Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Re-Reads (Now Reading: Swamp Thing: 1971 through 1985)

I have to finish The Scorpion as well...probably tomorrow. Maybe I'll hit up something else I have laying around for a change of pace.

Heads up:

Our regularly scheduled Swamp Thing review will be delayed a week so we may bring you a re-read of the Universo Project in the Legion of Super Heroes forum.

Gonna talk about "The Scorpion", issues 17 - 20 of Sandman Mystery Theatre.

This one gives oyu a few choices for the Scorpion before letting you in, by way of actions of the characters, to who the Scorpion is. Another solid story as rich executives of an oil company are being killed by a man with a poisoned bullwhip. Wesley is drawn in as a potential investor, and gets in a bit over his head.

The Scorpion has a reason for why he is killing these men, and while misguided in his anger, one can see how his loss led him to this task.

Dian proves further to being Wesleys equal in sleuthing. Burke starts to question her appearing at crime scenes, and she gets just about all the evidence she needs to leap to the conclusion of her boyfriends alter ego.

Guy Davis mashes it up better than ever here. Wagner and Seagle are clicking into high gear as the subplots start moving forward at a breakneck pace.

CAnnot wait for the next arc.

I LOVED "The Scorpion"!!! Really, this arc and the previous one ("The Vamp") just solidified the overall tone and feel that Misters Wagner, Seagle & Davis were going for. Especially, having Davis for 8 consecutive issues was HUGE for establishing this itself. (Davis would do layouts with Vince Locke on full pencils on the next arc before Davis settles fully into his two arcs ON, one arc OFF pattern.) Davis just injects so much character and period setting into the book that the artists in "Face" and "Brute" couldn't approach.

Again, the "mystery" in the title is a bit of a misnomer. Though in a way, "The Scorpion" has some mystery as to the identity of the killer, there are really only two viable suspects, and one of those is a clear red-herring and is mostly there for exactly that purpose.

The title character is out for revenge against some corporate types for reasons that unfold as the story does. He has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, wearing a mask, some of the trappings of a cowboy get-up and kills using a whip coated with scorpion venom. The venom kills within a minute or so.

One thing really great in an understated way about SMT is seeing these crimes investigated without the modern "CSI" trappings. You feel like the police and Wesley are doing real detective work and having to go to greater lengths to discover the hows and whys of the crimes. And a lot of times, they simply have to proceed on their gut instincts. Here, Wesley, Burke and Dian all shine in this regard.

One exciting moment comes when the Scorpion goes after Wesley in Wesley's own home, not because he's after the Sandman but because he wants to make Wesley pay for his part in the vendetta. It's an exciting sequence with a very real sense of danger for Wesley.

So if SMT is still about hate crimes at its heart, then the one explored here is the hate between different classes in society. that's at the core of the Scorpion's vendetta here, and we see it illustrated on both sides of the coin in a very skillful manner.

But if I haven't made it clear so far, SMT is NOT without a good dose of humor! A lot of that comes through the repugnant but hysterical Lt. Burke. Whether it's from the repeated moments of him falling to the Sandman's sleeping gas or his hard-nosed, over-the-top assessments of other people or even his bigotry--it's repugnant but humorously expressed, such as when he witnesses gay sexuality while on a stake-out.

Wesley and Dian have their funny moments as well. I thought there was a particularly amusing encounter between Wesley as the Sandman and the coroner he approached for info on the case. Wesley seemed genuinely offended when the coroner asked if he based his look on pulps like the one the coroner had lying around in the office. Great, great sequence! Another good one was when Wes tries to cover up the source of his illness when Dian visits.

So Wes and Dian spend very little time together this arc due to circumstances, but there thoughts are often of each other. Their relationship evolving is one of the paramount joys of one of the best comics series ever published!

Just a note, I have read both the "Dr. Death" arc and the Annual. Will comment on both this weekend.

Added: I plan on commenting on all the "chapters" in the annual, and their respective artists.

