevitably led to an ongoing series... And, with Alan Davis, he also spearheaded the Britain based branch Excalibur. Chris Claremont may have his faults as a writer, but with the proper guidance and editorial support, he was an 80s powerhouse.
1) - Roger Stern (Avengers, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man)
... Is there anything Roger Stern can't improve?
Initially starting out as an editor, Stern brought a fan's eagle eye for detail to the work. And even as a writer, he actively incorporated continuity to inspire his current works. He did so on Doctor Strange, where he teamed with Paul Smith among others to mark a memorable run. Over on Spider-Man, he penned numerous classic adventures, proving for instance that yes, one *could* stop the Juggernaut (provided there was enough wet cement around, that is).
But Stern's magnum opus has to be his run on Avengers. Starting with January 1983's #227, Stern wrote the book for exactly five years, leaving with February 1988's #288 (he only missed #280, penned by future Avengers chronicler Bob Harras). Stern's Avengers are a showcase in how a teambook should work and evolve. Its membership flowing organically from adventure to adventure, while making sure the nature of the action was determined by the individual characters' personalities and the way they'd interact with one another. Stern had plans for the book leading up to #300, which according to him would resolve the death of Iron Fist, possibly even resulting in to him and his former partner Luke Cage becoming Avengers themselves well before Brian Michael Bendis came up with the idea to make Fist and Cage part of Earth's mightiest.
A few years back, Marvel published X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor Forever, all alternate reality series that allowed the original creators to continue whatever story they had in mind before they were booted out... I'd love for Roger Stern to continue his original 80s Avengers run. But then again, he already co-wrote a series called Avengers Forever which was amazing. But hey, what'd you expect? He's Roger Stern.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Naturally, these picks are solely based on my own, anything but unbiased preferences. Think I'm wrong or an absolute idjit for leaving out your particular fave? By all means, join the conversation!
Ask any actor: "it starts with the writing". If it ain't on the page it ain't erm... Well, you get the idea. So, on the fifth day of Eighties August 8 it's all about the writers that made the 1980s a decade to remember. And really, eight entries barely scratches the surface... Ever so sorry, Walt, Steve and John!*
8) - Bill Mantlo (Alpha Flight, Incredible Hulk, Micronauts, Rom)
Bill Mantlo was one of the most prolific writers of the late 1970s (he co-created Rocket Raccoon!). The fact he could write like the wind ensured his popularity well into the 1980s. Editors who needed a script done yesterday would regularly call on Mantlo, who'd get the job done overnight. Mantlo gradually graduated from being a pinch hitting editor to become a full fledged writer. He first made a mark for himself on Marvel's line of licensed books Micronauts and Rom.
To his credit, Bill never treated either property as "just a way to sell toys". He poured his heart and soul into whatever he wrote, creating tons of new characters for Micronauts and taking what would be another bland, bargain basement toy and turning it into Rom, premiere Space Knight, hero of Galador and vanquisher of the Dire Wraiths. Mantlo's infectious enthusiasm for the medium and the characters under his care were undeniable. Together with Sal Buscema, he was responsible for a staggering 68 issue run on Incredible Hulk (#245 through 313) which might arguably be one of the jolly green giant's most creative periods. He only left the book to take over Alpha Flight, a book he also brought his unique brand of storytelling to.
Of course, most us know of the terrible accident Bill was in back in 1992. While out rollerblading, he was hit by a car and suffered extensive head injuries that eventually left a brilliant man a ghost of his former self, stuck in a permanent care facility. That having said, the man was not without his detractors. Check out what Jim Shooter had to say on his blog about the way Mantlo would sometimes get his ideas.
7) - Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, Longshot, Spider-Woman, Web Of Spider-Man)
Ann "Annie" Nocenti started out as one of Marvel's assistant editors in the early 1980s, taking over for Louise Simonson in the X-offices. Eventually, she tried her hand at writing. First, by taking on the bi-monthly Spider-Woman series in 1982 after Chris Claremont left. Immediately, Nocenti's penchant for the dark, strange and macabre became obvious. While Claremont's Jessica Drew engaged in semi-straightforward superheroics, Nocenti returned Jessica to her creepy roots, facing down frustrated, sometimes even downright weird villains like Daddy Longlegs, Gypsy Moth and others. In the end, she even killed Jessica Drew in #50.
Nocenti continued on as a writer, with memorable runs on Web Of Spider-Man that saw Peter Parker ending up in an insane asylum bankrolled by the Kingpin. Ann's true strength as a writer shone through, as she gave voice to the mental malady of the ward's patients. Somehow, she was able to zoom in on that undeniable spark of madness that defines the human condition, the one sideward step that can make the sanest one of us mad as a hatter... A good Nocenti forces you to take a good, long look at the darker aspects of ourselves. Ann knows where you live.
Perhaps the best possible way to mark her talent is the fact that in spite of all the doom and psychological gloom, Nocenti came up with *the* most happy go lucky character of the 1980s: Longshot.
