Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #14 and Manhunter #15

Welcome to Leviathan Wednesday, my look at Mark Shaw's history and how it led him to become Leviathan. 

Shaw's history took some significant turns in the Marc Andreyko Manhunter book as we discovered that he was brainwashed by the DEO into become a killing machine. The Manhunter cult and the N'Lasa being were all part of  his programming, artificial memories implanted into him. And we also learned he had the Dumas personality built in as well, being two assassins in one, a perfect weapon for a corrupt secret organization. 

Trust me when I tell you things are going to get weirder in today's post where I cover Manhunter #14 and Manhunter #15. The first issue sort of wraps up the major Shaw storyline as he confronts the OMACs and makes a sort of ally with Kate. Manhunter #15 is a bit crazier as it opens up yet another can of worms about Shaw's history. 

In fact, for those of you who manage to get through these long posts, I am going to ask you an important question at the end. (I will bold it for those who want to just scroll.)

As I have said, Andreyko really embraced the Manhunter history in this arc and I appreciate it. And Shaw is such a compromised human, abused and tortured and unstable, and all because of the superiors of the shadowy organization he worked for. No wonder he wants to take them out. No wonder he hates them. No wonder he became Leviathan.

But the art on these two issues is just incredible. In #14, you have Javier Pina bring his smooth, organic, clean style to the book. In #15, you get flashback tales from two current superstars, Rags Morales and Sean Phillips. Sean Phillips is a personal favorite. In his story we learn that Kate Spencer's gauntlets belonged to the Azrael Batman. So seeing him draw an issue of Manhunter was a treat.

On to the books. Settle in.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #32

My copy autographed by Peter David, Sean Phillips, and Leonard Kirk

I have been thinking a lot about Supergirl's legacy lately.  Who is this character in DC Comics right now? If you started reading comics 10 years ago, do you have an coherent sense of who Supergirl is and what she means? Do you find her heroic? Inspirational? Do you even like her?

This line of thoughts reminded me of one of my favorite issues in the Peter David run, Supergirl #32. By this time in the comic, Supergirl was embracing her 'Earth Angel' persona. She was looked on as a hero. And she was starting to inspire people.

Pride cometh before the fall. This confidence in Supergirl in her new role needed to be broken by The Carnivean, a demon trying to take over heaven and the universe. And the best way to do that was by perverting Supergirl's legacy and make her doubt herself. Of course, this comes to fruition in the classic Supergirl #48. But we needed to see that erosion of Supergirl's self-worth. Some of that comes with a tarnishing of her legacy.

Peter David had the long game in mind with this book and this issue is an interesting stand alone chapter. The story here, of Supergirl freeing young girls from self-trafficking is wonderful and timely. However, you can see how even the best of intentions and lessons can be perverted.

Perhaps the best thing about this issue is the art. The cover, by then regular artist Leonard Kirk, tips off the them of the story, a backlit Supergirl, in shadows from her flame wings and sporting the red anger eyes, is being led by a band of young armed girls. It is the internal art that makes me giddy. It is drawn by one of my favorite artists Sean Phillips. The fact that I get Sean Phillips drawing Supergirl in one of my cherished runs still amazes me.

On to the book.

Happy Anniversary! Top Ten Supergirl Commissions!

I continue my semi-self-congratulatory tenth anniversary of Supergirl blogging by looking back at my every growing collection of commissions. I am pretty lucky that New England has a good convention scene that allows me the opportunity to run into creators on an annual basis. And I am also lucky enough to have a job where I can moonlight an extra shift to fund a convention season, allowing me to at least try to get commissions.

As I write this, I have just under 100 commissions in the collection. Initially I got them on separate Bristol board and would frame them. But I quickly ran out of wall space in the comic area of the basement. It also was kind of hard to share the collection. So a while back I switched to sketch books which I now bring to conventions. It has served me well. I know have a portable art gallery. And artists who I do commission seem to like flipping through the book themselves.