Sandman Mystery Theatre Annual #1

Written by Matt Wagner; Steven T. Seagle, with art by a bunch of really talented artists.

We are presented here with a story of a mugger in Central Park. The Sandman and the police are after him. Who gets to him first, and what is his motivation.

Chapter 1: The Eyewitness

The opening has art by Guy Davis, the main regular artist on the main series. This story obviously takes place before the current stories in Sandman Mystery Theatre. It is published toward the end on The Scorpion arc, and there is no way that this happens after that arc. But, I digress.

Wesley and Dian are taking a stroll in Central Park. They sit and commence with some smooching, during which, Wesley sees a crime happen. It concerns him because he has had no dreams regarding this criminal. Which is part of the main arcs of the series.

Chapter 2: The Butler

Art here is provided by David Lloyd of V for Vendetta fame. He gives us a very fine interpretation of the characters, as I base everything off of Guy Davis and his view of The Sandmans world.

This chapter focuses on Humphries, Wesleys butler and confidant of all things Sandman, It recounts how he came to be in Wesleys service, as well as providing some history of his life before. It’s a very nice little piece that gives him a lot more depth as a character. Always has been a good character in the series, if a little lacking in serious characterization…the kind that Alfred has had due to decades of publication.

Chapter 3: The Stakeout

John Bolton handles the art chores here. It’s an all too brief view into his interiors comics work. I would love to see him have handled a full arc. He captures the feel very nicely.

Three pages of Sandman moving around Central Park and some of the random people he encounters there.

Chapter 4: The Body

The art by Stefano Gaudiano is very good here. I’ve never heard of him before or after this…that I can remember. Also very good at capturing the noir feel.

This chapter seems out of place in a way. It’s about a body buried in Central Park. I cannot mentally connect the point of this with the main story. Maybe I am just missing something.


Chapter 5: The Cop

George Pratt gives us art here that is very reminiscent to me of Golden Age comics. Kind of an odd style, and I cannot think of any other comics that I have seen his art in to tell if this is his normal style or not. It seems a jarring transition seeing as who does the art on the next chapter.

This chapter details a beat cops encounter with a photographer and The Sandman while on his rounds through Central Park.

Chapter 6: The D. A.

Alex Ross gives us a look at Dians father. Black and White painted artwork by Alex Ross is something I wish we could see more of. This is beautiful to look at. I know not everyone likes his style (some due to his use of live models. The only thing I don’t really like here is his use of shadows on Wesley. I can understand it on the level of not wanting to give them an actor/model look, since Ross tends to like to base his images off of real people.

We follow Larry Belmont as he goes through his day. From lunch from a vendor, and seeing Dian and Wesley…to meeting with Burke and then the Sandman in his office. We get some more information here, which seemed to be somewhat lacking from some of the other chapters. Not that that makes those selections bad…just not as pertinent to the main narrative.

Chapter 7: The Mugger

Peter Snejbjerg gives us two pages of Dian walking through the Park after seeing a show with a friend. Unknown to her, she is being stalked by the mugger. Nothing really happens here, and the tension feels a little forced since we know nothing can really happen to her.

Chapter 8: The Bystanders

Dean Ormston is another name I have never been familiar with. He is a nice transition, as was Snejbjerg back into the noir feel of Guy Davis. Especially from the photo realism on Alex Ross.

The police set up a sting here to catch the mugger. We see that not everything may be as we though…

Chapter 9: The Solution

Guy Davis returns to finish the story off, and it takes a turn that I remember not seeing coming. It explains Wesleys lack of dreams regarding this criminal. How he deals with the situation (after running a little sting that is very similar to what the police did the chapter before. And extremely funny to see Humphries involved here in his role) is not at all expected. It is a nice finish that gives hope to the pre war America that Wagner and Seagle are giving us with in the main book. The criminals in the main book are different than the one presented to us here. It’s a nice change, in my opinion.

