TITLE: Hack/Slash Omnibus, Vol. 3
AUTHOR: Tim Seeley
ARTISTS: Tim Seely, Emily Stone, Kevin Mellon, Ross Campbell, Mike Dimayuga, Bryan Baugh, Dan Parent, Daniel Leister, Chris Burnham, David Baldeon, Buz Hasson, Ken Haeser
COLLECTS: Hack Slash #18-32, Entry Wound One Off, Halloweenman Annual, Living Corpse Annual
FORMAT: Softcover
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $34.99
RELEASED: December 8

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Sheesh, that’s a lot of artists. But  this is a lot of content.

Indeed, fans of chicks in slutty outfits, horror flicks, and horror flicks that feature hot chicks in slutty outfits rejoice! Cassie Hack is back in her third giant omnibus from Image Comics. The would-be slasher victim is still hunting down maniacal murderers with her disfigured partner Vlad, and putting them down for the greater good.

Image from groovyageofhorror.blogspot.com.

When we open the book, Cassie has just witnessed the death of her father, and has had to put down the re-animated corpse of her mother. Cassie looks to her friend Georgia for comfort, and they end up getting VERY comfortable, if you catch my drift. This makes Vlad very jealous. As we continue through the book, Cassie and her friends must deal with the Black Lamp Society, the group responsible for the creation of slashers, as well as numerous demons from hell, an accidental pregnancy, and lesbian love drama.

Cut me a slice of that!

Hack/Slash isn’t my usual cup of tea, as I’m not that into slasher films (especially now that they’re remaking the older ones), but it’s definitely a fun read. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and at times can be a very funny read. But, with the right artist, it can also capture the suspenseful, gory vibe of the genre it’s paying tribute to. Plus, I love the role reversal of the hot chick that goes after the slashers.

Some of the characters also had moments that were surprisingly touching and deep, considering the tone of the book they’re in. Vlad’s tragic jealousy when Cassie is being romantic with Georgia hit me the hardest. Vlad doesn’t even seem interested in Cassie in a romantic sense, but his moments of sorrow and loneliness hit home in a big way. We’ve all been there…kind of.

The Pooch character also grew on me. He initially disgusted me, what with his protruding gums and everything. He initially struck me as quite ugly. But in time, his almost innocent nature, and C-3PO-like desire to please his masters got to me. One of the characters actually summed up part of Pooch’s appeal perfectly: He talks like a regular dog would, if dogs could in fact talk.

Image from comixology.com.

In terms of art, this book is probably the biggest blender I’ve ever seen in terms of styles, whether you like the more cartoony stuff from Buz Hasson and Ken Haeser, or some of the more shadowy, gritty stuff from Daniel Leister. There are even portions of the book done in the style of Archie, as well as comics from the 80s and early 90s. Personally, I was partial to Emily Stone and Kevin Mellon’s work on issues #18-20. But fans of comic book art are bound to find something they like in here, whether they’re Hack/Slash fans or not.

What fascinates me about the Cassie Hack character is this pseudo-sex symbol thing she’s got going on. In terms of comics, she seems like what Lara Croft was to gamers a decade ago. She’s not real, but artists love to put her in skimpy outfits (she has a lovely little under-boob number in the early part of this book), and fanboys’ pants distort. Hot chicks love to dress like her, too. Flip to one of the last pages and you’ll see a collage of them. And of course, she’s had her big tie-in with SuicideGirls.com. I guess it’s that combination of raw sexuality mixed with empowerment that women go for. Or maybe it’s just that she kills slashers, I’unno.

I don’t think you’ll ever see me picking up Hack/Slash on a monthly basis, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it for what it is: A damn fun series. So here’s to you, Cassie Hack! For being the first chick to ever successfully kill a bunch of would-be movie slashers, and inspiring hot chicks everywhere to dress like sluts, we at Primary Ignition salute you!

RATING: 8/10

Front page image from newsarama.com.

Image from thecomicshoppe.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Marvel announced today that the publisher’s Death of Spider-Man story arc will be released digitally the same day the print copies comes out.

