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about_facesThis time around, I seem to start talking less about Harvey and more ranting about comics in general. So this should be fun!
Storyline: the return of Gilda Dent.
For once, Aparo has forgone the white turtleneck and given Harvey a tie (bow, no less! Suh-NAZZY), which presumably would go better with his judicial robe. Honestly, when I look at Judge Harvey, all I can think of is this one hilariously southern bow-tied Judge I once had in traffic court. Unfortunately for you, the only person who knows what the hell I'm talking about is![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
surrealname. So, moving on!
Storyline: the one with the Halfway House.
Compare this cover to the one in the last post by Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez: both use the idea of the split hideout, but this one suffers from being too strict on the split perspective. There's no sense of connection between the two sides, as if they weren't connected at all. I always hate when people draw Harvey's split nature as a clear, crisp division. Especially when viewed from straight on.
The following covers are from a storyline written by Doug Monech, thus making this the first of several half-baked Harvey stories Moench would write over his Bat-Career. I'll be posting it someday, but aside from one very interesting page, I'm not sure what point there'd be, especially since they're so tied to the original Black Mask storyline.
And I hate Black Mask. Seriously, who the hell decided that he was a character worth resurrecting and making into the #1 Bat-Villain? Why does he actually have a fan following now? I'm a firm believer that when it comes to DC and Marvel, there are no bad characters, just bad writers. But BM really pushes it!
Still, the original story might be worth owning for his origin. IIRC, as a child, he's bitten by a rabid raccoon. Y'know, an animal with a mask. THERE, THAT'S YOUR VILLAIN, FOLKS. THE ONE WITH THE RACCOON IN HIS ORIGIN.
That said, another reason I should read the original BM story? He created the False Face Society. Honestly, for those themes alone, I don't understand why no one ever had Harvey encounter BM. I feel like Moench missed a golden opportunity here when he followed up BM's story with Harvey:
When we first see Harvey, he's sculpting Bat-Busts in Arkham, then smashing the faces. A subtle reference to Harvey's wife, Gilda, who was a sculptor? I doubt it, considering that Moench makes no mention of her, and even takes liberties with Two-Face to the point of having the coin at the end of a chain, for some bloody reason.
Nonetheless, I like that cover a lot. It might go into my favorites, just because of how it suggests Two-Face without actually seeing him, as well as his hatred for Batman.
This looks like a test-run for the vastly superior and iconic cover Neal Adams would eventually do for Eye of the Beholder. Maybe later I'll put them side by side and compare.
Also, I find the tagline amusing: "The TRIUMPH of Two-Face!" The very same year, they released the wonderful Moench-written Hugo Strange story, which touted on the cover, "The TRIUMPH of Hugo Strange!" Either my two favorite villains were doing well for themselves in 1986, or editors were just lazy.
In case you're wondering, the vat Batman's falling into isn't chemicals or lava or something. It's beer. Harvey tries to drown Batman in beer. There are certainly worse ways to go.
Also, Harvey, what are you wearing? Look, the orange/purple ensemble is bad enough, but checkered pattern all over? No no no!
Also also, who are the Lords of the Ultra Realm? Twenty-four years later, and I still don't know!
The title of this issue: "About Faces!" That's where I got it from, as well as the above header image. Honestly, it's still not my favorite name, but it was all that was available that could even partially evoke Harvey in a cleverish manner. Maybe someday I'll switch this to a non-LJ blog account (just in case anyone gets mad and wants to shut this place down), and then I can reconsider changing it to something more evocative and witty.
Also, nothing even remotely like this cover actually happens in the story. I love comics.
Finally, I think this cover deserves to be outside the cut:
Really, I love superheroes dedicating a room to their arch-enemies, whether it in their headquarters or in places like the Flash Museum. Really, why wouldn't Batman create an entire "Hall of Infamy" in the Batcave, with framed portraits, no less? Do you think he painted them all himself?
I've always loved that cover, particularly for how innocent and friendly the Mad Hatter looks. Have I mentioned how much I love the Mad Hatter in TAS, but hate him in comics?
It's all Grant Morrison's fault, because ever since Arkham Asylum, Jervis is now always considered a pedophile. It's the same kind of late 80's-early 90's mentality that turned Toyman into a child murderer (and then also a pedophile). I hate it so much, and between Jeph Loeb bringing back Jervis as a little man who speaks nothing but quotes, it's pretty much ruined the character. I was hoping Gail Simone might revitalize the character, but instead, now he also fucks hats.
Let me say that again. He. Fucks. HATS.
NO.
I still plan to do posts dedicated to each of the rogues, especially the ones who deserve better writing. Jervis, Ozzie, and Eddie have all been victims of terrible writing and wildly inconsistent characterization. Nobody seems to know what the hell to do with Poison Ivy, ever since they forgot her original origins centering around her obsession with Batman. What's her motivation? What actually drives her and why? We still don't know, and no one seems to care, because why should Pam actually get character development when most people aren't really interested in her as a character?
Also, I imagine Killer Moth being all flustered and flattered to learn that he's included. "Really? I'M there? He... he considers me as bad as them? Oh, I have to call my Mom!" I kid, because I love the loser. But y'know, consider this: Killer Moth has, in recent years, proven himself more enduring as a loser and a joke than he ever has as a badass 90's-tastic man-eating bug creature.
The lesson here? A villain doesn't have to be a grim and deadly threat to be enduring and enjoyable. Hell, in Batgirl: Year One, he was even kinda interesting! Comics dearly need to get back a sense of fun, even in Batman. Especially in Batman.
Next post is Post-Crisis, a post which will culminate in three of the greatest Two-Face covers of all time. Give you a hint: the artists are Perez, Bolland, and Adams.