6) - Frank Miller (Daredevil, Wolverine LS I#1)
Well, what can one say about Frank Miller that hasn't already been spelled out, regurgitated and blogged about again? Probably very little indeed. Suffice it to say Miller's early 80s contributions are varied and lasting. The man took Daredevil, a book even Stan Lee's trademark hyperbole couldn't convincingly call a bestseller and elevated it to a singular form of art.
Success in comics relies on the marriage between words and pictures, but Miller provided both during his turn at the helm of Daredevil. From the film noir style streetsof Hell's Kitchen, to the damp tunnels underneath the city where the Sewer King reigned, and from the courtroom to the Kingpin of crime's higher echelons of power... All of it sprang from the creative mind of this one man.
If nothing else, we have to thank Frank Miller for the creation of Elektra Nachios and Stick... Not to mention 1982's four issue Wolverine limited series, which Miller and Claremont all but mapped out when they just happened to be stuck in traffic together heading for a convention.
5) - Peter David (Incredible Hulk, Amazing/Web Of Spider-Man)
Jack of all trades, master of more than most of 'em...
Peter David started work at Marvel in the 80s as part of its sales division, before making the cut as a (freelance) writer. His talents are undeniable and his range is nothing short of breathtaking. He can do broad comedy, is capable of deft wordplay and provides gut wrenching, emotional drama as fast as you can name a deadline... And if you pay him enough, he'll mix all three of em together.
Best known in the 1980s for his lengthy run on Incredible Hulk, which pretty much lasted until a year shy of the century mark... David also provided a number of Spider-Man stories that were uniquely his own. Who else but Peter David could have come up with Amazing Spider-Man I#267's "The Commuter Cometh" which saw Spidey chasing a villain to the suburbs, only to find there wasn't too much to web sling from?
David to this day remains the total package, providing pathos, fun and excitement within 22 pages of colored funny pages. Who could ask for anything more?
4) - Mark Gruenwald (Captain America, Official Handbooks, Squadron Supreme, Quasar)
By the time Mark Gruenwald died of an undiagnosed heart condition in August of 1996, he had already made an indelible mark on the medium he loved so much, both as and a writer.
If "Gru" is to remembered for one thing, it was his devotion and love for continuity, which made him a stickler for all that had been established during his time as an editor, but also sparked the idea that in 1983 became the popular Official Handbook To The Marvel Universe series, which in great (some might say inane) detail outlined both the history and powers of the various characters running around the Marvel Universe.
As a writer, he helmed the groundbreaking 1985-1986 limited series Squadron Supreme that for the first time applied real world conventions to the superhuman lifestyle. Actions had consequences and no one escaped them. He also wrote memorable runs on the New Universe title D.P.7 and Quasar, but his singular writing credit has to be his tenure on Captain America, a book he took under his wing only a few months before it got rebooted in 1996's Heroes Reborn. Through it all, Gruenwald showed that continuity isn't some obstacle you have to clear, but rather an opportunity to enrich and ennoble whatever idea you might have.
3) - J.M. DeMatteis (Captain America, Defenders, Spider-Man)
Unless it's 1987 and you're the Justice League, chances are you won't be having too jolly a time when J.M. DeMatteis is your writer.
There's very little "BWAH-HA-HA!" funny about most of DeMatteis' work for Marvel in the 1980s. Starting out as a writer on Defenders, DeMatteis figured it might be fun to have the kooky team face the demon cabal called the Six Fingered Hand. He followed that up with a run on Captain America, which was symbolized by a deep rooted fascination with the psychological aspect of the heroic condition.
DeMatteis created Vermin during his run on Cap, a character he used to maximum effect during the brief, but legendary Kraven's Last Hunt storyline. A deeply atmospheric psychological thriller that showed just how intelligent, philosophic and artistic the funny pages could truly be.
2) - Chris Claremont (New Mutants, Spider-Woman, Uncanny X-Men)
The danger of lists like these is getting lost in the obvious... Yet, there's no mistaking and no denying Chris Claremont's contributions to Marvel all through the decade. He was already writing and co-plotting Uncanny X-Men with John Byrne when the 1980s started, guided by skilled editors like Jim Salicrup, Roger Stern and Louise Jones (the later Mrs. Walter Simonson, depicted on the right in the snapshot above). He continued as main X-scribe throughout the decade, finally quitting the book in 1991 after an astonishing and unequalled 16 year run.
During the 1980s, the X-Men became the X-Men we know today. And that is mostly thanks to Chris Claremont tapping away at his word processor. He married soap opera with superheroics, drafting intricately detailed storylines for most of the main characers, helped in no small part by artists like Dave Cockrum, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr., Mark Silvestri and Jim Lee who were all giants of the industry themselves.
He also helmed the X-pansion of the X-Men, turning the one little mutant book that could into a prosperous multi title franchise. Starting with New Mutants in 1982, he went on to write the first Wolverine limited series that inevitably led to an ongoing series... And, with Alan Davis, he also spearheaded the Britain based branch Excalibur. Chris Claremont may have his faults as a writer, but with the proper guidance and editorial support, he was an 80s powerhouse.