I enjoyed the Annual as a change of pace. On the downside the story seemed padded for what it was at its core--the pursuit of a mugger in Central Park. I guess in those days it was a novelty while it seems pretty common nowadays. The resolution was kind of an interesting twist, but overall, this was pretty lightweight compared to the 4-part sagas we got on a regular basis. Also missed was the forward development of Dian and Wesley's relationship. But an Annual should be standalone, so it succeeded in that, for sure.

And of course, we got a showcase for a number of prominent artists, each of whom I recognized from other works, unlike Dev. I'd say that, overall, each and every one of them nailed their bits and kept them consistent with the world of SMT as established by Guy Davis, albeit with their own stylistic interpretations. Particularly, I wouldn't have minded at all seeing more work in this vein from Lloyd, Snejbjerg and Ross. Of these, Alex Ross turned in one of the most visually striking few pages I've ever seen him do! There's just something about Alex's Ross's art as depicted her in black & white (the rest of the Annual was in color, as is the SMT series ongoing) that's just absolutely perfect and evocative of the feel and flair of the best of B&W cinema. It really brings out the drama inherent in his model-inspired artwork in a way that his usual bright color palette might actually lose in translation. I sure wish we could see more of this from Alex Ross!

But my favorite thing about the Annual was the insight into Humphries, Wesley's butler. to this point, he had been little more than decoration in Wesley's household, though not without the occasional humorous bit and of course his tacit complicity in Wesley's after-dark activities. Here, his part of the story is entirely from Humphries' point of view. We learn how he discovered Wesley's secret and in the process exactly what kind of character he is. (Funnily enough, I read this right between "The Scorpion" and "Dr. Death", and it seemed immediately that Humphries got a little more face time in those stories--especially a humorous scene with Dian when she charges in to the house, intent on seducing Wesley.) This story makes me hope his role is expanded somewhat in the remainder of the series. I've obviously read SMT before, but to say I have perfect recall would be a HUGE fallacy!

So a good story and a nice break from the pattern of continuous 4-parters but not something that would convince you that the 4-part format is inferior.

So I've read the next three arcs, already: "Dr. Death", "Night of the Butcher" & "The Hourman". I'll comment first about "Dr. Death" (SMT 21-24):

This one may actually be the first honest-to-gosh mystery of the series to date! We have three pretty strong suspects in this one, and re-reading it, I actually came to the wrong conclusion!

In this case a series of washed-up older people are being killed by a deadly prescription they are given. Turns out, it's chemicals on the prescription itself interacting with the consumption of alcohol that's killing them. Meanwhile, Wes and Dian are on the outs as she deals with the truth about his dual life and both struggle with being apart.

The "hate crime" of this arc is obviously ageism. As usual, Wagner and Seagle explore it in a number of thoughtful ways. Beyond the murders, we also see it explored through various characters and interactions and particularly through Dian's cousin's torrid relationship with an older man.

The art is by Vince Locke over layouts by regular artist Guy Davis. Locke obviously maintains Davis's feel to a degree because of Davis' presence, so the characters are pretty recognizable and somewhat consistent. But Locke's style is a lot more scratchy and incomplete than what Davis regularly puts out so masterfully. So one is definitely left still missing Davis' work, even with his influence still present. It is, however, preferable to the other two artists who had done arcs to this point, in my opinion.

The problem I had with the story (which lead to my fingering the incorrect perp) was a clue that I either mis-read or was deliberately mislead by the writers. It came down to us knowing that the writer of the deadly prescriptions was left-handed. I'd have to double-check, but it seemed clearly shown that the eventually-revealed perpetrator was right-handed. If I read the story correctly, that inconsistency was never explained. He may very well have been ambidextrous, but that was never explained for this particular character. And if he was really actually more of a quack, as later revealed, then how did he have the know-how to concoct the fairly complex method of murder he used?

So the solution to the mystery irks me a bit and makes me feel like I missed something. But there was still a lot to enjoy and recommend about this arc, especially the continuing development of Wes and Dian's story.