Storyline: the return of Gilda Dent.
For once, Aparo has forgone the white turtleneck and given Harvey a tie (bow, no less! Suh-NAZZY), which presumably would go better with his judicial robe. Honestly, when I look at Judge Harvey, all I can think of is this one hilariously southern bow-tied Judge I once had in traffic court. Unfortunately for you, the only person who knows what the hell I'm talking about is
surrealname. So, moving on!Storyline: the one with the Halfway House.
Compare this cover to the one in the last post by Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez: both use the idea of the split hideout, but this one suffers from being too strict on the split perspective. There's no sense of connection between the two sides, as if they weren't connected at all. I always hate when people draw Harvey's split nature as a clear, crisp division. Especially when viewed from straight on.
The following covers are from a storyline written by Doug Monech, thus making this the first of several half-baked Harvey stories Moench would write over his Bat-Career. I'll be posting it someday, but aside from one very interesting page, I'm not sure what point there'd be, especially since they're so tied to the original Black Mask storyline.
And I hate Black Mask. Seriously, who the hell decided that he was a character worth resurrecting and making into the #1 Bat-Villain? Why does he actually have a fan following now? I'm a firm believer that when it comes to DC and Marvel, there are no bad characters, just bad writers. But BM really pushes it!
Still, the original story might be worth owning for his origin. IIRC, as a child, he's bitten by a rabid raccoon. Y'know, an animal with a mask. THERE, THAT'S YOUR VILLAIN, FOLKS. THE ONE WITH THE RACCOON IN HIS ORIGIN.
That said, another reason I should read the original BM story? He created the False Face Society. Honestly, for those themes alone, I don't understand why no one ever had Harvey encounter BM. I feel like Moench missed a golden opportunity here when he followed up BM's story with Harvey:
When we first see Harvey, he's sculpting Bat-Busts in Arkham, then smashing the faces. A subtle reference to Harvey's wife, Gilda, who was a sculptor? I doubt it, considering that Moench makes no mention of her, and even takes liberties with Two-Face to the point of having the coin at the end of a chain, for some bloody reason.
Nonetheless, I like that cover a lot. It might go into my favorites, just because of how it suggests Two-Face without actually seeing him, as well as his hatred for Batman.
This looks like a test-run for the vastly superior and iconic cover Neal Adams would eventually do for Eye of the Beholder. Maybe later I'll put them side by side and compare.
Also, I find the tagline amusing: "The TRIUMPH of Two-Face!" The very same year, they released the wonderful Moench-written Hugo Strange story, which touted on the cover, "The TRIUMPH of Hugo Strange!" Either my two favorite villains were doing well for themselves in 1986, or editors were just lazy.
In case you're wondering, the vat Batman's falling into isn't chemicals or lava or something. It's beer. Harvey tries to drown Batman in beer. There are certainly worse ways to go.
Also, Harvey, what are you wearing? Look, the orange/purple ensemble is bad enough, but checkered pattern all over? No no no!
Also also, who are the Lords of the Ultra Realm? Twenty-four years later, and I still don't know!
The title of this issue: "About Faces!" That's where I got it from, as well as the above header image. Honestly, it's still not my favorite name, but it was all that was available that could even partially evoke Harvey in a cleverish manner. Maybe someday I'll switch this to a non-LJ blog account (just in case anyone gets mad and wants to shut this place down), and then I can reconsider changing it to something more evocative and witty.
Also, nothing even remotely like this cover actually happens in the story. I love comics.
Finally, I think this cover deserves to be outside the cut:
Really, I love superheroes dedicating a room to their arch-enemies, whether it in their headquarters or in places like the Flash Museum. Really, why wouldn't Batman create an entire "Hall of Infamy" in the Batcave, with framed portraits, no less? Do you think he painted them all himself?
I've always loved that cover, particularly for how innocent and friendly the Mad Hatter looks. Have I mentioned how much I love the Mad Hatter in TAS, but hate him in comics?
It's all Grant Morrison's fault, because ever since Arkham Asylum, Jervis is now always considered a pedophile. It's the same kind of late 80's-early 90's mentality that turned Toyman into a child murderer (and then also a pedophile). I hate it so much, and between Jeph Loeb bringing back Jervis as a little man who speaks nothing but quotes, it's pretty much ruined the character. I was hoping Gail Simone might revitalize the character, but instead, now he also fucks hats.
Let me say that again. He. Fucks. HATS.
NO.
I still plan to do posts dedicated to each of the rogues, especially the ones who deserve better writing. Jervis, Ozzie, and Eddie have all been victims of terrible writing and wildly inconsistent characterization. Nobody seems to know what the hell to do with Poison Ivy, ever since they forgot her original origins centering around her obsession with Batman. What's her motivation? What actually drives her and why? We still don't know, and no one seems to care, because why should Pam actually get character development when most people aren't really interested in her as a character?
Also, I imagine Killer Moth being all flustered and flattered to learn that he's included. "Really? I'M there? He... he considers me as bad as them? Oh, I have to call my Mom!" I kid, because I love the loser. But y'know, consider this: Killer Moth has, in recent years, proven himself more enduring as a loser and a joke than he ever has as a badass 90's-tastic man-eating bug creature.
The lesson here? A villain doesn't have to be a grim and deadly threat to be enduring and enjoyable. Hell, in Batgirl: Year One, he was even kinda interesting! Comics dearly need to get back a sense of fun, even in Batman. Especially in Batman.
Next post is Post-Crisis, a post which will culminate in three of the greatest Two-Face covers of all time. Give you a hint: the artists are Perez, Bolland, and Adams.