1) - Roger Stern (Avengers, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man)
... Is there anything Roger Stern can't improve?
Initially starting out as an editor, Stern brought a fan's eagle eye for detail to the work. And even as a writer, he actively incorporated continuity to inspire his current works. He did so on Doctor Strange, where he teamed with Paul Smith among others to mark a memorable run. Over on Spider-Man, he penned numerous classic adventures, proving for instance that yes, one *could* stop the Juggernaut (provided there was enough wet cement around, that is).
But Stern's magnum opus has to be his run on Avengers. Starting with January 1983's #227, Stern wrote the book for exactly five years, leaving with February 1988's #288 (he only missed #280, penned by future Avengers chronicler Bob Harras). Stern's Avengers are a showcase in how a teambook should work and evolve. Its membership flowing organically from adventure to adventure, while making sure the nature of the action was determined by the individual characters' personalities and the way they'd interact with one another. Stern had plans for the book leading up to #300, which according to him would resolve the death of Iron Fist, possibly even resulting in to him and his former partner Luke Cage becoming Avengers themselves well before Brian Michael Bendis came up with the idea to make Fist and Cage part of Earth's mightiest.
A few years back, Marvel published X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor Forever, all alternate reality series that allowed the original creators to continue whatever story they had in mind before they were booted out... I'd love for Roger Stern to continue his original 80s Avengers run. But then again, he already co-wrote a series called Avengers Forever which was amazing. But hey, what'd you expect? He's Roger Stern.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Naturally, these picks are solely based on my own, anything but unbiased preferences. Think I'm wrong or an absolute idjit for leaving out your particular fave? By all means, join the conversation!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Motor City Comic Con 2014 Wrap-Up
The organizers of this year’s convention deserve a lot of credit for their logistical improvements. I read a lot of negative comments about last year’s show and to be honest I was quite concerned as I was driving four hours from Toronto. I got to the Suburban Collection Showplace a little before 10am and there was already a line-up to get into the parking lot. However, things moved rather well with three lines dividing up the traffic into the various parking lots.
The line-ups outside the Showplace were well organized and quickly dispersed when the show opened. Just after noon, the line-up had all but disappeared to get in. The layout of the show was good with retailers strategically placed between artists’ alley and the celebrity autograph area.
I attended the show mostly to meet and get autographs from creative talents that don’t normally make their way to Toronto’s Fan Expo, like J.M. DeMatteis, Frank Brunner, and Gerry Conway. Their lineups were modest and for bigger draws like Claremont, they actually set up areas for fans to queue. The show was well spaced out and the artists’ alley was impressive in terms of its size.
With Gerry Conway, the write who killed Gwen Stacey!
While there was a broad range of retailers, there was a distinct lack of gaming products. I was looking to take advantage of the cheaper US prices on Star Wars X-Wing and some other board game expansions, but struck out.
From my Saturday attendance, the 25th Anniversary Motor City Comic Con was a great success and well worth the drive. Looking forward to next year!
The line-ups outside the Showplace were well organized and quickly dispersed when the show opened. Just after noon, the line-up had all but disappeared to get in. The layout of the show was good with retailers strategically placed between artists’ alley and the celebrity autograph area.
I attended the show mostly to meet and get autographs from creative talents that don’t normally make their way to Toronto’s Fan Expo, like J.M. DeMatteis, Frank Brunner, and Gerry Conway. Their lineups were modest and for bigger draws like Claremont, they actually set up areas for fans to queue. The show was well spaced out and the artists’ alley was impressive in terms of its size.
Art Baltazar, artist on Tiny Titans, one of my daughter’s favourites,
was a class act providing a lovely sketch of Robin.
Legendary DC artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez happily sketched for fans throughout the day.
J.M. DeMatteis, author of Moonshadow, Justice League International,
and Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt.
My copy of Kraven's Last Hunt signed by DeMatteis, Zeck, and McLeod!
With Gerry Conway, the write who killed Gwen Stacey!
The costume play was a bit of surprise with legions of
Stormtroopers, Ghostbusters, and Game of Thrones inspired fans showcasing their
efforts. Several families dressed up together thematically to partake in the
show’s fun environment.
From my Saturday attendance, the 25th Anniversary Motor City Comic Con was a great success and well worth the drive. Looking forward to next year!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
1981: The Defenders Go Demonic Coda: All Bad Things Do Come To An End
By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
Being a superhero during the silver age must
have been rough. No matter how big your adventures, you were expected back on
the job the next day, chipper as can be. DeMatteis’ Defenders broke with that
tradition in favor of realism.
Blame the zeitgeist. 1981 proved a watershed year for Marvel’s writers fleshing out their characters by having them reflect on how their previous adventures affected them. A prime example was Chris Claremont’s 1981 Avengers Annual.
Famous for introducing Rogue, but also controversial for shedding new light on the events of Avengers # 200, in which Ms. Marvel gave birth to Marcus Immortus, a man she fell head over heels in love with and decided to leave for Limbo with him. As Claremont pointed out, Marcus had been little more than a rapist who had both violated and mind controlled her while the Avengers cheered them on. Ouch.
