Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artists: Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC
In the introduction to this collected edition, Eisner Award nominee Marc Andreyko talks about his inspiration for the Kate Spencer character. They weren’t the “Earth mothers,” “devoted wives,” or the “sex kittens,” instead the templates for Kate were Katherine Hepburn and Rosalind Russell and the classic dames of the ‘30s and ‘40s or, as the author puts it: “A woman who ain’t afraid to be a ‘broad’ and doesn’t lose her femininity because of it.”
I can’t agree more, nor find a better way to describe this great character who is at the heart and soul of this comic. One of the reasons she is so memorable is because she breaks most comic book conventions. Andreyko calls her flawed, fully clothed, and average busted. However, I don’t think she’s as much flawed as she is realistic. She’s a woman with a real job (a prominent prosecutor) and family problems such as a failed marriage and a kid. Andreyko goes on to talk about his initial incredulity over DC allowing a series in which the protagonist kills bad guys who deserve it in the mainstream DC universe and then states the publisher is going through a renaissance which has given birth to such great series as “Identity Crisis” and the current “Infinite Crisis.” Once again I concur.
This trade collects the first five issues of Manhunter, embellished with gorgeous covers depicting Kate in various poses. My favorite is a shot of her leaning against a wall, in her distinctive red Manhunter suit, smoking a cigarette and clutching a massive semi-automatic weapon. The introductory chapter introduces us to Kate and her motivation for taking the Manhunter suit and weapons. She prosecutes a killer cannibal named Copperhead and the system fails, so she takes the law into her own hands to prevent him from killing again. #2 picks up the moral dilemma of killing and the moral ambivalence of Kate’s character with a fantastic dream sequence where Kate rescues Batman and he tells her that he doesn’t want her help, that she is as bad as the villains she’s fighting.
This chapter also spotlights Kate’s conflict with her ex and her family and her son Ramsey. Andreyko’s handling of Kate’s failed attempts at motherhood is nothing short of genius. Things get complicated even further when Ramsey finds the Manhunter power staff his mother is stashing in her home and his reaction alone is worth the price of admission (in this case, a $12.99 U.S. price tag, which considering this tome includes the sold-out hard to find issue #5 which ties in to Identity Crisis, is a pretty good, unless you’re in Canada. Sucks to be Canadian). Unfortunately for Kate, her son lands in the hospital as a result.
Andreyko’s writing and dialogue is always sharp and always rings true of a fledging super hero coming into her own. For example, while fighting the Shadow Thief in Chapter 3, Kate has a priceless line about witty banter being hard to come up with on the spot.
The 4th issue introduces the world to Kate’s tech guy and go-to-guy for gadgets Dylan Battles. He used to help villains such as Black Manta and his inclusion into the book is sheer genius. This interlude is hilarious. Dylan’s wife is simply marvelously written as is Andreyko’s explanation of why there are few “metahumans” operating in Los Angeles like Kate, It’s too spread out and there aren’t as many chances to swing from building to building.
The final chapter even has the Justice League put in an appearance as they come to visit Kate investigating the murder of Firestorm by the Shadow Thief. Kate handles them with style and poise while at the same time keeping her involvement in the case and her double life as the new Manhunter a secret. Up to now, this great comic has also been a bit of a secret, but now that this trade has hit the racks, maybe more of an audience will discover what I called in my personal blog the year’s best book of 2005. One of the things I love about it is DC prints it in regular comic book paper, no glossy pages or painted gimmicks. Frankly, they aren’t necessary and would just get in the way of Jesus Saiz’s artwork which is highly expressive without being overly flashy. If this helps to keep the cover price to $2.50, that’s the proverbial icing on the cake. I personally can hardly wait to get my monthly slice. If we’re lucky, DC will soon put out a sequel collecting issues 6-10 of this brilliant ongoing series.
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