The digital version will be released via Marvel’s iPhone, iPad and iTouch applications.

The story arc runs through Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man and Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates beginning in February. It kicks off with Ultimate Comics: Spider-man #153 on February 2.

Marvel’s currently ongoing miniseries Ultimate Comics: Thor and upcoming miniseries Ultimate Comics: Captain America will also receive digital releases.

Image from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #85

See that? It’s Jimmy Olsen riding a wiener with horse legs. I’m not sure who Gnor is, or why he takes Jimmy so literally, or why he gave the wiener HORSE legs. Why not bull legs? Or gazelle legs? Cheetah legs? Either way, Jimmy better keep that thing inside during the summer. Lord knows what the sun’ll do to it.

Comic books from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s tend to provide us with moments like that. Either a slang term meant something back then that it doesn’t now, or writers were simply under pressure to make stories lighter and less “explicit” (that was the case during the mid-20th century), or it’s simply a matter of stories being written in a different time. Retro comic books provide us with the occasional dose of unintentional hilarity.

It is with that lovingly playful mindset that I bring to you: Comic Book Bloopers.

Before writers like Denny O’Neil, Frank Miller and Alan Moore turned him into what he was originally intended to be: a gleefully psychotic killer, The Joker was for all intents and purposes…well, a clown. He was basically a gangster with a gimmick. If you’ve ever seen Cesar Romero play him in the 1960′s Batman TV show, that’s pretty much what the character was like on the page. No pencils through people’s brains, no bombs in the stomachs of schizophrenic henchman, nothin’.

So, in the hands of certain writers, under different societal rules, we get something like this…

Image from DC Comics.

This appears to be Batman getting frenched by a goat, as The Joker and his minions look on, laughing hysterically. And Robin, well, he’s just staring. I’ve looked, and although I’m not sure what issue it’s from, I can’t find any evidence to indicate that this panel isn’t real.

Come to think of it…a bestiality rape scene with a goat is pretty evil no matter what era you’re in. They could’ve done that with Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and from a nastiness perspective, it might have been fairly consistent with everything else the character was doing…or not.

And how do you follow up an inter-species love scene? By using a slang word for penis over and over again, obviously.

Art from Batman #66, from DC Comics.

The above panels are pretty popular among blooper enthusiasts. Batman #66 featured a story called “The Joker’s Comedy of Errors.” In the 1940s, the word “boner” was a slang term meaning error. So the story could have been called “The Joker’s Comedy of Boners.” Apparently fate had some mercy on DC Comics that day.

In the ’40s, I’m sure there was nothing wrong with this issue. I’m sure readers flipped through it without a second thought. But now it’s just a big boner bonanza. They just say it over, and over, and over, and over….

What’s more, it appears this issue was pencilled by iconic Batman artist Dick Sprang. Type that name into Google Images and see what you get.

The curse of the wacky boner would continue to haunt the clown prince of crime decades later. When Sandy Collora made his now famous fan-film Batman: Dead End, The Joker was played by Andrew Koenig, who as you may know, played Mike’s best friend Boner on Growing Pains.

It’s like they planned it.

Finally, I came across the image today. Even though it’s obviously not a retro pic, I just had to include it.

Image from zinou.deviantart.com.

That would be Heath Ledger’s Joker cuddling with Reptar, the big green dinosaur from Rugrats.

Why? Why not? Why so serious?

More of the artist’s work can be found here.

Credit to Superdickery for the above images.

Front page image from cool-layouts.com.

TITLE: Batman: All The Rage
AUTHOR: David Hine
PENCILLERS: Agustin Padilla, Trevor McCarthy, Ramon Bachs
COLLECTS: Detective Comics Annual #12, Batman Annual #28
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE DATE: TBD

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

“You’ll excuse my saying so, but…two Batmen! This is freaking me out a little!” – The Question

Two men, each calling himself Batman. One is Bruce Wayne, the original Dark Knight, recently returned from banishment into the timestream. The other is Dick Grayson, Bruce’s first apprentice, who took up the mantle of Batman in his absence. In this story, which presumably takes place before the first issue of Batman Incorporated, Bruce and Dick team up, both as Batman, in France to take on a group of fanatical murderers. Joining them are The Question and a hero called Nightrunner, who may turn out to be a valuable part of Batman Incorporated.

