Stanley and Monster (part 4 of 4)

[icon_uk]

Sadly, we're into the home stretch on this charming little series, but it ends on something of a high note, as a six year old goes to hell.



Hell had better watch out!

When we left our heroes, the Monster had been dragged down to Hell, and the Phantom Stranger had just appeared.



Has to be said, that's a smart move from Stanley. Mrs Dover agrees and as she lays into the Stranger for just showing up, she and mr dover get zapped by a spell of serenity... honestly that's starting to be a worrying trend in magic users in this series, come across someone who doesn't agree with you, you just put them into a state where they can't complain, one begins to see why Zatanna was quite so quick to zap Batman, she was just following the herd...

Anyway, the Stranger is prepared to go to Hell with Stanley, but Stanley STILL won't talk to him, and realising that going to Hell with a stubborn six year old who, rather than listen to your gnomic utterances is standing there with his hands over his ears singing "There was a Farmer had a Dog" repeatedly, may not be the best plan in your improbably long life.

So Bierce tells Stanley to get everything he thinks he'll need, which Stanley does, applying all the logic of a six year old to the process. The Stranger is surprised that Bierce is planning on setting up Stanley in a "causality loop".

Now, all they need is the Seal of Cloon, to traverse the dimensions...




The Phantom Stranger has a sense of humour, who knew?

So they end up at the gates of Hell, and Stanley is more than a little freaked out.



Bierce reassures him, telling him not to worry and that Hell be exactly what he thinks it will be..

I love this next page, it's worthy of Pratchett (and that's not praise I give lightly)





Of course, the demon knows that Stanley isn't a demon, but because Stanley believes that the demon will be fooled, the demon has no choice but to act as if he were.

He quickly find the Monster, who is stuck doing mindless admin in a small office (Foglio's personal hell perhaps?), and who is delighted to see Stanley there (Be warned, cuteness in the first panel... is there anything more adorable than a six year old cuddling his demonic buddy... (Well, all right, The_Black_Cat's output, but that's bye the bye)



And therein lies the genius of Bierce's plan, Stanley really DOES believe demons are stupid, and as long as he's in Hell, they will be.

The Monster realises what the causality loop means, Stanley brought everything he thought he'd need to use, and as such he won't be able to leave until he HAS used it. Page restrictions mean I can't show you most of that (Let's say it involves Glyfford trying to stop them using amongst other things, fire giants and Cerberus), but we'll make do.

On the way out they come across something....



Remember how I said way back that the only thing which would provoke the monster to violent action is the possibility of something threatening Stanley, well it looks like there's something else to add to the list.


She's BACK (in case the cover hadn't tipped you off)

Nyx launches herself at the monster but instead of the eviscerating we expect...





Something tells me Nyx and Stanley are never going to be best buddies. (And I have to say, that is one heck of a posterior that demoness has)


But if it makes Monster happy, Stanley's prepared to put up with her.

Glyfford attacks again with Cerberus in tow, and uses giant worms to entrap Stanley and the Monster.



I had to look up "algolagnistic" as I'd never heard the term before, look it up yourself if you want to.

Thanks to Nyx's intervention, Glyfford is drenched in BBQ sauce, which makes him an irresistible treat for Cerberus and is last seen high tailing it over the horizons of Hell.

Alas, the good times don't last because, now having used up the last item in the wagon, and the wagon itself, the loop is complete. Nyx sets foot outside Hell, which means that she is no longer affected by Stanley's influence and returns to her normal vicious self. Monster tries to tell her that he still loves her, but there's no use.



Yup, it's Remiel and Dumas again.... Again, I really like this sequence...





I like that the Angels have a plan, and an aspiration, they just want to get back to Heaven.

All ends well, Nyx is still in Hell, but on the road to redemption (though one feels it will be a long, LONG road with many detours. The Monster is released from Hell, and Stanley returns home.

The Angels have explained to Mr and Mrs Dover what happened, and as Ambrose says, when Angels explain, mortals LISTEN, but they do have one question...



As someone noted, that's pretty much pure Calvin and Hobbes, but there are worse role models to emulate.



And that, sadly was the last we saw of Stanley and his family, until Kevin Smith gutted the whole concept for his ruddy Green Arrow series, where Mr Dover, who was now such a bastard that Mrs Dover and Stanley fled from him to live with Stanley's grandfather, who was revealed to be an evil sorcerer, who then tortured, abused and tormented Stanley, murdering kids in front of him, in order to get access to the Monster. There isn't a font sincere enough to convey the level of ICK! that induces in me.

But I hoped you've enjoyed this cheery little canter down memory lane.

Comments

[lonewolf23k]

"And that, sadly was the last we saw of Stanley and his family, until Kevin Smith gutted the whole concept for his ruddy Green Arrow series, where Mr Dover, who was now such a bastard that Mrs Dover and Stanley fled from him to live with Stanley's grandfather, who was revealed to be an evil sorcerer, who then tortured, abused and tormented Stanley, murdering kids in front of him, in order to get access to the Monster. There isn't a font sincere enough to convey the level of ICK! that induces in me."

