The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day XXXX: You're Not Surprised, Are You?

Time to face facts, and acknowledge that, for the time being, the 40 Years project is asleep. It's resting and waiting, like Cthulhu in R'lyeh, for the stars to align and the time to be right.

I love comics, and I'll always love comics, but right now my creative energies are aimed in a different direction. I've recorded and released 4 albums in the last 4 months and I've been building a large-scale, three-dimensional board game table for the 2nd edition of Arkham Horror that I'll be writing a bit about on my collecting blog once I've revived it.

I'm still reading and still jumping into the stranger parts of the comics hobby. But perhaps, after all this time, I've run out of interesting things to say about them. I'll be back, I'm sure. I'm still committed to the idea of reading my entire collection, and I may just do it without blogging for a while. Perhaps there'll be a once a month digest of the project, rather than a day by day journal. When I started the project, I was well into my doctoral work, and I thought the daily writing about comics was a good idea to help work out some of the things I was thinking about. I'll admit that once grad school crumbled, it became a bit more effort to write on a daily basis. And that was almost 5 years ago.

The world has changed significantly since I started this blog in 2008. My first proper entry in the Giant Box was an obituary of Steve "Howard the Duck, Man-Thing" Gerber. I wonder if it says anything that the first entry here was about something I consider to be one of the great tragedies of recent comics history? But since that time, we've all become embroiled in a tragedy larger than any of us could really conceive. Not just COVID, but also the divisions that have become starkly apparent since the election of Donald Trump and since the health measure protests around the world.

I honestly don't know if I could carry on a civil conversation with someone who was anti-vax or anti-mask. That refusal, to me at least, signals a fundamental selfishness that I think is anathemic to our continued positive evolution as a species. The way that Socialism and socialism have been vilified in our culture by those for whom money and power are be-all and end-all has radically fractured our societal ability to see community as an organism that requires care and sacrifice, just the same way that the individual body that makes up community does. It's things like this that, honestly, make me think that, sadly, either I or my offspring, will likely witness the collapse of our civilization and our species.

Fuck, I'm a cheery one, ain't I?

So before I go for a little while, some recommendations:

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable - although I haven't watched the anime of Part 6 yet, Part 4 of this unabashedly insane and awesome series has so far been my favorite. It's got a creepy Twin Peaks-vibe to it that somehow meshes perfectly with the fashion and hyperbole that characterizes Jojo. I picked up a hardcover of the first volume of this storyline because I loved it so much. Jumping in at this point may be a bit confusing for a newcomer, but there's plenty of recap sites out there, I'm sure.

The Adventures of Tintin - a couple of years ago, one of my sisters-in-law got me a beautiful slip-cased edition of the complete adventures of Tintin. They're in a smaller format than the usual European albums, but still manage to reproduce the bandes beautifully. And I thought it was time for me to explore this seminal and revered strip.

Echolands, Ice Cream Man - these are the only two ongoing, contemporary titles I'm reading at the moment. ICM is apparently being adapted to TV, and I'm kind of non-committal about that. The comic is one of the coolest comics I've read, and uses the medium in wonderful ways. Echolands is J.H. Williams III doing a superhero-fantasy-scifi comic. Williams' use of different art styles to evoke what I see as different levels of mythic resonance for each character is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in comics. Have a look at his revelatory work on Detective Comics, where he helped to establish Batwoman. Or on Promethea. Or anywhere.

Right. I'm off. I'll be popping things up here every now and again when inspiration strikes, but like a good Calgarian when the snows have been falling since September, the 40YoCP is now in hibernation.

Onward.

Well...What Now?

The end of February finally rears its head, as did, a few days ago, the end of year 7 of the 40 Years project.

Year 7 was difficult. As was year 6. On top of the tumult created by a cartoon character running the most dangerous country in the world and a global pandemic that a bunch of idiots seemed to think was a hoax, I've been doing some intense therapy and life alteration, trying to pull myself out of a hole of worthlessness, hopelessness, and disappointment. I'm still disappointed in the human race. We could be doing so much better.

