How Blue-Devil Got His Groove Back
Only two issues to go before Shadowpact closes up shop, and there are a lot of open story lines that need wrapping. Fortunately Matthew Sturges answers one, and sets readers up for a smack down of godly proportions in The Burning Age, the first installment of a three part arc from DC Comics.
Or - “Final Destiny Of The Rook…”
I admit it… I initially only read Shadowpact for Nightmaster. As a student of the obscure and ridiculous heroes, the idea of a hippie guitar player becoming Sir Lancelot spoke to me on a deep and meaningful level. Yes, I enjoy Detective Chimp, and The Enchantress is compelling (and beautiful, even for a collection of lines on paper.) I enjoy the Steve Ditko history of Nightshade, the ‘weirdness magnet’ that is Blue Devil, and some of my earliest comic memories are of an issue of Batman Family with Ragman in it. Heck, even Zauriel has a place in my heart, but it’s really Jim Rook who brings me to the party. I first read of him in “Who’s Who in the DC Universe” decades ago, and have since collected just about anything with him in it, even Primal Force (which, to be honest, has it’s moments, but mostly “ugh.”) This issue does something that I never expected it to do… makes me both happy and sad at the same time.
From the pages of Superman #663 comes this wonderful panel of the Oblivion Bar. Everyone sing with me -
“Sometimes you wanna go,
where everybody knows your naaaammmee!
Dum dum dum dum!
And they’re always glad you came!
Dum dum dum dum!”
So looks like angels do drink (Zauriel), Dawn has a chat with her late husband Manitou Raven, the Ghost Patrol kick back to regale each other with tales of adventure, Witchfire gets the ol’ pickup line from Fake Arion, while Traci Thirteen looks on. And hey, isn’t that Princess Amethyst chatting with the bartender?
Bless you Bill Willingham for creating the Oblivion Bar. It is the closest thing we have to Doyle’s bar from the brilliant Willingham, Finn, Sturges, and Roberson shared world anthology Clockwork Storybook.
Or - “Nor Do The Wind, Or The Sun Or The Rain…”
Last November, Stephen reviewed Shadowpact #6, and we were both a little disappointed. Each subsequent month, I’d look at Shadowpact and go “Well, Stephen covered it last November. This one’s his problem!” (The same rationale kept me from re-reading early issues of the new Flash and also saving many innocent brain cells.) Then came Shadowpact #12. Though always a quality book, even when disappointing, Shadowpact leapt back into the “awesome” stack, and I am hereby engaging the “My guy” clause of my contract with MajorSpoilers.com (Section III, paragraph 9, line 4) which states, “Matthew reserves the right to poach from Stephen the recapping duties on any book featuring the following: 3-D Man, Ambush Bug, Aztec Ace, Black Lightning, Brother Voodoo, Green Lantern Mogo, It The Living Colossus, Jay Garrick, John Constantine, Jonni Future, Legion of Superheroes (or component members thereof), Machine Man, The Mimic, Nightmaster, Rod Serling, Rom: Spaceknight, She-Hulk, Ultra The Multi-Alien, Zenith, Zombie Simon Garth and 3 free agents to be named later, known collectively as ‘My Guys.’ ” Sorry, Steve, but I had to do it. It was what Chris Knight would call ‘a moral imperative.’ What’s so special about this issue?
Or - “The Chimp’s Got It Figured Out…”
It’s actually quite heartening to see Checkmate hitting double-digits. It’s not precisely the kind of book you normally get from DC, an attempt at a hard-hitting spy-style drama, with the added difficulty of being set within the confines of a world where every thirteenth person gets phenomenal cosmic power with the purchase of a Big Gulp at 7-11. This issue actually takes that proverbial bull by the horns, trying to streamline the Shadowpact (a team consisting of a talking chimpanzee, a interdimensional teleporter, a cloth Golem, an azure demon, a sorceress of great power, and Jim Morrison with a vorpal blade) with the more down-to-earth spycraft and internecine power struggle of government spook agencies… Add a dash of pepper, bake at 450 degrees for six hours, and whaddaya got?
“He Doesn’t Have to Shoot You Now.”
“He Does SO Have to Shoot Me Now!”
Oh Shadowpact, your wacky adventures and skewed continuity have readers split on whether or not they should love you or hate you. Issue six kicks off a new storyline, but has Shadowpact gone to the dogs?
The House of Mystery Mystery
A locked door, a dead detective, and Dr. Fate’s helmet. The solution to this mystery can only be solved by a great detective. Batman’s out of the country, so the next best on the list is Ralph Dibny.
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