Blame the zeitgeist. 1981 proved a watershed year for Marvel’s writers fleshing out their characters by having them reflect on how their previous adventures affected them. A prime example was Chris Claremont’s 1981 Avengers Annual.
Famous for introducing Rogue, but also controversial for shedding new light on the events of Avengers # 200, in which Ms. Marvel gave birth to Marcus Immortus, a man she fell head over heels in love with and decided to leave for Limbo with him. As Claremont pointed out, Marcus had been little more than a rapist who had both violated and mind controlled her while the Avengers cheered them on. Ouch.
J.M. DeMatteis used
issue # 101 of The Defenders to
reflect as well, showing how the team had emerged from their war with the Six
Fingered Hand experiencing severe discomfort and depression. Sure, they had won, but the conflict had left
them demoralized and even emotionally scarred. A fact the childlike Hulk had
considerable difficulty grasping, thereby acting like a perfect intermediary
for both inexperienced, young fans and readers new to the book…
“Why does everyone act like something bad happened? We beat devils, didn’t we? World is safe, isn’t it?”
While the Hulk wasn’t
too wrong, the loss of Daimon and the corruption of Hellcat weighed heavily on
the others… Let alone the fact Doctor Strange was suckered in and almost doomed
Earth. Morale was at an all time low, which was what DeMatteis had
intended.
After Namor, Hulk and Nighthawk left the pity party, the remaining members made their own plans for the rest of the night. While Gargoyle, Hellcat and Valkyrie decided to visit Patsy’s injured housekeeper Dolly Donahue in the hospital, Doctor Strange and Clea accompanied the Silver Surfer on a rather unique road trip.
After Namor, Hulk and Nighthawk left the pity party, the remaining members made their own plans for the rest of the night. While Gargoyle, Hellcat and Valkyrie decided to visit Patsy’s injured housekeeper Dolly Donahue in the hospital, Doctor Strange and Clea accompanied the Silver Surfer on a rather unique road trip.
Their visit to Dolly
takes Hellcat, Valkyrie and Gargoyle straight to the pediatric oncology ward
where the old lady spends her time reading to the children. Hellcat was still distraught over being a spawn of the devil ánd losing her lover who
might actually be her half brother. Sobbing away, Patsy got a bit of a reality
check…
Having a young girl,
clearly suffering from cancer, took center stage in a Comics Code approved
title was certainly unique at the time… Especially considering it would take
another year or so before Jim Starlin’s Death
of Captain Marvel graphic novel would bring the disease into comics. According to DeMatteis, the inclusion of Serina went off without a hitch:
“There was no sign of trepidation from editorial at all. One of the best things about Defenders is that it wasn’t a high-profile book. We were off in a corner and I could get as weird and personal as I wanted to without worrying about stepping on anyone’s toes.”
And while Patsy
received an ever so gentle reminder that hope was all one needs for a precious
and magical life, Doctor Strange, Clea and the Surfer reached their destination
and a remarkable multi page scene unfolded…
Setting down in a
small African community that had accepted Norrin Rad as one of their own, the
locals welcomed their other two supernatural guests by preparing a feast in
their honor.
“The doors of the soul do indeed fling open as
Doctor Strange and Clea are enveloped in the unfettered, unconditional love
that exists between the Silver Surfer and his adopted tribe.”
Forgiving DeMatteis
that rather flowery bit of exposition, the simple yet thoroughly joyful rituals
and festivities had an obvious effect on Strange.
A profound moment of
genuine bliss without repercussion is rare in superhero comics. So, seeing
Doctor Strange and Clea throw caution to the wind and, however briefly,
forgetting their many, many problems was heart-warming to say the least. And
that’s even before the Silver Surfer offered up a nugget or two of wisdom from
his unique perspective.
While his dialogue
almost made it schmaltzy, DeMatteis’ intended message was crystal clear:
no matter who or where you are world, inherent goodness can be found
everywhere, if you’re only willing to look for it. An encouraging message, one
that spread to all of the Defenders as Devil Slayer discovered when he returned to Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum and found the entire team
hanging out on the front steps…
After this opening
arc, DeMatteis wrote the title for over two years, delivering
several other memorable story lines before shifting the book into the New Defenders. Yet, his initial Six Fingered Hand storyline
remained a remarkably early high point. A meticulously, well-constructed, and
engaging story with plenty of twists and turns, the Six Fingered Hand Saga has easily withstood the test of time and
should have been released in trade paperback ages ago.
Or, as DeMatteis himself stated when asked by this blog how he feels about the Defenders some 30+ years on:
Or, as DeMatteis himself stated when asked by this blog how he feels about the Defenders some 30+ years on:
“Looking back I see my younger self: a writer, with a lot to learn, who poured his heart and soul, every bit of passion he had, into that series. Defenders was my training ground, a way to explore telling more personal stories in the commercial context of the Marvel Universe. I didn’t realize it at the time, but writing Defenders got me ready for ‘Moonshadow’ and the other creator-owned, personal projects I’ve done over the years.”