I have read "Dr. Death" as well.

The left/right hand thing bugged me as well, because it takes the suspicion off of the true murderer. That may have been the case. Now I want to go back and check for the stuff about that. I believe the coroner says the thing about the left handedness of the killer...and Wes agrees...iirc.

Totally agree about the art. Not quite Guy, but his obvious influence was there. Helps that Vince is a hell of a nice guy as well.

The Wes/Dian story is great and believable...if not a little seemingly forced...as we all know from the "future history" of the DCU has them together. Well done though.

Really? Where was that revealed before the opening JSA arc, which was published years after this SMT story arc? Did Starman show they remained together when SMT wasn't even half over?

This is one of my many reasons why I won't buy Earth-2 even though it has Nicola Scott artwork. NO MORE DIAN BELMONT. She was amazing and I can only shudder at what the hacks responsible for Earth-2's writing might do with her like they did with Wesley.

Fickles, I hope you will resume your Moore Swamp Thing capsules soon....

I will definitely do a post on issues #35-39 this weekend. I couldn't do it last weekend because the Universo Project re-read took up my reading time.

This scene happened during the "Hourman" arc of the SMT series. Wes is looking for an address and going over all the possible ways to get it, and Dian just picks up the phone and gets it.

"Night of the Butcher" (SMT 25-28)

This one was a big change of pace from every arc that came before as we venture somewhat into all-out horror territory. Here, we have a series of victims dismembered and cannibalized by a mysterious assailant. All of which leads to a suspenseful, grisly ending straight out of an '80s horror movie.

Beyond the search for the assailant, the story centers tightly on Lt. Burke as he and the Sandman keep running into each other as they track down the same leads. Burke learns of a bug Wes/Sandman planted in his office early in the series and flies into a rage. At one point Burke gets the drop on the Sandman and takes out his rage, hatred and frustration over the vigilante in a violent manner that's almost the other's undoing if not for some timely intervention. We also get our first brief peek at Burke's personal life here, adding another layer to his complex character.

But other than the conflict, we get to see how Burke works and how he's actually a very instinctive and gifted cop. He actually gets to the assailant before the Sandman this time but is unprepared for the Butcher's deadly brutality. The Sandman arrives, but it's a very close call for both.

Wes and Dian open the arc at a low ebb with their estrangement over Dan's discovery of his double life. Much of Wes's narration this arc centers around the emptiness he feels without her. To underline this, we don't have nearly as many scenes with Dian. This really helps us feel what Wes is feeling as we miss her, too. But near the end, we see that things are getting better.

This arc is unique to this point for its turn away from hate crimes and its pure horror inspiration. As such, it's a little out of place but far from a poor arc. The focus on the rivalry and methods of Burke and the Sandman distinguishes arc as does Guy Davis's ability to adapt his style to bring home the horror elements.

I thought of that as well as soon as I read that scene earlier this week but forgot to post! You either read pretty deep into the series or got some scattered arcs, Deb.

Night of the Butcher sounds pretty hardcore, although I usually love 80s horror movies.

I really appreciate the detail that you guys go into in your reviews.

At this point, I'm on the fence about getting into SMT. My main stumbling block would probably be the character of Burke. I know he's just a fictional character, but I have...issues with the Real Life Burkes of the world.

Whuuuuut?

Oh wait...I somehow skipped this and went on to the next two arcs. Will get through this one this weekend. D'oh!

"Night of the Butcher" is hardcore in its own way, but it's still a lot more restrained than your average Avatar Comics. Yeah, there's a whole room full of dismembered parts at the end, and it's sickening, as it should be. But the attacks are not even as graphic as most of the violence shown in Preacher. There are "cutaways" that leave some things to the imagination, but you later see the body.