Batman Annual #28, page 3. Image from dccomics.com.

The portions of this story where Bruce and Dick are together in costume are very surreal. Notwithstanding some of his stories from the 40s, 50s and 60s, Batman was created as this brooding, natural loner. Even the most casual of fans can sense that. To have two of them exist in the same place and time, in harmony with one another is just…odd. Granted, it’s not supposed to feel the same. The whole point of shaking up the status quo like this is to take these characters into different places. But despite that knowledge, in the second issue there’s a shot of our two Batman swooping down on a riot that still feels uncomfortable.

We also get a sense of how Bruce is going to do business with other countries in terms of Batman Incorporated (I still don’t understand why “Incorporated” isn’t abbreviated anymore). In a conversation with the head of the French Police Nationale, Bruce refers to this enterprise as “…representatives strictly regulated from our central office, but also answerable to you as head of the French police force.” I’m betting it’s that latter part that will tear this whole thing up. Batman and his operatives work because they can do things the police can’t. You make them answerable to a figurehead, and they’re going to clash. I called it.

We get some nice content with The Question in this book. If you haven’t read the Pipeline story in Detective Comics, you’ll be a bit behind. But her part of the story is very strong, especially when the villain, Korrigan, tries to enter her mind. After the main story ends, we also get a short appearance from Veil, a character that (if I’m not mistaken) was created by Denny O’Neil a few years back, and can “feel” Gotham City as if it were a living presence. This story isn’t as strong as the ones O’Neil wrote, but it’s still pretty good. As for Niterunner, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. He’s got a cool ninja outfit, and a mildly interesting backstory.

If nothing else, “All The Rage” serves as a pointer story for Batman Incorporated. It did its job in that respect. So now Batman’s got an operative in France, and in Incorporated he’s setting up one in Japan. It’s kind of a shame he didn’t give Ryu a call while in the land of the rising sun. As I understand it, there’s nothing a good, strong HADOUKEN! can’t solve. Is there a French guy in Street Fighter? Eh, I’ll ask Justin…

RATING: 6/10

For more from David Hine, check out Batman: Arkham Reborn. For more from Ramon Bachs, try Azrael: Angel in the Dark.

Image from newsarama.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Marvel hosted a press conference today for their upcoming event comic, Fear Itself.

The seven-issue miniseries begins in March, Matt Fraction will write, with Stuart Immonen pencilling.

According to Fraction, the story will place the heroes of the Marvel Universe against “the god of fear. The more you fear him, the more powerful he gets.”

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada said that Marvel is at its best when it takes stock of what is happening in the real world, citing Civil War as an example. He added that in an era where unemployment is at an all time high, and families are losing their homes, fear seems to be a great motivator.

Marvel’s Executive Vice President Tom Brevoort said the company hasn’t done something this large in scale in quite some time.

Though the official Fear Itself story begins in April, Ed Brubaker and Scott Eaton are doing a prologue story in March.

Brevoort said that almost every Marvel character will be touched by the story in some way, but like Civil War, Fear Itself will have a central story that fans can read in one sitting. He added that Secret Wars, and the recent Next Avengers story arc would be good places to look for clues as to what will happen in Fear Itself.

Vice President Executive Editor Axel Alonso said to expect major participation from the X-Men and Dracula, as well as “pacts between characters that might be unexpected. Plenty of secrets.”

With the Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger movies coming out this summer, Fraction says the world is about to be watching Marvel in a big way.

“This summer when the whole world is watching Marvel characters, and aware of Thor, and Captain America, we are going to be busting the doors down with the biggest story we’ve ever told,” Fraction said.