Year 8 of the project will start tomorrow, March 1. Resetting the anniversary to this date makes it much easier for me to keep track, and I really want Year 8 to be a good one. I'm writing more and I'm thinking more. I've let my interest in comics recede somewhat over the last couple of years, but I'm trying to renew my interest and poke about in some of the less highlighted aspects of the hobby.

To that end, here are the only two comics I am currently following:

Ice Cream Man - easily one of the most creative and strange comics I've ever read. Imagine Twin Peaks meets Sandman meets Twilight Zone, and you have the beginning of an idea of what this comic is like. Disturbing and amusing, sometimes at exactly the same time. Worth a read.

Echolands - honestly, if J.H. Williams III is attached as an artist to a project, it's basically a slam dunk for me. I think, of all artists working in the field, he has the best understanding of how art can reflect story in comics. His work embodies the idea of the medium being the message. Echolands is a cool-ass fantasy/sci-fi story that deserves your attention.

See you tomorrow?

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1219: Detective Comics #863, May 2010

Batwoman's final issue of Detective (too soon, too soon) packs a nice little punch. I have, of course, read all of these comics before, when they came out, but I noticed so much more in this story arc ("Cutter") than the last time. All three issues are this wonderful study in parallels. One that stood out to me for especial notice this month was one panel in which we see an interaction between Batman and Commissioner Gordon, and then immediately next to it is a panel depicting an interaction between Batwoman and Maggie Sawyer. From two straight while males to two gay white women is a pretty great change to see, and certainly one that Rucka and Jock are very clear about pointing out. I will say that having re-read this series, I'm even more curious about Rucka's much-lauded Wonder Woman.

We do leave a bit of a cliffhanger here for the other feature in Detective, the one that I haven't talked much about: The Question. But I think I'll leave that story for now, until I've managed to track the rest of it (if it exists) down.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1218: Detective Comics #862, April 2010

One of the reasons I decided to include the blog part of this project, rather than simply reading a comic every day, was that if I thought people were potentially reading, I'd feel more compelled to do this every day. And, for the most part, it's worked. I don't really know how many read this, but I enjoy, for the most part, airing whatever little idea has crossed my mind while reading a particular comic. So when I miss a few days, I feel very guilty. The trouble is I've been experiencing some bad joint pain for some time now, and typing is one of the worst things for it. So please don't think that my missing a few days in a row is a sign of my boredom with the project. It's more about the pain.

Now on to the comic.

I don't think I like Jock's art work in this run. I know Williams had left to go and work on the Batwoman series, but the shift in art styles is quite jarring. Jock reminds me of a more mainstream Ted McKeever (whose work I'm rediscovering, and who we'll see some of in July), which is super-different from Williams' style(s). That said, this is a choppy story, both narratively, and technically. The jumps from Bruce to Kate, the cutting nature of both villains, perhaps the choppy art is fitting. Tomorrow's our last issue for this run, so we'll see.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1217: Detective Comics #861, March 2010

An unfortunate thing happens shortly after this issue in Batwoman's history: the New 52. For those not in the know, this was a line-wide reboot of DC Comics. After #863, Batwoman departs the title, ostensibly for her own series, but only a zero issue is published before everything is rebooted. And, for some reason, I never followed the reboot. Honestly, the New 52 left a sour taste in my mouth about DC that I've only recently got past with the Young Animal titles.

So we get a sort of team up between the Bats, though they don't really interact much in today's issue. They're pursuing different cases, as far as I can tell, but you know with these sorts of things, everything will likely come together.

Then again, maybe it won't. Mr. Rucka is a pretty smart writer, so perhaps the ending I'm expecting won't be the one I get.

Here's hoping. More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1216: Detective Comics #860, February 2010

Today marks the last issue of Detective illustrated by J.H. Williams III. I want to say something about his art, because it demonstrates so perfectly the way that comics communicates with its audience. Williams' art style is constantly shifting throughout the series. Whenever a character is in costumed regalia (thus far on Batwoman and Batman), they take on a much more realistic mode than the characters do when they're in their civvies (trying to embrace the Army-speak of Kate and her Dad). It's almost as if, in embodying a mythic principle, the costumed characters become more real than the reality they inhabit. Which is, of course, exactly what happens with superhero comics.