As part of this 10th anniversary celebration, I have been looking at some Top Tens and figured my commission collection was a natural for such a list. The problem is I love all my sketches. So picking a top ten feels like I am rejecting the others. So I am presenting the top ten commissions that stuck out to me today. Ask me tomorrow and I might pick a different 10 all together. And these are listed unranked and alphabetically by artist. This is just the top ten.

If you love any of my commissions, please drop me a note. In the mean time, on to the list,.

Sean Phillips Commission

The New York Comic Con is a couple of weeks away and unfortunately I will be unable to attend.

At best, I would only have been able to attend for a day. But I was hoping I would have been able to go to shake hands with some of my favorite creators and industry legends. There are sooo many people there I would love to meet - Jamal Igle, Al Plastino, Ted McKeever, Brian Bolland - the list is endless.

As usual, a very good friend of mine is going and will try to procure me a couple of commissions. Mr. Igle will be at the top of my wish list. Since I will be getting some new additions to my collection soon, I thought I'd post one I got last year.

I try to target artists whose work I really love. A Supergirl commission doesn't always mesh with their particular styles, but I have to say that usually makes for an interesting piece.

Take the one above, done by one of my absolute favorites Sean Phillips. Phillips is best known for noirish titles like Sleeper, Criminal, and now Incognito. I love those books. And I love his art in those books. So when he appeared at a New York Comic Con last year, I asked my buddy if he could grab me a commission and I got this great piece.

I really think Phillips does great femme fatales - always very sultry. And this Kara is no different.

I had an idea what his take on her would be. After all, Phillips did this issue in Peter David's run.

Anyways, I will hope to get some new commissions and will scan and post thereafter.

Grass Roots Support for Supergirl #34

The cover of Sleeper #1, the masterful super-hero noir by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips seems a strange sight on a Supergirl blog. But Supergirl #34 is coming out tomorrow and I am asking people to talk it up if it lives up to expectations, if it is as great as Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle promise it will be.

DC is doing there part with a lot of buzz including a nice interview from Gates and Igle discussing all the things we have heard about this issue (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090830-Supergirl34.html) as well as preview pages of the issue on Newsarama later today! Hooray to DC for plugging the book so much!

I put Sleeper up today to remind everyone that fans talking about the book and plugging it is as valid as a media push.

I almost didn't get Sleeper. I almost missed out on one of my absolute favorite titles from the last 5 years. The only reason I bought it was because I was lucky enough to be in my comic book store and overheard a couple of guys talking about how great it was. I knew and enjoyed Phillips from his Hellblazer run, but I had never really heard of Ed Brubaker before.

Anyways, these guys talked so highly of the series that I went out and bought the issues and then Sleeper: Season Two. If I hadn't heard them, I may not have. And then I would not have learned that Brubaker is so phenomenal and might not have bought his stellar runs of Captain America and Daredevil (2 characters I have never purchased regularly before). It led to Iron Fist and Criminal and other books of his.

Word of mouth is powerful.



In much the same way, I almost missed Matt Fraction's trippy and innovative Casanova. I was in my comic store when a store worker who I had befriended in that customer/cashier sort of way strongly recommended I buy the issue. He was so enamored of the book that he said if I read it and didn't like it, I could return it. That's how sure he was about the greatness of the book. And he was right.

This also tipped me off to Matt Fraction, which led me to Iron Fist and now Iron Man, 2 characters I also never read before.




As for me, I did my part talking up Atomic Robo (wittily written by Brian Clevinger and distinctly drawn by Soctt Wegener) at my store and spreading the word about how great and fun that series is. It is well worth reading!

Anyways ... word of mouth is powerful.

So if we Kara fans read Supergirl #34 and think that it is great (something I think is going to be true based on everything I have read about it and what Gates and Igle have leaked), we should talk it up. Whether it be grass roots in a brick and mortar comic store, or on the web ... spread the word!

It is a good time to be a Supergirl fan!