Source: Newsarama

TITLE: North 40
AUTHOR: Aaron Williams
ARTIST: Fiona Staples
COLLECTS: North 40 #1-6
PUBLISHER: WildStorm
PRICE: $17.99
RELEASED: November 16

By Justin Polak
Co-Founder, Ambassador to the Mushroom Kingdom

I’m calling it now. Once the zombie craze seen in practically every entertainment medium dies out, the next big thing will be Cthulhu mythology. Sure, if you comb through the internet as much as I do, you’ve already seen many interpretations and discussions on the subject of Cthulhu. But I’ve already seen the signs of it going mainstream. That Cloverfield movie a couple of years back? Yeah, that monster is a total rip-off of Cthulhu in terms of design.

I, for one, welcome the coming trend if it means we get as fresh and fun material like North 40. From the very first page, the story wastes no time drawing you in. Set in Conover Country, a place so southern you can almost hear the sound of banjos when the book is opened, no time is wasted as all key characters are introduced. The scenario is propped up just as efficiently right beside them. Then the fun begins as you watch it take off.

Two teens, one being a friendly Dungeons & Dragons type nerd and the other being a goth chick that hates everything, get a hold of a book from the restricted section of the library. Not too long after they fiddle around with the book, everyone in the country passes out until early the next day. When all awaken, the populace find that life in Conover County has taken a bizarre turn.

Most everyone suddenly has otherworldly powers, the lucky ones not being hideously transformed into something less than human. It is quickly established that no one can enter or leave the county on top of all the chaos. Without feeling like a superhero story, there are clearly established heroes and villains. The definition of humanity changes when two people who hate each other suddenly have unspeakable power.

Image from comicmonsters.com.

I never found myself bored while reading North 40. I have never been all that impressed with the Cthulhu style itself, but this story is like watching a good action/horror movie unfold. Character development is put on the backburner while the events around them take center stage. You would think it would be comical how quickly the cast adapts to such horrific changes, but it makes sense in North 40′s universe.

Don’t think that the characters are uninteresting because I said development was on the backburner. Each and every one has memorable personalities and quirks. For example, Wyatt may be a hick version of Superman, but that spin on a character with invulnerability is what makes watching someone like that so interesting.

The art by Fiona Staples is another factor of what makes this comic so engrossing. It’s fun to look at and doesn’t take it self too seriously while looking very professional. In a comic such as this, gore is inevitable, and the way the art portrays those scenes are detailed in such a way where it makes you cringe. What’s impressive is that it can invite that type of reaction without resorting to going over the top. It annoys me when an artist today seems to think the human body carries 50 gallons of blood sometimes. Overall, the art will can easily make the reader feel like they are experiencing what North 40 throws at them.

So you can say that I would recommend this graphic novel. The story doesn’t run long, and it’s obviously set up for a sequel (which can go in so many different directions from where it left off), but it doesn’t have a cliffhanger ending.  North 40 is a comic that anyone can get into. You don’t have to be a “nerd” that hangs out at the local comic book store to enjoy this book. Plus, if I’m right about the Cthulhu trend taking off to mainstream audiences, you can say you were there when it first started to emerge!

RATING: 8.5/10

Front page image from newsarama.com.

Image from coverbrowser.com

TITLE: DC Comics Presents #92 (“A Question of Justice”)
AUTHOR: Paul Kupperberg
PENCILLER: Curt Swan
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
ORIGINAL PRICE: 75 cents
RELEASED: April 1986

By Mike Bessler
Contributor, Commisar of Comic Book History

Okay, let’s get this out of the way: I am not trying to be obscure, here. I actually love this book. Sure, it’s not going to make it into my dozen or so “Wall of Fame” comics (more on that batch another day) but it’s a great little read. To be fair, I’ll grant that it’s a sentimental pick in some ways. When DC Comics Presents #92 rolled off the press in early 1986, the ink had barely dried on the continuity-altering miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths and, in some ways, this very simple standalone tale seems like a parting glance at the simpler days of comic storytelling.