No more J.H. Williams, but more to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1215: Detective Comics #859, January 2010

When we last saw Kate, she'd just found out that her twin sister might not have died in the terrorist attack that claimed her mother's life.

I guess you really do have to have some bizarre tragedy in your past to dress up and do what these Gothamites do.

Today's issue deals quite explicitly with Kate's queerness. As I noted in my earlier reviews, Kate's affectional preference is gestured toward but never made the focal aspect through which we experience Kate's life. That's what Batwoman is. But today's issue chronicles young Cadet Kane's parting with the U.S. Military, ironically upholding the values for which the Marines ostensibly stand, but being discharged for her sexuality anyway. Remember, this is set in 2003(ish), so DADT was still a thing.

We also get "the moment." The Bat-moment. Kate fends off an attack in Gotham, and is leant some assistance from a scowling man in a cowl. And as he leaps off into the moonlight, the myth takes root in another person.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1198: Detective Comics #858, December 2009

A good bit of background on Kate in today's issue. A friend of mine wrote his Master's thesis on representations of trauma in female superheroes, and he looked specifically at Batwoman as a way of thinking through reactions to trauma. Everyone in Gotham is traumatized. That should be clear to even the most casual of Bat-fans. To throw yourself at the kinds of monsters that prowl those streets, you have to be damaged in some way. Though said throwing is also a way of addressing said damage.

There hasn't been much on Kate's life outside of the Bat in the last few issues. We do have an interesting moment in flashback where Kate worries that her twin sister (!) is telling a boy that Kate likes him. She stresses that she doesn't even. It's not blatant, but it puts me in mind of when those sorts of thoughts start to cross one's mind. I've read many reports where gay people have said they'd known from a very early age. I don't know how early early is, but I probably started having inklings around 11 or 12. I could just never quite understand why anyone would limit themselves based on gender. Weren't we always told it's what's on the inside that counts?

We'll take a break from Detective Comics for a bit, though we will return to Ms. Kane's adventures later in the month. Tomorrow we'll have a look at some other badass gay icons.

More to come...

(Edit: I was thinking that I didn't really address the idea of trauma in this comic very well, and it's such an important piece of the puzzle that is Kate Kane. It's definitely not my strong suit from a theoretical perspective, so take any of this with a grain of salt! We'll see her striving for an ordered existence in the military, one that focusses her hurt until that existence clashes with her sense of what is right. And then she sees a symbol - Batman. She takes up that symbol to channel the pain of what she went through into something just. What's important about Kate's story is that it doesn't come out of the Batman story, in the way that Robin or Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) do, nor is it a story that serves to solely push forward Batman's story. It is a story that comes to the Batman story, a character with enough similarity of purpose to Batman's mission that she too comes to emblematize what it is that Batman does. In Kate's story we get a perspective on the difference between law and justice from a vantage that the Bat-titles, in my limited knowledge of them, rarely do: that of the military. There's a clash coming between Kate and her father that will touch on this, and I think we'll have a bit more to think about when we return to the title, as the final pages of this issue feature Batwoman testing some of Alice's DNA for...well. That would be telling.)

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1197: Detective Comics #857, November 2009

Apologies, but nothing really leaps out at me about today's comic. Which is a bit ironic, given that a large portion of the comic is given over to Batwoman leaping out of one plane and onto another. It's a pretty sweet action sequence, and showcases Williams III's ability to do the widescreen superheroics of something like The Authority, but with an incredible painterly eye. The cover is interesting, showing more of Alice than of Kate, but the comic itself reflects that, in that much of this issue focusses on the antagonist.

One more look at Batwoman tomorrow, a peek into her past. More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1196: Detective Comics #856, October 2009

There are two ways I'd like to think about queerness in this comic.

First, there are three lycanthropes in this issue. These characters were servitors of the previous leader of the Crime Religion, but were disillusioned when Batwoman defied their prophecy. They now hold her in some regard, and turn out to be allies in the battle against Alice. But I think their presence in a comic that is helmed by two lesbians is a little more symbolic. In story, they are form-shifting members of an underground society - a description one might easily ascribe to some kinds of queerness. And even more basically, the idea of shifting form, of being fluid between identities, is intrinsic to the idea of queerness.