Lt. Burke.....he's a fascinating character. I like that Wagner and Seagle weren't afraid to show what a terribly flawed character he was. Racist, misogynist, homophobic--you name it, he had that negative attribute. Meanwhile, he was also very good at his job. That said, he acted deplorably to some young black kids a couple of arcs down ("The Python") to get to the killer of that arc. I think it's a lot more realistic to confront these traits and that reality of the time with a character like that. It was a different time, and people often didn't bother to hide their attitudes when there was no social stigma for it. There are still plenty of "Burkes" out there in the here and now, but it's nice we've made some progress since then.

Very good points, Lardy, especially about the progress that's been made since then. I think what really threw me was finding out that there's a scene where Burke beats up on Wesley. I don't know if I could handle reading that.

Yeah, Burke literally kicks him when he's down. I like how another character intervenes on Sandman's/Wes's behalf, though. Burke....has lots of issues. I can see, though, how a cop would become aggressive toward a vigilante in this situation. Especially very soon after learning he had been bugging his office for who knows how long. Of course, earlier in the series, Burke shot at the Sandman on sight without provocation. (He missed.)

Hmmm...there's an impotence joke there for sure.

In part I think a lot of his frustration stems from being naturally good at his job, coupled with the focus he gives it.

He has nothing else in his life. He's either lost or driven away everything. This is coupled with his anger at the corruption, incompetence and laziness of his own department. A working structure he knows he will never get up the ladder in, due to his drive for results rather than who he knows and what his background is.

Then there is the reaction to the horror he sees in every day of his job. He does this every single day. He doesn't just get into it when he has a dream. He isn't compelled to do it through any supernatural entity. You can only imagine the cases he gets that the Sandman doesn'thave a dream about. Or what he saw before the gas masked interloper cam onto the scene.

Thinking back, you see glimpses of what he can be like through a relationship he has early in the series (that doesn't go well for reasons beyond his control) and certainly late on when a former colleague returns to the department.

Lardy sums this arc up nicely. It is a huge change od pace, also in the fact that it never shows you the "Butcher" until the reveal. Outside of shadows during the crimes. Every other arc so far (Annual notwithstanding) has given you glimpses of the criminal in their non-criminal element. Obviously, the Butcher had no other element, as is proven by the discovery at the end.

It is nice to see Dian seemingly have a bit of a change of heart about her feelings towards Wesleys alternate lifestyle.

Another nice thing was a shout out to Dr. McNider after Burke kicks the hell out of Wesley.

Regarding Burke, it is nice to see a ever so slight glimpse into his life outside the police force. He's even downright happy when he shows up for work the next day. As an aside, the calling the officer named Francis Francine reminded me of Dr. Cox from Scrubs...

Swamp Thing #35-39

After barely surviving an encounter with the radioactive drifter Nukeface (a surprisingly one-dimensional villain IMO; he seems to me to be a caricature of all the worst things about the creative team's parents' generation), Swamp Thing must use his power to grow himself a new body. This is where the notorious John Constantine enters the picture, promising information about who and what Swamp Thing really is. The catch: Swamp Thing has to help defuse a bunch of supernatural hot spots flaring up across America. Of course, there's even more to it than that, as we will discover in upcoming issues.

And so begins "American Gothic", the creative team's attempt to give familiar horror tropes a fresh spin. I've always felt this long storyline to be only a qualified success, and the first installment, the amphibious vampires 2-parter, did not change my mind upon re-reading. The only non-recurring character I felt any sympathy for was the boy who went to try to rescue his vampirized friend. The vampires, leftovers from the run on Swamp Thing immediately preceding Moore's, are not particuarly interesting villains, although the arists do give their appearances a visceral kick.

Despite all my criticisms, I still think these are better-than-average comics. I just feel that the issues immediately preceding #35-50 and those immediately following it all prove that Moore and company are capable of so much more.

Artistically, the book continues to be consistently excellent, despite the need for guest pencillers -- Rick Veitch in #37 and the underrated Stan Woch in #38.

Next weekend: werewolves and zombies and psychos and ghosts and...more cosmic fruit. Be here.