DC Comics Presents was a team-up book. Much like The Brave and the Bold, Marvel Two-In-One, and the like, this monthly mag paired heroes and heroines with an “anchor” hero and in the case of DCCP, the ballast in question was none other than The Man of Steel. Because DCCP stories were largely self-contained, writers found the format to be an opportunity to cook up all sorts of bizarre pairings and stories, most of which had no impact on the canons of the comicdom. DCCP #4 paired Supes with the Metal Men; #10 featured Sgt. Rock; #24 featured a team-up with Deadman; heck, even Santa Claus made it into the book in issue #67! And then there was DCCP #92, which teamed Superman with the maverick antihero, Vigilante.

Vigilante. Image from acomicbookblog.com.

The alliance of Vigilante – a merciless, street-wise tough guy – with the unfaltering moral compass of Superman is unorthodox one, for sure. Somehow, though, it works. In this particular yarn, both heroes first encounter the story’s villain as their respective alter egos; Superman – as Clark Kent – foils an attempted shooting in Times Square on new year’s Eve and Vigilante – as court bailiff Dave Winston – comes across the shooter at an arraignment hearing a short time later (For posterity’s sake, it’s worth noting that the arraigning judge is actually Adrian Chase, who served as the original Vigilante before retiring from costumed crime fighting and heading for the greener pasture of the judiciary). The perpetrator beats the rap on account of some shaky eyewitness testimony from complaining witness Clark Kent, but Winston, a keen observer and crime fighter by night, recognizes the offender as a perpetrator of a cold case and determines further investigation is warranted.

Superman, who is somewhat annoyed with Judge Chase’s dismissal of the charges in the Times Square case, mounts an investigation of his own. In time, both Supes and Vig cross paths, uncovering a massive scheme to blackmail the city with the threat of a devastating nerve gas attack. The plot is thwarted by way of some good old-fashioned detective work, a bit of fisticuffs and some well-timed super-breath. Of course, in the course of the battle, Superman and Vigilante learn that despite their differences, their objectives and their philosophies are quite the same.

Maybe that all sounds a little formulaic but the tale has a fast pace and some great action, most of which is hand-to-hand combat courtesy of the entertainingly glib Vigilante. Hey, it’s always nice when the cat with all the super powers doesn’t upstage the earthbound, non-bulletproof dude. Writer Paul Kupperberg handles the interaction between these strange bedfellows quite well, using wit and levity to develop their relationship into an unexpectedly enjoyable camaraderie.

DCCP #92 a hidden gem in many respects. It’s a pleasant bit of writing, for sure, complimented with artwork by quintessential Superman artist Curt Swan. It’s not an earth-shattering work of social importance or a highly influential piece of popular culture in and of itself, but it’s definitely the kind of tale that provides even the most seasoned of readers with the sense that his or her time is well spent by the turn of the final page.

Front page image from DC Comics Presents #92.
Mike Bessler is a contributing writer for Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Pick up the latest issue for his first installment of “Before The Bell,” and his feature on Jeff Hardy.

TITLE: Teen Titans: Ravager – Fresh Hell
AUTHORS: David Hine, Sean McKeever
PENCILLERS: Georges Jeanty, Yildary Cinar
COLLECTS: Faces of Evil: Deathstroke, Teen Titans #71, and portions of #72-76, 79-82
FORMAT: Softcover
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $14.99
RELEASE DATE: December 22

This content is actually better than I remember.

The reason I say that is because most of it was told in backup stories over the course of several issues of Teen Titans. I think I was so unbelievably bored by what was happening with the Titans that I think I skimmed over this material. My mistake.

This incarnation of DC’s Ravager character is especially intriguing, because she’s Rose Wilson, daughter of super-assassin Deathstroke. Since childhood she’s been conditioned to be a killer, and even took out her own left eye so she’d resemble her father. But in recent years, she’s been trying to change her colors and be a hero with the Teen Titans. The idea of the Titans teaming with the daughter of arguably their most hated enemy is fodder for GREAT storytelling. But sadly, the path of the hero may not be right for Rose.

Cover to Teen Titans #71 by Joe Bennett. Image from comicbookresources.com.