Second, Batwoman and the Question used to go out. I can't believe this hadn't occurred to me before. It's revealed that, before either of them became the superheroes they are, Kate Kane and Renee Montoya dated. We enter their joint story after the fact. They're civil, but I think there's still some hurt feelings. So what's really interesting is that theirs are the two stories we're getting in this comic. I haven't said much about the Question's story. It's a gritty tale of human trafficking, and though a really good story, it pales in comparison to J.H. Williams's art. Is there something to this pairing? I feel like there's something to the fact that we're able to follow both women's stories, rather than experiencing their continuing narratives through only one focal character. And there is acknowledgment of the shared history in each others' tales. In yesterday's issue, one of the hallucinations Kate suffers is the Question coming to her rescue. Again, it's something I'd have to think longer on. Have we ever seen this kind of a story told with a heterosexual superhero pairing? Did Green Arrow and Black Canary every have a period of separation like this? And what is the idea of a shared focalization doing to our reading of a story of a broken-up couple?

(Even reading that back to myself, I'm not sure how much sense it made! But, as I noted in my intro to this month, queering is about breaking down binaries - in life and in theory!).

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1195: Detective Comics #855, September 2009

I'd forgotten how relatively long a history Batwoman had by the time she took over Detective. Introduced in the collborative series 52, she played guest roles in both 52 Aftermath: Crime Bible (an amazing series starring the other queer lady in this comic, the Question), and in Final Crisis. But Detective is her first starring role, and it really is glorious.

We get a full introduction to Alice, the new leader of the Religion of Crime, who seems to be styling herself on a mix of Alice from Wonderland and the Joker. I was at first a little put off by this - why do we have to give Batwoman her own version of the Joker? Why not give her her own iconic villains. But then I realized that this is what a comic set in Gotham does. It pits traumatized people against homicidal maniacs and hopes for a positive outcome. So of course Kate Kane has to have her version of the iconic Gotham villain, who is the Joker.

We get a brief glimpse of Kate's background in this issue, but only through the lens of Alice's hallucinogenic poison, so the images don't make too much sense. Terrorists and a kidnapping? (I know that answer of course, but I'm trying to build the suspense for you!). Along with this revelation, there's some really nice interplay between Kate and her father, the Colonel. Much like Bruce Wayne has Alfred (another of the icons of Gothamic existence, the reliable aide), Kate has her father, an army (I think) colonel. He stays on comms with her, gets her intel, and co-ordinates operations. And he's a bit of a badass himself. But in the midst of combat, he still has a moment to call Kate "baby," and tries to calm her. I'm trying to think it we've seen another version of this relationship in superhero comics, the parent that backs up the superhero's mission. I'll have to give this some thought.

The queerest thing about this issue was its absence, if you see what I mean. One of the conversations we have about representation is that queer characters have had, in the past, the propensity to become representatives, rather than representations. In that, a character comes to stand for the entire queer community, and the narratives woven around these characters tend to focus solely on their queerness, and the queer world within which they exist. Something like this is not an option in a long-form superhero narrative. You can't just tell one kind of story. So where we had an explicit acknowledgement of Kate's queerness in the previous chapter, this one says nothing of it. The character's queerness is simply not a factor in this part of the story.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1194: Detective Comics #854, August 2009

This is one of those comics that I could just sit and gush about. Everything about the Kate Kane Batwoman is fantastic, from her narrative construction to her incredible depiction by J.H. Williams III.

Who, by the way, is on my very short list of artists that I actively will collect.

Kate makes her way into the DCU by way of 52 and 52 Aftermath: The Crime Bible - her story in 52 is shepherded by Greg Rucka, who also tells her tale here. But here's why she's really, really important: she's an openly lesbian woman headlining one of the oldest superhero institutions in the world. Next to Action Comics, Detective's about as far back as superheroes go. So putting a queer woman in this title, without the euphemisms or typical tropes, is huge.

