"Forgotten: Part Four"

Gaydos once more surprises me. Mostly, I would have termed him a Vertigo-oriented artist, opaque illustration with a heavy reliance on black ink, which is fine if the story warrants such style. Gaydos, for instance, had teamed with Andreyko and Bendis for the docudrama Torso, chronicling Elliot Ness' investigation into the Torso Slayer of Kingsbury Row. For that book, his art style worked. I didn't care for Alias, the comic book, at all, and his artwork in the issue I read made me nauseous. I feared what he might do on a super-hero book like Manhunter.

Accompanied by Kate's pithy narration, the art of Gaydos' artwork relies upon a comprehension of anatomy and the choreography of violence to open Manhunter with an enviable hook. Kate has the luck of meeting a duplicating villain, part of the artists formerly known as the Suicide Squad. In short, Kate goes nuts, and the ballet of death is truly enjoyable to watch. I'm not sure if any of the destruction counts as a kill, but it's certainly fun to watch.

Andreyko complicates matters in his reality-based plot in which scores of women have disappeared around the U.S./Mexican border. The complications, however, make sense. They're not part of some idiotic contrivance. Andreyko answers a pertinent question about the border deaths. Why hasn't DC's U.S. government done anything about these crimes? I like that Andreyko has considered that the government in the DC universe would be far more competent and compassionate over the multiple deaths--Bush afterall hasn't been installed as President in the DCU. The bureacracy though seems to be just as willing to sacrifice those it considers pawns to win the chess game. Kate's not willing to do that.

Kate's planning neatly preserves the government investigation, and it reinforces her role as a sharp, vigilante type from the mold of 1939's Batman, or Bat-Man as he was originally called. Andreyko still doesn't answer one question on my mind. Why hasn't Batman, who frequently ignores jurisdiction arguments, put an end to these crimes? Still I'm satisfied how the story is progressing.

In addition to the engrossing main plot, the subplots gain a little more momentum. Iron Munro and Sandra Knight, the original DC Phantom Lady, interact more naturally with their grandson Ramsey, Kate's son. The secret of Thor, Ram's puppy, refreshingly benefits from a less sinister origin; Thor will not be eating Ramsey anytime soon unless he has the misfortune of joining the Teen Titans. Dylan gets a good showing as does Obsidian and Damon.

This chapter of Manhunter opens strongly with Kate Spencer, the eponymous heroine displaying her lethal charms. Gaydos' execution of Andreyko's setup is fairly flawless, from what I can see.

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