"Unleashed": Part Four--Proof
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artists: Javier Pina, Brad Walker, Fernando Blanco(p), Robin Riggs, Fernando Blanco(i), Jason Wright(c)
Publisher: DC
In this issue of Manhunter, Kate shows Wonder Woman the recording, with sound, of she snuffing Maxwell Lord, but Wonder Woman to protect Superman's purity in the eyes of the people refuses to use the recording in her trial. This forces Kate to do something sneaky and underhanded for the benefit of her client. Former Manhunter Mark Shaw gains a new identity, one I hope sticks. Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Dylan stages a daring rescue of Chase Cameron and her sister. Gotham's defender Batman discovers the true identity of the Blue Beetle, and this leads to a showdown with Kate Spencer a.k.a. Manhunter.
This is a frustrating issue of Manhunter. It's less about the title character and more about the aftermath of Countdown to Infinite Crisis, which needlessly ended the second incarnation of the Blue Beetle. As such, it's really about Big Stupid Events that I don't care about.
Superman states:
"Diana did what she felt she had to to save me and save the world from me. She killed Max."
I read the last few issues of Infinite Crisis, and Superman was royally hacked off at Wonder Woman for killing Max. This was part of what split the Trinity, and one of the things that hacked me off is that they were out of character and the schism was such obvious artifice.
Now, some claim that Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman acting out of character since, oh, the late nineties, was part of a cunning plan to pave the way to Infinite Crisis. I call it bad writing and bad editing. Had The Powers That Be been paying attention to the crap that was going on, this all could have been avoided.
What Marc Andreyko evinces in Manhunter is good writing. Despite my having absolutely no emotional investment in the multitude of Big Stupid Events I can appreciate that Andreyko's characterization of the heroes reflects how they should have behaved all along. Batman detects, and helps Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman refuses to besmirch the honor of Superman, a man she admires. Superman sticks up for Wonder Woman and accepts her decision. Some are going to say this is due to One Year Later smoothing over the wounds between the three heroes. I say it's just an example of a careful, thoughtful writer crafting characterization that resonates. You didn't need a One Year Later for this kind of writing. You didn't need an Infinite Crisis for this kind of writing. You just needed pink slips.
As good as Marc Andreyko is, there's only so much he can do. The true identity of the Blue Beetle is supposed to be a revelation, but the reveal only made me ask "Who?" I've searched my memory and found no reference for this character. That can only mean that he/it was introduced during a Big Stupid Event, something I've been faithful in avoiding and will continue to ignore like so-called reality shows. In any case, the foe's characterized as formidable, and this gives Kate a chance to strut her stuff. In a single panel Andreyko tells me all I need to know about this villain. He deserves Manhunter. Kate threatens the villain. She backs up her threat, and while there's no righteous kill, she saves innocent lives and fights well.
Pina's art is evident when the focus turns to Wonder Woman. His depiction combined with Jason Wright's colors are breathtaking. Pina and Wright give her uniform a realistic nuance through slight wrinkles and the illusion of varied textures such as a metallic sheen to her symbol and her belt and a satiny shine in the red bodice. The artists' convey power in her pose through the simple application of proportionate muscle and added depth to the sinew in the differences in skin-tone shades. Pina and Riggs give her dignified body language. She acts regally and strong. This is how Wonder Woman should look all the time. Pina's Kate Spencer continues to be a work of earthen delight, drawn from Jesus Saiz's original design. Pina renders Kate as a beautiful, but not perfect, woman. She's somebody you could conceivably meet in a line at Starbucks, but you'd never guess that this woman getting a latte is the huntress in red known as Manhunter.
Although my support of Manhunter has not dwindled, I cannot help but be slightly disappointed by the lack of focus on Kate in this chapter of an otherwise interesting story.
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