Speaking of the typical tropes, Batwoman manages to avoid them. She's not the poster child for lesbians. In fact, the first instance of her non-heteronormative sexuality that we see is her being dumped by a woman for not taking the relationship seriously enough. This is a woman who has trouble keeping all her identities on track, be they superhero or girlfriend. It's one of the things I appreciate most about Kate, her difficulty in balancing her lives. There's an excellent article by George Gustines that was in the New York Times called "Out of the Closet and Up, Up and Away," about gay superhero parties at the Stonewall Inn. One of the interviewees talks about how the superhero really makes a great metaphor for closeted queer people. Kate isn't closeted, but Batwoman is definitely her most certain self, the one that knows what she's doing and how to do it. Sometimes it's not so much the masks we take off that reveal our true selves, but the ones we put on (ask any drag artist). This seems to be the case with Kate, and really with most of our superheroic myths. As the old saw goes, it's really only Superman that takes off his mask to reveal his true selves. Everyone else puts one on.

I'll stop there for today. We're going to be spending a few days with Detective, so I'll gush about Batwoman some more tomorrow.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 447: Batman #669, November 2007

After death and mayhem, the Club of Heroes coalesces in this final part of the Morrison/Williams III collaboration. The killer is revealed in a sequence that nicely combines the action of the superhero genre with the crisp dialogue and detection of a Christie mystery.

I've spent a fair amount of time thinking through focalization in superhero narratives. I suggested in an earlier post on this run of Batman that we're placed sometimes in the driver's seat, so to speak, aware of all of the things Batman's aware of, and at other times we're watching from the outside, following the process as observers, rather than participants. And then there's a situation like this one. The best mystery novels will leave clues for the reader, allowing for the possibility of solving the mystery oneself. The solution to the mystery of the Club of Heroes, however, is information that we could never have been privvy to, and I wonder if that makes this solution a less-than-satisfying one. Batman picks out the baddie by his handedness, and his notice that the plane he arrived in was dry when the rest of the heroes had flown through a storm. Looking back at issue 667, there is indeed a shot of a plane with obvious water dripping from it next to one without said water, but it's hard to make a connection. The handedness thing might be a little more difficult to spot, and only in performing a thorough, frame-by-frame analysis is such a thing going to be noticed. So perhaps it's not a less-than-satisfying ending, but more a demonstration of how Batman thinks, and how his readers should treat a mystery in these pages: scrutinize everything.

Reading this story arc retrospectively is lovely, in that it presages the events of Batman Incorporated so nicely. Can't wait to see more of the Batmen of Many Nations.

Not sure if we'll continue on with Batman tomorrow, or take a short break. Depend how I feel in the morning. See you then.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 446: Batman #668, September 2007

As the funhouse shenanigans intensify, so does Williams' virtuoso artwork. Styles shift as tones change, all the while maintaining the atmosphere of an old, 30s horror film.

The tale continues as a murder mystery, the unfortunate members of the Club of Heroes being picked off one by one, perhaps by one of their own. The Legionary last issue, Wingman this issue, and perhaps the Knight unless Man-of-Bats can remove a bomb from inside the British hero.

Brief post today - it's beautiful and sunny out, and I don't want to spend any more time in front of the computer than I have to. One of the best things about this storyline is the interaction between Tim Drake and Beryl Hutchinson, Robin and Squire. I think I'd probably read a comic about the two of them, though whether or not they've even actually met in the wake of the New 52, I've no idea.

We'll finish up the Club of Heroes story tomorrow, and then perhaps take a few days away from Batman. Perhaps.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 445: Batman #667, August 2007

The Black Glove rears its ugly head (hand?). J.H. Williams III is amongst those rare artists I follow. I've mentioned, numerous times, that I'm more a writer fan than an artist fan, but there are exceptions to that, and he's one. His work on Batwoman, and on Promethea, or on Chase is proof positive of the exceptional nature of his work. The way he seamlessly meshes styles is wonderfully-deployed in this issue, which jumps from painted panels to line-work reminiscent of the era in which the International Club of Heroes was first conceived. It's interesting to use not only textual references, but visual ones, to hearken back to earlier eras of comics. A bit like reading a very Dickensesque line in a book, and having that resonance sit with you for a moment. Though I think the visual aspect makes it more prevalent.

