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scans_dailyWhile many have written the DC characters of Steve Ditko, few have actually played with the kind of themes that Ditko enjoyed exploring. Not exactly hard to figure out why.
Among the few to try was Alan Brennert, a TV author and novelist whose career at DC Comics rivals Alan Moore's in the "brief but brilliant" department. Brennert opens the story with the line, "Respectfully dedicated to the talents of Steve Ditko," but I'm not sure if it's faithful to the spirit of Ditko's philosophy, or a subversion of Objectivist thought. Maybe those of you more well-versed in Ditko can help me out here.
In "Paperchase"--from 1981's The Brave and the Bold #178--Brennert uses a Creeper/Batman team-up to explore themes about incendiary psuedo-journalism, and the murky ethics of rabble-rousing TV personalities. Sadly, these themes are still relevant, as we've been reminded lately.
But it's not all serious and ponderous stuff. Especially not when the Creeper's involved:
As with the other victims, this one is found with a ring of paper dolls around his neck and fresh newsprint ink on his hands. I should mention that in the page just before this, Batman found himself caught in a windstorm of newspapers flying past him... but there wasn't even a light breeze blowing. So where did they come from? What do they have in common with the dead man, and the other victims?
Which is exactly what Ryder does, using his molecular transmuter to transform into THE CREEPER: "Wanted by the police... wanted by the underworld!" From that tagline, you can gather that Creepy here's not the most popular superhero, and while he revels in playing up the "crazy flamboyant monster" bit, he's still none too pleased when a group of citizens fling rocks at him, accusing him of being just as bad as the Doll Killer:
What really bothers the Creeper, he considers, is that Wetley offers no solutions, only anger. He fears that Wetley's tirades are going to spark an all-out riot.
Meanwhile in Skid Row,Seymour Krelborn purchases a strange plant during a total eclipse of the sun Batman is on the lookout for the killer, who is already attacking his next victim in an alleyway.
"Pollutant!" the mysterious killer snarls, "Your kind must be eliminated!" Batman and the Creeper both arrive on the scene, only to discover that the Doll Killer is actually a supernatural creature made entirely out of paper:
Batman sets the paper creature on fire. It scatters, then reconstitutes itself again, and escapes. The intended victim was saved, but that's hardly enough for Wetley or his viewers:
This page in particular seems to directly play with Ditko's moments of interplay interplay between the (sometimes unscrupulous) reporters and (often idiotic) masses. But I don't know if Ditko would entirely approve of where the story's going. In fact, the Doll Killer gradually sounds to me almost like a Ditko here when, in the next page, it attacks its next victim and says, "Parasite! You live off the charity of the majority!"
... huh. Interesting choice of word there.
Batman and the Creeper save the next victim, and discover that the paper it's made of is actually a specialized, imported origami paper (I guess Brennert forgot that he opened the story with newspapers and that the victims had newsprint on their hands, but whatever), and further investigation reveals that one of Gotham's foremost collectors of origami is none other than Dr. Clayton Wetley himself!
If this creature claims to be acting on the behalf of the "majority," could Wetley himself be behind these murders? And if so, why? To boost his own ratings, or because he genuinely wants to rid society of the "undesirable" elements?
The truth is not so simple, as Batman and the Creeper discover when they pay Wetley a visit:
Something sticks in Batman's craw. Wetley being behind the killer is too pat. After all, why would he use origami when he's such a known origami killer? Batman comes up with a theory (although how he comes upon this theory, it's never explained), but he needs to create an irresistible target for the Doll Killer.
The Creeper, Jack Ryder, knows that this is finally his chance.
Batman meets up with Jack right after the broadcast, and asks if the newscaster is afraid that taking such stands might endanger his secret identity in the long run (or, hell, his life in the very short run)? Finally feeling like himself again, Jack replies, "If the only way I could show any courage was putting on a costume... what the heck kind of hero would I be?"
I love that, because it shows that while superheroes can battle monsters and save lives, it's what you do as a regular person that has the potential to really help and change things.
Of course, doing so has made Jack a target. As predicted, the Doll Killer attacks Jack, shouting, "Immoral scum! You'll not live to poison another mind!" Transforming himself, the Creeper battles the monster, but where's Batman?
Positioned from a rooftop, Wetley watches the Creeper battle the Killer. Where's Batman going with all this?
I love how much there is going on here: the elements of "freaks" versus normalcy and status quo, the ethical questions of incendiary press, the fact that society is quite literally to blame for these murders (that right there strikes me as distinctly anti-Ditko), etc.
