Who Knew Ultimate Evil Could Be So Good

Batman: The Ultimate Evil prose novel (1995)
Aspect/Warner Books
Andrew Vachss, writer

This isn't your typical Batman story, but it is a very good read. The ultimate evil in the title refers to child abuse and the use of children in human trafficking and the international sex trade, so it's not light fare for younger readers.But if you're a fan of the character, this novel is well worth seeking out.

I've also read "The Further Adventures of the Batman," an anthology of Dark Knight prose stories written by a number of authors not known for tackling superheroes before. The book first came out around the time of the 1989 Tim Burton-Michael Keaton "Batman" film and was popular enough to have a number of sequels spotlighting Batman, the Joker, Superman and Wonder Woman. All of the contributors to these anthologies were well-respected, previously published authors, and most of the tales offered some unique takes on the characters presented. Some handled the superheroics better than others, though.

In this book, Andrew Vachss handles the superhero genre like a pro, keeping a number of the Batman's signature tropes — things like the Batcave, the Batmobile, Batarangs, his stick-to-the-shadows motif, his keen, analytical mind, among others — but also uses the best aspects of prose fiction to craft a Batman that feels unique while familiar at the same time. And Vachss makes the Dark Knight's mission in this novel all the more personal by tying child abuse and child prostitution into the very origins of the Batman in a way that adds depth but doesn't disrespect anything that has been done before with the character.

I don't want to reveal specifics and spoil too much for anyone who hasn't read this book before. But I stress again that this book is well worth seeking out for any fan of the character.

Six Degrees Of Kate Spencer

Manhunter 1-38 (2004-08)
DC Comics
Marc Andreyko, writer
Jesus Saiz, Javier Pina, Brad Walker and Michael Gaydos, artists

This series revolves around federal prosecutor Kate Spencer and her growing sense of frustration as juries fail to convict powered criminals based on a variety of technicalities. For instance, in the first issue, Kate is prosecuting Copperhead, a mutated snake-like villain, suspected in a string of multiple, recent homicides. The jury finds him not guilty because of his mutation, a condition his defense attorney argues compelled him to kill and over which Copperhead has no control.

Finally deciding she has had enough, Kate sneaks into a police evidence lockup and removes a number of items she uses to fashion a superhero costume and arm herself. Kate then takes to the streets in pursuit of Copperhead, who escaped from custody following his trial. Kate is able to follow the trail of blood Copperhead has left behind, and after a touch-and-go battle, manages to deliver some justice on behalf of the villain's victims.

The rush from her first outing convinces Kate to hang onto her new gear, and she adopts the costumed identity of Manhunter. And all of that is just the first issue!

I followed Manhunter as it came out and really enjoyed the tone Marc Andreyko brought to the title. If you were reading comics at the time, you've probably heard of the title before as almost any of the podcasts and reviewers I followed then talked the series up at every opportunity. Despite the positive word-of-mouth, the title seemed to always be on the verge of cancellation. In fact, it was canceled at least twice, only to be resurrected through fan outcry before its final cancellation with issue No. 38.

Part of the appeal of the book was the supporting cast helping to make Kate a more rounded, engaging character. Most superhero books have their recurring characters beyond the main hero or heroine. But Kate had a family around her.

First and foremost was Kate's son, 6-year-old Ramsey. Kate shares custody of Ramsey with her ex, Peter Robinson, an author. Peter isn't in the book as much, but does make some pretty major appearances and enjoys primary custody of Ramsey. So Kate only has occasional time with her son, but he's a pretty precocious kid who quickly stumbles upon his mother's costume stash.

Readers were later introduced to more of Kate's family members, many of whom served to further complicate her life. For instance, her estranged father comes back into the picture midway through the run of the title, and in addition to having some inherent powers of his own, he is not a nice man. That leads to the introduction to the series of a couple golden-age DC characters who just happen to be Kate's grandparents. But I won't spoil that surprise any more than I already have.

The second major supporting player in Kate's life was Dylan Battles. Dylan is a reformed henchman who has previously worked for such infamous characters as Queen Bee, Two-Face, Killer Frost, Black Manta — even the Joker at one point. Dylan has since testified against many of his former "employers" and is now a part of the witness protection program. Kate runs across him accidentally early in the series then tracks him down when her energy staff is damaged in battle with the Shadow Thief. It seems Dylan was in such demand from all of these villains because of his tech-savvy. So Kate blackmails Dylan into helping keep her gear in working order and upgrading her suit's various capabilities.

Let's talk about Kate's suit a little bit. As I mentioned previously, Kate pieced together her outfit and weapons from a police evidence lockup, so she has a bit of a mish-mash of items. For instance, her power staff was once used by a previous Manhunter, Mark Shaw, who also makes a number of appearances later in the series. Kate must have known the staff's history, and that helped lead her to her chosen hero identity. The suit itself is a former Darkstar outfit; the Darkstars were a band of space cops much like the Green Lantern Corps and were featured in a 39-issue series in the mid-1990s. Added to the Darkstar outfit, Kate wears some armored gauntlets that feature distinctively sharp fingertip claws. These gauntlets were part of the Batman costume worn by Azrael during the time he assumed the mantle of the bat from Bruce Wayne. For more on the Azrael-Batman, check out the mid-90s "Knightfall" story line in the Bat titles. And for more on how all of these various items ended up in that evidence room, check out Manhunter No. 15.

Need more name dropping? Kate's co-counsel throughout the run of the book is a man named Damon Matthews. Damon is a great character in his own right, but if you haven't read Manhunter, his name probably means nothing to you. But during the series, Damon meets and begins dating Todd Rice, also known as Obsidian, super-powered son of the golden-age Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Both Todd and his heroic alter ego make several appearances in the pages of Manhunter.

There are more ties to the greater DC Universe. Kate went to college with Cameron Chase, the title character in a short-lived series in 1998. Chase was a special agent with the Department of Extranormal Operations in DC continuity. In her own 10-issue title, Chase learned that her father was a little-known superhero, Acro-Bat, killed by a member of his rogue's gallery. That same villain, Dr. Trapp, had kidnapped Chase when she was younger. In Manhunter, Kate comes to the attention of the DEO, and Chase becomes a regular recurring character, continuing her story.

Speaking of the DEO, elsewhere in DC continuity, it was established that Mr. Bones, a character with convoluted ties to the superhero group Infinity Inc., assumed the role of director of the government agency and is Chase's boss. During the "One Year Later" jump all DC titles made in 2006, Manhunter began doing some work directly for the DEO, and Bones became another recurring character in the series. On Bones' order, Kate switches jobs during the "One Year Later" jump and becomes a defense attorney, taking a number of cases referred to her by the DEO.

Once she switched to being a defense attorney instead of a prosecutor, Kate came to the attention of Wonder Woman. Diana needed a defense attorney when international officials charged the Amazon with the murder of Maxwell Lord, leader of Checkmate. Diana snapped Lord's neck in the "Sacrifice" story line that preceded Infinite Crisis.

Still not enough to establish Manhunter firmly in the DCU for you? Other connections to the wider DC Universe passing through the pages of Kate's series include the Crime Doctor, Phobia, Dr. Psycho, the Suicide Squad, Batman, the Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle and several members of the Justice Society and Justice League, just to name a few. Some of these might have been cameos engineered to boost sales along the way, but Andreyko always made the guest appearances spring very organically from ongoing plots and story lines. He seems to have a talent for that kind of thing, making his creation, Manhunter, very tied into the DCU.