A good old fashioned murder mystery, while the heroes are trapped on a remote Caribbean island, watched from...somewhere by their murderous host. There's a very cool juxtaposition of behaviours in the comic. For most of the issue, the assembled heroes are taking the gathering less-than-seriously, more like a game than a case. But the minute something grisly rears its head(s) (that joke is referring to the fact that the villain of the piece is wearing another man's face as a mask), they become the professionals they have to be. We may snicker a bit at the "Batmen of Many Nations," but they're all superheroes, all dedicated to their tasks. And this story arc foreshadows the grandeur of Batman Incorporated, though Bruce has quite a way to go before that comes to fruition.

More Agatha Christie-style adventure tomorrow. Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 366: DC Comics Presents: Mystery In Space, September 2004

To kick off my second year on the project, we're going to spend the week looking at some lesser-known Grant Morrison works. Though I've mentioned him frequently on this blog, and I'm not shy about proclaiming him one of our greatest living writers, I've only actually read one of his comics thus far for the 40 Years Project. Time to correct that. So welcome to the second year of the 40Years of Comics Project. Let's read some weird stuff.

This series of DC Comics Presents specials was produced after legendary DC editor Julius Schwartz passed away. Each of the titles in the series features a character somehow related to Schwartz, and served as a tribute to his legacy and influence on the industry. The first story, by Maggin and Williams, is a fairly straightforward adventure featuring Adam Strange, Ralph Dibney, and the dear, departed Sue Dibny dealing with corrupt governments on both Earth and Rann. Williams' artwork is, as always, completely fantastic, and as a whole, the story is remarkably "Silver Age." Morrison's story, illustrated by Jerry Ordway, is, unsurprisingly, a little stranger. There seem to be 3 different stories going on. In one, Adam Strange has been kidnapped and is being used to track a Zeta beam that will transport a military team to Rann on an invasion mission. In another, we're seeing an adventure Adam is having on Rann, but this adventure is interspersed with Lichtensteinian panels the caption boxes for which are telling a story of the creation of the character of Adam Strange by Julius Schwartz, so it's difficult to say what's real and what's not. Which, of course, is par for the course with Morrison. He's the PKD of the comics world in many ways.

This isn't my favourite Morrison story. It almost feels like it was written specifically as a "Grant Morrison Story," complete with metatexts and confusing, intertwining storylines. The strangeness feels forced. That said, as I've repeatedly claimed over the years, even a sub par Morrison story is light years ahead of most other comics, so it was still pretty brilliant. The short pieces I've selected for this week are culled from all across his career, with this one, from 2004, actually being the latest. It will be interesting to see how far his short comics story writing has come since the 2000 A.D. days of the 80s.

Year 2, Day 1. Onward!

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 278: Chase #1000000, November 1998

And so we come to the end of this iteration of Chase. I'm excited to track down the short stories, but sad that this comic ended the way it did. There was obviously so much more to the story, and I really do think this could have been one of the greats, alongside Starman or Doom Patrol.

I've mentioned before my predilection for the DC One Million crossover, and it's nice to have one last little taste of it along with my last little taste of Chase. I even purposely did not read this issue as I was making my way through DC One Million this week, just to save until the end of my Chase reading. A cool future. The DEO as secretive security cult. Like the Men in Black, but all Women in Black, and operating in a future we can barely conceive.

Sentences like that are why I love comics.

Do yourself a favour and grab the Chase collected edition, and get into this comics. It's really excellent. Tomorrow....no idea. But it'll be something. See you then.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 276: Chase #8, September 1998

Chase's adventure in Gotham ends in a fashion that I don't think either of the main characters was suspecting. Placed in the position of unmasking Batman, Chase chooses not to, unaware that Alan "Sentinel/Green Lantern" Scott has taken Bruce Wayne's place beneath the cowl.

There's some interesting character development here for Chase, paralleling what we saw for Batman in the previous issue. Chase's attitude toward masked vigilantes has bordered on hatred for much of the series, but here we see her taking on a more tolerant attitude. It could be that her exposure to the kinds of threats that are presented by the villainous side of the superhuman community has swayed, if only slightly, into realizing that such extreme circumstances require extreme reactions. I think what I'd like to see is her interacting with one of the more public, and altruistic, characters, someone like Superman, perhaps.