Again, the true themes of this story feel distinctly reminiscent of Ditko's work, although I don't know if it's a recreation or a subversion of Ditko's themes. What think you folks?
Among the few to try was Alan Brennert, a TV author and novelist whose career at DC Comics rivals Alan Moore's in the "brief but brilliant" department. Brennert opens the story with the line, "Respectfully dedicated to the talents of Steve Ditko," but I'm not sure if it's faithful to the spirit of Ditko's philosophy, or a subversion of Objectivist thought. Maybe those of you more well-versed in Ditko can help me out here.
In "Paperchase"--from 1981's The Brave and the Bold #178--Brennert uses a Creeper/Batman team-up to explore themes about incendiary psuedo-journalism, and the murky ethics of rabble-rousing TV personalities. Sadly, these themes are still relevant, as we've been reminded lately.
But it's not all serious and ponderous stuff. Especially not when the Creeper's involved:
As with the other victims, this one is found with a ring of paper dolls around his neck and fresh newsprint ink on his hands. I should mention that in the page just before this, Batman found himself caught in a windstorm of newspapers flying past him... but there wasn't even a light breeze blowing. So where did they come from? What do they have in common with the dead man, and the other victims?
Which is exactly what Ryder does, using his molecular transmuter to transform into THE CREEPER: "Wanted by the police... wanted by the underworld!" From that tagline, you can gather that Creepy here's not the most popular superhero, and while he revels in playing up the "crazy flamboyant monster" bit, he's still none too pleased when a group of citizens fling rocks at him, accusing him of being just as bad as the Doll Killer:
What really bothers the Creeper, he considers, is that Wetley offers no solutions, only anger. He fears that Wetley's tirades are going to spark an all-out riot.
Meanwhile in Skid Row,
"Pollutant!" the mysterious killer snarls, "Your kind must be eliminated!" Batman and the Creeper both arrive on the scene, only to discover that the Doll Killer is actually a supernatural creature made entirely out of paper:
Batman sets the paper creature on fire. It scatters, then reconstitutes itself again, and escapes. The intended victim was saved, but that's hardly enough for Wetley or his viewers:
This page in particular seems to directly play with Ditko's moments of interplay interplay between the (sometimes unscrupulous) reporters and (often idiotic) masses. But I don't know if Ditko would entirely approve of where the story's going. In fact, the Doll Killer gradually sounds to me almost like a Ditko here when, in the next page, it attacks its next victim and says, "Parasite! You live off the charity of the majority!"
... huh. Interesting choice of word there.
Batman and the Creeper save the next victim, and discover that the paper it's made of is actually a specialized, imported origami paper (I guess Brennert forgot that he opened the story with newspapers and that the victims had newsprint on their hands, but whatever), and further investigation reveals that one of Gotham's foremost collectors of origami is none other than Dr. Clayton Wetley himself!
If this creature claims to be acting on the behalf of the "majority," could Wetley himself be behind these murders? And if so, why? To boost his own ratings, or because he genuinely wants to rid society of the "undesirable" elements?
The truth is not so simple, as Batman and the Creeper discover when they pay Wetley a visit:
Something sticks in Batman's craw. Wetley being behind the killer is too pat. After all, why would he use origami when he's such a known origami killer? Batman comes up with a theory (although how he comes upon this theory, it's never explained), but he needs to create an irresistible target for the Doll Killer.
The Creeper, Jack Ryder, knows that this is finally his chance.
Batman meets up with Jack right after the broadcast, and asks if the newscaster is afraid that taking such stands might endanger his secret identity in the long run (or, hell, his life in the very short run)? Finally feeling like himself again, Jack replies, "If the only way I could show any courage was putting on a costume... what the heck kind of hero would I be?"
I love that, because it shows that while superheroes can battle monsters and save lives, it's what you do as a regular person that has the potential to really help and change things.
Of course, doing so has made Jack a target. As predicted, the Doll Killer attacks Jack, shouting, "Immoral scum! You'll not live to poison another mind!" Transforming himself, the Creeper battles the monster, but where's Batman?
Positioned from a rooftop, Wetley watches the Creeper battle the Killer. Where's Batman going with all this?
I love how much there is going on here: the elements of "freaks" versus normalcy and status quo, the ethical questions of incendiary press, the fact that society is quite literally to blame for these murders (that right there strikes me as distinctly anti-Ditko), etc.
Again, the true themes of this story feel distinctly reminiscent of Ditko's work, although I don't know if it's a recreation or a subversion of Ditko's themes. What think you folks?