“Having come a long way as a writer, when I read these stories I see all the warts, all the stumbles, all the errors DeMatteis the Younger made; but I also see how much I cared about that book. And what a good time I had working with Don Perlin. So I look back on my Defenders days with great fondness.”
And the morning light never seemed brighter indeed…
Interview with J.M. DeMatteis
You might have already seen Jef's posts on the 1981 Defenders. We thought it would be fun to post up Jef's full interview with J.M. DeMatteis.
Jef: How and when were you approached and persuaded to take over the Defenders? What was the team’s appeal for you at the time?
JMD: I’d always been a big fan of the series—especially the Steve Gerber era—because of it’s barrier-crashing, “anything goes” sensibility. That said, I certainly didn’t lobby for the gig—Ed Hannigan was writing the book at the time and doing a fine job of it—so I was very surprised when I walked into Jim Shooter’s office one day and he told me I was taking over Defenders: “Because,” he said, “I know you like Doctor Strange.” Which is true: I love Doctor Strange!
Jef: A propos your writing style at the time: was the Six Fingered Hand arc all planned out in advance or did the editor allow a certain amount of improvisation as you went along?
JMD: Even when you’ve got plans and plans and more plans, there’s always improvisation involved; and, back then, being a newbie still finding his way in the business, there was plenty of improvisation going on. I had a general sense of the story and where I wanted it to go, but it was no carefully planned out epic. I still love to write that way: You have your destination in mind, your general themes and character arcs, but you remain open to happy accidents and spontaneous creativity. The best stories write themselves and, in order for that to happen, you’ve got to get yourself—and your carefully-laid plans—out of the way. My editor, Al Milgrom, was a great guy who allowed me to follow my story yet was always there to backstop me if I was going off the rails,
Jef: Don Perlin was the artist during your entire run. Could you briefly describe your working relationship? Did you provide full scripts or was it the brief plot summary aka ‘classic Marvel style’? And: did he offer any suggestions or input on the stories?
JMD: By the 80’s the Marvel plot-first style wan’t a “brief plot summary”: plots were, for the most part, lengthy and detailed. There was still room for the artist to pace and play with the story but the writer was in firm control of the material.
Don Perlin was one of the nicest people, and hardest working artists, I’ve ever worked with. He was passionate about the book and about my stories and put everything he had into it. More than that, he was willing to experiment, leave his comfort zone and grow as an artist—which he really did throughout our run. I loved working with him.
As I recall, we spoke on the phone regularly and discussed the stories; but, for the most part, he left the plotting to me and concentrated on the visual interpretations. I’m sure he had suggestions along the way (and I think there were a few issues he co-plotted, too) and I was always open to them.
Jef: What were some of your initial feelings about the team (Strange, Hulk, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Clea and Hellcat) at the time? Who did you feel most comfortable with?
JMD: My motto was: the more obscure the characters, the better. That gave me room to really push characterization and make them my own. That’s one of the reasons you saw characters like Devil Slayer and Son of Satan come into the book. You didn’t have to worry about anyone else complaining about their evolution; you could do what you wanted.
That said, I liked the group I was handed at the start—especially Doc Strange. The only one I wasn’t all that comfortable with, as I recall, was the Hulk. He was phased out along the way. I liked the character, but he didn’t seem to fit with my Defenders.
Jef: Why paralyzed Nighthawk? It seemed to come out of left field at the time, despite its tying into established early Defenders continuity. And, considering you’d have him sacrifice his life in # 106, is it unfair to say you had it in for poor ol’ Kyle Richmond?
JMD: I think I was playing to his name: Nighthawk. Thus he only functioned at night. During the day he was paralyzed and when the sun went down he came alive. I thought it was a fun idea. I still do. Whether I executed it well is another story! As for “having it in for him”—no, I thought Kyle Richmond was an interesting character and I was just following where he, and the stories, led me.
Jef: How did you come up with the concept of the Six Fingered Hand, and how did you flesh out the six demons? With names like Avarrish (avarice), Hyppokri (hypocrisy) and Unnthinkk (ignorance), can it be considered an homage to DC’s Captain Marvel and his Seven Deadly Sins?
JMD: No Captain Marvel connection whatsovever. As for where the concept came from—to be honest, I don’t recall; beyond the idea that I wanted to take the book in a supernatural direction and a six-fingered hand was a creepy concept.
Jef: What prompted Hellcat's reveal as Satan's daughter? It was played up as a big deal during the Six Fingered arc, while a year and a half down the road you have Patsy learn Satan lied about it after all. While that is not uncommon for the lord of lies, from a story perspective it does feel like a bit of a cheat. What's the real story behind this bait 'n switch?
It wasn’t a cheat for me. It was a way to take Patsy down an intense, character-revealing road; a way to dig deeper into her character, to turn her relationship with Hellstrom on its head, and a perfect piece of manipulation of Satan’s part. Again, you can fault the execution—I was a young writer, still learning my craft—but I don’t see it as a cheat at all.
