(writer) Bill Mantlo
(artists) Arthur Adams
(pencils) Terry Austin (inks)
(colorist) Glynis Oliver
This issue saddened me
for a number of reasons, even as it entertained me.
First of all, since
writer Bill Mantlo suffered irreparable brain damage due to a hit-and-run way
back in 1992 and has since needed institutional care, he hasn't written (and
won't ever write another) comic book. It's a real shame, considering
that, in addition to co-creating these characters, he is also responsible for
the creation of the soon-to-be-world-famous Rocket Raccoon, one of the most
prominent characters of Marvel Studios' upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy.
It also saddened me to
see Art Adams' work on a full twenty-two pages of story because it made me
think of how seldom the guy works on comic book interiors. The last book he
actually worked on, Ultimate X, is over three years old and was part of a
failed attempt to reignite flagging interest in Marvel Comics'
"Ultimate" line. He's drawn covers for nearly every major character
these days, mostly Marvel books, but apart from the aforementioned Ultimate X and HALF of a three-issue Hulk story arc, he hasn't really turned more than a few pages of
interior art, with his latest effort most notably being two or three pages of
Brian Bendis' All-New X-Men #25, which was yet another "jam" issue.
The thing is, I've
wanted this issue since I was a kid, way, way back when I saw the November
checklist in another Marvel comic book, so when my favorite retail shop was
able to track the issue down I simply jumped at the chance to add it to my
collection.
The story is simple
enough; Cloak and Dagger find themselves in France after having stowed away on
a boat while chasing a drug syndicate. Dagger, influenced by their
"traveling companion" Bill Clayton falls in love with the circus and
becomes their star performer, while Cloak remains intent on chasing down the
bad guys until they've paid for their crimes. Unfortunately for Dagger, the
whimsical fantasy of the world she has embraced meets up with the grimy
violence of the world she has been living in, and tragedy ensues.
Although the story is
self-contained, it is clearly part of a larger narrative thread, and feels a
little bit beholden to it at times. What’s really striking was how the comic
book was very much a product of its time, also known as the “grim and gritty”
era of comics that spawned books like Daredevil:
Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns
and Watchmen. After all, Cloak and
Dagger weren’t chasing down some muscled supervillain but a bunch of
run-of-the-mill drug dealers. Despite Mantlo’s efforts to conform to that era
of storytelling, though, the issue still feels distinctly clunky in the
narrative, like an after-school special more than a hard-hitting tale of
vigilantes taking on the drug scourge. The dialogue just gets a touch too
heavy-handed at times, and it’s a little laughable at one point to see Dagger
yell “killer” at one of the gangsters she confronts. For Pete’s sake, nobody
actually calls someone that, not even in the 80s. If they wanted to avoid the
more adult-sounding “bastard,” editorial could have allowed Mantlo to use the
word “murderer” which isn’t potty mouthed and which sounds a lot more natural.
Adams’ art was a strange fit for the rather dark story, considering that his lively,
Disney-inspired work is better-suited to more fantastical stories. I also found rather halting his distinctly
80s styling for the characters. While I wasn't impressed by the way the art told the story, as an Adams fanboy I daresay my cup ran over, especially with
Adams’ frequent collaborator (back then, anyway) Terry Austin inking over Adams
pencils. I also saw why it was so easy for me to fall for Adams’ work back
then; the shoddy printing quality of the issue went a long way towards masking
the flaws in the workmanship. And it irked me that like so many
prominent comic book artists, including the likes of Jim Lee, Adams seemed simply incapable of drawing black people properly, which was a bit of an issue here considering Cloak’s ethnicity. I think Adams has improved his craft since then
(this issue is nearly thirty years old, after all) but it was still a treat, in
a time-capsule sort of way, to see his pencils as they used to be.
This particular series
ended only two issues after #9, but I have no interest in tracking down the
other issues of the series. I am glad,
however, that I picked this one up.
7.5/10
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