It's Not About The Answers: Behind The Mask Of Vic Sage, pt 10

[kingrockwell]

Intermission: "Al Kufr" - The Infidel

So I'm kinda fallen off the horse on this series trying to figure out the best way to approach Question #15, so in order to get myself back in the hang of things, I'm gonna try posting a few individual shorts, mainly non-continuity.

Today, it nets you a story from Solo #5, Darwyn Cooke's issue.
It's a small one, clocking in at only four pages, but I'll share with you what I can.


is that optic camo? well, that's pretty rad

Cooke makes gorgeous work with black, white and cyan here.
The story, on the other hand, is pure Ditko, in spirit at least, featuring full-on Vic-the-Strongarm (though with some of Vic-the-Sage's more globe-trotting superspy sensibilities) in the middle of Afghanistan post-9/11.



Sabotaging Al-Qaeda compounds. ...Yeah.



A curious exercise, at least, but I certainly would've been more into it were it my Vic in a less unsavory political application. I don't even know, you bring up terrorism in a modern story these days and I just have an adverse reaction. The fact that it's prefaced by a scene in the bar with Slam Bradley discussing the myth of "acceptable losses" almost feels like a pre-emptive apology, like Cooke's saying "I am telling you this story where the Question blows up terrorists, but just so you know, I totally don't support the war!" It's just a little jarring.
I didn't include any of it due to the story's minuscule length, but pages two through four are packed in the middle with a collage of neologisms, some played straight while others are subverted ("weapons of crass reduction" was particularly notable).

Anyway, leaves a weird taste in my mouth, but is still gorgeous. I especially like the line-shading.
We'll, uh, see what we post next when it comes to that. It'll either (finally) be Q #15, or maybe Vic's bit in DK2.

Comments

[thehefner]

No matter how many times I read this, the story seems to completely fade from memory, and all I ever seem to remember is the pretty, pretty art. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a crime that the whole issue of Cooke's SOLO isn't reprinted anywhere.

[kingrockwell]

Hell, it's a crime they haven't all been reprinted! They could make a big ol' Solo trade and easily get my money!

Though, yeah, forgettable as this story may seem on the surface, for someone like me it was the main motive in tracking Cooke's Solo down (and Cooke ended up being the ulterior motive). But hell, I'm sure you'd do the same if it were Harvey, especially if it's Cooke.

[blake_reitz]

It's a triple-crime that SOLO isn't still an ongoing series!

[thehefner]

Motto, man. Motto. Not to mention the issues of SOLO that were completed but never published! I understand Jill Thompson and George Pratt did whole issues, ready to go! Sigh!

Oh, of course, absolutely. Frankly, Cooke drawing the Question period would be reason enough for me too! :)

[darkknightjrk]

I really want to get this story. :(

[aaron_bourque]

less unsavory political application

I don't even know what that means.

[yaseen101]

You know this kinda brings up an interesting question, there aren't many Muslim heroes in comics or just plain Middle Eastern ones, are there? I mean aside from Dust and Faiza, both created by Marvel, DC doesn't have many religious characters.

[kingrockwell]

Well, there' Janissary, who's Turkish, but I think her powers are still inexplicably wrapped up in Arthurian legend. There's also been a few Global Guardians, but they only get used as cannon fodder anymore.
And then you have Black Adam, but...yeah.

There's also Taleb Beni Khalid, the Black King of Checkmate, but he's more a tactician and perhaps diplomat, given his whole "not a meta or anything" deal.

[yaseen101]

True, I guess the wording should have been prominent I guess. Black Adam is cool but I had heroes in mind at that time.

[icon_uk]

There was a kid hero who actually used the codename Sinbad in the 1980's Superman who was Quraci IIRC. (I know it's a functional country, but it's a Middle Eastern analogue so might count)

Sadly, Ravan of the Jihad who defected to the Suicide Squad probably doesn't count, and also from Suicide Squad, there's the Israeli superteam Hayoth, which is not Muslim, but is Middle Eastern.

[yaseen101]

Hmmmm, interesting.

[amancalledblaze]

well damn, I had not seen this nor knew of its existence I fail at being a fan of Q it seems.
I will have to track this down soon.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Oh, yeah, I remember this one. I think it's been posted before, way back when before all the posting limits.

[halialkers]

The irony to me is that the terrorists hate the Middle Eastern regimes as much as the so-called Freedom fighters do. And of course since the USA simultaneously cries "Freedom" and allies with Saudi Arabia....and of course the bigger irony is that even if he does this it will do nothing to disrupt the grievances that lie behind things like the suicide bombers and the plane hijackers.