Jef: Certainly during the early 80s, the character of Isaac Christiaans the Gargoyle was more than a little unusual. What inspired the notion of an elderly gentleman/ mystic/worrywart locked in the form of an immortal demon?
JMD: It was just one of those ideas that popped into my head. This horrific, demonic figure that’s really this sweet, gentle old man. Don P came up with a great design for the character and, as the storyline progressed, Gargoyle became more and more important to the team. I loved that character; in fact the Gargoyle mini-series I did with Mark Badger remains one of my favorite projects out of all the stories I’ve done for mainstream Marvel.
Jef: In retrospect, isn’t the character of the Gargoyle a prime example of quintessential DeMatteis characterization? Isaac Christiaans starts out as a basically noble, well meaning character that falls prey to his own human fallibilities, in the end becoming, however cruelly that what he loathes the most? One might see shades of Vermin, Kraven the Hunter and Harry Osborn during the 1990s ‘Child Within’ arc?
JMD: Yes, up to a point. But Isaac, after giving in to temptation, almost instantly regrets his fall and, from then on, remains the same decent and compassionate man he was before. The tension between the horrific outer shell and the sweet person beneath it is what I love about the character. I don’t think he’s as dark as Kraven or Vermin.
Jef: What urged you to bring in the relatively unknown character Devil Slayer? Certainly at the time, a former Vietnam vet turned hired killer/demon vanquisher couldn’t possibly have been Comics Code Approved? Did his inclusion go off without a hitch, or did you have to argue to get him in?
JMD: No arguments at all. Milgrom, as noted, let me follow my muses where they led. Devil-Slayer had been used in Defenders before and, being another obscure character with a fascinating back-story (war vet, hit-man, demon-hunter), I thought he was ripe for exploration. The story in Defenders #110, “Hunger,” is one of my favorites of my run.
Jef: Speaking of the Code… The Six-Fingered Hand empowered David Kessler to become the healing guru known as 'the messiah'… An obvious Jesus Christ analogy if ever there was one. Back in the 70s, Tony Isabella caught considerable flack when he introduced Ghost Rider to ‘The Friend’ who for all intents and purposes was Christ as well. Did you receive any comments on this new ‘son of God’?
JMD: I didn’t see David Kessler as a Jesus stand-in. He was a cult leader, a spiritual figure, but he was essentially a flawed human like the rest of us,
Jef: In issue # 100, Hellcat shortly returns to her demonic form from # 94. Was it always your intention to revert Patsy back to normal, or did you consider exploring the notion of having a true ‘hell cat' on the team?
JMD: I don’t remember! I’m sure I played with every outcome in my mind.
Jef: Defenders #101 feels like a coda, with the Defenders in need of spiritual renewing. Val, Patsy and Isaac’s visiting Dolly in a hospital’s cancer ward was particularly striking. Jim Starlin’s 1982 graphic novel The Death of Captain Marvel is generally considered to be the first Marvel publication dealing with the disease head on, yet Defenders # 101 came out a year earlier and was even more graphic in its depiction of the illness. Was there any in house trepidation about featuring a young, bald cancer patient?
JMD: Again, no trepidation at all. One of the best things about Defenders is that it wasn’t a high-profile book. We were off in a corner and I could get as weird and personal as I wanted to without worrying about stepping on anyone’s toes. And, yes, that story was very much intended as a kind of spiritual cleansing after the literal hell the team went through in the Six-Fingered hand story.
Jef: With the Six Fingered Hand arc over 30 years old, how do you look back on it? Were you satisfied with it then and has it stood up to the test of time?
JMD: I have no idea if it’s stood the test of time. I’m the last person who’d know! Looking back I see my younger self: a writer, with a lot to learn, who poured his heart and soul, every bit of passion he had, into that series. Defenders was my training ground, a way to explore telling more personal stories in the commercial context of the Marvel Universe. I didn’t realize it at the time, but writing Defenders got me ready for Moonshadow and the other creator-owned, personal projects I’ve done over the years.
Having come a long way as a writer, when I read these stories I see all the warts, all the stumbles, all the errors DeMatteis the Younger made; but I also see how much I cared about that book. And what a good time I had working with Don Perlin. So I look back on my Defenders days with great fondness.
Friday, February 15, 2013
1981: The Defenders Go Demonic Part IV: Six Fingered Finale
By Jef Willemsen
(clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
If any of the Hand were to perish, the caged heroes would share a similar fate. This new situation gave the Defenders pause… Well, almost all of them.
Strange agreed to Satan’s terms and after the Defenders split into teams, they were teleported to their respective combat arenas. Devil Slayer, Gargoyle and a fully mobile Nighthawk valiantly faced off against Thog and his army of the ages, but perished when the demon dropped no less than four nuclear bombs on them. Silver Surfer, Clea and Valkyrie stared down Mephisto and withstood his silver tongued temptations, only to vanish into apparent nothingness despite their efforts… While Hulk, Namor and Strange failed to persevere against Satannish and the undying ones.