One of the ramifications I could have seen growing from this issue, one that would have made for a very interesting shift in the DCU, would be the interest of the superhero community in the workings of the DEO. Batman even evinces some respect for Chase's abilities as an agent, and is genuinely surprised when she fails to unmask him. Though we're meant to be seeing Chase as a human operative in a superhuman world, she's on her way to becoming a liaison of sorts, and one that takes no shit.

Johnson and Williams III produced a number of further Chase stories in the Secret Files and Origins specials published through 2001 - 2002, so I'll be doing my best to track those down over the next few days. I still have the one million issue to read, so that'll be tomorrow, and hopefully I'll find a copy of issue 9 fairly soon. This series has been a pure joy to read.

See you tomorrow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 275: Chase #7, August 1998

While we get some nice interactions here between Chase and Batman, the perspective that this comic offers on Batman, both from within and without, are fascinating. First, we have the DEO investigating this entity that no one really knows much about. The reports that Chase files back to the home office about her conclusions about who, or what, Batman is show just how well he conceals from those not a part of his trusted circle the details of his mission and identity, even the ostensibly public one. It's easy sometimes to forget that we are offered a privileged view of these characters, and that most people living in the fictional universe are perhaps aware of their existence, but not necessarily of the particulars to which we're privy. That they're not even sure if he's one or more individuals speaks volumes of the secrecy within which he operates.

But we also get some reactions from Batman to Chase's use of firearms, and specifically this use around Batman, that verges on hysteria. This, to me, is a fantastic tribute to Mr. Johnson's grasp on the character - while we often see the Bat as grim and taciturn, he's reacting, in being Batman, to a foundational traumatic event, one intimately connected to firearms. It only tracks that he would react slightly over the top to the use of these weapons around him, especially from someone he is working with. Chase's reactions to this admonishment by Batman seem, to us who are aware of his trauma, to be quite callous. But then one recalls that Chase has no idea of his origin.

An easy way to play this series would have been to have the DEO, and Chase, investigate B- and C-listers, characters whose stories have little or no impact on the DCU, and thus the implications of Chase's adventures would not impact the accepted, fundamental structures (that is, the A-list characters) of the narrative universe. But having her investigate Batman sets the series up to offer its readers ramifications they might not have expected. As I noted yesterday, I'm sad that the series didn't get a chance to explore this more fully, but at least we have a taste.

I'm hoping to track down issue #9 before Saturday, but if I can't, I'll skip it and get to it when I find it. But more "Shadowing the Bat" tomorrow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 274: Chase #6, July 1998

Agh. Every time I read this comic, I weep for what might have been. A whole new generation of superheroes to explore, between WW2 and Superman's appearance? Yes please.

*sigh*

Another neat piece of Chase's story filled in, and I begin to see why the series may have only lasted as long as it did. The main character's slightly unlikable, and she's not really very heroic. She doesn't look up to her ex-superhero Dad, she's angry at him. And with good reason, I suppose.

And though it's a brilliant, heartbreaking take on this narrative, one so prominent in superhero comics (think of the coeval Starman), it's not one that necessarily going to resonate with a large percentage of the superhero comics reading public. This complicates superheroes, and such complication isn't always welcome. Admittedly, it's unwelcome in a couple of ways. Some people like their superhero narratives to be black and white, straightforward. But it's also veering away sharply from something fundamental to the superhero narrative. This is a subset sort of superhero narrative. Some of Kurt Busiek's stuff on Astro City could fit into this subset - the narrative of the "ordinary" people in a superhero universe - what being in that kind of a fictional narrative does to people who aren't superpowered.

They're not quite superhero stories. They happen alongside them.

Chase is brilliant. Is that coming through? I cannot recommend this comic highly enough. My understanding is that the character may be appearing on the Supergirl television series, and I hope she's as amazing as she is in the comic.

More Chase tomorrow, and a return to the place it all began. Gotham.