We open the book with a special one-shot which shows us where Deathstroke is following Final Crisis. He requests a visit from his daughter, which as you can imagine, goes just swimmingly. That’s the last we actually see of Deathstroke in this book, though his impact is obviously felt heavily.

Rose has a fallout with the Titans, Wonder Girl in particular, and leaves the team. She soon finds herself in a small town in the frigid and snowy northwest. Little does she know she’s stumbled upon a band of heartless criminals, and she may find out once and for all if a hero’s journey is right for her. As all this is happening, Rose’s increased reflex/strength powers are failing, and she must rely on epinephrine to keep her abilities where she needs them to be. Unfortunately, the drug is slowly killing her, and this self-loathing anti-hero must make a choice as to whether or not to risk her life by using it.

Rose’s inner monologue says something in the latter half of this book that I absolutely love: “I hope with all my rotten soul that this isn’t a mistake.” That’s a great line to illustrate how this character sees herself. She knows she doesn’t fit the traditional hero mold. But she seems to want to be one, in spite of how she acts sometimes.

The story does drag at times. Once we get into the main story, Ravager is the only character we know, and the people we’re introduced to are mostly one-dimensional. They’re either bad guys who could easily be twirling their thin mustaches, or innocent children who could easily have that teary, wide-eyed look to them. Still, Ravager’s personal investment in the events unfolding kept me turning the pages. That’s a testament to the quality of her character.

No complaints in terms of art. Yildiray Cinar handles the bulk of this book. This isn’t an extraordinary outing for him, but he does his job well nonetheless.

Fresh Hell isn’t a great read for those looking for great superhero comics. But those who know Rose’s backstory, and are looking for an in-depth character study will find it interesting. And let’s face it, it doesn’t get much more interesting than the daughter of one of the world’s greatest assassins, who has daddy issues, morality issues, a hot temper, a hot body, two swords and an eye patch.

RATING: 6/10

Front page image from asylums.insanejournal.com.

TITLE: The Night Bookmobile
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Audrey Niffenegger
PUBLISHER: Abrams
RELEASE DATE: September 1

By Lora Van Marel
Staff Writer, One-Woman Show

Audrey Niffenegger is probably most famous for writing the novel The Time Traveler’s Wife. However, she has also done some graphic novels, or novels-in-pictures, as the publisher states on end flap of this book. This title, The Night Bookmobile, is her third graphic novel. Calling it a graphic novel is a bit of a stretch, though. It’s more the size and length of a children’s storybook.

The story follows Alexandra, a young woman, who after storming out of her apartment during a fight with her boyfriend comes across a Winnebago RV all alone sitting on one of Chicago’s deserted streets at four in the morning. After discovering that the RV is a bookmobile she ventures inside. She discovers that all of the books on the shelves are hers. Every book is one that she has read at some point in her life, and they are the exact copies. She even finds her diary. The Night Bookmobile, operated by “The Library,” is only open from dusk until dawn, so Alexandra is forced to leave. She tries to come back the next night, but the bookmobile never returns.

Image from guardian.co.uk

Alexandra becomes obsessed with finding this bookmobile again and it ends up consuming her entire life. She dedicates her life to becoming a librarian in hopes of being able to work for The Library and on her bookmobile. Niffenegger had a great opportunity here to break the stereotype of the traditional old librarian spinster. Instead she reinforces it.

The whole story was strange and even a bit depressing. That can work for some books, but it failed for this one. The story was so short that it didn’t allow enough time for the reader to start feeling connected to the characters. Even though there are basically two characters, Niffenegger writes them in a way that creates distance between the characters and the audience. It was like she almost wanted the reader to not like Alexandra.

I’m a librarian and I usually really enjoy books about libraries, but I found myself really hating Alexandra’s character. She was very whiny and so driven by her need to find the bookmobile that all human feelings seemed to just disappear. She became a robot with one mission, and she would do whatever it took to complete it; thus making her very pathetic.

Image from forbiddenplanet.co.uk

The ending of the book was the worst part. It was very depressing and [SPOILER] it almost sounded like Niffenegger was condoning suicide. Alexandra finally did get a job at the Night Bookmobile, but to do so, she had to kill herself. What the hell was that, Niffennegger? You made suicide look like a wonderful thing. Look! She kills herself and gets to work in The Library forever! How fun!