Expecting death, the Defenders were shocked to find themselves alive and well at Satan’s feet, learning once again why he’s called the lord of lies. The battles were merely a ploy to win time (not to mention for the creative team to pad out the anniversary issue). Instead of days, now only hours remained to stop Hell and Earth from merging.
Predictable, Daimon Hellstrom attacked his father for the heck of it. Tired of his son’s constant disobedience, Satan asked his newest child to deal with him. But when Hellcat proved no match for her sibling, ol’ daddy devil took matters into his own hands and attacked Hellstrom himself. He would have died within seconds, if not for the Defenders offering their strength to Doctor Strange in order for him to cast a spell that unleashed Daimon’s demon soul, allowing him a fighting chance. Still, the outcome of the conflict wasn’t ever in doubt, really…
DeMatteis would make good use of the team’s ennui as we’ll see next time in a coda to The Defenders Go Demonic, called All Bad Things Do Come To An End.
In the fourth and final installment of this
retrospective on J.M. DeMatteis’ initial Defenders
arc, eight issues worth of set up finally paid off as the title hit issue #
100 and we learned you can’t spell ‘salvation’ without ‘Satan’.
When we last left our heroes,
they had just entered a rift in space/time left behind after the demons of the
Six Fingered Hand sucked the town of Citrusville through the nexus of all
realities, landing it smack dab in the middle of their home dimension.
Now, Doctor Strange, Valkyrie, Daimon Hellstrom, the Gargoyle and latest recruit Devil Slayer entered the rift to take their long running conflict straight to the Hand. But seconds after entering, they realized their troubled fellow Defender Hellcat wasn’t with them and Devil Slayer was missing his teleporting shadow cloak as well. Unable to turn back, they pressed on and encountered manifestations no one was ready for...
Now, Doctor Strange, Valkyrie, Daimon Hellstrom, the Gargoyle and latest recruit Devil Slayer entered the rift to take their long running conflict straight to the Hand. But seconds after entering, they realized their troubled fellow Defender Hellcat wasn’t with them and Devil Slayer was missing his teleporting shadow cloak as well. Unable to turn back, they pressed on and encountered manifestations no one was ready for...
Click on
the image to see Don Perlin channel a Steve Ditko style pan-dimensional
panorama dedicated to the bizarre… Seeing the images that are conjured up, it’s
hard not to hear classic psychedelic Beatles songs like Lucy In The Sky or I Am The Walrus
while the Defenders drifted towards the realm of the Six Fingered Hand. Upon
arriving, they realized the demons weren’t just expecting them, they also had a surprise…
Issue # 99 opened with
the assembled Six Fingered Hand welcoming the Defenders to their home
turf. Figuring the heroes would eventually show up to finish them, the Hand created a little life insurance
policy by luring Hulk, Clea, Sub-Mariner and the Silver Surfer into a trap that
bound their life force to that of the demons.
If any of the Hand were to perish, the caged heroes would share a similar fate. This new situation gave the Defenders pause… Well, almost all of them.
Surprisingly enough,
Maya laughed off what should have been a fatal wound as he invited the Defenders on
a tour of what he called the ‘new and improved’ Citrusville. On the way, the
Hand revealed their grand scheme.
Citrusville was just the beginning as they planned to suck the entire
planet through the nexus into their dimension. And judging from Citrusville
2.0, that… would be a bad thing.
Enraged, Hellstrom
once again attacked the Six Fingered Hand and this time even the ever patient
Maya had enough. Ordering the others to
attack the Defenders, the team was overrun by demons ánd the possessed
Citrusville citizens. All hope seemed lost until sudden salvation approached
from the skies.
Yes, Silver Surfer,
Clea and the others had regained their freedom, thanks to the Gargoyle who had
remained behind to figure out a way to use his bio-mystical blasts to
overload the energy prisons. Defeated, the Six Finger Hand demons started to
shrink away just as Citrusville returned to Earth. All’s well that ends well
then. Let’s go home and… wait a minute… they’re called the SIX Fingered Hand,
right? So why are there only five of them?
Yes, Maya had survived, but before the Defenders went to rectify that matter, the leader of the Hand revealed himself to be a far more familiar foe…
Yes, Maya had survived, but before the Defenders went to rectify that matter, the leader of the Hand revealed himself to be a far more familiar foe…
Being greeted by a
gleeful, gloating Mephisto is very rarely a good sign. Just what did Doctor
Strange do to make ‘all this’ possible? No worries, the Mephisto exposition
express was about to depart…
Yes, the lord of lies
was right… Doctor Strange had been voicing concern about overusing his unstable
teleportation spell and his worries would prove well founded. But, let’s not
get ahead of Mephisto’s monologue…
Every single event of
the last 7 issues led up to this. Every. Single. Event… It’s a remarkable
achievement on the part of J.M. DeMatteis to tell an interlocking story that
connects all the dots yet wan’t so obvious it telegraphed the outcome halfway
through.
“Oh, no! No!
NO!”
