Manhunter #23
Manhunter #23
August 2006
$2.99
Released June 21st, 2006
Psychobabble Part Four: "Phantom Pain"
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Layouts: Javier Pina & Diego Olmos
Finishes: Fernando Blanco
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Colorist: Jason Wright
The first half of Manhunter #23 is its usual charming self. We get to see our first real glimpse at Sweeney Todd, the birth of Ramsey's halfsister Violet, an entertaining lunchdate, as well as an intriguing glimpse at the Society. Unfortunately the momentum of the first half of the issue comes to a screeching halt for me on page 16. Andreyko explains Kate's parentage well, but it is a bit of a letdown. I had never even heard of her grandfather. The story is written well, but the ending was anticlimactic for me.
Aside from my disappointment at being unfamiliar with Kate's grandfather, Andreyko did do a good job of explaining how Sandra Knight came to be pregnant as well as how Al Pratt was erroneously listed as Walter's father. Andreyko gives us a glimpse of what it was like for heroes as well as ordinary citizens during the time of the All-Star Squadron. I also really liked Sandra's comment about the child she kept being murderer while the one she gave away to protect grew into a murderer.
Sweeney Todd is beginning to make for an interesting villain. Why does this guy think he's Sweeney Todd, and why is he killing women? The original Sweeney Todd murdered people while cutting their hair, so what's with the change in motive? And why is he so obsessed with Chase and calling her "Sarah"? Needless to say this issue raises tons of questions about our new villain, and I can't wait to find out the answers.
The timeline of OYL doesn't seem to be the greatest, what with Dr. Psycho still being in the Society in Secret Six as well as looking vastly different and not being in prison in Wonder Woman, but I really liked Psycho's scenes with Talia al Ghul this week. Andreyko gives us a believeable reason for why the Society isn't as much of a presence OYL, and it should be interesting to see how Psycho reacts to the Society's betrayal when he gets out of prison.
As usual I really enjoy Pina's pencils. It's not flashy like a lot of other artists, but there's something captivating about it nonetheless. I'm not really sure how many panels Pina drew compared to Olmos, but the art as usual gets a passing grade. Nice stuff.
Grade: B+
Dylan explains to Manhunter how Ted had been doing a story on her before winding up using one of Dylan's teleporters to teleport who knows where. Manhunter notices that even with Kilg%re gone, Ted still has electronic bits in his eyes. She heads outside to call Bones on her cell to see what to do about Ted. Dylan comes running out and tells Manhunter that Cam is in trouble. Dylan wants to go with her to help Cam, but Manhunter orders him to stay there.
Peter is driving Julie and Ramsey home while chewing Ramsey out for the fight at school. Julie interrupts Peter's yelling to tell him she's going into labor.
Manhunter finds Cam's car as well as Cam's gun sliced in half; she then hears Sweeney roaring and goes to investigate. Sweeney tries to find the hiding Cam, who he refers to as Sarah. Manhunter uses Cam's car to hit Sweeney. Cam wants to use Sweeney's psi-blade against him, but Kate grabs hold of her and blasts off with her staff. Sweeney vows to get both of them, once again calling Cam "Sarah."
Dr. Psycho is asleep when he's visited by Talia al Ghul. Talia informs him that her company manufactured his psi-inhibitor, which allowed her to jam it to beam him a message. Psycho tells Talia to just shut the inhibitor off, but she refuses. She tells Psycho that he is welcome back in the Society if he gets acquitted, but if he doesn't they won't lift a finger to help him. She says that if the Society doesn't help him, the heroes will think the Society weakened.
Psycho is furious and vows that if she doesn't help him he'll turn over all intel he managed to get over to the authorities. Talia promises Psycho that if he even tries, he'll be dead before the words pass through his lips.
Kate and Cam are walking to a restaurant to meet up with Damon and Todd. When Kate mentions Dylan Cam gets flustered and wonders why everyone lumps her and Dylan together. Cam goes to talk to Damon and Todd while Kate gets a call from Peter, telling her that Julie gave birth to a daughter named Violet.
Kate tells her friends the news; Todd states that he loves kids, but Damon doesn't share his enthusiasm. Kate tells Damon and Todd about Kate's attacker. Todd recognizes the name "Sweeney Todd" from the Stephen Sondheim musical.
Todd begins to question Kate about Spencer when she's once again interrupted by her cell. This time it's Dr. Mid-Nite, who informs her that the Atom isn't related to her but she IS related to two others in the JSA database. Mid-Nite tells her that her grandmother lives nearby and would like to meet her.
Kate goes to the address Mid-Nite gives her and meets her grandmother, Sandra Knight, AKA the first Phantom Lady. Sandra shows Kate clippings of her time as a hero as well as her old costume. Sandra tells Kate that back in her time with the All-Star Squadron her boyfriend broke up with her after they slept together. Her teammates took her to a pub to get her mind off the break-up.
Al Pratt walked Sandra home, where Sandra admitted that she was pregnant. Noting that during the 40's abortion wasn't legal, Sandra was faced with the choice of giving her baby away, getting married, or being an outcast. As she was still in love with her boyfriend she feared telling him the truth, so she decided to give the baby up.
Al took Sandra to a Home for Unwed Mothers. Al listed his name as an emergency contact, and the secretary assumed this meant that Al was the father. The truth is that Kate's grandfather is Iron Munroe. After giving up Walter Sandra and Iron got married and had another kid, only for him to be killed by Baron Blitzkrieg.
Kate tells Sandra that she really wants Sandra in her life and shows her a picture of Ramsey. Sandra informs Kate that Iron is still around, though she hasn't spoken to him in years; in addition to that Kate also has a cousin named Jack living in San Francisco.
