"Forgotten" (part five: Unhappy Hunting Grounds)

Two artists having different visual temperaments working on the same title is usually the kiss of death, but I'm guessing that Marc Andreyko's scripting was so tight that his vision couldn't be clouded.

It's puzzling that Mike Gaydos does absolutely no action scenes for this issue of Manhunter. I think he's capable. He did them in his debut issue, but I'm not absolutely sure that he likes them.

This issue of Manhunter Gaydos concentrates on Chase Cameron drinking from a glass, Mark Shaw lounging about, the former Phantom Lady Sandra Knight hugging her grandson Ramsey, and the new Crime Doctor finger pointing as the latest version of the Suicide Squad succumb to a contingency plan.

All of these scenes are more common in a slice-of-life story, rather than a super-hero tale. The fact that these scenes appear sporadically in the narrative makes me wonder if Gaydos simply concentrated more on these vignettes, arguably his strength and passion, and ignored the action scenarios. Either that or his scenes were replaced, and I don't think that's likely because I can't see powers that be at DC caring all that much over "inferior" artwork. They've certainly published their share.

Whatever the reason, Carlos Magno completes this issue of Manhunter adequately. This is probably as well a rush job, and he likely could have done better had he the time.

Magno's scenes contrast Gaydos' scenes sharply. His work focuses on animation and violence. Women run. Kate injures limbs and probably offed a few of the criminals at the complex run by Vesetech. In addition, Magno illustrates the climax in which Kate faces down and kills a meta that becomes monster.

What amazes me about the issue is that it all still works. It visually appears like a normal issue of Manhunter. That makes me think that Andreyko explicitly detailed each direction of each panel in his script. That's not always common. It's not the classic Marvel method of writing for example, but Kate's actions are so precise that I must operate under the suspicion that every breaking limb, every stabbing, every gymnast twist and turn Kate makes has been meticulously planned by Andreyko.

This issue of Manhunter should have been disastrous, but Andreyko's writing and the multiple artists' respect for Andreyko's script make the latest another winner.

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