Daimon Hellstrom’s
cries of outrage weren’t without warrant. As Mephisto explained, the Defenders
had been tricked into making this victory possible. Using the Hand, Mephisto
played the heroes like, well, like a hand puppet. Which made the finale page of
issue # 99 particularly rough.
Issue # 100 opened
with Satan, biblical lord of all evil, ruling over Earth, which didn’t sit well with Doctor Strange, the defender of
said realm. Thankfully, the ever rational archmage retained his usual
cool and collected composure.
Remember how Hellcat
had suddenly disappeared before the Defenders entered the rift? As it turned
out, Patsy was overcome by her dark side right after the battle with Man-Thing
in # 98. She used her abilities to discreetly snatch away Devil Slayer’s cloak
and used it to join Satan. But not before picking up her fellow Defender
Nighthawk. As Satan explained, her human side needed an old, familiar face
around before she truly became what she had always been: Hellcat, daughter of
Satan.
This particular tidbit of information gave the budding relationship between her and Daimon Hellstrom (aka: the Son of Satan) a rather icky twist. Daimon, never one for diplomacy as this storyline proved so far, attacked his father… For all the good that did him.
This particular tidbit of information gave the budding relationship between her and Daimon Hellstrom (aka: the Son of Satan) a rather icky twist. Daimon, never one for diplomacy as this storyline proved so far, attacked his father… For all the good that did him.
It’s interesting that Satan actually offered the Defenders a chance to undo all this. You’d
think the scheming mastermind of all things dark and evil wouldn’t allow
anything to mess up his once-in-a-millennia chance of dominating mankind. But here he was,
risking it all by proposing a duel: if the Defenders defeated his
lieutenants Mephisto, Satannish and Thog ánd ‘unleash the light in darkness’
heart’, Satan would leave Earth alone.
Strange agreed to Satan’s terms and after the Defenders split into teams, they were teleported to their respective combat arenas. Devil Slayer, Gargoyle and a fully mobile Nighthawk valiantly faced off against Thog and his army of the ages, but perished when the demon dropped no less than four nuclear bombs on them. Silver Surfer, Clea and Valkyrie stared down Mephisto and withstood his silver tongued temptations, only to vanish into apparent nothingness despite their efforts… While Hulk, Namor and Strange failed to persevere against Satannish and the undying ones.
Expecting death, the Defenders were shocked to find themselves alive and well at Satan’s feet, learning once again why he’s called the lord of lies. The battles were merely a ploy to win time (not to mention for the creative team to pad out the anniversary issue). Instead of days, now only hours remained to stop Hell and Earth from merging.
Predictable, Daimon Hellstrom attacked his father for the heck of it. Tired of his son’s constant disobedience, Satan asked his newest child to deal with him. But when Hellcat proved no match for her sibling, ol’ daddy devil took matters into his own hands and attacked Hellstrom himself. He would have died within seconds, if not for the Defenders offering their strength to Doctor Strange in order for him to cast a spell that unleashed Daimon’s demon soul, allowing him a fighting chance. Still, the outcome of the conflict wasn’t ever in doubt, really…
Turned out, love’s
light can burn bright even within the heart of darkness. A heady message, but
one that won the Defenders the day. Honoring his promise, Satan abandoned his
plans of conquest and got ready to leave Earth. But not before Daimon made a
surprising announcement.
“I am nothing but Darksoul now, father. I
belong nowhere on Earth. I belong only by your side. Take me with you.”
Overjoyed, Satan accepted
his son’s offer. But before departing, he left the Defenders
with a celebratory gift of sorts…
With Hellcat returned
to normal, Satan left the Defenders back on a restored New York City street
while offering them very little in the way of a satisfactory resolution. Yes,
he claimed they had won the day… But just before fading away he planted a seed of doubt.
Maybe, just maybe, their presumed victory had been part of his master plan all along. After all, he might have lost Earth but gained a true son and successor in return… Still, what an eternal archetype of evil (or good for that matter) would need with an heir is a question for another day. It certainly wasn’t on the Defenders’ minds as they watched the master of hell fade from view.
Maybe, just maybe, their presumed victory had been part of his master plan all along. After all, he might have lost Earth but gained a true son and successor in return… Still, what an eternal archetype of evil (or good for that matter) would need with an heir is a question for another day. It certainly wasn’t on the Defenders’ minds as they watched the master of hell fade from view.
For those eagle eyed
Don Perlin art fans, Satan dropped off the team right in front of a movie
theatre showing the 1941 comedy The Devil
And Miss Jones. A rather appropriately title considering the hell they’d
just been through.
Speaking of which, where most comics of the era would simply end with the heroes rejoicing over their, admittedly, remarkable victory, the Defenders closed their 100th issue on a contemplative and even somber note.
Speaking of which, where most comics of the era would simply end with the heroes rejoicing over their, admittedly, remarkable victory, the Defenders closed their 100th issue on a contemplative and even somber note.
DeMatteis would make good use of the team’s ennui as we’ll see next time in a coda to The Defenders Go Demonic, called All Bad Things Do Come To An End.
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