The art was questionable as well. It was rough and flimsy and made all the characters look super cartoonish and like giant smudgy blobs. Maybe that was the style she was going for though, because it really gave the book a super depressing feeling that matched the text.

On top of the already depressing story that didn’t really seem to have much of a point, Niffenegger added an author’s note. I think this note really explains why this book is so depressing and weird. In the note she talks about dying a lot in her dreams when she was a teenager and how that inspired this book.

The only thing I really enjoyed about the story was the idea of The Library. I’d like to see more books about that. The idea that there is one Library that catalogs and keeps on record everyone’s books that they’ve ever read throughout their life is fascinating, and knowing that each person has their own Night Bookmobile has great potential.

There is a place for dark and depressing stories. Some are told really well; this was not one of them. It had potential, but then it just ended. It needed to be longer and in order for the audience to fully understand why Alexandra did what she did to work at the The Library. The way that it is left just makes her look crazy, she had no real purpose or reason. The book just read like it was unfinished.

RATING: 2/10

***“Blatant Insubordination” is a regular column published at Primary Ignition by Rob Siebert, editor and Fanboy Wonder. The views expressed here are his, and do not reflect those of the staff of Primary Ignition.***

We know very little about The Dark Knight Rises at this point, which is understandable considering it won’t be seen until 2012. But speculation continues to run wild about who the villain will be. We know Aaron Eckhart won’t be back as Two-Face. Director Christopher Nolan has apparently ruled out both The Riddler and Mr. Freeze. There was, however, a rumor that casting directors are looking to fill two female roles…

Meanwhile, the teaser trailer for Batman: Arkham City recently hit the web. This time, in addition to The Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and likely numerous other villains, it’s looking like Catwoman will play a key role in the game’s story. And, as the trailer clearly illustrates, so will a lesser known villain: Professor Hugo Strange.

Recently, a rumor surfaced regarding Nolan and his crew looking to base the film off a 1990 Batman story called Prey, which features none other than Professor Hugo Strange. The character’s appearance in Arkham City has only served to squirt lighter fluid on to the rumor cook out.

Image from absorbascon.blogspot.com.

Though casual fans may not have heard of him, Hugo Strange has actually been around longer than The Joker or Catwoman. To give you an indicator, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27. Strange debuted in issue #36. And would you believe Batman actually kills him in that issue? A punch from The Dark Knight causes the evil professor to fall to his death. This was 1940, mind you. The Batman character was less than a year old, and his rules hadn’t been established yet.

The Prey story was first published in Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15 in late 1990. Believe it or not, DC apparently hasn’t re-printed the story in graphic novel form since 1993.

Written by Doeg Moench and pencilled by the amazing Paul Gulacy, Prey is set in the early days of Batman’s career, as the public still isn’t quite sure what to make of his war on crime. Jim Gordon is placed at the head of a task force to bring The Dark Knight down, and Strange is brought in as a consultant. Strange psychoanalyzes Batman almost to a T.

Image from dannygraydon.com.

But we soon learn Strange is obsessed with Batman. He creates a Batman costume of his own, and hypnotizes a cop into becoming “The Night Scourge,” his own nighttime vigilante. Scourge kidnaps the mayor’s daughter for Strange. Using a hallucinogen not unlike The Scarecrow’s, he’s able to find out Bruce Wayne is Batman. Eventually, Gordon’s task force shoots Strange down in his Batman costume, and he plummets into a river. Catwoman also plays a minor role in the story, but it’s nothing too significant.

The Prey story was loosely adapted into an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, where Strange uses a machine to figure out Batman’s identity, and tries to auction it off to the villains.

In 2001, Moench and Gulacy reunited for a sequel: Terror (which IS available in trade form). Set not long after Prey, we find out Strange is alive, and serving as The Scarecrow’s doctor. But eventually, Scarecrow turns on Strange and kills him. He lures Batman and Catwoman into an old mansion, and spookiness ensues. It’s a nice follow up.

