Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
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Gargoyle #1-4
Issue(s): Gargoyle #1, Gargoyle #2, Gargoyle #3, Gargoyle #4
Cover Date: Jun-Sep 85
Title:
Credits:
J.M. DeMatteis - Writer
Mark Badger - Penciler
Mark Badger - Inker
Carl Potts - Editor
Review/plot:
The Gargoyle is a relatively unique character, being an old man in a world where most super-heroes are in their 20s or younger. I'd argue he works best in a team situation so that his age can be contrasted with the other characters, and both J.M. DeMatteis and Peter Gillis used him to decent effect in the Defenders. I think DeMatteis makes a mistake by putting him in a solo story, especially one that delves into the origin of his demonic body. Isaac Christians was an old man so desperate to save his town that he made the proverbial deal with the devil and wound up trapped in the body of a Gargoyle. There's really no reason to go further than that.
But this story reveals that Christians had been delving into mysticism for half his life, which doesn't contradict anything known so far about him, but it seems unnecessary; i like the idea of a regular old guy suddenly thrown into the world of the supernatural and super-heroes. We also learn more about Christians' past; details about his old romances and time in World War I.
DeMatteis goes further and comes up with a whole origin for the Gargoyle body. Instead of just being a body that the Six Fingered Hand created for Christians, DeMatteis gives us a whole story about a Druidic priest who animated gargoyles to resist Christian encroachment, and one of the gargoyles was particularly evil and got away.
Now it wants its body back...
...and tries to tempt Isaac with the prospect of a resurrected lover.
The Druid shows up to help Isaac fight off the evil gargoyle.
Nothing particularly wrong with any of this. But it fails to emphasize what makes Isaac Christians an interesting character now. It's just a bunch of unnecessary backstory.
The highlight of this series is newcomer Mark Badger (he had previously helped out on Power Pack #8).
Badger hasn't done a lot for Marvel (or generally, as far as i can tell) but his loose, moody semi-Mike Mignola-ish style is enjoyable.
Quality Rating: C
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this between Defenders #141-142. It's as a good a placement as any, at a time when there's no major crisis going on in the Defenders book.
References:
- There are no footnotes in this series, but Isaac Christians into Gargoyle, from Defenders #94, is shown in flashback.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Wasn't Mark Badger the penciler on this?
And JM DeMatteis was the writer. I think that fnord accidentally posted the credits for the Firestar series under this series. But hey, let him get to it in his own time.
I've fixed the credits on my *stub*! ;-)
Mark Badger later did the Martian Manhunter limited series for DC(again, I think, with DeMatteis) but his style had become more like superdeformed manga and it was not received well.
Chris Warner was the originally announced artist for this book.
Never knew about Warner, but Badger does good work here, his style seemingly anticipating Matt Wagner's 'Demon' mini-series for DC the following year.
Lovely miniseries.
