Scans_Daily

Best idea I've heard all week: someone should write a novelization of LOST.

Just do the entire series in a single book. Perhaps like THE STAND, but even better edited to incorporate all the good stuff, cut out the dead weight, and revise things so that it all works better as a whole.

Because that's the inherent difficulty of writing for long-form serialized format, be it in TV or comics: no matter how well you plan it out, so many things can go wrong that can create plot holes, dropped threads, inconsistent characterization, etc. Maybe it can be avoided if it's all done by a single (extremely talented) writer, but it's damn well impossible with multiple writers.

That's why Greg Rucka's novelization of NO MAN'S LAND is largely superior to the original comics, both of which I've been rereading for the first time in years for these posts. He's able to iron out the kinks from the comics, even the ones he himself had originally written, while cutting out pointless subplots and letting other story elements breathe.

By and large, the actual stories of both are the same, with one major exception: the shared arcs of Jim Gordon, Renee Montoya, and Harvey Dent. Last post, it was the same, but with some added scenes of Harvey and Renee's interaction.

But starting here, the actual chain of events alters and their motivations deepen, turning what originally was a better-than-average crime/adventure story into something rather more complex and soul-searching.





( Very little actual Batman behind the cut )

Next week, the grand finale: Jim Gordon('s soul) on trial, with Two-Face as the prosecutor, Harvey Dent as the defense, and Renee Montoya stuck in the middle.

Last week's Two-Face Tuesday--focusing on the early days of NO MAN'S LAND, the epic story where Gotham was reduced to a lawless wasteland following a massive earthquake--featured just barely a cameo by ol' Harv himself.

Over the course of these posts, it should be clear that the true focus is Jim Gordon. He's the one who makes the hard decisions here, and it's his soul ultimately on the line. But with today's Part 2, he pulls Renee Montoya into his drama, taking her as his partner as they deal with the devil: Two-Face.

But just how much of a devil is Harvey? After all, Renee saw a very different side of Harvey when they first met, which was the last we'd actively seen of Harvey since NO MAN'S LAND actually began. Renee Montoya was around, but no mention was made about what happened after she extended her hand and offered to help Harvey, who trusted her so much that he even let her keep his coin.

So what did happen? The actual comics offered little by way of explanation, but Greg Rucka's own novelization of BATMAN: NML offered a unique "director's cut" version of their saga. By and large, I vastly prefer the novelization, but it's hard to explain why without comparing to the comics.

So for those who don't mind a bit of reading, I've made scans of both as my own personal super-edit of the NML saga, including what really was going on in poor Harvey's head when it came to Renee Montoya:





( The sweeter side of Mad Love behind the cut )

Next week, Part Three: two sides of the same story, a girl named Cassandra Cain ruins Harvey's day, and things REALLY start to go downhill for everybody involved.