Image from dc.wikia.com.

In Prey, Strange is depicted as a brilliant psychologist, but also a deranged sex pervert. He’s got some issues with women, as he illustrates in some dialogue with the mayor’s daughter, who he’s tied to a bed and stripped to her underwear. He also lives with a mannequin, who he seems to regard as his wife or lover. Though not nearly as well known as The Joker or The Riddler, Strange can certainly hang with them.

If re-worked a bit, I can definitely see Prey and Terror being the basis for Nolan’s third film. He would need two new actresses to play Catwoman and the mayor’s daughter, which fits with that rumor. Also, the Gordon/task force storyline would fit perfectly with the way things were left off in The Dark Knight. If Nolan chooses to use The Scarecrow, he can always call up his pal Cillian Murphy.

But what about Hugo Strange? How do you market a character like him? He’s not a character casual fans know from the Adam West show or the Burton films. Considering how much hoopla there was with both Joker and Two-Face appearing in The Dark Knight, moviegoers might feel disappointed that another A-list Batman villain isn’t around this time. Granted, Catwoman would be in the picture, but chances are she wouldn’t be playing a villain, per se. She’d be best kept in that gray area between good and evil, which could cause Batman to question his philosophies.

Mind you, the simple fact that this is the next (and probably last) Christopher Nolan Batman film will provide the movie with most of the hype and anticipation it needs. The film markets itself. But the more incentive you can give moviegoers, the better. Plus, The Dark Knight owes much of the fortune it made to repeat viewings. Could Hugo Strange, Catwoman and Scarecrow bring fans back to theaters as much as Heath Ledger’s Joker did? But if given a good story to perform in, it’s possible…

Hugo Strange in "Arkham City." Image from gamingunion.net.

One of the big reasons The Dark Knight will be such a hard act to follow is that it perfected the blockbuster superhero/supervillain face off, and had extra thematic tones about what heroes really are, what happens when heroes fall from grace, etc. If Nolan and his crew try a similar formula with The Dark Knight Rises, comparisons will inevitably be made to Dark Knight, and things probably wont turn out as well as we’re hoping. That’s likely why he’s not going with more standard, gimmicky villains like The Riddler.

Using a character like Hugo Strange, Nolan would have the chance to create a Batman movie unlike any other. Using Strange to mess with Batman’s mind, using Gordon to reluctantly threaten his bodily health, and using Catwoman to tempt his heart, which is still broken from the death of Rachel Dawes, The Dark Knight Rises could be a film centered around the cataclysmic fall, and subsequent rise of our hero.  (Get it? The Dark Knight Rises.) This would be an amazing role reversal that mainstream movie audiences haven’t seen before. Although I suppose you could argue it was done to an extent in Batman Forever, but that was Joel Schumacher. We’re talking about a movie done WELL.

As for the marketing value of Hugo Strange, I think the Arkham City trailer speaks well in that respect — especially if you get a good actor in the role. Oddly enough, do a Google Image search for “Hugo Strange,” and one of the first images that comes up is a cross reference between the character’s likeness and that of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Yet another Oscar winner in a Batman movie? I’ll take it!

Obviously, all of this is speculation. But in terms of villains, a lot of the big money ball players have already been ruled out. Who’s left? The Penguin? Not the greatest candidate for lead villain (no offense Danny DeVito). Ra’s al Ghul? Doubtful. Poison Ivy? Maybe, but Nolan seems to want to keep the movies more realistic. Hugo Strange seems to have as good a chance as anyone of landing the spot. If he can be used to create a story that’s dramatic, compelling, and at least in Dark Knight‘s ball park in terms of quality, I say bring him on. A lot of people are going to have a good amount of time, creativity, and Lord knows MONEY sunk into this film. And if this is going to be Nolan and Christian Bale’s last go-around, then let’s go out with the biggest, loudest, best bang we can.

So let’s get Strange…

Front page image from collider.com.
For more on The Dark Knight Rises, check out No  More Bats For Bale?