Two-Face Tuesday: The Charlatan, Part 1

[thehefner]

In last week's post about Paul Sloane--the second Two-Face--lbd_nytetrayn asked if Paul's made any appearances since his brief return in 1987. The answer is yes(ish), thanks to the generally-great Ed Brubaker.

In early 2003, while "Hush" was well underway in BATMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS writer Ed Brubaker penned his own six-part murder mystery that tied together all of Batman's rogues in a secret conspiracy to kill the caped crusader. And unlike "Hush," which brought in a brand-new character to fulfill the double-cliches of being "long lost childhood best friend" and "totally obvious red herring," Brubaker dusted off the concept of Paul Sloane for "Dead Reckoning," but with a modern twist. In doing so, he created a far more interesting original villain than Hush himself, one with tons of potential who, of course, hasn't been seen nor mentioned since.

For that and many other reasons, I lament that this story was utterly ignored in favor of "Hush." Not that this story isn't without its flaws--oh my, it has them--but we'll get to those inside.








The flaws begin before the scans even do, as the issue introduces a subplot that goes nowhere. I'll get to that in a second. For now, all you need to know is that the cops find the dead body of a man dressed as Killer Moth (the real Killer Moth having been turned into a far more "cool" and "extreme" man-eating moth monster thing; oh, the 90's, how I do not look forward to your revival in ten years).











Mustache Guy is a nobody, a two-bit hood who figured that becoming the new Killer Moth would be his ticket to the big time. Thinking about it now, I think about how his story could have actually tied into the larger storyline here, foreshadowing (spoiler hint ahead) the idea of an outsider trying to join the big leagues of the Rogues Gallery, and the consequences that follow. That would have been awesome.

If that was the intent, it wasn't handled very well. After the first issue, Mustache Guy's subplot (which takes up a very good chunk of the issue) is promptly forgotten and brushed aside. Sloppy storytelling, IMO.

Anyhoo, next thing you now, our old buddies Eddie and Ozzie have a private sit-down to discuss the murder:





So Batman follows the Lame Mustache-Guy Subplot to MG's girlfriend, then to his ex-partner, who spills the beans:







In the next issue, former Commissioner Jim Gordon is giving a lecture at a law school when a mysterious man with long hair approaches him, saying he wants to talk about Harvey Dent. The man shoots at Gordon, who attacks back with his awesome cane-fu skills. He bashes the man in the face, only to watch as the make-up flesh peels off. The attacker escapes, of course.





Batman visits Harvey in Arkham, finding him in the isolation cage "again," because our favorite bisected antivillain has driven his latest shrink to a nervous breakdown.












Aww. I'm a sucker for moments like that, when Harvey still shows a soft spot for old friends (even/especially those he's tried to kill in the past). Particularly Jimbo, a character who--unlike Batman--has pretty well given up any hope for redemption for Harvey.





Oh, I forgot to mention that the cliffhanger of the previous issue was that Penguin received a double-sided coin in the mail, both sides scarred. Knowing that might be kind of important, as this happens next:





(Obviously, he isn't really dead: you later find out in pages I don't include that they just reported him dead until they can catch the killer. Until then, the news reaches Eddie, who is not pleased at all...)







Time for one of my major complains, for those who've been waiting with bated breath.

I love Brubaker. I really do. SLEEPER and CRIMINAL are two of the very best comics to come out all decade, and how CAPTAIN AMERICA work made me finally fall in love with Steve Rogers. He's a brilliant writer of crime and espionage.

He's also tone-deaf when it comes to writing dialogue, at least for the Bat-Rogues. It's Bendis-itis, where characters who have distinctive voices elsewhere now all sound like the exact same guy. Put it this way: if this guy wasn't wearing the Riddler costume, would you have any reason whatsoever to suppose that this character was Eddie Nigma? Would you have any reason to suppose that character above is Jonathan Crane? Do they sound at all different?

Brubaker has a fine ear for criminal dialogue, which works best for Two-Face. The same voice doesn't work for characters like Riddler, Penguin, Scarecrow, nor Mad Hatter (who, as you'll see in Part 2, sounds off with only saying one line). Joker is an exception, but problematic for his own reasons. More on that later.

Back to the story:

Batman finds out that Penguin was on his way to someone with connections to a dead actor named Paul Sloane (bum-bum-BUUUUUUUM). Bruce and Babs to a play starring Veronica Bella, the ex-girlfriend of Paul Sloane. Under the pretense that Babs is working on her graduate thesis, Bella fills in the story about Sloane, who vanished eight years ago.









Maybe it's just the fact that I am an actor/performer myself--not to mention movie geek with a fondness for classic horror--but damn do I love the idea of a character who's a twisted method actor. If you've ever known a method actor (or worse, someone who claims to be some kind of method), you know they're at least a little unhinged.

During the play, Bruce looks into the wings and sees Darkman Paul Sloane watching Veronica's performance. Bruce excuses himself and chases Darkman Paul Sloane to the rooftop.







And that's the end of Part 1. Part 2 to be posted sometime this evening, just to keep you in suspense. Also, because I'm lazy.

At this point, I would like to mention that I really dislike the art. Tommy Castillo has proven himself a capable artist elsewhere, but here, I find it seriously detracts from the story. His proportions are awkward, his facial expressions all over the place, and it all generally reminds me of doodles I used to make when I was a teenager: passable, yes, but nothing that would get me into the Kubert School.




If this story had a more appropriate artist, or a superstar on par with Tim Sale or Jim Lee, I can't help but wonder if it might have gotten far more attention. For all its flaws, I think this is still a superior story than "Hush," even if much of the superiority comes from untapped potential. But I'll let you decide when I post the finale later today.

Comments

[icon_uk]

It's a shame that they're using Paul Sloane as a deranged method actor, when there's already a deranged method actor in Gotham in the form of Basil Karlo, the original Clayface. One MIght have thought some reference would have been in order, like maybe Sloane being a Karlo groupie...

[thehefner]

The comparison occurred to me, but while they're possibly too similar for comfort, they're not quite the same. Karlo, after all, wasn't a method actor, but more my type: a ham. He's all about the exterior, the physical outside, whereas Sloane's is about inhabiting the soul of another. So I think any creative writer can do wonders with the two characters.

That said, it would make perfect sense if Sloane were a Karlo groupe. After all, Karlo was dedicated to the lost art of the classic movie monster. The two could have a heck of a team-up: all the world's a stage, and they're putting on a tragedy.

[psychopathicus_rex]

I was going to say that! You stole my idea by doing it first!

[icon_uk]

I'm a pre-plagiarist; I steal other people's ideas before they had them, the joys of a four dimensional telepathic facility... :)

[psychopathicus_rex]

You can't do this to me! I'll sue with my fourth-dimensional lawyer!