Wait, what's this? I don't think that ever happened. As far as my own personal interpretation of the DCUniverse continuity is involved, at least, it didn't happen.

[aelflar]

You had better be right, because that would gosh darn ruin everything these posts have been T_T

[http://www.google.com/profiles/Luis.eScO.2#buzz]

Actually, its the grandmother who ran away from her husband who their baby as some kind of sacrifice. The grandmother gave birth to a girl who eventually gave birth to this stanley.

[nezchan]

Clearly, Mr. Smith does not possess a soul.

[acton]

"I never joke" The Phantom Stranger smirks.

[aelflar]

On a happier note, is there a trade paperback..or any other way to get access to the entire series? Please? *queue puppy eyes*

[icon_uk]

Sadly, no collected version, but you can pick up the issues on e-bay, or possibly your local comic shop.

[aelflar]

I shall hunt it down energetically! :D

[leikomgwtfbbq]

The Phantom Stranger has a sense of humour, who knew?

Really, he's not as gloomy as you'd think.



See?

(I'm sorry I keep posting this shit here. *bows head*)

But I loved the part where Stanley's all "I can't talk to you 'cos you're a stranger!" Good move, Stanley! Very wise. XD

[q99]

Obviously, the Green Arrow one were an entirely different Stanley and Monster.

[icon_uk]

One would LIKE to think so, though the parallels are a mite close for that; the kids name being Stanley Dover, the plot point that the Monster has no name etc

Still, we can stick with your idea if at all possible.

[drexer]

How about clutching our knees and rocking back and forth chanting "They are not the one and the same, theya re not the one and the same..." ?

Because looking back on it, this is certainly the reference/link that seems to be made. Details such as "You of course know me, I'm Stanley. And this... IS MY MONSTER!"

Goddamn it, you've ruined Quiver for me. >_>

[icon_uk]

I really should feel bad about that, but somehow... nope, can't manage it! :P

[q99]

I'm thinking we've got a remnant of another universe that got caught in the merge during CoIE but was different enough that it didn't 'count' as the same family and monster.

[icon_uk]

On the one hand I'd rather this one was the one in the mainstream DCU, on the other, keeping it isolated makes it safer from the encroachments of the modern DCU.

[nezchan]

Looking at the WP entry (I have no interest in reading the book), it seems the story contained its own retcon, where by the end there's no grandfather, and Stanley has no memory of the events. So it's the equivalent of it never having happened.

And any writer worth a damn who writes them from now on will act the same way, especially given fan response.

[icon_uk]

Except that still leaves Mr Dover being IIRC, an abusive SOB who forces Mrs Dover and Stanley to flee in the first place.

[nezchan]

I see no reason a writer in possession of a shred of humanity couldn't conveniently make a "continuity error" and forget that's the case.

Really, I can't imagine how Smith thought that was a good idea.

[icon_uk]

Oh complete agreement on that one. The only people who would get Smith's "joke" are those who are most likely to intensely dislike it.

We also have the slight problem that ever since "Quiver" Stanley also appears to be significantly older, in his teens at least.

[psychopathicus_rex]

The implication here, I think, is that deep down, Nyx really DOES love the Monster, but her demonic prejudices against such things are just too deep. Hence, she can't bear the thought of HIM loving HER, since that's secretly what she wants, but cannot have if she wishes to keep her demonic nature intact. So him being in love with her is essentially a tug-of-war between her good and evil sides - on one level, she desperately wants to be good, but on another, she desperately wants to stay evil, and she'll presumably never have peace until she resolves the dichotomy. Makes for an interesting dynamic, yes?
'What kind of theological education are kids GETTING today?!' Hee hee!

[aelflar]

Today in Business class we had a quote from Ambrose Bierce about corporate responsibility. Upon reading the name "Ambrose" my mind instantly went to this post and I lol`d. Thank you, S_D.

[darkblade]

I love Mrs. Dover's comment at the end. By the standards of the DCU this is pretty mundane.

[halloweenjack]

This version of hell reminds me, for some reason, of the Gumby special (written by Bob "Flaming Carrot/Mystery Men" Burden, drawn by Art Adams) in which Gumby and Pokey have to rescue Santa from Hell, which has a torture booth marked "Kiss Phyllis Diller".

Also, "(And I have to say, that is one heck of a posterior that demoness has)--even angels got to shout, amirite?

Also, "Your mother darns socks in hell"--pretty racy, if you get the reference.

Also... fuck Kevin Smith. Everyone treats him like this nerd overlord, but there are places where even Alan Moore won't tread in his postmodern revisionism.

[jlbarnett]

personally I think it's ridiculous for superheroes to have to explain themselves in these sorts of situations.

[onfireforhigher.livejournal.com]

Kevin Smith is not fit to kiss Phil Foglio's feet. Or ass. Or put his lips anywhere on Phil's body (also, Kaja might have something to say about that!).

Because I loved this, I hated Quiver. I suppose the way I feel about Quiver is the way a lot of S_d-ians feel about Identity Crisis.

icon_uk, were you the person who originally put this up on old old s_d? If so, I have you to thank for a chunk of the very few comics I feel are worth buying on ebay. :-D